Chapter Summaries

Hagrid returned to teaching Care of Magical Creatures after Rita Skeeter’s article exposed his half-giant heritage and drove him into isolation. As Harry struggled to find a way to breathe underwater for the Second Task, he went to Aaron for help, who asked whether Harry was still unprepared.

• Professor Grubbly-Plank replaced Hagrid temporarily and taught the students about Unicorns while Rita Skeeter’s article attacked Hagrid and revealed he was a Half-Giant.
• Hagrid stayed in his hut for more than half a month, then returned to teaching Unicorns after Dumbledore persuaded him to resume.
• Harry, Ron, and Hermione searched books for a way to breathe underwater, but found no answer as the Second Task approached.
• Ron urged Harry to ask Aaron for a method, and Harry reluctantly went to him.
• Aaron saw Harry approach and asked if he still had not prepared for the Second Task.

Harry learned from Aaron that Gillyweed could let him breathe underwater, but the only Hogwarts supply was in Snape’s private stores. With the second task near and Ron taken as a hostage, Harry accepted the Gillyweed Dobby had stolen and prepared to rescue him.

• Aaron told Harry about the Bubble-Head Charm and Gillyweed, explaining that Hogwarts’s supply was in a professor’s private stores and suggesting he ask others for help.
• Harry told Ron and Hermione that Snape had the Gillyweed, and the three searched the library for another way to breathe underwater.
• McGonagall summoned Ron and Hermione, and the next evening Dobby appeared at Harry’s bedside with stolen Gillyweed.
• Harry learned that the Mermaids had taken Ron and Hermione as the Champions’ most treasured possessions, and he chose to use the Gillyweed to save Ron.
• Dobby explained that he had learned about the hostages and Gillyweed while overhearing Moody and McGonagall, then Harry stopped him from punishing himself and sent him back.

The second task of the Triwizard Tournament began, sending the Champions into the Black Lake to retrieve their loved ones. Aaron used his Water-Repelling Charm to descend safely inside a moving bubble, while the judges and spectators watched the Champions through Adrian’s magical screens.

• George and Fred ran a betting pool as the Champions gathered beside the Black Lake, and Bagman explained the task and its one-hour limit.
• Cedric, Krum, Fleur, and Harry entered the lake using different methods, while Aaron remained on shore and warned Harry that Ron was his treasure.
• Harry’s Gillyweed took effect, giving him gills and webbed hands and feet, and he plunged underwater to find Ron.
• Aaron cast the Water-Repelling Charm, which enclosed him in a bubble that kept out water and fish and carried him beneath the lake.
• Adrian created five glowing screens to show the Champions underwater, and Percy suggested Aaron could earn fame and a promotion by sharing his spell.

Aaron navigated a Grindylow colony and used Captain Jack's Compass to find Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood among the hostages in the Black Lake. He learned he could save only one of them and faced the choice as Adrian watched from the judges' table.

• Aaron used a protective barrier to force his way through a Grindylow colony and continued toward the center of the lake.
• Aaron's Thoughtform warned him that spectators could see the Champions' underwater performances, so Aaron used Captain Jack's Compass while pretending it was a painful last resort.
• Adrian defended Aaron's use of the compass against Karkaroff's accusation of cheating, while Percy suggested registering the artifact with the Ministry of Magic.
• Aaron followed the compass to the mermaid settlement and found six hostages bound to a statue, including Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood.
• A Mermaid told Aaron he could save only one hostage, and Aaron realized the task demanded a choice between Hermione and Luna.

During the second Triwizard task, Aaron faced Adrian’s challenge to choose which hostage to save first and used a coin toss to choose Luna. As the hour neared its end, Fleur still had not arrived for Gabrielle, forcing Aaron to prepare to rescue Hermione and Gabrielle himself.

• Adrian told the judges that Aaron would save both hostages but that she wanted to see whom he saved first.
• Harry freed Ron and left with him, while Cedric rescued Cho Chang and Aaron stayed behind with Hermione and Luna.
• Aaron flipped a Gold Galleon, got heads, and freed Luna before asking Viktor Krum to take her back with his own hostage.
• Krum agreed to carry Luna to the surface, while Aaron remained to wait for Fleur to rescue Gabrielle.
• With less than three minutes remaining and Fleur still absent, Aaron took out Captain Jack's Compass and prepared to act.

Aaron rescued Fleur and Gabrielle from the Grindylows and brought Hermione back from the mermaids, then reached the lake surface exhausted but successful. He left the crowd believing his compass had been destroyed while hiding that its loss was an illusion.

• Aaron found Fleur trapped in a Grindylow nest, pulled her free, and rushed with her toward the mermaids’ dwelling.
• Fleur freed Gabrielle while Aaron retrieved Hermione, and Fleur swam to the surface with her Sister as the mermaids confronted him.
• Aaron pretended his compass had been destroyed, petrified the attacking Grindylows, wounded the mermaid leader, and persuaded the mermaids to let him leave with Hermione.
• Aaron brought Hermione to shore, where Luna gave her a blanket and warming potion, while Aaron admitted that maintaining the Water-Repelling Charm had drained his magic.
• Fleur thanked Aaron for saving her and Gabrielle, and Aaron claimed that the compass had been an heirloom that had fulfilled its purpose.

The Triwizard judges announced the second task scores, giving Aaron the highest score for rescuing both hostages and helping Fleur. After Harry confessed to stealing Snape’s Gillyweed, Aaron learned that Karkaroff and Snape bore the Dark Mark and that Snape feared Voldemort’s return.

• Bagman announced that Fleur received 42 points, Krum 45, Harry and Cedric 47 each, and Aaron 49 for his performance in the Black Lake.
• Adrian teased Aaron about the third task and warned that their agreement could be invalidated, bringing Clea to visit his home.
• Aaron accompanied Harry to Snape’s storeroom, where they overheard Karkaroff fearfully discussing a sign on his arm.
• Harry admitted stealing Snape’s Gillyweed, but Snape accused him of also taking ingredients for Polyjuice Potion.
• Aaron asked Snape about Karkaroff’s Dark Mark, and Snape revealed his own mark and warned that Voldemort’s return might be near.

Aaron worried about Voldemort’s return, but he and his Thoughtform judged that Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore would keep the Dark Lord’s attention elsewhere for now. Aaron bought and absorbed the Tiger Talisman, then turned his attention to a Witch Weekly story about Harry Potter.

• Aaron reviewed his magical strength and worried he would not be ready to face Voldemort at his peak.
• Aaron and his Thoughtform concluded that Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore would protect him from Voldemort’s full attention for the next few years.
• Aaron bought the Tiger Talisman, absorbed its power, and planned to leave the powerless talisman as a potential trap in Divine Thunder Hall.
• Two weeks later, Aaron saw Slytherins reading Witch Weekly during Potions Class and asked Draco to borrow his copy.
• Aaron read the headline “Harry Potter's Mithras Sad History” and became eager to learn what it said.

During Potions class, Snape read Rita Skeeter’s fabricated story portraying Harry, Ron, and Hermione as a love triangle, while Aaron asked Slytherin students not to mock Hermione. The trio planned to secretly meet Sirius Black, but Aaron joined them after Harry said the meeting might involve Voldemort.

• Snape caught Ron hiding a newspaper and read Rita Skeeter’s story about Harry and Hermione, embarrassing the trio and drawing Aaron’s attention.
• Aaron asked the Slytherins not to mock Hermione because she had been his Christmas Ball partner, and Snape warned him to take care of himself.
• Hermione suspected Rita Skeeter had learned real secrets despite fabricating the trio’s supposed love triangle, while Harry urged them to prepare for a meeting with Sirius Black.
• At lunch, Abei stole some of the food Harry, Ron, and Hermione had packed for Sirius, and Aaron discovered their plan to visit him secretly.
• Harry told Aaron that Sirius had returned and that their meeting might concern Voldemort, so Aaron agreed to go and told them to prepare the Invisibility Cloak.

Sirius met Harry, Aaron, Ron, and Hermione near Hogsmeade and warned them that the Triwizard Tournament’s third task might be a final attempt to kill Harry. Aaron and his Thoughtform concluded that someone had infiltrated Hogwarts using Polyjuice Potion, leaving Aaron bound to protect Harry in the final task.

• Sirius met the four students near Hogsmeade, changed back from his dog form, and ate the food Harry brought.
• Sirius pointed out that Barty Crouch had been ill for over a month, Bertha Jenkins was missing, and Winky had been dismissed, prompting the group to suspect a link to Voldemort and the Triwizard Tournament.
• Harry suspected Snape, but Aaron, Hermione, and Sirius rejected the idea and urged Ron to ask Percy whether he had seen Crouch.
• Sirius warned Harry that the third task could be the last chance to kill him, then returned to hiding as the students headed back to Hogwarts.
• Aaron and his Thoughtform inferred that an unknown person had been brewing Polyjuice Potion from stolen ingredients and might have infiltrated Hogwarts for half a year.
• Aaron realized Adrian’s request meant he would have to protect Harry and the other Champions during the final task, possibly confronting the infiltrator.

Hagrid’s Nifflers swarmed Aaron, but Abei drove them off before the class held a treasure hunt. Later, Aaron warned Harry that the Triwizard Tournament’s final task might involve dangerous creatures, and the chapter ended as the Champions gathered inside a maze on the Quidditch pitch.

• Hagrid introduced Nifflers, and Abei fought off the ones that rushed toward Aaron before Aaron returned them to their boxes.
• The students used Nifflers to hunt buried gold, and Ron won the most coins while Aaron’s Niffler kept eyeing Abei’s pockets.
• Harry received Percy’s letter about Barty Crouch, and Aaron suspected Crouch had run into trouble while Hermione cautioned against speculation.
• Aaron warned Harry to learn the Iron Armor Charm because the final task might involve adult Blast-Ended Skrewts and other dangerous creatures.
• Bagman summoned the Champions to the transformed Quidditch pitch, where Harry, Cedric, and Aaron found a maze and joined Fleur and Krum.

Aaron learned that the Triwizard Tournament champion would be whoever reached the Cup first, leaving him trapped between Adrian’s demand and his sister’s matchmaking plans. The next morning, Harry reported that Barty Crouch had appeared at Hogwarts in a deranged state and then vanished, and Aaron suspected Voldemort and Wormtail were behind it.

• Ludo Bagman explained that the first Champion to reach the Cup would win, and Aaron protested that the rule made Adrian’s demand impossible to satisfy.
• Bagman relayed Judge Klein’s message that there were always more solutions than difficulties, but Aaron remained convinced he needed to speak with Adrian.
• Harry told Aaron that Crouch had stumbled out of the Forbidden Forest, warned that Voldemort was growing stronger, mentioned his son and Bertha Jenkins, and then disappeared after Dumbledore went to meet him.
• Aaron concluded that Crouch had likely been killed after breaking free of mind control, and suggested Voldemort and Wormtail could have controlled him.
• Aaron urged Harry, Hermione, and Ron to stay out of the unfolding danger.

Harry’s vision of Voldemort and Pettigrew convinced him and Aaron that Crouch was dead and that a servant of Voldemort was hiding at Hogwarts. They reached Dumbledore’s office to report their suspicions, but found him away, leaving Abei to eye Fawkes.

• Harry trained practical spells with Hermione and Ron, while Ron complained about serving as Harry’s sparring partner.
• During Divination, Harry’s scar hurt and glowed as he saw Voldemort, Pettigrew, and Nagini in a vision.
• Aaron concluded that Voldemort had controlled Crouch, who escaped to Hogwarts before being killed by an unknown servant.
• Harry and Aaron went to tell Dumbledore, but Fudge, Moody, and Dumbledore left to inspect the third task site.
• After the office door shut, Abei stared hungrily at Fawkes, making the Phoenix shudder.

Aaron and Abei plucked Fawkes’s feathers and collected his tears before healing him, while Harry discovered Dumbledore’s Pensieve and entered its memories. Harry learned about Karkaroff’s trial and several people accused of being Death Eaters, including Barty Crouch Jr., and Aaron warned him to keep Snape’s secret.

• Abei attacked Fawkes, plucked many of his feathers, and Aaron collected his tears while Harry protested.
• Abei healed Fawkes, and Aaron restored the scattered objects in Dumbledore’s office with his Wand.
• Harry found Dumbledore’s Pensieve and entered it to search for memories about Barty Crouch.
• Harry saw Karkaroff’s trial and learned that Dumbledore had placed Snape as a spy near Voldemort; Aaron warned him not to reveal it.
• Harry learned that Barty Crouch Jr. was a Death Eater, Neville’s parents had been tortured, and Ludo Bagman had been accused but released.

Harry and Aaron warned Dumbledore that Voldemort was regaining power and might have infiltrated Hogwarts with Polyjuice Potion. On the eve of the third task, the Champions learned their relatives had been invited to Hogwarts, and Aaron found Professor Lupin waiting to see Harry.

• Harry told Dumbledore about his dream of Voldemort and Crouch, while Aaron reported that ingredients for Polyjuice Potion had gone missing.
• Dumbledore suspected Voldemort's followers were hiding within Hogwarts and assured Harry that Moody would guard the maze during the third task.
• The Daily Prophet published Rita Skeeter's article portraying Harry as unstable, and Aaron suggested she might be using a flying Animagus form to spy.
• Professor McGonagall told the Champions that their relatives had been invited to watch the competition, and Aaron went to the Meeting Room with Abei.
• Aaron found Jeans, Adrian, and Professor Lupin there; Lupin asked him to fetch Harry and Aaron confronted him about rumors that Aaron could use the Cruciatus Curse.

Harry reunited with Remus Lupin before the Third Task, while Aaron negotiated more time before an arranged courtship and prepared heavily for the maze. The chapter ended with Aaron stocked with enchanted ammunition and expecting the task to be dangerous, especially if Adrian had arranged a surprise.

• Harry found Remus Lupin waiting for him, and Lupin concealed that Aaron had punched him after their earlier confrontation.
• Adrian explained that she had invited Lupin as extra protection for Harry, then bargained with Aaron to postpone dating Clea for two years if he met her demands in the Third Task.
• Aaron learned that Argus's divine weapon needed only his blood to be assembled and that the Divine Artifact was already one-third complete thanks to Adrian's Black Crystal.
• Jeans told Aaron that Barty Crouch and Bertha Jenkins had disappeared and that Cornelius Fudge had replaced Percy Weasley as acting referee.
• Aaron and the Thoughtform discussed the danger of the Third Task and Aaron's plan to make every Champion touch the trophy together.
• The Thoughtform gave Aaron a large stock of enchanted bullets, and Aaron said he would avoid using Lycoris unless an emergency arose.

Aaron entered the moving maze first in the Triwizard Tournament and discovered that Adrian had enchanted it to change, undermining his memorized route. After a treasure chest released a Dementor, Aaron drove it off and found a map showing the Cup’s location, but the maze was about to move again.

• Dumbledore explained that Adrian had made the maze shift at irregular intervals, blocking Aaron’s shortcut, and Aaron rejected offers to help other Champions win.
• Adrian announced that treasure chests inside the maze could contain useful clues, and Aaron entered after the cannon fired.
• The maze forced Aaron onto an unfamiliar path, where he opened a chest from a distance with Alohomora and released a Dementor.
• Aaron cast the Patronus Charm to drive the Dementor away, then found a map showing the maze and the Cup’s location.
• Aaron saw that the maze would shift in thirty seconds, quickly plotted a route, and raced toward the center.

The Champions navigated an increasingly dangerous maze, where different treasure chests offered better maps but released more creatures. Aaron reached the trophy first, but waited rather than claiming it, following Adrian’s plan to make all the Champions touch it together; Adrian hinted that she had arranged another complication.

• Moody challenged Harry for joking about withdrawing, and Harry entered the maze determined to continue; Krum followed after exchanging a discreet look with Moody.
• Aaron avoided a Blast-Ended Skrewt with Illusion Magic, while Cedric opened a silver chest and found a map showing the Champions’ locations and the time until the next shift.
• Fleur entered the maze as other chests released dangerous creatures, and Aaron later used a silver chest’s Marauder’s Map to advance toward the trophy.
• Aaron found the Mirror of Erised, retrieved a Marauder’s Map from beneath it, and solved the Sphinx’s riddle to reach the trophy.
• Aaron sat beside the trophy instead of touching it, while Adrian explained that he had to persuade the other Champions—or defeat them—so they could all touch it at once.

Aaron opened the golden chest at the maze’s center, obtained a detailed Marauder’s Map, and rescued Fleur from a swarm of Scorpion-tailed Beasts. He persuaded her to agree to a joint championship, then hurried toward the finish as Harry and Cedric neared it.

• After hearing a Champion scream, Aaron opened the golden chest, trapped the Spirit Cats inside earthen cages, and took the detailed Marauder’s Map.
• Aaron saw Fleur fleeing a swarm of hundreds of Scorpion-tailed Beasts and ran to meet her.
• Fleur kissed Aaron after he offered to help, but Aaron clarified that his condition was for all five Champions to touch the trophy together.
• Aaron used Illusion Magic to lead the Scorpion-tailed Beasts away, then showed Fleur the map and explained his joint-champion plan.
• Fleur agreed to the plan, and Aaron hurried with her toward the finish after seeing Harry and Cedric close to the trophy.

Aaron, Fleur, Harry, Cedric, and Krum touched the Triwizard Tournament trophy together, only for it to transport them away. The judges discovered that Fake Moody had turned the trophy into a Portkey, and he vanished after warning that the Dark Lord was about to return.

• Aaron trapped the Spirit Cats and agreed to help Harry and Cedric in exchange for everyone touching the trophy together.
• Aaron noticed Krum moving suspiciously quickly through the maze, but Krum soon arrived at the finish line and joined the others around the trophy.
• When the five touched the trophy, it activated as a Portkey and transported them away.
• Adrian confronted Dumbledore about the Portkey, and Jeans attacked Moody, revealing that he was an impostor.
• Fake Moody admitted he had used Polyjuice Potion and claimed that Harry was in danger, while Jeans used magic to expose him at the maze's center.
• Lupin captured Fake Moody, but before the judges could question him, he vanished.