Chapter Summaries

After Umbridge’s decree shut down Hogwarts clubs and restricted Quidditch teams, Harry learned that the Ministry was monitoring communications and arranged to warn Percy through Sirius. The chapter ended as Umbridge observed Snape’s Potions class, with Harry and the students anticipating their confrontation.

• Hermione, Ron, and Harry discussed Umbridge’s decree and reassured their friends that Harry could still establish a Defense Against the Dark Arts club.
• Professor McGonagall warned Harry that the Ministry was monitoring Hogwarts communications and said she would find a way for the Gryffindor Quidditch team to continue.
• Harry told Ron to stop contacting Percy and called Sirius, who agreed to discreetly warn Percy about the surveillance.
• Harry, Ron, and Hermione attended Professor Binns’s History of Magic class and speculated about Umbridge’s ambitions.
• Umbridge arrived to observe Snape’s Potions class, and Harry and the students watched in anticipation.

Umbridge questioned Snape during Potions and unnerved Ron, who feared she knew he had attacked her. Harry, Ron, and Hermione discussed their worries before Divination, where Trelawney’s distressed behavior led Ron to suspect Umbridge’s investigation report had humiliated her.

• Umbridge questioned Snape about his repeated applications for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, and he answered with barely restrained anger.
• Snape punished Crabbe and Goyle for ruining their potion, while Draco earned Slytherin points for preventing a spill with a Vanishment Charm.
• Ron worried that Umbridge had recognized him as her attacker, but Harry and Hermione reassured him as they discussed Dumbledore’s absence and their stolen intelligence.
• Hermione persuaded Ron to attend Divination, where Trelawney angrily threw Dream Interpretation Guides at students instead of explaining her mood.
• Ron suspected Umbridge’s investigation report had devastated Trelawney, and Justin condemned Umbridge for humiliating her.

Harry explained why he had let Umbridge’s authority erode Hogwarts’s trust in the Ministry, then asked school board member Pabbie to intervene on Professor Trelawney’s behalf. He began a Protego lesson with students from several years, pairing Luna with himself.

• During Divination, Professor Trelawney broke down over Umbridge’s insults and threats to fire her, while Ron urged Harry to help her.
• Harry told Ron that removing Umbridge too soon would let the Ministry send a more capable replacement, and decided to call Pabbie to protect Trelawney.
• Harry contacted Pabbie, who agreed to confront Umbridge as a school board member and meet him in the Great Hall at dinner.
• In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry arranged for fifth-year students to teach Protego to students from other years and reserved the extra student for himself.
• Ginny paired with Ron, and Harry paired the remaining student, Luna, with himself.

Harry taught the fifth-year students the Shield Charm and welcomed Pabbie back to Hogwarts, where she said she would stay for the year. The next morning, Harry attended Charms with Ron and Hermione as they discussed Pabbie’s return and Umbridge’s growing unpopularity.

• Harry taught Luna the Shield Charm, and the students in his class made varied progress before he dismissed them.
• Pabbie joined Harry and Anne at the Gryffindor table, kissed Harry, and said she would stay at Hogwarts for the year.
• Harry found Ron struggling with a Potions essay while Fred and George sold their vomiting candy to a cheering crowd in the common room.
• The next morning, Ron practiced the Summoning Charm in Professor Flitwick’s class, and Hermione asked whether Pabbie had returned to oppose Umbridge.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione practised the Silencing Charm, and Angelina told them Gryffindor’s Quidditch team had been reinstated. As Harry and Ron headed to rainy practice, Umbridge confronted school board member Pabbie about overruling her ban, leaving Pabbie to answer her challenge.

• Hermione silenced Ron’s frog during Charms, and Ron earned Gryffindor five points when he successfully cast the spell himself.
• Angelina told Harry, Ron, and Hermione that Gryffindor’s Quidditch team could practise again after Professor McGonagall sought approval.
• Peeves backed away from Anne when Harry revealed that her surname was Saru, and Anne later cast Water-Repelling Charms on Harry and Ron.
• Fred and George tried to dispel Ron’s protection before Quidditch practice, but Ron blocked them with a Shield Charm.
• Umbridge visited Pabbie and challenged her decision to reinstate the Gryffindor team, citing Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four.

Pabbie rejected Umbridge’s attempt to control Hogwarts, while Angelina led the Gryffindor Quidditch team through brutal rainy-weather practice. Harry spent time with Anne and his friends, and the chapter ended with Lee revealing that Umbridge had complained about Miss Sweeting to the Ministry.

• Pabbie told Umbridge that Hogwarts students and professors had the right to run the school, then ordered the High Inquisitor to leave.
• Angelina took the Gryffindor team out to practice in the storm, and Harry cast Impervius on the players.
• Harry went to the kitchens with Anne, while Sebastian angrily attacked him after seeing Anne wait for him.
• Harry found Hermione supervising Ron’s essay, and Ron later woke Harry as payback for teasing him.
• Harry recalled that he had already earned twelve O.W.L. top marks, and Anne reflected on her past wish to return to school.
• Lee Jordan told Harry and the others that Umbridge had written to the Ministry criticizing Miss Sweeting for refusing to cooperate.

Harry’s friends prepared for Gryffindor’s first Quidditch match while Umbridge and Snape obstructed them and Slytherin targeted Gryffindor players. During Defense Against the Dark Arts, Hermione proposed naming their secret club, and Anne suggested “Potter’s Army” as an alternative meaning of P.A.

• Hermione, Fred, and George predicted that Fudge would reprimand Miss Sweeting’s attacker because the attack threatened the Scamander family’s ties to the Ministry.
• Angelina pushed Gryffindor through frequent Quidditch practices as Harry trained for the match against Slytherin, while Hermione coached Ron on goalkeeping and Ron helped her with studying.
• Hermione told Anne that her approach had encouraged Ron to ask her about studying, and Anne explained how mutual emotional support strengthened relationships.
• Professor McGonagall excused Gryffindor from homework so the team could practice, while Snape reserved the pitch for Slytherin and dismissed evidence that Miles Blatch had cursed Aliyah Spinnet.
• Hermione proposed giving their Defense Against the Dark Arts group a discreet name, and Anne suggested the Proficient’s Association, or P.A., which could also mean Potter’s Army.

Harry taught Potter’s Army the Disarming Charm and reassured the students that it could work even against powerful wizards. Before Ron’s Quidditch match against Slytherin, Harry gave him a bottle he claimed contained Felix Felicis, leaving Ron newly confident and ready to play.

• Hermione recorded the students’ names under the group name Potter’s Army, and Harry began teaching them the Disarming Charm.
• Neville disarmed Harry in front of the group, after which the students paired up to practice.
• Harry caught Fred and George secretly disarming Zacharias Smith and deducted two points from Gryffindor.
• Hermione comforted Ron after Draco and Pansy mocked his upcoming Quidditch match.
• On the cold morning of the match, Harry found Ron nervous and encouraged him to eat breakfast.
• Harry gave Ron what he claimed was Felix Felicis, and Luna agreed not to report them; Ron drank it and became confident about facing Slytherin.

Gryffindor faced Slytherin in its first Quidditch match of the season, with Ron serving as the new Keeper. Gryffindor took an early lead as Ron saved a shot despite Slytherin’s taunting song, and the match continued with Lee Jordan cheering for Gryffindor from the commentary box.

• Luna showed Hermione and Ron her roaring lion hat, and Hermione kissed Ron on the cheek before the team left for the match.
• The Gryffindor team changed and heard Angelina’s pep talk about Slytherin’s lineup, including Crabbe and Goyle.
• Angelina scored early after George disrupted Montague’s attempt to foul her, putting Gryffindor ahead.
• Slytherin’s supporters sang that Ron would let every ball through, but Ron caught Warrinton’s shot with a Levicorpus and rallied Gryffindor.
• Katie passed through Slytherin’s defense, and Angelina set up Alicia to score, extending Gryffindor’s lead to twenty points.
• Montague scolded Crabbe and Goyle as Gryffindor kept attacking, while Professor McGonagall warned Lee Jordan to keep his commentary neutral.

Gryffindor defeated Slytherin 220–210 after Ron made a spectacular save and Harry caught the Golden Snitch. Back at Hogwarts, Harry and his teammates learned that Umbridge had gained sweeping authority over student punishments, and she argued with Professor McGonagall about her new power.

• Slytherin’s dirty play injured Gryffindor players, and Angelina called a timeout before ordering her team to focus on defense.
• As Gryffindor fell behind 70–210, Ron blocked Warrinton’s shot while Harry caught the Golden Snitch, securing Gryffindor’s 220–210 victory.
• Gryffindor celebrated Ron’s save and Harry’s catch, then returned to the Great Hall and found Educational Decree No. 25 on the noticeboard.
• Hermione read the decree, which gave Umbridge supreme authority over student punishments and privileges.
• Umbridge told Professor McGonagall that she had secured the decree after McGonagall overruled her, and claimed she could enact reforms at Hogwarts.

As Hogwarts prepared for Christmas, Harry’s final Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson ended with him and Anne sharing a kiss beneath the mistletoe, while Ron and Hermione also kissed in a classroom Harry had arranged. Ron returned to the dormitory beaming, and Harry teased him about the reason as Seamus and Neville pressed for details.

• Pabbie challenged Umbridge’s authority as the weather turned colder and the school prepared for Christmas.
• Harry taught his final Defense Against the Dark Arts class before the holiday, reviewing the Impediment Jinx with the students.
• After class, Anne drew Harry beneath the mistletoe and kissed him after he warned her about his other relationships.
• Ron and Hermione found mistletoe in a decorated classroom, and Ron kissed Hermione while she coached him to be gentler.
• Ron returned to the dormitory grinning, and Harry teased him as Seamus and Neville asked what had happened.

Anne helped Harry with his homework and notes so he could practice flying with Imelda, while Sebastian warned her against getting too close to Harry because of Cassandra. Anne returned Harry’s work the next morning, and Cassandra showed no concern about their friendship.

• Imelda told Anne that Harry had done well in flying training and invited him to practice at the Quidditch pitch.
• Anne offered to finish Harry’s homework so he could practice flying, and Sebastian angrily questioned their closeness.
• Sebastian warned Anne in the Slytherin Common Room not to fall for Harry or provoke Cassandra’s possessiveness.
• Anne gave Harry his completed essays and corrected notes the next morning, while Cassandra ignored their interaction.

Ron and Hermione agreed to spend Christmas together with Hermione’s parents, while Harry headed to Grimmauld Place with Anne and Sebastian. There, Sebastian and Sirius discussed why Cassandra and Veratia had grown close to Harry.

• Ron learned that his parents would spend Christmas visiting Charlie in Romania, and Harry invited him to Grimmauld Place after the holiday.
• Hermione chose to spend Christmas with her parents and invited Ron to join her, leaving Harry to celebrate with Sirius, Veratia, Cassandra, and the others.
• Harry, Ron, Hermione, Anne, and Sebastian arrived at King's Cross, where Hermione reunited with her parents and introduced Ron to them.
• Sirius drove Harry and Anne to Grimmauld Place, where Sebastian said the house reminded him of Hogwarts a hundred years earlier.
• Sebastian told Sirius that Cassandra had cared for Harry but was too proud to recognize her feelings, while Veratia had initially approached Harry for practical reasons.
• Harry joked that his exceptional qualities might explain why Cassandra and Veratia liked him so much.

Harry spent the holiday at Grimmauld Place with friends and family, while Veratia proposed setting Sirius up with Gemma Farley. Harry broached the match with Sirius, who objected because of their age difference but wondered whether Gemma could like him.

• Sirius told Harry that Remus had fallen in love with Tonks, and Harry teased Sirius about marrying.
• Veratia, Cassandra, and Gemma arrived at Grimmauld Place for Christmas, where Veratia suggested that Gemma would suit Sirius.
• Veratia told Harry that Gemma liked Sirius, and Harry agreed to raise the idea with his godfather.
• Harry asked Sirius whether he was interested in Gemma, and Sirius rejected the match over their age gap while doubting she would like him.

Harry and his friends decorated Grimmauld Place for Christmas as Sirius grew closer to Miss Farley, and Veratia helped bring them together. On Christmas morning, Harry opened gifts from his friends and family, including a sweater Mrs. Weasley had knitted for Veratia.

• Veratia told Harry she had arranged for Gemma to speak with Sirius, while Cassandra suspected Veratia wanted to use the match to gain influence over Britain.
• Pabbie rallied everyone to decorate the house, and Veratia fell into Harry's arms while decorating a window.
• Sirius celebrated Christmas Eve with Miss Farley, and the household shared a festive dinner.
• Pabbie asked Harry what present he planned to give her, and Veratia said Gemma had been happy about their arrangement.
• Harry opened Christmas presents from Veratia, Cassandra, Pabbie, Anne, Sirius, Lupin, Hagrid, Hermione, Ron, the Weasleys, and Kritcher.
• Veratia admired the sweater Mrs. Weasley had knitted for her, while Harry recalled receiving a similar sweater from her every year since his first year.

Harry and his friends celebrated Christmas at Grimmauld Place, discussed Dumbledore’s pursuit of Voldemort, and reunited with Ron and Hermione. They visited Neville’s parents at St. Mungo’s, where Ron argued with Healer portraits and then teased Hermione.

• Veratia and the other girls received Mrs. Weasley’s House-colored sweaters, and the group spent a quiet Christmas at Grimmauld Place.
• Harry received a Christmas message from Dumbledore and discussed his efforts to track Voldemort with Veratia, Cassandra, Pabbie, and the others.
• Ron called Harry from a skiing trip in the Alps, and Harry agreed to visit Neville’s parents with the Weasleys after Christmas.
• The Weasley family, Ron, and Hermione arrived at Grimmauld Place, then traveled with Harry and the others to St. Mungo’s Hospital.
• A Healer portrait mistook Ron’s freckles for Rose Pox and pursued him through several frames, prompting Ron to argue with it.
• Ron teased Hermione about her former incisors, and Mrs. Weasley knocked him on the head.

Harry and his friends visited Frank and Alice Longbottom at St. Mungo’s, where Neville’s mother gave him a gum wrapper and Harry helped Neville feel proud of his parents. Harry left planning to ask LeMay about a possible cure and to test it on Dark Wizards, while Hermione wept after seeing the Longbottoms’ condition.

• Mrs. Weasley brought Harry and the others to visit Frank and Alice Longbottom, and they met Neville and his grandmother, Augusta.
• Augusta praised Neville’s friends for helping him and urged Neville to be proud of his heroic parents.
• Alice gave Neville a Chew-Bubble Super Bubble Gum wrapper, and Harry told Neville that her gesture showed a mother’s profound love.
• Harry reassured Neville, who raised his head and declared that he was proud of his parents.
• Harry planned to ask LeMay about treating the Longbottoms’ injuries and considered testing a remedy on Dark Wizards.
• After Neville and Augusta left, Hermione finally let herself cry about Frank and Alice’s condition.

Harry spent time with Pabbie Sweeting after Care of Magical Creatures, then returned to Cassandra Malfoy, who reprimanded him for growing close to Pabbie and reminded him to prove his worth to the Malfoy family. The chapter left Harry newly anxious to improve his Charms before the summer holiday.

• Professor Hoot kept Harry, Pabbie Sweeting, and several classmates after Care of Magical Creatures and invited them to eat in her cabin.
• Taran delivered Cassandra Malfoy's message asking Harry to meet her in the Great Hall, but Harry stayed for Professor Hoot's meal and walked there with Pabbie.
• Pabbie gave Harry a cluster of anemones, and Harry later placed the flowers beside him while he ate with Gareth.
• Harry joined Cassandra at the Slytherin table, where she teased him about his friendship with Pabbie and pointed out the flowers in his pocket.
• Cassandra told Harry to study the book she gave him and warned that she would reconsider the Malfoy family's support if he could not defeat her during the summer holiday.
• Harry accepted Cassandra's warning and resolved to practice Charms more diligently.

Veratia proposed an International Quidditch School League, and Harry helped her devise a double-elimination format. As the news reached Hogwarts, the students discussed participating schools and team selection, while Draco told Harry that Slytherin would support him as captain.

• Veratia discussed the International Quidditch School League with Harry, who suggested winners' and losers' brackets for the elimination rounds.
• After the league was reported in the Daily Prophet, Angelina asked Harry to lead the formation of Hogwarts's team, and he agreed the teams should elect a captain first.
• Sirius listed the participating magical schools and described Ilvermorny's four Houses and its sorting ceremony.
• Draco called Harry, said he wanted to join the Hogwarts team, and reported that Slytherin would support Harry in the captain election.

Harry and his friends returned to Hogwarts on the Knight Bus after Christmas, where the students struggled to resume school and the Weasley twins teased Ron. At the Ministry, Umbridge warned Fudge that she distrusted Percy, leaving his position under threat.

• Sirius sent Harry, Ron, Hermione, and their companions back to Hogwarts without an escort, and Harry summoned the Knight Bus.
• Harry paid for the group’s ride as Ernie Prang drove the Knight Bus through dangerous traffic and delivered them to Hogwarts.
• Ron and Hermione resumed their prefect duties while the exhausted students gathered in the Great Hall.
• Fred and George bet on Ron’s reaction to a giant spider, and Ron startled, then took a Gryffindor point from them for threatening a prefect.
• Umbridge told Fudge that she distrusted Percy, who served as the Minister’s secretary.