Chapter Summaries

Sean succeeded at Transfiguration in Professor McGonagall’s class, impressed his classmates, and earned Ravenclaw ten points. He then met Senior Bruce on the way to the Greenhouse, where he was eager to learn how to process potion ingredients.

• Sean concluded that Transfiguration required command and transformed a match into a Silver Needle.
• Sean turned a caged rat into a Snuffbox, though its tail remained unchanged, and Professor McGonagall awarded Ravenclaw ten points.
• Sean continued practicing Transfiguration until he ran out of energy and checked his rapidly increasing proficiency.
• Sean heard Terry demand his match back as Michael fled, then left for the Greenhouse.
• Senior Bruce told Sean they would process slugs and Porcupine Quills, and Sean entered the Greenhouse eagerly.

Sean learned to prepare Horned Slugs and other ingredients for Scurvy Paste in Professor Sprout’s greenhouse, then returned to Ravenclaw Tower with Michael to work on homework. The chapter ended as Michael noticed Sean stumbling on the stairs.

• Professor Sprout taught Sean how to boil Horned Slugs, assessed his work as acceptable, and explained how the selected slugs would support brewing Scurvy Paste.
• Sean recorded the potion-making steps and reviewed the four ingredients for Scurvy Paste as he left the Greenhouse with Bruce.
• Sean gave Bruce Candied Pineapple, and Bruce reunited with Leon and Pist in the corridor.
• Sean skipped the Library and headed to Ravenclaw Tower, where he met Michael after Michael won a game of Wizard’s Chess.
• Michael complained about the long staircase, then became excited after seeing an older Ravenclaw ride a broomstick into the tower.
• Michael noticed that Sean was unsteady beside him and called out to him.

Sean helped Michael, Terry, and Anthony tackle their History of Magic essays, then turned to finding ingredients so he could begin brewing potions. The next morning, Justin revealed that Hufflepuff had also been assigned a one-foot essay, prompting Sean to suspect the homework had been assigned across houses.

• Sean recovered from his exertion and quickly finished most of his homework.
• Michael brought Terry and Anthony to Sean, who taught them a method for structuring their History of Magic essays and lent them his notes.
• Sean wrote down finding potion ingredients as the next step in his plan, but worried Professor Snape would not let him use Hogwarts supplies.
• Sean rose early on Wednesday and ate breakfast in the Great Hall with Justin.
• Justin said Professor Binns had assigned Hufflepuff a one-foot essay too, and Sean reacted with surprise.

Sean completed his History of Magic notes and struggled to find ingredients for practicing potion brewing, while Justin discovered that his family had stocked two sets of potion ingredients for him. Sean arrived at Herbology, where Michael pulled him over to join Anthony and Terry as Professor Sprout looked his way.

• Justin asked to see Sean's homework outline, and Sean lent him his essay pointers and History of Magic notebook before going to the Library.
• Sean reviewed magical history, then opened his separate notebook and found notes about Emeric and Uric instead of his own thoughts about potion ingredients.
• Justin read Sean's notes, realized Sean needed potion ingredients, and remembered the two sets his mother had bought for him.
• Justin returned to the Hufflepuff Common Room and found the potion ingredients in his trunk, recalling his mother's advice about generosity and sincerity.
• Sean left the Library for Herbology, and Michael pulled him beside Anthony and Terry after Professor Sprout greeted him.

Sean excelled in Herbology, answering Professor Sprout’s questions and gaining proficiency while learning how Hogwarts subjects overlapped. After class, he checked his progress toward unlocking a Herbology title and considered buying herbs; Justin then stopped him, claiming he had figured something out and could help.

• Professor Sprout taught the students about magical plants and called on Sean to answer questions about Moly and its uses.
• Sean processed Moly, gained 21 Herbology proficiency, and received an open-ended homework task from Professor Sprout.
• Sean checked his System Panel and saw that Herbology Knowledge had reached 80/90 toward an Apprentice-level title.
• Sean noticed neglected Dried Nettle in the Greenhouse and considered asking Bruce how to buy herbs.
• Justin stopped Sean on the way to lunch and said he had learned a little more and could help.

Justin took Sean to the Hufflepuff Common Room and gave him potion ingredients so he could practice brewing. Sean accepted Justin’s support, then worked skillfully with Dried Nettle in Herbology while other students learned from him.

• Justin showed Sean the Hogwarts Kitchen and led him into the Hufflepuff Common Room.
• Justin gave Sean jars and bottles of potion ingredients, refusing payment and offering another set if Sean used them up.
• Sean accepted Justin’s help, and Justin borrowed Sean’s class notes to study.
• At lunch, Justin reassured Sean that he could turn to him as a friend, leaving Sean wishing he were a Hufflepuff.
• In Herbology, Sean processed Dried Nettle skillfully, and several Ravenclaws and Slytherins gathered around to learn from him.

Sean improved his Herbology by unlocking the Herbology Intern title and earning a Beginner rating, then attended Astronomy and continued studying in the Ravenclaw Common Room. When Michael asked whether studying bored him, Sean reflected on how much magic meant to him and chose to keep reading Advanced Potion-Making.

• Sean unlocked the Herbology Intern title, which boosted his Herbology Talent from White to Green and increased his sensitivity to plants.
• Sean earned his first Beginner rating for processing nettles, and Professor Sprout praised his work and awarded Ravenclaw two points.
• Sean attended Professor Sinistra's Astronomy class, where he used a rare Magical Moon-Gazing Instrument to predict Io's trajectory.
• Sean organized his Astronomy notes and studied Potions and History of Magic to learn more about brewing techniques.
• Sean reflected on how magic had restored his hope after his illness, declined Michael's invitation to play Wizard's Chess, and continued reading Advanced Potion-Making.

Sean advanced in Charms, helped his classmates escape Peeves’s pranks, and studied spells for Defense Against the Dark Arts. The chapter left him preparing to practice potion-brewing in Professor Snape’s Dungeon.

• Sean’s Lumos Charm reached the proficient level, and Professor Flitwick taught him and other quick learners the Levitation Charm, raising Sean’s proficiency to 34/300.
• Peeves ambushed the first-years, but Sean drove him away by shouting that the Bloody Baron was coming.
• Sean helped Michael up, and Michael thanked him for the rescue as the group hurried away from Peeves.
• Sean read about Mischief Ghosts and memorized four spells from a guide to defending against dark forces.
• Sean considered Professor Quirrell’s lessons and turned his attention to practicing potion-brewing in Professor Snape’s Dungeon.

Sean prepared to secretly brew potions in Professor Snape’s classroom, but Professor Sprout appeared to realize his plan and encouraged him through a story about Bouncing Bulbs. After Transfiguration, Sean slipped away to the empty Dungeon classroom and began brewing.

• Sean prepared five sets of potion ingredients and Crystal Bottles for his planned brewing session.
• Sean helped Professor Sprout with plants, and she took him to Greenhouse Three to show him Bouncing Bulbs growing among dangerous plants.
• Professor Sprout encouraged Sean not to be afraid, and Sean realized she had guessed what he intended to do.
• After Transfiguration, Sean slipped away from Justin, Champion, and Hermione and went to the Dungeon classroom.
• Sean found Professor Snape absent, arranged his ingredients, lit the cauldron, and began recording his brewing data.

Sean practiced brewing Scurvy Paste in the Dungeon, failed once, then succeeded after calming himself and focusing on the process. As he recorded his method, someone in a black robe appeared on the stairs.

• Sean measured and prepared the ingredients for Scurvy Paste, recording their quantities and conditions as he brewed.
• Sean produced a blue-green jelly-like potion, realized he had failed, and considered whether his nervousness had affected the brewing.
• Sean began another batch with a calmer mind and focused on each step of the process.
• Sean successfully brewed Scurvy Paste to an Apprentice's standard and recorded that a wizard's focus and calm were key.
• The torches on the Dungeon stairs flickered as the hem of a black robe swept past above.

Sean brewed a passable Scurvy Paste in the Dungeon, but Professor Snape caught him and ordered him out. Sean resolved to keep practicing, while Snape privately recognized how much progress he had made in three days.

• Snape heard potion-making sounds and found Sean brewing Scurvy Paste in the Dungeon.
• Snape mocked Sean’s technique, but he was surprised to find the potion was passable and showed striking progress.
• Snape ordered Sean out, and Sean left calmly without arguing.
• Sean reviewed every brewing step in his notebook and decided he would continue practicing despite Snape’s response.
• Snape examined the potion and recognized Sean’s improved ingredient handling, stirring, and concentration, though he doubted Sean had sufficient talent for potions.

Sean avoided Professor Snape and looked for somewhere to practice Charms, joining Hermione and Justin as they searched Hogwarts. The three climbed a Moving Staircase, and Justin noted that a hidden room seemed plausible in the constantly changing castle.

• Sean decided to avoid Professor Snape and planned to spend the evening studying his other subjects.
• Hermione and Justin returned from the Library, and Justin revealed that Sean had taught him a method for writing his Charms essay.
• Hermione read Justin’s essay and praised its structure, while Justin redirected the conversation to Sean’s Charms notes.
• Justin invited Sean to practice Charms with him and Hermione, and Sean accepted.
• The three climbed a Moving Staircase as Justin reflected that Hogwarts’s shifting corridors made a hidden room seem unsurprising.

Sean, Hermione, and Justin discovered a hidden room after Sean answered the owl painting’s question about why Hogwarts was built where it was. After Sean explained Ravenclaw’s dream, the three practiced the Levitation Charm, and Justin struggled to keep his feather aloft.

• Justin showed Sean and Hermione the owl painting that guarded the hidden room, and Sean answered that Hogwarts was built because of Ravenclaw’s dream.
• The owl opened a sky-blue door, and the three entered a dusty room filled with desks, books, and strange devices.
• Sean told Justin and Hermione the legend of Ravenclaw’s dream about a Warthog leading her to a cliff, where Hogwarts was founded.
• Sean and the others practiced the Levitation Charm, and Sean gained proficiency while his magic left him exhausted.
• Justin repeatedly tried to levitate his feather for ten seconds, but it kept rising unevenly or falling too soon.

Sean helped Justin and Hermione improve their Levitation Charm through careful experimentation, gaining proficiency while strengthening their friendship. Justin offered to help Sean with his potion-brewing troubles, and Sean reflected on the loyalty and kindness of Hufflepuff as he planned to wait for Professor Snape to leave the Dungeon.

• Sean coached Justin on the Levitation Charm, and Justin kept a feather aloft for ten seconds.
• Hermione suggested changing the stress in the incantation, and Justin's next attempt kept the feather floating for fifteen seconds.
• Sean, Hermione, and Justin experimented together until Sean reached proficiency with the Levitation Charm and exhausted his magic.
• Hermione suggested asking Professor Flitwick for permission to keep using the hidden room, then left after Sean agreed.
• Justin noticed Sean had skipped Yorkshire Pudding and offered to face Professor Snape with him if Sean was in trouble.
• Sean recalled Justin's offer and planned to wait for Professor Snape to leave the Dungeon on Friday so he could brew potions.

Sean used Professor Snape’s absence to brew Scurvy Paste with techniques from Libatius Borage’s hidden notes, reaching beginner standards and gaining proficiency. After hiding his work before Snape returned, Sean headed to the Library to seek more of Borage’s unorthodox potion-making knowledge.

• With Professor Snape in the hospital wing after Neville’s accident, Sean used the Dungeon to brew potions while Justin kept watch.
• Sean applied Libatius Borage’s instructions on stirring and heat control and successfully brewed Scurvy Paste to beginner standards.
• Sean bottled the potion, cleaned the cauldron, and packed away his ingredients and books before Professor Snape returned.
• Justin reunited with Sean outside the Dungeon, and they joked about the bond they had formed by sneaking around together.
• Sean planned to read Libatius Borage’s other works in the Library, where students were busy working on their assignments.

Sean discovered Libatius Borage’s secret research into improving potion incantations and rituals, including an improvement to Scurvy Paste. At lunch, Justin told Sean that Snape had humiliated Hermione during Potions class while questioning Harry.

• Sean read Libatius Borage’s hidden note in Have a Carnival in a Bottle Yourself! and learned that Borage had developed more demanding potion incantations and rituals requiring a wizard’s willpower.
• Sean copied Borage’s few improvements into his notebook and was pleased to find Scurvy Paste among them.
• At lunch, Sean noticed Harry and Ron discussing Snape’s treatment of Harry in Potions class.
• Justin sat with Sean and Hermione, angrily said Snape had acted unreasonably, and explained that Snape had ignored Hermione’s raised hand and ordered her to sit down.
• Justin admitted that he had witnessed the incident from behind a door but had felt unable to help Hermione.

Sean and Justin comforted Hermione after Snape humiliated her, while Sean later met Professor Sprout and senior students during Herbology. Senior Bruce tricked Sean into eating Buzzing Bee Candy, but Leon caught them and retaliated against Bruce.

• Sean shared Yorkshire Pudding with Hermione and Justin, and Justin reassured Hermione that Snape's unfair treatment was not her fault.
• Sean and Justin shielded Hermione while she quietly cried, and Sean realized she now had two friends.
• During Herbology, Professor Sprout praised Sean for answering a question about Spider-egg and hurried to help the other students.
• Senior Bruce gave Sean Buzzing Bee Candy, causing Sean and Bruce to float into the air.
• Leon explained the candy's effect, then released Bruce while holding him with a rope tied between them.

Sean spent a relaxed afternoon with Justin and Hermione before joining them to visit a special Owl Portrait guarding an unused classroom. The portrait rejected Justin’s attempts to appease it and ended by demanding a mouse portrait.

• Sean learned that Snape had started a potion that would take two days to brew, so he planned to practice in the hidden room instead.
• Justin and Hermione joined Sean on the lawn, where Justin talked about magical creatures and Hermione showed them Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
• Sean gave Justin and Hermione Buzzing Bee Candy, and the three headed for an unused classroom guarded by an Owl Portrait.
• Justin tried to win over the Owl Portrait with a Lollipop Quill, then offered it a Screaming Sugar Mouse.
• The Owl Portrait declared that it was a portrait, leaving Justin wondering where he could find a mouse portrait.

Sean studied an Improvement Ritual for brewing Scurvy Paste while Justin and Hermione practiced the Levitation Charm. He discovered that the spell drew strength from a feeling of liberation, mastered it, and planned to earn four Scholarship Fragments the next day.

• Mr. Owl opened a hidden room for Sean, Justin, and Hermione, and Justin suggested moving the lonely portrait.
• Sean read about an Improved Scurvy Paste ritual and began learning its demanding procedure.
• Justin and Hermione struggled to make a feather spin with the Levitation Charm while Sean studied the ritual.
• Sean realized that feathers symbolized freedom from gravity and used that feeling to make a feather dance through the air with the Levitation Charm.
• Sean explained his insight to Justin and Hermione, then planned to organize notes in History of Magic and Astronomy to earn four Scholarship Fragments.

Sean immersed himself in the history and possibilities of magic, researching Astronomy and improving his spells before entering the Secret Room. There, he began telling Justin and Hermione about Hogwarts' four founders.

• Sean studied the history of magic and wrote that magic offered infinite possibilities.
• Sean read about Astronomy, fate, and the stars, and suspected magic stretched beyond wizarding history.
• Sean practiced spells until his Scourgify proficiency nearly reached the next level.
• Sean answered the Owl Portrait's question about where Lady Ravenclaw emerged and entered the Practice Room.
• Sean began telling Justin and Hermione what he knew about the four founders.