Chapter Summaries

Andrew Taylor visited Durmstrang with Professor McGonagall, admired its castle and grounds, and met Headmaster Karkaroff and Viktor Krum. The group toasted their shared intentions, while Andrew anticipated negotiations the next day.

• Andrew saw that Durmstrang's castle stood on a vast mountain plateau beside a lake and sailing ship.
• Karkaroff welcomed Professor McGonagall and praised Andrew's skill with Charms before Andrew reunited with a wizard he had previously corresponded with.
• Andrew examined Durmstrang's Dining Hall and noticed commemorative portraits of famous duelists, including a young Professor Flitwick.
• Karkaroff introduced Viktor Krum as Durmstrang's finest Quidditch player and discussed his exceptional magic and individual lessons.
• Andrew and the others toasted their shared intentions, and Andrew looked forward to the negotiations starting the next day.

Andrew met with Professor McGonagall to discuss the conditions Hogwarts would demand for reviving the Triwizard Tournament, then negotiated with Durmstrang's host professor. They agreed the tournament would be held at Hogwarts, but the chapter ended with the schools still disputing how much Durmstrang would pay.

• Professor McGonagall told Andrew that Karkaroff wanted Viktor Krum to compete, but insisted Hogwarts would reject any handpicked champion.
• Professor McGonagall instructed Andrew to require the tournament to be held at Hogwarts and for Durmstrang to cover at least one fifth of the cost.
• Andrew met Franz McCormick, who invited him to tour Durmstrang and argued that winter would be suitable for the tournament.
• Andrew and Franz agreed on Hogwarts as the venue, but Durmstrang refused to pay a third of the costs, leaving the funding dispute unresolved.

Andrew negotiated with Professor Franz and accidentally revealed that Muggle astronomy could expose Durmstrang's hidden location. He returned to Professor McGonagall, who expected Durmstrang to accept Hogwarts' one-third share and reward him for the warning.

• Andrew continued negotiating with Professor Franz, then spoke with him about astronomy beneath the stars.
• Andrew explained that Muggles could use the stars to calculate a location, and Professor Franz realized Durmstrang's location could be exposed.
• Professor Franz hurried away to address the security risk and thanked Andrew for Hogwarts' generosity.
• Andrew reported the discovery to Professor McGonagall, who said Karkaroff would likely agree to one-third and that Durmstrang would thank Andrew separately.

Durmstrang compensated Andrew and Hogwarts for the school’s help, and Professor McGonagall and Andrew left the school the next morning. They returned to Germany by Portkey and planned to buy tickets to England while McGonagall investigated the location issue.

• Durmstrang made generous concessions during the Triwizard Tournament negotiations, and Professor McGonagall planned to have Dumbledore protect Hogwarts’s coordinates.
• Professor Franz gave Andrew a personal gift from Durmstrang, and Andrew accepted it as a token of friendship.
• Andrew and Professor McGonagall unpacked the gift, which included books, a War Magic booklet, Liquid Luck ingredients and potions, a thousand-Galleon draft, and a self-icing cup.
• Professor McGonagall arranged for them to leave Durmstrang the next morning, and Andrew decided to copy one of the gifted books before giving away the original.
• Professor McGonagall and Andrew departed by Portkey for Germany, where she explained that they would buy books in England after she investigated the location issue.

Andrew and Professor McGonagall returned to Hogwarts after Nina Martin accused Professor Lockhart of causing her grandfather’s memory loss. Andrew refused to let Nina search Lockhart’s sealed room, and the chapter ended with her asking whether she could join the staff while Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged uncertain nods.

• Professor McGonagall received a letter saying Nina Martin suspected Lockhart was connected to her grandfather’s memory loss, and Andrew agreed the claim needed investigation.
• Andrew and McGonagall hurried back to Hogwarts, where Dumbledore introduced them to Nina, Old Martin’s granddaughter.
• Nina asked to search Hogwarts for evidence, but Andrew refused because Lockhart’s belongings and room were sealed under school rules.
• Andrew promised to pursue the matter and explained that Nina could not meet the requirements to join the staff, but she persisted and asked whether she could.
• Andrew looked to Dumbledore and McGonagall, who first shook their heads and then nodded.

Nina sought a Hogwarts teaching position, and Andrew arranged a practical assessment in Transfiguration and Charms after she described her skills. Her spells failed to affect Taylor’s magically created swamp, leaving her unable to pass the first test.

• Andrew asked Nina about her abilities and learned she excelled at Transfiguration and Charms, while her certificates were still at home.
• Andrew offered to assess Nina in Transfiguration and Charms and consider her for a trainee professor position if she met the standard.
• Andrew led Nina, Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall into the corridor and created a small swamp with his wand.
• Nina tried several spells to remove or attack the swamp, but none affected it.
• Nina attempted Transfiguration, failed again, and admitted she could not clear the swamp.

Andrew explained the Defense Against the Dark Arts curse to Nina, who insisted on pursuing the post and passed Hogwarts’ assessment. Dumbledore approved her appointment and assigned Andrew the paperwork and precautions, while Nina asked to inspect the previous professor’s office once arrangements were complete.

• Andrew told Nina that she lacked the qualifications for Transfiguration and warned her about the Defense Against the Dark Arts curse; she chose to pursue the latter post and signed a Nondisclosure Agreement.
• Professor McGonagall explained the curse’s history, including two deaths and Lockhart’s hospitalization, and Nina learned that Lockhart had known the risks before accepting the job.
• Nina asked whether anyone had sought Lockhart’s belongings, and Andrew said he had rejected a publisher’s request to search them for unfinished manuscripts.
• Nina passed the assessment by answering questions and sharing practical experience, and Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall approved her appointment.
• Dumbledore assigned Andrew Nina Martin’s hiring paperwork, precautions against the curse, and related notifications; Nina asked to inspect Lockhart’s office but agreed to wait until the arrangements were complete.

Andrew worked on his Magical History holiday essay and discussed unreliable sources with Sirius, while his Transfiguration skill continued to improve. Professor Nina arrived with her Beauxbatons certificate, which Andrew prepared to check as standard procedure.

• Andrew finished his holiday duties, transformed a portrait knight’s sword into a roast duck, and noticed his inanimate-object Transfiguration was improving.
• Andrew went to the library and began writing his Magical History essay using reference books.
• Sirius warned Andrew that an old history book contained errors after its contents were checked against an original source found in Egypt.
• Sirius told Andrew that Dumbledore could read more than four rows of books in a school year, and Professor Nina believed him.
• Professor Nina gave Andrew her Beauxbatons certificate, and he said he would check it before continuing his homework.

Nina Martin met Sirius Black at Hogwarts and explained her work as an Adventurer while discussing her grandfather’s lost memories and her suspicion of Lockhart. Her appointment was nearly complete, though she would have to wait up to a week before taking over her office.

• Andrew introduced Sirius Black and Nina Martin as fellow professors, and they greeted each other awkwardly.
• Nina described how Adventurers explored dangerous places in teams, and Sirius and Andrew listened with interest.
• Nina explained that her grandfather had lost a long stretch of his Memory, and she and Andrew confirmed their suspicion that Lockhart was responsible.
• Sirius revealed that Lockhart had ruined himself by taking too much poor-quality Liquid Luck.
• Andrew told Nina that her school procedures would finish that day but that she would need to wait up to a week before moving into her office.

Andrew finished his summer homework and waited for Professor McGonagall to begin their French lessons, but she told him she would handle the Beauxbatons matter herself. She left Andrew in charge of the office and warned him to be careful when the Triwizard Tournament resumed.

• Andrew completed his summer homework and spent his days studying in the library with Sirius and Professor Nina.
• Andrew found the office empty and planned to check again later, but Professor McGonagall arrived at lunch and assigned him to handle paperwork twice a day while she was away.
• Professor McGonagall told Andrew she would visit Beauxbatons without him because he did not need to learn two foreign languages over the holiday.
• Professor McGonagall advised Andrew to stay in touch with Professor Nina and warned that Beauxbatons students might use a Love Potion, though she said she was joking.
• Professor McGonagall told Andrew to keep an eye on things at school and be careful if the Triwizard Tournament went ahead the following year.

Andrew tried to manage his Office duties while Nina suggested exploring Hogwarts, then was tasked with arranging a school cleanup before Minister Fudge’s inspection. The professors took over the decorating, leaving Andrew to assign Sirius and Nina to the Library and nearby corridors.

• Andrew told Sirius and Nina that Professor McGonagall had left him in charge of the Office and explained why they could not explore Hogwarts’s Secret Passages.
• Sirius asked Andrew whether Nina might be a spy, and Andrew reassured him while concealing his interest in other schools.
• The Ministry’s Logistics Department asked Hogwarts to prepare for Minister Fudge’s visit to commend and reward the Laboratory students.
• Andrew went to Dumbledore for help and was told to notify the professors while Dumbledore handled the Great Hall.
• Andrew assigned Sirius and Nina to decorate the Library and nearby corridors, and they challenged his claim that he was an ordinary student.

Andrew coordinated Hogwarts's preparations for Minister Fudge's visit, arranging a laboratory tour and telling students how to present their work. After Dumbledore approved the plan, Andrew wondered whether he had forgotten an important detail.

• Andrew hid in the library after helping finish Hogwarts's decorations and defended himself when Nina teased him about ordering professors around.
• Andrew asked Sirius to take Nina to get formal wear for Minister Fudge's visit.
• Andrew briefed students in the four active laboratories to prepare understandable, impressive demonstrations and appear hard at work.
• Andrew planned a surprise visit for Fudge focused on the laboratories, and Dumbledore approved the arrangements.
• Andrew told everyone to dress normally and continue working, then reviewed his plans and worried that he had forgotten something.

Sirius and Nina prepared for a formal visit from Minister Fudge, only to learn that the plans had changed and Andrew still needed them to help receive him. The Daily Prophet later reported Fudge’s Hogwarts visit and Andrew’s work, drawing the Weasleys’ attention to the student’s accomplishments.

• Nina collected her formal wear, and Sirius asked how she managed to act naturally around Andrew despite trying to bribe him.
• Professor Adams told Sirius and Nina that professors no longer needed formal wear because Fudge’s visit was supposed to appear surprising.
• Sirius and Nina encountered Andrew, who told them to wear formal clothes the next day and help him receive Fudge.
• Mrs. Weasley read a Daily Prophet report about Fudge’s Hogwarts visit and Andrew’s thesis, while Fred and George redirected her questions.

Percy considered how to secure a Ministry career by becoming Barty Crouch’s assistant, while Andrew finished school enrollment work and planned to study Human Transfiguration. Andrew later studied in the Library with Professor Nina and Sirius, who spoke of his ambition to become the best Magical History professor.

• Percy read the Daily Prophet and weighed the risks and advantages of seeking a position as Barty Crouch’s assistant at the Ministry of Magic.
• Percy worried that his father might oppose his plan and considered asking Andrew for advice, but decided to wait until they returned to school.
• Andrew reviewed the Ministry’s funding for Professor McGonagall’s trip, processed enrollment confirmations, and prepared letters to Muggle-born students.
• Andrew used Owl Magic to check people’s locations, then went to the Library to study Charms, where Professor Nina marveled that Minister Fudge had visited.
• Sirius joined Andrew and Professor Nina, declared that he aspired to become the best Magical History professor, and settled into a sunny seat.

On his birthday, Andrew opened presents from friends and teachers before visiting Professor McGonagall, who told him the Triwizard Tournament would return next year and that he was too young to compete. She arranged Human Transfiguration lessons and warned him to keep her forbidden book secret, while Andrew decided to stay out of the tournament.

• Andrew celebrated his birthday by opening gifts, including clippings from Hal, matcha ice cream from Bell, a monster claw from Huffman, and presents from Percy, Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall.
• Professor McGonagall told Andrew that negotiations had settled on holding the Triwizard Tournament the following year.
• Professor McGonagall explained that Andrew would be too young to compete and that the Goblet of Fire could put younger students in danger.
• Andrew agreed that the tournament's safety mattered more than his chance to compete, and Professor McGonagall scheduled his Human Transfiguration lessons for the next day.
• Professor McGonagall instructed Andrew not to read her forbidden book until after his lessons and warned him not to share it; Andrew left resolved to avoid the tournament.

Andrew prepared to study Human Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, but she first warned him about its dangers and the risk of irreversible transformations. The lesson began with an explanation of how a wizard’s magic resisted ordinary Transfiguration.

• Andrew skipped Magic Training and headed to breakfast, eager and nervous to study Human Transfiguration.
• Harry greeted Andrew at breakfast, and Sirius urged him to hurry to the library, leaving Andrew wondering whether the two had argued.
• Professor McGonagall assigned Andrew Ministry correspondence, and the routine work helped him settle down before the lesson.
• Professor McGonagall warned Andrew about irreversible Transfiguration, citing the Quintapeds and saying Dumbledore might be the only wizard able to reverse such a disaster.
• Andrew explained that Human Transfiguration was developed for combat and to overcome wizards’ magical protections, and Professor McGonagall began explaining those protections.

Professor McGonagall taught Andrew the foundations of Human Transfiguration and assigned him books to study before experimenting on a Boggart. Afterward, Andrew dueled Harry Potter, who surprised him with his fighting skill, then left before explaining what had been bothering him.

• Professor McGonagall explained the history and risks of Human Transfiguration, and said Andrew would practice on a Boggart because his powerful magic made other wizards unsuitable.
• Professor McGonagall assigned Andrew twenty pages to read and warned him not to use Transfiguration to analyze helpful charms.
• Andrew headed to the Library with books and planned to study Human Transfiguration, review Legilimency, and practice secretly in the Laboratory.
• Harry Potter asked Andrew for a duel, and they fought near the Hospital Wing.
• Harry pressured Andrew with nimble movements and clever spell combinations, but Andrew's Shield Charm helped him hold on.
• Andrew reversed Harry's Tusken Tooth spell, and Harry left smiling without explaining what had been bothering him.

Andrew studied the dangers of Human Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, then began practicing by resisting the changes caused by a biting Snuffbox. He quickly learned to control and reverse the transformations, and McGonagall continued his training while warning him about the risks.

• Professor McGonagall explained that spells affecting the brain and eyes could damage the soul, and warned Andrew against transfiguring those areas.
• After Andrew completed his study materials, McGonagall told him to bring the Boil Powder container and prepare for Boggart training.
• The next morning, Andrew let the Snuffbox bite his hand and used his new understanding of Human Transfiguration to reverse the change.
• Andrew studied how much magical disorder the transformation required and successfully resisted a stronger change, causing the shell to fall away.
• McGonagall praised Andrew's progress and ordered him to keep practicing, and he offered his right hand for another bite.

Andrew practiced Human Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, learning to control the spell through repeated attempts on Boggarts. After his powerful magic made the creatures difficult to restore, McGonagall paused their training and told him to rest before he eventually tried the spell on a real wizard.

• Andrew resisted the snuffbox, soaked his injured hands in Manticore tentacle juice, and reviewed Transfiguration theory with Professor McGonagall.
• Andrew transformed a Boggart impersonating Professor Snape into a ferret, and McGonagall struggled to reverse the spell.
• Andrew practiced repeatedly on Boggarts, gradually gaining control but eventually transforming one so thoroughly that neither he nor McGonagall could undo it.
• McGonagall stopped the relentless training and told Andrew to rest before attempting Human Transfiguration on a real wizard.
• Andrew asked for a day off to attend Percy's seventeenth birthday party, and McGonagall approved.

Andrew chose a coming-of-age gift for Percy and agreed to travel with Harry to Percy’s birthday party the next day. While preparing a dangerous Transfiguration experiment, Andrew warned Nina that she could not come to the party, but her interest in joining remained clear.

• Andrew decided to send Percy seventeen expensive quills as a coming-of-age gift and asked Rose to deliver the order form.
• Harry told Andrew that he and Sirius were going to Percy’s party, and Andrew agreed to go with Harry.
• Andrew reviewed his Transfiguration research and considered testing the dangerous procedure on himself.
• Nina warned Andrew to stay alert while reading a restricted book and asked about Professor Black’s absence.
• Andrew told Nina about Percy’s party, then refused to bring her along when she showed interest in attending.