Chapter Summaries

Professor Smith used a Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson to warn students about the dangers of Acromantulas, Kappas, and werewolves. He ended by stressing that students needed to learn how to protect themselves from werewolves.

• Professor Smith told the class that Dumbledore had encountered the dangerous monster in the Forbidden Forest while searching for it.
• Professor Smith revealed that he had found Acromantulas in the forest and warned students to stay away from them.
• Fred identified the Acromantula's Ministry classification as XXXXX, and Albert agreed that the creatures were dangerous.
• Professor Smith taught the class about Kappas and explained how to avoid or defeat them.
• Professor Smith began a lesson on werewolves, warning students that bites or scratches could ruin their lives and that transformed werewolves might attack those nearby.

Albert asked Professor Smith to teach him the Undetectable Extension Charm, which Smith explained and demonstrated before Albert began practicing. Smith warned him about the spell’s risks and Ministry restrictions, then offered him a note to borrow books on it from the Restricted Section.

• Albert stayed after class and asked Professor Smith to teach him the Undetectable Extension Charm before his planned trip to Hogsmeade.
• Professor Smith said he expected to leave Hogwarts around May and discussed the poor standard of Defence Against the Dark Arts education and the rumor that Lord Voldemort was still alive.
• Professor Smith demonstrated how the Undetectable Extension Charm expanded a teacup’s capacity and made its contents lighter, then warned that the spell could fail and violate Ministry rules.
• Professor Smith explained that the Ministry’s restrictions benefited certain families whose approved products included enchanted suitcases and travel tents.
• Albert tried the spell repeatedly but failed, and Professor Smith offered to write him a note so he could borrow books on the charm from the Restricted Section.

Albert met Mundungus outside the Hog's Head Pub to buy Swamp Snatcher pelts and negotiate for other goods. After Mundungus left, Aberforth invited Albert and the others into the pub, where Albert demonstrated his Corporeal Patronus.

• Mundungus set up a stall outside the Hog's Head Pub and showed Albert the Swamp Snatcher pelts.
• Albert called out Mundungus for doubling his cost and paid six Galleons for the pelts and a Silver Arrow broom, then asked about snake eggs.
• Mundungus Apparated away after hearing Fred ask whether they would let him go, but Albert spotted him hiding nearby by his footprints.
• Aberforth invited Albert, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan into the pub and asked Albert about learning the Patronus Charm.
• Albert cast Expecto Patronum and summoned a Griffin, prompting Fred and George to wonder what their Patronuses would be.

Albert learned Aberforth’s explanation of the advanced Patronus Charm and tried using it to send a message, but produced only silver vapor. After leaving the Hog’s Head with Fred, George, and Lee, he detoured through Hogsmeade to avoid being seen by students.

• Aberforth explained that the advanced Patronus Charm required confidence, magical power, a happy memory, and a message held in the caster’s mind while gathering power.
• Aberforth described how a message-carrying Patronus could find its recipient through a known location or a Tracking Charm, which Albert did not know.
• Albert tried casting the advanced charm but produced only silver vapor, then wrote down Aberforth’s instructions and left with Fred, George, and Lee.
• Fred and George persuaded Albert to visit Zonko’s Joke Shop, where the group stayed until Hogsmeade’s streets filled with students.
• Albert and his companions used the Disillusionment Charm and took a long detour to avoid being spotted.

Albert practiced the Undetectable Extension Charm in the Room of Requirement, discovered the missing casting principle, and finally succeeded. Back at lunch, he suggested that protective equipment would be more profitable than prank items and hinted that future events would drive demand for it.

• Lee Jordan used a cheap Honesty Detector to probe Albert's enchanted belongings while Fred and George discussed the Silver Arrow and their Wizard Card Competition.
• Albert studied the Undetectable Extension Charm in the Restricted Section books, realized he had to specify the capacity to be expanded, and successfully cast the spell.
• Albert considered using Swamp Snatcher fur to make protective gloves and a Mandrake container, possibly asking a tailor in Diagon Alley for help.
• At lunch, Albert learned Lee Jordan had gotten a swollen eye from poking the Honesty Detector and confirmed the device reacted to his Protective Bracelet.
• Albert told Fred and George that protective gear would sell better than prank items and hinted that frightening information would make Defence Against the Dark Arts a lucrative field.

Albert practised the Undetectable Extension Charm, wrote letters to his family, a tailor, and Adolf, then sent them from the Owlery. He briefly crossed paths with Isobel, who hurried away after returning from Hogsmeade.

• Albert asked Professor Smith about the Undetectable Extension Charm and managed to enlarge a teacup, leaving Katrina stunned.
• Albert wrote to Adolf asking about Advanced Transfiguration Charms and how to apply them to magical mirrors, while Lee Jordan gave him the Wizard Card tournament schedule.
• Albert sealed his letters and headed to the Owlery, where Filch stopped him before Nearly Headless Nick explained that Peeves had thrown Dungbombs around the castle.
• Albert sent letters to his family, the tailor's shop in Diagon Alley, and Adolf in France.
• Albert met Isobel as she hurried out of the Owlery, then saw her returning to the castle with friends from Hogsmeade.

Albert practiced the Advanced Patronus Charm, improved his Undetectable Extension Charm, and learned to sew gloves while preparing for the coming Quidditch match. When Fred and George discussed betting against Gryffindor, Charlie confronted them after Percy reported their plan.

• Albert practiced the Advanced Patronus Charm and raised his Patronus Charm experience, but he could not make the spell speak or find the advanced charm on the Skill Panel.
• Albert used experience to raise the Undetectable Extension Charm to level two and made a small wooden box that could hold his suitcase.
• After Madam Malkin refused to make gloves for him, Albert learned tailoring by practicing with old robes in the Room of Requirement.
• Fred, George, and Lee discussed betting on the Gryffindor-Slytherin match with Kenneth Towler, who also asked Albert to sell him Baruffio's Brain Elixir.
• Percy warned the twins that he would tell their mother, then went to find Charlie; Charlie arrived and confronted Fred and George about betting on Gryffindor's defeat.

The Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams clashed in a brutal match, with Slytherin taking an early lead through fouls and dirty tactics. Charlie called a timeout and urged Gryffindor to retaliate, while Albert denied encouraging the Twins to fight back.

• Charlie warned the newly reorganized Gryffindor team to protect themselves against Slytherin's rough play before the match.
• Slytherin scored first after a foul, and Katie and Lee Jordan condemned their tactics as Gryffindor fought back.
• Albert and Kenneth Towler settled a betting dispute, with Kenneth paying Albert ten Galleons.
• A Slytherin Beater knocked Fred off his broom, and Slytherin pulled ahead 80:30.
• Charlie called a timeout and urged his players to take down Slytherin; Fred and George invoked Albert's supposed advice to answer an eye for an eye.

A Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin descended into a brawl after the Slytherin team fouled Charlie’s players, and Gryffindor lost heavily. Charlie avoided detention after using Albert’s argument, while injured players recovered in the School Hospital.

• Flint fouled Charlie, and Charlie’s Gryffindor players retaliated as both teams committed repeated fouls.
• Angelina was knocked out of the match with a mild concussion while Gryffindor fell behind 140–40.
• Charlie told Wood that he had rejected a professional Quidditch career and planned to study dragons.
• Gryffindor lost 310–70, and Professor McGonagall initially gave Charlie detention before canceling it after he argued that Slytherin had started the fouling.
• Albert visited the injured players in the School Hospital, where Angelina said she had to stay overnight and Fred claimed he had avenged her.

After Gryffindor’s Quidditch defeat, Albert’s friends learned Marcus McLaggen and Kenneth Towler had fueled rumors against Charlie. Fred and George retaliated by giving Marcus a laxative and spreading embarrassing photos, leaving the school gossiping about him instead.

• Albert settled his bet with Kenneth Towler for five Galleons rather than risk being left unpaid.
• Fred and George told Albert that Gryffindors were blaming Charlie for the Quidditch loss and criticizing his team selections.
• The twins discovered Marcus McLaggen had spread the rumors with Kenneth Towler’s help, and learned Marcus had previously been rejected from the Quidditch team.
• Fred planned to put Strong Laxative in the school’s soup, but Albert warned him against targeting everyone, so the twins focused on Marcus.
• Fred and George gave Marcus a laxative, photographed him suffering diarrhea, and sparked new school gossip that displaced the rumors about Charlie.

Albert recovered from his illness and met Fred, George, and Lee Jordan in a warm hidden room, where they discussed skipping History of Magic and his unfinished Banshee's Howl device. He urged the Twins to research class-skipping potions themselves, leaving them to consider risking effort and testing their creations for a chance at profit.

• Albert told Fred and George that Madam Pomfrey had cured him and that he did not need to attend History of Magic to do well on the exams.
• Fred and George showed Albert a photograph of Marcus McLaggen and revealed that they had framed Kenneth Towler for using Dungbombs, earning him detention from Filch.
• Lee Jordan asked about the silver device Albert was assembling, and Albert explained that Banshee's Howl would use Mandrakes roots to knock people unconscious with sound.
• The Twins asked for a potion that would let them skip class, and Albert suggested researching diluted poisons and antidotes to produce temporary symptoms.
• Albert encouraged Fred and George to pursue the idea for profit, while they realized they would have to study Herbology and Potions and test their concoctions themselves.

Gerbert Smith and three other Wildsmiths discussed their fears that Rowena Smith might threaten the next generation of candidates, while Albert safely sealed the Banshee's Howl in the Room of Requirement. The Wildsmiths left Rowena under watch, and Albert planned to let Fred and George test the artifact.

• Bard Broad summoned Gerbert Smith, Tiberius Ogden, and Morg McDougal to discuss what Rowena Smith knew about the Wildsmiths.
• Bard Broad read Albert's letter describing Ravenclaw's Chamber and Rowena's suspicions, prompting the four to worry that Rowena might harm the candidates at Hogwarts.
• Morg McDougal agreed to watch the candidates until Rowena left Hogwarts, Gerbert Smith promised to intervene if necessary, and Tiberius Ogden said Albert should return the Bronze Book afterward.
• Albert processed the salt-dehydrated Mandrakes roots and sealed the Banshee's Howl inside a silver container.
• Albert confirmed the container restrained the Banshee's Howl and decided to let Fred and George test it.

Albert tested the effects of Banshee's Howl and discovered that its sound could knock people unconscious. After Fred opened it in the Room of Requirement, Albert revived his three roommates, who blamed him for not stopping them.

• Albert returned to Gryffindor Tower with Cream biscuits and showed Fred, George, and Lee Jordan an unconscious rat in his magically enlarged cage.
• Albert fed the rat processed salt after his Revival Charm failed, and the rat eventually woke up.
• Albert refused to let his roommates try Banshee's Howl in the dormitory, but Fred opened it the next afternoon in the Room of Requirement, knocking himself, George, and Lee unconscious.
• Albert revived Lee with the processed salt and a spell, then woke the Weasley twins; all three complained and accused him of letting them get hurt.

Albert left the Room of Requirement with his dormmates after knocking Fred, George, and Lee Jordan down, then discussed fighting without a wand and Professor Smith’s questions about the Forbidden Forest. He accidentally revealed that their Acromantula story had been a lie and explained that Hagrid’s pet Fluffy had been involved, but kept the rest of the secret.

• Albert and his dormmates emerged from the hidden room, and he reminded them that training had taught him to defend himself.
• Albert argued with Lee Jordan about the limits of wandless magic and explained that a Shock Absorption Charm could protect someone falling from a height.
• Lee Jordan told Albert that Professor Smith had asked about Fred and George encountering an Acromantula in the Forbidden Forest.
• Albert let slip that they had never been ambushed by an Acromantula, then admitted he had promised Dumbledore and Hagrid to keep the truth secret.
• Albert said Hagrid’s pet Fluffy had run away into the Forbidden Forest and that Dumbledore had probably sent him back to Greece, while refusing to reveal more.

Albert grew uneasy about Professor Smith and began training his Defence Against the Dark Arts with Fred, George, and Lee Jordan in the Room of Requirement. After showing them how to strengthen their spellwork, he assigned them practical spells to master before he would teach them more.

• Albert invited Fred, George, and Lee Jordan to practise Defence Against the Dark Arts, using a search for Gryffindor's treasure in the Forbidden Forest as his excuse.
• Albert had the three take turns casting the Obstruction Jinx at him while he practised the Shield Charm.
• Albert demonstrated how powerfully he could cast the Obstruction Jinx by sending Lee Jordan flying into a pile of cushions.
• Albert explained that fast, relentless attacks mattered more than powerful protective magic in a wizarding fight.
• Albert told them to master several practical defensive spells and the Spider Repelling Spell before he would teach them more magic.

Albert continued secretly observing Professor Smith and practicing his Patronus, while Katrina asked whether his Baruffio's Brain Elixir could help her in the Wizard Card Competition. He then trained Fred, George, and Lee Jordan in dueling, leaving the four of them more skilled with their wands.

• Albert's distracted Patronus practice produced no tangible results, though his Patronus Charm experience continued to rise.
• Katrina asked Albert about Baruffio's Brain Elixir because she had entered the Wizard Card Competition, and he warned her that undiluted potion was dangerous and banned.
• Katrina learned that Albert had drunk undiluted Baruffio's Brain Elixir and walked away upset.
• Albert joined Fred, George, and Lee Jordan in the Room of Requirement and coached them through spells and dueling drills.
• Albert pushed the group to practice faster, quieter spellcasting, and their magical dueling continued to improve.

Albert practiced his Shield Charm against Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, whose attacks kept rebounding without breaking through. He refused to enter the Forbidden Forest before they were prepared, delaying their search for Gryffindor's Secret Treasure until after exams.

• Albert blocked Fred, George, and Lee Jordan's Obstruction Jinxes with his Shield Charm, while the three dodged their rebounding spells.
• Fred complained that they had become Albert's sparring partners, and Albert insisted their practice had helped them improve too.
• Albert explained that he was training to cast the Shield Charm silently, while Lee noted that silent casting was advanced magic and could weaken spells.
• Fred asked when they would search the Forbidden Forest for Gryffindor's Secret Treasure, but Albert said they would wait until after exams and prepare safety equipment.
• Albert warned that Acromantulas could ambush them and said they needed to master the Spider Repelling Spell and train before entering the forest.
• Fred and George teased Albert about his good luck, and Albert replied that preparation mattered more than luck.

Albert and his dormmates prepared to launch the Wizard Card Competition, while Albert explained his registration strategy and showed students the refined new cards. He opened the first round of eliminations, with the champion’s prize and final decision still to come.

• Albert reassured Fred, George, and Lee Jordan that the registration fees and champion’s prize would bring contestants to the competition.
• Albert explained that the competition would begin with thirty-two contestants and that the judges hoped to select the top sixteen before noon.
• Fred revealed that the new Wizard Cards were ready, and Albert showed them to Angelina, Shanna, and Truman.
• Albert said the new cards were not yet available to buy and that this year’s champion’s prize would remain unchanged.
• Albert called the registered contestants, declared two absent students losers, and advanced Angelina and another contestant by default.
• Albert officially opened the First Wizard Card Competition with a display of magical sparks.

Albert judged the First Wizard Card Competition, where inexperienced contestants made the early matches chaotic and Shanna defeated Katrina in a close duel. Filch tried to shut down the gathering, but Albert showed him Dumbledore’s approval and the competition continued.

• Albert judged the elimination matches as contestants unfamiliar with the rules made mistakes, and one Hufflepuff forfeited.
• Albert stopped a spectator from interfering in a match and ordered it restarted from three turns earlier.
• Shanna defeated Katrina in an evenly matched duel, drawing applause and becoming a favorite to win the competition.
• Filch arrived after hearing the competition was an illegal gathering, but Albert showed him Dumbledore’s signed approval and Filch stormed away.
• Fred, George, and Lee Jordan suspected someone had tried to sabotage the event, while Albert told them to return to their duties.

After announcing the Wizard Card tournament’s top sixteen, Albert blamed Marcus McLaggen for trying to sabotage Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, then used a Confundus Charm to send him into the Girls’ Bathroom. Marcus was punished and publicly shamed, while Albert and his friends wondered whether Professor McGonagall had suspected the prank.

• Albert announced the top sixteen and said the Wizard Cards would not be widely available until next year.
• Albert told Fred, George, and Lee Jordan that Marcus McLaggen was likely behind the trouble and suggested using a Confundus Charm on him.
• Albert confused Marcus as he passed the Girls’ Bathroom, where an older Hufflepuff girl caught him and other girls chased and beat him.
• Professor McGonagall gave Marcus a week of detention, deducted fifty points, and informed his family; his mother later sent him a Howler in the Great Hall.
• Fred, George, and Lee celebrated Marcus’s disgrace, while Field said Marcus had seemed confused and Albert wondered if McGonagall had realized what happened.