Chapter Summaries

Albert accompanied Hermione to her home to get her family out of Britain after Cassandra’s prophecy suggested they could be in danger. They found a Dark wizard watching the neighborhood, and after capturing him Albert learned Hermione’s family was safe and discovered where they had gone.

• Hermione agreed to leave Hogwarts early and help move her family after Albert explained Cassandra’s prophecy might involve them.
• Albert and Dobby Apparated Hermione to a park near her home, where Albert erased several children’s memories of their arrival.
• Albert explained to Hermione that the war was also a conflict between Pure-bloods and Muggle-born wizards as they approached her neighborhood.
• Albert detected and knocked out a Dark wizard who had been watching Hermione’s home under a Disillusionment Charm.
• Hermione found her home empty, but Albert searched the captured wizard’s memories and learned her family was safe and where they were.

Albert rescued Hermione’s parents from a trap Voldemort had set to lure and kill him, then escaped with them to a safe house. Kingsley agreed to help the Grangers settle in Australia, while Voldemort was left furious after Albert evaded him and mocked him.

• Hermione asked Albert to teach her Occlumency, and he took her toward the Grangers’ dental clinic on his modified flying bicycle.
• Albert detected two Imperius-controlled Dark wizards watching the Grangers, knocked one out, and hurried Hermione’s parents away after discovering they had tracking charms.
• Albert and Hermione escaped Voldemort and the Death Eaters by removing the tracking charms and having Dobby Apparate them to Safe House Number Eleven.
• Voldemort found Albert’s abandoned safe house and became enraged when Albert taunted him through radios before disappearing again.
• Albert explained that Voldemort had used the Grangers as bait, and Kingsley offered to arrange for them to immigrate to Australia.

Albert helped Hermione get her family safely onto a flight to Sydney, then reassured her that Harry’s lack of power and Voldemort’s resulting contempt would help him search for the Horcruxes. After Hermione returned to Hogwarts, Kingsley told Sirius and Lupin that Albert’s former home had been burned and that a prophecy might be connected to the attack.

• Albert and Hermione watched her family’s plane leave, and he comforted her as she worried about whether Harry could defeat Voldemort.
• Albert explained that Harry’s courage and the fact that Voldemort underestimated him made Harry suited to finding and destroying the Horcruxes.
• Hermione thanked Kingsley, Sirius, and Lupin for helping move her family, and Kingsley told Albert that Death Eaters had burned his former home.
• Albert took Hermione back to Hogwarts, while Kingsley told Sirius and Lupin that Dumbledore had found prophetic clues among Cassandra’s belongings.

Hermione returned to Hogwarts after Albert and Kingsley rescued her family from Voldemort’s trap and helped them flee Britain. She told Harry and Ron what happened, then urged Harry to keep leading the DA as a way to gather allies against Voldemort, though his other commitments left him unsure when he could hold another meeting.

• Albert visited the Hogwarts kitchens with Hermione and Dobby, where the house-elves welcomed him and avoided Hermione and Dobby; he advised Hermione to respect them and shared pies with her and Dobby.
• Hermione told Harry and Ron that Voldemort had used magic to locate her family and ambush Albert, but Albert rescued them and the Order of the Phoenix helped them leave Britain.
• Hermione warned Harry and Ron that their families might need protection, and Harry reflected that Albert seemed more suited to be the Chosen One while Hermione explained why Harry was better suited to search for Horcruxes.
• Ginny delivered Dumbledore’s message to Harry and asked when the next DA meeting would be; Harry said he was too busy and began suggesting Cedric could host it, but Hermione stopped him.
• Hermione explained that Albert wanted Harry to use DA meetings to build a loyal group of supporters, while Harry worried he could not make time without abandoning the Wizard Card Club.

Harry discussed Voldemort, the Horcrux hunt, and the prophecy with Dumbledore, then sought Hermione’s help recovering Slughorn’s memory. With Ginny’s suggestions and a dose of Felix Felicis, Harry devised a plan to win Slughorn’s trust by talking about his mother and quickly went to see him.

• Harry asked Dumbledore about searching for Horcruxes, and Dumbledore said they needed Slughorn’s memory to learn how many Voldemort had made.
• Dumbledore urged Harry to choose to fight Voldemort for himself rather than because of the prophecy, and reminded him that he had support.
• Harry asked Neville about Hermione and learned Neville hoped to join the Defence Association, then found Hermione and asked for information about Slughorn.
• Harry caught Ginny listening outside the classroom, and Ginny and Hermione suggested ways to lower Slughorn’s guard, including getting him drunk.
• After taking Brain Boosting Potion and Felix Felicis, Harry planned to approach Slughorn through his memories of Harry’s mother and hurried off to see him.
• Hermione gave Ginny a bottle of Felix Felicis, suggesting she try Lavender’s method.

Albert discussed his efforts to help Harry Potter and Hermione with Isobel, Katrina, and Mrs. McDougal, explaining that Cassandra’s prophecies pointed to worsening danger in Britain. He revealed that Dumbledore and Scrimgeour might die, but believed Voldemort’s defeat was approaching and intended to leave the final fight to Harry.

• Isobel asked Albert to come home on time and stop making her worry while she was pregnant.
• Katrina questioned Albert’s closeness to Hermione, and Albert explained that he had helped Hermione get her family out of Britain because Voldemort threatened them.
• Albert warned that Britain’s magical world might deteriorate next year and said the war would continue until Voldemort was destroyed.
• Albert told the family that Cassandra’s remaining dates likely marked Dumbledore’s and Scrimgeour’s deaths, then reassured them that Dumbledore had found the secret to Voldemort’s immortality.
• Albert said Harry was the suitable person to end the conflict and admitted that he preferred not to risk his life fighting Voldemort.

Harry strengthened his plan to obtain Slughorn’s Horcrux memory and arranged Christmas Ball partners with Hermione, Ron, and Luna. He warned Luna that her father’s support could draw Death Eater attention, and Luna noted how much he had changed.

• Harry told Hermione that Slughorn had agreed to sell Felix Felicis and that he planned to gain Slughorn’s trust to obtain the memory Dumbledore needed.
• Harry and Hermione agreed to arrange ball partners, with Harry inviting Ron and Hermione inviting Luna.
• Harry and Ron’s dance arrangements became public, prompting gossip and an argument between Ron and Lavender.
• Harry told Ron that defeating Voldemort took priority over romance and met Hermione and Luna by the Marble Staircase.
• Harry warned Luna that the Lovegoods’ support could put them at risk from Death Eaters, and Luna said he had changed.

At Professor Slughorn’s Christmas Ball, Hermione and Harry confronted Ron about whether he was truly prepared to join the war against Voldemort. After learning that Dumbledore might not have long to live and that Harry would have to destroy the Horcruxes, Ron committed himself to the fight.

• Hermione told Ron that she and Harry had resolved to take part in the coming war, but Ron had not yet considered what that commitment meant.
• Fred and George explained that Albert had sent them to invite Professor Slughorn to become a Potions consultant after he retired.
• Harry, Hermione, and Ron left the Ball to talk privately, but found the Room of Requirement occupied and went to the Prefects’ Bathroom instead.
• Hermione explained that the war would worsen after Dumbledore’s death, while Harry revealed that Dumbledore had tasked him with destroying the Horcruxes.
• Harry and Hermione told Ron that joining the fight could cost him his life, and Hermione explained why she had chosen to stand with Harry.
• Ron insisted that he would not retreat from Voldemort and asked Harry and Hermione what he needed to do.

Kingsley and Arthur asked Harry to support Scrimgeour’s vigilance campaign through a Daily Prophet interview, and Harry agreed on the condition that he review the article first. As concerns about Voldemort’s next move grew, Harry asked to learn Apparition early and received the adults’ agreement to train him, Hermione, and Ron.

• Kingsley and Arthur discussed Scrimgeour’s fears, the Ministry’s secret Protection Plan, and Albert’s warning that the danger would worsen if the conflict dragged on.
• At Grimmauld Place, Harry agreed to Scrimgeour’s proposed interview after Kingsley and Arthur explained its purpose, but insisted on seeing the article before publication.
• Harry told Sirius he planned to give Slughorn oak-aged Honey Wine on his birthday to help him obtain information for Dumbledore’s task.
• At the gathering, Fred revealed that Albert would be Secret-Keeper for the Protection Plan, and Moody explained that the choice helped protect against threats to Dumbledore and Scrimgeour.
• Harry asked to learn Apparition early, and Kingsley arranged for Lupin to teach Harry, Hermione, and Ron while Moody provided Harry with Auror-style Defence training.

Albert told the Defence Association that Voldemort would seize the Ministry, Scrimgeour and Dumbledore would die, and Harry would eventually defeat Voldemort. He urged the members to prepare for war, gave them Felix Felicis, and warned them to keep the information secret.

• Albert said Voldemort planned to eliminate Dumbledore and Scrimgeour, and revealed that both would die before the Death Eaters took control of the Ministry.
• The Defence Association members reacted to Albert's claim that Snape would kill Dumbledore, but Albert stopped them from trying to attack Snape and said he had already warned Dumbledore.
• Albert explained that they should prepare rather than interfere recklessly, and predicted that Harry would defeat Voldemort at Hogwarts and end the war.
• Albert showed the members Felix Felicis he had prepared for them and told them to improve their magic for the coming conflict.
• Albert warned the Defence Association to keep what they had heard confidential, recalling that Cedric had been captured after information leaked.

Albert taught newly graduated Defence Association members how to survive encounters with Dark wizards, including concealment, distraction, retreat, and ambush tactics. He introduced their limited-supply defensive products and gave each member a Detection Pocket Watch, which immediately detected the Grindylow in the room.

• Albert explained that a spell on the Association's membership list would alert him if anyone leaked an important secret.
• Albert taught the members to use concealment, distractions, and tactical retreats to escape enemies, and to ambush opponents only when they had the advantage.
• Albert demonstrated how Disillusionment Charms could fail, explained how to improve concealment, and guided the members as they practiced the spell.
• Albert and the Weasley twins presented a catalog of restricted defensive products and gave each member a Detection Pocket Watch.
• The members' new watches sounded an alarm, and Albert showed them that the Grindylow in the tank had triggered it.

Draco Malfoy complained to Snape that he could not repair the Vanishing Cabinet, unaware that Dumbledore’s plan required it to remain broken until the end of term. At an Order of the Phoenix meeting, Snape reported Voldemort’s plans against Scrimgeour and Albert, while Sirius confronted him over a prophecy that Snape would kill Dumbledore.

• Draco Malfoy failed to persuade Snape to help him repair the Vanishing Cabinet and left the office angry.
• Snape went to Grimmauld Place No. 12, where Moody told the Order that Voldemort planned to assassinate Scrimgeour and that Albert’s prophecy foresaw Scrimgeour’s death.
• Snape said Yaxley was handling the assassination and suggested Voldemort would kill Scrimgeour personally, while the Order discussed how difficult it would be to protect the Minister.
• Sirius raised his wand at Snape and accused him of being destined to kill Dumbledore, but Snape argued that he could have killed Dumbledore when the curse had weakened him.
• Snape told the Order that Bellatrix Lestrange was planning to murder Dumbledore and that Voldemort was also targeting Albert and searching for members of Albert’s Defence Association.

After Snape escaped Grimmauld Place No. 12, he confronted Dumbledore about Albert’s prophecy that Snape would kill him and accused Albert of gathering power. Dumbledore defended Snape and reassured him that Albert would not harm him, then promised the Order he would clarify the prophecy with Albert.

• Snape left Grimmauld Place No. 12, realizing that the Order of the Phoenix might have killed him over Albert’s prophecy, and hurried to Hogwarts to warn Dumbledore.
• Dumbledore confirmed that Albert had foreseen Snape killing him and said Albert had independently worked out much of the plan.
• Snape warned Dumbledore that Albert was using his prophecies to influence Scrimgeour and build power, but Dumbledore called Albert trustworthy and said they had reached an agreement.
• Snape left for a Death Eater gathering after feeling the Dark Lord summon him through his left arm.
• Kingsley, Moody, and Professor McGonagall arrived in Dumbledore’s office and challenged his trust in Snape and his handling of Albert’s prophecy.
• Dumbledore defended Snape’s remorse and promised to speak with Albert to clarify the prophecy.

Snape attended Voldemort’s meeting and reported that the Ministry was difficult to infiltrate and that Albert Anderson had become a major obstacle to the Death Eaters. After Snape revealed that Albert had predicted his plan to kill Dumbledore, Voldemort ordered him to continue the assassination mission.

• Snape arrived late at the Death Eaters’ meeting and told Voldemort that there was a problem with their plan.
• Yaxley reported that Scrimgeour had fortified the Ministry, hired Albert Anderson as a special adviser, and established checks to detect Imperius control.
• Yaxley said Albert had formed the Defence Association, while Snape warned that Dumbledore remained the Death Eaters’ greatest obstacle.
• After the meeting, Snape told Voldemort that Albert had predicted his attempt to kill Dumbledore and that the Order of the Phoenix suspected him.
• Snape suggested waiting before attempting the assassination, but Voldemort insisted that he continue, and Snape agreed.

Albert met Scrimgeour during a snowstorm and discussed Snape, Dumbledore’s secret plans, and the danger Voldemort posed. He helped Dumbledore secure Shelter No. 1 with the Fidelius Charm, then left Scrimgeour to confront Dumbledore about trusting Snape with his life.

• Albert met Scrimgeour at a coffee shop, where Scrimgeour asked whether Snape would betray Dumbledore and whether he could be saved.
• Albert hinted that Dumbledore was preparing a secret weapon against Voldemort and warned Scrimgeour that his choices would shape his fate.
• Scrimgeour took Albert to Shelter No. 1, an abandoned hotel converted into a refuge for Ministry employees’ families, where Dumbledore cast the Fidelius Charm.
• Albert became the Secret-Keeper and gave Scrimgeour a parchment that allowed him to share the shelter’s location with approved residents.
• After Albert Apparated away, Scrimgeour questioned Dumbledore about his plans and his trust in Snape, and Dumbledore confirmed that Severus was his man.

The Weasley family decided to move into the Ministry’s Fidelius-protected shelter after Bill warned that the current peace was temporary and Order of the Phoenix members could be targeted. Arthur and Molly arrived and learned the shelter was a vast former hotel with strict security and communal facilities.

• Arthur and Molly discussed the Ministry’s shelter offer, and Bill persuaded Molly that the family should move there for safety.
• The next morning, Arthur and Molly went to the Ministry’s designated location, received a Temporary Residence Permit and room key, and passed Dark Magic checks.
• Arthur saw Amos Diggory in the queue, and Amos explained that Cedric’s danger had prompted the Ministry to give his family a place.
• Moody gave Arthur and Molly a parchment to memorize, revealing the shelter’s location before they entered the enormous hotel.
• Tonks showed the residents the shelter’s designated Apparition area, security procedures, cafeteria, shops, and other facilities.

Albert warned the Defence Association that Voldemort might target its members and laid out plans to protect them while keeping their activities concealed. He left the group with a temporary refuge, communication devices, and plans to redirect attention toward a decoy headquarters.

• Shanna woke Fred and George for a meeting, and the group discussed the Ministry’s newly completed shelter and the risks of building one for the Defence Association.
• Albert told the group that Voldemort knew he had formed the Defence Association and might target its members, as he had used Peter Pettigrew against Albert before.
• Albert ordered Fred and George to pause the Zonko line and arrange for Ron to help deliver Joke Shop orders.
• Albert proposed sending threatened members to a temporary refuge protected by the Fidelius Charm, while using the supposed headquarters as bait to divert the Death Eaters.
• Albert gave Fred a box of Communication Bookmarks for the members and asked Lee Jordan to create a regular information channel with coded messages.

Truman was targeted by Dark wizards after they identified him as a Muggle-born connected to Albert, but Fred, George, Cedric, and Lee rescued him with Mandrake roots. The group wondered whether other people who attended Albert’s wedding were also in danger.

• Truman read that a man he recognized from Albert’s wedding had gone missing and realized the danger might be connected to him.
• Dark wizards broke into Truman’s home, searched for him, and stunned him beneath the bed before the leader used the Cruciatus Curse on him.
• As the wizards took Truman away, Fred and George’s Mandrake roots incapacitated them, while Cedric and Lee helped capture the group.
• George tied up the Dark wizards and erased their memories, then Cedric reassured the others that Truman would recover after a few hours.
• Fred, George, Cedric, and Lee worried that Voldemort might target others who had attended Albert’s wedding.

Truman recovered in the Defence Association’s temporary Medical Room after Death Eaters tortured and tried to capture him, and his friends discussed how to stay safe. Lee Jordan warned that Albert expected a major operation against Voldemort and the Death Eaters soon, so the group was told to keep training and avoid danger.

• Cedric told Truman that the Ministry of Magic had arrested his attackers and advised him to go into hiding rather than return to work.
• Truman said he would help Albert care for plants in a planned greenhouse, while Cedric explained that Death Eaters had targeted Truman because he was Muggle-born and connected to Albert.
• Kenneth, Cedric, Truman, and Lee Jordan discussed the Death Eaters’ desperation and the dangers of retaliating against them.
• Lee Jordan brought Truman a potion for the lingering pain and said Albert had warned the Defence Association to stay out of trouble because something major was coming.
• Lee Jordan urged everyone to train, explained that Albert was developing magical items for emergencies, and said Albert would teach more Defence Against the Dark Arts once they had mastered the previous lesson.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron discussed threats from Voldemort’s followers, Ron’s secret errand for Fred and George, and Harry’s plans for Slughorn and Ron’s birthday. Harry and Hermione arranged for Ginny to buy Ron’s presents discreetly, and Ginny insisted she was not afraid of the danger.

• Hermione showed Harry and Ron an article warning that Voldemort’s followers were targeting Albert’s friends, while Sirius urged them to stay alert.
• Lavender clung to Ron, and Harry warned her and Parvati that Voldemort’s war could endanger his friends; Hermione explained that speaking Voldemort’s name let Death Eaters track the speaker.
• Ron accepted Fred and George’s paid favor, while Harry and Hermione discussed Slughorn’s gathering and how to obtain his memory for Dumbledore.
• Harry and Hermione chose Quidditch-themed birthday gifts for Ron and asked Ginny to order them by owl post so they would not attract attention.
• Ginny agreed to help, and she told Dean she was unafraid of standing with Harry and Dumbledore despite the danger.