Chapter Summaries

Albert agreed to meet Scrimgeour and traveled to London, where he used his Patronus to clear Dementors from the area before joining the Minister in a coffee shop. He warned Scrimgeour that the meeting was dangerous and noticed something troubling nearby.

• Albert replied to Scrimgeour that he would meet him after returning to Britain, while reminding himself to act patiently and protect his family and followers.
• A few days later, Albert Apparated from France to a London suburb and put the Elder Wand away, choosing to carry his own wand instead.
• Albert concealed himself in thick fog and drove nearby Dementors away with his Patronus as they preyed on London.
• Albert entered a coffee shop and sat opposite Scrimgeour, warning him that Aurors might not protect him if Voldemort targeted him.
• Albert glanced toward a nearby direction and remarked that Scrimgeour had chosen a dangerous time for their meeting.

Scrimgeour used a staged meeting to ambush Death Eaters, then pressed Albert for reassurance about Voldemort's defeat. Albert warned that Scrimgeour was nearly out of time and offered him Polyjuice Potion to escape his fate, leaving Scrimgeour to decide how to use his final chance.

• Scrimgeour used the Imperius Curse on two Death Eater scouts to lure an attack, and Aurors ambushed Macnair and his followers at the Coffee shop.
• Scrimgeour asked Albert whether Harry could defeat Voldemort, but Albert said there was not enough time to save Scrimgeour and could not rush Voldemort's destruction.
• Albert gave Scrimgeour Polyjuice Potion and said the identity of Rufus Scrimgeour, Minister of Magic, had to die.
• Scrimgeour told Gadwin that if the worst happened, he should seek Albert's help, then urged him to contact Percy without exposing him.

Albert visited Hogwarts to give Professor McGonagall records that could protect future Muggle-born students if Voldemort seized the Ministry. After learning that Professor Burbage had been taken by Death Eaters, he refused to risk a rescue and warned Hagrid to face the danger posed by the Acromantulas.

• Albert reunited with Hagrid at Hogwarts and explained that he had brought Professor McGonagall copies of Muggle-born birth records to preserve for future students.
• Albert warned Hagrid that Aragog's descendants no longer had any bond with him and could join the Death Eaters in threatening Hogwarts.
• Albert gave Professor McGonagall the records and predicted that Voldemort would take control of the Ministry, while learning that Professor Burbage had not left Britain.
• A Patronus reported that Professor Burbage had disappeared, and Albert declined to rescue her, explaining that doing so could endanger others.
• Hagrid arrived with Professor Flitwick, and Albert advised Professor McGonagall to seek Ministry help and urged Hagrid not to let foolish choices harm his judgment.

After Death Eaters captured Professor Burbage, Sirius argued that the weakened Order of the Phoenix should not risk itself rescuing her and should focus on protecting Harry and surviving for the battle to come. The Order's members were left confronting how little support they could count on without Dumbledore.

• Tonks told Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Sirius that Death Eaters had captured Professor Burbage, and explained that the Ministry had been monitoring her as bait but lost its tracking mark.
• Sirius said the Order of the Phoenix should leave Burbage's rescue to the Ministry because she had ignored Albert's warning and the Order could not afford more losses.
• Professor McGonagall, Lupin, and Moody reacted to Sirius's stance, while Sirius argued that protecting Harry and keeping McGonagall at Hogwarts mattered more.
• Kingsley urged the Order to support Scrimgeour and recruit Ministry personnel, but Sirius predicted Scrimgeour's fall and said most pure-blood officials would side with Voldemort or remain neutral.
• Sirius argued that Muggle-born wizards were the people the Order should try to recruit because Voldemort's rule would leave them with no safe alternative.

Albert explained to George why he would not risk his last Death Eater spy to find Professor Burbage and warned that the wizarding world had become dangerous after Dumbledore’s death. He urged the Order and Muggle-born wizards to prepare for Voldemort’s takeover, leaving George to warn Bill and help use the radio station to rally support.

• George told Albert that Sirius had contacted him, but Albert refused to search for Professor Burbage or expose his spy to find her.
• Albert warned George that Dumbledore’s death had changed the situation and predicted that the Death Eaters could target Bill and Fleur’s wedding.
• George agreed to warn Bill and the Order, while Albert stressed that the Fidelius-protected headquarters was essential for their safety.
• Albert told George to use the radio station to explain Professor Burbage’s disappearance and warn people about the coming Muggle-Born Registration Commission.
• Albert said Muggle-born wizards had to resist Voldemort or leave Britain, and George recognized the need to warn them before the Ministry fell.

As Isobel’s due date approached, Albert discussed keeping his family safe and the worsening war in Britain with Katrina. He explained his efforts to organize resistance against Voldemort, while Katrina suspected he had a larger purpose; Albert insisted that Britain’s wizards had to choose for themselves whether to resist.

• Albert reassured Isobel that her birth preparations were complete and agreed they would return to live on the ship after the baby was born.
• Katrina told Albert that their mother had agreed to their plans, but only after the war; Albert estimated the war would end within a year or two.
• Albert described the Death Eaters’ escalating attacks in Britain and said foreign ministries would not risk sending Aurors to help.
• Katrina questioned Albert’s motives and accused him of seeming like a conspirator, while Albert said he was helping his friends resist Voldemort and survive the war.
• Albert said Scrimgeour had chosen a path that would likely get him killed and argued that Britain’s wizards had to stand up for themselves if they wanted change.

Albert and Isobel welcomed their daughter Alice while recovering in France, and Albert planned to leave the country with his family. He learned that the Ministry’s attempt to rescue Burbage had become a costly ambush, then agreed to attend Bill and Fleur’s hastened wedding despite fearing the danger.

• The healer announced that Isobel and Alice were safe, and Albert arranged their care before deciding to leave France by ship.
• Albert told his family about Alice’s birth, and George and Fred congratulated him while asking about his return to Britain.
• George and Fred reported that Death Eaters had used Burbage as bait, killing one Auror and three Crisis Response Team members, while Burbage survived but had been driven mad.
• Albert told the twins to protect the Defence Association and teach its members his planned spells, then learned that Bill and Fleur had moved their wedding ahead of the Ministry’s fall.
• Albert reluctantly agreed to attend the wedding and used a Two-Way Mirror to contact Scrimgeour.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione discussed protecting the Horcrux secret, finding a safe base, and searching for leads. They planned to approach Albert at Bill’s wedding for help before trying to investigate Ravenclaw’s Diadem at Hogwarts.

• Harry burned his notes and warned Ron and Hermione that Voldemort would kill anyone who learned about the Horcruxes.
• The three discussed Professor Burbage’s murder at St. Mungo’s and agreed they needed to keep the Horcrux secret from the Order for now.
• Harry agreed that the Order of the Phoenix headquarters could serve as a base, and said he would speak to Sirius about the danger of the secret spreading.
• Harry, Ron, and Hermione listed places connected to Tom Riddle where they might search for Horcrux clues, including Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, Borgin and Burkes, and Albania.
• Harry planned to ask Albert for help at Bill’s wedding, while Ron raised the possibility of investigating Ravenclaw’s Diadem at Hogwarts if Albert could not help.
• Harry said he would use Felix Felicis to search Hogwarts and start by questioning Ravenclaw’s ghost if they found no better leads.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione discussed the difficulty of finding Voldemort’s remaining Horcruxes and examined the clues Dumbledore had left Harry. They discovered a message inside the Golden Snitch but could not interpret it, then turned to The Tales of Beedle the Bard for answers.

• Harry worried that finding the remaining Horcruxes could take years, and Hermione reassured him that Albert would help if they could not find them.
• Ron wished Albert would join their search, but Harry and Hermione explained why he could not lead them directly to the Horcruxes.
• Harry took out Dumbledore’s Golden Snitch, and the three discussed what it might contain and how it could help Harry face Voldemort.
• Harry realized he had first touched the Snitch with his mouth during his first Quidditch Match, and the Snitch revealed the words “I open at the close.”
• Harry asked Hermione about her translation of The Tale of the Three Brothers, and the three discussed what Dumbledore meant by leaving them The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione discussed whether The Tale of the Three Brothers held clues to defeating Voldemort, focusing on the Elder Wand and whether Albert might have it. Harry decided to ask Albert about it when he returned for Bill's wedding.

• Hermione told Harry and Ron her translated version of The Tale of the Three Brothers and noted its key details.
• Ron argued that Harry should find the Elder Wand to defeat Voldemort, and Hermione used calming draught to settle him before they continued discussing it.
• Harry and Hermione questioned whether Albert would seek the Elder Wand, while Harry explained that Albert's wand was a Redwood wand made by Mr. Ollivander.
• Hermione cited stories of the Elder Wand appearing in the hands of Dark wizards, while Harry suggested that people might mistake a powerful wizard's wand for a legendary one.
• Harry wondered whether Albert would lend him the Elder Wand or defeat Voldemort himself, then decided to ask Albert about it when he came to Bill's wedding.

Harry warned Sirius, Lupin, and Mrs. Weasley that Bill and Fleur’s wedding could attract a Death Eater attack, then revealed that he, Hermione, and Ron were undertaking a secret mission concerning Voldemort. He urged the adults to trust them as the story left Harry resolved to face Voldemort and fight for victory.

• Harry decided to speak with Sirius and warn him not to rely on luck at Bill and Fleur’s upcoming wedding.
• Sirius and Lupin explained that the wedding would be held at The Burrow and that the Order of the Phoenix and possibly Ministry Aurors would protect it.
• Harry warned Sirius and Lupin that Voldemort and the Death Eaters might attack, then told them he, Hermione, and Ron were on a secret mission concerning Voldemort.
• Harry explained that the mission had to remain secret because Veritaserum and Legilimency could expose it and put the Order and the Weasley family at risk.
• Mrs. Weasley urged Harry to hide, but Harry said he would face Voldemort and asked her to trust them.

Death Eaters attacked a wizarding village in France while searching for Anderson, and Scrimgeour used the incident to advance a plan against Voldemort’s forces. He planned to use Bill Weasley’s wedding as bait and privately prepared Kingsley to take over the Ministry’s resistance if he fell.

• Death Eaters abducted a woman in France, killed a wizard, and left the Dark Mark above the house.
• Scrimgeour told Robards that the French Ministry would stay out of the war and ordered him to spread rumors that France might send Aurors to help.
• Scrimgeour told Robards to proceed with an upcoming operation and use false information to mislead Death Eater spies.
• Scrimgeour asked Kingsley to arrange wedding invitations and revealed that he intended to use Bill and Fleur’s wedding to lure the Death Eaters.
• Scrimgeour warned Kingsley that he might need to lead the Ministry’s remaining resistance and urged him to work with Anderson if Scrimgeour died.

Albert took Isobel to Bill and Fleur’s wedding despite the danger, where he discussed the Ministry’s security measures and the likelihood of trouble. The chapter ended with Minister Scrimgeour confronting Albert and suggesting Isobel’s presence meant the situation was more hopeful than he had expected.

• Isobel chose an evening dress and went with Albert to the wedding after arranging for Alice to stay with Katrina and their mother.
• Albert spotted Ministry Aurors near the Burrow and arrived at the wedding, where George, Harry Potter, and Viktor Krum greeted him.
• George asked Albert about the wedding’s defenses, and Albert warned him that stronger spells could not prevent an attack and that the celebration should be brief.
• Hermione escorted Albert and Isobel to Hagrid’s table, where Albert discussed the captured healer Laura with Madame Maxime.
• Scrimgeour joined Albert’s group and remarked that Isobel’s presence suggested the situation was more optimistic than he had expected.

At Bill and Fleur’s wedding, Albert warned Scrimgeour that his plan would likely fail and urged Hagrid to leave Hogwarts before the Death Eaters targeted him. The wedding proceeded, while Albert and Isobel expected danger to follow and prepared to give Bill and Fleur their gifts.

• Albert told Scrimgeour that Voldemort would not come to the wedding, but advised him to hurry with his plans and implied they would fail.
• Albert explained that Scrimgeour had disguised himself because he did not want his presence known, then warned Hagrid and the others to be careful about what they said.
• Albert advised Hagrid to leave Hogwarts, predicting that the Death Eaters would imprison him in Azkaban and restore the Dementors there.
• Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Madame Maxime urged Hagrid to heed Albert’s warning, and Hagrid was frightened by the prediction.
• Mr. Delacour escorted Fleur down the aisle, and Bill and Fleur exchanged rings as the guests celebrated their wedding.
• Albert and Isobel watched the ceremony and anticipated trouble, with Albert reassuring Isobel that Bill and Fleur would receive their gifts.

Albert and Isobel attended Bill and Fleur’s wedding, where Albert gave the newlyweds Felix Felicis and watched the fireworks with the guests. Isobel left early to return to their newborn daughter Alice, while Albert reassured Cedric that the coming danger was not yet as bad as he feared.

• Albert danced with Isobel and later congratulated Bill and Fleur, giving Bill a vial of Felix Felicis for them to share.
• Fred and George’s fireworks lit the sky with images of unicorns and Bill and Fleur kissing.
• Isobel left with a House-elf to return to Alice, and Albert explained to Cedric that he did not know exactly when the predicted danger would come.
• Cedric agreed to order swan-shaped fireworks for his future wedding, and Fred and George offered him a discount.
• Albert advised the Twins to invite a fireworks seller to join them after the war and share the fireworks business.

Harry asked Albert about Dumbledore’s clues and the Deathly Hallows, while Albert explained that Harry would need to discover the Golden Snitch’s secret himself. Albert revealed that the three Hallows were real and that Dumbledore hoped Harry would seek them; the conversation ended as a large number of Dementors approached.

• Harry asked Albert for Felix Felicis and questioned him about the message inside Dumbledore’s Golden Snitch, but Albert refused to explain its meaning.
• Albert exposed two Aurors secretly following Hermione and Ron, then dismissed them before discussing Harry’s mistaken belief that Dumbledore wanted him to find the Elder Wand.
• Albert revealed that he knew where the Elder Wand was but had no interest in it, and he lent Hermione Dumbledore’s annotated copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
• Albert explained the Deathly Hallows and their connection to Harry’s Potter ancestry and the Gaunt family, then said Dumbledore hoped Harry would seek them and become the master of Death.
• Harry suggested that Death, rather than Lord Voldemort, might be his final enemy, just as a large group of Dementors swept toward them.

Yaxley led the Death Eaters in seizing the Ministry of Magic, believing they had captured and killed Rufus Scrimgeour. Voldemort discovered Scrimgeour had used an impostor and hurried toward The Burrow, while Draco overcame his fear and went to warn his father.

• Yaxley briefed the Death Eaters on their plan to attack the Ministry while its Aurors attended the Weasley wedding and to capture Harry Potter at the wedding.
• The Death Eaters took control of the Ministry, and Voldemort joined them after they captured someone they believed was Scrimgeour.
• Voldemort exposed the captive as an impostor, and the Death Eaters realized Scrimgeour had anticipated their attack and gone to The Burrow.
• Yaxley assigned Piers to take over as Minister of Magic and Umbridge to return as Deputy Minister while he assumed the post of Director of Magical Law Enforcement.
• Draco realized his father was in danger at The Burrow and rushed out to warn him.

At Bill’s wedding, Albert helped turn Scrimgeour’s trap for the Death Eaters into a battle that favored the Aurors, the Order, and the guests. Voldemort did not appear, and the fighting was going smoothly as Albert coached Harry, Hermione, and Ron to stay alert.

• Albert stayed behind as Dementors approached, drove one off, and used a Disillusionment Charm to move toward the chaotic wedding tent.
• The guests found Apparition blocked, while Scrimgeour’s larger defensive barrier closed over The Burrow and trapped everyone inside.
• Albert helped complete the barrier, and the Aurors and wedding guests fought back as Patronuses scattered the Dementors.
• Albert joined Cedric, Cho Chang, and the Defence Association, while Fred and George helped defeat Death Eaters and Ron complained when they took his opponent.
• Harry, Hermione, and Ron regrouped with Albert, who deflected Dark Magic and warned them to watch for ambushes rather than rely on Shield Charms.

Albert helped the Ministry Aurors defeat the Dark wizards who attacked Bill's wedding and warned Harry and the others to flee before Voldemort arrived. Scrimgeour prepared to retake the Ministry of Magic while Albert led the wedding guests out of the barrier and Apparated away.

• Albert warned Harry and the others that Voldemort might come to the wedding and urged them to leave once the fighting ended.
• Albert drove back the Dementors and helped the Aurors subdue the Dark wizards trapped inside the Magical Barrier.
• Scrimgeour told Albert that Voldemort had taken the Ministry of Magic and killed the impostor there, then ordered his Aurors to clear the battlefield and prepare to retake it.
• Albert announced that the guests should leave before Voldemort arrived, and Harry, Sirius, the Weasleys, and their companions began evacuating.
• Albert opened a gap in the barrier, warned the group that they could not Apparate while trapped inside, and left by Apparition.

Scrimgeour executed Lucius and several other captured Death Eaters to intimidate the guests and raise morale after Albert refused to join his plan. As he ordered the remaining Dark wizards killed, Voldemort arrived with Death Eaters and trapped the group.

• Scrimgeour realized Albert had seen through his plan and decided he would have to follow Albert’s advice to survive.
• Scrimgeour killed several captured Death Eaters and told the guests not to fear them.
• Scrimgeour killed Lucius after rejecting his offers of money and hearing his pleas for mercy.
• Scrimgeour ordered the Aurors to gather the remaining Dark wizards so he could burn them alive.
• Voldemort arrived with a group of Death Eaters and blocked Scrimgeour and the others in.