Chapter Summaries

Katrina encouraged Louise to show her affection for Albert, and the others gathered for a lively dance party. Albert enjoyed the unusual evening, while Isobel and Katrina anticipated bringing more excitement into his peaceful life.

• Katrina teased Louise about her outfit and urged her to take the initiative with Albert, and Louise kissed him until Isobel reminded them the dance party was about to begin.
• Catherine and Valeria arrived in revealing outfits, and Valeria greeted Albert with an affectionate kiss.
• Catherine and Valeria began the party with a passionate tango, while Isobel and Katrina danced a folk dance and Albert waltzed with Louise.
• Isobel observed that Albert enjoyed the party, and Katrina said she was looking forward to stirring up his quiet life.

At a dance, Albert was swept from partner to partner as Louise, Valeria, and Catherine tried to draw him closer and overcome his wariness toward unfamiliar women. Catherine believed Louise could succeed, but Valeria worried that the women might remain lovers in name only.

• Albert kissed Louise after their dance, then the girls sent him back onto the floor so others could take their turns.
• Valeria danced closely with Albert, kissed him, and suggested that she and Catherine could keep him company together.
• Catherine pulled Albert into a prolonged, passionate tango that left him exhausted and earned her complaints from the other girls.
• Catherine explained that Albert's devotion to Isobel and suspicion of unfamiliar people made him difficult to pursue.
• Valeria and Catherine discussed whether Louise could win Albert's affection, while Louise brought him juice and chocolate.

Albert attended a ball prepared by Louise, Isobel, Catherine, and the other girls, where Veela fruit wine and a moonlit dance drew him into an intimate encounter with Louise. The chapter ended with the girls helping the newlywed couple as the living room fell dark.

• Isobel told Albert that she had mixed Louise's Veela fruit wine into his juice so he would not get drunk.
• Louise explained that the wine belonged to an ancient Veela courtship ritual, and she kissed Albert as the other girls gathered around them.
• Isobel poured the fruit wine into a cup, and Louise and Albert shared it before returning to the dance floor.
• Louise led Albert through an unfamiliar dance beneath the moonlight, and the two danced passionately together.
• Isobel and Katrina supported Louise while Catherine and Valeria extinguished the living room lights, leaving Albert and Louise surrounded by the girls.

After Louise’s first night with Albert left her exhausted, Isobel helped her rest while the others discussed whether she might become pregnant. The chapter left Valeria unwilling to give up her life for Albert, while Katrina remained undecided about having a child.

• Katrina gave Louise juice and chocolate as Louise recovered from her first night with Albert.
• Isobel told Louise that Catherine and Valeria were looking after Albert, then helped Louise rest and gave her juice containing Sleeping Draught.
• Isobel said Louise might conceive and was mentally prepared for motherhood, while Valeria wondered whether she herself wanted children.
• Valeria said she would not leave her life in the United States to become Albert’s lover in Britain, since Catherine needed her.
• Katrina said she had not decided whether to have Albert’s child, and Valeria worried that motherhood would burden Louise with difficulties.

Albert woke after a night of drinking and spent the day recovering while Isobel and the other girls cared for him. After dinner, Isobel told him that Louise wanted to have a child and that Catherine had shared stories about her first time, leaving Albert to promise Louise his attention once he had recovered.

• Albert woke in Isobel's manor with Valeria beside him and found Catherine and Louise sleeping nearby after the previous night's revelry.
• Isobel and Katrina helped Albert and the girls wake, bathe, eat lunch, and rest.
• Albert woke after dark and joined the girls for dinner, where Isobel had prepared a large feast for him.
• Isobel told Albert that the girls had discussed the Beauty Potion, the Witch Beauty Shop, travel, the previous night, and their future.
• Isobel said Louise wanted to have a child and asked Albert to spend time with her after he recovered; Catherine also spoke openly about her first time.

The girls visited the crowded Witch Beauty Shop on its opening day and learned about Albert’s plans to promote Wizard Card with a tournament. They discovered that Madam Primpernelle had closed her own shop and joined Witch Beauty Shop, where she invited them to book beauty consultations.

• George warned the girls that the Witch Beauty Shop was packed, but they went to see the crowd for themselves and read about the opening-day deals.
• The girls postponed shopping, bought what they needed, and played Wizard Card in the Defence Against the Dark Arts shop while the neighboring shop remained busy.
• Shanna told the girls that Albert planned to hold the first Wizard Card Tournament with a one-hundred-Galleon prize pool, and Lee Jordan said it would likely take place later that year.
• Lee Jordan explained that Albert hoped to spread Wizard Card and might turn the Defence Against the Dark Arts shop into a Wizard Card boutique, while selling most remaining stock to the Ministry of Magic.
• As the crowd thinned, the girls found Madam Primpernelle working at Witch Beauty Shop; she said she had closed her own shop and offered to register them for consultations with visiting shop owners.

The Witch Beauty Shop drew a crowd with limited stock, opening discounts, and beauty advice, while its owners used the rush to build demand for future orders. Hermione left resentful after Albert’s lovers scrutinized her and gave her advice, carrying Katrina’s book back with her.

• Katrina explained that the sold-out products could be pre-ordered by owl mail at the opening discount, while George asked how the shop would make money.
• Louise and Catherine advised Angelina and Shanna on skincare, and Isobel recommended Katrina’s book to Cho.
• Cho and the other girls left with lighter purses and wondered why Madam Primpernelle had joined the shop; Shanna said Albert likely paid her well and noted the marketing effect.
• Ginny noticed Hermione was still inside, while Hermione endured Albert’s lovers criticizing her appearance and offering advice.
• Hermione emerged with Katrina’s book, told the others she regretted coming, and led them away.

Hermione struggled with insecurities after Albert’s lovers criticized her appearance, then learned that Kingsley had survived an apparent werewolf attack that might have been a Death Eater warning. Harry and Ron left to help capture the werewolves while the Weasleys prepared to stay alert at The Burrow.

• Hermione wrote down grooming advice from Albert’s lovers after their remarks upset her, and Ginny tried to reassure her.
• Hermione and Ginny heard a commotion downstairs and discovered Harry and Ron had returned with news that Kingsley had been attacked by two werewolves.
• Ron explained that the attack might have been arranged by Voldemort’s remnants, and Hermione noted that it had happened on the Full Moon.
• Harry said Remus had locked himself in the basement while Tonks watched over him, then prepared with Ron to join the operation against the werewolves.
• Mrs. Weasley warned Harry and Ron to be careful, and Ginny hugged Harry before he and Ron Apparated away.

Albert used Divination to locate the werewolf that had attacked Kingsley’s home, and Aurors found it dead at a site destroyed by Fiendfyre. The Ministry blamed the attack on surviving Death Eaters, while Kingsley’s reputation rose and the Wizengamot considered installing him as Minister early.

• Kingsley asked Albert to divine the escaped werewolf’s location and worried the attack might signal a larger scheme to manufacture werewolves.
• Albert warned that pure-blood supporters of Voldemort might be creating werewolves as leverage, then accepted Kingsley’s payment and used a crystal ball to find the missing werewolf.
• Kingsley gave the crystal ball’s memory to Godwin Robards, who sent Aurors to search the indicated area.
• Godwin Robards’s Aurors found the werewolf dead, its body destroyed by Fiendfyre, and reconstructed part of the concealed crime scene.
• Godwin Robards called the attack a Death Eater plot to murder Kingsley, and the Ministry announced that claim at a press conference.
• The Wizengamot planned an emergency meeting to consider making Kingsley Minister early.

Catherine, Valeria, Louise, and Katrina discussed the werewolf attack on Britain’s acting Minister of Magic over breakfast, while catching up on one another’s lives. Albert had left early to attend an emergency Wizengamot meeting, likely to support Kingsley.

• Catherine read that werewolves had attacked the acting Minister of Magic, and Louise and Valeria discussed the political infighting behind it.
• Katrina said Voldemort’s pure-blood supporters had probably arranged the attack, while Valeria argued that the Ministry’s enemies were bound to retaliate.
• Catherine asked about Isobel and Alice, and Katrina teased her for keeping her own child’s name and existence private.
• Katrina and Valeria discussed diet and the ingredients in their breakfast, with Valeria deciding to try Katrina’s meal.
• Louise asked where Albert was, and Katrina explained that he had gone to an emergency Wizengamot meeting, probably to support Kingsley.

After an attempted attack on Kingsley helped accelerate his election as Minister, he used emergency powers to crack down on Dark wizards and reshape the laws and conditions of Azkaban. The chapter leaves his policies in force, with criticism muted after prisoners repelled a break-in attempt.

• The Wizengamot shortened Kingsley’s term as Acting Minister, and the Ministry announced that he had won 65 percent of the vote and would become Minister of Magic.
• Parkins and other pure-bloods who had supported Voldemort met to discuss Kingsley’s rapid rise and the failed werewolf attack, which none of them dared claim responsibility for.
• Kingsley issued temporary laws allowing Aurors to use Dark Magic and kill uncontrollable transformed werewolves when necessary, prompting some Dark wizards to flee Britain.
• Kingsley sent Aurors into gray areas, and several wizards were imprisoned in Azkaban under rules threatening escapees with death if caught again.
• Dark wizards attempted to break prisoners out of Azkaban, but the prisoners repelled them, silencing criticism of Kingsley’s policies.
• Albert’s argument that higher costs deterred crime informed Kingsley’s approach, and Azkaban’s conditions improved while prisoners remained subject to strict laws.

Mr. Parkinson decided to protect his family as the pure-blood allies’ conflict with Kingsley grew more dangerous and he doubted they could win against Albert Anderson. He secretly sent Pansy and her child to France while weighing his options, knowing an Unbreakable Vow could kill him if he turned against his allies.

• Mr. Parkinson warned his wife and Pansy that the werewolf attack and Azkaban trap had left their allies in a desperate position.
• Mr. Parkinson concluded that Albert Anderson was likely behind the trap and that the pure-bloods had little chance of defeating Kingsley with Albert’s help.
• Mrs. Parkinson urged Mr. Parkinson to send Pansy away first rather than immediately abandoning Britain with the whole family.
• Mr. Parkinson secretly sent Pansy and her child to France under the pretext of a family visit and a holiday.
• Mr. Parkinson told Mrs. Parkinson that the allies planned to create werewolves to threaten Kingsley, but he could not yet safely betray them because of his Unbreakable Vow.

Professor Sprout, Hagrid, and Hermione discussed retirement, Harry’s unfinished house, and the danger of a possible werewolf attack as Albert strengthened Avalon’s defenses. Albert also revealed that he was compiling a Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook, though it still needed years of refinement.

• Professor Sprout urged Hagrid to consider staying in Avalon, but Hagrid said Hogwarts would always be his home.
• Hermione said Harry’s villa was nearly finished, though Harry’s overtime work left Ginny handling the decorating decisions.
• Hermione warned Hagrid and Professor Sprout that Albert feared Voldemort’s supporters might use werewolves to threaten the Ministry or attack Avalon.
• Albert explained that he was strengthening the village’s Alarm Magic and cautioned them about werewolves during the Full Moon.
• Professor Sprout asked Albert about his Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook, and he said its upper-year sections were finished but the book still needed polishing.

Albert explained to Hermione, Sprout, and Hagrid how Voldemort’s curse on the Defence Against the Dark Arts post ended and why Dumbledore had asked him to compile a textbook. He invited Hermione to help revise the lower-year material next semester, then reassured her in private after she recalled a recent incident that had angered her.

• Albert told Sprout, Hagrid, and Hermione that Voldemort’s curse on the Defence Against the Dark Arts post vanished after Voldemort died.
• Albert offered Hermione a role revising the textbook’s lower-year material next semester and promised her a share of the payment if she helped.
• Hermione accepted the offer, pleased that it would give her experience and income.
• In private, Albert explained that the textbook work could provide Hermione with credentials and serve as a cover for their meetings.
• Albert reassured Hermione about her appearance, and she felt better after hearing his explanation of how beauty shops used their owners’ looks to sell products.

Hermione’s friends noticed her feelings for the married Albert, while Ginny urged Ron to stop pining and try to become someone Hermione could admire. Harry explained Kingsley’s cautious response to the Pure-bloods secretly creating werewolves, leaving the Defence Association on standby as the Ministry prepared for possible escalation.

• Hermione diverted her friends’ attention by discussing the Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook, while Ginny recognized her feelings for Albert and pitied her.
• Ginny advised Ron to improve himself if he wanted to pursue Hermione instead of hiding and feeling sorry for himself.
• Harry described the Ministry’s actions and Kingsley’s plans, prompting Hermione to explain how the Daily Prophet served the Ministry’s purposes.
• Harry explained that Kingsley was publicly signaling a willingness to negotiate while trying to make the Voldemort-supporting Pure-bloods commit crimes that would justify action against them.
• Harry said the Defence Association could be held in reserve if the conflict worsened, and Albert’s strengthened Alarm Magic had helped confirm that the Pure-bloods were creating werewolves.

Albert discussed the suspected Death Eater plot to create werewolves on the next Full Moon Night and the Witch Beauty Shop’s production limits with Isobel and Katrina. As he put Little Alice to bed, he said he planned to visit his family and travel the world after retiring from Hogwarts next year.

• Albert and Isobel discussed how Catherine, Valeria, and Louise had gone to France for a holiday and to give Albert time to recover.
• Albert told Isobel and Katrina that pure-blood supporters of Voldemort might create werewolves on the next Full Moon Night, though he doubted the Death Eaters were responsible for the suspicious attack on Kingsley.
• Isobel explained that the Witch Beauty Shop was considering a more efficient way to produce Beauty Potion, and Albert advised her to expand slowly.
• Albert lifted Little Alice away from Tom’s tail and prepared to put her to bed.
• Albert told Isobel and Katrina that after retiring from Hogwarts next year and stabilizing the shop, he planned to visit his family and travel around the world.

Kingsley struggled to manage the problems left by the Second Wizarding War while resenting Albert for leaving him with the burden. A report of possible efforts to expand Britain’s werewolf population raised a new crisis, and Kingsley wondered how he would respond.

• Kingsley reviewed Gadwin’s report and tried to get advice from Dumbledore’s silent portrait.
• Percy brought Kingsley strong tea, and Kingsley complained that Albert had left him to clean up the postwar mess.
• Kingsley told Percy that more than tens of thousands of Inferi had been cleared, but hidden Inferi were still being found.
• Kingsley warned Percy that a werewolf crisis might follow, though they had no solid evidence that pure-blood extremists were trying to increase the werewolf population.
• Percy invited Kingsley to Harry and Ginny’s August fifteenth wedding, and Kingsley said he hoped the timing would let him attend.
• After Percy suggested consulting Albert, Kingsley refused and returned to the werewolf investigation report.

Kingsley confronted Dumbledore’s portrait over the crisis caused by Pure-blood supporters of Voldemort and their plans to mass-produce werewolves. With no solution in sight, Kingsley began striking more families from his list and prepared to push ahead with punishing them.

• Kingsley asked Dumbledore’s portrait whether he had foreseen the crisis, but Dumbledore stayed silent.
• Kingsley told Dumbledore that Dark wizards were threatening the magical world and had been creating werewolves in large numbers.
• Dumbledore recalled that he and Albert disagreed over how to deal with werewolves, with Albert favoring killing them when they posed a threat.
• Kingsley reviewed a list of Pure-blood families who had supported Voldemort and crossed out another surname, recording the family’s crimes.
• Kingsley decided that the Ministry had to keep moving forward, even if reform required bloodshed.

Molly, Hermione, and Ginny visited Avalon to inspect Harry and Ginny’s future home and assess whether it could host their wedding. The village was still under construction, but Harry and Ginny’s villa had its main structure completed, and Molly began estimating the wedding’s guest needs.

• Molly prepared to inspect the wedding venue with Hermione and Ginny because Arthur and Harry were busy working overtime.
• Hermione used Side-Along Apparition to take Molly and Ginny to Avalon’s hidden entrance and gave Molly a pass to enter.
• Hermione showed Molly the village under construction and explained that it would take about another year to complete.
• Ginny showed Molly her work tent and the model of Avalon, including the villa planned for her and Harry.
• Hermione explained that Harry and Ginny might live at The Burrow after the wedding until their home was ready.
• Ginny gave Molly Harry’s invitation list so she could estimate the guest count and tent size.

Hermione showed Sirius and Mrs. Weasley Harry and Ginny’s new villa in Avalon and explained the village’s residency rules. They returned to plan the wedding, which they hoped to hold after the villa was ready.

• Sirius arrived without Remus and explained that Lupin was busy with work amid the werewolf attacks.
• Hermione led Sirius and Mrs. Weasley to Harry and Ginny’s newly completed villa, which Sirius admired.
• Hermione explained that Albert owned Avalon and that permanent residency required helping build the village; former Defence Association members could also rent rooms in its apartments.
• Mrs. Weasley learned that Ron had missed the chance to qualify for his own villa, though he could still rent a room for one Galleon per month.
• Hermione assured them that furniture and decorating plans were underway and the villa would be ready before Harry’s wedding.
• Sirius and Mrs. Weasley returned with Hermione to discuss the wedding and prepare invitations.