Chapter Summaries

After Voldemort's Remnants were defeated, Kingsley faced the costly task of reducing the Auror workforce by transferring some Aurors to other Ministry duties. Cedric worried about his future income, while he, Albert, and Hermione discussed Kingsley, the Defence Against the Dark Arts Guide, and gossip about relationships in Avalon.

• Kingsley arranged for some Aurors to transfer to the Crisis Response Team and other Ministry posts to avoid openly laying them off.
• Cedric worried that his Hogwarts teaching post would leave him earning less when it ended, but Albert reassured him that the Defence Against the Dark Arts Guide would provide royalties.
• Cedric and Albert discussed Kingsley's changes as Minister, and Albert said Kingsley was doing what his position required despite disliking his methods.
• Hermione joined Albert and Cedric to proofread the guide, then asked about couples in Avalon planning to get engaged.
• Hermione said the girls were gossiping and betting on whether Albert would find other lovers, prompting Cedric to tease him.

Cedric learned that Aurors might be reassigned without proper rewards, and Albert explained to Hermione that Kingsley’s attempt to test his supporters had damaged their trust. When Kingsley asked Albert whether he had mishandled the situation, Albert urged him to show more sincerity and share responsibility with the Ministry.

• Cedric left Albert and Hermione after criticizing the Ministry’s treatment of Nelson’s group and worrying about his own income.
• Hermione asked whether Cedric knew Nelson and Kingsley were secretly working together, and Albert said only a few people could know.
• Albert told Hermione that Kingsley’s leaked news had tested the wrong people and warned that his choices could lead to an explosion.
• Rumors spread through the Ministry, and the Aurors became disappointed with Kingsley over the prospect of reassignment without raises or promotions.
• Kingsley asked Albert whether he had done something wrong, and Albert said his actions had alienated comrades who had fought Voldemort beside him.
• Albert advised Kingsley to show goodwill and share the blame with Ministry officials, while Kingsley wondered whether that political approach would work.

Albert advised Kingsley to compensate the Aurors sincerely, then helped Madam Pomfrey develop a Special Medicine for the influenza spreading through Hogwarts and Britain. After Hermione drank it and began recovering, Albert saw that the other patients were still hesitant to take theirs.

• Albert reminded Kingsley that the Aurors deserved sincere compensation for their work, and Kingsley followed his advice despite the poor result.
• Albert explained to Cedric that the Ministry should not cast aside the Aurors after they had helped restore peace and its reputation.
• McGonagall summoned Albert to help Madam Pomfrey develop a Special Medicine as influenza overwhelmed Hogwarts and infected wizards across Britain.
• Albert helped Madam Pomfrey produce the medicine, which improved a student's condition, and she planned to share the recipe with St. Mungo's.
• Albert gave the medicine to Hermione, who drank it, felt much better, and went back to sleep.
• Albert looked around at the patients who were still hesitating to drink their medicine.

Katrina recovered from a cold while the flu outbreak was contained by Albert’s Special Medicine, which earned him an honorary consultant title at St. Mungo’s. Meanwhile, Albert advised Lupin and Sirius against turning Defence Reporter into a general newspaper, and they agreed to keep it focused on Defence Against the Dark Arts.

• Katrina closed the Witch Beauty Shop temporarily while Madam Primpernelle continued dispatching potion orders, and Katrina burned a newspaper that failed to credit Albert for developing the Special Medicine.
• Mrs. McDougal and the director of St. Mungo’s recognized how difficult the flu outbreak would have been to manage and appointed Albert an honorary consultant.
• Shanna showed Albert Defence Reporter’s proposed shift toward general news, and Albert warned that abandoning its niche could threaten the magazine’s readership and Lupin’s livelihood.
• Lupin received Albert’s advice, and Sirius agreed that they should keep Defence Reporter focused rather than risk expanding without enough staff or experience.

Lupin abandoned his plan to revive the Wizarding World Daily after Sirius reminded him that the magazine lacked the staff and funds to risk mistakes. The group learned that Kingsley was advancing a werewolf-control bill, while he continued seeking funding to put it into effect.

• Lupin gave up his ambitious plan for the Wizarding World Daily, and Sirius comforted him about the magazine’s financial limits.
• Tonks reported that Kingsley was pushing legislation to manage werewolves during the Full Moon, but the bill was stalled over funding.
• Through Percy, Sirius and the others learned that the Ministry planned to offer werewolves jobs, housing, and centralized Full Moon management.
• Percy warned that werewolves who hid their identities might be hunted once most others were brought under control.
• Kingsley planned to fund the legislation with inheritances from Death Eater families, while steadily building public support for his measures.

Angelina, Aylia, Katie, and Shanna discussed the rain delaying Avalon’s construction and their plans for life there, then chatted about relationships and contraception. The chapter ended with Cho and Angelina comparing their experiences with sex.

• Angelina worried that the rain would damage the transplanted fruit trees, while Aylia hoped it would stop soon.
• Angelina regretted that Avalon might not be finished before Christmas, and Shanna explained that they could move in early but would have to live in tents.
• Aylia revealed that she was dating Wood and wearing a ring in anticipation of a possible engagement, while Katie admitted she was dating George.
• Shanna said she was content to let romance happen naturally, and Angelina teased her about being captivated by Albert.
• Angelina asked Cho whether she had slept with Cedric, then discussed contraception and complained that Fred had been rough with her.
• Cho said sex felt good and eyed Angelina suspiciously as Angelina described how much it had hurt at first.

Albert told Katrina and Isobel that Fred was considering marrying Angelina next year and wanted her to become pregnant rather than pursue Quidditch. The discussion turned to marriage, children, and the unstable foundation of Fred and Angelina’s relationship, while Albert reassured Katrina that they did not need to have a child yet.

• Katrina and Isobel asked Albert about the interesting matter he had discussed with Fred, and he explained Fred’s plans to marry Angelina and have a child soon.
• Albert said Fred feared Angelina’s Quidditch ambitions would undermine their relationship, and Isobel noted that even married couples could separate.
• Katrina asked Albert about having a child together, but he told her it was not the right time.
• Albert and the others discussed pregnancy prevention, and Albert said Fred worried he was not ready to be a father.
• Albert said he would discuss such problems openly with Isobel, while Isobel explained that their trust and years together made that approach possible for them, unlike Fred and Angelina.

Fred and Angelina discussed whether to marry while Angelina pursued a professional Quidditch career, prompted by Fred’s worries about balancing work and married life. Fred left the choice between marrying next year and waiting until Angelina retired in four years to her.

• Fred told Angelina he had asked Albert for advice about married life and shared his notes with her.
• Angelina said she trusted their relationship, while Fred worried that marrying next year could interfere with her Quidditch career and their future together.
• Fred explained that Wood expected Angelina to have a strong chance of joining the Holyhead Harpies, whose Seeker planned to retire at the end of the year.
• Angelina reassured Fred that professional Quidditch was a job, but he remained concerned about the strain of their schedules and household responsibilities.
• Fred proposed that they could marry next year or wait until Angelina retired in four years, leaving the decision to her.

Fred accepted Angelina’s choice to postpone their wedding and stepped back from their relationship, while Angelina pursued a trial with the Holyhead Harpies. Their friends’ happiness and plans for marriage left Angelina questioning what she felt with Fred.

• Fred stopped deliberately making time for Angelina and focused on work, while Angelina grew uncertain about their future together.
• Cho Chang questioned Angelina’s plan to delay the wedding until after her Quidditch career, and Angelina realized she lacked the happiness Cho described with Cedric.
• Fred told Cho Chang that he would support Angelina’s choice and accept whatever happened to their relationship.
• Angelina arranged a trial with the Holyhead Harpies after a Chaser’s retirement opened an opportunity.
• Aylia pointed out that joining the Harpies could make wedding plans difficult, while Katie described her plans to marry George; Angelina remained distracted as they discussed bridal training with Isobel.

Albert completed the first half of the Defence Against the Dark Arts Guide and prepared to deliver the finished manuscript for publication. He agreed to lead Hogwarts’ Halloween choir performance despite resenting the obligation, then discussed his planned travels and Hermione’s fears about their future together.

• Albert, Hermione, and Cedric finished checking the manuscript, and Albert planned to deliver it to the publisher the next day.
• Cedric told Albert that McGonagall wanted him to lead a choir performance at the Halloween Party, and Albert eventually agreed after McGonagall spoke with him.
• Albert told Hermione he planned to travel around the world with his family next year and reassured her that he would return to visit her.
• Albert warned Hermione that working at the Ministry might change her feelings, but Hermione insisted she would never regret their relationship.
• Hermione asked how long Albert planned to travel and admitted she was jealous of Isobel.

Albert learned that a werewolf was hiding in the Forbidden Forest and advised Hogwarts to keep students indoors during the full moon, suggesting the creature was resisting the Ministry’s werewolf registration policy. The chapter left the werewolf unlocated, while Kingsley’s efforts to help werewolves remained stalled by funding problems and a growing dispute with Gringotts and the goblins.

• Albert practiced leading the Halloween chorus, and Cedric praised his singing after the rehearsal.
• Cedric told Albert that McGonagall wanted his advice about suspected werewolf activity in the Forbidden Forest.
• Albert said the werewolf was likely a wizard who had entered the forest to transform, and advised keeping students away during the full moon.
• Albert explained that the Ministry’s registration policy had made werewolves wary, and suggested searching again at the next full moon.
• Cedric revealed that Kingsley’s plan to support werewolves had stalled over funding, Death Eater estates, and a bitter dispute with Gringotts and the Goblin Brotherhood.

Albert attended Hogwarts’ Halloween feast and watched Hermione’s play reveal the truth behind Voldemort’s defeat. After leading the school in song, he reassured Cedric that the play’s disclosure of Horcruxes posed little danger.

• Albert dismissed Percy’s message about worsening wizard-goblin relations and attended Hogwarts’ Halloween Party.
• Albert endured a pumpkin-heavy feast and watched Hermione’s play accurately depict how Albus, Harry, and he defeated Voldemort.
• The audience reacted with shock and admiration, and Albert received loud cheers when he led the closing song.
• Cedric worried that the play had revealed the secret of Horcruxes, and Albert said McGonagall had removed the relevant books and others could not easily repeat Voldemort’s success.

Albert explained to Cedric that Horcruxes were a dangerous trap whose consequences made them unsuitable for almost every wizard, giving Cedric a way to reassure Kingsley. The conversation left Cedric convinced that only someone as powerful as Voldemort could exploit them to cheat death.

• Cedric worried that Albert’s explanation about Horcruxes would not convince Kingsley, so Albert described why many Dark wizards avoided making them.
• Albert explained that splitting a soul could leave a wizard unable to find rest after death, trapped between life and death even if their Horcruxes were destroyed.
• Cedric concluded that Horcruxes were a massive trap unless their maker was as powerful as Voldemort.
• Albert said Voldemort’s loss of his human appearance may have resulted from splitting his soul, and Cedric agreed that Voldemort had been left barely human.

The public revelation of Horcruxes sparked panic and controversy across Britain and Europe, while an attempted Horcrux showed how dangerous the magic was. The news also made Voldemort and the young Albert famous, and Albert’s Defence guides became popular across the magical world.

• Kingsley questioned the decision to reveal Horcruxes, but Percy urged him to hear Cedric’s explanation before acting.
• Kingsley shared Cedric’s report with Percy and ordered him to quietly inform the Pure-blood families about Horcruxes.
• The Ministry confirmed Horcruxes existed, and Harry explained their dangers on the Wizarding Observer as the news spread across Europe.
• A Dark wizard tried to make a Horcrux and suffered an unstable soul and impaired spellcasting, discouraging other wizards from following suit.
• Wizards became fascinated by Voldemort and Albert, while Albert’s Defence guides spread through Europe and earned him and Cedric substantial royalties.

Reporters fabricated romantic scandals about Albert to boost sales, prompting public defenders and the Ministry of Magic to condemn them. Kingsley fined the offending publications and reporters, and the money was earmarked for the werewolf isolation plan.

• Newspapers and magazines invented increasingly wild stories claiming Albert had affairs with the McDougal sisters, Hermione, and other women.
• Hermione challenged reporters over their lies, and McGonagall banned reporters from Hogwarts.
• Albert dismissed the rumors in class, while Lee Jordan, George, and Cedric publicly defended him and Cedric warned that the Ministry might act.
• Kingsley fined the Daily Prophet one thousand Galleons and punished the other publications and reporters that had spread fabricated stories.
• The Ministry publicized Albert's deeds, and Kingsley announced that the fines would fund the follow-up werewolf isolation plan.

Katrina shared gossip about Albert’s many lovers, while Isobel urged him to protect his relationship with Hermione and discussed Fred and Angelina’s future. Fred and Angelina quickly decided to marry alongside George, with Angelina planning to retire from Quidditch and have children after four years.

• Katrina showed Isobel tabloid stories about Albert’s supposed lovers, and Isobel told Albert to exercise and rest more.
• Isobel warned Albert to be careful with Hermione because she might reveal his secrets if their relationship soured.
• Isobel explained that Fred and Angelina were struggling because Angelina was focused on Quidditch and Fred had changed his attitude.
• Isobel advised Angelina to speak honestly with Fred and consider what she wanted and what she would need to give up.
• Fred told Albert that he and Angelina planned to marry alongside George, and Angelina would retire from Quidditch and have children after four years.

Albert met Cedric at Hogwarts's rain-soaked Quidditch Match, where they discussed Percy’s career and Kingsley’s plans. Cedric revealed that Kingsley was short on money and had concerns about the goblins, leaving Albert asking whether the pure-bloods supported his plans or Kingsley would take a risk.

• Albert arrived at the rainy Quidditch Match to meet Cedric, who joked about the game before explaining that he wanted to talk.
• Cedric told Albert that Percy was expected to leave his Ministerial Assistant post and had moved to the Department of Magical Transportation.
• Albert named Percy’s girlfriend, Audrey Gamble, and explained that Percy was being groomed as the department director’s successor and moved closer to Kingsley.
• Cedric said Kingsley had reserved Percy’s position for him, though Cedric had not decided whether to take it.
• Cedric told Albert that Kingsley had problems with the goblins and needed more money, then Albert asked whether the other pure-bloods agreed with Kingsley’s plans.

Cedric asked Albert about Kingsley's plan to confiscate the assets of Death Eaters, and Albert explained how a goblin rebellion might be used to force concessions from Gringotts. Cedric reconsidered his Ministry career and began making arrangements to stay at Hogwarts as a teacher.

• Cedric told Albert that Kingsley seemed to be planning to confiscate assets in Death Eater vaults, and Albert inferred that the plan exempted those with close surviving relatives.
• Albert suggested that a failed goblin rebellion could force Gringotts to make concessions, and Cedric was shaken by the political ruthlessness involved.
• Albert warned Cedric that Ministry advancement required hard-heartedness, prompting Cedric to reflect on his limited prospects and consider teaching at Hogwarts.
• Cedric returned to his office and wrote to Kingsley before planning how to tell Cho Chang and his family that he wanted to remain at Hogwarts.
• Cedric spoke with Headmistress McGonagall, who welcomed his choice and offered to help resolve the practical difficulties.

As the Ministry and goblins deadlocked over compensation for Voldemort’s damage, Neville Longbottom brought intelligence to Nelson’s Avengers about Kingsley’s plans. Nelson proposed delaying their revenge operation until Albert Anderson left Britain next summer, while the group considered provoking a goblin rebellion to cover their plans.

• Wizards and goblins clashed over compensation for the losses Voldemort had inflicted on goblins, and their relationship deteriorated.
• After the Ministry reassigned young Aurors to the Crisis Response Team, Neville Longbottom began providing intelligence to Nelson’s group.
• Neville reported that Kingsley intended to move against the goblins and that wizards had agreed to seize Galleons from Death Eater families’ Gringotts vaults once the goblin dispute was settled.
• Nelson proposed using the conflict to advance the Avengers’ operation but urged the group to wait until Albert Anderson left Britain next summer.
• The Avengers discussed provoking a Third Goblin Rebellion through the radical Goblin Brotherhood, using the resulting conflict as cover for revenge.

Angelina told Ginny and Fred that Wilda Griffiths had been exposed for planning to transfer from the Holyhead Harpies to Pride of Portree, while Fred tried to persuade Angelina to move into his new home in Avalon. Albert and Shanna inspected the village’s progress, including a newly dug well, as residents hurried to finish Avalon before Albert’s planned travels next summer.

• Angelina told Ginny that Wilda Griffiths had never intended to marry and was planning to transfer to Pride of Portree, angering Gwenog Jones.
• Fred invited Angelina to Cedric’s new home and tried to persuade her to move in with him.
• Cho Chang explained that Avalon’s residents planned to hold Christmas there, and Fred said the villas should be ready before then.
• Albert checked the villas’ insulated walls and discussed his plan to develop a Magical Heater.
• Albert and Shanna toured Avalon, where Shanna explained that residents had dug a well because they wanted the village finished before Albert left to travel.