Chapter Summaries

Louise, Valeria, Catherine, and Yanila discussed Albert’s lovers and the emotional and practical limits of their relationships with him. As the Christmas Banquet approached, Louise offered Yanila outfit designs and Catherine urged her to make a strong impression on Albert.

• Yanila asked Louise why she wanted to become Albert’s lover, and Louise said she loved him and hoped they could remain together.
• Valeria and Catherine explained that Albert’s lovers had to accept their place because Isobel and her sister lived with him, while Louise stayed hopeful about the future.
• The women discussed Hermione Granger’s place among Albert’s lovers, and Yanila realized Albert had six lovers.
• Louise predicted Hermione would attend the Christmas Banquet if she truly loved Albert, and Catherine reminded Yanila to choose an outfit that would impress him.
• Louise gave Yanila a notebook of provocative outfit designs, while Valeria recommended a swimsuit and Catherine pointed out a backup wedding dress.

Hermione prepared to meet Albert’s lovers before the Christmas Feast, dressing carefully so she could make a good impression. She arrived at the manor with Albert and was warmly welcomed by Catherine, while Valeria stared in surprise.

• Hermione tried on her daring Christmas gown and agreed to visit Albert’s lovers with him the next day.
• Hermione dressed up to surprise Albert, and he complimented her appearance before Apparating with her to the manor.
• Hermione noticed someone watching them as they approached the manor, then saw several of Albert’s lovers waiting at the entrance.
• Catherine hugged Hermione and led her to the living room while Valeria stood frozen in surprise.
• Albert urged Valeria to follow, and Louise remarked to Yanila that girls wanted to look their prettiest for the men they loved.

Albert hosted his lovers at the manor, where they discussed a possible trip around the British magical world and Hermione presented her formal gown design. Later, Albert warned Hermione that freeing House-elves would not be enough unless she could also help them find work, leaving her resolved to improve the House-elf Liberation Front gradually.

• Yanila asked Albert whether his world trip would take him through Spain and offered to guide him, prompting the girls to hope he would show them around Britain.
• Catherine suggested the girls use Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves during their travels, and Albert said Isobel could advise them on destinations.
• Isobel and Katrina visited the manor, and Yanila decided to have Hermione design her a bold formal gown after seeing Hermione's work.
• Hermione discussed American House-elves with Albert and grew angry at their low wages and poor treatment.
• Albert explained that freed House-elves might struggle to find work and reminded Hermione that even Dobby had needed Dumbledore's help.
• Hermione accepted that her plan had been naive and said she would gradually improve the House-elf Liberation Front.

Hermione prepared to return to Avalon pretending she had just come back from Australia, while Albert helped her with food and travel details. She arrived in time for the Christmas banquet and gave the residents Australian kangaroo souvenirs, leaving Harry startled and Ron appalled by the keychains.

• Hermione packed her belongings, put on travel-worn clothes, and cleared away signs that she had been staying with Albert.
• Albert brought Hermione a Christmas meal and later gave her a box of kangaroo keychains and leather pouches to share as gifts.
• Albert took Hermione on a circuit around Britain by Apparition before she arrived alone in Avalon.
• Hermione found Avalon transformed for Christmas and greeted Shanna, Harry, and Ron, who had come for the banquet.
• Hermione handed Harry a kangaroo keychain, and Ron complained that the Australian Muggles had turned kangaroos into souvenirs.

Hermione returned from Australia and joined Albert’s Christmas banquet, where Ron’s attempt to ask her to dance was rejected. The feast continued with magical fireworks, dancing, and performances, while Ron was left dejected.

• Hermione gave the girls leather pouches and the boys kangaroo keychains as Australian souvenirs.
• Albert opened the Christmas banquet, and fireworks above the bar formed Hogwarts’s Griffin before spelling out a Christmas greeting.
• The guests enjoyed a feast and watched Albert transform the banquet hall into a dance floor with magic.
• Ron invited Hermione to dance, but she declined because she was tired from traveling back from Australia.
• Cedric and other guests performed magic after the dancing, while Harry and Ginny tried to console the disappointed Ron.

Ron drank heavily over Hermione’s distance, while Harry accepted Ginny’s view that Nelson’s group should not be stopped from seeking revenge. The night ended with George taking Ron to The Burrow, where he and Mrs. Weasley realized Ron might be caught between Lavender’s affection and his feelings for Hermione.

• Ron wondered whether Hermione liked someone else and drank to numb his frustration over her keeping her distance.
• Harry told Ginny that Albert had warned him not to stop Nelson’s group from taking revenge, and Ginny agreed with Albert.
• George searched for Albert, learned that he had gone home with Isobel, and Harry took Ginny back to their new home in Avalon.
• Hermione planned to return to Hogwarts with Dobby, while George decided to take the drunken Ron back to The Burrow.
• George told Mrs. Weasley that Ron might have been dumped, and they realized that Ron seemed to like Hermione even though she treated him as a friend.

Hermione joined Albert, Isobel, and the other women for a Christmas Feast at the manor after using a Time-Turner to attend events at both Avalon and the manor. Troubled by Ron's persistent pursuit, she asked Albert about bringing Ron and Lavender back together, and he agreed the idea was worth considering before the group prepared for the ball.

• Hermione used Dobby's help to leave Hogwarts, then traveled with Albert and Isobel to the manor after attending a banquet at Avalon with a Time-Turner.
• At the manor's Christmas Feast, Hermione warned the women that frequent Time-Turner use could harm their health, and Albert stopped them from discussing it further.
• Hermione asked the women how to discourage persistent suitors, and they offered advice ranging from distancing herself to using memory magic.
• Hermione privately told Albert she hoped Ron would recognize Lavender as his girlfriend and return her affection, and Albert said the idea was worth considering.
• Isobel called Hermione and the other women to change into their dresses for the ball.

Albert reflected on what to do with his life after Voldemort’s death, while Isobel and Katrina suggested new magical projects. The girls gathered in the conservatory, dressed in elaborate outfits, and turned their attention to Albert.

• Albert told Isobel he was thinking about what to do in the future, and she joked that he should have more lovers.
• Katrina suggested that Albert research a potion for eternal youth or make a Philosopher’s Stone, but Albert explained that the Stone’s creation had been an accident.
• The girls arrived at the conservatory and noticed Albert had not changed clothes.
• Valeria and the other girls stripped Albert and dressed him in silk skirted trousers, which he transformed into a sumo wrestler’s thong.
• Catherine kissed Albert, and the other girls displayed their outfits before asking him who was prettiest.
• Albert admired the girls’ gowns and told them they were all beautiful, each in her own way.

At Albert’s Christmas Banquet, Yanila danced with him first and then received the girls’ intimate attentions while Hermione watched uneasily. Valeria and Catherine warned Hermione that she would soon have her own turn and advised her to preserve what made her distinctive as Albert’s lover.

• Isobel paired Yanila with Albert for the first dance, leaving Hermione feeling overlooked.
• Hermione questioned how Isobel calmly accepted Albert’s many lovers, while the other girls watched Yanila and Albert dance.
• After Albert and Yanila kissed, Isobel joined the girls in giving Yanila intimate attention, which Hermione found unsettling.
• The girls spent over half an hour attending to Yanila, who ended limp and drowsy in Albert’s arms.
• Valeria told Hermione that Albert had decided she would not visit for the next few days, and Catherine encouraged her to try new things.
• Katrina advised Hermione not to force herself or lose her distinctive qualities, warning that other girls could take time away from her with Albert.

Yanila and Hermione recovered after spending the night with Albert, while Isobel and the other girls discussed how they managed their relationship with him. The girls agreed to limit the number of Albert’s lovers, but Isobel said she had only ever added Katrina herself.

• Yanila fell asleep after Albert and the girls helped her rest, and Hermione reflected on her own intense experience with Albert.
• Hermione asked whether Albert’s repeated encounters would harm his health, and Isobel explained that he rested, trained, and used Potions to recover.
• The next morning, Albert left with Yanila to bathe, while Catherine, Valeria, and Louise discussed how Yanila might manage her needs.
• Hermione suggested stopping at seven girls, and the girls agreed to limit the number of Albert’s lovers.
• Isobel said she had never actively increased Albert’s lovers except for Katrina.

After Christmas in Avalon, the young residents discussed marriage, Ministry jobs, and the unrest brewing in Britain. They worried that Avalon might not be ready when Albert left to travel, but Albert rejected their plan to rush the villa district before its infrastructure was in place.

• Cedric warned the young couples about accidental pregnancies, while Fred said he hoped to have a child with Angelina.
• Harry said the Ministry still had vacancies, then told Fred that Kingsley feared Albert would leave Britain after Fred and George’s wedding.
• Cedric suggested Albert planned to leave Britain because he could not resolve the growing problems there, prompting the group to worry about Avalon’s readiness.
• Shanna told Albert that residents wanted to finish the villa district first so they could move in sooner.
• Albert’s explanation convinced the residents that they needed to follow the construction plan and complete essential infrastructure before the villas.

Albert prepared to leave Britain for a trip around the world, leaving the young people at Avalon anxious about losing his support. At home, he introduced Werewolf to Isobel and the others, and explained that he planned to use the game to offset Wizard Card’s losses and strengthen his circle of allies.

• Albert realized that the people at Avalon were restless because he was about to leave Britain, though he felt he could not support them forever.
• Isobel told Albert that her outing with the girls had been disappointing, so Albert comforted her and suggested they watch Titanic together another time.
• Albert warned Isobel and the girls that traveling through the magical world might be boring, prompting them to tease him about keeping them like canaries in his manor.
• Albert showed the girls a new card game, Werewolf, and they quickly enjoyed playing it more than Wizard Card.
• Valeria asked whether Albert would have Werewolf produced, but Albert said he planned to use it to cover Wizard Card’s losses rather than give her the work.
• Catherine approved of Albert’s plan to rely on his own people so others would think twice before dragging him into trouble.

Albert and his friends finalized plans to develop and sell their social card game as an independent business, reassuring Avalon’s residents that it could provide jobs. The game was named "I am an Auror," and the group prepared to promote it among students and expand its content.

• Shanna urged the group to focus on finishing Avalon and finding jobs, but Albert encouraged her to relax during breaks and suggested she might teach Avalon’s children.
• Fred discussed concerns that Albert’s asking price for the card game was too high, and Albert proposed promoting it at Hogwarts and adding anti-counterfeiting labels.
• Albert, Fred, and the others finalized the name "I am an Auror" and set the game during the Second Wizarding War, with characters including Aurors, Death Eaters, and werewolves.
• Cedric worried that the new game could overshadow Wizard Card, but Albert said tournaments could keep both games viable.
• People who had joined the game’s development group expected well-paid shop jobs, and Avalon’s residents grew more confident about their future employment.

Neville visited Nelson Tobin’s group and shared intelligence about the Goblin Brotherhood, while Nelson recognized that Kingsley wanted him to inflame tensions between wizards and goblins. Nelson used the Imperius Curse to stage a confrontation that ended with Gornuk dead, and the incident quickly spiraled beyond his control.

• Neville visited Nelson Tobin’s group, reported their harmless activities to the Ministry, and joined them for a game of I Am an Auror.
• Neville gave Nelson intelligence about Goblin Brotherhood leader Podmore and a list of radical members.
• Nelson realized Kingsley wanted him to intensify the growing conflict between wizards and goblins, and he selected Gornuk from the list.
• Nelson used the Imperius Curse to make Gornuk provoke a wizard and later attempt revenge at the wizard’s home.
• The wizard killed Gornuk with Dark Magic, and the death caused the staged incident to escalate.

Harry investigated a goblin killed while attacking a wizard’s home and suspected the incident was meant to provoke a war, but he had no evidence. Kingsley learned Nelson was secretly engineering clashes and prepared for a possible Third Goblin Rebellion while waiting for the right moment to act.

• Harry and the Aurors investigated a goblin who had broken into a wizard’s home and been killed in self-defense.
• Ron discovered the dead goblin belonged to the radical Goblin Brotherhood, and Harry suspected someone had orchestrated the attack to spark conflict.
• Harry privately warned Kingsley that Nelson’s group might be trying to start the Third Goblin Rebellion, but Kingsley said there was no evidence to act on.
• Godwin Robards reported that Goblins had accused the Ministry of conspiracy and that Goblin Brotherhood members had tried to provoke Aurors.
• Kingsley ordered the Ministry to release the truth and prepare for conflict, while secretly recognizing that Nelson had used the Imperius Curse to provoke clashes.
• Kingsley considered making a deal with Nelson to eliminate potential threats, but decided the conflict could not begin until Albert had left Britain.

Albert ended his secret conversation with Nelson, then learned that Louise was pregnant and confirmed through Divination that she would have a daughter. As Winter Break ended, the girls left Britain, and Isobel told Albert that Katrina also wanted a child during their upcoming trip around the world.

• Albert told Nelson that he had already made his decision, then put away the Two-Way Mirror as Katrina hurried into the study with news of Louise's suspected pregnancy.
• Albert used his crystal ball to confirm that Louise was carrying his child, a girl, and Louise said she was happy to have a daughter.
• The girls held a banquet to celebrate Louise's pregnancy, and Isobel and Katrina discussed having children during the trip around the world.
• The girls left Britain before Winter Break ended, while Albert stayed behind to recover from exhaustion.
• Isobel told Albert that Katrina wanted a child too, and Albert worried aloud that he could not care for too many children by himself.

After returning from Winter Break, Albert focused his Defense Against the Dark Arts classes on helping graduating students prepare for their exams, prompting the other professors to follow his example. The chapter ended with Cedric announcing his wedding to Cho Chang, while Hermione told Albert she was not ready to have a child.

• Albert gave seventh-year students a list of key topics for the Ultimate Wizarding Exam and said he would review the material during the second half of term.
• The other Hogwarts professors discussed Albert’s approach with him, agreed that graduates needed good exam results for future jobs, and changed their teaching plans to focus more on grades.
• Hermione complained to Albert that his influence had shifted the professors’ priorities, and Albert argued that most students needed one final push to improve their prospects after graduation.
• Hermione asked Albert whether he wanted a child after hearing Louise was pregnant, and she said she was not ready for one.
• Cedric told Albert and Hermione that he and Cho Chang had set their wedding for mid-July, and Hermione congratulated them.

Albert reviewed the latest manuscript of the Defence Against the Dark Arts Guide and discussed Cedric’s uncertain future at Hogwarts with him. Before leaving, Albert proposed Cedric as a temporary replacement Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, and McGonagall agreed to keep the idea as a backup while offering him better pay.

• Cedric gave Albert the latest revised manuscript of the Defence Against the Dark Arts Guide and explained that McGonagall wanted him to stay at Hogwarts, though his salary made him hesitate ahead of his marriage.
• Albert promised to speak with McGonagall about raising Cedric’s pay, while he and Hermione discussed marriage, work, and the prospect of having children.
• Albert and McGonagall finalized the Defence Against the Dark Arts Guide and The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection as textbooks.
• Albert suggested that Harry Potter teach when available and that Cedric temporarily fill the Defence Against the Dark Arts vacancy if no suitable candidate appeared.
• McGonagall kept Cedric as a backup candidate, and Cedric agreed to stay at Hogwarts if she raised his salary.

Ron struggled with his unrequited feelings for Hermione and his unresolved relationship with Lavender while working as an Auror. After Harry sent him home to rest, the Aurors mistook his situation for a recent breakup and began spreading rumors about him.

• Ron reflected on how becoming an Auror had separated him from Hermione and regretted not joining her in Avalon.
• Harry learned Ron had dreamed of marrying Lavender and urged him to talk to her and end things clearly if he no longer wanted to date her.
• Ron asked whether Harry and Hermione still kept in touch, then grew more depressed as he realized they would live near each other in Avalon without him.
• Ron recalled dreaming that Hermione and Albert were married and became so distracted at work that Harry sent him home to rest.
• After Ron left, Harry told the other Aurors that Lavender was Ron's former girlfriend, and they began spreading a story that Ron had been dumped.

Ron returned to the Ministry of Magic as Aurors reacted to a goblin attack, while the Ministry prepared for worsening conflict with the goblins. Albert, Cedric, Lupin, and Moody discussed the dispute and the Ministry’s tacit support for controlled revenge against Dark wizards.

• Ron returned to the Auror Office and waited awkwardly as Aurors argued that goblins had attacked their surveillance team.
• Director Robards ordered more Aurors to be sent after the Ministry concluded the goblins’ attack was a warning against monitoring the Goblin Brotherhood.
• The Ministry and goblins remained deadlocked in negotiations over Wand Lore and the wealth in vaults without heirs, while Kingsley prepared for the possibility of conflict.
• Albert, Cedric, Lupin, and Moody reviewed the final volume of the Defence Against the Dark Arts Guide as Cedric prepared to continue teaching at Hogwarts.
• Albert said Kingsley intended to use the goblin dispute to divert internal tensions, and he warned Lupin to keep his distance from the Ministry’s politics.
• Moody and the others acknowledged that people, including the Ministry, tolerated Nelson and his group’s controlled revenge against Dark wizards.