Chapter Summaries

Linley and Irina dueled before the young wizards, trading spells until Irina created an Ice Domain and Linley broke through it with alchemy and flames. Linley stopped his attacks just before they could harm Irina, and she reproached him for promising to treat her gently.

• Snape refereed as Linley and Irina began their duel, and Linley concealed a second spell behind his Disarming Charm.
• Irina dodged Linley's attack and countered with silent Glacier Spells, then forced him to defend against a volley of silent spells.
• Linley used Incendio to surround Irina with flames, but she resisted with Aguamenti and created an Ice Domain.
• Linley summoned two Alchemy Formations and sent golden beams through Irina's Ice Domain while his flames closed in.
• Linley cast a Vanishment Charm before his attacks could hurt Irina, and she complained that he had promised to treat her gently.

After Linley and Irina’s impressive duel, Harry’s match with Malfoy revealed that Harry could speak Parseltongue. His friends explained that Hogwarts would now suspect him of being the Heir of Slytherin.

• Linley and Irina amazed the Great Hall with their fighting skills, prompting cheers from Slytherin and Gryffindor before Snape silenced the crowd.
• Malfoy summoned a snake with Serpensortia, and Lockhart’s attempt to remove it made it more aggressive.
• Harry spoke to the snake in Parseltongue, causing it to obey him and frightening the students, while Justin Finch-Fletchley accused Harry of playing a trick and fled.
• Snape dispelled the snake, and Ron and Hermione hurried Harry out of the Great Hall as the other students kept their distance.
• In the Gryffindor Common Room, Irina explained that Harry was a Parselmouth, and Hermione warned that Hogwarts would likely believe he was the Heir of Slytherin.

As Hogwarts emptied for Christmas, Linley took Irina to Rohl Manor and offered her a place to stay before taking her to buy magical plant seeds the next day. There, Irina discovered that Linley had Dobby bound in a shack, and Rowena was surprised to see Linley bring a girl home.

• Rumors that Harry was the Heir of Slytherin spread after Justin and Nearly Headless Nick were petrified, while Hagrid blamed dead roosters on foxes or vampires.
• Linley invited Irina to stay at Rohl Manor and promised to take her to Knockturn Alley for Venomous Tentacula and Chinese Mangle-Snappers seeds on Christmas.
• Linley and Irina used Gael's help to travel to Rohl Manor, where Irina was astonished by its size.
• Linley found Dobby bound in a shack and learned Gael had built it to keep Dobby from disturbing the manor.
• Linley assured Gael he had done nothing wrong, then brought Irina into Roer Castle, where Rowena noticed the guest.

Linley brought Irina to Roer Castle for Christmas and showed her to a guest room, where they teased each other. On Christmas morning, Irina opened her presents, found Linley’s Magic Plant Bag, and prepared to go with him to Knockturn Alley.

• Linley introduced Irina to his mother, Rowena, who asked whether they were a couple before he showed Irina to a guest room.
• Linley used Scourgify to clean Irina’s room, and they joked about sharing his larger bed.
• Irina opened her Christmas presents and discarded suspicious desserts that might contain potions.
• Irina was delighted to receive Linley’s Magic Plant Bag, which could grow and store about ten magical plants.
• After breakfast, Linley took Irina to Knockturn Alley.

Linley and Irina entered Knockturn Alley to buy dangerous magical plant seeds, where Linley used force to deter hostile wizards and bargained with a shopkeeper. They left with the seeds as a Christmas present for Irina.

• Linley and Irina entered Knockturn Alley, where Linley killed an old witch who threatened them and Irina helped stop her attack.
• Linley and Irina found the Magical Plants and Curses shop and asked its scarred owner for Venomous Tentacula and Chinese Mangle-Snapper seeds.
• Linley haggled the shopkeeper down from fifty Galleons to fifteen, though he suspected he had still overpaid.
• Linley gave the seed bags to Irina as a Christmas present, and she happily followed him out.

Linley took Irina to Borgin and Burkes to sell the half-finished Mana Stones he had made while practicing Spell Alchemy. He earned two thousand Galleons, then treated Irina to ice cream and headed off with her to find a meal.

• Linley brought Irina to Borgin and Burkes and entered alone to sell his alchemical products.
• Linley showed Mr. Borgin more than thirty half-finished Mana Stones and said he was Valison Green’s disciple.
• Linley asked two thousand Galleons for the entire bag, and Mr. Borgin agreed to buy it so he could reinforce the shop’s Alchemy Formation.
• Linley left with two thousand Galleons, bought Irina strawberry ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, and went with her to find something to eat.

Irina bought a crossbred owl at Eeyla's Owl Emporium and asked Linley to raise it with her. After spending two more days at Rohl Manor, they returned to Hogwarts with the owl, which Linley sent ahead to the castle.

• Irina entered Eeyla's Owl Emporium with Linley and chose a crossbred Snowy Owl and Horned Owl that the shop planned to dispose of.
• Irina paid fifteen Silver Sickles for the owl and asked Linley to raise it together with her.
• Irina named the owl Emergency Rations, and it perched on her shoulder after she let it out of its cage.
• Linley and Irina returned to Roer Castle and spent two more days at Rohl Manor before boarding the train back to Hogwarts.
• Linley sent Emergency Rations to Hogwarts Castle on its own under the pretext of delivering a package, and Irina reproached him for it.

After returning to Hogwarts, Irina visited Hermione in the hospital and later investigated a flooded bathroom with Harry and Ron. There, she found the soaked diary bearing T. M. Riddle’s name, which she suspected was Voldemort’s Horcrux.

• Irina learned Hermione had transformed into a catgirl after drinking the wrong Polyjuice Potion and visited her in the school hospital, where Madam Pomfrey sent Irina away for disturbing the patient.
• After Christmas break, Irina, Harry, and Ron heard Filch complain about water flooding the corridor near Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom.
• The three entered the flooded bathroom, where Myrtle said someone had thrown a book at her.
• Irina asked Myrtle where the book had gone, then stopped Harry from picking it up and found T. M. Riddle’s name on its first page.

Irina brought Voldemort's Horcrux Diary to Linley, who exchanged absurd writing with Tom Riddle through its pages. Linley warned Irina not to use the diary again until they killed the Basilisk, and decided they would give it to Professor Dumbledore afterward.

• Irina took custody of the Horcrux Diary and told Linley she and Harry and the others had found it in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
• Irina met Linley in the Room of Requirement, where he opened the diary and confirmed it belonged to Voldemort.
• Linley wrote a nonsensical passage in the diary, and Tom Riddle responded by asking who had found it.
• Irina wrote another nonsensical passage, prompting Tom Riddle to reply with distorted writing that left Linley and Irina wondering if they had driven him insane.
• Linley told Irina to avoid interacting with the Horcrux until the Basilisk was killed, then give it to Professor Dumbledore; Irina agreed to keep it for now.

Linley sealed Tom Riddle’s diary and entrusted it to Irina, who carried it with her. On Valentine’s Day, a dwarf’s song revealed the diary to Ginny Weasley, and Irina left to confront Linley after hexing the dwarf.

• Linley placed a sealing formation on the diary and warned Irina not to open it.
• Irina agreed to carry the diary as Hogwarts went several days without another attack.
• Lockhart filled the Great Hall with Valentine’s decorations and sent dwarfs around the school to deliver cards.
• A dwarf embarrassed Harry with a song, and Irina laughed at him.
• A dwarf sang a love message to Irina, who recognized Linley’s hand in it and tried to leave.
• The dwarf grabbed Irina’s robes, dropping her books and the diary; Ginny Weasley saw the diary and looked terrified, while Irina stunned the dwarf and went to confront Linley.

Linley gave Irina protective alchemical jewelry, while Hogwarts remained peaceful and the students prepared for electives and Quidditch. The chapter ended with Irina discovering that someone had searched her dormitory and stolen the Horcrux Diary she had hidden beneath her pillow.

• Linley apologized to Irina by giving her a Guardian Jade Bangle that weakened Dark Arts.
• Linley continued making protective jewelry for Irina, and the lack of attacks helped Harry regain the other students’ trust.
• The Mandrakes began dancing as they neared maturity, raising hopes that Mrs. Norris, Justin, and Nearly Headless Nick would recover.
• During the Easter holidays, Irina told Harry and Ron that she planned to take only Care of Magical Creatures.
• Hermione rushed Irina back to their dormitory, where they found it ransacked and the Horcrux Diary missing from beneath Irina’s pillow.

After the Horcrux Diary was stolen from Irina’s dormitory, Linley deduced that Ginny had taken it and gave Irina a life-preserving bracelet for her to pass on. The next morning, Harry heard the Basilisk again, and Hermione went to the library with companions as Irina had urged.

• Irina discovered that the Horcrux Diary had been stolen and warned Hermione not to travel alone.
• Irina met Linley in the Room of Requirement, and they concluded that Ginny had likely taken the diary after seeing it on Valentine’s Day.
• Linley gave Irina a bracelet containing stored life force to help keep Ginny alive if the diary drained her.
• Irina gave the bracelet to Ginny at breakfast, and Ginny accepted it while feeling guilty about stealing the diary.
• Harry heard the Basilisk again, and Hermione headed to the library with two other young wizards after Irina reminded her not to go alone.

After Hermione and several others were petrified, Irina learned that Hagrid was being sent to Azkaban and Dumbledore had been removed from Hogwarts. Determined to stop further tragedies, she agreed with Linley to kill the Basilisk and planned to enter the Chamber of Secrets the following night.

• Professor McGonagall cancelled the Quidditch match and led Irina, Ron, and Harry to the hospital, where Irina saw Hermione and two Ravenclaw girls petrified.
• Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge ordered Hagrid sent to Azkaban, and Dumbledore was driven from Hogwarts.
• Irina told Linley she wanted to kill the Basilisk to end the attacks and spare Hagrid further suffering.
• Linley agreed to help Irina and planned to steal the Sorting Hat, which held the Gryffindor Sword.
• Linley told Irina to record Harry speaking the Parseltongue phrases needed to open the Chamber of Secrets, and they planned to enter it the following night.

Linley stole the Sorting Hat from Dumbledore’s office while Irina tricked Harry into recording Parseltongue so she could open the Chamber of Secrets. Linley and Irina entered the chamber, unaware that a petite figure carrying a diary followed them inside.

• Linley used a Honeydukes food list to enter the Headmaster’s office and stole the Sorting Hat.
• Irina asked Harry to read a note, then recorded his Parseltongue using a transfigured snake and the Two-way Mirror.
• Linley and Irina met outside Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom and used Harry’s recorded voice to open the Chamber of Secrets entrance.
• Linley and Irina crawled into the passage, and the entrance closed behind them.
• A petite figure carrying a diary entered the bathroom, reopened the entrance with Parseltongue, and followed them into the chamber.

Linley and Irina entered the Chamber of Secrets, collected the Basilisk’s shed skin, and reached the statue of Salazar Slytherin. Linley prepared ten Alchemy Formations with power from the Philosopher’s Stone, pushing his body to its limit as they prepared to move on.

• Linley and Irina slid through the pipe into the Chamber of Secrets and followed the damp tunnel past scattered animal bones.
• Linley cut the Basilisk’s enormous shed skin into pieces and stored them in his canvas bag.
• Irina used the Two-way Mirror to play Harry’s Parseltongue command, opening the stone entrance to the chamber.
• Linley and Irina crossed the chamber and found the statue of Salazar Slytherin, which stood before the Basilisk’s hiding place.
• Linley formed ten Alchemy Formations using power from the Philosopher’s Stone, reached his limit, and told Irina to move.

Linley and Irina fought the Basilisk in the plaza, using their Alchemy Contact Lenses and Alchemy Formations to overcome its defenses and badly injure it. As they thought victory was near, a young witch carrying the diary arrived and challenged their assumption.

• Irina used the Two-way Mirror to summon the Basilisk from Slytherin's statue, while Linley and Irina prepared to fight it.
• Linley's ten Alchemy Formations bombarded the Basilisk until they wore through its scales and opened a bloody wound.
• Irina dodged the Basilisk's attack and cut the unprotected flesh inside its mouth with Diffindo.
• Linley redirected the Alchemy Formations to destroy the Basilisk's eyes, leaving it grievously wounded.
• A young witch in Gryffindor robes entered the plaza carrying the diary and told Linley and Irina that the fight was not over.

Linley and Irina fought Tom Riddle and the Basilisk after Riddle left Ginny Weasley and took control of the battle. Linley sent Irina the Sorting Hat so she could draw the Gryffindor Sword, but she found it empty.

• Tom Riddle emerged from Ginny Weasley as black mist, leaving her unconscious and forming a translucent body around the diary.
• Riddle directed the Basilisk to attack Linley while he used Disarming Charms to disrupt Linley and Irina.
• Irina attacked Riddle with Glacier Spells, but her spells passed through him as he shifted between tangible and intangible forms.
• Linley struck the Basilisk with an overpowered Confringo, but Riddle ordered it to continue attacking, and it knocked Linley away.
• Linley threw the Sorting Hat to Irina and told her the Gryffindor Sword had to be drawn by a Gryffindor.
• Irina reached into the Sorting Hat but found no Gryffindor Sword inside.

Irina seized the Horcrux Diary from Riddle while he became incorporeal, but Riddle turned the Basilisk on her and then disarmed her. Linley’s intervention saved her from a direct bite, yet Riddle began bombarding her with the Cruciatus Curse.

• Linley used his Mana Suppression Flame to burn the Basilisk while Irina abandoned her attempt to draw the Gryffindor Sword and charged Riddle.
• Irina reached through Riddle’s incorporeal body and pulled the tangible Horcrux Diary from his chest.
• Riddle ordered the Basilisk to attack Irina, and Linley used magic drawn from the Philosopher’s Stone to shift its strike away from her head.
• The Basilisk hit Irina’s left shoulder and knocked her down, but she kept hold of the diary.
• Riddle disarmed Irina, took her Wand, and repeatedly cast the Cruciatus Curse as she struggled to dodge.

Linley used a devastating spell and Gryffindor Sword to kill the Basilisk after Riddle tortured Irina to make her release the diary. Armed with a Basilisk fang, Linley turned toward Riddle and prepared to attack him.

• Riddle struck Irina with the Cruciatus Curse, but she held onto the diary despite the pain.
• Linley blasted the Basilisk with an overpowered Bombarda, badly injuring it and giving himself time to take Gryffindor Sword from the Sorting Hat.
• Seeing Linley armed with the sword, Riddle kicked Irina and desperately tried to reclaim the diary.
• Linley stabbed the Basilisk through the eye, severed its head, and cut off one of its fangs.
• Linley picked up the Basilisk fang and advanced on Riddle.

Linley destroyed Riddle’s diary with a Basilisk fang, ending Riddle’s possession of Ginny and rescuing her, while Irina remained unconscious from her injuries. At Hogwarts’ hospital, Linley asked to see Dumbledore and suggested to Professor McGonagall that Dumbledore had never left the castle.

• Linley stabbed Riddle’s diary with a Basilisk fang, destroying the Horcrux and returning Ginny’s life force to her.
• Ginny awoke and wept, thinking Irina was dead, while Linley checked Irina’s condition and carried her out of the Chamber of Secrets.
• Linley used the Philosopher’s Stone to levitate himself, Irina, and Ginny back to the bathroom despite his worsening injuries.
• Linley and Ginny encountered Professor McGonagall, who escorted them to the school hospital so Madam Pomfrey could treat Irina.
• Linley asked Professor McGonagall to take him to Dumbledore, then said he believed Dumbledore had never left Hogwarts.