Chapter Summaries

Harry confronted Voldemort, who controlled Ginny's body, and followed him into the Chamber of Secrets rather than risk her life. Luke arrived afterward and questioned Moaning Myrtle about Hagrid's framing while Snape and Dumbledore waited outside, unable to enter.

• Harry entered the dim girls' bathroom and found Voldemort controlling Ginny, who threatened to kill her if Harry resisted.
• Voldemort opened the Chamber of Secrets with Parseltongue, and Harry followed him inside to protect Ginny.
• Luke watched Harry and Voldemort enter, then questioned Moaning Myrtle about what she had known when Hagrid was blamed.
• Luke opened the Upper Chamber with Parseltongue and entered, leaving Moaning Myrtle sobbing behind him.
• Snape and Dumbledore waited outside, worried about the children and the Basilisk, and realized Luke had known they were there.

Harry confronted Tom Riddle in the Upper Chamber of Secrets, where Tom controlled Ginny and sought to learn how Harry had survived him. Luke appeared at the end and used Parseltongue to command the Basilisk to restrain Tom, revealing that he was a true Gaunt.

• Luke entered the Upper Chamber as the Basilisk emerged from Slytherin's statue with its eyes shut.
• Tom revealed that he controlled Ginny through her trust in him and claimed Slytherin's blood gave him command over the Basilisk.
• Harry confronted Tom about his past defeats and explained that Luke had seen through Tom's plan and defeated him the previous year.
• Tom grew furious when Harry said Luke was a Parselmouth and the real hero of their previous encounter.
• Harry reasoned that he might also command the Basilisk because he shared Parseltongue and Slytherin's blood, but Luke appeared and ordered the Basilisk to restrain Tom.
• Luke identified himself as a real member of the Gaunt Family and addressed Tom as Voldemort.

Luke confronted Tom in the Chamber of Secrets, rejected his claim to the Gaunt name, and stopped the Diary’s possession of Ginny. He left Harry to take Ginny to the infirmary while he concealed his involvement and remained behind to inspect Slytherin’s inheritance.

• Luke told Tom that the Gaunt Family would never acknowledge him because of his actions, and Tom insisted Luke would have joined him if he had won.
• Luke removed the Diary from Ginny, ended Tom’s control of her body, and explained that his spell had temporarily separated Ginny’s soul from it so Voldemort could not harm her.
• Luke told Harry to keep the Chamber and Tom secret, then used a Disillusionment Charm as Harry carried Ginny toward the exit.
• Harry emerged from the Chamber with Ginny, and Dumbledore sent them to the infirmary for examinations and rest.
• Luke stayed behind to look over the Chamber, deciding that it held nothing of interest, before heading out.

Luke helped Hermione and Taylor retrieve evidence from Lockhart's quarters, then revealed the Diary to Dumbledore as a Horcrux containing Tom Riddle. Dumbledore confronted Tom and concluded that Luke and Tom were two different kinds of people.

• Dumbledore kept Lockhart occupied by telling him about the Chamber of Secrets while Luke went to check on Hermione and Taylor.
• Luke found Professor McGonagall guarding Lockhart's quarters and saw Hermione and Taylor emerge with a thick notebook.
• Luke left the girls with Professor McGonagall and took the Diary to Dumbledore's office.
• Luke removed the Diary's protective shell, and Dumbledore recognized it as a Horcrux.
• Tom Riddle spoke from the Diary and argued with Dumbledore about their past and Dumbledore's choices.
• Dumbledore silenced the Diary and told Luke that he and Tom were two different kinds of people.

Luke confronted Tom Riddle over their opposing motives and gave Dumbledore poison that could destroy a Horcrux before leaving to sleep. Dumbledore destroyed the Diary with Fiendfyre, and the next morning the students learned school would resume as normal, but Harry and Ginny were missing.

• Tom emerged from the Diary and accused Luke of manipulating Harry, while Luke rejected Tom’s claim that they wanted the same kind of change.
• Luke sealed Tom back inside the Diary and gave Dumbledore a bottle of poison, hinting that he had already destroyed another Horcrux with it.
• Dumbledore used Fiendfyre to destroy the Diary and concluded that Voldemort had created multiple Horcruxes.
• The students saw a notice announcing that the matter had been resolved and classes would resume normally.
• Ron asked whether anyone had seen Harry, and Ginny Weasley was reported missing too.

After Harry and Ginny disappeared, the Weasley brothers searched for Luke and learned that he had already settled the previous night’s crisis. Luke woke late and reunited with Taylor, who revealed that she and Hermione had found Lockhart’s diary, exposing his crimes and the stolen stories behind his fame.

• Percy went to report Harry and Ginny’s disappearance to Professor McGonagall, while George, Fred, and Ron sought Luke through Draco.
• Draco told the three Weasley brothers that Luke had stayed up late but had written that everything was settled, so they left reassured.
• Luke slept until late morning and found Taylor reading in the Slytherin common room; they shared cookies before discussing the previous night’s investigation.
• Taylor told Luke that she and Hermione had found Lockhart’s diary and described how he used Obliviate to steal stories and escape accountability.
• Taylor recounted how Lockhart erased an old wizard’s memory before the wizard was killed by a Quintaped, then exploited the story and the family’s grief for fame and profit.

Luke and Taylor decided not to push the case against Lockhart further and discussed Luke’s plans for the semester. Luke went to reassure Professor McGonagall, but spotted a grimy gray figure hiding behind a corridor pillar.

• Luke rejected Taylor’s suggestion to dig deeper into Lockhart’s crimes or guide the victims’ families, deciding their reputation was enough.
• Luke told Taylor that Voldemort’s affairs were settled but suspected Dumbledore would find him something troublesome to do this semester.
• Luke asked Taylor to leave the newspaper story to Eric Winger so he could work with Gemma, while Gemma kept an eye on him.
• Taylor urged Luke to visit Professor McGonagall and reassure her after she had worried about him the previous night.
• Luke set off to see Professor McGonagall and noticed a grimy gray figure hiding behind a pillar in the corridor.

Luke met Dobby, who asked for help escaping the Malfoy family, but Luke declined to interfere and offered to employ him if he gained his freedom. Professor McGonagall then told Luke that Dumbledore had appointed him to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts for the rest of the term.

• Luke learned that Dobby had visited Harry and come to thank him for helping resolve Harry’s trouble.
• Dobby asked Luke to help him leave the Malfoy family, but Luke refused to intervene and suggested he ask Harry for help.
• Luke promised to offer Dobby a job if he managed to gain his freedom, and Dobby left.
• Luke met Professor McGonagall, who asked whether he had decided how to deal with Lockhart.
• Professor McGonagall told Luke that Dumbledore had appointed him to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts for the rest of the term, with a salary and benefits.

Luke agreed to become Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts substitute professor for first through fourth years, while Dumbledore and other professors covered the older students. He then encountered Lockhart, who was anxiously searching for his missing notebook, and promised to invest in his next book.

• Professor McGonagall warned Luke that teaching would be demanding, and Luke proposed teaching first through fourth years while leaving the older classes to others.
• Dumbledore approved Luke's plan and assigned the fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-year classes to Snape, Flitwick and Sprout, and himself.
• Luke left Dumbledore's office and considered how to make his lessons practical and entertaining for the younger students.
• Luke spotted Lockhart searching for his missing notebook and asked what he had lost.
• Lockhart said he had misplaced his notebook, and Luke offered to invest in his next book while privately wondering whether Lockhart would survive Azkaban.

Luke warned Lockhart to retrieve his diary, arranged for Taylor and Eric to move the dangerous evidence, and visited Harry in the infirmary to discuss Dobby and Ginny. Eric examined Lockhart’s diary and, with Taylor’s warning that Lockhart might trace it to him, was urged to get rid of it quickly.

• Luke left Lockhart, then ordered Book to tell Taylor to dispose of her item and have the other person send theirs out quickly.
• Luke scolded Harry for involving him in Dobby’s situation and urged Harry to think about bargaining chips before asking for help.
• Harry told Luke that Ginny was physically fine but unconscious, and Luke said she should rest while Tom became an unpleasant dream.
• Eric read Lockhart’s diary and discovered that Lockhart stole other people’s stories and erased their memories.
• Taylor warned Eric that Luke had likely intensified Lockhart’s search and urged him to get rid of the diary quickly.

Eric struggled to find a way to get Tom Riddle’s diary to Gemma Farley without Lockhart catching him, while Luke expected him to solve the problem himself. After Lockhart was exposed and dismissed, Hogwarts announced that Luke would serve as Acting Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

• Eric considered the dangers of sending the diary by owl or through Hogsmeade while its tracking magic began to work again.
• Luke told Taylor and Hermione that he would have handed the diary directly to Professor McGonagall, then said Eric’s best solution was the one he devised himself.
• Luke announced that he would become Acting Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts after Lockhart resigned.
• Lockhart’s classes deteriorated as he searched for his diary, and news spread that his stories were stolen and that he had murdered some of their authors.
• Fred named Luke, Taylor, Hermione, and Eric as the people who exposed Lockhart and delivered evidence to the Wizengamot.
• A notice announced Lockhart’s dismissal and appointed Luke Acting Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, leaving the Hogwarts hall stunned.

Luke began his first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson for fourth-years by turning the classroom into a dueling arena and challenging a student to demonstrate wizard dueling. He effortlessly blasted his volunteer into the wall, leaving the class stunned and asking for the next opponent.

• Students reacted with surprise and suspicion when Luke became Hogwarts' Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts.
• The fourth-year students gathered in the enlarged classroom, where Luke greeted them and told them to clear space.
• Luke transformed the floor into a dueling platform and announced that wizard dueling would be a major part of the year's curriculum.
• The students cheered and ignored Luke as they discussed the dueling lesson, while Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Snape watched from outside.
• A Gryffindor Student volunteered to duel Luke, but Luke struck him with a silent red spell and sent him crashing into the wall.
• Luke called for another student, saying the duel was incomplete because they had not exchanged the final stance.

Luke used a public dueling lesson to demonstrate his strength and teach Hogwarts students practical combat, then faced Cedric in a duel. The lesson continued with Cedric launching a bird barrage at Luke.

• Luke invited another student to challenge him after effortlessly defeating Marco Haughton, while students from each house considered whether to step forward.
• Cedric Diggory decided to duel Luke and opened with Wingardium Leviosa, redirecting the spell as Luke dodged.
• Luke explained the Levitation Charm’s strengths and limits, then broke Cedric’s Protego and lifted him with his own Levitation Charm.
• Cedric followed Luke’s advice to restrict his opponent’s movements and cast Multi-Target Barrage, sending a flock of birds at Luke.

Luke taught a dueling lesson by demonstrating how calmness, counterspells, and basic principles could overcome powerful attacks. He paired the students for practice while the professors considered the political signals behind his treatment of Cedric, Fred, and Beth Ricci.

• Luke defeated Cedric in a duel, then urged him to calm down and step down from the platform.
• Luke called Fred up to demonstrate Flash Impact, deflected the spell with a Mirror, and explained ways to defend against Dark Magic.
• Beth Ricci volunteered to duel Luke; he restrained his strength, defeated her, and agreed to teach her Flash Impact.
• Luke assigned students with matching numbered papers to practice dueling in pairs, then watched from a corner.
• Professor McGonagall, Snape, and Dumbledore discussed Luke's teaching and the possible motives of Beth Ricci and her family.

Luke reflected on the Wizarding World’s dismissal of Muggle knowledge and worried about the Ricci Family’s motives, his limited allies, and Dumbledore’s growing trust in him. He wrote a magically sealed letter to an absent family member, asking for help and for news of where they were, then sent it without knowing whether anyone would receive it.

• Luke recalled Beth Ricci’s attempt to curry favor with him and suspected the Ricci Family was caught in a struggle with the Nott Family.
• Luke remembered Dumbledore gently offering to help him, and felt uneasy about betraying the professor’s trust.
• Luke considered how Wizarding students had ignored the physics behind his Flash Impact demonstration and concluded that the Wizarding World underestimated Muggles.
• Luke wrote a personal letter to an absent family member, describing his life at Hogwarts and asking for the family’s help and their next destination.
• Luke sealed the letter with blood and magic so only an authenticated person could open it, then sent it through a small mailbox.

Rob delivered Luke’s letter to Charlie Ross, who was living comfortably at a beachside hotel. After reading Luke’s account and request, Charlie wrote a brief reply agreeing to contact Luke and possibly visit him, while reflecting on their family bond and the instructions that had kept them apart.

• Rob learned from Mrs. Rhea that Charlie Ross had left town but wanted his mail placed in his mailbox, so he delivered Luke’s letter there.
• The letter vanished from Charlie’s mailbox and appeared with Charlie, who was relaxing at a beach.
• Charlie read Luke’s letter, reacting to his stories about Voldemort and considering Luke’s final request.
• Charlie returned to his hotel and wrote a reply telling Luke to contact him and saying he could visit if he wanted.
• Charlie sealed the reply with a rose stamp, thinking of Luke as his only family and recalling the warning that had kept him from raising the boy.

As Halloween approached, students remembered the danger of last year’s attack and discussed Luke’s growing influence at Hogwarts. Luke left Hermione and Taylor to their work and headed to Hogsmeade Village.

• Ginny took Luna to ask Luke about the students’ gloomy mood as Halloween approached.
• Ron, Harry, Fred, and George recalled surviving last year’s Dementor attack and praised Luke’s teaching and strength.
• Harry reflected that Ginny’s gratitude toward Luke might involve more than admiration, while Ron agreed that Luke had earned the Weasley children’s trust.
• Luke watched Hermione study spells and Taylor assist Snape with potion research, then left his office after Hermione told him to help with Halloween decorations.
• Luke set out for Hogsmeade Village.

Luke visited Hogsmeade and went to the Hog's Head Inn to meet someone, leaving Aberforth suspicious as the door opened for a new arrival.

• Luke walked through Hogsmeade, accepted Halloween candy from an old man outside Ollivanders Wand Shop, and continued toward the Hog's Head Inn.
• Luke entered the Hog's Head Inn and ordered Butterbeer from Aberforth.
• Aberforth recognized Luke Gaunt and asked why he had come, but Luke said he was waiting to meet someone.
• Luke went upstairs and told Aberforth to send his visitor up when they arrived.
• Aberforth considered informing Albus but decided to wait, and the inn's door opened again as the ten o'clock bell rang.

Luke met William Rose, the younger brother of his mother, Caisha, and learned about their family’s past and William’s long search for him. After sharing their grief over Caisha’s death, William asked Luke what he had wanted to tell him.

• Aberforth recognized the Rose Family emblem on William Rose and sent an owl to Hogwarts with news that the family had met Luke Gaunt.
• William told Luke that he was Caisha Rose’s younger brother and Luke’s uncle, and Luke greeted him as family.
• William recounted how Caisha left home after clashing with their father, later returned with Luke’s father, and eventually disappeared again.
• William told Luke that he had learned Caisha and Luke’s father were dead, but their father had stopped him from searching for Luke because it was Caisha’s wish.
• William explained that he recognized Luke from a newspaper photograph and accepted that the Gaunt Family was worthy of Caisha; he then asked what Luke wanted to tell him.

Luke revealed that he owned Poem of Cat and Snake and offered the Rose Family a partnership in exchange for their support. William agreed, while warning that he would try to pull Luke out if his plans put them both in danger.

• Luke told William he owned Poem of Cat and Snake and explained that it served as an information relay station, not merely a source of profit.
• Luke offered the Rose Family access to sell its products through Poem of Cat and Snake in exchange for goodwill and a dependable ally.
• William agreed to cooperate but said he might withdraw if Luke's goal threatened the Rose Family, and that he would try to save Luke if things went wrong.
• Luke said he would not lose and assigned Gemma Farley, his chief steward, to handle the partnership's details with William's people.
• With business concluded, William asked Luke to tell him about his life over the years.