Chapter Summaries

After drinking Dumbledore’s potion, Luke slept deeply and woke refreshed, then learned from Book that Quirrell had been using secret passages. At breakfast, Harry and Ron arrived excitedly, claiming they knew what Dumbledore was guarding in the fourth-floor corridor and who he was guarding it against.

• Luke drank Dumbledore’s potion and fell asleep before he could leave Malfoy a note to wake him.
• Luke woke after less than six hours feeling revitalized, while Book returned and Doris curled around his neck.
• Book told Luke that Quirrell had frequently been entering and leaving the school through secret passages, prompting Luke to consider the approaching Halloween danger.
• Harry and Ron rushed to Luke at breakfast and said they had discovered why Dumbledore barred them from the fourth-floor corridor and whom he was guarding against.

Luke heard Harry and Ron’s account of their nighttime discovery, rejected their suspicion that Snape was Dumbledore’s enemy, and let them keep the Marauder’s Map after removing Doris’s name. He then asked seventh-year prefect Gemma Farley about her plans after graduation.

• Ron and Harry told Luke that they had heard a cat, found a locked room, and seen Snape come out of it.
• Luke told Harry and Ron to report important discoveries to Dumbledore and said he did not believe their theory about Snape.
• Luke erased Doris’s name from the Marauder’s Map, returned it to Harry, and advised the boys to investigate carefully and seek his help if needed.
• Harry and Ron decided to uncover what they believed was Snape’s true nature and prove it to Luke.
• Gemma Farley fed Book, and Luke asked her what job she planned to pursue after graduation.

Luke offered Gemma Farley a job managing the businesses he had acquired, and she agreed to inspect them over Christmas while continuing to assess him. Later, Luke showed Hermione his snake Doris, whose golden eyes briefly immobilized her.

• Luke offered Gemma the chance to consolidate and manage the Lans Family’s businesses, and she agreed to look them over during the Christmas holiday.
• Gemma said she was drawn to Luke’s ideas and wanted to see the future he envisioned, while warning that she would leave if his plans did not suit her.
• Luke reflected on the hatred Gemma concealed and decided to wait until their trust deepened before asking her about it.
• Hermione pulled Luke away from the Restricted Section and asked why he had been distracted; Luke told her about Gemma and the new businesses.
• Luke brought Doris out for Hermione to see, and the snake’s golden eyes briefly left Hermione unable to move or speak.

Luke explained Doris’s identity to Hermione and asked her to watch Harry and Ron, then attended Potions Class with Taylor. As Taylor examined a mysterious potion Dumbledore had given Luke, someone sneaked toward them.

• Doris frightened Hermione, and Luke explained that she was a Basilisk while asking Hermione to call her by name or use “she.”
• Hermione agreed to keep an eye on Harry and Ron in exchange for Luke tutoring her in Transfiguration over the weekend.
• In Potions Class, Taylor impressed Snape with her brewing, while Luke began making the class potion under her guidance.
• Luke gave Taylor the remaining sample of a potion Dumbledore had given him, and she found its scent refreshing and its ingredients impossible to identify.
• As Luke concentrated on brewing, Taylor spotted someone sneaking toward them.

Luke finished brewing a potion for Taylor, then accepted Malfoy’s invitation to watch Slytherin Quidditch practice. Gemma warned him that Oliver Nott, a Pure-Blood Theory supporter, might use the practice to target him.

• Luke completed the potion, and Taylor tested it and confirmed it was safe.
• Malfoy invited Luke to Slytherin’s practice and mock match, and Luke agreed to attend the next afternoon.
• At dinner, Hermione, Taylor, and Gemma considered why Marcus Flint had invited Luke, including Flint’s interest in Luke’s support and his need for money to replace team equipment.
• Gemma warned Luke that Oliver Nott, a seventh-year supporter of Pure-Blood Theory, might use a collision on the pitch to cause him trouble.

Luke learned that Oliver Nott intended to test him at the Quidditch pitch, and he went there prepared for trouble. As the practice began, Luke told Gemma that his Gaunt name could attract potential allies among the watching pure-blood families.

• Gemma warned Luke that someone might try to embarrass him over his flying, and Hermione identified the likely tactic.
• Malfoy brought Luke to the Quidditch pitch, where Marcus Flint and Oliver Nott watched him arrive.
• Oliver remembered his father's warning to test Luke cautiously, though he doubted the eleven-year-old warranted such concern.
• Gemma sat Luke beside her in the stands and used their apparent closeness to deter a displeased seventh-year student.
• Luke told Gemma and Taylor that he had researched Oliver and expected people at the pitch to be watching him.
• Luke said his Gaunt surname could draw allies from smaller pure-blood families hoping to gamble on his future.

Flint and Nott split the Slytherin Quidditch players into two teams for a practice match, while Luke recognized that Nott had deliberately placed Morton Reech among hostile teammates to provoke a conflict. The match began with Malfoy searching for the Golden Snitch and Reech being ignored by his own team, leaving Gemma to expect trouble.

• Luke considered the families’ finances and realized the Malfoys could afford to replace the team’s equipment.
• Flint won the first pick and chose Draco Malfoy, while Nott selected Morton Reech and filled out his team.
• Luke explained that Nott had put Reech on his own side to make conflict more likely and keep control of the situation.
• Flint charged at Nott during the match as both teams maneuvered around the Quaffle and Bludgers.
• Malfoy searched for the Golden Snitch while Morton Reech was left out of his team’s play, and Gemma said a conflict was about to begin.

A Quidditch scrimmage spiraled into a dangerous confrontation as Morton Lechi attacked Malfoy and then started a fight among his teammates. Lechi exposed Nott’s plan to test or target someone, and Luke flew down toward the group, leaving Nott unable to understand how his scheme had been disrupted.

• Flint struck Nott during play and warned him to behave, while Malfoy searched unsuccessfully for the Golden Snitch.
• Lechi collided with Malfoy, then scored while Malfoy struggled to regain control of his broom; Flint and Nott feared the consequences for the Malfoy family.
• Malfoy reproached Nott for failing to control his teammates, and Nott tried to manage the situation as Lechi and another Slytherin began dueling.
• Lechi insulted Muggle-born and half-blood students, attacked the crowd with increasingly dangerous spells, and accused Nott of setting him up to curry favor with Luke.
• Flint mocked Nott after the crowd realized Nott had planned a scheme, and Luke summoned a broom and flew down as Nott wondered how Luke had foiled him.

Old Nott revealed that he was testing Luke Gaunt to keep his family positioned between rival factions, while Old Flint warned him that Luke could turn the scheme into leverage. At Hogwarts, Luke stopped Lechi’s rampage on the Quidditch pitch, and the arrival of a professor left Nott to face the consequences of his plan.

• Old Flint warned Old Nott that Luke could see through the test and use it against the Nott family, but Old Nott said he was still sitting on the fence.
• On the Quidditch pitch, Lechi attacked Nott, Flint, Malfoy, Luke, and others, while Luke challenged Nott to stop standing aside.
• Malfoy offered Luke a pocket-watch-like object that could cast a powerful Iron Armor Charm, but Luke refused and told everyone to use their own protections if needed.
• Luke stopped Lechi from attacking, rebuked him for behaving like a mad dog and resembling a Death Eater, then stunned him and caught him before he fell.
• The students blamed Nott for causing the fight, and Luke pointed out the approaching professor as Nott’s plan left him facing trouble.

Snape confronted Luke after a Quidditch-pitch incident, but Luke exposed Oliver Nott’s attempt to frame him and Snape turned his anger on Nott and Marcus Flint. As Luke took the unconscious Morton Lechi to Madam Pomfrey, Hermione relayed Luke’s warning to Professor McGonagall that trouble might come during the lively Halloween celebrations.

• Snape arrived at the pitch and accused Luke of causing the incident, but Luke insisted he had only defended himself and demanded not to be unfairly punished.
• Harry told Professor McGonagall that news of the incident had spread, while Hermione reassured her that Luke could handle it and passed on his warning about possible trouble at Halloween.
• Luke identified Oliver Nott as the student who had tried to set him up, prompting Snape to berate Nott and order him to come along.
• Snape also summoned Marcus Flint to answer for how he had managed the team, then left the pitch with both students.
• Luke told Gemma and Taylor they would talk later and took the still-unconscious Morton Lechi to Madam Pomfrey.

Dumbledore questioned Luke about the trouble at Hogwarts, gave him a bottle of Spirit Summoning, and warned him to train his mental energy. After Luke left the Headmaster’s Office, Fred and George told him they had seen Professor Quirrell leave the school through a secret passage.

• Snape questioned Dumbledore about Luke’s ability to see through his thoughts, then asked about Spirit Summoning and left the Headmaster’s Office after Dumbledore dismissed his concerns.
• Luke met with Dumbledore, denied responsibility for the day’s trouble, and asked for another bottle of Spirit Summoning.
• Dumbledore gave Luke the potion and said it replenished mental energy, advising him to train his mind and avoid exhausting it.
• Luke told Dumbledore he knew of clues to the Four Founders’ inheritances but would not pursue them before building a proper foundation.
• Fred and George pulled Luke into an empty classroom and told him they had seen Professor Quirrell leave the school through a secret passage.

Luke warned Fred and George not to interfere with Quirrell’s affairs, then asked them to investigate which older students were dissatisfied with him. He went to Snape’s office to learn what punishment Nott and Lechi would receive, where Snape challenged his motives and watched him warily.

• Luke told Fred and George to heed Dumbledore’s warning about Quirrell and not alert other professors, and learned that Harry and Ron were investigating Snape.
• Luke asked Fred and George to find out which fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-years were especially dissatisfied with him, and Fred agreed to help.
• Luke went to Snape’s office, where he found Flint leaving and Nott and Lechi awaiting punishment.
• Snape taunted Lechi about his Bombarda spell and mocked Luke for supposedly seeking influence by asking about the punishment.
• Luke said he would take revenge himself if Snape’s punishment was inadequate, while Snape watched him suspiciously and wondered whether he had imagined Luke seeing through him.

Luke reconsidered his plan to unleash magical creatures at Hogwarts after seeing the Giant Squid and judging the idea too dangerous. Elsewhere, Doris met a hooded stranger at Harsh Tavern to discuss a deal, while Benetto and several wizards kept watch.

• Luke told Hermione, Taylor, and Gemma to stay safe on Halloween Eve, then watched the Giant Squid rise from the Black Lake and abandoned his plan to stir up trouble with a beast tide.
• Luke spotted Percy Weasley and Penelope Clearwater together by the lake before the Giant Squid looked toward him and sank beneath the water.
• Doris arrived at Harsh Tavern owing Benetto money, insisted he would soon earn enough to pay, and asked Benetto to put something in the drinks for his next business partner.
• A hooded stranger entered the tavern, and Doris invited them to a corner table while Benetto and several wizards discreetly watched.
• Doris ordered two glasses of Dragon Blood Whiskey for the stranger, but the stranger dismissed the offer and told him to discuss business.

Quirrell and Voldemort hired Doris to obtain dangerous Magical Creatures for a planned attack on Hogwarts, agreeing on a five-thousand-Galleon delivery in three days. After Quirrell left, Doris told Benetto about the job and decided to deliver the creatures but avoid the attack, then go into hiding.

• Quirrell rejected Doris as untrustworthy and asked him to find someone reliable to help attack Hogwarts.
• Doris refused to attack Hogwarts directly, so Quirrell asked him to acquire dangerous Magical Creatures and deliver them to Hogsmeade.
• Quirrell and Doris agreed on a five-thousand-Galleon fee and a delivery at the cliff east of Hogsmeade in three days.
• Doris told Benetto that he had accepted the job because his danger instinct warned him he would be forced to accept it anyway.
• Doris decided not to attend the attack but to hand over the creatures, while Benetto advised him to leave the country and gave him a handkerchief for a contact in France.

Luke prepared for an impending attack on Hogwarts while a mysterious red-haired woman received warnings, killed a Goblin, and ordered an investigation involving Luke Gaunt. At Charms class, Luke and Hermione mastered Wingardium Leviosa, and Luke offered Harry advice about learning spells.

• Malfoy told Luke that four younger students with defensive items had agreed to help, while he had not found suitable representatives from Gryffindor.
• Malfoy asked Luke to find out what Professor McGonagall had planned for the Halloween Feast, and Luke went to meet Taylor.
• A red-haired woman received a warning about an attack on Hogwarts, ordered an investigation, and killed a Goblin who claimed to have found a Followers' gathering place.
• The woman sent out further messages and consulted a book about the Gaunt family.
• Luke and Hermione successfully cast Wingardium Leviosa in Professor Flitwick's class, while Seamus caused an explosion and Neville remained under supervision.
• Luke advised Harry to treat spells as instincts, then asked what Harry had wanted to tell him.

Harry told Luke that he and Ron had found a Three-Headed Dog guarding a trapdoor, while Luke later revealed to Taylor that the Philosopher’s Stone was likely hidden beneath it. The next morning, Luke received an unexplained letter, while Professor McGonagall had asked to consult him after dinner.

• Harry told Luke that he and Ron had entered the forbidden room and found a Three-Headed Dog guarding a trapdoor.
• Luke explained possible ways to deal with a Three-Headed Dog, but Harry decided not to seek Hagrid’s help yet.
• Luke told Taylor that the Philosopher’s Stone was probably hidden beneath the trapdoor, and Taylor restrained herself from trying to take it.
• Professor McGonagall asked Luke to meet her after dinner the next day because she wanted his advice.
• An owl delivered Luke an unsigned letter at breakfast, and he put it in his pocket without opening it.

Luke opened a suspicious letter that warned him the Dark Lord would attack Hogwarts, then shared the intelligence with Taylor and promised to thwart the plan. Later, Professor McGonagall showed him her experiments with staged Transfiguration and mental power, which could make advanced Transfiguration more accessible through practice.

• Luke cautiously opened the letter in an empty classroom and learned that the Dark Lord was behind the coming attack.
• Luke told Taylor about the warning and explained that the Dark Lord was the attacker, while they questioned how the sender knew about him.
• Taylor asked whether Dumbledore knew, and Luke admitted that Dumbledore knew the opposing side existed; Taylor said she had given up on the Headmaster.
• Luke apologized for withholding information, and Taylor asked him to tell her the truth one last time before they headed to class.
• Professor McGonagall showed Luke her research inspired by his staged Transfiguration and explained that mental power improved its success and control.

Luke discussed the limits of Professor McGonagall’s Transfiguration teaching ideas, then warned her about a planned Halloween attack on Hogwarts. Later, Marcus asked Luke to fund better Slytherin Quidditch brooms, and Luke agreed on the condition that Marcus help him with something.

• Luke pointed out that Professor McGonagall’s descriptions of Transfiguration sensations were too subjective to teach most students, and she agreed the method needed improvement.
• Luke told Professor McGonagall that an anonymous letter warned someone planned to attack Hogwarts with dangerous Magical Creatures on Halloween, but he withheld the burned letter and promised not to spread panic.
• Professor McGonagall warned Luke to stay safe and run to the Headmaster’s Office if he sensed danger.
• Marcus asked Luke to replace the Slytherin Seeker’s broom because Harry Potter’s Nimbus 2000 gave Gryffindor an equipment advantage.
• Luke offered to buy Nimbus 2000s for the whole Slytherin team, but said Marcus would first have to help him with something.

As Hogsmeade prepared for Halloween, Quirrell retrieved a case left near the Forbidden Forest and returned to Hogwarts with Voldemort’s plan underway. At the school, Snape warned Gemma to monitor everyone’s emotions during the evening, and she left thinking of asking Luke for help.

• Madam Rosmerta gave Zokko a Silver Sickle to enchant a pumpkin, then topped it with a wizard’s hat.
• A black-clad stranger left a case near the Forbidden Forest and Apparated away.
• Quirrell arrived, took the case, and followed Voldemort’s instructions to return to Hogwarts.
• Gemma asked Snape why the evening seemed limited to a meal, and Snape told her to watch everyone’s emotions.
• Gemma left Snape’s office considering whether to ask Luke about the evening.

Luke helped Professor McGonagall decorate the Great Hall while discussing the mysterious warning about an attack. Meanwhile, Harry and Ron used Luke’s map to search for a secret passage and spotted someone moving through one.

• Professor McGonagall explained that some of the bats in the Great Hall were real and had been brought by Hagrid to guide the transfigured bats.
• Luke told Professor McGonagall that he had inferred an attack from clues but did not know who had sent the letter confirming it.
• Professor McGonagall sent Luke to transform the chairs for Halloween rather than explain the professors’ preparations.
• Harry and Ron used Luke’s map to explore for a secret passage while Professor McGonagall and Percy were away.
• Harry noticed someone appear on the map and enter a secret passage, leaving Ron anxious to learn who it was.