Chapter Summaries

Harry spent a summer morning with Cho Chang and their talking cat, Little Cutie, while Astoria visited a Muggle movie theater and turned down Phini because she was already engaged. Astoria went inside alone to watch First Kiss, leaving Phini heartbroken outside.

• Little Cutie woke Harry and demanded breakfast, then teased him about Cho Chang and asked them to give her more servants.
• Astoria arrived at a London movie theater and read the poster for First Kiss.
• Phini nervously invited Astoria to watch a movie, and she told him she already had a fiancé.
• Astoria bought a ticket with a wallet full of fifty-pound notes and went inside.
• Phini told his friends that Astoria had a fiancé, and they wondered who he was.

Pheobe arrived in Diagon Alley with her younger sister Gabrielle and moved into the Leaky Cauldron, where Harry and the girls teased and cautioned one another about his reputation. Harry and Hermione declined their fifth-year Prefect appointments, leaving McGonagall to consider replacements, and Neville’s name gave Harry an idea as he left her office.

• Pheobe arrived with Gabrielle to begin working at the British Wizarding Bank and settled into the Leaky Cauldron beside Hermione and Cho Chang.
• Pheobe warned Harry not to pursue Gabrielle, while Astoria joked about Harry’s past behavior toward her.
• Harry received his fifth-year Hogwarts letter and Prefect badge, and Hermione arrived with her own badge.
• Harry and Hermione decided they did not want to serve as Prefects and asked McGonagall to appoint someone else.
• McGonagall accepted their badges and considered Neville for the boys’ position, prompting Harry to think of something as he left.

Harry entered St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries through the concealed entrance in Taotao Co., Ltd. After helping a girl whose enchanted wings lifted her into the air, he sensed Neville in the hospital and discovered where the people he sought were.

• Harry passed through the display window of Taotao Co., Ltd. and entered St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
• Harry observed the hospital's patients, departments, and healers, while Delores recognized him and left her portrait, apparently to visit the Minister's office.
• Harry caught a little girl whose enchanted wings were carrying her upward and helped her father bring her to the Spell Damage department.
• Harry sensed Neville in the hospital and learned where the people he had come to find were.

Harry visited the long-term ward at St Mungo’s, where he encouraged Neville to speak openly about his parents and secretly used powerful magic to heal Frank and Alice Longbottom. He disappeared after restoring them to health, leaving the hospital staff to discover the change that night.

• Harry found Neville with Mrs. Longbottom at the ward where Frank and Alice were patients.
• Harry praised Neville’s kindness, and Neville admitted that Death Eaters had tortured his parents into madness.
• Alice gave Neville a Blow-out-the-room Bubblegum wrapper, which he quietly kept despite his grandmother telling him to throw it away.
• After Neville and Mrs. Longbottom left, Harry used the Elder Wand to cast a mysterious green magic over Frank and Alice, restoring their bodies and minds.
• Harry disappeared, and Frank and Alice opened their eyes after nightfall, shocking the healers at St Mungo’s.

Harry, Cho Chang, Hermione, and Astoria prepared to return to Hogwarts and boarded the train, where they encountered Malfoy, Pansy, and Ginny. The chapter ended as Harry chose a compartment occupied by a pale blonde-haired girl.

• Cho Chang woke Harry and Astoria, and the group finished getting ready to leave.
• Harry and his companions departed the Leaky Cauldron, with Little Cutie climbing into Cho Chang's arms.
• Hermione read about the Longbottoms in the Daily Prophet and noticed Draco Malfoy arriving with a transformed Pansy.
• Harry greeted Malfoy, praised his Slytherin Prefect badge, and sent him hurrying onto the train with Pansy.
• Harry and his companions searched for a compartment, passed one where Ginny reacted to Harry, and then found a pale blonde-haired girl inside another.

Harry recognized that Luna’s unfocused gaze might be caused by poor vision and took her to a London optician, where she got glasses. When they returned to the Express, the others were astonished by how different Luna looked, and she worried that her clearer eyes would reveal her feelings.

• Luna turned away two girls seeking a compartment, then let Harry and his companions join her when they arrived.
• Harry noticed Luna’s unfocused gaze and suspected she had severe astigmatism.
• Harry Apparated with Luna to a London optician and helped her choose glasses.
• Luna tried on the glasses and marveled at how clearly she could see, while Harry admired her changed appearance.
• Harry and Luna returned to the Express, where Astoria, Hermione, and Cho were surprised by Luna’s transformation.

Harry and his friends traveled to Hogwarts, where Luna accidentally sprayed her rare Mimbulus Mimbletonia with foul-smelling juice before Harry contained it. The group arrived at Hogwarts in the rain, and Harry looked forward to the new school year.

• Luna showed Harry, Cho Chang, and Hermione her Mimbulus Mimbletonia, then jabbed it and sprayed the compartment with foul-smelling juice.
• Harry compressed the plant and its remaining juice into a ball and threw it out the window, and Luna asked him to replace it with a rare plant someday.
• Neville and Parvati visited the compartment in their new roles as Gryffindor prefects, and Neville listed the prefects from the other houses.
• Harry shared lavish food with his friends during the train journey, while Luna watched Harry and Astoria playfully tease each other.
• As the train slowed, Harry and his friends gathered their pets and luggage, left the compartment, and arrived at Hogwarts in the rain.

Harry and the other students arrived at Hogwarts, where Anna and Luna saw the Thestrals pulling the carriages. The group reached the castle, and Luna surprised Harry by throwing herself into his arms before Hermione led the others inside.

• At Hogsmeade Station, Anna saw the Thestrals, but her friends could not, so she pretended she had been joking.
• Harry told Luna he could see the Thestrals, while Hermione explained that only people who had faced death could see them and identified them from Hogwarts, A History.
• Luna became relieved when Harry and the others treated the Thestrals as ordinary creatures, while Hermione accused Harry of winning Luna's favor.
• The carriages carried Harry, Luna, Hermione, Cho Chang, and Astoria to Hogwarts Castle, where Harry helped the girls out.
• Luna threw herself into Harry's arms, and Hermione hurried into the castle with Cho Chang and Astoria after Harry teased her.

Harry, Astoria, and Hermione attended Hogwarts's start-of-term feast, where the Sorting Hat sang about the four founders' divisions and the first-years began their Sorting. The Sorting concluded with Rose Zeller placed in Hufflepuff, and McGonagall prepared to address the assembled students.

• Harry, Astoria, and Hermione sat together at the Gryffindor table while students noticed that Professor Binns was absent and discussed his dismissal.
• McGonagall led the first-years into the Great Hall and set out the Sorting Hat.
• The Sorting Hat sang about the founders' ideals, their growing conflict, and Slytherin's departure from Hogwarts.
• McGonagall began calling first-years, and Euan Abercrombie was sorted into Gryffindor.
• Rose Zeller was sorted into Hufflepuff, after which McGonagall put away the hat and stool and stood at the center of the hall.

At the start-of-term feast, McGonagall announced that Helena would teach History of Magic in a new schoolwide class. As the students left the Great Hall, a first-year named Isabelle Leonard kissed Harry and declared she would marry him.

• Harry used magic to separate rib meat from the bones and served beef soup to Astoria and Cho Chang.
• Eden Pound asked Luna Lovegood to visit Hogsmeade with him, but Luna rejected him and told him to stay away.
• McGonagall warned students about the Forbidden Forest and announced Helena as the new History of Magic professor, with the subject becoming a compulsory class for the whole school.
• McGonagall announced that House Quidditch trials would take place on Friday of the first week, and Neville and Parvati led the first-years out.
• Isabelle Leonard kissed Harry, introduced herself, and said she would marry him someday.

Harry, Hermione, Astoria, and Cho Chang gathered in the Room of Requirement, where Helena explained why she had applied to become Hogwarts' History of Magic professor. The chapter ended with Astoria falling asleep in Harry's arms.

• Harry, Hermione, and Astoria went to the Room of Requirement, and Cho Chang followed them to Harry's Cottage.
• Harry asked Helena why she had studied history and applied for the professor's position, and Helena said she had wanted to try after Professor Binns was dismissed.
• Harry worried that Helena might leave, but Helena assured him she had no intention of leaving and offered to decline the position if he disliked it.
• Harry teased Helena, who became embarrassed and disappeared through a wall.
• Harry helped the exhausted Astoria get ready for bed, and she fell asleep in his arms.

Harry learned that George and Fred were close to completing a revolutionary invention intended to replace owl post, though he did not know what they had created. McGonagall handed out the term timetables, which showed the students would attend joint History of Magic classes in the Great Hall.

• Harry woke beside Astoria, got dressed, and admired the misty view of Hogwarts before closing the window against the cold.
• Harry ate breakfast with Hermione and Astoria while Angelina announced Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts for a new Keeper.
• A rain-soaked owl dropped the Daily Prophet into Hermione's orange juice, and Hermione explained that she worked as a reporter for the newspaper.
• George and Fred told Harry that their invention was nearly finished and would be ready around October, prompting Harry to predict that it would end the age of owl post.
• McGonagall distributed the timetables, and Hermione, Harry, and Astoria saw that History of Magic would be a joint class in the Great Hall.

Harry reassured Hermione that she did not need exams for financial security, then told her that her real ambition was to master magical knowledge. At Potions class, he disguised himself as Snape and got caught, leaving Snape furious as the students took their seats.

• Hermione warned Harry that fifth-year exams were stressful, but Harry argued that their wealth made certificates unnecessary.
• Harry praised Hermione's ambition to excel across magical fields, and Hermione accepted his view that she was exceptional.
• While waiting for Potions class, Harry transformed himself into Snape to entertain the students gathered in the courtyard.
• Snape arrived, dispelled the disguise, and ordered Harry and the others to class.
• Harry and Hermione sat in the front row of the underground classroom, while the other students kept their distance from them.

Snape taught a Potions class on brewing the Calming Draught while Harry studied the Half-Blood Prince’s annotated textbook. Harry and Hermione brewed flawless potions, while Neville’s cauldron exploded repeatedly.

• Snape warned the class about their upcoming potions examination and threatened to make their final year in his class miserable.
• Snape assigned the students to brew a Calming Draught and left the classroom after giving them an hour and a half.
• Hermione brought ingredients for herself and Harry, and the students used electronic balances to measure their potion ingredients.
• Harry studied Advanced Potion-Making, whose back cover identified it as belonging to the Half-Blood Prince, while Snape recognized the book and avoided confronting him.
• Harry and Hermione brewed successful Calming Draughts, and Neville's cauldron exploded repeatedly.

Snape mocked Neville for ruining his Calming Draught, while Harry and Hermione compared their successful potions and discussed how mental strength affected brewing. Harry proposed that intimate contact between disembodied souls might strengthen them, and Hermione angrily rejected his idea.

• Snape identified Neville's forgotten Sneeze Root syrup and ridiculed him for blowing up his cauldron.
• Snape observed that only Harry and Hermione had brewed successful Calming Draughts, and Hermione noticed Harry's potion was clearer than hers.
• Harry explained that his steadier flame control came from greater mental strength and suggested it was linked to the power of the soul.
• Harry told Hermione that a Philosopher's Stone potion could slowly nourish the soul and mentioned dangerous potions that could strengthen it.
• Harry proposed testing whether soul contact through kissing could strengthen their souls, and Hermione scolded him for suggesting it.

After Snape humiliated his Potions students, Harry and Hermione returned to their little house, where Hermione helped Helena prepare lunch and Harry discovered Little Cutie could read. Little Cutie pondered why she did not want to grow as large as Crookshanks, while Harry remained unaware of her complicated thoughts.

• Snape assigned Pablo Tierra extra homework and gave Ron, Longbottom, Prywen, Bolt, and other students harsh criticism and poor marks for their potions.
• Harry and Hermione returned to their little house in the rain, where Helena was making meat-filled mashed potato pies.
• Hermione used Sectumsempra to chop the meat, and Helena explained that she preferred hand-chopping because it brought out the ingredients' flavors.
• Harry found Little Cutie reading a History of Magic book and learned from Hermione that she and Cho Chang had taught the cat to read.
• Little Cutie ate dried fish with Crookshanks, questioned why his dish had more, and began wondering why she did not want to grow as big as he was.

Snape began teaching fifth-year Defense Against the Dark Arts by criticizing the students’ performance and insisting they learn practical combat and silent spellcasting. The lesson ended with only Malfoy successfully casting a spell without moving his mouth, while Snape revealed that the theory-focused witch who had sought the teaching post was dead.

• Snape announced that the class would study advanced spells and dark magic, then argued that their past training had not prepared them to fight effectively.
• Snape questioned the students about the purpose of Defense Against the Dark Arts; Melvin Metcalfe gave an answer Snape mocked, Dean Thomas cited becoming an Auror, and Harry said the goal was to defeat enemies efficiently.
• Snape announced that the dueling club would reopen and that he would teach the class to fight with magic.
• Snape silenced the students and challenged them to cast spells without speaking or moving their mouths; only Malfoy managed to cast the Levitation Charm before class ended.
• Snape told the students that a witch who had applied to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts wanted to focus on theory, then revealed that she was dead.

Harry discovered that Helena’s hairpin could be separated from her soul and briefly tormented her with the fragment before returning it. Later, Helena taught her first school-wide History of Magic class, winning over the students and earning Professor McGonagall’s praise.

• Harry removed Helena’s hairpin and found that handling its soul fragment caused her pain, then returned it to her.
• Hermione asked whether Harry had bullied Helena, and Helena discussed her preparations for teaching History of Magic.
• Students gathered in the rearranged Great Hall and complained about Professor Binns’s boring lessons while they awaited Helena’s class.
• Helena overcame her nervousness and taught an engaging overview of wizarding history to the assembled students.
• Astoria picked up Professor McGonagall in her tabby Animagus form without recognizing her, and McGonagall praised Helena’s lesson before leaving.
• The students regretted that Helena’s class had ended, and Helena resumed speaking from the front of the hall.

Helena organized student-selected topics for History of Magic, while Harry and his classmates faced heavy exam preparation and began practicing the Vanishment Charm. After a gloomy Care of Magical Creatures lesson with Hagrid, Harry, Hermione, Cho Chang, and Astoria returned to the cottage for hot pot.

• Helena distributed a list of magical-history topics and assigned Harry to collect votes for the two most popular lessons.
• Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall stressed the importance of next year's exams, and Harry and Hermione successfully vanished their practice snails.
• Harry and Hermione discussed the Vanishment Charm's potential danger, and Professor McGonagall excused them from homework while assigning the others overnight practice.
• Hagrid introduced the class to talking Nifflers and checked whether Harry felt pressured by fifth year.
• Harry and Hermione returned to the cottage through the rain, where Helena served hot pot for them, Cho Chang, and Astoria.

Snape pushed the fifth-years to practice silent spellcasting, exposing how difficult it was for them to break their habits. Afterward, Harry and Hermione encountered Ginny, Astoria, and Luna before the students endured another homework-heavy Herbology class.

• Snape paired the students to silently cast jinxes and defend against them, while many cheated by whispering their incantations.
• Snape startled Parvati into shouting the Impediment Jinx, then blocked it silently and reprimanded her.
• Hermione regretted suggesting that the class practice silent casting independently, and Harry defended Snape’s stricter method.
• After Defense Against the Dark Arts, Ginny blushed and ran off when she saw Harry, while Hermione teased him about her.
• Astoria greeted Harry with a muddy hug, and Harry wiped dirt from Luna’s nose as she shyly faced him.
• Professor Sprout assigned another essay, leaving the exhausted students complaining about their growing workload as rain fell.