Chapter Summaries

Harry and Hagrid entered the giants’ camp and gave Cacus an enchanted torch that would burn forever, earning his interest. Hagrid left without discussing Dumbledore’s plans, intending to return with another gift the next day.

• Hagrid identified Cacus as the giants’ leader and warned Harry to stay beside him.
• Hagrid announced that they had come on Dumbledore’s orders with gifts, and the giants let them approach Cacus.
• Hagrid presented the Eternal Fire on behalf of Minister Albus Dumbledore, and translators explained that it would never go out.
• Cacus tested the torch with saliva and lake water, then had his wife store it in a stone basin inside their cave.
• Hagrid told Cacus that more gifts would arrive tomorrow and that Dumbledore hoped to discuss matters with him.
• Harry and Hagrid left the camp, and Hagrid explained that Dumbledore wanted to build the giants’ trust gradually.

Harry and Hagrid tried to persuade the giants to attend Dumbledore’s Council of All Races, but a deadly fight among the giants left Cacus dead and Gogmagog in charge. When Gogmagog’s followers humiliated Hagrid, Harry finally confronted them.

• Harry watched Cacus receive a goblin-made helmet as Hagrid explained Dumbledore’s plan to recognize the giants and invite them to the Council of All Races.
• Hagrid left convinced Cacus had been persuaded, but that night the giants fought brutally among themselves while Hagrid watched anxiously.
• Harry and Hagrid returned to find Cacus dead, many giants gone, and Gogmagog wearing Cacus’s helmet as the new leader.
• Gogmagog’s followers hoisted Hagrid upside down and mocked his half-giant heritage.
• Harry called the giants idiots, silencing the camp.

Harry subdued the giants with a giant Patronus Guardian and helped Hagrid secure their agreement to befriend the Ministry of Magic. Afterward, Harry left to find Hermione and the others, while a strange tug in his mind had briefly drawn his attention west.

• A giant attacked Harry with a bloodstained tree trunk, but Harry Apparated away and summoned a huge Patronus Guardian.
• The Guardian crushed more than twenty giants before the survivors surrendered, and Harry said the attack had been aimed at their necks.
• Harry learned the giants had agreed to form a friendship with the Ministry of Magic after realizing they did not understand English.
• Hagrid helped the giants elect an English-speaking leader and took him toward London on a flying carpet.
• Harry told Hagrid he was leaving to find Hermione and the others, then flew away and Apparated.

Harry traveled from northern Poland to the hidden Nurmengard castle and found its imprisoned master, Gellert Grindelwald, still alive. Grindelwald asked Harry who he was, leaving their meeting unresolved.

• Harry asked a girl in a coastal town in northern Poland for directions and overheard fishermen describe strange waters nearby.
• Harry sensed powerful magic beyond the sea and flew toward the concealed place, breaking through its protective spells.
• Harry entered Nurmengard and saw that the castle’s former prisoners had died in their cells.
• Harry opened a sealed chamber in the highest tower and found Gellert Grindelwald alive beneath a blanket.
• Grindelwald asked Harry who he was, and Harry’s aura changed as he prepared to answer.

Harry confronted the old man about the Deathly Hallows and revealed that he possessed the Elder Wand. After Harry convinced him that Dumbledore was alive and that Harry was not Dumbledore’s grandson, the old man left the island while Harry flew away.

• Harry showed the old man the Elder Wand and questioned him about the Deathly Hallows.
• Harry claimed he had obtained the wand after poisoning Dumbledore, and the old man believed Dumbledore was dead and begged Harry to kill him.
• Harry swore that Dumbledore was alive and explained that the Elder Wand could change hands without its previous master dying.
• The old man guessed that Harry was Dumbledore’s grandson, but Harry corrected him and told him Dumbledore had become the United Kingdom’s Minister for Magic.
• Harry flew away from the island, and the old man later emerged from the castle and sailed away in a small boat.

Harry found Astoria in Norway, but mistook Luna for her beneath the quilt and became intimate with her while she was feverish. The others discovered Harry was back, and the chapter ended with him joining them at dinner as Gabrielle innocently questioned him about treating Luna.

• Harry Apparated to the hotel in Yellu and found Astoria asleep beneath a quilt.
• Harry mistook Luna for Astoria and kissed her after realizing who she was.
• Astoria discovered Luna had a fever, and the group agreed to let her rest and use Muggle medicine while they visited Oslo.
• The six girls returned to the hotel and heard Luna tell Harry that Astoria had come in.
• Astoria told the others that Harry was back, and Hermione took them to dinner while Harry stayed with Luna.
• Harry joined the group at dinner, where Gabrielle asked whether he had given Luna injections.

Harry attended the Council of All Races, where representatives discussed magical laws and development, then returned to Hogwarts still struggling to mend Hermione’s anger over his expanding household. He followed advice from a magical relationship book and reconciled with Hermione, drawing Cho Chang and Astoria into the ensuing encounter.

• Harry sat beside Dumbledore at the Council of All Races, slept through much of the proceedings, and joined the commemorative photographs.
• Harry returned to Hogwarts and found Hermione, Cho Chang, and Astoria giving him the cold shoulder and barring him from their bedroom.
• Harry bought A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Scumbag Wizard and used its advice to address Hermione’s anger.
• Harry entered the locked bedroom, bound Hermione’s wrists, and spanked her while Cho Chang and Astoria watched.
• Harry released Hermione, and Cho Chang and Astoria were drawn into the encounter as well.

In late February 1996, Harry encountered Moaning Myrtle after she was frightened by students using invisible prank hats, then later learned Helena could smell Myrtle on him. Hermione grew jealous as Helena lamented that Harry seemed to prefer the younger ghost.

• The students learned that the next Hogsmeade visit would fall on Valentine's Day, and Malfoy and Pansy smiled at each other.
• Harry rescued Moaning Myrtle from three students wearing enchanted hats, destroyed the hats, and rejected Myrtle's advances.
• Harry enjoyed a massage from Helena while Hermione watched nearby.
• Helena smelled Moaning Myrtle on Harry, concluded her age made her undesirable, and said she would leave as Hermione looked unhappy.

Harry and Astoria agreed to spend Valentine’s Day together in Hogsmeade, while Hermione teased and fretted over Harry’s attention to other girls. After breakfast, Harry, Hermione, Astoria, and Helena went to the Hogwarts gates, where Helena checked students’ permission slips for Hogsmeade.

• Hermione questioned Harry about whether he planned to haunt the house with another female ghost, and Harry insisted he had not finished teasing Helena.
• Astoria asked Harry to go out with her on Valentine’s Day, and he agreed while Hermione teased him about spoiling her.
• On Valentine’s Day morning, Hermione used a spell to make Harry look dull and inconspicuous because she worried he would flirt with other girls.
• Harry cooked breakfast for Hermione, Cho Chang, and Astoria, and Helena watched them with envy and loneliness.
• Harry, Hermione, Astoria, and Helena went to the Hogwarts gates, where Helena checked students’ permission slips and caught forged signatures.

Harry spent the day with Cho Chang, Hermione, and Astoria as they headed toward Hogsmeade, while Ron argued with Angelina over mandatory Quidditch training and stormed off to the pitch. Ginny chose to join Ron for training, and Harry’s group later saw the siblings flying as they passed the Quidditch stands.

• Harry heard Ravenclaw girls whispering about how his changed demeanor affected their attraction to him, then held Cho Chang’s and Hermione’s hands as they talked about Luna.
• Angelina told Ron he had to attend Quidditch training instead of going to Hogsmeade, and Ron argued that other teams were allowed to go.
• Ron complained about his teammates, tore his permission slip in half, and headed to the training grounds.
• Ginny canceled her plans with her friends so she could train with Ron and keep him from clashing with the team again.
• Harry, Cho Chang, Hermione, and Astoria left Hogwarts with a ghost, and Harry carried Astoria on his back.
• Harry’s group passed the Quidditch pitch and saw Ron flying listlessly while Ginny trained with him.

Harry, Cho Chang, Hermione, and Astoria visited shops in Hogsmeade, where Harry spent time with Helena. They left Gladrags Wizardwear after the owner offered to pay Helena to model clothes and Harry refused.

• Pansy questioned Malfoy about choosing Quidditch practice over spending time with her, then walked away when he admitted he wanted to play.
• Harry teased Malfoy about being with Pansy, and Malfoy hurried after her with a Quidditch excuse.
• Harry, Cho Chang, Hermione, and Astoria browsed Dervish and Banges, then went to Gladrags Wizardwear to try on clothes.
• Helena changed her appearance into a court-style Lolita dress and asked Harry if it looked good.
• The shop owner asked Harry to let Helena model clothes, but Harry refused and asked Helena to massage his temples.

Harry and his companions took shelter from the rain in Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, where Astoria brought the unusual group to experience the couples' café. Harry teased Helena and the others while the students around them kissed, and the chapter ended with an awkward young couple finding common ground by complaining about Professor Snape.

• Harry encountered Draco Malfoy and Pansy leaving Honeydukes together, then joked with Malfoy about their linked arms and cake.
• When the rain began, Astoria led Harry, Hermione, Cho Chang, and Helena to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop instead of the Three Broomsticks.
• The group took the last available table, and Harry ordered four coffees despite five people being present.
• Harry clasped the hands of Hermione, Cho Chang, Astoria, and Helena together to demonstrate how to hold hands on a date.
• Roger Davies and his girlfriend kissed, prompting nearby couples to follow suit while Helena nervously tried to look elsewhere.
• An awkward young couple at another table relaxed after they began complaining together about Professor Snape.

Harry and Cho Chang watched a couple’s date collapse over jealousy and poor communication, then discussed what went wrong. Hermione asked Harry whether he liked her, and his teasing answer left her embarrassed.

• A boy invited a girl to meet Jennyseth Kuhn, making the girl jealous and distant.
• The girl questioned the boy about Jennyseth Kuhn and Richard Walter, then cried when he failed to understand her concerns.
• The girl ended their date and ran into the rain, while the boy left the café after her.
• Harry called the couple idiots for failing to communicate, and Cho Chang agreed that they seemed to like each other.
• Hermione asked Harry if he liked her, and Harry said he liked all of them before teasing that he would punish her that night.

Harry and his companions planned to redevelop Hogsmeade into a larger wizarding destination with new shops, dining, lodging, and attractions. Harry ended the meeting by assigning Penelope to oversee the plan, and the group returned to Hogwarts after his haunted-house ideas frightened them.

• Astoria proposed opening a large café in Hogsmeade, and Harry turned the idea into a discussion about redeveloping the village.
• Harry, Cho Chang, Hermione, Astoria, and Helena proposed a supermarket, a Leaky Cauldron branch, a café, a stationery shop, and an exhibition hall in Zonko's former shop.
• Cho Chang proposed turning the Hog's Head into an inn and renovating the Three Broomsticks as a Leaky Cauldron branch.
• Harry proposed making the Shrieking Shack into a realistic haunted house, frightening Astoria, Helena, Cho Chang, and Hermione.
• Harry named the Hogsmeade Village-to-Town Redevelopment Plan and said Penelope would oversee it, then the group returned to Hogwarts.

After spending the day with Cho Chang, Hermione, and Astoria, Harry secretly entered Luna’s Gryffindor dormitory at night. Luna’s roommates discovered the next morning that she looked unusually rosy.

• Helena cooked a lavish lunch at Harry's Cottage, where Cho Chang, Hermione, and Astoria joined her in the kitchen.
• Cho Chang pulled Harry away from his Herbology Drawing, and Hermione and Astoria teased and kissed him in the bedroom while Cho watched.
• At Hogwarts, Luna’s roommates gossiped about students and asked why she had seemed unhappy and skipped Hogsmeade.
• Harry entered the fifth-year Gryffindor girls' dormitory, cast a Sleeping Spell on Luna’s roommates, and climbed into Luna’s bed despite her protests.
• The next morning, Luna’s roommates noticed that she looked rosy, and Luna blushed.

At dinner, Harry and his companions watched Millicent and his friend misunderstand the problems in Millicent’s date, while Hermione explained their mistakes to Astoria. The Gryffindor Quidditch team then arrived arguing over Ron’s poor performance, and Ginny ran off in tears after Ron blamed her for being a better player.

• Harry, Astoria, and Hermione overheard Millicent ask his friend for advice about his disastrous date with Alicia Bragg, and the friend wrongly blamed the coffee.
• Hermione explained to Astoria that Millicent had been thoughtless during the date and that Alicia had tried to make him jealous; Harry kissed Astoria when she pressed him about expressing affection directly.
• The Gryffindor Quidditch team returned from practice in the rain and confronted Ron over his poor goalkeeping and treatment of Angelina.
• Ginny defended Ron, but he blamed her superior Quidditch skills on her childhood broom practice, and Ginny ran away in tears after noticing Harry watching.
• Slytherins celebrated Gryffindor’s internal conflict and predicted the team would struggle in the upcoming match.

Harry watched Gryffindor lose to Hufflepuff after Ginny replaced Ron as Keeper, while he and Hermione discussed changing Hogwarts Quidditch teams to reduce tension between the Houses. He left the match with Hermione planning an article for the Daily Prophet and the idea of proposing mixed-House teams to Dumbledore.

• Harry woke from a nightmare, resumed the previous night's intimacy with Astoria, and later had breakfast with Hermione and Cho Chang.
• At the Quidditch pitch, Hermione criticized how House matches worsened tensions, and Harry proposed mixed-House teams while she planned an article for the Daily Prophet.
• Gryffindor Keeper Ron missed fourteen saves in the first half, so Gryffindor replaced him with Ginny for the second half.
• Ginny made numerous saves and helped Gryffindor recover, but Hufflepuff won 240 to 230.
• Astoria kissed Harry to distract him from Ginny, and Harry then kissed Hermione and teased her.

Hermione’s reform article stirred controversy after Harry gave it a sensational headline, while Snape obtained Dumbledore’s Pensieve and revisited a painful memory from his youth. He withdrew before seeing the memory’s worst moment and was left alone with his grief.

• Hermione confronted Harry over changing her article’s title, while students and wizarding publications reacted to the misleading headline.
• Harry explained that changing Hogwarts Quidditch teams would be difficult because the rules reflected wider tensions between pure-bloods and Muggle-born students.
• Snape acted unusually distracted during Potions class, then went to the Ministry of Magic and obtained Dumbledore’s Pensieve.
• Snape placed his memories in the Pensieve and entered a scene of his fifth-year exams at Hogwarts.
• Snape watched his younger self glance at Lily from afar, then left the memory before the painful events that followed.

On the first evening of Easter holidays, Hermione made a packed six-week revision plan, but Harry soon abandoned studying to spend time with Astoria. By the end of the night, Hermione’s own revision had barely advanced, and the plan’s first day had failed.

• Hermione drew up a detailed revision timetable for herself and Harry, including a daily countdown to the exams.
• Harry folded the plan away and joked that Astoria could use it next year, while Hermione and Cho Chang teased him.
• Harry accidentally stroked Astoria instead of Little Cutie, and Astoria climbed into his lap and went with him to the bedroom.
• Hermione and Cho Chang stayed in the living room while Harry and Astoria were together, and Hermione struggled to focus on her book.
• At ten o’clock, Hermione found she had read only two pages, then went to the bedroom and argued with Harry.
• Helena passed the bedroom door and concluded that dinner would probably not be needed as the first day of Hermione’s revision plan ended in failure.

Harry explained to Astoria that magic should improve everyday life, then agreed to visit the Dueling Club with her. The chapter described Snape’s new Forbidden Forest competition and its rules, as students began fighting in rounds to determine a winner.

• Astoria asked Harry to visit the flashes of magic in the Forbidden Forest, and he told her magic should serve daily life rather than focus on destruction.
• Harry called Helena to prepare breakfast and promised Astoria they would visit the Dueling Club later.
• Snape established a large Dueling Club arena in a cleared, sealed section of the Forbidden Forest, with help from Harry’s suggestions and Ministry Aurors.
• Snape divided students into three age groups and allowed nearly the whole school to enter matches using ordinary school-provided wands and any magic, provided nobody suffered serious injuries.
• One hundred students entered each round, where a contracting freezing boundary forced them toward the center; the last five would compete to shatter a sphere and claim victory.