Recaps

Harry went to Snape’s office to ask for Veritaserum on Isaac’s behalf, only to learn that the potion was strictly controlled and illegal to possess without authorization. When Harry said Isaac had mentioned Wormtail and caught Ron’s rat Scabbers, Snape reacted with sudden alarm and demanded to know what else Isaac had said.

• Harry followed a ghost’s directions to Snape’s office and lost Gryffindor ten points for being out of bed.
• Harry told Snape that Isaac wanted Veritaserum brought to the Headmaster’s Office, where he and Ron had gone.
• Snape explained that unauthorized Veritaserum could lead to imprisonment in Azkaban and challenged Harry about the request.
• Harry repeated Isaac’s instruction to say “Wormtail,” and Snape seized him and demanded to know what else Isaac had said.
• Harry told Snape that Isaac had caught Ron’s rat, Scabbers, but had not explained why.

Snape recognized that the rat in the Headmaster’s Office might be Peter Pettigrew and brought Veritaserum to investigate. Isaac identified the rat as Wormtail, whose past as a supposed hero and Sirius Black’s alleged betrayer was laid out, while Pettigrew remained trapped in a spiked cage.

• Snape realized Harry had mentioned an Animagus and carried him to the Headmaster’s Office to investigate.
• Snape found Dumbledore, Ron, and Isaac in the office, with Scabbers trapped in a cage of spikes Isaac had created.
• Snape suspected the rat was Wormtail, and Isaac confirmed it with a nod.
• Snape gave Dumbledore the Veritaserum he had brought.
• The chapter recounted how Peter Pettigrew had been presumed dead after Sirius Black’s explosion, while Sirius was imprisoned and Pettigrew was honored as a hero.

Snape questioned Ron about Scabbers’s unusually long lifespan, and Dumbledore dismissed Harry and Ron after rewarding them for their help. Isaac insisted Ron deserved compensation and then helped reveal the rat, leaving Peter Pettigrew face-to-face with Snape in the Headmaster’s Office.

• Snape pointed out that Scabbers had lived for twelve years, far longer than an ordinary rat, and Dumbledore sent Harry and Ron away from the investigation.
• Harry asked for his lost house points back, and Dumbledore awarded him and Ron thirty points for their actions.
• Isaac argued that Ron should be compensated for losing Scabbers, and Dumbledore promised Ron a reward from Hogwarts.
• Isaac prompted Snape to acknowledge that he would also contribute, and Harry and Ron hurried out of the office.
• Isaac dispelled the spell holding Scabbers in rat form, and Peter Pettigrew ran into Snape’s legs.

Snape forced Peter Pettigrew out of his rat form in the Headmaster's Office, where Pettigrew's long history of betrayal and desperate attempts to survive came to light. Isaac bound him with transformed parchment, leaving Pettigrew captured and unable to act.

• Peter Pettigrew tried to flee Snape, but Snape struck him with a spell that forced him out of his rat form.
• Pettigrew became human in Dumbledore's office and glanced at Isaac, who had brought him there after Ron identified Scabbers.
• Pettigrew recalled betraying the Potters, framing Sirius Black, and hiding as a rat with the Weasley family for ten years to stay alive.
• Isaac noticed Pettigrew's resentment and challenged him for directing it at Isaac while refusing to meet his eyes.
• Isaac transformed sheets of parchment into ropes and bound Peter Pettigrew.

Isaac and Dumbledore used Snape's Veritaserum to uncover Peter Pettigrew's betrayal of James Potter and the truth behind Sirius Black's imprisonment. Dumbledore decided to go to the Ministry to clear Sirius, but Isaac warned him against it.

• Snape forced Peter Pettigrew to drink a full bottle of Veritaserum, and Peter admitted he had faked his death by causing an explosion and leaving behind a finger.
• Peter confessed that he had betrayed James Potter by giving Voldemort the Potters' address after Sirius changed the Secret Keeper to Peter.
• Isaac and Dumbledore questioned Peter further and learned that Peter had begun working for Voldemort about a year before the attack on James.
• Snape demanded that Dumbledore kill Peter, but Dumbledore insisted they had to correct Sirius Black's wrongful imprisonment; Snape stormed out.
• Dumbledore said he would go to the Ministry to speak with Cornelius, and Isaac advised him not to.

Isaac left Peter Pettigrew in Dumbledore’s office and began another intense combat lesson with Professor Vinda. Afterward, she gave him a reading list so long that he realized he had mistaken it for a single booklet.

• Isaac told Dumbledore he would contact Fudge, and Dumbledore left Peter Pettigrew in his office.
• Isaac returned to the Hufflepuff dormitory and went to sleep.
• Isaac met Professor Vinda by the Black Lake and dodged and countered her barrage of spells during their sparring session.
• Professor Vinda praised Isaac’s progress and gave him a booklet of books to study.
• Isaac opened the booklet and discovered that it was a lengthy reading list.

Isaac met Cedric and Gabriel after training with Professor Vinda and warned them not to imitate his intense spell-dodging exercise. He gave each of them a duplicated copy of his Hogwarts Library reading list before heading to breakfast.

• Isaac ran into Cedric and Gabriel after they finished their morning exercise, and they said being fit helped them learn magic faster.
• Cedric and Gabriel told Isaac they had watched him train with Professor Vinda and were amazed by the barrage of spells he had dodged.
• Isaac explained that Professor Vinda’s extreme training suited his abilities as a Seer and advised them to ask Professor Vinda for proper guidance instead.
• Cedric said he would ask Professor Rosier for advice after Defense Against the Dark Arts and urged Isaac to go to breakfast.
• Isaac guessed Gabriel wanted the reading list Professor Vinda had given him, duplicated it with Geminio, and handed copies to Gabriel and Cedric.

Gabriel and Cedric discussed Isaac’s unusual talent, while Isaac wrote to Cornelius Fudge to help smooth the way for clearing Sirius Black’s name. Isaac sent the letter through his owl, and Umbridge brought it to Fudge at the Ministry for Magic.

• Gabriel was startled by Isaac’s book list, and Cedric said Isaac’s talent could make Hufflepuff produce a big shot.
• Isaac decided to act as a buffer between Dumbledore and Fudge as he considered how to approach clearing Sirius Black’s name.
• Ernie and Justin joined Isaac for breakfast and warned him about Professor Snape before their first Potions class.
• Isaac finished writing his letter to Fudge and sent it with Cuckoo from the dormitory.
• Umbridge brought Isaac’s letter to Fudge’s desk and asked him to guess who had sent it.

Cornelius Fudge read Isaac's letter praising the Ministry's reward and equipment before discovering Isaac's claim that Peter Pettigrew was alive and hiding as a rat with the Weasley family. Fudge leapt to his feet, leaving the story with his urgent reaction to the revelation.

• Umbridge corrected Fudge when he mistook Mr. Waldore for Mr. Dumbledore and tried to caution him about the letter.
• Fudge dismissed Umbridge's ambitions and unfolded Isaac's letter, which praised the Ministry's 1,000 Galleons and its Undetectable Extension Bag.
• Isaac briefly mentioned that his paper, written with the Minister's guidance, had appeared in a leading journal.
• Isaac told Fudge that he had encountered Peter Pettigrew, presumed dead, hiding in rat form with the Weasley family.
• Fudge jumped up and knocked over the tea Umbridge had placed beside him.

Cornelius Fudge grew alarmed after learning that Peter Pettigrew was alive and hiding as a rat, and he rushed to seek answers from Isaac at Hogwarts. Meanwhile, Ernie Macmillan rebuffed a Ravenclaw’s attempt to stir resentment over Snape’s extra instruction for Isaac.

• Umbridge told Fudge about Isaac’s letter, and Fudge ordered her to arrange an immediate trip to Hogwarts.
• Fudge realized Peter Pettigrew’s decision to hide from Dumbledore suggested a serious secret and questioned whether Sirius Black had been imprisoned by mistake.
• Snape assigned Isaac different potions and ingredients from the rest of the class, then kept him behind for extra instruction.
• A Ravenclaw tried to provoke Ernie Macmillan into objecting to Snape’s special treatment of Isaac.
• Ernie offered to request the same demanding potion assignment for the Ravenclaw, including the risk of losing House Points.

Ernie Macmillan rebuffed a Ravenclaw who challenged Isaac’s advanced Potions study, while Justin worried that Snape might mistreat Isaac. Snape praised Isaac’s precise brewing, and Isaac realized he had kept him behind to discuss Peter Pettigrew.

• Ernie Macmillan sent a Ravenclaw away after mocking his attempt to challenge Isaac’s standing in Potions.
• Justin asked Ernie whether they should help Isaac, but Ernie said Snape would not give a smart student like Isaac a hard time.
• Snape kept Isaac in the classroom as their potion brewed and praised his precise technique.
• Isaac teased Snape about his praise, and Snape answered with cutting remarks.
• Isaac asked whether Snape had kept him behind because of Peter Pettigrew.

Isaac refused Snape’s offer to alter Peter Pettigrew’s memories and planned to take him to Minister Fudge so Sirius Black could be freed. Snape agreed to help move Pettigrew to the Slytherin dungeons, and Isaac gave him a signed note to open the Headmaster’s Office.

• Snape questioned Isaac about Peter Pettigrew and explained why he believed Sirius Black was guilty of arrogance but not betraying the Potters.
• Isaac said he would turn Pettigrew over to the Ministry of Magic so Sirius could be freed.
• Snape offered to preserve or manipulate Pettigrew’s memories, but Isaac said the Ministry and Wizengamot would need to see Pettigrew in person.
• Isaac invited Snape to meet Minister Fudge at noon and help move Pettigrew to the Slytherin dungeons.
• Snape asked for the Headmaster’s Office password, and Isaac handed him a signed note to show the Gargoyle.

Isaac reassured Hermione and Ron after their Charms lesson, then asked Harry to escort Minister Fudge to the dungeons. He hinted that Ron’s surprise was on its way, while Percy overheard them discussing Fudge.

• Hermione told Isaac that she had mastered the Levitation Charm, Harry had succeeded with unconventional wand movements, and Ron had struggled.
• Isaac defended Ron by pointing out his damaged wand and his recent loss of Scabbers, prompting Hermione to apologize and offer to help him find a pet.
• Isaac asked Harry to meet Minister Fudge at the castle entrance after lunch and bring him to the dungeons.
• Isaac told Ron to be patient because his surprise should soon arrive, leaving Hermione wondering what Harry and Ron had done without her.
• Percy approached Harry and Ron after overhearing them discuss Minister Fudge.

Percy learned that Isaac had arranged to meet Minister Fudge and eagerly took Harry’s place as the escort, hoping to impress the Minister. Ron admitted that he had deliberately let Percy take the task, surprising Hermione with his calculation.

• Percy overheard Ron explain that Isaac had asked Harry and Ron to meet Minister Fudge and lead him to the dungeons.
• Percy explained that the dungeons were near Slytherin’s common room, and Ron showed his dislike of Slytherin while Harry thought about Malfoy and Snape.
• Percy offered to take Harry to meet Minister Fudge, and Ron readily agreed.
• Percy walked off with Harry, rehearsing how to request an audience with the Minister.
• Hermione asked Ron whether Percy had been eager to take Isaac’s task, and Ron explained that Percy wanted a Ministry career and that he had deliberately handed him the opportunity.

Percy Weasley’s attempt to meet Minister Fudge was overshadowed by Harry, while Fudge and Umbridge went to the dungeon to meet Isaac. Isaac showed Fudge Peter Pettigrew and explained how Snape had found him and used Veritaserum; Peter sat vacant and seemingly impaired.

• Ron told Hermione that Percy would be tempted by the chance to meet Fudge and that Ron did not want to visit Slytherin territory.
• Fudge greeted Harry at the castle entrance and hurried toward the dungeon, leaving Percy’s introduction largely ignored.
• Umbridge dismissed Percy’s offer to guide them, and Percy privately agreed with Harry that she looked like a Pink Toad.
• Fudge and Umbridge met Snape near the Slytherin Common Room, and Fudge entered the dungeon while Umbridge stayed behind.
• Isaac showed Fudge Peter Pettigrew, who sat with a vacant stare, and explained that Snape had used Veritaserum after finding him raving out of control.

Fudge confronted Isaac and Snape after learning they had used Veritaserum on Peter Pettigrew, whose mind had been damaged by the overdose. Isaac reassured Fudge that the dungeon was soundproof and blocked Dumbledore from restoring Sirius Black’s public reputation, while Fudge sought a way to protect the Ministry’s standing.

• Fudge panicked when Snape confirmed that he had used Veritaserum on Peter Pettigrew, then calmed down after Isaac said the dungeon was soundproof.
• Fudge asked how much Veritaserum Isaac had given Peter, and Isaac and Snape clarified that it had been about two-thirds of a small vial.
• Fudge asked Isaac whether the situation was truly as bad as it seemed, and Isaac revealed that Snape had proposed secretly executing Peter and leaving Sirius in Azkaban.
• Isaac told Fudge that Dumbledore wanted to clear Sirius’s name but that Isaac had stopped him for now, prompting Fudge to praise Isaac for protecting the Ministry’s dignity.
• Fudge urged Isaac to persuade Dumbledore to consider the greater good, and Isaac replied that Dumbledore was old and difficult to persuade once he had decided on something.

Isaac helped Fudge shift responsibility for Sirius Black’s wrongful conviction and Peter Pettigrew’s false heroism onto the previous Minister for Magic, then proposed a way to keep Pettigrew under Ministry interrogation despite his condition. The chapter ended with Fudge turning to Snape to conceal the effects of Veritaserum.

• Isaac told Fudge that Dumbledore only wanted Sirius Black’s name cleared and would not interfere with blaming Pettigrew or the previous minister.
• Fudge prepared to send Pettigrew to the Ministry, but Isaac stopped him and asked Snape to shut off Pettigrew’s senses.
• Isaac warned Fudge that Pettigrew’s long life as a rat showed an exceptional will to survive and might let him resist Veritaserum.
• Isaac urged Fudge to have the Aurors treat Pettigrew as an uncooperative suspect, trapping him into enduring Ministry interrogation without revealing the truth.
• Fudge noted that the Auror Office could detect drugs, so Isaac introduced Snape as a leading Potions Master who could address the problem.

Isaac helped Cornelius Fudge decide how to handle Peter Pettigrew, while Snape understood that Isaac had concealed a dangerous possibility about Veritaserum. After Fudge left with Umbridge, Isaac told Snape to prepare the potion, expecting Aurors to arrive for Pettigrew.

• Snape neither confirmed nor denied Isaac’s claim about a potion that could conceal the amount of Veritaserum used, and Fudge took that as confirmation.
• Fudge decided on a course of action and found Umbridge eavesdropping outside the dungeon.
• Umbridge resented Isaac after Fudge and Snape left her without support, and she glared at him viciously.
• Isaac told Snape that Fudge had already considered the plan and only needed someone else to say it aloud.
• Isaac urged Snape to prepare the potion because he expected the minister to send Aurors to take custody of Peter Pettigrew.

Isaac guarded Peter Pettigrew in the dungeon while Snape prepared a potion, and Percy Weasley stumbled in to see what had brought Minister Fudge there. Isaac exposed Percy’s fear and challenged his belief that being a Prefect would guarantee success at the Ministry, leaving Percy intimidated and speechless.

• Isaac stayed in the dungeon to guard Peter Pettigrew while Snape prepared a potion.
• Percy entered the dungeon, and Isaac told him he could look at Peter, whom he found twitching in a corner.
• Percy tried to leave by claiming his Gryffindor Prefect duties were calling, but Isaac questioned whether the title made him important.
• Isaac criticized Percy for relying on his Prefect status and warned that Percy’s stiff attitude would make him vulnerable at the Ministry of Magic.

Percy tried to win Isaac’s favor after learning that Isaac had Minister Fudge’s attention, then discovered that Peter Pettigrew was the rat Scabbers. Isaac explained that Percy would be questioned by the Ministry and advised him to answer carefully, leaving Percy with a chance to make an impression there.

• Percy apologized to Isaac and admitted that he wanted to get ahead, and Isaac accepted his renewed respect.
• Isaac revealed that Peter Pettigrew had been Percy’s former pet, Scabbers, and Percy reacted with anger and embarrassment.
• Isaac calmed Percy and explained that the Ministry would interrogate Peter and question Percy about Scabbers.
• Isaac told Percy to state only what he knew and not pretend to know answers he could not give.

The Ministry uncovered Peter Pettigrew’s betrayal, cleared Sirius Black, and stripped Pettigrew of his Order of Merlin. As Christmas approached, Isaac finalized a plan to target Gringotts and went to ask Snape for help.

• Rufus Scrimgeour brought Peter Pettigrew from Hogwarts to the Ministry, where questioning and examinations exposed him as an informer.
• Fudge ordered Sirius Black brought from Azkaban and an investigation into how Pettigrew had been proclaimed a hero.
• At a Ministry hearing, Peter Pettigrew was stripped of his Order of Merlin, First Class, and Sirius Black was declared innocent and recognized as a hero.
• Professor Vinda reviewed Isaac’s plan to attack Gringotts and learned that he intended to involve Snape and have the Death Eaters clear the way.
• Isaac left Professor Vinda and went to Snape’s office.

Isaac invited Snape to a Christmas party where European wizards would examine one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes, while claiming Dumbledore could not be invited. Snape doubted Isaac’s explanation but took the Horcrux revelation seriously.

• Gryffindors and Slytherins kept fighting over Percy and Harry calling Isaac “sir,” while neither Percy nor Harry was bothered by the mockery.
• Snape suspected Peter Pettigrew had been killed to protect Minister Fudge’s political reputation rather than having taken his own life.
• Isaac told Snape he was organizing a Christmas party for respected European wizards and invited him to examine one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes.
• Snape asked whether Dumbledore knew about the Horcrux, and Isaac claimed Dumbledore had been left off the guest list because the guests had unpleasant histories with him.
• Snape doubted Isaac’s story, though the mention of a Horcrux made him serious.

Isaac persuaded Snape to help him recruit Death Eaters for a Christmas Day raid on Gringotts, then revealed he could reactivate and control the Dark Marks. The chapter ended with Snape realizing Isaac had sent a command to Voldemort’s former followers outside Britain.

• Snape agreed to help Isaac, tempted by the prospect of finding Voldemort’s Horcruxes.
• Isaac explained that he planned to rob Gringotts and said he wanted Death Eaters to carry out the attack.
• Snape said former British Death Eaters would not risk helping, so Isaac proposed summoning Voldemort’s followers who had fled to Europe.
• Isaac touched Snape’s Dark Mark with his wand, causing it to darken, burn, and return to its dormant state.
• Snape realized Isaac had used the Dark Mark to order Death Eaters outside Britain to attack Gringotts on Christmas Day and bring their master back.

Snape confronted Isaac after seeing him activate the Dark Mark, then demanded that Dumbledore explain who Isaac really was and what he was planning. Snape placed his recent memories in the Pensieve for Dumbledore to inspect.

• Isaac calmly told Snape that he had learned Tom’s signature tricks at school, and Snape lowered his wand to seek answers from Dumbledore.
• Snape entered the Headmaster’s Office and took Dumbledore’s Lemon Sherbet, briefly enjoying the old wizard’s reaction.
• Snape questioned Dumbledore about Isaac Waldore, but Dumbledore feigned ignorance and asked why Snape was so agitated.
• Snape used Occlumency to steady himself, then extracted his memories of Isaac activating the Dark Mark and put them in the Pensieve for Dumbledore to view.

Snape confronted Dumbledore about Isaac Waldore and Harry Potter, then agreed to strengthen Hogwarts's obstacles after Christmas. That night, Igor Karkaroff's letter arrived after his Dark Mark summoned him, drawing him back into the story.

• Snape saw that Dumbledore remained calm after viewing his memories and challenged him about Isaac and Harry.
• Dumbledore told Snape that Harry's plans still mattered and asked him to make the Hogwarts obstacles difficult enough to stop Isaac.
• Snape agreed to adjust the obstacles after Christmas and left to do something with Dumbledore's favorite student.
• Igor Karkaroff's owl delivered a letter to Snape late that night.
• Karkaroff, a former Death Eater and Durmstrang headmaster, had been summoned by his Dark Mark during the day.