Chapter Summaries

Wade sold six Cleaning Crabs to Filch, while students mistakenly thought the caretaker had caught him breaking the rules. The rumor ended when they saw Filch pay Wade and leave with the crabs, just as Padma hurried Professor Flitwick to investigate.

• Wade told Filch the Cleaning Crabs cost fifteen Silver Sickles each and sold him the six he had available.
• Students who saw Wade walking with Filch assumed he had been caught and warned the members of SSC.
• Padma rushed to find Professor Flitwick as the students panicked and hid items they thought might violate school rules.
• The rumor that Filch had caught Wade spread through Hogwarts, and students watched the pair while preparing to help Wade escape.
• Wade handed Filch the Cleaning Crabs, and Filch paid him before cheerfully leaving with them.
• Padma brought Professor Flitwick to the Umbrella Room, where the students had already realized the rumor was false.

Wade repaired Filch’s Cleaning Crabs, and Filch repaid him with flowers for the Umbrella Room. Filch also warned Wade about suspected Dark Wizards near Hogsmeade, leaving Wade to alert his friends and take the threat seriously.

• Filch’s Cleaning Crabs made the castle easier to clean, improving his temper and making the students uneasy about his smiles.
• Wade repaired a damaged crab in Filch’s office, where Filch introduced him to the crabs he had named and spoke sadly about Mrs. Norris growing old.
• Filch gave Wade several flowerpots that Professor Lockhart had let him keep, and Wade said he would put them in the Umbrella Room for Padma, Michael, and the others.
• Filch warned Wade that people resembling Dark Wizards had been seen near Hogsmeade, and Wade told him not to investigate further.
• Wade said he would remind his friends to stay away from Hogsmeade, while Filch reassured him that Hogwarts was safe under Dumbledore.

Wade gave Filch’s flowers a place in the Umbrella Room, then spent Valentine’s Day avoiding Lockhart’s extravagant Great Hall celebration with Michael and Padma. The chapter left Lockhart’s winged Dwarves roaming Hogwarts to deliver Valentine’s cards.

• Wade arranged the flowers Filch had given him in the Umbrella Room, where Theo and Ryan made plant stands and added fertilizer.
• Michael teased Wade about receiving flowers, and Wade explained that Filch had given them to thank him for repairing the Cleaning Crab.
• Lockhart filled the Great Hall with pink decorations and announced that winged Dwarves would deliver Valentine’s cards.
• Wade left the Great Hall, and Michael persuaded Padma to join them; she teased him for being jealous of Lockhart.

Rufus Scrimgeour arrived at Hogwarts during the Valentine’s Day celebration and arrested Gilderoy Lockhart for using powerful Obliviation Charms to steal other people’s accomplishments. After Lockhart was taken away, Michael, Wade, and Hermione worried about who would teach Defense Against the Dark Arts.

• Michael received eleven Valentine’s Day cards, while Wade used charms to keep the singing Dwarfs away.
• Lockhart boasted about receiving more than a hundred cards and celebrated in the Great Hall.
• Scrimgeour entered with Aurors and announced that Lockhart was under arrest for illegally wiping people’s memories.
• Lockhart protested, then surrendered his Wand and was bound and escorted from Hogwarts.
• Michael asked Wade what would happen to Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, and Hermione shared their concern.

Wade and his classmates reacted to Lockhart’s arrest and worried that Hogwarts might not find another Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Professor Flitwick confirmed that evidence against Lockhart was strong and that Lockhart would likely spend at least ten years in Azkaban.

• Padma joked that her acting had improved, and Michael said Lockhart had taught him not to become vain or fame-obsessed.
• The Weasley Twins and Lee Jordan celebrated Lockhart’s departure with a magical firework, but Professor McGonagall scattered them.
• Morag asked Wade to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Michael objected that Wade needed time for Alchemy research and might be exposed to the course’s alleged curse.
• Hermione asked Professor Flitwick whether there was solid evidence of Lockhart’s crimes, and Flitwick said someone had reported him to the Ministry with extensive evidence.
• Professor Flitwick said Lockhart would probably spend at least ten years in Azkaban and warned the students about the dangers of abusing the Obliviation Charm.

After Sirius and Remus exposed Lockhart, the Ministry arrested him and public opinion shifted against the fraudulent author once the evidence was published. Hogwarts professors took turns teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Professor Flitwick began Wade’s class with a lesson on Dwarf Pig Monsters.

• Hermione worried about Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons, and Professor Flitwick reassured the students that a substitute would arrive soon.
• A newspaper showed Lockhart being escorted into the Ministry, and Harry asked Wade not to mention that he had helped set events in motion.
• Sirius and Remus told Harry that they had reported Lockhart, while Sirius explained that he had persuaded Scrimgeour to arrest him publicly on Valentine’s Day.
• After Lockhart’s arrest, his fans flooded the Ministry with letters and Howlers, but the published evidence turned most of them against him.
• Professor Flitwick substituted for Wade’s class, set aside Lockhart’s books, and taught the students about Dwarf Pig Monsters.

Hogwarts welcomed Sera Abigail, its new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and students learned that her approach relied on intense practical dueling. Ravenclaw’s first class with her was still ahead as Thursday arrived.

• Dumbledore introduced Sera Abigail as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and announced that the Board of Governors had bought new textbooks for the students.
• Wade and his friends received Defense and Deterrence Spells, whose title page declared that attack was the best defense.
• Students who attended Abigail’s classes gave conflicting reactions, and Madam Pomfrey reportedly argued with her over the injured students.
• Harry praised Abigail’s dueling lessons, and Wade stopped Harry’s nosebleed with a Healing Spell.
• Ravenclaw students anxiously awaited their first lesson with Abigail as Thursday arrived.

Professor Abigail put the students through a brutal Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, then dueled Wade until Madam Pomfrey intervened. The chapter ended with Pomfrey furiously confronting Abigail as the students watched from the doorway.

• Professor Abigail removed the classroom mats, mocked the students, and challenged them to demonstrate their dueling skills.
• Abigail blasted students including Anthony Goldstein and Michael Corner, then warned Blaise Zabini about the dangers of Dark Wizards.
• Wade Gray fought back with spells, and rebounding magic struck students and sent the class fleeing from the room.
• Abigail knocked Wade down by exploiting an obstacle on the floor, but Wade retaliated with a magically grown willow branch that sent her tumbling.
• Madam Pomfrey arrived and angrily ordered Abigail to stop, while students watched from behind her.

Madam Pomfrey reprimanded Professor Abigail for injuring her second-year students, but Wade stayed behind to challenge Abigail and was badly beaten. Michael and the others carried Wade to the Hospital Wing, then headed to Ravenclaw Tower still injured and wondering when their Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons would become normal.

• Madam Pomfrey angrily scolded Professor Abigail for injuring her students and took the unconscious students to the Hospital Wing.
• Michael noticed Wade was missing and returned with Padma, Anthony, and Terry to find him fighting Professor Abigail.
• Wade disarmed Abigail with Expelliarmus, but she charged through his magical obstacles and knocked him unconscious.
• Abigail told Anthony Goldstein to take Wade to the Hospital Wing and claim Wade had asked to continue their duel.
• Padma turned a table into a stretcher, and the students carried Wade to the Hospital Wing, where Madam Pomfrey scolded them too.
• Michael and the others left without having their injuries treated and headed toward Ravenclaw Tower.

Wade woke in the hospital wing after fighting Professor Abigail and discussed her suspected Muggle military training and possible gun with Theo and Ryan. Concerned about her background and purpose at Hogwarts, he planned to ask Dumbledore about her.

• Wade woke in the hospital wing, where Theo and Ryan were keeping watch after his fight with Professor Abigail.
• Wade told Theo and Ryan that Abigail seemed to have professional Muggle combat training and might carry a gun.
• Ryan described a gun as a metal wand, and Wade warned that guns were fast and dangerous, though he did not know whether a Shield Charm could stop one.
• Wade worried Abigail might have been sent to Hogwarts to cause trouble and resolved to ask Dumbledore about her background.

After being discharged from the Hospital Wing, Wade arranged to meet Dumbledore and learned safety lessons from Professor Flitwick in Charms class. The chapter left Wade prepared to speak with Dumbledore that afternoon.

• Madam Pomfrey examined Wade, gave him a Potion, and allowed him to leave the Hospital Wing while injured Slytherins watched in silence.
• Michael told Wade that many Slytherins would want to befriend him, and Wade asked whether Dumbledore was at school.
• Dumbledore replied that he would meet Wade at two in the afternoon and gave him the password “strawberry ice cream.”
• Professor Flitwick taught the class to dodge spells, prioritize safety, and use spells to deflect incoming attacks.
• Professor Flitwick spoke privately with Wade, who admitted he should not have let his emotions drive him to keep challenging Professor Abigail.

Wade heard that Professor Abigail’s O.W.L.-year students were disappointed by her exam-focused Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, then overheard Madam Pomfrey demand that Dumbledore rein in Abigail’s rough teaching. The chapter left Wade waiting outside the Headmaster’s Office as Madam Pomfrey came out and asked whether his injuries had healed.

• Matt and the other fifth-years told Michael and Wade that Professor Abigail had given them an ordinary, exam-focused lesson instead of the dueling class they had expected.
• Padma wondered whether Abigail had changed her teaching style after Madam Pomfrey argued with her, and Michael suggested asking Fred and the others about their afternoon class.
• Wade went to Dumbledore’s office after lunch and overheard Madam Pomfrey complain that Abigail had sent many students to the Hospital Wing.
• Madam Pomfrey threatened to supervise Abigail’s classes unless the professor learned to restrain herself, and Dumbledore promised to speak with her.
• Madam Pomfrey left the office and asked Wade whether his injuries had fully healed; Wade thanked her for treating him.

Wade questioned Dumbledore about Professor Abigail and learned that she carried a pistol and planned to teach students about Muggle weapons. Dumbledore revealed that an investigation had uncovered no traces of their enemies among Muggles, leaving Wade worried about how deeply they had infiltrated.

• Madam Pomfrey reprimanded Wade for trying to defeat an adult wizard, then hurried away to tend to the remaining students in the infirmary.
• Wade met Dumbledore in his office and asked what he knew about Professor Abigail, whose fighting skills had nearly broken his bones.
• Dumbledore confirmed that Abigail had lived among Muggles, carried a pistol, and received permission to demonstrate Muggle weapons in Defense Against the Dark Arts.
• Wade asked whether anything had happened during Dumbledore's investigation, and Dumbledore said investigators had found no witnesses, rumors, or surveillance footage.
• Dumbledore concluded that their enemies had deeply infiltrated Muggle society, and Wade left the office worried.

As Maze Challenge alliances made Hogwarts students more organized and combat-ready, Snape and Dumbledore worried over the spectacle while Abigail’s Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons taught practical fighting skills. The chapter ended with Flitwick reminding Ravenclaw students to choose their third-year electives during the Easter holidays.

• Professor Abigail became a regular participant in the Maze Challenge, prompting students to form teams and use coordinated tactics against her.
• Snape watched the students’ organized attacks and asked Dumbledore whether training them like an army had been his purpose; Dumbledore said he had only wanted them to practice spells.
• Professor Abigail began teaching from the Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook and demonstrating practical ways to counter Dark Wizards, leaving students bruised after class.
• Ravenclaw and Slytherin students increasingly helped one another with Potions and let old house grudges fade, though Malfoy remained cold toward some of his former companions.
• Professor Flitwick told Ravenclaw students to discuss and choose their third-year elective subjects during the coming Easter holiday.

Wade helped his friends weigh family advice and compare Hogwarts electives before revealing that he would take every subject. He saw the heavy course load as his only chance to obtain a Time-Turner.

• Professor Flitwick handed out elective lists and advised the students to think carefully before choosing.
• Theo, Neville, and their friends brought Wade their families’ advice, and Harry brought Ron to join the discussion.
• Wade charted the subjects’ difficulty and requirements, explaining the challenges of Ancient Runes and Arithmancy and the different merits of the easier electives.
• Neville crossed Ancient Runes and Arithmancy off his list, while Ron concealed his interest in Divination after reading Percy’s advice.
• After sorting through the letters, Wade told the group he planned to take all the electives so he could obtain a Time-Turner.

Wade helped his friends choose their courses, then left Hogwarts to work with Lupin on completing his Animagus transformation. On the way to Hogsmeade, they discussed Professor Sera Abigail, and Wade asked Lupin if he liked her.

• Wade explained that he chose every course to learn about different magical systems and thanked his friends for considering their futures.
• Students at Hogwarts finalized their course selections and organized a Maze Challenge, but Prefect West barred Wade from competing.
• Wade told Michael that he would use the holiday to attempt his Animagus transformation with Lupin, whose weather reports predicted storms.
• Wade left Hogwarts on the third day of the Easter holiday and met Lupin, while Hagrid stayed behind to judge the Maze Challenge.
• Wade asked Lupin about Sera Abigail, and Lupin described her travels and work before Wade asked whether he liked her.

Wade arrived in Hogsmeade with Lupin, where Lupin and Sirius prepared a secluded forest clearing for Wade’s first Animagus transformation. They had taken precautions against him becoming lost or trapped in animal form, and Sirius reflected on how reckless their own transformations had been.

• Lupin denied having romantic feelings for Abigail and remembered the dreams he and his friends had shared before the war separated them.
• Wade and Lupin reached Hogsmeade and went to Lupin’s home, where Lupin prepared vegetables while Wade noticed his new household-magic books.
• Sirius returned on a modified Red Motorcycle and confirmed that Wade had practiced his transformation spell twice daily without missing a day.
• Sirius and Lupin led Wade to a prepared clearing in the nearby forest, sealed its openings, and explained the precautions they had taken in case Wade became a bird or fish.
• Sirius wondered aloud why he and his friends had transformed so recklessly as teenagers, then poured sea salt into the water pit.

Wade waited with Lupin and Sirius for the weather to turn before attempting his Animagus transformation, while they prepared a woodland clearing and spent the day in the village. As rain began to fall, they realized it was not the storm they had been waiting for.

• Lupin and Sirius prepared a clearing with protected habitats for Wade’s Animagus transformation, and Lupin explained that Wade needed to transform in nature.
• Wade woke to dark, damp weather, ate breakfast with Lupin, and read about animal bodies while waiting for Sirius.
• Wade, Lupin, and Sirius visited the village, where Wade bought school supplies and gifts and Madam Rosmerta served him non-alcoholic Butterbeer.
• Sirius promised to celebrate Wade’s success with a drink, then sobered up as they left the Three Broomsticks and noticed the rain had started.
• Wade felt the chilly wind and saw that the rain was only falling in silken threads, not as the storm they had awaited.

Wade waited for the storm that would complete his Animagus transformation, then drank the Potion and began to transform. He disappeared in a flash as a bluish bird of prey.

• Lupin reassured Wade that his Animagus preparations were progressing quickly and reminded him to cast the spell at sunset.
• Wade cast the Animagus spell, drank Butterbeer, and fell asleep while waiting for the storm.
• Lupin woke Wade when the storm arrived, and Sirius led Wade and Lupin on broomsticks to the forest.
• Wade cast the spell again, drank the blood-red Potion, and underwent a painful transformation.
• Wade transformed into a bluish bird of prey and vanished in a flash.

Wade’s first Animagus transformation left him trapped in bird form during a storm, and Sirius and Lupin feared he had escaped. They found him hiding on Lupin’s broomstick, changed him back, and learned his animal form was a peregrine falcon.

• Sirius noticed Wade had vanished and told Lupin that Wade had turned into a bird.
• Sirius and Lupin searched the stormy grounds on broomsticks, worried Wade might lose his human awareness.
• After several unsuccessful searches, Lupin heard a cry and found Wade hiding on his broomstick as a dark teal bird.
• Sirius and Lupin used magic to turn Wade back into a twelve-year-old boy.
• Sirius identified Wade’s animal form as a peregrine falcon, and Lupin reminded him to retain his sense of self during future transformations.