Chapter Summaries

Wade and the other Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students attended a chaotic first Flying Lesson, where Madam Hooch repeatedly rescued students from accidents. Wade and Michael finished unharmed and returned to the Great Hall, where Hermione questioned the risks of flying and Michael praised the convenience of broomsticks.

• Madam Hooch warned the students about flying accidents, then taught them to summon their brooms and mount them properly.
• The students attempted their first flights, and Madam Hooch used her Wand to prevent injuries as several students crashed or fell.
• A Ravenclaw girl flew into the broom shed; Madam Hooch slowed her with Impedimenta, summoned a replacement broom, and made her continue practicing.
• Madam Hooch rescued students throughout the chaotic lesson and deducted five points from Hufflepuff after a reckless student struck her.
• Wade and Michael returned unharmed to the Great Hall, where Wade told Hermione that many students had been injured and someone had fainted.
• Michael urged Wade to appreciate broomsticks because they could take them straight to their dormitory without climbing stairs.

Wade dreamed of flying and wondered how to earn enough money to buy a broomstick. At the renamed Umbrella Room, his friends decided to form a group that crossed House boundaries and settled on the name Starry Sky Chaser, or SSC.

• Wade dreamed of flying a broomstick and wished he could afford a Nimbus 2000, but he could not ask his parents for a thousand Galleons.
• Wade arrived at the Practice Room on Saturday and found Hermione hammering up a sign naming it the Umbrella Room.
• Wade and his friends gathered in the Umbrella Room, where their books, study materials, plants, hobbies, and personal belongings filled their separate spaces.
• Theo suggested forming a group that transcended House differences, and the students proposed several names.
• Ryan suggested Starry Sky Chaser, shortened to SSC, and Michael enthusiastically praised the name.

Wade heard Hermione’s account of the midnight duel and the Three-headed Dog guarding a room on the fourth floor, then apologized after upsetting her with a joke. He suggested that the room’s careless seal might have been intended to be opened.

• Wade and the others agreed on rules for their group, SSC.
• Hermione told Wade that Malfoy had lured Harry and Ron into a midnight duel, and she had followed them after being locked out of the Common Room.
• Hermione described encountering a Three-headed Dog in a locked room on the fourth floor and worried that another student might find it.
• Wade joked that Hogwarts had a death quota, and Hermione believed him until he apologized and promised not to make jokes at her expense.
• Hermione asked whether she should warn Professor McGonagall about the dog, and Wade suggested the room might have been sealed carelessly on purpose.

Wade and Hermione discussed why Dumbledore had given only a vague warning about the Fourth Floor Right Corridor, and Wade suspected Harry would discover what the Three-headed Dog guarded. Later, Wade delivered Wound Cleanser to Madam Pomfrey and learned that Cedric Diggory was offering to buy Hogsmeade goods for younger students, surprising him when he heard the name.

• Hermione realized Dumbledore had not explained the corridor warning because he may have wanted curious students to investigate, and Wade suspected the Three-headed Dog was guarding something Harry would find.
• Wade focused on improving his Charms and Potions, using his Guidance Line to practice spells and brewing Wound Cleanser under Snape's supervision.
• Snape judged Wade's Wound Cleanser barely usable and sent him to deliver it to Madam Pomfrey before Quidditch season made the Hospital Wing busy.
• Wade returned to find his friends making Hogsmeade shopping lists, and he learned a Hufflepuff third-year had offered to buy things for younger students.
• Ryan identified the helpful student as Cedric Diggory, and Wade froze in surprise at the name.

Wade and his friends discussed Hufflepuff’s helpful upperclassmen, and Theo told Wade how much his guidance had brought their study group together. Cedric returned with their Hogsmeade sweets, and the group sampled them together, ending with Wade discovering a bean that tasted like snow.

• Wade and his friends compared Hufflepuff’s willingness to shop for younger students with Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, and Wade joked that Michael would not want to do the same for Ravenclaw.
• Theo told Wade that Wade’s spell practice and shared notes had brought the SSC group together and helped its less confident students earn points.
• After Theo left, Wade saw Claudia in her portrait and wondered why Theo had forgotten that Theo had secured their classroom.
• Cedric bought everything on the students’ lists without charging extra, and Hermione floated after drinking a magical beverage until Wade caught her.
• The friends sampled Pepper Imps and Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans; Neville got an extremely spicy chili flavor, while Wade’s bean tasted like snow.

On Halloween, Wade exchanged thoughtful gifts with the Hogwarts House-elves before practicing the Levitation Charm in Charms class. After Wade helped Anthony master the wand movement, his diagram spread among the students, and Professor Flitwick praised the technique.

• Wade left Halloween gifts for Zoe, Phil, and Hobby, and they returned them with biscuits, flowers, and stones.
• Professor Flitwick paired Wade with Anthony Goldstein to practice the Levitation Charm.
• Wade, Hermione, and Michael levitated their feathers, and Neville surprised the class by making his feather hover.
• When Anthony struggled with the wand movement, Wade drew him a guided motion diagram, and Anthony successfully levitated his feather.
• Lavender and other students passed around Wade's diagram, and Professor Flitwick called it a clever method of guidance.

Wade continued improving his spellwork and studying Alchemy, where he met the Weasley Family's Twins and discovered they had deep knowledge of the subject. The chapter left Wade eager to learn from their recommendations before they parted without exchanging names.

• Professor Flitwick praised Wade's spell-learning reference and gave copies to the class as the students practiced the Levitation Charm.
• Terry and other Ravenclaws questioned Michael about studying with Wade, and Michael said Wade was the one who taught them.
• Wade went to the library and read The Book of Nature's Secrets: The Fifth Element in the Alchemy section.
• George Weasley and Fred discussed Alchemy with Wade and recommended books, including a revised version of On the Diversity of Species.
• Wade wrote down their recommendations, and they parted without asking one another's names.

Wade learned that Hermione had been crying in a bathroom after Ron insulted her, and he went to find her during the Halloween Feast. Harry realized Hermione was still missing and left the feast to look for her too.

• Wade noticed Hermione was absent from Transfiguration and learned from Harry that she had cried after Charms class.
• Padma told Wade that Ron had called Hermione a nightmare and that Hermione was still in a bathroom, so Wade went to find her with Padma and Michael.
• Harry saw Wade leave the Great Hall and realized Hermione had not returned, while Ron dismissed his concern.
• Harry left the Great Hall to look for Hermione as Dumbledore and Snape watched him go.

After Padma comforted Hermione in the bathroom, Wade, Michael, Padma, and Hermione encountered a troll in the castle corridor. They subdued it, with Hermione repeatedly knocking it unconscious using its club, just before Ron arrived and asked what had happened.

• Padma comforted Hermione over Ron's insults, and Hermione left the bathroom to rejoin her friends.
• Wade and the others spotted a troll in the corridor, and Harry struck it with a bucket before urging them to run.
• Wade distracted the troll with conjured birds and made the floor slippery, causing it to fall and drop its club.
• Hermione used Wingardium Leviosa to repeatedly hit the troll with its club until it passed out.
• Ron rushed in, saw the unconscious troll, and asked what had happened.

Hermione knocked out a troll with the Levitation Charm after Harry and the others distracted it, and the professors arrived to question the students. Wade and Michael helped explain what happened, and Professor McGonagall sent everyone back to their Common Rooms without deducting points.

• Hermione knocked the troll unconscious with the Levitation Charm after Wade made it slip and the students distracted it with spells.
• Professor Flitwick praised the students for their teamwork and awarded each of them five points, but Professor McGonagall reprimanded them for confronting the troll.
• Wade explained that Hermione had been feeling better and that Harry had drawn the troll's attention, while Michael added that Harry had hit it with a bucket and urged them to run.
• Professor Snape mocked Harry and Ron, while Professor McGonagall decided not to deduct points and told everyone to return to their Common Rooms.
• The students left the professors behind and began laughing once they were out of sight.

After defeating the troll, Wade and his friends returned to Ravenclaw Tower, where Padma asked to join their spell-practice group. Wade agreed to ask the others, and Michael privately knew the group would welcome her as long as Wade approved.

• Padma praised Hermione for levitating the troll, while Michael admired Wade's Sliding Charm and Harry reflected on how much he had neglected his studies.
• Wade reassured Harry that using a bucket had been a good idea, and the group split up at a corridor fork, leaving Harry, Hermione, and Ron in a tense silence.
• Padma asked Wade to teach her Slippery Slope and hinted that she wanted to join the spell-practice group; Wade said he would ask the others, and Michael welcomed her.
• Padma answered the Eagle Door Knocker's riddle, and Michael joked about the answer as they entered the crowded Ravenclaw Halloween celebration.
• Wade returned to the dormitory because he disliked noisy places, and Michael reassured Padma that Wade's departure had nothing to do with her.
• Michael considered how Wade's approval guided membership in SSC and why he had created rules to keep the group from becoming overcrowded.

Wade accepted Zoe’s offer to bring him fresh fruit, and the meal inspired him to plan a future trip to the East after graduation. At the Umbrella Room, Padma began practicing magic with Wade and realized joining SSC had been an excellent decision.

• Zoe visited Wade because he had skipped dinner, and he asked her to bring fresh fruit instead of making him a dessert.
• After eating the fruit, Wade decided that he wanted to visit the East after graduating from Hogwarts.
• Padma joined SSC without objections, while Hermione studied harder under pressure from Wade’s progress in Transfiguration.
• Wade coached Ryan in Petrificus Totalus and offered to help Padma improve her Repairing Charm.
• Padma began practicing Reparo with Wade and felt sure she would learn a great deal in SSC.

Wade hid on a secluded platform and overheard Voldemort order Quirrell to kill Harry during his upcoming Quidditch match. Quirrell agreed to make Harry’s death look like an accidental fall, leaving Wade shaken and aware of the threat.

• Wade watched Gryffindor practice from a hidden platform and settled down to read about Alchemy.
• Wade sensed the smell of garlic, canceled his magic, and hid when he heard Quirrell and Voldemort nearby.
• Voldemort ordered Quirrell to kill Harry while Harry was the center of attention, but Quirrell protested that Dumbledore would notice.
• Voldemort tortured Quirrell and then suggested he make Harry fall from his broom during the match so it would look like an accident.
• Quirrell agreed and left, and Wade waited until he was gone before releasing a long, shaken breath.

After narrowly escaping Quirrell, Wade fell ill and was found in a Hogwarts corridor by Alchemy professor Terence Murray. Murray treated Wade in his unusual office and learned that the young student had already studied advanced Alchemy texts.

• Wade hid on the concealed platform until near dawn, then realized he had a severe fever and made his way toward the Hospital Wing.
• A red-haired portrait wizard followed Wade through the corridors, chattering at him until Wade reached a stretch without portraits.
• Wade encountered an unfamiliar silver-haired wizard and, too feverish to resist, let him guide him to a nearby office.
• The wizard introduced himself as Professor Terence Murray and gave Wade a Stupefy Potion, which cleared his head.
• Murray noticed Wade’s Alchemy book and advised him to study the basics, but Wade said he had memorized several references and read works by Nicolas Flamel, leaving Murray frozen.

Wade Gray demonstrated his mastery of Ancient Runes to Professor Murray and earned an offer of weekly alchemy tutoring. After remembering a silvery-haired figure by the lake, Wade questioned whether Murray had been there, but Murray explained that he had arrived through the Floo Network that morning.

• Professor Murray tested Wade Gray's knowledge of Ancient Runes and confirmed that the first-year Ravenclaw had mastered the material.
• Wade told Professor Murray that he loved alchemy and believed wizards needed to learn from and integrate Muggle technology.
• Professor Murray offered Wade two hours of weekly alchemy guidance and lent him From Zero to Hero: Learning Magical Item Creation.
• Wade remembered seeing a silvery-haired figure by the lake and grew uneasy about whether it had been Professor Murray.
• Professor Murray said he had arrived at his office through the Floo Network and found Wade after hearing Griffiths shouting in the corridor.

Wade spoke with Griffiths about the lonely portrait’s life in the Astronomy Tower and promised to ask the professors about moving him. Meanwhile, Professor Murray reflected on his students’ shortcomings and explained why he valued Alchemy, ending by praising eleven-year-old Wade as different.

• Wade asked Griffiths about the other portraits, and Griffiths complained that he was lonely in the Astronomy Tower.
• Griffiths asked Wade to move his portrait somewhere livelier, and Wade promised to ask the professors before secretly relocating him if they objected.
• Wade decided not to question Griffiths about Professor Murray or Quirrell because he doubted the portrait could keep a secret.
• Professor Murray berated his seventh-year students and gave them five times their usual Alchemy homework.
• Griffiths asked whether Murray had taken a liking to Wade, and Murray explained that Alchemy could improve the Wizarding World and help protect wizards from Muggles.
• Murray agreed that Wade was different from his other students, despite being only eleven.

Wade learned more about Professor Murray and went to watch Gryffindor play Slytherin in the first Quidditch match of the year. When Quirrell tried to curse Harry Potter’s broom, Wade’s spell made Quirrell tumble down the stands, and Harry caught the Snitch to win the match.

• Wade asked West Mole about Professor Murray and learned that the renowned Alchemist rarely visited Hogwarts.
• Benson hurried West Mole toward the Quidditch Pitch, and Wade realized he had forgotten that Gryffindor and Slytherin were playing that day.
• Wade spotted Quirrell standing near Snape and watched him focus on Harry Potter as the match began.
• As Quirrell prepared to curse Harry’s broom, Wade flicked his Wand and sent Quirrell rolling down the stands.
• Harry caught the Golden Snitch, giving Gryffindor a 170–20 victory, while Snape noticed Quirrell’s furious reaction and Wade slipped away.

Wade asked Professor Flitwick to test his spellwork and demonstrated mastery of the third-year spells after only three months of study. Flitwick lent him fourth-year materials, giving Wade a path from learning spells toward understanding and mastering them.

• Wade avoided deserted corners after overhearing Quirrell and pendant-version Voldemort, and watched Quirrell closely during Defense Against the Dark Arts.
• Padma invited Wade to the Umbrella Room, but he declined so he could visit Professor Flitwick; Michael was pleased to have time alone with Padma.
• Wade asked Professor Flitwick to test his proficiency with third-year spells and successfully cast more than a dozen on his first try.
• Professor Flitwick praised Wade's rapid progress and lent him the fourth-year textbook, teaching materials, lesson plans, and former students' essays.
• Wade reflected that books helped him understand spells, while Professor Flitwick's accumulated materials brought him closer to mastering them.

Wade moved Griffiths’s portrait from the Astronomy Tower to a busy corridor after getting Professor Flitwick’s approval. There, Griffiths welcomed Harry and Ron, who began chatting with him after Hermione left with Wade.

• Wade asked Professor Flitwick about moving Griffiths, and Flitwick agreed as long as Griffiths stopped encouraging Peeves to cause trouble.
• As Wade carried Griffiths’s portrait away, Griffiths provoked the nearby portraits, who chased into his territory and beat him in a chaotic farewell.
• Griffiths explained that he had wanted a lively farewell without sadness, and Wade hung his portrait along the busy route between the Great Hall and the library.
• Hermione passed Wade, Harry, and Ron while they argued about whether Snape had let the troll into Hogwarts, then left with Wade to study.
• Griffiths introduced himself to Harry and Ron, who became interested when he recalled knowing wizards with their surnames.

Wade found inspiration for his first Alchemy creation after seeing snow fall over Hogwarts. Meanwhile, Fred Weasley and George Weasley targeted Quirrell with enchanted snowballs, then suspected Wade knew the secret behind Quirrell’s scarf.

• Wade rejected several simple Alchemy projects as unoriginal and found inspiration for a creation when he saw snow falling outside the castle.
• Fred Weasley and George Weasley enchanted snowballs to chase Quirrell and hit him in the back of the head.
• Professor McGonagall deducted thirty points from the Weasley Twins and gave them a month of detention.
• Wade asked Fred Weasley and George Weasley why they had targeted Quirrell, and they explained their suspicions about his scarf.
• Fred Weasley and George Weasley noticed Wade was not curious about the scarf and asked whether he already knew its secret; Wade challenged them over their questioning.