Chapter Summaries

Dumbledore warned Harry that Severus was risking punishment by hiding Darren’s return from Voldemort, while Mrs. Weasley fed Harry and worried about Darren and Arthur. The chapter ended with Arthur arriving home and making Molly answer an embarrassing question before she would let him in.

• Dumbledore told Harry that Severus would delay telling Voldemort about Darren and urged Harry not to interfere.
• Tonks left, and Mrs. Weasley complained that Darren should have been treated in the Hospital Wing rather than St. Mungo’s.
• Harry recalled Darren’s suspicions about Snape’s potion and felt guilty for failing to notice Darren’s act the previous year.
• Harry tried to feed Darren’s cat, Lezi, and explained that it had stopped eating, drinking, and sleeping since being separated from Darren.
• Mrs. Weasley told Harry that Arthur had been promoted and was working late, while the family clock showed everyone in mortal peril.
• Arthur arrived home and made Molly answer what she liked to call him when they were together before he let her open the door.

Harry arrived at the Weasleys’ home, where Ron and Ginny told him they had kept Darren’s survival secret until Dumbledore informed him. Fleur then revealed that she wanted to pursue Darren and hoped to marry him after he graduated, leaving Harry stunned when Ginny said Tonks was prettier than Fleur too.

• Mr. and Mrs. Weasley welcomed Harry, who stayed in Fred and George’s room.
• Harry learned that Ron and Ginny had been hiding Darren’s survival, which Dumbledore had already revealed to him.
• Fleur brought Harry porridge and said she wanted to pursue Darren and marry him after he graduated.
• Mrs. Weasley objected that Darren was too young for Fleur, while Ron explained Fleur had been visiting the Weasleys for about a week.
• Ginny defended her long-standing feelings for Darren, and Harry reacted with disbelief when she said Tonks was prettier than Fleur.

Harry learned that Voldemort’s prophecy meant only one of them could survive, but he chose to keep living with his friends’ support. The chapter ended as Harry received his exam results and saw that Darren’s report card had arrived too.

• Ron told Harry that Darren still had not woken up and that Dumbledore would teach Harry and Darren that year.
• Harry told Ron that the prophecy meant only he or Voldemort could survive, and Ron promised that he and Hermione would stand by him.
• Hermione arrived, forgave Harry for hiding that Darren was alive, and promised she would help him live.
• Harry and Ron went downstairs, where Hermione anxiously waited for their exam results to arrive by Owl.
• Three Owls delivered the results; Harry received Darren’s report card as well as his own and began reading his grades.

Harry reviewed his exam results, and Darren woke from his long recovery at St. Mungo’s and returned to the Weasleys. With Darren safely home and excused from summer homework, Mrs. Weasley planned to take the group to Diagon Alley under Auror protection.

• Harry found that he had earned an Outstanding in Defense Against the Dark Arts, while Darren had earned Outstanding marks in every subject except Divination.
• Hermione took Darren’s results from Ron and said she wanted to keep them because his Outstanding grades carried more weight than hers.
• Mrs. Weasley refused to let Harry and the others visit Darren at St. Mungo’s, citing the growing danger as Ollivander disappeared and Karkaroff died.
• Lupin told the group that Darren had woken up, and two days before school began Mr. Weasley brought him home.
• Harry cried with relief at Darren’s return, and Darren panicked that he had not done his summer homework until Harry explained that Dumbledore had brought exemptions from every professor.
• Mrs. Weasley planned a trip to Diagon Alley, and Mr. Weasley explained that the Ministry car and its Auror driver had been sent for Harry and Darren.

Tonks brought Darren and the others to Diagon Alley after Fleur confessed her feelings and Darren turned her down, saying he would not date while the war threatened his life. Darren arrived to find Diagon Alley subdued and anxious, with Ministry safety notices and wanted posters replacing colorful advertisements.

• Tonks greeted the group, but Fleur openly told Darren she liked him before Tonks could confess her own feelings.
• Darren gently rejected Fleur, explaining that he could not think about dating while Voldemort remained a threat and he might die.
• Fleur kissed Darren on the cheek, while Harry worried about Darren choosing a partner and Tonks remained too embarrassed to speak up.
• Tonks drove everyone to meet Hagrid, who welcomed Darren and led the group toward Diagon Alley.
• Darren saw that Diagon Alley was far less cheerful than before, with anxious shoppers, Ministry safety notices, and photographs of Death Eaters, including Bellatrix.

Darren, Harry, and the Weasleys shopped in Diagon Alley, where Malfoy insulted them before leaving with Narcissa. At Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, the twins welcomed Darren as a part-owner, and Harry spotted Malfoy sneaking away; Darren vanished to follow him.

• Mrs. Weasley sent Hagrid with Darren, Harry, and Ron to Madam Malkin's, where Malfoy insulted them and Darren drew his wand.
• Narcissa hurried Malfoy out of the robe shop, and Darren and the others had their robes fitted before restocking potions and buying owl feed.
• Fred and George welcomed Darren to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and refused to let him pay, while Ron complained about their favoritism.
• Harry spotted Malfoy sneaking away from his mother and warned Darren that he might be plotting something.
• Darren tapped himself with his wand and vanished to follow Malfoy.

Harry, Darren, Ron, and Hermione followed Malfoy to Borgin and Burkes, where Darren saw the Dark Mark, then returned to a lively birthday celebration for Harry and Darren. The next morning, Ministry Aurors escorted them, and Fleur kissed Darren before he left.

• Darren, Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed Malfoy into Knockturn Alley and overheard him threaten Borgin while discussing a damaged object and showing him the Dark Mark.
• Harry and Ron convinced Mrs. Weasley they had stayed in the shop, and she took everyone home early after worrying about them.
• Mrs. Weasley hosted a lively birthday party for Harry and Darren, where Fred and George gave Darren Anti-Curse Gloves and Snape warned him to get enough sleep.
• Mrs. Weasley revealed that Darren and Snape had only pretended to fight, surprising Ron and the others.
• The Ministry sent Tonks and several tense Aurors to escort the group, and Fleur kissed Darren on the cheek before he got into the car.

Darren reunited with his friends on the Hogwarts Express and received an invitation from Professor Slughorn to dine in his compartment. Slughorn warmly welcomed Darren, Harry, and Neville, while Harry realized the other guests had been invited for their connections.

• Ginny, Luna, and Neville greeted Darren on the train, and Darren reassured Neville that Mrs. Longbottom should not blame herself for what had happened.
• A girl delivered invitations from Professor Slughorn to Darren, Harry, and Neville, inviting them to dinner in Compartment C.
• Cho Chang hugged Darren and cried with relief when she saw he had returned alive.
• Slughorn welcomed Darren, Harry, and Neville warmly and introduced them to the other guests.
• Slughorn skipped Musk when serving the main course after Musk said he was not close to his brother Damocles.
• Harry noticed that most of Slughorn's guests had been invited because of their connections to influential people.

Darren and Harry followed Zabini into Malfoy's compartment, where Malfoy revealed his plans and attacked them. Darren outsmarted Malfoy, discovered the Dark Mark on his arm, and left with Harry before Tonks found them at the station.

• Slughorn questioned and praised Darren and Harry at his gathering, then invited them and several other students to visit him.
• Harry persuaded Darren to follow Zabini into the Slytherin compartment under the Invisibility Cloak.
• Zabini told Malfoy about Slughorn's guests, and Malfoy hinted that he would soon serve Voldemort despite still being a student.
• Malfoy immobilized Harry, stunned Darren, and kicked Harry before Darren revealed he had been pretending to fall unconscious and subdued Malfoy.
• Darren found the Dark Mark on Malfoy's arm, stopped Harry from drawing attention to it, and led him away.
• Tonks met Darren and Harry as they got off the train and asked what had happened.

Tonks brought Harry and Darren back to Hogwarts, where Snape provoked Harry and took fifty points from Gryffindor before sending him into the feast in his bloodied state. Darren reunited with the students at the Slytherin table, but Harry worried that Darren would go hungry after refusing Cassandra’s food.

• Tonks believed Harry when he said Malfoy had beaten them and hurried him and Darren back to Hogwarts.
• Snape mocked Harry’s appearance, then stopped him from changing and took fifty points from Gryffindor after Harry shouted at him.
• Harry entered the Great Hall in his bloodied clothes and told Ron and Hermione that Darren had dealt with Malfoy.
• Malfoy rushed into the Great Hall, and Darren followed to cheers from the students.
• Darren refused Cassandra’s beef patty, and Harry suspected he was keeping his distance because of the Worey family’s support for him.

Dumbledore welcomed everyone back, announced Slughorn as Potions professor and Snape as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and warned the students about Voldemort’s return. Darren spoke privately with Malfoy, who had helped Ginny and the others escape Umbridge’s office, and Malfoy left after warning him to watch out for Snape.

• Dumbledore greeted the students, introduced Slughorn and Snape in their new teaching roles, and urged everyone to report concerns or news of Death Eaters.
• Snape summoned Darren to his office, where Darren found food waiting for him.
• Malfoy entered Snape’s office, and Darren thanked him for helping Ginny and the others escape Umbridge’s office and offered him support if he ever needed it.
• Malfoy rejected Darren’s concern, then warned him to watch out for Snape as he left.
• The next morning, Snape selected Darren’s courses, praised his perfect grades, and approved his schedule without Divination.

Darren attended Hagrid’s Care of Magical Creatures class alone and explored the Forbidden Forest, where he forced the Centaurs to stop threatening students. He then joined Harry’s Defense Against the Dark Arts class, where Snape insulted Harry before Darren answered a question by casting Protego.

• Darren learned that he was the only student in his year still taking Hagrid’s Care of Magical Creatures class.
• Hagrid took Darren into the Forbidden Forest, where Darren blocked the Centaurs’ attack and warned he would drive them out if they kept threatening students.
• The Centaurs reluctantly agreed to leave human children alone and hurried away.
• Darren arrived at Snape’s Defense Against the Dark Arts class, where Snape mocked Harry and Malfoy repeated the insult.
• Snape asked about the benefits of the Silencing Charm, and Darren answered before casting Protego as an example of misdirection.

Darren and Harry clashed with Snape during Potions class, then Darren explained why Snape resented their father and helped calm Harry. The chapter ended with Darren and Harry receiving Dumbledore’s invitation to private lessons, scheduled at the same time as Harry’s detention.

• Darren successfully petrified part of Snape’s robes, and Snape awarded Slytherin only one point before pairing Darren with Hermione for practice.
• Snape gave Harry detention and took twenty points from Gryffindor after Harry talked back during class.
• Darren told Harry that Snape’s hatred stemmed from their father bullying him, and Harry’s anger subsided as Darren said he did not hate their father.
• Jack gave Darren a message for him and Harry, while Hermione warned Harry not to favor familiar players when choosing the Quidditch team.
• Darren read Dumbledore’s invitation for private lessons on Saturday at eight o’clock and noticed it conflicted with Harry’s detention.

Darren attended Slughorn’s Potions class, where Hermione and Darren identified several potions and Slughorn offered Felix Felicis as a prize for brewing the best Draught of Living Death. As the students began brewing, Harry struggled with his borrowed textbook until he called out an instruction from it to Darren.

• Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Darren chose a golden cauldron in Slughorn’s crowded Potions classroom.
• Slughorn gave Harry and Ron old textbooks and equipment, and Darren noticed that Harry had received the Half-Blood Prince’s book.
• Hermione identified Veritaserum and Love Potion, and Slughorn praised her and awarded Gryffindor twenty points.
• Darren identified Felix Felicis, earning Slytherin twenty points as Slughorn explained the potion’s effects.
• Slughorn set a Draught of Living Death brewing contest with a bottle of Felix Felicis as the prize, and the students began work.
• Harry struggled to read his textbook, then called out an instruction to Darren: seven turns clockwise and one counterclockwise.

Darren won Slughorn’s Potions prize with an improved potion and gave the Felix Felicis to Harry, while Harry remained convinced that Malfoy was plotting something dangerous. Hermione grew upset that Harry relied on a mysterious textbook, and Harry continued using it throughout the following week.

• Darren improved his potion with Snooze Bean juice, while Harry suspected Malfoy had been given a dangerous mission by Voldemort.
• Harry mocked Malfoy as Malfoy tried to impress Slughorn, and Slughorn ended the potion competition.
• Slughorn praised Hermione’s potion and awarded Darren the prize for his improved potion, noting that Harry’s potion was second best.
• Darren gave the Felix Felicis to Harry, earning Paternal Points as Hermione looked jealous.
• That evening, Hermione confronted Harry about his Potions textbook, and Ron teased her for being envious.
• Harry followed the textbook’s instructions each time he brewed potions during the next week.

Dumbledore began teaching Darren and Harry by taking them into Bob Ogden’s memory of an encounter with the Gaunts in Little Hangleton. The memory left off as Morfin’s father challenged Ogden over the Gaunt family’s name.

• Dumbledore told Darren and Harry that they would study memories connected to Voldemort, and Darren said he would do anything to help Harry survive.
• Dumbledore showed Harry and Darren Bob Ogden’s memory, then followed Darren into the Pensieve.
• Ogden arrived at a gloomy house near Little Hangleton, where Morfin threatened him in Parseltongue.
• Dumbledore asked Darren whether he understood Morfin, and Darren said he did.
• Morfin attacked Ogden, but an elderly wizard drove Morfin away and confronted Ogden about the Gaunt surname.

Dumbledore showed Harry and Darren a memory of the Gaunt family, and Darren deduced that Grawp and Tom Riddle were Voldemort’s parents. After Darren sympathized with Grawp, the chapter moved on to the students’ difficult sixth-year classes, their worsening relationship with Hagrid, and the crowded Quidditch tryouts.

• Darren watched Ogden’s visit to the Gaunts, where old Gaunt attacked Grawp for watching Tom Riddle and Morfin assaulted Ogden.
• Dumbledore explained that Ogden returned with Aurors, who arrested old Gaunt and Morfin, and Darren recognized Tom Riddle as Voldemort’s father and Grawp as his mother.
• Darren asked whether Grawp had used a Love Potion or the Imperius Curse on Tom Riddle, and Dumbledore said he suspected a Love Potion.
• Darren admitted that he felt sorry for Grawp, and Dumbledore ended the lesson and sent Harry and Darren back to bed.
• Harry, Ron, and Hermione struggled with sixth-year classes and became increasingly estranged from Hagrid, who was angry that they had not chosen his class.
• Harry complained that an unusually large crowd had turned up for Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts.

Hermione grew angry when girls crowded around Darren during Harry’s Quidditch tryouts, but Darren later coaxed her into joining Harry and Ron on a visit to Hagrid. Hagrid initially refused to see them, then let them into his hut and listened as Hermione explained why they had missed his classes.

• Hermione complained that girls had come to the Quidditch pitch to see Darren, and she argued with Ron over letting them in.
• Hermione criticized Harry’s choice of Ron over McCall, then stormed away with Darren.
• Darren soothed Hermione after lunch, and she went with Harry and Ron to visit Hagrid.
• Harry and the others pounded on Hagrid’s door, and Hagrid opened it after Harry threatened to blast it apart.
• Hagrid scolded Harry and the others for neglecting his class, while Hermione claimed their schedules had kept them too busy to attend.

Darren, Harry, Ron, and Hermione reconciled with Hagrid after hearing about the death of his second Aragog, then attended Slughorn’s gathering and saw Harry face Snape’s detention. In the following weeks, Dumbledore disappeared while Harry became increasingly devoted to the Half-Blood Prince’s textbook, unaware that its author was Snape.

• Darren stopped Harry, Ron, and Hermione from looking at the Giant Grubs Hagrid planned to feed to the Acromantulas, and Hagrid cried over his second Aragog’s coming death.
• Hermione comforted Hagrid, and Harry and Ron criticized Professor Grubbly-Plank to cheer him up; Hagrid saw them off in a better mood.
• Slughorn invited Harry, Darren, and Hermione to his gathering, but Harry received Snape’s detention notice and spent the evening squeezing slugs.
• Dumbledore disappeared from the Great Hall for several weeks, and Darren pretended to be worried when Harry and the others mentioned his absence.
• Harry grew fond of the Half-Blood Prince’s textbook and learned spells such as Levicorpus, while Darren wondered how Harry would react when he learned Snape had written it.

Darren confronted Ron for repeatedly accusing Hermione, and Ron admitted his jealousy and loneliness before apologizing. Darren also pointed out that Hermione treated Ron and Harry like immature children, leading her to apologize as well.

• Hermione argued with Ron about the Half-Blood Prince, while Harry noticed her leaning close to Darren.
• Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Darren went to Hogsmeade and encountered Professor Slughorn, who invited them to his Monday party.
• Harry said he and Darren had an appointment with Dumbledore, and Ron grew resentful after Slughorn ignored him.
• Darren demanded that Ron apologize to Hermione and threatened to end their friendship, prompting Ron to admit his jealousy and loneliness.
• Darren told Hermione that she treated Ron and Harry like immature children, and Hermione apologized too.