Chapter Summaries

Harry caught Mundungus selling Darren’s stolen comic books and confronted him, but Mundungus escaped after Darren recovered the books. Harry opened up about blaming himself for Darren’s fall through the Veil, and the group stayed in Hogsmeade rather than follow Mundungus.

• Harry spotted Mundungus selling Darren’s comic books and rushed out to confront him.
• Harry grabbed Mundungus by the throat, and Darren summoned his stolen books back before Mundungus Apparated away.
• Darren reassured Harry that he did not blame him for the fall through the Veil, and Harry confessed his guilt over what had happened.
• Darren offered to use a Tracking Charm to pursue Mundungus, but Harry and the others refused to leave Hogsmeade.
• Two girls began arguing nearby, and one told Lini that the matter was none of her business.

Katie Bell was cursed by a necklace after Lini grabbed it, and Darren took charge of getting her safely back to Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall assigned the next steps, while Harry suspected Malfoy; Darren learned that Dumbledore was away and McGonagall was in charge.

• Lini snatched the package from Katie Bell, and Katie was lifted upside down when she tried to retrieve it.
• Darren lowered Katie, secured the cursed Opal Necklace, and summoned a stretcher to carry her back to the castle.
• Harry told Darren that Malfoy had shown interest in the necklace at Borgin and Burkes.
• Professor McGonagall sent Alastor to take Katie to Poppy and instructed Darren to deliver the necklace to Professor Snape.
• Darren showed Professor McGonagall his memories of the incident, and Lini added details before leaving in grief.
• Darren spoke of wanting to kill Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and Professor McGonagall revealed that Dumbledore was away and she was in charge of the school.

Harry accused Malfoy of giving Katie the cursed necklace, but Professor McGonagall and Hermione challenged him to provide evidence. At their Monday lesson, Dumbledore confirmed Katie had survived, promised to investigate the necklace and Mundungus, and began Harry’s lesson.

• Professor McGonagall forbade Darren from going out to kill Death Eaters, and Harry accused Malfoy of giving Katie the cursed necklace.
• Ron and Hermione pointed out that Harry had no evidence, while Professor McGonagall explained that Malfoy was serving detention and warned Harry against making reckless accusations.
• Darren questioned whether Malfoy had ever failed to complete homework before, and Harry concluded that Malfoy was creating an alibi.
• Hermione suggested that Katie might have intended the necklace for Slughorn, but Harry remained convinced Malfoy was responsible.
• Darren and Harry met Dumbledore for their lesson, and Dumbledore said Katie had survived because Snape stopped the curse from spreading.
• Dumbledore promised to investigate the necklace and deal with Mundungus, then told Harry and Darren to begin their lesson.

Dumbledore took Darren and Harry into his memory of meeting young Tom Riddle at the orphanage, then asked them to analyze what they had seen. Harry began by noting that Riddle had treated the revelation that he was a wizard as the fulfillment of a wish.

• Dumbledore brought Darren and the others into his memory of visiting the orphanage where Tom Riddle lived.
• Mrs. Cole described Riddle’s strange behavior and his mother, Grawp, before introducing him to Dumbledore.
• Riddle eagerly listed his unusual abilities and accepted that he was a wizard after Dumbledore demonstrated magic.
• Dumbledore made Riddle return the stolen items from his cabinet and apologize to their owners.
• Riddle asked whether his father was a wizard and revealed that he could speak to snakes before Dumbledore ended the memory.
• Dumbledore asked Darren and Harry what they had learned, and Harry said Riddle had seemed to view becoming a wizard as the fulfillment of a wish.

Darren identified Voldemort’s hatred of his name and father, his cruelty, and his habit of collecting trophies, while Dumbledore explained that Voldemort’s family history and the Slytherin locket mattered. As the Quidditch match approached, Ron’s confidence collapsed under Slytherin’s taunts, and Harry began devising a way to help him.

• Darren deduced that Tom Riddle learned the truth about his parentage, killed his Muggle father, and collected trophies, and Dumbledore confirmed his conclusions.
• Darren suggested Voldemort might seek Ravenclaw’s and Hufflepuff’s heirlooms, and he told Dumbledore he was examining every detail to help Harry survive.
• Harry told Ron and Hermione about the meeting, and Hermione worried that Darren was exhausting himself by repeatedly studying his memories.
• Ron admitted that Slytherin’s mockery was undermining his confidence as Keeper and told Harry he planned to quit after the first match.
• When Ron nearly gave up on the morning of the match, Harry came up with an idea to help him.

Harry tricked Ron into believing he had taken Felix Felicis before the Quidditch match, and Ron’s confidence helped him lead Slytherin to victory. Ron later learned the potion was never used and realized he had won through his own skill.

• Harry pretended to pour Felix Felicis into Ron’s pumpkin juice, while Hermione feared they would be expelled.
• Darren explained that Harry had staged the trick to make Ron believe he would be lucky, and Hermione watched the match from the Slytherin stands.
• A Slytherin student told Darren that injuries and illness had weakened the team, while Darren reassured Hermione that Harry had not used Felix Felicis.
• Ron performed brilliantly as Keeper and helped Slytherin win the Quidditch match.
• At the Great Hall, Harry revealed that the Felix Felicis bottle was still sealed, and Ron realized he had won without the potion.

Darren celebrated Gryffindor’s Quidditch victory, where Hermione kissed him while he was drunk, and later began avoiding girls who tried to give him drinks. Hermione warned Harry that girls planned to use Love Potion on him and Darren, and Harry noticed Romilda Vane trying to offer Darren Gillywater.

• Darren sang “Weasley is our King,” and Romilda Vane laughed as she passed by.
• At Gryffindor’s celebration feast, Ron kissed Romilda while Hermione explained that she had long been interested in him.
• Hermione gave Darren several drinks, and while he was asleep, she kissed him until Harry interrupted them.
• As Christmas approached, Darren avoided girls who waited beneath mistletoe to give him love letters.
• Hermione told Harry she would not date Darren for now and warned him that girls planned to give him and Darren Love Potion.
• Darren sniffed the Gillywater Romilda offered and set it aside before rushing over to Harry and Hermione.

Darren exposed Romilda Vane’s use of a Love Potion on Ron but could not persuade Ron to believe him. As Slughorn’s party approached, Harry invited the distressed Lini to be his dance partner, and Ron and Hermione teased him about his interest in her.

• Darren tried to tell Ron that Romilda Vane had given him Gillywater laced with a Love Potion, but Romilda made the cup disappear.
• Ron said Romilda had already explained the incident and believed she had only been showing her love for him.
• Hermione encouraged Darren to invite Ginny to Slughorn’s party, and Harry watched in confusion as Hermione approved.
• Harry found Lini crying because people were still blaming her over Katie’s cursed necklace, and he offered to confront them.
• Harry invited Lini to be his dance partner, and she accepted before hurrying off to get ready.
• Ron and Hermione teased Harry about being attracted to Lini.

Darren and Harry attended Slughorn’s party, where Darren danced with Ginny and Harry considered comforting Lini. The evening took an unexpected turn when Slughorn pulled Severus out of hiding and urged him to reconcile with Harry.

• Darren arrived at the entrance hall with Ginny and Hermione, where Luna told him a vampire was attending the party.
• Slughorn introduced Darren and Harry to Wald, who proposed writing biographies about them, and Harry pulled Darren away.
• Darren invited Ginny to dance while Slughorn encouraged Harry to dance with Lini.
• Harry noticed Lini’s distressed expression and thought about comforting her because of Cassie.
• Slughorn revealed Severus, who had been hiding, and suggested Darren persuade Harry to reconcile with him.

At the dance, Harry watched Snape confront Malfoy after Filch caught him sneaking in, then followed them under his Invisibility Cloak. He overheard Snape accuse Malfoy of using childish tactics to evade the Dark Lord’s task and reveal that Darren had arranged for the House-elves and a guard to monitor him.

• Slughorn insisted that Snape secretly admired Harry and praised Darren’s inherited talents, leaving Snape cold and unsettled.
• Filch dragged Malfoy in for sneaking into the dance without an invitation, but Slughorn let him stay because he had known Malfoy’s grandfather.
• Harry noticed Snape and Malfoy arguing, and Snape pulled Malfoy outside to speak privately.
• Unable to get Darren’s attention amid the girls surrounding him, Harry put on his Invisibility Cloak and followed them.
• Harry overheard Snape accuse Malfoy of failing the Dark Lord’s task and reveal that Darren had set House-elves and a guard to watch him.

Harry told Darren about overhearing Snape argue with Malfoy, and learned that Malfoy had visited the Room of Requirement with Polyjuice Potion. The group discussed Snape’s Unbreakable Vow, then Fred and George teased Ron about a girl.

• Harry overheard Snape accuse Malfoy of causing Katie Bell’s necklace incident and demand to know his plan, but Malfoy refused and stormed out.
• At the Weasleys’ home, Harry told Darren and the others about the argument and asked why Darren had secretly set House-elves and Filch to watch Malfoy.
• Darren said Dobby and Peeves had reported that Malfoy went to the Room of Requirement and used Polyjuice Potion.
• Harry suspected Malfoy was preparing something there and questioned Snape’s motives, while Darren, Hermione, and Ron said they trusted Snape.
• Harry asked what would happen if Snape broke his Unbreakable Vow, and Ron said it would mean death.
• Fred and George teased Ron about a girl, and Ron blushed and snapped back.

At the Weasleys’ Christmas Eve banquet, Darren reassured his worried family, while Sirius’s relationship with a Muggle girl and Harry’s suspicions about Snape and the Half-Blood Prince became topics of conversation. Harry got no answers about the mysterious textbook writer, and the gathering ended when Ginny screamed at the sight of Tonks hugging Darren.

• Darren joked about dying young, then tapped the table and promised to protect himself and everyone else, earning Paternal Points.
• At Mrs. Weasley’s Christmas Eve banquet, Lupin explained that Dumbledore had sent him undercover among werewolves, while Sirius admitted he feared Bellatrix would kill the Muggle girl he was seeing.
• Harry told Mr. Weasley, Lupin, and Sirius about Snape and Malfoy’s conversation, but they dismissed his suspicions because they trusted Dumbledore’s judgment.
• Harry asked Lupin and Sirius about the Half-Blood Prince and the spells in the old textbook, but neither recognized the name; Sirius said James was a pure-blood and disliked being called a prince.
• Ginny screamed when she saw Tonks hugging Darren tightly.

Tonks confessed her feelings to Darren and voiced her fear that the coming war would kill them, leaving the room subdued. Christmas gifts lifted the mood, but Darren discovered that Lini's chocolate for him could become a Love Potion, while Ron unknowingly kept some as a snack.

• Tonks tearfully confessed her feelings to Darren, who tried to refuse while she was drunk.
• Mrs. Weasley pulled Tonks away, and Tonks cried that she had confessed because she might die in the coming war.
• Darren helped Tonks sober up, and she slipped away in embarrassment.
• Darren received Christmas presents from Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Mrs. Weasley, and Snape, then sent them to Peeves to sort.
• Ron found Lini's chocolate gift for Darren, and Darren detected an ingredient that could turn it into a Love Potion.
• At Christmas lunch, Mrs. Weasley thanked Darren for the gemstone necklace he had given her.

At the Burrow, Rufus Scrimgeour tried to recruit Darren to the Ministry, but Harry and Darren rejected him and demanded real changes first. A few days after Christmas, Harry and the others prepared to return to Hogwarts by Floo Powder as Mrs. Weasley tearfully said goodbye.

• Percy returned to the Burrow with Minister Rufus Scrimgeour, and Mrs. Weasley cried as Fred and George watched him warily.
• Rufus asked Harry and Darren to walk with him in the garden, then explained that he wanted Harry’s public support and offered Darren a place at the Ministry.
• Harry accused Rufus of exploiting Darren and pursuing political credit, citing the arrest of Stan Shunpike.
• Darren showed Rufus the words carved into Harry’s hand and said he would only serve as an Auror for the righteous, not for the Ministry as it stood.
• Darren sarcastically agreed that Dumbledore had brainwashed them, and Rufus left without recruiting him.
• A few days after Christmas, Harry and the others lined up to use Floo Powder to return to Hogwarts while Mrs. Weasley tearfully said goodbye.

Darren returned to Hogwarts, where he and Harry attended a lesson with Dumbledore and discussed their trust in him and their concerns about Snape. Dumbledore showed them a memory of Tom Riddle visiting Gaunt House, where Morfin confronted him.

• Darren said goodbye to Mrs. Weasley and returned to Hogwarts, where McGonagall gave him a letter from Dumbledore.
• The new term began, and sixth-year students received permission forms to learn Apparition while Romilda Vane flirted with Ron.
• Dumbledore reassured Darren that Rufus Scrimgeour could not cause him trouble, and thanked Darren for continuing to trust him.
• Harry questioned Dumbledore about Snape and Malfoy, but Dumbledore insisted he trusted Professor Snape and began teaching about Voldemort's school years.
• Dumbledore explained how Darren's capacity for love distinguished him from Voldemort, then took Harry and Darren into a Pensieve memory of Gaunt House.
• Morfin sprang up in the memory and confronted Tom Riddle, who appeared about the same age as Harry and Darren.

Dumbledore showed Harry and Darren memories revealing that Voldemort had murdered his family and framed Morfin, then assigned them to obtain Slughorn’s unaltered memory about the Horcruxes. The next morning, Harry told Ron and Hermione about the task, and Hermione warned them not to approach Slughorn unprepared.

• Dumbledore explained that Voldemort had killed his grandparents and father, altered Morfin’s memory, and left Morfin imprisoned for the murders.
• Dumbledore showed Harry and Darren Slughorn’s altered memory, in which Tom Riddle asked about Obscurus and Slughorn denied knowing anything.
• Darren recognized that Slughorn’s memory had been altered, and Dumbledore assigned him and Harry to persuade Slughorn to reveal the real memory willingly.
• Dumbledore said Slughorn carried an antidote to Veritaserum and warned Harry and Darren not to use it, then sent them to bed.
• The next morning, Harry told Ron and Hermione about the assignment; Ron expected Slughorn to give in, while Hermione urged Harry and Darren to prepare and avoid alerting him.

Darren suggested getting Slughorn and Hagrid drunk so they might reveal what they knew about the Obscurus, but the friends could not figure out how to arrange it. During Potions class, Harry ruined his potion, and Darren gave him a dung-beetle to use as an antidote; Slughorn praised Harry’s resemblance to his mother and awarded points to both houses.

• Darren argued that Slughorn would not reveal information about the forbidden topic of the Obscurus and proposed appealing to his emotions after getting him drunk.
• Darren and Hermione suggested involving Hagrid, but Harry reminded them that Hagrid had sworn off drinking, so they discussed finding an excuse for Hagrid and Slughorn to drink together.
• Harry and Ron struggled to brew their potions without the Half-Blood Prince’s instructions, and Harry’s potion began to smell like rotten eggs.
• Darren gave Harry a dung-beetle to use as an antidote when Slughorn came to inspect his ruined potion.
• Slughorn praised Harry as being like his mother, awarded twenty points each to Slytherin and Gryffindor, and warned Harry that dung-beetles were not universal antidotes.

Hermione searched unsuccessfully for information about Obscuruses, while Darren impressed the professors by Apparating on his first attempt. Harry continued trying to uncover Malfoy’s plans without success, and Ron celebrated his birthday as the story left the group still frustrated with their Apparition lessons.

• Hermione searched the library for information about Obscuruses and found none, becoming angry when a book refused to discuss them.
• Tyke began Apparition lessons, and Darren successfully Apparated into his hoop on his first try, earning praise from Snape and Professor McGonagall.
• Harry told Darren and the others that Malfoy was using Crabbe and Goyle to guard the Room of Requirement, then asked Dobby and Peeves to watch him.
• Harry tried to investigate Malfoy’s Room of Requirement but learned nothing over the next two weeks, while Darren refused to open Malfoy’s door and disrupt the plot.
• The Hogsmeade trip was canceled amid safety concerns, and Harry, Ron, and other students grew frustrated with their Apparition lessons.
• Harry woke Ron on his birthday with a present, and Lezi brought him a gift from Darren.

Ron received a Firebolt voucher from Darren, then ate a biscuit laced with a Love Potion and became infatuated with Draco. After Slughorn gave Ron an antidote, Ron drank Slughorn’s wine and collapsed, leaving Harry and Slughorn panicking.

• Ron excitedly sent Pigwidgeon to order a Firebolt with Darren’s voucher.
• Ron ate a suspicious biscuit and declared that he was in love with Draco, prompting Harry to take him to find Darren.
• Darren and Harry brought Ron to Slughorn’s office, where Slughorn identified the Love Potion and gave Ron an antidote.
• Ron returned to normal, then drank Slughorn’s wine and collapsed, convulsing and foaming at the mouth.
• Harry demanded that Slughorn do something while Slughorn insisted he had not poisoned Ron.

After Ron survived poisoning, Harry learned that Snape might be considering quitting his secret work, while Darren focused on Dumbledore’s assignment to obtain Slughorn’s memory. Darren drank Felix Felicis and found Slughorn secretly watching the Forbidden Forest, where Hagrid was holding Aragog’s funeral.

• Darren saved Ron from the poison by summoning a dung-beetle, and the Weasleys visited Ron in the Hospital Wing.
• Hagrid told Harry that he had overheard Snape saying he did not want to continue his work, though Hagrid insisted that he trusted Snape and Dumbledore.
• Harry struggled with Ron’s absence from the Quidditch team, and Hagrid later announced that Aragog had died.
• Darren decided to use Hagrid’s gathering to get Slughorn to reveal his memory, then drank Felix Felicis Snape had given him.
• Guided by the potion, Darren found Slughorn skulking at the Forbidden Forest and asked whether he had come to Aragog’s funeral.