Chapter Summaries

Manus considered the rumors surrounding the cursed Defense Against the Dark Arts post and wondered why Voldemort had wanted it. He attended Katria’s lively lesson, which ended with Quirinus comparing her storytelling to Professor Binns’s.

• Manus wondered whether Hagrid had chosen a gift for him and hoped it would not be made of Unicorn Hair.
• Manus weighed the rumors that Voldemort had cursed the Defense Against the Dark Arts position and questioned why Voldemort had sought the post.
• Katria arrived for Defense Against the Dark Arts and taught from her experience as an adventurer, sharing stories about dark creatures.
• Katria stopped her story when the bell rang, and Quirinus praised her class while beginning to compare her with Professor Binns.

Manus realized that Professor Binns’s dull lessons concealed a vast, unusually objective store of historical knowledge. He began seeking Binns out after class to ask about events, leaving the ghost professor’s firsthand record as a valuable source for his research.

• Manus considered Binns’s ghostly existence and recognized that his story could aid research into ghosts.
• Manus concluded that Binns taught from memory and that modern History of Magic textbooks had drawn heavily on his lessons.
• Manus discovered that Binns continued learning about historical events that occurred after his death and knew far more than the textbook covered.
• Manus began asking Binns questions after class, valuing his knowledge as an unusually objective record of events he had witnessed at Hogwarts.

Manus questioned Professor Binns about Obscurials and learned of historical incidents involving Obscuruses, including a concealed episode during the 1920s New York incident. He suspected the mysterious magic inside a cabinet was an Obscurus and ended the chapter intrigued by the possibility that it was a living form of energy.

• After History of Magic class, Manus caught up with Professor Binns to ask about the 1625 International Confederation of Wizards conference.
• Binns explained that an Obscurial had been smuggled into the conference to protest the oppression of underage wizards.
• Manus asked whether Obscuruses were documented, and Binns described a large-scale Obscurus-related incident in early twentieth-century New York.
• Manus compared Binns's account with the black, magic-glowing lump he had found inside a cabinet and suspected it was an Obscurus.
• Manus wondered whether the cabinet's Obscurus was a living being and became eager to capture it.

Manus explained the moving staircases to Bellows and mentioned that an Obscurial had been disguised at a poorly documented conference. Bellows’s startled reaction made him fear Manus had uncovered his secret, and at dinner he worried that Manus was concerned about him.

• Manus showed Bellows how to learn the staircases’ repeating movement patterns as they climbed toward Ravenclaw Tower.
• Bellows asked what Manus had discussed with Professor Binns, and Manus said he had asked about a conference where an Obscurial had been disguised.
• Bellows nearly fell down the stairs, and Manus caught him before he could be hurt.
• When Manus said “Obscurus,” Bellows stiffened and then avoided explaining his reaction.
• Bellows lay awake worrying that Manus had guessed his secret, then saw Manus eating even less than he was at dinner and felt guilty.

Bellows finally told Manus about the childhood event behind his long-kept secret: a strange, fiery mass had attacked him and his parents by a lake. Bellows broke down before he could explain what happened next, and Manus stayed beside him to comfort him.

• Bellows woke Manus in the middle of the night and insisted on sharing a secret he had kept for years.
• Manus said he was not curious enough to make Bellows reveal anything, then explained that Hogwarts food had ruined his appetite.
• Bellows mistook Manus's consideration for kindness and began crying as he prepared to tell his story.
• Bellows recalled fishing with his parents as a child when a black-red, fire-wrapped mass fell from the sky and tore through the woods toward them.
• Bellows said his parents' spells could not stop the mass and that it lunged at him, then broke down before finishing.
• Manus crossed to Bellows's bed, placed a hand on his shoulder, and gave him tissues.

Bellows told Manus how an Obscurus attack had left his mother gravely injured and his family’s happiness shattered, and explained that he still wanted to hate the Obscurus. After listening, Manus considered whether the Obscurial had survived and whether magic could heal Bellows’s mother; Bellows ended the conversation feeling lighter after finally sharing his story.

• Manus used Prestidigitation to clean Bellows’s face as Bellows described his mother’s admission to St. Mungo’s after an Obscurus attack.
• Bellows recounted how his father searched for the Obscurus and how he struggled to hate the Obscurial after learning what had happened to him.
• Manus considered whether the Obscurial might have survived and whether Bellows’s mother could be healed by magic.
• Bellows told Manus that seeing an Obscurus in the Magic Mirror had rekindled his desire to kill it.
• Bellows thanked Manus for listening and said that speaking about his family had made him feel lighter.

Manus kept quiet about his confidence that he could cure Bellows's mother, then attended Flight class, where Madam Hooch praised his careful broom control. After class, Jasper and Quirinus realized that failing to learn the basics could leave them without further instruction or a passing assessment.

• Manus decided not to tell Bellows that he believed he could cure his mother until he could prove his abilities.
• Manus completed his morning routine and joined his classmates for Flight practice.
• Madam Hooch praised Manus's steady broom control as an example and awarded Ravenclaw five points.
• Madam Hooch warned the class that they might spend the entire year practicing basic control if they did not take lessons seriously.
• Jasper asked Quirinus whether Madam Hooch had been serious, and Quirinus explained that students who neglected Flight might not be taught later material or pass the assessment.
• Jasper and Quirinus agreed that they needed to practice flying their Broomsticks properly.

Manus reviewed Pandora’s Potions essays and praised her for surpassing her earlier work through her own effort. He recommended that she explore Zigmont Budge’s Book of Potions, leaving her curious about the knowledge it might offer.

• Pandora caught up with Manus by the Black Lake and handed him her completed Potions assignments.
• Manus read Pandora’s revised earlier essay and told her it was better than his own work.
• Pandora asked whether she had let anyone down, and Manus assured her that both he and Professor Slughorn would be impressed.
• Manus praised Pandora’s newer essay and recommended that she consult Zigmont Budge’s Book of Potions for insight into magical plants and creatures.
• Pandora accepted the recommendation and grew curious about the book’s hidden knowledge.

Manus brought his friend Pandora to visit Hagrid at his hut, where Hagrid awkwardly concealed what he had been doing. After Manus explained how he had met Hagrid, the pair left for lunch, and Manus confirmed he would return on Saturday afternoon.

• Manus invited Pandora to visit Hagrid, Hogwarts' Keeper of Keys and Groundskeeper, at his hut.
• Hagrid hurried to answer the door after a crash, and Manus noticed a patch of his beard was missing.
• Manus introduced Pandora to Hagrid, and the three chatted over berries while Hagrid watched the fire.
• Manus told Pandora that he had met Hagrid while feeding the owls after his morning exercise, prompting Pandora to reconsider how hard Manus worked.
• Manus and Pandora declined Hagrid's tea and left for lunch, and Manus told Hagrid he would visit as planned on Saturday afternoon.

Manus opened the secret door connected to Ravenclaw's Common Room after preparing for possible dangers and found a hidden workshop beyond it. He lit the room and discovered that it contained much more than a Potions worktable, including bookshelves, decorations, and a bed.

• At lunch, Manus turned corn from the salad into a sweet corn soup and shared it with nearby students.
• Manus finished preparing safeguards for opening the secret door and decided to enter it that day.
• Manus told Bellows he was going to explore Hogwarts Castle, then used a customized Unlock Secret Doors spell on the Common Room door.
• The door transformed into glowing blue crystal, and Manus pushed it open and entered the dim space beyond.
• Manus lit the lamps and discovered a workshop furnished with Potions equipment, bookshelves, flowerpots, picture frames, a wardrobe, decorations, and a bed.

Manus discovered a portrait of Rowena Ravenclaw in a hidden room and spoke with her about Hogwarts in 1971. After examining his textbooks, Madam Ravenclaw judged him unusually gifted and asked him to bring current textbooks or examination papers the next time he visited.

• Manus identified the magical materials used to make the room’s instruments and considered taking them.
• The empty picture frame transformed into a portrait of Rowena Ravenclaw, who opened her eyes and mistook Manus for someone connected to Helena.
• Manus introduced himself as a new Ravenclaw student in 1971 and explained that he had forced his way through the Common Room door’s magic.
• Madam Ravenclaw declined Manus’s offer to take her portrait outside and asked him to bring current textbooks or examination papers on his next visit.
• Manus showed Madam Ravenclaw his textbooks, and she concluded that he was unusually capable compared with other first-year students.

Rowena Ravenclaw told Manus where to find the door connected to her riddle and gave him the books and instruments from her Chamber of Secrets. After asking about Helena Ravenclaw, Manus promised to seek news of her, while Rowena left their painful past unexplained.

• Rowena Ravenclaw told Manus that the door linked to her riddle was somewhere on the Seventh Floor of Hogwarts Castle.
• Rowena gave Manus the books, notes, and experimental instruments in the Chamber of Secrets, and he packed them up.
• Manus asked whether the Chamber and Rowena's declining health were connected to the ghost she had mentioned, and Rowena asked if he knew of Helena Ravenclaw.
• Manus said he had no news of Helena but promised to investigate, and Rowena agreed to tell him what happened between them if he brought back news.
• Rowena refused to discuss her painful past with Helena, and Manus bowed farewell.

Manus found another secret door on Hogwarts’ Seventh Floor, but its mind-probing magic kept him from opening it. Later, Lily asked him about Potter’s strange behavior as Potter and his friends arrived at the Astronomy Tower.

• Manus used enhanced Revelio to find a secret door whose symbols described a mind probe and a three-pass condition, then tried and failed to open it.
• Manus decided he would need to learn Occlumency and study the door’s remaining symbols before trying again.
• Manus joined Bellows and the others on the Astronomy Tower, where Lily asked him to have Pandora stand beside her.
• Lily told Manus she had hit someone hard enough to worry that Potions might not fix them, and complained that Potter had been getting on her nerves.
• Potter arrived at the tower with his friends, and Black pointed him toward Lily.

Manus wondered why Potter had fallen for Lily, while Potter tried to get Pandora to switch seats so he could sit beside Lily. Lily’s warning kept Potter and his friends from starting a fight, and Professor Aurelia began Astronomy class.

• Manus asked Lily what had happened between her and Potter, and Lily recalled that Potter had harassed her and that she had once scolded him for bullying another student.
• Potter asked Pandora to switch seats, but she refused and mocked him for trying to sit near Lily.
• Lily warned Potter that someone could accidentally fall from the dark Astronomy Tower, leaving Potter and his friends too intimidated to act.
• Professor Aurelia arrived and began class by telling the students to prepare their telescopes to observe Saturn’s rings.

Pandora and Lily stood up to Potter and his friends on the Astronomy Tower, and Lily warned Pandora that they might retaliate. Manus arranged for Huginn to watch Pandora for two weeks, while Lily reflected on how the discipline and reputation Manus had taught her to value kept her from simply fighting back.

• Potter led his friends away after Professor Aurelia arrived, but warned Pandora that she had gotten lucky.
• Lily introduced herself to Pandora, warned her that Potter might target her later, and offered to help if he did.
• Manus told Lily he would have Huginn follow Pandora for two weeks to guard against retaliation.
• Lily thanked Manus and considered how she envied students who could fight without worrying about rules, points, or detention.
• Lily decided that sacrificing her good reputation just to beat Potter and his friends would be a poor bargain.

James remained determined to pursue Evans despite Sirius and Remus warning him about her, while Peter worried about getting caught in another beating. After Astronomy class, Lily and Manus shared a quiet moment as Pandora observed their unspoken closeness, and Lily thought about the approaching full moon and her first encounter with Manus.

• Sirius and Remus warned James that Evans had beaten them badly, but James insisted he wanted to pursue her.
• Peter privately worried that James's behavior would lead to another beating and considered hiding in the bathroom to avoid it.
• Manus adjusted Lily's telescope during Astronomy class, and Pandora noticed their quiet, familiar exchange.
• After completing their notes, Lily looked at the moon and remarked that it was scarred despite its beauty.
• Lily remembered that the full moon was only days away and recalled the fear she felt when she first met Manus.

Manus clarified to Pandora that he and Lily were childhood friends, not a couple, but Pandora turned her mistaken impression into a romantic story to share with her roommate. Pandora allowed her roommate to pass the story on to at most two people, despite worrying that Manus might recognize its inspiration.

• Manus told Pandora that he and Lily were friends who had met before Hogwarts and that he was not pursuing her.
• Pandora remembered meeting Lily on the boat and accepted Manus's explanation, though she still admired their apparent understanding.
• Pandora created a romantic story from her mistaken guess about Manus and Lily and shared it with her roommate.
• Pandora warned her roommate not to reveal the story because it might trouble the people who inspired it.
• Pandora relented and allowed her roommate to share the story with no more than two people.

Manus and Severus visited Hagrid to cook Wellington steaks, with Manus teaching Hagrid the preparation by hand. The meal was ready, and Severus eagerly began to eat.

• Manus invited Lily, Severus, and Pandora to visit Hagrid, but only Severus was able to join him.
• Manus introduced Severus to Hagrid and found that Hagrid had gathered the ingredients for their meal.
• Manus guided Hagrid through preparing the beef, puff pastry, and filling for three Wellington steaks.
• Manus used magic to bake the steaks and cut one open to show its crisp crust and juicy filling.
• Severus received half a Wellington steak and eagerly picked up his knife and fork.

Manus cooked a Wellington steak and baked cookies for Hagrid, discovering that Hagrid’s strength crushed the fragile treats. On the way back to Hogwarts, Severus suspected Hagrid was hiding something, and Manus recognized that Hagrid was secretly preparing to hatch a dragon egg.

• Manus, Severus, and Hagrid ate the Wellington steak Manus had made, and Hagrid finished both enormous portions.
• Manus baked cookies in Hagrid’s fireplace, but Hagrid accidentally crushed them in his hands before pouring the crumbs into his mouth.
• Manus packed half the cookies for himself and Severus and left the rest for Hagrid in jars.
• Severus noticed Hagrid’s hut had been unusually warm and wondered why Hagrid had lit a fireplace.
• Manus realized Hagrid was hiding the dragon egg incubation equipment and baby dragon accommodations in his hut, while Pandora watched him and Severus from the covered walkway.

Pandora told Manus that her widely circulated story was inspired by him and Lily, but he reassured her that she had done nothing wrong and suggested writing could become one of her future career paths. The chapter left Pandora considering that possibility as Manus began to add one last point.

• Pandora searched for Manus after realizing her story had spread rapidly around Hogwarts.
• Pandora found Manus with Severus and pulled Manus aside to discuss her story.
• Pandora revealed that she had based the story on a misunderstanding involving Manus and Lily, and Manus said he had not recognized them in it.
• Manus explained that the supposed real-life inspirations helped the story spread and reassured Pandora she did not need to apologize.
• Manus encouraged Pandora to pursue writing while warning her against making fictional stories too much like real people's biographies.