Recaps

Will completed his transformation into a Hippogriff Animagus and flew over Hogsmeade, where Snape mistook his form for Hagrid’s creature. Snape paid Fisher to keep feeding Will’s dog and remained suspicious of Lupin, while Will continued flying toward Hogwarts.

• Snape questioned Lupin outside the Shrieking Shack, but Fisher’s arrival with food for Will’s dog interrupted them.
• Lupin told Snape he was checking on the dog for Will, and Snape left while warning that he would keep an eye on Lupin.
• Snape paid Fisher several Galleons to feed Will’s dog through Christmas and decided to prepare a gift for Will.
• Earlier, Will used the Time-Turner to complete the final stage of his Hippogriff Animagus transformation in the Forbidden Forest.
• Will tested his new body by flying and spotted Snape on the road to Hogwarts before gliding toward him.

Will kept his new Animagus form secret, spent time with Harry and the Weasley Twins, and prepared to leave for Christmas. He experimented with the Patronus Charm using an Euphoria Draught, a Cheering Charm, and Emotion Weaving, but dark memories disrupted the attempt as gray-black mist mixed with the silvery-white mist.

• Will met Harry and the Weasley Twins after Quidditch practice, agreed to buy Harry a Nimbus 2001, and joined them for a meal in the Kitchens.
• Hogwarts closed for the holidays a week later, and Will continued brewing Potions in the Room of Requirement.
• Will drank an Euphoria Draught, cast a Cheering Charm on himself, and used Emotion Weaving to intensify his positive feelings.
• Will cast Expecto Patronum and produced a powerful cloud of silvery-white mist, but he failed to give it a solid form.
• Will's happy memories faded as unpleasant ones surfaced, causing gray-black mist to pour from his Wand and mingle with the silvery-white cloud.

After his Patronus Charm left him unnaturally cold and emotionless, Will sought help but gradually recovered. As Hogwarts began its Christmas holidays, he planned to stay at school and travel to London for presents.

• Will discovered that he could slightly control the silver-gray light from his altered Patronus, but it faded when he stopped supplying magic.
• Will's friends noticed his cold demeanor, and Ron jokingly blamed Snape for turning him into a vampire-like creature.
• Will asked Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall, and Lupin about his condition, but none could explain it; they advised him to practise the Patronus Charm less or stop.
• Will gradually returned to normal over several days and decided to investigate his Patronus Charm during Christmas.
• Will planned to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas, visit London to buy presents, and bring Harry a broomstick.
• Hogwarts' Christmas holidays began on December 18, 1993.

Will traveled to Diagon Alley to buy Christmas gifts for his friends and professors, including a costly order of Felix Felicis that he intended to keep secret from Snape. After shopping for everyone from Hermione to Dumbledore, he returned to the street with gifts in hand.

• Harry felt disappointed that Hogwarts was nearly empty for Christmas, then cheered up at the prospect of a new broom and no holiday Quidditch training.
• Will and Sylvia shared a train compartment with Draco and Pansy, who felt awkward as Will and Sylvia spent the journey reading.
• Will declined Roy Lestrange’s invitation, stayed at a hotel arranged by Hobart, and went to Diagon Alley alone the next morning.
• Will ordered Felix Felicis from Jiggers at twice the price to keep his plans from Snape.
• Will bought Christmas presents for professors and friends, including books, magical equipment, a scarf for Sylvia, a Nimbus 2001 for Harry, and candy for the High Tower.
• Will remembered Dumbledore and entered a clothing shop to buy two dozen pairs of thick woolen socks.

Will told Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Anco the Wizarding World’s story of Santa Claus and his ancient struggle against Krampus. He described how Santa used gifts and children’s joy to drive the demon away, but the story ended before Will revealed what happened to Krampus.

• Will read aloud that Santa Claus had been a powerful wizard who delivered magical gifts on Christmas Eve.
• Will explained that Krampus preyed on lonely and frightened children during the darkest winter nights.
• Hermione described the Muggle legend of Krampus, and Ron compared the creature to a Dementor.
• Will said Santa tracked Krampus by sensing where joy was missing and gave struggling families food, sweets, and gifts.
• Will explained that children’s joy drove Krampus away, then Harry asked whether Santa had destroyed the demon for good.

Will told Harry, Hermione, and Ron the legend of Santa Claus purifying Krampus with Joy Magic, then they went to bed for Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning Harry received a Nimbus 2001 from Will and discovered a Firebolt among his presents, while Will visited Snape with a large box.

• Will read aloud a legend in which Santa Claus used Joy Magic to purify Krampus and described Christmas as a possible protective ritual.
• Hermione asked why Professor Lupin had been absent, and Will said Lupin was occupied with something important until early next month.
• Harry woke on Christmas morning and opened presents, including a Nimbus 2001 from Will, a sweater and treats from Mrs. Weasley, and a Firebolt.
• Snape opened his Christmas presents before Will arrived at his door with a large box.
• Snape welcomed Will and gave him a vial of golden potion as a Christmas present.

Will gave Christmas gifts to the Hogwarts professors, including Snape, and received an unusually large increase in Charisma experience. At the Christmas feast, Harry watched Will charm the staff and wondered if he should learn from him.

• Will gave Snape a vial of Felix Felicis, and Snape later found the potion Will had hidden inside an elaborate series of boxes.
• Will received several notifications that people had developed strong affection for him, raising his Charisma experience.
• A preserved bouquet and greeting card for Professor Riddle stood at Malfoy Manor.
• Harry and Ron joined the small Hogwarts Christmas feast, where Dumbledore asked Will and Snape to pull crackers.
• Harry noticed the professors and Filch thanking Will for their gifts, then wondered whether he should learn from Will.

Will studied Lupin’s human and werewolf forms to understand the Magic behind lycanthropy and develop a Werewolf Venom Curse. After observing Lupin transform on December 28, Will identified a chaotic Magic that altered his body’s Magic and left with a promising direction for further experiments.

• Will examined Lupin after he took Wolfsbane Potion and said he needed more full-moon experiments to study his werewolf form.
• Lupin agreed to spend the Christmas holiday helping Will develop a Werewolf Venom Curse, and Will planned to observe his transformation on December 28.
• Will prepared the Room of Requirement and used the Time-Turner to observe Lupin alongside four other versions of himself.
• After Lupin transformed, Will used Wizard Sight to observe the chaotic Magic changing Lupin’s Magic and named it Werewolf Venom Magic.
• Will found that a barrier around Lupin’s brain appeared to be caused by Wolfsbane Potion and considered whether the underlying Magic could be blocked.
• Will told Lupin he expected to develop the Werewolf Venom Curse within a few months.

Will separated Hermione from Ron during their argument about Crookshanks and Scabbers, then realized Lupin had likely met Sirius at the Shrieking Shack. Back at Hogwarts, Will wrote Professor Riddle asking permission to use Peter in Ministry politics, then summoned Peter, intending to sell him out.

• Will invited Hermione to look for a book, drawing her away from Ron and reassuring her about the argument over Crookshanks and Scabbers.
• Will saw Lupin leaving the Shrieking Shack and deduced that Lupin had contacted Sirius and that Crookshanks had been pursuing Peter.
• Will visited Sirius at the Shrieking Shack with Hermione, then returned to Hogwarts and prepared the Room of Requirement.
• Will wrote Professor Riddle asking whether he could use Peter to advance his Ministry ambitions and requesting material on the Killing Curse.
• Peter entered the Room of Requirement in human form, and Will revealed that he intended to sell him out.

Will convinced Peter Pettigrew that Sirius Black and Remus Lupin would soon expose him, then persuaded him to return to Voldemort for protection. Peter agreed to meet Will in Hogsmeade in three days, leaving Will eager to see how Professor Riddle would react.

• Will warned Peter that Black and Lupin knew his identity and that he was in danger at Hogwarts.
• Will threatened to kill Peter if he was caught and risked revealing that Professor Riddle had begun to return.
• Will persuaded Peter that going back to Voldemort was his best chance of survival and protection.
• Peter agreed to return to his Master's side and meet Will in Hogsmeade in three days.
• Will watched Peter turn into a rat and slip out beneath the door.

Professor Babbling brought Will to the Rune Association, where its members welcomed him and praised his work on the Slumbering Rune. The chapter ended as Mrs. Prewett introduced Will to the Association’s scholars.

• Professor Babbling took Will to London to visit the Rune Association before the Christmas holiday ended.
• Will met the Weasley family in Diagon Alley, and Fred and George told him Arthur had punished them for sneaking Harry into Hogsmeade.
• Fred and George asked Will what he thought about Ginny joining the High Tower, and Will said he would consider expanding it.
• Will and Professor Babbling arrived at the Rune Association, where Mrs. Prewett welcomed them and described the group’s focus on Ancient Runes scholarship.
• Mrs. Prewett praised Will’s Slumbering Rune paper and introduced him to Archibald Foster, Cordelia, Barnaby Lee, and other Association members.

Will welcomed his friends back to Hogwarts and changed the High Tower’s recruitment rules as the new term began. During the first week, George and Fred explored the Secret Passage to the Shrieking Shack, where they heard someone speaking upstairs.

• Will reunited with his friends at Hogsmeade Station, and Michael explained that Luna’s hiccups came from eating too many of Will’s sugar biscuits.
• At a meal in the Kitchens, the High Tower members agreed that each member could nominate one person per term and that nominees would be admitted by vote, with Will holding a veto or approval vote.
• The High Tower unanimously approved Ginny as a new member.
• Harry began the term with his Firebolt after the professors cleared it, while keeping the Nimbus 2001 that Will had given him.
• George and Fred subdued the Whomping Willow, crawled through the Secret Passage, and emerged inside the Shrieking Shack.
• George and Fred heard someone speaking upstairs and froze, wondering who was in the Shack.

George and Fred overheard Sirius Black and Professor Lupin discussing Harry and a traitor in the Shrieking Shack, then fled through the secret passage with the two men in pursuit. Black caught the twins beneath the Whomping Willow, where Hagrid appeared and confronted Black and Lupin.

• George and Fred overheard Sirius Black and Professor Lupin arguing about telling Harry the truth and making a traitor pay.
• The twins accidentally made a noise, alerting Black and Lupin, and escaped into the passage beneath the trapdoor.
• Black and Lupin chased George and Fred through the cramped passage while calling for them to stop and listen.
• The twins emerged beneath the Whomping Willow, but Black followed as a black dog, transformed into a man, pinned them down, and disarmed them.
• Lupin tried to calm Black, then froze when Hagrid arrived carrying a bag of bloody raw meat.

Hagrid attacked Sirius Black after mistaking him for a threat, and Lupin intervened when the fight grew dangerous. Will arrived with George and aimed his wand at Black to stop the battle.

• Hagrid recognized Black and hurled a sack of meat at him, then attacked with Fred's wand while Black shielded George.
• George ran to the Castle for help as Hagrid's spells drove Black back and Lupin tried unsuccessfully to calm Hagrid.
• Black nearly disarmed Hagrid, but Fred's prank gadget disrupted Black's spell and Hagrid blocked him with an Impedimenta.
• Lupin disarmed Hagrid, whose wand was smashed by the Whomping Willow, and prepared to explain himself.
• George returned with Will, who dismissed Lupin's attempt to explain and aimed his wand at Black to end the fight.

Will defeated Sirius Black in a duel and took him, Lupin, Hagrid, George, and Fred toward Professor Dumbledore, determined to keep Sirius's presence secret. The group cleaned themselves up before approaching the Castle.

• Sirius attacked Will, but Will blocked his spells and countered with a powerful display of magic.
• Sirius called for Lupin's help, but Hagrid stopped Lupin from attacking Will.
• Will cast an unfamiliar sleep spell that overwhelmed Sirius and left him unconscious.
• Will said he trusted Lupin, then had Hagrid take Lupin's wand while the group prepared to bring Sirius to Dumbledore in secret.
• Will wrapped Sirius in black cloth and led the group toward the school, explaining that he had stopped George from raising an alarm.
• Will noticed the group was covered in blood and bone fragments, cleaned everyone with Scourgify, and continued toward the Castle.

Dumbledore gave Sirius Black Veritaserum in the Headmaster’s Office, and Black revealed that Peter Pettigrew had betrayed James and Lily and framed him for murder. His account left Fred and George realizing that their family’s pet rat, Scabbers, was Peter.

• Will reassured Fred and George that the school or Ministry might replace Fred’s broken wand, though Black’s possible innocence could complicate the matter.
• Will, Lupin, Hagrid, Fred, and George brought the bound Sirius Black to Dumbledore’s office.
• Dumbledore had Lupin give Black Veritaserum and asked who had been James and Lily’s Secret Keeper.
• Black confessed that Peter Pettigrew had been the Secret Keeper, staged his own death, killed twelve Muggles in an explosion, and escaped as a rat.
• Black explained that he escaped from Azkaban after recognizing Scabbers in a newspaper and came to Hogwarts to protect Harry.
• Fred and George remembered Scabbers and realized that the rat they had known was likely Peter Pettigrew.

Dumbledore organized a plan to protect Sirius and catch Peter without alerting him. He then confronted Will about secretly experimenting on Peter and warned him to be careful, while Will defended his choices and principles before leaving.

• Dumbledore explained that Peter would avoid harming Ron and arranged to catch him without tipping him off.
• Dumbledore asked Hagrid to shelter Sirius, told Lupin to act normally, and warned Sirius not to cause trouble until Peter was caught and his name cleared.
• Dumbledore questioned Will about letting Peter go and taking him out of Hogwarts, and Will said he had hoped to gain trust from Voldemort's side.
• Dumbledore warned Will that his experiments could lead him toward dangerous extremes, while Will said Peter's work was a form of atonement and that true justice belonged to those Peter had harmed.
• Will insisted he would follow his own principles and had no interest in Voldemort's Pure-blood Theory, then left the Office.
• The Sorting Hat told Dumbledore that it had come to like Will, and Dumbledore wondered whether giving him so much freedom was wise.

Will searched Hogwarts books for Santa Claus’s joy magic while learning that Ron’s rat had disappeared, and he fed the Thestrals in the Forbidden Forest. He reassured Sirius that Peter might soon be found, while Peter waited anxiously outside the Room of Requirement that night.

• Will searched books about Christmas legends for information about Santa Claus’s magic.
• Fred and George told Will that Ron’s rat had gone missing and that they suspected it had fled rather than been eaten by Crookshanks.
• Will learned the twins were busy preparing for Gryffindor’s Quidditch match against Slytherin.
• Will fed the Thestrals and told Sirius that Peter had gone into hiding while people searched for him.
• Will urged Sirius to stay calm and wait for Harry’s Quidditch match, saying Peter might soon be found.
• Peter paced outside the Room of Requirement, waiting for its master to return.

Will read Peter’s rare Dark Magic texts and studied a book about creatures that devoured joy, finding several mistlike beings that resembled the gray-black mist of his Patronus. He suspected his Patronus Charm had changed because of his psychological troubles and decided to test it on a rat.

• Will confirmed that Voldemort had sent Peter back to assist him, then told Peter to return for the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch match and watch Lupin.
• Will dismissed Peter and stored the Killing Curse materials in his Book Trunk.
• Will read accounts of Krampus and other creatures that stole laughter, devoured joyful dreams, or drained happiness.
• Will noticed that many joy-devouring creatures took mistlike forms and grew concerned that his gray-black Patronus reflected a problem with his magic.
• Will decided to test his Patronus Charm on a rat.

Will tested how his Patronus affected Peter and discovered that it could drain emotions and draw on another person’s feelings to last longer. He then flew to a remote Scottish village and began casting the spell over it.

• Will bound Peter in the Room of Requirement and cast the Patronus Charm while under the effects of Euphoria Draught.
• Will’s silvery Patronus mist turned dark and caused Peter to suffer deep despair, then left him emotionally numb as Will adjusted the spell.
• Will gave Peter chocolate and learned that physical pleasure did not immediately restore happiness while his emotions were suppressed.
• After two more tests, Will concluded that the spell caused no lasting harm and could use other people’s emotions to extend its duration.
• Will transformed into a silver-and-black phoenix, flew to a remote Scottish village, and cast the Patronus Charm from above it.

Will tested the advanced stages of his Patronus Charm on a village, discovering that its dark mist drained and distorted the villagers’ joy before he compensated them with gold. After considering how to control the spell, he attended classes and heard Lupin introduce vampires as the day’s topic.

• Will’s Patronus Charm drained the villagers’ joy, shifting from silver-gray mist to gray-black mist that distorted their emotions.
• Will stopped the experiment when the village’s joy could no longer sustain the spell and distributed gold among the Muggles.
• Will identified three stages of his Patronus Charm and decided he needed a way to collect and control joy, such as Santa Claus’s Joy Magic.
• Will arrived late to potions class, and Snape took a point from Slytherin.
• Will and Sylvia attended Lupin’s Defence Against the Dark Arts class, where Lupin handed out sweets and announced they would study vampires.

Lupin taught the students about vampires, correcting popular myths and explaining their legal status, habits, and transformation ritual. The lesson ended with homework, while the chapter’s appended lore note clarified which details came from Rowling and which were added here.

• Lupin asked the class what they knew about vampires, and Alvin Bryan, Miles Parker, and Finley McGregor offered answers.
• Lupin explained that vampires were living dead with equal legal standing to humans, could eat ordinary food, and were not harmed by silver or crosses.
• Lupin showed the Blood-Replenishing Potion and explained that vampires could drink it to stave off hunger.
• Lupin told the students that a vampire bite did not transform someone, while a consent-based ritual could do so at great cost to the vampire.
• Hermione asked about wizard-vampire marriages, and Lupin said they had been banned in the past but were now legal and still socially disfavored by traditional families.
• Lupin assigned an essay on vampire facts, and the appended note distinguished Rowling’s published lore from the chapter’s added transformation rules.

Gryffindor and Slytherin finally began their Quidditch match in freezing, fierce winds, with Slytherin’s rough play giving them the lead. Harry spotted the Golden Snitch and dived after it, but Dementors appeared over the pitch as the sky darkened.

• Wood urged Gryffindor to win, while Flint told Draco to wear Harry down and warned Slytherin to hide their fouls.
• The match began in strong winds, and Madam Hooch awarded Gryffindor a penalty after Slytherin players knocked Alicia Spinnet off balance.
• Flint elbowed Katie Bell as Slytherin scored, and Fred and George retaliated by targeting Slytherin players with Bludgers.
• Harry spotted the Golden Snitch by the Ravenclaw stands and raced after it, with Draco following close behind.
• Harry felt a familiar cold and saw a flock of Dementors blotting out the sky above the pitch.

Dementors attacked the Quidditch Pitch, but Harry and Dumbledore drove them away with powerful Patronuses. The match resumed, and Harry spotted the Golden Snitch after the Black Dog pointed it out to him.

• Dementors swept over the Quidditch Pitch, frightening the students and forcing the players to land.
• Harry cast a Patronus, and Dumbledore and Will used their magic to protect those on the pitch.
• Dumbledore returned from the Forbidden Forest and declared the danger had passed, then allowed the Quidditch Match to continue.
• Harry and Draco Malfoy resumed the match, but both struggled in the cold as the teams battled for another fifty minutes.
• The Black Dog repeatedly pointed Harry toward the sky, and Harry spotted a glint of gold.

Harry caught the Golden Snitch and won the Quidditch match for Gryffindor, while Will learned the Dementors had vanished and prepared to travel back in time. The chapter left Will arriving in September 1992, during Lockhart's first days teaching at Hogwarts.

• Harry outmaneuvered Malfoy and caught the Golden Snitch, winning the match for Gryffindor.
• Will worried that his Patronus Charm had caused the gray-black mist that blotted out the sky.
• Dumbledore told Will that the Dementors had vanished and planned to use their disappearance to redirect attention toward Sirius and Peter.
• Will reviewed Hermione's notes about Lockhart and prepared to travel back two months to improve his Memory Charm and deal with Peter's memories.
• Will used the Gold-and-Silver-Patterned Time-Turner to return to September 1992, focusing on keeping his consciousness steady as time distorted around him.