Recaps

Dumbledore and Will concealed Harry’s petrification and let the Wizarding World believe he had died, while they waited for the Mandrakes needed to restore him. Draco Malfoy knew Will had unleashed the Basilisk and struggled with whether to expose him.

• Malfoy told Dumbledore and Snape how he had encountered Voldemort and watched Harry fight, but withheld what he knew about Will.
• Dumbledore explained that Harry was petrified and ordered Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Will to keep his condition secret until the Mandrake potion was ready.
• The Daily Prophet and the Ministry announced Harry’s supposed death, and Cornelius Fudge awarded him the Order of Merlin, First Class.
• Will received anxious letters from Hobart and Lupin, while Ron and Hermione kept Harry’s survival secret from their families and others.
• Draco dreamed that Will threatened him, then woke terrified and considered telling Dumbledore that Will had sent the Basilisk after Harry.

Draco Malfoy struggled with whether to report Will Behrens for Harry’s death, then confessed to Dumbledore that Will had controlled the basilisk. Will appeared before Dumbledore revealed that he had expected Malfoy to report him, leaving Draco convinced the two were conspiring together.

• Draco weighed his guilt over Harry’s death against his fear of Will and concern for his family.
• Draco went to the Headmaster’s Office and told Dumbledore that Will had controlled the basilisk and attacked Harry.
• Draco claimed that Will had acted on the Dark Lord’s orders and had petrified him.
• Will entered the office and calmly asked what Draco and Dumbledore had been discussing.
• Dumbledore told Will that Draco had come to report him, and Draco’s wand fell as he feared they were working together.

Dumbledore revealed that Harry’s apparent death was staged, then persuaded Malfoy to join his side and study Occlumency with Severus. Will and Dumbledore continued planning how to build Voldemort’s trust while Will pursued lessons on Animagi and souls.

• Malfoy mistook Will and Dumbledore’s staged attack on Harry for a murder plot, but Dumbledore told him Harry was alive and explained the plan.
• Dumbledore persuaded Malfoy to join his ranks and instructed him to begin studying Occlumency with Severus.
• Moody caught Malfoy out of bed, took fifteen points from Slytherin, and sent him away before Malfoy could explain.
• Will and Dumbledore agreed to proceed more cautiously with Tom while making sure Voldemort heard about the staged attack.
• Will continued his lessons with Dumbledore on Animagi and souls and gained Transfiguration experience.

Harry woke in a secret safe house after killing the basilisk and learned that Voldemort’s forces remained a threat. Dumbledore said Harry would train in isolation, and after a few days of recovery, their training began.

• Harry woke beside Dumbledore and learned he had killed the basilisk, while the Dark Wizard had escaped.
• Dumbledore told Harry that most people believed he had died and that he would need to stay hidden and train.
• Harry feared Mr. Strange had died, but Dumbledore explained he was badly hurt and expected to recover in about a month.
• Harry promised to work hard so he could protect the people he cared about.
• Harry spent several boring days recuperating in the Tower before Dumbledore began training him.

Harry endured Dumbledore’s demanding training while isolated in a protected Tower, and Dumbledore taught Will how a Wizard’s soul and Magic shaped Animagus transformation. The lesson ended with Dumbledore warning that wild Magic could permanently trap a Wizard in animal form—or lead to something worse.

• Harry struggled through exhausting mock battles with Dumbledore, who praised his progress and gave him a potion to recover.
• Alone in the Tower, Harry missed his friends and Mr. Strange, unaware that Dumbledore had isolated him to shield his connection to Voldemort.
• Dumbledore demonstrated Soul Transfiguration to Will and explained that changing a Wizard’s soul was central to becoming an Animagus.
• Will recalled how his eagle form had felt unnatural because his soul remained human, while Dumbledore showed how an Animagus’s soul and Magic changed with the animal form.
• Dumbledore made the Magic inside a water eagle run wild, muddying its layers, and explained that this could taint the body and permanently trap a Wizard as an animal.

Will learned that soul, body, and magic were closely linked, and gained the Trinity ability while considering how to become an Animagus. The chapter ended with Lucius Malfoy reporting that Behrens had killed Harry Potter.

• Dumbledore explained that Animagus transformations were dangerous because they involved transfiguring the soul, and that soul, body, and magic affected one another.
• Will gained the Trinity bonus ability, which would gradually stabilize and connect his soul, body, and magic.
• Will asked whether Dumbledore could become an Animagus or transform into a magical creature, but Dumbledore answered cryptically.
• Will concluded that becoming an Animagus required difficult soul Transfiguration and considered studying Fawkes and magical structures for clues.
• Lucius Malfoy arrived home and told his master that Behrens had killed Harry Potter.

Lucius reported Harry’s apparent death to Voldemort, who praised Will and ordered Lucius to use the news to find a way to attack Dumbledore. At Hogwarts, Will declined Hermione’s invitation to visit Harry because he had Old English lessons and other studies to complete.

• Voldemort praised Will for proving his worth and loyalty, then told Lucius to keep watching the Ministry and exploit Potter’s supposed death to attack Dumbledore.
• Lucius left the meeting believing the Malfoy family could rise with Voldemort’s return and poured himself Firewhisky while thinking of Draco’s future.
• In Potions class, Hermione gave a detailed answer about Gillyweed, while Snape awarded Gryffindor points and deducted points from Ron.
• After class, Hermione invited Malfoy, Ron, Neville, Sylvia, and Will to visit Harry, but Will declined because his Old English lesson had been moved to that day.
• Hermione asked Will in disbelief when he had started learning Old English.

After Harry was attacked, the Daily Prophet blamed Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic sent officials to inspect Hogwarts. Dumbledore realized Voldemort was recovering well, while Voldemort ordered Lucius to deliver a letter to Will.

• Hermione felt anxious, and Luna told her that Wrackspurts had latched onto her.
• Michael Corner showed the group Rita Skeeter's article accusing Dumbledore of failing to protect Hogwarts, and reported that Ministry officials had arrived.
• Rufus Scrimgeour met Dumbledore in the Headmaster's Office while other Ministry officials inspected Hogwarts.
• Dumbledore concluded that the Ministry's attack on him meant Voldemort was recovering well and rebuilding his influence.
• At Malfoy Manor, Lucius told Voldemort that his servants had begun attacking Dumbledore through the Ministry, and Voldemort gave him a letter for Will.

Will learned that the Ministry had sent wizards to investigate Hogwarts, then found an old book about soul transfiguration while searching for Transfiguration texts in the Room of Requirement. The book described Dementors as beings with part of a soul and suggested its author intended to experiment on them.

• Will visited the Three Broomsticks, where Madam Rosmerta told him Ministry wizards were investigating Hogwarts.
• Will returned to Hogwarts and saw Dumbledore speaking with a tawny-haired man he did not recognize.
• Will searched the Room of Requirement for Transfiguration books to help him reach LV5 and pursue an Animagus transformation.
• Will found a fifteenth-century book called Mad Transfiguration—Twisting the Soul and began reading it.
• The book's author described visiting Azkaban, studying Dementors, and concluding that they possessed part of a soul.

Will read an unnamed dark wizard’s notes on using the subconscious to overcome wizards’ belief that they could not transform into magical creatures. The experiments on abducted children showed disturbing signs of progress, and the notes ended with Fire Dragon’s soul beginning to change.

• Will read that the dark wizard believed emotions and subconscious convictions shaped magic and could prevent wizards from transforming into fantastic beasts.
• The dark wizard abducted infants from four wizarding families, named them Fire Dragon, Phoenix, Thunderbird, and Thestral, and raised Muggle children among wolves.
• The dark wizard subjected the children to cruel conditioning designed to make them identify with their namesake creatures, while the Muggle children developed wolf-like behavior.
• The dark wizard grafted magical-creature flesh and blood onto the children, and Thestral died within two years.
• The notes described Fire Dragon developing dragon scales and habits, and the dark wizard discovered that his soul had become distorted during Human Transfiguration.

Will read the Gaunt wizard’s notes about experiments that transformed human test subjects into Fantastic Beasts. The final subject, “Thunderbird,” returned to human form, confronted his captor, and killed himself, while the notes ended with the wizard storing his records in the Gaunt family library.

• Will read that the “Fire Dragon” and “Phoenix” test subjects died after their souls transformed and became unable to return safely to human form.
• The wizard recorded that “Thunderbird” transformed into a Fantastic Beast during a storm and flew away.
• Three months later, “Thunderbird” returned in human form, learned he had been abducted for experiments, and attacked the wizard.
• The wizard defeated “Thunderbird” by turning the magic inside him against him, and “Thunderbird” killed himself.
• The wizard later noted that his nephew had visited, that the test subjects’ remains had been destroyed, and that he had placed his records in the Gaunt family library.

Will studied a Gaunt family Dark Wizard’s research to prepare for becoming a Magical Animagus, while Voldemort ordered him to cause trouble at Hogwarts. He ignored the order and focused on raising his Transfiguration skill, ending the chapter at the start of a breakthrough.

• Will concluded that the Gaunt research showed how bodily changes could affect the soul and decided to prepare for an Animagus transformation.
• Will took two Mandrake leaves from a pot, prompting Professor Sprout to angrily threaten the student responsible.
• Malfoy delivered Voldemort’s letter, which ordered Will to cause chaos at Hogwarts and help the Ministry pressure Dumbledore.
• Will showed Dumbledore the letter and asked to spend time with Fawkes; Dumbledore agreed after warning him about attempting to become a Magical Animagus too soon.
• On April 6, 1993, Will placed a Mandrake leaf in his mouth and studied until his Transfiguration experience increased by one point.

Will chose Formless Chaos as his LV5 Transfiguration Bonus Ability and woke to find his body and magic more closely under his control. He tested the ability in the Room of Requirement, transforming into a silver wolf and casting magic with ease.

• Will considered the strengths and drawbacks of the four LV5 Transfiguration Bonus Abilities, including Human Origin, Transfiguration Weaver, and Heart Sculptor.
• Will chose Formless Chaos and passed out as the ability took effect.
• Will woke, checked that the Mandrake leaf remained in his mouth, and sensed a closer connection to his body.
• Will tested Transfiguration and found he could change his hand into a claw without losing control of his magical structure.
• Will transformed into a silver wolf and discovered that using magic felt as effortless as it did in human form.

Will experimented with animal transformations in the Room of Requirement before finding Lupin visiting Dumbledore. Dumbledore revealed that Harry was alive and asked Lupin to become the next Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

• Will transformed into several animals and discovered that his Magic still worked while he was transformed, though the effort left him drained.
• Will went to Dumbledore's Office and found Lupin looking exhausted after the full moon.
• Lupin explained that grief over the news of Harry's supposed death had brought him to Hogwarts.
• Dumbledore told Lupin that Harry was alive, badly injured, and in a special petrified state while receiving treatment and training.
• Dumbledore asked Lupin to take the Defense Against the Dark Arts post next year, and Will questioned the choice.

Dumbledore persuaded Remus Lupin to accept the Defence Against the Dark Arts position at Hogwarts by offering him an improved Wolfsbane Potion. He then gave Harry reforged glasses, restoring his connection with Mr. Strange.

• Dumbledore offered Lupin the Defence Against the Dark Arts post and explained that he and Snape were finishing a safer Wolfsbane Potion.
• Lupin accepted the position, discussed Harry with Dumbledore, and left for Diagon Alley.
• Will asked whether Moody's extra lessons had ended, and Dumbledore confirmed Moody would teach only until the school year ended.
• Dumbledore visited Harry and gave him new glasses reforged by an old friend.
• Harry put on the glasses and heard Mr. Strange speak to him again, and Dumbledore let them catch up instead of holding their lesson.

Will prepared and buried an Animagus potion, then continued the sunrise-and-sunset ritual while waiting for a storm. During Moody’s combat lesson, students reported that a black-robed figure had attacked Connor.

• Will placed a Mandrake leaf, his hair, dew, saliva, and a Death's-head Hawk-moth pupa into a vial and buried it at the Forbidden Forest’s edge.
• Will continued reciting the Animagus incantation at every sunrise and sunset until a storm arrived.
• Will watched Moody’s students train in the Forbidden Forest rather than joining their combat exercises.
• Several students carried out an unconscious Connor and told Moody that a black-robed figure had attacked him.

A staged attack on Connor renewed fear at Hogwarts, prompting a lockdown and a public backlash against Moody. Dumbledore defended Moody, while Voldemort’s side interpreted the resulting chaos as proof that Will had succeeded.

• Moody summoned the students after Connor was struck by a Sleeping Charm, and Will carried him to the Hospital Wing, where Madam Pomfrey said he would recover.
• Rumors that the Dark Wizard had returned spread through Hogwarts, and students discussed their fears over dinner.
• Malfoy privately questioned Will about the attack, but Will denied being responsible and told him to follow the Headmaster’s instructions.
• McGonagall announced a lockdown, restricting students to their Common Rooms outside class and canceling Quidditch practice.
• Rita Skeeter and other reporters blamed Moody for the attack, but Dumbledore publicly supported him and took responsibility for student safety.
• Voldemort’s side saw the panic and public turmoil as evidence that Will had thrown Hogwarts into chaos again.

Will confirmed that he had reached the second-heartbeat stage of becoming an Animagus and asked Professor McGonagall about completing the transformation during a storm. After a month of preparation, he faced a gathering storm at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where the final step of the ritual began with a bolt of lightning.

• Will felt a faint second heartbeat while practicing the Animagus incantation.
• Professor McGonagall confirmed that Will had reached the second-heartbeat stage and heard his question about the storm-bound final step.
• Will spent the following month preparing while Voldemort left him undisturbed.
• On May 7, Will watched the oppressive weather gather over Hogwarts and considered whether he was ready.
• Will went to the edge of the Forbidden Forest during a storm and waited as Magic converged on the ground where he had buried the Crystal vial.
• A silver-white bolt of lightning struck, beginning the final step of Will's Animagus Ritual.

Will completed the Animagus Ritual, discovering that his soul had the Formless Chaos trait and forcing it to take the shape of an eagle. After testing his ability to cast spells as an eagle, he tried transforming again and became a silver wolf before a group of startled gray wolves.

• Will drank the potion during the storm and endured the Ritual’s intense pain, but no animal initially appeared in his mind.
• Will saw his own image dissolve into Formless Chaos, then used his will to shape it into an eagle.
• Will transformed into a silver-and-black eagle and discovered that he could cast spells from his talons.
• Will tested spells while flying over the forest, then wondered whether he could change into another form.
• Will landed near a group of gray wolves and transformed into a silver wolf before them.

Will experimented with his Animagus transformations before attempting to reshape himself into a Fantastic Beast based on Fawkes. After a painful transformation, he became a new bird resembling a Phoenix, though he was unsure whether his success was real.

• Will tested many animal forms and discovered he could transform rapidly with little magical effort or discomfort.
• Will recalled Fawkes's magical structure and decided to attempt a Fantastic Beast transformation.
• Will struggled to reshape his soul and magic into a Phoenix-like form as intense pain and a strange inner fire overtook him.
• A strange flame enveloped Will and transformed him into a graceful silver-, black-, and red-feathered bird.
• Will examined his new form and found that its magic kept the rain away and evaporated nearby raindrops.

Will discovered that his phoenix form could Apparate into and out of Hogwarts, then planned to study more magical creatures. In the Gryffindor Common Room, a Weasley prank caused chaos and earned three brothers detention.

• Will realized he could not transform into other magical creatures without studying their magic structures, but his phoenix form could Apparate despite Hogwarts's restrictions.
• Will returned to the Room of Requirement, reflected on his Animagus ritual, and decided to study more fantastic beasts while continuing his other work.
• Hermione asked Fred and George for advice about electives as Ron and Neville joined the discussion with their subject forms.
• Fred and George gave Ron and Neville a fire-breathing drink, causing Ron to race around the Common Room shooting flames while Neville hiccuped harmless sparks.
• Professor McGonagall arrived, identified the prank, and assigned detention to Fred, George, and Ron.
• Hermione decided to ask Will which electives he had chosen.

Will told Hermione he planned to take every elective, though his real reason was to obtain the special items Hogwarts provided to students with full schedules. Professor McGonagall summoned him, praised his Animagus transformation, and began warning him about the demands of his choices, leaving Will eager for what he expected to receive.

• At dinner, Will told Hermione, Sylvia, and Malfoy he intended to take every elective, while Hermione discussed her own choices and Sylvia rejected Care of Magical Creatures.
• Will privately hoped that choosing all the electives would earn him useful, powerful items from Hogwarts.
• A few days later, Professor McGonagall called Will to her office and asked about his Animagus form.
• Will transformed into a Silver-and-Black Falcon, and Professor McGonagall praised him for completing the transformation in his second year.
• Professor McGonagall began warning Will that taking every elective would leave him with a packed timetable and a heavy workload, while Will anticipated receiving a form.

Will applied for a Time-Turner so he could take every course, then used Veritaserum to question Peter Pettigrew about Harry. After learning Harry was alive but petrified, Will ordered Peter to find him before he recovered and made Peter agree to help with an experiment.

• Will persuaded Professor McGonagall to give him a special application for a Time-Turner and encountered Hermione as she was summoned for one too.
• Will enjoyed several days of lighter studying before realizing his next year's schedule would be packed and considering how to turn Baruffio's Brain Elixir into a spell.
• Will summoned Peter Pettigrew to the Room of Requirement and secretly made him drink Veritaserum while questioning him about Harry.
• Peter revealed that Harry was alive, petrified by the Basilisk, and could be revived with Mandrake potion.
• Will accused Peter of withholding the news and ordered him to find Harry before he recovered, then told him he would help with an experiment as punishment.

Will Behrens secretly sabotaged Hogwarts’ mandrakes to hinder Harry Potter’s recovery while pretending to be an ordinary student. In the Room of Requirement, he tested a mind-clearing spell on Peter Pettigrew, leaving Peter terrified by Will’s power and talent.

• Peter Pettigrew recalled how Will had used him in spell experiments and forced him to help destroy Hogwarts’ mandrakes.
• Ron and Neville discovered Professor Sprout furious because someone had killed or damaged most of the mandrakes.
• Will acted like an attentive student while reflecting that his displays of loyalty to Voldemort had been a performance and that he planned to use Voldemort for magical experience.
• Fear of the mandrake sabotage spread through Hogwarts, and Ron and Neville stopped sneaking out to the kitchens at night.
• Will’s experimental spell caused Peter severe pain, then another spell cleared Peter’s mind and made him fear Will’s magical talent.

Will intimidated Peter and continued pretending to be a ruthless, unstable servant of Voldemort while secretly keeping Harry hidden with Mr. Strange. When Will and Peter tried to destroy the Mandrakes, Moody nearly caught them, but Will escaped by transforming into a Venomous Snake.

• Will dislocated Peter's arm to make him believe Will was dangerous, then sent him away to continue searching for Harry.
• Will told Voldemort about Harry's situation and decided to destroy the new Mandrakes to prevent Harry from recovering.
• Mr. Strange reassured Harry that the Mandrakes would mature in a little over ten days and his petrification could soon be lifted.
• Will and Peter sneaked into the Greenhouse to destroy the Mandrakes, but Moody arrived while they were working.
• Peter hid as a rat, and Will transformed into a Venomous Snake and concealed himself among the plants until Moody left.
• Will and Peter later escaped the Greenhouse through a Secret Passage.