Ch. 721A very different Diagon Alley

Dumbledore asked Will to search for Horcruxes and agreed to let the public believe he had cured Neville’s parents. As the school year approached, Harry and the Weasleys shopped in a quieter Diagon Alley, where they met Will, Sylvia, and a changed-looking Neville.

  • Dumbledore explained that Tom planned to act within a year and asked Will to search for Horcruxes using Nicolas’s Alchemical Locator.
  • Will asked Dumbledore to take credit for curing Neville’s parents, and Dumbledore agreed to keep Will’s abilities hidden.
  • Harry went to Diagon Alley with the Weasleys, where Arthur learned that Aurors would be stationed at Hogwarts.
  • Harry and the Weasleys met Will and Sylvia outside Flourish and Blotts and went into the bookshop together.
  • Neville emerged from Flourish and Blotts thinner than before, carrying a book, while two people following him startled Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Ch. 722Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

Will and his friends visited Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, where Fred and George showed him the shop and discussed its profits. The chapter ended with Will pushing away his share of the earnings.

  • Frank and Alice Longbottom reunited with the Weasleys and said Dumbledore had cured them, while Neville thanked Will.
  • Ginny led Will and the others to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes to meet Hermione.
  • Will and his friends explored the crowded shop and its magical products.
  • Fred and George took Will to their office and showed him the business report, saying the shop's revenue had tripled.
  • Fred gave Will a bag of Galleons as his share of the profits, but Will pushed it back.

Ch. 723Alchemy Materials

Will gave Fred and George their business funds and asked them to gather Alchemy Studies books and write up their alchemy knowledge. The shop bustled with customers until a tremendous bang outside stopped everyone and caused panic.

  • Will returned the money to the safe and asked Fred and George to find Alchemy Studies books and prepare notes on alchemy.
  • George and Fred told Will that Ministry orders for their Shield Hats, Cloaks, and Gloves had made the business profitable.
  • Will returned to the shop, where Harry bought Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder at a discount.
  • George and Fred teased Hermione, Sylvia, and Ron as they browsed and bought merchandise.
  • Arthur and Molly Weasley entered with Frank and Alice, and Arthur proudly showed off the twins' shop.
  • A tremendous bang outside the shop halted the customers and sparked panic.

Ch. 724Trouble in Knockturn Alley

Will calmed the panicked customers in Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and followed the commotion into Knockturn Alley, where Death Eaters attacked Gilbert's Necromancy Shop. After they killed Gilbert, Will watched the battle and wondered what the Death Eaters were trying to accomplish.

  • Customers in Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes panicked, and Will used magic to calm most of them while Mr. Weasley tried to restore order.
  • Will left the shop and discovered that the disturbance came from Knockturn Alley, where Aurors had sealed off the entrance after an explosion.
  • Will slipped past the Aurors and flew through Knockturn Alley toward the continuing blasts.
  • At Gilbert's Necromancy Shop, Will saw masked Death Eaters fight the elderly Gilbert as he defended his shop with spells, jars of blood-red flies, and crawling severed hands.
  • A Death Eater killed Gilbert with the Killing Curse, and Will wondered what the attackers wanted.

Ch. 725Knockturn Alley Was About to Change Hands

Will witnessed the Death Eaters seize control of Knockturn Alley, then reunited with his friends as the Aurors restored order in Diagon Alley. After finishing their school shopping, he took Sylvia to Lestrange Manor and later went to examine the Longbottom family before leaving for Hogwarts.

  • Will saw the Death Eaters kill a wizard and announce their takeover of Knockturn Alley, with Caractacus Burke publicly supporting them.
  • Will returned to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, where Aurors checked the sleeping customers and George and Fred watched a suspected thief.
  • Will and his friends bought supplies, and Ron reacted uneasily to the Alchemical Rats inside a snow globe.
  • The group finished shopping and parted at the Leaky Cauldron, which had been cleaned up and placed under Auror guard.
  • Will took Sylvia to Lestrange Manor, then left to examine the Longbottom family before Hogwarts began.

Ch. 726Karkaroff and Crouch's Current Situation

Will finished treating Frank and Alice Longbottom at Longbottom Manor, then left to attend to other matters. Dumbledore visited Barty Crouch and Igor Karkaroff in their Muggle village, announcing that Karkaroff’s sentence had ended and that he needed to take him away for a task.

  • Will found Frank and Alice in good condition but told them they would need at least another month before using magic, and the Longbottoms thanked him.
  • Will declined the Longbottoms’ invitation to dinner and Apparated away with a small crystal ball.
  • Karkaroff worked under Crouch’s orders in the Muggle village, unable to use magic because of restraints on his wrists.
  • Dumbledore told Crouch that Voldemort had returned and the Wizarding World was in turmoil, then clarified that only Karkaroff’s sentence had ended.
  • Dumbledore explained that he needed to separate Karkaroff from Crouch to protect his plan, and Karkaroff begged him not to kill him.
  • Dumbledore assured Karkaroff that he would be fine if he helped with one task.

Ch. 727An overview of the plan

Dumbledore incapacitated Karkaroff and left Barty Crouch in the courtyard before Will reviewed the Howard family’s international expansion plans with Mertz Howard. Will postponed their operations in Egypt until he could deal with Ramesses II and promised to make Mertz a wizard once his responsibilities eased.

  • Dumbledore knocked Karkaroff unconscious, freed Barty Crouch with a wand, and took the injured Karkaroff away for treatment.
  • Will read the Howard family’s report and heard Mertz describe their efforts to spread Will’s gospel through the Americas and prepare for expansion in Africa.
  • Will ordered Mertz to remove Egypt from the plans until Will could handle the magical threat posed by Ramesses II.
  • Will told Mertz that he would make him a wizard after the initial adjustment period and once the Howard family’s work no longer depended on him personally.
  • Mertz pledged the Howard family’s service to Will, and Will drew his wand.

Ch. 728The Sixth Year at Hogwarts

Will finished preparing for his sixth year by studying and securing rats for research, then boarded the Hogwarts Express under increased Auror patrol. He declined to attend the Prefects' meeting and continued reading as the train headed to Hogwarts.

  • Will used magical treatments and temporary Charms to restore the old duke's health and instructed him to write if problems arose.
  • Will stunned the rats in his Crystal ball and kept them for research, then spent the rest of the holiday studying and reading alchemy books from George and Fred.
  • On September 1, 1996, Will boarded the Hogwarts Express and noticed Aurors patrolling the train.
  • Will reunited with Sylvia, Hermione, and Ginny, who shared that Neville seemed to have won Hannah over.
  • Will refused Ron's invitation to the Prefects' meeting about choosing the Head Boy, while Sylvia went in his place.
  • Will read alone as the train approached Hogwarts.

Ch. 729Slughorn's lunch

Professor Slughorn invited Will and Sylvia to lunch with a select group of Hogwarts students, where Will impressed everyone with his Transfiguration. After Slughorn urged Will to join his club, Will and Sylvia returned to their compartment, and the train later reached Hogsmeade Station at night.

  • Slughorn found Will and Sylvia and invited them to lunch in compartment C.
  • Will and Sylvia joined Harry, Neville, Ginny, and the other invited students, and Neville saved a falling bread basket with a Levitation Charm.
  • Will transformed the train compartment into a banquet room, earning Slughorn's praise and five points.
  • Slughorn spent lunch praising Will and discussing the students' talents and families.
  • Slughorn asked Will to visit him and join his club, then Will and Sylvia returned to their compartment.
  • The train arrived at Hogsmeade Station after several more hours of travel.

Ch. 730Sixth year begins, changes to the teaching staff

Will and the other students returned to Hogwarts for the start of sixth year, where Dumbledore announced changes to the teaching staff. Slughorn took over Potions, while Snape became the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

  • Moody hurried the students into carriages at Hogsmeade Station, where Draco boarded with Harry and Ron and Astoria followed.
  • Tonks brought Luna to the carriages, and the Aurors escorted the students safely to Hogwarts.
  • The students entered the Great Hall, watched the Sorting Ceremony, and shared the welcome feast.
  • Dumbledore welcomed Hagrid back after the Ministry cleared his name and announced Slughorn as the new Potions professor.
  • Dumbledore announced that Snape would teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, leaving Ron and the others stunned and Harry sighing.

Ch. 731Lucius's Scheme

After Voldemort ordered Draco to spy on Snape, Draco told Will about the task and brought him the Surveillance Device. Will took Draco to Dumbledore, who realized Snape was in danger and hinted that he had a plan.

  • Dumbledore announced that Lupin had quit and Snape would replace him, and that Aurors would guard Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.
  • Draco told Will that Voldemort had ordered him to keep an eye on Snape, and that Lucius had urged him to seek Will's help.
  • Will inferred that Lucius wanted him to share the risk of Draco's task, then asked Draco to fetch the Surveillance Device.
  • Will brought Draco to Dumbledore, where Draco explained Voldemort's orders and handed over the device.
  • Dumbledore concluded that Voldemort was prepared to sacrifice Snape and said, "let him come," suggesting he had a plan.

Ch. 732A Year! Snape's Class

Dumbledore prepared to confront Voldemort and told Will to help Draco while he was away. As Hogwarts began the new school year, Snape taught the packed sixth-year Defence Against the Dark Arts class about nonverbal spells.

  • Dumbledore told Will he might be away for a long time and instructed him to help Draco openly while he handled Severus afterward.
  • Will considered the hidden Horcruxes and resolved to grow stronger during the year before Dumbledore and Voldemort settled their conflict.
  • The new school year began, and lowered O.W.L. requirements filled Snape’s Defence Against the Dark Arts class with sixth-years.
  • Snape criticized previous Defence Against the Dark Arts teaching and introduced nonverbal spells as the first lesson.
  • Snape praised Mr. Behrens’s answer about nonverbal spells and asked him to demonstrate his magic.

Ch. 733Slughorn's Potions Class (Part One)

Will demonstrated his spellwork in Snape’s class, then attended Slughorn’s Potions class with Sylvia and Hermione. Slughorn praised Hermione’s potion knowledge and welcomed Will, setting the stage for the lesson.

  • Will used four spells to destroy a target, and Snape awarded Slytherin points while explaining that Will’s second spell was a secret.
  • Snape had the students practice nonverbal spells in pairs, and he was surprised by Neville’s progress.
  • Will told Sylvia he was thinking about the Howard family and his plans to improve his abilities.
  • At Potions class, Hermione identified four potions, including the Draught of Living Death, and Slughorn praised her knowledge.
  • Slughorn welcomed Will to class and awarded Hermione fifteen points after learning she was Muggle-born.

Ch. 734Slughorn's Potions Class (Part Two)

Slughorn had his students brew the Euphoria Draught for a chance to win Felix Felicis, while Will Behrens improved the potion and helped Draco Malfoy perfect his own. Slughorn named Draco the winner and awarded him the bottle.

  • Slughorn showed the class Felix Felicis, then set a contest to brew the Euphoria Draught, reassuring the students that Will Behrens would not compete for the prize.
  • Will prepared his potion with precise magic, accepted Slughorn’s invitation to join his club, and added Peppermint to eliminate the draught’s side effects.
  • Draco Malfoy asked Will when to add porcupine quills, and Will gave him exact instructions that produced a perfect potion.
  • Slughorn inspected the students’ work and awarded Draco the Felix Felicis for brewing a perfect Euphoria Draught.

Ch. 735Persuading Draco

After Draco won Felix Felicis and faced Ron’s accusations about his family’s ties to Voldemort, Will spoke with him privately about the burdens of working undercover. Draco admitted his envy of Will’s acceptance, and Will promised that Draco would eventually be recognized as a hero.

  • Draco won a bottle of Felix Felicis for brewing a perfect Euphoria Draught after receiving pointers from Will.
  • Ron accused Draco’s family of being Death Eaters, and Draco confronted Ron in the corridor before Will intervened.
  • At the High Tower meeting, Ron questioned Draco’s loyalty while Astoria Greengrass, Michael, and Sylvia urged restraint until Will had spoken with him.
  • Will told Draco that undercover work meant accepting misunderstandings, and Draco admitted he had envied Will’s ability to earn respect.
  • Will reassured Draco that he would help restore the Malfoy family’s reputation and ensure Draco was recognized for his sacrifices.

Ch. 736Draco Expelled from the High Tower

Will expelled Draco from the High Tower as part of a secret plan, while telling Astoria that the decision was not personal. He left Draco to undertake a dangerous mission and admitted Sylvia had guessed the arrangement correctly.

  • Will promised Draco that Dumbledore would restore his reputation and asked him to put on a show.
  • Will announced that Draco was forbidden from entering the High Tower and asked Hermione to select new ordinary members from Draco's candidate list.
  • Will told Ron that the High Tower's members had settled their grudges with Draco and instructed everyone to return to work.
  • Astoria asked Will what had happened to Draco, and he advised her to speak with Draco rather than him.
  • Astoria left to find Draco, while Sylvia told Will she did not care that Draco had agreed to risk his life for him.
  • Will reflected that Draco's mission would help his plan and distance him from Voldemort.

Ch. 737Will's Black Glove

Will assigned the High Tower members to choose their nominees and left Draco to carry out a secret mission to identify Voldemort sympathizers at Hogwarts. Two days later, news of Voldemort’s confrontation with the Ministry in Knockturn Alley reached the school, and Dumbledore summoned Will to his office.

  • Will gave the High Tower members the list of nominees and left them to decide while he went to read.
  • Astoria found Draco in the Slytherin Common Room and urged him to ask Will to take him back, but Draco said his situation had nothing to do with Will and told her not to trouble him.
  • Draco reflected on Will’s secret order to pose as an outcast, gather students sympathetic to Voldemort, and help Will identify them.
  • Two days later, the Daily Prophet reported that Death Eaters had confronted Ministry Aurors at the boundary between Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, claiming the latter for Voldemort.
  • Will questioned Voldemort’s motives after reading the report, then received Dumbledore’s message summoning him to the Headmaster’s Office after classes.

Ch. 738Invitation and Short-Term Plans

Will discussed Charm theory with Professor Flitwick and continued his Potions lessons before meeting Dumbledore and Lupin in the Headmaster’s Office. Dumbledore explained that Lupin and Moody would sometimes impersonate him, then asked Will about Draco and their plans for the near future.

  • Will and Professor Flitwick discussed the origins and logic of Charms, and agreed to continue working together on Potion Transfiguration the next day.
  • Professor Flitwick ended class early and promised to make up the missed material in their afternoon lesson.
  • Slughorn reminded Will to attend the Slug Club on Saturday while visiting him during Potions.
  • Will found Lupin with Dumbledore in the Headmaster’s Office, where Dumbledore said Lupin and Moody would sometimes use Polyjuice Potion to handle ordinary matters in his place.
  • Will admitted that he had not released Draco and planned to direct him in several tasks, then Dumbledore raised their plans for the near future.

Ch. 739Voldemort: Under immense pressure

Will agreed to help Dumbledore protect Hogwarts from infiltration and continue searching for Horcruxes, while Lupin reported on the Order’s studies and the Auror battle. At Malfoy Manor, Voldemort brooded over his powerful enemies and searched for a way to counter them.

  • Dumbledore asked Will to guard Hogwarts against infiltration and keep working on the Horcruxes, and Will agreed.
  • Lupin told Dumbledore that the Order of the Phoenix was progressing with the Origin Spells and reported casualties from the Auror battle near Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley.
  • Dumbledore gave Lupin Polyjuice Potion so he could impersonate him, then left with Fawkes.
  • Voldemort destroyed a copy of the Daily Prophet and reflected on how Scrimgeour, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald had put him at a disadvantage.
  • Voldemort considered his Horcruxes and searched through books in the Hidden Chamber for another answer.

Ch. 740The Resurrection Stone Ring

Voldemort discovered that the Resurrection Stone Ring was one of the Deathly Hallows and decided to collect them to increase his power. At Hogwarts, Will demonstrated a spell derived from an Endurance Potion, discussed Potion Transfiguration with Professor Flitwick, and prepared for Slughorn’s first gathering.

  • Voldemort examined the Resurrection Stone Ring and learned it contained the Resurrection Stone, prompting him to pursue all the Deathly Hallows.
  • Will welcomed Slughorn, who had been searching for a room for the club’s Saturday Gathering.
  • Will cast a spell that restored Slughorn’s stamina, and Slughorn recognized it as a spell converted from an Endurance Potion.
  • Filch and an Auror investigated Slughorn’s excited shouting, then left after he apologized for the disturbance.
  • Slughorn told Will that the first gathering would take place on the top floor of the East Tower.
  • Will discussed Potion Transfiguration with Professor Flitwick, who agreed to study the Dream Charm for ways to convert potions.
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