Chapter Summaries

Harry and his friends finished a snowball fight, then dressed for the Yule Ball, where Harry looked forward to seeing Qiu in her dress. They arrived early at the Great Hall and found many students already waiting outside.

• Hermione left the snowball fight early to get ready for the ball, while Harry and Ron wondered how long it took the girls to prepare.
• Harry thought about seeing Qiu at the ball and remembered that she had helped him choose deep teal, Eastern-style dress robes.
• Harry and his friends showered and changed, and Ron admired the embroidered clouds on Harry's robes.
• Harry and his friends left the Common Room shortly after seven and found students from Hogwarts and the other schools gathered outside the Great Hall.

Harry attended the Yule Ball with Cho Chang, who stunned him in a lake-blue gown, while Hermione and Lavender’s arrivals drew attention from the crowd. The chapter left Ron staring at Lavender as he noticed her striking figure.

• Cho Chang arrived in a lake-blue gown, and Harry praised her beauty.
• Hermione appeared in an elegant purple-and-blue gown, surprising Harry, Ron, and the other Gryffindors.
• Cho complimented Hermione’s appearance, and Harry insisted that Cho was the only one he found beautiful.
• Lavender Brown arrived in a pink-and-white gown, and Ron stared at her figure.

At the Yule Ball, Harry danced with Qiu while watching the other couples struggle or enjoy themselves. The next dance began with more guests joining, including Hogwarts staff and students’ families.

• Harry and Ron danced with Qiu and Lavender, but Ron’s lack of practice made his movements awkward.
• Krum and Hermione danced happily together despite both being mediocre dancers.
• Harry watched Corvinus repeatedly step on his partner’s feet, while Meng and Horton danced skillfully with partners they seemed at odds with.
• Harry noticed Davies staring admiringly at Delacour and wished Qiu would let him gaze at her the same way.
• Dumbledore invited Headmaster Stuart to dance, while Karkaroff sat alone after a professor rejected his invitation.
• More guests joined the second dance, and Harry spotted Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Sirius, and Lucius Malfoy among the adults.

Harry and Qiu rested after dancing four tunes, while Hagrid and Madame Maxime drew attention with their dancing. Ron and Lavender also left the floor exhausted, and Harry guessed Ron’s flushed face had a different cause; the group gathered with Hermione and Krum.

• Hagrid and Madame Maxime danced together, drawing nearly everyone’s attention and keeping to the edge of the dance floor.
• Harry and Qiu finished four dances, then took a break for snacks and drinks.
• Ron and Lavender left the dance floor after the vigorous fourth tune, with Lavender leaning on Ron as they walked.
• Harry noticed Ron’s flushed face and quick breathing and gave him a knowing smile, which Ron returned sheepishly.
• Hermione waved Harry and Ron over to join her and Krum, and Ron sat down and offered his drink to Lavender.

At the Yule Ball, Xilieikesi asked Harry to dance so she could speak with him about Edward Menzies, the Ministry official connected to his Wooden Box. As they danced, she questioned him about his and Ron’s First Task performance, and Harry answered by teasing her about Madame Maxime and Hagrid.

• Harry declined Xilieikesi’s invitation to dance because he wanted to stay with Qiu.
• Xilieikesi offered to dance with Qiu instead, then revealed that she wanted to talk to Harry about Edward Menzies.
• Qiu reminded Harry that Menzies was the Australian Ministry of Magic member who had tried to take the Wooden Box.
• Harry accepted Xilieikesi’s invitation and danced with her while Ron wondered what she had told him.
• Xilieikesi asked whether Harry and Qiu were a couple and questioned how Harry and Ron had devised their First Task approach.
• Harry confirmed that he and Ron were best friends, then teased Xilieikesi about Madame Maxime and Hagrid.

At the Yule Ball, Harry and Qiu discussed the powerful blond man who wanted to meet Harry, while Harry remained unsure whether to approach him or seek help. Harry also watched the other guests and ended the chapter excitedly noticing Sirius arriving with Professor Babbling.

• After dancing with Xilieikesi, Harry returned to Qiu, and she asked whether Xilieikesi knew something about the blond man watching them.
• Harry told Qiu the man had asked to speak with him, and he worried the meeting might be connected to the Wooden Box and the deity.
• Qiu declined another Durmstrang boy's invitation to dance, while Ron and Lavender returned from the dance floor and Ron asked whether Xilieikesi wanted clues about the Second Task.
• Harry explained that he and his friends had been unable to open the Golden Egg and planned to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas to investigate it.
• Sirius entered the Great Hall beside Professor Babbling, and Harry eagerly wondered whether they would dance together.

During the Christmas holidays, Harry and his friends spent time in the Library, where they noticed Krum seeking out Hermione and learned more about how Durmstrang kept its location secret. The chapter left Ron delighted by Krum’s promised souvenirs, while the Second Task still had no leads.

• Ron told Harry that Krum seemed to like Hermione, and the group discussed how often Krum came to read with her.
• Ron asked Krum for souvenirs, and Krum promised to give him a national team uniform.
• Harry and Ron questioned Krum about Durmstrang, but Krum said he did not know its exact location.
• Krum explained that Durmstrang brought students directly to the school through magical means, and that only its headmaster knew where it was.

Hermione, Harry, and Ron read a Daily Prophet story claiming Hermione had turned all four Triwizard Champions’ heads, though Hermione cared more about how good she looked in its photograph. Their amusement faded when they found another report later in the paper.

• Hermione complained that the Daily Prophet’s front-page story about her and the Champions was unreliable.
• Harry and Ron objected to being described as infatuated with Hermione, while Ron enjoyed the praise Rita Skeeter gave him for the First Task.
• Hermione admitted the article was nonsense but was pleased that the photograph showed her looking beautiful.
• Harry, Ron, and Hermione found another report farther back in the newspaper and became unhappy.

Harry, Ron, and their friends failed to open the Golden Eggs containing the Second Task’s clues, while Ginny’s jealousy over Harry’s devotion to Cho deepened. The chapter left Ginny resisting Black Ginny’s schemes as she continued to hope Harry might love her.

• Harry, Ron, and their friends tried spells and other methods to open the Golden Eggs, but neither egg was damaged or opened.
• Harry and Ron decided not to ask the professors for help until they understood the Second Task, and Dean revealed that their friends wanted to help the Champions themselves.
• Ginny’s hopes for Harry faded as she saw him remain devoted to Cho and keep his distance from other girls.
• Ginny rejected Black Ginny’s suggestion to jinx Cho and stopped communicating with her for a week.

Mafalda suggested that the Golden Egg might need to be kept in fire for a long time, like a Dragon egg hatching, and Ginny brought the idea to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They left Harry’s egg in the Common Room fireplace as the chapter ended, while Ron asked Hermione about Krum and teased her about the newspapers’ claims.

• Ginny told Mafalda about the Golden Egg, and Mafalda suggested burning it for longer because Dragon eggs needed sustained heat to hatch.
• Ginny realized she had only tried burning the egg for a few minutes and hurried to tell Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
• Harry tossed his Golden Egg into the Common Room fireplace, and the group went about their business while it heated.
• Ron asked Hermione whether Krum had made progress, and Hermione said she barely knew him.
• Ron pointed out that the papers claimed Krum was in love with Hermione, and Hermione asked whether Ron was in love with her too.

Harry and his friends opened the golden egg and found a motionless golden dragon statue instead of a written clue. Hermione suspected the dragon’s unfamiliar appearance was the clue, and Harry suggested asking Hagrid, leaving them with a reason to visit him.

• Harry roasted the golden egg, cooled it with Aguamenti, and removed a small golden dragon statue from inside.
• Harry, Ron, and Seamus examined the statue but could not discover what it meant.
• Hermione suggested that the dragon’s unfamiliar appearance might be the clue.
• Harry proposed asking Hagrid about the dragon, and Hermione recognized that the visit could also let them check how he was doing.

Harry and Ron visited Hagrid to ask about their Golden Eggs, but kept the solution secret because Hagrid was close to Madame Maxime. Hagrid identified their hatched dragons and Hermione shared what she knew about the rare breeds, leaving Harry wondering how that information would help with the Second Task.

• Hermione stopped Ron from revealing how they had opened the Golden Eggs, and Hagrid understood why they were being cautious.
• Ron explained that he was reluctant to talk freely with Bill because Bill had grown close to Fleur Delacour.
• Hagrid examined the little dragons and identified Ron's as a Tuareg Sand-Breathing Dragon, while he guessed Harry's was a Blue Thornback Dragon.
• Hermione described the two rare dragon breeds, and Hagrid praised her knowledge while noting it was mostly theoretical.
• Harry asked how knowing the dragons' breeds would help them with the Second Task.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione brought the little dragons to life and discovered runes hidden on one dragon’s belly. The runic phrase was too advanced for them to decipher, so Hermione suggested asking Professor McGonagall for help.

• Harry, Ron, and Hermione placed the little dragons in jars of water and sand, and both dragons came alive and changed color.
• Harry and Ron played with the dragons before noticing that the scales on one dragon’s belly looked unusual.
• Harry and Hermione recognized patterns on the dragon’s belly as runes, while Ron left the deciphering to them.
• Hermione copied the runes, but she and Harry could not determine the phrase’s pronunciation or meaning.
• Hermione suggested asking Professor McGonagall for advice because the runes used advanced vocabulary.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione brought the runes from the Sand-Breathing Dragon to Professor McGonagall, who helped them decipher the clue. Harry triggered the dragon and received another parchment, leaving the group with three unusual runic spells to interpret.

• Harry, Ron, and Hermione asked Professor McGonagall and the other professors for help understanding the runes they had copied from the little dragon.
• Professor McGonagall identified the runes as the names of the two little dragons and taught Harry and Hermione how to understand and pronounce them.
• Harry recited the phrase to his Sand-Breathing Dragon, which opened its mouth and spat out a roll of parchment.
• Harry and Ron found three more runic phrases on the parchment and handed it to Professor McGonagall.
• Professor McGonagall recognized the phrases as three specialized spells and invited Harry and Hermione to work out their general meaning.

Harry and Ron enjoyed the Christmas holidays after deciphering the Second Task clue, then returned to Hogwarts as the task approached. Harry learned that Slughorn favored several champions and discovered that a new professor had taken over Care of Magical Creatures.

• Harry and Ron remained confident that they had solved the Second Task clue, while Hermione agreed that its obscure layers would have challenged even advanced students.
• Harry enjoyed the rest of the holidays with Cho Chang, and students returning to Hogwarts eagerly asked him and Ron about their preparations.
• Slughorn discussed the Second Task with his fifth-year students and said he had confidence in Harry and Ron, while showing particular interest in Krum, Xilieikesi, and Corvinus.
• Harry and his classmates discovered during Care of Magical Creatures that an elderly, short-haired witch had replaced their professor.

Professor Grubbly-Plank taught the fourth years about a unicorn, while Harry worried about Hagrid’s absence. Draco taunted Harry and Ron with news that Hagrid might be sacked, leaving them to face the possibility that their friend would lose his teaching position.

• Professor Grubbly-Plank showed the fourth years a unicorn, and the girls got to stroke it while the boys watched from a distance.
• Harry decided to visit Hagrid after class because he was worried about why Hagrid had been replaced.
• Draco mocked Harry and Ron over Hagrid’s absence and claimed the Board of Governors would sack him.
• Harry, Ron, and other students reacted unhappily to Draco’s taunt, while Hermione ignored his jabs about the newspaper article.

Hagrid explained that he would continue teaching Care of Magical Creatures alongside Professor Grubbly-Plank, as the subject would expand and become compulsory for younger students next year. After Harry and his friends complained about Hagrid's failure to tell them, they returned to the castle and found Cedric waiting for them.

• Hagrid explained that Care of Magical Creatures would become Magical Creature Care and Research, with Professor Grubbly-Plank joining him and younger students taking two compulsory lessons a week.
• Harry, Ron, and their friends complained that Hagrid had made them worry by forgetting to explain the changes, and Hagrid apologized.
• Hermione grumbled that the confusion had distracted her from the previous lesson and kept her from petting the unicorn.
• Harry and his friends spotted Cedric waiting outside the Great Hall, and Ron teased him about waiting for his pen pal.
• Cedric blushed and said he was waiting for Harry and the others, not Qianqian.

Harry and Ron had given Cedric the first layer of the Golden Egg's clue, while the Champions from other schools worked to solve the remaining stages. On the morning of the Second Task, Harry and Ron felt nervous despite their preparation as rare sunshine brightened Hogwarts.

• Harry and Ron told Cedric how to solve the first layer of the Golden Egg's secret.
• Harry observed that Ilvermorny and Durmstrang seemed to have deciphered the next clue, while the other schools' progress remained uncertain.
• Harry noticed Julianne Sirtute and the Durmstrang students looking nervous ahead of the task, while Krum was absent with a cold.
• Harry and Ron spent the days before the Second Task practicing the three spells they had learned from the clue.
• Saturday arrived with unusually clear weather, and Harry and Ron felt nervous as the competition approached.

Bagman explained that the Second Task would test cooperation as champions crossed the Black Lake by boat, stopping at five islands to find equipment and clues before bringing task items to the castle dock. He announced that Beauxbatons and Hogwarts, tied for first place, would be the first pairs to start.

• Harry and Ron saw seven two-person boats waiting at the dock and realized the champions might have to row.
• Krum and the champions from Nagudinnaf, Nanyang Magic School, and Castelobruxo appeared confident about rowing, while several champions from other schools felt less prepared.
• Bagman explained that the task involved crossing the lake, visiting five Small Reef Islands, finding equipment and clues, and bringing task items to the castle dock.
• Shen Yalan asked what the equipment and task items were, but Bagman said the champions would have to discover that themselves.
• Bagman announced that pairs would start three minutes apart according to their schools' combined scores, with Beauxbatons and Hogwarts tied for first and scheduled to leave first.

Harry and Ron struggled to row across the Black Lake until Ron realized they could use magic, and they enchanted their boat to speed ahead. Meanwhile, the second wave of champions set off as Bagman commentated from the Hogwarts shore.

• Harry and Ron grew tired from rowing and worried they could not keep up their pace across the lake.
• Ron noticed that Bagman had not forbidden magic, and Harry agreed they could use spells to propel their boat.
• Harry cast a Levitation Charm on the boat, and Ron released a Shockwave behind it to drive them forward.
• Krum and Stuart, and Yi Qianqian and Lei Kaiming, set off in the second wave while Bagman praised their rowing on the Viewing Screens.