Recaps

After the feast, Draco and Hermione sent their friends to explore the dungeon challenges, then shared an embrace in the quiet common room. The group returned battered but cheerful, having faced several obstacles without finding a troll.

• Draco pulled Hermione into his arms while their friends teased them, and she stayed there after remembering her promise.
• Draco invited Neville, Ron, Harry, Lavender, Parvati, and Olivia to explore the dungeon challenges, and Hermione warned them to work together and avoid acting alone.
• The group left for the dungeons, and Hermione later willingly embraced Draco before returning to her studies as he playfully distracted her.
• Neville, Ron, Harry, Lavender, Parvati, and Olivia returned dusty and rumpled, laughing about Ron being caught in Devil's Snare and Lavender being chased by Flying Keys.
• Parvati said they had not found the troll, and Hermione guessed Professor Dumbledore had removed it; Ron regretted missing the chance to defeat it.

After surviving the final challenges at Hogwarts, Draco and Hermione reunited with their friends as the school year ended. Hermione topped the year and prepared for the holidays, while her friends celebrated their results and teased the couple in the library.

• Lavender, Parvati, Olivia, and Harry described how Ron’s chess strategy nearly got them wiped out, and Hermione revealed that Draco had cleared the chess challenge in three moves.
• Draco excused Ron by suggesting the game’s difficulty might have changed, and Ron eagerly agreed as the others booed him.
• The next morning, Hogwarts announced the holiday departure and handed out report cards; Hermione’s friends thanked her for helping them pass their exams.
• Ron and Harry bragged about their results, but Olivia reminded everyone that Hermione and Draco were the top two students in their year.
• Hermione suspected Draco had let her take first place, and he gave no denial; their friends teased the couple before leaving them alone in the library.

Percy lured Ron to the Hospital Wing, where the professors revealed that Scabbers was Peter Pettigrew, the traitor who betrayed Harry's parents and framed Sirius. After Dumbledore forced Pettigrew out of his Animagus form, Pettigrew begged for mercy and appealed to Ron for help.

• Percy brought Ron and Scabbers to the Hospital Wing, where Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and Flitwick were waiting.
• McGonagall stopped Scabbers from escaping and identified him as Peter Pettigrew, while Dumbledore and the professors said they had evidence of his crimes.
• Ron was stunned to learn his longtime pet had betrayed Lily and James Potter and caused Sirius to be imprisoned.
• Dumbledore forced Pettigrew to return to human form, and Pettigrew fell to his knees begging the professors to spare him.
• Pettigrew claimed Voldemort had forced him and pleaded with Ron to speak on his behalf.

After Peter Pettigrew was arrested, Ron struggled with the revelation that his pet Scabbers had been a fugitive all along. His friends stayed by him at Hogwarts, where rumors spread as the students prepared to return home on the Hogwarts Express.

• Ron told Peter Pettigrew that he never wanted to see him again, and Dumbledore had the Aurors take Pettigrew to face trial.
• Mr. and Mrs. Weasley comforted Ron, then agreed to let him stay at Hogwarts with his friends until the next day's train.
• Harry, Lavender, Draco, and the others accompanied Ron to the Gryffindor Common Room and reassured him that Scabbers's deception was not his fault.
• Dumbledore chose not to make a public announcement or suppress the story, and rumors about Scabbers spread through Hogwarts.
• Ron spent the night quietly with his friends, knowing he would return home without Scabbers.

Dumbledore used Peter Pettigrew’s confession and other evidence to secure Sirius Black’s exoneration and release from Azkaban. Sirius flew to Hogwarts to find Harry, but Harry did not recognize him as his godfather.

• Dumbledore presented the Ministry officials with evidence proving Peter Pettigrew had framed Sirius Black, and they cleared Sirius’s name and canceled his warrant.
• Aurors released Sirius from Azkaban and gave him official proof of his innocence.
• Sirius took a broom and flew through the night to Hogwarts, determined to see Harry.
• Sirius rushed into Gryffindor Tower and told Harry he was his godfather, but Harry said he did not know him.
• Draco explained that Sirius was James Potter’s best friend and Harry’s legal godfather.

Draco revealed that Sirius Black was Harry's godfather and had been framed for the Potters' murder, prompting Harry and Sirius to reunite after thirteen years apart. Harry agreed to go live with Sirius, and Dumbledore arrived to discuss their safety and offer help.

• Draco told Harry that Sirius was his godfather, had been wrongfully imprisoned, and had escaped to find him.
• Harry accepted Sirius as family, and the two embraced as Sirius apologized for being late.
• Sirius asked Harry to live with him, and Harry agreed.
• Dumbledore entered the common room, reassured Sirius that he had come to help, and said they needed to discuss their safety.

After Sirius left with Dumbledore, Harry’s friends celebrated his reunion with family and looked forward to his meeting Sirius on the Hogwarts Express. On departure day, Hermione and Draco were teased for their matching black-and-white outfits, while Pansy secretly plotted to turn Narcissa against Hermione; the chapter ended as the train fell suddenly quiet.

• Dumbledore took Sirius to arrange a safe place for him to stay, and Sirius promised to wait for Harry.
• Harry’s friends congratulated him on finding family and reassured him that things would get better.
• Hermione and Draco traveled with their classmates in matching black-and-white clothes, prompting their friends and Hagrid to tease them.
• Pansy watched Hermione and Draco with resentment and planned to tell Madam Narcissa about their closeness.
• Hagrid remembered Norbert in Romania, and Ron asked him to pass along that he missed the dragon.
• The students reached the Hogwarts Express and settled into compartments before the train suddenly fell quiet.

Sirius came to collect Harry from the Hogwarts Express and promised he would never have to return alone to the Dursley family. After arriving at King's Cross, Harry and Sirius set out to speak with the Dursleys, while Draco and Hermione left together and Vincent helped give them time alone.

• Sirius arrived at Harry's compartment looking refreshed, and Harry happily recognized his godfather.
• Sirius promised Harry he would pick him up every holiday and thanked Harry's friends, including Draco, for supporting him.
• The Hogwarts Express reached King's Cross, where Harry and Sirius agreed to find the Dursley family and make clear that Harry would not return to their home.
• Draco and Hermione left the station together, but Draco told Goyle and Vincent to go home.
• Vincent teased Draco and Hermione, then hurried off with Goyle after Draco praised him for being considerate.

Draco reunited with Hermione and her parents before leaving with Lucius and Narcissa. In the car, he openly told his father he loved Hermione despite her Muggle-born background, and Lucius tacitly accepted their relationship.

• Draco and Hermione greeted Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who warmly invited him to visit during the summer holidays.
• Draco noticed Lucius and Narcissa waiting nearby, said goodbye to Hermione, and left with his parents.
• In the car, Lucius remarked on Draco's closeness to Hermione, and Draco confirmed her identity and confessed that he liked her.
• Draco defended Hermione's character and achievements when Lucius invoked pure-blood expectations.
• Narcissa supported Draco, and Lucius told him to suit himself, silently accepting his choice.

Draco’s parents accepted his relationship with Hermione and invited her to Malfoy Manor, while Hermione waited anxiously with her parents, trusting Draco to resolve things. Draco returned to the Manor, where Dobby eagerly awaited him but remained wary of Lucius.

• Narcissa and Lucius told Draco they accepted his feelings for Hermione, and Narcissa invited him to bring Hermione to Malfoy Manor.
• Draco joked about having eight or ten children, prompting Lucius to scold him and Narcissa to tease him.
• Hermione’s parents comforted her as she worried about the Malfoys’ pure-blood traditions, and Hermione said she trusted Draco and would wait for him.
• Draco arrived at Malfoy Manor, where Dobby waited excitedly but hesitated to approach because Lucius stood beside him.

Pansy visited the Malfoys to protest Draco’s friendship with Hermione, but Lucius and Narcissa rebuked her and affirmed their support for Draco’s choice. Draco hurried to tell Hermione, finding her waiting sadly at her window, and she asked what his parents had said.

• Dobby welcomed Draco home and announced that Pansy had come to see the Malfoys.
• Pansy complained that Draco had been seen with Hermione and insulted Hermione as a Mudblood, so Draco demanded that she leave.
• Lucius warned Pansy not to interfere in Malfoy family affairs or use such language in his manor, while Narcissa said the family supported Draco and praised Hermione.
• Pansy left in tears, and Lucius and Narcissa reassured Draco that no one could bully someone under the Malfoys’ protection.
• Draco Apparated to Hermione’s home and called to her as she gazed sadly from her window; she asked what his parents had said.

Draco visited Hermione’s home after resolving his family’s concerns, and the Grangers welcomed him and accepted his relationship with their daughter. He left promising to take Hermione to Malfoy Manor, while Hermione and her parents shared a happy, teasing moment after she kissed him goodbye.

• Hermione rushed to Draco and embraced him, and he kissed her before Mrs. and Mr. Granger caught them at the doorway.
• Draco told the Grangers that his parents approved of Hermione and welcomed her to Malfoy Manor, easing their concerns.
• Draco gave Mrs. Granger a gift from Narcissa and spent the afternoon with Hermione and her parents.
• As Draco left, he promised to take Hermione to the manor, and Hermione kissed him goodbye.
• Mrs. and Mr. Granger teased Hermione about the kiss and told her they trusted Draco to treat her well.

Draco brought Hermione to Malfoy Manor, where Narcissa and Lucius welcomed her warmly and gave her a family heirloom bracelet. After Draco escorted the Grangers home and shared a lingering kiss with Hermione, they teased each other before he left, promising to visit again the next day.

• Draco told Narcissa how happy Hermione had been to learn that his family accepted her, and Lucius arranged a welcoming guest room and treats for her.
• Draco formally invited Hermione and her parents to Malfoy Manor, where Narcissa and Lucius greeted them warmly and put Hermione at ease.
• The Malfoys and Grangers shared tea and conversation, and Narcissa gave Hermione a pearl bracelet traditionally worn by the mistress of the Malfoy family.
• Draco escorted the Grangers home and presented Mr. Granger with fine wines and Chinese liquor before sharing a lingering kiss with Hermione.
• Hermione teased Draco that nothing was left owing, and Draco hugged her goodbye and promised to visit the next day.

Hermione returned home after kissing Draco and was teased by her parents, while Draco returned to Malfoy Manor and revealed that he had sealed Voldemort’s remnant soul. His parents were stunned and worried after learning how he had done it.

• Mrs. Granger teased Hermione about her swollen lips, and Hermione fled upstairs to check them in the mirror.
• Hermione found that her lips were not swollen, then happily remembered Draco’s kiss and the pearl bracelet Narcissa had given her.
• Draco returned to Malfoy Manor and thanked Lucius and Narcissa for their support.
• Draco told his parents that he had discovered Voldemort’s remnant soul attached to Professor Quirrell and had sealed it in the Forbidden Forest before handing it to Dumbledore.
• Narcissa worried over the danger Draco had faced, while Lucius was left shocked by his eleven-year-old son’s actions.

Draco explained that he had sealed away Voldemort’s Soul Fragment, and Lucius and Narcissa celebrated their family’s freedom from the fear that had ruled their lives. The Malfoys agreed to trust Draco’s decisions, and the family ended the evening together with Dobby.

• Lucius praised Draco for protecting the Malfoy family and said that only he, Narcissa, and Draco would know what had happened.
• Draco asked Lucius why he was happy despite having been a Death Eater, and Lucius explained that he had joined Voldemort to protect his family and had never been loyal to him.
• Draco told his parents that Dumbledore had promised to protect the Malfoys if the sealed Soul Fragment became known, and Lucius and Narcissa felt reassured.
• Lucius recognized that Draco had grown into an heir capable of supporting the family and told him that he and Narcissa would follow his decisions.
• Narcissa invited Lucius and Draco to relax over dessert, and Draco thanked Dobby for caring for the manor.

Draco spent the summer visiting Hermione, studying with her and pretending to be unfamiliar with the Muggle world so she could teach him. During an evening date, they exchanged a glass bracelet and shared a shy, affectionate walk home.

• Draco visited Hermione each day, accompanying her studies and letting her guide him around Muggle shops and streets.
• Draco pretended to be confused by a vending machine and soda, enjoying Hermione's laughter and enthusiasm as she taught him.
• Draco noticed Hermione admiring a pale-blue glass bracelet and secretly bought it for her while she chose postcards for Harry and Ron.
• Draco fastened the bracelet on Hermione, but she told him she had wanted to buy it for him and placed it on his wrist instead.
• Draco teased Hermione that the bracelet meant she wanted to keep him close, and she agreed before they walked home hand in hand.

Hermione and Draco spent a weekend exploring the Muggle world, where Draco confessed that he had chosen her for life and they shared their first kiss. Draco then welcomed Hermione into Malfoy Manor’s library and promised her access to its rare books, leaving them together as she began to read.

• Hermione guided Draco through a Muggle underground train and cinema, and he enjoyed being close to her despite finding the transport noisy.
• Hermione introduced Draco to her childhood friend at a café, where he charmed her friend by treating Hermione with affection.
• Draco set off magical fireworks outside Hermione’s home, confessed that he wanted to spend his life with her, and kissed her after she returned his feelings.
• Draco showed Hermione the gardens and vast library at Malfoy Manor, where she discovered rare magical books she had long dreamed of reading.
• Draco gave Hermione permission to borrow any books from the library, including volumes from his father's private collection, and settled beside her as she began to read.

Draco retrieved Tom Riddle's Diary from the Malfoy family secret chamber and used the System Space to isolate its Horcrux influence. He invited Dumbledore to collect it, and the chapter ended with Dumbledore taking the diary and promising to protect the Malfoy family from consequences tied to its past.

• Draco asked Lucius for the black diary in the secret chamber, and Lucius gave him the key to retrieve it.
• The diary's soul fragment tried to tempt Draco, but he stored the Horcrux in the System Space and silenced it.
• Draco sent Dumbledore a letter explaining that he had obtained and controlled Riddle's Diary.
• Dumbledore arrived at Malfoy Manor, where Draco produced the diary and Dumbledore confirmed it was a Horcrux.
• Dumbledore took the diary and promised Lucius and Narcissa that the Ministry would not pursue the matter and that he would help protect the Malfoy family.

Draco asked Dumbledore about the Horcruxes and offered to help, then learned that Gilderoy Lockhart would replace Quirrell as Hogwarts's Defence Against Dark Magic teacher. Hermione initially defended Lockhart, but Draco revealed that Lockhart stole other wizards' stories with Memory Charms, while jealousy sparked a teasing quarrel between them.

• Draco called Dumbledore “Old Dumbledore,” asked how many Horcruxes he had identified, and offered his help; Dumbledore said he had figured out almost all of them.
• After Dumbledore left, Lucius and Narcissa questioned Draco about his familiarity with the headmaster, and Draco said he had always called him that at Hogwarts.
• Draco received Hogwarts's second-year letter and found that Gilderoy Lockhart would replace Quirrell as Defence Against Dark Magic teacher.
• Hermione said she had read Lockhart's books and defended his reputation, while Draco accused him of stealing other wizards' achievements by erasing their memories.
• Draco admitted he was jealous of Hermione's admiration for Lockhart, and she kissed him and called him her jealous hero.
• Hermione asked why Lockhart had replaced Quirrell, and Draco demanded another kiss before answering; Hermione twisted his waist until he agreed to tell her.

Draco told Hermione that Voldemort had cursed the Defence Against the Dark Arts position, forcing each professor to leave after a year, and warned her that Lockhart was a poor wizard. Hermione's admiration for Lockhart collapsed, and the conversation ended with Draco teasing her about having a talented wizard beside her.

• Draco explained to Hermione that Voldemort had cursed the Defence Against the Dark Arts position after Dumbledore rejected his application, preventing any professor from staying a full year.
• Hermione asked whether Lockhart would cause other trouble, but Draco flirted with her in the library and joked about their future children.
• Hermione asked whether Lockhart only knew the Memory Charm, and Draco said he could barely manage Expelliarmus.
• Hermione lost her admiration for Lockhart and worried that he would make a poor Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.
• Draco comforted Hermione and suggested that having him beside her was enough.

Draco and Hermione went to Flourish and Blotts to buy their second-year textbooks and ran into the Weasley family, who discussed the rumors about their relationship and their admiration for Gilderoy Lockhart. Hermione’s former enthusiasm for Lockhart became awkwardly apparent when Ron asked why she was not excited about him.

• Draco and Hermione visited Flourish and Blotts, where Draco joked that Lockhart’s seven books looked like photo albums.
• Ron, George, and Fred greeted Draco and Hermione and told them about the Daily Prophet rumors claiming Draco had defied pure-blood society and planned to marry Hermione.
• Ron introduced Hermione to Arthur, Molly, and Ginny; Arthur welcomed her warmly, Molly remained politely wary of Draco, and Ginny shyly admired him.
• Molly and Ginny praised Lockhart and bought his books, while Draco hinted that his teaching would reveal what was wrong with him.
• Ron asked Hermione why she was not as enthusiastic about Lockhart as she used to be, and Hermione became embarrassed.

At Flourish and Blotts, Hermione rejected Gilderoy Lockhart’s attempt to use her and Draco for publicity, despite pressure from the watching crowd and the Weasleys. She saw Lockhart as a self-serving opportunist and moved closer to Draco, leaving her admiration for him behind.

• Hermione told the Weasleys that Lockhart was not as impressive as they thought, while Draco hinted that he knew the truth about him.
• Draco and Ron joked about Lockhart’s upcoming lessons as the group prepared to pay for their books.
• Lockhart spotted Draco and Hermione, approached them, and offered free signed books in exchange for a photograph.
• Hermione refused the photograph and the books, then firmly rejected Lockhart’s offer of autographs and collector’s items.
• Hermione recognized Lockhart’s friendliness as calculated and edged closer to Draco, her admiration replaced by disappointment.

Draco offered to pose for a photograph with Lockhart, then challenged him to demonstrate one of his supposed spells in front of the crowd. Lockhart failed to provide a demonstration, and Draco left him off the hook by demanding that he give everyone a set of his books.

• After Hermione declined to pose with Lockhart, Draco volunteered to take her place and asked Lockhart to demonstrate the spell he claimed to have used against a werewolf.
• Lockhart boasted about his werewolf battle, while the crowd repeated admiring stories about his supposed feats.
• Draco cleared space for a demonstration, but Lockhart made excuses and refused to cast a spell, disappointing Mrs. Weasley and Ginny.
• Hermione signaled Draco not to push Lockhart too far, and Draco stopped pressing him.
• Draco told Lockhart to give everyone present a set of his books, prompting the crowd to erupt.

Draco forced Lockhart to honor his promise to give away books, then paid for his own books with Hermione. The Weasleys thanked Draco and began doubting Lockhart’s abilities before stopping to admire beauty potions in Diagon Alley.

• Lockhart gave away his books to the crowd to avoid damaging his reputation, while Draco and Hermione paid for their own sets and left the shop.
• The crowd cheered for Draco, and the Weasleys thanked him for saving them the cost of books for their five children.
• Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and the others questioned Lockhart’s claims after recalling his excuses, and Arthur said Lockhart was skilled at deceiving people.
• The Weasleys bought The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 and continued browsing Diagon Alley.
• Mrs. Weasley and Ginny stopped outside Madam Primpernelle's Beautifying Potions to admire the products, and George teased Ginny about caring about her hair.

Draco and Hermione said goodbye to the Weasley family after shopping, then entered Madam Primpernelle’s beauty potion shop together. Hermione showed a hint of jealousy over Draco’s offer to buy Ginny a potion, and the chapter left them browsing side by side while curious customers watched Draco’s unusual gentleness.

• Draco offered to buy Ginny an expensive hair-care potion, but Ginny refused after learning his family held shares in the shop.
• Mrs. Weasley led the Weasleys to Gringotts, and they thanked Draco and Hermione before departing for the Burrow.
• Hermione questioned Draco’s generosity toward Ginny, and Draco teased her about being jealous and called her his wife.
• Draco and Hermione entered Madam Primpernelle’s shop, where Hermione examined the potion Ginny had liked and linked arms with Draco.
• Mrs. Prim and the shop’s customers watched Draco patiently accompany Hermione as she browsed.