Chapter Summaries

Hermione gave Draco an embroidered wristband, and he promised to wear it while they shared a tender moment with the little ferrets. Draco then announced that he planned to spend Christmas at Hermione’s house, leaving her flustered at the thought of introducing him to her parents.

• Hermione gave Draco a wristband embroidered with her initials, and Draco promised to wear it everywhere.
• Draco and Hermione spoke affectionately with the little ferrets while Harry, Ron, Fred, and George watched them.
• Draco noticed a puncture wound on Hermione’s finger and treated it with healing potion.
• Draco asked whether Hermione was going home for Christmas, then declared that he was going to her house.
• Hermione protested that Draco should remove the wristband before meeting her parents, but he refused and said he wanted them to know they cared for each other.

Hermione and Draco left Hogwarts for her family home by Apparition, which Draco performed flawlessly despite Hermione’s fears. They arrived at the Granger villa, where Hermione asked Draco to remove the wristband bearing her initials before meeting her parents.

• Hermione packed her belongings after the Christmas feast, and Draco told her they would not take the train.
• Hermione worried about the danger of Apparition, but she trusted Draco and agreed to travel with him.
• Lucius and Narcissa received Draco’s letter claiming he was staying at Hogwarts to study and accepted his explanation.
• Draco Apparated with Hermione to the area near her home, and she arrived without discomfort.
• Hermione recognized her family’s villa and asked Draco to remove the wristband embroidered with HG before they went inside.

Hermione brought Draco to meet her parents, while Draco prepared thoughtful gifts and reassured her that he would wait until she felt ready. Hermione's father welcomed them inside, and her mother spotted Draco as she came out of the kitchen.

• Hermione asked Draco not to introduce himself to her parents as her boyfriend yet, and he agreed to wait until she was ready.
• Draco prepared a floating dandelion ornament, spirit-flower mint for Hermione's father, and a bottle as gifts.
• Hermione introduced Draco Malfoy to her father, who recognized him from King's Cross Station and invited them inside.
• Hermione's mother came out of the kitchen, saw Draco beside Hermione, and reacted with surprise and curiosity.

Draco visited Hermione’s home, charmed her parents with thoughtful gifts and courteous conversation, and praised Hermione’s achievements at Hogwarts. The family’s warm welcome continued as Hermione’s father prepared to speak again.

• Hermione introduced Draco to her parents, who privately recognized that she had brought home a boy she liked.
• Draco presented the Grangers with magical plants and wine, and Hermione’s mother welcomed them inside for dinner.
• Hermione’s father asked Draco about school, and Draco said Hermione often looked after him.
• Draco praised Hermione’s academic success and her role in winning a Quidditch championship, making her parents proud.
• Hermione shyly downplayed the praise, and her mother returned to the kitchen while her father cleared his throat and glanced toward her.

Draco won Hermione's parents over during a lively family meal by bringing liquor for her father and behaving courteously. After dinner, he offered to help clear the dishes, but Mrs. Granger assigned Hermione instead, and Hermione protested.

• Draco told Mr. Granger that the liquor was a popular Chinese brand and offered to bring him more, while Mr. Granger asked him to hide it from Mrs. Granger.
• Draco and Hermione's father quietly agreed that the liquor should be kept out of sight, and Draco cautioned him not to drink while working.
• At dinner, Draco offered to serve himself, impressing Hermione's parents, while the family joked and bickered over the food.
• After the meal, Draco offered to help Mrs. Granger clear the dishes, but she said Hermione could help, and Hermione immediately objected.

Draco earned Hermione's parents' favor by helping in the kitchen and chatting with her father. He and Hermione shared a private, flirtatious moment outside the guest room before approaching footsteps made them spring apart.

• Hermione's mother let Draco help wash dishes and grew more impressed with him as they worked.
• Hermione's father chatted with Draco about his studies, and Draco reassured him that he seemed approachable.
• Hermione prepared the guest room and led Draco upstairs, where he teased her about how well he had behaved.
• Draco asked to see Hermione's room, but she refused, and he agreed to rest instead.
• Draco caught Hermione's wrist and teased her in the hallway, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
• Soft footsteps and hushed voices came from the stairs, and Draco and Hermione quickly sprang apart.

Hermione and Draco nearly got caught standing intimately close when Hermione’s parents returned to the corridor. Her parents privately decided they suspected the pair were together and would let them keep the relationship private, while Hermione remained flustered in her room.

• Hermione’s parents returned to check the guest room and found Hermione and Draco standing close together, both blushing and making excuses.
• Hermione blamed Draco for nearly getting them caught, and Draco teased her that her parents might already know about them.
• Hermione warned Draco that her father would be furious if they found out, and Draco apologized for breaking their agreement and said he owed her a favour.
• Hermione fled to her room and privately worried that her parents had discovered her feelings for Draco.
• Hermione’s parents discussed Draco’s considerate behavior and agreed to pretend they did not know about the relationship, as long as he treated Hermione well.

Hermione persuaded Draco to get up and teach her the Shield Charm, and she gradually learned to cast it successfully. After they joked and practiced in the guest room, Draco suggested moving to Hermione’s room, but she refused and brought practice items to them instead.

• Hermione’s dad told Hermione’s mum he would watch Draco over time before trusting him with their daughter.
• Hermione woke Draco from his nap and coaxed him into practicing spells with her.
• Draco demonstrated the Shield Charm, then helped Hermione correct her wand movements after her first attempt sent a notebook flying.
• Hermione’s next attempt sent a chair flying, but after more practice she produced a steady, translucent shield.
• Draco suggested practicing in Hermione’s room, but Hermione brought notebooks, a cushion, and a chair to the guest room instead.

Hermione and Draco practiced the Shield Charm at the Grangers’ home, where his close guidance left her flustered and distracted. After Hermione’s mother brought them fruit, Draco resumed teaching her, but Hermione became distracted by watching him.

• Hermione’s first attempt at casting Protego sent a pillow flying toward Draco, who caught it and teased her for being distracted.
• Draco adjusted Hermione’s wand hand, and she successfully cast a steady Shield Charm.
• Hermione’s parents listened quietly as the pair practiced, and her mother brought them a plate of fruit.
• Hermione’s mother teased her about complaining over the fruit and left Hermione and Draco alone together.
• Draco fed Hermione an apple slice and explained how to direct the Shield Charm, but Hermione stared at him instead of listening.
• Draco gently tugged Hermione’s cheek, snapping her out of her daydream.

Hermione and Draco studied together before staying for dinner at her parents’ home. Draco accepted an invitation to spend the night, and the chapter ended with Hermione surprised to learn that his family did not own a television.

• Hermione repeated Draco’s explanation of applying force, but kept getting distracted while he taught her.
• Hermione’s mother called them to take a break for tea, and they joined her parents for dinner.
• Hermione’s mother invited Draco to stay overnight, and he agreed after saying he had already told his family he would not be home.
• Hermione’s parents welcomed Draco and served him generously, prompting Hermione to protest that she was their actual child.
• Hermione asked Draco whether he watched television at home, and he said his family did not have one.

Hermione and Draco grew closer during an evening at the Granger home, where her parents quietly approved of their rapport. In the guest room, Draco told Hermione how much he valued her family’s lively, welcoming home, and she invited him to visit again.

• Hermione explained how to use the television to Draco, and they watched a comedy together while her parents listened nearby.
• Draco reached to remove a scrap of yarn from Hermione’s hair, then abruptly pulled his hand away when he remembered her parents were present.
• Hermione’s parents prepared the guest room for Draco, and Hermione offered to show him there.
• After the young people left the sitting room, Hermione’s parents agreed that Draco seemed dependable and that Hermione had fallen for him.
• Hermione stayed with Draco in the guest room, and they talked about their childhoods and home lives.
• Draco told Hermione that he felt comfortable and at ease in her lively home, and Hermione was reassured.

Hermione and Draco returned to Hogwarts after spending Christmas at her parents’ home, where they grew closer. Ron urgently told them Harry had become entranced by a mirror in an abandoned classroom, and they found him staring at it in a daze.

• Hermione and Draco spent the remaining Christmas holiday at her home, then left early to return to Hogwarts.
• Hermione’s parents saw them off, and her mother guessed that Draco had given Hermione the otter-shaped bag she carried.
• Hermione and Draco Apparated back to the Forbidden Forest and walked toward the castle together.
• Ron rushed to meet them and said Harry had been spending hours staring at a mirror in an abandoned classroom.
• Hermione, Draco, and Ron hurried to the third floor and found Harry motionless before an ornate mirror.

Draco, Hermione, and Ron found Harry entranced by the Mirror of Erised, which showed each person their deepest desire. Harry understood that the mirror was an illusion but could not bear to leave the vision of his dead parents and family.

• Draco, Hermione, and Ron entered the abandoned classroom and found Harry staring into a tall, ornate mirror.
• Ron explained that Harry had been visiting the classroom nightly under an Invisibility Cloak and that the mirror showed people what they most wanted.
• Draco identified the mirror as the Mirror of Erised and explained that it revealed a person's deepest desire.
• Hermione and Ron warned Harry that the image was not real and reminded him that they were there for him.
• Draco explained that Harry's vision represented the family he had lost, making it painful for him to pull away.
• Harry admitted that he knew the mirror was showing an illusion but still did not want to leave the sight of his family.

Draco helped Harry turn away from the mirror’s vision of his parents, and Dumbledore found them in the classroom and reassured Harry. When Dumbledore said he would move the mirror, Draco asked to look into it first, and Dumbledore allowed him to do so with a warning not to lose himself.

• Draco urged Harry to carry his longing forward rather than remain trapped by it, and Ron agreed.
• Dumbledore emerged from the shadows and reassured Harry that the mirror reflected what he treasured most, not a weakness.
• Dumbledore said he would have the mirror moved so the students would not return to it.
• Draco asked Dumbledore not to move the mirror before he had looked into it, and Dumbledore permitted him to look while warning him not to lose himself.

Draco used the Mirror of Erised to reveal Hermione’s peaceful wish and his own desire to be with her. The chapter ended with Harry and Ron confirming they had seen Draco’s feelings, while Hermione blushed at his open admission.

• Draco spent Fortune Points to let him see other people’s desires through the Mirror of Erised.
• Draco guided Hermione to the mirror and saw her wish for a peaceful life with her friends and Draco beside her.
• Draco teased Hermione by revealing what she had seen, leaving Ron exasperated and Harry relieved.
• Draco showed Hermione and the others his own reflection, which depicted Hermione alone.
• Harry confirmed that they had all seen Draco’s desire, and Draco openly admitted that he liked Hermione.

Draco teased Ron about the Mirror of Erised and declined to reveal what Dumbledore might see in it. As the group left, Ron learned that Draco had spent the holidays studying with Hermione and that her parents knew about them, leaving him demanding to know why they had entrusted Hermione to Draco.

• Ron questioned why the Mirror of Erised showed everyone what was in Draco's heart, and Draco claimed that the mirror was his friend.
• Draco challenged Ron to look into the mirror, but Ron refused, and Dumbledore declined to reveal his own desire.
• Dumbledore led the group out of the classroom, and Draco glanced back at the mirror before following.
• Ron asked what everyone had done over the holidays, and Hermione explained that she and Draco had studied together.
• Draco told Ron that Hermione's parents knew about their relationship and had entrusted Hermione to him, prompting Ron to demand, "Why you?"

Draco teased Ron about relying on a future partner and suggested Lavender as a match, while Hermione and Harry laughed along. The group then discussed Harry and Cho Chang, but Ron's question about whether Cho still liked Draco left Harry visibly uncomfortable and Hermione's expression cold.

• Draco explained that Hermione had always been the only person he saw in his magic mirror, and Ron conceded defeat.
• Ron asked Draco to find him a partner, and Draco suggested Lavender, but Ron rejected the idea and considered finding a hardworking Hufflepuff instead.
• Hermione teased Draco and Ron for hoping to rely on girls, and their banter drifted into jokes about marriage and children.
• Hermione praised Harry for working hard, and Draco and Ron said Harry and Cho Chang would make a good match.
• After the group returned to the Gryffindor Common Room, Ron wondered whether Cho Chang still liked Draco, leaving Harry uncomfortable and Hermione cold.

Harry told Ron, Hermione, and Draco about the three-headed dog guarding a forbidden room, and Hermione realized Dumbledore had arranged the mirror and other protections. Draco revealed they would deal with the obstacles soon, leaving Hermione to suspect he knew more about the dog than he had admitted.

• Ron awkwardly clarified his comment about Cho Chang, and Draco assured Hermione that she was the only one in his heart.
• Harry told the group about the three-headed dog and realized he had left his Invisibility Cloak by the mirror; he and Ron hurried to retrieve it.
• Hermione questioned Draco, who explained that Dumbledore had given Harry the cloak and had likely arranged the mirror encounter as part of a plan.
• Draco told Hermione they would tackle the obstacles that term and reassured her that everyone would face a challenge suited to their strengths.
• Hermione guessed Hagrid could explain how to handle the three-headed dog, then confronted Draco for pretending not to know; Draco admitted she had caught him.

Harry and Ron returned without Harry’s Invisibility Cloak, and Draco suggested that Professor Dumbledore might have taken it. Harry then explained his suspicion that the three-headed dog guarded something hidden beneath a trapdoor, while Draco and Hermione kept what they knew to themselves. The group planned to ask Dumbledore about the cloak and visit Hagrid the next day.

• Harry and Ron told Draco and Hermione that they had searched the mirror classroom but could not find Harry’s Invisibility Cloak.
• Draco suggested asking Professor Dumbledore whether he had taken the cloak, and Harry and Ron agreed to ask him the next morning.
• Harry told the others that the three-headed dog guarded a trapdoor and speculated that the object stolen from Gringotts was hidden beneath it.
• Draco advised Harry and Ron to ask Hagrid about the hidden object, while Hermione warned them not to go exploring at night.
• Ron proposed visiting Hagrid the next day and offering him Butterbeer to encourage him to talk, and Harry agreed.

Draco reassured Harry and Ron when Harry’s Invisibility Cloak returned to his bed, then heard how they had learned about the three-headed dog and Nicolas Flamel from Hagrid. Hermione identified Flamel as the maker of the Philosopher’s Stone, leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione with a possible explanation for what was hidden beneath the Trapdoor.

• Draco returned to the Gryffindor dormitory and found Harry’s Invisibility Cloak back on his bed.
• Ron told Draco that he and Harry planned to visit Hagrid the next morning.
• Ron and Harry told Draco and Hermione that Hagrid had revealed the three-headed dog fell asleep when it heard music and had mentioned Nicolas Flamel.
• Ron explained that Hagrid had drunk too much Butterbeer while they questioned him, prompting Hermione to scold them for getting him drunk.
• Hermione remembered that Nicolas Flamel was the only maker of the Philosopher’s Stone and explained that it could create gold and an elixir of immortality.