Chapter Summaries

Hermione reassured Mrs. Granger that she and Draco had not been intimate, while Draco told Lucius he would protect the Hogwarts Express with a Patronus barrier. The next morning, Draco met Hermione at her home, and they boarded the train together.

• Mrs. Granger asked Hermione whether she and Draco had been intimate, and Hermione said they had never crossed the line.
• Draco told Lucius he would create a Patronus Protective Barrier on the Hogwarts Express and asked Lucius's people to take credit for it.
• Lucius agreed to cooperate with Draco, and Draco returned to his bedroom and fell asleep.
• The next morning, Draco complimented Hermione's clothes as she waited outside her home with the fat ginger cat.
• Draco and Hermione traveled to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and boarded the Hogwarts Express.

Draco and Hermione went to the train’s central carriage to prepare a Patronus Protective Barrier against the approaching Dementors, while Draco secured Hermione’s promise of a future favor. Draco began placing seven moonstone amulets to form the barrier, leaving the protection still unfinished.

• Crookshanks sensed the approaching Dementors and reassured Hermione, then teased Draco as they bickered over what Hermione’s cat should call him.
• Draco bargained with Hermione for another request in exchange for setting aside the dispute with Crookshanks, and Hermione agreed.
• Draco led Hermione to carriage four, explaining that its central position would help the barrier protect the entire train evenly.
• Draco revealed that he had designed a large-scale Patronus Protective Barrier and said he needed Hermione’s help to set it up.
• Draco placed seven moonstone amulets along the carriage’s magical nodes, beginning with one that he levitated into the ceiling.

Draco and Hermione created a protective barrier around the train using seven moonstone charms and Draco’s Patronus, then argued over Hermione’s promised favor. They settled into a compartment, where Cho Chang and Emock arrived and found them together.

• Draco and Hermione linked seven moonstone charms with protective runes and formed a train-wide barrier against Dementors, powered by Draco’s lion Patronus.
• Hermione disputed owing Draco a favor, while Crookshanks sided with Draco and insisted she should keep her promise.
• Draco and Hermione went to an empty compartment to monitor the barrier, with Hermione still denying she had agreed to the favor.
• Crookshanks curled up on the window seat as Cho Chang and Emock entered the compartment and froze at the sight of Draco and Hermione.

Hermione revealed that Draco had styled her hair, and Cho Chang and Emock were surprised to learn he could also arrange appointments at Primpernelle's Beautifying Potions. Draco refused to style anyone else's hair, while Hermione denied their requests too, and the chapter ended with Draco trying to win Crookshanks over with treats.

• Cho Chang and Emock admired Hermione's hair and asked where she had it done, so Hermione revealed that Draco was Hogwarts' stylist.
• Draco claimed he had learned hair care and styling and offered to book Cho Chang and Emock appointments at Primpernelle's Beautifying Potions.
• Emock asked Draco to style their hair, but he said he had promised Hermione to do only her hair, and Hermione refused to make an exception.
• Cho Chang and Emock praised Draco's devotion, while Crookshanks teased Hermione about being won over by his affection.
• Draco offered Crookshanks treats to gain his support, but Hermione stopped him and insisted the cat needed to lose weight.

Crookshanks argued with Hermione about his weight and laziness, then apologized after Draco promised him treats. As the Hogwarts Express departed, Draco and Hermione discussed visiting Hogsmeade while Ron and Harry wondered where they had gone.

• Crookshanks protested Hermione's claim that he was overweight and lazy, but Draco advised him to apologize and promised to bring him food.
• Crookshanks apologized to Hermione, who forgave him and told him to exercise more.
• Cho Chang and Emock were astonished that Draco and Hermione could understand Crookshanks, and Hermione said he was an ordinary cat who understood people well.
• The Hogwarts Express left King's Cross while Ron, Harry, Lavender, and Parvati speculated about where Draco and Hermione had gone.
• Draco, Hermione, and Cho Chang discussed Hogsmeade, and Crookshanks memorized the name Honeydukes so Draco could bring him milk toffees.

As the Hogwarts Express stopped in a storm and its lights went out, Draco, Hermione, and other students prepared for the suspected arrival of Dementors. Lupin and people placed by the Malfoy family reassured and guarded the students as shadowy figures moved past the windows.

• Rain intensified as Draco, Hermione, Cho Chang, and Emock joked together aboard the train.
• The Hogwarts Express jolted to a stop, and all the lights went out, frightening the students.
• Draco and Hermione lit their wands, while students across the train followed and a Malfoy family agent calmed the first-years.
• Hermione spotted tall, drifting figures outside and recognized them as Dementors, so Draco drew her close and shielded her.
• Lupin woke, lit a warm flame with Incendio, and told students to stay away from windows and doors.
• Malfoy family guards took positions throughout the carriages as the train settled into a tense silence.

Dementors attacked the Hogwarts Express, but a hidden defensive formation arranged by the Malfoy family repelled them and protected every carriage. Hermione and Cho Chang realized Draco had known the barrier would keep them safe.

• Dementors opened the train doors and terrified the students, while Draco reassured Hermione that the barrier would activate.
• As a Dementor entered, Lupin prepared to cast the Patronus Charm and Lucius's hidden people readied their wands.
• A pale golden barrier spread from carriage four and hurled the Dementors out of the train.
• People hidden in the carriages announced that they had set up the anti-Dementor formation on Mr. Malfoy's orders.
• Lupin thanked them, and Hermione understood Draco had arranged the protection in advance.
• Cho Chang realized Draco had not been worried because he knew the barrier was protecting them.

After Dementors attacked the Hogwarts Express, Professor Lupin explained their threat and promised to teach the Patronus Charm. The students reached Hogwarts, where Dumbledore warned them about the Dementors guarding the grounds, while Draco and Hermione reassured their friends about the danger.

• Draco, Hermione, Cho Chang, and Emock calmed down after the Dementors were driven from the train, and Lupin identified the creatures and explained the Patronus Charm.
• Once the train was safe, Malfoy's guards left by Apparition to report to Lucius.
• The first-years crossed the dark lake with Hagrid, while Draco and Hermione rode to the castle with Cho Chang and Emock.
• At the Great Hall, Draco and Hermione answered their roommates' questions before the Sorting Ceremony took place.
• Dumbledore warned the students that Dementors were guarding Hogwarts while searching for the fugitive, and Draco and Hermione explained that students could still visit Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest with caution.

After Ron and the Gryffindors worried about Dementors, Draco revealed that he had already learned the Patronus Charm and said he would protect Hermione. His boast drew the attention of the Great Hall, and his friends immediately asked him to protect them too.

• Hermione explained that Dementors only gave ordinary people cold, painful feelings, while the Dementor’s Kiss was reserved for prisoners sentenced to death.
• Draco suggested learning Expecto Patronum, but the students despaired when they heard how difficult the Patronus Charm was.
• When Hermione became uncomfortable under everyone’s expectations, Draco called her his wife and claimed he had learned the charm long ago.
• Ron’s shocked outburst drew the Great Hall’s attention, and Fred and George teased Draco about revealing his Patronus.
• Draco said he would only protect Hermione, prompting his friends to plead for his help and ask to join them on trips to Hogsmeade.

Draco agreed to escort a growing crowd of students to Hogsmeade, reassuring them after the Dementor panic and prompting admiration from students and professors alike. As his former underlings joined in, Pansy stood up, anxious that students from families who had fallen out with Draco would be left behind.

• Ron declared that Draco was still his boss, and Draco teased him before Hermione asked Draco to let the students join him.
• Draco agreed to take the students along, and Hannah, Susan, Cho Chang, Emock, the Weasley twins, and the Gryffindor Quidditch Team gathered around him.
• The first-years watched Draco in awe while Hermione held his hand, and the professors showed confidence in his ability to cast the Patronus Charm.
• Goyle and Crabbe joined Draco's group, and Pansy stood up, worried that students from families who had fallen out with Draco would be excluded.

After Pansy and Snape challenged Draco’s claim that he could cast the Patronus Charm, Draco demonstrated a fully formed lion Patronus that stunned Hogwarts. The hall erupted in celebration, and the chapter ended with Hermione stopping Crookshanks from stealing more food.

• Pansy questioned whether Draco could cast the advanced Patronus Charm, but backed down after he mocked her lack of support.
• Snape agreed that the spell was exceptionally difficult and accused Draco of giving the school false hope, so Draco offered to demonstrate it.
• Draco cast a corporeal, fiery-red lion Patronus that swept through the Great Hall and drove away the chill.
• McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, and Dumbledore were astonished by Draco’s feat, while Snape fell silent.
• Draco stopped the excited students from crowding him by threatening to exclude them from the Hogsmeade trip.
• Crookshanks admired Draco’s power, then tried to steal a sausage until Hermione stopped him and teased him about his full belly.

Dumbledore asked Draco to protect Hogwarts from the Dementors, and Draco agreed in exchange for a future favor. Afterward, he gave Hermione a luxurious cat house for Crookshanks.

• Dumbledore announced that Professor Lupin Remus would teach Defence Against Dark Magic and Rubeus Hagrid would teach Care of Magical Creatures.
• Dumbledore asked Draco whether he had protected the train from the Dementors, and Draco credited Hermione with inspiring him to help.
• Dumbledore asked Draco to create a protective barrier around Hogwarts, and Draco agreed in exchange for one future condition.
• Draco arranged to begin setting up the barrier the next morning, with Dumbledore and the professors providing support.
• Draco gave Hermione a plush cat house for Crookshanks, who eagerly settled into it.

Hermione settled Crookshanks into Draco’s luxurious new cat house while her roommates teased her about Draco’s thoughtfulness and his styling her hair. As panic over the Dementors spread through the wizarding world, Draco, Hermione, Dumbledore, and Hagrid established a protective barrier around Hogwarts, and Hagrid asked the couple to assist with his Care of Magical Creatures lessons.

• Draco charmed Crookshanks’s new cat house to be light enough for Hermione to carry, and Hermione’s roommates admired it in the girls’ dormitory.
• Hermione told Lavender, Parvati, and Olivia that Draco had styled her hair himself, then stopped their teasing by reminding them they wanted to go to Hogsmeade with him.
• News of Dementors surrounding Hogwarts spread through the wizarding world as Fudge tried to suppress the panic and deployed Dementors to guard key locations.
• Draco explained the Big Dipper Protective Barrier to Dumbledore, Hermione, and Hagrid, and they placed seven moonlight amulets around Hogwarts.
• Draco activated the barrier with Dumbledore’s help, and Dumbledore departed for Ministry business.
• Hagrid asked Draco and Hermione to help him as teaching assistants in Care of Magical Creatures, and they agreed.

Draco, Hermione, and Olivia attended their first Arithmancy lesson, where Professor Septima Vector assigned students to calculate each other’s life path numbers. The chapter ended with Olivia pairing off with another student, leaving Draco and Hermione together.

• Hermione reassured Hagrid that she and Draco would help him with his lessons, and Hagrid eagerly accepted.
• The Daily Prophet reported that Dementors had boarded the Hogwarts Express without authorization, and Dumbledore demanded an explanation from the Ministry of Magic.
• Draco, Hermione, and Olivia attended Arithmancy while their classmates’ reasons for avoiding the elective were recalled.
• Professor Septima Vector introduced Arithmancy as the language of numbers and stars, and Hermione told Draco she hoped to become a knowledgeable, respected witch like her.
• Professor Septima assigned the class to work in pairs, and Olivia paired with the student beside her, leaving Draco and Hermione together.

In Arithmancy, Draco impressed Professor Septima by calculating Hermione's life path number mentally, then the class interpreted Draco's number six as a sign of responsibility and possessiveness. Hermione shyly promised to wait and see whether Draco could live up to the professor's advice, leaving their classmates amused by their public hints about a shared future.

• Professor Septima praised Hermione's precise Arithmancy work before Draco announced her life path number without using scratch paper.
• Draco showed the class his mental calculation, earning Professor Septima's praise for his natural talent and leaving the students stunned.
• Hermione read Draco's life path number six aloud, and Professor Septima explained its links to family, responsibility, success, and possessiveness.
• Professor Septima advised Draco to turn his protectiveness into respect, and Draco asked Hermione whether she believed he could do it.
• Hermione replied that she would wait and see, and Draco vowed to prove himself as their classmates and Olivia reacted to their implied future together.

In Ancient Runes, Draco saw a complete passage in the foundation runes, though he pretended he had only seen meaningless scrawls. Professor Babbling privately revealed that he could perceive ancient magic and warned that Hogwarts might lead him to hidden passages and trials, while Hermione promised to stay by his side.

• Professor Babbling taught Draco and Hermione about the foundation runes, which the other students could barely see.
• Draco saw the faint runes glow and recognized a complete passage, but told the class he had seen only incomprehensible scrawls.
• After class, Professor Babbling told Draco he could perceive ancient magic and cautioned him about hidden passages, chambers, and trials at Hogwarts.
• Hermione connected Professor Babbling's explanation to Draco's knowledge of the Big Dipper Barrier and the Room of Requirement.
• Professor Babbling asked Hermione to help Draco and told them to keep the incident secret; Draco took Hermione's hand as they left for the Great Hall.

Draco realized he could understand Ancient Runes without relying on memorization, then joined Hermione in helping Hagrid manage Care of Magical Creatures class. Hagrid brought a group of Hippogriffs to the paddock and Hermione explained how students should treat them, while Pansy mocked their pride.

• Draco concluded that he had an innate ability to translate Ancient Runes and saw that studying them could help him strengthen or create spells.
• Draco and Hermione helped Hagrid gather the students for Care of Magical Creatures, and Hermione showed them how to calm and open The Monster Book of Monsters.
• Hagrid left the class at the paddock while he went to fetch the creatures, leaving Draco and Hermione to keep order.
• Hagrid returned leading a dozen Hippogriffs, and Hermione told the students that they were proud and must be treated with respect.
• Pansy sneered that the chained Hippogriffs had no reason to be proud.

During Hagrid’s Hippogriff lesson, Draco and Hermione used their ability to communicate with the creatures and approached them without following Hagrid’s usual instructions. The class watched in amazement as Buckbeak and the other Hippogriffs welcomed them, leaving Pansy speechless and Hagrid stunned.

• Pansy threatened the Hippogriffs, and one of them frightened her into silence.
• Hagrid explained the Hippogriffs’ sensitivity and taught the class to bow and wait before approaching them.
• Draco and Hermione privately communicated with the Hippogriffs, and one asked whether they could understand the language of the wind.
• Draco and Hermione climbed into the enclosure and approached the Hippogriffs, despite Hagrid’s panicked warning.
• Buckbeak nuzzled Draco’s hand while the other Hippogriffs let Hermione stroke them, astonishing the class and leaving Pansy speechless.

Draco used dead moles to coax Buckbeak and the other Hippogriffs into carrying students, then rode Buckbeak with Hermione to demonstrate a flight. They landed safely to enthusiastic cheers, and Hagrid praised the exciting lesson.

• Hagrid praised Draco and Hermione for earning the Hippogriffs’ trust and suggested they take a flight.
• Draco revealed buckets of dead moles and offered the Hippogriffs snacks in exchange for flying, while Hagrid helped feed them.
• Draco mounted Buckbeak and helped Hermione settle in front of him, then mentally asked Buckbeak to fly steadily.
• Buckbeak carried Draco and Hermione through a smooth flight above the paddock as other Hippogriffs joined them in the air.
• Buckbeak landed in the paddock, and the students cheered while Hagrid celebrated the successful lesson.

The students took turns riding Hagrid’s Hippogriffs, while Neville and Hannah flew together and Ron’s careless approach earned him a painful swat. Draco persuaded the offended Hippogriff to give Ron one last chance, and Ron finally earned its reluctant bow by following the proper procedure.

• Draco used his wand to pick Neville at random, and Hannah joined him for a flight on a Hippogriff.
• Neville remained frightened throughout the short flight, while Hannah reassured and supported him.
• Ron ignored Hermione’s warning, approached a Hippogriff incorrectly, and was knocked backward by its wing.
• Ron insulted the Hippogriff, which threatened him and refused to carry him.
• Draco asked the Hippogriff to give Ron another chance, and Ron bowed properly, waited for its response, then stroked and fed it.