Chapter Summaries

Herman realized he was having an unusually vivid dream in the Room of Requirement when Gori entered and called him the Child of Prophecy. Gori claimed he had been searching for Herman and meant him no harm, leaving Herman to ask why he had come into his dream.

• Herman noticed the dream was unusually clear and found that the book contained only the passages he had read before bed.
• After Herman failed to wake himself, someone knocked and the practice-room door swung open.
• Gori entered the dream and greeted Herman as the Child of Prophecy.
• Gori said he had been trying to reach Herman’s dream and had finally found a way into it at Hogwarts.
• Herman stopped trying to escape and asked Gori why he had come to his dream.

Gori told Herman that a prophecy identified him as the person who could eventually end the vampire bloodline curse, and explained that vampires gradually lose their emotions and become lifeless. As Gori revealed that he wanted to turn Herman into a vampire, Herman recognized that the room around them was a dream built from things he had seen before sleeping.

• Gori told Herman he had originally planned to take him from Hogwarts and give him the best magical education.
• Gori explained that a seer had provided a prophecy about a Child of Prophecy who could end the vampire bloodline curse.
• Gori described how immortality gradually eroded vampires’ emotions until they became walking corpses and eventually slept forever.
• Gori said the prophecy meant Herman might discover a way to end the curse in the future, and admitted he wanted to keep Herman under his control and turn him into a vampire.
• Herman followed the tugging sensation in his consciousness and realized the room was a dream assembled from objects he had seen before going to sleep.

In Herman’s dream, he used his newfound control over the practice room to attack Gori and expel him, but Gori returned through the door and revealed that Herman still could not keep him out. Herman launched another lava attack at Gori and the doorway.

• Herman realized he could control his dream and conjured armored warriors and vines to attack Gori, but Gori dispersed into smoke and reformed behind them.
• Herman transformed the practice room floor into lava and sent a wave at Gori, who split it apart before Herman shaped the lava into hands that clapped together and expelled him.
• Herman restored the practice room, but a door appeared and Gori walked back in, explaining that Herman had thrown him out without learning to lock the door.
• Angered by Gori’s return, Herman turned the floor back into lava and concentrated it into a large wave aimed at Gori and the doorway.

Herman fought Gori in a dream and agreed to cooperate, trading research into the Bloodline Curse for instruction in magic that could protect his mind and dreams. He woke refreshed the next morning, with Gori’s proposed work beginning with dissecting a Vampire Monster.

• Gori parted Herman’s wave of lava, then avoided Herman’s next attack by dissolving into black mist.
• Speaking from all around the practice room, Gori proposed that he and Herman cooperate to end the Bloodline Curse.
• Herman considered the risk that Dumbledore might discover his secrets and recognized the value of learning to defend his mind.
• Gori offered to teach Herman how to resist mind and dream intrusions in exchange for studying hard and researching the Bloodline Curse.
• Herman accepted the deal, and Gori suggested beginning with the dissection of a Vampire Monster.
• Herman woke the next morning feeling refreshed despite their fierce dream battle.

Herman felt rested after negotiating with Gori and secretly planned to break their agreement once he learned dream magic. He joined Draco and Harry for breakfast, then practiced using his wand with his left hand in Charms.

• Herman concluded that dream magic used his sleeping hours and reviewed his agreement for Gori to teach him magic in exchange for researching the Vampire Bloodline Curse.
• Herman planned to renege on the agreement after learning dream magic and Occlumency, reasoning that Gori could not enforce it.
• Herman hurried Draco out of her room so they could eat breakfast, and Draco finished tying up her hair on the way.
• Herman and Harry pretended Draco might still be under a curse, convincing her to keep chanting spells to avoid losing her hair.
• Herman practiced advanced Levitation Charm applications with his left hand in Professor Flitwick's class, and Flitwick found his progress satisfactory.

Herman enjoyed a quiet afternoon after Draco dragged Harry to Quidditch training, then went to the Room of Requirement to prepare the alchemy materials Kramer had sent him. He studied Professor Malin’s instructions and began practicing material preparation.

• Draco pulled Harry away to supervise Quidditch training, leaving Herman alone in the common room.
• Herman changed his robes, packed Kramer’s materials and his alchemy books, and headed to the Seventh Floor.
• Herman entered his familiar practice room in the Room of Requirement and checked that everything was unchanged.
• Herman examined the Ashwinder scales, moonstone powder, and purple diluting solution Kramer had sent.
• Herman read Professor Malin’s instructions on grinding Ashwinder scales and magically sifting moonstone powder before starting his practice.