Chapter Summaries

William and Hermione entered Azkaban under disguise, with Tonks posing as Umbridge, and William was placed in Bellatrix Lestrange’s cell. He revealed that he had come on Voldemort’s behalf to deliver a message and take Bellatrix to her death.

• Tonks recalled how William persuaded her to help him enter Azkaban and gave her Polyjuice Potion made with Umbridge’s hair.
• Tonks and Hermione disguised themselves with Polyjuice Potion while William, bound as a prisoner, entered Azkaban.
• The Dementors escorted William to a cell, where they left him after sensing that he had little happiness to feed on.
• Bellatrix tried to lure William closer so she could attack him, but William pinned her to the bed with his wand.
• William told Bellatrix that his best friend Tom had sent him with a message and that Voldemort had sent him to take her to her death.

Rodolphus and Bellatrix escaped their cells during a disturbance at Azkaban, but Bellatrix chose to hunt down the escaping Death Eaters and drew Rodolphus into helping her. Hermione prepared to attack the Dementor leader, while Voldemort learned of trouble at Azkaban and set out there.

• Rodolphus emerged from his cell after discovering that his and Augustus Rookwood's doors had been opened, then asked Rookwood to help find Bellatrix.
• Rookwood said he believed Voldemort had returned and fled Azkaban, while Rodolphus searched for Bellatrix alone.
• Rodolphus found Bellatrix after she had killed Samoy, and she persuaded him to help capture the escaping Death Eaters.
• Hermione told Tonks she planned to kill the Dementor leader with phoenix fire and prepared to search for the Dementors.
• Voldemort had a Runespoor attack Arthur Weasley to draw the Order of the Phoenix away, then received a summons from Azkaban and flew there.

Harry saw through Voldemort’s eyes as the Dark Lord attacked Mr. Weasley, and Dumbledore sent Fawkes to warn William and Hermione at Azkaban. William refused to abandon the captured Death Eaters, even as Voldemort approached.

• At the Christmas feast, Harry declined to choose holiday plans and noticed that William and Hermione were absent.
• Harry experienced a vision of himself as a snake biting Mr. Weasley and told Ron that he had attacked his father.
• Dumbledore questioned Harry about the vision and sent Fawkes to warn William and Hermione that Voldemort was heading to Azkaban.
• Fawkes reached William, who said he could not leave while the escaped prisoners were in danger of being freed.
• William sent Fawkes to protect Hermione and Tonks, then told the captured Death Eaters that Voldemort was coming.

William captured the Death Eaters at Azkaban, killed Rodolphus after promising him freedom, and faced Voldemort, who threatened Arthur Weasley to demand Bellatrix in exchange. Voldemort attacked William with lightning, and William countered before declaring it was his turn.

• William knocked out the captured Death Eaters, bound them, and locked them in the Safety Watch.
• Rodolphus demanded that William honor his promise to free Bellatrix, and William killed him while explaining that Neville Longbottom could still capture her.
• Voldemort arrived, caught Rodolphus's severed head, and demanded Bellatrix in exchange for revealing where Arthur Weasley lay poisoned.
• William pretended he had not caught Bellatrix, and Voldemort concluded that she remained free and that his Horcrux was safe in her vault.
• Voldemort conjured lightning and attacked William, who blasted apart the first bolt and split the next with Sectumsempra before promising to counterattack.

William used Snape’s Sectumsempra against Voldemort, dodging the Dark Lord’s serpent-based Killing Curses and countering his powerful crescent spell. Their battle split Azkaban and its island in two, and the rain began falling again.

• William used invisible Sectumsempra spells to shield himself from the rain and attack Voldemort, wounding him and trapping him in a cage of cutting curses.
• Voldemort escaped as black mist and used venomous snakes to fire Killing Curses from multiple directions, but William dodged them and pinned the snakes with golden crossbow bolts.
• Voldemort’s poison continued spreading through his arm, and he grew angry that Snape had not returned with an antidote.
• Voldemort launched a huge crescent-shaped spell, and William weakened it with Sectumsempra before forcing it into the ground.
• The spell’s impact tore through Azkaban and split the island in two, after which the rain fell again.

The Ministry wizards sailed toward Azkaban while Voldemort and William’s battle raged nearby, and Amelia Bones led the team so she could claim credit for discovering the prison break. Voldemort attacked the ship but fled south after Hermione saved the Aurors; the team reached the shattered island and found William keeping the escaped prisoners in check.

• Rookwood escaped the fighting by swimming away, then tried to evade the Ministry Aurors by abandoning fellow Death Eaters and diving underwater.
• Amelia Bones led the Ministry team because William and Hermione wanted an Order of the Phoenix ally, rather than Scrimgeour, to gain credit ahead of Fudge’s expected fall.
• Voldemort arrived at the magical ship and turned the Aurors’ wands against them, but Hermione bound them and pulled them into the water before the attack could kill them.
• Hermione fired at Voldemort, who deflected her spell and flew south with the Death Eaters while the Ministry wizards watched in shock.
• Bones ordered the ship toward Azkaban, where the wizards found the island split apart and the escaped prisoners staying put near an injured William, who sat fishing.

Harry and Ron encountered Minister Fudge at St Mungo’s, where he urgently sought a meeting with William after the Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban. Hermione refused to let Fudge enter William’s ward, leaving him waiting outside as reporters photographed the scene.

• Portrait healers accosted Harry and Ron in the tea room, diagnosing Harry with bizarre ailments and claiming Ron had Dragon Pox.
• Harry and Ron met Fudge in the lift, where he revealed that Death Eaters had escaped from Azkaban and asked Harry to help him speak with William.
• Fudge and the boys found Ministry officials and Aurors gathered outside William’s ward on the fifth floor.
• Hermione told Harry and Ron that William had fought Voldemort and suffered minor injuries, while Mr. Weasley was out of danger.
• Hermione blocked Fudge from entering William’s ward, and he waited outside as Daily Prophet reporters took photographs.

Fudge begged William to help preserve his position as Minister, but William rejected him and condemned his failures. After Fudge stormed out, Hermione cleared the room and stayed beside the exhausted William as he fell asleep.

• Fudge entered William's hospital room and admitted that Voldemort had returned.
• Fudge asked William to portray the Ministry as secretly prepared for Voldemort's return and to support him as Minister.
• William rebuked Fudge for his cowardice and mistakes, then refused to help him remain in office.
• Fudge angrily declared that he would not admit Voldemort had returned and rushed out.
• Hermione told William she had turned away the waiting wizards, then got into bed and comforted him while he fell asleep.

After Voldemort’s attack on Azkaban became public, the Ministry’s denial fueled political outrage while William recovered in St Mungo’s and exchanged Christmas presents. Dumbledore’s letter revealed that Fudge had ordered William expelled, but Dumbledore had hired him as Hogwarts’ Ancient Runes professor.

• Rita’s Daily Prophet report described the Death Eater breakout at Azkaban and William’s fight with Voldemort, while the Ministry blamed Sirius and denied Voldemort’s return.
• Readers condemned Fudge after Rita reported his Christmas Eve tryst with a Ministry intern, and William stayed in St Mungo’s under Lyanna’s warning not to wander.
• William and his friends exchanged Christmas presents, and Snape warned William that Voldemort planned to visit Durmstrang, prompting William to alert Sirius.
• Dumbledore’s letter told William that Fudge had ordered Umbridge to expel him under Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four and that Dumbledore had hired him as Hogwarts’ Ancient Runes professor.

Voldemort learned from Rookwood that only Harry or Voldemort could retrieve the Prophecy Orb, and decided to make Harry obtain it for him. At St Mungo’s, William helped treat Mr. Weasley and faced a flood of offers after news of his expulsion spread.

• Voldemort questioned Rookwood and confirmed that Bode could not retrieve the Prophecy Orb because the prophecy concerned Voldemort and Potter.
• Voldemort decided to rely on Potter to obtain the Prophecy Orb and ordered Rookwood to summon Lucius and Avery.
• William gave Mrs. Weasley an antidote for Mr. Weasley, who was recovering in St Mungo’s after being bitten by a Runespoor.
• Amy credited William for providing the antidote, while Ron blushed over his crush on her.
• William reflected on the schools, clubs, and other organizations offering him places after newspapers reported his expulsion from Hogwarts.

At St Mungo’s, William reassured Harry that his visions of the snake were caused by a connection to Voldemort, not possession, and warned that the connection could expose Harry to danger. Harry left knowing he needed to learn Occlumency, though William said Dumbledore would find him a teacher.

• Harry asked William to explain whether Voldemort had possessed him and made him attack Mr. Weasley.
• William reasoned that Voldemort would kill Harry rather than possess him to attack someone else, and explained that Harry could sense Voldemort through their connection.
• Harry realized the connection might provide useful information, but William warned that it worked both ways and Voldemort could exploit it.
• William told Harry that Occlumency could block the connection, but said he could not teach him and Hermione was not ready to do so.
• Harry hoped Dumbledore would find him a teacher.

Harry’s connection to Voldemort led Dumbledore to consider finding him an Occlumency teacher, while the Ministry’s political crisis intensified as Fudge faced impeachment. William returned to Hogwarts to find students protesting his supposed expulsion, though he had secretly become a professor.

• Harry’s soul fragment and Voldemort’s use of Harry’s blood strengthened their connection, allowing Harry to enter Voldemort’s mind again, and Voldemort considered himself the best person to teach Harry Occlumency.
• Fudge faced a second impeachment, while Scrimgeour gave investigators evidence that Umbridge had tampered with the graveyard battle scene.
• Fudge accused Aurors of detaining him and other Ministry officials at Christmas, prompting Myanmar’s Ministry of Magic to denounce his insinuation of a coup.
• Scrimgeour sought William’s support in the contest to replace Fudge, while William avoided committing himself and Bones remained a strong candidate.
• William, Hermione, and Anne returned to Hogwarts by Apparition after Hermione had taught Anne the spell and both had given her combat lessons.
• Ravenclaw students rallied to protest William’s supposed expulsion, unaware that he had secured a permanent position as a professor, and William noted the ringleaders’ names.

After being expelled, William was appointed Hogwarts’ youngest Ancient Runes professor at Dumbledore’s feast, while Umbridge remained wary of him. Dumbledore then persuaded Snape to teach Harry Occlumency to protect him from Voldemort’s attempts to enter his mind.

• William imagined leading a student uprising, but the students quieted when McGonagall and Snape appeared, and his hopes of rebellion faded.
• Dumbledore announced that he had appointed William Professor Stark, and the students welcomed him at the staff table.
• Umbridge worried about William and followed Fudge’s orders, while McGonagall and Snape celebrated the consequences of William’s removal from the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.
• Dumbledore summoned Snape and asked him to teach Harry Occlumency, explaining that Voldemort had already reached into Harry’s mind and might use him to spy on Dumbledore.
• Snape objected to teaching Harry, citing his resemblance to James, but Dumbledore urged him not to let his emotions cloud his judgment, and Snape finally agreed.

William warned Dumbledore that Snape was a poor choice to teach Harry Occlumency and that Voldemort might exploit Harry’s connection to lure him to the Ministry of Magic. He also revealed that Hufflepuff’s Cup was hidden in Bellatrix’s Gringotts vault, leaving William and Dumbledore to consider breaking into the bank.

• William questioned Dumbledore about Snape’s injured foot and warned that Snape’s history with James made him unlikely to teach Harry well.
• William told Dumbledore that Harry wanted to use his connection with Voldemort to steal information, and warned that Voldemort might lure Harry into danger.
• Dumbledore explained that Voldemort sought the prophecy in the Department of Mysteries and might trick Harry into retrieving its Prophecy Orb.
• William reported that Veritaserum had revealed Hufflepuff’s Cup was hidden in Bellatrix’s vault at Gringotts.
• William said they would have to force their way into Gringotts, confident in his past experience robbing the bank.

William settled into his new office and handed Cho the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain’s badge, while students celebrated the announcement of an Apparition course. He said he would take the course and test despite already Apparating without a license, leaving Umbridge unable to challenge him.

• William chose a spacious office with a balcony and lake view instead of taking over Babbling’s former Ancient Runes office.
• William gave Cho the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain’s badge and reassured her that he would return to help the team.
• Luna showed William and Cho a Quibbler story claiming Fudge had posed as Merlin reincarnated and committed various crimes.
• William gave Cho a notice announcing a twelve-week Apparition course for students old enough to attend.
• William told his Ancient Runes students that he would take the Apparition course and test, then pointed out that he had Apparated without a license in front of Umbridge.

William enlisted Hermione and Anne to help grade the holiday homework, then took them to meet Hagrid for a trip into the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid greeted them armed with William’s enchanted bow, showing that the forest had become dangerous.

• William recruited Hermione and Anne to help grade the large pile of holiday homework.
• Anne criticized William’s office decor and complained that her photograph had been hidden while Hermione’s were displayed.
• William left his office protected by a password-locked sea eagle and a Matagot, then led Hermione and Anne toward Hagrid’s hut.
• William, Hermione, and Anne met Hagrid, who took the enchanted bow William had given him because the Forbidden Forest had become dangerous.

William learned that tensions were growing among the Centaurs after his trade with Ronan and Fire Kiss exposed them to human goods and stories. When Fire Kiss arrived with news that the Centaurs planned to kill Firenze, William rode off with her to intervene.

• Hagrid told Anne and Hermione that he had been put on probation and would leave Hogwarts within a month or two to help the Giants in the Alps.
• Hagrid brought William, Hermione, and Anne to see Grawp, and William led the Giant to a cave he had enchanted for shelter.
• William learned that Ronan had stopped responding to Hermione’s enchanted messages.
• Fire Kiss arrived and told William that the Centaurs were going to kill Firenze, so William rode away with her while Hermione went to alert Hagrid.

Bane confronted Firenze for accepting Dumbledore’s offer to teach at Hogwarts and ordered the Centaurs to kill him. William arrived on Fire Kiss and fought his way through the tribe to reach Firenze, leaving Bane furious as the confrontation escalated.

• Bane accused Firenze of betraying the Centaurs by joining Hogwarts, while Ronan defended Firenze and challenged Bane’s hostility toward wizards.
• Firenze warned that the Dark Lord’s return would draw the Centaurs into war, but Bane insisted the conflict had nothing to do with them.
• Bane ordered his followers to kill Firenze and threatened anyone in the tribe who sided with wizards.
• William rode Fire Kiss into the gathering and used magic to clear a path through the Centaurs.
• William broke a Centaur’s greatsword and reached Firenze as Bane watched helplessly.

William confronted Bane’s Centaurs to take Firenze back to Hogwarts, while supporting Ronan’s challenge to Bane’s leadership. After defeating Bane and several Centaurs without killing them, William asked the tribe who agreed with his decision and who objected.

• William arrived with Fire Kiss and told Firenze that Dumbledore had sent him to Hogwarts, while Bane objected and threatened to detain him.
• Ronan defended William, reminding the Centaurs that he had helped them and arguing that they should not harm him.
• Bane ordered the Centaurs to attack, but Fire Kiss deflected his arrow and William subdued several charging Centaurs with magic.
• William mounted Bane, blocked his counterattack with a Water Shield Charm, and knocked him into the dirt with a Spiral Water Arrow Spell.
• William walked to Firenze and asked the Centaurs who agreed with him taking Firenze away and who objected.

William defeated Bane without killing him, while Ronan rallied the Centaurs to call a referendum for a new chief. Afterward, William discussed cooperation with Ronan and was caught in a dispute over buying Fire Kiss a Goblin-made sword.

• William urged Bane to give up and told the Centaurs he would spare his former friend, but Bane refused to submit.
• Grawp arrived with Hermione and Anne, and Ronan ordered the Centaurs to lower their bows and demanded that William keep Grawp away from the tribe.
• Ronan called a referendum to elect a new chief, and the Centaurs backed him as Bane realized he would likely be displaced.
• William and Ronan discussed restoring ties with Hogwarts and developing the Forbidden Forest together with Akali's Mystery Shop.
• William found Hermione and Fire Kiss sparring with swords while Anne cheered them on, and Fire Kiss asked him to sell her a Goblin-made sword.
• Hermione demanded that William pay for Fire Kiss's sword as compensation for pulling her hair, leaving William to consider changing the profit split with Ronan.