Chapter Summaries

After dinner with the Grangers, William left his potion brewing to help Hermione remove the dark circles caused by Anne’s prototype glasses. The chapter ended with Hermione insisting that Anne restore her stained book while Anne offered increasingly strange replacements.

• The Granger family shared a cheerful meal, and William later returned to the basement to brew Polyjuice Potion to raise money for Akali’s Mystery Shop.
• Anne summoned William upstairs and admitted that Hermione had put on her prototype glasses, which gave her dark circles.
• William treated Hermione’s eyes with a potion, and the dark circles disappeared.
• Hermione demanded that Anne pay for the Encyclopædia Britannica Anne had stained with blotting ink.
• Anne offered Hermione magical items and even Bobocha, but Hermione repeatedly insisted that she only wanted her book restored.

After William’s potion exploded, the Ministry warned him against using magic at home, and Hermione learned that she had been accepted to Hogwarts. Hermione chose Hogwarts over the universities her father had planned for her.

• Hermione and Anne followed William to the basement, where his overheated potion exploded, leaving all three covered in dust.
• William cleaned the dust from the girls and led them upstairs, where Roy, Lyanna, and Hermione’s parents came to see what had happened.
• An owl delivered a Ministry warning to William for using the Protego charm, and Lyanna and Roy told him to stop brewing potions at home.
• Roy told Hermione’s family that William was a wizard, and Iris criticized Hogwarts and said he wanted Hermione to attend Oxford or Cambridge.
• Milia delivered Hermione’s Hogwarts acceptance letter, and Hermione told Iris she wanted to go to Hogwarts instead of Oxford or Cambridge.

Hermione’s parents agreed to let her attend Hogwarts after Professor McGonagall visited, and Hermione began studying magic with William. William received an invitation to accept the Order of Merlin, Second Class, and his family decided who would attend the ceremony with him.

• Professor McGonagall persuaded Hermione’s parents to send her to Hogwarts, and Hermione began visiting the Stark household to study magic with William.
• Hermione memorized One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi in four days with the help of William’s Baruffio’s Brain Elixir, though William noticed she focused more on memorizing than practice.
• William received a letter from Albus Dumbledore inviting him to collect the Order of Merlin, Second Class, at Merlin’s Cottage on July 31.
• Hermione explained the medal’s significance and the rule limiting William to fourteen guests, while Lyanna, Roy, and William discussed the invitees.
• William chose Bobocha for the final place, deciding to bring the cat to the banquet.

William’s family traveled by Portkey to the Order of Merlin ceremony, where he reunited with George and Fred and discussed the award and their plans. Hermione remained furious that William kept using magic despite her warnings, and the group continued toward the front hall.

• William’s family gathered on July 31, and he used a gold Portkey to take them to London.
• William cast a Slowing Charm to land safely, prompting Hermione to warn him that underage wizards could not use magic outside school.
• George and Fred greeted William and Hermione, then told William that Cedric was waiting with their father and Mr. Diggory.
• William told the twins that his award came with two thousand Galleons and offered to help fund their plans.
• As the group walked to the front hall, William cast several spells, and Hermione angrily warned that he would eventually be expelled.

William and the Weasleys, the Diggorys, and their companions arrived at the hidden venue for the Order of Merlin ceremony beneath Stonehenge. After security checked their wands, they were assigned Bertha Jorkins as their guide, leaving William doubtful she could find the way.

• William arrived by Portkey and greeted Mr. Weasley, Mr. Diggory, Cedric, and the Weasleys.
• William led the group to Stonehenge, where the Portkey transported them to the hall beneath it.
• The group visited the Security Office, where Eric scanned them and recorded their wand details.
• Eric identified William from the Daily Prophet and asked for an autograph before Mr. Weasley hurried him along.
• Eric said Bertha Jorkins would guide them, then complained about her poor memory and habit of getting lost.
• Bertha Jorkins appeared and said she had just gotten lost on her way to the toilet, making William doubt she could guide them.

William and his companions attended the ceremony for Damocles Belby’s Wolfsbane Potion at Merlin Memorial Hall. William learned that Ministry employee Bertha Jorkins had a suspicious memory problem and discovered that Cornelius Fudge had pushed Belby to release the potion before it was ready.

• Bertha Jorkins welcomed William and his companions, questioned William about catching Tywin, and gossiped about Judy Crouch’s involvement.
• William told Fred and George that Bertha could be a useful source of Ministry information, then noted that her memory problems might have resulted from a Memory Charm or Forgetfulness Potion.
• William and his companions entered Merlin Memorial Hall, where they greeted Professors McGonagall and Flitwick and joined the gathering.
• Cornelius Fudge introduced William to Damocles Belby, the inventor of Wolfsbane Potion, and praised the potion’s benefits.
• Belby told Fudge that he had not meant to release the potion until he had improved it and reduced its cost, but Fudge had rushed its release for political advantage.

At a Ministry banquet, William and Arthur Weasley faced off against Lucius Malfoy, while William defended Arthur and reminded Lucius that Order of Merlin recipients could invite guests. Dolores Umbridge ingratiated herself with Fudge and earned his promise to review her position, and the chapter ended as Dumbledore arrived for the medal ceremony.

• Lucius Malfoy and Arthur Weasley nearly fought, but Fudge stepped between them and told Arthur to stop quarreling with his invited benefactor.
• Arthur warned Lucius about spending time in Azkaban, and William explained that Order of Merlin recipients could invite fourteen guests.
• Lucius recognized William and pulled Draco away without insulting the Muggle guests, while Draco backed away in fear of William.
• Dolores Umbridge praised Fudge and argued that he deserved the Order of Merlin, First Class, prompting him to promise to review her evaluation.
• The Wizengamot members arrived, and Dumbledore took his place at the front as the medal presentation was about to begin.

William received the Order of Merlin, Second Class, and Dumbledore introduced him to influential wizards at the ceremony. Madame Maxime presented him to a beautiful girl, but William quickly resisted her magical allure and greeted her in French.

• Dumbledore awarded William the Order of Merlin, Second Class, and quietly invited him to meet other wizards after the ceremony.
• William spoke about ending discrimination and poverty, then received congratulations from wizards while Dumbledore introduced him around.
• Fudge hinted that he would nominate William as the Wizengamot's United Kingdom Youth Wizard Representative, and Lockhart posed for photographs with him.
• Dumbledore urged William to take three drops of Clear Mind Potion before leading him to Madame Maxime.
• Madame Maxime introduced a beautiful girl to William, who resisted her alluring magic and greeted her in French.

William met Fleur at the Order of Merlin banquet, impressed her with his French and Transfiguration, and exchanged an address with her. After the banquet, he and Hermione went to Diagon Alley, where they headed to Gringotts so William could open a vault and deposit his Galleons.

• Madame Maxime apologized to Dumbledore for Fleur’s uncontrolled Veela allure, and they discussed William catching a Death Eater and Karkaroff’s absence.
• William spoke French with Fleur, transformed two of her hairs into parchment and a quill, and gave her his address.
• Dumbledore told William that Nicolas Flamel had once suggested he attend Beauxbatons, then introduced him to Griselda Marchbanks and Tiberius Ogden.
• Anne noticed a scent on William’s hand, and William blamed Dumbledore’s perfume while Fred and George shared their plans to sell chocolate coins.
• After the banquet, William and Hermione traveled to Diagon Alley and went to Gringotts so William could deposit his Galleons and open a private vault.

William opened the cheapest private vault at Gringotts and stored most of his Galleons there. As the group headed back, a dragon broke loose underground, wrecked their carts, and destroyed a vault, leaving them stranded near the charging beast.

• William chose Gringotts’ cheapest private vault, and the elderly Goblin led the group underground to it.
• Hermione asked how long Gringotts kept unattended vaults, and the Goblin explained that cheap vaults were cleared after two years while some family vaults lasted across generations.
• William stored most of his Galleons, then noticed the ground shaking as a dragon roared through the caverns.
• William ordered everyone out of the vault, and the group raced toward the hall in carts as rubble fell around them.
• A boulder blocked the tracks, overturning and smashing the carts, but William used a Cushioning Charm to keep everyone from being hurt.
• A huge dragon charged out of the depths and smashed through a private vault as the group watched in shock.

William and the others faced a black-robed wizard who had taken control of his host and unleashed powerful magic against the Ukrainian Ironbelly. After the wizard controlled the wounded dragon and attacked them, William stood alone against its fire, holding up a wall of flame as they waited for help.

• The black-robed wizard argued with the voice inside him, then surrendered control of his body to unleash its accumulated power.
• The wizard defeated the Ukrainian Ironbelly with a water serpent and an enchanted stone sword, then killed the old Goblin who charged at him.
• The wizard spotted William, Hermione, Anne, and the others, controlled the injured dragon with the Imperius Curse, and ordered it to breathe fire at them.
• William pushed Hermione and Anne behind him and held back the dragon's breath with a wall of flame.

William faced the black-robed wizard’s dragon fire until Fawkes and Nicolas Flamel arrived, and Fawkes’s blessing unleashed William’s hidden magical power. The chapter ended with William’s golden-purple lightning colliding with the wizard’s black fire serpents.

• William held back the Ukrainian Ironbelly’s breath with a fire barrier and potions while waiting for the Gringotts guards and Aurors.
• Fawkes arrived, swallowed the dragon’s breath, and landed beside William as the black-robed wizard prepared another attack.
• The black-robed wizard turned the dragon’s fire black and shaped it into serpents.
• Nicolas Flamel appeared and asked Fawkes to give William time to cast a blessing.
• Fawkes cast Phoenix’s Blessing over William, whose magic surged and enabled him to summon golden-purple lightning that struck the black serpents.

William used Fawkes’ power to drive back Voldemort, who fled Gringotts after casting the Dark Mark. William survived the battle but collapsed as the Aurors and Cornelius Fudge arrived too late to stop the escape.

• William used Fawkes’ fading power to overwhelm Voldemort’s black flames and force him to retreat.
• Voldemort escaped as black mist, warned William that the Dark Lord would return, and cast the Dark Mark above Gringotts.
• Scrimgeour ordered the Aurors to seal the exits, while William collapsed as the phoenix flames faded.
• Nicolas Flamel gave William a potion, and Cornelius Fudge asked whether he had seen the fleeing wizard.
• William said he could not identify Voldemort and angrily blamed the delayed response for leaving their families in danger.

William refused to let Umbridge alter his parents’ memories, then attacked her when she threatened to force the spell. Scrimgeour arrived, disarmed the Ministry officials, and William released the unconscious Umbridge as his injuries worsened.

• Fudge ordered the Ministry officials to pursue the black-robed wizard, but learned that Scrimgeour had already taken the Aurors after him.
• Umbridge proposed erasing the Muggles’ memories and threatened to cast a Memory Charm on William’s parents.
• William attacked Umbridge with a red spell and Transfiguration, pinning her against a rock wall while the Aurors aimed their wands at him.
• Scrimgeour ordered the Aurors to lower their wands and asked William to release Umbridge.
• William lowered the unconscious Umbridge to the ground as the phoenix’s power faded and blood seeped from his wounds.

After the attack on Gringotts, William demanded compensation from the Goblins and secured the dragon’s corpse for donation to several institutions and Ravenclaw House. He asked Nicolas Flamel to modify his parents’ memories, then fell asleep with Fawkes in his arms.

• Scrimgeour told Fudge that William had driven off the Death Eater, while reporters gathered outside Gringotts.
• Nicolas Flamel offered to take the exhausted William away, but William insisted on getting an explanation from Gringotts.
• William accused the Goblins of withholding help during the attack, and the old Goblin offered compensation.
• William demanded the dead dragon and threatened to tell the Daily Prophet how Gringotts had endangered its customers.
• William arranged for the dragon to be divided among the Ministry, Hogwarts, Nicolas Flamel, St Mungo’s, and Ravenclaw House, and Fudge ordered Aurors to take it.
• William asked Nicolas Flamel to modify his parents’ memories, then fell asleep holding Fawkes.

William woke in the hospital after the battle and discovered that Fawkes's blessing had greatly increased his magic. Nicolas Flamel brought him fire dragon and Runespoor egg stew, then left him to meet Rufus Scrimgeour.

• William woke in the hospital, drank an unfamiliar potion, and found well-wishes from Cedric and the others.
• William saw that Fawkes had become a wrinkled chick and discovered his magic had grown to more than four times its former amount.
• Nicolas Flamel explained that Fawkes's blessing had increased William's magic and warned him that it was still modest compared with powerful wizards.
• William ate fire dragon and Runespoor egg stew with Nicolas, who said Albus Dumbledore had also received a Phoenix's Blessing from Fawkes while the phoenix was with someone else.
• Nicolas declined to explain who the black-robed wizard was and said Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror Office, had been waiting to see William.

Scrimgeour questioned William about the wizard in black robes and tried to recruit him as a future Auror, while hinting that Dumbledore had known about the attack on Gringotts. Hermione interrupted the conversation to give William his medicine, and she stayed by his bedside while secretly watching him.

• Scrimgeour asked William what he knew about the wizard in black robes and complained that Dumbledore withheld information from the Ministry.
• Scrimgeour praised William's role in the Gringotts fighting and offered him a trainee Auror position, but William declined for now.
• Hermione entered with William's potion, giving him an excuse to end Scrimgeour's questioning.
• Scrimgeour warned William that Dumbledore had known the wizard would attack Gringotts before leaving.
• Hermione made William drink his potion and read beside him, still keeping an eye on him.

Nicolas Flamel reassured William and Hermione about the Gringotts incident, invited them to his birthday, and left William recovering in the hospital. William practiced magic and offered to teach Hermione before teasing her about her newly straightened teeth.

• Nicolas Flamel told William that he had altered the adults’ memories, relayed Dumbledore’s message, and invited William and Hermione to his 665th birthday party.
• After Nicolas left, William turned two balcony plants into benches and tried to recreate the black-robed wizard’s spell, but could only cut leaves.
• Hermione failed to transfigure a chair, and William offered to teach her by starting with a hair and a needle.
• Hermione showed William her newly straightened teeth, and he complimented her before teasing her about her front teeth.
• William tried to make Hermione’s front teeth smaller, claimed he had made them bigger, and then revealed her teeth were unchanged, prompting her to lunge at him and shout that he was a liar.

While recovering at St Mungo's, William befriended Neville and learned that Death Eaters had tortured Neville's parents into insanity. Their suffering left William determined to find a way to use Prehistoric Mysteries to heal them.

• William spent two weeks at St Mungo's, where he studied, played Wizard's Chess, and met Neville while helping him search for Trevor.
• William, Hermione, and Neville visited Neville's parents, and Mrs. Longbottom revealed that Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolphus, and Rabastan had tortured them with the Cruciatus Curse.
• Mrs. Longbottom thanked William for his actions at Gringotts and asked him to help Neville with his studies, which William agreed to do.
• Neville's mother gave him a Drooble's Best Blowing Gum wrapper, and William gave Neville an enlarged box to store the things she gave him.
• William wondered whether the power of Prehistoric Mysteries could cure Neville's parents and resolved to learn the magic to save them.

William returned to Hogwarts with Hermione after a summer in which Nicolas helped everyone forget the Gringotts incident. On the train platform, Lee Jordan sold young wizards a dubious dating aid, while Neville finally reunited with Trevor.

• William recovered at home, and Nicolas altered Roy and Lyanna's memories and gave them Felix Felicis so the Gringotts events were forgotten without harming their memories.
• On September first, William drove to the station, met Hermione and her family, and entered the wizarding platform with Hermione.
• Lee Jordan tried to sell young wizards South African sac spiders by claiming they were dangerous black widows that could help them impress girls.
• William explained to Hermione that Lee was playing a harmless trick to earn pocket money, though Hermione was unsettled by how different Hogwarts was from Muggle schools.
• On the train platform, Neville struggled with his luggage as Mrs. Longbottom urged him to get into Gryffindor, and Trevor jumped onto Neville's head.
• Hermione hurried out to help Neville with his luggage.