Chapter Summaries

William and Hermione helped Neville after Slytherin students mocked him and jammed his trunk in the train doorway. William countered Marcus Flint’s provocation with fast magic, leaving Marcus disfigured and Neville celebrated as a phoenix sang the Hogwarts school song.

• Mrs. Weasley saw Fred, George, Percy, Ron, and Ginny off, while Percy complained that William had taken the twins to the award ceremony instead of him.
• Hermione pulled William to the train entrance, where Neville’s enlarged trunk was stuck and Draco and other Slytherins ridiculed him.
• Hermione challenged the Slytherins and tried to free the trunk, then signaled William to help when she could not move it.
• Marcus Flint provoked William and cast a spell at him, but William transfigured the trunk into a phoenix and shielded it so Marcus’s spell rebounded into his face.
• William made the phoenix land on Neville’s shoulder and sing the Hogwarts school song, drawing applause from the students and Hermione.

Neville lost Trevor aboard the Hogwarts Express, and William enlarged the toad to stop Malfoy from running away with him. After Trevor dragged Malfoy back and frightened him unconscious, Percy arrived and angrily scolded the students, apparently jealous of the first-years’ romance.

• Neville realized Trevor was missing and searched for him while Malfoy mocked him.
• Malfoy found Trevor and ran off with him despite Neville and Hermione demanding that he return the toad.
• William cast Engorgio on Trevor, who grew enormous, grabbed Malfoy with his tongue, and dragged him back.
• William returned Trevor to normal after the toad covered Malfoy in saliva, and Hermione prompted Pansy to revive him with artificial respiration.
• Percy arrived as Pansy leaned over Malfoy and scolded the students for kissing in public, while William suspected Percy was jealous.

William and the twins handled map orders while William devised increasingly expensive map editions to sell to students and their families. After Neville ordered five maps and the twins mentioned Harry Potter, Cedric and Cho arrived with gifts from China, and William exposed Cedric’s show of strength as a Levitation Charm.

• William and the twins returned to their compartment after Draco was carried away and sorted through the summer’s orders.
• William proposed couples’, family, luxury, and custom maps, each priced above the basic versions.
• Hermione declined a map, while Neville ordered five because he often lost things and wanted spares.
• Fred and George told William that they had seen Harry Potter struggling with his luggage and helped him into the compartment.
• Cedric and Cho joined the group with gifts from China, and William lifted Cedric’s trunk after realizing Cedric had used a Levitation Charm to lighten it.

William, Cedric, Cho, and the twins prepared their Hogwarts prank business and tested Cedric’s handmade spare wands. The chapter ended with Fred and George unveiling an outrageous advertisement for a product named after Snape.

• Cho introduced herself to Hermione and Neville, then gave everyone gifts, including William a jar of Lao Gan Ma.
• Cedric offered the group six unicorn-hair wands he had made, and William found that his wand struggled with powerful spells.
• The group divided up roles in their five-member research team, with William handling most production and Cho leading publicity.
• Cho showed the group flyers for Akali's Mystery Shop, including a crude advertisement for the Banana Stick branded as Snape's magic wand.
• Fred and George defended the provocative ad copy, saying Snape’s opposition would only make students more eager to buy it.

William, Hermione, and Neville handed out shop flyers on the Hogwarts Express, where William took orders for Amortentia from Slytherin girls. As they continued down the train, William told Hermione why he loved magic, and she offered to help him while objecting to his potion orders.

• William took Hermione and Neville through the train compartments to promote Akali's Mystery Shop while Neville searched for Trevor.
• The group encountered kissing Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors drinking beer and eating barbecue before entering a compartment full of Slytherin girls.
• Margery Selwyn and several other girls ordered Amortentia from William, who explained that it was expensive and recorded their orders.
• Hermione asked what Amortentia did, and William explained that it caused artificial infatuation rather than real love.
• William told Hermione he was obsessed with magic because he had once lived without it, and Hermione said she loved magic too and asked how she could help.
• Hermione dodged William's attempted head pat and insisted he should not brew Amortentia for the girls, while William said it was fine as long as he did not drink it.

William, Hermione, and Neville opened the last compartment to find Harry, Ron, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle brawling, with Scabbers caught in the chaos. After William separated the boys and Malfoy fled, Scabbers recovered, and Ron thanked Neville for helping him.

• William and Hermione opened the compartment and found Harry, Ron, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle fighting.
• Neville stepped on Scabbers, who bit his ankle, and Neville kicked the rat across the compartment.
• Neville fell onto Harry, causing Harry and Malfoy to kiss before William used magic to separate them.
• William repaired the boys' robes, and Malfoy left with Crabbe and Goyle after threatening Harry.
• Ron found Scabbers, thought he was dead, then celebrated when the rat woke and thanked Neville for rushing to help.

William and Hermione delivered flyers to Harry and Ron aboard the Hogwarts Express, where Ron failed to perform a spell and learned his replacement wand was coming. After hearing about William’s accomplishments and the talented group around him, Harry began to doubt that young wizards were all equally skilled.

• Scabbers bit Ron after Ron tugged his tail, then went unconscious when Ron flung him into Harry’s luggage and a table leg.
• William used magic to lift the snacks Harry had dropped, and Hermione challenged Ron to demonstrate his spellcasting.
• Ron’s spell failed to turn Scabbers yellow, and Hermione introduced herself to Harry and Ron before William led her away.
• William told Ron that Fred had his new wand, and Ron and Harry discussed William’s reputation and his friends’ achievements.
• Ron told Harry that Cedric had made the wand and described the group’s shop and Hogwarts map, leaving Harry surprised by how capable the young wizards seemed.

William, Hermione, and Neville discussed Hogwarts houses on their way to the castle, where William saw Thestrals pulling the carriages. The chapter ended with Cedric asking William to pluck Thestral tail feathers and a Thestral turning to stare at them.

• Hermione frightened Neville by listing illnesses spread by rats and mosquitoes, until William reassured him that his bump was a mosquito bite.
• William explained that no Hogwarts house was inherently better and asked Neville and Hermione which houses they hoped to join.
• The students reached Hogwarts, where Hagrid greeted them and led the first-years along a separate path.
• William saw the Thestrals pulling the carriages and considered them a wasteful choice for transportation.
• Cedric asked William to pluck Thestral tail feathers for him because he could not see the creatures.
• The Thestral pulling the carriage stopped and turned its white eyes toward William and Cedric.

William lured a Thestral with dragon’s blood and raced ahead of the other carriages to Hogwarts. After he and Cedric collected Thestral tail feathers, Snape caught them and demanded the feathers.

• William fed dragon’s blood to a Thestral, which then pulled his carriage back toward the other carriages.
• William rode the excited Thestral over Black Lake, leaving the other carriages behind as the first-years watched in amazement.
• William landed at Hogwarts and collected Thestral tail feathers with Cedric, using diluted dragon’s blood to attract the creatures.
• William and Cedric tried to slip past Professor McGonagall, but Snape stopped them and began taking their feathers.

William and Cedric argued with Snape over the Thestral tail feathers, but Snape abandoned the dispute after seeing Harry among the incoming students. The Sorting Ceremony then placed Hermione, Neville, Ron, and Harry in Gryffindor, Malfoy in Slytherin, and Hannah in Hufflepuff before Dumbledore welcomed everyone to the new school year.

• Snape demanded the Thestral tail feathers and threatened to revoke William and Cedric’s permission to use the dragon, but hurried off when Professor McGonagall arrived with the first-years.
• William guessed Snape had recognized Harry, then spread a baldness-medicine rumor about him after rejoining the students in the Great Hall.
• The Sorting Hat sorted Hannah Abbott into Hufflepuff and Hermione into Gryffindor.
• Neville’s toad Trevor nearly ate a spider on the Sorting Hat, which then sorted Neville into Gryffindor.
• The Sorting Hat placed Malfoy in Slytherin and Ron and Harry in Gryffindor, and Dumbledore welcomed the students before the feast.

William explained Dumbledore’s feast words to the Ravenclaws and helped organize a grand performance of the Hogwarts school song. The performance stunned the other houses and left Ravenclaw’s rivals facing pressure to match them next year.

• William explained how the four houses viewed one another, then turned the words into a firework above the Ravenclaw table.
• Nearly Headless Nicolas praised William’s achievements and urged the new Gryffindors to win the House Cup, prompting Hermione to resolve to help Gryffindor.
• Dumbledore welcomed Professor Quirrell, announced school rules and Quidditch trials, and warned students away from the fourth-floor corridor.
• William transformed the Ravenclaw table into a piano while Penelope Clearwater, Professor Flitwick, the Grey Lady, and Ravenclaw students performed the school song.
• The castle heard the performance, and the students and staff applauded as Dumbledore remarked that William always came up with something new.

After the feast, Harry felt Snape’s dislike, while William and his friends discussed classes and Cedric’s choices over breakfast. Hermione joined William to study, and he realized she had already been left out by her roommates without noticing.

• Snape recoiled from Quirrell’s smell, then glared at Harry and caused a brief pain in his forehead.
• Penelope guided the younger Ravenclaws around the common room after the feast, and William took Bobocha to bed.
• William and Cho ate breakfast with the twins, who described Professor Trelawney’s predictions and recommended her easy Divination class.
• Cedric explained that he had chosen difficult subjects, including Study of Ancient Runes, Study of Plant Textures, and Muggle Studies.
• Hermione sat beside William with her new storage bag and his notes, explaining that she planned to reach the library early because Lavender Brown had told her seats filled quickly.
• William realized Hermione had been left out by her roommates after only one night at school, though she had not noticed.

William and the others shared breakfast, where the Weasley twins’ prank drenched Malfoy in milk. William then headed to Transfiguration with Cho and Bobocha, whose growing size made William worry about him mating with Mrs. Norris.

• Hermione refused to buy a map from Fred and George, though William showed her the route she needed to remember.
• Cedric tried an overloaded roujiamo, became sick, and drew Professor McGonagall’s attention to the table.
• After Professor McGonagall left, Fred launched a magical firework into a milk bottle at the Slytherin table, splashing Malfoy.
• William turned George’s bat into a cup, and the group hurried away before Professor McGonagall could react.
• Hermione went to the library while William and Cho headed to Transfiguration with Bobocha.
• William worried that Bobocha might mate with Mrs. Norris and get them both into trouble with Filch.

Professor McGonagall taught Transfiguration and later inspected the Hogwarts map that William said his Akali's Mystery Shop had developed. The map drew a crowd, and William turned McGonagall’s advice into a glowing advertisement for it.

• Professor McGonagall reprimanded the second-year students and assigned them to turn beetles into Knuts.
• William transformed his beetle perfectly, earning one point for Ravenclaw, while McGonagall excused him from the essay.
• McGonagall asked William to stay behind to discuss his interest in becoming an Animagus.
• On the way to McGonagall’s office, they found Harry and Ron blocked by students eager to see the Boy Who Lived.
• McGonagall examined Ron’s map, and William identified it as a product of Akali’s Mystery Shop.
• After McGonagall praised the map and suggested improvements, William’s quill wrote an exaggerated advertisement quoting her as recommending it.

William began receiving Professor McGonagall’s guidance on becoming an Animagus while his Hogwarts Magical Map business boomed and drew complaints from the Weasley family. He attended his first Defence Against Dark Magic class and discussed testing his Amortentia with Marietta.

• Professor McGonagall gave William her annotated copy of Advanced Transfiguration and arranged to teach him Animagus magic every Friday, warning him not to practise alone.
• William and the twins sold over a hundred maps, filled their custom-order slots, and attracted more orders after advertising in the Daily Prophet.
• Mrs. Weasley ordered maps to monitor the twins and Ron, Percy taunted Ron about his lateness, and the twins decided to ignore their mother’s order.
• Students tried to copy the Hogwarts Magical Map, but their crude imitations could not reproduce its tracking magic and often became useless when tampered with.
• William met Cho and Marietta in his first Defence Against Dark Magic class and told Marietta he could pay her to test his Amortentia.

Professor Quirrell’s first lesson descended into chaos as his garlic stench, rambling stories, and fear of a spider alienated the students. Snape then fixated on Harry in Potions, while Hermione complained to William that Snape ignored her attempts to answer questions.

• Professor Quirrell entered class reeking of garlic, and William conjured masks for himself, Cho, and Marietta before the rest of the students obtained some.
• Professor Quirrell claimed his garlic protected against vampires and told muddled stories about a vampire and Inferi, then panicked when Arthur of Slytherin enlarged Lee Jordan’s black widow.
• Cho and the other students complained that Professor Quirrell was a terrible teacher after he spent the lesson reading from the textbook.
• Professor Snape showed open hatred toward Harry in Potions, while he kept his distance from Neville after recognizing him as another Marietta.
• Malfoy ordered a customized Hogwarts map from William, who charged him three hundred Galleons for a cowhide version.
• Hermione found William in the library and complained that Professor Snape ignored her questions and refused to award her points.

William and the others discussed Gryffindor’s need for a new Seeker before heading to Hagrid’s Hut, but Fred and George’s morning was interrupted when a Howler from Mrs. Weasley arrived. It left the twins stunned and facing a choice between giving up their map and risking more Howlers.

• Wood fretted over finding a new Gryffindor Seeker while Professor McGonagall pressured him to end the house’s five-year Quidditch Cup drought.
• William, Hermione, Cedric, and Cho planned to visit Hagrid’s Hut as the twins prepared to go to the Quidditch pitch.
• Errol crashed into a milk jug at the Ravenclaw table carrying a Howler from Mrs. Weasley.
• William’s attempt to confuse the Howler failed because Mrs. Weasley had enchanted it to explode if anyone used magic on it.
• Mrs. Weasley shouted at Fred and George for ignoring her letter and demanded the Hogwarts map, then scolded Ron for being late and asking for money.
• The Howler fell silent, leaving Fred and George dazed as they weighed surrendering the map against enduring more Howlers.

William and his friends visited Hagrid, who proudly showed them the powerful alchemical compound bow William had given him. They worked out that Fluffy was guarding something on the forbidden third-floor corridor, and Cedric announced they would explore it that night despite Hagrid’s warning.

• William and his friends went to Hagrid’s hut, where Hagrid greeted Hermione and showed off his new compound bow.
• Hagrid explained that he planned to carry the bow into the Forbidden Forest, and William offered to provide more bowstring without revealing that it came from a dragon.
• Hagrid offered the group Rock Cakes, but they declined, and William realized Hagrid’s strange herring-and-chocolate recipe had likely made Ron ill.
• Cho asked Hagrid where Fluffy was, and William deduced that Dumbledore had placed the dog on the forbidden third-floor corridor to guard something.
• Cedric said they would explore the third floor that night, while Hagrid warned them that it was dangerous.

William and Cho sneaked out at night with the Weasley twins, while Hermione followed after failing to stop them. They headed toward the Third Floor Corridor, leaving Cedric waiting for them.

• Hermione argued with William about breaking Dumbledore’s rules, but William insisted the Third Floor Corridor was worth investigating.
• Cedric and Cho watched the argument, then discussed competing for their house Quidditch teams.
• At eleven, William and Cho left the Ravenclaw common room with Bobocha, who went to lure Mrs. Norris away.
• Fred and George arrived at the meeting place with Hermione, who had researched the danger of three-headed dogs and tried to turn them back.
• William and the twins told Hermione they had raised Fluffy and persuaded her to treat the outing as the twins’ farewell night escapade.
• William led the group onward to meet Cedric.

William, Hermione, Cedric, the twins, and Cho reached the trapdoor guarded by Fluffy and descended into the chamber below. They discovered that the Devil’s Snare could be controlled with William’s wandlight and decided to take it all before resting on its vines.

• William and the others used their maps to avoid Filch and reached Fluffy, whom they distracted with food after he refused to move aside from the trapdoor.
• William lured Fluffy away with dried dragon meat, and George dropped an ignition firework through the opened trapdoor to reveal Devil’s Snare below.
• The group jumped down and got caught in the Devil’s Snare, but William’s Lumos Solem spell made the vines loosen their grip.
• William’s wandlight began pulsing, causing the Devil’s Snare to massage the group, and Fred and Cedric enthusiastically enjoyed it.
• William proposed taking all the Devil’s Snare to grow and study, and the group agreed to stay among the vines until eleven thirty.