1996-1997 – The year of war, of learning about Voldemort’s past, and the death of Dumbledore

In 1996, the Head of Magical Law Enforcement put up a fight while being killed personally by Voldemort inside a locked room where she had been living alone (HBP1). Read More
A number of disappearances, including those of Garrick Ollivander and Florean Fortescue occur in the summer of 1996, shortly after the world realizes that Lord Voldemort is, indeed, back (HBP6). Ollivander is held captive in Malfoy Manor for a year and a half, tortured, and forced to make wands (… Read More
Snape and Narcissa take the vow together, with Bellatrix serving as Bonder. Snape agrees to help Draco with his task and to finish it for him if Draco fails (HBP2). Read More
It’s a busy two weeks: When Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge refuses to step aside for Voldemort, the Brockdale Bridge is destroyed, killing dozens of Muggles. Amelia Bones, Head of Magical Law Enforcement, and Emmeline Vance, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, are murdered – the former by… Read More
He comes to collect Harry but needs to settle a few details first. Thinking Dumbledore coming to take him on an errand and then to the Burrow might just be too good to be true, Harry hasn’t packed or told the Dursleys about this when Dumbledore arrives on Privet Drive… Read More
July 13, 1996, just after midnight – En route to the Burrow from Privet Drive, Dumbledore takes Harry to call on Horace Slughorn – who, in trying to evade the Death Eaters, possible employers, and anyone who would make him do work or associate himself with one side over another in… Read More
Harry and Ron each earned seven O.W.L.s while Hermione earned eleven – ten Outstandings and one Exceeds Expectations (HBP5). The only grades below “Exceeds Expectations” that Harry got were in History of Magic (he passed out during the exam), Astronomy (the exam during which Hagrid was arrested in full… Read More
Harry celebrates at the Burrow, but the celebrations are marred by reports of Dementor attacks and disappearances brought home by Arthur, Bill, and Lupin. Read More
There they meet up with Hagrid, have a run-in with Draco and Narcissa Malfoy in Madam Malkin’s, visit Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, and follow Draco to Borgin and Burkes, where they overhear him threatening Mr. Borgin. Read More
During the Hogwarts Express’s journey to Hogwarts, Ginny Weasley uses the Bat Bogey Hex on Zacharias Smith after he pesters her for details on the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Professor Slughorn happens to see Ginny’s hex and is greatly impressed (HBP7). Read More
On the train, Harry sits with Neville and Luna until Slughorn invites him to tea. Then Harry endures hours of boring conversation with Slughorn and Hogwarts students with important connections (HBP7). Read More
On the way to Dumbledore’s office, Harry avoids Professor Trelawney, who has been drinking and is interpreting what a set of playing cards indicate about the future. They view Bob Ogden‘s memory of his first visit to the Gaunt house and discuss the circumstances surrounding Voldemort’s… Read More
Hannah’s mother was found dead, killed by Death Eaters. Hannah is called out of Herbology class to receive the horrible news and leaves school for awhile (HBP11). Read More
After a morning of tryouts, team captain Harry Potter had selected most of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team for 1996 – his 6th year at Hogwarts (HBP11). Chasers Katie Bell, Demelza Robbins, and Ginny Weasley Beaters Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote Keeper During… Read More
First, Harry and Dumbledore briefly discuss Mundungus and Draco, and Dumbledore discusses Merope Gaunt with Harry again. Together, they then view a memory of Dumbledore’s, in which he visits Tom Riddle’s childhood orphanage to invite him to Hogwarts. Dumbledore learns Riddle’s history and discovers that he has already been using magic, hates… Read More
Katie falls victim to the Imperius Curse and is forced to carry a package into Hogwarts from the village. The package, intended to be a deadly gift for Dumbledore, contains a cursed opal necklace. While walking, the packaging slips off and Katie’s hand brushes the necklace. She is immediately struck by… Read More
The Gryffindor team wins against Slytherin in their first Quidditch match of the 1996-97 school year. This was largely thanks to Harry, who pretended to give the Felix Felicis potion to Ron Weasley before the game to bolster his confidence (HBP14). After the game, Ron… Read More
Harry sneaks off from Slughorn’s Christmas party to follow Snape and Draco, and overhears them having an argument about Draco’s mission. Harry becomes suspicious, but he doesn’t learn what Draco is tasked with. Read More
Harry, beset by flocks of girls vying to be his date for the party, on an impulse asks Luna to go with him. He meets her as she comes out of the bathroom. She had been comforting Hermione, who had been crying after Ron mockingly imitated her in class (… Read More
To the dismay of Romilda Vane and other admirers of the Chosen One, Harry attends with Luna Lovegood; Hermione brings Cormac McLaggen to annoy Ron. Also in attendance are a vampire, sundry notables “collected” by Slughorn, Professor Snape, Professor Trelawney, and a wait staff of House Elves. Hermione leaves Cormac… Read More
December 25, 1996 – Scrimgeour shows up at the Burrow under the pretense of Percy wanting to see his family. It soon becomes apparent, however, that what he actually wants is to ask Harry to support the Ministry. Harry refuses to help him and walks away. Read More
They discuss Rufus Scrimgeour and view two memories: in the first, Morfin tells Voldemort about his family just before Voldemort kills the Riddles; in the second (which Slughorn has modified), Voldemort asks Slughorn about horcruxes.  Finally, Dumbledore sets Harry homework – to obtain the rest of Slughorn’s memory. (HBP17) It… Read More
Harry and the other sixth years take their first Apparition lesson, under watchful eye of the Ministry instructor, Wilkie Twycross. None of the students manage to Apparate in this first lesson, although Susan Bones does manage to Splinch herself (HBP18). The lessons will continue for twelve… Read More
Ron wakes up to an impressive haul of presents, including a wristwatch from his parents.  He accidentally eats Chocolate Cauldrons that Romilda Vane spiked with love potion, and falls madly in love with Romilda Vane.  Harry takes him to Slughorn, who whips up an antidote.  To celebrate Ron’s birthday, Slughorn… Read More
Luna Lovegood provides the commentary for the fourth Quidditch match of the season. Although playing as Gryffindor’s Keeper, Cormac McLaggen grabs a Beater’s bat and cracks Harry’s skull, knocking him unconscious. While Harry is taken to the Hospital Wing, Hufflepuff win the match by… Read More
At night in the Hospital Wing after McLaggen injures him in a Quidditch match, Harry summons Kreacher and Dobby and orders them to tail Malfoy and figure out what he’s up to. Dobby punches Kreacher in the mouth after he insults Harry (HBP19). Read More
After getting the message about the lesson from Luna Harry arrives at his lesson with Dumbledore – having forgotten to do his homework and get the full memory from Slughorn. They watch two memories. In the first, Riddle visits Hepzibah Smith and sees what will become one of his horcruxes days before… Read More
These extra lessons are given for those who will turn seventeen on or before April 21st, which is the date of the first Apparition test. Ron and Hermione both go into Hogsmeade for the lessons while Harry, who won’t turn seventeen until July, spends his time trying to figure out… Read More
He had been ill since the summer of 1996. His body is removed from the forest by Hagrid before the other Acromantula can eat it. His funeral is at dusk the next day. Read More
Harry (spurred by Felix Felicis) and Professor Slughorn, who was hoping to acquire some Acromantula venom, join Hagrid (utterly bereaved) and Fang for the Acromantula’s funeral. Professor Slughorn sneaks some of Aragog’s venom while Hagrid isn’t looking, then gives a grand eulogy that Hagrid finds very… Read More
Harry visits Hagrid with Slughorn, where the three hold a burial for Aragog. Slughorn and Hagrid drink to honor the deceased Acromantula, and when Hagrid falls asleep, Harry talks with Slughorn about his and Dumbledore’s efforts to reveal Voldemort’s past. Slughorn had refused to share his own… Read More
Just after midnight on the same evening that Aragog is buried, Harry returns to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower to find the Fat Lady asleep. After the burial, under the influence of a fair amount of alcohol and a rush of sad memories, Slughorn had given Harry… Read More
A duel breaks out when Draco realizes that Harry has walked in on him crying and expressing his fears to Moaning Myrtle. Having been hoping for an opportunity to discover what the spell Sectumsempra does, Harry uses it on Malfoy. Harry regrets this and rushes to Malfoy when… Read More
After their first kiss in the Gryffindor common room following Gryffindor’s win of the Quidditch Cup, Harry and Ginny spend a few weeks happily together. Read More
Harry had duelled with Draco Malfoy and used the Dark spell Sectumsempra, leaving Draco bleeding on the floor until Professor Snape arrived to save his life. As a result, Harry  had to serve a detention with Snape on Saturday instead of playing in the last Quidditch match… Read More
The Gryffindor team, with Ginny Weasley as their Seeker and Ron Weasley in front of the goal hoops, won their final match against Ravenclaw by a margin of at least 300 points (needed in order to be that year’s Quidditch Cup winners). They won the Cup… Read More
They leave Hogwarts on foot since it’s not possible to Apparate on Hogwarts grounds and walk through Hogsmeade. They greet Madam Rosmerta by the Three Broomsticks, then walk on to the Hog’s Head before Apparating away. Read More
He has spent most of the school year trying to repair the cabinet in the Room of Requirement, a cabinet which had trapped Montague for several weeks during the 1992-1993 school year. The companion cabinet was located in Borgin and Burkes, and it was through there that the Death Eaters traveled… Read More
While Dumbledore is away, a gang of Death Eaters, led by Draco Malfoy, sneaks into Hogwarts through the vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement. They battle the Order of the Phoenix, and when Dumbledore and Harry return, Dumbledore freezes Harry as Draco arrives to Disarm Dumbledore (HBP27). After a… Read More
During the Battle of the Tower in June of 1997, Bill Weasley is attacked by the werewolf Fenrir Greyback. It is not the full moon, so the wounds do not lead to full-blown lycanthropy, but Bill’s face is terribly scarred and he develops a yen for raw meat (HBP29)… Read More
Lured to the Astronomy Tower by the Dark Mark above it upon his and Harry’s return from the sea cave, Dumbledore encounters Draco Malfoy. Dumbledore immobilizes Harry, who is hidden under his invisibility cloak. Draco says he will kills Dumbledore, but keeps stalling. Draco and Dumbledore discuss Draco’s efforts to… Read More
After an encounter with Harry during which Snape admits he was the Half-Blood Prince and shouts that Harry should not call him a coward, Buckbeak the hippogriff attacks Snape and chases him back towards the Hogwarts gates. Snape, along with several other Death Eaters including the Carrows, Thorfinn Rowle and… Read More
When Hagrid joins the fight against the fleeing Death Eaters, Thorfinn Rowle fires off an Incendio spell that ignites the gamekeeper’s wooden house. Hagrid angrily shouts that Fang was trapped in the house, and he ran into the flaming house to rescue the dog while Buckbeak attacked the fleeing Potions Master. When… Read More
After Snape kills Dumbledore on top of the Astronomy Tower, he tries to flee with the other Death Eaters but Harry chases him across the grounds, attempting several spells which Snape deflects. One of the Death Eaters uses the Cruciatus Curse on Harry, but Snape orders them to stop. When… Read More
With Dumbledore’s death, McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress, takes over as Head. Unlike what happened when Umbridge became Head the previous year, the Head’s office allowed McGonagall to enter. Her first duty was to arrange for Dumbledore’s funeral, for which she solicited advice not only from the Heads of Houses but… Read More
Mundungus Fletcher admits to having stripped 12 Grimmauld Place of its valuables sometime after Albus Dumbledore’s death. While trying to sell them in Diagon Alley, Mundungus was approached by Dolores Umbridge, who asked to see his Ministry sales permit. Instead of landing him with a… Read More
After the security breach that caused the death of Professor Dumbledore classes are cancelled and exams are postponed. Parents arrive over the next several days to take their children home; among the students to leave are the Patil twins and Zacharias Smith. Seamus Finnigan’s mother also wants her son to leave Hogwarts,… Read More
Harry talks to Ginny after Dumbledore’s funeral and tells her that they need to break up so Voldemort can’t use her to get to him. ‘Voldemort uses people his enemies are close to. He’s already used you as bait once, and that was just because you’re my best friend’s sister. Read More
Classes and exams were put off for the funeral, but some parents took their children home soon after learning of Dumbledore’s death. Many witches and wizards come to bid farewell to the “greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had.” A chorus of merpeople sing a tribute from below the lake’s surface. Dumbledore’s… Read More
Ron used the Deluminator to magically travel to where Harry and Hermione were camping once they said his name aloud. Ron arrived just in time to rescue Harry from drowning in the icy pond where the Sword of Gryffindor had been placed, and then used the Sword to destroy the… Read More