Speak, Memory

Sirius survived the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and is now living as a free man with Ted and Andromeda Tonks. Harry finds himself performing accidental Legilimency. Lupin is back as DADA teacher, Professor Binns has moved on, and the new History of Magic teacher is a brilliant, politically progressive young American woman of mixed ethnicity. She teaches the class about the roots of magic, the history of Wizard-Muggle relations, the rise of Voldemort and the first war, and more. The captured Death Eaters are at Azkaban, but with only Aurors to hold them there Draco Malfoy hopes that his father will soon escape.

Harry and Sirius enjoy their stay with Andromeda and Ted. Harry begins Occlumency lessons with Professor Dumbledore. He receives his O.W.L. results and gets ready for the new school year.

On the train to Hogwarts, Harry rides with Ron and Hermione in their sixth-year Gryffindor prefects' carriage. They discuss the investigation of the Death Eaters, Malfoy, Kreacher and Hermione's family.

At the opening feast, Harry and his friends are surprised to find that Lupin is not the only new teacher for the year.

Harry and his friends have their first class with the new History of Magic teacher, Professor Veronica Mohan-Gao. A graduate of the Massassoit Center for Magical Studies in the USA, Mohan-Gao is openly disapproving of the Hogwarts House system and states her intention not to give or take away any House points. She is at Hogwarts to teach the students about "the true origins of magic, the history of Muggle-wizard relations, pureblood prejudice, and last, but not least, as much as we know about Voldemort himself and the first war fought against him." Hermione in particular finds her class very interesting, and Harry also enjoys learning human Transfiguration with McGonagall and practicing the Expelliarmus spell in DADA.

Classes are over for their first day of the 1996-1997 Hogwarts school year. Gryffindor Quidditch Captain Harry is approached by Marietta and Cho, who have some things they would like to say to him regarding the previous year. Ron has a talk with Ginny about Quidditch team try-outs and dating. Hermione, Parvati and Lavender discuss their families and the second war. Everyone reflects on how they have moved in the past several years from innocence to experience.