- The Kellys' money troubles get increasingly worse. The older kids all work and chip in, but it's still not enough. In fact, George and Mick don't get lunch money anymore and barely get enough to eat.
- All winter, Mick works on composing her own music. She spends her time making plans and trying to remember more and more of Beethoven's symphony.
- And she thinks of Mr. Singer. Mick loves him, idealizes him, and obsesses over him. She has a raging crush.
- She also spends some time with Harry, and they talk politics: Harry desperately wants to go fight Nazis and assassinate Hitler.
- Harry confesses that he used to be a fascist – he saw pictures of them in Europe and thought it looked patriotic and cool. Then he learned what fascists were really about and was, well, horrified.