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[edit] Chapters

Chapter 1: The Other Minister

Chapter 2: Spinner's End

Chapter 3: Will and Won't

Chapter 4: Horace Slughorn

Chapter 5: An Excess of Phlegm

Chapter 6: Draco's Detour

Chapter 7: The Slug Club

Chapter 8: Snape Victorious

Chapter 9: The Half-Blood Prince

Chapter 10: The House of Gaunt

Chapter 11: Hermione's Helping Hand

Chapter 12: Silver and Opals

Chapter 13: The Secret Riddle

Chapter 14: Felix Felicis

Chapter 15: The Unbreakable Vow

Chapter 16: A Very Frosty Christmas

Chapter 17: A Sluggish Memory

Chapter 18: Birthday Surprises

Chapter 19: Elf Tails

Chapter 20: Lord Voldemort's Request

Chapter 21: The Unknowable Room

Chapter 22: After the Burial

Chapter 23: Horcruxes

Chapter 24: Sectumsempra

Chapter 25: The Seer Overheard

Chapter 26: The Cave

Chapter 27: The Lightning-Struck Tower

Chapter 28: Flight of the Prince

Chapter 29: The Phoenix Lament

Chapter 30: The White Tomb

[edit] Overview

We join Harry Potter as he enters his sixth year at Hogwarts. This volume is written from the point-of-view of the now 16-year-old Harry, as he takes advanced courses to prepare for the NEWT-level exams required for his chosen career. A darker book than the preceding volumes, it reveals more about Lord Voldemort's history and his impact on the Muggle world. Voldemort has emerged into the open, and his presence is beginning to have an effect on the day-to-day life of the Wizarding world.

While the series progressively covers seven years in Harry Potter's life, each of the first five volumes is largely self-contained. This book is written more as the first half of a two-part novel, and, as such, the ending feels rather incomplete.

Note: While this book is one of the longer ones in the series, at 607 pages (Bloomsbury / Raincoast edition), it is also set in significantly larger type. If it were the same size type as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, it would be 414 pages (approximately) to 223 for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

[edit] Book Highlights

• New places visited: Muggle Prime Minister's office (Number 10, Downing Street), Spinner's End, Marvolo Gaunt's residence, an orphanage in London, the cave where young Tom Riddle tortured two children from his orphanage (Dennis Bishop and Amy Benson), Fred and George Weasley's joke shop: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Hepzibah Smith's house.
• Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher: Severus Snape
• New teacher: Horace Slughorn
• Title refers to: previous owner of Harry's borrowed Advanced Potion Making book.

Chapter 1: The Other Minister

[edit] Synopsis

The story opens with the Muggle Prime Minister in his office. As he recollects the past week's events, a wall portrait requests an immediate meeting with Cornelius Fudge, which the Prime Minister reluctantly grants. Fudge appears a few minutes later via the Floo Network, although the Prime Minister is unhappy to see him; every previous meeting has brought bad news. It has been a difficult week for Fudge too, with the Brockdale bridge collapse, Bones and Vance family members being murdered, and the ruckus in the West Country. To the Prime Minister's dismay, Fudge reports that these events involved the Wizarding community.

The Prime Minister first met Fudge shortly after his election several years ago when Fudge informed him about the wizarding world and the Ministry of Magic, the governing body in the UK. He recalls several other Fudge visits the past few years, usually to discuss how the magical community was affecting Muggles. With each visit, Fudge looked increasingly haggard and stressed, and the Prime Minister wonders what bad news Fudge, looking worse than ever, has brought this time.

According to Fudge, He Who Must Not Be Named has returned, and the past week's crises were perpetrated by him and his Death Eaters. The bridge collapse was caused by Fudge's refusal to be blackmailed, the West Country hurricane was not a hurricane at all, and it is suspected Giants caused it. Members of the Bones and Vance families were murdered by Voldemort or a follower. Then there are the Dementors; the creatures are roaming the countryside and attacking people since defecting as Azkaban prison guards. And they are breeding, which is why the weather has been so bad. Fudge admits he was forced to resign over mishandling the Voldemort affair and is there to introduce his successor, Rufus Scrimgeour.

Arriving through the office fireplace, Scrimgeour informs the Prime Minister that due to the recent events in the Wizarding world, wizards will handle his security. Scrimgeour's new secretary, Kingsley Shacklebolt, an Auror, has been assigned to protect him. The Prime Minister is displeased that the wizarding realm has leaked into the Muggle world, but Scrimgeour and Fudge assure him that they are doing all they can.

[edit] Analysis

The meeting between the British Prime Minister and Ministry of Magic officials is a rare instance where Wizard and Muggle domains overtly collide. For centuries, Wizards have secretly coexisted alongside Muggles, remaining carefully hidden and separate. And while there have always been Muggles who are aware that Wizards exists, and even some who have married into that society, what happens in one realm rarely affects the other. This changes when Voldemort's violent attacks begin to include Muggles. Whether or not this is deliberate is, as yet, unclear; Voldemort may intend for the violence to spill over into the Muggle realm as a brazen act to confuse and intimidate other wizards and to demonstrate just how far he can and will go. He may also be intending to breach the long-standing divide between the two realms, bringing both under his rule. Whatever Voldemort's intent, the Prime Minister is powerless to protect his own people, and he has little choice but to accept the Wizarding world's help and to hope that Voldemort can be defeated, or at least contained to his own sphere.

It may be worth recalling Dumbledore’s warning to Fudge, at Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire's conclusion, that "history will remember you as the man who stepped aside, and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild!" Clearly, this has now come to pass. When Voldemort was revealed to be alive, thus showing plainly that Fudge's ministry, by discrediting both Harry and Dumbledore, had been systematically lying to the Wizarding world, retribution by the general populace was swift. Despite Fudge's efforts to retain power, he has been ousted and replaced by someone who appears more dynamic and better prepared to fight Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

The Prime Minister recalls from an earlier visit, Fudge mentioned that he was required to inform the Muggle government that they were importing dangerous magical creatures into Britain for a Wizarding competition: three dragons and a Sphinx. This may confuse some readers, who remember that there were four dragon species at that competition; however, one was a Common Welsh Green and therefore a native species. It should also be noted that this conversation was quite likely before Harry's name had unexpectedly come out of the Goblet; the original plan might well have been to import three Dragons, and when a fourth was needed, a native variety was used so they would not have to notify the Muggle government again.

In yet another date confusion endemic to the series, Fudge says, "I must say, you're taking it a lot better than your predecessor. He tried to throw me out of the window . . ." (italics in original). If we accept, according to the internal timeline, that it is 1996 when this book takes place, then the Muggle Prime Minister must be John Major, which would make his predecessor Maggie Thatcher, definitely not a "he". Ms. Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979, so Fudge would have had to introduce himself to her in 1979. If, as we assume from the same timeline, Voldemort murdered Harry's parents in 1981, that would mean that Fudge would have been in power before Voldemort's fall. However, the story states that Barty Crouch Sr. was being groomed for that position, and when his son went to Azkaban, after the fall of Voldemort, they tried to tap Dumbledore for that position, and only elected Fudge when Dumbledore refused. So Fudge could not have come into power before 1982 or so in our timeline, which would mean that he could not have introduced himself to Ms. Thatcher immediately after her election. One could try and fit the timeline to the tenure of Tony Blair, who took power in 1997, but there is little point: the story does not depend on any specific interaction with our world, and errors of this sort do not even distract the reader unless we let them.

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. Why does Fudge visit the Muggle prime minister?
2. Who does Fudge introduce to the prime minister? Why?
3. Why was Fudge forced to resign as Minister for Magic?

[edit] Further Study

1. Why might Voldemort's attacks have spilled over into the Muggle world?
2. If Fudge was forced to resign, why is he working with Scrimgeour?
3. Why did the Dementors defect to Voldemort's side?
4. Why were members of the Bones and Vance families murdered?

[edit] Greater Picture

At Christmas, Scrimgeour, the new Minister for Magic, will attempt to persuade Harry to occasionally be seen visiting the Ministry. As a bonus for his cooperation, Scrimgeour hints that Harry may be easily accepted into the Auror branch. Harry recognizes this as an attempt to sway the general populace's opinion that Harry, the "Chosen One", supports the Ministry and its actions; he refuses, believing the Ministry is doing a poor job. And though the Ministry's position on Voldemort may have swung from one extreme position to another, they are more about presenting a good public face rather than building substance under Scrimgeour's leadership.

When Harry later discusses this incident with Dumbledore, we learn that Dumbledore had blocked Scrimgeour from proposing this same scheme to Harry earlier in the school year. Dumbledore knew Harry would never allow himself to be recruited as a Ministry pawn, and that he was still in a fragile mental state over Sirius' death. Dumbledore and Scrimgeour's argument became loud enough that it was overheard and later leaked to the general public. This was actually the Ministry's second attempt to draft Harry; prior to Fudge's ouster, he was attempting damage control and working to retain his power. Dumbledore says when Fudge suggested the same ploy as Scrimgeour, he was similarly rebuffed.

Chapter 2: Spinner's End

[edit] Synopsis

Two cloaked figures Apparate alongside a dirty river. Narcissa Malfoy and her sister, Bellatrix Lestrange, head for a dilapidated brick row house on Spinner's End. While walking, Bellatrix is apparently trying to dissuade Narcissa from doing something. At the house, they are greeted by Severus Snape, who assures them that they are alone, except for Wormtail (Peter Pettigrew). Snape orders Wormtail to fetch drinks for himself and his guests, and Wormtail complies, though protesting that he is not there to be Snape's servant. Narcissa believes only Snape can help her, but before she can say more, Snape points his wand at a concealed door and sends Wormtail scurrying. Narcissa starts over, only to be interrupted by Bellatrix, who distrusts Snape. She interrogates him about where (and with whom) his true loyalties lie. Before responding, Snape asks in turn: does Bellatrix really think that the Dark Lord had not asked him those same questions? Does she think he could have fooled the Dark Lord?

While she hesitates, Snape answers her previous questions. Where was he when the Dark Lord fell? At Hogwarts, where Voldemort had ordered him to spy on Dumbledore. Why did he not hunt for the Dark Lord after he fell? For the same reason many other Death Eaters failed to: he believed the Dark Lord was finished. Bellatrix retorts that she searched for him. Snape sarcastically comments about how "useful" she was while imprisoned in Azkaban, while he collected sixteen years' worth of information on Dumbledore for Voldemort. Snape continues: Why did he stand between the Dark Lord and the Philosopher's Stone? Because the Dark Lord believed Snape had deserted him for Dumbledore, Snape was left unaware that it was Voldemort who was looking for the Stone. He thought Quirrell wanted it and, of course, he acted to prevent that. Why did he fail to respond to the Dark Lord's summons when Voldemort returned? He returned two hours later, at Dumbledore's orders. That way, Dumbledore would continue to believe that Snape was spying on Voldemort for him, rather than the other way around. Bellatrix says she is unaware of any information Snape passed to Voldemort, although she should know: Voldemort says she is his most trusted lieutenant. Snape asks if she retains this status after the fiasco at the Ministry. And where was he during that battle? On the Dark Lord's orders, he stayed away. Did Bellatrix think Dumbledore would fail to notice if Snape had joined the Death Eaters in that battle? In any event, the information Snape supplied made Emmeline Vance and Sirius Black's deaths possible, and the Dark Lord was satisfied with his information. Why did Snape not kill Harry Potter? Because it was only Dumbledore who was keeping Snape effective as a spy and out of Azkaban. If he killed Potter, he would lose that protection and would be unable to help Voldemort. And that is what has continued to make him so useful to the Dark Lord: Dumbledore's trust in him.

With Bellatrix's worries overridden, Narcissa explains her reason for coming. Voldemort has assigned her son, Draco, a difficult and probably deadly task. Narcissa wants Snape to protect him. Snape replies that it is folly for them to discuss it because that is breaking the Dark Lord's wish. Death Eaters seldom know what tasks their colleagues have been assigned. Luckily for Narcissa, however, Snape already knows about this task, but even as the Dark Lord's most trusted confidante, he is powerless to persuade him to change his mind, nor will he try. Narcissa says assigning Draco this task is revenge for her husband Lucius' failure at the Ministry. Snape admits that the Dark Lord is angry at Lucius. Finally, though, Snape agrees to swear an 'Unbreakable Vow' to protect Draco, and if Draco is unable to complete his mission, Snape will do it for him.

[edit] Analysis

Snape's loyalty to Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has been established, but the evidence here is that he could be a traitor when he agrees to Narcissa Malfoy's Unbreakable Vow, and Harry's adamant (and lone) belief that he is still a Death Eater seems validated. Snape, whose fidelity to Voldemort is questioned by many Death Eaters, including Bellatrix Lestrange, knows he can help dispel these doubts by swearing a magically binding oath to protect Draco, even at peril to his own life. Bellatrix probably remains somewhat skeptical, despite Snape's seemingly convincing answers to her probing interrogation; indeed, it seems that Snape's true allegiance always remains just vague enough to keep each side guessing. Dumbledore, we remember, has always steadfastly defended Snape's loyalty, despite Harry's continuing suspicions. However, readers know that Snape has been acting as a double agent, and this may be a situation where he is forced into taking the vow so he can maintain his double agent cover. To do otherwise would cast even more suspicion on his supposed loyalties. It is also conceivable that Snape is loyal only to himself, maintaining a tenuous and dangerous position where he can align himself with either winning side. As a side note, although it seems that Bellatrix is satisfied by Snape's answers, she could have insisted on him taking Veritaserum (truth serum) before interrogating him. However, she does not, possibly because, as Dumbledore will suggest later, even Veritaserum can be circumvented if it is expected.

Wormtail's loyalty, however, seems far less questionable, as he is fully dependent on Voldemort for his very survival. Unlike Snape, he is unable to align himself in any way to Harry, Dumbledore, and their allies. And while it initially may seem that Snape has Wormtail under his constant, watchful eye, it is possible that Wormtail is secretly keeping tabs on Snape for Voldemort. Even though it appears that Snape has convinced Voldemort that he is his faithful servant, the Dark Lord likely has lingering suspicions about him or wants to reassure his doubtful followers. However, Voldemort may know that Wormtail owes Harry Potter a life debt, an obligation as magically binding as Snape's Unbreakable Vow, and which could prove to be a severe liability to the Dark Lord. Voldemort is likely having Snape and Wormtail unknowingly watch each other.

Rowling also sheds light on some Death Eaters' personal relationships, as evidenced when sisters Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy affectionately refer to each other as "Bella" and "Cissy." This is a contrast to how Harry has viewed most Death Eaters. Until now, Voldemort's followers have generally been portrayed as two-dimensionally evil characters who unwaveringly serve Lord Voldemort. Other than the Malfoys, little is known about Death Eaters' family life, social interactions, or what factors, other than "pure-blood" beliefs, motivates them. Until now, Bellatrix has been portrayed as purely evil, fanatical, and probably unbalanced, even by Death Eater standards, and she may believe Voldemort is doing too little to rid impurities from the Wizarding world. In this chapter, however, she is seen as caring about her sister, Narcissa, wanting to protect her from Voldemort.

And while Bellatrix generally remains two-dimensional, the cold and haughty Narcissa, desperate to protect her husband and son, now displays love, fear, empathy, and sadness—emotions not generally associated with Voldemort's affiliates and that help develop her into a more fully-rounded character. Narcissa believes Voldemort tasked Draco with a near-impossible mission (in which he will likely fail and then be killed) only as a means to punish her husband, Lucius Malfoy, for his failure to retrieve the Trelawney prophecy at the Department of Mysteries (in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), and also apparently for Voldemort's Diary Horcrux being destroyed (in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets). This could ultimately affect Narcissa's loyalty to the Dark Lord and also to her sister. And despite their seeming affection for one another, it should be remembered that both Bellatrix and Narcissa readily disowned their sister, Andromeda, as a blood traitor for marrying the Muggle-born wizard, Ted Tonks. (Nymphadora Tonks is their daughter, and thus niece to Bellatrix and Narcissa.) Essentially, no one is what they appear to be.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Snape was sent on an unexplained mission. In this chapter, we learn that his mission was to rejoin Voldemort and pledge his allegiance.

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. What might happen if Voldemort learns that Snape has made an Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa?
2. What does Narcissa believe is the real reason Voldemort assigned Draco a nearly-impossible task? Is she correct?
3. What is Snape's explanation about why he never killed Harry Potter, even though he had many opportunities to do so? Is his explanation plausible? Why?

[edit] Further Study

1. Why does Snape make an Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa Malfoy, a vow that puts his own life at risk? Will he tell Dumbledore about it?
2. Considering how much doubt there is about Snape's true loyalties, why does Narcissa choose him to protect Draco?
3. Why did Narcissa and Bellatrix disown their sister, Andromeda? Can they trust each other? Explain.
4. Why does Bellatrix remain suspicious of Snape? Does he convince her that he is loyal to Voldemort?
5. Why do Death Eaters remain loyal to Voldemort, despite his tendency to threaten or eliminate even his most devoted followers or their families?
6. Compare and contrast evidence that Snape is loyal to either Dumbledore, Voldemort, or even to no one.
7. Why might Peter Pettigrew be at Snape's house? Does Snape trust him? Does Pettigrew suspect Snape might be a traitor? Who might Voldemort trust more?

[edit] Greater Picture

Readers see Draco cast in a more sympathetic role here when it appears that he is Lord Voldemort's victim as much as his ally, forced to do his bidding under duress and at extreme risk to himself and his family. We will shortly see how a smug Draco initially revels in his own bloated self-importance at being appointed the Dark Lord's task, woefully unaware and unable yet to comprehend the probable consequences to himself and his parents should he fail. Narcissa, however, has correctly surmised Voldemort's true intention: to punish Lucius Malfoy through Draco. She is risking her own life by defying Voldemort in an attempt to save her family. This raises the question as to why so many Death Eaters faithfully serve Voldemort, who demands his servants' total obedience and loyalty while offering little reward in return, and who readily eliminates a follower or their family for any reason; even his most devoted and trusted confidants are capriciously expendable, even for the smallest misstep. This flagrant abuse could eventually create enough dissent and discord from within to undermine or destroy Voldemort's power, although, for now, his continued rise seems unabated.

Snape tells Bellatrix that his information led to the death of Emmeline Vance, who as we have seen is a member of the Order of the Phoenix. We will much later find out that Snape actually is working for the Order himself, as a double agent; it is safe to assume that Snape discusses with Dumbledore the information he will give to Voldemort. At the same time, we hear that Snape has only let those people die that he could not save. That strongly suggests that Dumbledore and Snape were somehow forced to give Voldemort information on Vance, and that they could not prevent her death. From this, we can assume that Vance's death was not preventable, Voldemort had already set his sights on her, but Snape had provided some small piece of information that had helped him find her. It is more than likely that Snape and Dumbledore had also provided Vance with the information that would allow her to fight back. While Vance clearly would not want to simply die, it is likely that she would agree to being put in harm's way, if in the battle she would have a chance to take some Death Eaters with her. While this is never confirmed, it is quite possible that, in fact, she did, and that the retreating Death Eaters had carried away and probably concealed their dead, as they tend to.

Chapter 3: Will and Won't

[edit] Synopsis

The chapter opens at the Dursleys' house where Harry is asleep. Scattered about his room are many Daily Prophets. The paper now hails Harry as 'The Chosen One', who will be instrumental in the recently-returned Voldemort's downfall.

Dumbledore arrives to collect Harry. Despite Dumbledore previously sending a letter setting the time, and Harry anxiously waiting his arrival for most of the week, he is astonished and puzzled that Dumbledore is fetching him from the Dursleys after only two weeks, and he is further surprised when Dumbledore actually arrives. The Dursleys are also surprised; Harry apparently never told them he was coming. Dumbledore merely ignores their disdain and makes himself comfortable. Harry notices that Dumbledore's hand is black and shriveled, but he says nothing to Harry about how he acquired the injury, saying only he will explain later.

Dumbledore tells Harry that Sirius Black has bequeathed him all his possessions, including 12 Grimmauld Place, Kreacher, and Buckbeak. However, there may be a spell that automatically leaves the inheritance to the eldest surviving Black male or prevents it from passing to a non-pureblood wizard. Because Sirius was the last Black male, it would likely pass to the eldest female relative, namely Bellatrix Lestrange (Sirius's cousin). To test whether Harry is the true heir, Dumbledore summons Kreacher, the loyal Black family House-elf. When Kreacher reluctantly obeys Harry's command, it confirms that Harry is the rightful heir.

Kreacher is sent to work at Hogwarts, and Buckbeak (now renamed Witherwings) is left in Hagrid's care. Dumbledore tells the Dursleys to expect a short visit from Harry in a year's time. The magical charm that has protected Harry from Voldemort since infancy will expire when he comes of age on his seventeenth birthday. However, he is required to make one final visit to the Dursleys the following summer to maintain its effectiveness, then his ties to his maternal family can be permanently severed. Before departing, Dumbledore reproaches the Dursleys for their bad manners, mistreating Harry, and over-indulging Dudley.

[edit] Analysis

Dumbledore's injured hand indicates that sinister events may be underway in the wizarding world that Harry is not yet privy to. For whatever reason, Dumbledore chooses to keep them from Harry, at least for now.

It has been suggested that Dumbledore acts out of character in this book. This is particularly obvious in this chapter. While still a peaceful and wise wizard, Dumbledore seems to act with a bit more directness and urgency than usual. He uses magic to sweep the Dursleys to the couch and chides them for their ill-manners, and he actively criticizes how they have treated Harry and raised Dudley. While he is still as good-natured and civil as ever, there seems to be an unexpected edginess in his manner. As can be expected, the Dursleys ignore Dumbledore's rebuke and seem unlikely to ever change.

Many readers may be somewhat alarmed when Dumbledore offers Harry a glass of mead. Mead, a wine made from honey, is usually relatively strong at 14% alcohol by volume, and it would be illegal to give it to a minor in North America. Liquor laws are less restrictive in Britain, however, and though someone underage may not purchase liquor in the UK, there is nothing that prohibits someone younger than 18 years from drinking wine or beer if it is offered by an adult.

[edit] Questions

1. How might Dumbledore have hurt his hand? Why doesn't he tell Harry how it was injured?
2. Why won't Harry be protected at the Dursley's house after his 17th birthday?
3. What effect will Harry's 17th birthday have on his relationship with the Dursleys?
4. Why would Dumbledore personally fetch Harry from the Dursleys after only two weeks there? Where might he be taking him?
5. What does Dumbledore say to the Dursleys about how they've treated Harry and raised their son, Dudley? Why did he never speak up about this sooner?
6. Dumbledore's behavior and demeanor is somewhat different here. How has it changed, and what might be the reason?

[edit] Greater Picture

Some theorists believe that Dumbledore used the "Kreacher test" not only to see whether Number 12 Grimmauld Place actually belonged to Harry rather than Bellatrix Lestrange (Sirius' cousin), but also as a means to determine whether Sirius' younger brother, Regulus Black, was still alive. (It will be learned in the next book that Regulus is the mysterious R.A.B. who leaves a note at the end of this novel.) This test may be inconclusive, as the tradition is that property, such as a house, is directly handed down the male family line. It is entirely possible that the charm ensuring this, if there was one, would prevent a lateral transfer from the eldest male child, once he had come into his inheritance, to his younger brother. When Sirius died without offspring, the charm might have simply ceased operation.

The reason for Dumbledore's drastic character change can be attributed to him being damaged by a ring Horcrux, an object containing a deadly curse that should have killed him. He was able to get help from Severus Snape, who has kept him alive by extraordinary magical means, although only temporarily. This minute-to-minute awareness that he will soon die, and the resulting sense of urgency, is likely the cause for his changed character.

Dumbledore, speaking directly to Petunia, mentions that they have corresponded before. There were actually at least four letters, though at this point in our reading there is nothing that can be attrbuted as being "correspondence". Dumbledore wrote a letter, which he left, along with Harry, on the Dursleys' doorstep at the series' beginning, and the Howler addressed to Petunia in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is also revealed to have been sent by Dumbledore. There is no indication that Petunia responded to either, and correspondence does rather imply that messages are being exchanged; despite this, many readers will assume that it is either one of these letters to which Dumbledore is referring. However, we will learn, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, that Petunia had earlier written to Hogwarts pleading for admission, and that Dumbledore responded, declining her plea on the grounds that she was unable to perform magic. If we assume that Dumbledore had implied an informational exchange, then he can only have been referring to this first set of letters.

Chapter 4: Horace Slughorn

[edit] Synopsis

After leaving the Dursleys, Dumbledore asks Harry to carry his Invisibility Cloak, but sends his trunk on to the Burrow. As Harry clings to Dumbledore's arm, Dumbledore Apparates them to a small village. Having never Apparated before, Harry finds the sensation slightly disorienting. Once again, Hogwarts is one instructor short, and Dumbledore has come to Budleigh Babberton to recruit a new faculty member. They arrive at a wrecked house, finding what appears to be blood-splattered walls; after examining the wreckage, Dumbledore pokes an armchair with his wand. The armchair grunts and transforms into Horace Slughorn, Dumbledore's old colleague and a former Hogwarts professor. Slughorn created the false destruction to convince intruders that Death Eaters had killed him. However, Dumbledore knew the attack was staged because there was no Dark Mark looming over the building. Dumbledore helps Slughorn repair the house, then attempts to persuade Slughorn to return to Hogwarts, although he refuses. Dumbledore excuses himself, leaving Harry and Slughorn alone together. Slughorn, forced to make conversation, mentions that he taught Harry's father and mother. Lily was a favorite student, always top in his class and believes she ought to have been sorted into his House—he was head of Slytherin. Observing Harry's reaction, he correctly guesses that Harry is a Gryffindor like his mother. Slughorn says that taking a post at Hogwarts would be declaring allegiance to the Order of the Phoenix, although Harry reminds him that that teachers are not required to join the Order and that Hogwarts is safe (as Dumbledore is the only wizard Voldemort has ever feared). The only teacher who died there is Professor Quirrell.

Slughorn remains reluctant to leave his comfortable retirement and he has essentially been in hiding since Voldemort's return. After adroitly manipulating Slughorn's ego and attracting him to Harry's celebrity, Dumbledore finally convinces him to resume his old post. As they depart, Dumbledore tells Harry that Slughorn relishes his creature comforts and likes being the power behind a multiplicity of thrones. He also enjoys being among the rich and influential, and Harry, being famous, is someone he will attempt to cultivate.

Dumbledore then transports himself and Harry to The Burrow, and, before departing, tells Harry he will be taking private lessons with him during the year. Dumbledore also suggests that Harry share the Trelawney prophecy with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and requests that Harry always keep his Invisibility Cloak with him.

[edit] Analysis

Dumbledore's suggestion that Harry reveal Trelawney's prophecy to Ron and Hermione emphasizes Dumbledore's understanding that Harry's strength and abilities are enhanced by his friends' assistance and support; Dumbledore realizes that Harry often refuses help from others. Although Harry is a talented wizard, it is also Ron and Hermione's loyalty, support, and their individual skills that have helped him overcome many adversities; each is at their best when they work together. Harry realizes that he cannot remain shut away in response to Sirius' death; it is time for him to reconnected with his friends and the wizarding world. Dumbledore chooses this moment to reinforce that thought.

Until now, we have seen Dumbledore as an extremely wise wizard genius, but this is the first time he has been observed manipulating people. He knows Slughorn is vain and likes being connected with the powerful and influential who can provide him favours and allows him to bask in their reflected glory. When Dumbledore offers Slughorn the position at Hogwarts, he uses Harry as bait, knowing Slughorn will be irresistably intrigued by and attracted to Harry Potter's fame, and wanting to hitch his own wagon to Harry's star; Dumbledore cleverly positions himself and Harry so that Slughorn will be fully exposed to Harry's presence. When his initial attempt to recruit Slughorn fails, he excuses himself, leaving Slughorn alone with Harry so he can convince himself that Harry is a celebrity he wants to collect. Finally, just as Slughorn is considering the offer, Dumbledore re-appears, snatches Harry from under Slughorn's nose, and departs. Slughorn cannot stand to see this prize vanish, and, with a bit of desperation, he accepts Dumbledore's offer. This is a very neat bit of coercion by Dumbledore, particularly in that it allowed Slughorn to convince himself – Harry was unprimed for this and did not participate in any coercion.

Although Slughorn is an excellent teacher (otherwise Dumbledore would never have recruited him) he could prove problematic for Harry. Slughorn, as we have seen, has a vain personality and is attracted to other wizards' celebrity and influence. Harry, who disdains being in the limelight, may resent having yet another person fawning over him to serve their own purposes. This may put further stress on Harry. Also, Harry's mother, Lily, was among Slughorn's favorite and most talented pupils. He may have an unrealistic expectation that Harry has the same ability, putting undue (although perhaps somewhat needed) pressure on Harry, a rather lazy student, to perform at a higher level than he currently does.

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. Why does Dumbledore take Harry to Budleigh Babberton Village?
2. Why was Slughorn hiding? How does Dumbledore see through his disguise?
3. Why does Slughorn think Lily Potter, a Muggle-born, should have been sorted into Slytherin House? What might be Harry's reaction to that suggesion?
4. Why does Slughorn finally agree to leave his comfortable retirement and accept the teaching post at Hogwarts?

[edit] Extra Study

1. Why is Dumbledore giving Harry private lessons, and what might they be? Why is he teaching Harry this time, unlike when Snape taught him Occlumency?
2. Why does Dumbledore ask Harry to take his Invisibility Cloak with him when they go to the village?
3. Why would Dumbledore ask Harry to always keep his Invisibility Cloak with him?
4. Why does Dumbledore encourage Harry to reveal Trelawney's prophecy to Ron and Hermione?

[edit] Greater Picture

Some believe that this chapter contains direct evidence that Horace Slughorn is or was a Death Eater. When Slughorn asks Dumbledore how he knew that he had faked his own kidnapping/death, Dumbledore replies, "My dear Horace, if the Death Eaters really had come to call, the Dark Mark would have been set over the house," to which Slughorn answers, "The Dark Mark. Knew there was something . . . ah well. Wouldn't have had time anyway . . ." As far as anyone knows, only Death Eaters can create the Dark Mark. However, Horace Slughorn neither denied nor asserted that he could do it, he just stated that there wasn't enough time before Dumbledore arrived.

It is unlikely that Slughorn is an active Death Eater. He enjoys his creature comforts far too much to relinquish them, and yet, he has gone into hiding. He seems rather taken aback, in fact, to realize that he has been hidden and incommunicado for a year. If he is a Death Eater, he may have refused to answer the Dark Mark summons; in that case, he likely fears for his life should he be found. This would explain him hiding, and his actions upon detecting a wizard Apparating into his current home village. However, Dumbledore asks if the Death Eaters have "come recruiting"; the implication is that Slughorn is seen as a potential or past ally, rather than an actual Death Eater. Additionally, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, we will see that Slughorn continues as the Potions master even after the school has become a Death Eater stronghold, although, like McGonagall, he may have been forced to stay and also wanted to protect the students. With Voldemort's tendency to exact revenge on those who failed to respond to the initial summons (for instance Karkaroff), it is unlikely that Slughorn would have survived the the Ministry's fall.

Harry believes (and readers assume) that Slughorn has been hired as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to replace Dolores Umbridge. However, Slughorn has actually been recruited to fill another position; this change will significantly affect Harry's future.

Chapter 5: An Excess of Phlegm

[edit] Synopsis

Arriving at The Burrow, Dumbledore and Harry are met by Mrs. Weasley. Also present is Tonks, whose colorless and sad appearance shocks Harry; her usually vibrant pink hair is now a mousy grey. Tonks insists she must go and declines a weekend dinner invitation when Lupin and Mad-Eye will be there. As Mrs. Weasley gets Harry something to eat, she asks about Slughorn. Apparently, he started teaching at Hogwarts about the same time as Dumbledore, and he taught Mrs. Weasley. She disapproved of Slughorn's favorites, especially since Arthur Weasley was not among them.

Harry learns that Mr. Weasley has recently been appointed head of the new Office of Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. This promotion will help improve the Weasley finances. When Mr. Weasley arrives home, he discusses the counterfeit devices he has found. Harry is actually interested, but when he attempts to stifle a yawn, Mrs. Weasley sends him to bed in the twins' vacant room. They are now living in a little apartment over their Diagon Alley shop.

The next morning, Harry is awakened by Ron and Hermione, who are concerned about his well-being after the battle at the Ministry. Harry tells them about Horace Slughorn, who is replacing former Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, Professor Umbridge. Ginny slouches in, complaining about her; Harry's curiosity as to who she is referring to is ended when Fleur Delacour enters with his breakfast tray and Mrs. Weasley in her wake. Fleur tells Harry that she and Bill Weasley are marrying next summer, then heads back downstairs. Ron is still rather infatuated by Fleur, but the three women feel she is very full of herself and wonder what Bill sees in her. Ginny derogatory calls her "Phlegm", which upsets Mrs. Weasley, but makes Harry and Hermione laugh.

When Mrs. Weasley departs, Ron confides it is hard getting used to having Fleur around when she jumps out like that. Ron, Ginny, and Hermione agree that Mrs. Weasley is unlikely to get Bill interested in Tonks rather than Fleur. Tonks has been depressed since her cousin, Sirius Black's death. That she blames herself for Sirius' death interests Harry, who is experiencing the same guilt. As a result, Tonks has apparently lost the ability to change her physical appearance.

After Ginny is called to the kitchen, Ron tells Harry that the family and Percy remain estranged, despite Voldemort's return. Ron and Hermione are amazed that Dumbledore wants to give Harry private lessons. Harry reveals the prophecy to them, and Ron and Hermione worry that Harry will have to face Voldemort. Harry is also worried, but on reflection, realizes he has always known he would eventually have to face Voldemort. Privately, he is greatly reassured by Ron and Hermione not abandoning him at the revelation that he is fated to either kill Voldemort or be killed by him.

Shortly, Harry, Ron, and Hermione head to the kitchen where they receive their O.W.L. results. It is revealed that "T" is an actual grade meaning Troll, not Terrible as might be imagined. Harry's grades are:

• Astronomy: Acceptable (A)
• Care of Magical Creatures: Exceeds Expectations (E)
• Charms: E
• Defence Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding (O)
• Divination: Poor (P)
• Herbology: E
• History of Magic: Dreadful (D)
• Potions: E
• Transfiguration: E

These results are good, but Harry's hope to become an Auror have apparently vanished. He needed an 'O' in Potions for Snape to accept him into his advanced Potions course, one of the N.E.W.T. subjects required to become an Auror.

Ron receives similar grades but no 'Outstanding's and is quite pleased that he only failed Divination and History of Magic. Hermione, as expected, receives 10 'O's and one 'E' (in Defence Against the Dark Arts). All three have passed into N.E.W.T. level.

[edit] Analysis

Harry is shocked by Tonks' radically changed appearance. There is no explanation as to what might have happened in the three or four weeks since she was last seen, but she is no longer the cheerful and vibrant person Harry last saw. Some readers may believe, given the amount of Ministry hysteria about Dark Wizards, that Tonks is being controlled by the Imperius curse. Hermione, Ginny, and Ron believe she is suffering from grief and guilt over Sirius' death and may even have been in love with him. However, there may actually be another reason for her depression.

Harry also fears that his professional future is in jeopardy. The only career that interested him is an Auror (Dark Wizard catcher), even though the person who encouraged him was actually a Death Eater in disguise (Barty Crouch, Jr.). Unfortunately, Harry's Potions grade is too low to admit him into Snape's N.E.W.T.-level Potions classes he needs to fulfill the Auror prerequisites. This will deeply trouble Harry and being unable to follow his chosen career path leaves him discouraged and feeling adrift. Harry's tendency to be single-minded has, as yet, prevented him from seriously considering other careers, and he ponders what his options are.

In one of the continuity glitches common in this lengthy series, we see Mrs. Weasley's clock, now with all its nine hands, one for each family member, pointing at Mortal Peril. The astute reader may have noticed that here it is apparently a mantel clock, while in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire it is described as a grandfather clock. Mrs. Weasley claims that nobody else has a clock like that, so presumably someone in the family made it. It is possible that Mrs. Weasley wanted it to be more portable, and had a clock-maker separate the mechanism from the clock case and build a mantel-type case for it. This continuity problem does not hinder our appreciation of the story; it is only mentioned as a side light.

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. Why is Harry worried about his future?
2. Why are the Weasleys unhappy about Bill's engagement to Fleur?

[edit] Extra Study

1. What might account for Tonks' changed appearance and demeanor?
2. Are Ron and Hermione right to be concerned about Harry's well being? If so, why?
3. Harry wants to be an Auror, but what other careers would he be good at?

[edit] Greater Picture

Tonks' forlorn emotional state is actually because she is in love with Remus Lupin, who spurns her affection, believing he is unworthy because he is a werewolf and too old for her. Mrs. Weasley comments that in troubled times like these, people "rush into decisions that they'd normally take time over." She is referring to Bill and Fleur's engagement that was made rather hastily, but it could equally apply to Tonks, who wants to pursue a relationship with Lupin. His refusal causes Tonks' increasing depression. As a result, we will see later that Tonks' Patronus has changed into "something large and hairy." It appears to be a dog, leading people to erroneously believe she was in love with Sirius Black. However, we later learn it is actually a wolf.

Chapter 6: Draco's Detour

[edit] Synopsis

Frequent deaths and disappearances are occurring throughout the Wizarding world. On Harry's birthday, Lupin brings news that Death Eaters killed Igor Karkaroff; Bill mentions that Florean Fortescue, who owns the ice cream parlour in Diagon Alley, is gone, and Mr. Weasley reports that Ollivander, the wand maker, is missing.

The following day, booklists arrive, along with an announcement that Harry is Quidditch captain. According to Hermione, that gives Harry equal status with the Prefects, allowing him to use their luxurious bathroom. Mrs. Weasley decides they can no longer delay the trip to Diagon Alley. On Saturday, Bill, who works for Gringotts, hands Harry a money bag retrieved from Harry's vault; Gringotts' security is now so tight that it takes about five hours to get inside. Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys go shopping in Diagon Alley, accompanied by Hagrid. In Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions shop, Harry, Hermione, and Ron have a nasty encounter with Draco Malfoy and his snobbish mother, Narcissa. When the dressmaker tries lifting Draco's left robe sleeve she is measuring, he jerks his arm away, claiming she stuck him with a pin; he and his mother quickly leave.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione head for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Fred and George's joke shop, which is enjoying a booming trade. Not only are joke items selling well, but the Twins are also supplying spell-deflecting Shield Hats, Cloaks, Gloves, and other serious magical items to the Ministry of Magic (presumably for the war against Voldemort).

Harry spots Draco passing the shop alone. Using the Invisibility Cloak, Harry, Ron, and Hermione trail Draco to Knockturn Alley where he goes to Borgin & Burkes, the dark magic shop. Using Weasley's Extendable Ears, they overhear Draco asking how to repair something. Draco threatens Borgin, showing him something on his arm, but the large black cabinet that Harry hid inside four years earlier partially blocks their view. Draco warns that Fenrir Greyback, a 'family friend', will be, "dropping in from time-to-time to see that you're giving this matter your full attention." Malfoy also reserves an item for himself, ordering Borgin to keep it secret. After Draco exits, Hermione enters the store pretending to be looking for a birthday present for her "friend" Draco. Hoping to learn what Draco reserved, Borgin instead orders her to leave.

They return to Fred and George's store under the Invisibility Cloak. To explain their absence to a worried Mrs. Weasley, they claim they were in the backroom.

[edit] Analysis

Harry is suspicious that Draco's visit to Borgin & Burkes involves something sinister, though Ron and Hermione are less certain. Draco threatens Borgin into assisting him by mentioning that someone named Fenrir Greyback is a "family friend." Whoever Greyback may be, the name alone is apparently sufficient to ensure Borgin's cooperation. Whatever Draco must repair, it may be related to the task Voldemort assigned him that was mentioned in the second chapter. It is particularly interesting that Draco may be performing this step of his task without his mother's knowledge – perhaps she is somehow attempting to prevent him from undertaking this mission. Draco jerking his arm away from the dressmaker but threateningly showing it to Borgin is significant; his forearm may carry Voldemort's Dark Mark. Harry certainly suspects it does.

Hermione's attempt to gather more information about Draco at Borgin & Burke's shows that she is learning to act more spontaneously under stressful conditions. However, her actions here were not only clumsy, but they likely created suspicion that could tip off the Malfoy family that someone is investigating Draco's actions. However, just what he is planning is still unclear. And unlike Harry, Ron and Hermione are still unconvinced that Draco is a Death Eater or is involved in anything dastardly, although they still support Harry, even knowing he makes assumptions that are as often wrong as they are right. They are at least willing to consider Harry's speculation here, while offering their own opinions to counterbalance his. Readers, having previously witnessed the encounter at Snape's home in Spinner's End, have a far better idea that Draco has indeed been assigned a significantly important task for Voldemort, although just what that might be is still unknown. Throughout the book, Harry remains convinced that Draco is involved in a sinister plot. To uncover what that is, he will have to continue trailing Draco and piece together clues leading to a definitive answer. Harry will become nearly obsessed by this quest. Also, considering that dire events in the Wizarding world are unfolding at an alarming rate as Voldemort's power grows, it may seem that Ron and Hermione are being unrealistically dismissive regarding Harry's suspicions. However, despite the Malfoy family's affiliation with Voldemort and their affinity for the Dark Arts, Ron and Hermione simply believe that Draco is just too young and inexperienced to be a Death Eater or to have been entrusted with an important mission.

Not only was Harry disappointed (and also jealous) the previous year when Ron was made a Gryffindor Prefect and he was not, but he was also rather offended. However, at the end of the previous book, it is revealed that this was a deliberate decision by Professor Dumbledore. His stated reason was, "I must confess...that I rather thought you had enough responsibility to be going on with." Selecting Ron as Prefect was possibly, in part, to allow Ron an opportunity to assume an independent role apart from Harry's celebrity and influence so he could develop his own abilities and identity. When Harry becomes Quidditch captain, Hermione points out that he now has equal status to a Prefect and shares similar privileges.

Hermione's saying that Harry becoming Quidditch Captain gives him equal privileges as Prefects feels a bit like the author's afterthought. While it is mentioned that Cedric Diggory was Quidditch captain, nowhere in that book is it mentioned that he is a Prefect, a fact that would have been significantly important to the students. Thus, we must conclude that he was not a Prefect. And yet, he knew about the Prefects' bathroom and was able to give Harry the password to enter it. Likely, we will never know the author's intent, but it seems that granting Quidditch captains access to the Prefects' bathroom could be a means to rationalize Cedric's knowledge about that privilege, knowledge that could not be explained otherwise.

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. What prompted Harry, Ron, and Hermione to go to Knockturn Alley? What do they learn?
2. How will Harry becoming Quidditch captain affect his relationship with Ron, who was made a Prefect the year before, causing Harry to be jealous?

[edit] Extra Study

1. Why would Draco jerk away when Madam Malkin attempts to lift his sleeve but he willingly shows the same arm to Borgin?
2. What task might Voldemort have assigned Draco? Why would he choose Draco, an underaged and still unqualified wizard?
3. Why does Draco go to Borgin & Burke's alone?
4. Why would Draco order another item from Borgin for himself, and what might that item be?
5. Why is the Ministry of Magic ordering magical items from the Weasley twins' joke shop? What are they buying?

[edit] Greater Picture

While Harry, Ron, and Hermione are spying on Draco, they are unable to see what he shows to Borgin because Draco was behind a Vanishing Cabinet. This cabinet apparently matches one in Hogwarts, which is seen later when Harry hides his Potions textbook in the Room of Requirement. The Hogwarts Vanishing Cabinet was broken during Harry's second year at the school. When Filch took Harry into his office, Nearly Headless Nick convinced Peeves to drop the cabinet over the office as a diversion so Harry could escape. Apparently the Weasley twins once forced Montague into it, before it was hidden away in the Room of Requirement. The cabinet plays a significant role in the book's conclusion.

Even though Hermione's attempts to learn what Draco was doing at Borgin & Burke's could have inadvertently alerted the Malfoys that Draco's secret mission was being investigated, it will be Draco himself who deliberately allows Harry to eavesdrop on a conversation where Draco boasts that he has been assigned an important task for the Dark Lord.

Readers will learn that Fenrir Greyback, who Draco mentions is a "family friend", is a particularly vicious werewolf pack leader who serves Voldemort. It was Greyback who attacked Remus Lupin when he was a young boy, turning him into a werewolf. Lupin will eventually infiltrate Greyback's pack as a spy for Dumbledore.

Mr. Ollivander's disappearance will play an important role in the final book.

Chapter 7: The Slug Club

[edit] Synopsis

Back at the Burrow, Harry's claims that Malfoy is a Death Eater are met with skepticism by Ron and Hermione, who argue that Draco is too young and inexperienced for Voldemort to entrust him with an important task. Harry, still convinced, cites how Draco yanked his arm away from Madam Malkin, the same arm Death Eaters carry a Dark Mark. Malfoy also showed Borgin something on the same forearm that caused Borgin take Malfoy seriously.

Vexed that Ron and Hermione remain unconvinced, Harry heads to the kitchen, interrupting Fleur, who is in full flow with her wedding plans, much to Mrs. Weasley's relief. Mrs. Weasley wants everyone packed the night before leaving for Hogwarts to avoid the usual last-minute chaotic rush. The next morning, Ministry cars arrive to transport them to the station have arrived. Surprisingly, everyone is ready on time, their trunks packed, and Hedwig, Pigwidgeon, Crookshanks, and Ginny Weasley's new pet, a Pygmy Puff named Arnold, are all safely caged. Harry speaks privately with Mr. Weasley regarding Draco Malfoy's suspicious behavior. Mr. Weasley is also doubtful that Draco is a Death Eater and says Malfoy Manor was raided; anything even slightly Dark was confiscated.

On the Hogwarts Express, Ron and Hermione report to the Prefects' carriage while Harry, Luna, and Neville find a free compartment. Harry is bemused at being in the spotlight again, and shortly after, fourth-year student Romilda Vane invites Harry to sit with her and some other students. Harry declines, saying he is with friends. Harry discusses O.W.L results, and Neville wonders if he will be able to take N.E.W.T. Transfiguration with only Acceptable. Harry muses to himself that it could as easily have been Neville with the scar and the admirers.

Ron and Hermione return with news that Malfoy is just sitting in his compartment; it is unlike him to be doing anything other than lording over other Slytherin students. As Harry ponders Draco's uncharacteristic behavior, a third-year girl appears with lunch invitations for Harry and Neville from Professor Slughorn. There is a large gathering, including Ginny and Blaise Zabini, a Slytherin in Harry's year. As Slughorn interrogates them, it becomes apparent that the invitees are all connected to influential wizarding families, except for Ginny, who was included because she impressed Slughorn with her Bat-Bogey Hex. Having questioned Harry, Neville, Ginny, Blaise, Cormac McLaggen and Marcus Belby, to assess their family connections and prospects, Slughorn entertains them (excepting Marcus, who is estranged from his famous uncle) for the afternoon, then dismisses them to prepare for arrival at Hogwarts.

Leaving Slughorn's carriage, Harry slips on his Invisibility Cloak and tails Zabini to the Slytherin carriage to eavesdrop on Malfoy. Climbing into the luggage rack, Harry worries that Malfoy glimpsed his trainer (US: sneaker), but Malfoy simply settles back with his head on Pansy Parkinson's lap.

Zabini reports that Slughorn is only interested in students' connections to influential wizards. Malfoy is annoyed at being excluded, but Zabini speculates that Slughorn is uninterested in Death Eaters. Malfoy lets slip that he may not return to Hogwarts next year, claiming he has moved on to, "bigger and better things." This surprises the other Slytherins, and Zabini asks what an unqualified wizard could do for Voldemort. Malfoy retorts that his task may not require qualifications.

The train arrive at Hogsmeade Station, but Malfoy remains behind in the compartment. In a surprise move, he Petrifies Harry. Malfoy spotted Harry's shoe as he climbed onto the luggage rack. As revenge, Malfoy stomps on Harry's nose, breaking it. Malfoy tosses the Invisibility Cloak over Harry so he will go unnoticed until after the train returns to London.

[edit] Analysis

Harry is frustrated that Ron and Hermione are continually dismissive regarding his suspicions about Draco. However, their frequent skepticism often acts as a counterbalance to his occasional overreaction and drawing conclusions without fully considering all facts and opinions. This time, however, Harry is positive that Draco has become a Death Eater and is involved in some malicious plot, becoming nearly obsessed proving it. Considering the information readers are alreay privy to regarding Draco's task for Voldemort, Harry is obviously correct, although he, and also we, are still clueless as to just what that is, other than it requires repairing some object that probably contains Dark magic.

For the first time, Harry's budding romantic feelings for Ginny are seen. As she goes to meet Dean, Harry feels a slightly annoying twinge which could be interpreted as jealousy. Of course, Harry may not recognize this emotion because he has never thought of Ginny this way before, but he clearly sees her in a different way.

Slughorn's personality is becoming more apparent here as he immediately begins singling out those students connected to influential families. And though Slughorn was formerly the head of Slytherin House, it appears that he does not fully embrace their pure-blood beliefs. In addition to Slytherins, Slughorn invites other well-connected students, and also those, like Ginny Weasley, displaying exceptional magical talent. Draco is offended at being excluded, but someone points out that Slughorn is probably uninterested in Death Eaters, though he may be distancing himself for other reasons. Though Harry was invited for his fame, Slughorn also included him and Neville because both were involved in the Battle at the Ministry. He repeatedly tries to pump them for details about that incident, but each remains silent for their own particular reasons. Curiously, even though Ron and Luna were also involved in the battle, they were uninvited.

Harry also demonstrates personal integrity when he declines Romilda Vane's invitation to sit in her compartment with the other popular students. While he wishes to avoid the attention and others fawning over him, he also prefers Neville and Luna's company, two people he once would have been embarrassed to hang out with, but now feels the most comfortable being around. Their loyalty and bravery at the Ministry of Magic battle has forever altered Harry's opinion and esteem for them, showing his growing maturity in valuing others for their inner worth and accepting these two so-called "misfits" as his peers and friends. His influence has dramatically helped each one to realize their untapped potential, while they, in turn, befriend him for the person he is, rather than his celebrity.

Although Draco has always been portrayed as a cowardly bully, he is a powerful wizard, and his intelligence and magical abilities are often underrated. Throughout the story, he is well aware that Harry is trailing his movements, and he even intentionally lets slip some enticing information within Harry's hearing regarding his connection to Voldemort. Just why he does so is unknown, although Draco seldom resists showing off and extolling his own perceived virtues to others. Draco must also have been relatively confident that Harry would never report the attack (and breaking his nose), thus allowing Draco to indulge himself in his cruel act.

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. Which students are invited to Slughorn's lunch? Why does he select these particular students? Why was Malfoy excluded?
2. Why does Harry follow Malfoy on the train?
3. Why does Malfoy say he might not return to Hogwarts next year?

[edit] Extra Study

1. Why does Malfoy reveal such specific, and apparently accurate, information about Voldemort, even though he knows Harry is eavesdropping?
2. Why, despite compelling circumstantial evidence, do Ron and Hermione dismiss Harry's belief that Draco may be a Death Eater? Are their arguments valid?
3. On the train, why does Harry decline Romilda Vane's invitation to sit with her and the other more popular students? Who does he prefer to sit with and why?

[edit] Greater Picture

Over the school year, Harry becomes nearly obsessed with Draco Malfoy's suspicious behavior and goes to extreme lengths to uncover what he is plotting. Eventually he discovers that Malfoy is indeed involved in a sinister scheme, although Draco's participation is not entirely what it seems. Just why Draco purposely allowed Harry to overhear critical information while on the Hogwarts Express is unclear. Whether he was just being careless, arrogantly confident, or subconsciously hoping that Voldemort's plan woud be discovered by Dumbledore through Harry is unknown, although the latter reason will seem more likely by the book's conclusion. It will be learned that Dumbledore already knows about Draco's mission.

While Harry shows great maturity and personal integrity in accepting Luna as a friend and equal, Ron, however, does not. When Harry invites her to attend Slughorn's Christmas party later in the story, Ron chastises him, saying he could have taken anyone other than "Loony" Luna. As Luna herself will accurately note, Ron can sometimes be funny but also hurtful. It does seem that Ron has forgotten Luna's participation in Dumbledore's Army and how she always responded to Harry's distress calls, as well as risking her own life at the Department of Mysteries battle to aid Harry and Ron.

Chapter 8: Snape Victorious

[edit] Synopsis

Nymphadora Tonks suddenly appears in the compartment and unpetrifies Harry. Before the departing train picks up too much speed, they leap off. Tonks mends Harry's broken nose and then sends a Patronus Charm to the castle, alerting everyone that Harry is safe. She is not guarding Hogwarts alone; Proudfoot, Savage, and Dawlish are also there. Harry again notices her depressed and unhappy look, and her usual vibrantly-colored hair remains faded. (Harry speculates that she was in love with Sirius and is mourning his death.)

Reaching Hogwarts, they are met by Snape, who ridicules Tonks' new Patronus. Snape deducts 70 points from Gryffindor, then escorts Harry to the Great Hall without allowing him to change into his robes. Embarrassed and ashamed, Harry does not report Malfoy's actions, and when Hermione and Ron ask where he was, he tells them to wait until later.

After the feast (which Harry misses by a few seconds), Professor Dumbledore announces two new appointments. Professor Horace Slughorn is the new Potions Master, while Professor Snape is now the Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor. Everyone is stunned by Snape's appointment, one he has coveted for so long. Harry is particularly angered, although the Slytherin table enthusiastically greets the news. With Voldemort's reappearance, Dumbledore has implemented new security measures, and he requests that students be patient and cooperative and to report any concerns they may have before he dismisses them.

Hermione leads the first-years to the Gryffindor dorms, but Ron remains behind with Harry, who relates what happened on the train and Draco's discussion. Ron believes Draco was probably just showing off for Pansy. Hagrid approaches and says they can say hello to Witherwings (Buckbeak) if they arrive early enough for Care of Magical Creatures class. When Hagrid departs, Harry and Ron wonder how he will react to his three favorite students not taking his course.

[edit] Analysis

Harry's growing obsession over Draco caused him to be careless, giving Draco an advantage—he knows Harry was eavesdropping and will likely be monitoring him. Just why Draco purposely revealed so much to Harry is puzzling, however. It would also seem that Harry, having been caught eavesdropping by Draco, would now consider the information to be false and was merely intended to manipulate and taunt Harry. Instead, Harry fully believes everything Draco said and continues to act to prove it. Although Ron and Hermione will doubt Draco's claims and try to persuade Harry to disregard it, reader's, however, know that Draco is being truthful, although exactly what his mission is, remains a mystery until the book's conclusion. Also, though the Order of the Phoenix is guarding Hogwarts, Tonks finding Harry so quickly indicates that he is particulalry being protected, probably without Harry realizing it. When Harry failed to emerge from the train with the other students, Tonks searched for him. Although she says the Order has stationed her in Hogsmeade, she has likely been assigned to guard Harry.

A wizard's Patronus cannot be consciously chosen, but instead reflects the person casting it. Therefore, Tonks' new form must signify her current emotional state. Although it is unknown what new form it has taken, or what shape it was before, it is a significant enough change for Snape to jeer at it. This is also the second time the Patronus has been seen as other than a defensive charm, the first time being in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when Professor Dumbledore used it to summon Hagrid.

Although Dumbledore has finally appointed Snape to the Defence Against the Dark Arts teaching position he has so long coveted, why he chooses to do so now is unclear and rather mysterious. While Dumbledore has never doubted Snape's loyalty, Snape's past history and his affinity to the Dark Arts has apparently been an ongoing concern. However, both Dumbledore and Snape know there is a specific reason why no one has ever served longer than one year in that post. Ron alludes to this, saying that he believes it is jinxed. If it is, then Dumbledore and Snape must have somehow overcome this particular obstacle or neither intend for Snape to remain in that position any longer than his predecessors. Although Harry is angry that Snape was appointed, it may actually provide an as-yet-unknown benefit.

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. Why does Harry refuse to report Draco's actions?
2. Why did Tonks find Harry so quickly?
3. Why is Tonks so depressed? Is there some reason other than what Harry thinks?

[edit] Extra Study

1. Why might Harry, Ron, and Hermione have decided to not take Hagrid's class this year? Why haven't they told him? What might his reaction be?
2. Why would Snape ridicule Tonks' new Patronus, even though a witch or wizard cannot consciously choose its shape?
3. What new form might Tonks' patronus have taken and what could have caused it to change?
4. Why would Dumbledore appoint Snape as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor after repeatedly denying him the position and knowing that no one has held it for more than one year?

[edit] Greater Picture

While it is never fully clear why Draco revealed so much information to Harry, and despite his arrogant boasting to his friends, it soon becomes apparent that Draco is deeply conflicted and terrified by his mission, spurred on only to protect his family. He may be hoping that Harry will expose him to Dumbledore, although it will be learned that Dumbledore already knows.

It is revealed later that Voldemort did indeed put a curse on the Defence Against the Dark Arts position. Ever since Dumbledore rejected him for the job, no teacher has remained in that position for more than one school year. Knowing this, it is curious as to why Snape continually applied for the position each year, or why Dumbledore chooses to appoint him now. As it turns out, Snape will also only hold the position for the one year.

Although Snape jeers at Tonks for her new Patronus form and understands what it represents, it will be revealed in the last book that his own Patronus is its current shape for similar reasons.

Chapter 9: The Half-Blood Prince

[edit] Synopsis

The next morning before breakfast, Harry tells Hermione what he overheard on the train. Ron repeats that Draco was probably just showing off to Pansy, but Hermione thinks that is an awfully big lie just to impress a girl. Hermione confiscates a Fanged Frisbee from a passing fourth-year. Ron takes it, saying he has always wanted one. Lavender Brown, passing by, giggles loudly and appreciatively at Ron's comment.

Professor McGonagall hands out schedules, a complicated process for sixth year students because OWL results determine which classes students qualify for. Hermione gets her courses straight away, but Neville's Acceptable OWL grade is too low for Transfiguration, but his Charms grade is high enough for that course. McGonagall informs Parvati Patil that Firenze and Professor Trelawney are splitting Divination classes, and that Professor Trelawney is teaching sixth year. Harry's lost hope to become an Auror is revived when he learns that Professor Slughorn accepts a lower OWL grade than Professor Snape for NEWT-level Potions classes. Both Harry and Ron sign up, although Harry worries that Hagrid will be upset that they are not taking Care of Magical Creatures. Professor McGonagall also hands Harry a list with new Quidditch recruits to conduct trials with.

In the first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, Snape reviews the many forms the Dark Arts can take, using gruesome examples. He demonstrates how to cast nonverbal spells (performing magic without using a spoken incantation), and chooses Harry to play a victim of a nonverbal spell; Harry instinctively reacts by blasting a spoken Shield Charm at Snape, and (after giving him cheek) earns a detention. Harry is momentarily reprieved by Jack Sloper, who inquires about Quidditch tryouts, and a message from Professor Dumbledore regarding their private lesson, which is scheduled at the same time as the detention. Harry, eager to read Dumbledore's message, leaves Sloper in mid-sentence.

Harry finds Potions far more enjoyable without Snape. Hermione, as usual, excels and earns Gryffindor thirty points for correctly guessing three cauldrons' content, Veritaserum, Polyjuice potion, and a Love potion, and for accurately identifying the effects of Felix Felicis. Slughorn is impressed by her abilities, even though she is Muggle-born. Another Muggle-born student, Lily Evans (Harry's mother), was another favorite, although he is inclined to favor purebloods. That he is the former Head of Slytherin House further supports this tendency.

As the name suggests, Felix Felicis is liquid luck. One tablespoon at breakfast will provide a perfect day. It is dangerous if made improperly and is banned in competitions, examinations, and elections. Excessive consumption can cause giddiness, recklessness, and even death. For the first lesson, whoever brews the best Draught of Living Death will win a tiny flask of Felix Felicis from Slughorn, enough luck for twelve hours.

Harry brews his potion using a second-hand textbook, Advanced Potion Making, that Slughorn loaned him. Handwritten into the book's margins are many new spells and jinxes, as well as revisions to standard potions. Harry finds the revisions more effective than the original instructions. With it, Harry brews the best Living Death draught in the class, winning the Good Luck potion.

When Harry later admits to Ron and Hermione that he was using the mysterious book's instructions, Hermione becomes furious by his ill-gotten success. Ginny, overhearing this, asks if Harry is using instructions from a book. Remembering Ginny's nearly-fatal experience with Tom Riddle's diary, Hermione tests the textbook with her wand for any hidden magical properties, but is unable to detect any. Harry notices writing on the back cover: This book belongs to the Half-Blood Prince. Whoever the "Prince" may be, Harry is grateful to this talented unknown student.

[edit] Analysis

Harry is a naturally intelligent and talented wizard, but academically he is a rather lazy student, usually getting by on average or just-above average grades and often relying on Hermione's help. Potions, in particular, has always proved tedious and difficult for him, partially due to his strained relationship with Professor Snape. It is only when a particular subject, like Defence Against the Dark Arts, interests Harry that he works hard and excels at it. For the first time, he is challenged to learn about Potions after discovering a talented former student's innovative methods to brewing standard potions more efficiently. Harry is a non-traditional learner, and while Snape has ineffectively taught him Potions, the Half-Blood Prince, in a brief time period, has inspired him to learn more than he has over the past five years, even though it is with unorthodox, short-cut methods. Harry may also be feeling somewhat pressured to live up to his mother's reputation in Slughorn's Potions class. And though Hermione is outraged that Harry ignores official potion-making instructions, an action she feels is equivalent to cheating, the Prince's book has given Harry an alternative learning avenue that has aroused his academic curiosity and will serve him later in the story. Hermione's negative reaction may also be tinged by jealousy and resentment. She has always earned the top grades in her classes (except Defense Against the Dark Arts), and she revels in the accompanying accolades; now, Harry is outshining her in Potions, something she may have difficulty accepting, especially considering that she feels Harry has done so with illicit methods compared to her diligent studying.

As a side note, even though Hermione correctly identifies the three cauldrons' contents in Slughorn's class, winning her high praise and House points, it is hardly surprising that she recognizes the Polyjuice Potion, having brewed it herself during her second year (in Chamber of Secrets). Unfortunately, for Hermione at least, the results were less than successful when she accidently added cat hair rather than human to her portion, landing her in the infirmary for weeks.

This chapter drops another hint that Harry has growing feelings for Ginny. In the first Potions class, when Harry sniffs the love potion, he detects "treacle tart, the woody smell of a broomstick handle, and something flowery he thought he might have smelled at the Burrow". And later, when the Trio meet Ginny, Harry, "caught a sudden waft of that flowery smell he had picked up in Slughorn's dungeon". Hermione mentions that a love potion contains the scent of what it is that attracts a person to someone, and it is different for each individual; she runs off the scents she detected, but stops short before mentioning the third, possibly afraid that it would identify someone she cares about. By this stage in the series, we should certainly know Harry's feelings about broomsticks and treacle tart, and it is hardly surprising that Hermione characteristically identifies one odor as fresh parchment. Harry's noticing Ginny's scent in the potion, even though he does not yet recognize it, shows his attraction to her while being oblivious to that fact.

[edit] Questions

1. If the Half-Blood Prince was possessive enough to put his name on his book, why was it left in the Potions classroom?
2. Why does Hermione accuse Harry of cheating at Potions? Are her accusations valid? Explain.
3. Does it ever occur to Harry that the suspicious textbook might contain Dark Magic? Why or why not?
4. Why does Harry react as he does during the demonstration in Snape's class? Why did Snape choose Harry for the demonstration?
5. Why are Hermione and Ron so dismissive about Draco's boasts that he is on a mission for Voldemort? Why is Harry so convinced that Draco's claims are true?
6. When Harry sniffs the Love Potion, he detects treacle tart, a broomstick handle, and a flowery scent. Who or what might these three items refer to?

[edit] Greater Picture

It is interesting to learn that Harry's mother was so talented at Potions. Particularly given that Snape was in her class, one would expect that Snape would have used Lily as a counter-example to Harry's apparent ineptness. One can almost hear Snape sneering, "Unable to brew a simple Strengthening Solution? Your mother could have done that with one hand tied behind her back. Clearly this apple has fallen far from the tree..." And yet, Snape never once mentioned Lily. There is a reason why not, of course, but it is not revealed until the final book in the series.

Chapter 10: The House of Gaunt

[edit] Synopsis

Over the the next week, Hermione remains angry over Harry using the Prince's notes. She suggests that the "Prince" may be female, based on the book's handwriting, but Harry retorts, "How many girls have been Princes?" Ron is also angered, because even though Harry has offered to share, Ron is unable to read the tiny handwriting and has to rely on textbook formulas. Professor Slughorn, of course, believes Harry is among the best Potions students he has ever taught.

Harry arrives at Professor Dumbledore's office for his first lesson, although he had to dodge a tipsy Professor Trelawney in the hallway. Dumbledore explains that they will try to determine Voldemort's intentions, based on Dumbledore's previous investigation. Dumbledore has shared all he knows with Harry; now they are embarking on guesswork and supposition. Dumbledore produces a vial containing memories from Bob Ogden, who worked in Magical Law Enforcement. Dumbledore pours the contents into his Pensieve, and he and Harry enter.

Bob Ogden arrives near Little Hangleton village and turns down a path. Approaching a ramshackle cottage, a young wizard with several missing teeth and small, dark eyes staring in opposite directions appears and challenges Ogden, speaking in Parseltongue. The wizard jinxes Ogden before he can state his business. An older wizard appears and addresses the younger one as Morfin. He identifies himself as Mr. Gaunt, and says Ogden should have announced himself. Ogden replies that a message was sent by owl post; Gaunt responds that he does not read letters. When Ogden says he is there about Morfin, Gaunt invites him in. Inside, Merope, Guant's teen-aged daughter, is in the kitchen. She has a plain, heavy face, and, like Morfin, her eyes stare in opposite directions.

Ogden says Morfin jinxed a Muggle, causing Merope to drop a pot. She fumbles a spell to pick it up and slams the pot into the wall. Ogden repairs it for her. Gaunt taunts Merope, causing her to blush fiercely. Ogden says Morfin has broken Wizarding law, and produces a summons. Gaunt demands to know if Ogden realizes just who he is talking to and shows him a ring he says bears the Peverell coat of arms. He also shows Ogden Merope's locket, claiming it is Salazar Slytherin's, and they are his descendents. Ogden retorts that their heritage has no bearing on Morfin having Jinxed a Muggle. Ogden reads the summons, breaking off when horses are heard approaching outside. In Parseltongue, Morfin says it is the Muggle that Merope fancies and the one he Jinxed. Gaunt demands to know if Merope is chasing a Muggle. When she does not answer, he attacks her; Ogden defends her and is attacked in turn by Morfin. Ogden escapes, crashing into the two riders on horseback as he runs for the road; Harry and Dumbledore exit the memory.

Dumbledore says Ogden quickly returned with Ministry reinforcements, but Morfin and Gaunt fought them; Morfin was sentenced to Azkaban for three years while Marvolo Gaunt received six months. Harry instantly recognizes the name: he was Voldemort's grandfather. Dumbledore says that Merope was to be Voldemort's mother, and his father was the elegant Muggle on horseback that Morfin attacked. Harry wonders how the handsome Tom Riddle could possibly have married the unattractive Merope; Dumbledore says she likely used a love potion. The two ran away together, causing a scandal; Marvolo never forgave her and died shortly after his release from Azkaban.

A few months later, Riddle returned to his manor house alone, saying he had been hoodwinked. Dumbledore suggests that either Merope believed bearing Tom's child would bind him to her and stopped using the love potion or else she lost her ability to perform magic. Harry recalls that Voldemort was raised in an orphanage and correctly surmises that Merope died soon after giving birth.

Harry wants to share this with Ron and Hermione; Dumbledore agrees, but warns against spreading it any further. As he leaves, Harry notices a cracked ring sitting on a spindly table, the same ring Dumbledore wore when they visited Slughorn, and the same ring Marvolo Gaunt was wearing in the memory. He asks if Dumbledore has had it long; Dumbledore says he acquired it recently, near the time he injured his hand. But he turns aside further questions, and sends Harry to bed.

[edit] Analysis

If another student was using the Prince's textbook, Hermione, who is a Prefect, would likely have confiscated the book and reported them. However, she says nothing about Harry, and instead voices her disapproval directly to him, although she knows it will have little effect. This is a typical behaviorial pattern for Hermione, and only once has she reported Harry for something. In Prisoner of Azkaban, she informed McGonagall that Harry received the Firebolt broom from an annonymous donor (Sirius Black). Although Hermione was motivated by genuine concern over Harry's safety rather than him engaging in mischief, her actions resulted in a severe backlash and months of estrangement from Harry and Ron, causing Hermione much anguish. Although Hermione staunchly believes in obeying school rules, she fears Harry and Ron's retaliation even more, causing her to overlook their frequent, although minor, misconduct. However, even though Hermione remains disapproving of Harry for using the Half-Blood Prince's notes and resents Harry outperforming her in Potions class, she says nothing and actually becomes quite curious about the Prince's identity. This has also subtly changed the Trio's relationship. Ron and Harry have usually sought out Hermione for help or information, although they occasionally had to suffer her disapproval for their academic laziness. Now Harry has another means to find the information he needs, at least regarding Potions.

Dumbledore's private lessons are not what Harry expected. Rather than learning new magic, he is to view Voldemort's past through other people's memories. Exactly how this can aid Harry is still unknown, but learning more about his enemy may help defeat him. Studying the Gaunts has provided clues about Voldemort's own personality. Although they had sunk to a low social status and lived in poverty after previous generations squandered the family fortune, the Gaunts still considered themselvs superior based soley on their bloodline to Salazar Slytherin, and therefore expected preferential treatment. This is similar to Voldemort's own attitude. The Gaunts apparently felt little need to educate or cultivate themselves, although the sad, pathetic (and phsically unattractive) Merope secretly yearned for a better life, despite her severely limited prospects. When she fell in love with the Muggle, Tom Riddle, she used a love potion to entrap him and escape her abusive family and abysmal life. Unfortunately, as soon as the potion wore off, Riddle abandoned the pregnant Merope, who, deeply despondent and either unable or unwilling to use magic to care for herself, died soon after giving birth, leaving her son, Tom Jr. (Voldemort), to be raised in an orphanage. While Harry, and readers, may see Merope as a sympathetic character, it should be remembered that she used duplicity to trap Tom Riddle, Sr., who otherwise would never have had any interest in her. It is unknown why Merope discontinued using the love potion on him, although perhaps it becomes less effective over time or she may have hoped that Riddle would come to love her on his own, although that clearly was never the case. Although Riddle had every right to leave the bogus relationship, his abandoning an innocent child is inexcusable.

[edit] Questions

1. Why does Dumbledore want Harry to learn about Voldemort's past? How will it help him?
2. Even though Tom Riddle was duped by Merope, why would he abandon his innocent unborn child?
3. Hermione, a Gryffindor Prefect, strongly disapproves of Harry using the Prince's textbook, believeing it is cheating and also dangerous. Why doesn't she report him?
4. Why would Morfin jinx a Muggle?
5. What might cause Merope to lose her ability to perform magic?
6. How could Salzar Slytherin's once-wealthy descendents have fallen to such a lowly social status? Why do they still consider themselve superior to other wizards?
7. Considering her father's abusive treatment and her husband's cruel abandonment, why would Merope include "Tom" and "Marvolo" in her son's name?

[edit] Greater Picture

There are several things in this little scene that will prove important. This is the first time Slytherin's locket and the Peverell ring are seen. Both will be turned into Horcruxes by Voldemort, although it has not yet been explained in the story what Horcruxes are. We will learn in the next book about the ring's destruction and why it was necessary, and how Dumbledore's hand was injured. It will also be learned in the final book that the ring's stone is one of the Deathly Hallows.

Harry chides Hermione for claiming that the Half-Blood Prince could be a girl. Although he is right that a royal female is a princess and not a prince, in this particular instance, Hermione was more accurate. It will be learned that the "prince" referred to here is not a royal title at all. Rather, it is someone's surname, and it could therefore have applied to either a male or female. Although Hermione is ultimately wrong that the book's previous owner was a female, nor does she realize yet it is someone's name, that surname did indeed belong to a woman. Hermione demonstrates that her logic is more abstract and intuitive than Harry's typical linear reasoning. Rowling is dropping a subtle clue here that readers should look beyond the seemingly obvious.

Chapter 11: Hermione's Helping Hand

[edit] Synopsis

Classes continue with students still trying to learn wordless spells, not only in Defence Against the Dark Arts, but in Charms and Transfiguration. Hagrid has been ignoring them, apparently because they are not taking his Care of Magical Creatures class, so Harry resolves to go see him.

Quidditch trials to select a new team are held. In attempting to explain why so many have turned out for Quidditch tryouts, Hermione offhandedly remarks to Harry that he has "never been more fanciable," and that, "it doesn't hurt that you've grown about a foot over the summer." Apparently Harry is popular, rather than Quidditch. Ron responds, "I'm tall," but Hermione ignores him.

Harry and Ron's new Potions book arrive, but Harry wants to keep the Prince's notes, so he removes and swaps each book's cover, then re-attaches them. The tattered-looking book can be returned to Professor Slughorn. Hermione reads in the Daily Prophet that Knight Bus conductor Stan Shunpike was arrested for discussing the Death Eaters' plans. Also, Dumbledore has been absent since Harry's private lesson with him. As general fear spreads throughout the wizarding population, Eloise Midgeon's parents remove her from Hogwarts, concerned about safety. Also, Hannah Abbott's mother had been found dead.

It is time for Quidditch try-outs. Heading to the pitch, the Trio pass Parvati and Lavender, who smiles at Ron. When he smiles back, Hermione becomes cold and distant. The trials are a bit of a fiasco. Lavender wishes Ron luck as he flies up for his trial. Hearing this, Hermione later praises Ron for playing brilliantly, pleasing Ron but frustrating Lavender. Harry chooses Katie Bell, Ginny and a new player named Demelza Robins as Chasers, Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote as Beaters. Ron is the new Keeper, much to Cormac McLaggen's dismay. While walking to Hagrid's hut, Ron mentions that McLaggen looked Confunded during the last goal shot; Hermione blushes, though it is unnoticed by Ron.

The talk with Hagrid is awkward, but they eventually make up with him after Hagrid confides that Aragog may be dying, and the Trio tells him (untruthfully) that Professor Grubbly-Plank is an awful teacher. Hagrid thinks they might have fit in his class using Time-Turners, but Hermione says they were all destroyed in the battle at the Ministry. Returning to the castle, they spot Cormac McLaggen attempting to negotiate the front steps and running into the doors. Pulling Hermione aside, Harry says he looks Confunded. Hermione admits she Confunded him, defensively claiming he said horrible things about Ron and Ginny, and his temper would cause problems.

Horace Slughorn invites Harry and Hermione to, "a little party, just a few rising stars," while ignoring Ron. Harry says he has detention with Snape, but Slughorn says he will try to persuade Snape to let him out.

The Evening Prophet reports that Arthur Weasley searched the Malfoy residence for suspicious magical objects but found nothing. Hermione says Draco could not have smuggled in the object needing repair because everything was checked by Dark Detectors. Ron, meanwhile, stares at Lavender Brown. Demelza Robins delivers Snape's message to Harry saying he is expected for detention, no matter how many parties he has been invited to.

[edit] Analysis

Ron and Hermione's mutual jealousy may indicate each has deeper feelings for the other than either will acknowledge. The events from the Yule Ball two years earlier showed that Hermione understands her feelings better than Ron, and she is actually more aware of Ron's feelings than he is himself. Ron struggled with jealousy when Hermione dated Viktor Krum and was angry and upset when he learned she kissed Viktor, but he never fully understood exactly what those emotions were. The circumstances seem reversed here when someone becomes interested in Ron. Hermione may be remaining silent because she is uncertain what his reaction might be. In the meantime, she is acting out-of-character by Confunding Cormac McLaggen during the Quidditch trials to help Ron. As she has done before, Hermione will break rules if she feels it is justified. Readers may believe that Harry is also bending rules by selecting Ron over a stronger player like McLaggen. Although it seems like obvious favoritism, Harry believes that if Ron can overcome his insecurities, he has the potential to become a talented athlete like his siblings. He also realizes that Ron's personality is better suited to the team, unlike the egotistical McLaggen, who most likely will challenge Harry's authority and create turmoil by attempting to take control. However, without Hermione's unknowing help, Harry would have had difficulty justifying choosing Ron over Cormac.

Although Hogwarts remains a relatively safe environment, and students have mostly been shielded from the increasingly violent events unfolding in the general wizarding population, as the attacks increase, readers can see how fear and insecurity have seeped into the castle, creating concerns about safety; so much so that some parents have removed their children from school. Adding to this, Dumbledore, a symbol of strength, protection, and stability to students and staff alike, is often gone now, and his absences are likely contributing to everyone's stress and concerns regarding Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Whatever Dumbledore is doing, he probably realizes that his frequent absences particularly affects Harry, and this may be why he re-emphasizes how important friendship and unity are. He encourages Harry to share whatever he learns with Ron and Hermione, knowing they will help protect and support Harry.

Harry is also gaining a clearer picture about the Ministry of Magic and their deceptive tactics. When Stan Shunpike is arrested as a Death Eater, Harry knows he is most likely innocent. Unable to apprehend real Death Eaters, Scrimgeour instead preys on easy-to-target victims like Shunpike as a means to appease the wizarding community's fear of Voldemort and to put the Ministry in a more positive public light.

Casting wordless spells is apparently difficult to learn, and Harry struggles to master this technique. Being able to cast spells without your opponent knowing what they are is an essential skill for an Auror. If Harry is unable to learn this, it could affect his future career.

[edit] Questions

1. Why are wordless spells important?
2. What does Harry think is the real reason the Ministry of Magic arrested Stan Shunpike? Is he right?
3. Why does Hermione help Ron at the Quidditch trials, even though she is upset with him?
4. Did Ron deserve to be chosen for the Quidditch team over Cormac McLaggen, who is a stronger athlete? What was Harry's reasoning?
5. Are parents justified in removing their children from Hogwarts? What evidence is there for this?

[edit] Greater Picture

Chapter 12: Silver and Opals

[edit] Synopsis

Harry wonders where Professor Dumbledore is. Despite telling Harry that the lessons would be the most important thing Harry did, he is often away, and there are no additional lessons before the first Hogsmeade weekend in mid-October. On the morning of the Hogsmeade weekend, Harry lies in bed reading the Half-Blood Prince's textbook, which contains some interesting spells. Harry casts a non-verbal one, Levicorpus, and mistakenly levitates a sleeping Ron by his ankle. Harry frantically invokes the counterspell, and Ron falls back into his bed.

When Ron laughingly recounts the levitation experience, Hermione is unamused. This Prince may be a dodgy character, and here is Harry invoking his spells without knowing their effect. Harry recognizes the spell from Snape's memory in the Pensieve as the same one his father once used on Snape. Harry briefly considers that his father was the Half-Blood Prince, but discounts this because James was a pure-blood wizard. Meanwhile, Ginny delivers a note to Harry from Dumbledore, scheduling another lesson for Monday evening. Ginny mentions she is going with Dean and may see them there.

Having been scanned by Filch with Secrecy Sensors, the Trio embark to Hogsmeade. Finding Zonko's joke shop boarded up, Ron suggests Honeyduke's where they run into Professor Slughorn buying his favorite crystallized pineapple. Slughorn extends yet another dinner invitation to Harry and Hermione, for next Monday, which Harry is grateful he can decline due to Dumbledore's lesson.

Ron, disgruntled over being excluded from Slughorn's dinner, is unwilling to suggest where to go next, but agrees to The Three Broomsticks. On the way, Harry encounters Mundungus Fletcher, who is talking to the Hog's Head Inn barman. Harry calls out to Mundungus, who, startled, drops an ancient suitcase that bursts open, spilling its contents. When Ron recognizes a silver goblet bearing the Black family crest, Harry seizes Mundungus by the throat, and accuses him of looting Sirius Black's house. Mundungus blasts Harry away and Disapparates. Tonks appears and says it is useless to hunt for him, but Harry intends to report Mundungus to Dumbledore.

After one Butterbeer apiece in The Three Broomsticks, Hermione suggests heading back to Hogwarts. Ron and Harry agree - this has been an unpleasant outing. They follow Katie Bell and her friend Leanne, who are arguing over a package. Leanne tries to take the package from Katie, but it rips open. Katie, suddenly deathly still, rises six feet into the air, then falls to the ground, writhing and screaming in pain. Harry runs for help. Hagrid arrives and carries Katie back to the school. Harry prevents Ron from touching the package, recognizing a necklace inside as the same one he saw at Borgin & Burkes in Knockturn Alley that bore a label reading, 'Cursed.' Leanne says that Katie was behaving strangely after returning from the toilet carrying a package she insisted she must deliver to someone at Hogwarts. Leanne was trying to take the package away from her when it tore open, and Katie touched it. Leanne suspects Katie was under the Imperius Curse. Harry believes Draco knew about the necklace; he saw it at Borgin & Burkes. Ron says that many people probably saw it, and besides, Katie had been in the washroom. Harry carefully wraps the necklace in his scarf and carries it back to Hogwarts.

Professor McGonagall meets them at the gate. Harry hands the necklace to McGonagall, who orders Filch take it to Professor Snape. In Professor McGonagall's office, Leanne relates what happened, then is sent to the hospital wing. Harry suspects Malfoy was involved, but McGonagall says Draco was doing detention with her. Dismissed, Harry, Ron, and Hermione wonder who the necklace was intended for. With Filch and his Secrecy Sensor, it was unlikely that a package containing anything harmful could be brought into the school that way. They conclude it was a poorly thought-out plan.

[edit] Analysis

The attack on Katie Bell certainly seems to bolster Harry's suspicions that Draco is directly involved in some sinister plot, although, as both Ron and Hermione point out, there is only circumstantial evidence linking Draco to the necklace, and he has an iron-clad alibi. Regardless, Harry remains positive that Draco was behind the attack. While readers can sympathize with Harry, knowing that Draco has been charged with some unknown mission for Voldemort and that it probably is linked to this incident, Harry lacks any objectivity whatsoever. He becomes so single-mindedly convinced that Draco is guilty that he stubbornly refuses to consider other possibilities. Also, the Trio's belief that the attack seemed poorly planned may be more significant than they realize.

Adding to Harry's concerns is Dumbledore's increasingly frequent and unexplained absences. These are disturbing not only for Harry, but also the entire school. Dumbledore is Hogwarts' symbol of authority and security, and his empty chair in the Great Hall may signal that there is greater turmoil in the wizarding world than anyone realized. Harry, in particular, is affected by his absence. Harry still deeply mourns his godfather Sirius' death, and Dumbledore has become even more a father figure to him. When a parent is away, a child often feels abandoned and unprotected, even when left in capable hands.

Harry physically attacking Mundungus shows a rare side to his personality. While Harry is often quick to anger, he normally maintains control and never reacts physically. Still grieving his godfather's death, he is so outraged that Sirius' possessions have been violated that he is overcome by rage. Only an extreme circumstance could have provoked such an outburst. And only Tonks' intervention prevents Harry from inflicting serious harm on Mundungus and possibly facing severe legal consequences.

Harry's hope that the clever Half-Blood Prince could actually be his father may indicate he is looking for even more redeeming qualities in him, although he is quickly forced to discount his own theory. Harry may still be conflicted over his father. Although he loves the man he never knew and knows he was a good and brave person, he was deeply disappointed when he accidentally learned (in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) that the youthful James was once a rather obnoxious bully. James, along with Sirius Black, often tormented and humiliated Severus Snape purely for their own amusement while they were students at Hogwarts. Although Harry now has a better understanding regarding the source of Snape's hostility toward him and his father, it has never lessened his own hatred for Snape.

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. Who does Harry think might be the Half-Blood Prince? Why does he want to believe this and what finally makes him discount it?
2. Who does Harry attack and why?
3. Where has Harry seen the necklace before, and who does he connect with it? What does McGonagall have to say?

[edit] Extra Study

1. Why would Harry use an unknown, and potentially lethal, spell on Ron without knowing its effects? What does Hermione have to say? Is she right?
2. What might account for Dumbledore's frequent absences? How does it affect Harry?
3. Who might have given Katie the package? Why?
4. Why was Katie Bell (unknowingly) chosen to smuggle the necklace into Hogwarts if Filch was likely to detect it with his sensors? Was it a poorly though-out plan as Harry, Ron, and Hermione believe it was?

[edit] Greater Picture

Despite Hermione's warning, Harry will continue using the Prince's spells without knowing what they are. Although the one he used on Ron resulted in a humorous, and generally harmless, episode, a different spell that Harry later casts on Draco Malfoy will have a more devastating effect. Snape, who intervenes in time and recognizes the spell, saves Draco's life.

When Harry meets Mundungus Fletcher in Hogsmeade, the Hog's Head Inn barman has apparently just refused something and walked away. It is clear that, having ransacked Sirius/Harry's house, Mundungus is now attempting to sell his spoils and, confronted by Harry, drops a stolen goblet. While it is unknown if any transaction has occured, and the Hog's Head barman's walking away gives the impression that he was uninterested, it is possible that Mundungus had either sold or given him the twin to the two-way mirror that Sirius gave Harry in the previous book. This will turn out to be the case; Mundungus, in this transaction or another, sold the mirror to the barman, who is actually Aberforth Dumbledore, who was told the mirror's function by his brother, Albus. Late in the final book, Aberforth admits he periodically used the mirror to check on Harry. Harry will occasionally catch Aberforth's eye in the mirror, mistaking it for Albus Dumbledore's, which is apparently similar in shape and color.

Chapter 13: The Secret Riddle

[edit] Synopsis

Katie Bell is moved to St. Mungo's Hospital in London. With the exception of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Leanne, students are unaware that someone other than Katie was the intended target. Ron and Hermione ignore Harry's comment that Malfoy knows.

Though Dumbledore has remained unseen all day, Harry reports to his office for his second lesson. Dumbledore is there and reassures Harry that Snape, who has more experience with the Dark Arts than Madam Pomfrey, has done all he can to help Katie. Dumbledore also says that Mundungus Fletcher has apparently gone into hiding, but nothing else will be taken from Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore tells Harry that Draco's involvement will be investigated, but their lesson is more important now.

In the last memory they viewed, Merope Riddle, who was abandoned by her Muggle husband, was pregnant and alone. Lacking the will to perform magic to care for herself, she needed money. She sold a gold locket once belonging to Salazar Slytherin to Caractacus Burke, one of the founders of Borgin & Burkes. Watching Burke's reminiscence of the sale in the Pensieve, Harry is outraged that Burke only gave Merope ten galleons for the priceless relic.

In this lesson, Harry enters Dumbledore's memories. The younger Dumbledore had auburn hair and beard, just as long as they are now. Dumbledore visits the eleven-year-old Tom Riddle in a Muggle orphanage. After speaking with the matron, who says Riddle is a strange boy and leaves the impression that she is hoping someone will take him well away, Dumbledore talks to Tom. Initially, Tom thinks Professor Dumbledore is a doctor, come to take him to a sanatorium. Believing that Dumbledore's term, "special" means he should be in an asylum, Riddle prepares to prevent Dumbledore from taking him anywhere. However, when Dumbledore explains that Hogwarts is a school of magic, Tom asks if what he does is magic. Even at the tender age of 11, Riddle manipulated and terrified other children, strangled a pet rabbit, hurt people, and spoke in Parseltongue. Riddle demands proof that Dumbledore is a wizard; Dumbledore reproaches him, saying he must address Hogwarts teachers with respect. Tom respectfully asks, and Dumbledore conjures flames on Tom's wardrobe, and as suddenly extinguishes them. Dumbledore retrieves Tom's small cache of stolen items and demands he return them to their owners. The young Dumbledore worried about the boy's ambition, his cruelty, his thieving, and his reaction to learning he is a wizard; he resolves to keep a close eye on him.

Back in the office, Dumbledore says he was unaware then that the young boy would become the most feared Dark Wizard in centuries, Lord Voldemort. He then draws Harry's attention to several traits about the young Tom Riddle: he disliked the common name Tom and wanted to be separate from everyone else. He was already very self-sufficient, secretive, apparently friendless, and he liked to keep trophies.

As he is leaving, Harry notices the ring is gone. Harry comments that he would have expected to see one of Voldemort's trophies there, perhaps the mouth organ? Dumbledore comments that the mouth organ was always only a mouth organ.

[edit] Analysis

By sharing his and others' memories, Dumbledore shows Harry how Voldemort crafted himself from an abandoned, insecure boy into a notorious, Dark wizard. While readers may be sympathetic to Riddle's difficult early life, it can be seen that he was a naturally unpleasant person from an early age. Even the orphanage caretakers came to fear him. And despite growing up without knowing his family, young Tom Riddle inherited many Gaunt family characteristics. He was: egotistical, secretive, aloof, and lacked empathy for others. As a child, Riddle isolated himself from other orphan children, who he considered inferior and frequently stole objects from, saving the items as trophies. He also physically and/or emotionally threatened or harmed them, and later learned to manipulate people to obtain what he wanted. When Dumbledore reprimanded Tom for being disrespectful, Riddle's sudden good behavior seemed insincere and designed to appease the strange professor only to ensure his attending Hogwarts. Young Riddle feared being ordinary in any way and needed to feel superior to everyone. However, being introduced to the Wizarding world may have had the opposite effect. Though he learned he possessed special powers the other orphans lacked, when he arrived at Hogwarts, he was no longer unique, but just one among many talented wizard children. Even here, he needed to rise above his peers and worked hard to learn as much as possible, which eventually led him into Dark magic.

Riddle also shares many similarities to Harry. Both were orphans raised in a loveless environment, they are half-blood wizards, each learned they had magical powers only when they were old enough to attend Hogwarts, and both could perform magic at an early age without any training. However, even if both boys had been raised by their respective parents, their outcomes would probably still have been very different from one another. And unlike Harry, Riddle hated Muggles, even though he is half, a fact Riddle loathed about himself and was deeply rooted in his Muggle father's abandonment. Harry would probably be much the same good-hearted person he is now, only more confident and self-assured, while Tom Riddle's Gaunt heritage likely would still have despised his Muggle origins, even if his father had raised him. Riddle felt forever tainted by this "blood impurity", and it had an adverse effect on his pysche. Learning that he was a wizard inflated his sense of superiority, while his connection to Salazar Slytherin later fueled this egotism, gradually manifesting itself into his new persona as Lord Voldemort and diminishing, in his mind, his sullied Muggle bloodline.

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. Why did Merope Riddle sell the Locket? Who did she sell it to, and why was she willing to accept so little money for such a valuable object?
2. What did the staff at the orphanage think about Tom Riddle? Why?
3. Why would Tom Riddle believe that Dumbledore arrived at the orphanage to take him to an asylum? What was Riddle planning to do if that was true?
4. What is Dumbledore's initial opinion of Tom Riddle at the orphanage? What did he resolve to do? What does he tell Harry about Riddle?

[edit] Extra Study

1. Why might Slytherin's locket be gold - Gryffindor's colour - and not silver like Slytherin's House colour?
2. Why wouldn't Merope Riddle use magic to support herself?
3. Why do Ron and Hermione continually dismiss Harry's suspicions about Draco, despite credible circumstantial evidence against him? What does Dumbledore tell Harry?

[edit] Greater Picture

Dumbledore's comment, that the mouth organ (harmonica) was only ever a mouth organ, is enigmatic to Harry, and to the reader. In the last novel, the ring is revealed to be a Horcrux, and it is to this that Dumbledore was probably alluding. That the ring's stone is also one of the three Deathly Hallows probably is not what Dumbledore is thinking about. While that part of the ring's nature is probably predominant in Dumbledore's mind, given the previous summer's events, Dumbledore already believes that Voldemort fails to grasp the Hallows' nature. As such, the ring's stone being a Hallow is irrelevant to his and Harry's discussion here, and instead centers on Voldemort.

Chapter 14: Felix Felicis

[edit] Synopsis

On the way to Herbology class next day, and while they are preparing their armour to start harvesting Snargaluff pods, Harry fills Hermione and Ron in on what he has been learning about Tom Riddle. Ron and Hermione are impressed, but Ron wonders why Dumbledore is teaching Harry all this.

Hermione says the 'Slug Club' dinners are actually quite enjoyable, and that Harry should come to the Christmas one. The invitees are allowed to bring a guest. Ron mocks Hermione to invite McLaggen. Hermione hotly replies that she was going to invite Ron, but as he is acting so stupidly, she will not bother. Ron sheepishly says that he would go with her, however it is uncertain whether or not she will relent. Harry worries that if Ron and Hermione ever do become a couple, a break-up could create an unbridgeable gap between them, or that the two would become so close they would shut Harry out.

Harry recruits Dean Thomas to replace Katie Bell for the Quidditch team while she is in St. Mungo's Hospital. This causes some friction with Seamus Finnigan, but Harry knows that Dean outflew Seamus at the initial try-outs. At practice, Dean performs excellently, while Ron, overcome with nerves, plays horribly; at one point he punches Demelza in the mouth.

Heading back to the Gryffindor Common room, Harry and Ron stumble across Ginny and Dean kissing in a corridor; Harry feels jealous while Ron angrily accuses his sister of acting like a tease. Ginny retorts that Ron has as much experience as a twelve-year-old and storms off. Harry and Ron head to the Common room, startling a small girl who drops a jar of frog spawn. As Ron broods dark thoughts, Harry struggles with romantic feelings towards Ginny, although he tries to dismiss it as only friendship. He also fears that if he did start snogging Ginny, it could end his and Ron's friendship.

The next day, still angry, Ron lashes out at everyone, especially Hermione, and cold-shoulders Dean and Ginny. Harry hopes this will end soon, but there is no improvement in Ron's mood over the next several days. Ron continues to play miserably at practice, which only worsens his mood. He nearly resigns, but Harry snaps him out of it. However, he remains dejected before the match against Slytherin. Harry devises a brilliant plan. At breakfast, Harry gives Ron pumpkin juice. Hermione sees the small flask of Felix Felicis and, suspecting Harry spiked the juice, tells Harry off. Ron dismisses Hermione's anger and drinks his pumpkin juice. Apparently, the luck potion works, as Slytherin's best goal scorer, Vaisey, took a Bludger to the head at practice and is unable to play, and Malfoy is off sick as well, although Harry suspects he is planning something. When Ron suspects that Harry did put the Felix potion in his drink, Harry says nothing.

Zacharias Smith is announcing. A Hufflepuff, he seems overly critical of Gryffindor, but eventually is forced to stop criticizing Harry's choice of Ron and Ginny as Ron saves everything Slytherin throws at him, and Ginny makes four of Gryffindor's six goals. Gryffindor plays brilliantly, eventually gaining a 100 point lead. The Slytherin Seeker spots the Snitch, but Harry distracts him and catches it for the win. Ginny "forgets to brake" as she swoops in for the victory celebration and hits the announcer's tower, dumping Zacharias to the ground. In the changing room, Hermione bursts in and lambastes Harry for cheating, but Harry reveals he never used the potion, Ron only believed he did.

At the victory party, which Hermione is initially too upset to attend, Ron is kissing Lavender Brown in plain view. Harry spots Hermione ducking in and out of the Common room and follows her. He finds her in an unlocked classroom with conjured birds flying around her head and tries consoling her. Ron barges in with Lavender, who quickly ducks out. Hermione leaves, sending the conjured canaries to attack Ron.

[edit] Analysis

Although Hermione used magic to help secure Ron a place on the Quidditch team, she has apparently fallen back into her usual "follow the rules" way and rebukes Harry for cheating (or so she thinks) by giving Ron the Good Luck potion to enhance his game skills. Ron played brilliantly because he believed the potion would improve his performance, but Harry never actually gave it to him. When Ron believes in himself, he has the ability to perform well in many things.

While Harry wants his two best friends to be happy, he also has concerns. If Ron and Hermione should become a couple, it could mean he would be left behind or be forced to choose sides if they break up. Harry is beginning to realize just how much he relies on each for their friendship and support, a fact Dumbledore has subtly been impressing upon him for some time. Harry also wrestles with budding romantic feelings for Ginny Weasley, although he brushes this off as "brotherly" concern.

Harry's skill at utilizing people's flaws and habits is improving; he knows Hermione will intervene if there is any unethical behavior, and that Ron's will tends to resist her. This is why, we believe, he allows Hermione to see the phial of Felix Felicis as he passes it over Ron's pumpkin juice; Harry knows that if Hermione assumes Ron's drink was spiked, she will object. It is uncertain whether Harry is counting on that to motivate Ron into drinking it; it is certain that Hermione's protest will lead Ron to believe that he has been given a chance at some liquid luck. This is somewhat similar to how Voldemort manipulates people and their thought patterns to his advantage. Unlike Voldemort, however, Harry's aim is to help his friends rather than for his own selfish ends.

Also, Harry is working on two fronts simultaneously. The first, mentioned above, is to instill confidence in Ron by showing that he is able to perform well (here, keeping goal at Quidditch) when he believes in himself. In this endeavor, Harry will be successful. Harry's other battle is to reconcile Ron and Hermione. This has failed so far, possibly due to Ron's emotional immaturity relative to the other two, leaving Harry again having two good friends who are not on speaking terms.

Readers should note the small girl in the seventh-floor hallway who drops the jar containing frog-spawn.

[edit] Questions

1. Why is Ron in such a bad mood?
2. Why is Ron able to perform so well in the game?
3. Why is Hermione upset with Ron?
4. Are Harry's fears about Ron and Hermione being together justified?

[edit] Greater Picture

Although she is passed by almost unnoticed, the small girl in the seventh-floor hallway who drops the jar of frog-spawn will turn out to be important. She is actually either Crabbe or Goyle, disguised with Polyjuice Potion and standing guard outside the Room of Requirement while Malfoy works within on his secret task for Voldemort. Harry will not realize this until he has Dobby and Kreacher tail Malfoy later in the spring.

Chapter 15: The Unbreakable Vow

[edit] Synopsis

Hogwarts prepares for Christmas, and Harry does his best to avoid giggling girls and mistletoe clumps. Ron now spends every evening kissing Lavender Brown who, "seemed to regard any moment that she was not kissing Ron as a moment wasted." Ron and Hermione continue to ignore each other, while Harry and Hermione frequently study in the library together. Harry once again has found himself best friends with two people who are not speaking to each other.

Meanwhile, Harry continues doing well in Potions using the Prince's notes. In the library, Hermione warns him to be careful, but Harry says he has learned more from the Half-Blood Prince than from either Slughorn or Snape. But Hermione says she is referring to the girls who are infatuated with Harry—they might try to slip him a Love Potion. Filch has banned all Weasley's Wizards Wheezes items, but Love Potions aren't jinxes, curses, or concealment charms, so Secrecy Sensors won't find them, and simply putting them in perfume bottles will hide them from Filch. Romilda Vane is particularly determined to go to Slughorn's party with Harry. Hermione suggests that Harry invite someone to discourage the other girls.

Harry mentions Malfoy and the necklace again, but Hermione says the Secrecy Sensors would detect any powerful curse. Suddenly, Harry is clawed at by an outraged Madam Pince, the Librarian, after seeing writing in the Potions textbook. Harry and Hermione escape, and Harry wonders aloud if Pince and Filch have a relationship. Hermione is still angered by Harry's refusal to give up using the book.

In the Common room, Romilda Vane offers to share a Gillywater with Harry which, catching a warning glance from Hermione, he quickly declines. Vane also pushes a box of chocolates on him (Chocolate Cauldrons with Firewhisky centers), which he takes and stashes unopened in his trunk.

The next day in Transfiguration, Ron accidentally gives himself a handlebar moustache, causing Hermione to laugh. In retaliation, Ron rudely imitates Hermione whenever she answers a question, finally sending her running off crying. Harry cannot wait to leave for the Burrow, hoping the distance will help heal Ron and Hermione's relationship. Harry finds Hermione in a nearby bathroom, being comforted by Luna Lovegood. Hermione collects her things that Harry brought and leaves.

Luna tells Harry that Ron sometimes says funny things, but hurtful ones as well. Harry thinks Luna has a knack for telling unpleasant truths. Luna says she misses the D.A., as she felt she had friends there. She also says Ginny sticks up for her and stopped two boys from calling her "Loony." Harry decides to invite Luna to Slughorn's party—although he makes sure to say it is just as friends. Luna is surprised and quite happy, as nobody has ever invited her to a party before. Peeves suddenly appears hanging upside down from a chandelier and taunts, "Potty lurves Loony".

Soon, everyone knows Harry has invited Luna. Ron rebukes Harry, telling him he could have asked anyone. Ginny scolds Ron and comments approvingly to Harry. Hermione is sitting alone, and Harry and Ron sit down. Soon, the other Gryffindor girls arrive and Lavender starts hugging Ron. Parvati and Hermione talk about Slughorn's party; Hermione brightly comments that she is going with Cormac, and says she likes good Quidditch players, before leaving to get ready. Harry ponders the depths to which girls will sink to get revenge.

Luna wears silver-spangled robes to the party, eliciting giggles from some girls. Harry, relieved she is not wearing her Butterbeer-cork necklace or radish earrings, thinks she actually looks quite nice. He tells her a Vampire will be at there; Luna thinks he means Rufus Scrimgeour as the Quibbler was about to print a story that Scrimgeour is a vampire, but the Ministry quashed it. At the party, Slughorn introduces Harry to vampire expert, Eldred Worple, and his vampire friend, Sanguini. Worple offers to write Harry's biography; Harry declines, as he has just noticed Hermione is sitting between what looks like two of the Weird Sisters. Hermione has just escaped McLaggen's attempts to take advantage of the mistletoe. She steers Harry and Luna to the refreshments table, where she can see if he is approaching. Professor Trelawney is there, still drinking. Snape is also present and Slughorn lets slip that Harry is a natural at Potions, just like his mother. Harry tells Slughorn that he is taking the required Auror subjects, after which Slughorn booms that Harry will make an excellent one. Luna then mentions a conspiracy theory about Aurors using Dark Magic and gum disease to take down the Ministry of Magic.

Harry is having a great time with Luna and Slughorn when Malfoy is dragged in by Filch, who caught Draco gatecrashing. Slughorn laughs and reprimands him, but lets him stay, although Malfoy looks angry. When Snape asks for a private word with Malfoy, Harry excuses himself to go to the bathroom but instead eavesdrops on Snape and Malfoy. Snape probes Malfoy for information about Katie Bell, but Malfoy blocks him. Snape remarks that Malfoy's Aunt Bella must have been teaching him Occlumency. Snape knows Malfoy has been upstairs, working on some project. He offers to help, citing his Unbreakable Vow to protect him, but Malfoy says nothing and storms out, nearly hitting Harry under his Invisibility Cloak. Although Harry knows Snape is a double agent working for the Order, he still distrusts him.

[edit] Analysis

When Harry overhears Snape questioning Malfoy regarding his secret activities, it appears Snape is clueless about what Draco's mission is, and Draco refuses to divulge anything, even though Snape has sworn an Unbreakable Vow to assist him. However, Draco's refusal to confide in Snape (which indicates he distrusts him) does little to convince Harry that Snape is not a Death Eater, despite Dumbledore's repeated assurance that he is loyal. Harry's stubborness and emotions often overrules his judgment and logic, and his hatred for Snape refuses to allow him to consider other possibilities regarding Snape, while, ironically, Draco apparently does. It also appears that Harry's suspicions regarding Malfoy may be correct.

Harry seems unaware that he is appealing to the opposite sex. His interest in girls was mostly confined to one person, Cho Chang, and he seldom considers pursuing other relationships up until this book, when he develops feelings for Ginny. That he ignores girls interested in him may show a lack of confidence, or that he is so preoccupied by more serious matters that it never occurs to him to seek female companionship other than Hermione or Ginny, his platonic friends. To discourage girls' attention, Harry invites Luna Lovegood to Slughorn's party, partly because he considers her "safe," but he also feels bad that she is mistreated by other students. Nor has he forgotten her participation in the battle at the Ministry of Magic (in Order of the Phoenix). Although Harry knows other students, including Ron, will mock him for inviting "Loony" Luna, he has matured enough that he considers his peers' disapproval is outweighed by one individual's needs. While Hermione and Ginny express their approval, Ron's deplorable behavior not only shows his immaturity, but also his insecurity about himself; he shuns the unpopular students, afraid that associating with them will reflect badly on him.

Luna's observation that Ron often says funny things, but also hurtful ones, is accurate and insightful; considering how Luna risked her own life to help Harry and Ron during the battle at the Ministry of Magic, Ron's rudeness towards her is deplorable and inexcusable. Ron has previously demonstrated poor behavior not only wth Luna, but also Hermione. His difficulty with girls in general and unresolved feelings for Hermione in particular results in him lashing out at her for any perceived misstep. After learning that Hermione kissed Viktor Krum the previous year, he retaliates by having a relationship with Lavender Brown, a girl he never particularly liked. Ron's motive appears to be to hurt Hermione and make her jealous. In that end, he has apparently succeeded.

[edit] Questions

1. If Snape is magically bound to help Draco accomplish his secret task, why does Draco refuse to confide in him?
2. Why did Voldemort never tell Snape what Draco's task is?
3. Why does Harry invite Luna to Slughorn's party? Why does Ron object?
4. Why does Ron mock Hermione? Was it deserved?
5. Why did Hermione invite Cormac McLaggen rather than another student?
6. Is Luna right that Ron sometimes says funny things, but also hurtful ones? Explain. What does Harry think?

[edit] Greater Picture

Chapter 16: A Very Frosty Christmas

[edit] Synopsis

Harry and Ron, at The Burrow for Christmas, talk about what Harry had overheard. Ron agrees it is odd that Malfoy was given a task, and is incredulous that Snape made an Unbreakable Vow to help him. Anyone breaking an Unbreakable Vow will die. Fred and George arrive and start teasing Ron; apparently Ginny told them about about Ron and Lavender. Mrs. Weasley comes in to explain sleeping arrangements; apparently quite a crowd is expected at The Burrow over Christmas, though Percy, still estranged from his family, will be absent.

On Christmas Eve, Harry talks to Mr. Weasley, who admits privately to Harry that of the last three arrests, likely only one was a true Death Eater. Stan Shunpike is still being held to avoid bad publicity by letting him go. Harry tells him and Remus Lupin about the conversation he overheard between Snape and Malfoy. Both say Dumbledore trusts Snape, and that is good enough for them. Lupin tells Harry that he neither likes nor dislikes Snape; Snape always prepared his Wolfsbane Potion perfectly during his tenure at Hogwarts, and while he let it slip that Lupin was a werewolf, he could have done far worse damage, had he a mind to, by messing up the potion. Although the bitterness between them (and also Harry) cannot be healed, they should still trust Snape.

Lupin has infiltrated the werewolves to spy on them for the Order, and he tells Harry they support Voldemort because they can be free under his rule. It is hard to argue against Fenrir Greyback's position. It was Greyback, the head and most vicious werewolf who bit Lupin when he was a child. Fenrir targets children to raise them to hate wizarding kind. He also wants to infect enough people for the werewolves to take over.

Harry asks Lupin about the Half-Blood Prince and the Levicorpus spell that James once used on Snape. Lupin says that spells have peaks of popularity, so the spell appearing at that time does not mean that it was this "Prince" who had invented it. He also has no idea about the Prince's identity except that it was not James, Sirius, or himself. Lupin suggests Harry find out how old the book is to help determine the Prince's identity. Before bed, Harry checks the book's copyright date and learns it was printed fifty years before. As his parents and their friends were at school only twenty years earlier, this seems to rule them out.

Harry and Ron receive Christmas presents the next morning. Among them are the usual jumpers (sweaters), a disgusting necklace for Ron from Lavender, and a package of maggots from house elf Kreacher to "Master" (Harry). Over Christmas dinner, the family (along with Fleur Delacour and Lupin) talk about Tonks, who was invited but declined to come; Mrs. Weasley apparently blames Bill for her absence. Reminded, Harry asks Lupin why Tonks' Patronus would change shape, saying that it is now large and has four legs. Lupin suggests that a major upheaval in someone's life can cause a change, but he is interrupted by Percy and the Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour's unexpected arrival. Scrimgeour claims he and Percy were in the neighbourhood on business when Percy "decided" to drop in for a visit. Mrs. Weasley sobs happily at seeing Percy again, but the other Weasleys receive him coldly.

On the pretext of giving the Weasleys private family time, Scrimgeour asks Harry to show him the garden. Outside, Scrimgeour wants to know more about the prophecy and tells Harry he would like him to make regular visits to the Ministry. They want to present him as the "Chosen One", and show that he supports the Ministry. Whether or not he was "Chosen" is immaterial to the Ministry, only that everyone believes he is. Harry refuses, citing the Ministry failing to listen to him a year earlier, and now imprisoning Stan Shunpike, an obviously innocent person. Offended, Scrimgeour probes for information about Dumbledore, but Harry says nothing. Scrimgeour angrily accuses Harry of being "Dumbledore's man through and through." Harry readily agrees and angrily returns to the house.

[edit] Analysis

Scrimgeour's attempt to woo Harry as a Ministry "poster boy", along with the Ministry's continuing refusal to release innocents like Stan Shunpike, again shows he is more concerned with putting on a good public face for the wizarding community rather than obtaining actual results. He also appears to want to separate Harry from Dumbledore's influence. Harry sees through both ruses and refuses to cooperate, turning around Scrimgeour's insult by saying that he is indeed "Dumbledore's man." Unfortunately, this incident only serves to further estrange the Weasleys from Percy, who obviously used his family to allow Scrimgeour access to Harry.

Lupin's dangerous mission for the Order of the Phoenix highlights his sad and lonely life as a werewolf. He is risking himself by infiltrating Fenrir Greyback's dangerous realm. Lupin also provides insight into how werewolves and other magical creatures like vampires, giants, goblins, and so forth, have been ostracized by the wizarding community, giving some justification to them supporting Voldemort who can offer them more advantages. Only the goblins rebuff Voldemort; as his power increases, he increasingly interferes with their internal affairs, thus losing their allegiance.

Readers will recognize Fenrir Greyback's name as the one that Draco Malfoy mentioned while at Borgin & Burkes earlier in the book. It is now clear why Mr. Borgin was suddenly so cooperative after Draco told him that Greyback was a "family friend". Considering Greyback's reputation, Borgin most likely feared for his life.

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. Why does Scrimgeour want to recruit Harry's help? Why does Harry refuse?
2. Why does the Ministry refuse to release Stan Shunpike and other innocent people?

[edit] Extra Study

1. Why does Lupin say he neither likes nor dislikes Snape, even though Snape apparently hates him and was responsible for him leaving Hogwarts?
2. Why would magical creatures such as werewolves, giants, centaurs, and others support Voldemort? Why do the goblins not?
3. Why would Tonks decline an invitation to The Burrow during Christmas?
4. Harry's Potions book was printed fifty years ago. What was happening at Hogwarts at that time, and what might that tell Harry?

[edit] Greater Picture

The printing date on Harry's book is fifty years before, putting it into a period near Tom Riddle's time at Hogwarts. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, we are led to believe that Tom was a sixth- or seventh-year student fifty years before Harry was a second-year, so Tom, or a contemporary, could have purchased it new. However, all this really tells us is that the Half-Blood Prince was at the school sometime after that date. We have already seen that there is a brisk business in second-hand books, as they appear to change little from year-to-year, so it is entirely possible that one of James Potter's contemporaries owned this book.

Curiously, even though text books are infrequently updated, readers are constantly reminded that new spells, jinxes, and hexes are always being invented. These apparently rarely become standard magical practices, and, as Lupin points out, these new ones fall in and out of fashion.

Chapter 17: A Sluggish Memory

[edit] Synopsis

Harry, Ron, and Ginny return to Hogwarts via the Floo Network after Christmas. Hermione tells them the new password for Gryffindor Tower: Abstinence. Evidently, the Fat Lady enjoyed too much wine over Christmas. Hermione hands Harry a note from Dumbledore; the next lesson is scheduled for the following night.

In the Common room, Ron is immediately enfolded by Lavender, while Ginny says she promised to meet Dean, though Harry senses she is rather unenthusiastic. Harry and Hermione, who is ignoring Ron, find a quiet corner, and he shares what happened during Christmas break, including the conversation with Rufus Scrimgeour. As expected, Hermione concurs with Mr. Weasley and Lupin, that Snape was attempting to discover what Malfoy's mission is. She reminds Harry that it was Fenrir Greyback's name that Malfoy threatened Borgin with.

The following morning, a notice on the bulletin board announces Apparation training for students turning 17 before 31st August, which includes everyone in the Sixth Year class. Students are excited, and when Harry admits that he has traveled by side-along Apparation, they ask about it. Harry says the sensation is unpleasant, but none seem put off by this.

Harry arrives for his lesson with Dumbledore and relates what happened over Christmas, including Rufus Scrimgeour's visit. Dumbledore says he has argued with both Rufus and Fudge over involving Harry in the Ministry's public relations efforts. Dumbledore displays a rare emotional flicker when Harry reveals his strong agreement to Scrimegeour dubbing him, "Dumbledore's man through and through". When Harry recounts Snape and Draco's conversation, Dumbledore thanks Harry for bringing this to his attention, but Harry should not concern himself further. In response to Harry's angry outburst, Dumbledore says he does understand and reaffirms that he trusts Snape, and nothing Harry has said changes that.

But now, they must go into the memories. Dumbledore recaps: Riddle was admitted to Hogwarts and sorted into Slytherin where he learned about Salazar Slytherin's ability to converse with snakes. The staff expected little from Riddle. He was a polite, good-looking, and ambitious orphan, so many took pity on him. Dumbledore tells Harry that he never revealed his opinions about Tom to the staff. If Tom was turning over a new leaf, Dumbledore was going to allow him to do so. Dumbledore describes how Death Eater forerunners gravitated around Riddle but admits difficulty in obtaining memories of him during his time at Hogwarts. Riddle also became obsessed with his parentage.

The first new memory belongs to Riddle's Uncle Morfin. In it, Riddle arrives at the Gaunts' and converses with Morfin in Parseltongue. Morfin tells Tom about his father, Tom Riddle, Sr., and his mother, Merope, and shows him the Peverell ring, saying that Merope had taken Slytherin's locket. The memory abruptly ends. Morfin remembered nothing until after he awoke the next day and the ring was gone. Dumbledore says when Riddle Sr. and his parents were found murdered, the Ministry fingered Morfin, who readily confessed. Dumbledore speculates that Riddle Stunned his uncle, performed the murders, and then implanted false memories into Morfin's mind.

The second memory is Slughorn's. He and the Slug Club during Riddle's era are chatting. Twice the memory inexplicably turns foggy and only Slughorn's voice is heard, notably when Riddle asks him about Horcruxes. Slughorn responds that he knows nothing about them. Dumbledore explains that Slughorn's memory has been tampered with and tasks Harry with obtaining the true memory from Slughorn.

[edit] Analysis

Although Dumbledore had hoped Tom Riddle would turn over a new leaf, his underlying suspicions were well founded. It appears Tom began building the foundation for his evil plan while still at Hogwarts, recruiting followers who were to become the first Death Eaters. Riddle also sought retaliation against his father for abandoning him and his mother, even though Riddle Sr. had actually been deceptively seduced by Merope with a love potion. That does not completely absolve Riddle, Sr., however, who rejected his child that bore no fault for his mother's duplicity, leaving him stranded in an orphanage. However, this all matters little to Tom, who is so consumed by hate and revenge that it extended beyond his doomed father to his innocent paternal grandparents, murdering them to obliterate any ties to his despised Muggle bloodline. Nor did Tom feel any loyalty to his Slytherin family, falsely incriminating his Uncle Morfin for the Riddles' murders.

Although the new Gryffindor password, "abstinence" supposedly refers to the Fat Lady having imbibed too much wine, it could also reflect the students' burgeoning sexual maturity. With all the confused emotions and chaotic relationships that many characters are experiencing, this may be the author's way of humorously warning them to, "slow down."

[edit] Questions

1. Why doesn't Snape's conversation with Malfoy worry Dumbledore?
2. Why would Slughorn alter his memory?
3. Why did Tom Riddle murder his Muggle grandparents, in addition to his father?
4. Did Dumbledore truly believe Tom Riddle was turning over a new leaf when he started Hogwarts? Give evidence both for and against this.
5. Why would Tom Riddle frame his Uncle Morfin for the Riddles' murders?
6. Why does Dumbledore react the way he does when Harry says he told Scrimgeour that he is, "Dumbledore's man?"

[edit] Greater Picture

Harry points out that Tom Riddle was underage when he murdered Morfin, but the Ministry failed to detect it. Dumbledore says that when an underaged wizard is in a Wizarding residence, the Ministry is unable to tell who performs magic and must rely on adult wizards to monitor any underage magical activity. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ron calls this monitoring a Trace and says it automatically breaks on a wizard's 17th birthday. The Trace apparently detects underage magic and the location, which is why Dobby's Hover charm at the Dursley house was detected just before Harry's second year. This generally would be ignored if it occurred in a Wizarding residence. One does rather wonder why the Trace failed to detect Tom Riddle Sr.'s murder and the creation of the resultant Horcrux.

It will be learned that before Dumbledore collected Harry from the Dursley's, he was already aware of Draco Malfoy's mission and quite possibly knew about Snape's Unbreakable Vow almost as soon as Snape made it.

Chapter 18: Birthday Surprises

[edit] Synopsis

Harry confides to both Hermione and Ron about Dumbledore's task to retrieve Slughorn's memory.

Slughorn assigns the Potions class the difficult assignment of brewing the antidote for various poisons. The notes in Harry's textbook provide no assistance. With only a few minutes left, Harry finds a scrawled note in his book, "Just shove a bezoar down their throats." Harry also remembers that Snape once said a bezoar (a stone from a goat's stomach) will protect against most poisons. He rushes to the cabinet and finds one. No one in the class succeeds in making a good antidote, but when Slughorn comes to his table, Harry simply holds up the bezoar. Slughorn is amused, yet impressed, telling Harry that he thinks like his mother, then shoves the stone into his bag. Hermione, however, is critical.

Harry lingers after class and asks Slughorn about Horcruxes. Slughorn, realizing what Harry is attempting, insists there was nothing more to the memory that he gave Dumbledore, and departs hurriedly.

Students sit their first Apparation training in early February with a Ministry wizard. Malfoy, involved in a whispered argument with Crabbe, is reprimanded. Harry positions himself to eavesdrop if they start again. Apparently, Crabbe is upset at being told to guard something that Malfoy is doing, without knowing what it is. The class is called to order again, and they start practicing. Being their first lesson, students only attempt to apparate a few feet away. After several attempts, no one succeeds except Susan Bones, who splinches herself on the fourth attempt, leaving a leg behind.

After hearing Malfoy and Crabbe's conversation, Harry resolves to track his movements on the Maurauder's Map. He sees Malfoy in the Slytherin Common room with Crabbe and Goyle. Over the next several weeks, he watches Crabbe and Goyle moving around the castle on their own rather more than usual, sometimes standing in an empty hall. Harry is often unable to locate Malfoy on the map and considers that Malfoy is actually leaving the school, but dismisses this due to Hogwarts' increased security.

While opening presents on his birthday, Ron mistakenly eats several chocolates that Romilda Vane gave Harry. When Ron becomes dreamy over Romilda, Harry realizes the candies were spiked with Love Potion to get Harry to take Romilda to Slughorn's Christmas party. Ron has developed an obsessive love for Romilda. Not knowing the antidote, Harry takes Ron to Slughorn. En route, they bump into Lavender, and Ron announces that Harry is taking him to Romilda. Slughorn administers an antidote, then decides they should toast Ron's birthday. Slughorn opens a bottle of mead, offhandedly mentioning that he had intended it as a present for Dumbledore last Christmas. Ron takes a drink, and it is quickly obvious he has been poisoned. When Slughorn is slow to react, Harry finds the bezoar in Slughorn's bag, and forces it into Ron's mouth.

[edit] Analysis

Obtaining Slughorn's complete memory is more difficult than Harry realized. Slughorn knows Dumbledore wants to retrieve this information, and, for whatever reason, he refuses to share it. Knowing that Harry is attempting to extract the memory from him, Slughorn carefully avoids being caught alone by Harry. If Harry is to be successful, he will have to devise a more clever plan.

Harry also becomes more obsessed with discovering what Draco is doing and watches him constantly on the Marauder's Map, although he is unable to figure out why Draco's name occasionally disappears. That no one else seems concerned about Draco's suspicious activities, further frustrates Harry. He will have to devise some other means if he is going to discover what Dark activity Draco is engaging in.

Although Hermione continually disapproves that Harry uses information from the Half-Blood Prince's book, she is perhaps being a little overly critical and obsessive when Harry uses the Bezoar stone in Slughorn's class. It was, after all, something Harry had previously learned about in Snape's class, and the notes in the book only acted as a reminder. It is possible that Hermione not only resents what she considers cheating, but also anyone outshining her in class. She will be grateful, however, that Harry knows how to use the stone when Ron is poisoned.

Harry is 16 years old; Ron is turning 17 on his birthday. American readers who know that mead is alcoholic may be dismayed that Slughorn offers an alcoholic drink to a clearly underage Harry. It is worth mentioning that the drinking age in the UK is much lower than it is in the United States; it is legal to drink at age 18 in a pub, or at 16 in a restaurant with a meal, and at age 5 at home. The laws in the Wizarding world must be even more lenient, as the Three Broomsticks and the Hog's Head are clearly pubs, yet third-years (age 13 and 14) can order Butterbeer (which is apparently mildly alcoholic).

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. Why is Malfoy arguing with his cronies?
2. Why does Ron fall in love with Romilda Vane?
3. Was Harry actually cheating when he presented the Bezoar stone to Slughorn during the class?

[edit] Extra Study

1. Why does Malfoy keep disappearing from the Marauder's Map? Where might he be during those absenses?
2. Who could have poisoned the mead, and who might it have been intended for?

[edit] Greater Picture

Disapparating can be dangerous when done improperly. And although Susan Bones' splinched leg during the Apparation training is presented as a humorous mishap, in the next book, Deathly Hallows, Ron's shoulder will be badly splinched while Disapparating under perilous and chaotic circumstances, causing a severe injury needing immediate medical attention.

Chapter 19: Elf Tails

[edit] Synopsis

Ron is in the Hospital Wing, with Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, and Harry at his bedside. Fred and George were investigating opening a Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes shop in Hogsmeade, but with Zonko's Joke Shop out of business and the Hogsmeade weekends canceled, it looks unpromising. Hagrid also arrives, saying he was in the Forest caring for Aragog, who is getting worse. Madam Pomfrey says "No more than six visitors to a patient", but retires in slight confusion when Harry points out that Hagrid is the sixth. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arrive and express their sincere gratitude to Harry for continually saving Weasley lives.

Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid leave the infirmary. Hagrid lets slip that Hogwarts could close due to the increasing dangerous incidents and reveals that he overheard Dumbledore and Snape arguing over something Snape no longer wanted to do. Dumbledore firmly reminded Snape that he gave his word. There was also a reference about Snape's investigations in Slytherin, which Hagrid assumes is about the cursed necklace. Filch's untimely arrival ends their conversation, and he and Hagrid get into a disagreement as Harry and Hermione hastily retreat. Hagrid's information has only deepened Harry's suspicions about Snape.

When Harry and Hermione return to Gryffindor Tower, Cormac McLaggen braces Harry about replacing Ron as Keeper, to which Harry grudgingly agrees. Harry returns to watching Draco's movements on the Marauder's Map. For the next while, Harry is beset, though, with classes, homework, Quidditch practice, Cormac repeatedly pestering him with strategy ideas, and Lavender asking about Ron's recovery. Harry asks Lavender why she does not ask Ron herself, but Lavender says that Ron is always asleep when she visits.

On his way to the next Quidditch match, Harry sees Draco and two sulky-looking girls heading into the castle. Harry is certain that Draco is going to his usual hidden place, and sorely wants to follow, but he is already late. Harry is astonished that Luna has been appointed as the Quidditch match commentator; her dreamy game description has everyone laughing, except Professor McGonagall. McLaggen, attempting to micromanage the team, borrows a Beater's club and accidentally hits a Bludger at Harry, cracking his skull and landing him in the infirmary with Ron, who thinks Luna's commentary was most entertaining. He hopes she gets the job permanently, but says that the final score was 320 to 60 against Gryffindor. Harry wants to find and kill McLaggen, but Madam Pomfrey says that would be "excessive exertion" and bans it. Ron comments that the team might have already done that for him.

While still recovering, Harry realizes he could simply set a tail on Draco and suddenly remembers Dobby once visited him in the hospital. He summons Kreacher, the Black family House-elf that he inherited with Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Kreacher appears, along with Dobby. The two are fighting, apparently because Kreacher made insulting remarks about Harry. Peeves appears as well, egging them on; Harry silences him, and he zooms away. Ron and Harry break up the fight. Harry quietly instructs the two elves to trail Draco Malfoy and to bring him regular reports on everywhere Malfoy goes and what he does. He orders Kreacher not to warn Malfoy in any way. Kreacher sulkily agrees, though he says he would prefer having Draco as his master. Dobby says he is a free elf, and he chooses to obey Harry Potter.

[edit] Analysis

Harry's quick thinking saved Ron from certain death. Although Hermione continually chastised Harry for using the Half-Blood Prince's methods, in this instance, she is grateful for what the Prince taught him. Hermione is so distraught over Ron's near-death experience, that they permanently end their feud.

Someone obviously knew that Slughorn intended to give Dumbledore the mead and poisoned it to murder him. It is also possible, and highly probable, that the cursed necklace that nearly killed Katie Bell was also intended for Dumbledore. Harry remains convinced that Draco perpetrated the attacks, but he lacks specific proof tying Draco to either object. Though Draco was at Borgin & Burkes where Harry saw the necklace, any number of people could also have been there. Regardless, Harry becomes more determined than ever to uncover what Draco is doing. Although he is magically bound to obey Harry, Kreacher is less than trustworthy and remains loyal to the Black family, and by extension, the Malfoys (through Narcissa Black Malfoy), which is why Harry specifically orders him to reveal nothing to Draco. Harry may have been a bit careless in his instructions, however. Although Harry orders Kreacher to reveal nothing to Draco, Kreacher is clever and devious enough that he could bypass his master's orders by relaying information to Draco through somone else. Kreacher did just that when Sirius Black once ordered him to "leave", which Kreacher manipulated into meaning he should leave Grimmauld Place. He then visited Narcissa Malfoy, providing her with valuable information about Sirius and Harry. Fortunately, in this case, Kreacher obeys Harry as he intended, possibly because Dobby is carefully watching him and will report everything back to Harry.

Though we have no proof other than Harry's suspicions as to who was the intended recipient or the delivery agent of either the necklace or the mead, it would be useful to consider these objects' source.

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. Why might Hogwarts close?
2. Why is Ron always "asleep" when Lavender visits him in the hosptial?
3. Why did Harry have Kreacher, rather than Dobby, tail Draco? Why does Dobby participate?

[edit] Extra Study

1. What agreement might Dumbledore and Snape have? Why would Snape want to back out?
2. What might Snape be investigating in Slytherin House? Is he a reliable source to do this?

[edit] Greater Picture

The argument that Hagrid overheard between Snape and Dumbledore will be revisited in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, where it will be essentially heard in its entirety. Snape was threatening to renege on his promise to Dumbledore to kill him in order to spare Draco, under orders from Voldemort, from having to do this. Dumbledore believes Snape will follow through, as he is presumably aware of Snape's Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa; still, the threat is real and must be addressed, as Snape could, presumably, somehow convince Draco to kill Dumbledore rather than doing it himself should Draco be unable. Hagrid felt that Dumbledore was not his usual self, that he seemed angrier than usual. By this time, the curse that had destroyed Dumbledore's hand had been gaining force, though bottled up in his hand, for eight months; no doubt he was feeling discomfort from it, and continuous pain is likely to make anyone, even someone as patient as Dumbledore, rather testy.

We know that the cursed necklace that injured Katie Bell was given to her at The Three Broomsticks. Though there is no proof, it is believable that this may have been aimed at Dumbledore, along with the poisoned mead. Whatever its eventual destination, it seems likely that the mead's source would be The Three Broomsticks; Slughorn is unlikely to trust the Hog's Head for his needs, he is too much the esthete. This points to a center of malevolence in the Three Broomsticks; we will discover later that in fact that center is Madam Rosmerta, placed under the Imperius curse by Draco Malfoy.

Chapter 20: Lord Voldemort's Request

[edit] Synopsis

Harry and Ron are discharged from the Hospital Wing together. Meeting up with Hermione, they head to breakfast, passing a small girl studying a tapestry. Startled, the girl drops the scales she had been holding; Hermione repairs them for her, and then reveals that Ginny and Dean had an argument. When Dean laughed about McLaggen hitting Harry in the head with a bludger, Ginny defended Harry. Hermione agreed with Ginny that it was not funny, that Harry was nearly seriously hurt. Harry tries to react calmly and curiosly to this news, but Hermione remains suspicious that he is harboring feelings for Ginny.

Luna delivers Dumbledore's message regarding Harry's next lesson. The Trio continue on, running into Lavender, who is miffed she was not told that Ron was being discharged, and that Hermione is with him. Harry and Hermione walk off, and Ron arrives at breakfast a half hour later; he is upset and not talking to Lavender. Hermione seems secretly pleased by this development.

Later that evening, Harry arrives for his appointment with Professor Dumbledore, who is embroiled in a discussion with Professor Trelawney. She is upset that Firenze is still teaching Divination. As Professor Trelawney leaves, Dumbledore comments that, never having taken Divination himself, he could not have predicted the troubles that subject would cause. Dumbledore gently chastises Harry for failing to retrieve Professor Slughorn's memory. There is little point in continuing their lessons without it.

Dumbledore then asks Harry to recap the previous lessons. Harry recounts that Voldemort killed his own father, framed his uncle, Morfin, and left with the Peverell ring; he then returned to Hogwarts and asked Slughorn about Horcruxes. Dumbledore says they are now entering the realm of deep speculation. At this meeting, there are only two memories. The first belongs to Hokey, a House elf who worked for an elderly rich woman. At that time, Tom Riddle was working as a buyer for Borgin & Burkes. Tom's career choice surprised nearly everyone at Hogwarts, as it had been assumed he was aiming for a political career resulting as the Minister for Magic. But Tom had first approached Armando Dippet, the Headmaster then, for a teaching post at Hogwarts. Dippet turned him down, saying he lacked experience.

In Hokey's memory, Tom Riddle visits Hepzibah Smith, who claims to be Helga Hufflepuff's descendant. Hepzibah shows Riddle two coveted family treasures. One, a cup once belonging to Helga Hufflepuff, she bought from Borgin & Burke's. The other is a locket, seen earlier in Merope Gaunt's possession, and which, of course, was once owned by Salazar Slytherin. The locket was sold to Smith by Borgin & Burke's, who bought it off some poor woman.

Two days later, Hepzibah died and her treasures went missing. Hokey admitted blame for her mistress' death, as she remembered mistakenly poisoning her. Dumbledore states that Riddle considered the locket was rightfully his, and suggests that Riddle also stole the cup because of his deep attachment to Hogwarts; why, exactly, he had wanted it will have to wait for another lesson.

The second memory is Dumbledore's as Hogwarts Headmaster meeting with Riddle. Ten years after Hepzibah Smith's death, Riddle has again applied to be the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. His facial features have changed somewhat; while unlike the snake-like mask that Harry remembers from Voldemort's reappearance in the graveyard, this is certainly not the handsome Tom Riddle seen in the previous memory. Dumbledore confronts him about his true motives for wanting the position and his rumored behavior. He turns down Riddle for the job, saying that he is aware that Riddle has a new name (Voldemort) and that his Death Eaters are in Hogsmeade.

Back in his office, Dumbledore tells Harry that ever since he refused Voldemort's request, there has never been a Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher who lasted more than one year.

[edit] Analysis

In the previous chapter, Draco was seen accompanied by two small girls, both looking sulky and rebellious. Now there is a small girl standing in the seventh-floor corridor studying a tapestry with trolls in tutus; we previously saw small girls standing in seventh-floor corridors earlier. In the previous book, we might remember that the entrance to the Room of Requirement is on the seventh floor, opposite the troll tapestry. In a previous chapter, it is also discovered that Crabbe and Goyle were upset at having to spend so much time guarding Malfoy without knowing what he is doing, and they seem to be spending much time standing around in corridors. Is a pattern developing here?

It is now known why no Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher has lasted for more than one year - Dumbledore believes that Voldemort cursed the position when he was rejected. Dumbledore must either have been hoping that the curse would be broken when he appointed Snape as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, or he never intended for him to last any longer than his predecessors.

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. Why did Ginny argue with Dean? What is Harry's reaction to the news? Why is Hermione suspicious of this?
2. What do the two memories reveal about Voldemort?
3. Why does Dumbledore tell Harry there will be no more lessons? What does Harry need to do?
4. What is significant about the seventh floor?
5. Why would Tom Riddle have taken such a lowly job at Borgin & Burke's?

[edit] Extra Study

1. What reasons might Dumbledore have had to refuse Tom Riddle the Defense Against the Dark Arts position? What's the long-term result of this decision?
2. Why does Harry continually see one or two young girls loitering in the halls?

[edit] Greater Picture

Aberforth is Dumbledore's brother, and according to an interview with the author and information in the seventh book, the bartender of the Hog's Head. That is most likely the reason Dumbledore knows there are Death Eaters in Hogsmeade.

There is some speculation, both within the book and by fans, about Voldemort's true purpose in visiting Hogwarts to apply for the Defense against the Dark Arts position. Dumbledore states that Voldemort probably wanted a teaching position there so he could investigate Hogwarts and all its secrets with impunity. There would also be many impressionable young minds to recruit to his peculiar beliefs. Dumbledore also apparently suspected that Voldemort was attempting to make a Horcrux – possibly using Godric Gryffindor's sword. Some fans suggest that he was planting a Horcrux there (which proves to be true in book seven). That would fit his "style" — hiding a Horcrux under Dumbledore's nose, basically saying that he knew Dumbledore's school better than Dumbledore himself did. Voldemort may have partially used the interview as a ruse so he could hide Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem, one of his Horcruxes, inside Hogwarts. His intent here was actually to keep the diadem safe, convinced he was the only living person who knew about the Room of Requirement.

Voldemort probably told Draco how to summon the Room of Requirement. Putting the clues together, as Harry does in the next chapter, we will see that Draco is working on his project in this room. Crabbe and Goyle, disguised as little girls by stolen Polyjuice Potion, stand guard outside, dropping objects when it is unsafe to exit the room. Although Draco would already have known about the Room of Requirement after Dumbledore's Army was discovered there the previous year (in Order of the Phoenix), it seems Voldemort will continue to be under the assumption throughout the next book that he and Draco are the only ones who knows its existence, although it is curious why Draco would withhold this (and possibly other information) from the Dark Lord; presumably, Draco knows nothing about the Diadem Horcrux.

While it is never stated, we learn in the next book that within the first fortnight of the summer preceding this school year, Dumbledore discovered that he had aproximately one year to live. He specifically requests that by the end of the year, Snape should kill him, thus protecting Draco Malfoy from executing Voldemort's assasination plot. Realizing that he himself will only last out the year, and that Snape will be accused of murdering him, Dumbledore knows that Snape's tenure as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher would be limited in any case. It is likely that this is why Dumbledore repeatedly refused Snape the post: Snape is too talented a teacher, too valuable an ally, to risk losing. After this year, it will no longer matter, so placing him in the cursed post will do no harm.

Chapter 21: The Unknowable Room

[edit] Synopsis

Harry spends much spare time devising a way to retrieve Professor Slughorn's memory. As his potions book has been so useful recently, particularly in saving Ron's life, Harry reads it carefully. But Hermione points out that Dumbledore said only Harry could successfully retrieve the memory, and that Slughorn would likely be protected against anything in the textbook. Just then, Harry finds a new curse, Sectumsempra. It is labeled, "For Enemies." He wants to test it, but knowing Hermione's objections to using the Prince's spells, he refrains. Ron, writing an essay, asks for assistance; it seems his Spell-Checking quill has stopped working, and, among other things, is rendering his name as "Roonil Wazlib". Hermione offers to correct his spelling. Ron says he loves her, and Hermione, blushing, says he should not let Lavender hear him say that. Ron says maybe he should; he has been trying to dump her.

Kreacher and Dobby arrive to report to Harry regarding Malfoy's activities. Over the week they have been tailing him, Draco spent considerable time inside the Room of Requirement. The elves state that a "variety" of students stand watch while Draco is inside. Harry surmises that these "students" are probably Crabbe and Goyle disguised by Polyjuice Potion stolen from Slughorn. He also guesses that the Room was not on the Marauder's Map because the map's authors did not know about about it, though Hermione suggests that the room may be "unplottable" if the user needs it to be. Harry says that he should be able to enter the Room of Requirement, just as Malfoy had when Dumbledore's Army was there. But Hermione counters that Draco knew what the Room was being used for because "that stupid Marietta" told him.

During a free period the next day, Harry again attempts to enter the Room of Requirement, but he is unable to make the door appear. His efforts make him late for Defence Against the Dark Arts class, causing Snape to penalize Gryffindor ten points. Seamus Finnigan asks about the difference between ghosts and Inferi, as a story in the Daily Prophet mentioned Inferi; Professor Snape says the story actually was about one Mundungus Fletcher, who was arrested for impersonating an Inferius. Ron also gets taunted and given detention by Snape. When Lavender starts abusing Snape after class, Ron is irritated rather than amused, and he and Harry duck into a bathroom so Ron can avoid her. There they find Moaning Myrtle, who says she was expecting someone else — a boy who has been crying.

Ron decides to take the extra Apparation classes being offered in Hogsmeade village. Hermione, meanwhile, repeatedly urges Harry to try and get Slughorn's memory. Harry truthfully answers that he is trying, but Slughorn, knowing what Harry is after, takes precautions to never be alone with him. Harry decides to spend another day looking for Malfoy in the Room of Requirement, first chasing off Goyle. Unsuccessful at opening the door, he kicks the wall, and his Invisibility Cloak slips off. Tonks calls out to him, and says she is there to see Dumbledore about "nothing in particular". She asks if he has heard from anyone in the Order, then gets teary eyed. When Harry relates this to Hermione, she remarks, "It's a bit odd." Harry suggests that she was in love with Sirius. Her Patronus is big and hairy now. Hermione thinks it is possible, but is doubtful.

[edit] Analysis

Harry learns that Malfoy has been spending time in the Room of Requirement, which is why Draco periodically disappears from the Marauder's Map. However, Harry still does not know what Malfoy is working on, and anyone he tells seems unconcerned. Harry only becomes more obsessed with following Draco, causing Harry to neglect his task to retrieve Slughorn's memory and receive a mild rebuke from Dumbledore.

Although Ron jokingly tells Hermione he loves her, he may actually be internalizing his strong feelings for her. And while he remains confused about how he actually feels about Hermione, there is no doubt about his feelings for Lavender—he wants to be rid of her.

Tonks' ongoing depression remains a mystery, but it has deeply affected her to where her Patronus had changed its shape. Although Harry believes she was in love with Sirius, Hermione doubts this, and Hermione is seldom wrong in her assumptions. One thing seems obvious, Tonks is secretly guarding Harry, always appearing just as he lands himself in trouble.

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. Why does Harry decide not to test the Prince's Sectumsempra spell?
2. Why does Harry believe his Potions book can help him retrieve Slughorn's memory? What does Hermione say?
3. Why does Tonks say she is looking for Dumbledore? What does she mean by "nothing in particular"?
4. Why is Tonks always so sad? Why does Hermione doubt that Tonks was in love with Sirius?

[edit] Extra Study

1. What might Draco be doing in the Room of Requirement?
2. Ron jokingly tells Hermione he "loves" her. Is he really joking or do his words reveal deeper feelings? What is Hermione's reaction?
3. Who might the sobbing boy in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom be and why does he go to that particular place? Why would he be crying?

[edit] Greater Picture

It is perhaps surprising that the Room of Requirement can be used to carry out what we assume is a task for Voldemort, as Hogwarts is supposed to be protected from Dark Magic. There are several possibilities here. One possibility is that the Room of Requirement is an exception, or that someone has performed a spell which allows it. Another possibility is that what is being done is not Dark as such, but can be used for Dark purposes. What Draco is doing is repairing a Vanishing cabinet, a task which in isolation is not Dark. It is the use it is put to once it is repaired that makes it so useful to the Dark side.

Harry's decision to heed Hermione's advice and refrain from testing the Prince's spells on someone without knowing the results was a wise one. Sectumsempra has a devastating effect, which, had it been used in a different circumstance, could have cost someone their life, and in a later chapter, it will be nearly fatal for someone.

Readers should note the reference to Inferi. They will be seen later in the book.

Chapter 22: After the Burial

[edit] Synopsis

Harry, Ron, and Hermione are studying the Apparation handbooks in preparation for their test. Hagrid sends a message saying that Aragog, the giant spider, has died. He asks if Harry, Ron, and Hermione could attend the funeral. Between the three, they decide not to go; it is such a silly thing to get detention over, after all.

Hermione suggests Harry have another try at Professor Slughorn's memory during class, as it will be pretty sparse with students off taking Apparation tests. Ron suggests using the Felix Felicis potion to help Harry get Professor Slughorn's memory. Hermione agrees, but Harry is reluctant; he had been saving it, although he is unsure for what – but it has something to do with Ginny breaking up with Dean, and Ron somehow getting a girlfriend he actually likes.

With only three people in Potions class (Harry, Ernie, and Draco), Professor Slughorn sets an open challenge: make whatever they like. Harry notices that Draco is looking thinner and a bit unhealthy, and believes that whatever he is doing in the Room of Requirement is not going so well. Slughorn is impressed with Harry's Euphoria Elixir, but again manages to escape when they are alone. Returning to the Gryffindor Common room, Harry learns that Hermione passed Apparation, but Ron failed by half an eyebrow.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron head for the dorm, where Harry drinks some Felix Felicis. To Ron and Hermione's amazement, Harry decides to attend Aragog's funeral. Covered by his Invisibility cloak, Harry returns to the Common room, followed by Ron and Hermione. Lavender, unable to see Harry but seeing Ron and Hermione arriving together from the boy's dorm, flies into a jealous rage. Heading out the portrait hole, Harry brushes against Ginny; she thinks it is Dean, and rounds on him.

Following a detour that the potion seems to suggest, Harry runs into Slughorn who, upon learning about Aragog's death, notes that acromantula venom is particularly valuable. Recognizing that this may be an opportunity to entice Slughorn to share his memory about Tom Riddle, Harry invites him to the funeral. Slughorn arrives at Hagrid's hut, well dressed and carrying bottles of mead. After an emotional service, and with help from Harry's flawless and surreptitious refilling charm, Hagrid and Slughorn become drunk. Knowing Slughorn will remember nothing the next morning, Harry talks about his parents' death. Hearing how his favorite student, Lily Evans, died, causes Slughorn to become extremely sad. Harry says he needs the memory about Tom Riddle, and, as a persuasion tactic, reminds Slughorn that he is Lily's son. Harry finally convinces Slughorn that he is the "Chosen One", and the teary-eyed professor yields the memory. Slughorn falls asleep after handing over the wisps of memory to Harry.

[edit] Analysis

This is the first time Harry's powers of persuasion have been truly seen, although he was under the influence of Felix Felicis at the time. This is also the first time that Harry has spoken about his parent's death in this manner, and probably the only time without experiencing extreme emotion, knowing it will help fight Voldemort. Even in death, James and Lily are still able to battle the Dark Lord. Readers should recall some chapters back that Professor Dumbledore said Harry was uniquely equipped to obtain Slughorn's memory. Dumbledore may have known about the Felix Felicis, although using it may actually have been unnecessary; Dumbledore knows that Harry having Lily's eyes, and Lily being one of Slughorn's favorite students, would be a powerful and emotional persuasion tactic. That, and being well plied with alcohol, is enough to coax Slughorn into divulging the memory; remembering Lily's sacrifice in fighting Voldemort also helped. Although Slughorn will have forgotten the incident when he awakes, he probably would have been appreciated the irony that it was his own Good Luck potion that allowed Harry to retrieve a memory from him that he tried so hard to keep hidden. Readers may wonder if Slughorn ever again awards another student this potion as a prize.

[edit] Questions

1. Why is Acromantula venom so valuable?
2. Why does Harry invite Slughorn to the funeral?
3. What might Harry have been intending to save the Felix Felicis potion for?
4. How does Harry persuade Slughorn to give him the memory? What helps him?

[edit] Greater Picture

Chapter 23: Horcruxes

[edit] Synopsis

Harry heads to the castle as the Felix Felicis potion is wearing off; Nearly Headless Nick tells him that Professor Dumbledore has returned and is in his office. Memory in hand, Harry presents himself to Dumbledore, who is apparently amazed and very pleased with Harry's success. He fetches his Pensieve, and they journey into Slughorn's fifty year-old memory.

Slughorn is talking to Tom Riddle, who asks about Horcruxes. Slughorn explains it is the darkest of Dark magic. It is possible to split a soul and encase the shard in another object; if killed, the perpetrator does not actually die because his soul shard is trapped and remains earthbound. Slughorn says souls are not meant to be split because it takes the ultimate evil, murder, to rip a soul apart. Prodded further, Slughorn reveals that there is a spell, but claims he does not know it. Riddle asks if one Horcrux can keep someone alive, is not more better? Seven, after all is a very powerful number. Slughorn, horrified, tries calming himself by saying this is all hypothetical. Riddle agrees, but as he departs, Harry sees the same wild joy on Riddle's face as when he learned he was a wizard.

Dumbledore tells Harry that Tom Riddle's diary, that Harry destroyed four years before, was almost certainly a Horcrux. He believes it was not only a safeguard, but also a weapon, intended to be passed on to, or planted upon, a Hogwarts student who would become possessed by it and reopen the Chamber of Secrets. Dumbledore suggests that this was a risky act if Riddle only had one soul fragment and believes there are others. Dumbledore recalls Voldemort's statement the night he returned: "I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality," and theorizes that, in a bid for immortality, Voldemort may have divided his soul into seven pieces (as the young Tom Riddle claimed that seven was the "most powerfully magical number"). As long as any Horcrux survives, Voldemort is unable to be killed. Dumbledore speculates that Voldemort only used unique items for his Horcruxes — objects with a significant history that no one would destroy. The seventh soul shard is evidently within Voldemort himself. Two Horcruxes have been destroyed: Tom Riddle's diary (seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) and a ring once belonging to Marvolo Gaunt, Voldemort's maternal grandfather. Dumbledore reveals that his injured hand resulted from destroying the ring, and it was only his own skill and Professor Snape's timely action that prevented the damage from being much worse. Dumbledore believes that of the four remaining Horcruxes, two will be Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket; the third may be a Ravenclaw artifact. The only known Gryffindor artifact, the sword, remains safe in Dumbledore's office. He suspects that the final Horcrux is in Nagini, Voldemort's pet snake. Although placing a Horcrux in a living being is possible, Dumbledore says it is not the safest place, as living creatures can be killed. Harry learns that Dumbledore's many absences from Hogwarts were because he was searching for Horcruxes, and Dumbledore tells Harry that should he locate any more Horcruxes, Harry will be permitted to accompany him.

Dumbledore says he does not believe Voldemort knows when a Horcrux is destroyed, as he seemed unaware that Tom Riddle's diary had been destroyed until he learned it from Lucius Malfoy. Dumbledore suggests that with that, plus the fiasco in the Ministry, Lucius may well be happy to be safely tucked away in Azkaban. Dumbledore tells Harry that Voldemort can be killed if all his Horcruxes are destroyed by someone with uncommon skill and power, someone like Harry, who possesses the ability to love.

[edit] Analysis

Trelawney's prophecy stated that "The Chosen One" would have powers the Dark Lord does not possess. That power is love, and Dumbledore realizes that it is Harry's abilities, combined with his capacity to love, that will empower him to defeat Voldemort. Unlike Harry, who is emotionally intact, and whose friends support him out of loyalty and amity, Voldemort is psychologically and spiritually shredded, capable of feeling only hate, envy, and rage, and controlling his followers through fear and coercion. And while Harry finds it difficult to fathom that something so simple as love is the more powerful force, he understands that, once again, it is also about choices; Voldemort's actions are based on the prophecy, but Harry would choose to fight Voldemort whether or not the prophecy had been made. That choice, and the ability to make that choice, is largely what gives Harry powers that Voldemort lacks and prevents Harry from falling victim to the Dark side.

Dumbledore believes that Voldemort's snake, Nagini, is also a Horcrux. It has been suggested that Voldemort's final Horcrux might have been generated via the death of Frank Bryce, the Riddle Manor caretaker that Voldemort murdered. Voldemort's wand was also used to murder Bertha Jorkins in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, so it may have been her death that allowed Voldemort to create a Horcrux that may be embedded within Nagini. It is also possible that all his Horcruxes were in place at the time of his encounter with Baby Harry; the weak and disembodied Voldemort may have been unable to create Horcruxes after that incident. This would rule out a Horcrux being made from either Bertha Jorkins' or Frank Bryce's deaths. However, Dumbledore is correct in his assertion that Nagini is much more self-aware than an ordinary snake would be, and that Voldemort seems to have much more control than expected. As Dumbledore had said, at this point we enter into the realm of speculation; as Dumbledore did not know of the circumstances surrounding Frank Bryce's death, or Bertha Jorkins', his speculation does not quite tally with the readers' understanding. Nagini was already acting most decidedly unsnake-like when Frank Bryce was killed, so the best assumption is that Voldemort's final Horcrux was actually created from the earlier death of Bertha Jorkins, and was retained in Nagini.

Dumbledore is not quite correct in saying that the sword is Gryffindor's only known artifact; there is also the Sorting Hat, which says it once belonged to Gryffindor. Being in some small way sentient, though, there is some question whether it is properly an artifact.

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. Why might Voldemort have created so many Horcruxes? Was this wise? If not, explain.
2. What is the significance of each object Voldemort hides the Horcruxes in?
3. Why did Dumbledore risk putting the ring on his finger knowing the dangers? What is the result?
4. Why was Dumbledore so frequently absent from Hogwarts?

[edit] Extra Study

1. How would love be able to defeat Voldemort? Does Harry truly understand its significance?

[edit] Greater Picture

One Horcrux was previously seen in Grimmauld Place. "A heavy locket that none of them could open," matching Slytherin's locket that has been seen in the Pensieve memories a few times now, was discovered and discarded during the cleanup of Grimmauld Place. A paper inside a fake locket that will be found later in a secret sea cave is signed R.A.B., which are the initials of the late Regulus Arcturus Black, a repentent Death Eater and Sirius's younger brother. The locket at Grimmauld Place will prove hard to find; originally Kreacher had set it aside, unable to part with any valuable Black heirlooms. It is later stolen by Mundungus Fletcher, who was seen earlier busily looting Grimmauld Place. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione eventually catch up with Mundungus, he will inform them that the locket was extorted from him by Dolores Umbridge at the Ministry of Magic.

Curiously, even though Harry clearly sees Slytherin's distinctively-shaped locket during his and Dumbledore's forays into the Pensieve, Harry fails to recognize it as the same one that was found and then discarded at Grimmauld Place (in Order of the Phoenix), nor will he fully realize that another locket that will be collected from a sea cave near the book's end is also different until he finds a note inside explaining that it is a fake Horcrux. Dumbledore will also fail to notice the difference; however, he will be in an extremely weakened physical and mental state after recovering the locket and it is possible that peoples' memories do not necessarily record small details so accurately.

Dumbledore states that he believes that Voldemort is unable to feel when his Horcruxes are being destroyed, given that he did not know the diary had been dispatched until told by Lucius Malfoy. What Dumbledore has not told Harry is that a second Horcrux, the ring, has also been eradicated, with no apparent response from Voldemort. It is learned later that Snape is able to bring information about Voldemort to Dumbledore, and he would have reported Voldemort's reaction to the ring's destruction had Voldemort been aware of it. While Harry learns that the ring Horcrux has been destroyed, he must remain unaware of just what Snape's true role is for a while longer.

If Riddle was telling the truth when he spoke to Slughorn, it indicates that he found nothing about Horcruxes in the library and that the book, Secrets of the Darkest Art (which we learn in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an authoritative source on the making and destruction of Horcruxes) had already been hidden away. Even then, though, Tom Riddle and the truth had, at best, no more than a nodding acquaintance. So it is entirely possible that Riddle had a greater understanding about how to create Horcruxes than he let on and could have created one. The author has stated that the ring Horcrux was made via the death of Tom Riddle Sr., which happened at the same time as Tom collected the ring from Morfin Gaunt; thus, if the ring was on Tom's finger in the memory, it must already have been a Horcrux. One of Dumbledore's infrequent mistakes is seen here; Dumbledore stated that once the ring was made into a Horcrux, Tom no longer wanted to wear it. He is wearing it in this memory, and it is presumably already a Horcrux. Possibly, a better statement would have been, "Once he had made a second Horcrux, he felt a need to keep them all safe and separate from himself." Thus the ring Horcrux would have been hidden once he had made the diary Horcrux.

It is certain that Riddle would have waited to hide the ring Horcrux in the Gaunt shack until Morfin and Marvolo were no longer there. He had learned from Morfin that Marvolo had died. Having framed Morfin for Tom Riddle Sr.'s murder, Riddle would have known that Morfin was in Azkaban, but there is always the possibility, slim though it may be, that he would break out or be released. Presumably it was only after hearing about Morfin's death in prison that Riddle thought it safe to return to the Gaunt shack and hide the ring there. Having taken great pains to conceal his original name, and especially his middle name, Voldemort thought that it would be impossible to make the connection back to the Gaunt shack.

Chapter 24: Sectumsempra

[edit] Synopsis

In Charms class the next day, Harry shares with Ron and Hermione what he and Dumbledore learned from Slughorn's memories. Ron, in return, mentions that as Lavender was unable to see Harry, she thought Ron and Hermione were upstairs alone, and they have broken up. Hermione comments that Ginny and Dean have also split. Harry tries hard to conceal his elation at this last bit of news, but Hermione senses he is hiding something.

Ginny and Dean's silence with one another creates a problem for the Quidditch team; Harry worries whether they can Chase together if they are at daggers drawn. Luckily, Katie Bell returns from the hospital and can resume playing. Unfortunately, she cannot recall who gave her the necklace.

Quidditch practice, now that McLaggen is gone and Katie is back, is wonderful. Ginny becomes the life of the team, cracking jokes and doing marvellous imitations. Harry is glad to have a reason to look at her, glad to have the chance to walk alongside her, but he is still seriously worried about what could happen to his friendship with Ron if he started dating her. Harry remembers Ron's expression when he caught Ginny and Dean together; what would he think of Ginny and himself? Meanwhile, there is much interest in the upcoming Quidditch match against Ravenclaw; the outcome of the Quidditch championship is still in doubt. Though Gryffindor would have to win by three hundred points to get the championship, that is still possible; if they lose by as much as a hundred points, they will still be in second place.

Harry, making his usual pass by the Room of Requirement, sees on the Marauder's Map that Draco is in a bathroom one floor below with Moaning Myrtle. Harry investigates and finds Draco sobbing: whatever he is planning, he is frightened that he is unable do it and fears for his parents' lives (and his own) if he fails. Malfoy spots Harry and casts a Cruciatus curse; Harry, defending himself, uses the Sectumsempra spell from the Half-Blood Prince's book, not knowing its effects. The spell slashes Draco, spilling his blood everywhere. Moaning Myrtle flies off, screaming; Professor Snape responds swiftly and saves Draco's life, rushing him to the Hospital Wing.

Returning, Snape demands to know whence Harry learned the spell, and despite Harry's attempts at occlumency, Snape apparently gleans some information that Harry's potions book is the source. Snape demands to see his textbooks. Harry runs to the Common room and borrows Ron's books including the Potions textbook, and, asking the Room of Requirement for a place to hide something, enters and finds himself in a vast warehouse filled with broken and discarded objects. Passing the broken Vanishing Cabinet in which Montague had run into trouble the previous year, Harry hides his annotated version in a large cupboard, placing an old stone bust, a wig, and a battered tiara on top to locate it again.

Snape seems unconvinced that these textbooks, especially the Potions book, are actually Harry's, particularly since the Potions book is signed "Roonil Wazlib". Having used Dark Magic to cause serious harm (albeit unknowingly), Snape gives Harry detention (and with McGonagall's concurrence) every Saturday for the rest of the year. Hermione, of course, says she always knew that the Prince was involved in Dark magic; Harry says that it proves nothing of the sort, the Prince may have just copied the spell down. Hermione is upset that Harry intends to go back and retrieve the Prince's book, but Ginny tells her to leave Harry alone.

Ginny replaces Harry as Seeker, and Dean Thomas replaces her as Chaser. That Saturday, as ordered, Harry reports to Snape's office for detention and is assigned copying over old detention files for Filch. Snape suggests Harry start with the boxes detailing his father's misbehaviour. When Harry returns to the Common room, he learns that Gryffindor won the match 450 to 140, and thus the Quidditch Cup. Ginny runs towards him; without thinking, he catches her in his arms and kisses her. When the kiss is over, he looks around: Dean Thomas is holding a broken glass, Romilda Vane looks angry, Hermione approving. Ron appears stunned, but gives a small nod, as if bowing to the inevitable. Harry suggests, wordlessly, to Ginny that they should go for a long walk.

[edit] Analysis

This is the first time Draco is seen attempting an unforgivable curse, though his familiarity with it suggests he has been practicing privately. Although Harry was justifiably defending himself against Malfoy, who was about to cast the Cruciatus Curse against him, using an unknown spell was dangerous and reckless. However, despite this grievous action that could have permanently expelled him from Hogwarts, Snape only assigns Harry detention. It is also the first time Draco is seen as anything but a swaggering, obnoxious bully, and his uncontrollable sobbing shows he possesses a more humanistic side. Draco is obviously terrified for his and his family's safety should he fail in his task, indicating he is under extreme emotional duress. Harry catching him in such a vulnerable state prompted his severe reaction, which, in turn, caused Harry to react just as rashly.

Ginny defending Harry when Hermione is chastising him for wanting to retrieve the Half-Blood Prince's book serves several purposes. First, Ginny reminds Hermione that Draco was about to cast an unforgivable curse, and shows that there is a definite possibility that Harry was acting on impulse, not rational thought. Second, this is the first time that someone other than Ron or Harry has defended the Half-Blood Prince, though in this instance, it is more to justify Harry's actions; Hermione's long-standing animosity toward the Prince seems to be based on jealousy, rather than on her concern that the Prince might be a Dark wizard. In particular, Hermione sees Harry's use of the text as not his own work, but instead as using the Prince's work and claiming it as his own. For Hermione, it seems that this is an issue that is about more than the Prince's spells possibly having Dark aspects, though she does use the Dark nature of the Sectumsempra spell as justification for her excoriation of the Prince. And finally, this helps set up the scene where Harry and Ginny kiss. By seeing that Ginny is willing to stand up for him, Harry now knows that Ginny is not angry with him, and this gives Harry hope that she may still have feelings for him.

While Ginny and Harry's relationship has been gradually building almost from the the series' beginning, this is the first time it has been declared openly. It took so long because they were often at cross purposes. At first, Harry simply had no romantic interest in Ginny, having first set his sights on Cho Chang and considering Ginny only as Ron's little sister. It is only later that Harry realized that he and Cho were incompatible and that he not only had feelings for Ginny, but that they were suited to each other in nearly every way. She, however, appeared to have moved on and became involved with someone else, although she never actually lost interest in Harry; she simply gave up. Harry need not have worried about what Ron thought, however. In fact, when Ginny announced that she had broken up with Michael Corner at the end of the previous book, Ron subtly hinted to Harry that he was a better choice than Michael, even if Harry was oblivious about what he meant at the time.

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. What task has Draco Malfoy been asked to perform?
2. Why does Malfoy fear for his and his family's lives should he fail to complete his task?

[edit] Extra Study

1. Why would Harry cast a spell without knowing what it does? Was he justified in using it? Explain.
2. Why does Snape only assign Harry detention for such a serious offense, rather than recommend he be expelled?

[edit] Greater Picture

Harry and Ginny's relationship, which begins publicly here, will be thrown into turmoil nearer the end of this book. Harry knows Voldemort will attack anyone close to Harry, causing him to end his and Ginny's relationship in order to protect her.

While inside the Room of Requirement, Harry unknowingly touches another Horcrux and puts it on top of the dresser that he hides his Potions book in. This is something that he will need to remember in the next book.

This will not be the last time Snape gives a light sentence for a student's serious offense. In Deathly Hallows, when Ginny, Neville, and Luna attempt to steal Gryffindor's Sword from the Headmaster's office, Snape, the then-Headmaster, catches them, but he only assigns them detention in the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid.

Chapter 25: The Seer Overheard

[edit] Synopsis

Harry and Ginny are happy together, laughing about the rumors going around school about them; Harry is particularly pleased that the reason everyone is talking about him is something that makes him happy, rather than something to do with Dark magic. Ron and Hermione seem to be getting close as well. Harry's concerns that his relationship with Ginny could affect his friendship with Ron have largely evaporated.

Harry dares not to return to the Room of Requirement to recover his Potions textbook, thinking that Snape might still want to get his hands on it, and his Potions work is suffering; Professor Slughorn genially attributes this to his new interest in Ginny. Hermione reveals her theory to Harry regarding the 'Half-Blood Prince'. She has found a write-up of one Eileen Prince, a past Hogwarts student, and suggests that if she was a half-blood, it could have been her.

Harry is summoned to Dumbledore's office. Along the way, he encounters Professor Trelawney, who is sprawled in the hallway outside the Room of Requirement. She admits that she uses the Room of Requirement to hide her stock of sherry, but she is unable to get in. Apparently, someone is inside, barring others from entering. Trelawney heard a 'whooping' sound from within, which makes Harry believe that Malfoy has finally finished his task. When Trelawney called out to see who was there, everything went dark and she was pushed out into the hall. Harry says she should tell Dumbledore; she seems to like the idea and accompanies him.

As they walk, Trelawney recounts the evening Dumbledore hired her; Harry already knows Dumbledore's version, but is fascinated to hear Trelawney's, particularly when she reveals Snape interrupted them. Realizing it was Snape who passed Voldemort the information that prompted him to kill his parents, a raging Harry runs off to confront Dumbledore in his office. Dumbledore, however, disarms Harry before he can speak by telling him that he believes he has located a Horcrux. Harry is only momentarily distracted, then confronts Dumbledore about Trelawney.

After a fiery exchange, Dumbledore simply states he has reason to trust Snape, even given his skills at Occlumency. Dumbledore exacts a promise from Harry that, if Harry wishes to come with him to retrieve the Horcrux, he must be prepared to follow Dumbledore's orders explicitly. Harry promises, and Dumbledore tells him to fetch his Cloak and meet him in the Entrance Hall.

Harry retrieves the Marauder's Map and his phial of Felix Felicis potion from his dorm and hands these to Ron and Hermione, saying he and Dumbledore are leaving the school, but that Draco has finished his task. Although Dumbledore has posted extra guards, if Snape is on the Dark side, he will know what security measures are in place. Harry wants Ron, Hermione, and Ginny to have Felix to protect them, and he wants Dumbledore's Army to stand guard as well.

Harry runs to the Entrance Hall. Putting on the Cloak at Dumbledore's request, they head to Hogsmeade. In answer to Dumbledore's query, Harry says that he can Apparate, but he does not have a license yet. Dumbledore says he will guide again. They pass the Three Broomsticks, where Madam Rosmerta is ejecting a grubby wizard, and head to the Hog's Head, but with no one around, they Disapparate before reaching it.

[edit] Analysis

Harry and Ginny are happy, finally realizing they were meant to be together. However, their happiness may be short-lived; the book's mood is becoming markedly darker, especially when Harry learns it was Snape who betrayed his parents. Also, Harry knows that whatever task Draco has been working on appears to be completed. Just what this task is and how it will affect Hogwarts is still unknown, and Harry is exceedingly frustrated that his warnings about Draco's suspicious activities have been repeatedly ignored by Ron and Hermione, and apparently also by Dumbledore. However, it is actually unlikely that Dumbledore has ignored Harry's warnings and is well aware of what is happening within his own school. Harry fails to realize that a Headmaster cannot divulge sensitive information to a student, even Harry. There have already been hints that Dumbledore assigned Snape to investigate Draco's suspicious behavior. And while Harry continues to suspect Snape, Dumbledore trusts him implicitly.

[edit] Questions

1. What exactly did Snape hear when Trelawney related the prophecy to Dumbledore?
2. What might have Snape done or said that has made Dumbledore trust him implicitly?
3. Why did Dumbledore never tell Harry who overheard the prophecy?
4. Why were Harry's repeated warnings about Draco Malfoy continually ignored, especially considering Malfoy's obviously suspicious behavior?

[edit] Greater Picture

It is interesting to note that many "good Snape" theorists base their opinions on the fact that Professor Trelawney identified Professor Snape as the intruder the night the prophecy was given. Since we know from Chapter 16: Professor Trelawney's Prediction in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that Trelawny is unaware of her surroundings while in the midst of relaying a true prophecy, she could only have seen Snape before or after she relayed the prophecy to Dumbledore. This goes directly against Dumbledore's story that the intruder only heard the first half of the prophecy before being ejected from the Hog's Head. Furthermore, since we know from Voldemort's actions in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix that he did, until that point, only know the first half of the prophecy, many people assume that Professor Snape either heard all of the prophecy or none of it, and either way, only reported as much of it to Voldemort as Dumbledore ordered him to. This would certainly go a long way towards explaining why Dumbledore trusts Snape. However, it is also necessary to remember that in both the instances we have heard, Trelawney repeated the beginning of the prophecy. Therefore, the critical bit of the prophecy was, in fact, the middle, and so if Snape heard only the end, and carried as much as he had heard to Voldemort, that would be the same as carrying only the beginning.

Snape was possibly revolted by how Voldemort put his information to use. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows it is learned that Lily Evans was Snape's great unrequited love, and so when Voldemort decided that the prophecy meant her child (Harry), and she, herself, must die, Snape was, at one stroke, lost to the Death Eaters.

We can also infer from Snape's memories in that chapter that Dumbledore was not ignoring Harry's information about Draco and Snape; what he said, always, was "Put that out of your mind." Literally, he was saying, not that the issue was unimportant, but that it was not Harry's concern. In Snape's memories, Dumbledore knew Draco's mission before Snape had told him, and before this book had even opened, though we never know how he learned. (Dumbledore and Snape talk of Draco's mission when Snape has just finished curtailing the curse which killed Dumbledore's hand; and the damage to his hand is alluded to in chapters 2 and 3 of the book.) So Dumbledore's response to Harry's information is more along the lines of "I already know all about this, and you should not concern yourself with it." Dumbledore has said previously that he is an old man, and old men tend to forget how young men think and feel. Perhaps this dismissal of Harry's concerns is another case of this forgetfulness?

Chapter 26: The Cave

[edit] Synopsis

Dumbledore and Harry apparate to the foot of a seaside cliff. Dumbledore says this is where the young Tom Riddle led two younger orphans on a horrifying trip. Dumbledore and Harry approach the cliff; Dumbledore illuminates his wand to reveal a fissure in the rocks. He and Harry swim to it, finding a hidden cave.

Dumbledore says this is only an antechamber; the real goal is further. Feeling for an opening in the cave's wall, he finds it, but it does not open. Believing the Dark Lord likes his enemies weakened, Dumbledore cuts his arm and sheds blood on the wall. An opening appears; inside is a huge underground lake with a strange green glow in its center. As Dumbledore looks for something, he cautions Harry against touching the lake surface. It occurs to Harry that he could simply Summon the Horcrux; Dumbledore suggests he try and when Harry does, something large, far out in the lake jumps, intercepting the spell. Dumbledore says that is likely what they will have to face in order to retrieve the Horcrux.

Continuing around the shore, Dumbledore finds an invisible chain; rendering it visible, he reels it in, and a tiny boat surfaces and is pulled to the shore. Harry and Dumbledore climb in, and the boat propels itself smoothly towards the island in the middle of the lake. Harry, peering down from the bow, sees dead bodies floating beneath the water's surface; Dumbledore says that as long the bodies are merely floating, there is nothing to fear.

Finally, the boat reaches the island. On it is a basin filled with greenly glowing liquid. Presumably the Horcrux is submerged within. They are unable to touch the basin or its contents, so Dumbledore must drink the substance. He makes Harry promise to force him to finish every drop. He produces a goblet and begins drinking. The potion causes intense pain, and, in his delirious agony, he begs Harry to kill him. Harry persists in refilling the goblet and persuading Dumbledore to finish. Dumbledore is very weak and requests water, but when the water that Harry conjures vanishes as it approaches Dumbledore, Harry fills the goblet from the lake that Dumbledore warned him not to touch. He manages to throw the water into Dumbledore's face, but can do nothing else, as Inferi (animated corpses that Harry had seen floating beneath the water) emerge, attempting to drag Harry into the water. Harry tries Jinx after Jinx to fend them off, but they keep coming, dragging him towards the water. Dumbledore recovers enough to fend them off with magical fire. Keeping them surrounded with the ring of flames, Dumbledore collects the locket at the bottom of the now-empty basin, and he and Harry climb back into the boat. The Inferi, dully, lose interest in Harry and Dumbledore, who now return to the shore. Harry leads Dumbledore from the cave, opening the archway to the antechamber with the graze on his arm he got fighting the Inferi; they return to the fissure leading to the sea.

[edit] Analysis

Dumbledore asks Harry to accompany him on his mission to retrieve the Horcrux not only for Harry's magical abilities, but also for Harry's incomplete mastery of them. Voldemort charmed the boat to carry only one adult wizard at a time; it cannot be summoned to and from the island with magic while it is empty - a passenger must be in it. However, two people are needed to retrieve the locket from the basin. Harry is underage and small, so his presence in the boat goes undetected. It will soon be learned that Harry and Dumbedore are not the only ones who overcame this obstacle, and, as with the Room of Requirement and the Diary Horcrux, Voldemort's overconfidence that his tight security is inpenetrable results in serious errors. This is yet another flaw in Voldemort's power, although he believes he is invincible.

[edit] Questions

[edit] Review

1. What was the green liquid that Dumbledore drank?
2. Why would Dumbledore ask a still-unqualified student to accompany him on such a dangerous mission?
3. Why did Dumbledore wish Harry to kill him?

[edit] Extra Study

1. Why did the young Tom Riddle (Voldemort) take the two orphans to the cave?
2. How could Tom Riddle have discovered the cave at such an early age, and even before he knew he was a wizard?

[edit] Greater Picture

Compare Harry's feelings of "revulsion" and "self-hatred" as he forced Dumbledore to drink the potion to Snape's expression as he performs the Avada Kedavra in the next chapter.

As Dumbledore drinks the potion, we briefly glimpse what may be his worst fear: his loved ones, which it will eventually be learned are his brother and sister, suffering on his account.

Chapter 27: The Lightning-Struck Tower

[edit] Synopsis

Harry Apparates a weakened Dumbledore back to Hogsmeade. Collapsing, Dumbledore tells Harry to get him to Severus Snape. Madam Rosmerta runs up, reporting that the Dark Mark is floating over Hogwarts. She lends them brooms, and they fly to the Astronomy Tower, with Dumbledore mumbling incantations to allow them through Hogwarts' protective spells. Harry fears for his friends' lives.

As they land atop the tower, Dumbledore orders Harry to fetch Snape, but hearing footsteps in the stairwell, Dumbledore freezes Harry under his invisibility cloak. Draco Malfoy bursts through the door and disarms Dumbledore. Draco reveals his task is to kill Dumbledore, and it was he who helped the Death Eaters invade Hogwarts via a repaired Vanishing Cabinet. It is the same cabinet Montague was shoved into the previous year. The connecting Vanishing Cabinet is at Borgin and Burkes; Montague was stuck between them, sometimes hearing what was happening at the school, sometimes what was occurring at the store, until he finally managed to Apparate out. Draco also controlled Madame Rosmerta using the Imperius Curse; that was how he poisoned the bottle of mead Ron drank, and how Katie Bell got the necklace. Malfoy and a disarmed Dumbledore speak on the tower for quite a while as battle rages beneath them, and Malfoy seems to become more and more reluctant to kill Dumbledore; however, he believes he has no choice, as his and his mother's lives are at forfeit if he does not.

Dumbledore calmly reasons with the frightened and conscience-stricken Malfoy to abandon his mission, promising protection from Voldemort for him and his family. Malfoy falters, apparently about to accept Dumbledore's offer. However, as he is lowering his wand, four Death Eaters arrive: Amycus and Alecto Carrow, Fenrir Greyback, and one other. Their taunting cannot spur on Draco to kill Dumbledore; Fenrir volunteers, but is restrained by the fourth Death Eater. Harry hears yelling from below, heartened that the Hogwart defenders are undefeated, only walled off. Snape appears and pauses to survey the situation. Dumbledore calls his name softly, almost pleadingly. Snape momentarily gazes at Dumbledore, his face an expression of revulsion and horror, then points his wand directly at Dumbledore's heart and executes the lethal Avada Kedavra curse, hurling Dumbledore's lifeless body upward in the air, over the parapet, and to the ground below.

[edit] Analysis

Perhaps the greatest mystery in the entire series is, did Snape actually murder Dumbledore or did they have some prearranged plan? There is evidence to support either conclusion, and despite Dumbledore's unwavering trust in Snape, his loyalty remained questionable to Harry and to readers. Regardless, it appears that Snape had little choice; he must either kill Albus Dumbledore or die, since he is bound by the Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco Malfoy and complete his mission should Draco fail. Although many readers may believe that if Snape was truly loyal to Dumbledore, then he should have willingly sacrificed himself to protect him and Harry, yet Snape does not. It is possible that Snape and Dumbledore were communicating with each other using Legilimency, and Dumbledore's pleas may represent a request for Snape to sacrifice him to protect Harry and allow Snape to remain in the Dark Lord's favor, implying that Snape might play a key role if Harry is to destroy the Dark Lord. These speculations, and whether or not Dumbledore was actually dead, were hotly debated by readers until the seventh and final Harry Potter book.

Other clues: In every other appearance of the Avada Kedavra curse, the victim merely collapsed and died. Yet in this instance, the curse's recipient (Dumbledore) is hurled into the air and spun around before falling dead to the ground below.

In previous books, Rowling included a particular character who demonstrated suspicious behavior (e.g. the implication that Snape was trying to steal the Sorcerer's Stone in book 1), before revealing it was actually someone else (e.g. Quirrell was attempting to obtain the Sorcerer's Stone). Given this tendency of planting red herrings, it is impossible to say conclusively where Snape's loyalty lies. His actions have been such that he has been useful to both sides and has done nothing that would force him to choose one over the other.

Dumbledore seems either to have been intending to die or was taking a tremendous gamble. The Death Eaters were able to quickly conjure an impenetrable barrier on the stairway, which begs the question why Dumbledore did not react similarly after hearing footsteps on the Astronomy Tower staircase. This would have allowed both Harry and himself an opportunity to escape, but instead he chose to incapacitate Harry, preventing him from intervening and allowing himself to be disarmed by Draco Malfoy, an unqualified wizard. He was either expecting (or planning) to be killed by either Draco or Snape, or he hoped to turn Malfoy over to his side.

As a side note, the fourth Death Eater present at Dumbledore's death, who is never named here, is later identified as Yaxley. Yaxley had been a Death Eater in Voldemort's old organization, and will play a moderately significant role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

[edit] Questions

1. Why did Dumbledore paralyze Harry Potter under his Invisibility Cloak upon Draco's arrival on the Tower?
2. Why would Snape kill Albus Dumbledore? Was it ruthless murder or a prearranged plan?
3. If Snape actually is loyal to Dumbledore (as Dumbledore always claimed), why wouldn't he be willing to sacrifice himself to save Dumbledore and Harry?
4. Why did the Avada Kedavra curse affect Dumbledore differently than it has others?
5. If Dumbledore did not know about Snape's Unbreakable Vow, he nevertheless suggests to Draco Malfoy that "perhaps Severus may have told you so," implying that Snape might not really be disobeying Dumbledore. Is it possible he was bluffing to Malfoy?

[edit] Greater Picture

Nothing is mentioned in this chapter about what happened to Dumbledore's wand after it went flying over the tower with him. However, it is revealed in book seven that the wand was interred with Dumbledore's corpse, and it becomes an important plot element in the final showdown between Harry and Voldemort.

Dumbledore's death was premeditated by both himself and Snape; Snape was charged to kill him at an appropriate time to spare Malfoy from completing Voldemort's task. Dumbledore was slowly dying from a deadly curse that was triggered when he put on the now-destroyed Horcrux (Gaunt's ring). Wishing to die by his own design, he tasked Snape with his death. The potion Dumbledore drank in the cave had left him too weak to defend himself. His plea to Snape was to carry out his final wish, which Snape reluctantly executed.

Chapter 28: Flight of the Prince

[edit] Synopsis

Snape forces Draco Malfoy back down the tower stairwell, followed by other Death Eaters. Harry, released from the paralysing spell by Dumbledore's death, petrifies the last one and charges down the steps after them. At the bottom is a melée of Hogwarts students, teachers, and Order of the Phoenix members fighting Death Eaters. Ginny is dueling Amycus Carrow. Harry Jinxes Amycus, sending him cannoning into a wall. The remaining Death Eaters, hearing Snape's signal, break away and run. Harry, following, wonders if they will head for the Entrance Hall or the Room of Requirement. Seeing a bloody footprint, Harry deduces that they have gone to the Front Hall and takes a short cut there.

Reaching the entrance, Harry sees a Death Eater on the grounds, Snape and Draco further away. The large blond Death Eater casts multiple curses at Hagrid, but his massive body deflects them. Harry hurls the Prince's spells at Snape, but Snape easily blocks every one, proclaiming he created them—he is the Half-Blood Prince. Although Snape deflects every curse Harry casts, he does nothing to harm him and continually tells him what he is doing wrong. Amycus and Alecto catch up to Harry, and one curses him. Snape blocks the curse, and prevents the other Death Eaters from attacking Harry, claiming he belongs to Voldemort. Harry dares Snape to kill him, calling him a coward. Enraged, Snape stuns Harry before escaping with Draco and the other Death Eaters.

Hagrid's hut is afire, and Hagrid rushes from the flames with Fang. Harry puts out the fire using Aguamenti. Hagrid does not believe Harry when he says Dumbledore is dead. He and Hagrid approach a crowd huddled around Dumbledore's twisted corpse. Harry removes the locket from the old wizard's robe pocket. Inside he finds a note reading:

To the Dark Lord

I know I will be dead long before you read this

but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret.

I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can.

I face death in the hope that when you meet your match,

you will be mortal once more.

R.A.B.

[edit] Analysis

Harry chases Snape in a blind rage and with one intent: to kill him. Snape, who easily eludes him, has every opportunity to murder or capture the outmatched Harry. Instead, he merely deflects Harry's ineffective curses. Snape continually does nothing to harm Harry, and actually tells him what he is doing wrong and how to correct it. He also prevents the other Death Eaters from cursing him. Why? Although he claims he wants to leave Harry for the Dark Lord, he could easily have stunned and presented him to Voldemort. By leaving Harry at Hogwarts, Snape not only risks having the determined and vengeful Harry single-mindedly hunting him down, but also the Dark Lord's deadly wrath by letting his number one enemy remain alive and free. For Harry, learning that his admired mentor (the Half-Blood Prince) is actually his hated nemesis is shocking and revolting. When he called Snape a coward, Snape become enraged, even though murdering Dumbledore can only be considered the lowest cowardly act.

Harry learns that someone with the initials R.A.B. stole the true Horcrux from the cave. However, in Chapter 26, it was learned that two people were needed to recover the locket from the basin on the island. R.A.B. must have had some assistance. Although R.A.B. is probably dead, if another person was involved, it is possible he or she may still be alive and could provide valuable information. It also appears that R.A.B. may have known about the prophecy, as that person refers to Voldemort meeting his match. However, it also seems that R.A.B. may have mistakenly believed that the locket was the only Horcrux, as he seems to assume that destroying it will be sufficient to make Voldemort mortal once more.

[edit] Questions

1. Who might R.A.B. be?
2. Why would Snape react so strongly when Harry called him a coward?
3. Why does Snape not curse or kill or capture Harry during his escape? Why would Snape tell Harry what he is doing wrong as Harry attempts to curse him?
4. During his duel with Snape, why didn't Harry cast any spells nonverbally, one of Snape's first DADA's lessons?

[edit] Greater Picture

In the final book, it will be revealed that "R.A.B." are the initials of Regulus Black (Sirius' brother). Regulus' middle name is "Arcturus," a name which appears on the Black Family tree. The person who stole the Horcrux had to be someone close to Voldemort, most likely a Death Eater, which Regulus Black was. It is usually, although not exclusively, Death Eaters who refer to Voldemort as the Dark Lord.

It was mentioned earlier that it was believed that Regulus had gotten into Voldemort's hierarchy, had not liked what he had found, and had wanted out, but had been killed, possibly by Voldemort himself. It will be learned that this is not what had happened. Kreacher will know more about it, as he was involved; it is noted in the Analysis that it would have taken two people to remove and replace the locket, and that will turn out to have been Regulus and Kreacher. Regulus had, in fact, decided that he wanted out, but rather than simply leaving (and being killed), he had decided to make his death count for something. Having learned of the existence of a Horcrux, and having determined, from Kreacher, where something valuable was hidden, Regulus determined to destroy what he had thought was the only Horcrux Voldemort had made.

In this chapter, we learn that Snape was, in fact, the Half-Blood Prince of the title, and that the textbook Harry had been using so successfully was originally Snape's. It is mentioned earlier that the book had been found to be fifty years old when Harry looked at it, which ruled out his father owning it, and seems to rule out Snape owning it also. However, we will learn later that Snape had come from a poverty-stricken household, and so very likely had been provided second-hand textbooks. Quite possibly the fact that he had to use a text that was, when he got it, already a quarter century old, would have increased his dislike of the more-privileged students.

In the previous year, as Sirius, Harry, and the Weasleys sorted through the various family heirlooms at 12 Grimmauld Place, the Black family home, a heavy locket that none of them can open is tossed aside. We will find out later that Kreacher had saved the locket, keeping it hidden in his cupboard, and, later still, it will be stolen by Mundungus Fletcher, and then extorted from him in turn by Dolores Umbridge. It will turn out to be the Horcrux locket, once belonging to Salazar Slytherin, and can only be opened by someone speaking in parseltongue. That would explain why no one could open the locket, and why Regulus was unable to destroy it as he intended. Since no one suspected the locket was a Horcrux, Harry did not speak Parseltongue to it (although he does so later to destroy it). Voldemort probably did not create the charm that prevented the locket from opening, though he was likely glad that it was difficult as it protected his Horcrux within. Slytherin's descendants were proud of their ability to speak to snakes; it is entirely possible that Slytherin himself, when he created the locket, charmed it to prevent it from opening unless spoken to in Parseltongue.

Chapter 29: The Phoenix Lament

[edit] Synopsis

Ginny leads Harry to the Hospital Wing where everyone is gathered. Harry, remembering the Dark Mark, fearfully asks who is dead. Ginny tells him nobody, but Harry recalls falling over a body. Ginny says that was Bill, and he is a bit of a mess, but he will survive. Apparently, he was savagely mauled by Fenrir Greyback. It is unknown what the long-term effects will be, but it is not believed that Bill will be a werewolf because Fenrir was not transformed at the time, but he will never heal completely and is permenantly disfigured.

Because Ginny, Ron, and Hermione took the Felix Felicis potion, they were safe, and only Professor Dumbledore and one Death Eater were killed – the big blond Death Eater was firing curses indiscriminately and accidentally hit his ally.

Ron and Lupin are stunned when Harry informs them that Dumbledore is dead. Professor McGonagall arrives and asks Harry if he witnessed what happened. Harry says Snape killed Dumbledore. McGonagall wonders aloud why Dumbledore ever trusted Snape. Harry replies that Snape relayed the Prophecy's contents to Voldemort, and later claimed remorse that Voldemort killed his father and mother. McGonagall blames herself; she sent Professor Flitwick to fetch Snape. Lupin reassures her that they were all glad that Snape would be joining them.

According to McGonagall, when Dumbledore left, Tonks, Lupin, and Bill were on patrol, but it is unknown where the Death Eaters appeared from. Harry explains about the Vanishing Cabinets and the Room of Requirement. Ron says that he, Ginny, and Neville had been watching the Room of Requirement and saw Draco appear with the Hand of Glory. When he had spotted them, he threw something and everything went dark. People were heard rushing past, but they were unable to see to Jinx them. They groped their way out of the corridor. Luckily they ran into Lupin, who found the Death Eaters at the Astronomy Tower. One, Gibbon, cast the Dark Mark, then was killed. Meanwhile, Hermione and Luna were at Snape's office. Flitwick went to warn Snape that Death Eaters were in the castle, then there were confused sounds from within and Snape came out. Spotting Hermione and Luna, he told them that Flitwick had fallen and to take care of him.

At the main battle, Draco disappeared, apparently going up the tower. Four Death Eaters followed him, leaving behind a barrier and, "that big blond death eater," who was firing curses in all directions. Snape reappeared and went through the barrier. Then, after the big one had brought down about half the ceiling and knocked out the barrier, Snape and Draco returned, and they just let him pass.

Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, and Fleur Delacour now arrive. Mrs. Weasley immediately tends to Bill's injuries. She believes Fleur will end the engagement because Bill is disfigured. Angry, Fleur declares she loves Bill and still plans to marry him. This act bonds her with Mrs. Weasley. Tonks reveals she has been in love with Remus Lupin who, because he is a werewolf and older, had discouraged her feelings. Harry suddenly realizes that Tonks' new Patronus is a wolf. Lupin is still reluctant, but Mr. Weasley points out that the future is always uncertain.

Hagrid reports that he moved Dumbledore's body, the students are back in bed, and the Ministry has been notified. Professor McGonagall takes over as interim Headmistress and calls a meeting with the House Heads plus Hagrid, suggesting that Horace Slughorn should represent Slytherin. McGonagall first meets with Harry in the Headmaster's office, where Dumbledore's sleeping portrait now hangs among the other past Headmasters. McGonagall asks Harry what happened after he and Dumbledore left the school, but Harry, still honoring his vow to Dumbledore, reveals nothing and says, "Professor Dumbledore never told me to stop following his orders if he died." He warns McGonagall that Madam Rosmerta is under the Imperius curse. The House Heads troop in, and McGonagall canvasses them as to whether Hogwarts should stay open, given that their Headmaster was just murdered by a teacher. All agree it should remain open. Professor McGonagall will consult the Governors, who will make the final decision.

McGonagall suggests students should depart early on the Hogwarts Express, but Harry points out that they may want to stay for the funeral. The House Heads unanimously agree to honour Dumbledore's wish that he be laid to rest at the school. Professor Flitwick says that transport arrangements can be made after the funeral.

Professor McGonagall sees Rufus Scrimgeour arriving with a delegation. Wanting to avoid questions, Harry leaves and heads to Gryffindor tower. Almost everyone is in the Common room. Thankfully, only Ron is in their dormitory. Harry tells Ron that the Horcrux was a fake; the real one was stolen. Ron, reading the note, asks who R.A.B. is. Harry has no idea.

[edit] Analysis

Whether or not Dumbledore is really dead was endlessly debated by fans. The author left many hints that Dumbledore may still be alive or will return in some manner - either physically or spiritually. His portrait in the Headmaster's office "appears" to be sleeping. It is possible it is not a real portrait, but only imitating those of other former Headmasters and Headmistresses as a ruse to deceive enemies. If, however, the portrait starts interacting in a similar manner as the others, this would be some proof that Dumbledore is actually dead.

It is possible that although Snape killed Dumbledore, he did not actually murder him. That is, there may have been a prearranged agreement that Snape would kill the Headmaster if events deemed it necessary to protect the Order's mission. Indeed, during their confrontation on the Astronomy Tower, it is almost as if Dumbledore was pleading with a conflicted Snape to curse him. In a previous conversation between them, Snape was overheard telling Dumbledore that he would refuse to do something, to which Dumbledore insisted he must follow through. This may have been a reference to Snape's Unbreakable Vow that would require him to kill Dumbledore if Draco failed.

Dumbledore (possibly with Snape's assistance) may have taken measures to prevent his own death. During Harry's first year, Snape told students that there are potions that can, "put a stopper in death." Dumbledore certainly was aware Draco was aiding Voldemort's plan to invade Hogwarts, and it is unlikely he could be caught unprepared by Death Eaters, much less an underaged wizard like Draco.

Also, Voldemort himself may have prevented Dumbledore's death. When Dumbledore drinks the potion in the cave, he tells Harry it will not immediately kill him because Voldemort would want to keep whoever stole the locket alive long enough to learn how they were able to penetrate the Dark Lord's defenses. It is possible that the potion protected Dumbledore from the Avada Kedavra curse, keeping him in a deathlike state. If this is true, there may be an antidote to the potion's poisonous effects, and which could be why Dumbledore wanted Harry to fetch Snape rather than Madam Pomfrey, when they returned to Hogwarts. As mentioned in a previous chapter, readers should be aware that the effects of Snape's curse seem dissimilar to other Avada Kedavra curses.

That Dumbledore's animal familiar is a phoenix is unlikely a coincidence. A phoenix dies by bursting into flames and is reborn from its own ashes. This could be symbolic that Dumbledore may experience a similar resurrection. A phoenix's cry is healing, and Fawkes' lament was heard as he soared over his master's body.

Countering these speculations is the author's assertion in an interview after the sixth book's release that Dumbledore is "definitely dead." However, the Headmasters do live on, in a fashion, within their portraits, interacting with people and retaining the headmasters' memories. Dumbledore's portrait should be able to speak with Harry and provide information regarding events that have not yet been resolved. Additionally, Dumbledore will have stored memories in his Pensieve, which Harry may be able to access.

On a completely separate subject, in this chapter we see, again, the romance between Harry and Ginny. When Hagrid tells Harry that he must leave Dumbledore's body, Harry does not move; it is only when Ginny leads him away by the hand that Harry moves. Also, in the Hospital Wing, Ginny stays next to Harry, possibly to give him comfort if he needs it, possibly to get some comfort from him herself. He does not leave her side until Professor McGonagall summons him to the headmaster's office.

[edit] Questions

1. What reasons might Snape have killed Dumbledore? Is it possible he is still loyal to Dumbledore even after causing his death?
2. Why does Mrs. Weasley believe Fleur will end her engagement to Bill Weasley? What is Fleur's reaction?
3. What might happen to Bill in the future?
4. Can Tonks and Lupin's relationship last? What precautions must they take?
5. Why does Hogwarts close early? Will it reopen next year?
6. Who is likely to be the new headmaster/headmistress?
7. Why does Harry refuse to tell McGonagall what happened after he and Dumbledore left for the cave? Couldn't she get this same information from Dumbledore's portrait?

[edit] Greater Picture

The speculation around Dumbledore's death was, of course, ended with the publication of the seventh and final book. In that book, it was revealed that in fact Dumbledore had become cursed by contact with the Peverell ring, which had been so cursed because it contained a Horcrux. Despite Snape's best efforts, the curse had given Dumbledore at most a year to live. Dumbledore, already aware of Voldemort's plan to have Draco Malfoy try to murder him, also knew that Draco would not be able to do so unless compelled by other Death Eaters, and was concerned that he would be tormented by Death Eaters in the process. He had exacted a promise from Snape that in that eventuality, Snape would step in and kill him, so as to spare Draco's soul and allow Dumbledore to retain some dignity.

Chapter 30: The White Tomb

[edit] Synopsis

Over the next few days, some students leave the school with their parents. Others, like Seamus Finnigan, refuse to go until they pay their last respects to Dumbledore. Meanwhile, wizards and witches pour into Hogsmeade to attend the funeral. Harry and Ginny, Hermione and Ron now spend all their time together. They visit the Hospital Wing often. While Neville is healed, Bill remains under constant care. Apart from being permanently disfigured, the only lasting effect seems to be a preference for very rare steaks.

Later, Hermione shares that her library research uncovered that Eileen Prince is the Potions book's original owner and Snape's mother. Prince "married a Muggle named Tobias Snape and later gave birth to..." Harry interrupts, "a murderer." Harry is maddened that Snape, unknown and unknowingly, was helping him. He sees a similarity between the half-blood Lord Voldemort and his assumed title, and the Half-Blood Prince and his adopted moniker. How could Dumbledore have missed it?

At Dumbledore's request, he is laid to rest at Hogwarts in a glorious white tomb overlooking the lake. Many students and the staff (apart from Severus Snape) attend the funeral, as well as the Merpeople and the Centaurs, who fire arrows into the air in salute.

Harry ends his relationship with Ginny—for now. Harry realizes that Voldemort attacks him through those he loves, his parents, Sirius, Dumbledore, and by ending their romance, he hopes to protect Ginny.

Scrimgeour takes Harry aside and asks where Harry and Dumbledore went the night Dumbledore was killed. Harry tells Scrimgeour that is between him and Dumbledore, and asks Scrimgeour again whether he has released Stan Shunpike. Harry repeats that he is "Dumbledore's man through and through."

Harry tells Hermione and Ron he is leaving Hogwarts, even if the school remains open. Finding the remaining Horcruxes and killing Voldemort are his only focus now. He intends to visit his parents' former home in Godric's Hollow after a brief stay at Privet Drive to fulfill Dumbledore's wish that he remain under his mother's protective charm. Then he will find and kill Snape. Ron and Hermione pledge to join his quest, despite Harry's preference to go it alone. Harry finds comfort in spending one last peaceful day with his friends, and he looks forward to Bill and Fleur's wedding.

[edit] Analysis

Unlike the first five books, the story ends with Dumbledore's funeral, rather than the students arriving at Platform 9 3/4 in London on the Hogwarts Express and bidding each other goodbye for the summer. If Harry follows through on his mission, which seems certain, the next book will probably also deviate from the traditional opening with students headed back to school in the fall. However, without Dumbledore, Hogwarts will be a far different place than before. His affect on the school has not only been deeply significant but, as seen by the many magical creatures that attended his funeral, far-reaching. For Harry, Hogwarts has always been a source of comfort and security. Without Dumbledore, it may have been too much for him to return. One thing seems certain—the Dursleys will probably make an appearance, as Harry must make one last visit to Privet Drive to enforce his mother's protective charm that ends on his next birthday. This will be the Dursleys' final opportunity to reconcile with Harry, although their mutual loathing is probably too deep to bridge.

Ron and Hermione informm Harry they are joining the Horcrux mission, whether he wants them to or not. Their decision is an affirmation of their love, friendship, and loyalty for their friend. Although Harry intended to search for the Horcruxes alone, wanting to protect those he cares about and still driven by the need battle Voldemort alone, he has finally accepted that it takes unity, support, and cooperation to defeat evil.

Harry unhappily ends his relationship with Ginny to protect her from Voldemort, though she is probably still in grave danger. Harry never mastered Occlumency, and it is possible that Voldemort could penetrate his mind and see images involving Ginny, although he has found that being inside Harry's consciousness is an extremely unpleasant place for him, and he may not attempt this again.

We learn that Snape, Voldemort, and Harry share an important characteristic: they are all half-bloods. Snape, however, apparently grew up connected to the wizarding world, unlike Harry and Voldemort, although his home life was certainly just as unpleasant. As much as Harry always disliked and resented Snape, he is now driven solely by hatred and vengeance. This vigilante desire to avenge Dumbledore's death has clouded Harry's judgment; rather than seeking justice, Harry is consumed with inflicting revenge. This could jeopardize his mission to find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes. Harry will need to overcome his extreme emotions if he is to succeed.

It is ironic that Harry's least favorite and ineffective teacher (Snape) is also his most admired and influential mentor (the Half-Blood Prince), someone who inspired him and from whom he has learned so much. This conflict will continue to affect Harry.

[edit] Questions

1. Where does the portrait of Dumbledore come from?
2. How can the portrait help Harry?
3. Why would Dumbledore want to be buried at Hogwarts and in a white tomb?
4. What does Harry mean when he says he is, "Dumbledore's man, through and through"?
5. Why does Harry end his relationship with Ginny? Is it likely they will reunite in the future?
6. Why did Harry not want Ron and Hermione to join his search for the remaining Horcruxes?

[edit] Greater Picture

As the book ends it is unclear if Dumbledore was truly dead or merely in some deathlike state. This led to much speculation among readers as to whether or not he would return in some form in the next book. Voldemort is not the only one who knows how to create Horcruxes, and it was possible that there were other magical means for a resurrection in Book 7. There were certainly many clues that he could return. Dumbledore was acting uncharacteristically when he pleaded with Snape just before he killed him. Was Dumbledore begging for his life or asking Snape to strike him according to some prearranged plan? Readers noticed that the Avada Kedvra curse that Snape used reacted differently than others seen in the series. Also, Dumbledore has always been closely associated with a Phoenix, a bird that dies and is reborn from its own ashes. The smoke from Dumbledore's funeral pyre appeared to have briefly assume the image of a Phoenix. Whether that symbolized a corporeal resurrection or only a spiritual one, Dumbledore does return in some form in the next book.

Also, it is unknown where Dumbledore's portrait appeared from or how it was hung in the office. Presumably, no one had entered the office since his death, and yet it is already hanging on the wall when Professor McGonagall and Harry arrive there. However, it is highly possible that the portraits magically appear when a headmaster or headmistress dies. It is also unclear how closely associated portraits are with those they represent. They may merely be talking autobiographies of their subjects, or they may retain their essence, including the ability to develop mentally and/or gain new insights. Later evidence does suggest that portraits remain able to think and reason, as it seems that the portrait of Dumbledore is still advising Snape and Harry in the final book of the series.

J. K. Rowling had stated, following this book's publication, that Dumbledore was definitely dead, although readers still held out hope for a resurrection; while we do see him again, it is now known that he is definitely not resurrected.