Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Summary | Plot Summary

Before the Prime Minister of Muggles met the new Minister of Magic, he learned that the disaster the media had attributed to a hurricane was actually caused by Death Eaters, possibly accompanied by giants. The war was escalating. Voldemort had tasked Narcissa Malfoy's son Draco with killing Dumbledore (and Professor Snape vowed to help). Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwart's, personally explained to the Dursleys of Privet Drive that the protective spell he had cast over the now 16-year-old Harry Potter would lose its power in a year, when he came of age. The informal games of 2-on-2 Quidditch at the Weasley's home gave way to school preparations: off to London's Diagon Alley to purchase supplies; such as, books, robes, wands, owls and the usual. Harry and his friends found everything changed: the Leaky Cauldron was almost empty; many shops had closed and were covered with posters containing warnings with black-and-white photographs of Death Eaters like Bellatrix Lestrange, from the Ministry of Magic. There was extra security everywhere, especially for Harry Potter, whom the newspaper "The Daily Prophet" now called "the chosen one," because of a prophecy Voldemort interpreted as meaning that either he or Harry Potter, not both, would survive.

During his sixth school year, Dumbledore tutored Harry privately: Dumbledore and Harry entered different memories to learn what they could about Voldemort's youth. In one lesson, Harry learned that Voldemort's father abandoned his witch wife and unborn son and that his mother had named him Tom Marvolo Riddle, after his father and hers. She then died. In another lesson, Dumbledore is seen inviting the 11-year-old Riddle, who had grown up in an orphanage, to attend Hogwart's. He did and searched the library archives for his family history. In another lesson, they saw a room go dark after Morfin damned his sister, Riddle's mother, for having dishonored the family name. It was perhaps then that Riddle became Voldemort. "Tom Marvolo Riddle" is a cryptogram of "I am Lord Voldemort." Voldemort killed his father and grandparents, made his uncle think he'd committed the crime and then returned to Hogwart's and asked Slughorn about Horcruxes. Voldemort made six Horcruxes; two had been destroyed; a seventh part of Voldemort's soul existed in the body he regenerated after the long years of exile.

Dumbledore also helped Harry realize that the prophecy was irrelevant and self-fulfilling. He understood the difference between being coerced into battle and fighting for his beliefs and fear was making the prophecy come true. In addition to his private lessons, Harry took Defense Against the Dark Arts from Snape and Advanced Potions from Slughorn. Harry discovered that Draco Malfoy had been spending a lot of time in the Room of Requirement, which he tried, unsuccessfully, to enter. Harry expected both Malfoy and Snape of being Death Eaters, but no one believed him.

Dumbledore and Harry went after the third Horcrux: They apparated to a cave on a high cliff and found, in its main chamber, a lake in whose middle was an island. On the island, Dumbledore thought they'd find the Horcrux. He drank most of the potion protecting the Horcrux before collapsing. Harry got the greatly-weakened Dumbledore out of the cave and back to Hogsmeade. Seeing the Dark Mark looming over the Astronomy Tower at Hogwart's invigorated Dumbledore, who ordered Harry to fetch brooms and don his Invisibility Cloak. When they landed in the Astronomy Tower, Dumbledore immobilized Harry and reasoned with Draco Malfoy, who wavered. Snape appeared, aimed his wand and uttered a curse that blew Dumbledore's body off the Astronomy Tower. Harry, released from the immobilizing spell, joined the fighting against the Death Eaters. The Order of the Phoenix, Ginny, Professor McGonagall, Remus Lupin and Tonks were all fighting. Harry killed Greyback and pursued the others, trying several times, unsuccessfully, to curse Snape. After returning to the Astronomy Tower, Harry learned that the Horcrux from the cave was not real.

This school year concluded early, immediately after Dumbledore's funeral, which was attended by many from many lands. As Dumbledore's pyre ignited, Harry thought he saw a phoenix flying off into the blue sky. After the funeral, Harry told his friends that he would not be returning to Hogwart's. He would, as Dumbledore had wished, spend a little time on Privet Drive, after which he would visit his parents' graves and begin the search for the remaining Horcruxes. Hermione said that, wherever he went, she and Ron would go, too.