Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Notes by Steve Vander Ark and Michele L. Worley
Synopsis and links by John Kearns

U.S. hardcover edition: pages 633-652
U.K. hardcover edition: pages 590-607
Timeframe: two days in June, 1997 [Y17]

In which most students hang around for Dumbledore's funeral, as wizards from across the country flood in to pay their last respects. Hermione discovers that Eileen Prince was Snape's mother, Harry ponders the Horcruxes a bit, and then all attend the funeral, after which Harry breaks up with Ginny. As Harry then walks off on his own, Scrimgeour again tries to persuade him to help the ministry, and Ron and Hermione come over. Harry tells them he won't return to Hogwarts, and they pledge to stay by his side.

Interesting facts and notes about the text of this chapter:

Characters introduced in this chapter:

• (unnamed) little tufty-haired man who delivers Dumbledore's eulogy

Characters returning in this chapter:

• Delacour, Fleur

• Granger, Hermione

• Grawp

• Hagrid, Rubeus

• McGonagall, Minerva

• Potter, Harry

• Scrimgeour, Rufus

• Weasley, Ginny

• Weasley, Ron

Characters mentioned in this chapter:

• Black, Sirius

• Brookstanton, Rupert 'Axebanger'

• Bungs, Rosalind Antigone

• Crabbe, Vincent

• Dumbledore, Aberforth

• Dumbledore, Albus

• Dursley, Vernon

• Figg, Arabella

• Filch, Argus

• Finnigan, Mrs.

• Finnigan, Seamus

• Firenze

• Fudge, Cornelius

• Goyle, Gregory

• Longbottom, Neville

• Lupin, Remus

• Malfoy, Draco

• Malfoy, Lucius

• Malkin, Madam

• Maxime, Olympe

• Moody, Alastor (Mad-Eye)

• Patil, Padma

• Patil, Parvati

• Pince, Madam

• Pomfrey, Poppy

• Potter, James

• Potter, Lily

• Prang, Ernie

• Prince, Eileen

• R.A.B.

• Riddle, Tom Marvolo (as Voldemort)

• Shacklebolt, Kingsley

• Shunpike, Stan

• Skeeter, Rita

• Slughorn, Horace

• Smith, Mr.

• Smith, Zacharias

• Snape, Severus

• Snape, Tobias

• Sprout, Pomona

• Tom

• Tonks, Nymphadora

• Tremlett, Donaghan

• Umbridge, Dolores

• Weasley, Arthur

• Weasley, Bill

• Weasley, Fred

• Weasley, George

• Weasley, Molly

• Weasley, Percy

• (unnamed) witch who pushes the Hogwarts Express trolley

• (unnamed) Death Eater Stunned by Harry

Settings and locations introduced or returning in this chapter:

• Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

  • Great Hall

  • grounds

  • Gryffindor Tower common room

Settings and locations mentioned in this chapter:

• Beauxbatons carriage

• Burrow, the

• Diagon Alley

  • Leaky Cauldron, the

  • Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions

• Forbidden Forest

• Godric's Hollow

• Hogsmeade

• Hogwarts Express

• Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

  • entrance hall

  • hospital wing

  • library

• Knight Bus, the

• number four, Privet Drive

Exceptional character moments:

• Still to come....

Spells:

• Legilimency

• Sectumsempra

• Stupefy

• (unnamed) magic that encases Dumbledore's body in a tomb

Links and Resources:

• Aurors

• Bestiary

  • Abraxan

  • centaur

  • Inferius

  • merpeople

• D.A., the

• Daily Prophet, the

• Harry's dreams

• Horcruxes

• Order of the Phoenix

Memorable lines:

• "She's not that bad," said Harry. "Ugly, though," he added hastily, as Ginny raised her eyebrows, and she let out a reluctant giggle.

• He felt in his pocket for the cold chain of the fake Horcrux, which he now carried with him everywhere, not as a talisman, but as a reminder of what it had cost and what remained still to do.

• "I see you are-"
  "Dumbledore's man through and through," said Harry. "That's right."

Strictly British:

• kipper

Timelines/Calendar:

All we know is that the chapter takes place over two days, probably a few days after the end of the previous chapter.