SUMMARY

When Harry enters his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the world is in
turmoil. Voldemort's army is gaining force and momentum, and tragedies are everyday occurrences which
mean that even Hogwarts isn't entirely safe.
Harry suspects that Draco has become a Death Eater like his parents. In this book, Harry, Ron,
and Hermione's friendships are put to the test by some incidence. Meanwhile, Harry begins to realize that
he has feelings for Ginny Weasley, Ron's little sister. The three experiences difficulty with their sixth year
homework load. It is also the year in which Harry and his friends begin to learn how to Apparate, or to travel
from one place to another magically.
Throughout this sixth year, a number of tragedies and inexplicable events strike members of the
Hogwarts community. It would seem that there is someone within the walls of Hogwarts conducting dark
magic, carrying out orders from the Dark Lord himself, and Harry is bent on figuring out what exactly is
going on.
Dumbledore decides at the beginning of this school year that he should take a bigger role in
Harry's education, and he arranges for Harry to have private lessons with him every so often. Harry, elated
by this news, soon discovers that these private lessons involve traveling into the memories of those who
knew Voldemort once upon a time. Over the course of several visits, Harry and Dumbledore venture into
precious memories, gathering essential information about Voldemort's family, his childhood, his schooling at
Hogwarts, and how he came to be the Dark Lord.
When Dumbledore and Harry travel into this particular memory, they realize that it shows the
moment at which Voldemort first learned about Horcruxes. A Horcrux is a powerful, outlawed kind of Dark
Magic that allows the soul to be divided, giving its owner the ability to become immortal. When he was at
Hogwarts, Voldemort once convinced Slughorn to give him valuable information about Horcruxes, a quest
to divide his soul seven times and to hide each piece in various vessels in locations around the world. The
only way to kill Voldemort is to destroy every single Horcrux, which, Harry realizes, will be his ultimate goal
and mission in life.
After traveling to retrieve the first Horcrux, Harry and Dumbledore arrive back at Hogwarts only to
find that the castle has been invaded by Death Eaters. Before Dumbledore is cornered by Death Eaters,
Dumbledore is able to use his magic to hide Harry and to make him temporarily immobile and mute, so that
the Death Eaters will not discover him.
Draco Malfoy arrives to kill Dumbledore but Draco is nervous and shaky so Snape kills
Dumbledore. Harry is overwhelmed with grief as he watches Dumbledore die. The faculty assembles to
decide what should be done next, and to consider closing Hogwarts for good.
Dumbledore wished to be buried on school grounds. On the day of his funeral, people from all over
the world come to pay their respects. Deep in his heart, Harry knows what he must do next. He must hunt
Voldemort down and destroy each one of his Horcruxes. Ron and Hermione swear to follow and support
Harry no matter what. Harry is left with a heavy heart, but with the knowledge that he has good friends.

CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERIZATION

Major Characters
Harry Potter - The sixteen-year-old protagonist and hero of the book. Harry is the subject of a
prophecy that states that he and Voldemort must one day face each other and battle, as neither can live
while the other does. He attempts to maintain a normal school life, playing Quidditch and admiring girls,
while simultaneously bearing the enormous weight of his destiny. Harry is loving, moral, and extremely loyal
to his friends, his school, and headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
Albus Dumbledore - Headmaster of Hogwarts and a father figure to Harry Potter. Dumbledore is
extraordinarily wise and trusting and an extremely powerful wizard. Apart from Harry, Dumbledore is
Voldemorts only other archenemy. He operates with integrity, grace, and surprising humor.
Lord Voldemort - Once a student at Hogwarts named Tom Riddle, now a force of extreme evil.
Voldemort is supported by a cabal of Death Eaters who perform his bidding. Like Harry, he was raised as
an orphan and brought to Hogwarts by Dumbledore. He has divided his soul into seven Horcruxes,
rendering himself functionally immortal and soulless.
Hermione Granger - One of Harry Potters two best friends. Hermione is an extremely
conscientious student, her hand perpetually in the air during class. In addition to being highly intelligent,
Hermione is also the more cautious of Harrys friends, constantly challenging his quick thinking and lack of
foresight. Hermione is a Mudblood, meaning she is a wizard born to Muggle parents. Many Slytherins,
including Draco Malfoy, deride her for this condition.
Ron Weasley - The other of Harrys best friends. Strong, impulsive, and anxious, Ron is a lovable
goof. He plays the position of keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He briefly dates Lavender Brown
but seems to have a longstanding and unspoken interest in Hermione.
Severus Snape - A former Death Eater and longtime professor of Potions at Hogwarts. This year,
Dumbledore promotes Snape to professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione
dont trust or like Snape. Several members of the Order feel similarly, but Dumbledore continually insists
that Snape is reformed and a crucial member of the Order and the Hogwarts faculty. Snape and Harrys
father, James Potter, were enemies when they were students at Hogwarts, which may color Snapes cruel
treatment of Harry.
Draco Malfoy - One of Harrys classmates, the son of convicted Death Eater Lucius Malfoy and
Narcissa Malfoy. Draco is mean, cold, and demanding, and Harry suspects him to be a Death Eater like his
father. He constantly mocks Hermione and other Mudbloods for their impure heritage.
Horace Slughorn - The newly recruited Professor of Potions at Hogwarts. Slughorn is obsessed with
making the acquaintance of potentially powerful and influential young wizards. He hosts weekly parties in
his room, inviting only select students known as the Slug Club. Posesses an important memory of
Voldemort, having been the first person to tell Voldemort what a Horcrux is.

Other Characters
Ginny Weasley - Ron Weasleys pretty, popular younger sister. Harry develops strong feelings for
Ginny but prevents himself from acting on them because he is afraid of jeopardizing his relationship with
Ron. Eventually, after an especially triumphant Quidditch match, Harry kisses her, to Rons approval. Like
Ron, Ginny is extremely brave, and she has fought with the Order of the Phoenix and is a member of
Dumbledores Army, the group of students who banded together to study Defense Against the Dark Arts in
the previous novel in the series.
Rufus Scrimgeour - Cornelius Fudges replacement as the Minister of Magic. Scrimgeour pesters
Harry to align himself with the Ministry to give the Wizarding world the illusion that they are working
together to stop Voldemort. He accuses Harry of being Dumbledores man through and through.
Minerva McGonagall - The Head of House for Gryffindor and the instructor of Transfiguration.
McGonagall has earned a reputation for being a tough but extremely fair professor. She is Dumbledores
deputy headmistress.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley - Rons parents, members of the Order of the Phoenix. The Weasleys treat
Harry as if he was their own son and welcome him back to the Burrow on all school breaks and holidays.
Katie Bell - A seventh-year Hogwarts student and the Gryffindor Quidditch teams prize Chaser.
Katie is cursed by a necklace given to her in the bathroom of the Three Broomsticks.
Romilda Vane - A classmate of Harrys who pursues a romantic interest in him. Romilda gives
Harry a gift of Chocolate Cauldrons spiked with a love potion, which Ron consumes by mistake.

THEMES
The Importance of friendship- The name Albus is the Latin word for white, which suits Albus Dumbledore
perfectly. Not only is his long trademark beard a snowy white, Dumbledore is also a good wizard, wholly
committed to white magic, standing firmly against the Dark Arts. As headmaster of Hogwarts, Dumbledore
is openly dedicated to using his powers to serve the greater good. Consequently, Dumbledore is selfsacrificing and benevolent, ready to risk his own life to preserve the happiness of others. When Harry and
Dumbledore reach what they believe to be Meropes locket, Dumbledore insists that Harry pour the entire
basin of potion down his throat, no matter how much he may protest. Likewise, at the close of the novel,
Rowling leaves the possibility open that Dumbledore has, in fact, insisted that Snape murder him to save
Draco from becoming a killer.
Dumbledore appreciates Harrys strong, unwavering heart and often lets Harry get away with things he
might discipline other students for. Unsurprisingly, Dumbledore was offered and refused the position of
Minister of Magic three times, because he prefers to work at Hogwarts and is clearly not enticed by
promises of empty power. Unlike most members of the Wizarding community, Dumbledore will freely speak
Lord Voldemorts name. When Dumbledore is killed by Snape, his funeral is attended by students,

teachers, Ministry officials, giants, merpeople, and various other human and nonhuman mourners. The
diversity of the crowd speaks to Dumbledores welcoming, nonjudgmental nature.
The Power of Self-Sacrifice
Both Harry and Dumbledore find themselves constantly sacrificing their own peace and happiness for the
greater good. Even though Harry would love to assume the life of a normal Hogwarts student, he
understands that it is his destiny to fight and destroy Voldemort. Harry is perfectly willing to risk his own life
to insure the safety of his friends. When Harry leaves with Dumbledore to collect what they think is a
Horcrux, he leaves his vial of Felix Felicis with his friends to protect them should trouble arise. Likewise,
Dumbledore is constantly willing to lay himself down to protect Harry and Hogwarts. When Harry and
Dumbledore reach the basin containing the locket, Dumbledore drinks goblet after goblet of a poisonous
potion, insisting that Harry continue to pour it into his protesting mouth, to retrieve and destroy the Horcrux
and a piece of Voldemorts soul.
Trust
Harry trusts his best friends without reservation and extends that same loyalty to Dumbledore, following his orders
and trusting that Dumbledore is instructing Harry to do the right thing. Harry even tells the Minister of Magic that he is
Dumbledores man through and through. The only issue on which Harry and Dumbledore fundamentally disagree is
Dumbledores insistence that Snape can be trusted. Dumbledore will not tell Harry or any members of the Order of
the Phoenix what it is about Snape that makes Dumbledore trust him so unconditionally, but he repeatedly tells Harry
that Harry does need to worry about it. At the close of the book, when Snape murders Dumbledore, it is unclear as to
whether Dumbledore has asked that Snape complete this task. Either way, Dumbledore has entrusted Snape with his
life.

QUOTATIONS
It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Let us step into the night and pursue
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

that

flighty

temptress,

adventure.

Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right.
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
UNFAMILIAR WORDS
1. Horcrux - is a powerful, outlawed kind of Dark Magic that allows the soul to be divided, giving its
owner the ability to become immortal.

1. blithe

carefree and happy and lighthearted

2. vindictive
disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge

3. deprave
corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

4. succinct
briefly giving the gist of something

5. protuberance
something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from its surroundings

6. irresolute
uncertain how to act or proceed

7. onerous
not easily borne; wearing

8. rankle
gnaw into; make resentful or angry

9. travesty

a composition that imitates or misrepresents somebody's style, usually in a humorous

way

10. pirouette
(ballet) a rapid spin of the body (especially on the toes as in ballet)
11. augury
an event that is experienced as indicating important things to come

12. morose
showing a brooding ill humor

13. contrived
showing effects of planning or manipulation

14. pallid
abnormally deficient in color as suggesting physical or emotional distress

15. encroach
advance beyond the usual limit

16. uncouth
lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
1. surreptitious
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed

2. aggrieve
cause to feel sorrow
3. admonition
a firm rebuke

4. discomfit
cause to lose one's composure
discomfited. (Rowling 26)

5. missive
a written message addressed to a person or organization

1. Could you relate to any of the characters in the story? Explain.

If there is one character in the story that I could relate to, it is Hermione. It is because just like her, I
also value friendship. I am someone who always stands by my friends side in good or bad times.
2. Have you ever done or felt the same of the thing the character did? Explain.
I could relate to how Harry felt when he couldnt do anything and just stood seeing Dumbledore die.
I could remember the day my father was dying and I just couldnt do anything but stare and see
him pass away. It was very heartbreaking and painful.
3. Did you like the book? Explain.
In a way I liked the book because it was pure adventure. This is maybe because I am also fond of
watching adventure movies.
4. What was your favorite part of the book.
My favorite part of the book was when Romilda, Harrys classmate had a romantic interest in him
and then Romilda gave Harry a gift of Chocolate Cauldrons spiked with a love potion, which Ron
ate by mistake. It was really funny.
5. What was your least favorite part of the book? Explain.
I hated the part when Dumbledore was intended to be killed by Draco and then when he cant,
Snape did the killing. It was heartbreaking to see someone as kind as Dumbledore to die especially
because he showed much concern for Harry. He even saved Harry.
6. If you could change something, what would it be?
If I could change something in the story, it would be the part where Dumbledore got killed. I really
didnt want him to die so that he could still protect and help Harry in fighting the Dark Magic
specially Voldemort.
7. If you could change the ending of the story, what would it be?
I would make Dumbledore awake from death so that he could still protect and help Harry in fighting
the Dark Magic specially Voldemort.
8. Would you recommend this book to other? Explain.
I would highly recommend this book to others not only because this is a wonderful story but also
because reading is an integral part of being a learner.