text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Half-Blood Prince/Chapter 1

Synopsis
A portrait in the Muggle Prime Minister's office requests that he immediately meet with Cornelius Fudge. The Prime Minister is not pleased at the prospect, as every previous meeting has brought bad news, and the week had already been difficult, with a number of crises including a locked-room murder just a short distance from Parliament.

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 wizard governing body in the UK. There have been other visits over the years, usually to discuss how the magical community was affecting Muggles. Soon, Fudge appears via the Floo Network. With each visit, Fudge had looked increasingly haggard and stressed, and the Prime Minister wonders what bad news Fudge, looking worse than ever, has brought this time. It has been a difficult week for Fudge, also, who reports that recent events, including a bridge collapse and a hurricane in the West Country, involved the Wizarding community. The hurricane, in fact, is an invention to cover an attack by giants.

According to Fudge, He Who Must Not Be Named has returned, the past week's crises were perpetrated by him and his Death Eaters, and Sirius Black was murdered and later discovered to have been innocent. Also, members of wizard families have been murdered and Dementors are roaming the countryside, attacking people ever since defecting as Azkaban prison guards. They are breeding, which is causing the bad weather. Fudge, who has resigned as Minister for Magic after mishandling the Voldemort affair, is there to introduce his successor, Rufus Scrimgeour.

Scrimgeour arrives through the fireplace and informs the Prime Minister that wizards will handle his security. The Prime Minister's new secretary, Kingsley Shacklebolt, an Auror, has actually 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.

Analysis
This marks the third time in the series that a book has opened somewhere other than with Harry Potter at the Dursleys'. The first was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, before Harry actually reached the Dursleys'. The second was in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, where we are presented with some of Voldemort's back story and his apparent return. The student might want to consider how much the story is enhanced by these departures from the main character's point of view.

A point worth mentioning is touched upon in the final three paragraphs of the chapter. Much earlier in the series, Hagrid, explaining to Harry why the Wizarding world had to remain hidden from Muggles, had said, "Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone." In this chapter, the Prime Minister echoes this belief, saying "But for heaven's sake — you're wizards! You can do magic! Surely you can sort out — well — anything!" This hope for someone else to come along and solve problems for them is all too recognizably human, and one of the strengths of this book is the accuracy and believability in these portrayals.

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 exist, 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 of 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 to achieve power. 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 an earlier visit, where 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. It is interesting, perhaps, to note the mix of planning and improvisation that went into the Third Task maze, as we have seen that the challenges Harry faced in that task included one of Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts, creatures that did not even exist, apparently, until the previous September, and here we see that the Sphinx that Harry encountered in the Maze had been planned well-prior to even the First Task in November.

Two points are mentioned in passing: the Death Eaters have allied with the Giants, and Dementors have abandoned Azkaban and are wandering throughout England, and breeding. We note that Dumbledore had warned Fudge that this would happen, which would seem prescient except that Harry had overheard Voldemort planning that earlier and presumably had reported it to Dumbledore.

We note that although the main point of this chapter is to acquaint the reader with the change of power, and so prepare them for the change of direction on the part of the Ministry, we actually hear nothing of how that change of power is effected. We suspect that this is because the book is intended for children who have, appropriately enough for their age, only a sketchy understanding of what government does and how it gets into power. The mature reader may be wondering how a vote for Minister was carried out, if in fact the process is at all democratic.

In yet another of the date confusions endemic to the series, Fudge reportedly says, when first meeting the Muggle Prime Minister, "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). The internal timeline suggests that this book should cover approximately July 1996 to June 1997; if we accept this timeline, this chapter must occur in early to mid July 1996. At that time, the Muggle Prime Minister was 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. (It is also worth noting that Fudge could have visited Thatcher when he became Minister of Magic, and could have forgotten that Thatcher was a she, not a he – although this is extremely unlikely, as he would have had to deal with her repeatedly between his accession to power in about 1982 and Major's arrival in 1990, a period of some eight years. Additionally, would Thatcher have tried to throw the representative of the Wizarding world out the window, if she had been introduced to the previous Minister of Magic, Millicent Bagnold, when she first took office three years earlier?)

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?

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?
 * 5) Does Scrimgeour's physical description - the lion's mane of hair and the tired, almost battle-worn face - represent his character? In other words, did the author intentionally describe him so that we imagined him as a tough, short-tempered man?

Greater Picture
As expected, Scrimgeour's election will result in a new and more aggressive direction for the Ministry of Magic. As a result, Harry, who was denigrated in the Daily Prophet, will now be lionized, hailed as "the boy who lived" once again and as "the Chosen One". Having thus re-elevated him, the Ministry will attempt to tap his celebrity power for their own benefit. At Christmas, Scrimgeour 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 a bribe to help sway the general populace's opinion that Harry, the "Chosen One", supports the Ministry and its actions; he refuses, believing the Ministry is still doing a poor job. And though the Ministry's position on Voldemort may have swung from one extreme position to another, they are still evidently more interested in presenting a good public face, than building substance, under Scrimgeour's new 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 his godfather Sirius Black's death. Dumbledore and Scrimgeour's altercation became loud enough that it was overheard and later leaked to the general public. Dumbledore reveals that this argument was actually the Ministry's second attempt to draft Harry. Prior to his ouster, Cornelius Fudge had made a very similar suggestion to Dumbledore, in an attempt to control the damage and retain his power, and had been similarly rebuffed.

Further to our comments above about the change of power in the Ministry, we note that another part of the reason for the obscurity surrounding the change of office holder is necessary for a later bit of plot. At the beginning of the next and final book, we learn that "the Ministry has fallen" to the Death Eaters, and that the Imperius-controlled Pius Thicknesse has been installed as Minister for Magic. Getting a specific candidate elected is problematic in most democratic regimes, so we can't assume Thicknesse was legitimately voted into power; we have to guess he was elevated in some other way. We never find out how that was actually done, so it's possible the author didn't want to commit to a specific method for the handover.

Connections

 * The Muggle Prime Minister recalls an earlier occasion when Fudge had informed him that they were importing dangerous magical creatures for a competition. The three Dragons mentioned were for the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament, and the Sphinx was for the Third Task of that Tournament.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Half-Blood Prince/Chapter 2

Synopsis
Two cloaked figures Apparate beside a dark, dirty river in a run-down mill town. 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. Wormtail complies while protesting that he is not Snape's servant. Narcissa says she believes only Snape can help her, but before she can continue, Snape points his wand at a concealed door and sends Wormtail, who is listening from behind, scurrying. Bellatrix, distrusting Snape, 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 would be sitting there, talking to her if he hadn't been able to provide The Dark Lord with satisfactory answers? Does she think he could have fooled the Dark Lord, possibly the greatest Legilimens in the world?

Snape then addresses Bellatrix's concerns: when the Dark Lord fell, he was at Hogwarts, where Voldemort had ordered him to spy on Dumbledore. He did not hunt for the Dark Lord after his fall for the same reason many other Death Eaters failed to: he believed the Dark Lord was finished. Bellatrix retorts that she searched for him, prompting Snape to sarcastically remark how "useful" she was in Azkaban prison, while he collected sixteen years' worth of information on Dumbledore for Voldemort. Snape continues that he did not knowingly stand between the Dark Lord and the Philosopher's Stone; he thought Quirrell wanted it for himself and he acted to prevent that. He failed to respond to the Dark Lord's summons when Voldemort returned so that Dumbledore would continue to believe Snape was still his ally, rather than Voldemort's. Bellatrix claims she is Voldemort's most trusted lieutenant and would know of any information Snape passed to him. Snape asks if she still retains this status after the Ministry fiasco. When she is unable to answer, he continues: on the Dark Lord's orders, he stayed away from that battle to protect his position at Hogwarts. The information Snape supplied made Emmeline Vance and Sirius Black's deaths possible, and the Dark Lord was satisfied with his information. Snape has not killed Harry Potter because it was only Dumbledore who was keeping Snape effective as a spy and out of Azkaban. Killing Potter would have lost him that protection, and he would be unable to help Voldemort. It is Dumbledore's continued trust in him that makes him so useful to the Dark Lord.

With Bellatrix's worries seemingly appeased, Narcissa explains her visit. Voldemort has assigned her son Draco a difficult and probably deadly task. Narcissa wants Snape to protect him. Snape replies that Narcissa telling him about this mission is against Voldemort's orders; however, as he already knows about this, there is little harm done by her disclosing this to him. However, he is powerless to interfere with Voldemort's orders, nor will he try. Narcissa believes Draco was assigned this task as revenge for her husband Lucius' failure at the Ministry. Snape admits that the Dark Lord is angry at Lucius. Snape is finally persuaded to swear an 'Unbreakable Vow' to protect Draco and complete his mission should he fail.

Analysis
This chapter starts off with something of a shock: two avowed Death Eaters visiting Severus Snape. Events to date seem to have polarized readers into two camps: those believing Harry's view of events, and his view that Snape is a Death Eater, and opposing them, those who believe Dumbledore's steadfast championing of Snape. The latter camp points at Dumbledore's track record, showing that in the first five books Dumbledore has been right far more often than he has been wrong in his guesses and conclusions. This chapter deals that understanding a large blow.

Perhaps a key part of this is Snape's being sent on an unexplained mission in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In this chapter, we learn that his mission was to rejoin Voldemort and pledge his allegiance. Snape says that his return to Voldemort was delayed to reassure Dumbledore that he was still working on Dumbledore's side, rather than Voldemort's, and that Voldemort is satisfied with his reasoning and pledge. There is no indication as yet whether this return was done purely at Dumbledore's bidding, or whether Snape would have gone to swear allegiance to Voldemort without Dumbledore's orders. At any rate, we can now see that when Voldemort, on his return, spoke of his faithful servant at Hogwarts, he was not referring to Snape but to Barty Crouch, and the one he fears has left him forever would most likely have been Snape, as the one who had run away would have been Karkaroff.

By far the strongest blow against any belief in Snape's loyalty to Dumbledore, established in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is his agreement with Narcissa Malfoy to make an Unbreakable Vow. Snape, whose fidelity to Voldemort is questioned by many Death Eaters, including Bellatrix Lestrange, must be aware that he can help dispel these doubts by swearing a magically binding oath to protect Draco in his mission for Voldemort, even at peril to his own life. Bellatrix probably remains skeptical, despite Snape's convincing answers to her probing interrogation; indeed, it seems that Snape's true allegiance always remains just vague enough to keep each side guessing. Readers know that Snape has been acting as a double agent, and this situation may be forcing him into taking the vow to maintain his cover. To do otherwise would cast even more suspicion on his supposed loyalties. But with double agents, it is always difficult to know where their true loyalties lie; in fact, Snape may be willing to take this oath because he is truly loyal to Voldemort, and the object of the oath is to complete a mission that Voldemort wanted completed. 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. A final possibility is that he is protecting Draco, who he has always seemed to favour, and who is still underaged.

Wormtail's loyalty is 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 seems that Snape has Wormtail under his constant, watchful eye, Wormtail may be 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 may have lingering suspicions about him or seeks to reassure his doubtful followers. However, Voldemort may have discovered that Wormtail owes Harry Potter a life debt, an obligation as magically binding as Snape's Unbreakable Vow, and that could be a severe liability to the Dark Lord. Voldemort is likely having Snape and Wormtail 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-dimensional 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. Bellatrix, in particular, 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 and Draco from Voldemort.

And while Bellatrix generally remains two-dimensional, the cold and haughty Narcissa, desperate to protect her husband and son, displays love, fear, empathy, and sadness—emotions not generally associated with Voldemort's affiliates, but that help develop her into a more fully-rounded character. Narcissa believes Voldemort has 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 possibly for Voldemort's diary being destroyed (in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), though this is not mentioned explicitly in this chapter. 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.)

We note that this is only the fourth chapter of the entire series with a viewpoint character other than Harry. The first was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, before Harry actually reached the Dursley's. The second was in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, where we are presented with some of Voldemort's back story and his apparent return. The third was the first chapter of this book, where we were acquainted with the interaction between the Muggle and Wizarding governments, and shown the change of power at the Ministry. Finally, of course, this chapter shows us interaction between four Dark wizards and establishes that Draco has been given a perilous mission, one that he is probably expected to fail, that Snape knows about and will act to complete. These will turn out to be four of only five chapters of the entire series that are not seen directly through Harry's eyes. The student may want to examine how much the story is enhanced by these few glimpses of events occurring outside Harry's direct sphere, and consider whether the important events covered in these chapters could have been shown to us through Harry's eyes. In this analysis, the storyteller's edict to "show, don't tell" would be a useful basis for gauging the value of the digression.

Finally, we will mention in passing that there is little if any information about where this town is. The characteristics of the town, as described, could fit any of hundreds of towns in England, towns where the main industry has proven unprofitable and shut down or moved away, leaving an empty plant and rampant unemployment. At least one fan site has concluded that this town, if it existed, would be near Manchester, supporting this in part with Snape's personality and word choice, which seem on inspection to be similar to those found in people from northern England.

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?

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?
 * 8) Snape claims that he was one of the few people Voldemort had let in on the secret of Draco's mission. It cannot be doubted he is sufficiently high up in Voldemort's circle that this may be so; now, is it? Or is he using a spy technique to pretend to know expecting to be able to distill the actual knowledge out of the ensuing conversation, aided by shrewd guesswork and the one or the other phrase acceptable to Death Eaters on all occasions?

Greater Picture
It may be of interest to compare the reason for Dumbledore's belief in Snape's loyalty to the reason for Voldemort's belief. Dumbledore believes in Snape's loyalty because of a promise made to Dumbledore out of love for Lily Evans. Voldemort bases his belief on legilimency, reading Snape's memories, confident that nobody would be able to conceal thoughts from him. Dumbledore is basing his belief on the strength of Snape's character, while Voldemort is assuming an overwhelming strength in his own abilities. It will turn out, as we discover in the final book, that Dumbledore's faith was placed correctly, and that Snape's skill actually was greater than Voldemort's, a thing Voldemort likely could not have believed. Snape comments that Voldemort is "possibly the greatest legilimens that the world has ever known," but one has to wonder if the weasel word "possibly" was put in there only because he knew himself to be the stronger of the two.

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. Though this is nowhere mentioned in the book, it is likely that those who know Occlumency can also cheat Veritaserum, if only by being able to perceive intent to administer the potion. And for that matter, Snape as Potions Master likely has an antidote to Veritaserum brewed, and may have it with him. Dumbledore will not go into detail about the means of subverting Veritaserum; however, Snape is more likely than most wizards to be aware of them. It is likely, though, that Veritaserum would not have helped Bellatrix in this case, if she had asked the questions that we see her asking. Snape's answers are, in every case, the truth, though perhaps not the full truth.

We will find out near Christmas, at the Slug Club Christmas party, that Bellatrix has been teaching Occlumency to her nephew Draco. As such, it is safe to assume that Bellatrix is a Legilimens herself, and so is confident in her ability to detect any falsehood from Snape. Snape's answers are carefully crafted so as not to trigger the ability of a Legilimens to know when he or she is being lied to; he probably also finds Bellatrix' abilities easy to subvert because of his practice with Voldemort.

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 determined 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.

At the same time as we learn of Snape's true allegiance, we will learn that Snape's Unbreakable Vow, which would require him to kill Dumbledore in the event that Draco was unable to, was for Snape only reinforcement of a promise he had already made. The injury to Dumbledore's hand, which Harry will note in the next chapter, and which Snape here alludes to, is the outward sign of a curse that will take Dumbledore's life within a year. In a conversation that immediately follows Dumbledore receiving that injury, and so plainly occurs before the events in this chapter, Snape has reluctantly agreed to end Dumbledore's life himself, in order to save Draco's soul and spare Dumbledore's dignity.

Connections

 * Many of Snape's answers to Bellatrix's questions refer back to events in previous books.
 * Snape's attempts to prevent Quirrell from retrieving the Philosopher's Stone form a large part of the backdrop to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Harry, not being privy to the entire discussions between them, believes that it is Quirrell who is trying to protect the Stone from Snape.
 * Snape did not respond to Voldemort's summons in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Voldemort said he believed that he had "left my service". We find out here that Snape had delayed his return to Voldemort's service deliberately, to make it appear that he remained faithful to Dumbledore. We will find out later that he really was faithful to Dumbledore. The delayed return, risky as it was for Snape, also consolidated Voldemort's belief in Snape's faithfulness.
 * We don't know what information Snape provided that aided Sirius Black' death, but we can suppose that it was likely something learned during Harry's Occlumency lessons, possibly information about the dreams of the Ministry corridor.
 * Snape and Bellatrix' conversation about the battle at the Ministry, which occurred at the end of the previous book, provides a few side lights on that battle that may be of interest.
 * Snape mentions that Dumbledore has suffered an injury over the summer, which Harry will see and comment on in the next chapter of this book. We will find out in the final book how that injury was inflicted, and that as a result Dumbledore has, as of the time of this chapter, at most a year to live. At the same time, we will learn that Dumbledore already knew of the mission assigned to Draco, before he received his injury.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Half-Blood Prince/Chapter 3

Synopsis
At the Dursleys' house, Harry is leaning against his window, asleep. Scattered about his room are many copies of the Daily Prophet. The paper now hails Harry as 'The Chosen One', who, it is believed, will be instrumental in the recently-returned Voldemort's downfall.

Dumbledore arrives at the house to collect Harry. Despite Harry having received Dumbledore's letter setting the time, and having anxiously awaited Dumbledore's arrival for nearly the entire week, he is astonished and puzzled that Dumbledore is fetching him after only two weeks at the Dursleys; he is further surprised when Dumbledore actually arrives, as are Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, who Harry never told about Dumbledore's visit. Dumbledore merely ignores their dismay and makes himself comfortable, presenting the Dursley family and Harry with glasses of mead. Harry notices that Dumbledore's hand is black and shriveled, but Dumbledore only says he will explain it later.

Dumbledore explains that Sirius Black has bequeathed Harry all his possessions, including 12 Grimmauld Place, Kreacher, and Buckbeak. Uncle Vernon's interest is clearly piqued by the news that Harry now owns a house in London. However, Dumbledore continues, a spell may exist 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 obeys Harry's command, despite protest, it confirms that Harry is the rightful heir.

At a loss as to what to do with this filthy elf on Aunt Petunia's spotless carpet, Harry accepts Dumbledore's suggestion to order him to work at Hogwarts. Buckbeak (now renamed Witherwings) will be 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 must make one final visit to the Dursleys the following summer to maintain its effectiveness, then all 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.

Analysis
Harry and Dumbledore's vindication at the last book's conclusion had resulted in Harry once again being lionized; while not actively seen here, we somewhat sense Harry's discomfort at again being hailed the hero. While Harry acted heroically based on the information he had, and alerted the Wizarding world to Voldemort's return, he feels duped and indirectly responsible for Sirius' death. Dumbledore can certainly see this ambivalence in Harry, and while he realizes that Privet Drive is the one place he will be unable to emotionally heal, he also knows that Harry's protection from Voldemort depends on his returning there each summer. Dumbledore probably calculated the minimum time that Harry needed to stay at Privet Drive to retain his mother's protection and has arranged for more a appropriate accommodation, almost certainly the Burrow. While Harry cannot believe it, we see that Dumbledore will move Harry away from Privet Drive as soon as safely possible.

Readers may wonder at the reasoning behind Harry's elevation to the role of hero in training. Clearly, Harry will have to be the one to face Voldemort again, as we know from the prophecy, but the Ministry seems to want to keep the content of the prophecy a secret. So there must be some other basis on which the Ministry and its propaganda arm (as we now see the Daily Prophet has become) have decided to tout Harry. The specific reasoning is never made clear, but we suggest that the combination of Harry's surviving Voldemort's killing curse some fifteen years previous, and his involvement with the revelation of Voldemort's return, are the starting point. We have seen that the Ministry is a political organization, meaning that it lives and dies by the popular opinion that it has been spinning, and we believe that they have determined that they need a hero to set against Voldemort. Given Harry's track record, clearly either he or Dumbledore would have to be that hero, and Dumbledore, they almost certainly know, will not stand for the sort of image manipulation that the Ministry would be doing to make him a hero. (Also, Dumbledore is aged, and it is not a good idea to appoint a hero who is likely to die of old age.) So even without the prophecy, the image technicians at the Ministry perforce make Harry into the hero they need, not caring about his wishes in the matter.

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 withholds this information, at least for now.

We note that neither Dumbledore nor Harry seems to show any particular reaction to the idea that Kreacher is considered a chattel, property that can be transferred through inheritance as part of the house in Grimmauld Place. This may highlight the difficulty that Hermione experienced in the previous book, and will continue to experience, in her efforts to gain some measure of equitable treatment for House-elves. Clearly the treatment of house elves has been institutionalized to the point that even the gentle and even-handed Dumbledore has no particular difficulty stomaching the idea of Kreacher as being Harry's property, despite his being willing to pay the free elf Dobby more than Dobby was willing to accept to work in the Hogwarts kitchens. Hermione is almost certainly not going to be able to overcome the inertia of this widespread belief.

In the same vein, we note that while Harry was willing to arrange to free Dobby from the Malfoys, he does not seem equally willing to free Kreacher. The obvious reasoning is that Kreacher still holds secrets that he could reveal to the Black family sisters if he were freed, and that as a Hogwarts kitchen hand he will not be ill-treated the way Dobby was. However, this reasoning is not mentioned here, it simply seems to be accepted that Kreacher is and will remain Harry's property.

A small highlight on Petunia's character is seen here; as part of her nighttime routine, Petunia apparently cleans and disinfects the kitchen. We have already seen her assigning endless cleaning chores to Harry, and Tonks had earlier mentioned that the house seemed overly clean. Petunia may suffer from an obsessive compulsive disorder, resulting in a need to have everything spotless and germ-free. She may also subconsciously be attempting to wash away any magical traces that Harry's presence has caused to spill over into her very Muggle home. Harry's thoughts about her dismay at having Kreacher appear on her parlor carpet are not surprising; Harry clearly is aware of Petunia's cleanliness fetish.

It has been suggested on a number of fan sites that Dumbledore's behavior is out of character in this book. This is particularly obvious in this chapter. While still a peaceful and wise wizard, Dumbledore's actions seem a bit more direct and urgent than usual. He magically sweeps the Dursleys to the couch, chides them for their ill-manners, and 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 unanticipated edginess in his manner. As expected, the Dursleys apparently ignore Dumbledore's rebuke and seem as unlikely to ever change.

It might be wondered why the author had Dumbledore's offered mead be so insistent – the mead glasses actually become quite intrusive, even bouncing on the Dursleys' heads when they refuse to acknowledge them, for instance. This is called a "nut of fun", a bit of lighter entertainment designed to keep a serious scene from becoming overwhelming. In this chapter we are faced with Harry's having to handle some aspects of Sirius' will, which of course once again forces the realization on Harry that his godfather is dead. We also are presented with a change in Dumbledore's character, and with a sudden return of the spotlight on Harry. Coupled with the need for Harry to decide what to do with Kreacher, this part of the book could become very grim and very heavy, without the animated mead livening the scene a bit. We suspect that the mead, and its behavior, is also used to point up the Dursleys' gracelessness, a characteristic that hardly needs additional support.

Many readers may be somewhat alarmed when Dumbledore offers Harry and Dudley each 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.

Review

 * 1) Why will Harry no longer be protected at the Dursley's house after his 17th birthday? How will he cope with that?
 * 2) What effect will Harry's 17th birthday have on his relationship with the Dursleys?
 * 3) 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?

Further Study

 * 1) How might Dumbledore have hurt his hand? Why doesn't he tell Harry how it was injured?
 * 2) Why would Dumbledore personally fetch Harry from the Dursleys after only two weeks there? Where might he be taking him?
 * 3) Dumbledore's behavior and demeanor is somewhat different here. How has it changed, and what might be the reason?

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 had left a note that is found 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 from eldest to eldest. If there is a charm meant to ensure this (what is called "entailment" in the UK) its parameters are unknown; it is 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. It is also possible that the entailment, if there was one, simply ended when the male Black line did. There is no way of knowing; we only know that the house and property passed successfully to Harry on Sirius' death.

Magic is performed in this chapter, yet Harry does not receive correspondence from the Ministry of Magic pertaining to this. There are a number of possible explanations for this: perhaps Scrimgeour does not want to make Harry dislike him as he encourages Harry to give the Wizarding public moral support later in the book; perhaps Scrimgeour does not want to alienate Dumbledore because Scrimgeour has only recently become Minister and may wish to seek advice from Dumbledore; or perhaps the Ministry is too preoccupied with the actions of Voldemort and the Death-Eaters that underage magic performed in a Muggle dwelling has taken a back seat. However, the theory that best seems to fit the facts is that the Trace, the facility which monitors underage wizards for illicit magic use, shuts off in the presence of mature wizards in order to prevent false alarms, and has shut off due to Dumbledore's presence. There is more discussion of this theory in the article on the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery.

While the Ministry is busily making Harry a hero in the press, we don't see them approaching Harry directly to get his support. We will find out that this is because the Ministry had first approached Dumbledore, as Dumbledore was shielding Harry from Ministry visitations, and Dumbledore had rebuffed them. The Ministry, in the person of Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour, will approach Harry directly at Christmas this year. Dumbledore will later reveal that there had been two similar attempts previously, which he had blocked: first when Fudge had attempted to rope Harry in to shore up his crumbling hold on power, and then in the early days of Scrimgeour's administration. There will be a final attempt made by Scrimgeour after Dumbledore's funeral, but then, as earlier, Harry will rebuff him.

The reason for Dumbledore's drastic character change can be attributed to his being injured by a fatal curse embedded in a ring; the curse was apparently intended as a trap to protect a Horcrux, which was housed in that ring. The curse, triggered when he put the ring on, had withered his hand. He was able to get help from Severus Snape, who has kept him alive by extraordinary magical means, though 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 attributed 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. Dumbledore's implied informational exchange, then, can only have been referring to this first set of letters.

Connections
Very little in this chapter, apart from the ongoing plot lines (Kreacher's antipathy for Harry and other "mudbloods", the Dursley family dynamic, Harry's treatment by the government-influenced press), could be considered to constitute any particular connection elsewhere in the series. Rather than explicitly connecting to other events, this chapter is to a certain extent a re-introduction to the Wizarding world and an exposition concerning how Harry's status has changed with the revelations at the end of the previous book.
 * Dumbledore's injury, mentioned in the previous chapter of this book, will remain unexplained until late in the final book.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Half-Blood Prince/Chapter 4

Synopsis
After leaving the Dursleys', Dumbledore asks Harry to keep his Invisibility Cloak with him, 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. Dumbledore explains now that 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 destruction and blood-splattered walls within; 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. On Slughorn's refusal, Dumbledore excuses himself, leaving Harry and Slughorn alone together.

Slughorn mentions that he taught Harry's father and mother. Lily was a favorite student, always top in Slughorn's class, and he 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. Slughorn suggests his reluctance to take a post at Hogwarts is partly because it would be seen as declaring allegiance to the Order of the Phoenix. Harry reminds him 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, though, as Dumbledore points out upon his return to the room, 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, says he and Harry will be having private lessons during the year. Dumbledore also suggests that Harry share the Trelawney prophecy with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and requests that Harry keep his Invisibility Cloak with him at all times.

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. Clearly, Dumbledore realizes that Harry has often refused help from others. Although Harry is a talented wizard, it is also Ron's 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 to reconnect 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 someone. He knows Slughorn is vain and likes being connected with powerful and influential people who can provide him favours and allow him to bask in their reflected glory. When Dumbledore offers Slughorn the Hogwarts position, using Harry as bait, he knows Slughorn will be irresistibly intrigued by and attracted to Harry Potter's fame, and will want 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, Dumbledore excuses himself, leaving Slughorn and Harry alone, allowing Slughorn to convince himself that Harry is a celebrity he wants to collect. Finally, as Slughorn is considering the offer, Dumbledore re-appears, snatches Harry from under Slughorn's nose, and departs. His prize about to vanish, and, somewhat desperate, Slughorn accepts Dumbledore's offer. This is a very neat bit of coercion by Dumbledore, particularly in that it allowed Slughorn to convince himself – Harry, unprimed for this, never participated in any coercion.

Although Slughorn is an excellent teacher (otherwise Dumbledore would have been unlikely to recruit him) he could prove problematic for Harry. Slughorn has a vain personality and is attracted to other wizards' celebrity and influence. The astute reader may see some similarity to Gilderoy Lockhart, at least insofar as attitude to celebrity goes; Gilderoy, however, has managed his own way to fame, while Slughorn, apparently accepting that he will never be famous, still likes to bask in reflected glory, and we suspect may be inclined to push Harry into prominence for his own ends. Harry, who tries to avoid 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 abilities, putting undue (although perhaps somewhat needed) pressure on Harry, a rather lazy student, to perform at a higher level than he currently does.

Harry's assertion that Quirrell is the only teacher that ever died at Hogwarts is an over-simplification. Hogwarts has been a school for a long time, over a thousand years, with teachers in residence year round; it is certain that at least a few teachers have died there, one being, of course Professor Binns, whose spirit is still teaching there. However, it is true that the only teacher who has died there as a result of Voldemort's actions was Quirrell, though he likely will not be the last.

We note that Dumbledore does not Apparate into the Burrow, landing fairly near the house but neither in it, or even adjacent to it. While this might be considered simple courtesy, as when Dumbledore Apparated into Slughorn's village rather than onto the doorstep, and when he appeared near the Dursley home rather than on the doorstep there, we will learn that by the start of the next book, the Weasley home had been made a "safe house" and Apparition onto the property was no longer permitted. Though it is not discussed in this book, it is possible that the apparition-prevention charm is already in place as Harry and Dumbledore arrive. The timing would seem to be reasonable: until the end of the previous book, Voldemort would have wanted to remain concealed, and so would not have moved openly against the Order of the Phoenix. With the revelation of his return, however, that constraint could be lifted, and the opening chapter of this book clearly indicates that he has started operations targeting the Order and its allies.

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 was Harry's reaction to that suggestion?
 * 4) Why does Slughorn finally agree to leave his comfortable retirement and accept the teaching post at Hogwarts?

Further 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?
 * 5) Dumbledore comments, somewhat unfavorably, on Slughorn's desire to be the power behind a multiplicity of thrones. Are there similarities to Dumbledore's own behaviour? If so, is this a veiled self-criticism, or has Dumbledore failed, this one time, to put two and two together?

Greater Picture
Harry believes (and readers assume) that Slughorn has been hired as the new Defence 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.

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 . . ." While nothing has been said directly about this, we have been led to believe that only Death Eaters can create the Dark Mark – or perhaps it may be that only they would want to. 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 to teach at the school even after the school has become a Death Eater stronghold. 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, if he had been a Death Eater the first time Voldemort was in power, would have survived the Ministry's fall.

The apparent ease with which Dumbledore manipulates Slughorn into agreeing to be a teacher at Hogwarts should be noted by readers. This shows a side of Dumbledore's character which we have not been aware of until now. An astute reader might wonder, given Dumbledore's skill at convincing Slughorn to come out of hiding, whether Dumbledore might not be using this same skill on Harry. Is he being as forthright with Harry as he seems? If not, what would be Dumbledore's intent? This concern will be brought out in the final book in the series, where Harry will discover that Dumbledore had apparently been concealing his younger life. Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth, will tell Harry that this pattern of manipulation was one that Dumbledore had followed for much of his later life.

Connections

 * The blood spattered around the walls of the house where Slughorn is hiding is, in fact, dragon's blood. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, we saw that Dumbledore's fame comes in part from a treatise on the Twelve Uses of Dragon's Blood. That treatise is mentioned here, amid banter about this being a thirteenth use.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Half-Blood Prince/Chapter 6

Synopsis
Frequent deaths and disappearances are occurring throughout the Wizarding world. On Harry's birthday, Lupin mentions that Igor Karkaroff had been found dead with indications he had been killed by Death Eaters. Others, such as Florean Fortescue, who owns the ice cream parlour in Diagon Alley, and Ollivander, the wand maker, are missing.

Booklists arrive, along with an announcement that Harry is the new Quidditch captain. Hermione says that gives Harry equal status with the Prefects, allowing him to use their luxurious bathroom.

Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys go shopping for school supplies in Diagon Alley, accompanied by Hagrid. Bill Weasley, who works for Gringotts, has retrieved a sack of money for Harry from his vault because security is so tight. In Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, 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 as she is measuring him, he jerks his arm away, claiming she stuck him with a pin; he and his mother quickly leave.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and the other Weasleys 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. Hidden under the Invisibility Cloak, Harry, Ron, and Hermione trail Draco into Knockturn Alley and 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." Draco also reserves an item for himself, ordering Borgin to keep it secret. After Draco exits, Hermione, hoping to learn what Draco reserved, enters the store pretending to be looking for a birthday present for her "friend" Draco. Borgin, suspicious, orders her to leave and puts a "Closed" sign on his door.

They return to Fred and George's store under the Invisibility Cloak. To calm Mrs. Weasley, worried over their absence, they claim they were in the back room.

Analysis
That Death Eaters have killed Karkaroff isn't the least bit surprising, as they think nothing of killing traitors, and Karkaroff himself had clearly expected it.

The trip to Diagon Alley physically shows just how much Voldemort's growing power is beginning to affect the Wizarding world. Not only are once-prosperous shops being vacated, but people, including Mr. Ollivander, the wand maker, have disappeared, their whereabouts unknown. The Twins' joke shop is able to thrive in this increasingly hostile environment, though their supplying the Ministry with weapons to fight Voldemort could make them targets.

Harry, meanwhile, is suspicious that Draco's visit to Borgin & Burkes involves something sinister, though Ron and Hermione discount this. Draco threatens Borgin into assisting him by mentioning that someone named Fenrir Greyback is a "family friend." Whoever Greyback may be, Draco clearly feels 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 so Snape will have to complete it for him, as he is now magically bound to do. 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; if he is correct, it would be a clear sign that Draco has become a Death Eater.

Hermione's attempt to gather more information about Draco at Borgin & Burkes shows that she is learning to act more spontaneously under stressful conditions. However, her actions here were not only clumsy, they clearly created suspicion in Borgin's mind that someone is investigating Draco's actions. Whether that suspicion will get back to the Malfoy family is uncertain. We don't hear the entire conversation between Borgin and Draco, and Draco's having evaded his mother for this mission suggests strongly that he, at least, believes that his family doesn't know about it. Malfoy may have told Borgin that his parents were not to know about this, before the Trio's eavesdropping started. If Borgin reports his suspicions at all, it's possible that they will be reported only to Draco.

Unlike Harry, Ron and Hermione remain skeptical that Draco is a Death Eater, though they still support Harry, even knowing he makes emotion-driven 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, though just what that might be is still unknown. 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. While this is never explicitly stated, the reader has seen that Harry has been entrusted with an important mission himself, and likely sees no reason why Draco would be excluded from being a Death Eater simply on the basis of age.

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.

This revelation that the house Quidditch Captain has equal privileges to Prefects feels a bit like the author's afterthought. While it is mentioned in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 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.

Review

 * 1) What prompted Harry, Ron, and Hermione to go to Knockturn Alley? What do they learn?
 * 2) Ron's being made Prefect in the previous year had briefly made Harry jealous. How will Harry becoming Quidditch captain affect his relationship with Ron?

Further Study

 * 1) How is the Quidditch captain selected? Who is most likely to have made this selection?
 * 2) Why would Draco jerk away when Madam Malkin attempts to lift his sleeve but he willingly shows the same arm to Borgin?
 * 3) What task might Voldemort have assigned Draco? Why would he choose Draco, an under-age and still unqualified wizard?
 * 4) Why does Draco go to Borgin & Burkes alone?
 * 5) Why would Draco order another item from Borgin for himself, and what might that item be?
 * 6) Why do Ron and Hermione doubt Harry's suspicions about Draco?
 * 7) Why is the Ministry of Magic ordering magical items from the Weasley twins' joke shop? What are they buying?

Greater Picture
Harry will remain convinced that Draco is involved in a sinister plot throughout the entire year. To uncover what that is, he will continually trail Draco, piecing clues together leading to a definitive answer. Harry will become nearly obsessed by this quest, to the point that even some readers will feel he has been going too far. Harry's suspicions will, however, turn out to be justified.

Items that we see in the Weasleys' shop will prove important in this story and later. In particular, Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder will be used in this book against Ron, much to his dismay; and in the next book, the Trio will have use for Puking Pastilles, Extendable Ears, and Decoy Detonators. Similarly, items seen in Borgin and Burkes will play roles in this book; the cursed necklace and the Hand of Glory, both first seen by Harry when he accidentally visited that store in his second year, show up later in this book

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 turns out to be a key part of the task Draco has been set, and plays a significant role in the book's conclusion.

Even though Hermione's attempts to learn what Draco was doing at Borgin & Burkes could have inadvertently alerted Draco Malfoy that hiss 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. While we never see Fortescue again, it will turn out that Ollivander has been captured by Voldemort, specifically for his knowledge of wand lore.

Connections

 * Borgin & Burkes appears in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, when Harry overshoots his destination grate on his first use of Floo Powder.
 * Three items that Harry saw then in Borgin & Burkes will appear in this book, two of them in this chapter.
 * The cursed opal necklace is sent to Dumbledore by way of Katie Bell on a Hogsmeade weekend in mid-October. Sent in an attempt to kill Dumbledore, it fails when Katie touches the necklace and is cursed by it.
 * Considering the Disappearing Cabinet that Draco is half hidden behind, and the one at Hogwarts, as a unit, we will see them again several times. The one in Borgin & Burkes first appeared when Harry hid from Draco and his father, four years earlier. The Hogwarts cabinet is dropped and broken by Peeves, at Nearly Headless Nick's request, to distract Filch, later in that book. Fred and George Weasley stuff Montague into it in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Draco learns of its linkage to the one at Borgin & Burkes from Montague, and in this chapter demands assistance in its repair from Borgin. Draco then spends all of his spare time throughout the year attempting to repair it. Late in the year, Harry actually sees the Cabinet in the Room of Requirement where Draco has been trying to repair it. The repaired cabinet is the way that Draco smuggles Death Eaters into the school to support him while he tries to carry out his assignment from Voldemort. And Harry will be looking for this cabinet again in the final book as he searches for the Diadem.
 * A number of items seen here in Fred and George's shop have been seen earlier, and will reappear in later chapters.
 * Skiving Snackboxes first appear in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, where the Twins' development and testing of the product is an ongoing subplot, and a source of some friction with Hermione. They will later appear in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, where they will be used to incapacitate Ministry employees so the Trio can infiltrate the Ministry.
 * Extendable Ears first appear in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, when the Twins use them to attempt to eavesdrop on the Order meeting in the kitchen. They are also used later in that book to eavesdrop on the conversation in Mr. Weasley's hospital room. And they will be used in the final book to listen in on another party of refugees who camp close to where the Trio are hiding.
 * A Decoy Detonator, of the type seen here on a shelf in the shop, will be used in the final book to make a distraction while Harry breaks into Dolores Umbridge's office in the Ministry.
 * Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder will be used by Draco to conceal himself and the Death Eaters he is bringing into the school late in this book.
 * Mr. Ollivander will turn out to have been captured by Death Eaters and secured in the basement of Malfoy Manor. There, he will be required to create a wand for Peter Pettigrew, and will be grilled on wand lore by Voldemort. His answers to Voldemort's questions about wand lore, coupled with Voldemort's fear of Harry's wand, will form one of the major subplots of the seventh book.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Half-Blood Prince/Chapter 5

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 brown. Tonks insists she must go and declines a weekend dinner invitation, hearing that Lupin and Mad-Eye will be there. Mrs. Weasley asks Harry 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, apparently since Arthur Weasley was not among them.

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 Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor, Professor Umbridge. Ginny slouches in, complaining about someone she refers to as "her"; Harry's curiosity is ended when Fleur Delacour enters with his breakfast tray, and Mrs. Weasley in her wake. Fleur says she and Bill Weasley are marrying next summer, then heads back downstairs. Ron is still clearly rather infatuated by Fleur, but the three women feel she is very full of herself and wonder what Bill sees in her. Ginny derogatorily calls her "Phlegm", upsetting Mrs. Weasley, but making Harry and Hermione laugh.

When Mrs. Weasley departs, Ron, clearly still embarrassed in Fleur's presence, 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, had died. That she evidently blames herself for Sirius' death interests Harry, who carries the same guilt. As a result, Tonks has apparently lost the ability, or perhaps the inclination, to transform her physical appearance at will.

After Ginny leaves, 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 receive their O.W.L. results. It is revealed that "T", rather than a joke by the Twins, 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 has apparently been dashed. 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, minus the one 'Outstanding', and is quite pleased that he only failed Divination and History of Magic. Mrs Weasley is also very proud, noting that Ron has achieved more O.W.L.s than Fred and George together. Hermione, as everyone except herself expected, receives 9 'O's and one 'E' (in Defence Against the Dark Arts). All three have passed into N.E.W.T. level, although Harry privately regrets that he will be unable to join the Auror profession and cannot think what else he would like to be.

Analysis
Harry is shocked by Tonks' radically changed appearance. There is no explanation yet as to what might have happened since she was last seen about a month ago, 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 think she is suffering from grief and guilt over Sirius' death and may even have been in love with him. Readers who are aware that Sirius was Tonks' cousin may believe the relationship is too close for marriage, but examination of the Black family tree shows that they are in fact second cousins, and so distantly enough related that they could marry. Sirius' mother, Walburga, is sister to Cygnus, Andromeda Black's father, making Andromeda a first cousin to Sirius, and Tonks, as Andromeda's daughter would be second cousin to Sirius. As a side note, we will point out that the Black family is no stranger to inbreeding: Sirius' father and mother both descend from the marriage of Phineas Nigellus and Ursula Flint, their mutual great-grandparents.

Harry also fears, on getting his OWL results, that his professional future has been permanently derailed. The only career that interested him is an Auror (Dark wizard catcher), even though the primary person who encouraged him was actually a Death Eater in disguise (Barty Crouch). Unfortunately, Harry's Potions grade is too low to admit him into Snape's N.E.W.T.-level Potions classes, which he needs to fulfill the Auror prerequisites. This will deeply trouble Harry, and being unable to pursue 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 professions, and with his chosen career track now apparently closed to him, he is uncertain how to proceed.

In another continuity glitch 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, which is probably why Dumbledore specifically mentioned it at one point. The unique nature of the clock would suggest that possibly someone in the family built it or had it built to specification, and in fact with his known ability with mechanical magical devices, it might well have been Dumbledore himself who built it for them. As the clock has a hand for Ginny, it must have been built or modified after Ginny was born, in 1981, which would argue that the clockmaker is still alive. It is possible that Mrs. Weasley wanted the clock to be more portable, and had the original builder, or 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.

Another minor problem occurs in early editions of this book. Hermione had initially been taking "everything", which came to twelve graded courses, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. She dropped Divination mid-year, and reports that she will no longer need the Time-turner at the end of the year because, having also dropped Muggle Studies, she can now fit all of her courses in a normal schedule. Thus, she must now be taking 10 courses. Early editions of the book show her receiving 10 Outstanding and one Exceeds Expectations grades, for a total of eleven courses. Later editions drop that to nine Outstanding grades.

Review

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

Further 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?

Greater Picture
Harry's belief that Slughorn is the new Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor is to be expected, as we have seen five different teachers fill that post in the previous five books. The author clearly intends for us to make this erroneous assumption, as Slughorn, Dumbledore, and Mrs. Weasley all fail to mention that Slughorn had previously taught Potions. This revelation, when it occurs in a few chapters, will have major effects on Harry and his future, and will provide a core plot device for this book.

Tonks' forlorn emotional state has little to do with Sirius' death, but is actually because she is in love with Remus Lupin, who spurns her affection. Lupin believes that being a Werewolf makes him unworthy, that he is too old for her, and that the times are too unsettled to risk bringing children into the world in any event. 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 she believes was made rather hastily, but it could equally apply to Tonks, who wants to pursue a relationship with Lupin. His repeated refusal (which we must infer, as we never see it directly) will, over the course of this book, cause Tonks' increasing depression. As another result, we will see later that Tonks' Patronus has changed into "something large and hairy." It appears to Harry to be a dog, which reinforces the mistaken belief that she was in love with Sirius Black. We will finally learn the facts of the relationship between Tonks and Lupin late in this book, and Harry will then realize that Tonks' Patronus is now a wolf.

In retrospect, Percy's continued estrangement from the family will be seen as quite in character. Dumbledore at one point will comment that it is sometimes much easier to forgive someone for being wrong, than it is to forgive them for being right. While we note that this makes Dumbledore an observant man and an excellent student of human behaviour, we must also point out that in order for Dumbledore to have this insight, the author must also possess this level of understanding.

Connections
Apart from ongoing plot lines, there is little that connects this chapter to other sections of the series. We do find out some trivia about Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in this chapter, but while they are possibly of interest to the student, they are not referenced outside this chapter.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Half-Blood Prince/Chapter 7

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 any important task. Harry, still convinced, cites how Draco yanked his arm away from Madam Malkin, the same arm where Death Eaters carry a Dark Mark. Malfoy also showed Borgin something on the same forearm that apparently caused Borgin to 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. 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.-level Transfiguration with only an Acceptable test result. 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 Slughorn was impressed 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.

Malfoy is annoyed at being excluded, but Zabini says Slughorn is only interested in students' connections to influential wizards, and speculates he 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." When Zabini asks what an unqualified wizard could do for Voldemort, Malfoy retorts his task may not require qualifications.

At Hogsmeade Station, 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, then tosses the Invisibility Cloak over him so he will go unnoticed until after the train returns to London.

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, and seems nearly obsessed with proving it. Considering the information readers are already 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 annoyed 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. It may be that Slughorn has some awareness of the prophecy linking the two, as well as the fame of their parents – this may be why he didn't invite other people involved in the battle.

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.

And while Harry shows great maturity and personal integrity in accepting Luna as a friend and equal, Ron does not. When Harry invites her to a party later in the story, Ron will chastise him for asking "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 risked her own life at the Department of Mysteries battle to aid Harry and Ron.

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, though 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. However, there may be other underlying reasons for at least some of his brazen behavior.

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?

Further Study

 * 1) Why does Malfoy reveal such specific, and apparently accurate, information about his connection to 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?

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 would be discovered by Professor Dumbledore through Harry is unknown, though the latter reason will seem more plausible by the book's conclusion. Harry will report his suspicions about Draco, and later about Snape, to Dumbledore at various times throughout the year, and, from his point-of-view at least, is seemingly rebuffed each time. It is revealed later, in the final book, that Dumbledore already knows about Draco's mission and Snape's involvement. Careful attention should be paid to how Dumbledore addresses Harry's accusations: Dumbledore never says he disbelieves Harry, rather that the issue is not Harry's concern. Harry, however, fails to perceive this important detail, instead increasing his efforts to uncover some clue that will convince Dumbledore that his suspicions are valid.

Connections
This chapter is largely self-contained, dealing largely with Harry's attempts to resolve his suspicions about Malfoy, and with exposition of Professor Slughorn's character.

 * Romilda Vane's attempts to snag Harry Potter as a boyfriend will continue throughout this year, resulting in a near-death experience for Ron at one point.