Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

[lindalupos]

Ah, the romance one.


This is going to have a lot of links to my LJ because this time around I actually had a blog to post my thoughts! It's kind of like a timecapsule. A cringy timecapsule. Of a time where I had no idea who David Tennant was - 'Whoever played Barty/Dr Who (David something or other)'.

HBP came out at a time when HP had really and truly caught on. I was a lot more involved in fandom and had met a few friends that are still friends to this day. In fact, one of them would become my housemate around the time HBP came out! I was busy writing fanfiction - the last few weeks before the book came out I was working away on my OotP fanfic, even snatching quiet time at my job to scribble down scenes by hand. I also listened to the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack basically on repeat at that time, and I still associate 'Point of No Return' with OotP (I recently listened to it again and was immediately transported back to that time! Some of the HBP LJ posts also note that I was listening to Phantom at that time.) I think I posted the last chapter like the day before the book came out.

I dressed up for it, as Trelawney. No midnight release for the English one, but we WERE the first ones at the bookstore, at 9AM. The staff loved us. :p (Heh, it came out slightly over 12 years ago! God I'm old. Also I decided to reread it a year after it came out - I have no recollection of that. Also apparently the second Pirates film had just come out.) Before reading, I had made a list of predictions of what I wanted to happen and what I thought would happen - of course, I was wrong more often than I was right. :p
I read it basically in one sitting, stopping only to have dinner (very distractedly) and during one particular scene where I couldn't help but jump up and spoil the crap out of my mom because I was too upset that Snape had killed Dumbledore!! Here's my reaction when I had finished it. And here are my thoughts while reading them. It's kind of hilarious to see how I had basically figured out who the Half-Blood Prince is straight away - then kept doubting for the rest of the book.
I LOVED the book, but in hindsight, that was mostly because of one thing: my favourite ship had come true. I had the STUPIDEST grin on my face during the hospital wing scene, and even Dumbledore's funeral couldn't really quench my happiness. i was a ridiculously happy shipper (warning: huge cringe factor). In fact, once I had cooled down a few months later, PoA was back as my favourite (some prescient comments at the bottom, too). Nearly two years later, I had also considerably cooled on the hospital wing scene.

So anyway, HBP was an interesting one to reread once I had the shipping goggles off. It's actually remarkably light in plot. There are three main storylines - Dumbledore's lessons, Draco's mystery, and Harry's antics at Hogwarts, both with the romances and the Half-Blood Prince mystery. The latter is actually not THAT important to the plot, for all that it's the title of the book. It added shades of grey to Snape and there's a delicious irony to the fact that Harry learned a ton more during this one year than he ever did in Snape's actual classes, but the reveal rather pales next to the fact that, y'know, Snape just killed Dumbledore. And the potions book never makes an appearance in TDH, it's basically forgotten after Harry discovers who The Prince was. The biggest impact it has is that Harry learns some useful spells and he uses some of the Prince's spells to be more like his dad, which... is a development I could have done without.
It's almost weird to go back to the regular Hogwarts-centred plot of the first three books after GoF and OotP. Were it not for the fact that Harry spends Christmas at The Burrow, we would have stayed in Hogwarts again for the entire year (besides the little Horcrux trip they make, of course). It's also a bit jarring because while the plot is the same as the first three books, the characters are older now so we suddenly have a lot of hormones flying around. Which... well, let's just say I'm glad Jo is writing mystery novels now and not romance novels. I really could have done without the chest monster.
The rest of the book is mainly a lot of set-up. We FINALLY get some answers. I also loved how Harry finally starts asking follow-up questions, even though he doesn't always like the answers. I also felt that it was more... balanced than OotP. Even the pacing - the Christmas chapter is just about at the exact midpoint of the book. :p But on the other hand, it also felt rather... light. Like I said, there are really only 3 plotlines, which is somewhat thin for a 600 page book. Also it's pretty obvious Jo was tired of writing Quidditch scenes, haha.
And this time around I was prepared for the hospital wing scene (read: dreading it because considering how that ship ended in TDH, it's just giving me major cringe these days), I could fully appreciate Dumbledore's funeral. Sob. And it kind of foreshadows TDH in that it brings back a lot of characters we once met - TDH has a fair number of those nostalgia/greatest hits scenes.

Anyhoodle! Recap. It's long, sorry.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Grownup Harry and Dumbledore on the cover. No hint of the plot on the back, just that Dumbledore is going to pick Harry up.

The book is less massive than OotP – ‘only’ 607 pages. Snape and Narcissa’s hands are on the dust jacket. Philosopher’s Stone is also available in Welsh, ancient Greek and Irish (agus an Órchloch). Copyright 2005, TM Warner Bros. Dedicated to Mackenzie – her ink and paper twin!

Also the book is ancient-forest friendly. :p

1 – The Other Minister

Another non-Harry opener. Scrimgeour!

Mysterious bridge collapse, murders… nowadays it would be obvious who we’d blame. Oh god, imagine Theresa May in this situation.

Hi Fudge. Not doing too well I see.

The Bones and Vance murders. L

The Prime Minister doesn’t like being made to feel like a schoolboy. Wizards are so patronizing.

“A man named Serious Black.”

“Oh, and we’re importing three dragons and a sphinx.” No big deal.

Oh right, Sirius was innocent after all, but anyway… They’ve got more important things to worry about than a serious (heh) miscarriage of justice (ok admittedly, they do).

Oh right, Dementors breeding causes mist. Ew.

Fudge got sacked! Good.

The lion-looking man! SO MANY THEORIES when that bit came out on Jo’s site. He sounded so cool! Little did anyone guess we’d already heard his name in OotP, and that a cool description doesn’t necessarily mean a cool character. :p (Also who elects the new Minister for Magic? Does the Wizengamot put it to a vote? I bet Dumbledore voted against him.)

Kingsley is the PM’s new secretary. Huh. I forgot about that.

“The trouble is, the other side can do magic too, Prime Minister.”

2 – Spinner’s End. :D Man I had a whole theory about this back in the day but it all came to nothing, haha.

Bella stop killing the indigenous wildlife.

Snape must live somewhere up north (mill town) in one of the most depressing towns EVER. Like, it rivals Grimmauld Place for depressiveness. And now I’m wondering whether Snape has one of those charming northern accents.

Bella’s right, they can’t trust Snape.

Wow he is so pleased to see Narcissa? Huh? (Bella less so, of course.)

Snape’s sitting room is the most depressing ever.

Wormtail’s basically Snape’s Igor. Voldemort placed him there to assist Snape? With what?

Snape has +40 on Bluff.

“I believed him finished.” Genuinely? Oh, wait, this was after Halloween ’81. Makes sense that he would, plus he was probably not doing too well mentally at that time.

“Yes, the Dark Lord thought that I had left him forever.” That’s that line in GoF explained.

The six teenagers were joined by half the Order of the Phoenix. I really hope that’s hyperbole, otherwise ouch, the Order is TINY.

Lol yay let’s bash Harry.

Dumbledore “has since sustained a serious injury because his reactions were slower than they once were.” MISDIRECTION from the Horcrux hunt!

Aw Narcissa. L

Bellatrix would of course gladly give up any sons to Voldemort (what about a daughter though?).

Unbreakable Vow…

3 – Will and Won’t

Yay Harry. Snoring.

Of course Dumbledore and Scrimgeour immediately butt heads.

Ah, the protection leaflets, as promised in OotP. Side-along Apparition is mentioned. And Inferi!

Wow, superpolite letter from Dumbledore. If it is convenient… if you are agreeable… OK the man IS Victorian.

OMG DUMBLEDORE MEETS THE DURSLEYS.

“I don’t mean to be rude – “
“ – yet, sadly, accidental rudeness occurs alarmingly often.” <3

Aw, Sirius left everything to Harry. (And none for Remus bye)

Harry is sixteen and owns property in London! Actually, now I’m wondering if he still owns it years later. It IS a great location if you work for the Ministry, and once you’ve cleared it up a bit it will hugely increase in value. Plus now I'm having mental images of Teddy, James, Albus and Lily running up and down the stairs and pestering Kreacher and it's pretty adorable.

“Kreacher won’t, Kreacher won’t, Kreacher won’t!” … the Hogwarts elves are going to be SO HAPPY with their new colleague.

Harry’s a month younger than Dudley.

Man, how small does the Cloak fold up? Harry stuffs it into the inside pocket of his jacket! Although I guess it IS supernatural/magic.

“And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.”

4 – Horace Slughorn

Heh Harry feels awkward being one on one with Dumbledore because “there was usually a desk between them”.

Harry won’t need to worry about an attack because “you are with me”. Poignant reversal at the end of the book.

Apparition sounds awful. Why is every wizard transport awful?! Except the Hogwarts Express. (Haha back when I first read it I thought Apparition sounded awesome.)

They walk past a telephone box. :p One of those things that probably wouldn’t happen in 2017.

What are they doing in Budleigh Babberton, Harry wonders? “As, yes, of course, I haven’t told you.” Sigh. As usual, Dumbles.

“I have no time to explain [my hand] now. It is a thrilling tale, I wish to do it justice.” In the end he never even made a thrilling tale of it, just “found a Horcrux, it busted up my hand, Snape fixed it as best he could”. :p

Jam-preferences!

I do love finally-explaining Dumbledore.

Armchair Slughorn!

Ew Dumbledore’s hand. And the ring! Two Horcruxes in the room right now (and two Hallows, come to think of it – Harry’s cloak and Dumbledore’s wand).

Heh bonding over bashing Umbridge.

Lily used to be cheeky. No wonder James fell for her.

Even Slughorn doesn’t know Sirius was Harry’s Godfather? How many people DID? He acts as if Harry probably has no idea who Sirius was. “Hey, remember the guy who supposedly ratted out your parents and tried to murder you three years ago?”

“Taking up a post at Hogwarts just now would be tantamount to declaring my public allegiance to the Order of the Phoenix!” So people know about that now?

Slughorn proves Phineas right: Slytherins would rather save their own necks.

“I was merely reading the Muggle magazines. I do love knitting patterns.”

Yay new teacher. Note that Harry never asked what position. :p

Yay the Burrow.

Yeah let’s discuss Sirius, that’ll be fun.

“I take my hat off to you – or would if I were not afraid of showering you in spiders.”

Private lessons with Dumbledore. “A little of this, a little of that.”

The Occlumency lessons were “a fiasco”. That’s diplomatically put..

5 – An excess of Phlegm. Yay it’s the Fleur bashing chapter…

“It is I, Dumbledore, bringing Harry.”

Isn’t it like 1AM now? Why are they still up?

Hi Tonks. Bye Tonks. “Thanks for the tea and sympathy” indeed.

Slughorn started at Hogwarts at the same time as Dumbledore. Huh. He must be ancient.

Yay Arthur got promoted.

Mollywobbles! Geez, awkward.

Metamorph-medals, which don’t give you 100.000 disguises but turn you a fairly unpleasant orange colour. Ahem.

Yay Ron and Hermione. And hi Ginny, hating her sister in law.

Fleur seems to have become even more beautiful? Is it because she’s in love or because she’s older?

Wow, she whips Molly in the face with her hair. Rude.

The war makes people elope, huh? And of course it was okay when Arthur and Molly did it…

Everyone ships Tonks/Bill. “No bloke is going to fancy Tonks when Fleur’s around.” Actually, couldn’t Tonks quite easily make herself look like Fleur? (I mean not NOW she can’t, but normally.) Or does Fleur’s Veela side give her a certain je ne sais quoi that can’t be replicated by a metamorphmagus?

Survivor’s guild, Lupin’s tried to talk her ‘round. 1) OF COURSE he was on emotional-support duty, he’s like the only therapist in the entire wizarding world. 2) What was the timeline here??

“Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right.”
“Sounds like the kind of mental thing Dumbledore would say.” Oh Ron.

Molly is good at fixing minor injuries. So she knows wizard first aid? Can she teach the others??

“Mrs Weasley tried to lessen [Hermione’s] resemblance to half a panda.” Heh.

Oh geez Hermione and the OWL results.

TROLL IS AN ACTUAL RESULT YOU CAN HAVE?! Oh my god the wizarding world.

Would anyone REALLY refuse the Chosen One to become Auror if he really wanted to, even though he’s not good at potions? I mean, that’s a fairly impressive resume right there.

6 – Draco’s Detour

Remus the birthday party ruiner. Looking more shabby than ever, probably since his friend and roommate didn’t leave him ANYTHING.

Karkaroff’s dead. Huh. And Florean Fortescue has disappeared. As has Ollivander.

Harry’s Quidditch Captain! Who decides these things? He’s got equal status with the prefects now – he can use their bathroom now. :p (Is that how Cedric did? Or was he prefect/headboy? I forget.)

Hagrid still uses his umbrella for magic.

“Amulets: effective against werewolves, dementors and inferi.” Sigh.

Harry is as tall as Narcissa. I keep having to adjust my mental images. (Doesn’t help that DanRad is tiny.)

Bunch of hotheaded teenagers…

“Why are you worrying about You-Know-Who? You should be worrying about U-NO-POO. The constipation sensation that’s gripping the nation!” … ok I gotta admit that’s fairly clever.

The daydream charms are not for the under-sixteen. Ahem.

Edible Dark Marks??

If they’re making so many DADA gadgets, can’t they give Remus a job?

Pygmy puffs. <3

Draco’s doing something mysterious…

Greyback is a Malfoy family friend? That’s pleasant… (Especially when you consider how terrified Malfoy was of werewolves in the forest way back in PS.)

“Could you see what he was pointing at when he said ‘that one’?”
“No, he was behind that cabinet.” Derp.

Hermione is the worst spy ever.

7 – The Slug Club. Already?

For once Harry is right with his Malfoy suspicions and nobody believes him. :p Malfoy IS a DE. Why would Voldemort care he’s only sixteen?

Ok Fleur IS rather insufferable here.

“Harry, please, you’re talking to the man who raised Fred and George.”

Of course the mysterious object Malfoy was talking about wouldn’t be in Malfoy Manor…

Yay Neville and Luna. And Neville finally got a new wand!

No point for the DA now they finally got rid of Umbridge. Aw. “I enjoyed the meetings too. It was like having friends.” Oh geez Luna.

Ew Romilda Vane.

Man, does Neville’s gran hate her grandson or something? “She’d give anything to have you as a grandson.”

Ron does a lot of rude hand gestures.

Oh shit Slughorn’s on the train??

Aw, Marietta still has acne scars. And Harry smirks at it.

Heh Blaise Zabini, male after all. And Cormac McLaggen. Oh right, Damocles Belby created the Wolfsbane Potion. And Zabini’s mum is a Black Widow? (In two ways I guess.)

Slughorn has the air of a “compère”? Cue lots of kids grabbing a dictionary. (It’s the host of a show or circus, apparently.)

Ginny doesn’t take too well to Harry being insulted.

Meh, Draco with his head in Pansy’s lap.

“I might not even be at Hogwarts next year.” :/

Even the DE kids don’t think you can be a DE at sixteen.

Ouch, broken nose.

8 – Snape Victorious. Hee, finally.

Thank God for Tonks, with her wolf patronus. (How will they know it’s hers when it changed? Oh, it speaks with her voice of course. Weird.)

“Proudfoot, Savage and Dawlish are here too.” PROUDFEET.

Tonks seems “older and much more purposeful.”

Snape calls her Nymphadora of course. Oh and her sneers about her new Patronus! “I think you were better off with the old one. The new one looks weak.” YOU HAVE A DOE FOR A PATRONUS, YOU JERK.

Of course Harry blames Snape for Sirius’s death (although the narrative admits it’s not 100% fair but it suits Harry’s opinion of Snape).

“Once again you show all the sensitivity of a blunt axe.” Well it IS Ron.

“Professor Snape, meanwhile, will be taking over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.” :D

“Snape had finally achieved his heart’s desire.” Aw, it’s almost touching when you put it like that.

Hagrid was late because he was talking to Grawp. Who took the first-years across the lake then? Aaaand he doesn’t know the Trio isn’t taking CoMC anymore. Do the teacher not get class lists before the year starts?

9 – The Half-Blood Prince. Title drop!

Ew, Lavender making eyes at Ron.

Mullioned windows again.

Neville qualifies for DADA – with Snape. Fun. Poor kid honestly, this is just a repeat of that bit in PoA where he thought he was going to have an awesome class with that fun professor Lupin, and it turns out he got Snape. This time he finally thought he was done with Snape – nope! There he is again.

God I love McGonagall. “It’s high time your grandmother learned to be proud of the grandson she’s got, rather than the one she thinks she ought to have.” “I shall drop Augusta a line reminding her that just because SHE failed her Charms OWL, the subject is not necessarily worthless.”

A 15-inch essay for Ancient Runes? That’s 38 cm. Not THAT bad.

Of course Snape redecorated the DADA classroom into a goth paradise. Sigh.

Admittedly he’s better at DADA than Potions. You can tell this is where his true passion lies. He knows his stuff and he cares more. And given that it’s year six and with Voldemort running around, it doesn’t hurt to have a teacher who really knows his stuff.

Wouldn’t Dumbledore have told Snape about the DA? It was a whole thing, DUMBLEDORE’S Army.

“There’s no need to call me Sir, Professor.” Ouch.

“I thought he sounded a bit like you.” OMG Hermione is right, they’re coming from different sides of the spectrum but Harry and Snape DO teach alike.

Heh Dumbledore’s letter. “I hope you’re enjoying your first day back at school.” Sure, with Snape teaching DADA.

“Slughorn’s belly proceeded him out the door.” OK.

Ah, the Amortentia smelling of Ginny.

Advanced-Potion Making…. Why is it even in the common cupboard? Why doesn’t Snape keep it in his superprivate inner sanctum room along with his shrine to Lily?

“You will not underestimate the power of obsessive love.” Ahem.

Felix Felicis! The winner is to use it on an ordinary day only. Not much of those for Harry.

This is Harry’s second class taught by Snape today, in a way. :p

“Good Lord, it’s clear you’ve inherited your mother’s talent. She was a dab hand at potions, Lily was.” Don’t let Snape hear this. (Although knowing Slughorn, he’s probably going to brag about it in the teacher’s room this very evening.)

Ginny’s upset Harry’s taking orders from a book, as well she might. Thank God it appears to just be normal, though. Although…

“This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince.”

10 – The House of Gaunt. Oh goodie.

Still mysterious how no one recognized Snape’s handwriting. Or he changed writing over the years – Lord knows I have…

Whoo first Dumbledore lesson.

Trelawney’s stalking the corridors now, drawing Tarot cards. All Spades: 2, 7, 10, knave.

“You must have been busy, a detention under your belt already!” It’s Harry and Snape, come on.

“It’s time for you to be given certain information.” FINALLY.

“From hereon in, Harry, I may be as woefully wrong as Humphrey Belcher, who believed the time was ripe for a cheese cauldron.” WTF.

Into the memory of Bob Ogden.

Of course the Gaunts live in the most depressing cottage ever. Including a snake nailed to the door. Ew.

Very smart of the MoM to send just ONE guy over…

Hey Merope. “A plain, pale, rather heavy face.” What is it with ‘evil’ people and heavy facial features? Bellatrix and Rita both have heavy jaws, Snape has that hooked nose of his… It’s a bit weird.

Peverell ring and Slytherin locket. That’s two.

Ew, Tom senior is a git. Although even Dumbledore concedes he is handsome (wait, he WOULD have an eye for that).

“The shock of [Merope’s] desertion may have contributed to his early death – or perhaps he had simply never learned to feed himself.” DUMBLEDORE WTF.

The tragic fate of Merope Gaunt. L Poor girl never stood a chance.

11 – Hermione’s Helping Hand. ???

Wow even Hermione has to ask for a clarification during lessons now. :p

Non-verbal spells are expected now. That went from 0 to 100 in one week/month, damn.

Hagrid is ignoring the Trio?

Harry has no idea why his Quidditch team is suddenly so popular. Hermione knows: “you’ve never been more popular and, frankly, you’ve never been more fanciable.” Oh right, this was The Romance One. Ron feels ignored and jealous, of course: “I’ve got cool scars, too!” (“It doesn’t hurt that you’ve grown about a foot over the summer.” Did he get curves in all the right places, too?)

No mail for Harry, although he’d hoped Lupin would write. He’s too busy starving/ignoring Tonks. (Harry, you do know mail works both ways?)

Actually pretty clever to put the old potions book in the new cover.

Stan Shunpike got arrested. L And Hannah Abbot’s mom’s dead.

Lavender is making eyes at Ron and Hermione doesn’t like it.

God the Quidditch try-outs are a mess. Even applicants from other houses. Of course Ginny is again the bestest bestest. And Maclaggan is being a jerk.

Wow Hagrid is angry with the Trio. Didn’t know he had it in him. And Aragog is dying.

Invitation from Slughorn! Too bad he’s got Snapes’s detention. But Slughorn will have a word with “Severus” – of course, he was in Slughorn’s house…

And Ron is jealous again.

Harry is still suspicious of Malfoy. Huh, all the students were searched before entering Hogwarts (except Harry because he came with Tonks).

Heh, Snape was not impressed by Slughorn – Harry’s got detention after all.

12 – Silver and Opals

Dumbledore is frequently absent now.

“Harry did not usually lie in bed reading his textbooks; that sort of behavior, as Ron rightly said, was indecent in anybody except Hermione, who was simply weird that way.”

Harry using random curses on people. How… amusing… Especially Levicorpus. Sigh. (Incidentally, Hogwarts students could do with a few Latin lessons to recognize spell-components and get a hint of what a spell might do.)

“The Prince had proved a much more effective teacher than Snape so far.” Ahem!

Both James and the Death Eathers used Levicorpus, but of course with James (and Harry) he was just having a laugh.

“There’s no way they’d let me be a Death Eater,” says Ron. So much for Ron the Death Eater!

Hogsmeade trip! Slughorn “occupying at least a quarter of the sweet shop.” Gosh I wonder if Slughorn is fat.

Hey Aberforth. And hey Mundungus reselling Sirius’s stuff. And hey Tonks (for about five seconds).

Huh so the Order still uses 12 Grimmauld Place as HQ?

Harry thinking of Ginny and Dean at Madam Puddifoots, “that haunt of happy couples”.

Oops Katie Bell got cursed. And Malfoy’s got an alibi. Sorry Harry…

13 – The Secret Riddle

Whoo Dumbledore lesson. Although he’s not saying where he’s been.

Phineas is angry Mundungus has been stealing Black stuff. :p

Again the description that Tom Sr was handsome. Although it’s Dumbledore pointing it out.

Merope didn’t feed herself using magic. “It is also possible that her unrequited love and the attendant despair sapped her of her powers; that can happen.” Hi Tonks. Actually, that makes me wonder, she lost her Metamorphagus powers but not her ‘regular’ powers, apparently (she can still cast a Patronus and whatnot). Are Metamorphmagi people with, like, EXCESS magical abilities? Kind of like seers, or natural Legilimenses (sp?) like Queenie in Fantastic Beasts? That would actually make a lot of sense, also in terms of heredity and stuff. And I THINK both Tonks’s parents were wizards? Her dad was Muggleborn but not an actual Muggle. Hmm, stuff to ponder.

“This time we are going to enter my memory. I think you will find it both rich in detail and satisfyingly accurate.” But hey, no ego.

Dumbledore wears a flamboyantly cut suit of plum velvet. Oscar Wilde much? 



(Which of course makes the casting of Jude Law even more hilarious as he rather famously played Oscar Wilde's lover Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas. (Horrid quality, sorry. Also hey Horatio Hornblower.) And holy crap there's Madam Pomfrey and Madam Hooch!)

Poor Merope. Died less than an hour after giving birth.

Tom was a ‘funny’ baby, hardly ever cried. It puts me in mind of this monologue in Hannibal. And a creepy kid, too.

Tom is immediately suspicious and defensive, and I can’t blame him. “What are you here for?”

“I knew I was different.” “I knew I was special.” Completely the opposite of Harry, who knew he was different but didn’t like it.

Tom is definitely a creep kid. Bit of a conundrum: can’t leave him at the orphanage with his strong powers but he’s not exactly a student you’d welcome with open arms.

“My mother can’t have been magic, or she wouldn’t have died.” Well, if it helps, she was from a very important magical family?

Tom liked to collect trophies. Hmm…

14 – Felix Felicis

Hermione and Ron bickering about the Slug Club. And yes it’s a stupid name.

Oh God Harry’s stomach monster when he sees Ginny kissing Dean. If there is ONE thing I wish I could cut from this book…

“D’you think I want people saying my sister’s a – “ It’s 1995 Ron, not 1895. No wonder Ginny goes for the low blows. Although poor Ron honestly, I don’t blame him either for lashing out. Everyone is doing cooler stuff than he is.

“Hermione had never really understood what a serious business Quidditch was.”

Once again Gryffindor vs Slytherin as the first match of the year. And Draco’s not playing, hmmm…

Ew Zacharias Smith does the commentary.

That was a quick match. And Ron got a placebo, heh. Even though the reveal didn’t QUITE go as Harry had hoped.

Oh boy, Ron’s snogging Lavender. Ah, teenage drama…

15 – The Unbreakable Vow

So… we’ve done away with Halloween feasts now? Christmas is approaching already (page 285). Kind of weird because Halloween was such an important story moment in the first four books, with always something happening there (troll, Death Day party, Sirius break-in, arrival of the foreign schools) that I guess the Three Year Summer cemented it in my mind as inherently important to the series, or something. :p

Bunches of girls wanting to snog Harry causing blockages in the corridor.

Hermione: “[Ron] is at perfect liberty to kiss whomever he likes, I really couldn’t care less.” Right.

Ginny “kept cropping up in his dreams in ways that made [Harry] devoutly thankful that Ron could not perform legilimency.”

Oops Madam Pince found the potion book. “Despoiled! Desecrated! Befouled!”

Ew, shipping Filch/Pince.

Aw Luna invited to the Christmas party. “I’d love to go with you as friends!”

“There was a noise like a plunger being withdrawn from a blocked sink and Ron surfaced.”

Jesus Christ Hermione. “I like REALLY GOOD Quidditch players.”

“Harry was left in silence to ponder the depths to which girls would sink to get revenge.”

Scrimgeour a vampire? Uh sure Luna… more like a werelion, but anyway. (It's hilarious that I said basically the same thing 12 years ago.)

How is Slughorn even ALLOWED this party as a teacher?? And of course the vampire’s name is Sanguini - although it does make me think of Linguini.

Random author pushing Harry for a biography. Wonder how much Jo wrote this from her own experiences. :p

Yay party with Trelawney, Luna and Snape! What fun! Especially once Luna starts spouting one of her theories. :p Too bad there’s no description of Snape’s face. (And Trelawney is genuinely interested! Aw)

Malfoy gatecrashing. Snape escorting them out and Harry following them. He should have brought the Marauders Map.

Heh, Draco DID manage to learn Occlumency. From Bellatrix no less!

Snape sharing some spy wisdom but Draco’s not having it. “You want to steal my glory!” Well, eventually…

16 – A Very Frosty Christmas. Yay the adults are back. Sorta. Also we’re almost exactly at the halfway point of the book.

Ron knows stuff! “Well, you can’t break an Unbreakable Vow.” Gosh. Really.

Ugh the twins are bullying Ron for having a girlfriend. “How did she sustain such extensive brain damage?”

Remus is arriving tonight. Yay. Staying in Bill’s room. Also I keep a ticket to some HBP event at this scene (of course I do) and I have literally NO RECOLLECTION what it was for?? October 7, 2005. Maybe the release of the Dutch HBP?? Huh no, that came out in November. What is this???

“They’re all convinced [Snape] is in the Order, aren’t they?” He IS – he’s just also a DE.

Garden gnome Christmas tree topper, and Celestina Warbeck on the radio. A cauldron full of hot strong love.

“Remus Lupin, who was thinner and more ragged-looking than ever,” staring into the fire, being a 15-year old emo kid.

You charmed the heart right out of me. *sings*

“Dumbledore trusts Snape and that ought to be good enough for all of us.” Oh you sweet summer child. “He kept me healthy. I should be grateful.” That’s… just the character summed up in two sentences. Sigh.

Also sigh: Molly applauds the radio. I appreciate that she is The Mum of the series but god she can be incredibly… let’s be charitable and say naïve.

Remus the werewolf spy: “living among my fellows, my equals.” “I am not complaining. It is necessary work, and who can do it better than I?” God forbid that he’s ever complaining! (Huh, now I’m wondering whether he was already doing that during OotP. That never occurred to me but it would make a lot of sense.)

Greyback specializes in children. Ew.

“My father had offended him.”

Furry little problem.

Who actually invented Levicorpus? James used it in the 5^th year (OWLs year) and Remus mentions it being super popular then, but Snape’s book suggests it was him inventing it – in his SIXTH year textbook. Unless he already had the book a year early? Although Remus says, when Harry points out that it sounds like it was invented during his time, “not necessarily. Jinxes go in and out of fashion like everything else.”

… oh duhhh. “How old is this book? Perhaps that will give you some clue as to when the Prince was at Hogwarts.” It was Snape’s mum’s first, no wonder he already had it. Knowing him he probably worked way ahead in his textbooks. Plus what better place to hide your secret notes than a textbook you will only be using in the last two years of school? Thanks for helping me figure that out, Remus! You really are a great teacher.

Nearly 50 years old – so just after the Chamber was opened.

Harry dreaming of bitten children. L

Lavender’s Christmas present is very… 16-years old. And the maggots from Kreacher!

Sigh, everyone got a Weasley sweater except Fleur. (Did Remus get one with a huge R? Did the other werewolves laugh at him for it?)

“Tonks has her own family to go to, hasn’t she?” Sigh. (I REALLY need a timeline here. He comes off as incredibly clueless and callous. Supposedly they discussed stuf "a hundred times alredy" but judging by his behavior he barely things of Tonks at all. Either Jo forgot to put in some body expression cues or... I dunno.)

Percy! Oh and Scrimgeour.

“Have a little purkey, or some toodling.” Aw Molly.

Having a stroll around the garden with Scrimgeour. Very Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

To be or not to be the Chosen one, that is the question…

“Some would say it is your duty to be used by the Ministry!” 1) Yeah Harry, become Captain America. 2) Scrimgeour, I’m sure you could have phrased that differently.

“You never get it right, you people, do you? Either we’ve got Fudge pretending everything’s lovely while people get murdered right under his nose, or we’ve got you, chucking the wrong people into jail and trying to pretend you’ve got the Chosen One working for you.”

“Dumbledore’s man through and through, aren’t you, Potter?”
“Yeah, I am.”

17 – A Sluggish Memory.

Bye to the Weasleys, see you at the end of the book.

“Promise me you’ll look after yourself… stay out of trouble…”
“I always do, Mrs Weasley, I like a quiet life, you know me.”

Won-Won! Vertical wrestling match.

Apparition, whoo. Wait, it costs extra money? Guess it’s the wizard equivalent of driving lessons… It costs 12 galleons, who’s going to pay for Ron? Although Arthur got promotion recently and they’ve only got Ron and Ginny to support now the Twins are off on their own, so I guess it’s doable.

Ron is worried the twins are going to make fun of him if he fails the test. Sigh.

Seamus has lines from Flitwick: “I am a wizard, not a baboon brandishing a stick.”

Heh, Dumbledore. “[The Ministry] is not very happy with me, either. We must try not to sink beneath our anguish, Harry, but battle on.”

Aw, he’s touched Harry is his man. :’)

“Blessed as I am with extraordinary brain power.”

Dumbledore’s tolerance for “but do you REALLY REALLY trust Snape???” is running out.

Dumbledore didn’t tell the rest of the staff wat Tom was like, to give him a fresh start. Well, it’s admirable… (Although he never 100% trusted him, as Diary Tom mentioned in CoS.)

Tom and Morfin speaking Parseltongue in the memory. How does Dumbledore know what they’re saying? Does he speak Parseltongue too? Is it a language you can learn? (Guessing yes as Ron managed to open the Chamber of Secrets in TDH) Also Morfin calls Merope a slut. Nice.

If you’re underage but do magic inside an adult witch or wizard’s house, the Ministry won’t know. All this time they refrained from using magic at the Weasley’s…

Young Slughorn isn’t quite as fat as old Slughorn but still fat enough to mention. Sigh.

Tom was friends with a Lestrange and an Avery. The parents of the current ones?

Homework: retrieve Slughorn’s memory. Good luck.

18 – Birthday Surprises. ??? Oh the chocolates.

Gasp Hermione doesn’t know what Horcruxes are?!

Heh Harry’s not such a Potions wonder now he has to manage on his own. (They have to freestyle an antidote to a random poison and Harry is lost without guidelines.)

“Just shove a bezoar down their throats.”

“Had Snape been there, Harry would not have dared to do it.” Irony!

“Just like his mother, she had the same intuitive grasp of potion-making, it’s undoubtedly from Lily he gets it.” Snape must be SO glad he’s not here.

Aw, Hermione can’t find anything about Horcruxes in the library and she feels personally insulted.

Apparition instructor: Wilkie Twycross. Destination, determination, deliberation!

Ouch, Susan Bones got splinched.

“Peeves, who had jammed a door on the fourth floor shut and was refusing to let anyone pass until they set fire to their own pants.” Geez… and oh gosh Neville actually did it.

Ron’s birthday, yay. He got a gold watch from his parents? Arthur’s raise must have been good.

Chocolate cauldrons, love potion. Horrible (although funny). And oohh the mead for Dumbledore! Poor Ron, love potioned then poisoned, all on his birthday. (Also they’re drinking mead before breakfast?)

19 – Elf Tails

“This wasn’t how we imagined handing over our present.”
“Yeah, when we pictured the scene, he was conscious.” Aw, the twins. And they have a LARGE present. Good.

Dumbledore is angry with Sn - ? Oh right, Snape doesn’t want to kill him. Dumbledore is taking too much for granted according to Snape. Yeah, he tends to do that.

“Harry had never been less interested in Quidditch; he was rapidly becoming obsessed with Draco Malfoy.”

Ron is mysteriously always asleep when Lavender visits…

Heh Malfoy accompanied by two sulky girls.

Luna doing the commentary. :D

Maclaggan is being insufferable of course… and so useless that he lost Gryffindor the match and knocked Harry off his broom. Ouch, a loss of 320-60. (Why do they even continue playing without a Seeker? Quidditch rules are useless.)

Hey Kreacher… and wow, Dobby is quite a fierce fighter. O_O

“If Dobby does it wrong, Dobby will throw himself off the topmost tower.” Uh wow.

20 – Lord Voldemort’s Request

“Harry and Ron left the hospital wing first thing on Monday morning, restored to full health by the ministrations of Madam Pomfrey and now able to enjoy the benefits of having been knocked out and poisoned.”

Also Ginny argued with Dean and the chestmonster is happy.

Another mysterious little girl.

Aw, Luna thinks Ron is making fun of her commentary because everyone else did. She’s more aware than people think.

Hey, Trelawney in Dumbledore’s office. And he is slightly exasperated by her.

“Perhaps I shall find a school where my talents are better appreciated.” Good luck with that.

“Divination is turning out to be much more trouble than I had could have foreseen.” Heh, pun.

Dumbledore is Disappointed that Harry didn’t manage to get the memory. A++ guilt tripping.

Just how OLD is Slughorn? Is he older than Dumbledore? (Uh pay attention me, we established back in the fourth chapter that Slughorn is just about the same age.)

Dippet was fond of Tom, Dumbledore… less so.

Galathea Merrythought had been teaching DADA for 50 years. That’s pretty impressive.

Hepzibah Smith is “immensely fat”, very old and quite rich. Tom is “more handsome than ever” and Hepzibah has a crush on him.

Hufflepuff’s cup! All sorts of powers it’s supposed to possess too. And Slytherin’s locket. ^^

So Dumbledore became headmaster about fifteen years after Tom graduated, so when Tom was in his early 30s. The timeline with Lupin doesn’t entirely work out, or with McGonagall. Tom was born in 1926 according to google, so this conversation took place in 56-60 or thereabouts. Hmm, although I guess it does work with McGonagall - she started in '56 (39 years before 1995, as she told Umbridge in OotP), but Lupin's 'Then Dumbledore became Headmaster' still doesn't make sense as it implies that he became Headmaster between Lupin's bite and eleventh birthday, which was about ten years after this scene. Oh well.

Also Tom got creepy and is not handsome anymore.

“I know what you are known as. But to me, I’m afraid, you will always be Tom Riddle. It is one of the irritating things about old teachers, I am afraid, that they never quite forget their charges’ youthful beginnings.” Burn.

“I could show and tell your students things they can gain from no other wizard.” Err yeah no thanks.

Love is more powerful than Voldemort’s kind of magic.

Nott, Rosier, Mulciber, Dolohov are already with Voldemort. How old are THEY? Are the Malfoys interlopers in their eyes, newcomers, babies? (Also they gather at the Hog’s Head, no wonder Dumbledore knew about it. “Merely friendly with the local barman.”)

Voldemort cursed the DADA post! Nice to see that curse confirmed.

21 – The Unknowable Room.

“If it hadn’t been for the Prince, Ron wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”
“He would if you’d just listen to Snape in the first year.” OK how hard did Jo cackle at that bit?

Sectumsempra! For enemies. Harry is “itching to try it out, but thought it best not to in front of Hermione.”

Harry and Snape disagree on the best way to tackle Dementors. Uh how many are there besides Patronusses?

Augury doesn’t being O-R-G. WTF, Ron, read your own writing. I mean Roonil Wazlib.

Oh gosh Dobby hasn’t slept since he started tailing Malfoy.

“Master Malfoy moves with a nobility that befits his pure blood.”
“Draco Malfoy is a bad boy!” Guess which house elf said what. :p

Oh, the Room of Requirement is unplottable, thus unknowable.

Harry is connecting dots pretty early in the book.

Mundungus was sent to Azkaban. Finally. And some nine-year old tried to kill his grandparents. L

“I want to see what Malfoy’s doing in here.” No dice, and some first-year is scared off by Harry’s swearing. “I need to see what Draco Malfoy is doing inside you.“

“I thought Snape and Mundungus were on the same side? Shouldn’t he be upset Mundungus has been arrest – “ It’s Snape, come on. He and Tonks are on the same side, Tonks is about the nicest person in the Order and he still kicks her when she’s down. The only person he’d be upset about would be McGonagall.

Ghosts are transparent. Good to know.

“Excuse me, are you the imprint of a departed soul?”

Myrtle’s hoping for a date with Malfoy. “He’s sensitive!”

Huh Tonks is in the school. “Why did she always have to find him lying on the floor?” Well stop falling down then.

Tonks looked terrible, thinner than usual, lank hair. WIZARD THERAPISTS. NOW.

“What do you want to see [Dumbledore] about?”
“Nothing in particular… I just thought he might know what’s going on… I’ve heard rumors… people getting hurt…” Aw.

And then Harry thinks she’s upset about Sirius. “I’m sorry. I mean, I miss him as well.”
“What?” Lol.

“You don’t think she can have been… you know… in love with Sirius?” The others agree, it makes sense. Ron says she’s “gone a bit funny. Women. They’re easily upset.” Oh shut up.

22 – After The Burial

RIP Aragog. Ron declines going to the burial, of course.

Ah, the Montgomery sisters’ brother was attacked by a werewolf – and died. L Kid was only five.

Aw, Ron failed his Apparition test. Poor kid.

Felix Felicis! “I’ve got a good feeling about going to Hagrid’s.”
“You’ve got a good feeling about burying a spider?”

Harry even manages to break up Ron/Lavender and Ginny/Dean by accident.

Being on FF sounds awesome.

Bye Aragog.

Slughorn: “Had a house elf taste every bottle [of wine] after what happened to your poor friend Rupert.” I saw what you did there, Jo.

Harry is guilttripping Slughorn, and bluffing. “I am the Chosen One.”

Quest Completed. Achieved: One memory.

23 – Horcruxes

What does crystallized pineapple even taste like.

“Death would be preferable” to life as a Horcrux.

Dumbledore is particularly fiercely anti-Horcrux.

The Diary!

Diary, ring, cup, locket, tiara, snake – and boy. There’s no Gryffindor Horcrux? I thought the sword was one?

Yay potential Horcrux destroying roadtrip.

“You are setting too much store by the prophecy.” Well ~sorry!

“Voldemort himself created his own worst enemy, just as tyrants everywhere do.” Hubris, the downfall of all big bads.

24 – Sectumsempra. Oh boy.

Ron and Lavender split up. Good. As did Ginny and Dean. Cue the chestmonster.

Yay, Katie’s back. Damn, that took a while.

Ginny is imitating Ron “anxiously bobbing up and down in front of the goalposts.” Sigh.

Harry and Ron “were at least agreed on the fact that [Ginny] was too popular for her own good.” Double sigh.

Quidditch drama.

Aw poor Malfoy, crying in a bathroom. L And of course the first thing they do when Harry comes in is whip out their wands (heh, sorry) and duel.

SECTUMSEMPRA. Oops. Thank God for Snape being near.

Moaning Myrtle “continued to sob with increasingly evident enjoyment.” Drama llama.

“I didn’t mean it to happen. I didn’t know what that spell did.” IT SAYS FOR ENEMIES, YOU IDIOT. And then he blames the Prince, of course.

Man, I’d love a look around the Storage Room of Requirements (beore theFiend Fire anyway).

Can Filch access the Room of Requirements?

The Vanishing Cabinet gets mentioned. And “a dusty old tiara”!

Roonil Wazlib strikes again. “I know what a nickname is,” says Snivellus.

Oops detention every Saturday.

“The Prince hadn’t written ‘try this out, it’s really good’.” The way you went about it, he might as well have!

Admittedly Snape’s detention is pretty good, copying old detention cards from the Marauder era. Shame it’s pointless with Harry.

Eh, Gryffindor wins anyway. Last match of the series.

Harry/Ginny kiss. Whoo? (It’s not in the RoR? The movie lied to me. Although they did cut Quidditch out entirely, so.)

Stupid chestmonster.

25 – The Seer Overheard

Aw Ron, a Pygmy Puff is a perfectly nice tattoo.

Eileen Prince. Hermione is SO CLOSE.

“Snape’s hinting now that if I don’t get all the boxes done by the end of term, we’ll carry on next year.” Heh. Also, pretty hopeful of Snape that there’s going to BE a next year.

Hey Trelawney. “The Inner Eye was fixed upon matters well outside the mundane realm of whooping voices.”

The lightning-struck tower.

“… but then we were rudely interrupted by Severus Snape!” Oops. He was hoping to pick up interview tips, sure.

Now Harry REALLY hates Snape. Well done Trelawney. And it’s really the last thing Dumbledore needs right now. Also I really don’t blame Harry for laughing at the suggestion that Snape regrets telling Voldemort of the prophecy. He’s working with only half the information – he still doesn’t know about Snilly, and knowing Snape “he felt sorry for the baby” doesn’t fly. Snape would dropkick Harry, baby or not.

“Professor… How can you be SURE Snape’s on our side?”
Dumbledore making up his mind before saying “… I am sure. I trust Severus Snape completely.” AKA STFU Harry. But Dumbledore doesn’t seem entirely sure? Is he feeling guilty because of what he’s making Snape do?

Rally the DA troops.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll be with Dumbledore.”

Horcrux field trip!

Rosmerta is kicking out a grubby-looing wizard?

Off to Ireland! Cliffs of Moher yay! 

26 – The Cave. (And just at that moment the track popped up on Spotify!)

Of course Dumbledore swims with a perfect breaststroke.

“This is the place. It has known magic.” I usually just cast Detect Magic.

Lol, blood sacrifice to open the door. “So crude.”

“Your blood is worth more than mine.” I’d say.

Accio Horcrux!

Mini-boat ride on the Inferi-infested water.

“It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.”

“Like many creatures that dwell in cold and darkness, they fear light and warmth, which we will therefore call to our aid should the need arise. Fire, Harry.”

No touching the potion! “I can only conclude that this potion is supposed to be drunk.” “Your good health, Harry.” Thanks?

This is a horrible scene. Well done Jo.

Inferi. Even children. Ew. Regulus is supposedly here, too!

Firebending Dumbledore! He sounds awesome. He's basically Uncle Iroh.

“I am not worried, Harry. I am with you.” Sob.

27 – The Lightning-Struck Tower.

“Severus. I need Severus.” Might’ve brought him in the first place. (What a scene THAT would have been!) “Wake Severus.” Surely Snape wouldn’t pleasantly go to bed knowing Dumbledore is hunting a Horcrux? With HARRY?

Oh shit the Dark Mark over Hogwarts.

Astronomy Tower! Aaaand Dumbledore is disarmed. Bye Elder Wand.

“Good evening, Draco.” Dumbledore entices the villain to monologue.

Oooh I forgot Rosmerta was Imperio’d!

Someone’s dead, says Draco. Not quite.

“Your Phoenix lot got in the way.”
“Yeah, they do that.”

“No Draco. It is my mercy, not yours, that matters, not yours.” Ominous much.

Oh shit, Death Eaters. Amycus and Alecto. And GREYBACK. THROW HIM OFF THE TOWER. “You know how much I like kids, Dumbledore.” Uggggh.

Snape.

“Snape gazed for a moment at Dumbledore, and there was revulsion and hatred etched in the harsh lines of his face.
“Severus, please.”

“Dumbledore was blasted into the air; for split second he seemed to hang suspended beneath the shining skull, and then he fell slowly backwards, like a great ragdoll, over the battlements and out of sight.” Sob. (Page 556)

28 – Flight of the Prince

Harry nearly werewolf-mauled.

Yay Remus, yay Order. (Hang on, did Remus accompany Greyback to Hogwarts or did he get a message from the Order?)

Neville got hurt again.

Who’s the “huge blond Death Eater”?

Wow Harry was about to Crucio Snape. “No unforgivable curses from you, Potter. You haven’t got the nerve or the ability.”

“Fight back, you cowardly – “
“Coward, did you call me, Potter? Your father would never attack me unless it was four on one, what would you call him, I wonder?”

“Blocked again, and again, and again, until you learn to keep your mouth shut and your mind closed, Potter!” Wear sunglasses during duels from now on.

“You dare use my own spells against me, Potter? It was I who invented them – I, the Half-Blood Prince!”

“DON’T. CALL ME COWARD.” I actually feel really sorry for him here. L He didn’t ask for all of this to happen, and Dumbledore basically forced him into the bad guy position.

Bye Snape.

Oh shit Hagrid doesn’t know Dumbledore’s dead. “Dumbledore. Snape killed… Dumbledore.”

Oh god, and the dark mass at the foot of the tower. This whole scene is awful. “Dumbledore’s eyes were closed; but for the strange angle of his arms and legs, he might have been sleeping.”

The locket is false, to add insult to injury.

“To the Dark Lord,
I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more.
RAB.”

Wizards have a thing for “it is I” statements. And how did Regulus learn about Horcruxes? Hm.

29 – The Phoenix Lament. Oh this chapter.

Bill is alive, just “a bit of a mess”.

OH SHIT THEY DON’T KNOW YET, I FORGOT.

“Harry had never seen Lupin lose control before; he felt as if he was intruding on something private, indecent.” He literally saw him wolf out, but here Lupin might as well be naked. Painful.

Fawkes. L

“Snape was a highly accomplished Occlumens,” said Lupin, his voice uncharacteristically harsh. Ouch.

“I’d love to know what Snape told Dumbledore to convince him,” said Tonks. Aw man, and then Harry repeats his faulty information. “He was really sorry he’d done it, sorry that they were dead.”
“And Dumbledore believed that?” said Lupin incredulously. “Dumbledore believed Snape was sorry James was dead? Snape HATED James…”

“And he didn’t think my mum was worth a damn, either.”

Ugh and then McGonagall blames herself. L

Ah, Dumbledore alerted the OotP before he left. Smart. (Although then the “wake Severus” makes even less sense.)

Recap of what happened, who was where when.

Molly and Arthur and Fleur.

“It woul take more zan a werewolf to top Bill loving me!” “I am goodlooking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave.” GO FLEUR. And ok go Molly.

Can I skip the next page? So much cringe. Sigh. OK here we go.

“It’s different.” Sure.

“But I don’t care either, I don’t care!” said Tonks, seizing the front of Lupin’s robes and shaking them.
“And I’ve told YOU a million times, that I am too old for you, too poor… too dangerous.” Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen did you discuss this a million times, you bunch of idiots? Please don't tell me you spend every Order meeting (if they had regular Order meetings) bickering about this because oh my god the others would hate you, plus the Christmas chapter STILL doesn't make a lick of sense.

Molly stay out of this. Arthur too. “She wants you.” AND MCGONAGALL TOO, FOR FUCK’S SAKE. “Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world.” WELL DUMBLEDORE IS DEAD AND ALSO HE WAS IN LOVE WITH AN EVIL WIZARD SO HE DOESN’T GET A VOTE.

McGonagall Headmistress yay. And aw the new portrait.

“Snape!” ejaculated Slughorn. “Snape! I taught him! I thought I knew him!” So did McGonagall.

McGonagall wants to close the school but Sprout says “if a single pupil wants to come, then the school ought to remain open for that pupil.” Hufflepuff!

Flitwick wants to follow procedures. “A decision should not be made hastily.” Ravenclaw. Also I read on ONTD today that Flitwick once had a relationship with Sprout but it didn't work out but they remain friends and this is CANON? I'm not sure my mental images can cope with that information.

Funeral on school grounds. Fitting.

Fawkes is gone. L

30 – The White Tomb

Wizarding world reunion.

Bill now resembles Moody, but with both eyes and legs. And Ginny is still pissy about Fleur. “I suppose if mum can stand it, so can I.” How magnanimous.

Oh right, Eileen married Tobias Snape. (How do an Eileen and a Tobias come up with SEVERUS?)

The Hogwarts Express will be leaving an hour after the funeral. That’s... quick?

Dress robes for the funeral? Good thing Ron got new ones.

Tonks is back to pink hair, holding hands with Lupin. I have Opinions. (Also Teddy has probably already been conceived.)

Aberforth. L And the trolley witch! Neville and Luna. L Oh hey, and Fudge. And UMBRIDGE. Somebody tell her there’s a werewolf here, she might jump into the lake and drown.

Dumbledore’s body wrapped in purple velvet with gold stars. Going out in style.

“The last and greatest of his protectors had died and he was more alone than he had ever been before.” Death of the mentor.

“We can’t be together.”
“It’s for some stupid, noble reason, isn’t it?” Yup.

Ew Scrimgeour.

To do list:
- Visit Godric’s Hollow
- Find the other Horcruxes
- Kill Voldemort
- Kill Snape
- Attend Bill and Fleur’s wedding

~sequel hook~

~end credits~