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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Prior to the new term at Hogwarts, the Death Eaters attack both Muggles and Wizards. Bellatrix Lestrange goads Severus Snape to enter an Unbreakable Vow with Draco Malfoy's mother, Narcissa, assuring that Snape will protect Draco and complete the task Voldemort has assigned to Draco—the assassination of Albus Dumbledore—should the boy fail. Scarred by his experience at the Ministry of Magic with Voldemort, Harry is reluctant to return to school. Dumbledore encourages him to continue, and uses Harry's reputation to bring former professor Horace Slughorn back to teach Potions class. Dumbledore instructs Harry to develop a friendship with Slughorn in order to learn of which Dark Art that Tom Riddle—Voldemort's name while a student at Hogwarts—approached Slughorn about and which Slughorn refuses to divulge in the present. While in Diagon Alley, Harry, Ron and Hermione visit Fred and George's new Joke shop. When leaving, they observe Draco entering Borgin and Burkes and taking part in a ritual with other Death Eaters, leaving Harry suspicious of Draco's actions. Upon arriving at the school, the students find it secured from entry by the Death Eaters.

Professor McGonagall convinces Harry and Ron to take Slughorn's Potions class; lacking the appropriate books, they take copies provided by the school. Harry finds his book, once belonging to "The Half-Blood Prince", to be annotated with additional instructions and spellcraft that allow him to get ahead in class, making him the teacher's pet. Ron becomes the successful Gryffindor's Quidditch keeper, attracting the love of Lavender Brown, much to Hermione's chagrin, while Harry is similarly distraught over Ginny's attraction to Dean Thomas. While on Christmas break with the Weasleys at the Burrow, Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback attack, set the Burrow on fire, and attempt to kidnap Harry, but Mr. Weasley, Remus and Tonks and the others defend against it. Harry becomes concerned of the well-being of those that he cares about.

Harry continues to follow Draco around the school on his earlier suspicions but cannot deduce Draco's plan. Unbeknownst to Harry, Draco has placed a Vanishing Cabinet inside the Room of Requirement, and has attempted to perfect its use. Harry suspects Draco as being behind two attempts on Dumbledore's life: one through a lethal necklace that Katie Bell, under an Imperius Curse, was bringing to Dumbledore as a gift, and another through a bottle of poisoned wine that Slughorn, similarly cursed, planned to give to the headmaster, but instead was accidentally ingested by Ron. Ron is treated for the poison, though unconsciously admits his love for Hermione, sending Lavender into emotional withdrawal. As of result of Ron's near-death experience, Harry chases Draco to the toilets, and after a brief fight, uses the Sectumsempra curse from the Half-Blood Prince's book, severely injuring Draco. Snape arrives, drawn by the Unbreakable Vow, and heals Draco while Harry retreats. Ginny convinces him to hide the book in the Room of Requirement so that he won't be tempted to use its secrets again. After making him close his eyes, Ginny hides away the book and gives Harry a brief kiss when she returns.

With the use of a Luck potion won earlier in the term and his reputation with Slughorn, Harry manages to arrange for the professor to get drunk alongside Hagrid. Harry convinces Slughorn to provide the necessary memory of Riddle's request in his stupor. The memory reveals that Riddle was seeking information on Horcruxes, devices that store a portion of the creator's soul to allow them to be immortal unless the items are destroyed. Dumbledore recognizes that Riddle's diary and his mother's ring were two of seven Horcruxes that Riddle had created, and that they must track these down and destroy them to make Voldemort mortal. After learning the location of another Horcrux, Dumbledore requests Harry's help to retrieve it, as it requires a test of willpower. Deep inside a seaside cave, Harry is forced to make Dumbledore drink a foul liquid that hides the Horcrux. Though Dumbledore is weakened by the liquid, he is able to defend them from a horde of inferi and return to the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore sends Harry to fetch Snape for help, but Draco appears as he is leaving forcing Harry to hide and observe. Draco attempts to kill Dumbledore; however, as Dumbledore expected based on the earlier assassination attempts, Draco cannot follow through. Bellatrix and other Death Eaters, invading the school through the repaired Vanishing Cabinet, arrive and attempt to support Draco. Snape also arrives, motioning Harry to stay hidden, and joins the Death Eaters. Snape then casts the spell Avada Kedavra on Dumbledore, killing him and knocking his body over the side of the tower. Snape, Draco, and the other Death Eaters depart the school, Bellatrix casting the Dark Mark over the school, destroying the Great Hall and setting fire to Hagrid's hut in glee. Harry tries to stop them with the Sectumsempra spell, but Snape deflects it and stuns him. As Snape departs, he reveals that he is the Half-Blood Prince and the creator of the spell.

The staff and students mourn Dumbledore's death. Harry is comforted by Ginny, but refused to talk further of the issue with Professor McGonagall when she asks. Later, Harry reveals to Ron and Hermione that the Horcrux they got was a fake, containing a message from an "R.A.B." that stated he had already taken it, but is also seeking to end Voldemort's life. Harry tells his friends that he does not plan to return next year, instead seeking out R.A.B. and the other Horcruxes so that he may put an end to Voldemort; Ron and Hermione remind Harry that they are his friends and that they don't plan to let him try to get the Horcruxes alone and will help alongside him in his goal. The film ends with Harry, Hermione, and Ron looking across from the castle tower to the distant landscape.

posted by Tamster-TaMy @ 22:39