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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
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Chapters 25-30Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 25 Summary: “The Seer Overheard”
Harry and Ginny begin dating, and Harry is the happiest he has been in a while. Slughorn attributes Harry’s dipping performance in Potions to his being “lovesick;” Harry has not dared retrieve the Half-Blood Prince’s textbook yet, worried that Snape will be on the lookout for it. Hermione suggests that the Prince may have been a girl, showing Harry an old newspaper clipping of a Hogwarts student named Eileen Prince, but Harry dismisses this theory.
Harry receives a note summoning him to Dumbledore’s office immediately. On his way there, he runs into Professor Trelawney, the Divination teacher, outside the Room of Requirement. Trelawney is the person who made the original prophecy about Harry and Voldemort, though she does not know this herself. At present, she had been trying to get into the Room of Requirement but heard a male voice celebrating before she was ousted from the room. Harry insists that she must tell Dumbledore, sure that it was Draco inside. In a conversation on the way to meet the Headmaster, Trelawney inadvertently reveals that her job interview with Dumbledore many years ago was interrupted by Snape. Harry knows that this was when she made the original prophecy and that a Death Eater had partially overheard it and told Voldemort, causing Voldemort to kill Harry’s parents and attack Harry. Harry realizes that Snape is the person responsible for his parents’ deaths.
Harry bursts into Dumbledore’s room alone, but before he can say anything, Dumbledore reveals that he has found a Horcrux, and that Harry can accompany him to help destroy it. Harry quickly agrees, but Dumbledore realizes that something has upset Harry, causing the latter to angrily reveal what he has discovered. Dumbledore pales but insists that Snape made a mistake and felt great remorse when he discovered what Voldemort did about the prophecy, after which he switched sides. Dumbledore trusts Snape completely, and although Harry is angry and unconvinced, he is forced to drop the subject. Dumbledore then agrees to take Harry with him on the sole condition that Harry obey any command Dumbledore gives him without question.
Harry rushes back to collect his Invisibility Cloak before leaving and instructs Ron and Hermione to use the Map to watch Draco and Snape; he also gives them his remaining Felix Felicis to share between themselves and Ginny. With Harry under the Invisibility Cloak, he leaves the castle with Dumbledore, and the two walk into Hogsmeade and past the Three Broomsticks before Disapparating.
Chapter 26 Summary: “The Cave”
Harry and Dumbledore arrive at the foot of a seaside cliff, a spot near where children from Voldemort’s orphanage used to be taken for day trips; a young Voldemort had once brought a couple of children he didn’t like to this spot to torture and frighten them. On Dumbledore’s instruction, they swim into a tunnel at the foot of the cliff and find themselves in a cave, which contains a concealed, magical doorway.
Passing through the doorway, Harry and Dumbledore arrive at a huge, black lake in a cavern; the center of the lake is lit with a greenish glow which Dumbledore surmises is where the Horcrux is. Dumbledore and Harry walk around the lake, careful not to touch the water until Dumbledore finds and raises a tiny boat magically hidden under the water. Harry and Dumbledore board the boat together to get to the Horcrux. Along the way, Harry realizes that bodies are floating under the water's surface.
Harry and Dumbledore reach a small island at the center of the lake inhabited by a stone basin filled with glowing, emerald liquid. Dumbledore realizes he must drink the liquid in the basin to get to the contents at its bottom and makes Harry promise that he will help Dumbledore finish drinking it no matter what happens. Upon drinking the liquid, Dumbledore begins to scream in anguish, but Harry keeps his word and forces Dumbledore to finish all of it. The liquid exhausted, Dumbledore collapses and begs for water, beginning to lose consciousness. Harry tries to collect some from the lake, but as soon as he touches the water, the bodies emerge and begin to drag him in. A greatly weakened Dumbledore nevertheless manages to conjure up a ring of fire that pushes the bodies back. Dumbledore pockets a locket from the bottom of the empty basin, and under the protection of the fire, Harry and he take the boat back to the bank. Harry promises to get Dumbledore back safely, to which Dumbledore replies that he is not worried as he is with Harry.
Chapter 27 Summary: “The Lightning-Struck Tower”
Harry and Dumbledore arrive back at Hogsmeade and are met by Madam Rosmerta, the owner of the Three Broomsticks, who alerts them that the Dark Mark has been set off above Hogwarts. Dumbledore and Harry borrow Rosmerta’s brooms to fly back to the castle immediately, Harry under the Cloak again. They alight at the Astronomy tower, and Dumbledore instructs Harry to get Snape, but before he can move, they hear approaching footsteps. Dumbledore Petrifies Harry, who is now invisible and paralyzed, while Draco appears and Disarms Dumbledore.
Draco reveals that he has been tasked with killing Dumbledore. The Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement is one of a pair; its partner sits in Borgin and Burkes, and the two form a passageway between them. Draco had been working on fixing the broken one at Hogwarts all this time and has finally succeeded: Death Eaters have entered the castle and sounds of a fight can be heard from within. Draco was also behind the cursed necklace and the poisoned mead, having had Rosmerta under the Imperius Curse (a curse that places the victim under the caster’s control) this entire time. She sent the poisoned mead to Slughorn and gave the cursed necklace to Katie Bell.
Dumbledore, in turn, reveals that he knew it was Draco all along; Snape had been keeping watch over Draco on Dumbledore’s instructions, though Draco insists that Snape is a double agent and is actually on Voldemort’s side. A desperate Draco insists that he must kill Dumbledore; otherwise, Voldemort will kill Draco and his entire family. Dumbledore insists that Draco is not a killer and offers him the help and protection of the Order. Draco lowers his wand, but a group of Death Eaters arrives on the scene, Fenrir Greyback among them. They urge Draco to finish the job, but he hesitates; in this time, Snape arrives as well. Harry is terrified to hear Dumbledore pleading with Snape: “Severus…please…” (583). Snape looks at Dumbledore for a moment with “revulsion and hatred etched in the harsh lines of his face” (583) before raising his wand and killing Dumbledore, blasting his body over the edge of the tower.
Chapter 28 Summary: “Flight of the Prince”
Dumbledore’s death lifts the spell he cast on Harry, and Harry chases Snape and Draco through the castle and onto the grounds. He passes by several Order members battling the Death Eaters, including Lupin and McGonagall. Hagrid tries to stop the escaping Death Eaters, and they set fire to his hut. Harry aims spells and curses at Snape but is blocked every time; when he attempts to use Levicorpus on Snape, however, the latter is furious. Snape Disarms Harry and reveals that he is the Half-Blood Prince, the spells his own invention: “You dare use my own spells against me, Potter?” (590). Snape yells at Harry to stop calling him a coward, “his face […] suddenly demented, inhuman, as though he was in […] pain” (591). Snape incapacitates Harry, and he, Draco, and the other Death Eaters manage to escape the grounds and Disapparate.
Hagrid revives Harry, and together they put out the flames engulfing Hagrid’s hut. Harry tries to tell Hagrid that Snape killed Dumbledore, but Hagrid doesn’t believe him. When they walk back to the castle, however, they find a crowd gathered at the foot of the Astronomy tower surrounding Dumbledore’s body. Harry finds the locket they recovered and discovers it is not Slytherin’s locket after all; inside is a note signed by “R. A. B” detailing that they have discovered Voldemort’s secret and have stolen the real Horcrux to destroy it themselves. Agonized by the futility of the entire adventure that led to Dumbledore’s death, Harry begins to cry.
Chapter 29 Summary: “The Phoenix Lament”
Ginny takes Harry to the hospital wing on McGonagall’s orders, where their friends and the Order members are gathered. Bill Weasley has been attacked and grotesquely disfigured by Greyback; though Lupin confirms he won’t be a true werewolf since he wasn’t bitten at full moon, the cursed wounds are unlikely to ever heal fully.
Ginny and Harry break the news to the group that Snape has killed Dumbledore. Everyone is devastated, and in the distance, Fawkes, Dumbledore’s phoenix, can be heard singing “a stricken lament of terrible beauty” (600). The adults are stunned by Snape’s duplicity, reflecting on how Dumbledore trusted him completely. Together, they piece together the story of what happened that night: Dumbledore had asked members of the Order to patrol the school while he was away. Ron, Ginny, Neville, Luna, and Hermione were watching Draco and Snape as per Harry’s orders, but Draco managed to smuggle the Death Eaters in through the Vanishing Cabinet. As soon as the adults were alerted to the presence of Death Eaters inside the castle, a fight broke out, with Snape joining the Death Eaters in the chaos.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arrive with Fleur and are horrified to see Bill’s condition. Mrs. Weasley assumes that Fleur will not want to marry Bill anymore, but Fleur fiercely reiterates her love for Bill and her pride in her fiancé’s bravery, and the two women embrace each other in tears.
McGonagall requests a private word with Harry; having been Dumbledore’s deputy, she is now Headmistress. She asks Harry where he and Dumbledore had gone that night, but following Dumbledore’s orders, Harry refuses to tell her. They are joined shortly after by the Heads of Houses and Hagrid. The teachers discuss the possibility of closing the school and agree to decide after consulting the board. Harry insists that the students only be sent home after Dumbledore’s funeral, which will be held at Hogwarts. Harry heads back to the dormitory just as Scrimgeour arrives with a Ministry delegation. Ron is waiting up for him to ask about the Horcrux, and Harry despondently shows him the fake that had been left in its place along with the accompanying note.
Chapter 30 Summary: “The White Tomb”
Lessons and examinations are suspended as preparations are made for Dumbledore’s funeral. Bill recovers reasonably well, and although the scarring is permanent, his personality remains unchanged. Hermione’s research about R. A. B. leads to a different discovery: Eileen Prince was Snape’s mother, having gone on to marry a Muggle named Tobias Snape. Eileen was a pure-blood witch, making Snape a “Half-Blood Prince.”
Dumbledore’s funeral sees a vast and varied attendance. Harry reflects on how he cannot let anyone else stand between him and Voldemort anymore; his parents, his godfather, and now Dumbledore have died protecting Harry, and “he was more alone than he had ever been before” (629).
Knowing that it would be too dangerous for Ginny and him to be in a relationship while Harry was hunting Voldemort, he breaks up with her after the funeral; though she initially resists, she accepts his decision. Scrimgeour approaches Harry, wanting to know where Harry had been with Dumbledore the night he died; Harry refuses to disclose this and once again turns down the Minister’s request that he publicly support the Ministry to boost people’s morale.
Harry tells Ron and Hermione that he is not returning to Hogwarts the following year even if it does stay open; he will visit the Dursleys one last time as Dumbledore had wanted, then set out in search of the Horcruxes. Ron and Hermione respond that they will join him, but before any of them leave, Harry must attend Bill and Fleur’s wedding at The Burrow over the summer. Despite the difficult journey ahead, Harry feels his heart lift “at the thought that there was still one last golden day of peace left to enjoy with Ron and Hermione” (636).
Chapters 25-30 Analysis
The book's final chapters see several threads coming together but also open a fair share of questions. Firstly, Dumbledore and Harry finally discover the location of a Horcrux; however, the locket is revealed to be a fake, and the accompanying note begs the question of who R. A. B. is and whether they succeeded in destroying the original locket. Secondly, Draco’s task and involvement with the other attacks are revealed: Voldemort has instructed him to kill Dumbledore. Draco successfully lets the Death Eaters in via the Vanishing Cabinet; he also reveals how he managed to plant the cursed necklace and the poisoned mead. However, it is clear that Draco is conflicted; before he can accept Dumbledore’s offer of help and protection, Dumbledore is killed. This is the most important reveal in the book and serves as the climax: Snape, whose loyalties have been in question throughout the book, ultimately kills Dumbledore. He is also, in the process, revealed to be the Half-Blood Prince, thus justifying the book’s title. Despite having the title and several important events within the book based on him, there is still very little information available to the reader about Snape’s motivations. With a limited third-person perspective that follows only Harry’s experiences and information, Snape remains a mystery. It is undeniable that Snape kills Dumbledore, thus aiding Draco and Voldemort, and he even escapes with the Death Eaters. However, there is a moment before he flees when he yells at Harry not to call him a coward that is incongruous with Snape’s cold, calculated actions thus far, and his face contorts with an inexplicable pain. This, coupled with the fact that, until the very end, Dumbledore trusted Snape unconditionally, suggests there is more to Snape’s story than what is revealed here.
For Harry, however, Dumbledore’s death supersedes all. His hatred for Snape is only further fueled, and he is all the more motivated to seek out Voldemort now. However, Harry’s motivations take on a colder, number tone. Dumbledore’s death is an unforeseen, unparalleled blow; instead of the burning curiosity Harry once felt about things like Draco’s affairs, Harry now seems to decide his path ahead with a clear-headed acceptance. Dumbledore was the last of Harry’s “protectors,” the only parent figure he had left after his parents and his godfather. His death truly isolates Harry and sets up the trope of Harry journeying alone on a hero’s quest in the final installment of the series that follows. This is seen in Harry’s decision not to return to Hogwarts the following year, a choice in which he is unquestionably supported and joined by Ron and Hermione. This response on their end is a clear justification for why Dumbledore encouraged Harry to confide in his closest friends and highlights the importance of friendship or close relationships in difficult times. It feeds into Harry’s ability to love being the protective force and superior ability he has over Voldemort; it also directly contrasts Voldemort’s way of working, keeping secrets from his followers who remain unaware of the Horcruxes.
Dumbledore’s death also brings to Harry’s mind the number of sacrifices people have made to keep Harry alive and safe; this, in turn, prompts Harry to break up with Ginny, knowing how dangerous it would be to remain together while Harry undertook the journey ahead. This decision further emphasizes the clarity with which Harry seems to be approaching his future; he has accepted his destiny wholeheartedly and is determined to contribute to his fate consciously and with dignity. Harry’s decision to break up with Ginny is born out of love and sacrifice; elsewhere in these chapters, too, one sees the power of enduring love, as Fleur’s support of Bill despite his condition finally brings Mrs. Weasley to accept Fleur as worthy of her son.
As the book concludes, Harry is left more alone than he has ever felt, yet as loyal and determined as he has ever been. Even after Dumbledore’s death, Harry refuses to disclose his affairs to anyone else, whether that be Scrimgeour or McGonagall. Harry’s loyalty is rewarded by Ron and Hermione, who choose to be by Harry’s side on the path ahead. The importance of these relationships in Harry’s life is highlighted by how, despite all that has passed and the dangerous journey that lies ahead, he is buoyed by the fact that there remains “one last golden day of peace” (636) with his friends that he can still look forward to.
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By J. K. Rowling
