Harry Potter, #6

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

by J. K. Rowling

Genre

Fantasy, Young Adult, Children's

Year

2005

Pages

640

Contents

Chapter 15: The Unbreakable Vow

Previous: Chapter 14: Felix Felicis Next: Chapter 16: AVeryFrosty Christmas

Overview

As Christmas nears, Ron and Hermione’s rift deepens while admirers target Harry with love potions. Harry invites Luna to Slughorn’s party, where he encounters Worple, Trelawney, and a drawn Draco. Following Snape and Malfoy, Harry overhears that Snape made an Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco, who insists he has his own dangerous plan.

Summary

With Christmas approaching, Hogwarts is festooned with decorations. Ron revels in his new relationship with Lavender while his feud with Hermione escalates, leaving Harry shuttling between them. In the library, Hermione warns Harry that girls like Romilda Vane plan to use love potions to secure invitations to Slughorn’s party. Madam Pince ejects them after spotting Harry’s annotated Potions book.

Back in the common room, Romilda immediately targets Harry with spiked sweets, underscoring Hermione’s warning. After another tense day where Ron mocks Hermione in Transfiguration and she flees in tears, Harry finds her with Luna. On impulse—and to deflect the love-potion hunters—Harry invites Luna to Slughorn’s party as a friend, provoking schoolwide gossip.

At the party, Luna’s eccentricities amuse and disarm. Slughorn parades Harry before Eldred Worple and the vampire Sanguini, who push a biography pitch that Harry declines. Hermione, harried by Cormac McLaggen’s boorishness, hides with Harry and Luna, while Trelawney, tipsy, complains about sharing classes with Firenze. Snape arrives; Slughorn praises Harry’s Potions talent in front of him, worrying Harry about Snape’s curiosity.

Filch drags Draco Malfoy in for gate-crashing; Slughorn indulgently lets Draco stay. Harry notes Draco’s pallor and Snape’s tense look. When Snape summons Draco away, Harry slips under his Invisibility Cloak to follow and eavesdrops outside a classroom.

Harry hears Snape reprimand Draco about recent “clumsy” events and offer help, citing an Unbreakable Vow to Draco’s mother to protect him. Draco, defensive and secretive, denies involvement in Katie Bell’s curse, claims a plan assigned by “him,” and rejects Snape’s assistance, accusing him of trying to steal credit. Draco storms off; Snape returns to the party, leaving Harry with a chilling new revelation about Draco’s mission and Snape’s binding vow.

Who Appears

Harry Potter

Navigates Ron–Hermione fallout, dodges love potions, invites Luna to Slughorn’s party, and overhears Snape’s Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco.
Severus Snape

Confronts Draco, reveals he swore an Unbreakable Vow to Narcissa to protect Draco, offers help, is rebuffed.
Draco Malfoy

Caught gate-crashing the party; looks ill; denies cursing Katie; insists on a secret plan and rejects Snape’s help.
Hermione Granger

Warns Harry about love potions; feuds with Ron; attends party with McLaggen to irk Ron, then evades McLaggen.
Luna Lovegood

Happily attends the party with Harry; delivers eccentric insights; converses with Trelawney.
Horace Slughorn

Hosts lavish party, showcases Harry, indulges Malfoy, and praises Harry’s Potions ability in front of Snape.
Ron Weasley

Openly dates Lavender, mocks Hermione in class, refuses to apologize, fueling the rift.
Lavender Brown

Clings to Ron constantly, intensifying tension with Hermione.
Professor Trelawney

Tipsy at the party; complains about Firenze; discusses omens and ‘Chosen One’ rumors.
Cormac McLaggen

Hermione’s insufferable date; boasts incessantly; drives her to hide.
Argus Filch

Catches Malfoy prowling; tries to enforce rules before Slughorn pardons Draco.
Romilda Vane

Attempts to lure Harry with spiked sweets, highlighting the love-potion threat.
Madam Pince

Expels Harry and Hermione from the library, furious at Harry’s annotated book.
Eldred Worple

Author who aggressively pitches a Harry biography at the party.
Sanguini

Worple’s vampire companion; appears bored and distracted by partygoers.
Ginny Weasley

Defends Luna when Ron mocks her; passes Harry en route to Dean.
Parvati Patil

Gossips about Hermione’s date; chats with Harry at dinner.
Peeves

Publicly shrieks about Harry inviting Luna, spreading gossip.