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 18: Birthday Surprises

Previous: Chapter 17: A Sluggish Memory Next: Chapter 19: Elf Tails

Overview

Harry tries to extract Horcrux information from Slughorn but is rebuffed. Apparition lessons begin, while Harry grows more suspicious of Malfoy. On Ron’s birthday, Romilda’s tainted chocolates infatuate Ron; Slughorn cures him, then inadvertently poisons him with mead. Harry saves Ron’s life with a bezoar, deepening the mystery and stakes.

Summary

Harry tells Ron and Hermione about Dumbledore’s task to obtain Slughorn’s true Horcrux memory. In Potions, faced with Golpalott’s Third Law, Harry uses the Half-Blood Prince’s note and presents a bezoar as an antidote, impressing Slughorn and infuriating Hermione. After class, Harry directly asks Slughorn about Horcruxes; Slughorn panics, assumes Dumbledore sent him, and angrily refuses.

Harry decides to bide his time while Hermione’s research yields nothing on Horcruxes. Apparition lessons begin in the Great Hall with Ministry instructor Wilkie Twycross; students struggle and Susan Bones is briefly Splinched. Harry positions himself near Draco Malfoy and overhears hints that Draco needs lookouts, intensifying Harry’s suspicion. He monitors the Marauder’s Map but cannot catch Draco acting suspiciously; Crabbe and Goyle act alone while Draco sometimes vanishes from the map.

As security tightens and a Hogsmeade trip is canceled, Ron’s birthday arrives. Ron unknowingly eats Romilda Vane’s old Chocolate Cauldrons from Harry’s trunk and becomes infatuated with her. Harry takes Ron to Slughorn, who provides an antidote, restoring Ron’s senses.

To cheer Ron, Slughorn opens a prized oak-matured mead meant for Dumbledore. Ron drinks first and collapses, poisoned. While Slughorn freezes, Harry acts, forces a bezoar into Ron’s mouth, and saves him. The near-fatal incident heightens the danger surrounding Hogwarts and underscores Harry’s resourcefulness, while Slughorn’s evasiveness and Malfoy’s secrecy remain unresolved.

Who Appears

Harry Potter

Attempts to question Slughorn about Horcruxes, monitors Malfoy, and saves Ron from mead poisoning with a bezoar.
Ron Weasley

Accidentally ingests a love potion from Romilda’s chocolates, then is poisoned by mead; revived by a bezoar.
Hermione Granger

Excels academically, fails to find Horcrux info, remains annoyed with Harry and Ron amid ongoing tensions.
Horace Slughorn

Praises Harry’s bezoar solution but refuses Horcrux questions; cures Ron’s love potion, then unknowingly serves poisoned mead.
Draco Malfoy

Argues with Crabbe, mentions needing lookouts; remains elusive on the Marauder’s Map.
Wilkie Twycross

Ministry Apparition instructor; teaches the three Ds; oversees Splinching incident.
Lavender Brown

Ron’s girlfriend, snubbed when Ron rushes off under love potion influence.
Vincent Crabbe

Argues with Malfoy; acts as lookout as part of Malfoy’s secretive activities.
Gregory Goyle

Separates from Malfoy more than usual; serves as lookout for Malfoy.
Professor McGonagall

Helps supervise Apparition lesson; reprimands Malfoy for talking.
Severus Snape

Present during Apparition lesson supervision; observed by Harry on the Marauder’s Map.
Susan Bones

Splinches her leg during Apparition practice; restored by staff.
Romilda Vane

Source of the love potion–spiked chocolates that bewitch Ron.