Chapter 12: Silver and opals

With Dumbledore conspicuously absent for days, Harry feels abandoned and turns to the Half-Blood Prince’s annotated Potions book. Early before the Hogsmeade trip, he tries the nonverbal spell Levicorpus and inadvertently hoists Ron upside down, learning the counter-jinx Liberacorpus. Hermione disapproves, warning that the Prince seems dubious, while Harry and Ron defend the usefulness of the spells.

In stormy Hogsmeade, Professor Slughorn jovially presses Harry to attend a supper, but Harry avoids it, citing a scheduled Dumbledore lesson. Outside the Three Broomsticks, Harry confronts Mundungus Fletcher, who is peddling items bearing the Black family crest. Harry attacks him in anger; Tonks intervenes as Mundungus Disapparates. Inside, Harry fumes over the theft of his Grimmauld Place property while Ron moons over Madam Rosmerta.

Leaving the pub, Harry, Ron, and Hermione follow Katie Bell and her friend Leanne up the High Street. After the girls argue over a parcel, the wrapping tears and Katie rises eerily into the air, then screams in agony before collapsing, thrashing and unresponsive. Harry fetches Hagrid, who carries Katie toward the castle. The parcel reveals an ornate opal necklace Harry recognizes from Borgin and Burkes as cursed; he carefully wraps it to present as evidence.

Professor McGonagall questions Leanne and the trio. Leanne explains Katie returned from the Three Broomsticks’ bathroom with the unmarked package, acting oddly, and refused to say who it was for. Harry asserts Draco Malfoy was behind it, citing the summer visit to Borgin and Burkes, but McGonagall rejects the theory, noting Malfoy was in detention with her and that school security should have stopped the item entering unnoticed.

Back in the common room, the trio debate the intended target—Dumbledore, Slughorn, or others—and the clumsiness of the attempt. Hermione challenges Harry’s fixation on Malfoy, while Harry argues Malfoy could use accomplices. The incident underscores growing danger and the reach of Dark magic even under tightened security.