Hector Emilio Medina Bilingual School

Name: Cesar Antonio Alvarez

Teacher: Ms. Brenda Reyes

Class: Literature

HW Name: Literature Essay

Date: 8/09/2023
 ESSAY
“Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince” is the sixth book of the Harry Potter literary
series. We follow Harry and Dumbledore as they try to convince the former Hogwarts
professor Horace Slughorn to reveal information about how to defeat Voldemort.
Through this, they discover more about Tom Riddle’s, aka Lord Voldemort, past at
Hogwarts and how he came back to life.

In this book, Harry attempts to get Slughorn to tell the truth about what he shared
with Tom Riddle. Harry and Ron have the opportunity to recover their potions class
points needed to become Aurors. Initially, Harry didn’t buy the potions book, thinking
he couldn’t catch up, but he takes a used book that belonged to someone called “The
Half-Blood Prince.” He starts having a lot of success with the book’s instructions, even
though Hermione isn’t convinced it’s a good idea.

While in Hogsmeade, Katie Bell is cursed while lifting a box containing a cursed
necklace. Harry suspects Draco Malfoy, as he often sees him with Professor Snape.
When Katie returns from St. Mungo’s Hospital, Malfoy acts suspiciously, and Harry
follows him. They end up in a bathroom fight, during which Harry uses a spell from the
mysterious potions book and nearly kills Draco. Luckily, Snape arrives in time to
intervene.

Days later, Harry uses the potion called Felix Felicis (luck potion) to increase his
chances of getting Slughorn to reveal the truth. Slughorn finally recalls a memory
about Harry’s mother, which provides the information Dumbledore and Harry need.
They learn that Tom asked the professor about Horcruxes, which was how he came
back to life. They also discover where the other Horcruxes are hidden.

Dumbledore reveals that the injury on his hand was from destroying Marvolo Gaunt’s
ring, which became a Horcrux when Tom stole it from his uncle. Dumbledore offers
Harry the chance to accompany him to destroy a Horcrux, with the condition that
Harry follows his orders without question. They seek a locket hidden in a cave with a
dark history, and Dumbledore opens the cave using his blood. After a harrowing
encounter with Inferi and drinking a cursed potion, they retrieve the locket.
Upon returning to Hogwarts, they find the Dark Mark over the school, and
Dumbledore and Harry are led to the astronomy tower. There, Draco Malfoy disarms
Dumbledore, and Snape arrives, ultimately killing Dumbledore. It’s revealed that Draco
had been assigned to kill Dumbledore by Voldemort, and he used the Imperius Curse
on Madam Rosmerta to deliver the cursed necklace. Snape also reveals that he
brought the Death Eaters to Hogwarts by repairing the Vanishing Cabinet.

Following Dumbledore’s death, Harry confronts Snape and the Death Eaters. Bellatrix
burns Hagrid’s cabin, and a duel ensues. Snape deflects Harry’s curses and reveals
himself as the Half-Blood Prince. He leaves, and Harry is left with anger and grief.

After Dumbledore’s funeral, Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide to search for the
Horcruxes to defeat Voldemort. They find a message inside a fake Horcrux, signed
“R.A.B.,” revealing someone else is aware of Voldemort’s secrets. Harry decides not to
return to Hogwarts for his final year, and his friends choose to accompany him on this
dangerous journey.