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Cover of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The seven books · 1996–1997

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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Dumbledore takes Harry into Voldemort's past

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Do you need to read it?

Yes. It's in the Main story, the list of only what moves the plot forward to the end of the saga.

Where it falls in the order

  • Main story6 of 7
  • Chronological6 of 8
  • Everything6 of 11
Spoilers for this title

Quick recap

With Voldemort at large, Dumbledore gives Harry private lessons using memories from Tom Riddle's past. In Potions, Harry uses an old textbook full of notes by the "Half-Blood Prince" and tops the class. He suspects Draco Malfoy has become a Death Eater on a mission. With Slughorn's real memory, Harry learns about Horcruxes, objects where Voldemort hid pieces of his soul. He and Dumbledore go after one in a cave, and Dumbledore comes back weak. On the Astronomy Tower, Draco disarms Dumbledore but can't kill him; Snape does. While fleeing, Snape reveals he's the Half-Blood Prince. The locket from the cave was a fake signed "R.A.B." After the funeral, Harry decides not to return to Hogwarts and to hunt the remaining Horcruxes.

No spoilersOpens once you mark the title as seen.
5 differences

What changed in the movie

  1. ChangeThe Burrow burns only in the film

    The film adds a Death Eater attack on the Burrow at Christmas, with the house set on fire. It never happens in the book.

    source ↗
  2. ChangeFewer trips into the Pensieve

    In the book, Dumbledore shows Harry memories of the Gaunt family and Voldemort's mother, Merope. The film keeps only the orphanage and the Slughorn conversation.

    source ↗
  3. ChangeHarry isn't frozen on the tower

    In the book, Dumbledore freezes Harry under the Invisibility Cloak, so he watches everything unable to move. In the film, Dumbledore just tells him to hide below.

    source ↗
  4. ChangeNo battle in the castle

    In the book, Death Eaters fight the Order and the D.A. inside Hogwarts before the tower scene. In the film it's reduced to Bellatrix wrecking the Great Hall.

    source ↗
  5. ChangeDumbledore's funeral was cut

    The book ends with Dumbledore's funeral at Hogwarts. The film skips the ceremony and closes with the trio on the tower, watching Fawkes fly off.

    source ↗
No spoilersThe easter eggs give away parts of the title. They open once you mark it as seen.

Comments

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