Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
The Ministry of Magic finally acknowledges that Voldemort has returned, but is powerless to fight the terror. Supporters of the Dark Lord grow increasingly powerful, influencing not only the wizarding world but also the Muggle world.
Meanwhile, life goes on, and Harry Potter heads to Hogwarts for his sixth year of studies. He meets the new Potions professor, Slughorn, while Severus Snape, who previously taught the subject, now leads the Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons.
Harry comes into possession of a Potions textbook that once belonged to someone called the Half-Blood Prince. Thanks to the notes written in the margins by the previous owner, Harry learns improved methods for brewing potions (as well as some new spells), makes great progress in his studies, and, as a result, forms a good relationship with Slughorn (which ultimately helps Harry receive crucial memories from the professor related to Voldemort).
Meanwhile, significant changes are happening in the 16-year-old's personal life. His romance with his best friend's sister, Ginny Weasley, gradually begins to develop...
Throughout the year, Professor Dumbledore shares with Harry stories from the youth of Tom Riddle, who later took the name "Voldemort." The old headmaster reveals his greatest secret (which he was finally able to uncover thanks to Slughorn's memories): in order to achieve immortality, the Dark Lord split his soul into seven pieces and hid them in special artifacts called "Horcruxes." To defeat Voldemort, they must first find and destroy them all.
Meanwhile, Harry's longtime enemy, Draco Malfoy, is tasked by Voldemort to kill Dumbledore. Though he sees the futility of his efforts (his first two attempts fail), he continues to do everything he can to carry out the mission. Eventually, after repairing the Vanishing Cabinet, he succeeds in bringing a group of Death Eaters into Hogwarts. This happens when Dumbledore, having retrieved another Horcrux with Harry's help (which will later turn out to be false), returns to the school completely drained. Malfoy manages to disarm the headmaster, but is unable to kill him; ultimately, Severus Snape (revealed to be the Half-Blood Prince) does the deed.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide not to return to Hogwarts the following year but to devote all their time and energy to searching for and destroying the Horcruxes. Dark times are approaching.