Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

by J.K. Rowling

Grades 6-12; Genre - Fantasy; GRL W; AR pts. 29.0

As classes continue for sixth-year students at Hogwarts, Harry Potter searches for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort, thereby finding what may be his only vulnerability. The plot contains mild profanity and violence.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

1. Summarize the introduction. Fudge visit England’s Prime Minister bringing him up to speed on the events that have been happening; we learn about Fudge’s perspective over the last several years; Fudge has been replaced and the new Minister of Magic introduced himself to the Prime Minister and revealed his secretary is a wizard and his Junior Minister is admitted to St. Mungo’s hospital due to being cursed p.2

Chapter 2

1. What task do you think the Dark Lord asking Draco to perform? Kill Harry p.36
2. What do you think about Snape? Whose side is he really on? Listen to your child’s answer p.37

Chapter 3

1. What business did Dumbledore speak to the Dursley’s and Harry about? Harry inherited Sirius’s home, personal things and Kreacher; he told the Dursley’s they didn’t do as he asked and requested that Harry be allowed to come to their home one last time before he’s 17 years old and the protection placed on the home will stay until then p.52

Chapter 4

1. Why isn’t Harry’s scar hurting? Voldemort is using Occlumency against Harry; he’s blocking his thoughts and feelings from him p.59
2. Why did Dumbledore come pick up Harry? To help recruit Slughorn; take Harry to the Weasley’s; tell him he would give him private lessons p.74

Chapter 5

1. Why is Harry disappointed at the end of this chapter? He didn’t pass his potions OWLS with the grade he needed to become an Auror p.104

Chapter 6

1. Summarize this chapter. The Weasley’s took Harry and friends to Diagon Alley to purchase school supplies; Harry and his friends saw Draco and his mom in a shop, they almost got into a fight; they went to Fred and George’s shop and saw Draco hurrying down the street and followed him in the Invisibility Cloak; he’d gone into a dark arts store and they listened to his conversation p.105
2. What do you think Draco was doing in the store? Listen to your child’s answer; it might be about the special mission Voldemort has given him p.124

Chapter 7

1. What proof does Harry have that Malfoy’s a Death Eater? He thinks Malfoy has the Dark Mark, that’s why he jerked away from Madam Milkin when she tried to roll up his sleeve p.130
2. Summarize what happened to Harry after lunch with Slughorn? Harry snuck into Draco’s compartment with his invisibility cloak; Draco saw him and after everyone else had left the compartment, he cast a paralysis spell on Harry, broke his nose and covered him with his cloak so no one would find him p.153

Chapter 8

1. Did Harry make it back to London? Explain. No, Tonk’s came looking for him and they jumped off the train just as it was leaving Hogsmeade p.158
2. What shocking news did Dumbledore give the students after dinner? Slughorn is teaching potions and Snape is teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts p.166

Chapter 9

1. How did Harry win the Felix Felicis potion? He followed the instructions in the textbook given him, and the extra notes in the book helped him make the best Draught of Living Death p.188
2. Who does the book belonged to? The Half-Blood Prince p.193

Chapter 10

1. Why do you think it’s important to know and understand Voldemort’s past? Understanding who he is will help Harry defeat him p.215

Chapter 11

1. How did Hermione help Ron make the Quidditch team? She cast a spell to make his competition mess up p.232

Chapter 12

1. Why is Harry convinced Malfoy is the one responsible for the cursed necklace? He thinks he’s a Death Eater p.255

Chapter 13

1. What memory did Dumbledore and Harry see in this chapter? Dumbledore meeting Tom Riddle and inviting him to come to Hogwarts p.270
2. What training is Dumbledore giving Harry? Learning who Lord Voldemort is and how he came to be p.277

Chapter 14

1. Why are Ron and Hermione so angry with each other in this chapter? They like each other, but haven’t admitted it p.282

Chapter 15

1. What’s the unbreakable vow Snape promised Draco’s mother? He would protect Draco or die p.323

Chapter 16

1. Why did Scrimgeour want to talk to Harry outside? How did it go? To see if Harry would be a mascot for the Ministry; not well, Harry doesn’t want to be used by the Ministry when he doesn’t agree with what they’re doing p.346

Chapter 17

1. List the two memories Dumbledore showed Harry in this chapter. Tom murdered his father and grandparents with his uncle’s wand, gave him the memory of doing it, so he confessed; Tom asking Professor Slughorn about Horcruxes p.363
2. What homework did Dumbledore give Harry? To find out Slughorn’s true memory p.372

Chapter 18

1. Summarize what happened to Ron and how did Harry handle it. It’s Ron’s birthday and accidentally ate chocolates with a love potion meant for Harry; Harry took him to Slughorn for help and Slughorn gave him an antidote; while drinking to celebrate Ron’s birthday, Ron was poisoned; Harry cured him p.398

Chapter 19

1. How did Harry wind up in the hospital wing? He was injured during a Quidditch match p.416
2. Who did Harry call in the hospital wing and why? Kreacher; to follow Malfoy to find out what he’s doing p.422

Chapter 20

1. Why is the locket important to Voldemort? Why would he kill for it? It was his mother’s p.437
2. Why is it so important for Harry to retrieve Slughorn’s memory? They need it to find out Voldemort’s intentions p.446

Chapter 21

1. What did Harry spend a lot of his time doing in this chapter? Was he successful? Trying to get in the Room of Requirement; no p.452
2. What should Harry have spent his time doing? Trying to persuade Slughorn for the memory about the Horcrux p.456

Chapter 22

1. Summarize this chapter. Harry and his friends were asked by Hagrid to come to a funeral for a large spider; Harry was still trying to get the memory but had failed; Harry took the lucky potion he’d won and felt like he needed to go to the funeral; on the way, he saw Slughorn and told him about it; Slughorn wanted to go to retrieve venom from the spider; after the funeral, Hagrid and Slughorn started drinking and Harry waited until Hagrid fell asleep; he persuaded Slughorn to share the memory p.469

Chapter 23

1. Describe how Harry and Dumbledore will defeat Voldemort? They need to find and destroy four Horcruxes, then Harry can defeat Voldemort p.500

Chapter 24

1. How did the Half-Blood Prince’s book get Harry in trouble? He used a spell from the book that almost killed Draco, giving him detention and missing out on the championship Quidditch match p.522

Chapter 25

1. What made Harry upset in this chapter? Learning it was Snape who told Voldemort about the prophecy p.548
2. Why did Harry give Hermione the Marauders Map? To see what Draco and Snape were up to while Dumbledore and he were gone p.534

Chapter 26

1. Describe what was hard for Harry in this chapter. Why? Dumbledore had asked him to continue giving him the water from the basin until it was gone; Harry didn’t want to hurt Dumbledore p.569

Chapter 27

1. Describe Malfoy’s mission and what he was doing in the Room of Requirement. He was trying to fix the Vanishing Cabinet to let in the Death Eaters through the store’s Vanishing Cabinet to kill Dumbledore p.585

Chapter 28

1. Who’s the Half-Blood Prince? Severus Snape p.604
2. Whose side do you think Snape’s on? Listen to your child’s answer p.604

Chapter 29

1. Describe what happened to Bill and what are the possible effects? He was attacked by the werewolf, Grayback; he may have wolfish features, he won’t look the same with the scars p.612
2. Do you think they should close the school down? Why, or why not? Listen to your child’s answer

Chapter 30

1. Summarize the conclusion of this book. Dumbledore’s funeral takes place; Harry breaks up with Ginny, Harry’s determined to find the other Horcruxes; Hermione and Ron are determined to go with Harry p.633