Harry Potter en de Halfbloed Prins (Harry Potter, #6) (2024)

(A) 86% | Extraordinary
Notes: A relationshippy respite, it’s Sturm und Drang defogging: all lovesick woe, observing foes, and problematic snogging.

*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary:

Progress updates:

06/24/2020 - 3%

(1) The Muggle Prime Minister would have been John Major.
- No wonder he lost the 1997 election in a landslide.
- Likely fictional, though, as Major wasn't elected to power, and his predecessor wasn't male.
(2) Fudge: "Is a man alive if he can't be killed? I don't really understand it, and Dumbledore won't explain properly."
- Well, horcruxes are forbidden knowledge.

06/25/2020 - 6%

(1) "A threadbare sofa, an old armchair, and a rickety table stood grouped together in a pool of dim light cast by a candle-filled lamp."
- How vampire-chic.
- Snape's house could use a woman's touch.
(2) "In her fury [Bellatrix] looked slightly mad."
- I guess she's always in her "fury" then.
(3) I never hear of wizard divorces... perhaps they make unbreakable vows?

06/26/2020 - 9%

(1) "Rufus Scrimgeour ... has succeeded Cornelius Fudge as Minister of Magic. The appointment has largely been greeted with enthusiasm."
- Appointment? By who? There doesn't appear to be any wizarding monarch or anything.
(2) J.K. Rowling does love giving animal descriptions to antagonists: Scrimgeour is "lionlike," Petunia has a "horsey face," Vernon has "piggy eyes," etc.

06/27/2020 - 13%

(1) We're introduced to the idea of inferi, which are essentially zombies. The lack of a full-blown zombie chase is one of the series' big missed opportunities.
(2) "The wandlight sparkled on [Slughorn's] shiny pate, his prominent eyes, his enormous, silver, walruslike mustache ..."
- Again with the animal descriptors.
(3) Gwenog Jones must be the Welshest name ever.

06/28/2020 - 17%

Harry and Ginny be like, "I shouldn't have been so happy about that hug."

(1) Two weeks since last book and Hermione's already at the Burrow when Harry arrives? Poor Hermione's parents.
(2) "Hermione flashed a warning look at Ron, and Ron changed tack at top speed."
- Already giving each other married couple signals.
(3) Hermione: "I know I failed everything!"

06/29/2020 - 20%

(1) Fred to Ginny: "Moving through boyfriends a bit fast, aren't you?"
- Well, one per year's not so fast. Though, compared to the other Weasleys, I suppose.
(2) '"Our Decoy Detonators are just walking off the shelves, look," said Fred, pointing at a number of weird-looking black hooter-type objects.'
- I presume "hooter" means something different in British English.

06/30/2020 - 23%

(1) '"She has let 'erself go, zat Tonks," Fleur mused.'
- Sounds like Fleur's finally cottoned onto Molly and Ginny's cunning plan to get Bill to dump her for Tonks.
(2) In the books, Luna's Spectrespecs are a kind of snake oil novelty. In the film they actually work! Film Luna is treated as more of an eccentric than the books, where she's sort of a lovable gullible.

07/09/2020 - 48%

Ron makes Hermione cry on stairs a lot.

(1) Ron: "She can't complain ... She snogged Krum. So she's found out someone wants to snog me too ... I haven't done anything wrong."
- Ron's not wrong, but misses the point.
(2) Hermione: "He's at perfect liberty to kiss whomever he likes ... I really couldn't care less."
- She sure talks about it a lot for not caring.

07/10/2020 - 49%

(1) '"Are you going out with [Cormac], then?" asked Parvati, wide-eyed.
"Oh — yes — didn't you know?" said Hermione, with a most un-Hermione-ish giggle.'
- I doubt there's even a Hermione-ish giggle. Mostly she blushes.
(2) Harry: "Serves you right for coming with [Cormac]."
Hermione: "I thought he'd annoy Ron most."
- I expect no less from a jealousy-fueled romance.

07/11/2020 - 51%

(1) "Harry ... was still trying not to think about Ginny any more than he could help, despite the fact that she kept cropping up in his dreams in ways that made him devoutly thankful that Ron could not perform Legilimency."
- Hopefully those dreams aren't Voldemort's doing.
(2) "Harry was left to ponder in silence the depths to which girls would sink to get revenge."

07/12/2020 - 53%

Harry and Ginny be like: Not cool bro!

(1) Kreacher gifts Harry a box of maggots. Not useful, but it's the thought that counts.
(2) '"Harry, you've got a maggot in your hair,' said Ginny cheerfully, leaning across the table to pick it out; Harry felt goose bumps erupt up his neck that had nothing to do with the maggot.'
- Most romantic maggot scene in fiction?

07/13/2020 - 56%

(1) "Abstinence" is the new common room password. Sneaky, having students recite it repeatedly.
(2) Harry: "Hermione, can't you [make up with Ron]?"
Hermione: "No, I can't... So don't even ask."
- Can't or won't?
(3) "The contents proved difficult to empty into the Pensieve, as though they had congealed slightly; did memories go bad?"
- Eh, only the regrettable ones.

07/14/2020 - 58%

(1) Hermione: "Oh, well, if Won-Won thinks that, you'd better do it ... After all, when has Won-Won's judgment ever been faulty?"
- It's contagious! Now Hermione's saying "Won-Won." Sarcasm, yes, but "Won-Won" regardless.
(2) "Friends they might be, but if Ron started calling Lavender 'Lav-Lav,' [Harry] would have to put his foot down."
- The buck stops at "Lav-Lav"!

07/15/2020 - 60%

Poor Lavender :(

(1) Hermione: "Golpalott's Third Law states that the antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the sum of the antidotes for each of the separate components."
- That makes no sense! How can something be equal to more than a sum? It would just be greater than it!
(2) The gif never happens in the book, but it's my favorite scene :)

07/16/2020 - 62%

(1) "[Harry] was now being dogged wherever he went by Cormac McLaggen and Lavender Brown. He could not decide which of them was more annoying."
- I vote Lavender.
(2) "Harry's imagination zoomed into overdrive ... Ginny, weeping over his lifeless form, confessed her feelings of deep attraction to him while Ron gave them his blessing."
- Pretty passive ambition there.

07/17/2020 - 64%

(1) Lavender: "Is Hermione Granger still visiting [Ron]?"
Harry: "Yeah, I think so. Well, they're friends, aren't they?"
Lavender: "Friends, don't make me laugh ... She didn't talk to him for weeks after he started going out with me! But I suppose she wants to make up with him now he's all interesting."
- Now we know what Lavender looks for in a partner. Interesting.

07/18/2020 - 68%

(1) Lavender to Ron: "Why didn't you tell me you were getting out today? And why was she with you?"
- I suppose a condition of being Lavender's boyfriend is having to cut loose all your female friends.
(2) Voldemort: "You are omniscient as ever, Dumbledore."
Dumbledore: "Oh no, merely friendly with the local barmen."
- That's some stealthy foreshadowing there.

07/19/2020 - 71%

(1) Ron: "I love you, Hermione."
Hermione: "Don't let Lavender hear you saying that."
Ron: "I won't ... Or maybe I will ... then she'll ditch me."
- Essentially, that's what happened in the film.
(2) The Imperius Curse = Temporary insanity defense.
(3) Harry supposes Tonks was in love with Sirius, which no one thinks is weird. Wizard views on incest are oddly casual.

07/20/2020 - 73%

(1) Ron: "Quick, hide me!"
Hermione: "It isn't Lavender!"
- If it were Lavender, I think hiding behind Hermione would make things much worse.
(2) Harry hesitates to use his vial of Felix Felicis, having saved it to break up Ginny and Dean. Luckily, that happened as a side effect of his Slughorn mission. So, bonus points.
- Incidentally, Harry's low-key a homewrecker.

07/21/2020 - 75%

(1) '"What were you doing up there with her?" shrieked Lavender Brown, staring right through Harry at Ron and Hermione emerging together from the boys' dormitories.'
- Lavender's suspicions confirmed!
- Lucky all around... except Lavender.
(2) Slughorn: "Had a house-elf taste every bottle after what happened to your poor friend Rupert."
- I see what she did there :)

07/22/2020 - 78%

(1) '"You have [uncommon skill and power]," said Dumbledore firmly. "You have a power that Voldemort has never had. You can —"
"I know!" said Harry impatiently. "I can love!" It was only with difficulty that he stopped himself adding, "Big deal!".'
- I had the same reaction as Harry to the ending of "The Fifth Element." "Really? Love is the greatest power there is?"

07/23/2020 - 82%

(1) Flitwick: "A little less talk, a little more action."
- Wasn't that an Elvis song? No, wait, that was "A Little Less Conversation."
(2) Harry's mind: "She's Ron's sister. But she's ditched Dean! She's still Ron's sister. I'm his best mate! That'll make it worse. If I talked to him first — He'd hit you. What if I don't care? He's your best mate!"
- Ron, Ron, Ron.

07/24/2020 - 85%

(1) Ginny: "All Romilda Vane does is ask me if it's true you've got a hippogriff tattooed across your chest ... I told her it's a Hungarian Horntail ... Much more macho."
- Harry's already kinda got a lightning bolt tattoo, and on his face too! I'd guess that's be even more macho.
(2) "Rage and resentment fought shock and excitement."
- Fight it! Angst was so Book 5.

07/25/2020 - 86%

(1) Perhaps Harry's grown too used to magic. He's fine charging headlong into danger, but a short swim in cold water totally freaks him out. Who is he? Film-Ron?
(2) "Harry had long since learned that bangs and smoke were more often the marks of ineptitude than expertise."
- I wonder if he's referring to Seamus, who's gimmick is he often accidentally blows things up?

07/26/2020 - 87%

(1) How is Harry shocked that blood magic is a thing? Voldemort was revived by his blood!
(2) Dumbldore: "You are underage and unqualified. Voldemort would never have expected a sixteen-year-old to reach this place: I think it unlikely that your powers will register compared to mine."
- So... Harry should be glad the alarm can't detect his negligible amount of magic.

07/27/2020 - 88%

(1) Harry needs blood to open the archway. Luckily, he was already cut whilst fighting Inferi. Even zombies have a silver lining.
(2) '"It's going to be all right, sir," Harry said over and over again ... "Don't worry..."
"I am not worried, Harry," said Dumbledore, his voice a little stronger despite the freezing water. "I am with you."'
- Hits me right in the feels.

*character limit

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Harry Potter en de Halfbloed Prins (Harry Potter, #6) (2024)

References