Emma Watson Empire

Shortnend: Book 6

Chapter 1 The Other Minister

• The Prime Minister is in his office thinking about recent events among which one of his Junior Ministers, Herbert Chorley, left to spend time with his family.
• One of the portraits in the office announces the arrival of Fudge and he arrives by Floo Network. Fudge explains the Prime Minister that recent events like the Brockdale Bridge incident, the Bones and Vance murders had magical reasons, and the hurricane in West Country is suspected to have some Giant involvement. The Office of Misinformation has worked on these cases and Obliviators are modifying memories of Muggle witnesses and the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is searching for the Giant. Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, might have been murdered by Voldemort personally.
• Fudge has been demoted. Rufus Scrimgeour, the new Minister of Magic arrives through the fireplaces. Scrimgeour discusses tighter security for the Prime Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt is already working in his office for his protection. Chorley apparently has been under influence of a poorly performed Imperius Curse and he is being treated at St Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

• Bellatrix Lestrange is following Narcissa Malfoy trying to talk her out of going somewhere. Narcissa ignores her and they arrive at Snape’s house. Snape lets them in. Wormtail is also there being ordered by Voldemort to assist Snape, and is sent away to leave them alone.
• Bellatrix tells Snape she does not trust him and asks questions about his past actions. Snape tells her that after the Dark Lord fell he stayed at Hogwarts to spy on Dumbledore, on Voldememorts he had taken up that post. He did not try to find Voldemort for the same reasons Avery, Yaxley, the Carrows, Greyback, Lucius and others did not try to find him… for he believed him finished. Snape also defends and explains reasons on the other accusations Bellatrix makes, about the Philosopher’s Stone event and why he only arrived 2 hours later after the Dark Mark event. He also tells Bellatrix he can not give the whereabouts of the Order’s Headquarters because he is not the Secret-Keeper. He did not kill Harry because of curiosity, the possibility Harry might be a great Dark wizard himself and not to blow his cover or risk confrontation with Dumbledore.
• Snape claims to have shown the act to Dumbledore of remorse when he joined his staff, and Dumbledore trusts him ever since. he says Dumbledore is getting old and the Duel with Voldemort weakened him, he has sustained a serious injury.
• With Lucius in Azkaban, Narcissa asks Snape for help. Bellatrix warns Narcissa that Voldemort has forbidden to talk about “the plan” but Snape claims to know about it. It involves Draco. Narcissa asks Snape to make the Unbreakable Vow and Snape agrees, to watch over Draco, to protect him from harm, and if necessary to carry out the deed that Draco has been ordered to perform by Voldemort.

• Harry is at the Dursleys, newspapers lie on his desk with articles about the event at the Ministry, about Scrimgeour who was Head of the Auror Office has become new Minister of Magic and about heightened protection of Hogwarts. Harry is being referred to as the “Chosen One”. On the floor a leaflet from the Ministry about protecting home and family, including a rumor that the Death Eaters may be using Inferi.
• Dumbledore sent a letter telling Harry he can go to The Burrow and arrives at their house. Uncle Vernon lets him in and they are joined by Petunia and Dudley. One of Dumbledore’s hands is blackened and shriveled.
• He tells Harry that Sirius’s will was discovered and leaving Harry all his possessions, including Grimmauld Place. Harry does not want it but to prevent and to verify that Sirius’s cousin Bellatrix does or has not inherited due to a possible pure-blood only enchantment they will do a test to verify.
• Kreacher is summoned and when ordered by Harry to shut up Kreacher stays quit, meaning Harry has owned everything and is Kreacher’s master now. Harry orders Kreacher to help in the kitchens in Hogwarts. Buckbeak, now called Witherwings, can stay with Hagrid.
• Harry puts his stuff in his trunk, including his Invisibility Cloak and some Colour-Change Ink and Hedwig. Before they leave Dumbledore asks the Dursleys to allow Harry to return until he turns seventeen, then also the protective magic he evoked fifteen years ago will cease.

• Dumbledore takes Harry on a side-along-Apparition and they set off to some destination. They arrive at some village of Budleigh Babberton where Dumbledore tells Harry they will be trying to persuade somebody to become a teacher again.
• The house they finally enter is a scene of devastation. It turns out that it is staged to look like some fight occurred, by the owner Horace Slughorn, who turns back into normal from having transfigured himself into a armchair. They magically clean the room, Slughorn says for the blood on the wall he used Dragon blood.
• Harry is introduced. Slughorn complains about his age and health but Dumbledore claims him remarkably well. Slughorn only had two minutes to stage the scene, he didn’t hear the Intruder Charm go off.
• Dumbledore shows his blackened hand on which he also is wearing a golden ring with a heavy black stone
• Slughorn has not yet been visited or found by Death Eaters, he is on the move for over a year using Freezing Charms on burglar alarms to stay in Muggle houses.
• Dumbledore leaves the two alone and goes to the bathroom. Slughorn has a conversation with Harry, he turns out to know and have taught Harry’s mother Lily and father James. Slughorn used to be Head of Slytherin. He mentions that most of the times students end up in the same House as their parents, not always since Sirius ended up in Gryffindor and Slughorn got his brother Regulus.. speaking as if they were trophies. Slughorn says he does not have anything against muggle-borns though, Lily was one of his favorites and also Dirk Cresswell who is now Head of the Goblin Liaison Office.
• He seems to know a lot of promising students and shows Harry a photo with Barnabas Cuffe, editor of the Daily Prophet, Ambrosius Flume of Honeydukes who he introduced to Ciceron Harkiss, and Gwenog Jones, captain of the Holyhead Harpies.
• Harry states that Slughorn would probably be much safer remaining as a teacher at Hogwarts. Dumbledore comes back and tells Harry they are leaving. Slughorn changes his mind and accepts a post at Hogwarts.
• When they have left Dumbledore explains that Slughorn likes the company of the famous, successful and powerful and keeping promising students to his group of favorites.
• They apparate together again and arrive at The Burrow and have a final word together. Dumbledore suggests Harry should tell Ron and Hermione about the Prophesy. Harry also will be having private lessons with him this year and is told that he should be taking his Invisibility Cloak at all times with him.

• Harry is welcomed by Mrs Weasley at the Burrow and Tonks is also there. She sees Harry is taller like Ron, as though they had Stretching Jinxes put on them. She tells Harry that Slughorn taught her and Arthur too. Arthur has been promoted, he is now Head of the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Spells and Protective Objects.
• Mr Weasley arrives home from work. He tells them he has been working, busy with fake Metamorph-Medals and a Backfiring Jinx.
• Harry sleeps in Fred and George’s old room. He is woken up by Ron, Hermione and Ginny. They have a visitor, Fleur Delacour who turns out to be engaged to Bill. Molly, Ginny and Hermione don’t like Fleur and Ginny calls her “Phlegm”. Tonks seems depressed, Hermione thinks it’s because she blames herself for Sirius’ death, she even has trouble with her Metamorphosing. Fred and George’s shop is doing very well. Harry tells Ron and Hermione about the Prophecy and that Dumbledore will be giving private lessons.
• Mrs Weasley tries to heal Hermione’s black eye which she got from one of Fred and George’s inventions, but it won’t heal, even though she is consulting The Healer’s Helpmate
• Three owls arrive bringing OWLs results. Harry and Ron did all right, Hermione has excellent notes. Harry only regrets he got an “E” for Potions, which means he can’t keep Potions an become an Auror.

• Harry stays at The Burrow. Lupin tells there have been more Dementor attacks, Igor Karkaroff was found dead with the Dark Mark set over it and Florean Fortescue and Ollivander are reported missing
• They receive book lists and a notice that Harry is now Quidditch Captain.
• Bill got gold from his vault for Harry, because of tightened security he could do it faster. He mentions that two days ago Arkie Philpott had a Probity Probe stuck up his…
• Ministry cars take them to the Leaky Cauldron where Hagrid is waiting for them. They go to Diagon Alley which seems full of Ministry posters with security advice and photos of wanted Death Eaters.
• Mrs Weasley tells Harry, Ron and Hermione to go with Hagrid to Madam Malkin while she, Mr Weasley takes Ginny to Flourish and Blotts. At Madam Malkin’s they encounter Draco and Narcissa Malfoy. They get into an argument and Narcissa warns Ron and Hermione not to attack Draco. Harry sneers back to her about getting a few Death Eaters. Narcissa tells Harry being Dumbledore’s favorite he has a false sense of security, Dumbledore won’t always be there to protect him. Draco complaints about sticking pins when Madam Malkin wants to heighten his left sleeve. Draco and his mother leave to do business at Twilfitt and Tatting’s.
• Next they visit Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. They have new products like Self-Inking quills, Spell-Checking quills and Smart-Answer quills, Reusable Hangman and Patented Daydream Charms, Edible Dark Marks, WonderWitch products like love potions Guaranteed Ten-Second Pimple Vanisher and Pygmy Puffs. They meet with Fred and George who show them the back of the store where they keep more advanced products like Shield Hats, Shield Cloaks, Shield Gloves, Instant Darkness Powder and Decoy Detonators.
• Harry, Ron and Hermione see Draco outside and follow him using the Invisibility cloak. Draco goes into Borgin and Burkes and using Extendable Ears they eavesdrop on Draco’s conversation with Mr Borgin. Draco wants some item fixed, Borgin says it will be difficult. By showing something to Borgin he tries to persuade him and says there will be retribution if he tells anyone, Fenrir Greyback is a family friend who will be dropping in from time to time. He also says he want to reserve something in the store. The three could not see what he was talking about because he was behind a cabinet. Hermione goes into the store to see and inquire what there is and what is still for sale but Mr Borgin sends her away.

• Harry, Ron and Hermione talk about Draco while Hermione reads Advanced Rune Translation. Harry thinks Draco has become a Death Eater, he figures when Draco showed Madam Malfoy his arm it was to show the Dark Mark.
• They all go in Ministry cars to King’s Cross where Aurors are present for safety. Ginny takes her new Pygmy Puff Arnold. Ron and Hermione go into the prefect carriage. Harry has a quick word with Mr Weasley telling him about when he saw Draco in Borgin and Burkes.
• On the Hogwarts Express Harry meets again with Neville and Luna. Luna is holding a copy of the Quibbler containing a pair of free Spectrespecs and they share a carriage.
• A fourth-year girl, Romilda Vane, invites Harry to join their carriage but Harry declines. Harry drifts of in thoughts and Luna jokes asking Harry if a Wrackspurt got him. Later they are joined by Ron and Hermione. Harry and Neville receive an invitation to join Professor Slughorn in his compartment.
• Arriving at the compartment, they find out several other students have been invited. Among them are Blaise Zabini, Cormac McLaggen, Marcus Belby and Ginny. Slughorn mentions he has taught Damocles Belby, who received an Order of Merlin in the past, he is the inventor of the Wolfsbane Potion. Belby chokes on his food and Slughorn casts a Anapneo to clear his airway. Slughorn also taught Tibirius McLaggan, Cormac’s uncle with whom Cormac once went hunting Nogtails with Bertie Higgs and Rufus Scrimgeour. Slughorn tries to get more from Harry Ginny and Neville about the Prophecy then what everybody knows from the Prophet. The rest of the afternoon he continues about his ‘Slug Club’.
• Harry decides to follow Zabini into the compartment of Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson using his Invisibility Cloak. He hides in the luggage rack. Harry listens in on their conversation. Draco seems offended Slughorn did not invite him, Zabini mentions that Slughorn did inquire about Nott with whose father he used to be old friends. Draco says he might not even be at Hogwarts next year, he “might have moved on to bigger and better things”, and indicates Voldemort has a “job for him to do”. When they arrive at Hogwarts, Draco, who is last to leave the compartment, turns out to have notice Harry and paralyses Harry with a Petrificus Totalus. He kicks harry in the face giving him a nose bleed and throws the Invisibility Cloak over him so nobody will see or find him

• Harry lies paralyzed in the Hogwarts Express. He tries to summon his wand with a Accio but it doesn’t work, and is finally found by Tonks. She heals his nose with an Episkey. She summons her Patronus to send word that she found Harry and she walks Harry to the Hogwarts gates. She tells Harry that she is stationed at Hogsmeade together with Proudfoot, Savage and Dawlish. Tonks still seems depressed, much more serious and purposeful.
• Arriving at the gates, Harry tries to open them with a Alohomora but that won’t work. Harry suggests to climb a wall but Tonks says they have Anti-intruder jinxes on them. Then Snape is arriving to fetch him. He mentions to Tonks that he prefers her old Patronus, the new one looks weak.
• Harry joins the welcome feast, Hermione cleans his blood covered face with a Tergeo. Harry missed the Sorting.
• Dumbledore makes his speech and everybody whispers seeing his one blackened hand. He announces that Professor Slughorn will be giving Potions this year and Snape Defense Against the Dark Arts.
• Harry tells Ron about what he overheard Draco saying on the train. Hagrid says that Grawp is making progress. He still is expecting the three will be continuing Care of Magical Creates but they all dropped it.

• Lavender Brown seems interested in Ron.
• Professor McGonagall is setting up timetables, depending on the necessary OWLs which students need to continue with their NEWTs. She makes Neville feel better about himself. Harry apparently can still become an Auror since Slughorn will certainly accept an “Exceeds Expectations” to take Potions, Snape would have required an “Outstanding”.
• Harry, Ron and Hermione have their first Defense Against the Dark Arts by Snape. Snape tells people he did not ask them to take out their books and Hermione hastily puts back her copy of Confronting the Faceless. He is elaborating about the nature of the Dark Arts and explains the gruesome pictures on the walls. Next he questions them about non-verbal spells, Hermione recites from The Standard Book of Spells (grade 6), and then they start practicing them.
• Complaining about Ron’s performance Snape suddenly turns his wand on Harry who shouts a Protego. Snape complains, Harry makes a smart remark and gets detention. Hermione thinks that Snape describing the Dark Arts sound the way Harry describes facing Voldemort.
• Harry receives a parchment from Dumbledore with the date and time of their first private lesson.
• The three have their first Potions lesson by Professor Slughorn. The dungeon already has some full cauldrons. Harry and Ron do not have his Advanced Potion-Making by Libartius Borage copy since he never thought he would continue Potions. Slughorn lends them 2 copies from a corner cupboard. The potions which Slughorn had already prepared contain among them Veritaserum, Polyjuice Potion and Amortentia, a love potion. Hermione recognizes three of them and Slughorn asks her if she possibly is related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, who founded the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers. Slughorn says Amortentia is possibly the most powerful potion in the room. The final potion is Felix Felicis, liquid luck. He is offering a tiny bottle as a prize for the student who brews the best potion that day. They need to create the Draught of Living Death. Draco asks Slughorn if he knew his grandfather Abraxas Malfoy. In Harry’s borrowed copy of Advanced Potion-Making the previous owner has made annotations, following the directions in a desperate wish to catch up. He crushes Sopophorous Beans with a flat side of a silver dagger, as indicated in the scribbles by the previous owner, instead of crushing them which the original text of the lesson book dictates, and amazingly this works better. Harry follows more notes and he gets the best result. Slughorn, who does not know harry followed non-original instructions of the scribbles in the book, thinks Harry might have inherited Lily´s potion skills, and awards Harry the bottle of Felix Felicis.
• After class he also tells Ron what he did. Hermione does not really agree with what Harry did, and neither does Ginny who at that moment hears Harry saying that he has been “taking orders from something someone wrote in a book” (like she did a few years ago with Riddles diary, having disastrous consequences). Hermione uses a Specialis Revelio to see if the book has some hidden magical properties, but it shows nothing. When Harry retrieves the book, he notices a scribble on the bottom of the back cover though, saying “This Book is Property of the Half-Blood Prince”

• Harry keeps following the Half-Blood Prince’s instructions with much success. Even though he looks through the rest of the book he can’t find out the identity of the Half-Blood Prince.
• On his way to his first private meeting with Dumbledore, he hides when Professor Trelawney passes by reading cards. Dumbledore tells Harry in his private lessons he will be given certain information about Voldemort’s life and history and why he attempted to kill Harry. He says many parts will be speculation, and it’s even possible in some things he might be as wrong as Humphrey Belcher who thought the time was ripe for a cheese cauldron.
• They use the Pensieve to go into a memory of Bob Ogden who was employed by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Ogden is going to some shabby house between Great Hangleton and Little Hangleton. He is told he is not welcome by someone speaking in Parseltongue. That person is Morfin Gaunt and his father Mr Gaunt reluctantly invites Ogden into the house. Ogden is looking for Morfin because of a breach of wizarding law, an attack on a muggle. In the house is also Morfin’s younger sister Merope who is shy and being bullied by her father. It looks like she is a Squib, she doesn’t manage to magically mend a pot she breaks and her father repairs it with a Reparo. Morfin needs to appear at a hearing. Mr Gaunt flaunts his heritage, showing a black-stoned golden ring with the Peverell coat of arms engraved on the stone. He also sticks a gold locket, which Merope is wearing, in his face. It is Salazar Slytherin’s, they are his last living descendants. Ogden states this is beside the point and that Morfin still needs to appear on the hearing. At that moment a girl called Cecilia and a boy called Tom. Morfin tells Mr Gaunt that Merope likes the muggle, Tom, and Mr Gaunt gets furious. He starts choking Merope and Ogden uses a Relashio to stop him. Ogden needs to run for his life.
• Harry and Dumbledore return from Ogden’s memory. Dumbledore explains that Tom is Voldemorts father Tom Riddle (Senior) and Mr Gaunt, Morfin and Merope’s father, is Marvolo Gaunt, Voldemorts grandfather. Merope is his mother. Morfin and Marvolo were overpowered fifteen minutes later when Ogden came back with reinforcements, and both convicted by the Wizengamot and sent to Azkaban, Morfin for three years and Marvolo six months.
• Dumbledore thinks Merope used a love potion on Tom Riddle. Marvolo died soon after being released from Azkaban and finding his daughter having fled from home. Tom Riddle after a while, maybe because Merope thought Tom would not need a potion anymore to keep loving her, left Merope and claimed he was “hoodwinked”. He never saw her again and never troubled to discover what became of the child to come, Merope was already pregnant at that point
• Harry may tell Ron and Hermione but they should keep everything to themselves. Dumbledore confirms the ring he was wearing is the same which Marvolo was showing in the memory, he acquired it very recently, ‘around the time that he injured his hand’.

• Non-verbal spells are now expected in several classes. Hermione suggests they should visit Hagrid but Ron says they have Quidditch tryouts and he needs to practice the Aguamenti charm. Harry receives a new copy of Advanced Potion-Making from Flourish and Blotts, but decides to swap the covers with a Diffindo and a Reparo so he can keep the old copy with a new cover.
• The Daily Prophet says Stanley Shunpike has been arrested on suspicion of Death Eater activity. The three think that he was only trying to appear more knowledgeable then he really is and by that actually innocent. Hermione mentions that people are afraid, the Patil twins’ parents want them to go home and Eloise Midgeon has already been withdrawn.
• Dumbledore seems absent for the last week. Hanna Abbott’s mother has been found that, Hannah was notified and absent since.
• Lavender smiles at Ron when they go to Quidditch tryouts. Cormac McLaggen is present for Keeper tryout. There are a huge number of people doing tryouts, most do bad. Between a group of giggling girls is Romilda Vane. There are even students from the other Houses wanting to do the tryout, which Harry sends away. Harry chooses three Chasers: Katie Bell, Demelza Robins and Ginny. As Beaters he chooses Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote. Finally at Keeper tryout McLaggen saves four penalties out of five, the last one he completely shoots off in the wrong direction. Finally Ron does the tryout saving five penalties and becomes the new Keeper.
• When Ron later comments on McLaggen’s last penalty and shooting of in the wrong direction like he’d been Confunded, Hermione turns pink.
• They go off to see Hagrid. Buckbeak is tethered in front of his cabin. Hagrid is sad and grumpy, probably because neither of the three continue Hagrid’s classes. They tell him that they would wanted to carry on but could not fit it in the timetables. Hagrid finally starts crying and tells them Aragog is dying.
• Getting back to the castle McLaggen bounces on the door and Hermione admits to Harry she Confunded Mclaggen. Slughorn invites Harry and Hermione to a meeting that evening, including Zabini and Melinda Bobbin, but Harry has detention with Snape so can’t go. Ron is grumpy that he was not invited. The Daily Prophet tells that Mr Weasley an the ministry raided the Malfoys’ house but found nothing. Harry thinks that Draco must have brought whatever he was trying to get at Borgins’ to Hogwarts. Hermione says that’s not possible since Filch uses Secrecy Sensors when they arrived at Hogwarts. Owls are also checked. Demelza brings Harry a message from Snape stating he still needs to go to detention at night, even though Slughorn asked to postpone.

• In his spare time Harry reads more notes in Advanced Potion-Making. The Prince seems to have been inventing spells himself, including Muffliato, a spell that fills the ears of anyone nearby with a buzzing, and a spell Levicorpus (N-vbl). Harry supposes N-vbl must mean non-verbal and doubts he will be able to perform it. Even Snape had commented on his difficulty with non-verbal spells, but the Prince had proved a much more effective teacher than Snape so far. He tries it out on Ron and Ron suddenly is dangling upside-down in midair. He quickly searches and finds the counter-jinx Liberacorpus.
• Hermione thinks the Prince character a bit dodgy. Harry suddenly remembers his father used this spell, but Hermione reminds him they also saw Death Eaters use it at the Quidditch World Cup.
• First trip to Hogsmeade has arrived. Slughorn presses Harry to come to his meetings, which Harry has been avoiding. In the Three Broomsticks they run into Mundungus Fletcher and catch him having a silver goblet which Harry recognizes comes from Sirius’ house. Harry saw the Black family crest on it. Before Harry can do anything Mundungus Disapparates.
• They decide to return to Hogwarts, following Katie Bell and one of her friends Leanne. They hear Katie having an argument with Leanne and holding something in her hand. When Leanne tries to grab the package from Katie’s hand and when Katie tugs it back it falls to the floor. Katie rises in the air, arms outstretched, hair whipped around her, eyes closed. She starts to scream. When they try to pull her to the ground she already falls down and starts thrashing and screaming. He runs towards the castle to get help and runs into Hagrid. Hagrid takes her and runs off to the castle. The package on the ground contains an ornate opal necklace, Harry recognizes it being on display in Borgin and Burkes. Leanne tells them Katie came back from the bathroom in the Three Broomsticks holding it, saying it was a surprise for somebody at Hogwarts. She thinks Katie might have been Imperiused. Harry takes the necklace in his scarf back to school, they’ll need to show it to Madam Pomfrey.
• Harry thinks it must have been Draco who was behind it.
• Professor McGonagall arrives who orders Filch to take the necklace to Dumbledore, and takes them to her office to find out what happened. Harry then accuses Draco and tells McGonagall what he had seen before. After some discussion McGonagall tells them that Draco was doing detention with her anyway, so he can’t have been the one giving the necklace to Katie, and they are sent away.

• Harry has another private meeting with Dumbledore. Dumbledore tells Harry that Katie was lucky she only brushed the necklace and that Snape managed to prevent rapid spread of the curse. Katie is in St Mungo’s now. They also rapidly talk about Mundungus and Draco.
• They will see more about Voldemort’s history, one memory from Caractacus Burke. They use the Pensieve to enter the memory. Burke tells how Merope sold him her gold locket. Although she could do magic, Dumbledore thinks that when her husband left her, she stopped using magic. Merope refused to raise her wand even to save her own life.
• Next they enter one of Dumbledore’s memories. A younger Dumbledore goes to an orphanage and meets with a Mrs Cole. Mrs Cole tells one of the staff members to tend to Billy Stubbs and Eric Whalley. Dumbledore is there to see Tom Riddle. Years ago Riddle’s mother gave birth right there and died an hour later. Mrs Cole says Tom is odd, he scares the other children. There have been incidents, nasty things… but it’s hard to catch Tom as the culprit. One day Tom and Billy argued and the next day Billy’s rabbit hung dead from the rafters, and one day after they were coming back from a trip, Amy Benson and Dennis Bishop were never quit right afterwards. The only thing they told was that they went exploring some cave with Tom, but something happened in there.
• Mrs Cole leads Dumbledore to Tom. Tom Riddle is suspicious and unmannered when Dumbledore tells him he is invited as a student to Hogwarts. He gets excited hearing what he can do is magic, moving objects, commanding animals and make people hurt. Dumbledore shows Tom magic by putting Tom’s wardrobe in flames and stopping it leaving it undamaged. He then indicates Tom to take out a small cardboard box which is shaking and rattling on the topmost shelf. In it are objects Tom stole from people and Dumbledore tells him to return them and give apologies. Tom also baldly asks for money to buy school requirements and receives some from Dumbledore without thanking him. He refuses Dumbledore’s offer of helping him get his stuff in Diagon Alley. Dumbledore then says he should find the Leaky Cauldron and ask for Tom the bartender. Tom seems not to like it that many people have his name too and asks if his father was a wizard too. Dumbeldore tells him he does not know. Before leaving Tom, telling Dumbledore that he can talk to snakes, asks if it is normal for wizards.
• Harry and Dumbledore return from the memory. Dumbledore once more emphasizes Tom being a Parselmouth, his instincts for cruelty, secrecy and domination, and his contempt for anything that makes him ordinary. Tom was already highly self-sufficient, secretive and friendless. Voldemort too never had friends nor ever wanted one. And finally Dumbledore points once more on Tom’s liking for collected trophies, stolen from victims.
• Harry notices the golden ring is gone from Dumbledore’s table.

• During Herbology Harry, Ron and Hermione work on gnarled Snargaluffs. Hermione tells Harry there will be a private Slug Club Chrismas party, and no way he can wriggle out of that one. Ron is annoyed, because he can’t go, but when Hermione tells him they can bring dates and she was thinking of taking him, Ron calms down. Harry is uncomfortably watching and breaks a bowl, he uses Reparo to fix it, and Hermione dives flustered into her copy of Flesh-Eating Trees of the World.
• Katie Bell is still at Mungo’s so they need a new Chaser and he asks Dean Thomas who happily accepts.
• Dean turns out a good choice during practicing, only Ron is inconsistent due to nerves and lack of confidence. Ron gets desperate and puches Demelza. Harry heals Demelza with an Episkey.
• On their way back to the castle they see Ginny kissing Dean and Ron gets into an argument with her. This leaves Ron depressed and agitated, his Quidditch play is awfull.
• Harry has a plan to make Ron play better at the Quidditch match agains Slytherin. Hermione noticed Harry fumbling with Ron’s juice and warns Ron not to drink it, but he does so anyway. Harry denies tipping something in Ron’s drink.
• Weather conditions are ideal for Quidditch, and Slitherin Chaser Vaisey can’t play, Malfoy is off sick too, they are playing Harper instead. Zacharias Smith is doing the comments. Also playing for Slytherin is Urquhart. Harry catches the Snitch and Gryffindor wins.
• Hermione tells Harry he shouldn’t have slipped Ron Felix Felicis, and Harry explains her he didn’t. He explains he only made Ron think he did it to increase Ron’s confidence. Ron and Hermione are both angry.
• Ron hooks up with Lavender during the Quidditch victory celebration. Harry follows Hermione who seems upset to an empty classroom. Ron and Lavender enter and Hermione cast a Oppugno on Ron.

• Ron and Hermione are not speaking to each other. Harry is reading in Quintessence: A Quest. He talks with Hermione, who is avoiding Ron, in the Library, while making notes on Everlasting Elixers. Hermione tells Harry he needs to be careful since a lot of girls, including Romilda Vane are discussing how to slip Harry a Love Potion. Even though Filch banned everything from Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, Hermione explains that Fred and George can send love potions disguised as perfumes and cough potions by Owl Order Service. Harry and Hermione hear someone behind the bookshelves. Madam Pince complaints about the scribbles in Harry’s Advanced Potion-Making.
• Back in the common room Romilda offers harry a Gillywater but he refuses and she gives him a box of Chocolate Cauldrons with Firewhiskey.
• Ron makes fun of Hermione and on the verge of tears she leaves the classroom. Harry follows her. Hermione is comforted by Luna. Harry on impulse asks Luna to come to Slughorn’s christmas party with him. Just as friends. This way he won’t need to worry about being slipped a love potion so much anymore. Peeves overhears and flies off shouting Harry invited Luna.
• While talking to Parvati while Ron is kissing Lavender, Hermione arrives and mentions she will go to the party with Cormac McLaggen.
• In the evening Harry goes to the Christmas party in Slughorn’s office. Harry heard some vampire would be coming. Luna asks if it is Rufus Scrimgeour.
• The room is full of people. Slughorn introduces Harry to Eldred Worple, author of Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires, and his friend Sanguini. Also at the party are members of Weird Sisters. Hermione seems to keep fleeing from Cormac. She tells that she choose him because he would annoy Ron most.
• Next they run into Professor Trelawney. Slughorn joins the conversation and boosts about Harry’s natural gift for Potions. He says it must be instinctive like Harry’s mother. Few students of his had this ability. Snape is pulled into the conversation by Slughorn. Harry confirms he wants to become an Auror, Luna claims them to be part of the Rotfang Conspiracy.
• Suddenly Draco is being dragged in by Filch. Filch found Draco in an upstairs corridor. Draco confesses he wasn’t invited but trying to gatecrash. Slughorn wavers any punishment and says Draco may stay. Filch looks unhappy, but Draco does too.
• Snape wants a word with Draco. Harry follows them using his Invisibility Cloak. He overhears their conversation in an empty classroom. Snape is warning Draco, he is already suspected of having a hand in something. He claims he didn’t do it, Bell must have had an enemy no one knows about. Next apparently Snape tries some Legilimency but quickly stops and assumes out Aunt Bellatrix has been teaching Draco Occlumency. Snape is angry Draco did not appear at his calls to his office and Draco bites back saying to put him in detention report him to Dumbledore. Snape wants to do neither of those. He says he swore to protect Draco, he made the Unbreakable Vow. Draco says it looks like Snape will have to break it then, he doesn’t need any protection. It’s his job, he gave it to him and he’s going to do it. He’s got a plan but it’s just taking a bit longer than he expected. Snape asks what the plan is but Draco doesn’t want to tell anything. He also tells Draco he should have lookouts. Draco says then Snape should not have given Crabbe and Goyle detention. Draco also claims he has other people on his side, better people, but he does not want to tell more to Snape, afraid that Snape is wanting to steal Draco’s glory.

• At the Burrow Harry tells Ron what he overheard Snape discussing with Draco. Ron says one can’t break an Unbreakable Vow, otherwise you die. Fred and George also came home for christmas, and Bill and Lupin are also coming. Mrs Weasley decides Fleur will have to bunk with Ginny. Mr Weasley only arrives on christmas eve. They are listening to Celestina Warbeck singing. Mr Weasley tells Harry about the lack of success the Ministry has so far. Harry tells him too about Draco and Snape, and Lupin also listens in. Mr Weasley trusts Dumbledore’s judgment about Snape, therefore he trusts Severus. Lupin says he neither likes nor dislikes Snape. Snape did after all every month made the Wolfsbane Potion for him while he was teaching at Hogwarts.
• Lupin tells Harry he has been underground lately, living among the Werewolves, nearly all of them are on Voldemort’s side. He was spying. Greyback is their leader, it was him who bit Lupin. Harry asks if he knows the name Half-Blood Prince and tells about his old Potions book containing spells like Levicorpus, but Lupin knows nothing and many people used that spell. Later in the book he searches the date it has been published, on suggestion of Lupin, it was nearly fifty years old.
• Harry asks about Tonks and why her Patronus changed, Lupin says that can sometimes happen because of a great shock or emotional upheaval.
• Suddenly Percy arrives together with Rufus Scrimgeour the Minister of Magic. Scrimgeour takes Harry apart for a walk to talk to him. Scrimgeour asks about Harry and Dumbledore and talks about the Ministry and finally comes to the point, he wants Harry to openly support the Ministry to boost public moral and the Ministry image. Harry would need to pop in from time to time, he would have opportunity to speak to Gawain Robards, Head of the Auror Office. Harry does not want to nor approve Ministry actions, reminding Scrimgeour of cases like Stan Shunpike. Harry does not want to be used.

• Harry, Ron and Ginny return to Hogwarts through the Floo Network, where they meet again with Hermione. Hermione has a scroll from Dumbledore for Harry with the date of his next private meeting. They talk about Draco and Greyback and Scrimgeour.
• Apparition lessons are announced and the three sign up. Seamus tells about his cousin Fergus who apparates to annoy him. Ron tells the others Harry already once did a Side-Along-Apparation.
• Harry goes to his private meeting with Dumbledore, the Pensieve already waiting on his desk. They talk about Harry’s meeting with Scrimgeour. Dumbledore had already denied Scrimgeour meeting with Harry, that is why they had an argument which was mentioned in the Daily Prophet. Scrimgeour accused Harry of being ‘Dumbledore’s man though and through’ and Harry tells Dumblore he had replied he was. Dumbledore looks slightly emotional, Fawkes lets out a soft cry.
• Dumbledore says Srimgeour sent Dawlish to follow him to find out what he has been doing when leaving the school. He already had to jinx Dawlish twice.
• Harry tells Dumbledore about Snape and Draco. Dumbledore puts it off as not being of great importance. He has understood everything Harry told him and maybe even more then Harry does, but nothing which causes him disquiet.
• Dumbledore tells Harry about the events and life of Tom Riddle when he was a student at Hogwarts. Dumbledore tried to give Tom Riddle a chance but never took it for granted that he was trustworthy. Riddle gathered a group of supporters during his days at Hogwarts, the forerunners of the Death Eaters. He has not been able to find many memories from those days, the ones he obtained showed Riddle was obsessed with his parentage. When he found out his father was never a wizard he started investigating his mother’s family and assumed the identity of Lord Voldemort.
• In the memory they watch they go back to the Gaunts’ house and see Tom Riddle meeting his uncle Morfin. Morfin is wearing Marvolo’s black-stoned golden ring. Both speak in Parseltongue. Morfin tells Riddle about the death of Mr Gaunt and about Tom Riddle’s father who left his mother Merope and stealing her gold locket. Voldemort moves forward and an unnatural darkness falls, and at that point Harry and Dumbledore leave the memory. Morfin could not remember anything after that and waking up the next moring Marvolo’s ring was gone. Meanwhile Tom Riddle Senior and his mother and father wer found dead in Little Hangleton. Morfin was framed by Voldemort and blamed for the murders, Morfin admitted on the spot due to false memories implanted by Voldemort, and spent the rest of his life in Azkaban. Dumbledore only managed to get the memory with a great deal of skilled Legilimency in the last week of Morfin’s life.
• In the next memory they see a meeting of Slughorn and his club, including Tom Riddle. Riddle is wearing Marvolo’s gold and black ring. Riddle is asking if Professor Merrythought is retiring. Slughorn is surprised with Riddle’s knowledge of that. Then the room suddenly turns a white fog. They hear Slughorn’s voice ‘ – you’ll go wrong, boy, mark my words’. And then the fog clears. The meeting is over. Among the students are also Lestrange (R or R) and Avery. Before leaving Riddle asks Slughorn about what he knows about Horcruxes. At that moment the fog appears and dissappears again and hear Slughorn’s voice claiming he does not know anything about it and sending Riddle away.
• Dumbledore explains the fog means the momory has been tampered with, modified by Slughorn himself. Harry’s homework is trying to get Slughorn offering the original unmodified memory to them. Dumbledore says Legilimency or Veritaserum won’t work. Phineas Nigellus doesn’t see why Harry should do better then Dumbledore himself. Fawkes lets out another low cry.

• Hermione never heard about Horcruxes. In Potions Slughorn teaches about Golpalott’s Third Law and Scarpin’s Revelaspell. They need to identify the poison with Specialis revelio and create an antidote, Harry’s “Advanced Potion-Making” is no use in this case since the Prince did not make any annotations in the Antidotes chapter.
• Browsing more through the book, Harry sees a scribble saying ‘just shove a Bezoar down their throats’. In a desperate attempt, his antidote is not progressing, Harry hurries down to the store cupboard and takes out a Bezoar.
• Time is up, Harry hands Slughorn the Bezoar instead of his potion. Slughorn is surprised, but amused by Harry’s action. A Bezoar would definitely act as antidote to all these potions.
• At the end of class Harry stays behind to ask Slughorn about Horcruxes. Slughorn asks if Dumbledore put Harry up to it, gets irritated and leaves.
• Slughorn gives no more meetings, it seems he wants to prevent Harry having opportunity to insist and ask about Horcruxes again. Hermione couldn’t find anything in the Library about Horcruxes, besides one small reference in Magick Moste Evile which says “the Horcrux, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction.”
• First Apparition lesson starts, given by Wilkie Twycross, Ministry Apparition Instructor. The Great Hall has temporarily lifted the anti-apparition enchantment. Harry moves to get closer to Draco and overhears him talking to Crabbe. Draco says it’s none of Crabbe and Goyle’s business what Draco is doing, they just need to keep a lookout.
• At the fourth apparation attempt Susan Bones gets splinched and the Heads of Houses converge on her and fix her.
• Harry gets his Invisibility Cloak, the Marauder’s Map and starts tracking where Draco goes around the castle in the weeks following.
• It’s Ron’s birthday he unwraps his presents. He offers Harry a Chocolate Cauldron, Harry refuses. Ron behaves strange. He says he can’t stop thinking about Romilda Vane, he loves her. Ron gets angry with Harry for making fun of Romilda, Harry needs to use a Levicorpus to stop Ron from hitting him further. Harry figures the Chocolate Cauldrons Ron ate were actually his, given to him by Romilda, they must be containing a Love Potion.
• Harry takes Ron to Slughorn, Ron completely ignores Lavender on his way. Slughorn brews an antidote and Ron takes it. Slughorn offers Ron some oak-matured mead, he had meant to give it to Dumbledore for Christmas, to celebrate Ron’s birthday. Ron takes a swallow and crumples, jerking uncontrollably, foaming and eyes bulging. Harry sprints towards Slughorn’s open potion kit, takes out the Bezoar and thrusts it into Ron’s mouth. Ron’s body goes limp and still.

• Harry, Hermione and Ginny are in the hospital wing with Ron. Fred and George also arrived, they tell they were thinking of buying Zonko’s. Ron is not consious, but Madam Pomfrey reckons he’ll be all right. Mr Weasley and Mrs Weasley are in Dumbledore’s office, they arrived an hour ago. They speculate more about the poison and Slughorn and for who the poison was meant.
• Hagrid joins them, saying Aragog is getting worse. Hermione thinks the attacks, with Ron and Katie, have some kind of connection, both should have been fatal and in neither cases the object reached the person it was meant for.
• Harry, Hermione and Hagrid leave, Hagrid says it will be difficult for Dumbledore to keep the school open with two attacks already, he says it’s no wonder Dumbledore is angry with Snape. Hagrid overheard Dumbledore having a heated discussion with Snape. He heard Snape saying Dumbledore takes too much fer granted and maybe he doesn’t want to do it any more. Dumbledore said to Snape he had agreed to do it and that was all ther was to it. Also Dumbledore said something about Snape making investigations in his house, in Slytherin*. When Filch comes by Hagrid sends them back.
• In the common room Cormac is waiting for him, he saw Ron being taken to the hospital wing and he wants the Keeper position. Harry gives it.
• Harry is obsessed with checking Draco on the Marauder’s Map. He could not find anything wrong, except for some inexplicable times when Malfoy vanished from the map.
• Both Cormac McLaggan and Lavender Brown keep nagging Harry. Cormac about Quidditch, pushing his ideas and thought as if he is Captain himself, and Lavender about Ron which she claims is always sleeping when she goes to seem him. Harry knows he is not.
• On his way over to the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff, he sees Draco, accompanied by two girls just leaving. Harry is not sure if he should follow Draco or go play the match. He goes to the play and meets McLaggen, Coote, Peakes, Robins, Ginny and Dean. Now that Zacharias Smith is playing, Luna is doing the comments. Also playing for Hufflepuff is Cadwallader. McLaggen is an annoyance making Harry distracted with his meddling.
• Next thing, Harry wakes up in the hospital wing next to Ron’s bed. He has a cracked skull, hit by a bludger. Gryffindor lost the game. McLaggen messed up badly and Ron is happy about that at least. Harry tells Ron about Draco leaving just before the game. Harry remembers the other times in the hospital and thinks of something. He calls Kreacher and does a ¤ Muffliato not to be overheard. Kreacher appears with a crack, in a fight with Dobby. Peeves pops in, he was watching the fight. Harry uses a Langlock to shut Peeves up. Harry orders Kreacher to spy on Draco and Dobby offers to help too.

• Harry and Ron may leave the hospital wing. On their way they a small girl drops her scale in fright and Hermione fixes it with a Reparo. Hermione tells that Ginny had a quarrel with Dean. They meet Luna and Ron says he liked her Quidditch comments. Luna gives Harry a scroll from Dumbledore, his next private meeting is that evening. Luna is also holding a Gurdyroot, she says it is excellent for warding of Gulping Plimpies.
• Ron does not seem much pleased anymore dating Lavender.
• Harry goes to his meeting with Dumbledore. While Harry enters, Sybill Trelawney just leaves. The Pensieve is already on his desk. Harry is asked if he already managed to get Slughorn’s memory but he hasn’t, to Dumbledore’s disappointment.
• The first memory they will watch is of a House-elf named Hokey. Tom Riddle by then was one of the most promising students to leave Hogwarts, he refused all offers, including the Ministry’s, and started working at Borgin and Burkes. It was not his first choice, his first choice was Voldemort asking the Headmaster at that time Professor Dippet for a teachers job at Hogwarts. Dumbledore thinks that first because he was at his happiest at Hogwarts, secondly because the castle is a stronghold of ancient magic, Voldemort penetrated many of its secrets and possibly felt that there were still mysteries to unravel, stores of magic to tap, and thirdly because of the potential power and influence as a teacher over young witches and wizards. Dippet told him he was still too young and wait some years. Voldemort wanted the subject Defense Against the Dark Arts, at that time being taught by Professor Galatea Merrythought. At Borgin and Burkes Voldemort had the job of persuading people to sell unusual and powerful treasures to the store.
• Hokey worked for a rich witch named Hepzibah Smith. Entering the Pensieve they see Hepzibah welcoming Voldemort into her house which is full of valuable objects. Hepzibah shows Voldemort two prize possessions, one is a badger which was Helga Hufflepuff’s. Hepzibah is distantly descended from her. The badger is supposed to possess all sorts of power. The other she shows him is a gold locket which was Salazar Slytherin’s, also all kinds of powers attributed to it. At both moments Voldemort saw the objects a red gleam glows in Voldemort’s eyes. Harry and Dumbledore leave the memory.
• Hepzibah died two days after the event, Hokey convicted of poisoning her. By the time that her family realized the missing artifacts, Voldemort had already left Borgin and Burkes.
• The second memory is ten years later, a memory of Dumbledore. They dive in the memory and arrive in Dumbledore’s office, Fawkes is also present. A younger Dumbledore is waiting for someone. Voldemort enters, his features burned and blurred. Dumbledore still calls him Tom. Voldemort once again requests a teachers position. Voldemort says he has seen and done much since he left Hogwarts, and can teach students a lot. He has pushed the boundaries of magic further then anyone ever has. Dumbledore reminds him only of some magic, Voldemort still does not consider love more powerful than his kind of magic. Voldemort would leave his ‘friends’, known as Death Eaters, to teach at Hogwarts. Dumbledore asks why Voldemort ‘really’ wants to return to Hogwarts, he does not believe it is really to teach. Voldemort does not say anything. Dumbledore does not want to give him a job and Voldemort leaves.
• Harry and Dumbledore leave the memory. Dumbledore says he has ideas what Voldemort really wanted but will tell after Harry gets Slughorn’s memory.