Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Chapter Twenty-Nine:
The Phoenix Lament

Notes by Steve Vander Ark and Michele L. Worley
Synopsis and links by John Kearns

U.S. hardcover edition: pages 611-632
U.K. hardcover edition: pages 560-589
Timeframe: An evening in June, 1997 [Y17]

In which Ginny leads Harry to the hospital wing, where the Order discusses Bill, Dumbledore, Snape, and the events of the evening. We also learn that Fleur still wants to marry a disfigured Bill, and that Lupin has been refusing dates with Tonks. McGonagall takes Harry to her office (formerly Dumbledore's) and asks where he was but Harry refuses to say; the heads of houses then arrive and discuss closing the school. Finally, as Scrimgeour arrives, Harry leaves to Gryffindor Tower, where he updates Ron on the Horcrux.

Interesting facts and notes about the text of this chapter:

Still to come....

Characters introduced in this chapter:

• none

Characters returning in this chapter:

• Delacour, Fleur

• Everard

• Fat Lady, the

• Flitwick, Filius

• Granger, Hermione

• Hagrid, Rubeus

• Longbottom, Neville

• Lovegood, Luna

• Lupin, Remus

• McGonagall, Minerva

• Pomfrey, Poppy

• Potter, Harry

• Slughorn, Horace

• Sprout, Pomona

• Tonks, Nymphadora

• Weasley, Arthur

• Weasley, Bill

• Weasley, Ginny

• Weasley, Molly

• Weasley, Ron

Characters mentioned in this chapter:

• Black, Sirius

• Dumbledore, Albus

• Fawkes

• Filch, Argus

• Finnigan, Seamus

• Gibbon

• Greyback, Fenrir

• Norris, Mrs.

• Peeves

• Potter, James

• Potter, Lily

• R.A.B.

• Rosmerta, Madam

• Scrimgeour, Rufus

• Slytherin, Salazar

• Snape, Severus

• Sorting Hat

• Thomas, Dean

• Weasley, Fred

• Weasley, George

• (surname unknown, possibly Weasley or Prewitt) Great Auntie Muriel

• (unnamed) students staring at Dumbledore and at Harry

• (unnamed) Hogwarts governors

Settings and locations introduced or returning in this chapter:

• Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

  • entrance hall

  • grounds

  • Gryffindor Tower common room

  • hospital wing

  • Headmaster's office

Settings and locations mentioned in this chapter:

• Hogwarts Express

• Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

  • Astronomy Tower

  • McGonagall's old office

  • Room of Requirement

  • Snape's office

Exceptional character moments:

• Still to come....

Spells and Potions:

• Avada Kedavra

• conjured items: Madam Pomfrey conjures a chair for McGonagall

• Dark Mark, the

• Felix Felicis

• Imperius Curse

• Incendio

• Lumos

• Occlumency

• Patronus

• Sectumsempra

• Stupefy

• (unnamed) ointment Madam Pomfrey applies to Bill's wounds

• (unnamed) spell Snape used to heal Draco

• (unnamed) immobilization spell Dumbledore used on Harry - probably Petrificus Totalus

• (unnamed) curse used to block entry to the Astronomy Tower stairwell

Links and Resources:

• Bestiary

  • basilisk

  • phoenix

  • werewolf

• blood status

• Chamber of Secrets

• items and devices, magical

  • Cloak, Invisibility

  • Gryffindor's sword

  • Hand of Glory

  • Horcrux

  • Marauder's Map

  • Instant Darkness Powder

  • Vanishing Cabinet

• medical magic

Memorable lines:

• "Dumbledore believed Snape was sorry James was dead? Snape hated James...."

• "Well, I'm stayin'," said Hagrid, fat tears still leaking out of the corners of his eyes and trickling down into his tangled beard. "It's me home, it's bin me home since I was thirteen. An' if there's kids who wan' me ter teach 'em, I'll do it."

• And he knew, without knowing how he knew it, that the phoenix had gone, had left Hogwarts for good, just as Dumbledore had left the school, had left the world ... had left Harry.

Strictly British:

• none yet

Timelines/Calendar:

The chapter takes place the same evening as the previous three and continues into the early morning hours of an evening in June.