Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Plot- for those who have read the story but need a refresher. Otherwise don`t read.

The film opens with a flashback to just after the events of The Order of the Phoenix when and Harry and Dumbledore are being questioned for the Daily Prophet. The camera pans around, focusing on Dumbledore's hand and the rings that are on it. Switch to present London, Death Eaters raid Ollivander's Wand Shop in Diagon Alley abducting the wand maker, as well as attacking the Millennium Bridge over the River Thames.

Meanwhile, in a station cafe in Surbiton, the waitress flirts with Harry but Dumbledore arrives and tells him that it is urgent that he goes with him. They apparate into a Muggle village outside London to visit Horace Slughorn. Dumbledore has come to convince Horace to come out of retirement. At first, Horace vehemently says no, but after seeing Harry and reminiscing how Lily Evans was his all-time favorite student, Professor Slughorn reluctantly agrees.

Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy visit Snape at his house. Narcissa fears for her son's life as The Dark Lord has chosen Draco Malfoy to perform a task for him. If he fails, he will die. \"Bella\" doubts Snape's loyalty and challenges him to make the Unbreakable Vow. To Bellatrix's surprise and Narcissa's relief, he swears to look after and protect Draco and, if Draco should fail, Snape will do it for him.

Dumbledore apparates Harry to the Burrow to stay for the rest of the summer with the Weasleys and Hermione. Ginny is the first to greet Harry upon his arrival with a tenuous embrace. Later that night, Harry, Ron and Hermione, gather around a smoldering ball of the day's Daily Prophet and discuss the Prophet's articles about both Dumbledore and Harry. Just before school starts they visit Fred and George's new joke shop Weasley Wizard Wheezes. While there, Cormac McLaggen starts flirting with Hermione, but Hermione ignores him. Lavender Brown, a fellow Hogwarts student flirts blatantly with Ron, but he scarcely acknowledges her. The trio leave the joke shop, and see Draco and his mother walking into Borgin and Burkes. Many Death Eaters have arrived and the trio witness them performing a ritual.

On the Hogwarts Express, Harry, convinced that Malfoy is now a Death Eater, uses his Invisibility Cloak and Peruvian Darkness Powder the twins gave him to sneak into the Slytherins boxcar. Malfoy becomes aware of Harry's presence when he sees a suitcase move by itself. Draco stays behind while the students detrain to petrify Harry and leaves Harry frozen and with a broken nose on the floor under his Cloak. Luna Lovegood finds him with her Spectrespecs, and together walk to the school.

Professor McGonagall informs Harry that, now Snape is teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts, he and Ron can take N.E.W.T. Potions with Professor Slughorn. The boys use spare textbooks for the class, and Harry sees his very old copy is filled with footnotes and revisions that allow Harry to excel in Potions, beating Hermione, and even winning a vial of coveted \"Felix Felicis\". On the front page, it ominously states, \"This book is property to the Half-Blood Prince.\" Hermione believes the book may be dangerous and cause trouble. Harry rebuffs her saying she's jealous. Meanwhile, Malfoy is seen on several occasions sneaking into the Room of Requirement tampering with a large, mysterious cabinet. Also, in a private meeting in his office, Dumbledore shows Harry his memory of when he first met a young Tom Riddle. Dumbledore goes on to say that Slughorn would like to \"collect\" Harry. Horace Slughorn likes to surround himself with students who have powerful connections and talented students who will become powerful themselves. Harry agrees to get to know Slughorn.

Harry, hosts the Quidditch tryouts and Ron decides to try out for Keeper position along with Cormac McLaggen. McLaggen proves to be a more adept player, but with a helping hand from Hermione (a well-timed Confundus Charm) Cormac misses one goal, ensuring Ron's position as Keeper. Harry's mission to be acquainted with Slughorn gets accomplished during a trip to Hogsmeade: Slughorn sees the trio in The Three Broomsticks and invites Harry and Hermione to dinner with other students he has invited. The trio then witnesses Katie Bell, another Gryffindor, get cursed by a package she was carrying up to the school. McGonagall and Snape reveal that Katie was cursed into taking a dangerous necklace into the school to Dumbledore and was very lucky that she did not die. Harry is convinced that Malfoy cursed Katie.

Dinner with Slughorn included McLaggen and late arrival Ginny Weasley. Hermione whispers to Harry that Ginny may have been fighting with her boyfriend Dean Thomas again. Harry is all nerves around her. After the dinner, Harry stays behind. Harry sees among the shelf of Slughorn's former students is a picture of Tom Riddle.

Ron is a bundle of nerves at breakfast before a Quidditch game against Slytherin. Harry passes him some pumpkin juice. Luna sees that Harry had slipped something into Ron's cup and Hermione is incensed that Harry would use Felix Felicis when it is banned from organized sports. Ron doesn't care, and downs his cup. Gryffindor wins the game against Slytherin after Ron saves every goal, and he is a hero and the centre of attention at a party to celebrate their success. Lavender Brown kisses him passionately. Hermione sees this, and runs out of the room. Harry leaves to go comfort her. She then asks him how it feels to see Ginny with Dean and she tells him that she knows that he likes Ginny, and that she has feelings for Ron. To Harry's horror, Ron and Lavender walk in looking for a private place to snog. Hermione angrily sic her conjured birds on Ron, driving him away, leaving Harry to comfort a crying, heartbroken Hermione. Harry says \"It feels like this.\"

Later in the Library, Hermione and Harry discuss Slughorn's Christmas party. Harry needs a date. Hermione warns him to be wary of who he goes with: Romilda Vane has been trying to slip Harry a Love Potion all year because she believes that he is \"The Chosen One.\" Harry goes to the party with Luna and Hermione goes with McLaggen, who proves to be an unwise choice. Snape comes to deliver a message to Harry from Dumbledore (he is traveling) and escorts Malfoy from the party after he \"tried to crash the party.\" In the hallway, Snape berates Draco for not coming to him for help, but is rebuked with Malfoy saying that he was chosen.

At Christmas Harry joins the Weasleys at the Burrow He, Remus, Tonks and Mr. Weasley discuss what Harry overheard during Snape and Malfoy's conversation at the party. Remus adamantly insists that Dumbledore trusts Snape implicitly. After this meeting, Ginny comes and sits with Harry with a platter of mince pies. She offers him one and feeds it to him, but this moment is interrupted by the arrival of Ron, who is holding a platter of even larger mince pies. Later in the night, Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback set a fire around the Burrow (interrupting Harry and Ginny in a near kiss). As they intended, Harry, who still holds a vendetta against Bellatrix for her killing of Sirius Black, breaks through the fire and chases Bellatrix. Ginny manages past the fire and chases after him. Both are surrounded by the ambushing Death Eaters, but Tonks, Remus and Mr. Weasley arrive in time to block the attack in the field. Outnumbered, the Death Eaters leave; after Bellatrix sets fire to the Burrow.

Back at Hogwarts Harry, in another private meeting with Dumbledore, is shown another memory in the Pensieve. It is a memory from Slughorn when a teenage Tom Riddle asks him about a rare magic. The memory turns out to be lie. Dumbledore reveals his real reason for bringing Slughorn out of retirement: He believes that Slughorn's memory is vital to defeating Voldemort. Harry is the only one who can get the true memory from Slughorn, and he must.

Harry approached Professor Slughorn exactly as Riddle originally appoached him, then confronts Slughorn about Voldemort. Slughorn realizes that Dumbledore put him up to do it and refuses, saying \"You have no idea what he was like, even then.\"

Harry finds Ron in the dormitory after a failed attempt to speak to Slughorn. Ron is in a swoon, obsessively saying that he's in love with Romilda Vane. Apparently he ate some chocolates on Harry's bed, which was meant for Harry, laced with a very strong love potion. Harry brings Ron to Professor Slughorn to cure him. After Ron is cured, Slughorn offers the boys a drink of wine. Harry and Slughorn toast, but Ron has already downed his drink. Immediately Ron falls unconscious, poisoned. Harry manages to save him by shoving a bezoar down Ron's throat. Later, in the hospital wing, it is revealed that the poisonous drink was intended to be given to Dumbledore. Lavender rushes in to be with Ron, but becomes outraged to see Hermione there. She and Hermione get into a yelling row until Ron mumbles Hermione's name in his sleep. Distraught, Lavender leaves. Everyone else decides to leave and let Hermione to tend to Ron.

In the Great Hall, Ron has been released from the hospital wing and Hermione is thrilled that Ron's relationship with Lavender has ended, but is crestfallen that Ron doesn't remember any of it. Harry talks to Katie Bell, who has recovered from being cursed, but doesn't remember anything useful for him. He notices Malfoy leaving apprehensively, and follows Malfoy into the bathroom where he finds him crying. Harry accuses him, saying that he knows it was Malfoy who cursed Katie Bell. They duel. Harry casts the Sectumsempra curse he found in the Potions Book belonging to the \"Half Blood Prince.\" Harry sees the curse caused severe slashes on Malfoy's body. Snape sees Draco lying in a pool of blood and heals him. Later in the Gryffindor common room the Harry is too shocked to say or do anything, so Ginny suggestes they get rid of the book. He and Ginny go into the Room of Requirement to hide the Prince's potions book. Harry closes his eyes so that Ginny can hide it, as it would \"tempt him,\" and, before he opens his eyes again, Ginny kisses him, stating that \"That can stay up here as well if you like.\"

Harry realizes that all he needed to get Slughorn's memory was a little bit of luck: He drinks Felix Felicis. Harry meets Slughorn on his way to Hagrid's hut. Slughorn decides to \"escort\" Harry down to Hagrid's and they find him about to bury a recently deceased Aragog. They hold an impromptu funeral. After a few hours and several drinks, Slughorn again reminisces about Harry's mother. Harry goes on to tell Slughorn about his mother's sacrifice, that he accepts his role as \"The Chosen One\" and to not let Lily Evan's sacrifice be wasted. Slughorn gives in and hands Harry the memory.

The memory shows Professor Slughorn telling Tom Riddle about a dark piece of magic called a Horcrux. A Horcrux is an object used to keep safe a piece of one's soul that has been split away from the body. If one's body is destroyed, one does not truly die, as a piece of their soul is still alive. One is essentially immortal. Dumbledore tells Harry that he believes that Voldemort split his soul and created six Horcruxes with the seventh piece being in his body. Two have already been destroyed: one being the ring Riddle was seen wearing (the same one in the flashback), destroyed by Dumbledore; the other being Tom Riddle's diary. Reaching to examine it more closely, the ring reacts to Harry's touch. Harry seemingly does not know what had happened, but Dumbledore briefly pauses and goes on to say he thinks he knows where there is another Horcrux.

Dumbledore and Harry apparate to a seaside cave to find the third Horcrux. Within an inner cavern, Dumbledore deduces the Horcrux is on the middle of a giant lake. After warning Harry not to disturb the surface of the water, Dumbledore finds a boat that takes them to an island in the lake. On the island there is a bowl filled with potion. In order to get the Horcrux one has to drink the potion in the bowl. Dumbledore drinks the potion, which causes him unbearable pain as it's intended to weaken the seeker of the Horcrux. On Dumbledore's orders, Harry administers the rest of the potion to Dumbledore and retrieves the Horcrux: a locket. Dumbledore says he needs water. Harry attempts to fill the now empty bowl magically with water, but in such a dark place, no container will hold water conjured by magic. Dipping the cup in the lake Harry is pulled in by an Inferius. Dumbledore saves him by conjuring rings of blazing fire, protecting them and driving off the hoard of Inferi.

The two apparate back to the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts. Dumbledore tells Harry to go find Professor Snape, but Dumbledore hears someone coming and makes Harry go below and hide. Draco \"ambushes\" Dumbledore in the tower. He tells Dumbledore that Death Eaters breached Hogwarts by using the Vanishing Cabinet. He managed to fix the one inside the Room of Requirement and that created a passageway with its sister cabinet at Borgin and Burkes. He goes on to say Voldemort has chosen him to kill Dumbledore, and that if he doesn't, he will die. The Death Eaters arrive to the tower and goad Draco to kill Dumbledore. He manages to begin to convince Draco that he doesn't need to kill him and that he can keep him safe, Draco begins to lower his wand.

However, Snape appears and fulfills his vow to Narcissa to kill Dumbledore (and perhaps the deed he had told Dumbledore he didn't want to do). The Death Eaters and Snape immediately escape Hogwarts; as they leave, Bellatrix destroys everything in the Great Hall and sets Hagrid's hut on fire. Harry catches them up and tries to duel Snape, but Snape easily overpowers Harry. Before Snape leaves, he reveals to Harry the he is the Half-Blood Prince. Harry returns to the base of the Astronomy Tower to grieve over Dumbledore's body and collect the locket, as the staff and students of Hogwarts gather. Ginny comes forward and consoles Harry.

The next morning Harry and Hermione discuss that the locket is a fake and there is a note inside it:

\"To the Dark Lord, I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more\" signed by \"R.A.B\".

Harry decides that he will not return to Hogwarts next year: he will search for the remaining Horcruxes. Ron and Hermione decide that they will go with him. Harry, Ron, and Hermione look up as Fawkes flies away, leaving the school forever.

Differences from the book, for those who have read it.

Much of the book's ending has been changed, with the climactic battle and Dumbledore's funeral being removed. Heyman commented that the end battle was removed to \"(avoid) repetition\" with the forthcoming adaptation of Deathly Hallows. As such, the Death Eaters proceed through Hogwarts without any resistance with a crazed Bellatrix ravaging the Great Hall and setting fire to Hagrid's hut. Bill Weasley's bite from Fenrir during the battle as noted in the book is not present, leaving yet another gap considering his marriage to Fleur and his werewolf-like condition (as a result of the bite) plays an important role in the upcoming film's plot. The funeral was removed as it was believed it did not fit with the rest of the film.[63] The collapse of the fictional Brockdale bridge (drowning several car drivers in the river below) mentioned briefly in the book is transferred to the Millennium Bridge in London (apparently done by three Dementors, who make the bridge sway more and more wildly (like Galloping Gertie) until it breaks) and serves as the film's opening sequence.[64] In the book, Harry first kisses Ginny after discovering they won the Quidditch Cup, but in the movie they kiss while hiding his potions book together.

Scenes of Diagon Alley being demolished by Death Eaters and an attack on the Burrow, known as \"The Burning of the Burrow\" by Bellatrix Lestrange and werewolf Fenrir Greyback are added, as can be seen in the trailers. During their attack on Diagon Alley, the Death Eaters are seen abducting the wandmaker Ollivander. All but two of the memory scenes, including that of the Gaunts, have been cut. Only the flashbacks of Tom Riddle at the orphanage and Riddle asking Slughorn about Horcruxes, shown twice, remain.[64] Yates said they made the decision to compress the memories, but still \"got some really cool ones\".[65]

Characters who are cut include the Dursleys, Dobby, Bill and Fleur, Rufus Scrimgeour, Cornelius Fudge, the Gaunts, Moaning Myrtle, Professor Trelawney, and the Muggle Prime Minister.[66]

In the film, the Death Eaters are able to fly on their own, without the assistance of a broomstick. In the books, only Voldemort is able to do this, and it is not revealed until Deathly Hallows.

Great Movie. Calm and very humourrous in comparrison to the previous films. In conjunction with the topic of the dilemma of adolescence this film deals with the darkness of human soul as well as the threat of darknes from outside Hogwarts. The viewer is presented with a clear picture of who is who, the opposing sides are made clear. The stage is set for the final confrontation.

You should see it in IMAX, now that was worth the price of admission. :woohoo:
Definitely lives up to the book alot more than Order of the Phoenix.

I did Master Tiamat! Mind blowing. What was also good about it was that it complimented the Order of the Pheonix in being contrastingly different and reflective. Not like your A Team every episode a variation of the same action.