Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Ending Explained

At the end of Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter encounters some life-altering revelations and impossible decisions.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ended brilliantly, with clever plot twists and character choices that kept audiences on edge, while also introducing some new ideas to make the upcoming finale even better. This is the first film in the series to introduce the concept of Horcruxes, which played a huge role in Harry, Ron, and Hermione's efforts to defeat Voldemort and bring peace to the wizarding world. The Half-Blood Prince sees the golden trio tackle these ideas for the first time, but retains the classic Harry Potter charm that can only be found at Hogwarts.

The Half-Blood Prince's ending has become synonymous with the death of Hogwarts' most influential professor, Albus Dumbledore - but there are many other details that make this ending stronger than previous installments in the series. It's full of shocking twists and long-awaited revelations, completely reconstructing the story, and including some very important moments from characters like Snape, Draco, and Harry himself. The film's final moments completely flipped expectations and upped the stakes tenfold, creating a dark atmosphere that remained throughout the thrilling two-part finale until Come. Everything has changed since Half-Blood Prince, but there are a few details that are easy to miss.

What Is A Horcrux? - Their Origins Explained

The term "Horcrux" is mentioned several times in Half-Blood Prince, but little is known about these dark artifacts. The film's shocking finale reveals that Regulus Black discovered Voldemort's Horcrux secret, but little else about the secret itself is explained. As mentioned in the original book (and recalled by Slughorn in the film), Horcrux creation required a great deal of black magic and allowed the user to cut off a portion of the soul and hide it within a specific object. At least while the Horcrux is alive, the user isn't actually killed - even if their physical form is destroyed beyond repair.

Slughorn's memories indicate that Tom Riddle planned to create seven Horcruxes in order to make himself truly immortal. Voldemort needed only one of these Horcruxes to live, and although his professor warned Riddle against it, Dumbledore believed that Voldemort was likely to succeed in his task. There are various theories about the creation of the Horcruxes, but what is known is that it required an unspeakable darkness Act for success - Voldemort was undoubtedly capable of doing just that. At the end of Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore reveals that two Horcruxes have been destroyed: Tom Riddle's diary (Harry) and Marvolo Gaunt's ring (Dumbledore with the Sword of Gryffindor ).

Why Salazar Slytherin's Locket Was A Fake

The Half-Blood Prince climaxes with Harry and Dumbledore leaving Hogwarts in search of a potential Horcrux, which they quickly identify as Salazar Slytherin's locket. The two battle a group of undead Inferi to retrieve the locket, but when Harry does bring it back to Hogwarts, a note hidden inside reveals it to be a fake. Given its complicated history and ownership, Slytherin's locket is different from other Horcruxes, but the note inside the fake reveals it was taken by R.A.B (Regulus Arcturus Black - who was trying to fulfill Voldemort's dark plans) many years ago.

This immediately sets the stage for Harry's next mission, as he knows that Slytherin's real locket is still there somewhere - defeating Voldemort is impossible without destroying it. It was this painful realization, combined with his previous conversation with Dumbledore, that Really motivated Harry to take action and get ready for the final phase of this eternal battle against Voldemort. The discovery of Voldemort's Horcruxes (and the realization of how dangerous they are in hiding) is a real turning point for Harry and his friends, proving that their final battle against the Dark Lord will be harder and more complicated than they expected .

Why Did Draco Become A Death Eater?

Voldemort was the most dangerous Dark wizard in the world, so Harry and his friends were understandably shocked when they learned that Draco Malfoy was after him with his parents. At first it seemed like a huge shift for the character - he'd always been trouble, but joining Voldemort and the Death Eaters was a big step in his journey. Ron and Hermione didn't quite believe he'd taken that step at first, but his behavior in the Room of Requirement definitely proved otherwise. Draco had always respected his family and their beliefs since he was introduced - but it was this family pressure that now forced him to join Voldemort's cause.

Draco's father has always been proud of his status as a Death Eater, although he may not always have been a very useful asset To Lord Voldemort, he has remained unwavering in his loyalty. Lucius Malfoy is an old Harry Potter character, so he has plenty of experience with Voldemort and his followers over the years. Draco had witnessed Voldemort's influence and power firsthand, and now that his power was rising, Draco felt his only option was to join the cause. His character has undergone some serious development and transformation in later films, so this is a very important step in his darker path.

Where Are Harry, Hermione, And Ron Go Next?

Since the beginning of the first film, it's been clear that Harry and Voldemort will have to fight each other in the future. Their relationship is so long and complex that neither can survive while the other lives - as Professor Trelawney predicted years ago. Even if Trelawney's prophecy to Voldemort wasn't true, it's undeniable that her hunch was correct and that Harry must be the one to bring down Voldemort. Now, thanks to Dumbledore, Harry knows that destroying his seven Horcruxes is the only viable way to defeat Voldemort forever. Of course, Hermione and Ron were by his side.

They knew (or at least, suspected) of Slytherin's The Locket is there, along with other artifacts that need to be destroyed along with it. Now that Dumbledore is gone, they're going to find these items by delving into Tom Riddle's past and extracting things that hold special value to him. A locket seemed like a logical place to start, but now knowing the journal and the ring, the friends knew exactly what they were looking for. The Half-Blood Prince is far from the end of Harry, Ron, and Hermione's adventures—in fact, it's only just beginning.

Why Did Snape Kill Dumbledore?

Snape and Dumbledore have a tragic past in the Harry Potter films, but their complicated relationship reaches an emotional climax at the end of Half-Blood Prince. When Draco Malfoy found himself unable to take down his Headmaster, Professor Severus Snape took control of the situation and killed Dumbledore himself. It's a truly shocking moment, and it's not until later in the film that Snape's motives become fully clear. It wasn't until Deathly Hallows - Part 2 that Snape killed Dumbledore on Dumbledore's own orders, knowing his life was coming to an end and wanting to Exempt Draco from his actions.

Snape's true allegiance has been a mystery since The Philosopher's Stone, and while Albus always trusted him, the same was not true of the other characters. Snape may be Slytherin's greatest hero, but his undercover espionage for Dumbledore forced him to commit several dangerous crimes. Dumbledore wanted to die at Snape's hand because he knew it was the only way for his trusted friend to be recognized by Voldemort as a true Death Eater. This shocking murder is a pivotal moment in Snape's story, and while it's hard to forgive him for actually going through it, it's exactly what Dumbledore wanted.