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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Malfoy doing in the bathroom when Harry confronts him there?

2. What item that Harry finds (in an earlier story) in the Chamber of Secrets is a Horcrux?

3. Where is Dumbledore actually buried?

4. What request does Voldemort have when, two years after leaving Hogwarts, he returns to meet with Dumbledore in his office?

5. Why doesn't Hagrid bury Aragog in the Forbidden Forest?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the only thing that allows Harry to break free from Dumbledore's immobilizing spell when the two of them return from the cave?

2. What suggestion does Hermione give Harry about getting the memory he needs from Slughorn?

3. Who does Harry and Dumbledore learn Voldemort blames for the two sets of murders that he commits himself?

4. How is Harry able to get Dumbledore back to Hogsmeade after their journey into the cave?

5. What is the historical meaning of the cave that Harry and Dumbledore visit while searching for Voldemort's Horcruxes?

6. How do Harry, Ron, and Hermione learn of Aragog's death?

7. What reason does Dumbledore give as to why Voldemort's appearance changes so much over the years?

8. What does Harry think he sees flying off into the distance after Dumberdore's funeral concludes?

9. What are three spells that Harry casts while trying to escape from the cave with Dumbledore?

10. Why does Dobby appear with Kreacher when Harry summons Kreacher while in the hospital wing with Ron?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

While Rowling and her Harry Potter novels are famous, they are by no means without their critics. Choose three literary weaknesses you see in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, mention the reasons why you consider these weaknesses in the novel, and list at least two things Rowling does differently to strengthen her writing.

Essay Topic 2

A strong mastery of language is important for any author's success. Rowling often uses Latin as a basis for the spells she creates in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Choose at least 10 spells from the text, explain their Latin roots, and discuss how Rowling's use of Latin for the spell incantations creates a sense of familiarity for her (Romance-language speaking) readers.

Essay Topic 3

Several characters in the novel have very minor roles (such as the Prime Minister) but play an important role in the text. Choose one minor character and discuss what role he or she plays in the text, how the story is different without that character, and three literary devices Rowling uses to establish the importance of this minor character in a brief but effective way.

(see the answer keys)

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