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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 going on at Hogwarts when Harry and Dumbledore are finally able to reach the castle after their trip to the cave?

2. What must Harry agree to if he is to accompany Dumbledore on his journeys to seek out Voldemort's Horcruxes?

3. What does Ginny tell Romilda Vane Harry actually has a tattoo of on his chest, even though this is also a lie?

4. What promise do Ron and Hermione make Harry as the novel concludes?

5. Why does Harry break up with Ginny before they leave Hogwarts?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does Dumbledore finally tell Harry he goes when he is absent from Hogwarts?

2. What are the motives behind the two sets of murders that Voldemort commits?

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

4. When Harry discovers her on his way to Dumbledore's office, why is Professor Trelawney screaming?

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

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

7. Why is Harry so angry when he meets with Dumbledore after bumping into Professor Trelawney in the hallway?

8. Which Hogsmeade resident is doing the work of the Death Eaters, even though it is against her will?

9. What reason is finally disclosed, at Bill's bedside, as to why Tonks is looking so unhappy and unhealthy throughout the novel?

10. What happens to Malfoy when Harry uses the Sectumsempra spell on him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss how Rowling uses the literary device of time travel/flashbacks (ex., what happens when Harry and Dumbledore travel through the Pensieve to observe Voldemort in the past) to develop Voldemort's character. Address at least three instances of this happening and what the reader is able to learn as a result that he or she may not otherwise be able to learn from the text.

Essay Topic 2

What does the title of the book (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) mean? Why does Rowling choose that title? What does the title tell the reader before he or she even begins reading the story? What other titles work with this text?

Essay Topic 3

Take two characters in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and juxtapose them. What are their main similarities? What are their main differences? Make sure to use quotes from the story as evidence.

(see the answer keys)

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