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Specialist Study

‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ is the sixth book in J.K Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ collection. This book is sculpted around the idea of how you should not judge a book by its cover. The ‘Half Blood-Prince’ focuses on the presentation of the anti-hero/villain as much as it does around Harry. From the first book in Rowling’s collection we have been given a stereotypical villain which is Draco Malfoy. From the first to the fifth book Draco has been presented in the same way. A strong, competitive juvenile who has no respect for the rules of the school or for any of the teachers apart from one, Snape. Draco’s upbringing has influenced him into believing in superiority of pure wizards (like himself) over mud-bloods (wizards with human parents). He is always racist toward mud-bloods when the opportunity arises and he only ever shows his strong, superior side. However, in the ‘Half Blood-Prince’ we see who Draco and Snape really are past the view they show us.

From book one we have seen Draco as a trouble making, racist juvenile who sees himself better than everyone else. The first sign that Draco is like this is the very first time Harry and Draco speak “You’ll soon find that some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter”. This view of Draco is kept right through to the third book were Draco scares one of Hagrids creatures which ends up scratching him but Draco acts like he is dying and because of his fathers influence within the wizarding government the creature is sentenced to death “I’m afraid he won’t be a teacher much longer, father’s not very happy about my injury”. Draco is clearly fine after this incident but because of his hate for Harry he decides to try and get Hagrid (a good friend of Harry’s) sacked and his favourite creature executed for his own personal joy. This shows the sick, twisted side to Draco that killing does not bother him because it is only a filthy creature which he also thinks of the mud-bloods.

‘Harry Potter and the Half Blood-Prince’ is a more mature and advanced book than the previous five as it has a lot of hidden messages and the language of the book has also advanced to a higher level which reflects how Harry and the other characters have grown up and also become more mature. As a result of this the presentation of Draco is very complex and in-depth. The first few chapters of the book show Draco in the same view; a wicked, boasting juvenile. On the train to Hogwarts (wizard school) Draco boasts to his friends about how the Dark Lord has set him a task to complete knowing it will impress them and make them idolise him “Clearly relishing the effect he had created”. As the train arrives at its destination we see the first encounter between Draco and Harry in this book. Draco has Harry immobilised and at his mercy “You didn’t hear anything I care about, Potter. But while I’ve got you here…” taking advantage of the situation Draco fiercely stamps on Harry’s face spurting blood everywhere which shows he does not believe in what’s right and wrong he only thinks of what will benefit him and that he also does not feel guilty for hurting a defenceless human being. After the battle the reader is left thinking that Draco will be presented in the same stereotypical manner through the rest of the book.

However, as the book progresses we see a change in Draco. Whilst at a Christmas party, Harry, for the first time in ages sees Draco close up “He now saw that Malfoy had dark shadows under his eyes and a distinctly greyish tinge to his skin”. This is the first time in all of the books that Draco has looked genuinely unwell but doesn’t make a fuss out of it like usual. In a confrontation later we see the biggest change in Draco so far as the teacher he has always respected and sucked up to, Snape, requests a word with him. As Harry eavesdrops on the conversation we learn that Draco has been avoiding Snape for some reason and even shouts at Snape for the first time “I know what you’re up to! You want to steal my glory!” Draco also denies the offer of help from Snape who he has always had utmost respect for in accomplishing his mission for the Dark Lord and finally walks away from Snape as a sign of total disrespect. This is the first real change in Draco's presentation. Usually Draco would be trying to get Harry into trouble for silly offences but Draco has kept away from Harry and everybody else at Hogwarts so he can complete his mission. His deteriorating health and confrontation with snape are the first signs that Rowling has changed Draco’s intentions and Draco even seems more mature now that he realises the consequences of his failure would be death from the Dark Lord as punishment if he does not complete his task.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince does not just focus on the changing of Draco but also Severus Snape. Snape is a Hogwarts teacher who worked for the Dark Lord during his regime but after the defeat of the Lord, Snape convinced Dumbledore he had converted to the good side and was being brain washed by the forces of darkness. From the day Snape converted many have wondered whether he really was brain washed and if he really had turned good. From the first time Harry meets Snape he automatically dislikes him and also Snape dislikes Harry. For six years Snape treats Harry badly, bullies him and tries to make his life a misery as much as possible. “But he seemed to really hate me”. This treatment leaves the reader to wonder whether Snape does this because Harry destroyed the Dark Lord but in book three we realise it could be because Harry’s father tormented and bullied Snape when he was a pupil. This is further developed in the fifth book when Harry relives a memory of snapes from his school days. “Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape’s mouth at once, choking him”. Sirius and James (Harry’s dad and godfather) both made Snape’s school days horrible with constant teasing and fights. Snape’s treatment of Harry could therefore be personal revenge for the way he was treated as a boy.

Through the six books the reader makes a view of Snape whether he is good or evil but even though Snape treats Harry incredibly bad he also tries to save Harry’s life on many occasions. Snape mutters a counter curse in the first book when Harry is in mortal danger. In the third book he goes to Harry’s rescue when he sees him enter the wompingwillow. He tries to educate Harry in mind powers in the fifth book to help Harry block out the Dark Lord. This shows Snape does have a human side to him and his treatment of Harry could just be a false image he wishes to convey to Harry and others to keep his real intentions undercover.

Up until the last six chapters of the book Draco’s presentation has been different. As his health gets worse he does not go to the nurse and make sure everybody knows he is not well. Also he stays away from Snape and even stops playing Quidditch for his house. But the real change in Draco is not seen until the end of the book. As harry and Dumbledore depart on a dangerous mission Dumbledore is severely hurt and left ineffective as protection for Harry. As they make there way back to the school they spot the dark mark (sign the Dark Lord has killed) over the Astronomy Tower. Dumbledore quickly regains control of himself and he and Harry quickly fly to the tower to investigate. The door to the tower flies open and Harry falls back against the wall. As Harry ponders on how he has been frozen it finally hits him that Dumbledore had wordlessly immobilised Harry, but by doing so Dumbledore had lost the ability to defend himself as the attacker disarmed Dumbledore. Without panic or distress Dumbledore casually addresses his disarmer “Good evening Draco”. A conversation between the two follows as Draco boasts about how he completed his task and was able to smuggle the Dark Lords henchmen into the school. As Dumbledore calmly speaks Draco’s hands shake, he begins to sweat but tries to maintain the fact that he has the advantage over a wandless old wizard. As time goes on four of the henchmen get to the tower were they are met by the image of Dumbledore helpless. After another conversation Draco still cannot find it in him to kill Dumbledore. After all the work and effort he put in all year to kill him he just can’t murmur the words. His feelings get in the way and he realises he is not a killer after all the threats he gave Dumbledore. Finally Snape enters the scene. With the knowledge that Draco cannot complete his task snape points his wand at Dumbledore and announces the dreadful words of the killing curse. Dumbledore’s body flies over the edge and the henchmen flee the scene.


Through the book Draco is presented in the same way as the he always has been at some points but as the book progresses his old presentation deteriorates and we see a completely new person. A fragile little boy with emotional difficulty instead of the strong superior outer shell that Draco has always shown. We finally see Draco as a human being with emotions and even the ability to cry. Snape is finally seen in his true colours. After many years of pretended we finally see he is still on the side of evil. This is a total twist to the books and gives the reader a sense that the final book could contain anything as Harry has lost the last person that he cared about and is an angry young man with extraordinary powers. Rowling’s presentation of good versus evil in this book is far more complex than black and white. It is the struggle between those who are not afraid of showing weakness against those who are disgusted with emotions and feelings. Draco has an inner conflict between good and evil in this book as we see him in both views; able to show emotion at some points but avoiding them at others. This effect makes the reader sympathise with Draco and in the end even pity him as he is still just a fragile child trying to grow up to quickly. Snape conveys the idea people aren’t always as they seem to be. After all the trust Dumbledore had in Snape, Snape turns around and stabs him in the back which creates a very powerful scene and the biggest twist possible in the Harry Potter collection. The book is therefore sculpted around the idea of not judging a book by its cover. On the outside we see Draco as a strong-minded juvenile with no care for others feelings and forever wishing to hurt people. On the inside however Draco is just a little boy with the same emotions as everyone else. The only problem is he just can’t show them as easily which leads back to his inner conflict. Snape is shown as an evil man wishing to get revenge for the torment he was subjected to as a child but in the end he is really a murderous lyre with a higher purpose than making Harry’s life miserable. The story shows us that people are complex and everybody has emotions but some find it easier to show them and others conceal theirs like Draco and also that people can lie and hurt those who have risked everything for them without a second thought.