Summary
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince sets up key plotlines like Snape's identity reveal and Harry's quest for Horcruxes.
- Romantic tensions rise in the sixth book as Harry dates Ginny, but their relationship abruptly ends.
- The lack of execution in Deathly Hallows wastes the potential dark turn for Harry and Ginny's relationship.
In the sixth Harry Potter books, The Half-Blood Prince is arguably the least action-packed. Where other installments have incredibly high stakes, such as Chamber of Secrets or Goblet of Fire, The Half-Blood Prince is more like the calm before the storm. Harry spends his time at Hogwarts learning everything he can before his face-off with Voldemort. Plus, along the way, his personal relationships and social life begin to transform.
Though the plot is somewhat relaxed, The Half-Blood Prince does have a few important plotlines running through it. First, there's the reveal that Snape is the Half-Blood Prince really, which Harry discovers in the shocking moments after his cruel Potions professor kills Dumbledore. Furthermore, this book jump starts Harry's quest to find Voldemort's seven Horcruxes. However, The Half-Blood Prince's story isn't all intense and dark revelations. In fact, a major aspect of the sixth book is rising romantic tensions. As Ron and Hermione come closer to declaring their feelings for each other, Harry forms a newfound relationship with Ginny.
The Harry Potter Books' 10 Best Plot Twists, Ranked
The Harry Potter books' best plot twists are shocking and serve the bigger story, including Scabbers' identity, Regulus' past, and Snape's betrayal.
The Harry Potter Books Set Up An Intriguing Ginny Story At The End Of Half-Blood Prince
Harry & Ginny Cannot Be Together
During Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, Harry develops feelings for Ginny. Though the romance builds from the book's beginning, its peak is when Harry unexpectedly kisses Ginny in the Gryffindor Common Room after a successful Quidditch game. From there, the two begin to date, but they soon hit a major roadblock. After Dumbledore is killed, Harry decides that he must not return to Hogwarts next year, and instead, search for Voldemort's Horcruxes. At the same time, he breaks things off with Ginny because he worries that being his girlfriend will put a target on her back.
Just as Harry finds love, he is put in a position where he could lose it.
This is a very interesting turn in events for many reasons. After The Half-Blood Prince focuses heavily on Harry's social and romantic life, the end of the book quickly pivots to the action-packed searching and fighting that takes place in The Deathly Hallows. Not only is the focus completely changed, but what Harry built with Ginny is easily discarded. However, the logic is strong. Voldemort could easily target Ginny. Therefore, Harry's break-up feels like an omen or a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just as Harry finds love, he is put in a position where he could lose it.
Deathly Hallows Completely Wastes Harry & Ginny's Relationship
Harry's Romantic Life Flops In The Last Book
Unfortunately, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows does nothing with Harry and Ginny's relationship. Although The Half-Blood Prince insinuates a rising danger for Harry and Ginny, the final book doesn't explore this in the slightest. Both parties are certainly in danger, but not because of their relationship. It is simply that the whole wizarding world is under the threat of Voldemort. In reality, The Deathly Hallows lets Harry and Ginny go to waste. Aside from a ionate make out session early on in the book, and the Harry Potter epilogue, the pair are totally separate from each other.
Overall, the lack of execution concerning this plot is disappointing. Harry is already in danger at the The Half-Blood Prince because of his Horcrux hunt, but his relationship with Ginny is supposed to raise the stakes. Their break-up implies that Ginny is in a dangerous spot because of her connection to Harry. Therefore, as Harry is taking on his Horcrux quest, he should have been worried about Ginny's welfare. However, the seed that the storyline planted never really grows into anything. Ginny ends up being fine, and really, has little to do with Harry's final conflict with Voldemort.
Why Voldemort Should Have Targeted Ginny In The Harry Potter Books
Ginny Has Already Been Voldemort's Pawn
In reality, Harry and Ginny's Half-Blood Prince breakup should have signaled a dark future for the couple. In The Deathly Hallows, Voldemort should have set his sights on Ginny, and used her as a pawn to lure Harry back to Hogwarts. This would have made their break-up plot come full circle, and would have made sense for Harry's story. Plus, it wouldn't have been the first time Voldemort used Ginny as a pawn. Her role in Deathly Hallows could have directly paralleled her story in Chamber of Secrets. This would have improved Ginny's story, and her romance with Harry.
In Chamber of Secrets, Ginny has Tom Riddle's diary, which manipulates her into helping Voldemort with his evil plans. Harry must save Ginny at the end of the book.
In the end, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opened the door for a darkly intriguing plot point in The Deathly Hallows, yet the storyline went to waste. As a result, Harry and Ginny's relationship feels rushed and insignificant. Ultimately, because very little time or plot was put into their relationship, Harry and Ginny have long paled in comparison to other Harry Potter couples. It was disappointing then that there was an opportunity for them to be great.
- Created by
- J.K. Rowling
- First Film
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
- Cast
- Mads Mikkelsen
- First TV Show
- Harry Potter
- TV Show(s)
- Harry Potter
- Movie(s)
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students' time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
