Hogwarts Herald

Chapter Thirty of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is called “The White Tomb.” The term was abruptly ended with no more classes and no exams. Some parents had already pulled their kids out of Hogwarts before the funeral. Many witches and wizards arrived in Hogsmeade for the funeral. The Minister of Magic and his delegation of officials remained at Hogwarts for the funeral and Harry kept avoiding them in order to not have to answer about the excursion with Dumbledore.

Hermione has been trying to find out who R.A.B. is, but has had no luck, yet. Harry has not been all that curious, but he knows they must figure out if the Horcrux is really gone or not in order to know how many he still has to find and destroy. While looking for R.A.B. Hermione discovers Snape’s mother was Eileen Prince a pure-blood and his father Tobias Snape was a Muggle.

The next day is Dumbledore’s funeral. After breakfast the students file out of the Great Hall behind their heads of house to the ground were chairs had been set up with an aisle in the middle leading to a marble table. As they get in their seats Harry recognizes some from the outside Hogwarts wizarding world. It is a sort of gathering of all those he has encountered in his few wizarding world encounters beyond Hogwarts.

Hagrid slowly walks up the aisle carrying Dumbledore’s body wrapped in purple velvet with stars. Hagrid places Dumbledore on the table and walks back down the aisle. As the funeral continues Harry keeps having the urge to laugh including when he has a memory of Dumbledore. It then hits him that Dumbledore is really gone and he tries to suppress the tears. White flames erupt around Dumbledore and when they subside a white marble tomb is around Dumbledore’s body.

Harry tells Ginny they cannot be together and he has things to do on his own. Ginny does not care that being close means Voldemort might try to get to him through her, but Harry does not want her to be hurt. She seems to know that it is futile to stop him and that his need to search out Voldemort is part of why she loves him.

Harry then goes off alone to walk around the lake. This is when the Minister of Magic finally gets a moment to talk to Harry. Harry refuses to tell him what he did with Dumbledore that night. The Minister protests and says that Dumbledore is gone, but Harry comes back with the quote that “He will only be gone from the school when none here are loyal to him,” which I think Dumbledore said when he was sacked the a previous book. The Minister tries to offer Harry protection and again get him to be a spokesperson for the Minister, but he again refuses.

The Minister leaves and Ron and Hermione join Harry. Harry says he is not coming back to Hogwarts even if it does reopen next year. Harry explains he is going back to the Dursley’s once more for a short stay because Dumbledore wanted that. He then will visit Godric’s Hollow and his parents graves. Then he will track down the rest of the Horcruxes and then go after Voldemort.

Ron and Hermione say they will go with him, but Harry does not want them to. He then tells them before he even goes to Godric’s Hollow Harry must come to the Burrow for Bill and Fleur’s wedding, which by the way is not in this book, but I hear it is going to be in the movie despite it actually taking place in the next book.