Hogwarts Herald

Chapter Twenty-One of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is called “The Unknowable Room.” Harry is still trying to figure out how to get the memory from Slughorn. He keeps searching the Prince’s potion book to perhaps finding something of use. He notes a spell called Sectumsempra noted for enemies.

The three discuss apparition for a little. The test date for those 17 on or before April 17 had been announced. Ron is worried because he has not successfully done it, yet. Hermione is more confident because she has done it twice. Harry has done it once, but he will not be old enough to take the test.

Ron is having trouble spelling and then realizes everything is spelt wrong in his essay and the spell checking quill’s charm must have worn out. Hermione uses her magic to fix the spelling and Ron says he loves her. Hermione tells him not to let Lavender hear him say that to Hermione. Ron kind of thinks he should have Lavender overhear that because he wants her to ditch him.

As the three are alone in the common room Kreacher and Dobby show up to report on Malfoy. Kreacher starts by praising Malfoy and his pure blood. Dobby starts by saying Malfoy is a bad bad boy. Dobby reports Malfoy has been going into the Room of Requirement. Now they just have to know exactly what Malfoy is using the room for in order to get in and figure out what he is up to exactly. Harry soon realizes that Malfoy stole Polyjuice potion from the first potion class and had Crabbe and Goyle be different people while standing guard for him outside the Room of Requirement.

Hermione thinks that Harry needs to stop obsessing about Malfoy and the Room of Requirement and focus on persuading Slughorn to give him the true Horcrux memory. Harry ignores her and spends his free period before Defense Against the Dark Arts trying to get into the Room, but he cannot figure it out.

In Defense Against the Dark Arts Harry is put on the spot to tell the difference between a Inferi and a ghost and gets ridiculed for saying a ghost is transparent and a inferi is solid. Snape also ridicules Ron for being unable to apparate.

After class in the boy’s bathroom Ron and Harry encounter moaning Mrtyle. Mrytle thought they were some boy that she had become sort of friends with. She mentions the boy was sensitive, bullied, lonely, and not afraid to cry.

While Ron and Hermione go to Hogsmeade to practice for the apparition test, Harry tries to get into the Room of Requirement. He gets frustrated, kicks the wall, and his cloak falls off. Tonks then spots him, as she is at Hogwarts to see Dumbledore, but he is out. After a view brief conversation Harry again tries to get into the Room.