Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Rowling) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:

• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)

Also consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince:

1. If you had a bottle of Felix Felicis what would you use it for?

2. Why does Dumbledore refuse the position of Minister of Magic? Would he have done more good for the wizarding community as the Minister than as headmaster of Hogwarts?

3. Discuss the different ways in which Professor Slughorn causes damage. Do his actions towards the end of the book redeem him at all?

4. A number of romantic relationships were formed or changed between the sixth year class. Which of these pairings surprised you, and which did you expect?

5. Throughout the series, Dumbledore has unwaivering faith in Professor Snape, yet there is no explanation for his trust. What do you think—do you trust Snape because Dumbledore does, or are you wary of him, as are Harry and his friends?

6. Were you surprised at the identity of the Half-Blood Prince? Who did you think it was going to be?

7. How does this book compare to the five others that come before it in the series?

8. Some readers and reviewers think this installment leaves too many questions unanswered. Do you agree or disagree? It is also considered the darkest of the series. Did you enjoy The Half-Blood Prince more or less than other books in the series? Was it as exciting? Were you surprised by the ending?

9. Have you seen the Half-Blood Prince film? If so, which details or story lines were left out? How do these omissions change the story for you? Overall, how does the movie stack up against the book?

10. Want to make predictions for the seventh (and final) Harry Potter book—The Deathly Hallows?

(Questions by Katherine O'Connor of LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)

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