History Fridge / HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince

* It seems as though some people were baffled at how little impact the identity of the Half-Blood Prince had within the book or movie. However, that may have been the point. Why? Well, in the previous books, mysteries involving objects usually had a sense of innocence and childlike wonder to it, and were usually treated as one of the biggest deals. However, because Harry [[spoiler:almost killed Malfoy with a potentially fatal curse, being forced to accept the responsibility and hide it away deterred Harry from learning more about him]]. Even Hermione admonishes him, bringing up the consequences alongside the action. Later, when the prince's identity is revealed, consider when it happens: after[[spoiler:Dumbledore, the man who usually encouraged wonder, just died]]. With something like that happening, the HBP's identity looks like far smaller potatoes.

* Snape dissing Tonks's Patronus (which he called "weak") is a two-pronged barb, when you think about it. On the face of it, it comes across as implying that ''Lupin'' is weak, because her new Patronus is wolf-like to demonstrate her feelings for him. But if you think back to how Patronuses are conjured up (happy thoughts and memories), it could also be taken as more of a ''warning'' than an insult: Snape's way of saying that Tonks's affection for Lupin, with which she calls the Patronus up, is doomed to disappointment. Considering how, if not for Harry, Lupin might've abandoned her, Snape's cheap shot wasn't entirely off the mark, either! How like Snape, to express a rather shrewd insight into others' limitations by talking multi-layered smack about them. Snape also calls Tonks' patronus weak because he sees himself as weak. Tonks' patronus changed due to her love of Remus. Snape's patronus changed because of his love for Lily. Snape dissing Tonks' patronus change is only dissing himself.

* Snape has been calm throughout the book series, and even angry Snape doesn't raise his voice higher than normal volume. However, at the end of HBP, Snape is shouting at Harry [[spoiler:while escaping with the death eaters]]. With the reveal [[spoiler: that Snape has been a double agent all along]] in mind, Snape [[spoiler: is acting so the death eaters don't question his leaving.]] It seems to work, though it brings to mind more FridgeLogic: would't [[spoiler: the death eaters]] notice when he never acts like that again for the rest of the series?
** Not quite. in ''Prisoner of Azkaban'', he's in a frothing rage when he finds out Sirius has escaped execution by the Dementor's Kiss, screaming that he knows Harry is behind it somehow. In ''Order of the Phoenix'', he flips out on Harry after seeing him in the Pensieve. Snape may be cold and collected most of the time, but there's clearly a precedent for him losing his shit and yelling at people.

* The lesson that Dumbledore tries to impart on Harry after seeing Slughorn's true memory has much deeper implications once you've read the seventh book. He is trying to impart to Harry the difference between being dragged to death kicking and screaming or facing it willingly. [[spoiler:Depending on how you read the subtext, he is manipulating Harry to face being killed by Voldemort to destroy the piece of soul still inside him, OR if Harry chooses to die, then he will confer the same protection on all of his friends and loved ones as his mother placed on him when she chose to die. Even if Harry was killed off for real at that moment before he would vanquish him, all of the people he loved would have finished the job. There's no way that Dumbledore wouldn't have deduced/planned ahead for this possibility.]]

* The lesson that Dumbledore tries to impart on Harry after seeing Slughorn's true memory has much deeper implications once you've read the seventh book. He is trying to impart to Harry the difference between being dragged to death kicking and screaming or facing it willingly. [[spoiler:Depending on how you read the subtext, he is manipulating Harry to face being killed by Voldemort to destroy the piece of soul still inside him, OR if Harry chooses to die, then he will confer the same protection on all of his friends and loved ones as his mother placed on him when she chose to die. Even if Harry was killed off for real at that moment before he would vanquish him, all of the people he loved would have finished the job. There's no way that Dumbledore wouldn't have deduced this possibility.]]

* The lesson that Dumbledore tries to impart on Harry after seeing Slughorn's true memory has much deeper implications once you've read the seventh book. He is trying to impart to Harry the difference between being dragged to death kicking and screaming or facing it willingly. [[spoiler:Depending on how you read the subtext, he is manipulating Harry to face being killed by Voldemort to destroy the piece of soul still inside him, OR if Harry chooses to die, then he will confer the same protection on all of his friends and loved ones as his mother placed on him when she chose to die. Even if Harry was killed off for real at that moment before he would vanquish him, all of the people he loved would have finished the job.]]

* After Harry learns it was Snape who relayed the prophecy to Voldemort, Harry asks Dumbledore how he can be sure a talented Occlumens like Snape is on the right side. Dumbledore considers for a moment before replying that he trusts Snape completely. Dumbledore wasn't reconsidering whether he trusts Snape he does but whether explaining why he does in order to reassure Harry would be worth breaking his word to Snape never to reveal certain facts.

* ''Amortentia'', Love Potion, is, essentially, a magical date-rape drug. They distribute these ''openly''.
** Worse still, it could have been (and probably was) ''the very potion'' under which Voldemort was conceived. One must wonder why, if Dumbledore was aware of this, it was still on the sixth year curriculum to begin with (Although to Slughorn's credit, he calls the potion extremely dangerous.)

* Ginny mentions that it was lucky Harry had a good spell in his arsenal when Malfoy tried to use the cruciatus curse on him. Malfoy, however, is definitely the lucky one. He was one syllable away from spending the rest of his life in Azkeban. Even if Harry had sliced his throat and killed him instantly, it would have been a [[FateWorseThanDeath favor]].
** On another level of horror, what if that was exactly what Draco was going for? What if he was trying to escape Voldemort's demands and see his father again in one fell swoop? In his emotional state at the time, it might have made sense in his head.

* It is well that Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes has expanded into new classes of product line, because joke shops often require general economic prosperity to stay afloat, and prosperity is not a permanent thing.

** Actually, Professor Slughorn was the one who lowered the criteria to an "E". And it doesn't really make sense if Snape really did lower the criteria, because he would have other students(those that got "O", like Hermione) in addition to Harry.
*** I believe the OP is referring to Snape teaching DADA. Harry is confirmed to be the only one to get an O, even Hermione didn't and she's the smartest in the year.

* A bit of casting brilliance here - after Bill Weasley gets savaged by Greyback in ''Half-Blood Prince'', he's described as bearing "a distinct resemblance to Mad-Eye Moody." Who plays Bill in the Deathly Hallows films? Domhnall Gleeson, the son of Brendan Gleeson, who plays Mad-Eye

* Throughout the first five books, Hermione performs brilliantly at potions, while Harry, failing to pay close enough attention to Snape's instructions, is mediocre at best. In the sixth, he starts making each potion perfectly by following the Prince's advice, which is what he should have been doing all along!

* In this book, Snape is about to kill Dumbledore, and Dumbledore is left begging, "Severus please...". At first it seems like he's weakly shocked at betrayal by Snape. [[spoiler: Actually, it's because he's begging Snape to kill him. Because Snape is putting Dumbledore out of his misery, it doesn't harm his soul. That's why he spent the night searching for him]].- blueflame724
** Furthermore, book 7 tells us that [[spoiler:when the unforgivables are used without strong enough intent to cause harm, the effect is lower and they throw whoever they hit across the room. And Snape's killing curse threw Dumbledore from the tower, showing that he lacked the intent to kill the old man and had to force himself.]]

* The Death Eater attack of the Burrow put in the film seems pointless but earlier Ron told Harry his mother had not wanted Ron and Ginny to return to Hogwarts because it wasn't safe anymore and to stay home. The attack on the Burrow during Christmas made it clear that nowhere was safe from Voldemort and his followers, not Hogwarts and not even people's homes.

* Snape dissing Tonks's Patronus (which he called "weak") is a two-pronged barb, when you think about it. On the face of it, it comes across as implying that ''Lupin'' is weak, because her new Patronus is wolf-like to demonstrate her feelings for him. But if you think back to how Patronuses are conjured up (happy thoughts and memories), it could also be taken as more of a ''warning'' than an insult: Snape's way of saying that Tonks's affection for Lupin, with which she calls the Patronus up, is doomed to disappointment. Considering how, if not for Harry, Lupin might've abandoned her, Snape's cheap shot wasn't entirely off the mark, either! How like Snape, to express a rather shrewd insight into others' limitations by talking multi-layered smack about them.
** Snape also calls Tonks' patronus weak because he sees himself as weak. Tonks' patronus changed due to her love of Remus. Snape's patronus changed because of his love for Lily. Snape dissing Tonks' patronus change is only dissing himself.

* When Harry and Dumbledore are visiting memories, Dumbledore knows that Tom Riddle's friends are in the Hog's Head. Why? Because the Barkeep of the Hog's Head is [[spoiler:his brother!]]

* Dumbledore was confident that the only known relic of Gryffindor (the sword) was always well out of reach of Voldemort, but he was wrong. There was one more object at Hogwarts that once belonged to Gryffindor... the Sorting Hat! The hat itself mentions that it was originally Gryffindor's and it would have been fantastic as a Horcrux, allowing a piece of Voldemort's soul to peek into the hearts and minds of every student who passed through the school! It's a damn good thing Dumbledore never gave Voldemort that teaching position because had the hat been or become his true target, the story could have potentially ended ''very'' differently.
* The scene involving [[spoiler:Harry making Dumbledore drink the potion]] was nasty enough to begin with, but it becomes ''much'' worse when you realize what that potion actually does, as hinted by the flashbacks in ''Deathly Hallows'': [[spoiler:It makes you live through your worst memories over and over, presumably worse each time.]] -TheGreatUnknown
* ''Amortentia'', Love Potion, is, essentially, a magical date-rape drug. They distribute these ''openly''. [[{{Tropers/Kingcobrasaurus}} ~KCS]]

* The Sectumsepmpra spell which [[spoiler:almost made Draco bleed out]] is noted as "for enemies" by its creator...Gee, I wonder who those enemies were? Answer? [[spoiler:Sirius and James.]]
*Ginny mentions that it was lucky Harry had a good spell in his arsenal when Malfoy tried to use the cruciatus curse on him. Malfoy, however, is definitely the lucky one. He was one syllable away from spending the rest of his life in Azkeban. Even if Harry had sliced his throat and killed him instantly, it would have been a [[FateWorseThanDeath favor]].

* [[spoiler:Dumbledors]] death was Narm to me with how over-the-top it was until i remembered: Harry lost all the bones in his left arm and was completly fine after a night at the infirmary, was attacked by a Basilic and was almost not hurt at all, there's a rock that cure almost all the poisons,... It's not that the death was overkill, It was the only way to make completly clear that he wasn't coming back from that.

** Actually, Professor Slughorn was the one who lowered the criteria to an "E". And it doesn't really make sense if Snape really did lower the criteria, because he would have other students(those that got "O", like Hermione) in addition to Harry.

!!FridgeBrilliance

!!FridgeHorror
* Dumbledore was confident that the only known relic of Gryffindor (the sword) was always well out of reach of Voldemort, but he was wrong. There was one more object at Hogwarts that once belonged to Gryffindor... the Sorting Hat! The hat itself mentions that it was originally Gryffindor's and it would have been fantastic as a Horcrux, allowing a piece of Voldemort's soul to peek into the hearts and minds of every student who passed through the school! It's a damn good thing Dumbledore never gave Voldemort that teaching position because had the hat been or become his true target, the story could have potentially ended ''very'' differently.

* Dumbledore was confident that the only known relic of Gryffindor (the sword) was always well out of reach of Voldemort, but he was wrong. There was one more object at Hogwarts that once belonged to Gryffindor... the Sorting Hat! The hat itself mentions that it was originally Gryffindor's and it would have been fantastic as a Horcrux, allowing a piece of Voldemort's soul to peek into the hearts and minds of every student who passed through the school! It's a damn good thing Dumbledore never gave him that position because had the hat been or become his true target, the story could have potentially ended ''very'' differently.

* When Snape taught Potions, only those who achieved an "O" in their O.W.L.S. could take his N.E.W.T. class. However, when he switches to Defense Against the Dark Arts, he lowered the criteria to an "E". Why? Because if he kept the same standard, the only student who would have been in the class was Harry.

* Harry uses Sectumsempra on Malfoy. The spell requires you to move the wand into the direction of the cut. In the film all Harry did was point the wand at Malfoy's chest, yet the wound though unseen through his shirt caused bleeding in his chest and his back. Harry stabbed him.