Chapter Sixteen: A Very Frosty Christmas
In chapter sixteen of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry has one of his finest moments in the whole series, Remus is mysterious, and Percy disappoints me.
(Please be advised that this is a reread and I will be discussing book and movie spoilers.)
Ron’s finally believing Harry about Malfoy being up to no good which is good, because I might’ve had an aneurysm if he didn’t desist this foolery. Ron’s explaining what an unbreakable vow is to Harz when the twins show up to be the special kind of jerks they are to Ron and Percy, mocking Ron about Lavender.
Fleur’s there for Christmas, much to Mrs. Weasley’s “delight” and–can we talk about the fact that the Weasley family is perhaps a cult, one in which you become friends or lovers with one of the family and thereafter never, ever spend a holiday with your own family? Poor Fleur is infected, and Remus is making an appearance as well.
Harry’s finally learned his lesson about telling people when something mysterious happens and yet his reward? No one taking him seriously.
Y’all, would you prefer that he go back to his crack-pot schemes by himself?! WOULD YOU? Sirius sure wouldn’t!
Harry tells Arthur and Remus about the D-Malfs/Snape tete-a-tete and they’re both life “pffft Dumbledore trusts Snape so whatev” and Remus claims that he doesn’t like or dislike Snape which COME ON REMUS STOP LYING. How is it possible he doesn’t dislike Snape?! Who got him fired and unemployed as Harry rightfully points out. After Remus is done pretending he doesn’t hate SevSnap he fills us and Harry in on a little werewolf underground backstory but don’t worry, just like the long, long buildup to giants, Remus’s work with other werewolves will also lead nowhere.
We find out about Greyback, an evil werewolf who bit Remus and many others on purpose and somehow is not in Azkaban?! Or not murdered by a vengeful parent whose child was bitten?!
Remus has a little chat with Harry about who the Half-Blood Prince might be, and I do wonder why Harry never suspects that it’s Voldy, when he knows he’s a half-blood with ideas of grandiosity and also attended Hogwarts 50 years ago…the same age as the book.
Ron’s got the worst necklace gift ever from Lav, but Harry’s got a worse one, maggots from Kreacher. And I thought I’d had bad Christmas’s.
Fleur’s being a bit of a pill about Mrs. Weasley’s excruciating taste in holiday music but is THIS ok?!
“Everybody was wearing new sweaters when they all sat down for Christmas lunch, everyone except Fleur (on whom, it appeared, Mrs. Weasley had not wanted to waste one)”
JK Rowling Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Mrs. Weasley please be an adult woman and get a grip! Be the bigger person!
We get some hints about the Lupin/Tonks drama but as this was in the top five disappointing reveals of this book to me I’m going to make this face
and move on.
Rufus and Percy show up to HURT ME DAMMIT PERCY but if I can stick up for him the tiniest bit, no one is particularly attempting to reconcile with Percy aside from Mrs. Weasley. Guys, that’s your brother! I cannot imagine fighting with my siblings this way.
Also, what kind of asshole makes their junior employee work on Christmas, SCRIMGEOUR? And then shows up to torment an underage boy about being a mascot for the Ministry?
The entire scene that follows, where Scrimgeour tries to faux jovially win over Harry to his side is sublime. Exquisite. Perhaps the best part of the whole book.
“No, it was honest,” said Harry. “One of the only honest things you’ve said to me. You don’t care whether I live or die, but you do care that I help you convince everyone you’re winning the war against Voldemort. I haven’t forgotten, Minister. . . .”
He raised his right fist. There, shining white on the back of his cold hand, were the scars which Dolores Umbridge had forced him to carve into his own flesh: I must not tell lies.
“I don’t remember you rushing to my defense when I was trying to tell everyone Voldemort was back. The Ministry wasn’t so keen to be pals last year.”
JK Rowling Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
And as much as Dumbledore might be annoying me this book, Sassy!Harry brings a proud tear to my eye with this parting zinger:
“Well, it is clear to me that he has done a very good job on you,” said Scrimgeour, his eyes cold and hard behind his wire-rimmed glasses. “Dumbledore’s man through and through, aren’t you, Potter?”
“Yeah, I am,” said Harry. “Glad we straightened that out.”
JK Rowling Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
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Does Remus truly feel ambivalent about Snape?
Why hasn’t Greyback been stopped?
Why doesn’t Fleur get a Weasley sweater?
How can Scrimgeour possibly think Harry will side with him?
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