My Unanswered Questions from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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These questions came from a recent listening to all seven of the US edition Harry Potter audio books. I’ve read the books numerous times and read Pottermore and many of JK Rowling’s interviews, but haven’t found answers to these questions. Interestingly, but it kind of makes sense, there are fewer unanswered questions in the latter books. Here are mine from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

If you have more unanswered questions, please add them on the comments. There are links to questions for the other books in the series below too.

Was Mrs Cole, the orphanage matron, inspired by Miss Harrigan?

Anyone who has seen Annie would recognize Mrs Cole’s behavior. The gin drinking, the pretending it’s all OK. Mrs Cole seems more generous than Miss Hannigan, who would never take the children on an outing, but there are strong similarities.

Who was the Gryffindor Quidditch captain after Harry? Was it MacLaggen?

I just hope it was Ginny. Or was Quidditch canceled in the Death Eaters’ Hogwarts?

More of why Harry wasn’t sorted into Ravenclaw and why Dumbledore’s OK with it.

At the start of Half-Blood Prince Dumbledore asks Harry to always carry his invisibility cloak for the year, at all times, no excuses. But when they head to the cave, Dumbledore sends Harry to fetch the cloak. He didn’t assume Harry had it with him.

More Unanswered Questions from the Harry Potter Series

Unanswered Questions from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Unanswered Questions from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Unanswered Questions from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Unanswered Questions from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Unanswered Questions from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Unanswered Questions from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
All unanswered questions in one post

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More about Bianca

Bianca's a nerdy, book worm who is constantly curious and appreciates being alive while the internet exists. During the day, she's a content writer for a tech company. The rest of the time she's reading, and running, and bike riding, and sipping coffee, and taking photos around Melbourne, Australia.

2 thoughts on “My Unanswered Questions from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

  1. Susan Harper

    I have a question: If you can only see a thestral after you’ve seen death, why can’t Harry see them in Book 2? He saw Quirrell die at the end of SS….

    Reply

    1. Bianca

      This has been answered, with a fluffy explanation. Harry was possibly unconscious when Quirrell died, which accounts for it, but he would have watched his mother die. James may have been elsewhere in the house, but there’s a huge chance he saw Lily die. JKR said they need to realize the death (thus the fluffy explanation), so Harry’s parents didn’t count. Cedric was the first death he really saw. It’s possibly a weak explanation to cover a plot hole identified by passionate fans.

      Reply

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