Best Quotes from Harry Potter And The Half-blood Prince by J.K. Rowling with Page Numbers

"It's live and let live."

"What a week, what a week..."

"You think that... He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is still alive, then?"

"No, I'm afraid I'm not."

"The point is, we're at war, Prime Minister, and steps must be taken."

"But you're wizards! You can do magic! Surely you can sort out—well—anything!"

"The trouble is, the other side can do magic too, Prime Minister."

"Are you ever going to tell anybody?"

"Every Auror in the Ministry was—and is—trying to find him and round up his followers..."

"You've got to do something! It's your responsibility..."

"There is nothing I wouldn't do anymore!"

"You must not do this, you can't trust him—"

"The Dark Lord trusts him, doesn't he?"

"The Dark Lord is very angry," repeated Snape quietly. "He failed to hear the prophecy. You know as well as I do, Narcissa, that he does not forgive easily."

"It might be possible... for me to help Draco."

"If you are there to protect him... Severus, will you swear it? Will you make the Unbreakable Vow?"

"I will protect him," Snape promised.

"The Dark Lord will not be persuaded, and I am not stupid enough to attempt it."

"You should be proud!" said Bellatrix ruthlessly. "If I had sons, I would be glad to give them up to the service of the Dark Lord!"

"He intends me to do it in the end, I think. But he is determined that Draco should try first."

"You have never treated Harry as a son. He has known nothing but neglect and often cruelty at your hands."

"The magic I evoked fifteen years ago means that Harry has powerful protection while he can still call this house ‘home.'"

"This magic will cease to operate the moment that Harry turns seventeen; in other words, at the moment he becomes a man."

"Until we meet again."

"And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure."

"It is unwise to linger overlong on doorsteps in these troubled times."

"It is a long time since my last visit."

"Shall we assume that you have invited me into your sitting room?"

"What the hell is that?" said Uncle Vernon.

"You did not do as I asked."

"You are with me."

"I will give you permission to use any counter-jinx or -curse that might occur to you."

"It appears that he is now employing Occlumency against you."

"I think you will find a use for you."

"Because it would be quite as rude as kicking down the front door."

"You can't have had more than three minutes’ warning?"

"If that's how you treat teachers these days —"

"Sirius wouldn't have wanted that, would he?"

"You need your friends, Harry."

"I think it is time that I took a greater hand in your education."

"Even Slughorn makes mistakes."

"It's a big job, he's got ten people reporting to him now!"

"Harry, dear! Gracious, Albus, you gave me a fright, you said not to expect you before morning!"

"You are sweet," beamed Mrs. Weasley.

"What exactly—?"

"It's only just happened... but Arthur's been promoted!"

"It's been like that for a while now... I suppose everybody's in mortal danger now..."

"The other day Arthur confiscated a box of cursed Sneakoscopes that were almost certainly planted by a Death Eater."

"We were lucky," said Dumbledore.

"Only failed Divination and History of Magic, and who cares about them?"

"You shouldn't accuse... dangerous thing to say... wands away, please!"

"Dumbledore won't always be there to protect you."

"Fortescue and Ollivander went on holiday, did they?" said Mrs. Weasley.

"Don't fret, they'll be fine with me, Molly," said Hagrid soothingly.

"You shouldn't accuse... dangerous thing to say... wands away, please!"

"You gave us our start-up loan, we haven't forgotten."

"They'll be murdered in their beds!" said Mrs. Weasley.

"It's good Dad can get us these again," said Ron appreciatively.

"Don't get used to it, it's only because of Harry," said Mr. Weasley over his shoulder.

"Wonder where his mummy is?" said Harry, frowning.

"Does anyone really know what You-Know-Who would or wouldn't do?"

"It's probably something Dark or dangerous, isn't it?"

"You never know, Mother wants me to complete my education, but personally, I don't see it as that important these days."

"When the Dark Lord takes over, is he going to care how many O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s anyone's got? Of course he isn't... it'll be all about the kind of service he received, the level of devotion he was shown."

"I liked the D.A.! I learned loads with you!"

"It's like having friends."

"You are cool. None of them was at the Ministry. They didn't fight with me."

"The Chosen One, they're calling you now!"

"That Harry Potter's got more backbone than the whole Ministry of Magic put together!"

"Well, I suppose we'll have to go, won't we?"

"There are some injuries you can't cure... old curses... and there are poisons without antidotes..."

"I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe."

"I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that you teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you might find them..."

"I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and others’ safety."

"But now, your beds await, as warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know that your top priority is to be well-rested for your lessons tomorrow."

"You can walk in so that everyone sees you, which is what you wanted, I’m sure."

"There is no need to wait, Nymphadora, Potter is quite—ah—safe in my hands."

"You missed the Sorting, anyway... advising us all to unite in the face enemies, you know."

"His hand was like that when I saw him over the summer... I thought he'd have cured it by now..."

"What kind of mission would You-Know-Who have given him?"

"Your adversary has no warning about what kind of magic you're about to perform, which gives you a split-second advantage."

"Take Charms, and I shall drop Augusta a line reminding her that just because she failed her Charms O.W.L., the subject is not necessarily worthless."

"It's high time your grandmother learned to be proud of the grandson she's got, rather than the one she thinks she ought to have."

"The Dark Arts are many, varied, ever-changing, and eternal. Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before."

"Your defenses must therefore be as flexible and inventive as the arts you seek to undo."

"It is impossible to manufacture or imitate love. No, this will simply cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. It is probably the most dangerous and powerful potion in this room..."

"When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love..."

"If brewed correctly, you will find that all your endeavors tend to succeed ... at least until the effects wear off."

"And that is what I shall be offering as a prize in this lesson."

"Good lord, it's clear you've inherited your mother's talent."

“I am glad to see you're keeping up.”

“You look worried.”

“From this point forth, we shall be leaving the firm foundation of fact and journeying together through the murky marshes of memory into thickets of wildest guesswork.”

“Naturally I do, but as I have already proven to you, I make mistakes like the next man.”

“I expect you've wiped the Muggle's filthy face clean for him, and his memory to boot.”

“But you think you're right?” said Harry. “Naturally I do.”

“There's nothing more dangerous than a great idea.”

“We must do a certain amount of guessing here, although I do not think it is difficult to deduce what happened.”

“It has a very great deal to do with the prophecy.”

“Yes, well, you see, it’s about choices. Choices are what matter most.”

"It's not Quidditch that's popular, it's you! You've never been more interesting, and frankly, you've never been more fanciable."

"The whole Wizarding world has had to admit that you were right about Voldemort being back and that you really have fought him twice in the last two years and escaped both times."

"You can still see the marks on the back of your hand where that evil woman made you write with your own blood, but you stuck to your story anyway..."

"I hate not talking to Hagrid..."

"We've got to go and explain."

"People are terrified—you know the Patil twins’ parents want them to go home?"

"Haven't you noticed? His seat's been empty as often as Hagrid's this past week."

"I'm sorry I've bin—yeh know—I've jus’ bin worried about Aragog... an I did wonder whether, if Professor Grubbly-Plank had bin teachin’ yeh —"

"There's no way yeh could've done it... I'm sorry I've bin—yeh know—I've jus’ bin worried about Aragog..."

"It means a lot."

“You’ve got to make your own way in the world.”

“There’s no point in worrying over something you can’t control.”

“What does it matter if we’re smuggling Dark stuff OUT?”

“Always jump to the worst conclusion, don’t you?”

“Maybe your dad did use it, Harry, but he’s not the only one.”

“It was a laugh!” said Ron.

“You don’t like the Prince, Hermione, because he’s better than you at Potions.”

“Who puts their time and energy into making up spells like that?”

“There will always be people who will try to take advantage of you.”

“It could've been meant for loads of people.”

"Your mother had a choice too," said Dumbledore gently. "Yes, Merope Riddle chose death in spite of a son who needed her, but do not judge her too harshly, Harry."

"You will remember, I am sure, that we left the tale of Lord Voldemort's beginnings at the point where the handsome Muggle, Tom Riddle, had abandoned his witch wife, Merope."

"Hogwarts is not a school for mad people. It is a school of magic."

"You are a wizard."

"Magic?" he repeated in a whisper.

"It is unusual," said Dumbledore, "but not unheard of."

"I am here, as I told you in my letter, to discuss Tom Riddle and arrangements for his future," said Dumbledore.

"Well, you were quite right," said Dumbledore, who was no longer smiling, but watching Riddle intently. "You are a wizard."

"Time is making fools of us again," said Dumbledore.

"He preferred to operate alone. The adult Voldemort is the same."

"Dunno," said Harry, inserting a gum shield. "But he says it's all important and it'll help me survive."

"I think it's fascinating," said Hermione earnestly. "It makes absolute sense to know as much about Voldemort as possible. How else will you find out his weaknesses?"

"Don't be squeamish, squeeze it out, they're best when they're fresh!" called Professor Sprout.

"You're my best mate, but carry on treating the rest of them like this and I'm going to kick you off the team."

"You can save anything when you're on form, it's a mental problem you've got!"

"I didn't put it in!" said Harry, grinning broadly.

"You saved everything because you felt lucky. You did it all yourself."

"Nothing Harry said made any difference. He tried boosting Ron's confidence... but Ron was too busy being grumpy..."

"Hermione had never really understood what a serious business Quidditch was."

"I never said you couldn't — Ron, you thought you'd been given it too!"

"He's at perfect liberty to kiss whomever he likes."

"It isn't the library's, it's mine!" said Harry hastily.

"I thought at first it was Moaning Myrtle in there, but it turned out to be Hermione."

"You should have seen what he gave me, first lesson, Draught of Living Death—never had a student produce finer on a first attempt."

"You're speaking like a child."

"It's none of your business!"

"I hope you are telling the truth, because it was both clumsy and foolish."

"If your friends Crabbe and Goyle intend to pass their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. this time around, they will need to work a little harder than they are doing at present."

"You realize that, had anybody else failed to come to my office when I had told them repeatedly to be there, Draco—"

"I swore to your mother I would protect you."

"The news would have leaked out anyway. We both know he wanted my job, but he could have wreaked much worse damage on me by tampering with the potion."

"You are determined to hate him, Harry," said Lupin with a faint smile.

"It isn't our business to know," said Lupin unexpectedly.

"Many people were under the impression that I owned a badly behaved rabbit."

"Sometimes ... a great shock ... an emotional upheaval ..."

"People have said it, many times. It comes down to whether or not you trust Dumbledore's judgment. I do; therefore, I trust Severus."

"You see, I don't like some of the things the Ministry's doing. Locking up Stan Shunpike, for instance."

"I don't want to be used," said Harry.

"One of the only honest things you've said to me."

"Glad we straightened that out."

We must try not to sink beneath our anguish, Harry, but battle on.

I am very touched, Harry.

Ah, Harry, how often this happens, even between the best of friends! Each of us believes that what he has to say is much more important than anything the other might have to contribute!

I have two more memories to show you this evening, both obtained with enormous difficulty, and the second of them is, I think, the most important I have collected.

It is, as you will have noticed, very crudely done, and that is all to the good, for it shows that the true memory is still there beneath the alterations.

It will be your job to persuade Professor Slughorn to divulge the real memory, which will undoubtedly be our most crucial piece of information of all.

I think it would be foolish to attempt to wrest the truth from Professor Slughorn by force, and might do much more harm than good.

No, I think it would be foolish to attempt to wrest the truth from Professor Slughorn by force, and might do much more harm than good.

I believe that you are the one person who might be able to penetrate his defenses.

So, good luck... and goodnight.

"Just hang back after class this afternoon and ask him."

"You have to understand the principles involved this time. No short cuts or cheats!"

"It's the individual spirit a real potion-maker needs!"

"Well, if you've seen that memory, Harry, you'll know that I don't know anything—anything—about Horcruxes."

"Dumbledore put you up to this," whispered Slughorn.

"You can’t let fear stop you from taking action."

"It's undoubtedly from Lily he gets it ... yes, Harry, yes, if you've got a bezoar to hand, of course that would do the trick ..."

"Destination, Determination, Deliberation!"

"Until next Saturday, everybody, and do not forget: Destination. Determination. Deliberation."

"You're like your mother ... she had the same intuitive grasp of potion-making."

“Well, all I can say is that it was a lucky day for the Weasleys when Ron decided to sit in your compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Harry.”

“You saved Ginny... you saved Arthur... now you've saved Ron...”

“You will stay here until I discharge you, Potter, or I shall call the Headmaster.”

“You don't want to get hold of him, he's the size of a troll.”

“I want to know where he's going, who he's meeting, and what he's doing. I want you to follow him around the clock.”

“Master wants me to spy upon the pure-blood great-nephew of my old mistress?”

“That’s settled, then... Just stick to Malfoy like a couple of wart plasters.”

“Half our family does seem to owe you their lives, now I stop and think about it.”

“But never mind that now.”

“The poison could have been in the bottle, in which case it was probably meant for Slughorn himself.”

“Hogwarts was where he had been happiest; the first and only place he had felt at home.”

“May I hope, then, that you will give this matter higher priority from now on?”

“I think he still felt a great pull toward the school and that he could not resist an object so steeped in Hogwarts’ history.”

“Greatness inspires envy, envy engenders spite, spite spawns lies.”

“You must know this, Dumbledore.”

“Perhaps you have been looking in the wrong places.”

“I should be sorry to believe half of them.”

“The old argument,” he said softly. “But nothing I have seen in the world has supported your famous pronouncements that love is more powerful than my kind of magic.”

“I wish I could...”

“When you have that last piece of the jigsaw, everything will, I hope, be clear ... to both of us.”

“Only you can get the memory, Dumbledore says. That must mean you can persuade Slughorn where other people can't.”

“You'd better go and get some sleep too, Dobby.”

“We know where Malfoy's going! We've got him cornered now!”

“I’ve never seen the Room of Requirement on there!”

“There'll be a way around that.”

“I need to see the place you become for Draco Malfoy.”

“That was a clear instruction... fine...”

“I thought the wrong thing...”

“The stupid Prince isn't going to be able to help you with this, Harry!”

“But I still don't know why she'd be bursting into the castle to see Dumbledore, if that's really why she was here.”

"But these signs of approaching summer did not lift Harry's mood."

"It isn't just that... it's asking us to leave the castle at night and he knows security's a million times tighter."

"It's all about stopping Voldemort, isn't it? These dreadful things that are happening are all down to him..."

"You've got to get that memory. It's all about stopping Voldemort, isn't it?"

"Well, it's this giant spider, he's had it for years... it lived in the forest... it could talk and everything..."

"Of course, it's difficult for you, who knew him best."

"You don't want to get rid of the wizard who killed Lily Evans?"

"Be brave like my mother, Professor..."

"It would be a very brave and noble thing to do."

"You're a good boy, and you've got her eyes..."

"Very well done indeed! I knew you could do it!"

"You have a power that Voldemort has never had. You can love!"

"You are setting too much store by the prophecy!"

"By attempting to kill you, Voldemort himself singled out the remarkable person who sits here in front of me, and gave him the tools for the job!"

"You are protected, in short, by your ability to love!"

"In spite of all the temptation you have endured, all the suffering, you remain pure of heart..."

"Imagine, please, just for a moment, that you had never heard that prophecy! How would you feel about Voldemort now?"

"You see, the prophecy does not mean you have to do anything!"

"The only protection that can possibly work against the lure of power like Voldemort's!"

"It was... the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high."

"Luck can only get you so far, Harry."

"He's your best mate!"

"I need a place to hide my book..."

"For all we know, he was making a note of something that had been used against him!"

"You should be glad Harry had something good up his sleeve!"

"I wish I hadn't done it, and not just because I've got about a dozen detentions."

"You're actually defending the Prince!"

"I told you there was something wrong with that Prince person, and I was right, wasn't I."

"The room had gone very quiet."

"A long walk in the grounds seemed indicated, during which—if they had time—they might discuss the match."

"It's either a nickname, a made-up title somebody's given themselves, or it could be their actual name, couldn't it?"

"You have no idea of the remorse Professor Snape felt when he realized how Lord Voldemort had interpreted the prophecy, Harry."

"It is natural to be afraid," said Dumbledore.

"Please let me finish."

"Do you think that I have once left the school unprotected during my absences this year? I have not."

"If I tell you to hide, you will do so?"

"You were never a good Occlumens—"

"He was a genius, the Prince. Anyway ... without his bezoar tip ... I wouldn't be here to discuss it, would I?"

"I'm coming," said Harry, almost before Dumbledore had finished speaking.

"You stay here!" Harry repeated angrily.

"It has known magic."

"Lord Voldemort, who of course secretly fears both, disagrees. But once again he reveals his own lack of wisdom. It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more."

"Age is foolish and forgetful when it underestimates youth..."

"Make it stop, make it stop, I want to die!"

"Sometimes, however, it is unavoidable."

"Your blood is worth more than mine."

"It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more."

"You have my orders."

"Voldemort's mistake, Harry, Voldemort's mistake..."

"I am with you."

"No, Draco," said Dumbledore quietly. "It is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now."

"Dumbledore, you are not a killer."

"I can help you, Draco."

"Come over to the right side, Draco, and we can hide you more completely than you can possibly imagine."

"Killing is not nearly as easy as the innocent believe ..."

"You are not a killer ..."

"It is ... Professor Snape whom I need ... but I do not think ... I can walk very far just yet ..."

"You must have had an accomplice, all the same ... someone in Hogsmeade, someone who was able to slip Katie ..."

"Why else do you think I have not confronted you before now? Because I knew that you would have been murdered if Lord Voldemort realised that I suspected you."

"But as for being about to kill me, Draco, you have had several long minutes now. We are quite alone. I am more defenceless than you can have dreamed of finding me, and still you have not acted ..."

"You dare use my own spells against me, Potter? It was I who invented them—I, the Half-Blood Prince!"

"Your father would never attack me unless it was four on one, what would you call him, I wonder?"

"Kill me then, panted Harry, who felt no fear at all, but only rage and contempt."

"Cruc—" yelled Harry for the second time, aiming for the figure ahead illuminated in the dancing firelight.

"Shattered like glass..."

"I was bindin’ up a couple o’ Bowtruckle legs when I heard ‘em coming."

"Nothin’ Dumbledore won’ be able to put right..."

"Dumbledore musta told Snape ter go with them Death Eaters..."

"It could have happened only because its caster was dead, but there was still no preparation for seeing him here, spread-eagled, broken."

"I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more."

"Harry, come on."

"I can't tell you that, Professor."

"Dumbledore might know something that'd work, though," Ron said. "Where is he?"

"It isn't your fault, Minerva," said Lupin firmly.

"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world," said Professor McGonagall curtly.

"All these scars show is zat my husband is brave!"

"It's me home, it's bin me home since I was thirteen."

"No other headmaster or headmistress ever gave more to this school," growled Hagrid.

"Absolutely," said Professor Sprout.

"Goodbye."

It is important... to fight, and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then can evil be kept at bay, though never quite eradicated.

He must abandon for ever the illusion that the shelter of a parent's arms meant that nothing could hurt him.

He will only be gone from the school when none here are loyal to him.

I care... How do you think I'd feel if this was your funeral... and it was my fault?

You said to us once before, that there was time to turn back if we wanted to. We've had time, haven't we?

We're with you whatever happens.

But you can't let anyone else stand between you and your goals.

There are still four of them out there. I've got to find them and destroy them.

I thought I might go back to Godric's Hollow... for me, it started there, all of it.

His heart lift at the thought that there was still one last golden day of peace left to enjoy.