I'm So Tired

Where had Dumbledore gone?

What was he doing?

Over the next few weeks, Harry saw the headmaster only twice.

Since he rarely appeared at meals now, Hermione's theory that the headmaster left for several days at a time seemed to be correct.

Had Dumbledore forgotten that he was supposed to be giving Harry private lessons?

Dumbledore had said those lessons would eventually concern the prophecy.

Harry had once felt encouraged and reassured, but now he felt somewhat abandoned.

In mid-October, they made their first visit to Hogsmeade village that term.

With the security measures around the school growing stricter and stricter, Harry had thought they would not be allowed to go to Hogsmeade village at all.

Now that he knew they were still going, he was delighted.

It was pleasant to get out of the castle for a change, even if only for a few hours.

On the morning they were due to go to Hogsmeade village, a fierce wind was blowing outside. Harry woke early and flipped through his copy of Advanced Potion-Making to pass the time before breakfast.

Normally, of course, he would never read a textbook while lying in bed. Ron was absolutely right about that: apart from Hermione, it was unbecoming for anyone to behave that way, and when Hermione did it, she merely seemed a little odd.

But Harry felt that the Half-Blood Prince's copy of Advanced Potion-Making hardly counted as a textbook at all.

The more closely Harry studied the book, the richer he found its contents.

Not only did it contain handy tips and shortcuts—precisely the things that had earned Harry Slughorn's enthusiastic praise—

but the margins were also crammed with all sorts of inventive little hexes and spells.

Judging by the crossed-out and rewritten notes, Harry thought the Prince had invented all