This week, bring your finest gin (Andrew’s is indigo!) to a party at the Muggle orphanage where Mrs. Cole is meets Dumbledore, as our Chapter-by-Chapter series continues discussing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Our Chapter 13 discussion of “The Secret Riddle” is thought-provoking and focused largely on Dumbledore’s actions and his intentions, based on what he might have known about things way back in the early 1940’s.
News: We discuss two new castings for the recent Prisoner of Azkaban full cast audiobook release. Stay tuned for a review of these new audiobooks!
Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 13: The Secret Riddle
Is Harry treating Dumbledore differently at the start of the chapter than Young Tom Riddle treats him during the memory?
What changes in Dumbledore’s response to Harry if he already knows what Harry is saying about Draco is true?
The Pensieve memory with Burke might seem different – but we’ve actually seen something like it before!
A listener email asks, could Dumbledore have sent Mundungus to raid Grimmauld Place for Aberforth?
How is what Dumbledore does to Mrs. Cole different than what Young Tom does to his fellow orphans?
What made Merope still honor her father when naming Tom?
We discuss Tom Riddle’s mental state and one possibly identifiable diagnosis for his behavior.
How come Harry didn’t turn out like Tom Riddle given their similar trajectories?
Was Dumbledore intentionally trying to impress Tom by making fire? Is he therefore playing with fire?
Our MVP segment asks what the creepiest thing Young Tom Riddle does in this chapter?
Our Lynx Line topic this week for Slug Club patrons: Which character would you most like to Confund and get to spill all the tea?
Participate in our weekly trivia segment by answering this week’s Quizzitch question at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch!
Coming up in Bonus MuggleCast: it’s another edition of Harry Potter Hot Takes, NSFW! Pledge to MuggleCast on Patreon to listen to this and all of our bonus episodes.
In this episode of MuggleCast, the panel dives into Chapter 13 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, “The Secret Riddle,” using it to explore both Tom Riddle’s origins and Albus Dumbledore’s ethics. The chapter has very dark material centered on Voldemort’s childhood at the orphanage and Dumbledore’s first encounter with him.
Listen to the episode above, and check out some of our key takeaways from the chapter and our episode discussion below.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Chapter 13 ‘The Secret Riddle’ Summarized and Explained
Harry Wants Answers
Kicking off the discussion on “The Secret Riddle,” Micah starts by situating Harry’s state of mind. Coming off the Katie Bell attack, Harry is “in a pretty testy mood” and carries that energy into his second lesson with Dumbledore. Micah says Harry is “very on edge… ‘I want to know what happened to Katie, and why are you not investigating Draco, and where have you been Dumbledore?’” He explicitly likens Harry’s attitude to Tom Riddle’s: “maybe we can draw some parallels between the two, because they both come off very demanding of Dumbledore in this chapter.” Laura calls it “a great connection,” and Eric adds that people like Dumbledore, who project responsibility, often become the targets of others’ frustration when they withhold answers.
This leads into a broader critique of Dumbledore’s secrecy. Laura emphasizes that for Harry, the frustration is “a little more justified,” reminding listeners that “less than six months ago, canonically, Dumbledore was like, ‘Hey, I’m going to tell you everything.’” Eric notes that even these lessons are framed as the time when Dumbledore will finally share “everything that you do need to know about how to defeat Voldemort,” so the onus is “on Dumbledore to be more forthcoming.” Andrew picks up on Dumbledore’s word choice, pointing out that he describes Harry’s claims about Draco as mere “suspicions,” which Andrew finds “a little belittling of the situation,” especially given that Dumbledore likely already knows Draco is involved.
Should Dumbledore Have Come Clean About Draco?
From there, the hosts explore Dumbledore’s troubling calculus around Draco, Katie, and the broader war. Laura argues that if Dumbledore acknowledges Draco’s plot to Harry, “it would come with him having to tell Harry like I’m gonna die. I already know I’m gonna die,” and that Harry “is not subtle” enough to let that plan play out. Eric pushes on the moral cost of Dumbledore’s choices: Draco’s “reckless abandon” with cursed objects repeatedly endangers those close to Harry, and Dumbledore effectively allows this to continue. Micah asks bluntly whether, if Dumbledore already knows Draco is responsible, “we just [are] going to give Draco a free pass for almost killing a fellow student?” The group agrees Dumbledore is making a deliberate, ethically fraught choice to prioritize his long game over immediate justice and safety.
Dumbledore Meets Tom Riddle
The episode then moves into the heart of the chapter: Dumbledore’s visit to the orphanage and his meeting with Mrs. Cole. Micah zeroes in on Dumbledore’s methods, noting he “chooses what, more or less… many believe to be the Confundus charm on her, and then… proceeds to get her drunk on gin.” Andrew suggests Dumbledore may see her as “an inconveniently sharp woman” and wants to “muddle her mind so she’s less sharp.” Laura defends Mrs. Cole’s skepticism as responsible: in the mid-20th century, an unknown man in a purple suit asking to take a child from an orphanage “has to” be questioned. Eric characterizes Dumbledore’s approach as “for the greater good” in outcome—getting a dangerous wizard to Hogwarts—but “manipulative” in means, because it “removes the agency from this woman who actually is good at her job.”
When the focus shifts to Tom himself, the hosts read the scene as a psychological origin story for Voldemort. Laura notes that Tom’s tone with Dumbledore is “forceful” and wonders if “narcissism is hereditary,” given how strongly he insists that he is “special” and better than the other children. Eric links this to Marvolo Gaunt, saying Tom’s “completely overstated sense of self importance… 100% is Marvolo,” and points out that Tom “sees that he’s the only one that matters.” Andrew underscores how much of adult Voldemort is visible here: Tom’s contempt for his “filthy Muggle name” and his assumption that his mother “must not have been magical, otherwise she would not have died” prefigure his obsession with blood purity and immortality.
Tom Riddle’s Life At The Orphanage
The discussion also tackles how Tom’s environment shapes him. Micah calls attention to Mrs. Cole’s comments that Tom never cried as a baby and scared other children. He notes dark symbolism associated with babies who don’t cry—“spiritual emptiness… lack of vital breath or life force”—and says “this could not connect more with Voldemort.” Laura brings up attachment disorders as a Muggle framework to explain Tom’s emotional detachment, arguing this gives a plausible non-magical reading even alongside the canonical explanation of his conception under a love potion. Andrew adds Tom’s torture and killing of animals as another early “no heart” indicator. The panel contrasts Tom’s upbringing with Harry’s: Laura points out that even Harry, who grew up in abuse, looks at the orphanage and thinks “this place seems like it really sucked to grow up in,” which signals how grim Tom’s environment is.
Dumbledore’s responsibility for what Tom becomes is another recurring theme. Micah questions why, knowing what he learns in this first interview, Dumbledore repeatedly sends Tom back to the orphanage each summer instead of seeking another arrangement. Doing so, Micah argues, ensures “continued isolation and non interaction with other young people,” except when Tom targets them, as with Amy Benson and Dennis Bishop in the cave. Eric suggests it may already be “too late for Tom” by the time Hogwarts can intervene, but the group still sees Dumbledore’s pattern of limited, highly controlled engagement as part of the tragedy.
Finally, the hosts examine specific visual and symbolic choices around Tom’s magic and Dumbledore’s demonstration. When Tom demands proof that Dumbledore is a wizard, Dumbledore sets a wardrobe on fire and uses it to expose Tom’s stolen “trophies.” Eric finds it telling that Dumbledore chooses fire—“I think hellfire, really. I think evil. I think dark”—rather than a neutral spell, arguing that Dumbledore has already “clued in” to Tom’s darker instincts and chooses an act that is both impressive and frightening. Micah reads the burning wardrobe as a kind of purification that “reveals who you actually are Tom,” while Laura notes that in myth and religion, fire is often a cleansing element. Andrew closes this thread by tying Tom’s childhood trophies to his future Horcruxes; Micah recalls that the film adaptation shows seven objects on Tom’s windowsill and praises the movie’s chilling line delivery: “I could speak to snakes too,” with Dumbledore pausing mid-step, a moment that crystallizes both the talent and the danger first revealed in “The Secret Riddle.”
Episode 735 of MuggleCast dives deep into Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Chapter 12, “Silver and Opals,” weaving together plot recap, character analysis, and sharp commentary on Dumbledore, Snape, and the ethics of the Half-Blood Prince’s textbook.
Listen to the episode above, and check out some of our key takeaways from the chapter and our episode discussion below.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Chapter 12 ‘Silver and Opals’ Summarized and Explained
Harry’s Trauma From Dumbledore
The chapter opens with Harry thinking, “Where was Dumbledore and what was he doing?”, a line Andrew jokes could have been written by Micah because he asks that question constantly on the podcast. Eric pushes further, saying it is possible Dumbledore “might not actually be that good of a headmaster,” because his repeated absences make it seem like he has nothing he can’t delegate, beyond sassing the Minister for Magic and hiding things from Harry. Laura argues that Dumbledore has been clear that being headmaster is safer than holding ministerial power, but still gives him plenty of unofficial power; she suggests his top priority may not actually be running the school day to day.
From there, the conversation shifts to Harry’s emotional state and his search for a mentor. Channell, a guest on the episode, reads Harry’s preoccupation with Dumbledore’s disappearance as a form of separation anxiety. She notes that Harry is an orphan, “kind of attached to Dumbledore,” and that Dumbledore’s sudden distance makes Harry feel like “Daddy’s not home.” Eric jokingly coins the term “Dumble-daddy,” and the group highlights how Harry, having been promised close private lessons and a new alliance, is once again being shut out. Laura points out that Dumbledore’s absence drives Harry further into seeing the Half-Blood Prince as a mentor, to the point that he wakes up early just to read the Prince’s textbook in bed, which annoys both Ron and Hermione.
How Are Spells in Harry Potter Invented?
The panel then digs into one of the chapter’s most memorable moments: Harry accidentally casting Levicorpus on Ron. This opens a broader discussion on spell invention and Snape’s brilliance. Andrew notes that the narration uses the word “invent” twice about the Prince’s spells, which strongly implies Snape created them himself. Eric imagines the process as a collaboration with the magical “source code”: Snape experiments with different incantations, crosses out the ones that don’t work, and hunts for the “right answer” that produces the desired effect. Micah supports this by quoting Dumbledore’s line that words are “our most inexhaustible source of magic,” and suggests there must be a kind of underlying bank of magic that witches and wizards draw from when creating spells. Channell likens Snape’s messy notes to her own attempts to perfect a Butterbeer ice cream recipe, full of crossings-out and small tweaks.
As fun as the magic experimentation is, the hosts quickly turn to questions of ethics and recklessness. Harry uses the Prince’s unknown spells on his best friend with no idea what they do. Micah calls this a “really reckless, dangerous move,” stressing that Harry could have “seriously injured Ron.” Laura and Eric link this to Harry’s future use of Sectumsempra and to his earlier misplaced trust in the Tom Riddle diary. Channell adds that academically, Harry is not really learning potions: if you took the book away, he could not recreate the work or explain why Snape’s tweaks matter. For her, the Half-Blood Prince’s help is like learning a foreign language by memorizing only the swear words.
Should Harry Use Snape’s Work To Impress Slughorn?
The team also revisits the old debate: is using the Prince’s annotations cheating, and could it ever be justified by Dumbledore’s request that Harry get close to Slughorn? Laura frames a provocative statement that Harry “should” use the Prince’s work to curry Slughorn’s favor, since Dumbledore wants that relationship anyway. Eric refuses the idea that you can retroactively justify cheating just because it later aligns with Dumbledore’s goals. Micah, half-jokingly, imagines Harry telling Hermione, “Dumbledore told me to get close to Slughorn. This is such a good way for me to do it,” and accuses her of jealousy. Channell, meanwhile, notes that Slughorn is a Slytherin who uses people to get ahead, so using someone else’s notes fits his ethos – but she still sides with Hermione that Harry should stop, because he is not actually learning the craft.
The Curse on Katie
The chapter’s title comes to the fore when Katie Bell is cursed by the opal necklace on the way back from Hogsmeade. Laura summarizes the scene: Katie and her friend Leanne argue over a package that tears, Katie touches the necklace, is lifted into the air screaming, then falls to the ground, still screaming and shaking. Leanne describes how Katie emerged from the bathroom with a mysterious package she was supposed to take to the castle, but could not explain who it was from or why. The panel agrees this strongly suggests Katie was under the Imperius Curse. Micah points out the recurring pattern of danger in Hogwarts bathrooms, echoing Chamber of Secrets, and draws attention to Ron looking over at Madam Rosmerta, who readers later learn was Imperiused first and then ordered to Imperius Katie. Andrew emphasizes how chilling it is that someone can be Imperiused to Imperius someone else, creating a supernatural domino effect.
Harry immediately recognizes the necklace from Borgin and Burkes and accuses Draco of being behind the attack when they report to Professor McGonagall. McGonagall shuts this down by revealing Draco’s alibi: he was in detention with her for failing to hand in his homework twice. This leads the hosts down two intertwined lines of criticism. First, they are frustrated that Harry is once again not believed, especially by Ron and Hermione, despite the enormous weight of evidence that Draco is up to something. Eric notes that Dumbledore actually does believe Harry but cannot show it without endangering his larger plan involving Draco and Snape, so he has to act as if Draco is not a concern, which only makes Harry spiral further. Second, Channell focuses on McGonagall’s handling of Draco’s privacy. She argues there was no reason for the trio to know Draco was in detention or that he had missed homework assignments, calling it a violation of student privacy that McGonagall would “needle” Draco behind his back. Eric concedes she has a point, but adds that the missed-homework detail is a deliberate clue for readers that Draco is deeply distracted by his secret mission.
Hogsmeade Is a Security Nightmare
The episode wraps with some lighter moments from this chapter: Harry’s growing jealousy over Ginny and Dean (he imagines them at Madam Puddifoot’s “snogging”), a “wrong answers only” game about what would have happened if Dumbledore had received the cursed necklace (answers include Dumbledore making Voldemort-like noises, forwarding it to Mundungus, or gifting it to Aberforth as a sibling prank), and a discussion on how Hogsmeade could improve security after the Katie incident. Listener suggestions range from magical surveillance and Thief’s Downfall–style detection charms, to protective wards that repel ill intent, to the tongue-in-cheek conclusion that nothing is truly secure once Hogwarts teenagers are involved.
Taken together, the episode frames “Silver and Opals” as a pivotal chapter about trust and mentorship: Dumbledore’s absence pushes Harry toward the Half-Blood Prince; Snape’s brilliance shines through his notes even as his teaching fails; and Harry’s instincts about Draco and dark magic are once again sharper than the adults are willing – or strategically able – to admit.
Don’t miss the episode – Watch it below or check it out in your favorite podcast app!
This week, be careful what you say, be careful what you touch! From sinister nonverbal spells to cursed jewelry, Hogwarts is more of a security nightmare than normal! Join Andrew, Eric, Micah, Laura and Channell as they brave the frigid cold of Hogsmeade.
Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 12: Silver and Opals
Where the hell is Dumbledore and what is he doing? Harry is asking, not us!
What is it about the Prince that endears Harry to him?
How are spells created in the Wizarding World? We explore this question in great detail in this week’s Bonus MuggleCast and Andrew even challenges the hosts with some creations of his own!
Reckless Harry! Why is he casting spells with no clue what they do?
Should Harry use the Prince’s work to help curry Slughorn’s favor?
Hot Take: Snape would have been a great teacher if he taught with the same enthusiasm he has when writing his notes!
Do we think Slughorn is even more interested in Harry given it’s been so hard to get him to come to the Slug Club?
Connecting The Threads to Chamber of Secrets: More bathroom problems!
Why doesn’t anybody believe Harry? The evidence is starting to pile up against Draco!
Our MVP segment asks what would have happened if Dumbledore had received the cursed necklace?
Our Lynx Line topic this week for Slug Club patrons: how could Hogsmeade do a better job of protecting visitors and residents from security nightmares?
Participate in our weekly trivia segment by answering this week’s Quizzitch question at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch!
MuggleCast kicked off 2026 by diving into Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Chapter 11, “Hermione’s Helping Hand,” in which we read and analyze nonverbal magic, teen jealousy, and Hagrid’s emotional state. We called it the chapter “where Hermione breaks about 10 school rules and isn’t sorry about it”.
Listen to the episode above, and check out some of our key takeaways from the chapter and our episode discussion below.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Chapter 11 ‘Hermione’s Helping Hand’ Summarized and Explained
Analyzing Non-Verbal Spells in Harry Potter
A major focus was the curriculum shift toward nonverbal spells in Transfiguration and Charms. Eric noted how strange it is that such an advanced skill is now a baseline requirement: “If this were the standard… all the heads of house would… be sitting the students down and showing them how to do it” [00:09:33]. Laura argued the books barely explain how nonverbal magic works, saying students are essentially told to keep trying it in their heads “until they figure out what works for them… which isn’t a great system” [00:09:33–00:10:07]. After Micah wondered if Unforgivable Curses can be conjured non-verbally, the panel also explored how nonverbal Unforgivable Curses appear in the series, with Andrew pointing out examples from Bellatrix and Voldemort [00:14:33–00:15:00].
Hermione’s Platonic Love for Harry
From there, the hosts zoomed in on Hermione’s compliment that Harry has never been more “fanciable.” Eric read it as purely platonic, “a very sibling esque type of moment” [00:17:48], while Laura stressed that “almost no teenager is going to so publicly declare their romantic interest in this way” [00:18:08]. Andrew used the moment to champion platonic affection, saying it “needs to be normalized more… You just want to call your friends hot” [00:19:00–00:19:45]. Ron’s jealous reaction, however, shows how easily such praise can be misread by an insecure friend who’s used to living in Harry’s shadow [00:21:24–00:21:42].
The titular “helping hand” comes at Quidditch tryouts, when Hermione secretly confunds Cormac McLaggen so Ron can win the Keeper spot. Micah objected that Hermione “is taking this decision away from Harry” [00:29:16–00:30:00], depriving him of a real captain’s choice between the better athlete and his best friend. Laura countered with a crucial nuance: team dynamics matter, asking whether a captain might prefer “the B athlete who’s a good team player over the A athlete who’s kind of an ass” [00:30:12–00:30:36]. Andrew and Eric both note Harry’s bias and his not-so-innocent smirk when he confronts Hermione, suggesting he tacitly approves the outcome even if the method is dodgy [00:33:38–00:33:50].
The hosts also probed Hermione’s motives. Laura believes her feelings for Ron are “definitely flowering” and that Hermione may be telling herself Harry-focused justifications while really acting for Ron [00:36:07–00:36:36]. Andrew adds that she “believes in Ron” as a genuinely good player [00:36:36–00:36:44]. Eric points out the ethical risk: she has mastered a nonverbal Confundus well enough that no one notices, sticking her neck out to manipulate the outcome of a school sport [00:35:08–00:36:07].
Hagrid’s Emotions and Teaching Skills
Running parallel to the Quidditch plot is a more somber thread: Hagrid’s absence from the Great Hall and his grief over Aragog. When the trio finally visit, Hagrid breaks down: “I don’t know what I do when he’s gone.” Micah criticizes Hagrid’s behavior toward the trio as “a lot of immaturity” and questions his professionalism as a professor who “very much behaves like a child” [00:41:29–00:42:24]. Laura, however, situates this in his history: emotionally stunted since his expulsion and now “pushing 70,” he never got to grow up like his peers [00:44:32–00:45:13].
Listener Meg’s email sparks a related discussion about Hermione dropping Care of Magical Creatures. Andrew notes the irony given her later role in the Ministry’s creatures department [00:45:13–00:46:54]. Micah suggests it reflects her standards for teachers: as with Trelawney, “if she doesn’t feel as if a teacher reaches that standard, then she doesn’t feel the need to take their class” [00:46:54–00:47:19]. The trio’s decision to cheer Hagrid up by trashing Grubbly-Plank shows, as Eric puts it, that it’s “kind of a shame” their loyalty to Hagrid requires putting down a competent colleague [00:48:50–00:49:11].
Finally, the episode ties in broader worldbuilding beats: Hannah Abbott’s murdered mother [00:53:19–00:53:42], the raid on Malfoy Manor and Lucius being named a Death Eater [00:54:55–00:57:05], and Hermione’s confirmation that the “entire stock” of Ministry Time-Turners was destroyed [00:57:05–00:57:37]. Laura calls that detail a convenient way to plug a potential plot hole “until Cursed Child came along” [00:57:05–00:57:17], while Eric wryly questions why the Daily Prophet would report on something so secretive at all [00:57:17–00:57:26].
In all, the chapter—and the episode—balance humor and fandom in-jokes with serious questions about ethics, pedagogy, friendship, and grief, showing why “Hermione’s Helping Hand” is about far more than a single Confundus Charm.
Don’t miss the episode – Watch it below or check it out in your favorite podcast app!
Happy 2026! No trio member is safe, as Chapter by Chapter covers Chapter 11 of Half-Blood Prince, “Hermione’s Helping Hand.” Does Hermione do the wrong thing for the right reasons? Should Harry do the right thing and expose her actions or, even worse, not choose Ron for the Gryffindor Quidditch team? And, separately, is Hagrid letting his brother join classes? All that and more on this latest episode of MuggleCast.
What did the hosts get from Santa this year? And is Andrew about to reveal more than ever before?
Chapter by Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince Chapter 11, “Hermione’s Helping Hand.”
Nonverbal spells are now standard in several classes, but does the trio ever learn them?
Should teachers be required to eat meals in the Great Hall? Some appear to be skipping out.
A comment from Hermione makes Harry warm, and may ignite some fires in the shipping community.
Do we pity Ron for his need to show off and overcompensate?
What Hermione does at Quidditch practice is highly risky. Why does she take the chance when she could be exposed?
Should Harry have made another decision once he discovers Hermione’s actions? Despite his friendship with Ron?
An email asks: should Hermione have kept Care of Magical Creatures given her established future career trajectory?
It turns out Hagrid is dealing with more than just the kids not taking his class.
Should the kids have to lie about another teacher just to make Hagrid feel better about himself?
Our MVP segment has us ranking the beasts that Hagrid introduced the trio to.
Our Lynx Line topic this week for Slug Club patrons: “Have you ever stacked the odds in favor of a friend for something that they wanted? And did you cheat to do it?”
Participate in our weekly trivia segment by answering this week’s Quizzitch question at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch!
This week we make a few end-of-year predictions for what 2026 will hold in store for Harry Potter fans, and open up the MuggleMail bag further than ever, as we read recent comments from YouTube and Spotify in addition to Discord, voicemails and e-mail! Join Andrew, Eric, Micah and Laura for our final episode of 2025!
Looking ahead: what news will we get about a Hogwarts Legacy sequel? How about the HBO TV series? Will more series be green lit?
Andrew leads the group in making unhinged predictions including genderbent books and a line of adults-only official merchandise.
Our own 2026 plans for MuggleCast include content that looks ahead as well as back, including more talks on the TV show and classic components of HP fandom history.
Voicemails sent in include a Hermione Granger impression, and ask the question, “how do children learn Voldemort’s name?”
Was Arthur Weasley’s originally-planned death hinted at in the text of Book 5 and before?
Spotify listeners want to know: is Snape projecting? What is the general skill level of your average every day wizard? And will Micah tell more dad jokes?
Is Severus Snape a good teacher? What about his old Potions book? Why doesn’t Dumbledore ever tell Harry exactly how to destroy the Horcruxes? And, does Hermione belong in Ravenclaw?
Additionally, folks tell us their feelings on the Full Cast Harry Potter Audiobooks as well as the Tonks and Lupin romantic subplot.
Our Lynx Line segment asks our most dedicated listeners for recommendations of books they’ve read this year and enjoyed. See the full list of suggestions here!
Bonus MuggleCast, available over on our Patreon, will have the hosts discussing their behind-the-scenes stories of contributing to MuggleNet.com
In Episode 732 of MuggleCast, the hosts look at Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 10, “The House of Gaunt,” viewing it as both a Voldemort origin story and a case study in blood purity, abuse, and how Dumbledore chooses to teach Harry. Along the way, they revisit the ethics of Harry using the Half-Blood Prince’s textbook, unpack Trelawney’s card reading as a stealth tarot spread, and analyze the tragic Gaunt family as the rotten roots of Voldemort’s lineage.
Listen to the episode above, and check out some of our key takeaways from the chapter and our episode discussion below.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Chapter 10 ‘The House of Gaunt’ Summarized and Explained
Early in the chapter, Harry’s continued success in Potions reignites the ethical debate around the Prince’s annotated book. Laura notes that Slughorn is “raving about Harry’s abilities, saying that he had rarely taught anyone so talented” [0:05:19], and asks if anyone wants to revise their stance on whether Harry is being an ethical student. Andrew doubles down: “He should definitely use these notes… But I think because people are catching on… maybe just admit it” [0:05:45]. Eric concedes the situation is murky: Harry offering the book to Ron and Hermione “does kind of change a little bit what I was saying last week… I think it’s still unethical to pass that off as like his own prowess” [0:06:06–0:06:32]. Together, they frame Harry as well‑intentioned but still skating on academic dishonesty.
The hosts then examine the mystery of the Half-Blood Prince’s identity. Ron can barely read the handwriting, while Hermione insists it “looks like a girl’s handwriting” [0:07:57]. Laura points out how obvious clues are missed: the trio never consider that “this is one of their professor’s handwriting… they could very easily say, ‘Wow, this looks familiar,’ but they don’t” [0:08:23–0:08:41]. Eric links Hermione’s “girl’s handwriting” comment to future canon, arguing it foreshadows Snape’s maternal lineage: “The prince is a prince through his mom… Eileen Prince is Snape’s mom. That’s the prince in the Half-Blood Prince” [0:09:15–0:09:51]. The discussion highlights how Rowling plants misdirects while quietly pointing at Snape.
One of the episode’s most detailed analyses centers on Trelawney’s corridor card reading. Laura lists the cards—“the two of spades, the seven of spades, the 10 of spades and the Knave of spades” [0:14:29–0:14:36]—and Eric maps them to tarot meanings via swords. The Two of Swords (spades) represents “the confusion we face when we’re forced to make difficult choices” and “an illusion of choice,” which Eric ties directly to Draco’s mission: “the choices that Draco has to make in this year are already made for him” [0:16:13–0:17:18]. The Seven of Swords is “betrayal and deception,” evoking Draco sneaking around Hogwarts and Harry spying on him [0:17:27–0:17:59]. The Ten of Swords suggests disaster and betrayal, which Micah links to Dumbledore’s death “by Snape. I mean, we’re led to believe that… Snape is acting of his own accord” [0:18:49–0:18:56]. Finally, the Page of Swords (Knave of spades) suggests an apprentice in training; Eric notes this fits Harry, “what Harry is going off to do with Dumbledore” [0:19:40], as Dumbledore’s student in the war against Voldemort.
This leads naturally into Harry’s first lesson with Dumbledore. Harry presses whether these lessons connect to the prophecy and his survival, and Dumbledore replies they “have a very great deal to do with the prophecy, and I certainly hope that it will help you survive” [0:25:15–0:25:25]. Andrew highlights Dumbledore’s odd humility: he admits there will be “the wildest guess work” and that because he’s clever, “my mistakes tend to be correspondingly huger” [0:25:15–0:25:41]. Eric calls this out as misleading, since by this point Dumbledore has already destroyed the ring Horcrux: “I don’t think it’s fair to characterize what Dumbledore’s doing… as guesswork at all” [0:25:41–0:26:43]. The panel reads this as Dumbledore softening the blow and trying to appear on Harry’s level rather than omniscient commander.
The core of the chapter—and the episode—is Bob Ogden’s visit to the Gaunt family. Ogden, head of Magical Law Enforcement, arrives to summon Morfin for attacking Tom Riddle Sr. Micah points out the significance: “You’re sending out a pretty big gun here to deal with Morfin Gaunt” [0:31:51–0:32:24]. The Gaunts’ house and behavior scream isolation and decay. Morphin initially greets Ogden by hissing in Parseltongue while brandishing a bloody knife and a dead snake, prompting Laura to remark, “I think if a Rando, like brandishing a bloody knife and a dead snake is hissing at me, I’ve received the message” [0:35:11–0:35:26].
The hosts unpack the Gaunts as inbred, backwoods aristocrats weaponizing blood purity. Micah cites Dumbledore’s description of “a vein of instability and violence… due to their habit of marrying their own cousins” [0:36:44–0:37:38]. Laura calls Marvolo’s obsession with heirlooms “kind of pathetic… these are probably the most valuable things that they own” [0:49:30–0:50:03], while Micah notes he expects the Slytherin name to trump criminal behavior, much like the Malfoys: “Marvolo… thinks that last name and legacy trump criminal activity” [0:48:54–0:49:30]. Andrew adds that Tom Riddle Sr. and his fiancée mirror wizarding snobbery from the Muggle side, “the Muggle world equivalents of the Malfoys” [0:53:06–0:53:36], looking down on the Gaunts as disgusting outsiders.
A particularly thoughtful thread is Merope’s abuse and suppressed magic. Micah emphasizes that Marvolo’s physical abuse is so bad that “it suppresses Merope’s magical abilities” [0:50:31–0:50:56], drawing a parallel to Ariana Dumbledore. Eric connects this to the Obscurial concept from Fantastic Beasts: “when your magic is suppressed, it turns inward… She very easily could have been on the path to developing something like an Obscurus” [0:50:56–0:51:38]. Laura suggests that Marvolo and Morfin’s imprisonment may have literally saved Merope’s life by removing her abusers and letting her finally act—tragically, by using a love potion on Tom Riddle Sr.
Stepping back, the hosts agree Dumbledore’s real agenda in sharing this memory is Horcrux education and psychological framing. Micah spells it out: “It was to reveal the ring and the locket… The memories are really, yes, to give us back story on Voldemort, but it’s really to allow… Dumbledore and Harry to start to figure out what items Voldemort used for his Horcruxes” [0:57:39–0:58:45]. Andrew adds that the memory also establishes Tom Riddle Jr.’s warped origins—“born out of a love potion… bad family bloodline underdeveloped” [0:41:16–0:41:35]—explaining why Voldemort cannot comprehend love as a power.
Don’t miss the episode – Watch it below or check it out in your favorite podcast app!
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This week, we’re taking a trip down Gaunt memory lane. Join Andrew, Eric, Micah, Laura, Bob, Harry and Dumbledore as they visit the outskirts of Little Hangleton for a mighty Morfin good time!
The new Chamber of Secrets audiobook is now out, featuring Game of Thrones star Kit Harington as Gilderoy Lockhart.
Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 10: The House of Gaunt. The MuggleCast Pensieve segment highlights our last discussion of this chapter back on MuggleCast #390!
With Harry continuing to use the Half-Blood Prince’s Potions book, the hosts revisit their original positions about the ethics of Harry’s work.
Does the Half-Blood Prince’s handwriting provide any clues to their true identity?
What conclusions can be drawn from the cards Harry overhears Trelawney reading?
Dumbledore claims that much of his lesson time with Harry will be based on the wildest of guesswork. We beg to differ!
Marvolo, Morfin and Merope: we analyze the Gaunt family dynamic and their connection to Salazar Slytherin
What is the main reason Dumbledore chose to show Harry this memory?
MVP: Best Bob Ogden Moment
The Lynx Line asks our patrons what Salazar Slytherin would have thought about the Gaunts as his direct descendants.
Participate in our weekly trivia segment by answering this week’s Quizzitch question at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch!
It’s the holiday season and you can get 20% off your Patreon membership at Patreon.com/MuggleCast. Just use code HOLIDAY at checkout and receive a slew of great benefits instantly! And don’t forget, Patreon memberships can be gifted!
Get cozy this winter with a MuggleCast hoodie, Laura’s pants, or a long-sleeve tee! And if you’re Down Under, stay cool this summer with a short sleeve tee or crop top. Get 20% off all official merch at MuggleCastMerch.com when using code HOLIDAY at checkout!
This week, explore the various teaching competencies of Hogwarts staff, and join the MuggleCasters as Harry dusts off an old potions book to find a cramped surprise within! With Slug Club member Audrey joining the discussion, it’s a can’t-miss episode covering the ethics of letting someone else do all the work.
Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 9: The Half-Blood Prince The MuggleCast Pensieve segment highlights our last discussion of this chapter back on MuggleCast #389!
How does McGonagall’s attentiveness, which makes her a great teacher, compare with Slughorn’s incentivizing students to achieve their best work yet? Do less successful teachers (cough, Trelawney, cough, Snape) have something to learn from other teaching styles?
Does the arrangement between Firenze and Trelawney to both teach Divination make sense?
Was Snape really going to attack Harry? (All signs point to yes!)
Crackpot Theory: Is Snape only being as awful as ever to Harry because Malfoy, now a Death Eater, is watching?
Is Horace Slughorn… a good teacher?! His first lesson seems amazing. What would he be like with younger students?
What are the pros and cons of Harry coming clean, and is what he chooses to do ethical? Is Hermione or Ginny closer to being right?
Connections between this chapter and books 2 and 1 are plentiful! We discuss all the ones we found.
MVP: Top sassy Harry lines that AREN’T “There’s no need to call me sir, professor.”
Lynx Line: Have you ever had a school subject that you loved be taught by someone that you didn’t? How did it go?
Participate in our weekly trivia segment by answering this week’s Quizzitch question at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch!