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== Analysis ==
If another student was using the Prince's textbook, Hermione, who is a [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Major Events/Prefects|Prefect]], would likely have confiscated it and reported them. However, she says nothing about Harry, and instead voices her disapproval directly to him, though she knows it will have little effect. This is a typical behavioral pattern for Hermione, who only once has reported Harry for something. In [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Prisoner of Azkaban/Chapter 11|''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'']], she informed [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Minerva McGonagall|Professor McGonagall]] that Harry had received a [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Magic/Brooms|Firebolt broom]] from an anonymous donor (who she suspected was [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Sirius Black|Sirius Black]], then believed to be trying to murder Harry). Hermione's motivation was genuine concern over Harry's safety rather than reporting him for mischief. Unfortunately, her actions resulted in a severe backlash and being shunned by Harry and Ron for months, causing her much anguish. Hermione staunchly believes in obeying school rules, but she fears Harry and Ron's retaliation even more, and she frequently overlooks their minor misconduct. And while Hermione remains disapproving over Harry using the Half-Blood Prince's notes, and resents Harry outperforming her in Potions class, she remains silent, likely fearing another reprisal. Over time, she actually becomes quite curious about the Prince's identity.
The Half-Blood Prince's textbook has also subtly changed the Trio's relationship. Ron and Harry have usually sought out Hermione mostly for help or information, though they occasionally had to suffer her disdain for their academic laziness. Now Harry has another avenue for finding the information he needs, at least regarding Potions.
Dumbledore's private lessons are hardly what Harry expected. Rather than learning new and powerful magic, he is to study Voldemort's past by viewing other people's memories. Exactly how this can aid Harry is still unknown, but learning more about his enemy may help defeat him. Clues about Voldemort's own personality has been gleaned from studying the Gaunts, who had sunk to a low social status and lived in poverty after previous generations squandered the family fortune. Regardless, they still considered themselves superior to other wizard clans based solely on their bloodline's descent from Salazar Slytherin, and therefore expected preferential treatment. This reflects Voldemort's own attitude. And while the Gaunts apparently felt little need to educate or cultivate themselves, the sad, pathetic (and physically unattractive) Merope secretly yearned for a better life, despite her severely limited prospects. When she fell in love with the Muggle, Tom Riddle, she magically entrapped him to escape her abusive family and abysmal life. Unfortunately, as soon as the enchantment wore off, Riddle abandoned the pregnant Merope, who, deeply despondent and either unable or unwilling to use magic to care for herself, died soon after giving birth, leaving her son, [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Tom Marvolo Riddle|Tom Marvolo Riddle]] (Voldemort), to be raised in an orphanage. While Harry, and readers, may see Merope as a sympathetic character, it should be remembered that she magically entrapped Tom Riddle, Sr., who otherwise would never have had any interest in her. It is unknown why Merope stopped using magic on him, though perhaps it becomes less effective over time, she was affected by pregnancy, or she may have hoped that Riddle would eventually fall in love with her on his own. While Riddle had every right to leave the bogus relationship, Merope likely believed that he would not abandon an innocent child, so may have simply discontinued using magic on him in the fond and mistaken belief that he would remain with her to raise his child. This is all speculation, of course; Merope may not have revealed her condition before Riddle was gone. The orphanage where Tom Jr. was raised may have known Riddle Sr.'s identity, though we are led to believe that Merope died after naming the child, and before identifying the father; we believe that the orphanage never contacted either Riddle Sr. or Morfin Gaunt.
== Questions ==
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