<P> Throughout the six previous novels in the series, the titular character Harry Potter has struggled with the difficulties of adolescence along with being famous as the only wizard to survive the Killing Curse . The curse was cast by the evil Tom Riddle, better known as Lord Voldemort, a powerful evil wizard, who had murdered Harry's parents and attempted to kill Harry as a baby, in the belief this would frustrate a prophecy that Harry would become his equal . As an orphan, Harry was placed in the care of his Muggle (non-magical) relatives Petunia Dursley and Vernon Dursley . </P> <P> In Philosopher's Stone, Harry re-enters the wizarding world at age 11 and enrolls in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry . He makes friends with fellow students Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and is mentored by the school's headmaster, Albus Dumbledore . He also meets Professor Severus Snape, who intensely dislikes and bullies him . Harry fights Voldemort several times while at school, as the wizard tries to regain a physical form . In Goblet of Fire, Harry is mysteriously entered in a dangerous magical competition called the Triwizard Tournament, which he discovers is a trap designed to allow the return of Lord Voldemort to full strength . During Order of the Phoenix, Harry and several of his friends face off against Voldemort's Death Eaters, a group of Dark witches and wizards, and narrowly defeat them . In Half - Blood Prince, Harry learns that Voldemort has divided his soul into several parts, creating "horcruxes" from various unknown objects to contain them; in this way he has ensured his immortality as long as at least one of the horcruxes still exists . Two of these had already been destroyed, one a diary destroyed by Harry in the events of Chamber of Secrets and one a ring destroyed by Dumbledore shortly before the events of Half - Blood Prince . Dumbledore takes Harry along in the attempt to destroy a third horcrux contained in a locket . However, the horcrux had been taken by an unknown wizard, and upon their return Dumbledore is ambushed and disarmed by Draco Malfoy who cannot bring himself to kill him . Dumbledore is subsequently killed by Snape, who finishes what Malfoy started . </P> <P> Following Dumbledore's death, Voldemort consolidates his support and power, including covert control of the Ministry of Magic, while Harry is about to turn seventeen, losing the protection of his home . The Order of the Phoenix move Harry to a new location before his birthday, but are attacked upon departure . In the ensuing battle, "Mad - Eye" Moody is killed and George Weasley wounded; Voldemort himself arrives to kill Harry, but Harry's wand fends him off of its own accord . Harry, Ron and Hermione make preparations to abandon Hogwarts and hunt down Voldemort's four remaining Horcruxes, but have few clues to work with as to their identities and locations . One is a locket once owned by Hogwarts' co-founder Salazar Slytherin which was stolen by the mysterious "R.A.B.", one is possibly a cup originally belonging to co-founder Helga Hufflepuff, a third might be connected to co-founder Rowena Ravenclaw, and the fourth might be Nagini, Voldemort's snake familiar . They also inherit strange bequests from among Dumbledore's possessions: a Golden Snitch for Harry, a Deluminator for Ron, and a book of fairy tales for Hermione . </P> <P> The trio attends Bill Weasley's wedding, but during the reception the Ministry of Magic finally falls to Voldemort and the wedding is attacked by Death Eaters . They flee to 12 Grimmauld Place in London, the family home of Sirius Black, that Harry had inherited a year before . Thanks to the house - elf Kreacher they identify R.A.B. as Sirius' deceased brother Regulus and learn that Slytherin's locket was stolen from the house and ultimately seized by Dolores Umbridge of the Ministry of Magic . They infiltrate the Ministry in disguise and take back the locket, but accidentally break the protection of 12 Grimmauld Place during their escape and must go on the run across the countryside . With no way to destroy the locket, they argue frequently under the object's evil influence, culminating in Ron abandoning Harry and Hermione . </P>

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