<P> With Ron and Hermione's suggestion, Harry forms "Dumbledore's Army", a secret study group aimed to teach his classmates the higher - level skills of Defence Against the Dark Arts that he has learned from his previous encounters with Dark wizards . Through those lessons, Harry begins to develop a crush on the popular and attractive Cho Chang . Juggling schoolwork, Umbridge's incessant and persistent efforts to land him in trouble and the defensive lessons, Harry begins to lose sleep as he constantly receives disturbing dreams about a dark corridor in the Ministry of Magic, followed by a burning desire . An important prophecy concerning Harry and Lord Voldemort is then revealed, and Harry discovers that he and Voldemort have a painful connection, allowing Harry to view some of Voldemort's actions telepathically . In the novel's climax, Harry is tricked into seeing Sirius tortured and races to the Ministry of Magic . He and his friends face off against Voldemort's followers nicknamed Death Eaters at the Ministry of Magic . Although the timely arrival of members of the Order of the Phoenix saves the teenagers' lives, Sirius Black is killed in the conflict . </P> <P> In the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half - Blood Prince, Voldemort begins waging open warfare . Harry and his friends are relatively protected from that danger at Hogwarts . They are subject to all the difficulties of adolescence--Harry eventually begins dating Ginny, Ron establishes a strong infatuation with fellow Hogwarts student Lavender Brown, and Hermione starts to develop romantic feelings towards Ron . Near the beginning of the novel, lacking his own book, Harry is given an old potions textbook filled with many annotations and recommendations signed by a mysterious writer titled; "the Half - Blood Prince ." This book is a source of scholastic success and great recognition from their new potions master, Horace Slughorn, but because of the potency of the spells that are written in it, becomes a source of concern . With war drawing near, Harry takes private lessons with Dumbledore, who shows him various memories concerning the early life of Voldemort in a device called a Pensieve . These reveal that in order to preserve his life, Voldemort has split his soul into pieces, creating a series of Horcruxes--evil enchanted items hidden in various locations, one of which was the diary destroyed in the second book . On their way to collect a Horcrux, Draco, who has joined with the Death Eaters, attempts to attack Dumbledore, and the book culminates in the killing of Dumbledore by Professor Snape, the titular Half - Blood Prince . </P> <P> Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last original novel in the series, begins directly after the events of the sixth book . Lord Voldemort has completed his ascension to power and gained control of the Ministry of Magic . Harry, Ron and Hermione drop out of school so that they can find and destroy Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes . To ensure their own safety as well as that of their family and friends, they are forced to isolate themselves . A ghoul pretends to be Ron ill with a contagious disease, Harry and the Dursleys separate, and Hermione wipes her parents' memories . As they search for the Horcruxes, the trio learns details about an ancient prophecy about the Deathly Hallows, three legendary items that when united under one Keeper, would supposedly grant the person the Master of Death . Harry discovers his handy Invisibility Cloak to be one of those items, and Voldemort to be searching for another: the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand in history . At the end of the book, Harry and his friends learn about Dumbledore's past, as well as Snape's true motives--he had worked on Dumbledore's behalf since the murder of Harry's mother . Eventually, Snape is killed by Voldemort out of paranoia . </P> <P> The book culminates in the Battle of Hogwarts . Harry, Ron and Hermione, in conjunction with members of the Order of the Phoenix and many of the teachers and students, defend Hogwarts from Voldemort, his Death Eaters, and various dangerous magical creatures . Several major characters are killed in the first wave of the battle, including Remus Lupin and Fred Weasley, Ron's older brother . After learning that he himself is a Horcrux, Harry surrenders himself to Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest, who casts a killing curse (Avada Kedavra) at him . The defenders of Hogwarts do not surrender after learning of Harry's presumed death and continue to fight on . Harry awakens and faces Voldemort, whose Horcruxes have all been destroyed . In the final battle, Voldemort's killing curse rebounds off Harry's defensive spell (Expelliarmus) killing Voldemort . Harry Potter marries and has children with Ginny and Hermione marries and has children with Ron . </P>

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