Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the most beloved film among fans, as it sets the stage for Harry’s quest to find Voldemort’s Horcruxes and introduces a variety of other changes. However, the major mystery in Harry Potter’s sixth year revolves around the identity of the Half-Blood Prince, a secretive figure who has left behind a book filled with crucial notes, indicating a high level of importance.
Later, the film reveals to audiences that the identity of the Half-Blood Prince is Severus Snape. However, if we dive deeper into the storyline, this mysterious character could potentially be someone else entirely.
While the revelation that Snape is the Half-Blood Prince leaves Harry Potter shocked and having to reassess the book’s content, the knowledge contained within that book aids him significantly during his studies and the subsequent battle against Voldemort. Focusing on the time Harry studies the potions book, whenever he utilizes the book, he uncovers various excellent spells. Professor Slughorn even hints that Harry resembles his mother, Lily Evans (or Lily Potter). In fact, Lily was once a student of Professor Slughorn because she excelled in this subject, nearly surpassing the younger version of himself.
The mention of Lily’s name only comes up whenever Harry uses the potions book and often adds details that Hermione has noted several times, suggesting that the Half-Blood Prince could indeed be a girl, leading to the speculation that the author of the book may be Lily – Harry’s mother. This is something Harry has never considered before, but he has pondered whether the Half-Blood Prince might actually be related to his father, James.
Of course, there is no definitive evidence to suggest that Lily is indeed the Half-Blood Prince, yet the book serves as a “witness” to the friendship between Lily and Snape. Both were once very close friends and even shared a mutual admiration and talent for Potions. This detail is evident in the fact that both Gryffindor and Slytherin students studied this subject together, making it understandable why Snape and Lily became close during their studies. Thus, it is possible that the notes in that book could belong to Lily, while Snape is recognized as the Half-Blood Prince in terms of their intertwined identities.
Moreover, this does not imply that Snape is incompetent. He is still a professor, a top-notch Potions master, and is known to be the author of many dangerous and complex potions (such as the infamous Draught of Living Death), including a portion of the textbook itself. The dynamics of Snape and Lily’s friendship quickly deteriorated after their fifth year due to Snape’s inclination towards the Dark Arts. As a result of this ideological conflict, Lily distanced herself from him and the end result became clear.
Therefore, overall, this book carries many layers of meaning, as it can be viewed as Lily’s “legacy” left for Harry, a treasure of knowledge that Slughorn cherished greatly, and also serves as a testament to the friendship between Snape and Lily – a bright and pure connection in the midst of their complicated lives.
Source: Screen Rant
