1996–1997 school year

The 1996-1997 school year corresponds to events happening at Hogwarts in the novel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It was Harry Potter's sixth year at the school. For more information, please see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Teachers
The staff at Hogwarts during the 1996-1997 school year were as follows:
 * Headmaster/Headmistress: Professor Albus Dumbledore, temporarily replaced by professor Minerva McGonagall.Professor_Sprout.jpg.]]
 * Head of Slytherin house and Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher: Professor Severus Snape.
 * Head of Ravenclaw house and Charms teacher: Professor Filius Flitwick.
 * Head of Hufflepuff house and Herbology teacher: Professor Pomona Sprout.
 * Head of Gryffindor house, Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration teacher: Professor Minerva McGonagall.
 * Divination teachers: Professor Sybill Trelawney and Professor Firenze.
 * Muggle Studies teacher: Professor Charity Burbage.
 * Potions master: Professor Horace Slughorn.
 * Ancient Runes teacher: Professor Bathsheda Babbling.
 * Astronomy teacher: Professor Aurora Sinistra.
 * Arithmancy teacher: Professor Septima Vector
 * Care of Magical Creatures teacher: Professor Rubeus Hagrid.
 * History of Magic teacher: Professor Cuthbert Binns.

Well- known events
The following are events which occurred at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, during this school year, that the average Hogwarts student knew about.

The cursing of Katie Bell
Whilst on a trip to Hogsmeade, Katie Bell accidentally touched a cursed opal necklace and became very ill. She was sent away from school for a while to be cured at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. It was known by a few that Katie was actually put under the Imperius Curse, by Madam Rosmerta, inkeeper of the Three Broomsticks, who had also been put under the Imperius Curse. She was ordered to give the then-packaged necklace to Albus Dumbledore, but in an argument with her friend Leanne the package tore open and Katie was cursed.

The Slug Club
Horace Slughorn created a group of his favourite students to get together during this year. They were informally known as the Slug Club.

Train to Hogwarts
On the train from Platform Nine and Three Quarters, some students were invited to join the Slug Club for the first time in Horace Slughorn's compartment. They were all chosen due to impressive family connections, except for Harry Potter, who got in on his own merits. Food and drink was provided for the club on the train, and it was there that Slughorn decided who was good enough to remain in the club. Marcus Belby and Neville Longbottom were deemed unworthy.

Regular meetings
Throughout the term, many club meetings were held. These mainly consisted of the so-called "lucky" students sitting around and eating Slughorn's expensive food and drink. Harry Potter never attended these meetings, due to a combination of detentions, lessons with Albus Dumbledore, and a lack of interest.

Christmas Party
In 1996, the Slug Club hosted a Christmas Party. Members were allowed to invite a guest of their choice. Horace Slughorn also invited other well-known members of the wizarding community who were also once members of the club. These included a pair of vampires.
 * Note: This was the only Slug Club meeting Harry attended, albeit because Professor Slughorn told Hermione to check Harry's schedule to assure he could attend.

Members
The following is a list of known members of the 1996-1997 Slug Club and the reason for their having gained entry.
 * Melinda Bobbin — family owns a large chain of apothecaries.
 * Hermione Granger — the top student in her class.
 * Cormac McLaggen — Uncle Tiberius is well connected within the Ministry of Magic.
 * Harry Potter — the 'Chosen One'.
 * Ginny Weasley — talented in casting the Bat-Bogey Hex.
 * Blaise Zabini — mother is a beautiful witch who has been married and widowed at least seven times and has thus inherited a great deal of gold from her former husbands.
 * Flora and Hestia Carrow — unknown. Only mentioned in the film

Quidditch Cup
The Gryffindor Quidditch team, captained by Harry Potter won the house Quidditch Cup this year. A lot of this was due to Ron Weasley's extraordinary performance as Keeper—albeit because he thought Harry had slipped some Felix Felicis into his pumpkin juice at breakfast that day—and the return of Katie Bell as Chaser.

The Death Eaters' attack
Some Death Eaters, including Amycus Carrow, Alecto Carrow and the werewolf known as Fenrir Greyback stole into the school using a transportational wardrobe set up in the Room of Requirement by Draco Malfoy. They promptly set the Dark Mark over the school, and began defending themselves against members of the Order of the Phoenix and of Dumbledore's Army.

Dumbledore's Death
Headmaster Albus Dumbledore died upon being struck by Severus Snape's Avada Kedavra curse. His body is jetted off into the air and lands on the grass near the castle, where students were able to see it.

Snape's flight
Severus Snape, along with Draco Malfoy and the other Death Eaters fled the school after fighting against members of Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix. They did not gain control over the school, and it was soon revealed that Snape was (seemingly) a Death Eater and that he was the one responsible for the murder of Albus Dumbledore. He performed the Avada Kedavra curse that killed him.

Battles and injuries
Due to the Order of the Phoenix's good defence of the school, and the contribution of Dumbledore's Army, not a single Hogwarts student sustained injury. One Death Eater died however, and Bill Weasley was bitten by Fenrir Greyback, who was not in werewolf form at the time. So, Bill never became a werewolf. He instead sustained some horrible scars on his face.

Dumbledore's funeral
On the last day of the school year, all Hogwarts students attended Albus Dumbledore's burial and funeral. Many other guests were there, mainly witches and wizards from Hogsmeade and the Ministry of Magic. All students were sad on this grave day.

Amorous relationships
Many "boyfriend/girlfriend" relationships occured during the 1996-1997 school year. The known ones were as follows:
 * Ginny Weasley and Dean Thomas: this relationship failed due to Dean's supposed overprotectiveness of Ginny.
 * Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown: this relationship started when Ron helped Gryffindor to win the Quidditch Cup, it also jeopardised Ron's friendship with Hermione Granger.
 * Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley: these two had liked each other for a long time before going out. However, Harry ended the relationship shortly after Dumbledore's funeral because he wanted to protect Ginny.