Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Scene 8

Scene 8

• Hermione, Ron, and Ginny are at dinner in the Great Hall, and they've clearly been worried about Harry (until he walks in and sits down to dinner, phew).
• Dumbledore gets up to give his usual speech opening the school year.
• He introduces Professor Slughorn, who's going to be teaching Potions.
• Whoa, and Professor Snape is finally going to be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts. Isn't there, uh, a reason he hasn't been allowed to do that in the past?
• Dumbledore's speech isn't overly cheery, either, referencing all the sinister stuff that's been afoot in the Wizarding world. Kinda makes us pine for those bygone Sorcerer's Stone days.