Which J.K. Rowling novel is the sixth book in the Harry Potter series?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth book in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

The novel was published in 2005 and follows Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore gives Harry private lessons that explore Lord Voldemort’s past and the magical objects known as Horcruxes. These lessons prepare Harry for the final conflict of the series.

The title refers to a mysterious annotation in an old Potions textbook. Harry finds the notes helpful, but the identity of the Half-Blood Prince becomes an important revelation. The book also develops the relationships and tensions among Harry, Ron, Hermione, and their classmates.

The seventh and final novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, followed in 2007. The sixth book was adapted into a film released in 2009.