The sorting was short, the feast was delicious but the announcement of Slughorn taking over potions and Snape teaching DADA left the entire school stunned. The next morning, while handing out their schedules McGonagall urged that Neville, Harry and Ron speak to Slughorn and Harry received the Half Blood Prince’s textbook while Draco and Hermione got paired upon again. Apparently something about not messing with Snape’s recommendations of pairs for the NEWTs.