Who's who in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe): Who's the imposing, square-jawed chap with the pudding-bowl crop? It's none other than the little Potter, all growed up. These days he's a wiz in the study of potions, though he's having the devil of a job keeping a lid on his cauldron of sputtering hormones. Something, surely, has got to give … Photograph: PR

Hermione Granger (Emma Watson): Is this the fair maiden who haunts his dreams? Actually, no. In this adventure, our demure little witch will mostly be joining a Slug Club, attending the Slughorn Christmas party and shooting off a slug from a Magnum .45 (though we may have made that last one up) Photograph: PR

Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint): As Harry's gurning Man Friday slopes from the classroom to the bedroom, the only possible response is hubba … and hubba. Considering that the movie features scenes in which Ron is loaded to the gills on love potion and mead, it's a wonder it wasn't slapped with an NC-17 rating Photograph: PR

Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon): When did Dumbledore – the bouncy, pre-pubescent poster boy of those early Potter outings – get so old? Legend has it that his right hand has grown withered and black. Soon he will visit a cave and encounter a curse. One fears that the venerable Hogwarts headmaster may not be long for this world Photograph: PR

Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent): Still, out with the old and in with the newbie. Slughorn is a reclusive retiree, lured back to Hogwarts to take over the potions department where he duly ushers Harry and Ron under his wing, much to the irritation of … Photograph: PR

Severus Snape (Alan Rickman): Just how bad is the saturnine Hogwarts professor? Is he, like, really bad, or is he just complicated and a shade misunderstood? And, while we're about it, just who is this 'half-blood prince' exactly? Maybe Snape has the answer to that as well Photograph: PR

Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton): The latest film spells bad news for this bad egg. Poor Draco has found himself coerced into becoming a Death Eater, working to destroy Potter and all his minions. It's almost enough to make you feel sorry for the kid Photograph: PR

Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave): Incredibly, amid all the death eating, and potion drinking, and Slug Club attending, there is still room for some more traditional teen pursuits. Here's ravishing Ron, stepping out with the lovely Lavender, in order to make the honeyed Hermione feel janglingly jealous Photograph: PR

Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright): And here is little Ginny, who Harry quite likes and may at some stage kiss. But he has a dilemma. To wit: should he go steady with Ginny or ditch her pronto in order to join battle with … Photograph: PR

Voldemort: Always guaranteed to rain on any teenage romance, the Dark Lord has reportedly declared war on Hogwarts (again) and decided to kill Harry and Dumbledore (again). Most alarming of all, there are still another two films to go before he finally gets his comeuppance Photograph: PR