““Because it's also a critical moment in this story about growing up. Harry, Ron and Hermione needed to drop Hagrid's class. They needed to do it even though it meant hurting Hagrid. They needed to do it even though they KNEW it meant hurting Hagrid. But they had to do it...Sometimes, growing up means having to make decisions that'll hurt your friends. Sometimes it means taking a different path. Sometimes it means walking away. If your friends are true friends, they will understand and forgive you. Even when they've been hurt. That moment in Half-Blood Prince is a key element of Harry Potter's journey. It's one of the moments that marks him as poised on the edge of adulthood, needing to make his own decisions for his own reasons.””
