Disclaimer: All of the characters that are depicted in this story belong to J. K. Rowling except the ones that are first introduced in this story.

Authors notes: I loved The Half-Blood Prince. Since I can't wait for the last book, I have decided to write my own. I doubt I'll actually finish it, but at least I can get all of these ideas out of my head and out there.

Chapter 1

Dumbledore's Will

It was a very cool summer night at number 4 Privet Drive. Everyone in the house was asleep, except a boy named Harry Potter. Harry Potter was a skinny boy with glasses, bright green eyes, and untidy black hair, and a lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead, currently at the age of sixteen. Harry was constantly looking at the clock while he packed his things. At midnight, he would be seventeen. At the moment, there were two things about Harry that could be considered unusual. The first being that he was not only awake at 11:50 at night, but that he was packing everything he owned into his trunk for a long journey that he did not plan to return from. The reason for this is related to the second unusual thing about him which was (although you really should know this after six books) that Harry Potter is a wizard.

As Harry packed, he remembered what Uncle Vernon had said to him on the first day of summer break. You see, Harry's parents had been murdered when he was only a year old. Since then he had been sent to live with his aunt and uncle, his only living relatives. His aunt and uncle were muggles (non-magical people) and hated wizards, which meant that they hated Harry. This is what Uncle Vernon had said to Harry.

"Listen up boy, because I've got something important to tell you. When we took you in, we promised that old guy Dumbeledory, or whatever he hell his name is, that we would let you live with us until you became a man. Apparently, that's going to happen when you turn seventeen, and I say the sooner you get out, the better. You better spend your time making plans to go stay with those red haired people, or whatever it is you want to do, I don't really care. On the morning of your seventeenth birthday, I expect to wake up to find you gone from the house. At that point you will no longer be a member of this household and if I see you, I will be forced to label you as a burglar and I will shoot you. And I don't want any of your kind to come and pick you up either or I'll shoot them. Your supposed to be a man so you can find your own mode of transportation!"

Harry was pretty sure that Uncle Vernon wouldn't actually shoot him, but then again, he had purchased a rifle on Harry's eleventh birthday for shooting wizards and Harry thought it would be better not to risk it. Quite frankly, Harry was more than happy to be saying goodbye forever to Number 4 Privet Drive, for although he had lived there his entire life, he did not consider it his home. His real home was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the wizard school he had attended since the age of eleven. He would have been looking forward to going back to Hogwarts for his seventh and final year, but because of the events that took place at the end of his sixth year which involved an attack by Death Eaters and the murder of the schools headmaster Professor Dumbledore, Harry was unsure if Hogwarts would even open again, but he knew that even if it did, he would not be going back. He had indeed, made plans to stay with his favorite family the Weasleys so that he could attend the wedding of their oldest son Bill Weasley, to Fleur Delacour. After that, he would go to Godric Hollow, the town where his parents had lived, and visit their graves. After that… he had a destiny to fulfill.

Harry's wristwatch beeped. It was midnight. He was now seventeen, and according to wizard law, a man. Harry thought about this for a second. "I'm a man." He was a little disappointed to discover that it didn't feel all that different than being a kid. Harry simply shrugged and threw the last of his things into his trunk.

He closed the trunk and attempted to lift it and found that he could only get it up about two inches. He put it down and stepped back. "Well, it does have everything I own." Harry said to himself. "If only I could…" Harry stopped in mid thought and slapped himself on the forehead. "Of course. I'm not under age anymore. I can do magic outside of school now." Harry immediately pulled out his wand, eager to try out his new freedom. He pointed it at his trunk and said in a soft voice "featherlitimus." A small amount of silver light shot out of his wand and hit his trunk. He then bent down and lifted his trunk over his head with one hand. Harry grinned "I love magic."

Harry then went over to his desk to retrieve his last belonging, his snowy white owl Hedwig, who was standing on her perch in her cage looking out the window. Harry looked out his window also and saw several owls that all seemed to be flying towards him. Instinctively, Harry opened the window and several brown owls that he had never seen before swooped into his window, three carrying letters, and the rest carrying parcels, one big one, and five smaller ones. Harry was extremely confused. All of the owls seemed to hang back while the first owl went up to Harry and held out its leg which had a rolled up piece of parchment tied to it. Clearly Harry was meant to look at that first. Harry took the letter and opened it. He saw immediately that it was an official Ministry of Magic notice because of the stamp in the bottom right corner and wondered briefly if he should have waited to make sure he was seventeen in all time zones before he used magic. It read:

Dear Mr. Potter,

The objects that you have just received are to be delivered to you on your seventeenth birthday along with the letter in accordance with the last will and testament of Albus (I don't remember all of his middle names so just screw it) Dumbledore.

Rufus Scrimgeour, Minister of Magic

Harry reread the note a few more times. It had never occurred to him that Professor Dumbledore had a will, nor that he had left anything to Harry. An owl pecked Harry's hand and he looked up. Most of the owls that had been carrying the packages had already taken drinks from Hedwig's water bottle and left. Only two owls remained and one held out an envelope to Harry. He took it. Written on the front of the envelope in what Harry immediately recognized as Dumbledore's handwriting were the words: to Harry. Harry's hand shook slightly as he opened the envelope. He was about to read a note from Dumbledore after spending a month thinking about what advise Dumbledore would give him if he were still alive. The memory of watching Dumbledore get murdered flashed before his eyes. He felt a surge of hatred as he saw Snape deliver the Avada Kedarva curse and muttered something about cutting off Snape's balls before finally opening the letter.

Dear Harry,

If you are reading this, then that means I did not return from our little "field trip" which I knew was entirely possible. First and far most, I would like to wish you a happy birthday. You are seventeen now and that means you are a man. Congratulations on reaching this age, and know that I am very proud of you.

Secondly Harry, I have long anticipated the day that I died and can probably guess some of the things that may or may not happen as a result of my death. It is possible that with me no longer headmaster, it may be ruled that Hogwarts is no longer safe and will be closed. If this happens, then I am truly sorry Harry for I know that you consider Hogwarts you home. However it is also possible that upon my death, you reached the decision to drop out of Hogwarts in order to devote yourself completely to fighting Voldemort. As your teacher, it is my duty to advise against it and I have two very good reasons. The first is that whoever is left in charge of the school will probably make you Head Boy, and that is not a responsibility that I can allow you to just walk away from. With me gone everyone will be looking to you for support and guidance and to defeat Voldemort, and if you, as they say, "pull a Weasly" it will lower morale greatly. The second reason, and this may sound wrong to you but I stand by it, is that finishing your wizard education is just as important if not more important than defeating Voldemort. It is also very essential to defeating him. There are many things that you will learn in your seventh year that I would not have you face Voldemort without knowing.

Harry was amazed. He stopped reading and sat down on his bed. After considering Dumbledore's words very carefully and finally reached the decision that he would return to Hogwarts if it reopened after all. Harry smiled to himself. He had been hoping for an excuse to go back. If anyone asked why he had changed his mind, all he had to say was that Dumbledore had told him, and no one would argue with that. Harry continued to read.

Now that I have lectured you, I suppose I should tell you about your birthday presents. The big parcel will be my pensieve. I am giving it to you as a tool so that you might search your memories to find clues that will lead you to the remaining Horcruxes. I have also included a few smaller parcels which will be some choice memories that, while they wont help you, you may enjoy them.

The smallest parcel will be a tiny object that looks like a muggle cigarette lighter. This is a devise I invented myself called a put-outer. It can be used to magically put out muggle light bulbs. Although I can think of no specific need for it, I'm sure that you will find it useful.

Finally, the envelope, contains a permission slip signed by me that will allow you unlimited access to the restricted section of the Hogwarts library. There is also included a list of books on the dark arts that I would like you to read, as they will be great assets in your final battle.

Now before I end this letter, I would like to wish you good luck in your quest and offer you some words of wisdom. Do not worry about me, for death is just the next great adventure. Remember that your enemy is always at a disadvantage when you know something that he doesn't know that you know. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. And never give up hope. If you ever feel afraid or sad, just remember one thing. YOU ARE HARRY POTTER.

Love, Albus Dumbledore.

Harry smiled. He looked at his new birthday presents and smiled at them, then he looked back at the letter and smiled at it. He couldn't do anything but smile. Dumbledore's final words had filled him with a strange new courage and confidence that he had never felt before. "I'm the chosen one, I'm the boy who lived, I AM HARRY POTTER." Harry might not have realized it at the time but he was finally starting to see in himself the things that so many people had seen in him for so long. That he, Harry Potter is a very extraordinary boy.

Harry looked down at his watch and saw that he had wasted nearly and hour reading about his letter and decided that Uncle Vernon just might come and check to make sure he had left. Harry folded up the letter and put it in his pocket, then he opened his trunk and shoved his unopened parcels into it. Then he took the last envelope from the last owl, which took off instantly. Finally he closed his window, grabbed Hedwig's cage, picked up his feather light trunk and went downstairs. He opened the front door and headed out. Once he got to the end of the yard and took one last look at his so called home. "Goodbye Number 4 Privet Drive" he said aloud, "and good riddance."