A/N: Whee! My first fanfic ever! *jumps around in happy circles then notices people watching and clears throat* Anyway, here's my debut fanfiction story. Please R&R! I loooove constructive criticism!

WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE 6TH AND 7TH BOOKS/MOVIES.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the places, events, or characters in it. That magnificent privilege goes to J.K. Rowling. =)

I dashed up the stairs faster than I thought I could. I knew already I was too late. I was sure Draco had already gone to the Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement. If my approximation was correct, he was just getting to the top of the Astronomy Tower. I prayed I was wrong, but I secretly knew only a fool would hold on to such a false hope.

Suddenly, I heard a loud cackling behind me. Two words flew to the front of my mind - Bellatrix Lestrange. Just like I thought, Lestrange and the rest of the Death Eaters that had traveled through the Vanishing Cabinet glided right past me. I swore silently. Now, even if Draco hadn't quite made it to the top, the other Death Eaters would be there. There was no way I could help. Not with the Dark Lord's followers watching. Despite the horrible feeling in my stomach, I knew what I had to do.

Tonight was the night I had to kill Dumbledore. There was no evading it.

The Death Eaters rushed on ahead of me. I made no attempt to catch up with them - it was all too late now. All the same, I very reluctantly climbed the stairs to the Astronomy Tower. Thoughts turned over in my head, doing somersaults and cartwheels. Dumbledore was an old fool who demanded too much of me. Why should I care about him? But I couldn't banish the dreadful emotions that flowed through me at the thought of killing the ancient professor. Even though he'd failed, the man had still tried to protect my Lily…

I quickly pushed that thought to the back of my head. Lily Evans wasn't mine anyway.

Finally, I made my way to the top of the Astronomy Tower. I silently took in the scene before me. Draco had his wand pointed at Dumbledore, but his hand was trembling. The young Death Eater's face was full anguish and he seemed uncertain. Lestrange whispered something in his ear. Dumbledore simply looked at Draco with a melancholy look on his face.

Something caught my eye from right beneath the floor of the tower, right where the huge circular hole in the center of the floor of the top of the tower was. A pair of glasses glinted in the moonlight. I looked closer to see the outline of a boy of about sixteen years of age with his wand pointed up at Draco Malfoy…

I quickly backed down the stairs and under the main floor before. My pitch-black eyes searched the darkness that resided there. Finally, they rested on the young, dark-haired boy. I was grateful that the black night hid my pupil's face. I couldn't look at his eyes without thinking of her… Of Lily…

Once again I had to force her to the back of my mind, though she would undoubtedly resurface and cause me more pain. I raised my wand and pointed it at the boy. He must've heard me, as he turned around immediately. I raised my finger to my lips to signal him to be quiet. One thing I was sure of: if they knew he was down here, they would come to kill the young student. The boy nodded. I was aware that after he witnessed what was going to happen here tonight, he'd never take orders from me. With that cheerful thought in my head, I trudged back up the stairs to the main floor of the tower.

I took a few long strides and I found myself next to the youngest Death Eater. Several of the Dark Lord's followers whispered things, but I only heard one voice. "Severus," whispered Dumbledore. For the first time ever, he sounded old. He sounded desperate. He sounded defeated. "Please." And though everyone around me thought he meant something different, I knew what Dumbledore was asking of me. He was asking me to kill him.

I raised my wand and aimed it at the ancient professor. Before I could give it too much thought and change my mind, I shouted the third Unforgivable Curse.

"Avada Kedavra!"

And he fell. He fell from the highest point of the castle.

I quickly turned away from the headmaster and started down the stairs with the rejoicing Death Eaters behind me…well, Draco wasn't joyful. In fact, he was quite pale. But I paid him no mind at the moment. All that mattered was getting out of here without showing any remorse, and I was surprised to discover how hard it was.

I rarely cared about anything. Why should a senior citizen who took my abilities for granted matter to me? I didn't have time to ponder that for long. It took me only a moment to realize we were being followed by an incredibly stupid and impulsive boy. The same boy who'd witnessed Dumbledore's death. And the very same boy that can't die in order for the Dark Lord to be defeated.

For now anyway.

I briskly strode through a thicket of trees. The boy was calling after me. He shouted my name but I ignored him. I had to keep moving…

But then Bellatrix stopped when we got to Hagrid's hut. She mockingly called him names and when she got no response she set his hut on fire while cackling madly.

"Snape!" cried a voice behind me. I reluctantly turned around and faced the eyes that I saw in my most wonderful dreams and my worst nightmares.

"He trusted you!" the boy cried. His voice was painfully sad and broken. Almost like hers… No. This was no time to think about that.

Bellatrix whirled around and threw a curse at the male student. I shouted, "No!" and deflected it. Bellatrix looked at me with a confused expression on her face. "He is the Dark Lord's to finish!" I yelled to cover myself.

Bellatrix gave an exasperated sigh and sauntered into the Forbidden Forest without a word. I relaxed, but it was too soon for that. The moment Bellatrix had gone the boy shouted a curse at me that I was barely able to deflect. "You coward!" he cried, "Fight back!"

And to my surprise, he shouted my very own spell at me.

I was easily able to deflect it, of course. "You dare use my own curse against me?" I questioned, doing my best to sound like the traitorous Death Eater he thought I was, "Yes. I am the half-blood prince." And I walked away into the Forbidden Forest with Lily Evans's eyes staring after me. No, not Lily Evans, Lily Potter. No, not Lily Potter either.

Harry Potter.

A/N: What do you think? I know that wasn't exactly what happened in the movie, but I was too lazy to go back and watch it. Sorry. Please forgive me. I also realize it was pretty short, but it was fun to write and I couldn't find a good way to make it longer.

If you review (which I really REALLY would like you to do, especially since this is my first fanfiction) it would help me a lot if you could just put one thing I did well, and one thing I could improve on. That would be so great. But if you're in a hurry, just tell me that you read the story and you liked it (or that you didn't like it.) Any review you can give is a whole better than no review at all.

P.S. If you didn't like it, please tell me why.

P.P.S. Please review!