The Pledge of the Half-Blood Prince

By Elyndewen Startree

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or plot elements mentioned in this work. Additionally, this piece contains spoilers to the newly released Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Please do not read until you have completed that book.

I, Severus Snape,

do hereby pledge.

I pledge myself wholly and completely

to that cause I hold most dear.

I pledge myself to my true master,

he who defies both death and his given name.

I pledge myself to the Dark Lord

and his Dark Arts.

I do pledge myself to his cause,

I pledge myself to the cleansing of wizards,

the purging of Mudbloods,

and the removal of those who stand in my way.

Harry Potter.

Albus Dumbledore.

The Order of the Phoenix which has been my prison

for too long.

Much too long.

I, the Half-Blood Prince,

will know my true allegiance.

I will show my true allegiance

when the time is right.

And I will be honored above all others.

I, Severus Snape,

will triumph in the destruction

of my enemies.

Of the Dark Lord's enemies.

Harry Potter.

Albus Dumbledore.

The Order of the Phoenix

which has been my prison

for too long.

Much too long.

And I swear another pledge

to keep a young one from killing.

To spare him at his mother's request.

To take the Glory

and the Gratitude

of this task for myself.

I pledge this other pledge to continue the rule of the Dark Lord.

And the destruction of those who try to stand in his way.

Harry Potter.

Albus Dumbledore.

The Order of the Phoenix

which has been my prison

for too long.

Much too long.

I, the Half-Blood Prince,

will show my caliber.

I shall show the world my caliber

as I destroy my loathed keeper.

The guard to my prison

of time I wish I had not lost

and people who I will celebrate to be rid of.

I will perform this task

and be honored by the Dark Lord beyond all others.

I will destroy one of his greatest enemies

and all the rest will follow.

Harry Potter

and the Order of the Phoenix.

He is old and feeble

of mind and body.

Too foolish to accept the truth.

I will show him the right of things.

I will make him plead to me. Reverse the hierarchy I have suffered under

for too long.

Much too long.

I will show him the error of his ways.

Insult on top of injury.

And I shall be honored in the doing

by my master, the Dark Lord.

I, Severus Snape,

I, the Half-Blood Prince,

do so pledge.

I will rise to victory

and be rid of my prison keeper.

I, Severus Snape,

will kill Albus Dumbledore.

And the Dark Lord

and I

will dance upon an old fool's grave.

A/N: I wrote this piece (I am unsure what to call it) as a response to those events which most shook me in the newest Harry Potter book. It has helped me to deal with the twists that I never would have predicted. I dedicate it to all those who believed in Snape and Dumbledore too much to believe this event capable, as I did.

I hereby dedicate this fic to LuNa LoVeGoOd5, my most helpful, valued, and beloved reviewer.