A/N I do not own the characters or setting of this story. Book 6 was kind of lame, and totally not at all what I was expecting. So this is my version of The Half-Blood Prince. It will be updated, so keep an eye out. I will go ahead and warn you that there will be no 'Won-Wons' and everyone will retain the IQ they had in Book 5. It begins the day Harry is to return to 4 Privet Drive...

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It could easily have been the worst summer of his life. And by the standards of Harry Potter that was saying something. The joy that had filled him upon Delores Umbridge's removal from Hogwarts and Albus Dumbledore's reinstatement was not enough to negate the dead feeling that came over him at the thought of Sirius's death. So when the end of the term came, Harry suspected a very unpleasant stay with the Dursely's would quickly be upon him. Not only would it be the typical summer of constant ridicule and abuse, but it would be coupled with his grief of Sirius, and just a bit of doubt that his friends would actually write him this year.

The morning of his departure was an unhappy one for Harry, and he went about the usual morning affairs with a sad look on his face. Ron, of course, would have none of it and tried to impress upon Harry that he would be at the Burrow often and that there would be much Quidditch. Nonetheless, it did nothing to improve Harry's mood, and he grumpily began packing his things. Indeed, how could he believe Ron when Dumbledore had told him about the blood wards? Surely the Headmaster would send Harry straight away to his Aunt and Uncle's and keep him there where it would be safest.

The very thought boiled Harry's blood, and he took to his packing with great violence, punching his robes into his trunk. Before long he was interrupted by Fawkes who burst into the room, made a cry, and then vanished again just as suddenly. Harry was startled, as were Ron and Neville who had been making similar preparations to leave.

"Looks like Dumbledore's got to meet with you, mate," said Ron as he stuffed a robe into his trunk.

"Couldn't he have just come up himself?" muttered Neville. "I nearly had a heart attack." Trevor croaked several times in affirmation.

Harry shrugged. "I'll go see what's the matter."

The Gryffindor common room was surprisingly empty, and Harry was quite thankful for it. Although the constant derogatory whispers behind his back had been a thorn in his side all year, he found the recent switch to unabashed hero worship just as aggravating. It reinforced his feeling that he would never, ever really just blend in and be ignored.

As he went through the halls of Hogwarts, Harry was tempted to just not show up. After Dumbledore's treatment of him the past year, Harry wondered how the headmaster would feel if he received the cold shoulder for a change. But these thoughts were fleeting, and Harry was soon in Dumbledore's office. Fawkes cried out again as Harry entered the room, and the boy gave the phoenix a large smile. The damage Harry had caused the room on his return from the Department of Mysteries had since been repaired, and Harry felt the slightest twinge of embarrassment over the way he had acted that night.

Dumbledore was there, of course, looking typically Dumbledore. Harry turned down the traditionally offered candies, and looked the headmaster straight in the eye.

"What?" Harry didn't mean for it to come across so forcefully, but he had never been one to control his emotions.

"Harry," Albus's voice was as slow drawl. "I must apologize again for my actions this past year. Words will not be enough, I'm afraid, so I have decided to include you in the very top of this. I have received an urgent letter requesting that members of the Order visit Estonia."

A blank, confused look came over Harry's face. Not only was Dumbledore keeping him abreast of Order business, but he had come to his point without lengthy blathering.

Dumbledore continued, "It seems that Voldemort is playing some role in keeping the true leadership of the country's wizarding community from taking legitimate control. That man who claims to be the true ruler has requested our aide. I would like to send you and whichever members of the DA you choose to Estonia to meet with him."

Harry gapped at the headmaster. "Why do I get to choose?"

"Because you will be leading this mission, of course. I would request that you depart for Estonia on Monday. I anticipate this will take your entire summer. And should it be longer, I will arrange for you to received credits as an exchange student to Dumstrang." There was the familiar twinkle in Dumbledore's eye.

Harry had to sit down in the comfy chintz recliner behind him. "You're entrusting this to me? But, you've kept me in the dark – "

"That was a mistake," he brushed aside Harry's words with a wave of his hand. "After your battle at the Ministry it was apparent to everyone that you are no child. This mission will affect the outcome of the war effort. It is believed that Voldemort is receiving mercenaries and dark artifacts from the current pureblood government. They would like nothing more than to see Wizarding Britain fall to a one such as Voldemort. The government in exile is much friendlier to our cause."

Harry couldn't believe Dumbledore was willing to let him lead a mission of such importance. He shook his head and ran his fingers through his dark hair. "I'll go, of course," he said after a moment. "Who is that man I'm supposed to meet?"

Dumbledore gave his thick beard a stroke. "We don't know his name. He uses an alias to protect his identity. They call him the Half-Blood Prince."