Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
By: Krystal Lily Potter
Chapter Two: Friends and Foes
Rating: PG-13
Couples: Harry/Hermione, and...get this...a triangle but not a common one... Lavender/Ron/Luna...what do ya think of that? LOL!
Summary: As Harry and his friends enter their sixth year at Hogwarts they don't enter the cheerful world they left behind. They enter a world covered in a thick blanket of fear. It only hits Harry now how important he truly is when people start seeing him as the light that allows them to see under this blanket. Along with his friends he must battle the horrors of the past, present and possible future to begin the end of a war, hopefully before it even starts. What happens when one of his friends disappear from under the protection of Dumbledore himself? It's up to the last two to find a way to fight this war, on their own...
Warning: There will be swearing in this and some talk of things like suicide, murder and other things like that. In much later chapters if the rating MIGHT change to R because of blood or something (I'm pretty sure I can avoid that though)
Author's Note
Krystal: I'm so sorry I ruined the book for some people, but then again I did have a large warning on it that there were MAJOR spoilers in it, so I guess if you read it but not book 5 then it was your choice.
I can promise you all that Harry's life isn't about to be sunshine and daisies...I actually plan on making this one of my darker Harry Potter fics
Now things aren't going to be the same...I was reading over several of my other old stories I'll probably never finish so I'm adding in ideas I had for those ones in this one to make it even better!
Well yeah...one with the story
"UP!" Petunia yelled through Harry's door angrily then was heard walking swiftly away.
Harry groaned and got up then said, "Damnit, just because I won something that Dudley doesn't have they're freaking out and then there's the new neighbors to worry about too."
The boy who lived sighed and ran his hand through his raven black hair. "God I need to get away from them soon."
"BOY! GET DOWN HERE!" Vernon's voice yelled out.
Harry got up and walked downstairs after taking a five minute shower then getting changed into his cloths for the day.
The second he reached the landing he heard someone speak to him in a gentle voice. "Er...hi Harry," a girl with shoulder length slightly curly golden brown hair and chocolate brown eyes said
"Hi Hermione," he said not really awake at first. There was a five second pause then he said, "HERMIONE?!"
She broke into giggle and said, "Yup it's me...but I can't believe that's you."
Harry's cheeks turned as red as the Weasley's hair as he stared at one of his best friends with surprise.
"Boy," Vernon said as he walked over. "You will be helping our new neighbors unpack, since that's the only thing you're good for...work. No funny business." He said that in a low, dangerous voice then shoved him out the door with Hermione.
"Well that was rude," Hermione said with a huff. "I'll warn my parents about him."
"Hermione, what are you doing here?" Harry asked, still in shock.
Her eyes turned to him and she said, "Why? You don't want me here?"
"No!" Harry yelled. "I just never expected you to be...here."
"Truthfully neither did I," Hermione admitted. "Until my parents got wind that this place was really lacking dentists and people would pay a lot to not have to travel all the way to London."
"Wait...your parents work here?" Harry asked.
"Yup," Hermione said. "We're your new neighbors. Mind you we're number 1 Privet drive..."
"What? Really? Wow!" Harry cried out with a laugh. "This is great. I'll help you guys unpack."
"You don't have to," Hermione said. "That was just an excuse to talk to you."
"Nonsense...I'll help," Harry said with a smirk.
"Mom," Hermione called as she entered one of the larger houses on Privet drive. Number one was the biggest one there obviously...which turned out to be a good thing as Harry later found out.
"Yes dear?" Mrs. Granger called out then walked into the room. "Oh, you must be Harry."
"Yes ma'am," Harry said and shook her hand. "We met briefly in Diagon Alley."
Mrs. Granger looked pretty much like an older version of Hermione with long curly golden brown hair and a look to her that just said she was smart, although unlike Hermione she had startling blue eyes.
"Oh yes I remember that," Mrs. Granger said. "When Arthur got into the fight when that evil looking man, what was his name...Malfoy or something?"
"Yes," Harry said with a smirk at the memory. "I was wondering if there was anything I could help you unpack?"
Mrs. Granger looked really surprised and said, "Oh you don't have to dear."
"No, no, I insist...after all Hermione just saved me from the Dursley's so you know, I owe you all it," Harry said with a sideways smile at Hermione, who smiled back.
"Well alright, but can you do me one favor?" Hermione's mother asked.
"Sure," Harry replied.
"Can you please call me Helen rather then Mrs. Granger? It makes me feel so old," she said with a smile.
"Sure Mrs...I mean Helen," Harry said.
"Great, now Hermione you can put him to work but be nice," Helen Granger said with a smile at her daughter and then walked away to unpack items in the kitchen.
"You can help me unpack and decorate my room," Hermione said and dragged him up the stairs.
"Why do you need such a large house?" Harry asked curiously.
"Well you see...my family's a little...larger then I let on," Hermione admitted when the door they walked by burst open and a boy and girl ran out. Both had straight dark red hair and startling blue eyes and one thought passed through Harry's mind 'wow, just like Fred and George'.
"Who's this Hermione?" the girl asked. She looked about 11-years-old well the boy looked around 8-years-old.
"This is my friend Harry," she replied.
"Oh hi Harry, I've heard a lot about you. My name's Nicola Granger."
"I didn't know you had a sister and brother," Harry said.
"I don't just have a sister and brother," Hermione said flatly. "Like she said this is Niccy, my little sister, and this is Connor, my little brother." Connor waved shyly. "Then I have an older sister named Olivia, she's 19 now and I have an older brother named Daren too...he's 18-years-old."
"Wow," Harry said, amazed. "And how olds your mom?"
"She's 39 and my dad's 40...she had Olivia when she was 20," Hermione said off handedly.
"Yeah, and Connor's the baby," Nicola said with a smirk.
Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "Come on Harry."
"Nice you meet you," Nicola and Connor said together.
Hermione led Harry into her new room and he started to help her unload her stuff...mainly her books. Plus he moved her dresser and all those other large, wooden objects around the room for her.
"So where is your other brother and sister?" Harry asked as he and Hermione sat on her porch.
"God only knows," Hermione said and rolled her eyes.
There was a long pause then Harry said, "Have you gotten any owls from Ron or Ginny this summer?"
"Not one," Hermione said. "And I'm sorry I didn't send you any either...we were busy with moving plans."
"It's alright," Harry said with a smile. His face went serious again and he said, "I've seen enough of the Order this summer so I figured I wouldn't be getting any letters."
Hermione sighed and bit her lip, there was one thing she wanted to talk to Harry about but didn't have the guts to bring it up until now.
"You know," she started. "If you ever need to talk about anything...you know I'm here to listen right?"
"Thanks Mia, but I'm sure you don't want to hear what's going on in my head," Harry said with a sigh. "You know I was about to explode at the Dursleys again if you hadn't shown up today."
"Oh Harry," she said with a smirk. "Were you planning on blow up that foul woman again?"
"Nah...I was thinking on the lines of turning Dudley into a pig," Harry said innocently.
Hermione burst out laughing and said, "You don't know enough Transfiguration to do that."
"Not yet," Harry admitted. "But I will by the end of this year." He got an odd look on his face, which made Hermione worry a bit.
"What's wrong?"
"Can you help me?" Harry blurted out.
"Harry I've been helping you for the last six years," she said with amusement.
"Well yes...but I mean I'm really serious about learning this year," Harry admitted. "Sure I want to become an Auror but that's in the distant future. ("The future I might not even get to see," Harry thought dully.) But all in all I want to be ready for anything that Voldemort throws at me...anything and everything."
Hermione thought for a minute then said, "I get what your saying, but that would mean you'd have to give up something to make time for extra work...which would either be...the DA or Quidditch...sorry. Although you might be able to get around it and still do both of those too if you really do plan on working hard."
Harry sighed and stared at the sky. There was along pause then he said, "You know...I love Quidditch more than anything...but if I'm given a chance to help other people defend themselves against the things that are coming our way...then it's far more important to me then any stupid broomstick. Although if I still can do both I will...cause flying is just...well you wouldn't really understand."
Hermione stared at him with surprise but ignored his last comment then a smile appeared on her face, "Harry...you need all of your friends right now, you know it too, but you need to understand...we need you too. I know this won't impress you much but you're the light in the dark for wizards and witches...and that probably increased now that Fudge admitted that you were right and he was wrong."
Harry sighed and there was a long silence. Finally he broke it with a simple question, "Want to go for a walk? I can show you the neighborhood."
"Sure...I'll just tell my mom," Hermione said and walked into the house, only to come out a minute later. "Well let's get going."
"Hey Harry?" Hermione asked as they walked through the park that Dudley and his gang usually ruled over.
"Yeah Mia?" he asked her, off in his own world.
"Since when did you start calling me Mia?" she asked playfully, snapping him out of his little bubble.
"As nice of a name as Hermione is I think you need a shorter one...don't worry it's just a nickname, I didn't change your permanent records or anything," Harry said with a smirk.
"If you did I'd jinx you to next year and back.'
"I don't doubt it."
She laughed at him then suddenly stopped, staring directly in front of her with a shocked look.
Harry followed her gaze and saw Dudley and his gang plus some more people their age beating up a small boy with dark brown hair. He recognized him as Mark Evans. There were a few other boys and girls there too, all looking terrified at what was happening.
"HEY!" Harry yelled at them. "DUDLEY! LEAVE THEM ALONE!"
Dudley jumped and turned around to see his cousin and a pretty girl approaching them...both looking pissed off beyond belief and appreciative. Hermione could understand why, Harry had become even better looking over the summer.
Harry whispered to Hermione who they were...noticing that all of them...including all the girls with Dudley's gang, had been in his fifth grade class.
"Who are you?" the girl with dyed bright blond hair and an air similar to Draco Malfoy's around her. "And why are you telling my boyfriend off? Don't you know who he is?"
Harry sneered and said, "Well Andrea." He said her name with extreme sarcasm...remembering who she was because she always made fun of him in elementary school. "I must know who he is because I just said his name."
She got a blank look on her face.
Hermione noticed Dudley was glancing at Harry with something that seemed like fear but every time one of his friends looked at him it was disappear and a look of hatred would replace it.
"Well..." the girl, Andrea said. "Mind your own business."
"Mind my own business?" Harry said. "MIND MY OWN BUSINESS? YOU'RE BEATING UP LITTLE KIDS FOR THE FUN OF IT!"
"Harry, calm down," Hermione said and grabbed his arm, although Harry could tell by her grip that she was angry too.
"Harry?" another girl asked with pure shock. "No fucking way. Harry Potter? The scrawny class whimp?"
"Yeah that's what I was known as when I went to school with all you pathetic people," Harry said. "Not like I'm known as that anymore, eh Mia?"
Hermione smirk and said, "Oh yes...your so scrawny...and it's not like you don't get into enough...fights at school." She winked at him, telling him to play along.
"Hey that bastard deserved it," Harry said.
"I know but he ended up in the Hospital Wing for a month!" Hermione said with a dramatized voice.
The Muggles were staring with awe at them...all but Dudley, who had a look of horror on his face. "She goes to the same school as you?"
Harry mentally slapped himself at his stupidity, and he could hear Hermione, surprisingly, curse next to him.
"Of course I do," Hermione admitted.
Dudley's eye twitched a little then he snapped, "Then take this freak away with you." He picked up Mark Evans, who had been whimpering on the ground the entire time and threw him at a tree. This surprised Harry greatly because he didn't think Dudley could have lifted the younger boy...let alone throw him.
With his Seeker reflexes he moved quickly and caught Mark. All of his friends sighed in relief. Dudley's friends were laughing until Dudley gasped and said, "Harry...what is that?"
Harry didn't turn around but Hermione did. She gasped and said, "Death Eaters."
"What?" everyone else asked together.
"Get over here...now," Harry growled to the younger kids, Mark's friends. They all quickly ran over, not wanting to get on 'big bad' Harry's bad side.
Mark, who had been unconscious, opened his eyes and stared in shock. "Harry...there going to get me...just because I'm a Mudblood."
"What?" Harry said and looked down at the boy. He was holding what Harry realized was a Hogwarts letter in his hands. "Don't call yourself a Mudblood...its Muggle born...wait...how did you know that term?"
"My aunt was a witch," he said weakly before fainting again.
"Hermione, hold him," Harry said and passed the oddly light boy to Hermione.
She stared at her friend with worry but took the boy anyways.
"What's going on?" one of the boys asked.
"GET DOWN!" was all Harry yelled. Everyone jumped to the ground just as a jet of green light flew overhead.
"Shit," Harry muttered. "RUN! NOW!"
"Harry," Hermione said.
"No Hermione...take Mark and run...you'll probably run into Remus or Tonks or someone...I'll need help..." He ducked another curse.
"Alright," she said as she took off running in the direction of her house. Dudley's gang followed her lead and took off running.
"Well, well...who do we have here?" a taunting female voice said from behind a black hood.
"Lestrange," was the only word that came out of Harry's mouth...and it was said in an icy tone at that.
"REMUS! TONKS! MOODY! WHOEVER THE HELL'S HERE! WE NEED HELP!" Hermione yelled as she reached number four.
Tonks, who had been sitting on the steps trying to count blades of grass from boredom looked up with surprise. She yanked off her invisibility cloak and said, "What's wrong? What are you doing here come to think of it?"
"I live here now," Hermione said and set Mark down on the grass. "Death Eaters...Harry needs help!"
Hermione had barley gotten the word 'Harry' out of her mouth before Tonks jumped up and ran down the steps. "Wait here," Tonks said.
"Why?" the brunette asked.
"Snape should be here any minute, it's his guard shift in two minutes," Tonks informed and ran off towards the park. Hermione only realized a second later that the Order must ALWAYS know exactly where Harry is at all times because she hadn't even told Tonks they were in the park.
There was a groan and Mark Evans started to stir.
"Are you alright?" Hermione asked as she set him in the grass.
"I'm fine," he said and looked around wildly. "Where's Harry?"
"He's fighting the Death Eaters," Hermione explained.
"I didn't know Harry was a wizard," Mark said with wide eyes. "So I take it you're a witch?"
"Yes," Hermione replied. Her eyes glanced at the letter in his hand and said, "Might as well read the whole thing...well we wait for..."
Just then there was a pop but Hermione saw no one...although she knew that Snape most likely was under an invisibility cloak.
"Professor Snape," Hermione called out. "Please you have to help! We were attacked by Death Eaters in the park...Tonks just left to help Harry."
A moment later their greasy haired professor appeared out of no where, startling Mark badly.
"Where are they?" Snape asked. It surprised the girl greatly because she could see worry on his face.
"In the park by Mongolia Crescent," Mark piped up.
With a pop Snape was gone again.
"Oh god Harry...please be ok..."
Harry ducked as the Avada Kedavra cursed flew overhead again. He had no clue why he ducked though...as long as the shot didn't come from Voldemort it couldn't kill him...according to the prophecy that is.
"Stupefy!" Harry yelled and managed to knock one Death Eater to the ground.
One really tall Death Eater was looming down on him menacingly.
Harry...not quite sure what to do did the first spell that came to his mind. "Reducio!" This caused the Death Eater to, literally, shrink!
He wasn't sure how much longer he could stand up to these guys...every time he hit down one another two came in that one's place.
"Rictusempra!" another voice called out, hitting a Death Eater that was coming up behind Harry.
Glancing over quickly he yelled, "TONKS!"
"Harry, use any spell at all that you think will slow these fuckers down!" Tonks yelled at him.
Harry was about to reply when he got him in the stomach with a red jet of light. He tumbled backwards and hit the ground with pain.
He moved again, but not without feeling a burning pain in his chest. He sat up straight and yelled, "Petrificus Totalus!"
That Death Eater, along with a second one, fell to the ground.
Yet another Death Eater came at him and Harry thought, "Merlin, where are all these buggers coming from?"
Suddenly a spell Harry didn't recognize flew past him and hit the Death Eater, knocking him out cold and binding him.
Harry turned and faced the direction the spell came from to see Snape running towards the battle.
"About time Snape," Tonks called to him.
He just ignored her and continued throwing spells.
Harry suddenly felt a presence behind him and turned around to see Bellatrix Lestrange. She moved her wand in a jester that allowed Harry to know she was about to cast the same spell on him that had been cast on Hermione last year...putting her in the hospital wing for awhile.
He made to move but she cast the leg locking charm on him. He couldn't hear what the incantation of the spell was but he sure as hell felt it...and realized that he was probably in more pain then Hermione had been.
A purple whip of fire came out of her wand and hit Harry in the chest, and then he felt her cast the Cruciatus Curse before he lost consciousness.
"HARRY!" Tonks yelled then shoved her wand in her pocket and ran at Bellatrix.
Somehow Lestrange had broken the silencing charm and said tauntingly, "What are you going to do my little baby niece? Hurt your own auntie just like you tried to last year? Yeah right, Sirius, as pathetic a wizard as he was, was a better fighter then you were my dear. You don't stand a chance."
"I'm an Auror Lestrange!" Tonks raged. "And besides, who said I was planning on using magic?"
"What?" the older woman said with shock and gasped in pain as Tonks punched her across the face. There was a sound of her nose breaking and lots of blood. "YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Bellatrix roared in pain.
"THAT!" Tonks yelled back. "WAS FOR SIRIUS!" She then grabbed her wand and attempted to stun her but she noticed her Dark Mark glow and then she apparated away...the others that weren't captured followed.
"The Dark Lord will hear of this Snape," one growled dangerously before vanishing.
Snape, well raging about getting caught, hadn't noticed what happened to Harry until Tonks ran over to the boy.
"Shit," she muttered. "Snape we've got to get him to St. Mungo's."
"Let's bring him back to Privet Drive first," Snape said. "We'll need to get some sort of transportation since he obviously can't travel by Portkey."
Tonks nodded and levitated him.
"You fool," Snape snapped. "The Muggles will see."
"I don't care," she growled. "Cast memory charms on them!" With that she went running back towards number four. She noticed Snape grab the back of the stretcher Harry was on.
"Grab the front," Snape said. "They won't notice it as being that odd then."
She did what he said and they both took off to wards the Dursleys.
"Goodness," Mrs. Granger said as Hermione and Mark attempted to explain what happened to the Grangers, the Dursleys and the Evans.
A man with short red hair and bright blue eyes said, "Is it safe for Mark to go to Hogwarts then?"
"It's the safest place around now," Tonk's voice said to them as they entered the Dursley's home.
Everyone turned and saw Tonks and Snape walk in with Harry between them.
"Harry!" Hermione gasped and ran over to him.
Nicola started to shake some and said, "I'm not sure I want to go to Hogwarts anymore."
"What?" Hermione asked and stared at her younger sister, who held up a letter.
Hermione stared in shock but didn't let go of Harry's hand.
Tonks bit her lip and said, "So now we've got Harry, Hermione, Mark and Nicola...damnit... that's too many targeted witches and wizards in one area...we have to take them to Grimmauld place."
"Where?" Helen asked.
"The Black Mansion," Mark's father said. "My sister always mentioned it."
Petunia made a funny noise and the man turned and said, "Oh shut up Petunia. Sure I might not have been too fond of Lily after she got her letter but that doesn't mean I didn't listen to what she had to say, unlike you!"
"Lily...Lily Potter was your sister?" Hermione asked weakly.
The man nodded and said, "I'm Brad Evans...I just can't believe that Mark...my son...got a letter."
"I'm sorry dad," Mark said sadly.
"Don't be sorry," Brad replied. "You get to be what I never was..."
Hermione touched Harry's chest, where it was starting to bleed, and said, "He needs medical help..."
"We know...we're taking him to St. Mungo's. I hate to say this Mrs. Granger, Mr. Evans, but we'll have to take Mark, Nicola and Hermione with us too. The rest of you will be under protection of many spells," Professor Snape said then conjured up a Portkey.
"Sir," Hermione said. "Shouldn't we back out stuff?"
"We'll send Order members by to do it later," Tonks said through tear-filled eyes. "Damnit if only I had been paying more attention." Hermione put a hand on Harry's shoulder and grabbed the newspaper Snape was holding out. Tonks also grabbed a corner. "Mark, Nicola, grab hold."
The young witch and wizard did that and suddenly they felt like they felt a jolting sensation and everything turned all blurry.
Suddenly they landed with a thump in front of St. Mungo's. Quickly Tonks levitated Harry in, followed by Hermione and then Snape shoved the soon to be first years in the room as well.
"Oh wow," Nicola said with surprise. Mark was speechless.
The witch at the desk looked up with surprised eyes and saw Harry bleeding. "Goodness, what happened?"
"Death Eaters," Tonks said darkly. "It was...well I'll be honest, I've never seen that spell aside from last year when one of the escaped Death Eaters attempted to kill my cousin." Well Sirius was her second cousin but who really cared about technicalities and she hadn't seen it cast on Hermione either.
"Right," she said and shot sparks down the hall. Soon an older looking Healer, in bright green robes like the rest, appeared. "A dark curse." That's all the receptionist said.
He nodded and said, "I'm Brendan Robinson. Who's the patient?" He was now starting to levitate Harry away.
"Harry Potter," Hermione said between sobs.
He stopped and stared at the boy with shock, then saw the scar. "I'll get right on it," he said with determination and ran with Harry's stretcher following behind him closely and quickly.
Hermione fell to her knees with sobs and Tonks helped her up and attempted to comfort her.
Nicola, Mark and Snape stood back and watched the scene with surprise. Snape honestly felt guilty, if he had gotten there a little bit faster...well it was in the past and he couldn't change that. It bothered him though, that the boy who lived was now in the hospital fighting for his life after he tried to save it so many times.
"Wish I knew why he's so important," Snape muttered, thinking about how Dumbledore told the Order not to let ANYTHING happen to Harry. Looks like they failed at that.
Author's Random Babbling
Well hope this chapter's ok...I'm really trying my hardest to update quickly yet keep it interesting and semi well written. I personally like my plot for this one better then my last one...and I proved my point in this chapter...what goes up must come down! Poor, poor Harry...but we all know he isn't gonna die yet...Voldemort, like I mentioned in the story, is the only one that can kill him...well that's was JK Rowling implied.
Thank to everyone who reviewed! And once again, give me your honest opinion about the story whether it be good or bad! I'll accept flames although I don't always react to them very well. /Smiles innocently/
Thanks to my first three reviewers and please anybody review the next chapters. Also Jess...you told me you read this but you could at least have told me if it was ok or not...although I think that might have been my fault cause I just started typing up a storm...
Anyways thanks too...
Athenakitty – first to review again! Thanks! lol! Well Harry might be having more predictions... scratch that...he will have more! I'm not sure who's gonna die yet but people definantly are. Something nasty could happen to the Dursleys and a chuck through the veil? You know I never thought about that...not a bad idea! Thanks for reviewing! I always love trying to answer your many questions! Lol!
Destined Enchantress – Yeah...I could see how they left it open for both Harry/Hermione shippers and Ron/Hermione shippers...although I'm a firm H/Hr myself I do respect others opinions so I thought it was a good thing they left it open. I loved the movie too...it was the best one in my opinion! Anyways thanks for the review!
Admiral Lily – HELL YEAH! (Yeah I know...I'm a sped) go H/Hr! heehee. Yeah well thanks for thinking it was interesting...I'm gonna try my hardest to make this different from the stories I've read! Thanks!
Well catch ya'll later!
Krystal Lily Potter
"To the world you're just one person, to one person you could mean the world."