Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

By: Krystal Lily Potter

Chapter Twenty Six: The Bottom Line

Rating: PG-13 (more on the AA side)

Couples: HP/HG, DT/LB, PP/SF, LL/NL, DT/GW, LB/RW, LL/RW, HP/CC

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 how important he really is when people start seeing him as the light that allows them to see under this blanket. Along with his friend he must battle the horrors of the past, present, and possible the future to begin the end of the war, hopefully before it hits Hogwarts. What happens when people start disappearing from under Dumbledore's protection, and one of the famous 'trio' disappears? It's up to the last two, plus some more friends, to find a way to save all the people that disappeared because they can't fight this war on their own...

Warning: Dark themes will be mentioned a lot and if worst comes to worst I'll rate this R because of that. There's swearing, mentions of suicide, murder, rape, gore/bloody scenes, and other dark things like that...honestly though it's not as dark as I make it sound...

Note: Damn you should see all the things I have to wrap up in this story and in a possible sequel. I'll be leaving some lose ends because I originally had them planned to be explained in the sequel to this which is call---never mind! LOL!

ALSO there's a few things that have to do with religion in this chapter, if you don't believe that point of view it's ok, just please don't growl at me about it, this is from MY point of view, remember. Third person Omniscience...I know all and I see all...LOL!

OK now I decided to put all this up here so people would see it. This is the way I look at the way you become a Pureblood, Half Blood or Muggleborn...you might look at it different, it's all a matter of opinion really...

Two Muggle borns – Muggle born

Muggle born plus a Muggle – Half Blood

Muggle born plus a Half Blood – Half Blood

Muggle born plus a Pureblood – Half Blood

Muggle plus a muggle – either a Muggle or a Muggle born

Muggle plus a half blood – Half Blood

Muggle plus a Pureblood – Half Blood

Half Blood plus a Half Blood – Pureblood (after all, two halves do make a whole)

Half Blood plus a Pureblood – Pureblood

Pureblood plus a Pureblood – Pureblood

Wow that was confusing...anyways on with the story...

There was a constant thumping sound on the floor as Harry walked back and fourth in his empty dormitory. He had to get the news out about who exactly was taking people and why.

Swallowing the saliva that had formed a lump in his throat he sighed and ran a hand through his black hair.

He could be extremely dense at times and when it came to school work he was no genius either. Without Hermione and his Time Turner none of his work would have gotten done so far this year. The point was though; he wasn't, by any means, stupid. Harry knew when it was time to take a step back and get help, even if you didn't want to have anything to do the person that you needed to help you.

Kneeling down beside his bed and Harry whispered, "Please dear god, give me the strength to keep going." He had never been a religious person because the Dursleys had never taken him to church. They thought he would 'stain' the purity of it, as he learned later on, since many people believed that magic was satanic.

Like mentioned before though Harry knew when he needed help and when he couldn't do something alone. It was a feeling that had accumulated inside of his mind just this year. He needed someone to help him and if he was blessed at birth with magic then maybe the one person that truly gave him that gift could show him how to use it or at least give him a hint as to what he had to do.

Smiling bitterly to himself as he got up and sat on his bed Harry realized something, he did indeed believe in heaven and hell, and he also knew that if you committed sins you would go to hell when you died. One of the biggest sins was killing, and he had to do that in order to save the world.

Looking out his window at the clear blue sky he muttered, "You've sure dealt out the cards in an interesting way this time..."

Suddenly Griffy jumped on his bed and stared at him curiously. The little Griffin had taken to sleeping majority of the time now and Hagrid explained it was because Griffin's usually hibernated.

The Griffin swatted at the hem of his robes and Harry looked at him. Emerald met emerald as their identical eyes met and Harry said, "I know what you're thinking and you're right...it's time I went to Dumbledore. I've tried turning everywhere but to him and I know he's the one that can get the message around about the Prince."

Griffy growled lightly and seemed to smirk and nod, if that was possible. He then walked up to Harry's pillow, walked around in circles for a few seconds then laid down and fell into a light slumber.

Sighing to himself again Harry stood up. One of Griffy's eyes opened a little and he watched his owner leave the room.

Harry knew it was time to face the music.

Professor Dumbledore sat at his desk reading through documents. His pale blue eyes held no twinkle and he looked more ancient then he actually was, even though he had lived for over a century already.

There was a sudden knock on his oak door and without looking up he said, "Come in."

The person pushed the door open and walked in. He seemed to pause for a minute before saying, "Professor?"

Dumbledore looked up with light surprise to see Harry standing in front of him. Ever since last year he and the young man hadn't really gotten along. That didn't mean he cared any less about him. No in fact Harry was still the grandson he never had, at least in his eyes.

"To whom do I owe for this surprise visit Harry?" the old man asked.

Harry chuckled lightly then his eyes turned dark and he said, "No one sir. I have a favour to ask of you and in return I'm going to give you vital information Hermione and I found."

Dumbledore's expression turned into one that someone who was doing business wore. He had a serious face of a veteran who had been in one too many wars yet his eyes held the eagerness in his eyes was that of a five year old.

"I will tell you everything, as long as you tell the rest of the staff," Harry said slowly, as if he thought Dumbledore needed a hearing aid. "And make sure the rest of the school is informed as well."

"That, Mr. Potter, I can and will do without hesitation," Dumbledore said.

"Alright then," the young man said. He took a seat across from Dumbledore, closed his eyes, took a deep breath then said, "We found who who's attacking students, how and why."

Dumbledore sat straight up and his bushy white eyebrows seemed to fuse together. "Where did you learn all this?"

"In a book I have," Harry said "one on family history. Sir, are you familiar with the legend of the Half Blood Prince?"

"Of course I am," Dumbledore said briskly. "He was the first ever Half Blood and he was punished greatly for that. It reminds me so much of what happened to Jesus Christ." He sighed sadly. "Although it was because of his death that this school opened. The founders were friends with his only son and they wanted to make a place where all types of blood could learn together without a repeat of what happened to the Prince."

"Do you know what his ritual was?" Harry asked.

"Yes. When a Half Blood would appear in his bloodline once again he would gain the power to rise again. Is it too bold to ask as to why this is relevant though?"

"Do you know the name of the Half Blood Prince?" Harry said extremely slowly.

"No," Dumbledore admitted after a moment of digging around in his memory for the answer.

"His name was Vulcan Potter," the Boy Who Lived said simply. Harry then started into everything he and Hermione had figured out. He told him the part about the dream but he left out the fact that he had been having dreams all this year.

The expressions and emotions on the old man's face had morphed many times during Harry's story and once he was done it sat in a look that was crossed between dread and thoughtful.

"Vulcan doesn't need his prisoners dead then," Dumbledore said slowly. "If he did he would be in a terrible position because the prophecy counteracts his ritual."

"Sir?" Harry asked with a slight look of shock on his face.

"I have studied the ritual myself out of curiosity," Dumbledore said. "Because Voldemort does not know the full prophecy neither does Vulcan. According to the ritual his Half Blood descendent needs to be sacrificed by him once he returns in a physical form. This counteracts with the prophecy, which says that either you need to defeat Voldemort or he needs to defeat you. Any threat on your life before the final battle that doesn't come from Voldemort is something to laugh about. They cannot kill you, even if they stabbed you in the heart. Fate has a way of twisting things around. After Voldemort is gone you can die like anybody else but until then you can only fall at his hands."

"So the Prince choose a poor time to come back," Harry said slowly. He also thought, 'You mean IF I defeat Voldemort.'

"Harry, I am very impressed you were able to handle everything that has been put in front of you so far this year. Not many people could and I could guarantee you that at your age neither could I," Dumbledore said with a very light smile. "On another topic, how is your Time Turner suiting you? Sticking to all the rules?"

Harry remembered that one incident where Nicola seen both him and his past self or whatever he was, aside from that he almost had one accident where he had almost seen himself. He went back in Time to get more sleep. Luckily he heard his other self enter the room and he hid underneath the bed until he fell asleep then ran out to join his friend for lunch.

"Yes sir," he said then stood up. "I have to be going, I just wanted to inform you of what's happening."

"Very well, but first I think you'll find this copy of the Daily Prophet most amusing," Dumbledore said, handing his favourite student the paper. "Good day." Harry waited until he was out of Dumbledore's office to read it. His eyes grew wide and he burst out laughing. There was a huge picture of Fudge running away from the Ministry of Magic, looking a mess. Also some people were chasing him, many enchanting vegetables to follow him until they hit him. His eyes scanned over it and let an amused smirk pass over his normally serious face. Letting out a loud laugh he ran back towards the common room with the paper waving around in his hand.

Ron and Hermione looked up with slight surprise as Harry burst through the door. They were even more surprised to see that he was honestly really amused.

Slapping the paper down between them on the table he said, "Fudge got sacked!"

A few people around him stared and started muttering stuff.

"He did?" Ron said and grabbed the paper before Hermione could even lift up her hand to grab it. He quickly skimmed it over and a large smile appeared over his face and he let out a great whoop.

"What the hell?" Lavender asked as she climbed in through the portrait hole just to hear her boyfriend act like a moron.

"My dad got promoted to Head of Magical Law Enforcement!" Ron yelled happily.

"He did?" Ginny asked, her head shooting around from her conversation with Halle and Tessa. "But I thought that Madam Bones had that position..."

"She did," Ron said, his eyes scanning the article. "But she's been promoted to Minister...or is it Ministress of Magic!"

"I didn't read that part," Harry said with a slight bit of surprise but a smile adorned his face. "She'll be a good leader for now. She's fair and listens to everyone."

Hermione nodded in approval and said, "She is. I met her over the summer before I moved to Privet Drive when I went to change some of my money at Gringotts. She knew who I was surprisingly."

"Hermione," Harry said dully. "Told you once and I'll tell you a million times, you and Ron are famous too."

"We are?" Ron asked with a perplexed tone. "Of course you are," Lavender piped up. "You're known for being the best friends of Harry Potter and the ones that get him through everything." "Damn straight they're the reason I get through everything," Harry muttered. A slight frown had appeared over Ron's face at the first part of the statement but by the end he was smiling widely. He knew all along that Harry couldn't have gotten though it all without Hermione and him but he could never remember him admitting it. He might have but Ron didn't recall it.

Suddenly a loud crack was heard and everyone that was in the Common Room turned around, looking for the source of the sound. Everyone that was in their dormitories came down looking confused and surprised.

"Would all students please report to the Great Hall immediately," Professor McGonagall's distressed yet firm voice echoed around the halls.

"They're going to tell everyone," Harry whispered to Hermione. She got a serious look on her face and gripped his hand tightly as they entered the flow of Gryffindors heading down to the Great Hall.

Professor McGonagall looked around nervously as the students poured into the Great Hall and headed to their house tables. She knew that all the Slytherins that were in the school that year were safe from this Half Blood Prince but all the other houses had a mix of the three types of blood.

It was only when all the students settled in that she noticed how much the number of them had decreased. Also the mood had changed, people were nervous and everyone was shifty. Almost everyone in the Great Hall was nervous that is. A few Slytherins seemed as if they were expecting this.

Hearing a light growl to her right she looked over and saw Professor Evelyn there, looking livid as she looked at the sea of students that was slowly evaporating in front of their eyes.

"Are you alright Clara?" she asked lightly.

"Perfectly fine," Evelyn snapped. "I'm on edge that's all. It's hard to believe this is happening in Hogwarts. It just messes up everything."

"I agree," Professor Flitwick said in his small voice that matched his body height. "He Who Must Not Be Named is becoming stronger each day and now we are told it's not him who is taking our children."

Evelyn nodded and her emerald eyes got a sad, glazed look over them as she turned her vision towards the Gryffindors. "Are we sure he's right?"

"We have no choice but to trust him Clara," Professor Dumbledore said suddenly. "He deserves it."

Evelyn looked at his for a minute before turning away and saying, "I'm just saying that sometimes students will do anything or attention Albus, you know that."

"Yes I do know," Dumbledore agreed with her whole heartedly. "But Harry is not one of the attention seekers."

"That's true," McGonagall said. "He stays quiet in class unless he's answering a question, asking for help or there's something important he believes he has to point out."

Evelyn simply shrugged and watched as Dumbledore stood up and everyone went silent. She had always admired his ability to silence the entire school without saying anything while she had to shoot firecrackers off in some of her classes just to get them to shut up.

"Students, I have many things to discuss with you. First and foremost I would like to mention that we have a different Minister as of now and she is here with us today. I'd like you to give a welcome to Madam Bones," he waved to the woman at his left that McGonagall and everyone else to her right hadn't noticed. The students clapped politely and then went back to listening to Dumbledore.

"As you've noticed our numbers have greatly decreased this year. Not only have parents been taking their children out of Hogwarts but many have gone missing. All of you have wanted answers and suggestions as to who might be next and much to our luck two of our students have found what you seek," he looked around, noticing everybody seem to hold their breath. "We have identified that the creatures doing the actual attacks are a type of demons wolves that are made of a rare shadow element. The one that created these creatures and controls them is known as the Half Blood Prince. He was the first ever Half Blood and was tortured to death in front of his entire city, including his wife and only child. He created a ritual that would allow him to return only when one of his descendents was a half blood and there was a half blood with a heart of pure evil alive at the time. Both those elements he needed have come into life and as of now he has come back in spirit." People all around the hall broke out in whispered. Some of the Slytherins looked like this news wasn't new to them, which proved Professor Snape's theory about many of them being informed by their parents about Death Eater activities.

"In order to return to full life," Dumbledore continued "part of the ritual was he needed many new half bloods as he called them and the easiest way to identify them is when they are at school. As many of you have guessed the victims are indeed all Half Bloods and there are not many of them left in our school."

People looked at each other from where they sat. Many looked relieved but now a few others looked absolutely terrified. It was obvious from the lack of students in the school now that there were very few half bloods left. Most of the remaining students were purebloods and muggle-borns which wasn't a good combination and everybody knew it.

One thought seem to hit everybody in the hall at the same time and it seemed as if they all turned to the Gryffindor table.

It wasn't always easy to tell who was what kind of blood unless a person was famous and had famous parents. It just happened that Harry was famous enough for that. It was common knowledge that James Potter was a pureblood and that Lily Potter was a Muggle-born. This meant that Harry Potter was a half blood and that he was a target on the Prince's list.

Although none of them aside from Hermione would know that he was the descendent of the Prince, at least for now that is.

Harry ran into his dormitory and slammed the door shut roughly. He took a few deep breaths then turned around to see everybody in his and house staring at him. He jumped slightly then said, "What the hell are you all doing here?"

"Same thing you are," Lavender said darkly.

"Someone announced that there were only four half bloods left in the school," Seamus muttered "you, me, Lav and Dean. Now nobody will leave us alone. They're all trying to 'protect us'."

"Wait," Harry said and looked over at Dean. "I thought you were muggle born."

Dean shook his head and said, "Ever since I got my Hogwarts letter and none of my brothers or sisters did my mum thinks that my dad was a wizard. She doesn't know because he left when I was a year old. This year I found out that he was a wizard, Evelyn told me...apparently she knew him."

Harry got an odd look on his face and it wasn't because of Dean rubbing his right arm. 'Wait a minute,' Harry thought, leaving his other thoughts behind, 'right arm...'

Flashback

"What the?" Hermione said to herself and pushed open the door. Much to her shock she saw him sitting in black shorts and a dark t-shirt pretty much carving something into his arm. Luckily it wasn't on the side with all his veins.

"HARRY!" Hermione screamed at him and slapped the piece of the mirror away. It landed on the floor and shattered even more. She then looked at Harry's face and noticed it had a blank look to it, like he wasn't there.

"Harry?" she whisper, shaking slightly when she noticed his eyes weren't green anymore but pale blue.

"I'm not Harry," he said, but it sounded like someone was speaking with him. "I'm the one who will win it all in the end! My mark will be left on the boy-who-lived forever!"

Hermione shivered then gasped as Harry's eyes turned green again and some type of magic shot away from his body. He groaned and leaned forwards some.

"FUCK!" he yelled when he got control of his body back, including the pain in his arm. "Where the hell did this come from?"

"There was something controlling you," Hermione said and got up. She ran to the bathroom and came back with a wet towel and put it on Harry's arm.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"I don't really know," Hermione whispered. "Well I know there was something possessing you. He cut something into your arm and said his mark will be left on the boy-who-lived forever."

Harry moved the towel from his arm and stared with surprise at the three words carved into his arm. It said 'Half Blood Prince'.

End Flashback

Now that he was thinking about it his right arm was starting to hurt badly. He could feel the words carved into his arm throbbing. He noticed that Lavender and Seamus seemed to be in pain too when he remembered something else.

Flashback

Harry was lying on the grass in front of the lake with a bored look on his face. Hermione sat next to him with both their Mystical Eggs beside her. A little closer to the lake sat Seamus and Lavender, both who were rubbing their arms with a look of pain on their faces. Harry assumed that they accidentally elbowed each other. Parvati sat a little away from them and beside her sat both Dean and Neville.

End Flashback



"Our arms," Harry said suddenly.

"What?" Hermione asked and looked up at him from her place curled up beside him on his bed.

"He got the idea from the Dark Marks, I'm sure of it," Harry muttered under his breath. "It was a way of separating us from the rest."

"What the bloody hell are you going on about?" Ron asked bluntly.

"In the summer," he replied slowly. "Something possessed me. I didn't remember it but I do remember blanking out. Hermione on the other hand was there and actually saw it. My eyes turned blue and some weird thing was talking through me. It was the Half Blood Prince, I'm sure of it now. Lavender, Dean, Seamus, show me the outside of your right arms."

The three shot him odd looks but they rolled up their sleeves at the same time he did and everyone gasped. On all their arms was an identical carving of 'Half Blood Prince'.

"You were all targeted before hand," Hermione said. "This was planned before school started so that means they had time to get a spy into the school to keep track of all the targets."

"That's why there's never any teacher's around when an attack happens," Neville said.

"You don't think that Evelyn's the spy do you?" Parvati asked after a moment, saying what they were all thinking.

"Well she is the new teacher," Lavender said hesitantly.

"I don't think so," Hermione said after a minute of thinking. "I think it's Malfoy that's giving information."

"Malfoy?" all the others asked at once.

"Well he hasn't been bugging us at all lately, since before Christmas," Hermione said. "Obviously something else is going on with him so that means that he has no time to deal with us."

"You know that makes sense," Seamus said.

"Something doesn't smell right around here," Ron said. "And it's not Snape's greasy hair."

"I know," Harry agreed "It's going to get worse and all of know it."

"So the teachers know," Neville said.

"The rest of the students in the school know," Parvati added.

"That doesn't mean we're less likely to be attacked," Lavender said. "The things that take the people, those demon wolves, they're made of shadow meaning they can probably get through walls and stuff."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ron asked her.

"It means they can attack without a seconds notice," Hermione explained. "Whatever their target is doesn't stand a chance, even if they're with a group of a thousand people."

They all fell into an uncomfortable silence not one of the eight people in the room noticed a small wolf made of shadows staring at them from atop a wardrobe, staring at the carvings in four of their arms. It licked it's lips, growled a bit and vanished into the wall.

Griffy's head shot up and his eyes narrowed at the sound of the growl. All the other's animals, which were asleep in a corner in the room, woke up as well, although once again the talking students didn't notice the eight animals staring up the spot where the wolf had been.

Harry looked around the room, feeling a little bit uncomfortable as he said the one thing he and the other three half bloods dreaded to hear, "The bottom line is, if this Prince wants us ge's going to get us and there's nothing anyone can do about it."

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Author's Random Babbling

Alright here's the deal, I'm not going to write all the replies to everyone but I AM mentioning everyone who did review. If someone guessed something and I consider it a good hint to the story then I'll point it out to everyone ok? If anyone has any questions that were not answered in that particular chapter I'll answer them as best as I can.

I want to thank everyone who did review! You guys are awesome and I really appreciate it!

Please review and give me your honest to god opinion but do me a favour and make it so I can understand it and if you're going to flame me make it mature sounding and I'm alright with it. The only criticism I don't take good is when someone just sends a flame worth being flamed!

Anyways here's a couple of answers to questions, don't worry you'll be able to understand what the question was by the answers.

No, the figure that was in the staff room last chapter was not Ron, but the person is evil and it's someone you have all met before.

This might give away a little bit but I will answer it anyways. The reason the Half Blood Prince wants to live again was to get revenge on not only the ones that were the cause of his death (Purebloods & Muggle-borns) but the other Half Bloods too because they didn't help him at all.

No Hermione is not going to be killed, in this story at least.

I'll be blunt, blood has everything to do with this story and bloodlines do in away. Elements...well they're not that important, Hagrid's lessons on them was just to set up for the fact that the Half Blood Prince had an odd one and the animals were just added for fun more than anything.

At the beginning I know I had in my summary and things up there that Harry could go out with either Padma or Ebony that year, well that was sorta just to keep things open in case I wanted to make Hermione jealous or something like that but Cho did that good enough on her own. If you notice I don't have the HP/EM writing up there anymore.

This isn't really a question but I'd like to point out that the Half Blood Prince is Vulcan Potter, an ancestor of Harry's, not any current children in the school. Also Vulcan is indeed everything he says he is.

So someone noticed it finally. Every outing something bad happens. This is more of a hint then an answer to a question so keep it in mind.

Anyways thank you to all my great reviews:

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