Disclaimer; I don't own HP or anything related

A/N Hello everyone! I know this chapter is late but FF must have been having trouble. I couldn't upload anything! Thanks so much for all the reviews. I'm sorry if the last chapter wasn't what you wanted but thats how I envisioned it. Happy Reading and don't forget to review!

The Half-Blood Prince returns

He followed them towards the edge of the forest. Keeping to the shadows of the trees and brush. His footsteps were muffled by a simple spell. He kept close, but not too close. He listened to their ramblings about what they were going to do now that Voldemort was gone. He just couldn't believe that his master, his true guide was gone. He had followed the dark lord for so many years only to have it yanked from him by that dratted Potter. But now Potter would pay, and pay dearly.

Up ahead the order members laughed and smiled. That is until they nearly reached the edge of the forest. That's when the ambush occurred. A jet of green light preceded by an 'Avada Kedavra' shot out of the brush on the side of the trees. The jet hit Neville in the chest and he fell to the ground in a sickening crash. Nine others pulled out their wands and aimed at where the spell had originated.

"Come out ya' bloody death eater." Hagrid called.

No one came out. Nothing stirred in the bushes. The group circled around each other, wands pointed everywhere. Tears were falling down Hermione's face as she stepped over Neville's limp body.

"You are surrounded." McGonagall called out. A low muffled laugh came from the tree to the left of them.

"Pathetic." Snape said as he jumped down to the ground and smoothed his black flowing robes. "Lupin, Potter and Weasley I take it have taken my master to the ministry, is that correct?" he seethed.

"It is." Hermione replied.

"Shut up Mudblood." Snape spat at her.

"Isn't your father a muggle you piece of shit?" Ginny said startling the rest of the group with her sassy mouth.

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley shouted.

Snape ignored her and continued.

"Do you think just because you killed the Dark Lord that his followers would abandon him?" Snape drawled.

"You are the only follower left. His other 'loyal servants' lay dead or soulless in that field beyond the forest." Hermione said.

"Wouldn't that make you a half-blood?" Ginny said again angrily.

Snape continued ignoring her.

"You lie!" Snape said with uncertainty in his voice.

"She doesn't lie." Draco said speaking up for the first time. "Dementors. They got my father too, not that it's much of a loss."

"Lucius is dead?" Snape asked. Draco smirked and nodded.

"You fools! Do you realize that as long as I am the Dark Lord's faithful servant he will never die?" he laughed manically.

"Die?" Hermione asked. "He is not dead."

"Not dead, but…" he stuttered. Draco had never saw Snape so shook up.

"Dementors sucked out his soul. He is immortal, that much is true thanks to his last hidden Horcrux, but he will live out that eternity as a soulless shell." Hermione said smartly.

"No. If he is still alive that means I cannot take over for him." Snape said shakily.

"I guess not." Ginny smirked.

Snape shot up from his slumped composure and pointed his wand at the group.

"It matters not." Snape said. "Once I dispose of all of you I will be gone, and I will live out my life still as his most faithful servant." his laughter chilled Hermione to the bone.

"You are outnumbered Severus." McGonagall said sternly. "Just come along with us. Maybe the courts will take pity on you."

"Pity?" he laughed again. "I murdered Dumbledore. There will be no pity for me. As there will be no court for me as well Minerva." with a quick jab he shouted "AVADA KEDAVRA!" and yet another jet shot at McGonagall. She too crumpled to the ground. He shot a quick

"SECTUMSEMPRA" at Draco slashing his chest deeply.

At the same time seven order members shouted;

"STUPIFY!"

And seven identical jets of red light shot at Snape. His black eyes widened as he saw the spells approaching. Unable to avoid them he took them straight on. His arms spread in a wide stance. They hit his chest and a thud could be heard from the group. He stumbled backwards into a freefall and landed on the ground. His wand fell out of his hand when he hit. Ginny grabbed his wand and moved it far from his body.

Blood flowed from Draco's open wound. Hermione fell to her knees as the rest of the group scrambled to tie him up. Draco's already pale skin seemed even paler as she held his head up off the mossy ground. Ginny raced over to where Hermione kneeled.

"Is he…" she started trying to contain her sadness.

"No. But he needs to get to the hospital fast." she said using her wand to close the gash as best she could. She looked over at Neville and McGonagall. There was no hope for them.

"I'm taking him. Tell the others where I went." she said holding Draco's limp body in her hands. She closed her eyes and pictured the atrium before apperating quickly to St. Mungo's.

She startled quite a few people when she appeared suddenly in the large atrium.

"I need help!" she screamed out as several healers passing by ran to her in their lime green robes. Her eyes were filling with tears already. They levitated him towards some large swinging doors and she followed as quickly as she could.

"You'll have to stay here Miss." they told her as she attempted to follow.

"No, I'm going with him."

"Are you family?" they asked.

"Well no, but…"

"Then you are waiting here." he said sternly before walking swiftly behind the other healers that were levitating Draco.

Hermione fell to her knees by the door. Draco was dying, and she was stuck out here waiting for news. She ran to the front desk as quick as her shaking legs would take her.

"I need an owl." she said. The man sitting behind the counter pointed her to a door just off the atrium. She ran there and swung open the door. A hundred owls sat on perches above twelve or so desks that were filled with parchment and ink. She grabbed the closest one and wrote in a scribbling fashion.

Harry, Ron or whomever gets this first,

We were attacked after you took Voldemort. Snape killed Neville and Professor McGonagall. He injured Draco severely. I am at St. Mungo's. Get here as fast as you can.

Hermione

She rolled the parchment and slipped it into a tawny owl's leather pouch.

"Take this to Harry Potter." she said to the owl, which pecked at her finger before flying off through the hole in the ceiling.

Hermione went back to the atrium and sat.

'Why?' she thought to herself 'Why Draco? Why didn't Snape kill him like the others? Did he want him to suffer?' she thought.

After what seemed like an eternity Harry, Ron, Ginny and Luna appeared in the waiting room.

"Hermione!" Harry called "What happened."

Hermione's superficial composure dropped and she threw herself into his arms.

"It was awful." she cried. "Poor Neville, and Professor McGonagall and then he slashed Draco with Sectumsempra."

"I am so sorry." Harry said. "We shouldn't have left you. I thought it was over."

"It's not your fault Harry." Hermione said.

"He's at the ministry now." Ginny told Hermione. "Him and Voldemort."

"That's good." Hermione said wiping her eyes on Harry's shirt.

"How is Draco?" Ron asked.

"I don't know." she said breaking into hysterical sobs again. "They wouldn't let me back with him. He is all alone."

"Why?" Luna asked.

"I'm not family." Hermione said mockingly.

"Let me see what I can do." Harry said. He walked over to the counter and talked with the man a bit before calling them to come with him. He walked through the double doors with the other four right on his heels.

"How did you do that?" Hermione asked.

"I am Harry Potter." he said in a formidable tone.

"Just because you vanquished Voldemort does not mean you get to act like a prat." Ginny said hitting him on the side of the shoulder.

"Ow!" he said rubbing the spot. Soon they found the ward they were looking for. Fourth floor. Spell damage. They burst in not knowing quite what to expect. Green healer's robes were running back and fourth making the color blur to the five of them.

"Excuse me!" Harry called to one of them. No one paid him any attention. "EXCUSE ME!" he shouted again. A dark haired witch came over to them.

"Can I help you?" she said eyeing up Harry before gasping.

"Draco Malfoy, tall, blond came in with a slash. I would like an update on him."
"Just as soon as I know anything Harry I will tell you." she replied.

"Cho?" he asked looking at her more closely.

"Yes." she said blushing only slightly.

"You are a healer?" he asked.

"Trainee." Cho replied. "I will tell you when I know something. Just have a seat okay?"

Ginny was eyeing Cho suspiciously.

"Alright." Harry said sitting in one of the chairs. Ron, Luna, Ginny and Hermione followed suit.

"He just has to be okay." Hermione cried. Ginny wrapped her arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"He will be. Snape and Madam Pomfrey healed him before. He will be just fine." she said soothingly.

"Yeah, but Harry was inexperienced with the spell. Snape knew what he was doing. He created that curse. He knew how to counteract it." Hermione sobbed.

The five of them sat there for what seemed like an eternity. The reality of the situation set in. Two of the order members where dead, another was near death. After a while Hagrid, Remus, Tonks and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came up to the hospital.

Molly hugged Hermione in a motherly way while Mr. Weasley talked to various healers about Draco's condition. Ginny sat quietly in Harry's lap and Luna sat on the arm of Ron's chair stroking his red hair. Remus and Tonks sat stone faced contemplating what had gone wrong. Hermione sat talking to Mrs. Weasley until finally Cho came over to give them an update.

"He's stable for now. And I have owled the ministry to come get him when he is well enough." she said proudly.
"WHAT?" nearly everyone sitting around said loudly.

"Isn't he a death eater?" Cho asked.

"NO, he is a member of the order and one of the people responsible for vanquishing Voldemort." Harry said loudly. "Now owl them back and have them contact me."

"Alright Harry…" she said nervously. "Does anyone know the curse used on him?"

"Sectumsempra." Harry, Ginny and Hermione all said at once.

"I don't believe I have heard of that one." Cho said puzzling.

"Owl Madam Pomfrey at Hogwarts. She knows something about healing it. He had it used on him before, though not as severely." Harry said remembering the time in his sixth year when he had cursed Draco.

"Thank you." she said coolly walking away from them.

"Cho?" Hermione asked. "Can I see him?"

"For a moment. He's just over there." she said pointing.

Hermione felt as if her feet couldn't carry her fast enough to his bedside. She threw back the curtain and ran into his room. There on the bed was Draco. Only he looked different. Like he wasn't real. His skin was extremely pale and it had a grayish tint to it. His lips were white and his eyeballs flickered underneath his lids. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. Hermione expected him to wake up when she arrived but he did not. On his bare chest was a large bandage with blood oozing through the thin cotton. His chest rose and fell slowly, almost too slow for Hermione's taste.

"Oh Draco." she cried kneeling next to his bed. Harry and the others stuck their head in carefully not wanting to disturb a private moment if indeed one was taking place. But Hermione waved them in.

"He doesn't look good." Hermione said quietly.

The others remained quiet just standing there watching Hermione cry at his side. Eventually with no news some of the others decided to head to the fifth floor tea room and grab a bite to eat.

"Do you want us to bring you anything dear?" Molly asked patting Hermione's shoulder.

"No, I'm not hungry." she said softly. Everyone except Harry and Ginny left for a bit. They sat solemnly in the corner sharing a seat.

"It's my fault." Harry kept muttering over and over. "I shouldn't have left, I should have stayed."

"Harry stop." Hermione said. "Even if you had been there, Snape came out of nowhere."

"Yeah Harry." Ginny said. "There was nothing anyone could do."

"But why not kill him too?" he said motioning towards Draco's bed. "Why use Sectumsempra on him? It just doesn't make sense."

"I think he wanted to punish Draco for abandoning his master." Hermione sniffed. "And this way he would suffer before he died."

"Poor Neville." Ginny suddenly said. Hermione and Harry both nodded. "And McGonagall. What is school going to be without her?"

"Yeah." Hermione said turning her attention back to Draco, who seemed to be stirring slightly.

"Draco?" she said, her voice pleading. But to no avail. He was still out cold.

A few minutes later an owl arrived from the ministry confirming the imprisonment of Severus Snape and Tom Riddle. Harry wrote back telling them of Draco's status and sent it straight back.

The only sounds left by Draco's bed were the gentle inhale and exhale of his breathing.