Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter/Wizarding World. They were all created by the genius that is J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: Curse you insomnia! Anyway again thanks to everyone who's reading glad you're enjoying this. Like I said before it gives me the warm fuzzies. This chapter should hopefully wrap up The Half-Blood Prince portion of the story.

Chapter 1 5: Where Do We Go From Here?

Harry was breathless when he found Hermione and Ron sitting together in the common. While he was trying once again, without succeeding, to get into the Room of Requirement Harry had received a message from Dumbledore. They were getting ready to leave the castle to retrieve the next Horcrux and there was a since of dread that had been forming in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't shake the feeling that while Dumbledore was away Malfoy was going to put into motion the plan that he'd been devising all year. Something horrible was going to happen he just didn't know what. "Harry what's the matter?" Hermione asked.

"Come with me." He said. The common room was full and he didn't want to be overheard.

"What's going on mate?" Ron asked as Harry opened his trunk and starting digging through it.

"I don't have a whole lot of time. Dumbledore found a Horcrux we're going to retrieve it as soon as I get back up with him." Harry said laying his cloak over the foot of his bed but went back to going through the trunk.

"Is that was has you acting like a mad person?" Ron asked.

"Whatever Malfoy's doing in the Room of Requirement, I think he's got it finished. He's going to put it in act while Dumbledore's away from the castle tonight." Harry explained.

"How do you know?" Hermione asked.

"It's one of those gut feelings that are usually always right." Ron answered for him.

"I've been having a bad feeling for weeks now. It just all seems to be coming together." He stood up and handed Hermione the Marauder's Map and the tiny bottle of liquid luck. "I want you to take these and watch the 7th Floor corridor. Do the coins we used last year for the DA meetings still work?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes."

"Alright get together as many of the DA members you can and have them on standby." Harry said. "Split the Felix Felicis between the lot of you."

Hermione shook her head. "No Harry you need it." She tried to force it back into his hand.

"I'll be with Dumbledore." He cupped her cheek. "I'd feel much better if I knew that you had some kind of protection."

"I'll give you a minute." Ron walked out of the room.

"I want you to be careful Hermione." Harry said.

"I'll be fine it's you that you need to worry about." She said.

"I love you." Harry leaned down to kiss her softly.

"Be safe." Hermione said as he walked out of the room to meet Dumbledore.

Taking a deep breath Hermione got her nerves under control and headed back to the common room pulling the coin out as she went and changed the information on it. An hour later while Ron, Dean, Neville, and Ginny were outside of the Room of Requirement Hermione, Luna, and Lavender were outside Snape's office. Just past midnight the sounds of screaming and loud booms drew their attention. Professor Flitwick ran to fetch Snape paying the girls no attention. Snape rushed from his office letting them know that Flitwick had fainted from shock. After making sure that the tiny professor was alright and out of fear for others, the three girls ran from the dungeon wands drawn. Death-Eater were running amuck for what purpose nobody was really sure but it sounded like the worse of the noise was coming from the Astronomy Tower. Luna and Lavender took guard on the staircase while Hermione made her way to the Tower cursing herself for letting Ron talk her into go to the dungeons to watch Snape's office. She disarmed and stunned several of the Death-Eaters as she went.

She made it to the corridor only to be shoved out of the way by Snape and a stream of Death-Eaters all on the retreat with Harry chasing after them. Pushing herself from the floor Hermione looked over at Ginny who was lying over an unconscious body crying. "Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"It's Bill…Greyback attacked him." She said. "Is anyone else hurt?"

"Neville…and one of the Death-Eaters is dead he fired off the Killing Curse and it rebounded on him."

Harry's heart was heavy when he made it up to the Hospital Wing. He'd chased Snape and the other Death-Eaters to the school's boundaries but lost them when they Disapparated. Dumbledore was dead killed by the man he'd trusted blindly for years. More than anything Harry wanted to repay the favor to Snape. As soon as Harry walked into the brightly lit room Hermione sprang from the bed she was sitting on and rushed to him. Harry wrapped his arms tightly around her holding her against him his face buried in her sweet smelling hair. While nothing would be able to take the pain that loosing Dumbledore had caused, and even worse to know that Dumbledore died in vain, seeing that she was safe did give him comfort. Once everyone had settled down Harry gave them the news. It was a devastating blow for the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's loss. The fact that they'd lost him at the hands of one of their own made things even worse. If there was anything good that happened from that night, it would have been the fact that Mrs. Weasley and Fleur finally were able to put aside their differences and accept each other.

The next few days were a blur. The death of Dumbledore was felt by everyone and students and teachers alike wondered the halls of Hogwarts like sleep walkers. The gaiety that usually resounded through the school at the end of terms was nonexistent. Even the Slytherins seemed to have been effected, most just wrote it off as they were upset at the loss of their Head of House and one of their peers who both fled the night Dumbledore was killed.

Harry was sitting on the foot of his bed his feet propped on his already packed trunk. He still hadn't told Hermione and Ron that it wasn't the real Horcrux that someone had beat them to it and where it could be and if it was still intact was a complete mystery. "The carriages will be here soon." Hermione said walking into the dorm along with Ron.

Harry nodded, "I'm all packed I was just thinking."

"So what do you think Hogwarts will be like next year?" Ron asked.

"I'm not coming back next year." Harry said handing the locket to Hermione. "I have to finish the mission Dumbledore started."

She opened it up and read the note inside. "It's a fake….who do you think R.A.B. is?"

Harry shook his head. "I haven't a clue but whoever he is has the real Horcrux and I have to find him."

Hermione nodded, "You know I'm coming with you."

"Me too." Ron said stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"I'm not putting you in danger." Harry said. "Either of you."

"Well the way I see it Dumbledore let you tell us about the memories because he wanted us to help you with this." Ron said.

"And do you honestly think that either of you would be able to survive on your own without me?" Hermione gave Harry the first smile he'd seen in days.

"It's not going to be easy. In that cave…there was magic in there that I would have never dreamed of." Harry said. "It's going to be dangerous hell we might all die."

"And that's different from the average Tuesday with you?" Ron asked.

"You know that we're not going to give up so you might as well just accept it." Hermione said. "Do you have a plan?"

"Well I'm going back to Privet Drive one last time because that's what Dumbledore wanted. From there I think I'll go to Goddric's Hollow. That's where all this started at maybe that's where it's meant to end."