Great Hall. Day. Harry spoons soup into his mouth while perusing the Half Blood Prince's Potion book, his eyes lingering, as before, over the SECTUMSEMPRA SPELL: "For Enemies."

Ron absently twirls his wand as he covertly eyes Lavender. Hermione frowns over the Prophet when... a snowflake falls upon her nose. "Ron. Stop. You're making it snow".

"Huh?" Ron looks up, sees that it is snowing exclusively over the trio. Hermione places her hand atop his wand and he blinks, as if the gesture kindles some sense-memory. "Tell me again how I broke up with Lavender?"

Harry pauses on his soup, exchanges a glance with Hermione, who carefully withdraws her hand from Ron's. "Um, well, she came to visit you in the hospital, you see, and you talked. I don't believe it was a long conversation".

"Don't get me wrong. I'm bloody thrilled to be shot by her. It's just she seems... a bit put out".

As one, the three glance over at Lavender and are rewarded with a lethal squint. "Does, doesn't she? And you say you don't remember anything from that night? Not one thing?"

"Well... there is... something". as Hermione hangs. "But no. It can't be. Besides, I was completely boggled, wasn't I?"

"Right. Boggled..." She drinks her chocolate milk.

Ron and Harry notice something weird and different about Hermione Granger. She suddenly becomes a more aggressive, food monster like Ron. Like she was feeding for two. Moody. More food and more chocolate milk drinks.

Harry suspects something is changing inside her. Could she be?

"Since when you start your routine drink that chocolate milk in Hogwarts. Does the Elf serve that for students?" ask Ron. "Or it makes you.."

Hermione slumps back, frowning. Harry smiles curiously. Just then, a mild commotion draws his attention. At the back of the Hall, a group of girls surrounds a new arrival.

"That's Katie. That's Katie Bell". said Hermione. "She's looking fine".

Harry, up from chair, rushed into Katie Bell. Ron asks her a question. "What did I say?" She finishes up her chocolate milk, then burps. "That - bloody disgusting you know that, Mione".

"Honestly Ron, I feel so good and craving for having this choco milk".

"Really? you started eating like me, never once you fought for food. You stole mine and Harry from our plate. And you bite my finger when I try to eat whole chicken legs, you turn into Scabbers when it bit me".

Hermione stares at Ron. "Something got into you since that you didn't tell". She ignored him. "I'm not gonna find out. I'll ask Harry". his eyes searched for Harry whom he thought was still talking with the Bell's girl but Harry was gone.

"Where's Harry?"

Same time. Snape wandered around the castle. He saw Hermione drink her choco milk at the Great Hall. She sat beside the Weasley boy. Since he finds out Hermione carried his child, he needs to be careful with her not wanting to hurt the baby.

Since she became pregnant, she craved so much food that he should fulfill her request or else she would kill him for not fulfilling her request. She likes to snuggle him, kiss him and the best part is - she loves to spread her legs for him. That he didn't reject it.

From afar. He heard a loud explosion from the boy's bathroom. He rushed forward.

Just then... Snape bursts through the door. Seeing Malfoy and the nature of his injuries, he eyes Harry with keen curiosity. Kneeling, he traces the tip of his wand over Malfoy's wounds, murmuring an eerie incantation.

Instantly, the skin begins to knit itself together. Harry backs away, Snape's ancient chant ringing in his ears, blood floating like crimson flowers on the floor, backing away until he reaches the door.

"Vulnera Sanentur... Vulnera Sanentur..."

Astronomy Tower. Dying light. We hear voices coming from the top most level and pauses, peering up through the grid-like floor above Dumbledore and Snape.

"Have you ever considered that you ask too much? That you take too much for granted? Has it ever crossed your brilliant mind that I don't want to do this anymore?"

"Whether it has or hasn't is irrelevant. I will not negotiate this with you, Severus. You agreed. There's nothing more to discuss".

Snape exhaled. "She is with the child, Dumbledore. My child". Dumbledore, shocked, backed away a bit. "I need to protect her, raise our child without involvement in the Dark Lord's matter. She will turn against me if - I did".

"Severus my boy?" he smiled. "You're gonna be a father and in the meantime you tie your life with the Dark Lord's".

"I made a mistake. I don't want to do this anymore.. I want to live like everyone else. I want to live with her after she graduates and I'll ask her to marry me".

Dumbledore pacing around. Hand on his back, looking into a view. Snape stood behind him. "It had to be done, Severus". he looked over his shoulder. "Is time..." Snape cried.

Later. Out of a window, its glass prickling with ambient light, and find Snape standing silently, staring at the gathering storm, his expression inscrutable. He cried once again, kneeling down on the ground that he will lose Hermione and his child forever.

Why has everything happened to me? Can I be loved? Can I be with my family.. he thought, wiped his tears. Regret that he made a mistake, choose to be the Dark Lord's followers.

"Hermione..."

Astronomy Tower. Night. Snape below the tower with Harry as his eyes up to Draco, Bellatrix, and others Death Eaters confront Dumbledore.

Draco's mission is to kill Dumbledore. But he couldn't do it. Snape appears between them.

"Severus please.."

His mouth hangs open. "I gave my word. I made a vow..." Harry's eyes dart back and forth frantically, trying to make sense of the scene playing out above. Snape's arm rises. "Avada Kedavra!"

A jet of green light hits Dumbledore squarely in the chest. For a second he hangs, suspended upon the ramparts, and then... the night swallows him.

Harry screams in rage. Bellatrix raises her wand to the sky and a deafening blast shakes the castle, masking Harry's cry.

The clouds explode with grim light, mutating into a skull. As the Death Eaters flee, Snape's arm drops limply to his side.

"You can no longer stay here".

Draco, stunned, stares at the empty place where Dumbledore stood only seconds before. Snape takes him by the scruff of the neck, forces him through the door, then follows.

Harry scrambles up the stairs and lurches to the ramparts, bathed in the green light from above. He peers down. Agony wrecks Harry's face and he has to steady himself. He looks up into the leering skull above. Rage fills his eyes.

Snape leads Malfoy and Bellatrix down the spiraling staircase.

Snape leads on, his face a mask as he rounds a corner. Students in pajamas and robes peer at the emerald sky, then turn, stare curiously at their teacher and his companions. Snape sweeps past wordlessly. Draco averts his eyes.

Outside the Great Hall. Hearing footsteps , an aurora turns, is blasted off his feet as Snape and the others appear.

Bellatrix lags, then steps to the towering doors of the Hall, peering upward, past the floating candles to the vaulted ceiling, solemn as a church.

Raising her wand, she sends a fiery bolt toward the grand window opposite. As it explodes, a blast of cold air sweeps the room, extinguishing the candles.

Snape turns, looks back. Bellatrix simply grins, a mad child.

As Bellatrix's blast echoes, Ron and Hermione racing side by side in their regular clothes, glance at one another, dash on.

Harry races on, glances out a window and sees Snape and the others racing across a lower courtyard. Malfoy slows, glancing upward, watching the students come to the windows and peer out at the emerald sky. They look like ghosts in their night clothes.

Hermione and Ron push through the other students, who are confused, crying. McGonagall appears, meets Ron and Hermione's glance, and continues on.

Hogwarts ground. Same time. Quiet here. A view toward the castle. A figure appears on the horizon. The Death Eaters. Greyback. Bellatrix, Draco. And Snape.

Harry bursts through the entrance doors, wand in hand. Before him, the grounds shimmer eerily in the green sees the figures fleeing towards Hagrid's Hut.

Snape and the others race toward the edge of the grounds. Suddenly, Snape pulls up, looks back. Sees Harry sprinting toward him. Malfoy, looking edgy, is watching Harry too.

"Go on!" Just then a giant fireball erupts into the sky. Snape wheels, sees Bellatrix and the others silhouetted against the flames. They've set Hagrid's Hut ablaze. Malfoy stands paralyzed. "Go ON!"

Harry bolts forth, wand in hand, vengeance in his eyes. Up ahead, Snape stands solidly, tall and black against the raging fire. Harry points his wand, fires a jet of red light.

Snape doesn't move, merely lets it streak by his head. Harry stops, chest heaving, and takes aim again.

"Cruciatus!" Snape raises his wand, parries the curse with ease. "Incarcerata!" Once again, Snape deflects the spell. "Impedimenta!" Another lazy flick of the arm, another curse defeated. Harry drops his arm in frustration. "Fight! Fight back, you coward!"

With staggering quickness, Snape's wand whips forth and Harry is off his heels and crashing to the earth.

"Don't ever associate that word and my name again". Harry raises himself up on one knee, points his wandwhen... a jet of red light sends him crashing back into the grass.

Snape wheels, sees Bellatrix standing behind. "No! He belongs to the Dark Lord!"

Bellatrix eyes Snape levelly, then turns, trots off. Snape glances at Harry, then turns away himself, walking. Harry grimaces, pulls himself to his feet and aims one last time.

"Sectumsempra!"

Bang! Snape wheels and once more sends Harry flying onto his back. Harry stares at the stars as they wheel over him, when Snape comes into view.

"You dare use my own spells against me, Potter?" Harry goes still. His eyes shift, meet Snape's. "You may have gotten your mother's eyes, but you're as dim as your father. Yes. It's me. I'm the Half-Blood Prince".

Snape kicks Harry's wand aside. "She trusted you, Snape! Hermione trusted you!" he stopped as Harry mentioned her name in front of him. "You kill, Dumbledore! I'll tell her! I'll tell her you kill Dumbledore!"

He grabs Harry's collar neck, grit his teeth. "You're the only one she trusts, Potter. You take care of her for me. If you don't.. if my child died inside her before birth. I'll kill you with my bare hand!"

"What? Child? Hermione.." his eyes shoot up at Snape. "Is she pregnant?"

Before Harry could say anything more about it. Snape turns away, joining Malfoy and the others where they wait beyond the flaming ruins of Hagrid's Hut.

They head for the darkness of the treeline. And vanish.

Harry was stunned to speak.. "She's pregnant.." his eyes widened.