Harry finished packing his trunk and went back down to the common room.

Harry went to sit on the couch but changed his mind and decided to sit in one of the armchairs. Not knowing what Ron wanted to talk to him about had Harry nervous and unsure. If he could keep Ron's mind off of Hermione and himself than he would.

Harry heard someone walk through the portrait hole and turned around to see who it was.

"Ron, didn't you say fifteen minutes? It's been twenty. I think that we need to work on your punctuality next year."

Ron walked over and sat on the couch.

"I know, I'm late I had to try and find Hermione."

"I take it you didn't find her."

"No I didn't. It's okay though. I had wanted to talk to both of you at the same time but this is actually better."

"So what did you want to talk about?"

"Hermione."

"What about Hermione?" Harry asked cautiously.

"Well you and Hermione."

"Ron…"

"Just hear me out. You have been constant about trying to get me to admit that I like Hermione and to tell her. Well, I'm not going to deny that I like her, because I do like her. But I don't see how telling Hermione that I like her is going to make a difference. Unless she is the one that broke your heart and you don't want to go through that pain again. If she is the one that…."

"Ron you can stop right there. Hermione is not the one that broke my heart okay."

"Fine, but let me say that I have come to terms with the two of you and now neither one has to lie about it. I can handle it, now. Who am I to get in the way of other people's happiness?"

"How many times I have to say that Hermione and I are just friends?"

"Seriously Harry, you don't have to lie anymore. I saw both of you on the couch."

"I am not lying!"

"Come on Harry! You had your arm around her like you were holding her. You can't tell that it was nothing, it was pretty intimate you can ask every single Gryffindor."

"There was nothing intimate about it and as for my arm being around her it was not intentional. We had been talking. I had my arm on the back of the couch. Hermione must of fell over after we passed out. I guarantee you that we were not like that the whole time. Hell Ron, Hermione could have been really upset about something and I could have been comforting her and then passed out."

"Was she upset about something?" Ron asked concerned.

"Well, sort of but she is all right. I was just saying that it could be a possibility."

"What do you mean by sort of?"

"Well, she was more worried than upset."

"Worried about what?"

"Not what. Who."

"Well who then?"

"You. Ron sometimes you can really be clueless."

"Nice to know that she was worried. Now just so you know I am okay with the two of you letting people know. I just have one request, minimal snogging…. no wait no snogging when I'm around. I don't think that I could handle that."

"Is there any way I can get through to you that we are just friends and for you to believe it?"

"Doubt it. I know I was adamant about not liking Hermione and I do like her. You two are adamant about not being together. I just want you both to be happy and I can deal with it that you two are happy with each other. Well I've said what I wanted to say. Harry don't say anything right now, just think about it would you. If you're not together than maybe you should be."

"Ron you can't be serious."

"I am serious Harry. You and Hermione have my best wishes."

"Hold on. Ron why do you think that Hermione couldn't possibly like you?"

"The only thing I'm brilliant at is chess and she doesn't like the game. We have nothing in common except you."

Harry looked at Ron with one eyebrow raised.

"What I mean is that all Hermione and I share or have in common is our mutual best friend."

"Ron haven't you noticed that she has been reading the books. She's nearly done with them."

"She's just humoring me. She didn't even know the books existed. Something she hasn't read yet, of course she was going to have some enthusiasm."

"I can't believe you think that low of yourself."

"No big Harry. I am okay with being a Weasley and poor. I am glad and thankful that both of you are friends with me. Or at lest glad and thankful for the time that we were friends if I have screwed every thing up. I am sorry for being such a git. If you see Hermione can you tell her I'm looking for her? Thanks."

As Ron took off out through the portrait hole Harry thought he had seen bushy brown hair dart up the stairs. So he got up out of the armchair and went up the stairs to see if he had actually seen someone's hair or not. Harry finally reaches the spot on the stairs where he though he'd seen someone's hair. He didn't find anyone at first; he turned around to go back down the stairs when he saw Hermione sitting on a step of the stairs that lead up to the boys' dormitories.

"Hermione, what or how much did you hear?" Harry asked with a smile on his face.

"All of it. What do I do now?"

"That is up to you. So you know how he feels about you. The question is, do know how you feel about Ron?"

"I know it took me a while to realize it but yes. Even though he has been such an asshole, but how he was just now. He just wants me to be happy and he can live with it if someone else is the one making me happy. I just don't know what to do."

"Well, this summer take the time to figure out what to do and what you want. If you are close with your mom, try talking to her."

"My mom and I are close, but not quite that close."

Well, like I said, take the summer to figure out what it is you want to do."

"Thanks Harry."

Harry helped Hermione up on to her feet. Hermione headed down the stairs, Harry was right behind her with his hands on her shoulders. A reassuring and that he'd always be there as a friend type of gesture. As they reached the bottom of the stairs Harry noticed Ron frozen still in the middle of the common room, looking almost as though someone had hit him with the whole Body-Bind spell.

"Ron, it's not what you think."

"Okay, what ever. McGonagall wanted me to give this to you."

"Why wouldn't she just come in here and talk to me?"

"It's not from her, it's from Dumbledore."

Harry quickly opened the letter and read the letter.

"What does it say?" Hermione asked.

"He wants a word with me."

"When? About what?" Ron asked.

"Tonight about an hour before the feast. He doesn't say, but I am guessing he wants to know more about what happened with Quirrell and probably that damn spell."

"That spell should be right up there with the three unforgivable curses." Hermione stated.

"I agree." Ron and Harry said.

* * * * * * *

Harry left the common room about a half hour before Dumbledore wanted to see him. He didn't want to be late. Harry could not shake the feeling that Dumbledore wanted to know more about the spell he had used on Quirrell. He also had a feeling that Dumbledore would be asking him if he is a seer. Harry was not sure what to say about that. He was not yet quite ready to tell Dumbledore.

Harry reaches the hall way just a few yards from Dumbledore's office.

"Harry, you are early. That is okay. Follow me."

Harry followed Dumbledore to his office. Harry took the first chair he came across.

"I assume you know why I wanted to talk with you."

"You want to know more about what happened with Quirrell."

"Well, more about the spell you used on him. Do you feel like explaining?"

"Not really, but I can tell you that it is a horrible spell. I am sure you feel the same Professor. It should be added to the other unforgivable curses."

"I agree Harry. The problem is that I have no idea what to add exactly. I do not have a name for the spell, or should we now say curse?"

"Curse suits it. I am not sure of exactly the name, I just know the incantation and have seen what it does. The incantation is 'Sectumsempra'. Professor, I really didn't mean to use it, it just came to me I wanted to do something more on separating Quirrell from Voldemort. I wanted Quirrell to go to Azkaban Prison, not what happened."

"I do believe you that you did not intend on using it. I would like to know where you found this new curse?"

"It was hand written in the margin of a copy of Advanced Potion Making. The book is in a cupboard. It could be in Sna…Professor Snape's classroom but I know it to be in Professor Slughorn's classroom."

This intrigued Dumbledore, he had originally wanted to let Harry come to him but now…

"Harry I was going to wait for you to come forward on your own, but I must ask one more question of you."

"Okay, ask away."

"Are you by chance a seer?"

"I wouldn't call it that exactly."

"What would you call it or say?"

"It has to do with my life and those I care about, I know what could potentially happen."

"You aren't going to tell me more than that are you/"

"No, sir. At least not right now. Give me some more time. There is something I have to find out first."

"Oh Harry, just one last thing. Do you know whose Potions book it was?"

"What do you mean?"

"I was just wondering if you might know who had the book and wrote in it?"

"It was many years ago, and what I know of the individual is just that he or she had written on one of the covers, 'This Belongs To The Half Blood Prince'." With that Harry ran out the door and down to the dinning hall. He just wasn't quite ready yet to tell Dumbledore, he wanted to find out about Sirius first.

* * * * * * *

As Dumbledore stepped just outside of his office he saw Professor Snape headed in the direction of the dinning hall.

"Severus, I would like to have a word with you."

Severus walked over to Dumbledore.

"Yes, Professor."

"It has been brought to my attention that in a copy of Advanced Potion Making there is some writing in it, particularly a horrible spell now to be referred as an unforgivable curse. I want this book found and destroyed, no one else is going to know about this. As it is there are three people. The one who wrote it, myself and the one who told me."

"There a lot of copies of that book. Some are indeed in my classroom but there are still some in Slughorn's classroom from when he taught here."

"I am under the impression that this book is in Slughorn's old classroom. I do want this book found, the sooner the better. I do not want another person to know about it. There is some time, as the students will soon be going home for the summer holidays. Now let us go to the dinning hall I am sure the students would like to have their final feast of the year at Hogwarts. It has been delayed enough."

Severus and Dumbledore went on to the dinning hall.

* * * * * * *

Harry went straight to the dinning room table and sat down in between Ron and Hermione, as that was the only space available. He did not want to go through any thing having to do with him and Hermione being together.

"What did Dumbledore want?" Hermione asked quietly.

"To know more about the spell I used on Quirrell and where I found it. He also asked me…."

"Asked you what?"

"Not here. Not now."

"What is going on? What is taking so long? The feast has never been late this is crazy. I'm starving here." Lee Jordan complained.

A few moments later Dumbledore and Snape arrived and took their seats.

Dumbledore silenced the hall, so that everyone could hear him.

"Another year gone. To our out going students, we wish you well. Stand by your own beliefs and not those that are pushed on you. To everyone else, enjoy your summer and prepare yourself as best as you can for next year. We have dealt with the loss of a teacher. Two students had been expelled. It has been an eventful year. I must say that it over all it has been a good year. And now on to the matter of the house cup but first I have a few last minute points to award. To Mr. Weasley for the best-played game of chess anyone has seen, I award fifty points. To Miss. Hermione Granger for being there for your friends and quick thinking and reaction to help one in need, I award fifty points. To Mr. Harry Potter for nerve, courage and the determination to succeed, I award fifty points and finally it is very difficult to stand up to our enemies, but to stand up to our friends it takes great courage and strength so I award twenty points to Mr. Neville Longbottom. The standing for the house cup are as follows: In fourth place Hufflepuff with three hundred and fifty points; in third pace Ravenclaw with four hundred and twenty-four points; in second place Slytherin with four hundred and seventy points; and in first place Gryffindor with four hundred and eighty points."

With a clap of Dumbledore's hands the green and silver hangings were replaced with scarlet and gold hanging. The huge Slytherin serpent was replaced with the Gryffindor lion.

The Gryffindor table thundered in celebration. Neville was surprised and embarrassed and could not hide as fellow Gryffindor's were hugging him. Fred and George were bragging about Ron being their brother and they were proud. Though Percy was still pissed at Ron for the Body-Bind spell he still patted Ron on the back.

"Settle down. Settle down."

The dining hall became as quiet as possible.

"Let the feast begin."

As everyone dug into his or her food the noise level raised once more. Gryffindor resumed their celebration; Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were congratulating them on the win.