Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

     Chapter 1

     The Power He Knows Not?

    The ride back to Privet Drive was the least pleasant in Harry's memory. "What were you thinking boy, having those...those FREAKS accost us at the train station? Don't expect to be let out of your room at all this summer threat or not. They can't scare Vernon Dursley," Harry's uncle had shouted the moment they reached the brand-new SUV that Vernon had purchased with the money from his last big deal. "And that ruddy owl of yours will be under lock and key as well," Vernon added.

    "If I don't send a letter to those people every few days they'll come over for themselves to see what you've done to me," Harry answered back bitterly. His heart ached for Sirius and now he had to put up with these muggles for the next four weeks. It was going to be a long summer in Harry's opinion.

    "We'll see about that boy. Now don't talk back," Vernon said. He raised his beefy hand and struck Harry across the face hard enough to knock him unconscious before they had even left the parking lot of King's Cross. Hours later Harry was roused from this beating by another even stronger punch directed at his ribs. "Get inside now before someone sees you," Vernon bellowed, his face a deep magenta colour that nearly matched Voldemort's eyes.

    Harry dragged his trunk and Hedwig's cage up the stairs to his closet of a room. Once he was inside, he heard the familiar click of the key in the lock. He quickly grabbed a scrap of parchment and scrawled a note to the Order that he wouldn't be able to write anymore for the summer as his owl was locked up and whatever they did to NOT come to Privet Drive no matter what and sent Hedwig off before the window could be barred or her cage locked as Harry was sure Vernon would do.

    "I TOLD YOU NOT TO WRITE TO THOSE PEOPLE," Vernon screamed unlocking Harry's door and throwing it open with a bang that should have woken all of Privet Drive and most of Magnolia Crescent. "That's it you're going to pay for all the freakish things you've brought to this house boy," Vernon said. Harry screamed only once as Vernon pummelled him repeatedly and then threw him across the room to land with a thud against the chest of drawers.

    The silence was deafening. Harry could barely breathe but willed himself to stay conscious and quiet through whatever came next. Never give him the satisfaction of hearing me cry, Harry thought. A few moments passed as blood trickled from a rather large gash on Harry's head made by the corner of drawer. Only when it began to pool under his head did Harry start to get nervous. Vernon thundered out of the room closing and locking the door behind him and Harry let out a nearly inaudible whimper, clutching his head in his hands. As he did so white light with a touch of gold surrounded his fingertips and the pain ebbed away along with the flowing blood. All Harry could do was stare at his hands wondering if he would get an owl from the Ministry for somehow using magic. He didn't know what he was more worried about, the inevitable hearing for underage magic or the beating he would receive forgetting the Ministry owl in the first place. Thankfully, as Harry crawled painfully into bed several hours later neither had happened.

    Two weeks of constant beatings followed and Harry was almost ready to risk sending Hedwig out again to send word to the order. He wasn't sure he'd be alive in another two weeks when he was to take the Knight Bus to Grimmauld Place. Harry hadn't eaten in four days and his supply of water was nearly gone. He had to use a bucket in the corner for his personal needs and he couldn't sleep without constant nightmares of Sirius falling through the veil. On the final night of the second week of hell Harry fell into a troubled sleep, more from sheer exhaustion than Harry wanting to sleep. He was surprised when he drifted to sleep without any dreams, at first anyway.

    At Grimmauld Place the members of the order were ready to go get Harry despite what Dumbledore told them. They hadn't heard from Harry since the day he had returned to the Dursley's house and everyone was worried, especially Remus. "He should have written by now. I thought we showed his uncle how serious we were that we needed to hear that Harry was okay," Remus said to Moody. Two weeks passed without a word, except for the scrap of parchment they had received the first day. Remus had tried writing to Harry but somehow the owl hadn't been able to make the delivery which worried the aged man even more. Owls simply did not fail in delivering their messages.

    "He did say he couldn't write again Remus. Oh I hope those muggles haven't done something stupid like hurt him," Tonks said, changing her hair absent-mindedly from bright bubblegum pink to an angry fire-red colour and then to sickly puce. "They always threaten him. If only they knew how important Harry was to both our world and their own pathetic lives they would treat him the way he deserves to be treated. Did Dumbledore ever tell either of you why Harry is stuck with those muggles for a month every year?" Tonks asked curiously. Her hair flipped through several colours and styles as did her eyes before she settled on short baby blue hair and matching eyes.

    "It's for his protection. After the threat we gave them at the station they wouldn't dare hurt him," Moody said jumping into the conversation as his magic eye spun wildly. Little did they know what was about to happen to Harry that very night and how it would change everything.

    Harry woke with a start a few hours later. He was trembling and his heart was racing, but to his relief his scar wasn't burning as was usually the case during his dreams. He closed his eyes to picture the details of this latest dream and smiled. It was about his father and Sirius when they were still students at Hogwarts; in fact they looked to be about the same age as Harry was now. Remus was also there, looking pale. A full moon must be coming up, Harry thought. He pieced together fragments of the conversation that the three were having under the seemingly peaceful Whomping Willow. Harry wasn't fooled, he knew that one of them had given the knothole a good prod, or they had finally come up with a freezing spell that worked on the branched menace.

    Harry forced his mind to focus on what he had heard. Lupin was silent, but Sirius and James were speaking in animated tones. "Only two more potions and an incantation and we'll have finally done it," James said, holding out an old cracked black leather book that Harry knew must have come from the restricted section.

    "Put that down James, unless you want to be found out before you can finish the animagus process tonight," Remus said, his voice tired, sounding a little like a growl. Tonight must be the full moon Harry thought. He glanced at the book memorizing the title as a deep ache filled his heart. His deepest wish was to become an animagi like his father, since he was so much like him in other ways.

    Harry jerked again as a much darker vision entered his mind. He heard the all too familiar hissing voice and his scar seared with pain and an intense burning he had never felt before even though the rest of his body was quite cold, like ice. "We are almost there Wormtail; I can feel the weak Confundus and Fidelius charms cast to conceal him. We can now counter them thanks to the boy's inability to clear his mind," Voldemort's voice hissed.

    The pain in Harry's scar increased tenfold, leaving his body shaking as if he were under the effect of Crucio. Harry jumped out of bed with all the strength he had and before he quite knew what he was doing Harry had grabbed his glasses and his wand and had nearly thrown himself out of the second floor window. He performed magic accidentally as he levitated himself the remaining 3 feet to the ground. The stars, Harry noticed, were no longer visible. "Dementors," Harry said. Then he noticed a figure in the shadows and recognized Mrs. Figg, his secret-keeper and watcher while he was stuck with the Dursleys. He knew that since he had seen her that Voldemort would know she was here as well.

    At that moment an eerie green light flashed and Harry faintly heard Mrs. Figg mutter an incantation before screaming and falling to the ground. She was dead before the sound of her scream had faded only to be replaced by Voldemort's thin cruel laugh. "Foolish squib! No matter she cannot have done anything in that pitiful useless spell of hers," he roared. His snake-like eyes searched the dark for his prey and Harry knew that he wouldn't be able to avoid a confrontation. Harry stepped out of the shadows. "So we meet again Harry Potter. CRUCIO," Voldemort screamed.

    From somewhere deep inside Harry a bolt of golden light stirred and then surged and just as the curse was hitting him Harry was surrounded by a warm golden light. Voldemort was livid as evidenced by the unholy pain Harry was now feeling in his scar which nearly destroyed the shield. It held, luckily, as Voldemort's next spell would have meant instant death. "AVADA KEDAVRA," Voldemort screamed. Harry screamed as well and then mercifully all went dark and silent plunging Harry into an unnatural sleep from which he would not easily be awoken.

    The dozing portraits in Dumbledore's office all stirred to life at the same moment. It was hardly necessary. The silver-white head of Albus Dumbledore appeared followed a moment later by the rest of his old yet still agile body. "Something's happened, and it must be important to wake you out of your endless slumber," he said. Dumbledore sprang to life, ordering various past headmasters into their other portraits.

    The final order was given to one particularly frail looking wizard, who disappeared with a half-sleepy grunt. Seconds later, he came rushing back. "She's sent the sign. Don't know how she did it, being a squib and all, but she sent it," reported Emeraldus Dumple in a state of shock.

    "How is she?" Dumbledore asked, knowing the answer somehow before he spoke.

    "She is dead, sir. The other portraits say that Voldemort used the killing curse on her and then continued his attack on the boy," Emeraldus replied.

    "Harry?" Dumbledore asked in shock and grief.

    "He is laying in the road sir, the Dark Mark on the door of the muggle house that kept him safe. The other pictures report he blocked the killing curse with a golden shield unlike that which they had ever seen," Emeraldus replied gravely.

    "So it has begun this soon. I'll summon the order. Someone needs to go see what has become of the treasure we all risk our lives to protect. Nobody will give up because they won't be able to believe he's gone from us so soon," Dumbledore said, rare emotion in his all-seeing eyes. "So, Harry, your transmutation has begun. Much like everything in your life it is remarkably early and brings on great perils," Dumbledore said. He pulled out a sack of purple powder which he threw in the fireplace, clearly saying the names of those who needed to know about Harry. Finally he added two young names, hoping they could bring Harry back from the point of death, "Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger," whispered Dumbledore sadly. His was the daunting task of telling them Harry may not survive. At that moment all he could do was wait, and hope that withholding the final pieces of Harry's destiny would not mean an end to all the work of so many who had made sure that he was ‘the boy who lived.'

    Severus Snape woke to the sound of a purple rush of fire and the solemn tone of Dumbledore's voice. "Severus your presence is required immediately in my office. What we feared has happened. Bring any potions that may be necessary," Dumbledore said.

    Snape grabbed a selection of potions, at least one of each vial he had in his private storeroom. A few moments later he took a handful of Floo Powder and threw it into the flames. "The Headmaster's office," he said curtly, as he whirled through the green flames and emerged next to Fawkes's perch. He saw that Professor McGonagall, Tonks, and Mad-Eye Moody were already seated in Dumbledore's office. Remus Lupin on the other hand was pacing the floor, his downcast eyes blurring with unshed tears. Snape could see this and feel the desperation that Lupin was feeling, but noticed that he was trying to hide his emotion as he continued to be drawn into his memories. Snape turned off his Legilimancy powers and strengthened his own mental defences as he did when he faced Voldemort. Lupin was struck by the force of his memories and how he felt that he had now let James, Lily, and Sirius down for not keeping Harry safe. He refused to be seated to listen to Dumbledore tell them that Harry too was gone. Instead he focussed on how it felt to teach Harry to conjure his Patronus and how pleased he was that it was a stag. Through Harry it was if Remus had gotten a long-lost glimpse of old Prongs.

    Dumbledore cleared his throat, interrupting Lupin's thoughts. "We cannot wait for the last arrivals. I will stay to inform them. Minerva, Severus, you need to go rescue Harry. It is imperative to remove his shield. It may have saved his life but if it remains it will kill him," Dumbledore said.

    Snape and McGonagall didn't hesitate. They grabbed a hold of a golden ring turned portkey and vanished. Just after they did Remus turned to Dumbledore. "What do you mean it will kill him?" Lupin asked.

    "Please, the fewer times I explain the easier this will be, for all of us. It will be painful enough to hear," Dumbledore said. The twinkle in his eyes had long since vanished leaving them looking like two dull sapphires when they normally looked like twin jars of bluebell flames.

    Outside on Privet Drive Harry lay motionless under the large golden shield. As time passed the shield started to grow, taking the energy from Harry's weakened form. "We're only just in time Severus," Minerva McGonagall said, approaching the spot where Harry lay with her wand out.

    Ron laid in his narrow bed in The Burrow thinking about the events so far this summer. He hoped that Harry would be happy that he and Hermione were seeing each other, but he wasn't sure how his best mate would react. They were planning to go "rescue" Harry from the Dursleys the next day. Just as Ron was drifting to sleep, he heard Hermione scream from the room that had belonged to Fred and George which was next door. Ron grabbed his robe and his wand, then, ran to her room. "What happened? I think Harry even heard you scream and he's all the way in Surrey," Ron said.

    Hermione was sitting up in bed clutching her wand tightly. Her face had gone white and she was shaking. "Ron, the fire's gone purple and I heard Dumbledore's voice summoning us to Hogwarts, to his office. He said something has happened to Harry," Hermione said.

    "What are we waiting for? There's Floo Powder in that box," Ron said, his heart sinking. Was Harry okay? Ron thought.

    "Where are you two going at this hour of the morning, and in your nightclothes?" Mrs. Weasley asked, having apperated into the room.

    "Mum something's wrong with Harry. Dumbledore summoned us to his office. We have to hurry," Ron said, pleading with his mother to understand.

    "I'm coming with you," Mrs. Weasley answered, grabbing the Floo Powder and throwing it into the flames.

    "Dumbledore's office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the three said together.

    They spun through the fire and landed with a shaky thud. Hermione brushed her hair out of her face with a badly shaking hand and unconsciously grabbed Ron's hand tightly. "Tell us please Professor Dumbledore. Harry's not . . . tell me he's not dead," she said, as the tears gathered in her cinnamon eyes quickly began to flow down her cheeks.

    "Of course, it is time to let you all know what happened. Please sit," Dumbledore said quietly, managing to conjure two tattered blue armchairs for the young people and a brown divan for Mrs. Weasley, whom he wasn't surprised to see. "Harry is in grave danger. I have sent Minerva and Severus to bring him back here where we can help him," Dumbledore said.

    "Snape!" Hermione and Ron exclaimed. None of the adults in the room gave their usual reminder to the teens to call him Professor Snape.

    "Did ‘You-Know-Who' attack him? How did he find Harry at the muggle house?" Ron asked, pale and feeling sick to his stomach.

    Hermione was quiet. She didn't even scold Ron for not being able to say Voldemort's name. Instead she focussed her tear-filled eyes on Professor Dumbledore. "Please say he'll be okay," Hermione said quietly.

    "The Dursley's house is no longer safe for Harry," Professor Dumbledore said, standing up and pacing before the fire. "I should have know that would be the case since Voldemort has had Harry's blood in him ever since he got his body back. The ancient protection of his mother's love is not enough now. He must master a final legacy his father left him. It started tonight, much too soon I'm afraid," Dumbledore said.

    "What started?" Hermione asked.

    "Harry performed wandless magic tonight. Only 4 wizards were able to perform that feat, along with their heirs. You two know their names. Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Godric Gryffindor," Dumbledore said.

    "Wait a minute; so all that talk about Harry being the heir in second year wasn't far off?" Ron asked. "He's terribly important, isn't he?" Hermione asked, starting to put the pieces together.

    "I see why you three are such close friends," Dumbledore said, a faint smile appearing on his weathered face for the briefest of moments. "Harry must not be told the full story until he is able to make progress with his parent's final gifts. He will study Occlumency with me this time, as I fear Voldemort may try to force Professor Snape to try something against Harry during the lessons as he did last year," Dumbledore said, his smile having faded.

    "You said gifts, what is the other thing Harry needs to control?" Hermione asked, already planning the best way to aid in Harry's study.

    "I have no doubt the two of you will be able to help him fine tune his natural tendency toward Legilimancy. That gift seems to have presented itself far earlier than I ever suspected. Much as Harry's other talents are now doing," Dumbledore replied.

    "Wait Harry is an Occlumens and a Legilimens, naturally I mean? Isn't that extremely rare?" Ron asked.

    "Only one wizard was born with both talents. Godric Gryffindor," Dumbledore answered, knowing Hermione had just figured out the answer.

    "That would make Harry the heir of Gryffindor, but Professor Dumbledore, wouldn't that also mean that Harry is the only one who can defeat Voldemort?" Hermione asked.

    "Exactly why Harry is no longer safe anywhere but Hogwarts," Dumbledore answered.

    The adults in the room simply stared as the two young people sorted out the mystery.

    "Severus what is it?" Minerva asked.

    "I believe I know what the problem is," Severus said, touching his wand to the shimmering shield. He was surprised at Harry's condition. The boy was painfully thin and had dark uneven bruises across all the skin Severus could see exposed. "We may have to talk to Albus about how the boy was treated this summer. It looks like he was used for a punching bag," Snape said, his mental image of perfect golden boy Potter evaporating as he pieced together images he had seen of the boy in their Occlumency lessons and what he saw now into a picture very similar to the one that he himself had lived.

    "We need to move quickly, there are still Dementors lurking," Minerva said, gasping at Harry's battered body. "Dear lord I told Albus not to leave him with those muggles," she said.

    "I need to counter this back at Hogwarts, I only hope that he is okay when I retract the shield, with what has formed inside," Snape said.

    McGonagall looked at the swirling substance and gasped. "Is that what I think it is?" she asked, turning visibly pale.

    "Essence of the Draught of the Living Death," Snape said quietly. He muttered an incantation and released the shield.

    "He's barely breathing," she said.

    "Let's get him back to Dumbledore's office," Snape said, grasping the portkey while clutching Harry's arm. On the other side of the ring Minerva was doing the same thing. They landed in Dumbledore's office with a thud.

    "HARRY! Please let us near him," Hermione pleaded.

    "In a moment Miss Granger, Harry needs the counter potion administered immediately," Professor McGonagall said gently.

    "Counter potion to what?" Ron asked, eyeing Snape warily.

    "The Draught of the Living Death," Snape said, finding among his potions a deep green vial that Hermione remembered making at the end of last year.

    "I thought Voldemort used the Avada curse?" Ron asked.

    "He did along with Crucio. The shield Potter produced tonight was weak, barely able to save him," Snape said, without his usual haughty expression.

    "It was remarkable for a first attempt," Dumbledore interrupted. He waved his hands a moment later for Professor Snape to continue.

    "The shield was imperfect, not blocking the curses but draining their essence. Crucio emits essence of wormwood, while the Avada is almost pure asphodel. Inside the barrier that kept him alive Potter was trapped, unable to retract the shield. The potion overtook him quickly and it will be some time before we can discover its full potency," Snape said, chanting the spell over the counter-potion to make it active.

    "I can't believe it, The Draught of the Living Death. Oh Harry," Hermione said, her voice wavering. She wanted nothing more than to go over to Harry who was lying there pasty white, his chest barely moving and his lips turning blue.

    Snape opened the green vial carefully and opened Harry's mouth. His hand slightly shaking, he poured the contents of the potion into Harry's throat and touched the boy's neck gently to force him to swallow. Everyone held their breath, waiting for some sort of reaction. Ron and Hermione edged closer to their friend and this time no one held them back.

    "What are all these bruises from?" Ron asked, looking at Harry. Hermione's hand reached out and brushed Harry's hair from his forehead, her finger lightly touching his scar hoping against hope that it might bring him around.

    "They're from his relatives aren't they? I was afraid of this when he didn't write to anyone except for that one letter the day we left school. They took their anger out on Harry," Hermione said her tears turning into heart-wrenching sobs.

    Ron grimaced at the sight of Harry's injuries. He also noticed Harry's hand was nearly purple from clutching his wand and reached out to take it out of his fist. "Hermione help me, I have a feeling that we need to get his hand open. I don't really want to disarm him but..." Ron said.

    "We need to, he's clutching so tightly that the last of the potion is probably trapped in his hand," Hermione said.

    "Wise beyond their years," Dumbledore said, nodding as he knew Miss Granger was right.

    "Can we use magic on him to release his wand or will that bring up his shield? We can't get his wand free," Hermione said, nearly in tears as she continued to gently pry Harry's hand loose, her other hand still stroking the hair back from his forehead.

    "He shouldn't be able to produce the shield for some time again. It forms partially from Harry's strength and he has none to give. Try a gentle spell, it should work," Dumbledore answered.

    Hermione tried to speak, to use the counter-curse to the Petrificus Totalus spell but she couldn't form the words around the lump of tears in her throat. She turned and looked at Ron. He took a deep breath, pointed his wand at Harry's arm and quietly said, "Mortis Relaxo."

    Hermione looked over at Professor Snape, "Is there more counter-potion, in case there was a fair amount of the Draught left in his hand?" she asked.

    "Yes Miss Granger," Snape answered, not surprised she would be the first to think of that. He retrieved a second dark green vial and said the spell over it. Uncorking it he handed the vial to Hermione. "Make sure he swallows quickly or he'll choke," Snape said.

    She opened Harry's mouth again as she saw Ron pick Harry's wand up from where it had finally fallen from his fist. The purple was spreading up his arm, reactivating the potion in his system. Hermione didn't hesitate to pour the liquid into Harry's mouth and then quickly and gently press his throat until she felt him swallow.

    "Now all we can do is wait. I am sure you two won't leave his side. The rest of us have some business to discuss," Dumbledore said gesturing for the adults in the room to follow him to his private study. Before he left however, he conjured a bed under Harry and beds for Ron and Hermione on either side.