The Secrets of The Sighted (Golden Trio Era) {3}

The Half-Blood Prince

Harry could hear nothing but his own pounding feet and hammering heart as he sprinted along the next empty corridor. Immediately noticing a bloody footprint that showed at least one of the fleeing Death Eaters was heading toward the front doors. He skidded around another corner and a curse flew right past him, he dived behind a suit of armour that exploded milliseconds later. He saw the Carrows running down the marble staircase ahead and aimed jinxes at them, but merely hit several bewigged witches in a portrait on the landing, who ran screeching into neighbouring paintings.

As he leapt the wreckage of armor, Harry noticed the lack of ruckus from other occupants of the castle. He then remembered Dumbledore saying that Mikayla had gotten everyone who wasn't fight out of the castle, away from the danger, and Harry felt a great deal better, albeit a bit scared, that there was no one for the Death Eaters to attack on their way out but him. Harry took the quickest shortcut to the Entrance Hall he could remember, hoping to over take the Carrows and close in on Snape and Malfoy, who must have reached the grounds by now. 

He leaps over the vanishing step halfway down the concealed staircase, bursting through the tapestry at the bottom that kept the staircase hidden from those who did not know of it's existence. He made his way down across the landing and down the remainder of the marble staircase. The first thing he noticed when he arrived in the Entrance Hall was that the oak front doors had been blasted open, next were the smears of blood on the flagstones leading out the doors. The giant Gryffindor hourglass must've been hit by a curse, as he watched the rubies within it were falling to the floor, the rattle echoing through the empty Hall. 

Harry flew out the doors into the dark grounds, he was able to make out three figures racing across the lawn in front of him. They seemed to be heading for the gates towards Hogsmeade, so that they could Disapparate to one of their secret bases. Somehow Thorfinn Rowle had made his way far ahead of him, Snape and Malfoy, leaving no more Death Eaters between Harry and his desired targets. The cold night air burned in Harry's lungs as he tore after them, his quick-paced breaths forming miniature clouds that disappeared just as quick as they formed and his heart was thundering in his ears. 

There was flash of light in the distance that had momentarily silhouetted his quarry, he had no clue as to what caused the flash of light but continued to run as he wasn't close enough to have accurate aim for a curse. More flashes light up in front of him, that were followed by shouts and retaliatory jets of light. That's when it dawned on Harry, that Hagrid had just emerged from his hut and was now actively trying to stop the Death Eaters from escaping. Every breath seemed to shred his lungs and the stitch in his chest was like fire, and the adrenaline pumping through his veins caused Harry to run faster that he has ran before. A loud voice in his head begging that Hagrid wasn't taken from him too. 

A hard force from behind him made contact with the small of the back causing the sixteen year old boy to fall forward. A loud smack sounded after Harry fell and his face made contact with the ground before him. He quickly rolled over onto his back, blood gushing from both of his nostrils down his face, with his wand ready knowing that the Carrows had closed his lead on them. "Impedimenta!" Harry yelled as he rolled over again, this time crouching close to the dark ground, and miraculously his jinx hit one of them, causing them stumble backwards into the other and they both fall to the ground. 

Harry leapt to his feet and sprinted on after Snape, he could now see the vast outline of Hagrid, illuminated by the light of the crescent moon that revealed itself suddenly behind clouds. Rowle was aiming curse after curse at the gamekeeper; but Hagrid's immense strength and the toughened skin he had inherited from his giantess mother seemed to be protecting him, at least for now. Snape and Malfoy, however, were still running. They were almost at the gates now, and if Harry didn't act quickly they would soon Disapparate and he'd might never be able to get at them again. 

Harry tore past Hagrid and Rowle, as much it pained him to not rush to Hagrid's aid, raising his wand aiming at Snape's back, and yelled, "Stupefy!"  He missed him, the jet of red light soared past Snape's head, but it was enough to catch Snape's attention. Snape shouting at Draco to keep running before he turned to face Harry. They was just about twenty yards between them, they looked at each other for a split second before simultaneously raising their wands. "Cruc-" Harry began but Snape parried the curse before he even had the chance to get the incantation out. Snape's spell knocked Harry backwards, off his feet but Harry quickly rolled over and scrambled back up again. 

From behind him he heard Rowle yell, "Incendio!" The incantation was followed by an explosive bang and a dancing orange light spilled over all of them, Rowle had set fire to Hagrid's house. Harry began throwing as many curses that came to mind at Snape, but Snape just deflect each one of them. "Fight back, you coward! Fight back!" Harry bellowed while trying to send another jinx at Snape but before he could excruciating pain hit him. Harry had keeled over in the grass, screaming, and felt that he would surely die of this agony, that Snape was going to torture him to death or madness. "No!" Snape roared and the pain stopped as suddenly as it had started. Harry lay curled on the dark grass, clutching his wand and panting, somewhere overhead Snape was shouting, "have you forgotten our orders. Potter, belongs to the Dark Lord!" 

The Death Eaters obeyed Snape's words, running toward the gates before disapparating. Harry uttered an inarticulate yell of rage, in that very moment, he did not care whether he lived or died. Pushing himself to his feet once again, staggering blindly toward Snape, the man he now hated as much as he hated Voldemort himself. "Sectumsempra!" Harry roared, but once again failed at cursing Snape. There was a loud BANG and Harry was soaring backward, hitting the ground hard again, and this time his wand flew out of his hand. 

"You dare use my own spells against me, Potter?" All the colour drained from Harry's face as he looked at Snape in shock, "Yes, I'm the Half-Blood Prince." Snape turned, and walked a few more steps before he reached the gates second later before he disapparated.