It Could Have Gone That Way; A Harmione Fanfiction

Chapter 66: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The first thing Dumbledore had told Harry when he returned from getting his cloak was,"You need a shave, my friend."

Harry had moved his hand to his chin and discovered that the professor had been right. "Yeah..." He grinned.

Dumbledore had continued,"Now, Harry, I will only be taking you with me on one condition: that you obey any command I might give you at once, and without question."

"Of course." Harry had replied, a little taken aback.

"Be sure to understand me, Harry." Dumbledore had said slowly,"Should I tell you to hide, you will do so?"

"Yes."

"Should I tell you to flee, you will obey?"

"Yes."

"Should I tell you to leave me, and save yourself, you will do as I tell you?"

"I-"

"Your word, Harry."

Suddenly quite scared, Harry had looked up at Dumbledore. He could hear Hermione's voice in his ear, telling him that, if he was as good as his word, words should be good enough. Was Harry as good as his word? He supposed he'd have to be. "Yes, sir." Harry replied in a strained voice.

"Very good." Dumbledore had nodded with satisfaction,"Now, follow me. We shall apparate from Hogsmeade."

Harry had followed him grudgingly.

Now, however, Harry was struggling to stay conscious. At least five Inferi had grabbed hold of him and once, and were dragging him deeper and deeper into the water surrounding the tiny island on which Dumbledore was slumped.

As his chest filled with unbearable pain, Harry thought about getting back. Back to Hermione. And to Ron, Ginny, Luna and Neville. And to Hermione. Again. Then, all of a sudden, there was roaring fire everywhere, and the Inferi released him at once. It was about now that Harry felt extremely grateful that he knew to use non-verbal spells, for he had no breath left to perform the Ascendio charm that saved him.

The rest of the visit to the cave went by in a blur, and Harry suddenly found himself immobilised and under his invisibility cloak on the top floor of the Astronomy Tower. The Dark Mark was looming in the sky, and someone had just crept up behind Draco Malfoy menacingly. It was Bellatrix LeStrange. Harry felt a wave of pure hatred surge through him, one which grew even stronger when Fenrir Greyback joined her, a handful more Death Eaters in tow.

"That's it, Draco," Bellatrix cooed, sending shivers down Harry's spine,"that's it. Kill him - do it - do it now!"

Someone screamed from below them.

Dumbledore simply watched Draco raise his wand again; he had been lowering it as the other Death Eaters had walked in, just after he had shown the professor his Dark Mark. "Draco-" Dumbledore began calmly.

"Step aside." A familiar snarling voice followed the banging open of a door, and Severus Snape appeared. Snape rose his wand to Dumbledore, face twisted and contorted with hatred.

"Severus...please..."

"Avada Kedavra."

A jet of green light shot from the end of Snape's wand and hit Dumbledore squarely in the chest. Harry's scream of horror never left him; silent and unmoving, he was forced to watch as Dumbledore was blasted into the air: for a split second he seemed to hang suspended in the night, but then he fell slowly backwards, like a great rag doll, over the railings and out of sight.