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Harry heaves the ever-weakening Dumbledore out of the freezing
water onto the nearest boulder. He concentrates like he’s never
concentrated before on his destination: Hogsmeade. They arrive
dripping wet and shivering in the middle of High Street.
And this from an unlicensed, underqualified teenage wizard...
imagine what he could do if Dumbledore had actually taken the
time to train him.
Harry just then recognizes the aching stitch in his chest and
whispers to Dumbledore that they’ve been successful. Dumbledore’s
only response is a stagger, followed closely by a full-out
collapse.
Harry panics. All he can think of is that he must get Dumbledore
to the Hospital Wing, but when he mentions Madame Pomfrey,
Dumbledore begs off. He insists that it’s Snape he needs most now.
At this point, before we learned the truth of Snape’s story,
every reader was like: (gasp) ‘No! Not Snape!!’
Rosmerta rushes out to help them. She’s relieved at first to see
them; she’s of the mind that they’re the cavalry, but then stops
short when she realizes Dumbledore is hurt.
When Dumbledore asks what’s happened, she points towards Hogwarts
where the sickly-green Skull and Snake of the Dark Mark glitters
menacingly over the ramparts. Harry feels his stomach drop.
“There it was, hanging in the sky above the school: the blazing
green skull with a serpent tongue, the mark Death Eaters left
behind whenever they had entered a building...wherever they had
murdered...”
Rosmerta tells them it appeared moments before they did. She has
brooms they can use to get to the school quickly; Harry summons
them. With a final request that Rosmerta send word to the
Ministry, Dumbledore and Harry set off into the night.
In flight, Harry nervously glances at Dumbledore, wary of the
weaken wizard’s balance and stamina. However, he notes the sight
of the Dark Mark worked like a stimulant and Dumbledore is back
to business, no trace of his earlier bout with poison.
Harry then stares ahead of him at the glaring Dark Mark and
worries, thoughts running wild through the halls where he fears
his friends lie dead.
the Mark to be set over the school, or was it Neville, or Luna,
or some other member of the D.A.? And if it was...he was the one
who had told them to patrol the corridors, he had asked them to
leave the safety of their beds...Would he be responsible, again,
for the death of a friend?"
Dumbledore disengages the enchantments he himself had placed over
the school to protect it in his absence so he and Harry can fly
directly to the site of the Dark Mark.
They land on the Astronomy Tower to find no trace of a struggle,
no sign of a body. Harry wonders what it means. Gripping his
chest with his blackened hand, Dumbledore urges Harry to go
retrieve Snape. Harry starts to protest, but Dumbledore reminds
him of the promise he required of Harry before their trip.
your word?”
But as Harry makes his way to the door, they hear footsteps on
the other side. Someone is coming up the stairs! Just as Harry
backs away, the door bursts open and someone shouts a Disarming
Charm at Dumbledore. At the same time, Harry falls back against
the wall under his Invisibility Cloak, frozen in place. In the
time it took for Dumbledore to freeze Harry, he left himself
vulnerable to the attack. Now Dumbledore is wandless against his
foe.
As the attacker steps into the glaring light left by the floating
Mark, Harry sees its Draco Malfoy. He’s done it! He found a way
to release Death Eaters into the school. Right now, they are
below in the halls waging a battle against some of Dumbledore’s
guardians. Draco ran along ahead to fulfill his duty. Dumbledore
looks entirely unconcerned, even as he is weakening throughout
the encounter.
As Dumbledore attempts to talk Malfoy out of completeing his
deed, trying to give the confused boy an out, we learn that Madam
Rosmerta has been under the Imperius Curse. That’s how Katie was
slipped the cursed necklace and Rosmerta was able to poison the
bottle of wine before sending it to Slughorn; Filch would not
have thought to check a bottle from Rosmerta.
Malfoy reveals that they’ve been communicating by use of
enchanted coins. He could send Rosmerta messages like the D.A.
had done last year. He also tells how he got the idea of
poisoning the wine from Hermione as well. He overheard her
reasoning it out with Harry in the library that Filch wouldn’t be
able to detect poisons.
Dumbledore admits Draco’s plan and ability to carry it out was
good. Malfoy seems bolstered by his Headmaster’s praise. But
Dumbledore adds that he knew all along that Malfoy was behind the
attacks. He had Snape investigate Draco because he dare not
approach the teen for fear LV would find out.
Malfoy yells to Dumbledore that Snape is a double agent; that
he’s been working for LV this whole time. And, still, Dumbledore
denies it.
Malfoy even reveals that the Mark was conjured to lure Dumbledore
to the school. When Dumbledore asks if that means no one has been
murdered, Malfoy reveals that someone is dead, he stepped over a
body to get up the spiral staircase to the Tower.
Dumbledore tries to convince Draco that he’s not a killer and
should just stop this charade. Malfoy, at first, tries to impress
the Headmaster with his ability to pull it all off right under
Dumbledore’s nose, but then he seems confused by the offered
leniency.
I’ve got no choice.”
I’m the one with the wand...You’re at my mercy...”
Malfoy seems weakened himself by the Headmaster’s continued
promises to help him. Harry thinks he sees Draco drop his wand by
a fraction!
But just then, four Death Eaters burst out onto the Tower. They
are gleeful to find Malfoy has disarmed and cornered Dumbledore.
We meet Amycus and Alecto Carrows and, finally, the much feared
Fenrir Greyback.
Death Eater’s robes looked uncomfortably tight. He had a voice
like none that Harry had ever heard: a rasping bark of a voice.
Harry could smell a powerful mixture of dirt, sweat, and,
unmistakably, of blood coming from him. His filthy hands had long
yellowish nails.
Harry’s heart leaps when he hears a voice call from down the
stairs. These four Death Eaters had not defeated the resistance;
they merely broke through and, apparently, created some sort of
shield blocking the Order from the stairs.
At the sound of spells being cast at their blockade, the other
DEs urge Draco to get it over with and finish Dumbledore. Fenrir
takes a step to do it himself, but is blasted out of the way by
the nameless fourth DE. Alecto pleads for Draco to stand aside,
interrupting the scorned werewolf’s rage.
Suddenly, Snape appears in the doorway. The other DEs recognize
him and immediately yield to his leadership, explaining the
situation to him. But Dumbledore has plans of his own, and calls
out to Snape himself.
pleading.
a word. Even the werewolf seemed cowed.
And that’s it. Snape does the deed. Harry’s torture in having to
just stand by and watch as another loved one is wiped out in
front of his eyes ends nightmarishly for everyone.
Severus Snape kills Albus Dumbledore.
water onto the nearest boulder. He concentrates like he’s never
concentrated before on his destination: Hogsmeade. They arrive
dripping wet and shivering in the middle of High Street.
And this from an unlicensed, underqualified teenage wizard...
imagine what he could do if Dumbledore had actually taken the
time to train him.
Harry just then recognizes the aching stitch in his chest and
whispers to Dumbledore that they’ve been successful. Dumbledore’s
only response is a stagger, followed closely by a full-out
collapse.
Harry panics. All he can think of is that he must get Dumbledore
to the Hospital Wing, but when he mentions Madame Pomfrey,
Dumbledore begs off. He insists that it’s Snape he needs most now.
At this point, before we learned the truth of Snape’s story,
every reader was like: (gasp) ‘No! Not Snape!!’
Rosmerta rushes out to help them. She’s relieved at first to see
them; she’s of the mind that they’re the cavalry, but then stops
short when she realizes Dumbledore is hurt.
When Dumbledore asks what’s happened, she points towards Hogwarts
where the sickly-green Skull and Snake of the Dark Mark glitters
menacingly over the ramparts. Harry feels his stomach drop.
“There it was, hanging in the sky above the school: the blazing
green skull with a serpent tongue, the mark Death Eaters left
behind whenever they had entered a building...wherever they had
murdered...”
- Page 581, U.S. Hardcover Edition
Rosmerta tells them it appeared moments before they did. She has
brooms they can use to get to the school quickly; Harry summons
them. With a final request that Rosmerta send word to the
Ministry, Dumbledore and Harry set off into the night.
In flight, Harry nervously glances at Dumbledore, wary of the
weaken wizard’s balance and stamina. However, he notes the sight
of the Dark Mark worked like a stimulant and Dumbledore is back
to business, no trace of his earlier bout with poison.
Harry then stares ahead of him at the glaring Dark Mark and
worries, thoughts running wild through the halls where he fears
his friends lie dead.
- “How long had they been away? Had Ron, Hermione, and
the Mark to be set over the school, or was it Neville, or Luna,
or some other member of the D.A.? And if it was...he was the one
who had told them to patrol the corridors, he had asked them to
leave the safety of their beds...Would he be responsible, again,
for the death of a friend?"
- Page 582-583
Dumbledore disengages the enchantments he himself had placed over
the school to protect it in his absence so he and Harry can fly
directly to the site of the Dark Mark.
They land on the Astronomy Tower to find no trace of a struggle,
no sign of a body. Harry wonders what it means. Gripping his
chest with his blackened hand, Dumbledore urges Harry to go
retrieve Snape. Harry starts to protest, but Dumbledore reminds
him of the promise he required of Harry before their trip.
- “Be sure to understand me, Harry. I mean that you must follow
your word?”
- “I – yes, of course.”
- Page 551
But as Harry makes his way to the door, they hear footsteps on
the other side. Someone is coming up the stairs! Just as Harry
backs away, the door bursts open and someone shouts a Disarming
Charm at Dumbledore. At the same time, Harry falls back against
the wall under his Invisibility Cloak, frozen in place. In the
time it took for Dumbledore to freeze Harry, he left himself
vulnerable to the attack. Now Dumbledore is wandless against his
foe.
As the attacker steps into the glaring light left by the floating
Mark, Harry sees its Draco Malfoy. He’s done it! He found a way
to release Death Eaters into the school. Right now, they are
below in the halls waging a battle against some of Dumbledore’s
guardians. Draco ran along ahead to fulfill his duty. Dumbledore
looks entirely unconcerned, even as he is weakening throughout
the encounter.
As Dumbledore attempts to talk Malfoy out of completeing his
deed, trying to give the confused boy an out, we learn that Madam
Rosmerta has been under the Imperius Curse. That’s how Katie was
slipped the cursed necklace and Rosmerta was able to poison the
bottle of wine before sending it to Slughorn; Filch would not
have thought to check a bottle from Rosmerta.
Malfoy reveals that they’ve been communicating by use of
enchanted coins. He could send Rosmerta messages like the D.A.
had done last year. He also tells how he got the idea of
poisoning the wine from Hermione as well. He overheard her
reasoning it out with Harry in the library that Filch wouldn’t be
able to detect poisons.
Dumbledore admits Draco’s plan and ability to carry it out was
good. Malfoy seems bolstered by his Headmaster’s praise. But
Dumbledore adds that he knew all along that Malfoy was behind the
attacks. He had Snape investigate Draco because he dare not
approach the teen for fear LV would find out.
Malfoy yells to Dumbledore that Snape is a double agent; that
he’s been working for LV this whole time. And, still, Dumbledore
denies it.
Malfoy even reveals that the Mark was conjured to lure Dumbledore
to the school. When Dumbledore asks if that means no one has been
murdered, Malfoy reveals that someone is dead, he stepped over a
body to get up the spiral staircase to the Tower.
Dumbledore tries to convince Draco that he’s not a killer and
should just stop this charade. Malfoy, at first, tries to impress
the Headmaster with his ability to pull it all off right under
Dumbledore’s nose, but then he seems confused by the offered
leniency.
- “No, you can’t,” said Malfoy, his wand hand shaking very
I’ve got no choice.”
- “... Come over to the right side, Draco...you are not a
- Malfoy stared at Dumbledore.
“But I got this far, didn’t I?” he said slowly. “They thought
I’m the one with the wand...You’re at my mercy...”
- “No, Draco,” said Dumbledore quietly. “It is my mercy, and
- Page 591-592
Malfoy seems weakened himself by the Headmaster’s continued
promises to help him. Harry thinks he sees Draco drop his wand by
a fraction!
But just then, four Death Eaters burst out onto the Tower. They
are gleeful to find Malfoy has disarmed and cornered Dumbledore.
We meet Amycus and Alecto Carrows and, finally, the much feared
Fenrir Greyback.
- “Do it,” said the stranger standing nearest to Harry, a
Death Eater’s robes looked uncomfortably tight. He had a voice
like none that Harry had ever heard: a rasping bark of a voice.
Harry could smell a powerful mixture of dirt, sweat, and,
unmistakably, of blood coming from him. His filthy hands had long
yellowish nails.
- “Is that you, Fenrir?” asked Dumbledore.
“That’s right,” rasped the other. “Pleased to see me,
- “No, I cannot say that I am.”
Greyback grinned, showing pointed teeth. Blood trickled
- “But you know how much I like kids, Dumbledore.”
- Page 593
Harry’s heart leaps when he hears a voice call from down the
stairs. These four Death Eaters had not defeated the resistance;
they merely broke through and, apparently, created some sort of
shield blocking the Order from the stairs.
At the sound of spells being cast at their blockade, the other
DEs urge Draco to get it over with and finish Dumbledore. Fenrir
takes a step to do it himself, but is blasted out of the way by
the nameless fourth DE. Alecto pleads for Draco to stand aside,
interrupting the scorned werewolf’s rage.
Suddenly, Snape appears in the doorway. The other DEs recognize
him and immediately yield to his leadership, explaining the
situation to him. But Dumbledore has plans of his own, and calls
out to Snape himself.
- The sound frightened Harry beyond anything he had
pleading.
- Snape said nothing, but walked forward and pushed Malfoy
a word. Even the werewolf seemed cowed.
- Snape gazed for a moment at Dumbledore, and there was
- “Severus...please...”
- Page 595
And that’s it. Snape does the deed. Harry’s torture in having to
just stand by and watch as another loved one is wiped out in
front of his eyes ends nightmarishly for everyone.
Severus Snape kills Albus Dumbledore.
This one’s hard to sum up since its all action. The key factor,
the indispensable information, Rowling’s clues to us, are laid
very subtly into the brief encounter with Snape when Harry
finally catches up to him. But we’ll get to that...
Snape seizing Malfoy and ushers him out and down the stairs,
commanding the others to leave as well. Harry vaguely realizes,
just as the last of the DEs are leaving, that he can move now and
the only thing holding him place is shock and horror. He snaps to
and curses the last DE, leaps his petrified body and races after
Snape.
Harry cannot believe what he has just witnessed. He cannot force
his brain to accept it. So he must retrieve Snape and bring him
to Dumbledore and somehow, someway it will be reversed.
He reaches the bottom of the staircase and views the chaotic
sights of a full-scale battle. Before he can even make out
who’s who, he hears Snape call to his comrades that it’s time to
leave. The deed is done.
Charging after the villain, Harry gets pounced on by Greyback and
almost bitten. He manages to get off a Body-Bind and heaves the
werewolf off of himself. Plunging once more after Snape and
Malfoy, Harry trips over two bodies lying in a pool of blood.
With no time to stop to check on them, he casts a jinx at one of
the Carrows currently shooting spells at Ginny.
Harry pelts by her, ignoring her calls and questions. He sees
Ron, Lupin, and McGonagall all fighting their own DEs; Tonks is
toe-to-toe with a big blond DE, their spells rebounding off each
other clashing into the stone walls of the castle causing debris
and smoke to fill the already chaotic scene.
As Harry charges on, he trips over something. He looks across the
rubble-strewn corridor floor and sees Neville, flat on his face,
gripping his stomach. Neville tells Harry that Snape and Malfoy
have just run by, but Harry’s already on it.
Can we take inventory for a moment? Harry’s seen Ginny, Ron,
Neville, Professor McGonagall, Lupin and Tonks. We don’t know to
worry about Luna or Bill or anyone else from the Order because we
don’t know who or how many Order/DA members are present. But
where the hell is Hermione?
I mean, Harry’s made visual contact with everyone we know is
supposed to be there, except her. He’s also tripped over two
presumably dead bodies in the hall...?!?!?! I just want you to
know that as a first time reader of this, way back when, I was
terrified and even screamed out, “WHERE IS HERMIONE!?!?!” Caspian
had to speed read the rest of the chapter out loud but it wasn’t
fast enough for me; I was nearly faint by the end of the chapter
and kept cutting in to speed things up. But that’s just a
personal aside, back to the story...
Ignoring the calls of the others to come back and the terror over
the fate and identity of the fallen bodies, Harry rushes off in
pursuit. He uses one of his short-cuts and hurtles through the
mass of Hufflepuffs just now emerging from their common room.
He skids over the rubies spilled from the broken Gryffindor House
Point hourglass, but he’s managed to overtake the Carrows. He can
now see the enormous blond DE that had been fighting Tonks, Snape
and Malfoy running across the grounds toward the gates.
The blond DE starts to battle Hagrid, and his panic over Hagrid’s
welfare urges Harry on despite his aching muscles and the searing
stitch in his chest. Suddenly, Harry goes down, slamming his face
so hard into the ground blood rushes from both nostrils. The
Carrows have caught up to him.
His jinx catches one causing the other to get tripped up as well.
Seeing that done, Harry is once again on his feet. He’s finally
within spell-reach of Snape. Checking quickly to make sure Hagrid
can handle his foe, Harry sends a stunner at
Snape’s back. The spell misses its mark.
Snape pushes Malfoy ahead and turns to face Harry. (Here’s the
important bit, pay close attention.) Snape deflects all Harry’s
attempts to use the Cruciatus Curse, so forcefully it knocks
Harry to the ground. Behind him, Harry hears Hagrid’s home go up
in flames with Fang still inside.
Harry attempts to Crucio the blond DE, but Snape stops him.
the trapped Fang. “You haven’t got the nerve or the ability –”
would you call him, I wonder?”
Snape doesn’t leave Hogwarts until he gives Harry one final
lesson. And he only reacts when Harry calls him a coward.
deflecting the curse once more.
Snape even stops the other DE from using the Cruciatus on Harry.
Snape reminds him the LV has laid claim to Potter’s life and
death and the DEs are not to intervene. If Snape was truly evil,
if he really didn’t care about Harrry, he wouldn’t have said
anything.
Harry pops up, still reeling from the torture he had assumed
Snape was inflicting, and attempts to throw the Sectumsempra
curse at Snape’s back. He blocks it, reeling around once more,
face full of rage.
Taking heart to the lesson, even if it is unwittingly, Harry
thinks of the incantation. The skilled Legilimens seems to know
what Harry is trying and throws him backward. Harry hits the
ground so hard his wand flies from his grasp.
Snape reveals that he is the Half-Blood Prince and is enraged
that Harry would try to use his own inventions against him, just
like Harry’s filthy father had done. Harry makes a dive for his
wand, but Snape stops him again. At a loss, and not caring about
the outcome, Harry yells at Snape to do it, to kill him.
”
yelping, howling dog stuck in the burning house behind them –
“CALL ME COWARD!”
backward into the ground. Spots of light burst in front of his
eyes and for a moment all the breath seemed to have gone from his
body, then he heard a rush of wings above him and something
enormous obscured the stars.
It was Buckbeak! The sometime-‘Witherwings’ chases Snape away
from Harry, saving the boy’s life - withered no more. Harry
searches for his wand, but even as he pats blindly in the grass,
he knows he is too late...Snape has gotten away.
Harry calls out to Hagrid and sees him emerge from the flaming
hut with Fang on his shoulders. Harry collapses to the ground,
every limb shaking, out of breath, muscles and bruises aching,
head still reeling from that last strike with the ground.
Hagrid worries over him, placing the quivering and singed Fang
beside Harry on the lawn. Both a bit roughed up, they are
essentially fine. Together, they put out the fire.
Hagrid comments that it’s nothing Dumbledore can’t fix. Harry
struggles to tell him what’s happened. When Harry finally gets it
out, it is clear Hagrid is worried Harry hit his head one too
many times this night. It can’t be true; it’s impossible.
As Hagrid and Harry make their way back to the school, they see a
crowd of the just-now awakening student body lingering at the
base of the tallest tower. Hagrid and Harry make their way over.
Hagrid finally sees it with his own eyes and lets out a loud moan
of anguish. Harry drops to his knees beside the would-be sleeping
Headmaster and adjusts the glasses that have come askew. He then
wipes a bit of blood from Dumbledore’s lips.
would Dumbledore speak to him, never again could he help...
Harry notices he’s kneeling on something hard and, looking down,
realizes the Locket has fallen from the Headmaster’s pocket. He
knows immediately that there is something wrong.
Open from the force of the fall, the locket is neither as large
as the Locket in the memory had been nor does it bear an ornate
S, the mark of Slytherin. Without much forethought, Harry takes
out and unfolds the piece of parchment stuck in the Locket where
a photo should have been and reads it.
Dumbledore had weakened himself, had died for nothing.
the indispensable information, Rowling’s clues to us, are laid
very subtly into the brief encounter with Snape when Harry
finally catches up to him. But we’ll get to that...
Snape seizing Malfoy and ushers him out and down the stairs,
commanding the others to leave as well. Harry vaguely realizes,
just as the last of the DEs are leaving, that he can move now and
the only thing holding him place is shock and horror. He snaps to
and curses the last DE, leaps his petrified body and races after
Snape.
Harry cannot believe what he has just witnessed. He cannot force
his brain to accept it. So he must retrieve Snape and bring him
to Dumbledore and somehow, someway it will be reversed.
He reaches the bottom of the staircase and views the chaotic
sights of a full-scale battle. Before he can even make out
who’s who, he hears Snape call to his comrades that it’s time to
leave. The deed is done.
Charging after the villain, Harry gets pounced on by Greyback and
almost bitten. He manages to get off a Body-Bind and heaves the
werewolf off of himself. Plunging once more after Snape and
Malfoy, Harry trips over two bodies lying in a pool of blood.
With no time to stop to check on them, he casts a jinx at one of
the Carrows currently shooting spells at Ginny.
Harry pelts by her, ignoring her calls and questions. He sees
Ron, Lupin, and McGonagall all fighting their own DEs; Tonks is
toe-to-toe with a big blond DE, their spells rebounding off each
other clashing into the stone walls of the castle causing debris
and smoke to fill the already chaotic scene.
As Harry charges on, he trips over something. He looks across the
rubble-strewn corridor floor and sees Neville, flat on his face,
gripping his stomach. Neville tells Harry that Snape and Malfoy
have just run by, but Harry’s already on it.
Can we take inventory for a moment? Harry’s seen Ginny, Ron,
Neville, Professor McGonagall, Lupin and Tonks. We don’t know to
worry about Luna or Bill or anyone else from the Order because we
don’t know who or how many Order/DA members are present. But
where the hell is Hermione?
I mean, Harry’s made visual contact with everyone we know is
supposed to be there, except her. He’s also tripped over two
presumably dead bodies in the hall...?!?!?! I just want you to
know that as a first time reader of this, way back when, I was
terrified and even screamed out, “WHERE IS HERMIONE!?!?!” Caspian
had to speed read the rest of the chapter out loud but it wasn’t
fast enough for me; I was nearly faint by the end of the chapter
and kept cutting in to speed things up. But that’s just a
personal aside, back to the story...
Ignoring the calls of the others to come back and the terror over
the fate and identity of the fallen bodies, Harry rushes off in
pursuit. He uses one of his short-cuts and hurtles through the
mass of Hufflepuffs just now emerging from their common room.
He skids over the rubies spilled from the broken Gryffindor House
Point hourglass, but he’s managed to overtake the Carrows. He can
now see the enormous blond DE that had been fighting Tonks, Snape
and Malfoy running across the grounds toward the gates.
The blond DE starts to battle Hagrid, and his panic over Hagrid’s
welfare urges Harry on despite his aching muscles and the searing
stitch in his chest. Suddenly, Harry goes down, slamming his face
so hard into the ground blood rushes from both nostrils. The
Carrows have caught up to him.
His jinx catches one causing the other to get tripped up as well.
Seeing that done, Harry is once again on his feet. He’s finally
within spell-reach of Snape. Checking quickly to make sure Hagrid
can handle his foe, Harry sends a stunner at
Snape’s back. The spell misses its mark.
Snape pushes Malfoy ahead and turns to face Harry. (Here’s the
important bit, pay close attention.) Snape deflects all Harry’s
attempts to use the Cruciatus Curse, so forcefully it knocks
Harry to the ground. Behind him, Harry hears Hagrid’s home go up
in flames with Fang still inside.
Harry attempts to Crucio the blond DE, but Snape stops him.
- “No Unforgivable Curses from you, Potter!” he shouted over
the trapped Fang. “You haven’t got the nerve or the ability –”
- “Incarc –” Harry roared, but Snape deflected the spell
- “Fight back!” Harry screamed at him. “Fight back, you
- “Coward, did you call me, Potter?” shouted Snape. “Your
would you call him, I wonder?”
- Page 602-603, U.S. Hardcover Edition
Snape doesn’t leave Hogwarts until he gives Harry one final
lesson. And he only reacts when Harry calls him a coward.
- “Blocked again and again and again until you learn to keep
deflecting the curse once more.
- Page 603
Snape even stops the other DE from using the Cruciatus on Harry.
Snape reminds him the LV has laid claim to Potter’s life and
death and the DEs are not to intervene. If Snape was truly evil,
if he really didn’t care about Harrry, he wouldn’t have said
anything.
Harry pops up, still reeling from the torture he had assumed
Snape was inflicting, and attempts to throw the Sectumsempra
curse at Snape’s back. He blocks it, reeling around once more,
face full of rage.
Taking heart to the lesson, even if it is unwittingly, Harry
thinks of the incantation. The skilled Legilimens seems to know
what Harry is trying and throws him backward. Harry hits the
ground so hard his wand flies from his grasp.
Snape reveals that he is the Half-Blood Prince and is enraged
that Harry would try to use his own inventions against him, just
like Harry’s filthy father had done. Harry makes a dive for his
wand, but Snape stops him again. At a loss, and not caring about
the outcome, Harry yells at Snape to do it, to kill him.
- “Kill me then,” panted Harry, who felt no fear at all, but
”
- “DON’T –” screamed Snape, and his face was suddenly
yelping, howling dog stuck in the burning house behind them –
“CALL ME COWARD!”
- And he slashed at the air: Harry felt a white-hot,
backward into the ground. Spots of light burst in front of his
eyes and for a moment all the breath seemed to have gone from his
body, then he heard a rush of wings above him and something
enormous obscured the stars.
- Page 604
It was Buckbeak! The sometime-‘Witherwings’ chases Snape away
from Harry, saving the boy’s life - withered no more. Harry
searches for his wand, but even as he pats blindly in the grass,
he knows he is too late...Snape has gotten away.
Harry calls out to Hagrid and sees him emerge from the flaming
hut with Fang on his shoulders. Harry collapses to the ground,
every limb shaking, out of breath, muscles and bruises aching,
head still reeling from that last strike with the ground.
Hagrid worries over him, placing the quivering and singed Fang
beside Harry on the lawn. Both a bit roughed up, they are
essentially fine. Together, they put out the fire.
Hagrid comments that it’s nothing Dumbledore can’t fix. Harry
struggles to tell him what’s happened. When Harry finally gets it
out, it is clear Hagrid is worried Harry hit his head one too
many times this night. It can’t be true; it’s impossible.
As Hagrid and Harry make their way back to the school, they see a
crowd of the just-now awakening student body lingering at the
base of the tallest tower. Hagrid and Harry make their way over.
Hagrid finally sees it with his own eyes and lets out a loud moan
of anguish. Harry drops to his knees beside the would-be sleeping
Headmaster and adjusts the glasses that have come askew. He then
wipes a bit of blood from Dumbledore’s lips.
- Then he gazed down at the wise old face and tried to
would Dumbledore speak to him, never again could he help...
- Page 609
Harry notices he’s kneeling on something hard and, looking down,
realizes the Locket has fallen from the Headmaster’s pocket. He
knows immediately that there is something wrong.
Open from the force of the fall, the locket is neither as large
as the Locket in the memory had been nor does it bear an ornate
S, the mark of Slytherin. Without much forethought, Harry takes
out and unfolds the piece of parchment stuck in the Locket where
a photo should have been and reads it.
Dumbledore had weakened himself, had died for nothing.
| To the Dark Lord I know I will be dead long before you read this But I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, You will be mortal once more. R.A.B. |
| Chapter 27: The Lightning-Struck Tower |
| Chapter 28: Flight of the Prince |
