( June '97 )

A lot happened in the past five months. Cassandra and Harry were busier than ever. They faced many many challenges, ones that made them stronger.

Now, here they were, walking up to the Astronomy tower getting ready to meet up with Professor Dumbledore. They had no clue what was about to happen, but they did know that it had to do something with the Horcruxes.

They reached Dumbledore, who was looking out upon the balcony.

"Oh, Harry, Cassandra!" Dumbledore said, facing the twins. "You need to shave my friend."

Dumbledore looked at Harry and Cassandra chuckled.

"You know at times, I forget how much you have grown." Dumbledore said. "At times I still see the small boy from the cupboard or the outgoing girl that would greet me before I even entered the house. Forgive my mawkishness. I'm an old man."

"You still look the same to me, sir." Cassandra said.

"Just like your mother, you are unfailingly kind." Dumbledore said. "A trait people never fail to undervalue, I'm afraid. The place to which we journey tonight is extremely dangerous. I promise the both of you for the company of me and I stand by that promise. But there is one condition, you must obey every command I give you without question."

"Yes, sir." The twins answered.

"You do understand what I'm saying?" Dumbledore said. "If I tell you to hide, you hide. Should I tell you to run, you run. Should I tell you to abandon me and save yourself, you must do so. Your word?"

"My word." The twins answered.

"Take my arm." Dumbledore held out his arm.

"Sir, I thought you couldn't apparate within Hogwarts." Harry hesitantly said.

"Well, being me has it's privileges." Dumbledore said.

Harry and Cassandra took Dumbledore's arms as they apparated to a place unknown to the twins. They landed on a rock, water surrounding them with no way out but apparating. A big mountain stood behind them. They enter the cave, careful to not misplace their steps.

"This is the place, oh yes." Dumbledore said. "This place has known magic."

Dumbledore took out a knife and went to make a slit on his hand.

"Sir!" Harry exclaimed.

"In order to gain passage, payment must be made." Dumbledore said. "Payment intended to weaken any intruder."

"You should've let one of us." Harry gestured to Cassandra and him.

"Oh no, Harry." Dumbledore said. "Both of your blood is much more precious than mine.

Dumbledore wiped his hand on the cave wall, making an opening. They made their way inside, stopping at a cauldron. Inside the cauldron is the Horcrux, but they can't reach it without drinking the potion of despair.

"It has to be drunk." Dumbledore said. "All of it has to be drunk. Do you remember the conditions on which I bought you both with me? This potion might paralyze me. I may forget why I'm here. It may cause so much pain that I beg for relief. You are not to indulge this. It's your job to make sure I keep drinking the potion. Even if you have to force it down my throat. Understood?"

"Why can't one of us drink it?" Cassandra asked.

"Because I am much older, much cleverer, and I am less valuable." Dumbledore answered.

Dumbledore took the odd shaped cup, and plunged it into the potion. He raised it to his lips and drank it. Dumbledore fell to the ground struggling, and the twins scrambled to help him.

"Professor, can you hear me? Professor?" Harry asked, scared. "Cassandra fill this up with the potion. I'll feed it to him."

Cassandra walked over to the cauldron, taking another full cup of the potion. Cassandra walked carefully over to Harry and passed him the cup. Harry shoved it into Dumbledore's mouth. They do a couple more rounds, and soon there's only a cup left.

"There's only one cup left. Will you drink it?" Cassandra asked, passing the cup to Harry.

Dumbledore shakes his head no, and Harry pleads. After a couple of 'pleases' Dumbledore opens his mouth, letting Harry feed him the final cup of the potion.

"Water please." Dumbledore demanded.

Harry tries to scoop up the water but fails. An inferius popped up and soon dozens popped up. Dumbledore conjured fire and whipped it around them, creating a sort of whirlpool of fire. Soon Dumbledore apparated them back into the Astronomy tower.

"C'mon we've got to get you to Madam Pomfrey." Harry told Dumbledore.

"Leave me here." Dumbledore instructed, and a bang came from the side of the tower. "Go hide underneath."

Cassandra and Harry ran down towards the lower level, watching as Draco Malfoy entered the room above.

"Draco, years ago, I knew a boy who made all the wrong choices." Dumbledore said. Please let me help you."

"I don't want your help." Draco said. "Don't you understand? I have to do this! I have to kill you. Or he's going to kill me! He will also kill her!"

Cassandra was shocked at what Draco was saying. Who was the girl he spoke of? Was it the girl he was in love with?

"Expelliarmus." Draco said.

"Well, look what we have here." Bellatrix said. "Well done Draco!"

"Good evening Bellatrix." Dumbledore said. "I think introductions are in order, don't you?"

"Love to, Albus. But I'm afraid we're on a bit of a tight schedule." Bellatrix said. "This is your moment. Do it!"

Snape slipped in, noticing Harry and Cassandra. He knew Cassandra would hate him for what he was about to do. Snape raised a finger to his lips, signaling for Cassandra and Harry to be quiet.

"Go on Draco." Bellatrix urged. "Now!"

"No." Snape stepped up behind Draco, causing Draco to turn around and lower his wand.

The twin noticed that Dumbledore stole a glance at them.

"Severus, please." Dumbledore said.

"Avada Kedavra." Snape aimed at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore fell off the railing.

Harry and Cassandra ran after Snape, while Bellatrix trashed the Great Hall. As Bellatrix destroyed the windows, in Draco's eyes laid fear and sadness.

The death eaters made their way outdoors and Bellatrix lit Hagrid's hut on fire.

"Snape!" Harry yelled. "They trusted you!"

Snape and Draco stopped and looked at the twins.

"Go on." Snape told Draco.

Harry launched a spell at Snape, while Cassandra stood behind him. Snape blocked the spell.

"Fight back!" Harry said. "You coward! Fight back!"

"Sectumsempra!" Harry yelled, this time using a different spell.

"You dare use my own spell against me Potter?" Snape said. "Yes, I am the Half-Blood Prince."

Snape walked away, leaving two sad teenagers.

Today was the day that changed everything.

~~

"Draco." Hermione breathed.

"No." Cassandra said a little too quickly. "He was lowering his wand. In the end, it was Snape. It was always Snape. You could see the sadness in Draco's eyes. He didn't want to do it but he wanted to save himself and I'm assuming the girl he loves."

Harry gave the locket to Hermione.

"It's fake." Harry said. "Open it."

"To the dark lord." Hermione read. "I know I'll 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 hopes that when you meet your match, that you'll be mortal once more. RAB. RAB?"

"Don't know." Harry said. "But whoever they are, they have the real Horcrux. Means that it was all a waste. All of it."

"Ron's okay with it, you know." Hermione said. "You and Ginny. If I were you and he's around, I'd keep the snogging to a minimum."

"We're not coming back next year, Hermione." Cassandra said.

"We've got to finish whatever Dumbledore started and we don't know where that'll lead us." Harry said. "But, we'll let you and Ron know where we are when we can."

"I've always admired your courage." Hermione said. "But sometimes you two can be really thick. Don't really think that you're going to be able to find all these Horcruxes with just the two of you? You guys need us."

Cassandra looked out on the balcony. She couldn't believe just how much had changed in the past day. Everything was different now. Sixth year ended in a very unexpected way.