Soon Molly, Arthur, and Fleur were marching in. "Molly—Arthur—" Professor McGonagall says jumping up and hurrying to greet them. "I am so sorry—"

"Bill," Mrs. Weasley whispers darting past Professor McGonagall as she caught sight of Bill's mangled face. "Oh, Bill!" Lupin, Tonks, Blaise, and I move to retreat allowing them to take our places. Mrs. Weasley bends over her son and pressed her lips to his bloody forehead.

"You said Greyback attacked him?" Mr. Weasley asks Professor McGonagall distractedly. "But he hadn't transformed? So what does that mean? What will happen to Bill?"

"We don't yet know," Professor McGonagall says looking helplessly at Lupin.

"There will probably be some contamination, Arthur," Lupin says, "It is an odd case, possibly unique... We don't know what his behavior might be like when he awakens..." Mrs. Weasley takes the nasty-smelling ointment from Madam Pomfrey and begins dabbing at Bill's wounds.

"And Dumbledore..." Mr. Weasley says . "Minerva, is it true... Is he really...?"

As Professor McGonagall nods we all sadly shift. Blaise tightens his hold on my hand reminding me he was holding onto it.

"Dumbledore gone," whispers Mr. Weasley, but Mrs. Weasley had eyes only for her eldest son; she began to sob, tears falling onto Bill's mutilated face.

"Of course, it doesn't matter how he looks... It's not r-really important... but he was a very handsome little b-boy... always very handsome... and he was g-going to be married!"

"And what do you mean by zat?" Fleur asks suddenly and loudly. "What do you mean, ''e was going to be married?'"

Mrs. Weasley raises her tear-stained face, looking startled. "Well—only that—"

"You theenk Bill will not wish to marry me anymore?" demands Fleur. "You theenk, because of these bites, he will not love me?"

"Can we not do this now?" I ask them looking up.

"No, that's not what I—"

"Because 'e will!" Fleur says drawing herself up to her full height and throwing back her long mane of silver hair. "It would take more zan a werewolf to stop Bill loving me!"

"Well, yes, I'm sure," Mrs. Weasley says, "but I thought perhaps—given how—how he—"

"You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or per'aps, you hoped?" Fleur says, her nostrils flaring. "What do I care how he looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave! And I shall do zat!" she adds fiercely, pushing Mrs. Weasley aside and snatching the ointment from her. Mrs. Weasley falls back against her husband and watches Fleur mopping up Bill's wounds with a most curious expression upon her face.

"Our Great-Auntie Muriel," Mrs. Weasley says after a long pause, "has a very beautiful tiara—goblin-made—which I am sure I could persuade her to lend you for the wedding. She is very fond of Bill, you know, and it would look lovely with your hair."

Thank you," said Fleur stiffly. "I am sure zat will be lovely."

"You see!" Tonks says in a strained voice. She is glaring daggers at Lupin. "She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!"

"It's different," Lupin says barely moving his lips and looking suddenly tense. "Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely—"

"But I don't care either, I don't care!" Tonks says, seizing the front of Lupin's robes and shaking them. "I've told you a million times..."

"And I've told you a million times," Lupin says refusing to meet her eyes, staring at the floor, "that I am too old for you, too poor... too dangerous..."

"I've said all along you're taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus," Mrs. Weasley says over Fleur's shoulder as she pats her on the back.

"I am not being ridiculous," Lupin says steadily. "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole."

"But she wants you," Mr. Weasley says , with a small smile. "And after all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so."

"This is... not the moment to discuss it," Lupin says, avoiding everybody's eyes. I stand up and rush away.

"I'll go with her," Blaise says quickly as he runs after me. Another voice cuts through.

"She's had a hard time recently," McGonagall says slightly, "I assume the Malfoy situation isn't making it any better." As I get into the dark sad hallway Blaise reaches out to me and I snap around.

"Why do you keep helping me?" I ask him, "because you feel bad? Because I'm so pathetic?" He chuckles slightly. "You think that's funny?!"

"Yeah because you're acting ridiculous," he says, "I'm helping you because we are friends. Now get over yourself. Okay? So you choose. Do you want me to take you to the dorm or would you like to stay with your family?"

"I'll stay with my family," I say to him. "Thanks for hitting me with that sense." He smiles then offers a hand and leads me back inside the hospital wing. As I sit down he leans against the wall.

"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world," Professor McGonagall says curtly, just as the hospital doors open again and Hagrid walks in. The little of his face that was not obscured by hair or beard was soaking and swollen; he was shaking with tears, a vast, spotted handkerchief in his hand.

"I've... I've done it, Professor," he chokes. "M-moved him. Professor Sprout's got the kids back in bed. Professor Flitwick's lyin' down, but he says he'll be all righ' in a jiffy, an' Professor Slughorn says the Ministry's bin informed."

"Thank you, Hagrid," Professor McGonagall says, standing up at once and turning to look at the group around Bill's bed. "I shall have to see the Ministry when they get here. Hagrid, please tell the Heads of Houses—Slughorn can represent Slytherin—that I want to see them in my office forthwith. I would like you to join us too." As Hagrid nods ,turns, and shuffled out of the room again, she looks down at Harry. "Before I meet them I would like a quick word with you, Harry. If you'll come with me..."

"See you in a bit," Harry says. I watch as they walk out and Ron looks to me.

"No more Malfoy?" He asks softly and I nod.

"I've never broke up with a guy by threatening to kill him the next time I see him," I chuckle dryly, "let's just say I didn't take it well."

"He's not worth it," Ginny says and I sigh.

"I suppose not," I say, "call me childish but I really loved him. A part of me wishes he and I could have a future."

"Maybe there is a chance," Blaise says, "I know he really loves you."

"I don't know," I say, "I don't know if I could forgive him ya know. Besides I don't have time to deal with it. There is a war going on and I don't know if either of us will even make it out alive."

"You are a grim child," Tonks says as looks over to me. I sigh.

"Yeah well with my life experiences that's all I really can be," I say to her.

"You kids ought to head to bed," Molly says as she turns to us, "you've had a long day."

"Yeah," I sigh, "Blaise walk with me?"

"Of course," He says getting up. I look to the others and nod.

"Goodnight," I say to them all, "please be careful." After a stream of goodbyes Blaise and I return to the dungeon. As we reach the split between the girls and guys dorm I follow him. As we get into his dorm I curl up in Draco's bed. The other boys look over at me but I ignore them to sleep myself. For the first time in months I had a dreamless sleep.

****

Left and right students were leaving the school. Their parents dragging them away for fear of their safety. Of course, Harry and I didn't have the worry or Luxury. Besides seeing as I'm Of age anyways even if I had parents I could refuse to leave. On top of everything the head mistress of Beaxubtons was here and a group of ministry officials to decide the fate of everything at Hogwarts.

"...so eet ees lucky 'e is marrying me," Fleur says happily, plumping up Bill's pillows, "because ze British overcook their meat, I 'ave always said tho." We all we're back in the hospital wing. Even Blaise was here his hands resting on my shoulders as he watches the others in the room.

"So this boy?" Bill says looking up at Blaise. "Is?"

"Blaise Zabaini," I say to them, "he's a good friend of mine."

"Hello it's nice to meet you," Blaise says respectfully.

"That's Bill the oldest Weasley, and Fleur she was a champion in the Goblet Of Fire if you remember. She is Bill's fiancé. Molly Weasley. My god mother. You know the students and Lupin. And that is Tonks," I say going through the people in the room, "Bill is my second favorite Weasley child."

"Who's your first?" Bill asks.

"Charlie," I say smiling at him, "but that's a given."

"I'm a little offended," Ginny says folding her arms over her chest.

"Well sucks," I say smirking at her, "besides I knew Mikey was your favorite Cultven."

"Yeah," She says smiling. I nod. As I look back to Bill, Ron looks to me slightly upset.

"Wait where am I on this list?" Ron asks and I smirk.

"It goes Charlie, Bill, Ginny, George, Fred, You, then Percy," I say to him, "happy?"

"What I'm second to last?!" Ron exclaims, "Wait do you mean?!"

"Yep sucks," I say to him and they others chuckle.

"My my," Molly says, "you kids sure are chipper."

Hours later when it was just us kids ,minus Blaise, sitting in the Gryffindor common room. Ginny finally sighs breaking the silence.

"I suppose I'm just going to have to accept that he really is going to marry her," Ginny says as we sit beside the open window of the Gryffindor common room, looking out over the twilit grounds.

"She's not that bad," Harry says, "Ugly, though," he adds hastily, as Ginny raises her eyebrows, and she let out a reluctant giggle.

"Well, I suppose if Mum can stand it, I can."

"She really loves him," I say to her, "they're happy."

"Anyone else we know died?" Ron asks Hermione, who was perusing the Evening Prophet.

"No," she says reprovingly, folding up the newspaper. "They're still looking for Snape but no sign..."

"Of course there isn't," Harry says, who became
angry every time this subject cropped up. "They won't find Snape till they find Voldemort, and seeing as they've never managed to do that in all this time..."

"I'm going to go to bed," yawns Ginny. "I haven't been sleeping that well since... well... I could do with some sleep."

She kisses Harry then waves at the at the rest of us before departing for the girls' dormitories.

"Harry, I found something out this morning, in the library," Hermione says.

"R.A.B.?" Harry asks, sitting up straight.

No," she says sadly, "I've been trying, Harry, but I haven't found anything... There are a couple of reasonably well-known wizards with those initials—Rosalind Antigone Bungs... Rupert 'Axebanger' Brookstanton... but they don't seem to fit at all. Judging by that note, the person who stole the Horcrux knew Voldemort, and I can't find a shred of evidence that Bungs or Axebanger ever had anything to do with him... No, actually, it's about... well, Snape."

"What about him?" asks Harry heavily, slumping back in his chair.

"Well, it's just that I was sort of right about the Half-Blood Prince business," she says tentatively.

"D'you have to rub it in, Hermione? How d'you think I feel about that now?"

"No—no—Harry, I didn't mean that!" she says hastily, looking around to check that they were not being overheard. "It's just that I was right about Eileen Prince once owning the book. You see... she was Snape's mother!"

"I thought she wasn't much of a looker," Ron says. Hermione ignores him.

"I was going through the rest of the old Prophets and there was a tiny announcement about Eileen Prince marrying a man called Tobias Snape, and then later an announcement saying that she'd given birth to a—"

"—murderer," Harry hisses.

"Well... yes," Hermione says. "So... I was sort of right. Snape must have been proud of being 'half a Prince,' you see? Tobias Snape was a Muggle from what it said in the Prophet."

Yeah, that fits," Harry says. "He'd play up the pure-blood side so he could get in with Lucius Malfoy and the rest of them... He's just like Voldemort. Pure-blood mother, Muggle father... ashamed of his parentage, trying to make himself feared using the Dark Arts, gave himself an impressive new name—Lord Voldemort—the Half-Blood Prince—how could Dumbledore have missed—?"

"I still don't get why he didn't turn you in for using that book," Ron says, "He must've known where you were getting it all from."

"He knew," said Harry bitterly. "He knew when I used Sectumsempra. He didn't really need Legilimency... He might even have known before then, with Slughorn talking about how brilliant I was at Potions... Shouldn't have left his old book in the bottom of that cupboard, should he?"

"But why didn't he turn you in?"

"I don't think he wanted to associate himself with that book," Hermione says, "I don't think Dumbledore would have liked it very much if he'd known. And even if Snape pretended it hadn't been his, Slughorn would have recognized his writing at once. Anyway, the book was left in Snape's old classroom, and I'll bet Dumbledore knew his mother was called 'Prince.'"

"I should've shown the book to Dumbledore," Harry says. "All that time he was showing me how Voldemort was evil even when he was at school, and I had proof Snape was too—"

"Have they found Draco yet?" I ask sitting up. They all look to me and Hermione sighs folding the Daily Prophet.

"Gone too," she says, "as if he and Snaps disappeared." I sigh before redirecting my focus to outside the window.

"I'd love to go flying soon," I mumble sadly, "it's been a while." As it grows quiet I look to Harry. My whole appearance more sad and worn.

"He wouldn't of done it ya know," Harry says. "Draco. He was putting his wand down."

"I know," I say as I stand up, "but he kept it up. He only hesitated." As I walk towards the exit I turn back to them. "I'm going to the pitch. I need to clear my head."

****

The next day was a burial. All of us students were expected to be respectfully. Blaise and I walk beside Slughorn as we walk towards the service. He and I file into the chairs with the other students. Taking spots by Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione. As I look around I see everyone I've met over these years. If under different circumstances I would be delighted to see most of them. But this occasion wasn't a happy thing. After a bit Hagrid sadly walks down the aisle in between the groups of chairs. He was holding the body wrapped in purple velvet. I stay in a state of shock. Someone the death of the famous headmaster was just now hitting me. As people step up I could tell we were in an awful spot. We couldn't hear a word people were saying. I lean onto Ron's shoulder as I watch the service. By the end I hurry towards the Weasley twins. As Fred sees me whimpering he pulls me into a hug. Stroking my back as Blaise hangs by.

"Doll," Fred says as he holds onto my tightly, "You okay?" As I draw back I shake my head.

"Honestly? Not at all," I say to them.

"I'd imagine," George says. I see Blaise lingering.

"Give me a second," I say to him. I turn to Blaise and take a couple steps away from the twins. "Thank you for everything this year Blaise."

"You're welcome," he says. And I sigh. Him and I walk along the lake I collect my thoughts.

"I need one more favor," I say to him.

"Anything," He says.

"Be my eyes and ears here," I say to him, "I'll need them next year. More than before."

"Why?" He asks.

"Well," I say cautiously, "Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I won't be returning to Hogwarts next year. In an effort to make a play against everyone else."

"Then I'll be your spy here," Blaise says, "Alright?"

"Thanks," I say to him. He smiles and I pull him into a hug. As I pull away I wave before moving back to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "So it's official. This is the end here?"

"Yeah," Harry says, "we head of to find the Horcruxes."

"It's been nice," Ron says, "even though one of us has almost died every single year we've been here."

"It's home," I say looking to the school. "I'll miss it."

"We all will," Hermione says as we all look to the building.

"Hey but remember we have to go to my mum and dads house before we do anything," Ron says.

"Why?" Harry asks.

"The wedding of course," I say to them.

"Yeah, we shouldn't miss that," Harry says. The time of us being free and normal was winding down with every day closer to the wedding.