Harry met Dumbledore in his office after dinner. He heard him and Snape talking, when Snape walked by he glared at Harry before continuing walking. Harry met Dumbledore at the top of the stairs.

" The place to which we journey tonight is extremely dangerous. I promised that you would accompany me and I stand by my promise, but there is one condition. You must obey every command I give you without question," Dumbledore explained.

" Yes sir," Harry responded.

" You do understand what I'm saying? Should 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," Dumbledore explained. Harry nodded reluctantly. " Your word ? "

" My word," Harry answered reluctantly.

" Take my arm," Dumbledore said putting his arm out.

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

" Well, being me has its privileges," Dumbledore said smiling slightly. Harry grabbed his arm and the familiar pull in his stomach soon followed. He felt himself spinning, and his stomach did not agree with him. Soon they found themselves standing on a cliff far from a cave. The wind was blowing tremendously hard. The two of them looked at the cave, soon Dumbledore apparated them inside the cave, it was dark and creepy. " This is the place". Dumbledore walked ahead of Harry. " Oh yes, thus known magic". Dumbledore took out a knife and cut his black withering hand.

" Sir," Harry gasped.

" In order to gain passage, a payment must be made, a payment to weaken the intruder," Dumbledore explained.

" You should have let me, sir," Harry said.

" Oh no Harry, your blood is much more precious than mine," Dumbledore declined as he ran his hand along a rock. He led the way when they reached a lake. Dumbledore hand a boat come up from the water, they got in and sailed across to the only light in the cave. It was a bright light illuminating that looked like a stone statue at first.  They got off the boat and walked closer to the statue. As they got closer, they realized it was a purple liquid that did not look trustworthy.

" Do you think the Horcrux is in there sir? " Harry asked gesturing to the purple liquid.

" Oh yes," Dumbledore responded. " It has to be drunk. All of it has to be drunk. Do you remember the conditions I told you before I brought you here? The potion may paralyze me, I may forget why I am here, it may cause me so much pain that I beg for relief. You are not to indulge these requests. 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 I drink it? " Harry asked almost desperate. 

" Because I am much older and much less valuable. You have good health," Dumbledore answered. He took the seashell that was sitting on the ledge of the stone and dipped it into the liquid. Raised it to his lips and drank it. Dumbledore began violently shaking, he had no control over his body.

" Professor! " Harry gasped as Dumbledore collapsed onto the ground shaking violently. He tried to get him to talk, but he couldn't. Harry ran over to the seashell Dumbledore dropped and more of the liquid and brought it back over to Dumbledore for him to drink. He continued having Dumbledore drink the potion even though it caused them both pain. Dumbledore sounded like he was crying, but no tears.

" Make it stop. Please," Dumbledore begged.

" It will atop, only if you keep drinking it," Harry said.

" All my fault. All my fault," Dumbledore repeated.

" Just one more sir. One more sir," Harry begged. Dumbledore shook his head and kept his mouth shut. " I promise! I promise! Please! " He opened his mouth and drank it, he began to cry a little.

" Harry. Water," Dumbledore croaked. Harry grabbed the Horcrux.

" Here it is," Harry said.

" Harry. Water," Dumbledore repeated. 

" Aquamenti! " Harry said. Harry went to scoop the water up with the shell, but the water wouldn't fill the seashell.

" Water," Dumbledore repeated. Harry dipped the seashell into the lake, the light went out.

" Lumos," he said. Harry dipped the shell back into the water, just as a hand shot out of the water and grabbed his arm, making him jump. Harry struggled for a bit before getting his arm free. He looked around and saw the water moving, zombie creatures were getting closer. " Lumos Maxima! " Harry shouted. The room lit up and he saw the creatures making their way towards him slowly, some already onshore.

" Stupefy ! " he shouted. The creature was thrown back for a bit, soon Harry was completely surrounded. The creatures pulled Harry into the water and tried to drown him. Suddenly the surface was glowing with orange, releasing it was a fire. The creatures got off him, as he surfaced he saw that Dumbledore was causing the fire. Soon the creatures and fire were gone. Dumbledore was very weak, Harry helped him out of the cave. With all the strength he had left, Dumbledore apparated them to the top of the Astronomy Tower.

" I need to get you to the hospital wing, sir. To Madame Pomfrey," Harry urged.

" No, Severus, I need Severus. Wake him and tell him everything. Speak to no one else," Dumbledore told him weakly. Before anything would happen there was movement, like someone coming up the Astronomy Tower. " Hide yourself below. Don't speak or be seen by anybody without my permission. Whatever happens it is imperative that you stay below". Harry didn't move. " Harry do as I say," he begged. " Trust me. Trust me ". Harry nodded and hid below where Dumbledore was standing. Footsteps could be heard from above him, he looked up and saw Draco Malfoy standing on the opposite side of the Astronomy Tower, facing Dumbledore. Draco had his wand pointed at him. " Good evening Draco," Dumbledore greeted. " What brings you here on this spring evening ? "

" Who else is here? " Draco asked nervously. " I heard you talking".

" I have been talking aloud to myself. I find it extraordinarily useful. Have you been whispering to yourself Draco? " Dumbledore asked. " Draco you are no assassin".

" How do you know what I am !? " Draco snapped. " I've done things that would shock you! "

" Like cursing Katie Bell in hoping that in return she bear a cursed necklace to me? Like replacing a bottle of mead with poison? Forgive me Draco, I can not help feeling that these actions are so weak that you can't get rid of me," Dumbledore explained.  " Curiously I wonder why your cousin isn't here with you? "

" Cortney has nothing to do with this! He trusts me! I was chosen! " Draco pulled up his sleeve revealing the dark mark. Dumbledore was silent for a moment.

" I shall make it easy for you," Dumbledore said pulling out his wand.

" Expelliarmus! " Draco shouted and Dumbledore's wand flew out of his black withering hand. Harry pulled out his wand and aimed it at Draco who looked like he was going to cry.

" Draco. Draco, you are not alone. There are others. How? " Dumbledore asked as the door of the Astronomy Tower could be heard opening. 

" The Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirements I've been mending it," Draco explained.

" Let me guess, it has a sister? A twin," Dumbledore questioned.

" At Borgin and Burkes. They form a passage," Draco answered.

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

" I don't want your help! Don't you understand !? I have to kill you. Or he's going to kill me," Draco said now crying. " He's going to kill Cortney too. I have to do this". Harry hid behind the stairs so the Death Eaters going up the stairs wouldn't see him.

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

" Good evening Bellatrix," Dumbledore greeted, his voice as calm as ever. " I think introductions are in order, don't you? "

" I'm afraid we are on a tight schedule! " Bellatrix snapped. " Do it! " She hissed at Draco.

" He should have your daughter do it, Bella," said a Death Eater.

" He doesn't have the stomach. Just like his father," another Death Eater said. " Let me finish him".

" NO! The Dark Lord was clear that the boy must do it," Bellatrix hissed at the Death Eater. Harry turned and saw Snape standing a few feet from him with his wand pointed at him. Snape signaled for him to be quiet as he lowered his wand.

" Go on Draco! NOW! " Bellatrix shouted impatiently. Harry watched as his long-time enemy Draco Malfoy almost break down in front of him. He was shaking violently but stopped at the sound of Snape's voice.

" No," Snape's said calmly as he appeared from behind Draco. Everyone turned to look at him, all eyes were on him and Dumbledore. Harry watched from below, holding his breath. Snape looked at his feet till Dumbledore spoke.

" Severus. Please," Dumbledore spoke as calmly as ever as he knew what was coming.

" Avada Kedavra," Snape said, a jet of green light shot from his wand and his Dumbledore directly in the chest. In horror, Harry watched as Dumbledore's body plummet to the ground. Bellatrix let out a scream of victory. Harry saw the Dark Mark hovering above the school. It was a horrible sight. The Death Eater's roamed the hallway, injuring anyone sight, people fought back. Harry ran after them towards the Forbidden Forest. He ran till he caught up with them.

" Snape! HE TRUSTED YOU! " Harry screamed. Bellatrix set Hagrid's hut on fire. Snape turned to face him. Harry shot spells at him, Snape blocked each of them. " Crucio! " Snape deflected that too. " Fight back! You coward fight back! " Bellatrix shot a spell at him, sending him backward. Harry got back up. " Sectumsempra! " The spell backfired and Harry was hit sending him back a few feet. He found himself in pain, unable to move his body. Snape walked over to him, his face showed no emotion.

" You are to use my own spells against me, Potter? " Snape asked. Harry looked surprised at him. " Yes, I'm the Half-Blood Prince". He walked away from Harry. The boy who lived lied on the ground for what seemed hours. Finally gathering all his strength, he got up and started a difficult walk back to the castle. When he finally made it to the castle, there was a huge crowd of nearly every student in the school and every staff member circled around Dumbledore's body. Some of the students looked at him as he made his way through the crowd. The sky above them is polluted with the Dark Mark. Harry knelt down next to Dumbledore's still body. He moved a strand of silver hair out of his face. Harry put his ear on Dumbledore's chest trying to find a heartbeat, nothing. Harry picked up the locket that fell from the Astronomy Tower. Harry began to silently cry. Ginny knelt down next to Harry and comforted him. IT was oblivious to them, but every student and staff behind them had their wands raised in the air, a sign of respect for Dumbledore. The Dark Mark in the sky disappeared.