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[[../../../Characters/Harry Potter|Harry]] and [[../../../Characters/Ginny Weasley|Ginny]] are happy together, laughing about the rumors going around school about them; Harry is particularly pleased that the reason everyone is talking about him is something that makes him happy, rather than something to do with Dark magic. [[../../../Characters/Ron Weasley|Ron]] and [[../../../Characters/Hermione Granger|Hermione]] seem to be getting close as well. Harry's concerns that his relationship with Ginny could affect his friendship with Ron have largely evaporated.
Harry hasdares not yet dared to return to the [[../../../Places/Room of Requirement|Room of Requirement]] to recover his Potions textbook, thinking that [[../../../Characters/Severus Snape|Snape]] might still want to get his hands on it, and his Potions work is suffering; [[../../../Characters/Horace Slughorn|Professor Slughorn]] genially attributes this to his new interest in Ginny. Hermione reveals her theory to Harry regarding the 'Half-Blood Prince'. She has found a write-up of one Eileen Prince, a past Hogwarts student, and suggests that if she was a half-blood, it could have been her.
Harry is summoned to [[../../../Characters/Albus Dumbledore|Dumbledore]]'s office. Along the way, he encounters [[../../../Characters/Sibyll Trelawney|Professor Trelawney]], who is sprawled in the hallway outside the Room of Requirement. Under questioning by Harry, she admits that she has been usinguses the Room of Requirement as a place to hide her stock of sherry, but at the moment she is unable to get in. Apparently, someone is inside, andbarring willothers not allow anyone tofrom enterentering. Trelawney heard a 'whooping' sound from within, which makes Harry believe that Malfoy has finally finished his task, but when she hadTrelawney called out to see who was there, everything had gonewent dark and she had beenwas pushed back out into the hall. Harry says she should tell this to Dumbledore; she seems to like the idea of telling her story again, and accompanies him.
As they walk, Trelawney tells ofrecounts the evening that Dumbledore had hired her; Harry, of course, has already heardknows Dumbledore's side of the storyversion, but is fascinated to hear her telling of itTrelawney's, particularly when itshe is revealed thatreveales they were interrupted by [[../../../Characters/Severus Snape|Snape]] interupted them. Realizing it was Snape who gavepassed Voldemort the information that prompted him to kill his parents, a raging Harry leavesruns Trelawney, runningoff to confront Dumbledore in his office. Dumbledore, however, disarms Harry before he can speak by telling him that he believes he has located one of thea [[../../../Magic/Horcrux|Horcruxes]]. Harry is only momentarily distracted, however; Dumbledore asks if something has happened, and Harrythen confronts himDumbledore with the information he has gathered fromabout Trelawney: that Snape betrayed his parents.
After a fiery exchange, Dumbledore seems to consider for a moment, and then simply states that he has reason to trust Snape, even given his skills at [[../../../Magic/Occlumency|Occlumency]]. When Harry seems ready to renew the discussion, Dumbledore stops him. Dumbledore then exacts a promise from Harry that, if Harry wishes to come with him to retrieve thisthe Horcrux, he must be prepared to follow Dumbledore's orders, even if those orders are to leave Dumbledore and runexplicitly. Having received Harry's promisepromises, and Dumbledore tells Harryhim to fetch his [[../../../Magic/Invisibility Cloak|Cloak]] and meet him in the Entrance Hall in five minutes.
Harry quickly returns to Gryffindor Tower, where he grabsretrieves the [[../../../Magic/Marauder's Map|Marauder's Map]] and his phial of [[../../../Magic/Felix Felicis|Felix Felicis potion]]. Hefrom his dorm and hands these to Ron and Hermione, saying thathe and Dumbledore isare leaving the school, but that whatever Draco has beenfinished trying,his hetask. has succeeded; and whileAlthough Dumbledore has put onassigned extra guards, if Snape is on the Dark side, he will know what security measures Dumbledorethere has takenare. Harry wants Ron, Hermione, and Ginny to have Felix, soto he knows they are allprotect rightthem, and he wants anyone from Dumbledore's Army who will come to help stand guard as well.
Having done his bit to secure the school as best he can, Harry now runs off to the Entrance Hall. Putting on the Cloak at Dumbledore's request, he accompaniesand Dumbledore outhead and intoto [[../../../Places/Hogsmeade|Hogsmeade]]. In answer to Dumbledore's query, Harry says that he can [[../../../Magic/Apparation|Apparate]], but he hasn'thas not got a license yet. Dumbledore says it is not a problem, he will guide again. They pass the Three Broomsticks, where [[../../../Characters/Madam Rosmerta|Madam Rosmerta]] is ejecting a grubby wizard, and head off to the [[../../../Places/Hog's Head Inn|Hog's Head]];, but beforewith reachingno it,one Dumbledore says that if nobody is watchingaround, they canDisapparate simplybefore leave,reaching and they doit.
== Analysis ==
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