Hogwarts Herald

Chapter Twenty-Eight of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is called “Flight of the Prince.” Snape rushes the Death Eaters out of the tower after the killing Dumbledore. Harry soon realizes that the magic holding him paralyzed is gone now that Dumbledore is dead. He shoots of a Petrificus Totalus spell paralyzing the last of the Death Eaters trying to leave the tower. He then rushes down the stairs into the midst of the battle of Death Eaters vs. D.A. and Order of the Phoenix members.

Fenrir tries to attack Harry, but Harry uses Petrificus Totalus. He then jinxs the Death Eater battling with Ginny. He then continues through the battle trying to catch up to Snape and Malfoy. Harry catches up to Snape on the grounds.

Harry yells spells at Snape, but Snape keeps blocking them because Harry has not mastered nonverbal spells. Harry yells at Snape for not fighting back. Another Death Eater successfully attacks Harry, but Snape tells them to stop because Harry is supposed to be saved for the Dark Lord himself. Harry desperately tries to use some of the Half-Blood Prince’s spells against Snape.

The Prince’s spells enrage Snape and Snape uses Expelliamus against Harry. Snape is angry because Harry is using his own spells (i.e. Snape is the Half-Blood Prince) against him like Harry’s father did. Buckbeak the hippogriff gets Snape to stop attacking and continue his fight to apparate just outside the school grounds.

Harry retrieves his wand and Hagrid sets him back on his feet. The two then put out the fire one of the Death Eaters put on Hagrid’s house. Harry tries to tell Hagrid that Snape killed Dumbledore, but Hagrid is convinced Dumbledore just told Snape to run off with the Death Eaters to keep his double agent cover. As they return to the castle Hagrid notices a crowd forming around a body at the bottom of the astronomy tower.

Next to Dumbledore’s body Harry finds the locket Dumbledore had retrieved in the cave. It lay open and inside was a piece of parchment. Inside is a note signed R.A.B. to the Dark Lord saying that he discovered the secret of the Horcrux and that he destroyed the real one. R.A.B.’s hope is that when Voldemort reaches his match he will again be mortal. Harry does not really care much about exactly what the note meant, but only that Dumbledore weakened himself from the potion in vain.