The frosty tension between the two of them didn't go away over the next week as I had been hoping. In fact, tensions all around the school were rising. Word had gotten out about what Harry had done to Draco and it wasn't uncommon to find Slytherins and Gryffindors cursing each other out in the hall. Things were tense among the Gryffindor team members. Ginny had taken over as Captain for Harry, but none of the team was happy that Harry wouldn't be able to play during the match. He was our best player ,and we needed him if we wanted any chance to beat Ravenclaw. Even if I could catch the Snitch before the other Seeker , we needed to be up by 150 points already too and Harry was going to be the only way we could do that.
Finally the day of the match was upon us. The excitement was still there, but without harry, I had no idea how were going to pull this off. The rest of the team seemed to be in the same mood.
I guess I shouldn't have resigned myself to losing. Ginny came onto the field and blew the competition away, scoring a hundred points just by herself. Once Gryffindor was up by 70 points the rest of the team finally started to act like they were alive. I saw the Snitch but made no move on it, I just tried to follow it with my eyes without giving it away. We needed to be up by 150 points before I caught the Snitch, and I couldn't tip off the Ravenclaw Seeker about where it was. It disappeared from my sight and I sighed, but sat back on my broom again and continued to watch the game. Finally we were exactly 150 points ahead and I began to scan for the Snitch. I saw it and began to speed after it. The Ravenclaw Seeker realized what had happened and began to speed after me, but I was too far ahead for him to catch up. I went into a dive after the small ball and firmly grasped it in my hand before landing on the ground and raising it into the air. THe crowd went wild, Gryffindor had won by 310 points, just enough for Gryffindor to take home the House Cup. The team and much of the Gryffindor crowd retired to our common room where the party Hermione and I had planned was all set up and ready to go.
Halfway through the party Harry came into the Common Room nervously but his face lit up as he saw the celebrations, "We won!" shouted Ron as he made his way over to his best friend.
"We won the House CUp!" Ginny exclaimed.
Harry's face lit up even further and he fathered Ginny in his arms and kissed her causing Ron to turn red and turn away. I laughed at this. Sure, he had given the two of them his blessing, but it didn't mean he wanted to see his little sister making out with his best friend right in front of him. Hermione seemed to sense this because she led Run away by the arm to get another drink. I talked to members of the team and some of the various Gryffindor students I had met over the years about the match but I was keeping a close eye on Neville. He was talking to some girl in the year below us, and I felt a pang of jealousy in my chest. I pushed it down, I was the one that kept pushing Neville away, he was allowed to talk to whichever girls he pleased.
I went to bed early that night, while all the festivities were still going on. I suspected no one would miss my presence as they had other people to be around. I took five potions, a hefty amount even for me, and closed my eyes as a few tears leaked out of my eyes. I couldn't handle boys on top of everything else, I refused to think about it.
A few days later and Harry still hadn't dared to get his book back. I couldn't tell if it was because he was scared he might be caught, or because he was scared of what Hermione might do to him if he tried to get it back.
We were all sitting on the couch one evening when Hermione brought up the subject again, "So I was still curious about this Prince's identity and I think I may have a valid idea."
She held out what seemed to be a clipping of the Daily Prophet out to Harry who scanned it over and laughed, "This says Eileen Prince. You can't seriously think this is the Half Blood Prince Hermione."
"WHy, just because she's a girl?" asked Hermione indignantly.
"No, but it sounds like a bloke, I'm sure of it," replied Harry.
"Well I'm going to keep looking into who it could be. Stating with clippings about the people who won the Potions championships around this time."
I let out a breath of relief silently once she said that. I knew Severus would never enter something as stupid as a Potions competition, so there was no way she'd connect him to being the man harry had become so obsessed with.
Hermione spent a lot of time in the library doing research about who the Half-Blood Prince could be over the next two weeks. Ron often accompanied her, though from what she had said, he didn't do much aside from sit there and pretend to look over the clippings Hermione passed to him. Ginny was also in the library a lot, but not doing research on the Half-Blood Prince. Her O.W.L.s were coming up, and she was spending every spare moment studying. Often she would come to me or Hermione for some help, which we were happy to give. I was sure she was going to do well with all her studying and all our help. Harry had two more detentions with my father which were pretty horrible from what he had told me about them. Not that he didn't deserve them, but still.
We were all sitting in the common room one Saturday evening after Harry had come home rather late from his detention with my father when Colin Creevey came up to harry holding a piece of parchment as if it were a golden ticket from Willie Wonka.
He handed it to Harry and said, "Dumbledore gave this to me in the hall and told me to make sure I gave it to you personally."
"Oh, thanks Colin," harry replied nervously, seemingly remembering how the younger boy had been obsessed with him for years.
Colin left, and harry unrolled the piece of parchment and exclaimed, "He said he needs to see us right now!"
"You don't reckon he wants to go after one of those things now, do you?" asked Ron quietly.
I shrugged, "Well I hope so. The faster we get through destroying all of these things the faster we can finally defeat him, and this thing will be over. I do hope we go after one tonight, I'm sure we can handle it. Dumbledore wouldn't bring us if he didn't think we would be able to handle it."
Harry gave me a look and replied more nervous than me, "Well let's go see what he wants then, maybe tonight will be the night."
Harry and I made our way to Dumbledore's office.
We ran into Trelawney on the way there who was wailing, "What's the problem Professor?"
She turned to Harry and replied, "I was on the seventh floor, trying to discard of some things."
Harry's face turned incredulous, "You mean in the Room of Requirement?"
She looked shocked, "I wasn't aware students knew about it. It seems you aren't the only one. There was someone else in there when I went in. I couldn't even see who it was that was whooping like a crazy man before I was in pure darkness and was thrown out."
"You didn't get to see who it was?" Harry questioned.
"No. The inner eye was concerned with more pressing things than who it was at that time."
"I think you need to tell Dumbledore about this Professor," Harry told her.
"I think perhaps you are right. I remember the first time I went to his office you know. It was the day I went to inquire about a job. I was sure that I would not get it, for I wasn't sure of my powers as a Seer, however I remember Dumbledore was very impressed with me after it! He likely would've told me so for many hours if we hadn't been interrupted by your father! He seemed as though he was listening in on my interview, no doubt trying to gain some tips on how to get a job too!"
I stopped. I didn't know that this was when Severus heard Trelawney tell the famous prophecy about Harry and VOldemort. I couldn't believe that Dumbledore hadn't told her what she said, but she seems unaware. Much to my dismay, Harry did pick up on what she was talking about, and he snuck a look at me, as though he put together that my father knew about the prophecy too.
"Snape heard you guys? You're positive?" harry asked her.
"Of course, I know what Severus Snape looks like Harry."
"Stay here. Come on Jessica, this might be what the two of them have been keeping from us. Snape is the one that told Voldemort about my prophecy isn't he? Did you know this?"
Harry was livid and I didn't want that anger to become directed at me, "No I had no idea. Let's see if it's even true. Dumbledore will know. There better e a damn good reason for all of this. If he told VOldemort about my prophecy and it led to my parent's death I don't know why he ever let him back."
My mind was racing as the two of us ran to the Headmaster's office. How were we supposed to make sure Harry didn't find out about all of this?
Harry barged into the room and Dumbledore asked, "My boy, what has gotten into you?"
"Snape! He heard the prophecy, he's the one who told VOldemort, isn't he?"
Hopefully Dumbledore would know how to fix this, "When did you find out?"
My heart fell. What was Dumbledore's plan here? Harry was bound to hate my father now. What was going to come of that accept something bad.
"Just before I got here. I can't believe you let him teach here! You knew he was the one who sold my parent out to Voldemort, that he's the one that led to their death and you still let him teach here?"
"Harry, Severus made a-"
"Don't tell me it was a mistake, he was listening at the door!"
"Let me finish Harry. I was going to say, Severus made a grave error in judgement. At that point he was employed by Voldemort, and once he heard the prophecy he hastened to tell the Dark Lord of it. He didn't know it was about your father, mother and you."
"Don't tell me that. He hated my father, and I know he and my mother didn't have great terms at the end. I know he's your father and all, and if you didn't know this I feel sorry for you. He should've told you that he was the start of all of this, that he's a horrible man."
I tried to reply but Dumbledore cut me off, "He had no idea how Voldemort would take the prophecy. Once he realized, he came to me to ask for my help. I believe it is likely his biggest regret in life."
"But he's good at Occlumency isn't he? How can you be sure he's even on our side for real?"
"I trust him with my life, and this isn't for you to decide."
"What about you?" Harry asked turned to me.
"I'm sure he didn't know what was happening, or he never would've done it Harry. I trust my father with my life also and I'm sure he would never do anything that bad on purpose."
"You both are blind and you're going to get hurt by him I'm sure. This is going back to what I told you about him the first year we were here, he's not telling either of you everything and you need to watch yourself."
"Harry, I think that's enough," Dumbledore said, "Now for the reason I brought you here in the first place. I have found another Horcrux I believe, would you like to come with me or are you too busy terrorizing Professor Snape?"
Harry still looked upset but he couldn't refuse to do this with DUmbledore, "Of course I want to come. Let's go."