Harry walked into the Quidditch shop before gazing around for Remus. He spotted the werewolf standing near the back of the shop and he walked over to join him. Remus glanced at him before smiling in greeting. “You got your supplies from the apothecary, Harry?” he asked golden eyes curious.

            “Yeah I got them. Professor Snape helped me find what I needed,” Harry replied.

            “That’s good,” Remus said before he led Harry deeper into the Quidditch shop. “Your father was a big Quidditch fan, Harry. He was chaser on the Gryffindor team. You don’t know about Quidditch, do you?”

            “No,” Harry lied.

            Remus nodded. “I figured that since you were raised by muggles,” he said before he explained what Quidditch was and how it was played as he led Harry on a tour through the shop.

            “First years aren’t allowed to have brooms though,” Remus added as he led the way out of the Quidditch shop.

            Harry found himself wondering if he would be the youngest seeker in history like last time. He doubted it if he got into Slytherin; he was supposed to be in Slytherin last time but he talked the hat out of it. He wondered if he’ll have that option again this time and he wondered how events would play out if he wasn’t in Gryffindor.

            Remus and Harry walked down through Diagon Alley but came to a stop when a loud “Remus!” sounded and Remus and Harry turned around to find the half-giant Hagrid running over to join them with a covered cage in his hand.

            Harry gazed at Hagrid with feigned awe in his eyes; he had to pretend he’s never seen a half-giant before.

            Remus smiled in greeting. “Hello Hagrid. Harry, this is Rubeus Hagrid, the Groundskeeper at Hogwarts. Hagrid, this is Harry,” he said and Harry noticed he kept his last name a secret like Harry did when he met Malfoy for the second time. Thinking of Malfoy, Harry wondered if he would become a Death Eater as he did last time.

            I’ll think about that another time, he thought.

            “’Ello ‘Arry,” Hagrid greeted him smiling brightly.

            Harry smiled shyly. “Hi,” he replied before he stretched out a hand and Hagrid took it in his much bigger one before shaking it.

            “I ‘ear it’s your birthday today,” Hagrid said with a faint smile.

            Harry decided to feign surprise. “You know it’s my birthday today?” he echoed.

            “Yah,” Hagrid said. “And I wanted to give you a little something.”

            Remus frowned. “Hagrid…” he began.

            “Oh don’t ya worry, Remus,” Hagrid said brightly. “She’s just a little something I found that I thought ‘Arry would like.” He turned his gaze to Harry before adding, “This is for ya, happy birthday ‘Arry.” He held out the covered cage and Harry took it before removing the covering and his eyes went wide before it filled with tears when he saw who was within the cage.

            It was Hedwig.

            “’Arry? Are you all right?” Hagrid asked worriedly and Harry realized the tears in his eyes had started sliding down his face as he gazed at the beautiful snowy white owl he had lost during the Battle Over Little Whinging.

            “I…Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just…this is the greatest birthday gift I’ve ever received,” Harry said. And first one, he added silently but didn’t dare repeat his thought out loud as he gazed at Hedwig again. The snowy owl woke up before gazing at Harry with curious golden eyes and she hooted in greeting. “Thank you,” he added to Hagrid wiping the tears away from his eyes. He only hoped his excuse for his tears was believable.

            “You’re welcome, ‘Arry,” Hagrid said with a faint smile.

            “Come, Harry, let’s go get you your books and then your wand and then we should be done,” Remus said.

            “I’ll see ya at Hogwarts, ‘Arry,” Hagrid said before he walked away and Harry gazed at his snowy owl again.

            Harry suddenly realized he hadn’t been placed in his cousin’s second bedroom as he had last time. He had been taught from a young age to keep his life within the Dursley household a secret but he knew he would be unable to keep all his stuff with him in the cupboard beneath the stairs. He wondered if knowing that Remus is a wizard and Harry would be attending Hogwarts would get them to give him Dudley’s second bedroom.

            He didn’t think it was likely but he could hope, couldn’t he?

            He and Remus entered the bookstore and Harry gazed around as Remus picked up the books he would need before paying for them using the money Harry had withdrawn from his parents’ vault. After that, they went over to Ollivander’s and Harry remembered the last time he had seen the wandmaker was when Ollivander spoke to him about the Elder Wand.

            Briefly, Harry wondered if the Deathly Hallows would play a large role this time around.

            Remus and Harry entered Ollivander’s shop and Ollivander glanced up. “Hello Remus,” he greeted him.

            “Hello, Ollivander. Harry is here to pick up his wand,” Remus said.

            “Ah, Harry Potter,” Ollivander said glancing at Harry who frowned briefly. He knew that Ollivander knew who he was because he was famous for surviving the killing curse. “I’ve been expecting you.”

            “Uh hi,” Harry said as shyly as he had been before.

            Like last time, Ollivander went through wand after wand until he found the one that was Harry’s; holly, eleven inches with a phoenix feather as its core. I figured that wouldn’t change, he thought although he noticed something did change. Instead of red and gold sparks, silver and green shot out of the end of the wand.

            Harry briefly wondered about this. Last time, red and gold sparks shot out of his wand but the hat wanted to put him in Slytherin. This time, silver and green sparks shot out of the end of his wand and he wondered if this meant that the hat was right all along and he should have been placed in Slytherin to begin with.

            Honestly, Harry did not know if he really was meant to be in Slytheirn or not.

            Returning home, Harry entered Number 4 Privet Drive feeling better than he had last time and he figured that was because he had spent the entire day with Remus, one of his father’s best friends, who spent the entire day they were shopping talking to Harry about his parents. Plus, he was able to speak with his fellow time traveler, Snape, and figure out what they were going to do in order to stop Voldemort’s rise to power.

            Petunia glared at Harry as he walked in with his supplies with Remus just behind him but, before she could say anything, Remus turned to look at Harry. “Why don’t you take your stuff to your room, Harry? Then, if your aunt and uncle are all right with it, I can treat you to dinner.”

            “Okay,” Harry said.

            “I suppose he can go with you,” Petunia growled before she reluctantly picked up Harry’s stuff, much to Harry’s surprise and made her way upstairs. “Well, boy, are you coming or not?”

            Harry jogged after his aunt, still confused, and watched as Petunia opened the doors to Dudley’s second bedroom and tossed Harry’s stuff into it. She then glared at Harry. “We’re only doing this,” she sneered, “because we certainly don’t want a repeat of that last letter they sent.”

            Harry suddenly understood. Like last time, Petunia and Vernon were afraid the people from the Wizarding World were spying on them and didn’t want another letter to come to the house addressed to Harry Potter, the Cupboard Beneath the Stairs.

            Harry put Hedwig’s cage on the ground next to a small cot and Petunia glared at him. “Well, off with you, boy,” she sneered before walking out of the room and Harry jogged down the steps before joining Remus near the door.

            Remus smiled at Harry. “Come along. I’ll have him back before it gets too late,” he promised.

            “Take your time,” Petunia said shortly before she walked away toward the kitchen.

            Remus glowered at Petunia’s attitude but said nothing as he guided Harry out of the house.

------Page Break----

            “I just have a quick errand to run, Albus,” Severus said while he stood in the Headmaster’s office calmly and impassively facing his mentor. “It shouldn’t take more than a day and I’ll be back in time for the Sorting.”

            Albus pursed his lips together in thought, blue eyes narrowing in contemplating. “Very well, Severus,” he said finally. “Are you sure you have to do this now? It’s been ten years.”    “Yes and I have not visited Godric’s Hollow since that fateful night. I just want to see Lily’s grave.” Visiting the grave of his best friend and only love was the only plausible excuse Severus could think of to cover the real errand he was going on and that was to find the ring of Marvolo Gaunt and find a way to destroy it. But, for now, he could at least get it away from the Gaunt House where he was positive it was located as it had once belonged to Marvolo Gaunt and hide it until he could talk with Harry and find out how Harry destroyed the Horcruxes last time.

            Albus nodded. “Very well, Severus. But do try to be back in time for the Sorting.”

            “I will Albus.” Severus turned around before walking out of the headmaster’s office. Once he walked past the gargoyle guarding Albus’s office, he made his way swiftly and silently down the corridors and out of the castle. He walked past the wards before turning on the spot and apparating away to Little Hangleton. When he reached Little Hangleton, he cast a Disillusionment charm on himself and began his search for the Gaunt House.

            Finding the Gaunt House was the easy part but Severus knew that the Dark Lord likely placed many enchantments to protect the ring should anyone, by chance, discover its location. Severus cast as many diagnostic spells and his fears were realized when he noticed there were a few curses placed around one of the bedrooms within the house. However, there wasn’t a curse placed on the entrance to the house itself.

            Wary, Severus cast a few countercurses to be on the safe said before he murmured “alohamora” and slowly stepped into the room. He lit his wand before gazing around the dark, abandoned house. Rats skittered across the dust covered surface and the air was filled with the scent of death.

            Making his way down the hall toward the bedroom that was protected by curses, Severus cast another charm to determine where the curses were located. Severus wasn’t a cursebreaker but he was well adept at the Dark Arts to understand many curses and find way to counter most of them. However, the curses placed upon the room were not as bad as Severus could have thought.

            I don’t think he thought anyone would find his horcrux here, Severus thought casting a few protection charms on himself before using a spell to unlock the door. Keeping away from the door in case one of the curses would activate upon the door’s opening, Severus cast a few more charms and spells into the room.

            Severus wasn’t an idiot. He knew the room was protected but it wasn’t the curses around the room that worried him. It was the curse placed upon the ring itself, the curse that had caused Albus to have to die before the war could end. Severus hated himself for having to kill his mentor last time and he was determined to make sure that did not happen again.

            Once he was positive the room was secure, Severus cautiously made his way into it. His years as a spy caused him to examine the room upon entering it, looking at every single detail and memorizing the layout. He gazed around before murmuring another spell that acted as a locator charm but sought dark artifacts. The spell centered on a location beneath the bed within the room and Severus slowly moved toward it.

            Using a quick spell to move the bed, Severus knelt down before sliding long, slender fingers along the wooden floor until he found a loose floorboard. With his wand at a ready in his right hand, he pried the floorboard free with his left and placed it aside. Within the hole was a plain wooden box that Severus knew was likely the hiding place of Gaunt’s Ring.

            He knew the ring would only curse the person who put it on and that it provided the person it was trying to curse with temptations so he knew what to prepare for when he retrieved it. Severus took a deep breath before reaching into the hole and removing the box. He would have to be very careful; there was no telling what kind of temptations the ring would give him. It had managed to curse Albus Dumbledore and he was the most powerful mage in recent history.

            However, Severus had to make sure the ring was within the box. He placed the box on the ground before casting a few enchantments to make sure opening the box would not release the curse. Just as Albus had said in the future, however, it was very likely the curse was only placed on the ring and not on the box.

            But Severus wasn’t a spy for nothing; he knew when to be cautious.

            Severus whispered an unlocking charm and the box clicked. He then gently eased the lid back to reveal Gaunt’s Ring lying on a bed of blue satin. The ring had a golden band with a dark black stone resting on it; inscribed on the black stone was a circle inscribed within a triangle with a line bisecting it.

            The symbol of the Deathly Hallows.

            Oh Sev, put me on and all your dreams will come true, a faint whispering voice that sounded faintly like Lily sounded in Severus’s mind.

            Severus immediately occluded his mind heavily but, somehow, the whispering voice bypassed his wards.

            You can see your beloved Lily again if you put me on and your mother. You can have what you’ve always wanted, Sev. Just put me on, the ring whispered.

            Severus focused on his occlumency shields as he struggled to push the whispering voice away. He succeeded only partially due to how strong his shields were and he used that time to slam the box closed and cast a locking charm over it.

            Shuddering as he recalled Lily’s voice, the last time he had heard it had been when she refused to accept his apology when he called her a ‘mudblood’, Severus stood up and picked the box up. Tucking it away, Severus left the house as quickly as he had entered it and apparated to his home on Spinner’s End. He knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to take the ring to Hogwarts so Severus opted for hiding it in his home for the time being even though he absolutely loathed having the ring anywhere near him.

            Severus closed his eyes as he placed the box on the table before he opened them and examined the box intently. He wanted to get rid of as soon as possible but the only way he could do that would be to ask Harry and he couldn’t risk anyone intercepting a letter from him.

            I could send it anonymously or with a nickname that only Harry would know.

            Severus decided that that’s what he would do.

------Page Break-----

            Harry glanced up when an owl appeared on the windowsill of his window in Dudley’s second bedroom and he frowned. The only ones he knew, at this moment in life, from the Wizarding World were Remus, Hagrid and Snape. But who would write me at this moment and this late at night? He wondered silently sitting up and putting his glasses on. He didn’t know what time it was, his room lacked a clock, but he knew it was still late.

            The owl waited patiently and Harry got to his feet before taking the letter. “Thank you,” he said quietly to the owl who hooted before flying way. Harry figured if he had to then he could send a reply with Hedwig.

            He opened the letter before beginning to read it:

            I have found one but I do not know how to get rid of it. The headmaster never told me and neither did you when we spoke. I would prefer to get rid of this monstrosity as soon as possible but I cannot unless I know how. As you know how to get rid of them, I would greatly appreciate the help.

Sincerely,

The Half-Blood Prince

            Harry blinked as he read the letter and he knew instantly it was from Snape. No one else he knew went by the Half-Blood Prince aside from Severus Snape. Harry also noticed that he did not once mention Harry’s name, give a name to what it was he found or given any clues that would link Snape with the letter should it be intercepted.

            Harry, deciding he would try to reply in the same way, grabbed some of the parchment and the quill and ink that he bought in Diagon Alley and began to write a reply.

            HBP,

            The only way to get rid of this thing would be to destroy it beyond magical repair, make it to where no one can fix it with magic or it only has one antidote that is extremely rare. Just remember my second year if that helps at all.

            Harry also decided that, since Snape knew Harry was one of the very few who knew Snape was the Half-Blood Prince, he would be safe in just sending the note without his name on it, just as Snape had sent a letter without his name on it. Harry got to his feet after he folded and sealed the letter before he gently opened Hedwig’s cage.

            “Hedwig, can you do me a favor?” he whispered to his owl.

            Hedwig hooted in response.

            “Can you take this letter to Severus Snape?” Harry asked and, when Hedwig chirped in response, he told her of where to find Hogwarts since he wasn’t sure if she knew or not. When he got Hedwig last time, the only reason she knew where Hogwarts’ was located was because he hadn’t sent a letter out until after he left Hogwarts after his first year.

            Hedwig hooted in response, she was by nature a post owl after all, before taking the letter and flying through the window Harry opened up for her. He left it open for when the owl came back, although he wasn’t sure when she would be back because he didn’t know how long it would take her to find Hogwarts and then find Snape. Lying down on his bed, Harry closed his eyes and found himself relieved that Snape had found and retrieved one of the Horcruxes and now they only had six, five if Harry counted the fact that Nagini wasn’t yet a Horcrux, to find and retrieve.