Draco broke through the professor's thoughts after a minute. "Severus, I'm glad you're here. He's going to kill himself!" He didn't normally call the man by his first name in public, as he was still a professor, but right now, all mannerisms were gone. All he wanted was for the man he'd known his entire life to fix this bloody mess.

"I can see that," Severus said, his eyes never leaving the Potter boy's face and the potion still in his hand. For a second, Severus wondered how the boy even got his hands on the instructions for such a potion. Then he noticed the old book sitting right next to the cauldron. It was his book. That was how the boy had gotten so good at potions so quickly. He was using his notes, including the recipe for a very deadly potion.

Harry, meanwhile, was avoiding his professor's eyes at all costs. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to be gone before Snape could get to him. Bloody Malfoy just had to find him and keep him from doing what he needed to.

"Draco, leave the room," Severus said. This needed to be between him and the boy with whom he'd failed. The only other person who knew exactly what it felt like to be subjected to Horace Slughorn.

Draco was a bit torn. On one hand, he wanted to run out of that room and leave the problem to someone else, but on the other, he just didn't think he could leave and forget what he'd seen so far. He might be cold, but he didn't have that in him. So for the first time ever, he uttered a word to Severus Snape he'd never had the guts to say before. "No."

"Both of you leave. Just leave me alone," Harry said miserably.

Knowing there wasn't much time, Severus ignored Draco and focused on the Potter boy. "No, I can't do that. Put the potion down."

"No. Just let me go. You hate me anyway. It will make your life easier," Harry said.

"I don't hate you, Harry," Severus said. The boy's name sounded foreign as it rolled off his tongue, but he found he couldn't call him 'Potter' anymore. He just couldn't see him that way anymore. This child never resembled a Potter less in his life. He wasn't sure if knowing what the boy had been through had clouded his judgment on the matter or if it finally cleared it.

"You've never used my first name," Harry commented.

"I know, but calling you 'Potter' no longer feels appropriate," Severus said softly.

Harry let out a very bitter laugh. "Because you feel sorry for me. You shouldn't. It's my own fault."

"That's not true. Never believe Harry. This will never be your fault!" Severus said firmly.

Draco looked between his enemy and professor. It was clear to him that Severus at least know what had driven the teen to this point and Draco wanted to know what that was. He needed to know what was so terrible that it would not only drive Potter to this point, but also cause Severus to have such compassion for someone he despised mere hours ago.

"It is. You warned me and I wouldn't listen!" Harry cried.

Severus sighed. "I didn't really think you would. People like that are able to do what they do by gaining trust. It's what makes them the most terrifying predators there are."

Draco deduced just from Severus' words that someone must have attacked Potter. He didn't know what they did, but it was obviously very bad. Was it a another student who'd done it? It couldn't have been a slytherin because Severus had said whoever it was had gained Potter's trust. Was it a gryffindor?

"Then why'd you warn us about Slughorn? Why tell us about dangerous teachers if you didn't think we'd listen?" Harry asked.

Draco couldn't help the gasp that escaped his lips. Slughorn attacked Potter? A teacher? He supposed it made a little sense when he thought about it. He'd been present for the Potions lesson that Potter had bolted out of. Slughorn had barely touched Potter and he ran out as if he was being attacked.

"I did it because it was the only thing I could do. I'm sorry, Harry. I wish I could've told you to stay away from him and why, but I couldn't," Severus said softly. He hated himself for making that bloody oath. It just never occurred to him at the age of sixteen that Dumbledore would be stupid enough to hire the bastard back. He never thought that one day he'd be trying to stop James Potter's son from killing himself because the same thing had happened to him.

"I know. The Bloody Baron told me because I thought you didn't do enough. Sl...Slughorn told me that he did it to you too. He said we were alike. He's right now, isn't he?"

"Unfortunately," Severus said softly. He never wanted anyone to be like him in this way, let alone Lily's son. He would give anything not to have this in common with Harry. "Harry, I know how much it hurts. I know you're torn between anger and pain. I know you just want it to stop. And I know what it's like to hold that potion in your hands and want nothing more than to drink it."

Draco found himself horrified. Slughorn had hurt Severus too? And to the point that he too tried to end his life? That was more horrifying than anything Draco had heard so far, which was saying something. It was just that Severus had always been so strong. He couldn't imagine something so bad that it nearly broke him.

"You know what this potion is? I suppose you would. If a potion exists you'd know about it. I've never seen it in any other book but this one though. I never knew such a potion existed," Harry said as he looked down at the vial in his hand.

"I know you haven't. No one has. No one was ever supposed to either. I'm the only one who ever knew about because I'm the one that created it," Severus said.

Harry looked up at his teacher in surprise. "You made this? You're the Half Blood Prince?"

Severus nodded. "Indeed. I made it for myself. I carried it in my robes for weeks. I now wish I'd never even thought of creating such a thing."

"Why didn't you take it?" Harry wondered.

"Because in the end, I decided that he didn't get to do that to me. He didn't get my death. He'd taken more than enough. You need to make the same decision. Don't let him take your death," Severus said.

"It's not about him."

"Of course it is. Everything that's happened since he did it has been about him. But you can stop letting it be about him. You can prevent him from taking anything else away from you. Put the potion down. Please," Severus begged. He wanted to just take the potion from the boy, and he could if he got his wand, but he was afraid that just reaching into his pocket for it would spook Harry and he'd drink it.

"Potter," Draco finally spoke again. "I...I don't know what Slughorn did to you..."

"You don't want to know, Malfoy," Harry said.

"You can beat him, Potter. You've fought the Dark Lord multiple times. Slughorn is nothing," Draco said.

"I already told you, there are worse things than Voldemort. Trust me when I say, this is one of those things," Harry said.

"Slughorn is nothing but a coward. He was only able to harm by catching you off guard and incapacitating you. It's exactly how he got to me. He didn't even have it in him to face us, at sixteen, at full strength. Draco's right, he's nothing," Severus said.

"But it's not about him. I can't live with this," Harry cried.

"Yes, you can. I won't lie to you. Life will never be the same. You will never be the same boy who got attacked by that sick old man, but you can learn to live with it. I did. And it will be better for you. I was alone. There was no one to help me. There will be for you. Please give me the potion," Severus said as he held out his hand.

Harry laughed. "Yeah? Who's going to help me? My family who hates my guts? Dumbledore who practically sold me to him?"

"I will," Severus promised.

"So will I, if you want," Draco added.

"Why?" Harry asked. He wasn't sure which one he was asking, maybe both. It was unbelievable to him that the two people who hated him the most, save Voldemort, were willing to help him

"Because I don't want to see you die?" Draco said.

"Because when I look at you, I see myself, and I want a better outcome for you. Give me the potion, Harry. I promise, I won't let anyone hurt you again," Severus swore.

Harry took a couple of steps forward and reached his shaky hand that held the potion out to his professor.

Severus quickly seized the potion and sighed in relief. He didn't know how he'd done, but he'd managed to stop this child from ending his life. He hadn't been sure he'd be able to. Harry had been determined.

Harry fell to his knees and and began to sob uncontrollably.

Severus tentatively and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. It was the only measure of comfort that either of them would be comfortable with, and for the moment, it was enough.