Story Notes: Disclaimer: In its use of intellectual property and characters belonging to JK Rowling, Warner Bros, Bloomsbury Publishing, et cetera, this work of fiction is intended to be transformative commentary on the original. No profit is being made from this work.
Beta Readers: Gmariam from LJ/MNFF – Thanks for the feedback and being such a Comma Nazi.
Author Notes: This is a canon "missing moment" from Half-Blood Prince. It doesn't have a happy ending, and it's definitely one of those "what if" scenarios. I actually researched quite a bit and re-read part of HBP in order to make it work. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.