Deep in his private lab, Severus Snape finishes the most dangerous brew of his life, a basilisk venom Horcrux removal potion built from Zar’s willingly given fangs and every scrap of Dark lore he can find. While it simmers, he discovers Harry’s secret basilisk journal, complete with detailed illustrations and research notes that impress him enough to suggest publishing under a pseudonym. When Harry catches him reading, embarrassment turns into quiet pride as Severus calls the work enlightening and rare. Over coffee, cake and talk of Dumbledore’s Gaunt memories, they dissect Marvolo, Morfin and Merope’s story, rage at how little the Headmaster is really teaching, and plan more non verbal spell training. Snape openly says he is proud of Harry’s grades, Harry teases about Hermione being jealous of the Half Blood Prince notes, and the chapter closes with a sense of sharpened focus: the potion is nearly ready, the Horcrux will be challenged again, and father and son are very much in this war together.

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Back at Hogwarts, Harry slips away from Gryffindor Tower to Severus’s quarters, where coffee, Dobby, and basilisk familiar Zar make the dungeons feel more like home than any dorm ever has. He lets Zar out of his tattoo form to roam Hogwarts’s hidden tunnels, accepts his mother’s old annotated Potions book from Severus with strict warnings about forbidden spells, and heads into a full first day of sixth year classes. McGonagall tries to steer Neville away from his grandmother’s expectations, Harry quietly backs his friend’s choices, and then everyone walks into Defence to find Snape in full terrifying professor mode. A brutal non verbal spell lesson ends with Harry deliberately goading Severus into giving him detention, and Slughorn’s first Potions class crowns Harry the winner of Felix Felicis, leaving Hermione rattled when his Draught of Living Death outperforms hers.

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On the Hogwarts Express, Harry uses an Extendable Ear to overhear Draco, Pansy and Zabini talk about Slughorn, Death Eaters and Draco's "bigger things," then walks straight into their compartment to drop a bombshell: Voldemort is a half blood named Tom Marvolo Riddle. With flaming letters in the air, he calls out the real blood traitors and leaves five stunned Slytherins behind. At the Start of Term Feast, Harry notes fewer first years, refuses Hermione's plea to start over, and hears Dumbledore announce Slughorn as Potions Master and Severus as the new Defence professor while Ron and Neville react in horror. A private memory reveals how Harry and Severus bound basilisk familiar Zar into a living tattoo on Harry's arm, and a subtle spell from the staff table confirms Draco now bears the Dark Mark. The year opens with exposed truths, broken friendships and a castle on high alert as Dumbledore warns everyone that Voldemort is openly at large.

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