Whatever It Takes by SanctuaryAngel
Summary: Taking place directly after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry is trying to deal with his trauma from the course of the events of the war and struggles to confront it, along with trying to manage his grief. Snape survived but disappeared in shame and remorse after the battle. Harry finds him, and they both discover that they have more in common now more than ever - Both are struggling with their sense of self and purpose. But stray Death Eaters from the battle are re-grouping for a final stand to take out the great Harry Potter, and their traitor, and Harry and Snape must put aside their differences to end the fight once and for all, whilst dealing with Snapes' illness along the way. Explores darker themes of grief, self-blame, PTSD, depression, and suicidal ideation.
Categories: Misc > No category on the site fits Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Arthur, Draco, Fred George, Ginny, Hermione, Luna, McGonagall, Molly, Narcissa, Neville, Ron
Snape Flavour: Snape Comforts, Snape is Depressed, Snape is Desperate, Snape is Stern
Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, General, Hurt/Comfort, Tragedy
Media Type: None
Tags: Abuse Recovery, Depression Recovery, Injured!Snape
Takes Place: 8 - Post Hogwarts (young adult Harry)
Warnings: Character Death, Eating Disorder, Panic attack, Self-harm, Suicide Themes, Torture, Violence
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 65 Completed: Yes Word count: 443363 Read: 26353 Published: 01 Feb 2023 Updated: 02 Sep 2023
CH 28: A Rocky Pursuit by SanctuaryAngel
Author's Notes:
This one was a little nuts to plan. For a visual reference, you are welcome to google Tintern Quarry, as it is a legit place in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. It actually closed in 1981 and is used as a rock-climbing location. Coincidentally (maybe?), 1981 was also the end of the First Wizarding War.
The upcoming rendezvous was no doubt a nervous affair. Harry wasn't used to having a plan as detailed as they discussed earlier that day because usually he and his friends would jump straight in and plan as they went. Knowing that Snape was strict and thorough, admittedly, made Harry a little nervous. The plan was well thought out, and Harry didn't want to let him down by completely messing it up. A small blunder would risk the lives of the prisoners within Death Eater's grasp. They really had no idea what they were in for, but Harry was glad he had asked for his assistance because he was certain anything that Harry would plan for would have fallen apart instantly. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever foresee Severus Snape leading Dumbledore's Army on a daring rescue mission.

Once midnight arrived, the four usual Grimmauld Place occupants departed and made their way to the meeting location without a word from either of them. Awkwardly clutching his Firebolt, Harry Apparated and was soon reunited with the others within the Forest of Dean, hidden away in the canopy of the trees just beyond the magical barrier. Snape chose the same meeting location as when they departed the previous night. This spot was well-concealed within the surrounding, thick oak trees, and thus far was safe. Once the barrier would be deconstructed, the Tintern Quarry was exposed. They didn't know what lay ahead once the wards were removed. Snape was careful to plan for an alternative.

There were a few last-minute changes in their plan once they arrived. Most noticeably, the sudden extra people within their midst once the entirety of the DA arrived. As Harry approached his fellow classmates waiting anxiously for their arrival, they were taken aback by the new familiar additions. As soon as George Apparated within view, he was shortly followed by most of the Weasley family, minus Charlie. Molly looked livid, with Arthur in tow, arriving together. Bill and Fleur arrived a few seconds later hand-in-hand, followed by Percy shortly after. Both George and Bill were eagerly clutching their broom.

George gave a lopsided grin, "…Our battalion has just increased."

"Mum! Dad! What are you doing here?" Ron looked shocked, as he peered over at George, "What – "

Molly placed her hands on her hips, "- Well, when I saw George try his best to sneak out some of those fireworks of his, with his broomstick in the other hand, I had an inkling you were all planning something again. I was close to grounding him then and there!"

"Worst interrogation ever," George looked offended, as he looked at Ron, "I didn't go quite as incognito as planned. I fell a bit out of practice." George shuffled his feet and uncharacteristically looked at the floor. His mixed expression made Harry's heart drop, as he realised in silent horror that Fred was not with him. Since the loss of Fred, poor George seemed to have lost any spark he had previously. That usual mischievous grin was nowhere to be found on the Weasley, and his eyes now seemed devoured of the joy he previously shared with his twin. Harry was rather surprised he was willing to join them on this mission, but he knew he couldn't stay home and anxiously await the fate of his sister. Another loss of a Weasley would devastate them all.

Arthur peered at Snape, looking absolutely furious, "Severus…I should have known!" Suddenly, the Weasley patriarch withdrew his wand and pointed it threateningly at Snape, inches from his face. "What do you think you're doing? Leading them all out here like this?!"

Snape didn't flinch at the gesture and remained unmoving. He frowned, as his lips twisted into a snarl, and stared directly into Arthur's eyes, "Lower your wand, you idiot."

Arthur refused to obey, thrusting the wand closer to the man's face, "The Ministry is handling this!"

Snape raised his eyebrow, "Are they, now? Yes, well, your precious Ministry is still in scraps still, is it not? Your Aurors are dwindling; imposters among them. Yes, Arthur, I am well aware of the Ministry's predicament."

"You shouldn't be leading these kids out here, Severus. They've been through enough!"

"They are no longer kids anymore, or do you need a vision check?" Snape narrowed his eyes, clearly unfazed still by the wand pointed at his face, "I didn't force them against their will. They are free to leave if they so wish. But if you want your daughter back alive, then this is the only way we are going to accomplish that. Now. Lower. Your. Wand."

"It's alright, Mr. Weasley, " Harry stood between them, with a careful hand outstretched at Arthur, urging him to reconsider, "We have a plan. We're going to get Ginny back and we need his help. Frankly, we could use your help, too."

Arthur refused to take his eyes off Snape before him. But after a few moments of what appeared to be an impressive stare-down between the two men, Harry watched as he finally faltered and slowly lowered his wand. "Harry, I sure hope you know what you're doing. Because I don't trust him."

"Yeah well, I do, " Harry defended, as he looked at Snape whose expression seemed to subtly soften by the Gryffindor's remark.

Ron took a step toward his father, "It's alright, dad. We can handle this. With more of us, we stand a better chance."

"For goodness sake, Arthur, please behave!" Molly hissed as she turned to her husband, shooting him a look of stern warning. Once Arthur drew in a deep breath to try and settle his nerves, he eventually gave a curt nod despite his distaste. Looking relieved at her husband's compliance, Molly turned eagerly towards Snape, "Severus. What would you have us do?"

Gathering the group for a last-minute change in orders, Snape re-arranged some of the assigned pairs to accommodate the additional Weasleys, taking in those extra flyers with a broomstick. Snape was careful in his planning and made sure to pair any two who would complement each other in skill and communication. Being able to observe them during their target practice, gave him some indication of their skill level. But each person had an important role, and it was imperative that they perform to the best of their ability as proficiently and swiftly as possible. Snape also made sure that at least one person among the pair was skilled with the Patronus charm, in order for them to repel the Dementors while their partner forged ahead. Once Snape ran through the plan with their new additions, the group responded in nods and murmurs of 'Got it' and 'Yes, sir'.

With the final chess pieces in play, Harry watched as Snape finally strode up towards the magical barrier and began the process of deconstructing the wards with his wand raised and arms outstretched. The Professor whispered the counter-spells under his breath, as the group waited anxiously for their signal to proceed. When a light crackling emanated from the now broken wards, they knew it was time, as the barriers became no more. Turning to face the group, Snape gave a curt nod, allowing four pairs to start making their way to their allocated locations in the Quarry, which Snape had decided to split into four quadrants – North, South, East, and West. Each chosen pair were to be sent to each point, to set up the fireworks – courtesy of George Weasley, in honor of Fred – And await further signal.

The Patil twins apparated to West point to set up. Seamus and Hannah went East. Neville and Luna went South. With Hermione and Susan taking up the North point. Harry approached Snape, as the pair of them tried to get a better visual of the Quarry, and neither one could barely see the pairs working away on their respective sides. That was a good sign because from their vantage point, neither could see any Death Eater in their vicinity. But Harry was more worried about the Dementors because they could not yet be seen, or felt. There was no mistaking the icy chill when they approached and Harry could sense neither of them. So, there was some measure of panic there.

Harry handed the Invisibility Cloak to Snape, who looked at the Gryffindor grimly, once he gently retrieved the mystical object without a word. Snape was insistent that he approaches the center of the Quarry solo and with his own head start, to give the others a better chance. With the Cloak, he could get close enough to get a good vantage point without being discovered. Harry had swapped his Master DA coin with Snape temporarily because it would be Snape's signal that they would be waiting for. With a final nod of confirmation at Harry, Snape placed the Cloak over his head, as he departed and disappeared within the shadows, leaving Harry to lead the remaining members once it was time.

There were seven flyers – Harry, Ron, George, Katie, Bill, Dean, and Angelina. Each one mounted their broomsticks as they awaited Snape's signal in agonising silence. Grasping the coin in his hand, Harry waited anxiously for further instructions. Snape's role was to get as close as possible to the center as their scout and relay the enemy information directly to them before he signals the ambush for the others to set off the explosives as a distraction and intimidation tactic. The man was meticulous in his timing and made sure to enforce that they wait only for his sign. If either of them proceeded prematurely, then that would ruin the entire plan. The idea was to minimise allied casualties and free the prisoners, however many there were. Ginny and Lee included. Retrieving them was first priority. Once they completed that task, then they were all meant to flee to safety. It didn't matter how matter Death Eaters they could take down. So long as they were able to at least distract or disarm them, then that would still work in their favor.

Harry's visual of the Quarry was not a clear one. From their position amongst the tree line hidden in the shadows, the Quarry looked like one giant crater: stone paths weaving inwards to the center like a spiral pattern. There were some overgrown hedges and greenery scattered around its outside, providing adequate cover, but he could not see within the site. He knew once he was airborne, he could get a better look. For now, it was really all just wild speculation.

Yet still, no enemies could be seen. One part of Harry deeply wished that to be true, so they could all leave unharmed. But no enemies would mean no prisoners, and therefore, he couldn't bring Ginny back home. Harry closed his eyes, trying to envision his sanctuary with Ginny by his side, in his desperate bid to calm his rising fear. Being here in the Quarry about to divebomb into enemy territory, was not what he hoped for, but if it meant rescuing Ginny, then that was all that mattered to him. He patted down the side of his jacket, making sure that Ginny's wand was still tucked securely underneath.

After what seemed like almost half an hour, Harry grew worried hoping with every fiber of his being that Snape didn't get himself caught. There was still no signal from his coin, and a sickening feeling in his stomach began to rise within, causing his anxiety to build up. His chest grew tight as dread gripped him. He felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder and looked beside him to find Ron with the same worried expression. He must have sensed Harry's slight panic, and if Ron weren't there, he would have surely abandoned his post and pursued ahead anyway.

But then suddenly, Harry's coin vibrated in his hand. On its surface were two sets of numbers: Twenty-nine and ten. Twenty-nine enemies and ten prisoners. Harry's heart fluttered as he drew in a deep breath. That was signal one, which in turn, set off the next chain of events.

Signal two was the simultaneous rockets that were now set alight, spiraling out and diving into the Quarry. Several explosions happened all at once all around the rock formations, like some magnificent new years display. The small rockets exploded into smaller ones as they dispersed leaving behind a multi-colored trail of smoke and sparks. One firework exploded and shaped itself into a giant red sparky animated lion, in honor of Gryffindor – which Harry figured was George's idea – as he could only imagine Snape eye-rolling at the feat by the notorious prankster. The fireworks themselves were only meant to act as a distraction, and they surely did their job. Because from that point on, it was utter mayhem.

With the second signal now active, the flyers kicked off from the ground as they darted towards the Quarry with Harry leading the way. As soon as they reached the center, they dispersed toward their allocated quadrants as instructed by Snape. Once he was airborne, he was finally able to get a better visual of the ground below. The location, most noticeably, looked abandoned due to its overgrowth which also provided the perfect set-up for a Death Eater hideout. As Harry flew over for the first time, he noticed a thick outline of bushes and small trees lining the stony pathway spiraling to the center below, trying to reclaim the site as its own since being decommissioned many years ago. Due to the overgrowth, it was clear that Muggles hadn't returned to the site for many years, so it left Harry wondering how long Death Eaters have been utilising it.

The role of the flyers was to draw attention away from the prisoners, attacking from above, as those on the ground worked to distract the enemies. This left Snape to make his way down to the prisoners using the Invisibility Cloak. Well, that was easier said than done, if not for the Dementors who began to ascend from their stony perches and convened on their location like a moth to a flame. Once the pyrotechnic distractions were unleashed, Harry could see multiple duels taking place below him as his friends entered the fight. A few red hexes were sent flying in Harry's direction and he pulled up on the broom immediately as they flew inches past his face. He spun around sharply on his broom to encounter his first Dementor racing in his direction. All he could hear was the raspiness of the foul creature before him. The moonlight barely cast enough to illuminate it and now it just looked like a shadow chasing after him.

Clutching his Firebolt tightly with one sweaty hand he raised his wand with the other, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" A large misty white stag burst from the tip of his wand, as he pranced around the night sky around the wizard and bolted ahead towards the shadowy phantom. Its antlers collided with the creature, as the Dementor recoiled and spiraled towards the ground hissing at it was overpowered. The stag began its chase, doing its best to repel it. Once that creature was taken care of, he made a dive to the bottom of the Quarry.

Ron sped past him on his right side, pursuing a Death Eater who seemed to be in flight using a broomstick. Harry watched as Ron fired off a curse, narrowly missing the enemy, as the pair of them disappeared into the night. But Harry continued to redirect his broom towards the ground and it was here where he was able to get a better view of the combatants below.

Harry spotted Arthur and Percy locked into a fight between two other Death Eaters on a ledged path below, as Percy fired an Incendio Charm towards the enemies. The jet of flames missed the targeted Death Eater and set the tree behind them alight. Flying closer to them, Harry cast a hex under his breath, exploding the ground beneath the Death Eater's feet and catching them off guard. He heard a shout of "Thanks Harry!" from Arthur, as the Chosen One sped off once again, leaving the pair regaining the upper hand.

Seamus and Hannah, from what Harry could see, were occupied with several Dementors on their tale. A silver fox and an ocelot Patronus were sent forth and attacked the shadowy creatures within their vicinity, but as Harry squinted further through the darkness, he could the approaching figures of Death Eaters behind them.

"SEAMUS, BEHIND YOU!" Harry screamed out, as he redirected his broom towards the pair seconds from being attacked from behind. Katie Bell must have seen it too, as she zoomed past Harry and sent a 'Stupefy' towards the enemies, but the spell hit the ground a few paces away, missing their target. Hannah continued forth to repel the Dementors, as Seamus heard Harry's warning as he turned to face their newcomers. More Death Eaters began to emerge behind the pair on the ground, as both Harry and Katie raced their brooms closer to them. As Harry cast a non-verbal 'Expelliarmus', a Death Eater cast a fireball from the tip of their wand, hitting Katie's broom bristles and setting the end alight. Her broom jerked from the impact, sending her slightly off-course. Harry tried to douse the flames with a water charm, but it missed horribly. In all but a few seconds, he watched helplessly as Katie lowered herself close to where Seamus and Hannah were, and managed to hit the ground with a rocky landing, rolling to the floor on impact. Harry circled overhead, but thankfully, he watched as Katie picked herself up off her feet and assisted Seamus with the Death Eaters. She appeared unharmed but her broom, unfortunately, had snapped in half. That was one flyer out of the sky.

Feeling content that they had it handled, Harry noticed a jet of red sparks fly upwards from someone's wand elsewhere in the lower ledges. That was the danger signal. Wasting no time, Harry circled Katie once again and increased his speed as he approached the call. The closer he reached, the more Harry's vision cleared as he could finally see Neville and Luna occupied by four Death Eaters who appeared to surround them.

As he circled the pair, he noticed a steady stream of blood dripping from a tear in Neville's shoulder. Lowering his Firebolt, Harry cast 'Petrificus Totalis' at one of the enemies below, hitting one of them square in the chest. The silver-masked Death Eater immediately went rigid, as his body fell to the floor like a plank of wood. One of the Death Eaters noticed Harry's sneak attack and sent a barrage of curses his way. The Gryffindor flipped his broomstick, narrowly avoiding each attack, and was thankful for his Quidditch skills at this moment as he twisted and dodged through the air. The Death Eater fired again, and Harry diverted his gaze quickly to Luna, but his brief distraction caused him to get hit. The curse sliced the top of his left hand, causing his grip to loosen with the intense pain and the blood coating the broomstick handle. Cursing under his breath, Harry managed to lower himself to the ground closer to Neville and Luna and landed safely on his feet. During the Death Eater's distraction, Luna was able to fire a hex, sending that enemy flying backward. She quickly grabbed the fallen wand and hastily snapped it in half, rendering him powerless. Harry stumbled towards them, and the three of them dueled the two enemies remaining in their vicinity. But both Death Eaters began to apparate away, leaving the trio frustrated, yet relieved. Once Neville safely bound the fallen Death Eater, Luna ran to Harry.

Harry clutched his bleeding, injured hand as he grimaced in pain. "You guys okay?"

"We're alright, Harry. Here, give me your hand, " Luna outstretched her hand, as Harry placed his injured hand on hers. "Episkey." Harry watched as the laceration on his hand began to seal closed, leaving behind a thin scar in its wake. "There you go."

Great, another scar.

"Thanks, Luna, " Harry nodded in thanks, as Neville approached them, breathlessly.

"Any sign of Ginny?" Neville wiped a bead of sweat from his face.

Harry shook his head, as he quickly reached for his Firebolt, "I haven't been able to get down there yet. I've been helping Arthur and Percy, and then Katie almost had an accident mid-flight."

"Blimey, Harry! We'll keep heading down. Thanks for the help!" Neville nodded.

"Go on ahead. We'll catch up, " Luna said, as both she and Neville raced down the path.

Without another word, Harry mounted his broom and kicked off the ground, going airborne once more as he left Neville and Luna behind. He watched as George whirled by overhead, attacking a solo Death Eater below, as Dean was able to conjure a non-corporeal Patronus to fend off two Dementors overhead on the other side. As two Death Eaters pierced the night sky on their own brooms, Harry watched as Ron and Bill sped on after them. But Harry continued to descend the center of the Quarry, now gaining a better vision of what was going on down there.

Within the trees below, he could see several large electric-like orbs hidden amongst the overgrowth. They were prisons; cages bound with magic and guarded by a group of Death Eaters below. The cages looked like circular webs of silvery-white, containing the defenseless prisoners within. The enemies supposedly guarding them looked occupied, as they appeared to be battling an invisible opponent. Harry couldn't help but be amused at their increased confusion, because he knew exactly who was down there.

Snape.

No one else was down there just yet as far as he could see so he guessed that Snape managed to sneak further below without being seen. But now they knew he was there. Once Harry flew closer, he watched as Snape conjured a powerful beam of icicles sending it forth to the enemies within his view. One Death Eater was instantly hit, who immediately - and literally - froze his entire body to the ground. Three more Death Eaters approached Snape from behind, as one of them flickered his wand, causing the roots of the trees surrounding them to pierce through the ground and grapple Snape at his legs. Snape was able to dodge one but a thick tree root shattered the ground beneath his feet, causing him to fall to the ground with a hard THUD, as the Invisibility Cloak slipped off. Still clasping his wand, he rose up on a knee and threw his arm out to the side in one sharp motion, sending the familiar Sectumsempra his way. The Death Eater immediately crumbled to the ground; his chest was sliced open. There was no saving him.

Snape struggled to break free of the hold of his ankle, as a single Dementor approached him from above. The man looked up in horror, as the sight of the creature seemed to cripple him. It was enough to crumble even a man usually so focused and controlled. But the Dementor began to perform the Kiss, rendering Snape scrambling for breath.

Speeding closer in view, Harry circled the Death Eaters swiftly and fired a Blast Curse as he swooped low to the ground. Once his attack hit the ground below their feet, a small explosion ripped the ground apart leaving the remaining Death Eaters to catapult into the air and fall helplessly to the ground like ragdolls. But the force of the impact of the spell sent Harry to fly off his Firebolt and plummet to the ground as he took a painful tumble towards the overgrowth.

Instantly, the ground around him began to freeze over. The tumble caused him to become slightly disorientated, as he failed to process what was happening around him. His glasses were cracked and a piece was missing, but it miraculously stayed on his face as he gingerly rolled onto his back. His shoulder began to ache again; the same one he dislocated at Godric's Hollow. But at least this time, it was still functioning. Feeling like a weight was crushing his chest, he opened his eyes to find a Dementor zooming in rapidly on his location. Harry tried to raise his wand, but he realised it was no longer in his hand. He started to panic; the air around him grew colder, as he began to hear the familiar haunting raspiness of the creatures overhead. It was so dark that he could barely make out the shadowy figures descending on them.

"HARRY! HARRY! GET UP! GET YOUR WAND!" He heard a frantic scream. A familiar voice. He turned his head awkwardly towards the magical cages, to find a familiar redhead pointing in the opposite direction, past Harry.

Ginny!

Harry turned to the direction Ginny was wildly pointing at to find his wand lodged within the shattered ground amongst the loose rocks. As he began to make his way toward it, his body was suddenly consumed with an unnatural chill. He let out a horrifying gasp as a Dementor finally reached him causing him to fall backward, the creature inches from his face. The wrath's decayed, skeletal hand reached for Harry's throat, pinning him down to the ground. The stench of rot filled the air, leaving Harry feeling nauseous. Hot tears prickled his eyes, feeling his soul being ripped from his body. Everything went numb as he was unable to move, rendering him absolutely useless.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Snape's baritone voice bellowed throughout the bottom of the Quarry, as his wand lit up; a silvery-white ball of light formed in front of his eyes. He flung the non-corporeal Patronus in Harry's direction, hitting the Dementor in the back and ripping the creature away from him. The Dementor recoiled and emitted a piercing scream as it flew off, leaving the teenage Gryffindor sprawled on the ground. Recalling the Patronus once more, Snape pulled it back towards him as if the ball of light were attached to a string and redirected it to the Dementors who were latched onto him. Once those wraiths were dealt with, Snape was able to blast off the tree root's hold on his leg and break free of his magical restraints, drawing in a frosted breath out of panic at his own near miss.

Ginny screamed; her voice was all but an echo to Harry who felt the world spin around him. His breath shuddered, as his entire body twitched. His eyes were open, but he lay there staring at the starry sky above, feeling immense darkness rocking his very core. It was as if his heart stopped beating. Emptiness and overpowering dread inhibited his ability to think. He had suffered the wrath of the Dementors before several times and each ended with the screams of his own mother as she gave her life for his. That was a sound he could never erase from his mind.

He felt someone drop beside him, grasping the front of his jacket, "…Potter! Respond – "

Harry blinked several times, still staring up at the night sky, spells being thrown overhead from the flyers above which appeared so distant now. He shivered, unable to shake the aftermath of the Dementor. He tried to open his mouth to speak, but the cold chilled right to his bones. Finally, he turned his head to Snape and looked upon the man's sickly white face, his dark eyes widened in panic. His nose was bleeding once again, most likely caused by the stress upon the man's body during his own Dementor attack, "I'll be fine. Go get Ginny. Please – " Harry managed to croak out a few words, enough to let the man know that he was present.

Without a word, Snape assisted Harry to sit up. He removed his own black, traveling cloak and wrapped it around Harry providing much-needed warmth as the Gryffindor continued to shiver. It was then Harry was able to get a proper look at Ginny within the web-like magical cage; There she sat which a devastated look on her face, clutching the little boy Elias whom they rescued from the burning house at Godric's Hollow several days ago. Ginny looked disheveled. Cuts and bruises all over whatever skin Harry could see through torn clothes. She also sported a nasty bruise across her face and her neck. Harry's heart almost slowed to nothingness.

But before Snape left Harry's side, two Death Eaters apparated behind the man and one immediately raised his wand.

"AVADA – "

Before he could finish, Harry was able to draw in enough energy to shove Snape aside, because no words of warning would have been quick enough. Snape hit the floor hard, as Harry's quick dodge and roll to the side allowed the Killing Curse to soar over his head and hit the ground painfully close to him. With a growl under his breath, Snape clambered to his feet and fired off a non-verbal curse, lifting the enemy up into the air and throwing him aside with a sharp swing of his wand arm. Several cracks were heard as the man hit the floor with much force, appearing as if he broke every bone in his body. Harry couldn't help but cringe at the sickening sound.

The second Death Eater turned to one of the cages close to Ginny, and pointed his wand toward it, causing it to crackle with energy. Within seconds, there was a series of jolting energy, as the victim inside was subjected to a powerful electric shock. As what appeared to be a young man, Harry, and Snape heard him scream as he crumbled to the floor, twitching as the jolts rippled throughout his body. The sound eventually ceased, as he did not move again. Horrified, Harry froze to the spot, aghast at what he had just seen. Ginny had covered Elias' eyes and ears in a desperate bid to protect the young boy from what had just happened.

Then Harry witnessed something he had never seen. Snape's face suddenly twisted in a wave of furious anger as he turned on his heel and fired a smoky green curse at the enemy, consuming him as the smoke entered the man's mouth, and suffocated him from the inside. The man convulsed, as the wretched sounds of a gasping breath were heard. He dropped to the floor, unmoving. Snape didn't even hesitate.

What the bloody hell was that?

Harry watched as Snape stared at the man on the floor, seething in anger, with wand hand shaking at his side. The Professor appeared in a state of shock. It didn't even occur to Harry before, but it was likely that Snape knew some of these Death Eaters. Perhaps even used to be friends with them. Again, Snape was placed in an impossible position and now Harry felt guilty yet again.

"…Sir?" Harry tried to snap the man out of his wandering thoughts, as he struggled to get back onto his feet, still clutching Snape's cloak wrapped around him.

Snape flinched as he turned to look unnervingly at Harry, lips quivering in seething fury at what he had just done. Harry stared at the man for several moments, allowing his anger to finally dissolve so he could finish the task they came here to do. Clenching his jaw, Snape finally turned on his heel and worked on freeing the remaining nine prisoners trapped within the cages. Snape raised his wand and began to whisper several incantations that Harry could not identify. One by one, the cages disintegrated, releasing the prisoners from their magical restraints. Once freed, Ginny bolted straight to Harry, flinging her arms around him in a tight embrace. Harry buried his head in the base of her neck, overcome with emotion as he tried his best to hold back the tears.

That was far too close of a call.

Meanwhile, Snape sent up a red spark to alert an ally to their location. Immediately, Arthur, Hermione, Molly, and Bill apparated to his side, wands at the ready. Upon seeing their daughter, Arthur, and Molly frantically raced up to Ginny as she greeted them both with a warm embrace.

"Oh, Ginny! I'm so relieved – " Arthur said, breathlessly.

Molly cried as she cupped her daughter's face in her hands, "My dear – "

Snape turned to the newcomers, "- Apparate the rescued to Grimmauld Place immediately. I'll alert the others to retreat. We'll meet there. Regrettably…one was unable to be saved. " Molly placed a hand over her mouth in horror as she turned to the poor victim crouched in a fetal position, within the now disassembled magical cage. Arthur gently pulled his wife away, as he nodded in Snape's direction. Raising his wand again, Snape released a single white spark into the sky, indicating that their mission was complete. Hermione assisted two of the rescued and apparated away with them. Bill followed suit. The remaining flyers above landed just beside them, as they assisted to teleport the rescued to safety.

One by one, the last of the DA began to apparate away from within the Quarry.

Arthur teleported away with Ginny and Elias and as Harry finally retrieved his wand, he and Snape were the last to disapparate. They reappeared at the par, and Harry watched as Arthur filed in with the remaining members towards Grimmauld Place. But as Harry turned to make his way inside, he noticed that Snape was still rooted to the spot beyond the stone wall across the street, hidden away in the shadows. Harry stopped in his tracks and hesitated in his bid to deal with his inner conflict. Instead of following the others inside, he decided to backtrack and approach the Professor.

Without a word, Snape handed Harry the Invisibility Cloak and his master coin, while Harry traded back the man's own black cloak and his own coin. The Gryffindor took another glance at the man who had barely bothered to clean up the trail of blood from his nose; green eyes met the black. And all Harry could see was the pain beyond the man's eyes.

"…Why did you do it?" Snape broke the silence, in a whisper.

Confused, Harry frowned, "Do what?"

"You…pushed me aside. He could have killed you instead – "

"- You were in his line of fire! I couldn't let that happen! He would have killed you right in front of me."

Snape paused; his breath shuddering, "You cannot keep doing this, Potter. I forbid it."

"You can't stop me from trying to save your life, " Harry responded, "But you were able to risk your life for mine when a Dementor went after you? That's a hell of a double standard, Snape -"

"- Because I am not worth saving!" Snape hissed, "…Why aren't you comprehending that? Surely, you cannot be that thick-headed -"

"- You're not as expendable as you think you are. You're just as important here as anyone else. We couldn't have done what we did tonight without your help, " Harry challenged, ignoring the visible anger building up within the man standing before him.

Snape steadied himself against the stone wall staring at the Gryffindor, as he tried to wipe away the blood streaming down his face, "Potter, your future is far less bleak than mine. What do you think will happen once this is all over? You all have lives…a continued purpose. I have nothing. I will go about my usual, most likely end up in Azkaban, and – "

"- Die alone? Is that really what you want?" Harry paused, as he watched Snape's face turn grim. The man grew silent, as Harry continued, "We've been over this. I'm sick of arguing with you on the account of your life. You can shout at me or hex me all you want, but I would be willing to save your life like that all over again. Give me the typical demeaning Gryffindor speech you usually do, I don't care. I don't regret my decision. Just...why are you so afraid to live?"

Snape flinched, clearly stunned by the question, almost looking offended, "Absurd! I am hardly afraid – "

"- Oh, really? I saw how scared you were when the Dementor approached you tonight. Do you want to know what I hear when a Dementor tries to suck out my soul? My mother screaming as she dies. Over, and…over again, " Harry's voice broke within those last few words, as he watched whatever color was left of Snape's face, drain away, "I can't lose any more people again, Snape. Not if I can help it."

Harry's gaze connected with Snape's, long enough to see the devastation reaching every line on his pale, gaunt face. He went silent, unable to muster an audible response for the Gryffindor. The Professor clicked his jaw, observing Harry from what he could uncover in the moonlight overhead. There was a silence between them, but Harry couldn't help but look away. It was a tough spot for both of them. Years of tension still hung in the air between them, at times unmasking the bitter resentment that the man harbored within him. They weren't friends. That was still clear. Yes, they were more tolerant of each other's company now. But Harry could sense the doubt rising within the man and it reminded Harry of the times Snape caught him wandering the Hogwarts corridors after hours, about to be interrogated. As for the current events, that wasn't a great feeling. Snape could sense something amiss.

Raising his chin, Snape broke through the heavy silence, "I know you are hiding something from me. You can't fool me, Potter. You've been avoiding my direct gaze for several days now…"

Harry immediately shook his head, "…No."

Bloody hell.

"Liar," Snape's voice dropped softly, almost at a whisper, "You could never fully,/i> learn Occlumency. You struggle to close your mind off from your emotions within and allow them to consume you. Your current attempts are atrocious and so instead you turn away from me. So, Potter. What is it I should know? I am giving you this opportunity to explain yourself."

Harry clenched his jaw, wrestling with what he was willing to share. He and Hermione agreed that they would not tell him yet, because he would surely try and stop them. Any hint of a curse transference spell would send Snape completely against the idea. Of course, he would have to know forty-eight hours prior to the first stage for fasting purposes, but until then, that would give him enough time to muster up some sort of logical explanation for it that would at least deter Snape's wrath in reasoning.

Eventually, Harry inhaled deeply allowing his breath to slowly escape him as he turned back to Snape, "We may have a way to, well…cure you. But I can't tell you how. Not yet. You're just going to have to trust me on this."

Snape's breath caught in his throat, "Potter, you cannot – "

"- Please, sir. Just trust me. That's all I ask." Harry looked down at Snape's tremoring hands, "Are you – "

Snape clasped his hands together to stop them from shaking, as he hid them hastily under his traveling cloak to mask it, "- Fine."

"We'll fix this. I couldn't save Cedric or Sirius. I couldn't even save Remus, Tonks, Alastair, or Fred. Let me at least, try and save you. Just…trust me. I know that's difficult for you to do."

The man before him hesitated, seemingly lost for words. Instead, Snape managed to muster up a single nod that otherwise, Harry sensed as well-received, leaving him to release a breath of relief. Well, hopefully, for the sake of argument. Slowly and surely Harry was getting through to him, even if it was taking a little longer than anticipated. Snape was always difficult to reason with, if not just as stubborn as he was.

"Come and join us, " Harry turned to leave for Grimmauld Place, but stop when he realised the man remained unmoving.

Softening his voice, Snape spoke, "Not tonight. I must depart to deal with…other affairs. I'm sure the Weasley patriarch can liaison with the Minister in light of tonight's events. I'd rather not stick around."

Harry frowned, "Are…are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Fine. Just, before you go…Thank you. For saving Ginny."

Snape drew in a deep breath, as he looked saddened, "I was unable to save your mother, Potter. But I know what losing Miss Weasley would have done to you. I'm sure we can both agree that we don't need history repeating."

Without another word, Snape disapparated away in a billow of black smoke leaving Harry standing alone in the park once more. Shuffling his feet with his Invisibility Cloak tucked under his arm, he made his way across the street and entered Grimmauld Place, immediately hearing a chorus of voices emanating from inside.

He drew in a deep breath, barely ready to face the aftermath of their rescue. But now, he had Ginny back and that was already one weight off his shoulders.
The End.


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