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: 40305 Published: 01 Feb 2023 Updated: 02 Sep 2023
Transference Spell: Anathema Exerptum by SanctuaryAngel
Author's Notes:
Ritual information and full transference spell notes.

CURSE TRANSFERENCE / Anathema Excerptum (Curse extract)

Branch of Dark Magic / Apotropaic magic / Shadow-Phases of Alchemy: Blight Manipulation, Concealment, and Extraction, Volume Five

A spell that aims to transfer a curse inhabiting a human body and direct it to an inanimate vessel, by subjecting the host to psychological phases designed to judge a worthy host, deeming them life over death.

Phase One: Judgement of those who caused the host pain.

Phase Two: Judgement of those whom the host placed their trust.

Phase Three: Unlocking hidden memories, uncovering inner desires.


Several steps required:

- The Protective potion takes 14 days to brew. It is to be consumed on 3 full moon cycles. Potion protects the host and stabilizes their magical ability preventing it from interfering with the curse upon extraction. It must be consumed in conjunction with the incantation.

- The host must fast 48 hours before the Full Moon. Avoid any supplemental healing potions prior to the full moon, as the host's body needs to be completely cleansed and fasted in preparation.

- The host must choose an inanimate object intended to become the new vessel for the extracted curse, if successful. During each full moon night, the host must keep that object with them at all times. The curse may retaliate and cause hallucinations.

- On the third night, the final incantation must be spoken, with the additional potion. The final potion induces a comatose state, allowing the host's mind to relax and allow the potion to retrieve a long-buried memory.

- The ritual itself cannot be witnessed by others – the curse may try and latch on to another soul in its vicinity if the barriers fail to maintain. Best performed somewhere secluded.

- The host must remain until the first light of the day, and the flame must be kept alight at all times. The spell has been known to fail if the flame is extinguished prematurely.

- The final curse removal spell must be continuously chanted after the Phase Three incantation until the host is no longer physically able to. This works with conjunction with the Final Potion.


Objects required: The chosen vessel, 5 x selenite rods, 1 x white candle, 1 x silver bowl.

Protective potion (Crimson/blood-colored): Sage, red clover (body cleansing), powdered unicorn horn, ashwinder eggs, wiggentree bark, valerian root, squill bulb, brahmi bulbs (pain reliever), dried chamomile leaves, peppermint leaves, echinacea (immunity), tea tree oil, dried dandelion root, anjelica, essence of belladonna, dragons' blood, stinking hellebore flower and root, snowdrops, moonwater, 500ml freshwater,

Final potion (black, smoky/foggy substance, with white 'glitter', resembling stars): Acromantula ashes, Abraxon hair, asphodel, thyme, salamander blood, dried gingko (Brain health), lavender, mandrake root, moondew, salt water, leech juice, infusion of wormwood, matured dragonscale, snake eyes, lionfish spines, occamy egg (with silver shells), dried snakeskin, powdered unicorn horn.


Protection spell - spoken before each incantation of each Phase.

De caelo superiore.

De tellure inferno.

Ab igne dextero.

Ab aqua sinistra.

Quod incepimus conficiemus

quocumque sequenter venit

/

By the Sky above.

By the Earth below.

By Fire to my right.

By Water to my left.

What we have begun we shall finish

To whatever comes next.


PHASE ONE

Ex tenebris in lucem ducar?

Cōnstituī pergere. Non mihi solum

Aegroto dum anima est, spes est.

Dum spiro, spero.

Libera ego primum metu mortis.

Hāc vītā aut proximā.

/

May I be led from the shadows, to the light?

I have chosen to go on. Not for myself, alone.

As long as there is life, there is hope.

As long as I breathe, I hope.

Free myself first from fear of death.

In this life, or the next.


PHASE TWO

Dona mihi vires ad incognita

Sine sole sileo

Quoad perierint sīdera

Vita mutatur, non tollitur

Audiatur et altera pars

Non nisi in morte finis est officii

Morituri nolumus mori

Dum tempus habemus, operemur bonum

/

Give me strength into the unknown,

Without the sun I fall silent.

Until the stars fade away,

Life is changed, not taken away.

Let us listen to the other side,

Only in death does duty end.

We, who are about to die, don't want to,

While we have the time, let us do good.


PHASE THREE / FINAL

Finis origine pendet

Numquam sine scopo

Ex nubibus mihi vires

mors propinqua, sed sīc vīta

Spectemur agendo

memores acti prudentes future

Vita non est vivere sed valere vita est

Spīrō ut vīvam

In horā obscūrissimā flōrēmus

ignis aurum probat

Viveri bis, vitâ posse priori frui

- Autem Mors ultima ratio

/

The end hangs on the beginning,

Never without purpose.

From the clouds, comes my strength,

Death is close but so is life.

Let us be judged by our acts,

Mindful of what has been done, aware of what will be.

Life is more than merely staying alive,

I breathe in order to live.

At the darkest hour we thrive,

As fire tests gold.

It is to live twice to be able to enjoy the retrospect of your past life,

– But Death has the last word.


Curse removal spell - to be chanted after speaking the incantation of Phase Three.

The curse upon me, be trapped this night; detach from my soul, never see light.

Cantamen malum super me hac nocte occidat; seiunge animo meo, nunquam lumen videat


Additional notes:

- Phase One brings forth enemies of the host, essentially. I know an obvious instigator would have been James, but I made the decision to keep him out of it for a few reasons. 1) Severus' father began the cycle of abuse, thus damaging him before he set foot at Hogwarts, and hence why he was a most important figure to add there. 2) Voldemort and his dark regime ruled most of Severus' life. Severus, although respected him, feared him also. That fear had been engraved within him, as Severus risked his treachery as he avoided being discovered. 3) Even though James was a significant part of Severus' upbringing and later influential choices to become a Death Eater, I felt James was the 'lesser tormentor' in regard to Tobias and Voldemort. 4) It could only bring forth two figures.

- The Third Phase has been known to echo the sounds/moments before the curse latched itself onto the host. In Severus' case, it was the sounds of Nagini before she attacked him.

The End.


This story archived at http://www.potionsandsnitches.org/fanfiction/viewstory.php?sid=3833