Upon their arrival back to headquarters in the dark, early hours of the morning, Harry amusingly observed Draco levitating the frozen form of the Death Eater they had managed to capture, through the narrow front doors of Grimmauld Place. Several times, Draco not-so-subtly knocked the frozen enemy against the walls, chuckling with a triumphant glee as he did so. Harry had cast a mild cloaking charm over the Death Eater, as not to rouse suspicion upon the Muggle area they frequented through. It was quite a strange sight, and admittedly, Draco didn't do a terrible job as he weaved the awkward frosted mass down the narrow corridor of the entryway. Once they maneuvered further inwards, Harry heard heavy footsteps begin to descend the staircase from the floor above, watching as Severus Snape stumbled down in hasty strides, grasping the railings tightly as he did so. He did not look well at all and should not even be on his feet. Severus was breathless once he reached the final few stairs, and steadied himself against the wall, eyeing their new unexpected frozen guest in a mix of shock and curiosity. His tired gaze snapped from Draco to Harry, then back at Draco again.

With an outstretched arm, Severus pointed sharply to the descending staircase by the kitchen, "Basement. Now, Draco."

As Draco turned to leave and levitate the captive downstairs, Harry was about to follow the Slytherin, but a vicelike grip clasped onto his upper arm, turning him around. Severus bore his onyx eyes into Harry's bright green ones, until they darted to the large noticeable bruise, with a swollen and bloodied upper lip across one side of his face. A purple bruise was forming from his eye socket, edging all the way to his jawline and chin. Harry's glasses appeared cracked and bent in several places. But that wasn't what had Harry unnerved. He was still staring at Harry lividly as if he were waiting for the Gryffindor to explain himself. Severus knew Harry had been deliberately hit.

The man extended his hand under Harry's chin and turned his head to the side to further examine the horrible blow, looking like he was at the end of his fuse about to explode in a rage.

"…Who did this?" Severus' lip curled, as his voice went cold.

Harry swallowed thickly, "Dolohov."

Severus' mouth twitched, and Harry could tell he was trying his damnest to remain calm, "He could have killed you."

"Yeah, I know. Professor McGonagall came to us in time. We handled it – "

" - That is not the point. Running blindly into the forest by yourselves was the absolute worst thing you could have done."

Harry heaved a tired sigh, "Can we not do this now? We'll brief you downstairs."

"Not so fast, " Severus chose to ignore Harry's previous request, "Who is the unfortunate Death Eater currently occupying the basement?"

"Amycus Carrow."

Severus appeared to flex his fingers by his side, "Hmm. Lucky me. Where is the Headmistress?"

Harry scrunched up his face, confused as to why Severus was questioning him like this, "Attending to the others at Hogsmeade. She said she'd meet us back here…I-Is everything okay?"

Severus' seemed to briefly snap out of his simmering rage, as his eyes then worriedly darted downwards to his previous grip on Harry's arm, likely making sure he didn't intentionally leave a mark. Instead, he reached to grab Harry's arm again – more gently this time – and examined the new burns along his skin. Every blister, burn, shredded skin, lacerations and bruises did not go unnoticed in his thorough investigation of Harry's new ailments. Upon a few minutes of careful inspection of the Gryffindor, Severus glanced back at Harry with eyebrows crinkled in confusion.

Harry cleared his throat, "They attacked with the toxic stuff. We managed to subdue it, but…"

It was difficult to fathom what Severus was feeling at that moment in time. Harry almost had to brace himself for being yelled at due to the man's unpredictability, but he knew as much that he was trying desperately to avoid doing that. Severus' lips twitched occasionally, but he never faltered within his calculative gaze. He could tell he was mad at the state Harry and Draco arrived in, and with their new guest downstairs, the older Slytherin knew that it was dangerous to even attempt such a thing. It was a suicide mission, and Harry knew deep down it could have ended horribly. Everything now was a painfully high risk. Silently, Severus reached into his ever-deep robe pockets and retrieved what Harry noticed was a small black container of bruise salve. He passed it to Harry, and he retrieved it gratefully.

Eventually, Severus released a shuddered breath, not even realising he withheld it in the first place, "I have some burn ointment downstairs, which should relieve your skin momentarily. Any other symptoms I should be aware of?"

Harry shook his head, flexing his aching jaw before he spoke, "Err…No. Look, I don't care about that for now, the burns aren't that bad. Save it for someone else who needs it more than I do. Let's go downstairs and deal with Carrow, so we can finally get rid of him. I don't want to keep him here longer than he needs to."

Severus gave a single small nod but continued to hold his concerned gaze upon Harry. He didn't look angry anymore, but there was something different about him. The man's eyes were slightly red, and he had to wonder what had happened after he left. He looked as if he were about to say something else but couldn't form the right words. Severus lingered on that thought for a few moments, until he finally gave up. Harry watched as he finally turned on his heel and began his descent down into the basement, struggling down the last few steps yet again causing Harry to instinctively grab hold of his arm to steady him as he was close to toppling over.

There was a time when Severus Snape would bat his arm rudely away, but now, it was just another thing he had to deal with in the state he was in. There was no arguing against it anymore, and Harry was still surprised the man trusted him as much.

Once they reached the basement, Severus stopped in front of his frozen ex-colleague; his face twisted in pure loathing and disgust. If looks could kill, Carrow would have been obliterated in an instant. Draco held his wand directed at the Death Eater, awaiting Severus' instructions, but Harry could not peel his sight away from the older Slytherin. An inner wrath was slowly noticeably building within him, as he reached for the handle of his wand concealed within his sleeve. With a quivering hand, he grasped the wand tightly, extending it towards the unfortunate enemy before him.

The next few minutes seemed painfully long, and Harry had to wonder what was going on inside Severus' mind. Harry was half-expecting the familiar flash of vivid green light from the Killing Curse, to illuminate the dull stone basement walls, but nothing of the sort happened.

Suddenly, Harry heard the front door slam shut from above, causing Severus to snap out of his anger-induced reverie. Calling out to the guests above, the basement was about to become slightly more crowded as McGonagall, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione bounded down the stairs to face the others. Harry's friends looked battered and bruised, with some remnants of burns across their skin. Ron had a large cut across his forehead, with dirt covering his slightly torn clothes. Hermione's hair was frazzled, with some spots of blood running through it, hoping that it didn't belong to her. Ginny, as Harry last remembered, still had small burns from their unfortunate encounter with the toxic vapors earlier. But for the most part, it seems they didn't have much time to fix themselves up. They were fatigued and beaten down, but very much alive.

Severus must have noticed the same thing because he finally broke his disgusted gaze off his ex-colleague and turned to the small rickety cabinet beside the potion's workbench. There was a brief silence, as the clinking of glass vials could only be heard as the Slytherin sifted quickly through the available potions and concoctions within their limited stores. Eventually, Severus retrieved a few jars, handing two each to Harry and Ginny.

"Burn salve and murtlap essence. Apply it immediately. Miss Weasley, if you could accompany Miss Granger and your brother, and tend to the others with it, that will be most helpful, " Severus spoke firmly, with a hint of agitation within his reverberating voice, "Return here immediately once you do."

Hermione, Ron, and Ginny exchanged glances and nodded collectively upon the request. Harry took his burn salve and began to apply it generously over Ginny's wounds before she turned with the others and made their way upstairs and out of headquarters. Meanwhile, Harry proceeded to apply the salve to his own burns, feeling immediate cool relief as the medicinal concoction began to take effect.

Severus finally turned to McGonagall with a noticeable weariness, "Updates, Minerva?"

McGonagall clasped her hands together in front of her, rolling her wand within her grasp, "No inkling of the whereabouts of Miss Patil, however, there were no reported deaths, from either side. Many injured, however. I contacted Kingsley, and he sent for reinforcements immediately for clean-up duty. We were barely able to contain the poisonous shroud they produced. The residents were petrified with terror – They've never seen anything like it before. Nor, have I."

Severus gave a single nod, "Yes, they have been working on it for weeks. It was a matter of time before they used it on a grander scale."

Harry glanced nervously at Draco, who looked back with equal worry. It was reminiscent of their earlier conversation in their speculation, and he knew Draco was itching to tell him what he thought.

Draco cleared his throat, "It was a test run. Hogsmeade was never the final goal."

McGonagall frowned as if she had just noticed Draco in the room "And what, pray tell, are your thoughts on the matter, Mr. Malfoy?"

"…I think they plan to attack Hogwarts once the new term starts."

"How on earth did you come to that conclusion?"

"Just an educated guess, " Draco explained, wand still pressed towards Carrow, "Well, it's obvious, isn't it? They didn't succeed in taking over the school in the end, so they plan to retaliate in the next best way. Snuff out any students willing to attend this year. Blood status no longer matters to them anymore. It's revenge they want now."

McGonagall's mouth gaped open in shock, as Severus clenched his jaw. Both adults were stunned by the possibility, but as Harry noticed, they were not quick to deny it. It did make perfect sense. Why else would they do it? What would they have to gain by just attacking Hogsmeade? They were aiming for lasting damage, and they were sure as hell going to fight to make that happen in the name of their fallen tyrannical Dark Lord.

Severus wandered gingerly to the workbench and leaned back against it, attempting to steady himself, as he diverted his repulsed sight to Carrow once more, "Of course they would. Otherwise, they would have fled, never to be seen again. Inducing terror is, regrettably, their specialty."

"No…no…That can't be correct? Surely not…" McGonagall shook her head, resting a single palm over her chest, not willing to believe it entirely just yet. The school, within her care, was under threat yet again. Hogwarts meant so much to every ally within that room, and for the chance that more innocent lives could be lost next month, was a suffocating blow to them all.

"I'm afraid it makes perfect sense, Minerva, " Severus looked sadly at McGonagall, "We are treading on dangerous ground. If we don't end this now, many more lives will be in terrible danger."

"Then let's hurry and see what this one knows, " Harry spoke bitterly, nudging in the direction of their frozen enemy. He was getting slightly impatient, but above all else, very uneasy with the torturous Death Eater stuck within their midst.

Severus outstretched his wand arm at the Death Eater and held it there for several moments when eventually he realised that his magic was still rather minimal. Growling under his breath, he dropped his wand arm frustratingly by his side, looking at McGonagall shamefully for assistance. Understanding the problem, McGonagall took a few steps forward and flickered her wand several times towards the Death Eater. Slowly, the ice encasing him began to melt slowly as Carrow began to show movement. Tapping her wand again, one of the wooden chairs slid over the stone floors with an agonising screech, forcefully being thrown behind his legs enabling him to collapse back into the chair. Immediately, chains were transfigured and conjured, wrapping around the man several times, binding him down. Draco turned around and began to cast warded enchantments around the room, preventing him from leaving as a precautionary measure.

The blindfold was still over Carrow's head, as he began to attempt to wriggle himself free, but was unsuccessful. Once he realised he was going nowhere, he stopped moving and simply gave a heavy sigh, "You're all far too late."

Harry looked over at Severus, who was itching to place his hands around the man's neck in fury. Much to Harry's relief, so far, he was able to contain himself. Instead, Severus took a few steps towards him and roughly pulled the blindfold off, staring venomously into the eyes of his ex-colleague.

"Amycus."

Carrow chuckled, clearly looking irritatingly delighted as his smile beamed, "Severus! I was wondering where you found a hideaway to crawl cowardly into. Getting the students to do your dirty work? Though I daresay, you've seen better days, old friend."

Severus smirked coldly, "Where's your other half? Your dreadful sister rightfully met her end. What a pity. Who was the lucky one who ended her life?"

The Death Eater's smile faded immediately as he narrowed his eyes, face now contorted in pure loathing, saying nothing in response to the ridicule as he pressed his lips shut.

And yet, Severus continued to taunt him, "Who killed her? Professor? Student? Trampled by a centaur?"

"That crazy blonde-haired Ravenclaw bitch – a student – looks like she was as dazed as a fairy! She stunned my sister, but she…she hit her head - " Carrow spat.

Luna?!

Severus looked like he had to think on that for a moment, until realisation hit his face, "Ah, Miss Luna Lovegood? I'm impressed. Five points to Ravenclaw, for ending one-half of Hogwarts' infamous torturers, " He leaned closer to Carrow, his smirk now molded into an ugly sneer, looking far more dangerous than the enemy bound before them, "Now listen carefully, Amycus. There is no good end for you while I am present. Either way, I will extract what I need from your mind in the most efficient way I know how. Furthermore, you will answer any question I ask. Your pathetic reign ends here."

Carrow appeared outraged, as he looked around the room at the others staring him down with equal malice. McGonagall's wand twitched by her side, almost ready to hex the man to oblivion herself. Draco still had his wand pointed towards his throat, eager to do the same. There was so much hatred contained within this room, that it was almost reminiscent of the times Voldemort would break into Harry's mind, encompassing him with such an alien, vile, malicious rage that always felt so out of place within his very core. Every single person within that room had the desire to lash out, but it was a sheer matter of self-control to quell those terrible desires. Even Harry had the urge to reach over and bust his jaw much in the same fashion Dolohov had done to himself.

"Do what you will, traitor. I owe you nothing, " Carrow seethed through his yellowed teeth.

Severus raised an eyebrow, "Say's the imbecile foiled by a rebellious band of mere students. You really are daft, aren't you?"

Carrow suddenly snorted, "Because you were too weak to do it yourself? Oh, please. All you did was hide away in your ivory tower, while my sister and I took pleasure in torturing your precious students."

"And yet you never noticed fewer students under your control? I sent students to alternative detentions to spare them from your wrath. Inconspicuously, of course. That, and another student were harboring the others in a sanctuary you could never find. Hidden, and protected."

Carrow looked unimpressed, "You know, I never did understand what you saw in them. The students. You spent so many years cowering behind Albus Dumbledore for protection, that the role of Professor seemed to change you. And now suddenly you were willing to sacrifice your pitiful life – For them? You grew soft. "

Severus stared blankly back at him, ignoring his comment about Albus, "Yes. And I would gladly do it again. And again. And again. I am not the heartless fool you all presumed I was. "

"You're still a fool, Severus. The Dark Lord's favorite potion's-obsessed pet. You could have been great. All that talent wasted."

"Greatness does not sit well with me, Amycus. Your master offered us no reprieve. No hope. No exit, but death. As for you - You will live out the rest of your days in a tiny cell. It's a pity Dementors are no longer in use for you."

Carrow raised his chin defiantly, but merely returned a twisted smile, "Do your worst, although you don't have the spine to torture me."

Severus inclined his head to the others by his side, without breaking his venomous eye contact upon the enemy, "Any last words, before I invade his wretched mind?" Harry, Draco, and McGonagall collectively shook their heads silently – It was clear that everyone did have something to say, but to use such energy towards the Death Eater would be a waste and not worth it in the long run. Severus eagerly turned back towards Carrow and suddenly clasped his left hand and wrapped it around the man's neck under his jaw, nails digging into his skin like talons. He began to squeeze, and Harry could hear Carrow begin to struggle against the hold as he let out a small gasp for breath. With his other hand, he raised his wand, as a victorious gleam shone within his obsidian eyes taking pleasure in what he was about to do next. "Legilimens!"

Harry watched as Severus stared directly into the eyes of his enemy, bending slightly over so that he was level with him as he performed the spell. It was strange seeing Legilimency being performed from a third-person view, rather than the one of his own. There was nothing too magical about it from this angle, but as Severus held his steely gaze, Carrows' eyes seemed to flutter from the harsh, forceful connection as his mind was being poked and prodded. The entire process did not take long, as soon enough, Severus broke away so suddenly, stumbling back unsteadily until he hit the potions workbench painfully behind him. Harry looked back at Carrow, worried that he may have done something to Severus. But he was surprised to find that he had also recoiled, but Draco kept his position and wand trained sharply on him as a precaution.

"Severus, are you alright?" McGonagall asked in a slightly panicked tone, as she placed a reassuring hand on Severus' shoulder. She watched as the man grasped the sides of the table to hold himself up, turning his back to the bound enemy.

There was a pause as several heaved breaths were released from Severus, as he fought desperately to regain composure. His face was white as a sheet, looking close to toppling over. He squeezed his eyes shut and nodded, "…Vision spinning…Just give me a moment…"

Draco sneered at Carrow still bound within his chair, who was beginning to realise the state he was in. But the younger Slytherin made the decision to usher a non-verbal stunning spell, knocking the Death Eater out entirely. McGonagall shot him a bewildered look over her shoulder, and Draco merely shrugged, "What? I couldn't stand to listen to his voice anymore. Besides, I think it's safe to say that we have what we need."

Harry nodded in confirmation, as he would have likely done the same thing. But as the Gryffindor looked at the unconscious form of Amycus Carrow slumped over into the chair, he noticed his black robes caked with a dull red substance. Curiously, he took a few steps towards him, and grabbed hold of the hem of the man's robes, looking at it closely. Feeling the material under his grasp, Harry felt a powdery substance coating the man's robes. Like red, dried mud.

Draco looked at Harry in understanding, "The red powder that Blaise had mentioned."

Harry felt the substance within his hands, observing it carefully, but he had no idea what it was. Instead, he turned to see McGonagall assisting Severus carefully onto the nearby chair.

"Did Carrow throw you out?" Harry curiously asked Severus.

Severus managed to open his eyes again, which appeared to be something he struggled with as he winced painfully, "Not quite. I was unable to keep a grasp on him due to my faltering magic. However, I did procure some images that may prove useful. I just…need time to regain strength…That was unforeseen."

"Amycus has that same red powder on his robes that we mentioned a while back, " Draco stated, "Would you like me to take a sample?"

Severus gave a single nod, rubbing his temple as he did so, "Yes, that will be wise. I will examine it later. For now…Get this man out of my sight, before I choke him so violently that his eyeballs will pop out of his hollow skull."

"Thank you for that imagery, Severus, " McGonagall clutched her wand tightly within her hand, with a look of distaste across her face as she looked at Carrow, "I will take him immediately. I, too, no longer want to lay eyes on him again. There are not enough words to describe my fury upon his presence here…" The Headmistress cast several charms on the enemy, silencing him and casting a body-bind, as she levitated the man out of the basement and disappeared from Grimmauld Place with Amycus Carrow in tow.

"Are you alright, Severus? You're not going to keel over on us, are you?" Draco asked gingerly, as he slowly approached his Godfather.

"Aside from a splitting headache, I seem to still be intact, " Severus groaned lightly under his breath, "I have brewed nothing to help me as such."

"Let me do it. Do you need anything else?"

"A few rounds of firewhiskey should do it, " Severus responded in dull sarcasm.

Draco smirked, rather mischievously, "Not for you."

As Draco remained behind to tend to the potion's workbench, Harry assisted Severus up to the sitting room so the man could attempt to rest. It was incredibly late, but so much had just happened, and so there was no way either of them was getting a wink of rest at that point. Severus now had the memories needed to find the others, and Harry was also eager to know what they were. Once he had an image, they could further narrow down their searches and finally be one step closer to ending this. Harry held the tiny container filled with the powder sample that Draco had scraped off the Death Eater's robes, hoping they could further discover what it was. But given Severus' unfortunate side-effect of Legilimency whilst a curse was gnawing at him from within, Harry understood that he needed time to recover.

Severus stumbled over to the couch, clutching at its edge desperately, as a wave of dizziness continued to spin around him. The darkened room only lit by the glowing embers of the fireplace, but the enchanted ceiling above littered the ceiling with a dazzling array of stars of the night sky. Harry and Severus sat in silence in the time it took Draco to prepare the extra potions downstairs. The older Slytherin occasionally closed his eyes, but the frozen grimace on his pale face indicated to Harry that he still succumbed to the piercing headache as he had before.

It was barely an hour later when Hermione, Ron, and Ginny finally returned to Grimmauld Place just shy of three in the morning. But neither of them had any energy to discuss anything that had happened, so they stumbled directly upstairs to their usual reserved rooms to get themselves cleaned up and attempt some sleep instead. The following day will likely be busy debriefing, so neither of them said a word again at that point, as they were all succumbed by sheer exhaustion. Eventually, Draco made his way up to them and delivered four vials of a pale orange shimmery liquid and handed one to Severus who downed one immediately, wasting not a precious drop. Barely three minutes later the older Slytherin finally drifted off to sleep with a light snore, content with the potion taking some of that edge off to allow him to finally rest.

Satisfied, Draco dragged himself up to his room without a word, while Harry settled upon the couch again. Sometimes the couch was comfier than the bed, but at least one of them could stay with the ill wizard in case anything went awry.

Every part of his body ached as if he had been running all night. His face felt like it was on fire, as every facial movement caused him some discomfort. Grimacing with the aching pain, Harry retrieved the bruise salve that Severus had given him earlier and began to apply it generously over the side of his face. After he applied it gingerly over the bruise, he re-capped the jar and placed it on the table in front of him.

It didn't take long until Harry himself drifted off to sleep, as exhaustion completely overtook him as soon as his head rested upon the pillow.

Harry was awoken that morning by the gentle nudges of Godric, who had perched himself on the armrest next to his head. It took a while for the Gryffindor to blearily open his eyes, as he looked over to the grandfather clock in the corner – It was nine thirty-five in the morning. Harry shifted himself further upright on the sofa, feeling something slide off his chest. With Seeker reflexes, he caught it before it hit the floor.

It was an envelope.

Harry reached over to scratch Godric, feeling his feathered head nestle comfortably against his hand. Finally, he slowly rose up, being careful not to awaken the sleeping Slytherin, and made his way out of the room. Godric flexed his wings hopping over to the other couch, as he decided to station himself beside Severus instead – Harry couldn't help but smile at the irony of it.

Once he entered the corridor, Harry flipped over the envelope. It was addressed to Severus Snape.

Why did Godric give this to me, instead?

Harry scrunched up his face, torn over whether to open it – He didn't exactly want a repeat of the Pensieve incident. Although it didn't appear to have any noticeable seal on it, so it definitely didn't come from the Ministry or Hogwarts, for that matter. But who else…?

Oh. Maybe, The Quibbler?

Perhaps someone had written a letter in response to it? Harry had collaborated with the article, along with Hermione and a few others, so technically this wasn't an entire breach in privacy. Besides, the entire idea of the article was to inform the wizarding world of the man's heroics, and not all the misinformation and exaggerated lies that were spread by Rita Skeeter. If Severus was going to receive a letter in response to that, Harry had to make sure that was it was a positive one. Not one further condemning him to his grave. Severus already had enough going on and receiving hate mail was not going to make matters any easier. But as that article was written under Harry's name, perhaps it made sense for some of the letters to be redirected to him instead. After all, Severus Snape was still in hiding, and no else knew where he was.

With that thought in mind, Harry drew a deep breath as he tore the envelope as discreetly as he could and retrieved the folded piece of inked parchment inside.

To Severus Snape,

I hope this letter finds you, somehow – I've been told you're a tough one to find! Honestly, I was hesitant upon writing anything, but anyway…You probably don't remember me. I read the article in The Quibbler in regards of what you did. Although I left Hogwarts about twelve years ago, I do remember you teaching Potions in the time I was there. I was the Hufflepuff who blew up my cauldron by adding unicorn horn instead of bicorn horn – It was like a shower of glitter in the Potion's lab. Earned me nice month of detention in my sixth year (and glitter remnants for days).

Anyway, the point of this letter is…more of a thank you. I'm a Healer at St. Mungo's now (Don't laugh! I'm not as bad at Potions as I once were!), and to know that you were largely responsible for the downfall of You-Know-Who – I'm deeply in awe. I don't want to get too sappy in this letter as you'd find it repulsing and I'll keep it somewhat short, but it's true. I lost several family members in the Second War, and because of you, I don't have to fear of losing anymore. All this time, you worked in silence, and no one ever really knew. I heard about all the terrible things that happened. I can't imagine how difficult that would have been, especially after enduring so much hatred from people who didn't know the truth, until the end.

But now, it's all over, and the magical community owes you so much. You deserve an Order of Merlin! Honestly, though – Consider this a genuine letter of support.

(Maybe a smile won't be so bad, now? I hope my terrible sense of humor at least did the trick)

Thank you. Truly.

Kind regards, Melody Rose O'Halloran

With a goofy grin upon his face, Harry folded the letter up neatly and placed it back within its envelope. This was it. This was what Harry had hoped for – Letters of support. People who finally realised what he had given up, and what he sacrificed. And to read a letter by an ex-student whose unfortunate Potions mishap felt like something Harry would have done, was rather heart-warming. Well, the letter itself was also a boost of confidence for Harry himself, even though the letter was in no way directed at him. He didn't care, though. He didn't do this for himself.

Harry had to wonder what to do with the letter. Should he give it to him now? Harry knew the conversation regarding The Quibbler may not go so well with Severus, as the man may not completely understand why Harry went to those lengths. He knew he'd be mad about it. But Severus himself needed to hear those kinds of words, even from someone he didn't know well. Or at all. That itself would have a big impact. To know that you are not as hated as you think you are, could do so much good for him. Harry ended up settling upon the idea of leaving the letter in Severus' room, so he can find it in his own time. Perhaps he'll discover it later, but for now, Harry marched up the staircase and placed the letter at Severus' bedside table amongst the array of potions, so it would not go unnoticed. Harry felt he made the right call in screening the letter, so after further thought, he didn't feel so terrible about it. Besides, Godric did pass the letter directly to him.

Perhaps the bird was smarter than he thought.

Wandering back downstairs, Harry entered the kitchen to find Kreacher preparing a late breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausages, potato patties, and sauteed spinach which definitely had a little too much garlic than it should have had. Around the table, Ron, Hermione, Ginny – and to his great surprise, Draco – sitting and eating together silently except the clinking of cutlery against their plates. As Harry walked in, they all stopped to watch him - Everyone appeared in terrible shape.

Harry took a seat beside Ginny and immediately reached for the pitcher of coffee, still somewhat half-asleep. The room was still silent, and Harry was getting uncomfortable with it, so he briefly cleared his throat, "We have a lot to talk about regarding, well…last night."

"It was flippin' pandemonium, that's what it was, " Ron spoke with slight distaste, as he shoveled a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth.

Hermione lowered her voice, "How did the, well, interrogation go?"

"Severus got what he needed, so that's the main thing, " Harry responded, purposely leaving out the part where everyone in that room wanted to choke the living daylights out of the enemy.

"I should have Crucio'd the bastard, " Draco clasped his hands tightly around his knife and fork, looking close to driving the cutlery into the wooden table.

Ron turned to glare sourly at Draco, "Oi, calm down."

"Calm down?!"

"Boys, enough already. Honestly!" Ginny spoke firmly, reprimanding the two, as she turned her attention back to Harry, "…What did Snape see?"

Harry shrugged, "Not sure yet. He didn't react well using Legilimency, so we let him rest. Hopefully, he can share that with us today so we can finally figure this out."

"I've got a spare vial, so he can extract those memories for us, and then we can go to Hogwarts and use the Pensieve, " Hermione suggested, "Besides, I have to tend to the other potions while I'm there. I commenced the third one a few days ago."

Harry nodded, "Good. With those memories, I hope it's enough to finally track them down."

"It's still better than the nothing we have already, " Ron said.

"Last night was close, " Ginny took a small sip of her juice, "We barely got it under control, but it could have gotten much worse than it did. Thank Merlin for the residents, though. It was good to see Hagrid join us."

"We need to better prepare for that toxic stuff. I get the feeling it wasn't completely finished, " Draco added, "Whatever our plan is, we need to make sure we are armed with potions and salves next time. Those burns could have killed us if we were exposed to it long enough."

"For once, I agree with Malfoy, " Ron nodded, "Those tossers knew what they were doing. They pushed us further into the village, already intoxicated with those fumes, while they attacked us from behind."

"It was a death trap, " Harry said bluntly, as he picked up his mug of coffee, and cradled it within his hands, "This was definitely a learning curve for us. We'll know better for next time."

The group spent the next hour retelling the events of the night and swapping tales over what they had seen and experienced. Everyone had a different recount, as they all seemed to have been fighting something different. From the Death Eaters, to the Acromantula's, to the Dementors, and even the noxious gas…Ron had mentioned he even encountered a single giant on his end of the village, which was eventually taken down by five adult wizards. Harry and Draco gave the others a recap over their little adventure in the forest, and their encounter with Dolohov, Selwyn, Macnair, and Carrow, along with McGonagall and Ginny saving their backsides in time.

The conversation began grimly, but as it progressed, everyone was sharing stories of the fighters that came to their aid. Harry had to wonder how some of them knew, but in the end, it didn't really matter. They had strength in numbers this time, and that was the most important for their survival. They even came out of the fight without a single death. That had to be a record. After all, those that had been lost even after the demise of Voldemort, it was a welcome reprieve.

Hermione handed the empty vial to Harry, as he made his way upstairs to Severus carrying a few remnants of breakfast that he likely wouldn't even touch. But he had to at least make the attempt where Severus ate something or not. As persistent as Harry was, Severus would not listen to him when it came to keeping an appetite. Harry found it rather peculiar how the tides had changed when he himself couldn't bear to touch any food for a while, and Severus made sure he ate before he left the table. Unfortunately, Harry could not emulate Severus in that way, and sometimes it was best not to force the issue upon the grumpy ex-Professor.

Harry reached the sitting room, with the rest of the group in tow. Severus was already sitting up, running his hands through his unkempt hair, staring the owl down perched beside him looking mildly annoyed by his feathered guard.

Good boy, Godric. I might have to start giving those treats Hagrid gave me.

Severus glanced up wearily to find the others piling in, and arched his eyebrow, "Ah. The cavalry is here."

Harry, Hermione, and Ginny occupied the couch opposite to Severus, while Ron leaned against the opposite armrest. Draco, however, leaned forward with hands clasped on the back headrest of the single armchair a few paces away from the other Gryffindors. Severus, at it appeared, looked rather amused by this. He did not speak another word, as he simply held out his palm instead. Harry reached out to place the empty vial within his hand, as they all watched him gently extract several silvery wisps from his temple with his wand and placed it carefully into the vial with precision despite his tremoring hands. Once he was done, he re-corked the vial and passed it back over to Harry.

Severus crossed his arms tightly over his chest, and leaned back, "Once you lot are finished viewing the memories, you are to return here as we have a lot to discuss. Miss Granger, if you could return all of the books in your possession pertaining to your research upon your venture back, we can begin to properly sift through them with the correct information in mind."

Hermione nodded obediently, "Yes, sir."

"So, what do you think this stuff is?" Draco reached over and passed the small container of the powdered substance they extracted from the robes of Carrow.

Severus took the container, and opened its lid, wafting it under his nose several times. The look of concentration the man had, reminded Harry of when he usually assessed their Potions in class. Every ounce of it was analysed and carefully observed, and nothing went unnoticed. They knew that if anyone could figure this out, it was Severus Snape. Harry watched as Severus dipped his fingers inside of the jar and pressed the strange powder between his fingers, analysing every single grain. Some of the dust rained down along his black robes, but Severus continued to eye it with interest.

After what seemed like ages had passed, Severus pursed his lips in deep thought, "It appears to be some type of clay. Ochre, if I'm not mistaken – a natural earth pigment, which contains ferric oxide – "

" - One of the three main oxides of iron. The red occurs naturally as hematite ore and rust, " Hermione accidentally cut Severus off, earning a dull dismissive glare from the older Slytherin. She looked sheepish, "…Sorry, sir."

"You are, correct, Miss Granger, " Severus blatantly ignored her apology, and continued, "This alone will be enough to narrow down our search, but those memories will ensure we are accurate. To my knowledge, there may very well be a handful of caves containing this type of mineral specifically for mining purposes, and thus, we need not waste time planning an attack at the wrong location."

"Brilliant. There's that mystery solved, " Harry let out a welcome sigh of relief.

"Somewhat, however, this new information is indeed…promising, "Severus' eyes darted to each teenager individually, "How are your injuries? Do you require any further aid?" Everyone else shook their heads in response, leaving Severus satisfied, "Very well. Now go – We have a busy afternoon ahead of us. Make haste."

Harry reached into his pocket and took out the small pouch of owl treats that Hagrid had given him. He reached in, extracted a single treat, and held his hand out to Godric who took it eagerly, "Godric – You stay here with Severus, okay? Nip his fingers if he tries to leave."

Severus raised his brows, "…I beg your pardon?"

"Well, stay put then. It's either him or Kreacher."

Draco couldn't help but chuckle under his breath, earning a scowl from Severus himself. Without a word, the five of them departed Grimmauld Place and continued on their travels to Hogwarts. Clutching the vial of Carrow's memories within his hand – Causing Harry to shudder at the idea of it – they made their way towards the Headmistress' office in their bid to gain access to the Pensieve. They traveled in silence, as neither of them dared to usher another word. Harry could sense everyone's nervousness upon what they were likely to find in these memories. Once they entered the familiar office, they encountered Professor McGonagall by her desk, scratching away at several rolls of parchment; some so long, that they fell to the floor.

She looked up in surprise, lowering her quill aside from the parchment, "Well, well. I sure hope you were all able to get some measure of rest." She watched as the teenagers piled into the room but frowned once she noticed Draco still amongst the group. It seems she was still rather unsettled by the prospect of his involvement but given he has been a huge help so far, she was able to hold her tongue.

Harry held up the vial of the silvery strands of memories floating around within its glass containment, "We have them."

McGonagall nodded, as she placed the quill back in its holder, rising up from her desk to join them by the Pensieve. Uncorking the vial, Harry poured the disgustingly tainted silvery contents of the memories into the silver dish of the Pensieve and watched as they swirled around aimlessly. There was silence among them, as each person hesitated to move closer. No one wanted to see them, but it was necessary. Harry could only hope that Severus was considerate enough to leave out the horrible ones but given the state of the ex-Professor after the extraction, he must have frantically sifted through whatever memories he could obtain in the single chance he had. They could not afford to be too particular at this point. Any memories were better than none.

"…Gee, everyone's eager, " Ron said sarcastically.

Harry merely shrugged, "Fine, I'll go first. I want to get this over and done with." Without a second look over to the others, Harry leaned forward and lowered his head into the Pensieve. Immediately, his mind became absorbed into the silvery strands, allowing his vision to take upon its own journey into the unfortunate twisted mind of Amycus Carrow.

Everything went black at first. It was almost as if he opened his eyes in a pitch-black room. And yet all Harry could hear was the thumping of his own pulse loudly within his ears. His heart beat faster and faster in heavy anticipation, and Harry could only wish to turn back again.

But it was too late.

Some sounds could be heard, and yet nothing could yet be seen.

He heard an echo of wailing. Children…Young children. They were sobbing…distraught. Some were hysterically inconsolable. But amongst the cries he could hear a vile chuckle – It was unmistakably Amycus Carrow. He knew this because he heard that same chuckle not too long ago when Severus was questioning him.

Harry could hear the sounds of rusty chains against the stone floor at what could only be the dungeons, as soon as the other one – Alecto – yelled out the Cruciatus curse. For once, Harry was thankful he could not see this. Hearing it was agonising enough. He didn't want to see the children being tortured…He wanted so desperately to silence those sounds, but he couldn't.

But he got his wish, as that audio memory washed away when flashes of the vision finally came into view.

He watched helplessly as he saw Amycus backhand a Gryffindor first year, as the child fell dangerously to the floor, clutching an injured wrist. The memory changed again, and this time Amycus was brandishing a whip, descending on a second-year Ravenclaw who was cowering in the corner.

The memory changed again. This time he saw Neville standing up against Amycus, remaining defiantly in front of a group of younger students who appeared to be placed in detention. Neville stood his ground, refusing to be the elected punisher upon the students, when a flash of silver of a knife sliced through the air, creating a gash upon Neville's face.

Another flash, and the vision distorted to see Michael Corner – A Ravenclaw – attempt to free a chained student but was subjected to violent torture in the process. The vision changed again, and this time it showed a memory that Harry knew already – The moment Amycus chose to spit in McGonagall's face, causing an enraged Harry to retaliate and cast the Cruciatus upon him.

The memory changed again, this time in rapid succession…A flaming battlefield of Hogwarts, showing the Carrow siblings retaliating against the students, locked in a vicious duel…Luna sent a stunning spell at Alecto, as she went flying through and air, and hit the ground with a sickening crack…Post-battle, where Amycus fled after the downfall of Voldemort…The Death Eaters re-grouping at Little Hangleton Graveyard near the Gaunt Manor, as they frantically discussed their next options…A flash of an area Harry recognised as the Misty Dell…Then the attack at the Quarry where they fled…A tunnel…Dark passageway…A blue luminescent cave room with a small underground lake…The ground littered with the clay-like red pigment…Several students encased in a magical webbed cage….Harry noticed Lee, Parvati, Neville, Narcissa, among others…Bound and trapped. Watching the other Death Eaters torture the others for pleasure while they waited and allowed their handiwork to be on display.

There were dozens of captives – all locked up, bound, and chained. Some were in cages, some weren't.

They looked bruised and battered. Weary, and defeated. Deans' parents – as Harry guessed – clutched each other in a terrified embrace. Dozens of others, cramped together in cells, losing all hope for any rescue. Harry noticed a small, heaped pile in on the other side of those who had perished during their captivity…Harry wanted to hurl so badly. It was repulsing…Burning bile could be felt rising within his throat…

Suddenly, the Pensieve threw him out with such force, that Harry hit the stone floor. His face was sickly white, as he succumbed with nausea while his stomach churned disturbingly within him. He instantly regretted his earlier breakfast. He felt Ginny drop down beside him, offering a comforting hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles as he tried desperately to compose himself. Eventually, after several deep breaths, Harry scrambled to the stairs and sat down on top of them.

He looked up at the others, who looked too frightened to approach the Pensieve upon Harry's reaction to it. After a few moments, Harry spoke with a broken voice, "You don't have to see them. It's…" Harry wrapped his arms over his stomach, wishing could forget what he had just seen.

Ginny leaned against Harry's shoulder, clasping Harry's clammy hands within hers, "I'd rather not see it. I witnessed enough of his attacks this year – "

McGonagall lowered herself onto the chair in front of her desk, studying Harry carefully, "…Are the other's safe?"

Harry truly didn't know how to respond to that, "I…I don't know, Professor. They looked in bad shape. Some of them…died. No one I recognised, though. It was hard to tell…" It wasn't until he looked down did, he realise his hands were shaking, "We don't know when the last memories took place. Could be days, weeks…"

The Headmistress soon made the decision not to see the memories, as with Ginny sticking by her word. Draco decided to view the memories, alongside Ron without a second thought. Harry himself was surprised to find that Hermione eventually decided to follow the others and witness it for herself. After all, Harry really needed her help in finding this place, and with all the research she had begun with already, she was not about to refuse this chance to get ahead of the game. But once Hermione came to, she became teary and Ron had to pull her away from the office to console her. It was then that Harry and the rest of his crew decided to make their way back to Grimmauld Place to further figure this out.

They had all had enough.

The memories at the end had Harry rather curious. Why on earth would he see the memories pertaining to the Misty Dell and the Tintern Quarry? Both places that they have visited previously before. Was it something they missed? It didn't make a whole lot of sense, but with the pieces of information they did have, perhaps they could discover something that all of them had seemingly overlooked. Harry couldn't help shake the feeling that they had overlooked something incredibly important.

Hermione and Ron stayed back at Hogwarts briefly, with Ginny volunteering to scour the library for any additional books that they may need. Meanwhile, Harry and Draco piled back within Grimmauld Place, but neither was unable to fathom what they had just seen within the memories. Harry clasped the re-extracted vial of Amycus' memories, trying desperately to fight the temptation to destroy it in the palm of his hand. Instead, he stashed the vial back into his pocket not wanting to think about it ever again.

Draco fled back to his room to gather his thoughts, as Harry went to see Severus whom he found sitting in the kitchen by himself in the darkened corner, nursing a mug of ginger tea in his hands. He sat in his usual black attire, minus his traveling cloak, with the top few buttons, left undone to make room for his bandage. Until the others return, they couldn't discuss their findings just yet. For now, even Harry needed some time to process what he had just witnessed, so instead, Harry went to join the older Slytherin and sat down across from him at the kitchen table. A few moments passed by, as Severus noticed how pale Harry had looked. Without a word, he reached over to the tray of tea, and poured a second mug for Harry, perfect to quell the nausea. Those memories were not easy to watch. Grateful, Harry retrieved the mug and immediately took a sip, feeling a warmth wash over him in welcome relief.

"The others will be back soon, " Harry cleared his throat, as he ran his hand through his messy hair, "You know, you could have left out the Hogwarts stuff."

Severus tilted his head slightly, "You try extracting specific memories from a sadistic beast. I could barely hold my focus. Believe me, there were images of his I wish I never had to witness."

Harry mumbled, "You and me, both."

"Rather admirable - and foolish - of you to curse Amycus with the Cruciatus as you did once he spat at Minerva. However, I would not have hesitated to do the same, if not, far worse, " Severus spoke sternly, frowning in all seriousness.

Harry merely shrugged, "He was lucky that was all I did."

Severus snorted briefly for a moment, "Despite making my job irritatingly more difficult, you made the right call in not returning for your seventh year."

"I think about that often, to be honest. I'd hate to think what would have happened if I did. Especially because I wanted you dead above all else – " Harry agreed, as he cradled the warm tea within his hands. " - Yeah, that was for the best."

"Not what I meant, but yes. That is also true, " Severus eyed Harry cautiously, "However, had you stayed, you would not have been able to hunt and destroy those Horcrux' in order to weaken the Dark Lord beforehand…Therefore, the Hogwarts fight would have happened far sooner, and everyone would have perished. Or fled. Either way, the Dark Lord would have been invulnerable and victorious once more."

Harry was silent for a moment. He wasn't wrong, of course. Although he could not be there for the other students upon the reign of the Carrows, it was the right choice to have fled, as much as it killed Harry within to do so. Had he stayed - How would Severus have informed him of the plan? Given their then-relationship, it would have been far more disastrous. But also, in the context of the Horcruxes – Voldemort would have still remained in power, and they would have lost far more people in the fight. The thought itself was sickening. How many more people would have died? His chest tightened at the thought.

Harry arched his head towards the Slytherin, "Why do you still call him the Dark Lord? He's dead. He's not going to come after you anymore."

Severus hesitated slightly at the question, "When you spend years under his brutal command and watching your fellow comrades tortured or slaughtered before your eyes if you addressed him incorrectly – You learn quickly if you want your life to be spared."

"Yeah, but…he's gone now. "

Severus stared him down sharply, "I realise that Harry, but it's – " The man sighed, " - He instilled fear within us for years upon that name. For the same reason people were afraid to speak it for decades. It is far more difficult for me to break out of it than it was for you to so carelessly throw it around."

"Well, if Neville can do it, I'm sure you can too."

Severus' eyes grew comically wide, "…Did you seriously just compare me to Mr. Longbottom?"

Harry had to stifle a laugh, "I didn't mean it like that."

Despite Severus' mild look of disgust, he raised his brow, "I must say… Mr. Longbottom's overconfidence upon the last year was surely a surprise. He certainly had a fight within him I didn't realise he had. "

"Considering he was the one who killed Nagini, I can't imagine him ever wilfully submitting. I just hope he holds his tongue long enough not to bait them into using him as a punching bag, " Harry gave a heavy, tired sigh, "I don't want to find him beaten into a bloody pulp."

The Slytherin's gaze softened, placing a single pale hand on the table, "We are close to finding them, Harry. It'll be pointless if I were to tell you not to worry."

"I'm just…Sick of all this, you know?" Harry stared hopelessly into his mug as if he were looking for an answer in one of Trelawney's ridiculous tea reading classes.

Severus nodded wearily, "I understand that completely. We will have our resolve, I'm sure of it."

"I keep telling myself that, yet I don't believe it. One step forward, five steps back. It's always been that way."

Severus raised an eyebrow, as he spoke softly, "Nothing is ever easy, and that will never change. Surely you know that by now."

Harry nodded but did not respond to that remark. Instead, he allowed a short, comfortable silence to pass, "Severus…Look, I didn't mean to worry you when I returned from Hogsmeade last night. Malfoy and I made a collective decision, and we went for it. Call us reckless, but it was worth it for those memories."

Severus clenched his jaw, "Yes, well, every time I see you, you return with yet another injury. I cannot help but be concerned when I am unable to be there myself. Besides, a Death Eater is never worth your life. "

"As you said, nothing is ever easy."

Severus stared at Harry, during a long and heavy silence. He continued to clasp the mug of tea within his pallid hands, as Harry noticed he didn't drink again during their conversation. He could hear the familiar crackling of the man's lungs with every inhale and exhale, and at times, Harry could see him struggling with what is meant to be a simple task, grimacing on occasion. It was obvious to Harry that he was trying desperately to mask his own pain and discomfort, and it was getting horribly worse by the day. Harry felt guilty, and he didn't know why.

Despite that, instead, the corner of the Slytherin's lips twitched in a half-smile which seemed to deter Harry from his own thoughts unexpectedly, "…How ever did we get here? Gone are the days when I could address you with Mr. Potter, without a second thought, or concern."

Harry was taken aback by the sudden rhetorical question. All he could do was give a small shrug, "Considering neither of us should be alive right now, I think we've both shocked ourselves, to be honest."

"Somewhat."

"So…Do you still regret not leaving now?" Harry asked, tilting his head curiously.

There was a short pause from the Slytherin, as he eventually shook his head, albeit slowly, "…Not anymore."

Harry gave a relieved smile, satisfied with that response, "Good. Because I'm really glad you didn't. See? I'm not so bad. If you gave me a chance at all before, maybe, we could have mended this sooner. Somehow."

Severus' jaw clenched, wincing slightly at the last remark before he looked away, "It was never that simple – I kept my distance from you for several reasons. You still grated my nerves, however…It was always a challenge when you looked like a spitting image of your father. "

"But that was never my fault, " Harry spoke calmly.

"No…It was mine, " Severus sighed, dismally, once he ran a shaky hand over his gaunt face, before his saddened dark eyes locked onto Harry's brighter ones, "I should never have blamed you for the actions of your father. I am aware of that now. I sought pathetic justice in the wrong individual. Seeing you, was a painful reminder of…My greatest mistakes. What he did to me…I could never forget or forgive. In more ways than one, Harry, but I do not expect you to fully comprehend that, nor those reasons why. "

Harry looked at the older Slytherin with desperation clear within his voice, "I'm trying to understand, though. Just – "

" - You couldn't. Not this time."

"Try me."

"I do not wish to discuss this with you, " Severus said strongly, as he slowly rose from his chair now abandoning his half mug of cold tea. It was obvious that he wanted to avoid this conversation, and he usually did this every time he couldn't face the end of it. It was a little frustrating to Harry, but he had to learn to not be so persistent. He and Severus spent weeks building up their relationship, and Harry did not want it to shatter into a million pieces again, so he bit his tongue as Severus continued, lowering his voice, "Please, leave it at that. Now, I will be in my quarters. Alert me when the others arrive."

There was not another word spoken between them, as Harry felt the man brush quickly past him and slowly made his way upstairs, leaving Harry staring off into space, wondering why the man was so quick to avoid the subject. Perhaps Harry was desperate to know more about him, and sure, it was true that he may never fully understand, and he had to give the man some shred of privacy upon his secrets. However, every conversation with Severus that Harry had with him over the course of these last three months, further strengthened their newfound strange bond, and thus, Harry did not want to let that go. After all, Severus was the last living tie to his parents – in a sense, of course – and knew more about them, than he did. But Harry knew Severus was withholding parts of himself still that he was scared to confront. A guarded man, who struggled to be more open with those who genuinely wanted to help. He didn't blame the man, of course. Hell, Harry felt the same, as he, too, often guarded his own heart. Sometimes it was just easier that way, than explaining to someone why it crumbled in the first place.

Perhaps this was a lesson for the both of them – Each has admitted so much already, and yet the wounds were still raw and sensitive. This was a lesson for both to learn how to let go and reveal the sides to themselves that they were always afraid for others to see. Already Harry could see that with Severus, and that he wasn't always the vindictive, foul git that he originally grew to know. Everyone has a bad side to them, but they also have an incredibly good side whether they embrace it or not. It was just heartbreaking for Harry that Severus struggled to show his good side, and that he denied he had any at all, and so obvious as he always spoke of himself as the villain. That was a lie – Harry had seen goodness eventually within him, and he was sure not to be the only one who noticed. Even his friends had commented upon those subtle changes on several occasions, and they spent less time in Severus' company than he did.

Maybe Harry was desperate to hold onto one of the few rare individuals that truly understood him the most. It was funny how things turned out, as Harry never thought in his wildest dreams, that this was ever going to be possible. But as Severus was facing a tough few weeks upon the trial and decline of his health, Harry wanted to hold onto those good memories with him – those conversations they both shared since Harry had found him alone at the Shrieking Shack. Since then, both have developed an unforeseen camaraderie – A trust that neither expected to rely on and both worked hard to earn that from each other. A strange, odd friendship forged from past guilt and repentance, and acceptance for their mistakes and wrongdoings. Coming to terms with a broken past, in order to attempt to fix their once antagonistic relationship through the years. It was accepting all faults, remembering their acts of good, upon finally learning to forgive each other, if not themselves.

After all, hate was too hard of a burden to bear.