A/N: I'm back and finished with the really enormous, yet strangely gratifying RL project. Yeah to me for pulling a miracle out of my backside to get it finished the year, considering how gargantuan it was. So, in celebration, here is a chapter update for those who have been most patient with me to get it updated.

A/N2: Italics dialogue is from HPB, digital edition. I hope the few lines don't annoy the nice folks at Scholastic, considering my solicitor says that what little I did falls under fair use. – DG

Harry lifted another vial out from the collection and looked at the stopper. It looked newer than some of the others, and the colors inside swirled like a potion about to bubble over. It drew his eyes more than any of the others in the collection.

"I don't know about this one, sir, but let's look at it." Harry pulled the cork out of the stopper and poured the contents into the Pensieve. The colors looked like a storm and the mix of pinks and blues enchanted his eyes.

"Come Harry, let's see what we have here. After this, you can call it a day if you want."

"We should do more than four a day, sir, if we are to get through them fast."

"And you're not my only obligation, Harry. I have to meet with Hemera in 90 minutes and go over what she's found out."

"What is she doing, sir?"

"She's been off chasing Dolohov." Kingsley's face went hard, harder than usual. "I didn't want her to do it but she insisted. She's been after him since the fighting ended." Kingsley shrugged some and the tension in his backbone solidified. "She sent her Patronus yesterday, asking that we meet today at half past three. I won't stand up her request, not unless I'm dead."

"Yes, sir." Harry turned back to the Pensieve and looked in. He landed with a thud and understood what was about to happen. This memory was going to suck.

"Where are we, Harry?" The surrounding stairwell was moving fast, like Snape was running as fast as he could. Deep, hard sucking breaths rattled the memory.

"It's the Astronomy Tower the night Dumbledore was murdered."

"And we're going to witness it, aren't we?"

"Yes, sir."

They were floating up the stairs as fast as Snape was running, ignoring the slight washing out of the colors of the Astronomy stairs. Loud bangs and screaming followed but he kept going, up to the very top.

Snape casually blocked spells coming from above and below him, racing past those in his way without care or concern. He passed the groups that continued to fight, high stepping over a body splayed in the stairwell. He kept going, passing the barrier that had been erected in the stairs leading to the top of the tower. The Professor saw the heavy door and pushed it open, coming to a halt on the stone floor. There was Malfoy, four Death Eaters, and Dumbledore, leaning against the outer rampart.

Harry saw a faint sparkle showing in the perperhy of the memory. He knew where he was paralyzed but guessed Snape didn't realize that he was there, under the Invisibility Cloak.

Dialogue echoed softly, words that Harry remembered in his nightmares.

"Severus,"

The memory moved forward and Harry chuckled when Snape shoved Malfoy roughly out of the way.

"You really can't stand that young man, can you?"

"Frankly no, sir, because he's a coward and a bully. I don't like him at all, even if he refused to identify me when the snatchers caught us."

"Severus, please."

Harry wiped his eyes at seeing his mentor, and painfully human protector, begging not for his life, but for giving him a merciful death. He didn't realize it then, but did now.

"I'd forgotten how much it hurt to hear him begging Snape. I didn't realize that his begging was for mercy, not his life. I assumed it was murder."

A pale hand came into view, steady as can be, pointing the wand at the frail wizard before him. 'Avada Kedavra' he said with a touch of disgust and blew Dumbledore backwards over the ramparts of the castle wall.

'Out of here, quickly,' he implored the rest to depart. Where the others left first, he grabbed Malfoy by the scruff of the neck and shoved him through the doorway. The rest followed, legs churning behind them in their flight of escape to safety. Each step bounced the vision before them, hustling Draco down first, his wand held up shielding the terror stricken young man before him.

'It's over, time to go!'

They turned a corner and kept running, passing through witches and wizards dueling. On they ran, as fast as they could, to escape. He ignored Longbottom and kept pushing Malfoy ahead of him. They had to escape the confines of the castle walls and beyond, where they could apparate away to safety. The others, Greyback and the Carrows, were not his care or consideration – just the young man before him.

'The doors,' Malfoy yelled. Snape raised his wand – Harry was getting dizzy with the continued movements of the memory – and blasted the front doors of the castle, giving them egress. They kept running, ignoring everything and everyone behind him.

'Stupify,' one particular voice erupted in the darkness.

The memory stopped moving. 'Run, Draco,' before Snape turned.

Harry saw himself and tried to shove down the wobbly feeling in his knees.

"Alright there, Harry?"

"It's a little disconcerting, sir."

"Just a little while longer, I reckon."

"Yes, sir."

'Cruc – ' the other Harry tried to yell out. Snape blocked it easily.

An explosion erupted and Hagrid's voice bellowed. The owner of the memories ignored it, waiting on the child to try again.

'Cruc – '

'No unforgiveable curses from you, Potter.' Venom dripped from his voice, making Harry shudder. 'You haven't got the nerve or the ability – '

'Incarc – ' Snape blocked that spell too, a casual flick of his wand.

'Fight back!' Harry screamed at him. 'Fight back, you cowardly – '

'Coward, did you call me, Potter?' Snape's voice was booming in the night consumed with fire and blood. 'Your father would never attack me unless it was four on one, what would you call him, I wonder?'

'Stup – '

'Blocked again and again and again, until you learn to keep your mouth shut and your mind closed, Potter!' Snape deflected another curse, yelled into the darkness.

'It is time to be gone, before the Ministry turns up – '

'Impedi –' Snape looked for the new attackers, seeing Harry fall into the grass not by his wand.

'No!' He fired off a disarming spell at Amycus who was crucifying Harry in the grass. 'Have you forgotten our orders? Potter belongs to the Dark Lord! We are to leave him. Go! Go!'

The memory took off again, but the start of another particular curse making him stop and turn back towards the Harry kneeling in the grass. He motioned his wand again, brushing aside the curse aimed for him. He saw into Harry's mind and realized what he was planning. Death would be an easier avenue than using that knowledge against him.

'No, Potter!' The memory owner's voice screamed and Harry was flying through the air, landing hard on the ground. He walked up to Harry, the fire to his left burning into his features. 'You dare use my own spells against me, Potter? And you'd turn my inventions on me, like your filthy father, would you?'

'Kill me then,' the lad displayed fury towards him. 'Kill me like you killed him, you coward – '

'Don't,' he screamed, 'call me Coward!' He did the incantation of the spell at Harry, intending to give him a painful reminder of the events of the evening before a Hippogriff flew at him. He turned and ran for the boundaries of the castle, being chased by a Hippogriff. Within moments, he made the gates of the castle and Disapparated away.

"Harry, that might be the end of the memory," Kingsley said quietly.

"No, I don't think so. Something else happened, something he wants to account for. He wouldn't show me what I already knew."

The memory grew light again, this time in the darkness. They were following along at a fast clip, passing enormous gates.

"Not here again," Harry groaned to himself but was compelled to keep watching.

Snape made the entry doors and went through, hustling up the stairs to the second floor. Death Eaters were loitering around, including Narcissa who was taking Draco away from the main dining room.

"Ah, Severus," the voice of Harry's year-long nightmares slithered across his ears. "Greyback tells me that you killed Dumbledore." The werewolf was in the corner, picking his teeth with his grotty nails. Snape entered the room and stood at the other end of the enormous table. Sitting at the other end, a platter of food untouched before him, sat Voldemort, dressed in proper English robes.

"I did. Dumbledore died tonight by my hand."

Voldemort lifted a gold goblet to his lips, wetting them slightly. "A toast, then, to Severus Snape, for doing what I could not."

The memory turned around the entire room, viewing every possible Death Eater present in the room. Draco was noticeably absent, along with Narcissa, but Lucius was present, along with so many others.

"Hear, Hear!" voices erupted, a cadence that withered Harry's bits even if it was over a year prior.

"Potter?"

"I was interrupted while trying to maim him tonight, My Lord. He did not perish by my wand, as you commanded, but if he's missing his wand arm, it would have been easier for you. I was thwarted, unfortunately."

"Pity you didn't finish that task, Severus." The sibilant voice whispered. "Now then," Voldemort motioned towards the seat next to Snape, "come sit and dine, Severus. Since Dumbledore is now dead, we have other Muggle lovers in need of disposal if we are to purify Magical society, cleanse the Ministry, and expand our influence beyond these small shores."

Severus sat down at the opposite end of the table and a platter of dinner appeared before him, along with a silver goblet containing elf-made wine. He turned his eyes down at the plate, keeping his eyes downcast in perceived supplication.

"I want suggestions tonight on how we can kill the Minister and stage our coup. I want to have the Ministry under our control before I finally kill Harry Potter. I want this accomplished by the end of July."

"My Lord, I might be of service to you," Snape intoned, "if I might speak of it."

The memory dimmed and Harry was pulled out with Kingsley.

"He lied to Voldemort," Kingsley spoke up first. "He said he was trying to maim you. Rubbish. I know that spell."

"Yeah, and it hurt like hell then, sir."

"It induces migraines and gives the feeling of severing limbs, but it's a spell. He never intended to maim you, only make it appear such."

"I was angry, sir. I thought he had murdered Dumbledore."

"In the eyes of the law, what he did was commit murder most foul. But the law cannot differentiate between murder and mercy." Kingsley turned and Harry felt his back giving way. He'd take him up on the offer to not participate for the rest of the day.

"But between you and I, if it came down to a fast kill like an Unforgiveable, or being mauled by a werewolf, there is no choice, at least to me."

"Yes, sir."

"Now, let's take a couple hours break, so you can eat and we can meet Hemera. I dunno about you but I've been wrung out and hung up wet."