A/N: Right, one more after this and it's over! Hopefully you won't find it too rushed, but all tedious things must come to an end. Oh, there's some innuendo in this chapter, take it as you will. I confess I'm a HP/SS fan, but anything explicit seems inappropriate in this fic. So enjoy this one kiddies!

The morning after Christmas found Harry Potter knocking down the door to Severus Snape's quarters.

"Severus, are you…are those cauldrons on your pants?!" Harry asked, finding the Potions master lounging in his sitting room, going through scrolls with blurred morning eyes.

"I make it a point to make use of the monstrosities that are the Headmaster's Christmas gifts at least once before tossing them in the fire," Severus answered, gesturing Harry towards a seat and the pot of tea waiting before it. "Now, I assume that you did not barge in here to discuss my night clothes? What is it you wanted from me?"

"I want to know what's going on," Harry answered as he poured himself a cup of tea.

"I don't suppose that you could be more specific," Severus answered, setting aside student essays.

"What are the complications that you mentioned? What is the importance of mid-January?"

"No importance, now," Severus smiled. "I've procured Dumbledore's promise that you will not be involved."

Harry didn't know how to respond to that, save gulp in air with a hiss and hope that he would taste the appropriate emotion on his lips. But all he found was righteous indignation. And anger.

"You had no right," he growled, holding back the childish whine that was begging to be released, a cry reminiscent of a babe stripped of his favorite toy. "I'm not some weakling," he ranted. "You have no right to shelter me like this! Why the...why am I here even if not to end this fucking war for you? Why did I give up my life?" Even as he said it, Harry knew he was lying to himself. His sacrifice of a life in America, of good friends and a college education, was not as great, in terms of happiness, as he would have thought. And although he was willing to fight Voldemort, and give more than his mobility to the cause, he had no wish to become a martyr, and no delusion that he was indispensable. He knew.

"Are you quite finished?" Severus asked, and Harry was grateful that his friend had spared him this once.

"Yes. Sorry."

"There's no need," Severus shrugged.

"Will you at least tell me what's changed?" Harry asked. Earlier that week, it had sounded as if plans had been considered that involved Harry, and now he was next to useless.

"You've proven yourself too powerful to go to war," Severus smirked.

"I don't understand," Harry frowned. "Isn't being more powerful a good thing, at least in this case?"

"No. Allow me to give you the details and then we shall see what your opinion is concerning your involvement in this fight. Recently, nearly a hundred of Voldemort's supporters have defected. They have thrown themselves on the mercy of the Ministry, rather than sink with their ship like the vermin they undoubtedly are. Some of the ranked Death Eaters remain loyal of course, but Voldemort's dark army is breaking apart. Now what do you think that would drive him to?"

"Desperation. He'd be more than willing to settle for unicorn's blood, no matter what it means to his strength and what's left of his life and soul," Harry answered. "He'd never surrender. He's been driven into a corner."

"Yes," Severus agreed.

"So I was to finish him off? In mid-January…because the least harmful and most potent of the synthetic elixirs would take that long to brew?"

"Very good, Mr. Potter. And how would you have found him?" Snape asked, comfortable in his role as an educator, hoping to regain his dignity as he sat in bootie pajamas.

"The unicorn reserve," Harry whispered. "After you recovered the Sorcerer's Stone, the Ministry relocated all of the unicorns from the Forbidden Forest to the reserve in Snowdon. It would be the easiest place for Voldemort to breach. I'd have transformed into a unicorn."

"Yes."

"And why can't I now?" Harry asked.

"Because," Severus scowled. "There was always a level of risk to you when we thought this route was a possibility. Even with the revelation of your true power, that risk does not go away. If you were to be captured, the war will be over."

"You think he could break me that easily?" Harry asked quietly. "Don't say you don't know me well enough to answer that. You know me as well as I know myself. Do you think me that weak?"

"It's not a question of weakness!" Severus snapped. "It's about what I am willing to lose!"

"Severus-"

"Never mind, Harry," Severus sighed. "Leave it be. There are other ways to end this war and Dumbledore has agreed to consider them."

"What can I do?" Harry asked, though he was forming an answer for himself.

"You tell me," Severus smiled. "At lunch, where I shall be dressed in something more surly…and black. And I'm sure that you can use these few hours to work out the weaknesses in whatever plan you are currently concocting in that war-mongering head of yours."

Harry made his way to the Potions lab after his conversation with Severus. He needed to make a Pensieve.

@@@

"What do the house elves do with the leftovers?" Harry asked, as he passed the breadbasket to Remus. He, Wynn, Remus, and Severus were gathered for lunch in Dumbledore's office, leaving Minerva to supervise the students eating in the Great Hall.

"Until your friend Ronald Weasley finished his education at this school, I don't believe there were any," Dumbledore smiled.

"I believe the head elf has some remarkable effective preservation spells," Remus answered. "My friends and I had a very hard time trying to break them on the occasions when we actually stole food from the kitchens in our youth," he continued, grinning at Wynn. "Most of the time, the elves were more than willing to part with more than a healthy portion."

"As pleasant as this stroll down memory lane is, I'm eager to here what young Harry has to say," Dumbledore said.

"As am I," Severus added, casting a sidelong glance at the package Harry had brought with him.

Harry noticed and opened the box, putting the Pensieve on the table. "Severus, would you mind if I picked your brain?"

@@@

It was nearing midnight on New Year's Day, and a strength of six dozen Aurors, as well as a handful of apprentices, including Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, were hidden in the shadows surrounding the church just beyond Upper Slaughter's borders, freezing their arses off. The waxing moon was shining down on them, the glow from the snow and puffs of condensed breath illuminating the sky, but the most prominent light was the green flame surrounding Voldemort's hands as he stood, only 50 meters away. He was chanting lowly, hissing really, and some of the Aurors who had met the "man" in battle once before were itching to start hexing. Fortunately, they had wills strong enough to withstand the wait, for they were all under the strictest orders, the most bewildering orders they'd ever received. "Capture all Death Eaters, but Voldemort is not to be touched."

Suddenly, the air was filled with a rapid series of pops, nearly a hundred apparations. There was a slow movement towards Voldemort, a black, murmuring wave as his Death Eaters became suppliant and cooed humble greetings at their lord's feet.

"Welcome, my loyal Death Eaters," Voldemort said, not having to shout above the reverent silence. Then he raised his wand, and Ron, watching from the bushes, could see the barest of flinches tremble through the crowd. But no one would run. "Vincio!" Voldemort shouted, as a pure blue light poured forth into the sky, spread like water through the air, and settled around the congregation of Death Eaters, binding them.

"Now!" came a shout from the shadows, as Remus Lupin led the Aurors forth. The Death Eaters could do nothing. Ron was allowed to make his first capture as a trainee, pulling at the elbow of one of the masked men. The binding spell clung to him as it unwove from the larger net. Ron and the Auror who was supervising him led the Death Eater away from the group and stunned him. Hermione was occupied elsewhere, staring at the unapologetic eyes of Draco Malfoy, who continued to sneer even as he was stunned like the rest of the Death Eaters. Meanwhile, no less than ten wands were pointed at Voldemort at all times, though it was hardly necessary. He just stood back and surveyed the scene, an easy smile on his face.

Within half an hour, the last Death Eaters in Britain were in the custody of the Ministry. The Aurors and apprentices had accompanied their prisoners to the various holding cells throughout the country, a team of Obliviators was making a sweep of the area for any Muggle witnesses, and Remus Lupin stood alone, with Voldemort.

"You can change back now, Harry," Remus grinned.

"No," Harry answered, pointing to a pair of eyes glowing in the distance. The snake turned and slithered away. "He's watching."

"I know," Remus sighed. "He always is. Change back." Harry did, relieved to be out of that stifling skin.

"Do you think he suspected?" Harry asked. There was always a chance of corruption rearing its head in massive missions conducted through Ministry channels, which was the main reason that the Aurors had not been informed of the ruse.

"He may have," Remus answered. "But he would never have warned his followers, even if he had been sure this was a trap."

"It would be admitting to great a weakness," Harry agreed. "Now what?"

"Now, we go home," Remus answered. "We'll leave Voldemort until the sun rises."

It was almost two in the morning when they returned to Hogwarts, but Dumbledore, Wynn, Minnie and Severus were waiting for them, and no doubt the other trainees were sitting up in the graduate wing, waiting to hear from Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"It went well?" Wynn asked, giving Harry a tight squeeze at the shoulder. They had all been worried for Harry, not because of the Death Eaters, but because of the temptation he provided for Aurors with something to prove or someone to avenge.

"Ninety-six in custody," Remus grinned. "Harry's binding spell was brilliant."

"Excellent," Dumbledore beamed. "Well done, both of you."

"Yes," Severus whispered. "Well done." Harry caught Severus's eye, and made his excuses. Wynn and the rest accepted that he was tired, and Harry headed towards his room, wishing to speak to Hermione. He found her there after he waded through the questions of the other trainees, who knew that Harry had been involved in the night's mission but were confused by Ron's testimony that he had not seen Harry all night. Harry told them that he'd explain later, when he could, and pressed on to his room, knowing that Hermione would be there, sitting calmly on his mattress, waiting to break down.

"How are you?" he asked. It was as far as he got before the tears started to flow.

"He didn't say anything to me," she breathed into Harry's chest, after she had collected herself. He didn't let her go. "He acted like I was dead, as if he had killed me that night."

"He didn't," Harry whispered. "You're here."

"I know."

"You're here."

"I'm here," she said, pulling away and giving Harry as big a smile as she could genuinely manage. "Oh, I have news for you!"

"Classified news?" Harry grinned.

"Of course, but you deserve it," she winked. Of course she knew. She knew what Harry had been that night.

"Do tell," Harry laughed.

"Malfoy confessed to making the poison for his father."

"Really?" Harry asked. Either some serious truth serum had been involved, or Malfoy was fishing for a deal. "Did he say what the mission was?"

"To lure you. That's all he said, to lure you," she answered. Or rather, yawned.

"Well, to bed with you, young lady," Harry smiled.

"You too, young man," she answered, standing to go. "And unicorns."

"Excuse me?" Harry asked.

"He said unicorns," she repeated. "Do you know what he meant?"

"Maybe. Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight, Harry."

@@@

"Severus?" Harry asked. "Are you decent?"

"Never," Severus answered, ushering Harry into his rooms. "How is Miss Granger?"

"You heard, huh?" Harry asked, taking the offered glass of whiskey. "She's fine. She had some interesting news though."

"Yes?"

"Malfoy was under orders to poison me, to unlock my power."

"He said as much?" Severus asked, sitting up in his chair.

"He said he was to lure me. And he said 'Unicorns'," Harry answered. "Great minds think alike?"

"Apparently," Severus answered, repressing a shudder at would might have been.

"How are you?" Harry asked.

"Why do you ask?" Severus answered, wariness abundantly clear.

"You…" but Harry didn't know what to say. "It's fortunate that you had such detailed knowledge of Voldemort's form," he continued, wishing this conversation wasn't necessary. "Ninety-six Death Eaters, in one night. Fortunate."

"That's one way of looking at it," Severus smiled ruefully.

"I won't tell anyone," Harry whispered. He wanted to beg Severus to erase the memory. He didn't want to close his eyes and see that scene from the Pensieve, the moment that gave Severus such intimate knowledge of Voldemort's flesh, of the spot on his chest that allowed the Dark Lord to call his Death Eaters. But this understanding of the man was a gift, and he could not give it back. Ever.

"I know, Harry," Severus answered. "But everyone I care about knows already."

"Then thank you for telling me."

"You should go, get some sleep."

"I could stay," Harry answered. "For a drink. Another drink."

"Then stop hovering about near the door," Severus smiled. "Sit down. Maybe we can come up with a plan for tomorrow."