AU: I would like to thank all my readers for reviewing. This is the last chapter before the epilogue. I know many readers think the story is too short. That's true. Your reviws and sugestions have been so helpful. I see faults in my story that i didn't see before. And I fully intent on revamping this story, making it longer, and re-posting it on when I'm done. There were a lot of miscontinuities, like the fact Hogsmeade and Diadon alley are two very different places. Thanks for putting up with me! I hope that my idea was orinignal and creative and that despite certain things the story was enjoyable. To me this is the best kind of fic in the sense that, I take hurt/comfort to the next level. i take hurt as literal pain, and Snape is there to comfort. I've always loved scenes where Harry is experienceing raw pain, because to me he's a fighter. And fighters need to experience physical pain in order to become stronger (and i like to see him suffer so that Snape can take care of him ) All in all the reviews were pleasant (a couple flames) but nothing this writer can't take. There will be more Snarry stories to come (when i find the time lol) and I hope then I will have grown into a better creative writer. Thanks for reading! Peace out!

CHAPTER 8 - A WAY OUT

The next morning was a beautiful winter day. The white snow was blinding in the sun and warm light trickled delicately into the hospital wing. When Harry looked outside he got a happy feeling, like the kind you get when you're enjoying a moment with your friends or when you're by the fire eating a delicious piece of cake. The forbidden forrest looked like an intricate ice sculpture on the horizon. Hagrid's hut was nuzzled peacefully in the snow, the chimney smoking. The Quidditch pitch was empty. No one had left their footprints on the freshly fallen snow.

While Harry was confined to the hospital wing until further notice, he had no problem lazying about in the light and looking outside to the beautiful grounds. In fact he could almost never do this in peace. He was always stressed or worried. His life never gave him a breather. And finally he was having one. And Harry was making the best of it.

When Snape and McGonagall walked into the hospital wing they heard a soft clarinet sounding from Poppy's radio. It smelt faintly of breakfast toast. And the heat from the sunlight was cozily warming. They saw Harry lying on a bed, his head resting on the windowsill. His eyes were sparkling.

Snape thought twice before disturbing Harry's peace. The boy hardly had space for such luxuries. McGonagall seemed to be thinking the same thing, for she too simply stood there looking at her student, a slight smile at the corner of her lips. But Harry smelled Snape and McGonagall moments later and he turned to them.

"Potter. We believe we may have come up with a promising solution."

Harry's ears perked.

"As I have previously mentioned I believe the key to reverting you is to break the magical block holding you in your animagus form; or at least make an opening to allow you to change back."

"I agreed." McGonagall continued. "The antimagus incantation is based upon this principal. I surmise that it did not work on you because you are two animals at once. This creates two bonded magical seals which the incantation cannot break."

"However, we may be able to weaken the bond…by introducing concentrated amounts of dopamine into your brain."

Harry wasn't following. He knew what dopamine was but he wasn't sure what that had to do with anything…

"As you may or may not know, dopamine is a chemical released in the brain in response to pleasure and pain. This chemical is known to weaken a magical bond, but never enough to be broken. We believe that the more dopamine your brain releases, the weaker your animagus bond will become. We may be able to create a large enough gap in the magic bonds so that the antimagus incantation could pass through."

But Harry still didn't understand. His professors seemed to know this. McGonagall looked at Snape uncomfortably.

"The dopamine must be induced by a physical, outside source. Since there is nothing I can think of to induce the level of pleasure needed to stimulate the amount of dopamine we need, we must turn towards the other option. The cruciatus curse is the most controlled kind of pain that can be dealt which will provide sufficient amounts of dopamine."

Harry was stunned. Snape was proposing that Harry willingly succumb to cruciatus.

"Harry," McGonagall spoke. "There is no other immediate alternative. Inventing a spell or a potion to reverse what has happened may take years. Not to mention that you may die in the attempts. We have spoken to the headmaster and he approves of our plan. But he told us that the final decision is yours to make."

Harry didn't know what to think. He had suffered cruciatus before. He didn't fancy feeling it again. But he knew that his professors wouldn't propose such a thing unless it was their last resort. And if Harry hadn't have gotten to know Snape so well he would outright refuse. After all, he was allowing this man to inflict pain upon him. Snape would have all the control. Once the first curse is cast, Harry's life would be at the tip of Snape's wand. But he knew he could trust Snape, even after all these years of mistrust.

But then, did Harry really want to change back into a human? Did he really want to go back to his burdens? He had become an animal to escape all that. Would it really be so bad if he stayed like this forever? But he knew he had a mission that only he could fulfill. And he wasn't going to stand by and watch Voldemort destroy the wizarding world. It was time to live up to his responsibilities. If he stayed like this then Sirius will have died for nothing. Although he was so young and had lived a lifetime already it was his burden to bear and no one else's. No one else would suffer Voldemort if he could stop it.

He sat up in his bed and looked to his professors with fire in his eyes. Snape smirked. He expected nothing less from a Griffindor spirit as bright as his.

"I will not lie to you Potter. The pain will be severe. And the bursts must be prolonged at a relatively high level. However, it is not enough to cause permanent brain damage."

Harry was sitting stiffly in the middle of the hospital wing. He was shaking from snout to tail. And he was so very cold, as if a little ice spirit was sitting in his heart.

"We will begin shortly. Prepare yourself."

Dumbledore stood to the side, his eyes never leaving Harry. Madame Pomfrey, who did not approve, was wringing her hands. McGonagall attempted to remain composed, but was obviously struggling. Remus and Hermione stood side by side, Hermione leaning slightly against the werewolf. If anyone knew Severus as well as Dumbledore did then they would note the slightest sheen of sweat on his brow, and the way he wiped his sweaty palms on his robes. One would also note his frequent blinking, something the man hardly ever did. To any outsider Snape would have seemed the most composed wizard in the room. But experience and a practiced eye told Dumbledore otherwise.

Harry thought he would collapse. His legs were shaking so hard. His breathing was cut short. He felt dizzy and euphoric. It was almost as if he wasn't in the room anymore. His head was so light it felt as if it was lifting to the sky. And suddenly he wasn't in Hogwarts anymore. Instead he was in a room with creme walls and wood floors. And he looked up to the beautiful woman before him. She smiled and his heart tightened. Her red hair was aflame in the candle light. She smelt like wildflowers in open fields; the kind that only grows after a heavy storm.

Then she began to sing. It was a melody Harry had heard before. She sang it softly and calmly. Harry felt her breath on his cheeks. This was his peace. This was such a happy time. This was why he needed to defeat Voldemort; so that no other child would have to wake up in the middle of the night, their hearts aching with the agony of never being held by their mother again. So that no one else would suffer seeing their loved ones taken by pure evil with no purpose but sadistic pleasure.

Harry opened his eyes when Snape called his name. The man stood before him, with a potion in his outstretched hand.

"This will help your body with the shock."

Harry thought he saw those deep eyes flicker with emotion. But then it was gone. Harry opened his mouth and drank the potion.

"I will start very weakly then make my way up to allow your body the transition. The bursts will last for 30 second rounds. I will be monitoring the animagus bond through occulemency. Once there is a sufficient gap Professor McGonagall will attempt the incantation."

"Harry." Everyone looked to Dumbledore. "I must stress to you the danger of what we are about to attempt. You could die. The amount of magical energy colliding may kill you. And if it does work there is no guarantee that you would be able to become an animagus again."

So, Harry thought. Damned if I do, damned if I don't.

"Are you ready?" Snape asked.

In his head Harry was screaming, 'no I'm not bloody ready! I don't want to do this1 I never wanted to do any of it.'

Snape stepped back and pointed his wand at Harry. "Do not resist me. Let it happen."

Harry breathed in…

"Crucio."

Harry jolted at the dull pain that spread everywhere in his body. Then he felt the intrusion of Snape into his mind. He did not resist. Instead he focused hard as the pain began to increase. He gave a plaintive yelp and everyone started.

Now Snape was truly casting crucio. Harry couldn't stand any longer. His quivering legs buckled and he fell. Harry's mind went blank. He no longer heard himself screaming. The pain was stabbing at every part of his body. But somehow it was different as an animal. It was painful but that's all it was. It wasn't as complicated as humans made it. And this allowed Harry to find his centre. Maybe if he could locate the animagus bond then he could help weaken it…

Everyone watched in horror as the dog they knew to be Harry yelped and screeched in agony. His body contorted into unearthly positions. Hermione made a move to intervene, but Remus held her back.

Then it stopped. And Harry slumped on the ground breathing heavily. But before he could prepare Severus cast a second cruciatus, worse than before.

Please stop! You're killing me, you're killing me!!!! AHHHHH! AHHH! You're killing me….stop it…stop…it…

Snape could hear Harry's pleas through his occlumency. It took everything he had to keep his wand pointed at the boy. If there was any chance this was going to work, he needed to cast the curse for long bursts. Snape almost faltered as Harry began to cry. Only he could see it, because wolves can't cry. The curse was so strong that Snape could almost feel through the mental link. But it was all in his head. All because he cared too much for this stupid boy.

The curse was lifted…and then repeated. And each time Snape felt the bond recede, but never enough to penetrate. It wasn't enough. He couldn't risk raising the intensity. Potter could be severely damaged. But this could go on for hours. Snape was not going to give up, not after having put Harry through this. He was hoping, praying to whatever guardian angel was watching over this boy that he'd pull through.

Harry had lost count of the times he'd been cursed. At the moment he was fighting to stay conscious. But his body was weakening severely. His brain was beginning to shut down. And as he fell into his mind Harry felt a curious tug. He ventured deeper into himself until waves to energy washed over him. He could feel the animagus bond clashing with the cruciatus. The tension was so mighty, so powerful. No wonder they couldn't penetrate it. Harry reached out with his mind and touched the bond.

Snape wavered slightly and lowered his wand.

"Severus. What is it?"

"Headmaster, I believe Potter has found the bond within himself. I felt his presence strongly for a moment."

"He is trying to weaken the bond. Severus you must try again."

Snape nodded. "Crucio."

Harry felt the cruciatus curse again. He didn't think he'd be able to take much more. He summoned all his remaining strength and reached for the bond. Then he relaxed it, like massaging out a knot. And the cruciatus curse was pushing through, slowly separating the two distinct energies.

Then Harry heard Snape shout, "Now Minerva!" And a fourth energy entered his mind and pushed right through the gap Harry had made. Then it split apart. Everyone watched astounded as Harry became a black wolf, then a zebra. Then he was Harry, the boy who lived, standing glassy-eyed and sweaty.

Snape rushed to catch Harry as he fell, exhausted and tortured. He brought Harry to the ground, cradling him against his chest. Everyone else gathered around. The women all had their hands over their mouths. Hermione was in tears. Lupin was on the verge of breaking down. He didn't know whether to cry or to laugh. Dumbledore smiled, his grey eyes twinkling.

Snape cupped his student's face. "Harry. Harry, are you alright?"

Harry was crying so hard. He was back; back to being the savior of the wizarding world; back to being the victim of cruel stigmas and lies. But he would be able to stay at Hogwarts, his home. He would be able to learn more and be with his friends. And when the time came, kill Voldemort.

Snape looked at the boy in his arms and whispered so only he could hear him. "Harry I'm right here."

Harry looked up at Snape with glistening eyes. "It hurts," he said pitifully.

"I know."

Snape nodded and held Harry tighter. He understood that his physical pain was nowhere near as intense as his emotional pain. But Harry was going to be just fine. He'd make sure of that…

AU: This is the final chapter before the Epilogue. Please review, as they are always appreciated. I love to know what readers think about my stories. So give this writer some reviews so she can reflect on her story :) Thank you so much for reading!