absolutely fantastic. you really had me going for a bit thinking Snape was gonna die. I was hoping that this would be the kind of fic that would allow him to survive.
wonderful fic. great story telling and world building.
I absolutely love the characterisation of all your characters. they really feel like real people which is something not a lot of fabric writers manage to do.
love love love the fic. you can guarantee I'll be rereading this and the preceding fic in due time again.

My gods I haven't even the words to describe how wonderful this story is or how deeply it touched me. I read The Enemy Within and The Chained Souls in just two days, I was physically incapable of putting it down ! I seriously couldn't ever praise your writing enough, your characterization, the way you seamlessly wove Harry and Snape's relationship to be something so strong while never moving outside of the believable. I have read many stories in which Harry and Snape develop a bond of some sort or another, and while I enjoyed those immensely, your Snape was in my opinion the truest to canon. He fought his growing bond with Harry tooth and nail but despite this he still came to care about him and it was glorious to see unfold. Your take on how to defeat Voldemort and the actions he took to achieve immortality were so unique I was on the edge of my seat the entire time wondering what it could be. Gods there are so many things I could go off about ! But the most important thing I want to say is thank you, thank you for writing this and sharing it. Writing is hard and at times can seem nearly impossible, so to create such an amazing universe and then willingly share it with the world (for absolutely no gain of your own) is something thing I could never thank you enough for. This story will always be one of my favorites and I know I'll be back to read it again and again. So I just want to say, with all of my soul (I had to, I'm sorry) and from the bottom of my heart, thank you. It was a brilliant ride and I'm honored to have been able to take it.

Can you believe it, I am Actually crying over the last bit of this story. Iwas so afraid that Snape might die, and to see that they had a happy ending and to see what they accomplished was more than satisfying. I missed that in Canon.
You're battle with Voldemort and the whole set up with souls was fascinating to solve and the landscapes of souls were also really interesting. You have my respect to write such a believing, captivating story that the original seems colorless in comparison.
Thank you for writing this masterpiece of a story!

Woah, I did not expect that. While I disagree with the epilogue, the whole story was incredible! I took me all day to read this. All. Day. I am amazed by your talent for story-telling. Another great expansion of the HP characters without completely changing them. You do jot just tell a story but you also described a story. This story is indeed a rare find on .

Okay so now I'm crying.
These two stories were both just so beautifully written and I've had an amazing time re reading them one the last couple of days. During this lockdown little things like reading a really good fan fiction have made such a massive difference to me.
This story ended so perfectly and you made Harry and Snapes relationship feel genuine whilst still maintaining their characters. Thank you so much for writing and sharing you work :)

What a roller coaster of a story! I've spent the past 3 days reading this story and its prequel. It is a wonderfully sympathetic view of the canon characters, from Lupin to Dumbledore. Brave, confused, terrified Harry, relying on Professor Snape even when he doesn't realize it, wrestling with his conscience, and mourning the loss of his friend Severus. And Severus Snape is a Slytherin marvel here, skilfull, clever, manipulative, terribly wounded and still coping, doing what needs to be done, convinced he is unforgivable.

Your vision of three very different competent Defense teachers was inspiring, and Snape's required essay for his Defense Practicum - damn. Your world-building around Legilimancy and Occlumency was wonderful. Dumbledore's garden, Harry's foundations of Hogwarts, Snape's neighborhood with the brick wall, and then Voldemort's barren, lonely landscape. And then for that to tie so flawlessly into Snape's self-isolation and that terrifying vision of Hell. *shudders*

I also appreciate your resolution, with both Harry and Snape finding themselves a continuing and desperately needed role in the Wizarding World. SO SATISFYING! Thank you!

That... was great.
At many occasions I thougt, "so much better than the original books". So much more sense, story, charakter,...
One example: First I was "disappointed", that Snape survived... Just another happy ending again. But the greater plan Dumbledore had, explained why they were forced to work so much "useless" together. And I loved the moment I realised (and I also love that Snape survived, my favourite charakter).

Thanks :D

Yup, definitely sure I've read this fanfic before. I forgot how it ends though, so it's almost like reading for the first time.

Thumbs up to your Professor Dumbledore.

On one hand, Snape's being seriously badarse right now, on the other hand, I was starting to suspect Mr. Weasley. Who would see that coming?

“Severus needs to be needed”
I think Dumbledore is wrong here. Snape too, in the part about the two things he craves in life: respect and control – that’s just what he thinks/tells himself he craves, while Severus, the more direct communicator, is willing to accept Harry’s company, even when that means getting distracted (losing control) from his potions (the means to get that respect), even when he’s not guarding his secrets behind the wall yet.
Considering the rest of the story - Snape who hates being shunned by the rest of the Order and whose idea of hell is loneliness - the need to be needed is just a proxy. What he wants, what any human being wants, is to be appreciated for who he is as a person. He finds himself incapable of making such connections because he doesn’t think he’s worth it with his guilty past, so he opts for being useful instead. So that’s what I missed in the happy ending: with his talents, he was always going to be successful, but is he happy? He is still strict while teaching, but can he relax when he’s not, and be an understanding mentor? His interest for lycantropy potions and vaccines hint at a friendship with Remus, but I hope he found a nice potion-obsessed sparring partner at St Mungo’s as well, preferably someone with a dark sense of humor :-)

Really though, overall, well done!

Another ‘I love this story, but’: Their farewell at Grimmauld Place was disappointing in the light of what they both know will happen. In this context they are a man about to die for the cause and a young man who will play an active part in that man’s death. That is not the moment to stay in their roles as student ‘Potter’ and teacher ‘Professor Snape’, that is the moment to acknowledge each other for who they really are. Harry knows he’s saying goodbye to Severus, so for fuck’s sake, call him ‘Severus’ – that would resonate with Snape on that deepest level and make it meaningful for both. Snape knows Harry is not James, so this is the moment to show he’s stopped confusing the two Potters and say ‘Harry’. They’re going into battle together in a way no one else shares with them, so it’s only fitting they should say farewell as equals, not as student and professor.
Also, I get that tears and hugging are not right for these two, but looking each other in the eye with even just one hand on one shoulder already adds that personal, well, touch.

(I just reread both these stories and still love them as much as the first time, but these are just a few things I feel the need to say, hence all these comments :-) )

I loved the moment Snape loses control and Harry goes ‘Severus?’, but feel like there could have been more. It’s time for Harry to behave like the adult he needs to be rather than becoming drunk in a pub, even if that is a moment for Snape to see Harry vulnerable and emotional again. I would have prefered it if Harry had taken Snape for a walk the way he did with Severus, and say the things he wants to say in earnest, not helped by Dutch courage, so his words can’t be brushed off as the overly sentimental stuff drunk people say (and Snape wouldn't be interested in).
Over the last few chapters I was waiting for a full-blown shouting match with Snape arguing how evil he is and beyond saving and not worth it in any case, and Harry defending him against his own self-hatred, telling Snape he’s so much more, that he’s worth the effort to get to know him, perhaps slipping up and calling him Severus. Alas, that didn’t (really) happen.

I canNOT understand Harry in this Defense lesson. Did he get hit by an Amnesia spell or something?

Harry KNOWS:
-he considers Severus a friend
-Severus and Snape are the same person - otherwise he wouldn't be looking at Snape with the sadness and regret he feels wrt Severus
-both Severus and Snape try their best to keep him at a distance: Severus with a wall, Snape through emotional withdrawal
-the existence of Expelliarmus and Stupefy - Snape taught him the first one, he has used both spells against Voldemort and Death Eaters
-not to let his opponent goad him, I mean hello, what did Ryan teach you last year
-to expect and use nonverbal spells in a duel, I mean hello, what did Knight teach you in her private lessons

Now this lesson plan. Snape wants Harry to 1) learn a lesson about the necessity of making sacrifices and 2) hate Snape again. He thinks he can achieve those goals by casting himself as the enemy - not knowing Harry sees Severus as a friend - and making Ron the unintended second victim of Harry's attacks. From Snape's POV, it pretty much makes sense (though he knows Harry pities him).
The two obvious holes in that plan are:
A) Harry of course doesn't want to hurt Ron, but he *doesn't want to hurt Severus either*.
B) Stupefy and Expelliarmus will end the fight without harming your opponent

So why the friggin frick does Snape's plan work?! The first time I read this, I was looking forward to how Snape's plan would completely fail because of A and B, but no, Harry just forgets absolutely everything he knows, after something meant as a provocation that shouldn't have worked as such. It just doesn't make sense at all.
And to make it even worse, he uses the things he's learned during the Legilimency sessions not to understand what Snape’s trying to do, but to hurt him. What the hell, Harry. Sheez.

Some notes along the way:

-Ron and Hermione have a relationship, but it’s hard to still see traces of it. Unless ‘playing chess’ is code for ‘snogging’ – that would be amusing.
-This Christmas is the first without Molly Weasley, but other than the sweaters Ginny embroidered, there is no reference to that whatsoever – the Weasleys don’t even celebrate Christmas all together with Bill and Charlie as well, and no mention of reaching out to Percy or whatever.
-Cute detail about Snape seeing Ginny’s locket :-)
-Harry spends quite some time behind the wall in Snape’s mind, and we know and come to know how great a role the Marauders played in Snape’s younger years, so why doesn’t Harry ever encounter them? They must be in there somewhere…