I read this fic way earlier on in the exchange, but I had such a reaction it, I couldn't formulate words for a review. I'm still not sure I can.
I was looking forward to Deathly Hallows because I wanted to find out Snape's motivations. I just knew that after DH I would be able to go back to previous books and understand more what he was doing. You've done exactly that. You've infused my favorite Snape and Harry scenes and given them context. You've taken what JKR gave us in DH, but also added your own.
Snape's characterization renders me speachless. It's one of the most important aspects to me as a writer and reader, and you've thoroughly mastered it. One of the reasons why the rape works for me is how Snape behaves under the orders. I think it's something Voldemort would ahve expected Snape to do (especially given Voldemort knew Snape had something for Lily-although underestimated-it would have been a way to break Snape like Voldemort's treatment of Draco in HBP). Snape might've felt like he shouldn't do it, but at the end of the day, he might have had trouble not meeting a demand. There's something twisted and dark in Snape that would have done that. It's just so fitting.
The way Snape looks at life and organizes his memories is amazing. When he starts to create memories for Harry, too, I thought was such a subtle but powerful way of showing his outlook towards Harry as changing.
The ending was just so powerful, and as I was reading it, I was breaking -- but now, after giving it some time, I actually like the ending right before the epilogue as the ending. The other part of me that much prefers happy endings loves the epilogue you've created, too.
There's something about this fic that's so gut-wrenching and perfect, it also makes me uncomfortable. But, I think it's so uncomfortable because it hits so deeply, if that makes any sense.
OOH. I knew I had something else to say. Dumbledore. You've absolutely captured my post-DH view of Dumbledore.