Harry Potter and the Third Way by Tisiphone Nemesis. Pairings: Harry/Severus (suspected Hermione/Draco) Summary: AU SLASH SSHP No HBP. In a world torn between two powerful wizards a child of prophecy struggles to escape the manipulations of one and the lure of the other. With the help of his friends he attempts to find The Third Way Independant!Harry
Rec: Not sure why I haven't rec'd this one yet, aside from a lousy memory. Now, before anyone plunges in, please note that some things happen with alarming speed, and there is a Mary Sue Time room involved (but we frequently find those to be fun, and we do here, too). The fact that it's labeled as independent!Harry means having a Dumbles shouldn't be a surprise.
Now, what I really like about this story is that some of the dialogue is just freakin' delightful. It's also nice that Severus isn't above playing games (meant to be harmless), and that he and Harry aren't shagging like pixies quickly. There's a progression, which is nice. The UST is fine, in my opinion, and frankly, there are times when getting there is a hell of a lot more rousing and fun than the climax itself, if you follow me.
On a bad note, this hasn't been updated since September of 2007, which is frightening. I can only continue to hope that the author's muse wakes up with a vengeance. You know, soonish.
ETA: So much for that. The author has posted chapter 19....
"Hi,
I'm quitting writing fanfiction - it's taking up all my time reading it and I can't write anything.
If anyone wants to adopt my stories email me and I'll send you everything I have on them.
Tisi.."
So much for the delightful dialogue I'd been enjoying.