The hush around the Gryffindor common rooms was deadly. People stopped playing games and simply stared. Fred and George were the first to appear at Harry’s side.

“Hey!!! Hey you voltures...back off!!!” Fred stated spreading his arms across Harry who was seated in a chair in the far corner of the common room. Collin Crevey was completely shocked and picked up a pen and paper to be able to write to his parents to tell them the news.

For once the twins did not think completely alike as George’s first reaction was to gather what few first years and Collin into a circle and threaten them that if they ever told a soul their name would be mud and it would be written across the Grand Hall with their underwear.

With some assistance from Fred and Ron, Harry and his friends walked up to the second grade boys common room. Ok, so it wouldn’t be a complete hideout, as Neville with a worried expression was coming over to talk, with Dean and Seamus behind him, but at least it wasn’t as many as in the common rooms.

“Wow man, why did you blurt it out like that?” Neville asked Ron who was slowly going as red as his hair.

“S...sorry Harry,” Ron stated, “it was just such a shock!”

“Oh you are so lucky Harry!!!” stated Hermione, “I wish one of my parents could be a teacher here!”

“Shut up Hermione,” Harry stated bluntly.

“Yeah, if my father was Snape, I’d be wanting to crawl into the smallest area of the castle and just hide away!” Neville stated.

“well...he’s not all that bad Harry,” Hermione said ignoring his last remark, “at least he has his heart in the right place.”

“Yeah and he shows it by torturing me and Neville in potions class,” Harry mumbled.

“Oh I’m sure that’s for show Harry,” Fred stated. “Yeah,” said George, who had managed to come up to the dorms with the boys still pacifying those who could have heard. “after all...he has to keep up his fearsome bat of the dungeons routine for the Slytherins, he is after all their leader.”

“Yeah...great...oh Mum why did you have to do this to me!!!” said Harry.

“Come on...lets give him some space for a while,” Ron stated.

“That might be the smartest thing you’ve said all evening Ron,” Harry mumbled.

Ron for once, did not allow for his temper to make the most of the situation and left his friend in peace to think for that evening. The only man with the answers was in the dungeons and Harry wasn’t interested at that moment in going to talk to him again. Instead he found himself playing exploding snap with Neville, of all things, and simply talking about how bad is it really to have a parent...maybe it could be good. Even if that parent was Snape.

Snape awoke the next day with a thumping headache. He groaned and rolled over dragging himself to the shower. He must have drunk quite a great deal for him to fall asleep like that in his armchair but after news like that who could blame him? The only one with the answers to his questions had passed on long ago.

So who to contact next? He sat pondering the question for a while. Who could possibly know about this situation and why Lily had made the decision to not announce Harry as his son. Why is it that he looks so much like James? Why wouldn’t she tell him what had happened? How had it happened? He sat down absent mindedly stroking his dog which had instantly sat on his lap when he sat down. Imagine, the evil potions master with a dog sitting on his lap. He smiled for a second when the dog nuzzled into his chest but his mind was amidst memories. Maybe Lily would have told somebody who was close to her at the time..who was she close to? Well he remembered that she spent a lot of her Hogwarts days with James, Sirius and the Mutt, Remus, that damned werewolf. Maybe he would know something? But then thinking about it, if Remus was close to the full moon when she did he wouldn’t have been paying much attention anyway. What about Serius? Can’t ask him he’s in Azkaban, Peter was too cowardly to be trusted at the best of times but he had long since died. He couldn’t help but to smile that it was Peter’s best friend Sirius who had harmed him in the end. He had tried to take him under his wing when they were at Hogwarts but it seemed Peter was drawn to James like a moth to a flame. So who else would Lily have trusted, Dumbledore! Yes he would be just the man to speak to that would come up with such a cunning plan.

Dumbledore is the reason why he was never near his son, why he couldn’t have been a part of Potter...no not Potter...his son...H...Harry...Harry yeah that wasn’t too hard to think of. Harry’s raising should have been his responsibility. How dare he take that from him. How DARE he!

This thought was what had Snape rushing upstairs to the headmasters office and pounding on the door. “Nezflick” the password. Another wizarding treat...word for the week a toffee that blew up in your mouth causing chocolate to ooze out. Well...Snape might make the headmaster blow up after this scheme and he was positive that what come oozing out would not be chocolate!!!

“What is it Severus,” Dumbledore said taking his head out of the fire, “I was in an important meeting with the ministry.”

“Fine, whatever,” Snape said not giving a damn about the latest escapade from the man who kept his son from him. “Explain to me about Harry.”

“I’m sorry my dear boy, explain what?” Dumbledore stated, “he’s a student just like the other thousand or so wizarding kids we have roming around these halls and you know I think you are a little too harsh on him after all he lost both of his parents....”

“You know full well that he has NOT lost both of his parents. Not as long as I am still alive!” Snape burst out. He felt so full of rage that he could quite possibly have decapitated the man in front of him but he knew that if the war with Voldemort was to be won it would be through the help of Albus and his precious “order of the phoenix” who seemed to look at him as if he was some kind of God.

“What on earth do you mean Severus? Lily and James passed on a long time ago and I don’t see what you have to do with any of that. You are being far too hard on yourself,” Dumbledore looked at him puzzled.

“Legilimans” Severus whispered. Before Dumbledore knew what had happened Severus was searching in his mind, searching, searching,

“thingy that goes after Legilimans” Dumbledore stated, “Severus if you want to know something all you have to do is ask.”

“Why did the parenthesis test of Harry Potter come up with me as Harry’s biological father?” Snape asked.

The look on the headmasters face truely dismayed Snape. He honestly didn’t know.

“I’m willing to cast the Familius Treesonia with you to see if he truely is your son if you’d like,” Dumbledore stated, “but I don’t know what more I can offer you.”

Snape nodded his head. A few hours later they again showed the truth.

They could see all of Snape’s family members on the family tree that had appeared from the potion. Every one from his great great great great ...so forth...great grandparents through to today. There was a dotted line between him and Lily and beneath them a solid line towards Harry Potter...his son.

“Have you considered asking Remus about this?” Dumbledore asked him.

“And you think that mutt would have been able to maintain such a complicated detail after how many full moons come on old man we can do better than that,” Snape stated.

“What about Teresa  Pulldragon?” Dumbledore asked.

“But she has been in Pleasant Mountain for the past ten years..ever since Alice was tortured. She was losing her memory before then, do you think there’s a chance in hell she would remember such a thing?” Snape asked.

“Write and find out,” Dumbledore said, “they tell me that she remembers the past quite vividly, but nothing from the present. I thought maybe she would benefit from a visit from Neville, but they stated nobody would benefit due to her fading memory. But try...maybe she might know who to contact.”

“Yeah whatever you think,” Snape stated and left the office in a huff.

So the headmaster was no help at all. No surprise really, since when has he been interested in anything which didn’t involve some kind of lolly or plotting for revenge on Voldemort. So he took Dumbledore’s family. That happened to more than one wizard in the world but it seemed that only one was taking such evasive action. Still it was good to have SOME kind of plan to defeat the darkness even if the one behind the planning was...sigh...Dumbledore. At least Riddle seemed to fear him a bit.

Snape went again to his firewhisky. He contemplated how this is becoming quite a habit but at this present moment who could blame him? At least he could take today off from those numbskull children it being weekend and all.

In early evening an owl arrived for him. “Go away you pesky thing I don’t want to be bothered,” Snape said to the owl making like he was shooing it away but it was a persistant little thing, just like Harry’s owl always was..what did he name the thing? Hetzel? Hedging? Whatever. He took the letter away from the bird, a big persistant and annoying barn owl.

The letter seemed to unfold in front of him.

Dear Severus.

How are you my dear boy? I must admit I was quite shocked to hear from your Professor Dumbledore about you needing to speak to one of your Lily’s friends. Aren’t you one of her friends? Why can’t she talk to you? Anyways. He suggests that I should suggest someone that Lily would be in contact with...I barely even know her! But I do know that my Alice mentioned one name when she was home this Summer. Her name is Metzel Humzinger, I think she is in Ravenclaw? Anyway try talking to her. She is quite close to Lily and might be able to help you. In the mean time I hope you are going quite well with your studies and not being difficult for your professors. Maybe you and Lily can come over for tea and cookies with Alice during the summer if you want.

Looking forward to it and good luck.

Mrs Teresa  Pulldragon

(Alice Pulldragon’s mother if you aren’t sure)

By the way can you watch her activities with Dean (Neville’s Dad?) Longbottom? I’m not sure I like him.

Snape was to say the least a little surprised by the letter..apart from the references to going back to Alice’s for the summer..something that would have never happened at the time..or would it? Of his childhood. You have to understand, Teresa’s memory is fading and she often lives about 20 years in the past. But that name...Metzel Humzinger...a name he had not heard of for a long...long...time...he sat and thought...is there a way to contact her now?

Snape wrote out a letter thinking maybe this would be the best way to contact a person from long ago. An owl should be able to find her..provided she is still in the UK that is...more drastic  methods needed to be used for overseas. Dabbing a quill into some ink he wrote this letter:

Dear Metzel,

I know it has been a very long time. I hope you are well.

He grimaced when he wrote that..it is only polite..but he didn’t care for the melodramatics of some women when asked the simple “how are you” question.

Nodding when he reread it he kept writing.

I don’t even know if you have heard of Lily’s death as I’m sure people who you are closer to would be willing to tell you. I need to know if you knew anything about the birth of her son Harry. If so please owl me or you can find me at Hogwarts School of Witches and Wizardry. I am the potions master there. Never thought you’d see me able to teach that subject did you? Well I’ve been at it for 12 years now and going well. Hope to hear from you soon.

Yours Sincerely

Severus Snape.

Severus folded the letter and tied it to a sturdy and intelligent looking bird in the owlery. Taking it to the window he gave it a treat and asked it to please find Metzel Humzinger. He watched it fly away out the window and into the sky, into the distance and found himself saying “fly my beautiful bird and good luck.”