A little over a month later, Harry was finishing his Charms assignment and dropped his quill, clenching and unclenching his hand to work out the kinks. He was sure he would never get fully used to using a quill. However, looking at the assignment, he hoped it would be enough leverage. He was done all his schoolwork early and had even read ahead in a few classes. He pushed himself up off the floor, wincing at the pops in his lower back chiding him for, once again, completing his homework at the coffee table instead of kitchen table or his own desk. He left the sitting room and headed for the archway in the back right corner of the quarters through which sat Severus' bedroom and personal study. He knocked on the study door and pushed it open slightly at the quiet invitation to enter, peeking around.

"Dad?" Harry said in an almost cheery tone.

"Harry?" Severus mimicked without looking up from the book he was perusing as he stood at the wall of books.

"Have I told you how much I love you lately?" Harry said and watched his father's head rise and turn to him.

"What do you want, brat?" Severus said, his knowing exasperation making Harry grin as he fully entered the study.

"So, I'm done all my homework, I've read ahead, I cleaned my room, I did the dishes-" Harry rattled off.

"Harry, spit it out," Severus said, to anyone else sounding annoyed, but Harry could hear the amusement. His habit of rambling had always been funny to his father.

"I know it could be a risk, but I was wondering if I could go to Hogsmeade with the team after the match tomorrow?" Harry asked. "They're planning to go to the Three Broomsticks, either to lament or celebrate, depending on the outcome."

"I told you I didn't want you going to the village this year," Severus said with a slight frown as he put the book down on his desk and crossed his arms.

"I know, but I've hardly gotten to go since third year," Harry said. "I'll be with the team and Ron and Hermione and Draco."

"I don't know," Severus said, still hesitant. "We have no way of knowing if the village is safe and, after the train, I'm not too confident."

"Please, Dad?" Harry said. "I'll help with inventory."

Severus gave him a withering stare. "Are you trying to convince me having you assist with inventory is worth risking your life?"

Harry couldn't help but huff, crossing his own arms. "No, but, come on. You said you wouldn't keep me locked up."

"In your room," Severus said pointedly.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Dad," he said, hating when his father argued technicalities and semantics. "What if Kingsley came with us?"

There wasn't an immediate response, telling Harry his father was at least considering his proposition. Harry just kept his eyes locked on his father's as he waited, trying to subtly make his expression slightly more pleading. When he saw the very minute twitch in Severus' eye, he knew he'd succeeded and held back a grin. Soon, Severus sighed and rolled his eyes to the ceiling.

"Very well, but Kingsley goes with you and you go nowhere but the Three Broomsticks," Severus said. "Deal?"

Harry smiled and nodded, crossing the study to hug Severus.

"I will take you up on your inventory offer as well," Severus said, rubbing Harry's back.

Harry laughed and stepped back from his father. "Thanks, Dad."

Severus smiled and inclined his head, picking up the book he'd been reading again. "You should head up to the Tower. It is getting close to curfew."

"I thought I'd stay here tonight," Harry said and Severus raised an eyebrow.

"I believe you got what you wanted," Severus said. "There is no reason to implement more bribery."

"What? I have to want something to stay here more than one night?" Harry said, feigning offense.

"That has been my experience," Severus said with a smirk.

Harry huffed again, but silently conceded. Unless forced or as bribery, it was uncommon for him to stay in his father's rooms more than once a week. As much as he loved his father, he preferred to have the normal student experience and spend his time with his House.

"I sleep better here. Thought that it would be better to get good sleep for the match tomorrow," he said with a shrug. "Can I?"

Severus gave him another smile. "You never have to ask, son," he said. "I'll be in in a couple hours."

Harry nodded and began to leave the study as Severus returned to whatever he was working on. He almost had the door closed when he had a thought. He peeked back around the door.

"Dad?"

Severus hummed, jotting something down from the text. 

"Do your Slytherins know you hope Gryffindor wins every match?" Harry said with a grin.

Severus looked up at him again. "Excuse me?"

"Don't worry, I'll keep your secret," Harry said cheekily.

"Secret?" Severus said.

"That you like Gryffindor best," Harry said.

"Bed, brat!" Severus said, wandlessly sending a ball of parchment at Harry who laughed when it bounced off the door.

"Good night!" Harry said, laughing as he closed the door on his father shaking his head and headed to his room.

Harry zoomed through the air after Draco, dodging Katie and Angelina as they raced away from the pursuing Silas Perrot. He flashed a grin at them, and then at Severus and Kingsley as he passed the staff stand. He zipped around a Hufflepuff stand, ducked a Bludger, and pulled up sharply as the Snitch and Draco darted towards the sky. He caught up to Draco just as the Snitch dropped and they quickly followed, bumping each other to try and throw the other off track. Cheers and screams echoed around the Pitch at their quick approach to the ground. When the Snitch darted to the right, Harry was able to cut Draco off, forcing the Slytherin to fly up to avoid a collision. Harry was able to race after the Snitch unhindered and finally captured it right next to a Slytherin goalpost just as Angelina scored one more goal.

Gryffindor exploded into applause and cheers, and the team rushed over to Harry to celebrate their first win of the season. Once they finished, the team flew to the ground to change and Harry flew to the teachers' stand.

"Good show, Potter," McGonagall said.

"Thanks, Professor," Harry said, smiling.

"An indication for the season, yes?" McGonagall said, flashing Severus a sly look that made him roll his eyes and Harry laugh.

"I hope so," Harry said.

Apparently satisfied, McGonagall bid goodbye and left the stands, leaving just Severus and Kingsley.

"How is your shoulder?" Severus asked as Harry turned back to them and referring to the Bludger Harry had failed to effectively dodge earlier in the match.

"It's fine, more of a graze," Harry said. "It'll bruise, but that's all."

Severus nodded.

"I'll meet you and your friends at the gate," Kingsley said.

"Can the Slytherin team come too?" Harry asked, he and Kingsley looking at Severus.

"If they wish to accompany you and Kingsley doesn't mind supervising extra students," Severus said, looking at Kingsley who shook his head indicating he didn't mind. "Very well. Remember, Three-"

"Three Broomsticks only, stay with someone at all times, preferably where Kingsley can see, and be back well before curfew," Harry recited. "I know, Dad."

Severus just raised an eyebrow before sighing as Harry and Kingsley exchanged grins.

"If you are not back by dinner, eat there," Severus said and Harry nodded. "Go. Have fun."

With another grin, Harry took off to the ground and dashed into the changing room to change. Finding the team waiting, he told Fred and George to go invite the Slytherins and, about fifteen minutes later, both teams plus Ron and Hermione were leading the way to Hogsmeade, Kingsley trailing behind. Entering the Three Broomsticks, their group was directed to a large area separated from the main pub with an archway and they spread out around the two large round tables. Kingsley sat at a small table between them and the bar, allowing him full sight of his charges as well as easy access to Madam Rosmerta for conversation.

Butterbeer and fizzy drinks were passed around as they relived the match and all of Harry's past ‘incidents' during matches.

"I still can't believe Lockhart walked away from Snape alive after that!" Jasper Chamberlain, one of the Slytherin Chasers, said after they'd picked apart the Gryffindor and Slytherin match in second year that had ended with Harry losing the bones in his arm courtesy of Lockhart.

"Considering Snape nearly hexed him there on the Pitch," Alicia said.

"He likes to torture in private" Draco said conspiratorially and everyone laughed.

"Seriously, Harry, what did Snape do to him?" Fred asked.

"I honestly don't know, he never told me," Harry said. "All I know is Lockhart avoided me like the plague after that."

"Until he ended up in the Chamber of Secrets with us," Ron said and everyone laughed again.

"And that's when Snape almost murdered Harry," Slytherin Beater Simon Carlisle said.

"Not the first or last time," Harry pointed out.

"No kidding," Draco said. "Almost gotten us killed right alongside him a few times."

"Hey, you chose to be a part of those things," Harry said, pointing at his friends with a grin.

"No kidding," Draco said.

"Remember..."

Whatever tale Ron was about to reacquaint them all with faded as Harry left the area, finding the rest of the pub to be quieter than their section. Harry rubbed his temple in response to the dull ache he could feel forming and walked over to Kingsley, leaning on his godfather's shoulder.

"Having fun, kid?" Kingsley asked, looking up at him.

Harry smiled and nodded. "Thanks for coming with us. It's the only reason Dad let me come."

"We only want you to be safe," Kingsley said, cocking an eyebrow and Harry sighed. He must have looked or sounded more frustrated than he'd intended. "It's all Severus has ever wanted."

Harry nodded. "I know."

He found himself drifting back to the beginning. Aside from the Malfoys, Kingsley was the first person from the wizarding world he met through Severus that year before Hogwarts. It had started professionally, Kingsley assigned to Privet Drive as protection by Dumbledore once it was discovered the blood wards from Lily were actually unexplainably non-existent. While activity from Voldemort was not expected at the time, Kingsley's presence also provided additional fear for the Dursleys if they touched Harry while also allowing Severus to focus solely on helping Harry. Harry wasn't sure exactly when the arrangement became more than professional. Eventually, Kingsley and Severus began to talk every time they were both in Privet Drive, sometimes Kingsley would arrive before Severus and would spend time with Harry, and then Kingsley began accompanying them to the nearby park and would play with Harry. Then, when Severus began to fight the Ministry for both guardianship and adoption, Kingsley helped provide the evidence of abuse and neglect. Kingsley quickly became one of the first choices to watch Harry if Severus had to be gone for any length of time. For Harry, Kingsley was one of the first people to actually take care of him and he'd quickly become attached.

"Harry?"

Pulled from the past, he smiled down at Kingsley. "I'm okay. Just a bit of a headache."

Kingsley gave him a searching look. "Should we head back?"

Harry shook his head, knowing the man was thinking of Voldemort and his scar. "It's just the noise."

Kingsley watched him for a few more seconds before nodding and bringing his hand up to pat Harry's back comfortingly. Harry gazed around the pub casually, taking just a few more moments away from his friends, when he spotted an unfriendly familiar face in a far corner with two others Harry could only see the backs of, both in hats and heavy cloaks. He thought the attire slightly odd given it was only mid-October. It wasn't too cold yet and the pub was almost too warm. He moved his eyes back to Grey.

"What do you know about Grey?" Harry asked.

"What do you mean?" Kingsley asked, following Harry's line of sight.

"He said he worked for the Ministry, for the Aurors," Harry said. "Raid strategist."

Kingsley frowned. "The only raid strategists I've ever known and worked with were Oscar Wilder, Dante Valery, and Grenadine Cloake."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows and looked at his godfather. "Are you sure?"

"I've been with the Aurors for twenty years," Kingsley said. "Ethan Grey has never passed through this part of the DMLE."

Harry felt a small twisting in his gut as he looked back at Grey and his company.

"Want me to look into him?" Kingsley asked.

"Could you?" Harry asked. "I know Dumbledore would have, but given his track record..."

Kingsley chuckled. "He means well, but, yes, he is a poor judge of character in this situation, for some reason."

Harry nodded his agreement.

"If he's going around saying he was part of the Aurors, he could have forged documentation," Kingsley said.

"Is that possible considering we have magic? It sounds so Muggle," Harry said.

"Magic can be used to create some types of documents that don't require blood," Kingsley said.

"Like adoption certificates?" Harry said, remembering the kind of ceremony he and Severus had gone through for his adoption, and Kingsley nodded.

"Adoption documents can't be forged because of that," Kingsley said. "Something like an Auror certification, though, could be forged with the right spells, or just someone to help write a fake one."

Harry frowned again.

"If there is anything to find about him, I'll find it. I'm sure it's nothing, just someone pretending to be more than he is," Kingsley said, rubbing Harry's back again. "Go back to your friends."

With a slightly tighter smile, Harry did so, trying to put Grey out of his mind for at least a couple more hours.

"I know we agreed you wouldn't ever interfere with my detentions, but Grey is mad and he gave me a detention on Saturday for absolutely no reason," Harry said as he walked into Severus' quarters. "I'm not asking you to get rid of it, but could you see if you can get him to at least move it to another day? I'm not missing Halloween."

He tossed his bag onto the sofa and wandered into the kitchen, grabbing an apple from the bowl that sat on the table. Taking a bite, he returned to the sitting room and looked around for signs that his father was there. He spotted the man's cloak hanging on its usual hook, but noticed other cloaks there as well that weren't usually present. He frowned.

"Dad?" he called out.

He heard a door open and turned to the archway in time to see Sirius come rushing towards him. Smiling widely, he was swept into Sirius' arms and spun around as though he were a little kid. He grinned at Remus standing in the archway watching them with a fond smile. After several seconds, he was put down and he hurried over to hug Remus, just spotting Severus and Kingsley behind in the study where the door was partially open.

"When did you guys get back?" Harry asked, pulling out of the hug but staying tucked against Remus' side with the werewolf's arm around his shoulders. 

"Last night," Sirius said.

"Did you find anything?" Harry asked. The search for Voldemort's horcruxes had been constant since second year when Harry destroyed the diary, apparently confirming a long-held theory of Dumbledore's. The headmaster explained it all to them, revealing that Harry himself was also a horcrux, explaining his connection to Voldemort. Dumbledore only knew of one other item that was likely a horcrux-a ring-but he didn't know where it was or how many other horcruxes there could be. After second year, Dumbledore had brought several Order members back into action, assigning them to the search and adding Sirius and Remus after third year once Sirius' name was cleared. It was proving to be a long search requiring a lot of effort.

"Possibly," Remus said. "We were going to be talking to Albus today, but then Kingsley and your father asked to see us."

Harry looked over their shoulders at the two in the study again. They were clearly talking about something and looking at papers on the desk.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, frowning when his godfathers glanced at each other.

"Bring him in," Severus said behind them. "This affects all of us."

Growing concerned now, Harry was guided into the study and to the small sofa where he and Sirius sat.

"You're freaking me out," Harry said, looking at each of his family members.

He watched Kingsley exchange a look with Severus who nodded and then turned to Harry. "I looked into Grey," the man said and Harry sat up straighter, interested. "I was right and he was never an Auror. However, he did work in the DMLE up until nineteen eighty-two."

"Okay," Harry said slowly. "What did he do?"

Again, all the men exchanged looks.

"What is going on?" Harry said.

"Ethan Grey worked in Crime Scene Analysis," Kingsley said. "He's the one that would determine what had happened and write up the reports about what was found."

Harry thought it sounded very Muggle, like those police shows on the telly. "Okay, but why would he lie?"

"Harry," Severus said, coming over to sit on Harry's other side. "He worked on Godric's Hollow."

"And the street where I confronted Pettigrew," Sirius said.

Harry felt his stomach clench at the mentions of his life's tragedies. "Is..." he cleared his throat. "Is that weird?"

"Not necessarily," Kingsley said, "but his paperwork is. I pulled his reports and there are things that don't match up with what we know happened on Halloween."

"What does that mean?" Harry said.

"It seems it is possible he was involved in the attack on your parents, child," Severus said quietly, brushing his hand through Harry's hair.

"It is also possible there are things we don't know about what happened that night," Kingsley said. "Some of his reports look forged."

All Harry could do was stare into nothing as his thoughts raced and his stomach twisted painfully. His father and godfathers talked quietly around him while he found himself back in those memories he'd had dreams of for so many years, seeing a flash of green and hearing maniacal laughter.

What didn't he know about his own life?