Harry James Potter was having a good first week back, if you didn’t count on Malfoy getting himself hurt during Care of Magical Creatures.

Today they were in double potions, with the Slytherins, and Draco Malfoy had walked in late.

“I still can’t believe Malfoy didn’t get detention,” Harry said, adding a few drops of Belladonna sap to his potion and stirring it three times.

“Don’t worry about it, mate, he always gets what he wants because Snape is his Head of House.” Ron said.

“Well it still doesn’t make it right,” Harry pointed out.

Ron shrugged and went back to his potion.

Today Snape was having them brew a simple Paternal Potion. It was only one of nineteen known ones and Harry was having a great deal of ease with it. Ron, however, wasn’t, and he hit his hand on the desk.

“I hate Potions!” Ron stated.

Harry hated Potions as well but so far he was doing okay today and he didn’t want Ron to mess it up.

By the end of the lesson Harry had a violet color potion ready to be graded. Hermione had produced a pale purple potion and Neville and Ron were the only ones that looked like they were going to get a fail for the lesson. Snape came over and looked down at Harry’s potion.

“Have you been cheating, Potter?” Snape asked him, his eyebrows rose in suspicion.

Harry was shocked, for the first time, that Snape would even think that he had cheated.

“No, sir, I haven’t,” Harry answered.

“Don’t lie to me, Potter,” Snape sneered and Harry could hear Malfoy snickering. “Grab a vial, Potter, and pour some of this potion into it.”

His voice was colder then usual and Harry did exactly as he was told.

Harry was glad when the lesson had ended. Harry knew that he hadn’t cheated so why couldn’t Snape just accept it and leave him alone. Of course Ron would say that Snape didn’t know how to leave anyone alone and the only way that Snape would ever stop making Harry’s life a nightmare was if Harry died. Well he had no intention of ever doing that.

During lunch Ron talked about Hermione and the fact that her brand-new book bag was coming apart.

“Harry, why does she have to take so many classes?”

“Ron, you know that we’re talking about Hermione,” Harry said to him, giving him an odd look.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Ron begged.

Harry stared at him, “And why not?”

“Because for a moment you looked just like Snape,” Ron told him.

Harry was a little stunned by that.

Professor Lupin wasn’t there for their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson but he did arrive a few minutes later.

“Good afternoon,” he said. “Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Todays will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands.”

Harry was curious about this. They never had a practical Defense Against the Dark Arts before, unless you counted the memorable class last year when their old teacher had brought a cageful of pixies to class and set them loose.

“Right then,” said Professor Lupin, when everyone was ready. “If you would follow me please.”

Puzzled but interested, the class got to its feet and followed the professor out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing they saw was Peeves the Poltergeist, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum.

Peeves didn’t look up until Professor Lupin was two feet away; then he wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song.

“Loony, loopy Lupin,” Peeves sang. “Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin-“

Rude and unmanageable as he almost always was, Peeves usually showed some respect towards the teachers. Everyone looked quickly at Professor Lupin to see how he would take this; to their surprise, he was still smiling.

“I’d take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves,” he said pleasantly. “Mr. Filch won’t be able to get in to his brooms.”

Filch was the Hogwarts caretaker, a bad-tempered, failed wizard who waged a constant war against the students and, indeed, Peeves. However, Peeves paid no attention to the professor’s words, except to blow a loud wet raspberry. Professor Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand.

“This is a useful little spell,” he told the class over his shoulder. “Please watch closely.”

He raised the wand to shoulder height, said, “Waddiwasi!” and pointed it at Peeves.

With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves’ left nostril: he whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing.

“Cool, sir!” said Dean Thomas in amazement.

“Thank you, Dean,” said Professor Lupin, putting his wand away again. “Shall we proceed.”

Meanwhile in the Headmaster’s office…

“I’m telling you, Albus, this potion was done better then even I could brew,” Snape told Dumbledore.

He had waited for over an hour to finally see the Headmaster and when the door opened Fudge came out, looking harassed. He nodded at Snape and then headed back to the main part of the castle.

“I fail to see the point of this,” Dumbledore told him.

“He’s cheating,” Snape snarled, “I want him suspended until he tells me the truth.”

“And what purpose will it serve?” Dumbledore asked him.

“It will tell him that cheating isn’t allowed,” Snape said. “This is another point that I’m making. He’s like his stupid father, thinking that he can get away with anything because he’s famous.”

“Severus, you keep on pointing this out but I’m telling you that he’s nothing like his father.”

Snape didn’t believe Dumbledore for one moment.

Back with Professor Lupin’s class

“I’m telling you, Lupin is wicked,” Ron said.

Harry frowned at what Ron had said. True, Lupin was really good at helping the students dispatch a Boggart but he didn’t let Harry tackle it. Harry decided that he would ask Lupin the next time that he saw him.

No time at all Defense Against the Dark Arts became most people’s favorite subject. Only Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins had anything bad to say about Lupin.

“Look at the state of his robes,” Malfoy said in a whisper every time that Lupin passed. “He dressed like our old house elf.

But no one cared if Lupin’s robes were patched and frayed. After Boggarts they moved onto Red Caps, nasty little goblin like creatures that lurked wherever there had been bloodshed; in the dungeons of castles and the potholes of deserted battlefields, waiting to bludgeon those who had gotten lost. From Red Caps they moved on to kappas, creepy water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their pounds.

At the end of each of lesson Harry tried to ask Lupin about why he wouldn’t let him tackle the Boggart but every time he just ignored him to the point that Harry had to leave if he didn’t want to miss lunch.

“Your dose of Wolfsbane, Lupin,” Snape said two weeks after term had started.

“Thanks Severus,” Lupin said and started to drink it.

Snape left Lupin alone as he had no need to make conversation with a werewolf.

Harry was coming back from the Library, where he had been force to study with Hermione. As he approached Gryffindor tower he noticed a very nicely dressed witch standing there. She had long black hair, brown eyes, and was wearing purple robes that had pentacles on them.

“Excuse me, but are you Mr. Potter?” the woman asked him.

“Yes, why do you ask,” Harry asked him, wondering what this woman wanted with him.

“I’m Tara Hutch and I’m from the Department of Magical Births at the Ministry of Magic,” the woman explained, making her voice sound important. “I’ve got a letter from your mother, Lily Potter.”

Harry at once got excited and accepted the letter.

“It was timed for you to open it when you were in your third year,” Tara explained, “Enjoy what’s written.”

And she bowed and left.

Harry entered the Gryffindor common room and found a quiet corner to read his mum’s letter. He opened the heavy parchment, feeling excitement coursing through his body. He had never gotten a letter from his mum and he wondered what she had to say. He read:

Dearest Harry,

If you’re reading this then I and James are dead and I won’t get a person to person chance to tell you this. A few years before you were born I had a friend, a Slytherin, his name was Severus Snape. We lived in the same area and he told me that I was a witch and he told me all about Hogwarts. One night, a few months after I was married to James, Lucius slipped me something.

It caused me to be unfaithful to my husband and the only person that was able to help was Severus. I got pregnant that night and I never told James the truth. I didn’t want him to believe that Severus had a hand in it. Harry, Severus is your father and I hope that both of you can love each other.

Love from,

Lily Potter

“Harry, there you are,” Hermione said.

Harry looked up and he saw that Hermione was shocked to see tears.

“Snape’s my father!” Harry told her.

“What!” Hermione said, shocked. “But how-?”

“Lucius Malfoy did something to her and Snape helped her,” Harry told her.

Hermione put a hand over her mouth.

“What am I going to do, Hermione?” Harry asked, “The man hates me.”

“Well he won’t hate you when he finds out that you’re his son.”

Harry snorted and wiped the tears away.

“I’m going to bed.”

And he left.