He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

It couldn't be...

His heart was pounding, creating a sharp ache in his chest, but he paid it no attention. He couldn't take his focus from them.

Harry started to step forward only for Severus' arm to extend in front of him, keeping him behind his father. He gripped Severus' arm, unable to tear his eyes away from Lily and James, the two still just standing there with strange, small smiles. He couldn't help but jump slightly when Lily suddenly looked directly at him, allowing him to finally see where his eyes had come from.

"Harry," she said, her voice soft, but there was something else there, something Harry couldn't identify, at least, not right then. "Look at you. All grown up. I never thought-"

"Don't you speak to him," Severus snarled, curling his hand around Harry's hip to pull him closer and in a clear attempt to shield him from view.

"He was right. What happened, boys?" James said with an odd lilt in his voice and glint in his eye as he turned to Sirius and Remus. "I don't remember Snape being a part of the plan for my son."

"Who or what are you?" Sirius said tightly, also shifting to help hide Harry.

"Aw, come on, Pads," James said with a lopsided grin and holding his hands out to his sides. "Gonna hurt my feelings."

"Don't you talk to me like you know me," Sirius growled.

James dropped his hands into his trouser pockets and his grin fell, eyes turning hard. "Maybe I don't," he said, a snap in his tone. "Never thought I'd see you with Snivellus, after all, or allowing him near my son."

Harry frowned, bristling at the insulting nickname and confused by James' apparent anger. This wasn't how he had ever imagined his father to be. As a teenager, maybe, but Sirius and Remus had sworn James had changed, gotten better once he left Hogwarts and married Lily. Even the look in Lily's eyes was putting him off, never how he thought his mother would look at him.

"Yeah, well, it's been fourteen years, mate," Sirius replied.

"And we shouldn't be seeing you at all," Remus added, amber eyes flashing dangerously. "I think we're owed an explanation before you are."

If anyone was going to respond to Remus, they were cut off by Harry crying out when the pain he'd been ignoring in his chest evolved into deep, harsh, painful pulsing. He grasped at his chest with one hand while the other tightened on Severus' arm, bringing his father's attention to him. The pain steadily increased, making it hard to think or focus on anything else. He could just barely recognize the electricity in the air around him and the voices that had resumed.

"Kid really is a little broken, isn't he?" he heard James say, once again in a tone Harry couldn't quite figure out.

Harry's knees buckled slightly, but he was kept on his feet by Severus. His eyes fluttered as the painful pulsing continued, magic leaving him in heavy waves that charged the air.

"Explanations will have to wait for another time," he heard Lily add and then there were shuffling sounds. He felt movement around him, and heard leaves rustle aggressively and muffled sounds of snapping twigs.

"Sirius, don't! Come back!" Remus shouted.

There was more movement and he forced his eyes open as he trembled, finding Severus had knelt in front of him and was holding his upper arms firmly. The dark eyes were worried and the long hair was being whipped around as though caught in a strong wind.

"Harry, calm down," Severus told him. "You're expelling magic."

Harry grasped at Severus' shoulders, clutching the man's robe almost desperately when the pulsing wracked his body some more. He groaned, the sound turning into a whimper by the end.

"I...I...can't..." he gasped out. "I don't...I don't...I..."

"What's wrong?" Remus asked next to him, sounding just as worried as Severus looked.

"I think he's going into magical shock," Severus replied.

In that moment, Harry had no idea what that meant despite having experienced it before, and he had no capacity to remember, continuing to shake and claw at his father's shoulders.

"How? He hasn't used any magic." Remus sounded concerned and confused.

"Given what we have just witnessed and his damaged core, it is likely an emotional response," Severus explained.

Harry gulped in a desperate breath, bunching Severus' robes in his fists with tears burning in his eyes. The pulsing was continuing, causing sharp, electric pain to course through his body. He could feel himself growing weak, his vision blurring and tunneling and his stomach was clenching, making him nauseous.

"D...Dad..."

A large, warm hand cupped his cheek.

"You're okay, Harry," Severus said gently. "You're being overloaded. I need you to calm down. I know it's hard, but you need to stop expelling magic before you deplete."

Harry shook his head jerkily. "I...I don't...I can't..."

"You can. Just like when you have a panic attack, child," Severus murmured comfortingly. "You know how to do this. Just breathe and feel."

Harry tried to do so, tried to focus on everything that made him feel safe the way he did during panic attacks. He felt Severus' hand on his bicep, rubbing up and down, and the hand on his cheek, the thumb stroking his heated skin. He couldn't tell if the thumb was brushing away tears, couldn't tell if there were any to be caught. He tried to focus on those things and tried to pull his magic in, but nothing could seem to break through and he shook his head again in frustrated despair.

"I lost them," he heard Sirius suddenly say, his godfather's voice having been absent through the whole ordeal so far.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Remus snapped. "Didn't you learn anything fourteen years ago? You have no idea who or what you were chasing."

"Oh, don't you get on me, Moony. You saw the same thing I did."

"We don't know what we saw, that's the point!"

Severus suddenly moved, standing which dropped his hand from Harry's cheek and made Harry grasp the robes on the man's chest instead of shoulders. Harry leaned forward so his forehead was pressed to his father's sternum, Severus' hand immediately coming to rest on the back of his head.

"Gentlemen, perhaps we could argue later." Severus' chest rumbled under Harry as he spoke.

"What's happening?" Sirius asked and Harry heard the worry that entered his godfather's voice.

"He's in emotional magical shock," Severus answered. "I need to get him to our quarters."

Being in his father's quarters sounded wonderful. He was just barely aware of the pressure that surrounded him temporarily and was vaguely confused when he heard Sirius curse quietly.

"How...?" Remus also sounded puzzled.

"He Apparated all of us," Severus said with a sigh and Harry opened his eyes, tilting his head just enough to realize they were no longer in the Forest's glade, but now in Severus' rooms. 

"Through Hogwarts' wards?" Sirius said, sounding stunned.

"Apparently," Severus replied. "It is of no concern right now. Remus, get the conduit crystal from my study. He needs the help. Harry, lay down on the sofa."

Harry didn't answer, but allowed Severus to maneuver him around until he was laid across the sofa. He continued spasming against the cushions, his fingers curling and digging into them. He forced his eyes open again and found Severus sitting on the coffee table next to him while Sirius stood near the fireplace, and items shimmered as they levitated on his magic waves. A few seconds later, Remus was reaching over the back of the sofa and over him, handing something to Severus.

"Hold this, Harry," Severus said, prying his left hand from the sofa and pressing the conduit crystal into his palm.

He'd only ever had to use the crystal once before, after the Chamber of Secrets debacle when the Basilisk venom and trauma of what had happened made his magic become uncontrollable, much as it was now. When it happened, his magic essentially became confused, convinced he was in danger and needed protecting again, just like on his tenth birthday with his uncle. His core poured magic, flooding him with it and, since he didn't actually need it, it overloaded him and poured out to affect everything around him.

Lucius had been the one to provide the conduit crystal which gave his magic something to focus on rather than the non-existent danger. The crystal collected his excess magic and allowed his core to slowly reabsorb it without overloading him any further.

As his fingers curled around the crystal, the hard pulsing in his chest eased slightly, his magic stopped filling the room, and everything levitating dropped. He was able to release a deep breath, albeit somewhat shakily, and he focused on spinning the crystal in his hand even as he continued trembling. A hand came to rest on his thigh comfortingly and he smiled to himself.

"We need to speak with Albus," Severus said and Harry found his eyes flying open when he felt his father stand. 

Harry's free hand shot out and he grasped his father's sleeve, his heart speeding up unexplainably. "Don't leave. Please."

Severus gazed at him for a few moments before nodding and sitting back down on the coffee table. "Go speak with Albus. Tell him what happened. Also, find Kingsley and tell him the Forest needs to be searched. I imagine they are long gone, but they can look for signatures."

There were no responses, but Harry heard footsteps, received affectionate brushes of fingers through his hair, and listened to the door open and close. He watched and shifted when Severus moved from the coffee table to sit next to him on the sofa.

"You were unaware you were expelling magic until the pain started." It wasn't a question.

Harry sighed and gave a small nod.

"It has happened before." Again, not a question.

"Two other times this month," Harry admitted. "It seemed to start when the dream started."

"Dream?" Severus repeated, a light sharpness in his tone.

"It started about a month ago," Harry told him. "I'm underground and there's mist. I see a triangle in the mist and there's voices, and then I get buried alive. I think it's about a horcrux."

Severus' eyes shut for a long second before pinning Harry again. "And you decided this was not something I needed to know about?"

"At first, I honestly just forgot," Harry replied. "Then, all of this stuff about Halloween started and I didn't want to stress you out even more."

Severus' stared turned harder.

"I told Kingsley," Harry hurried to add. "He's the one that thought I might be seeing a horcrux and hearing its creation."

"The horcrux in you could be impacting your magic, especially if it is reaching for the others," Severus said thoughtfully before rubbing his forehead. "You should have told me about this dream and your magic when they both started."

"I know," Harry agreed. "I didn't want to ruin Halloween. Though, guess that happened anyway, considering."

Severus' expression changed into a mix of alarm and sympathy. The man's hand came up and brushed his hair back, cupping his cheek again briefly.

"It couldn't have really been them," Harry said, eyes flicking up to his father's. "Could it?"

Severus sighed. "Typically, I would say no. however, given all we have discovered and have yet to understand, I truthfully cannot say for certain."

Harry's eyebrows furrowed as his mind raced, attempting to process what he'd seen now his magic was more under control.

"If...if it really was them, they...they weren't what I'd imagined they'd be like," Harry said, rolling the crystal in his hand absently. "They weren't like how you all told me."

"Which is why we cannot be certain it was them."

Harry's furrow evolved into a frown. "If it was them...if they've been alive all this time..." he hesitated before voicing his deep dark fear. "Why didn't they come back for me?"

Severus' face softened and he cradled Harry's face for the third time. "I don't know, child."

Harry felt a single, light tear fall from the corner of his eye and trail across his temple into his hair. "Can you...stay? Just for a minute?"

Severus didn't say anything, but helped Harry to sit up before moving to sit behind him. Severus moved them until Harry's back was resting against Severus' chest as Severus settled into the corner of the sofa. His father's arm curled across his chest, hand rubbing Harry's upper arm.

"I will never be anywhere else," Severus murmured.

Harry leaned his head slightly to lay it against Severus' shoulder and stared into the fire flickering in the fireplace, monotonously turning the crystal over and over between both hands. He sat in the silence and comfort provided by his father, fighting to think of the years given to him by the man who chose him and not the years stolen from him by those who may have chosen to leave him behind.

Harry pushed at his sausage despondently, watching it roll back across his plate. He pushed it again and it rolled back, the pattern repeating. He felt ill despite the Anti-Nausea Potion he'd been given, telling him his rolling stomach wasn't just a result of his chaotic core from last night. While his magic was back under control, he could still feel it sizzling within him, still agitated by his simmering, unsettled emotions. He couldn't turn off his anxiety, his confusion, his fear, his hurt. He couldn't stop seeing them, whoever they were. He couldn't stop seeing the way they had looked at him and spoken about him, sounding...disappointed? Annoyed? Surprised? Angry? Disgusted?

He just didn't understand.

"Harry, you need to eat."

He sighed, stabbed a small bit of egg, and put it in his mouth only to drop his fork and push his plate away. "I can't."

"I know this is all very distressing, but I won't have you hurting yourself," Severus told him.

"I'm not," Harry protested. "I'm just not hungry and I want answers."

"Which, realistically, we may not get immediately," Severus argued.

Harry slumped in his chair. "I know," he muttered.

They were interrupted by the appearance of Remus' wolf Patronus.

"Kingsley has arrived and Albus wishes to see us, both about last night and the horcruxes."

"I want you to get some rest," Severus said as he stood. "I will return as soon as I can."

Harry immediately shook his head and also got to his feet. "I am not waiting. I'm coming with you."

"Harry, you need rest after being in shock. You could relapse," Severus told him.

"Honestly, I'll relapse if you make me stay here alone and wait," Harry argued. "Anything I come up with here alone will be way worse than anything that's going to be said in that office."

Severus continued staring at him, clearly hesitant.

"Dad, I'm going to be honest. If you don't let me come, I will break every one of your rules and be there anyway," Harry told him and, despite the seriousness of the situation, grinned at Severus' heavy sigh and eyeroll.

"I suppose I must appreciate the transparency," Severus said with exasperation, eyes returning to Harry. "Very well. Come with me. However, if you begin to feel unwell, you will leave with no complaints, agreed?"

Harry nodded. "Promise."

"Come along then."

Severus guided Harry out of their quarters with a hand between his shoulders and they made their way up to the headmaster's office. Upon entering, they found Dumbledore behind his desk looking concerned, Kingsley leaning against the tall window's ledge with his arms crossed, and Remus sitting in front of Dumbledore's desk as he talked quietly with Sirius who was perched on the desk's corner. They all turned and looked up as they joined, Harry pulled to Sirius' side before he could sit beside Remus. He hugged his godfather, remembering all that had broken the previous evening and was the reason for all of them being there. A part of him wanted to escape, pretend it was all a terrible nightmare, but he knew it was impossible. None of them could ignore all they'd learned up to that point and what they had seen last night.

"How are you feeling, kid?" Sirius asked, still holding Harry close.

"I'm okay. Magic's back to normal."

"To an extent," Severus jumped in. "He should be resting, but he threatened to crash this meeting if I didn't allow him to accompany me."

Harry grinned sheepishly as his godfathers laughed and Severus shook his head, amused. He finally moved to sit in the other chair beside Remus and Severus stood behind him.

"In light of what occurred last night, Kingsley has updated me on the investigation you have undertaken these last few weeks," Dumbledore said and the others nodded. "That being said, Kingsley, if you would tell us what you found."

Harry looked over at Kingsley as the man left the window and stood next to Sirius.

"As you anticipated, we found no one in the Forest. Even the centaurs saw nothing," Kingsley told them. "We also did not find any magical signatures except for one."

"That's impossible," Sirius protested. "They were there. We all saw them and I know their scents."

"Whether it was actually them or not, there has to be signatures," Remus added. "They were Animagi and they transformed. There had to be signatures."

"Unless they masked their signatures," Severus offered. "Though, that is nearly impossible to do unless you use goblin magic or are an Unspeakable with the masking pendant."

Kingsley nodded. "Which goes into the rest. We found one signature, but it was tampered with."

Harry frowned, confused. "What does that mean?"

"It is a signature that someone has attempted to make look like someone else's," Kingsley explained. "Except this masking form is weak and we could identify both. The signature masking is Ethan Grey."

Harry, at first, didn't think that too strange. Grey was a professor at Hogwarts, after all, and his signature showing up in the forest wasn't impossible. Then, it fully registered that Kingsley was saying Grey's signature was hiding someone else's, meaning Ethan Grey didn't actually exist. So, who...

"The underlying signature, the real signature is Elias Moreshire," Kingsley finished and Harry's eyes grew wide.

"Are you saying Ethan Grey and Elias Moreshire are the same person?" Remus asked and Kingsley nodded.

"How is that possible?" Sirius asked demandingly. "Both of their names are on reports for scenes they had worked."

"Forged," Kingsley replied. "It seems to have been an attempt to make it seem like they were separate people to avoid detection in the forgeries."

"But how did he mask his magic?" Harry asked. "He's not all that powerful and I haven't seen any kind of pendant."

"That is the other part of what I found," Kingsley answered. "He has used a masking spell only known by Unspeakables and Aurors. It doesn't fully mask a signature. It's meant to dampen it, but he seems to have changed it to try and create a brand new signature to hide Elias Moreshire's. Marina Ariadne is an Unspeakable whose name appears on several documents involving Grey, Moreshire, and Halloween. I haven't been able to physically track her down yet, but she has very clear ties to Grey, Moreshire, and James Potter."

"So, she's involved," Severus said tightly.

"Seems like," Kingsley agreed. "I don't think details were changed about Halloween. I think the entire narrative was changed, and I think James and Lily survived."

As they sat in a stunned, disconcerted silence, Harry just stared at the floor. His mind was spinning as Kingsley's theory echoed in his head and tore his world apart.

James and Lily survived.