Harry looked up from the table where he was sitting as the others walked into the library. Other than the four of them, the library was completely empty of students.

"What's this all about Harry" Hermione said in a businesslike manner as she strode over to where he sat.

"You'll all keep this confidential, right? I don't want the whole school knowing about what we're doing."

The others all nodded assent, wondering what in the world Harry was being so secretive about.

"Today two different people mentioned that I either look like Snape or someone they couldn't quite put their finger on. I'm beginning to wonder now if the twin's truth syrup wasn't working right after all. But I can't see why I wouldn't have looked like Snape all along if he really is my father. And why hasn't he said anything to me?" Harry ended numbly. "The only other possibility that I can think of is that someone else is making me look like Snape just to spite me. But why would anyone want to do that?"

"My bet would be on Malfoy. He's been itching to show you up since you made such a fool of him during his first quidditch game as Slytherin seeker. I wouldn't put anything past him." Ron seized on the idea that someone could be making Harry change as a nasty joke. "There are lots of spells that can be used to hide things or make them seem to be what they aren't Harry, maybe one of those was used on you. Anyway, the obvious place to start is with charms books here in the library." Hermione said with an intent look on her face. It was obvious she was already sinking her teeth into the research possibilities.

"I still think Fred and George made a mistake with their potion." Ron said, "but if you're determined to look into this, I'll help."

"You can count on me too, Harry." Ginny said solemnly.

"The charms section is over here. I'll just pull out the books I think most likely, and then we can start going through them. Look especially at the ones that are potent enough to last for a long time." Hermione disappeared into the stacks of books.

The next month went by in a haze of quidditch practice, classes and homework. They tried to spend as much time in the library researching as possible, but found little to help them in their quest. As the first game of the season, Gryffindor vs Slytherin approached, Harry and Ron had even less time to look.

"Ron, you've got to eat something, you won't do the team any good if you collapse from hunger during the game." Harry said reasonably.

"I CAN'T eat Harry, my stomach's too full of butterflies, there's no room for food." Ron said miserably, burying his head in his arms.

"Look, I know how you feel, I remember my first game, but you have to eat something. Here, just eat this piece of toast. I'm sure the butterflies will enjoy it." Harry handed Ron a delicately browned piece of toast while Hermione and Ginny watched in amusement.

"What if I fall off my broom for no reason? What if I freeze? What if I make a fool of myself?" Ron mumbled, slowly shredding the piece of toast with each word.

"You're not going to make a fool of yourself" Harry chided. "Think about all the work Fred and George have made us do the last few weeks. No games' gonna be as tough as that was."

"Why did it have to be Slytherin first" Ron moaned, burying his head in his hands again.

"Come along gents, it's time to get ready." Fred interrupted.

Ron let out a soft moan as he got unsteadily to his feet. Harry braced him on one side, desperately trying not to laugh as he half supported half dragged Ron out of the room.

The stands were filled to overflowing as usual with every student in the whole school. The arena filled with thunderous applause as the two teams swooped into the stadium. Madame Hooch called both teams' captains over for her customary pre-game talk. "I don't want any breaking of rules." She said with a speaking look at the Slytherin captain. "Let's have a nice CLEAN game. Are you both ready?" With that she blew her whistle and let the balls out. As Harry zoomed upward to a get a good perspective on the field and look for the snitch, he took the time to give Ron, who was looking rather green in the face a smile and a thumbs up.

"Is your keeper going to catch the balls or hurl on them Scarface?"

Looking around quickly Harry saw Draco Malfoy sneering at him from his broomstick.

"Why don't you keep your mind on the game and see if you can actually catch something, Malfoy!"

"Just you wait Potter, just you wait" he said in a threatening way.

Just then Harry caught a glimmer of gold on the far side of the field. He jerked his Firebolt around and zoomed toward it, barely missing the fuming Slytherin seeker. As he flew toward what he assumed was the snitch, his eyes suddenly lost focus. He felt as though he was flying through fog, but that was impossible! His broomstick started wobbling, and Harry was helpless to control it, he simply couldn't see where he was going. As he valiantly tried to blink his eyes clear, he heard George yell "Harry, watch out!" Unfortunately, he couldn't see what George was warning him about. He whipped his head from side to side looking in vain for danger, when a sudden impact on the side of his head knocked the glasses off his face. He dazedly watched his glasses fall to the ground fifty feet below and then realized that he could see perfectly! In fact, he could see the snitch hovering just above Professor Snape's head! Keeping his eye on the elusive golden ball he urged his broom to its highest speed. Swooping no more than two feet above a wide-eyed professor of potions, he grasped the snitch and held it up.

"Gryffindor wins!" Lee Jordan announced from the podium!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Congratulations Ron, you survived your first game!" Harry said as he came up to Ron in the changing room.

"Oh it was easy" Ron grinned "you got the snitch so fast they never got a chance to score! Hey, what happened to your glasses?"

"I wanted to talk to you and Hermione and Ginny about that. Can we meet in the library after dinner?"

"I suppose."

"Harry, wait up!"

Harry and Ron turned as they walked back to the castle and saw Fred and George sprinting toward them.

"Are you alright mate? That bludger came right at you and I was too far away to catch it.didn't you see it?"

"Erm, no, not until it hit me and knocked my glasses off. Uhhhh, they were all fogged up anyway, couldn't see a thing." Harry said rather unconvincingly. The twins stared at him for a minute.

"Harry, if there's anything you want to talk about, you know you can always come talk to us, right?"

"Yeah, we won't even pull any trick on you."

"Uhm, thanks guys," Harry said as they entered the hall.

He and Ron sat down quietly at their normal spots. Hermione came over and sat down across from them, looking as though she was full of news. "You two seem rather quiet for just having won your first game. Well done Ron, they didn't score any points off you!"

"Thanks 'Mione, but it's not like they had time to do anything." Ron said with resignation.

"Harry, where are your glasses?"

"They fell off during the game. Weren't you there? What have you been up to?" He looked up at Hermione and noticed her air of suppressed excitement.

"I got involved in something in the library. Harry, I think I've found something you'll be interested in."

"'kay, I was hoping to head off to the library to talk about what happened at the game today anyway."

After dinner they grabbed Ginny from where she had been sitting with friends and ran off to the library. Checking carefully to be sure the tables and book stacks around them were empty, the quartet settled in a quiet section of the library, hoping that they wouldn't be disturbed.

"So what did you find out?" Harry asked excitedly.

"You go first Harry, I want to know where your glasses are." Hermione said firmly.

"You know how I tripped getting out of the carriage when we first got here this year? Well I've noticed a couple of times since then that my vision got sort of fuzzy for a minute or two. It always cleared up though, and"

"Harry! I can't believe you didn't go see Madam Pomphrey! There could be something seriously wrong!" Hermione interrupted.

"It always cleared up, and I sort of forgot about it," Harry said sheepishly. "Well today at the game I was talking to Malfoy when I saw the snitch across the field. I went after it, but my eyes got all foggy again. I couldn't shake it off. And then George yelled to 'watch out', but I couldn't see what he was yelling about. Anyway, about then a bludger hit me and knocked my glasses off, and I could suddenly see again."

"You should have seen Snape's face when you barreled at him on your broomstick"Ginny laughed. "Wait, your glasses fell off and you could suddenly see again?"

"Yes. I went out after the game and picked them up off the grass. They didn't break, amazingly enough, and when I put them back on, everything was foggy again. So, Hermione, what did you find?"

Hermione regarded Harry closely for a minute, then got up saying "I'll be right back, it's a book"

"Why am I not surprised?" Ron said under his breath.

When she returned, Hermione was carrying a surprisingly small book in her hand. Her friends were used to seeing her lugging more weighty tomes.

"This isn't where I would normally look for research," she began almost apologetically, "but I was curious about what James and Lily looked like, so I found this, an old year book." Opening the book she turned to a place near the back marked with a piece of parchment.

"I didn't even know they did yearbooks here." Ron exclaimed.

"Oh yes," Ginny commented, "haven't you looked at Mum and Dad's old ones? They only do them for the graduating class. They have some pretty funny things in them."

"Like this?" Hermione asked as she turned the book for the others to see.

On one page was a picture of a young couple. The woman was on the short side and had long, flowing red hair and sparkling green eyes. They young man was tall, slender and had shoulder length smooth black hair and intense black eyes. They had their arms draped around each other and were smiling into the camera and turning to kiss each other. Underneath their picture was the title "Couple most likely to produce the most powerful wizard/witch of their generation - Lily Evans and Severus Snape." On the page across from them was a picture of a confident looking slender young woman with long, white blonde hair and a supercilious set to her features, and a medium sized young man with untidy black hair and a devil-may-care smile. The woman waved regally while the young man pressed a kiss to her cheek. The title on that page was "Couple most likely to produce a newt - Narcissa Nott and James Potter.

Harry stared at the pages in disbelief. While it had been a possibility before that James Potter was not his father, he had held onto the hope that he was wrong. Seeing his mother standing next to and KISSING a smiling Severus Snape was almost too much to bear. Seeing James Potter standing next to Malfoy's mother was even worse.

He looked numbly up at his friends, who were looking at him with various expressions of disbelief and concern.

"Are you ok Harry?" Ginny asked quietly, slipping her hand in his.

"I..I don't know," he muttered.

"Don't you see Harry," Hermione said with excitement. "If Snape is your father, that would explain why you've been changing so much. After all, if he and your mother were dating at school..." Her voice dropped off as the others stared at her in disbelief. "What?"

"Hasn't it crossed your mind that if Snape is my father then maybe my mother married James Potter knowing she was pregnant with me? That she played them both false? Maybe he never wanted me! Maybe he threw her out when she found out about me and, and...maybe Voldemort didn't even give me my scar!" Harry stopped unable to go on. "I wish I'd never started this" he finished, getting up and leaving.

Hermione stared after him in shock. "I never thought he'd take it that way. Should I go after him?"

"What were you thinking of, breaking it to him that way?!" Ron yelled, his face turning as red as his hair.

"Ron hush" Ginny whispered, her face pale and her eyes shocked. "Maybe we should give him some time to be alone."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Severus Snape settled into the chair behind the desk in his office. He had spent much time making this room as comfortable and comforting to him as possible. From the dark green leather of the chairs to the gleaming silver handles of his desk every bit of it was hand chosen by him. Most rooms in the rather drafty castle had fireplaces that were used constantly through the winter months. His rooms were no different, and being in the dungeons, they were chilly year round. However, none of the fireplaces in Snape's rooms were ever lit, and he liked it that way. Not because enjoyed being cold, although he was used to it after many years, but because that was one way to guard against unwanted visitors. Even the headmaster had to personally come down to the dungeons if he wanted to talk to the potions master, you can't floo to a place with no fire! He sighed in contentment as he marked another large, red "F" on a first year paper. The firm knock on his door startled him slightly, he hadn't been expecting any interruptions. "Come"

"Severus, how can you stand not having a fire!" The headmaster exclaimed as he entered.

"I prefer not to chance any unwanted visitors, as I believe I've told you before." Snape said, tensing slightly in his chair. "I'm sure you didn't come all the way down here to see if I was warm."

"No, you are correct." Dumbledore seated himself in the chair across from Snape's desk. He steepled his hands and looked consideringly at his Potions Master's face before going on. "Have you talked with Harry yet?"

Snape threw his quill down in disgust. "No, I can't figure out what to say, and frankly I keep hoping the situation will solve itself."

"As in go away?"

"That would be the desired answer."

"You know that's not going to happen."

"Unfortunately." Snape grumbled.

"What is the problem? Is it that you don't want to acknowledge that you have a child?" Dumbledore waited quietly while Severus thought that over.

"No, it's not that at all. It's more that I have no idea what to say to him. I don't know how to be a father, and I'm sure after all I've said and done during the last 4 years I'm the last person he'd want for a father."

"I don't think you give the boy credit. Have you gotten to know him any better in the last few months?"

"Not really, I've watched him some, but I really don't know him at all. I don't understand why he does what he does."

"Hmm. I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. Severus, I am giving you one week to tell Harry yourself. If at the end of one week you haven't done it, I'll do it for you. I have confidence in you, I'm sure you'll think of something." Snape stared after the headmaster in disbelief as he left the potions master's study.