I do not own Harry Potter nor any recognizable characters and places.

Harry James Potter was lying on his bed, exhausted. Ever since the Order's warning at King's Cross his relatives had been inspecting the letters he sent every three days. Their warning plus last year's dementor attack equaled Vernon losing it and finally beating Harry.

In a part of his mind, Harry felt he deserved his relatives' treatment of him (he refused to even think of it as abuse). Harry was still overcome with grief about Sirius and each night he saw Sirius fall through the veil at the department of mysteries.

'If only I had tried,' Harry thought. 'If only I had tried to pay attention to what Snape was teaching me instead of invading his damn pensieve and wanting to know what was behind that door.

But it was too late now, no use crying over spilled potion. Harry heard a soft tapping at his window and he let in the horde of owls waiting outside. He relieved them of their burdens before starting on taking the rather large package Errol, the Weasley's old owl, was carrying.

After storing the package under the loose floorboard under his bed, he took the letter from Pigwidgeon, who was happily flying around the room so it took Harry around five minutes to catch it and take the letter.

Harry,

Happy Birthday!

How are you, mate? Now that news about You-Know-Who being back is public knowledge people are starting to panic all over. There're fake charms and amulets and other protections being sold all over, Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley included!

Malfoy Sr. has been put in Azkaban and I hope the greasy git and ferret-boy follow him soon. I'd like nothing more than to haul those two all the way to Azkaban, Death Eating scum that they are!

Chudley Cannons are gaining ground this year, they've won their last five games. Have you finished your homework yet? Hermione's been bugging me about finishing mine.

See you soon,

Ron

P.S. Don't let the muggles get you down!

Harry smiled at the image of Malfoy and Snape being hauled into Azkaban to join Malfoy Sr. as his cellmates. The image quickly disappeared, however when he picked up Hermione's letter and package, also tied to Pig.

Harry,

Happy Birthday!

How are you? There's currently a lot going on in the Wizarding World. Professor Snape came back one day badly injured and Professor Dumbledore asked me to help brew some Anti-Cruciatus potion for him. I haven't told Ron about that, he was sleeping and it seemed quite pointless.

There was a Death Eater attack on my home, but someone passed us portkeys and got us out quickly before we were harmed. The Dark Mark was floating over my neighborhood, though so I'm not sure that they didn't harm anyone. I haven't told Ron about this either, he'd freak out.

Have you finished your homework yet, I did? Ronald still hasn't started his, he's always playing Quidditch outside!

Best Wishes,

Hermione

Harry's blood drained from his face as he read about the attack and Snape being injured. He had a vision around a week ago that involved the use of the Cruciatus several times on different Death Eaters, but he'd never though Snape was one of them.

As for Hermione's parents being attacked, he was grateful no one was injured. After calming himself down a bit, he took a letter from a very official-looking owl. Harry tore open the envelope and nearly dropped the letter in shock as it read:

My dear Harry,

If you are reading this then James and I are already dead. I spelled this letter so you would get it when you turned sixteen. Harry, my love your father is not who you think he is.

My best subject has always been Charms and I used one created by me to have you look like James. It is a complicated charm and it cannot be reapplied. To make it permanent someone would have had to cast it when you were eight.

Harry, I loved your father very much. We met at seven years old and we always played together in a playground near our homes. He was the one who first told me about magic and we soon became inseparable.

His childhood was not the best ever, he always had his nose stuck in a book and he devoured every bit of knowledge he could get. When we got to Hogwarts we were sorted into different Houses. At that time there were also prejudices, he was a half-blood and I was a muggleborn, we couldn't be seen together or even talking civilly.

My dear husband and I always met secretly in either the library or an abandoned classroom after dinner. He soon made up the excuse that I was tutoring him and we met every night. James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus did not take kindly to us being friends.

At the end of his seventh year he proposed to me secretly and we were married by Dumbledore himself. I did not know at that time that he was a Death Eater.

We spent a marvelous night together after the wedding and three weeks later I knew I was pregnant. At that time I was going to his home, (we could not divulge that we lived together so we each had separate homes, though we spent more time in mine than in his) and when he was pouring tea for me I saw the Dark Mark burned on his forearm.

I was so scared, Harry, I could not tell him I was pregnant with you as I was planning to do and I ran. I told him that I never loved him and James was getting married to me the next week.

I have never seen someone more hurt and I ran before I could regret my decision. It broke him, Harry, his mother died a year before that and his father was in jail. He was all alone except for us and I shattered his heart.

When I told James what had happened he was ready to hex him into oblivion, but I convinced him to help me, and help me he did. He loved you very much, Harry, but not like your real father.

Harry, your name and looks are all fake. Your real name is Alexander Romulus Snape, and I'm guessing you can tell your father is Severus Snape.

He is a good man, Harry, seek him out. Word reached me that he had died the night you were born. I was distraught, but I believe him to still be alive.

Seek him out, Harry, give him a chance. I can only hope you are well and that you haven't grown up with Petunia and her family.

I love you Alexander, good luck with everything, my precious child.

Your loving mother,

Lily

The letter dropped from Harry's hands and fluttered to the floor as he kept thinking about it in disbelief. Severus Snape, the greasy git, his father?