Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters used. I do, however, own my original characters.

Thanks to MortalityIsAnExpiryDate for pointing out a canonical error and also thanks to Cookie_Monster and Shizuku_Tsukishama749 for betareading this chapter. If you read this, please take a few minutes to leave a review. All your opinions are appreciated.

Chapter 1: Odd Circumstances

Strange things happen to all people every once in a while. However, for Harry Potter and Madeline Snape, strange happenings practically defined their lives.

Because the children had different fathers and shared a mother, James Potter and Lily Evans decided to raise the kids themselves. However, that plan came to an end when the darkest wizard of the time, Voldemort, killed the Potters. Madeline and Harry had been completely vulnerable, but something about the boy had made the madman leave.

Once the tragedy was over, Madeline's biological father, Severus Snape, took custody of both children and brought them up as his own. While he'd never had any parenting experience, he wanted to make sure he was there for his daughter and for Lily's son. He still felt guilty for not being there for his true love, for using the Death Eaters as his escape.

Thus, despite Harry not being his son, Severus was sure to treat him with the same care and affection he did Madeline. Sometimes, he even wished to contact Remus Lupin, the last living and loyal friend of James Potter, as he would be able to tell Harry about his father. But Lupin was constantly moving from place to place, unable to visit due to his condition; it was hard for him to even take responsibility for himself with so much anti-werewolf legislation…especially when all his friends had left him in one way or another…

Nonetheless, Severus was doing his best to raise the children, and they loved him all the more for it.

One night a few years later, Maddie woke up to find her half-brother whimpering in his sleep. The redhead rolled out of bed and walked across the room to wake him.

"Harry?" Madeline called softly. Harry opened one emerald-green eye.

"Maddie...bad dream..." he told her. His sister frowned, looking lost.

"Should I get Daddy?" she asked, hugged Harry as he began to cry.

"D-Daddy's sleepy... Don't w-wake him..." he begged shakily, and Madeline just held him tighter. She hated seeing her little brother like this, and their father always had been the best at comforting him…

"I'll get Daddy, Harry," she said, releasing her brother and tiptoeing into their father's room before the boy could protest. Hopping up on the bed, she reached out to shake Severus' shoulder gently.

"Daddy?" she whispered.

The man stirred, blinking at first in seeing the four-year-old out of bed. The moment his mind caught up, however, he shot upright and took his daughter into his arms. "Maddie, what's wrong?"

The little girl sniffed. "Harry had a bad dream, Daddy. He's crying."

Severus frowned and kissed his daughter's forehead. "Come now, sweetheart, don't cry. Let's get your brother back to sleep, all right?" Madeline nodded, and carrying her into the next room he put her down on Harry's bed and pulled the three-year-old into a hug.

Since he'd started caring for the two children, Severus had worked hard to turn things around for himself. When his relationship with Lily had shattered because of his one mistake, he'd given himself up to his destiny as a Death Eater, but now his little family gave him something to live for.

"Harry, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"It was a s-scary dream... I saw M-Mummy, Daddy…a br-bright light..." the child mumbled in answer, crying again.

Severus froze for a moment, but quickly composed himself. It was clear that Harry had seen the night James and Lily died, but why? And how did he even remember it? He'd only been one at that time… Obviously this was no ordinary dream, and in order to get some answers he knew he should let Dumbledore know immediately...

"It's okay, Harry. It was just a bad dream," he calmed, then turned to his daughter. "Maddie, why don't you stay with Harry while I get you two some milk?"

Both children nodded as Madeline moved to comfort her brother once more, and Severus went to the kitchen. Filling two glasses of milk, he put one drop of Dreamless Draught into Harry's to help him sleep. Taking them back to the room, he helped a slightly-shaking Harry with his before giving Madeline hers. The children were asleep in minutes.

Walking back to his room, Severus sat down at his desk and prepared two letters, the first to Albus Dumbledore and the second to Remus Lupin.

Albus,

We must meet to discuss urgent news regarding Harry. He had a dream tonight, one abnormal for any three-year-old. I'm contacting Remus Lupin as well to do something for Harry that I cannot: teach him about his father.

I understand Lupin's situation is complicated, but I'm sure you can find a way to make things better for him and Harry.

Sending him an owl yourself would be more appropriate and make the matter seem more urgent, however. So, if you wouldn't mind…

Regards,

Severus Snape

Severus sealed the letter and put it aside, beginning his next letter.

Lupin,

Regardless of our differences at Hogwarts, I am writing to you concerning your best friend's son, Harry Potter. Albus Dumbledore may contact you as well, but I would like to arrange at least a short visit with Harry. He deserves to know his father, and you know as well as I do that I won't be able to tell him what kind of man James Potter was.

Regards,

Severus Snape

Once both letters were done, he sent them off with his owl and crawled back into bed, drifting off to sleep soon enough.

It seemed Dumbledore understood the urgency in the letter perfectly and flooed to Severus' home the next morning. Setting breakfast on the table for Madeline and Harry, watching them to make sure they both ate (for though Maddie ate a lot, Harry didn't seem to eat much, and they were both fairly skinny for their ages…), Severus offered the older wizard a plate.

When breakfast was over, Severus sent the children off to play in their room and then explained the situation in more detail, being sure to ask about Lupin, too.

"Yes, I see. I have sent Kingsley Shacklebolt and Alastor Moody to fetch Mister Lupin. Life has not been kind to him, you see, with his condition and Mister Black a Death Eater," Dumbledore clarified casually. "But I'm sure if he stays here, it would be better for him and for Harry."

Severus stiffened. Living with someone he had more loathed than liked during his days at Hogwarts was not exactly tempting. Even so, he swallowed his pride along with his tea in favor of Harry, knowing he couldn't tell the child about his father without letting his feelings get in the way.

"I have no qualms about that," he insisted, and Dumbledore smiled, the usual twinkle in his eyes.

"I'm sure Mister Lupin will be delighted to hear it!" the old man chirped pleasantly. "But as for the matter at hand, Severus, it seems that Harry has the ability to see important events of the past and future. This could be one of the reasons he didn't die that night."

Severus narrowed his eyes and snarled.

"You know why he survived that night, don't you?" he demanded, slightly annoyed.

"Perhaps…" was all Dumbledore said just as Lupin, Moody, and Kingsley arrived.

The old enemies met eyes before looking away. This was going to be awkward…