Chapter 1: The Letter

Legal disclaimer, I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE STORIES NOR ANY OF ITS CHARACTER, THEY ALL BELONG TO THE QUEEN J.K. ROWLING

It had been a long summer for Harry, and he could not have been more grateful to return to Hogwarts. However, he did not arrive on the most auspicious conditions. After Ron and himself had landed in the whomping willow, and not only caught by Snape but also practically threatened with expulsion, things were not looking up for harry. Times like these, he couldn't fathom that he was related to the greasy git of a man, he practically collapsed when he had first received a conspicuous letter early in his first year of Hogwarts. It had come during the first meal of the day on Harry's first day of classes. Being addressed to "My dear son Harry" was enough to make his heart skip a beat. Gingerly he opened the seal of the envelope, which looked as if it was disintegrating under the pressure of his grasp, stated.

"My dear son Harry,

If you are reading this letter son, I repentantly did not survive the war and you have not been reunited with your father. It saddens me to the deepest part of my heart Harry than I have not been with you to watch you grow into the amazing boy I'm sure you are. Should your father be safe, and the war over, he should have resumed his post as potion's master at Hogwarts…. (Harry froze at those words, had he read that wrong, there must have been a mistake, he must be tired, but no there it was on parchment and ink, "Potion Master", with a twinge of hope in heart, he hoped maybe another professor had worked as potion master before the war, so he reluctantly continued reading)

His name is Severus Snape, you should come to meet him on your first day sweetheart. He is a wonderful man, and holds his family close to his heart. We were married for a few years before the Dark Lord and his followers came on the rise. Professor Dumbledore, had come to your father requesting his service has a spy for the Order of the Phoenix, he had initially refused his appeal in order to safe guard myself. However, when the violence and turmoil became too much, it was with great trepidation, that he agreed in order to keep me safe. I know you may come to find that he tends to hide is feelings under a thick shell, but don't be fooled my son, he will always be there for you.

Unfortunately, things had taken a turn for the worst one-month, the Dark lord was harming your father with his apparent intuition that Severus was not loyal to him. So one evening when your father was called off to work, I sought refuge with Professor Dumbledore. I needed a way to keep your father safe, he is the love of my life, and I would do anything for him. I had Dumbledore hide me in James Potter's residence, to put on the appearance that we were married, while your father was away on the dark lord's deeds. I had recently become pregnant with you before your father had left to return to service and I knew if your father had found out, his focus would be elsewhere and that could become detrimental to his life. Regrettably, one evening Severus returned early from one of the dark lord's jaunts and came to find that I was not home. As he went in search for me, he found myself under the dwelling of James Potter's. In his fury, he had assumed the worst and left to fully immerse himself in the dark lord's tactics. I waited for him for many months, but he never returned, I was never going to give up on him, but for the time being you needed to be kept safe, so I returned to James' and we agreed to have a charm placed on you, to appear as his son. James had taken to you, as if you were his own, and although I was heartbroken to not be with your father, James treated you no differently than had he sired you himself.

I have concealed the counter spell to release you of the glamour you are currently under; it will only appear at your father's wand, he will know the spell. I'm so sorry sweetheart that I cannot be there for you, but I know Severus will be a great father, I love him with all my heart, and love you so much, my dear Harry.

Love, Lily

Harry didn't know how to feel, his eyes were weltering up with tears. He had seen snape announce himself to his new syltherins at the welcome feast, so he had known who he was then. Harry had initially planned at his first potion's class to go up to the professor privately and speak with him, but upon the first day of class, hearing his father belittle him, and every day since, he thought his mother's words of "hard shell" was the biggest understatement of the century, the walls blocking the man's emotions were thicker than the trees in the forbidden forest. Harry had decided he wanted nothing to do with this man, and would rather live a miserable existence with the Dursleys, than be in a room for longer than required with the bat of the dungeons.

Fast forward to his second year, where Ron and him were hesitantly making their way to Transfiguration class, not ready to hear the rest of Mcgonagall's rant about Gryffindor welfare and their poor stunt with the Ford Anglia. Not comprehending how slow they were actually walking, they realized they were about to be late for their first class of the year. "Ron we better run or we are never going to make it and last thing I need is more detentions" Harry said. They started to make a mad dash for it when Ron tripped on a loose shoelace. Harry turned his head briefly to see Ron getting back to his feet, when he hadn't noticed Snape rounding the corner to head to the dungeons, and collided right into him. "Mr. Potter, as usual your punctuality is astounding, I do believe class started two minutes ago, 5 points from Gryffindor for tardiness on the first day of classes, and detention tonight at 7pm for your blatant inability to pay attention to your surroundings" Snape sneered. Harry hadn't realized his schoolbag had scattered all his papers on the marble floor, and hastily scrambled to retrieve them, without a second look at snape, he hurriedly headed toward the end of corridor.

Snape muttered something under his breath about arrogant Gryffindor's strutting about the castle, when he spotted an envelope on the ground, resting on his newly polished black boots. "Potter, your faults seem to see no bounds, not even an hour of classes and already your papers are lying about" he called out to Harry. Snape had just taken hold of the letter, when he saw who it was addressed too. "My dear son Harry". Snape held his breath for a few seconds, before he regained his composure, and without a second thought, opened the letter and began reading it. Harry had just turned around upon hearing his name shouted, when he realized what he had dropped, and found the letter in his potion master's hands, the letter than he had with him at all times to remind himself that he wasn't alone, and yet there it was in the very hands of the person who he hoped never to come across it. He froze in sheer fear of what might occur. Meanwhile, while snape was just about finished gathering this shocking information, he could feel two emerald eyes snaring in fear at him. He slowly drew his gaze off the letter and looked incredulity upon Harry, about to approach the boy, Harry's senses finally took over once more and he darted for transfigurations, Ron completely forgotten in all the bedlam.