Disclaimer and Warnings are found in first Chapter.

Chapter 2: Revelations All Around

Despite what Snape, Malfoy, Ron or Hermione would say, Harry was skilled with potions. But after a first day like that, who would continue to try and succeed in the class? Well maybe Hermione and some Ravenclaws, but Harry were not them. He had survival instincts or behaviors learned from Durselys.

He knew to live you must show what others want to see. Therefore no fuss and less hate on your side.

Parseltounge was not the only reason why Sorting Hat thought Slytherin after all.

Harry studied on his own time, reading when no one saw. That usually meant when he woke up from a nightmare. Harry kept marks just allowing him to pass potions, he never tried harder than that. Why should he when Snape or Malfoy would mess it up? Only time he did was for OWLs, and he fairly was sure he did pretty good.

When he goes to Diagon Alley, Harry would sneak off and by the necessary ingredients and then steal some from students' stores in the classroom. He only bought/took what is necessary for healing solutions. There was a cause for why Madam Pompfrey did not see any scars, beside his obvious one, in the first year. His important potions were hidden either under the floorboard in his room during summer or in his trunk by a Parseltounge lock. His mom did have some pretty good Charms textbooks.

No one knew about them, not even Ron or Hermione. It was hard in the first couple years to hide, they were hip to hip. Golden Trio as called. But now, they drifted. They were still his best friends, no doubt. However, Ron and Hermione got much closer throughout the year. Probably from hanging out by themselves more often as Harry had detentions, Occlumency and DA lessons to plan.

He did not mind their relationship; in fact it was about time. Although, there was a small part of him that needed that love from his friends, now more than ever. Harry will never voice his thoughts. They were his troubles to bear, and his alone.

So for the fourth time this week Harry sat in a secluded corner in the dungeons. It was his own place. He found it after that first disastrous potions class in his first year. No one came this way, and it was calm, quiet and almost peaceful.

Ironic, in his opinion, a place so close to Snape's was considered peaceful. Maybe because of the parentage…

No, Harry stop that train of thought right there. He avoided thinking of Snape that way. It caused too much pain of the plain cold rejection.

Harry had to give a lot of skill to hide the secret from Snape in the Occlumenary lessons. Best solution was to deny it and no think about it.

And another of his hidden skills were in his hand; a potion that he made. He actually brewed it almost a year ago, right after Cedric's death. It took a whole month to complete but there was time to do so during his summer.

The potion was pretty simple. It was rightfully named Se Vita Privare, meaning suicide in Latin.

What made it different from all the thousands of other killing potions was that it had no antidote. No matter how skilled a Potion Master or Healer was, there was no way to stop it once a vial was swallowed. It only took 5 minutes for full affects. The reason why not many people took it was one; the ingredients were costly, the time to brew was long and difficult, patience was required and if messed up it could go terribly wrong.

The person would still die, in matter of speaking. Depending on what went wrong the results could range from living in a limbo for life to something equivalent to a Demantor's kiss. High risk for a simple result.

One could ask why not just do Avada Kedavra to oneself, well Unforgivable curses were rumored to damn one's soul and two it was much easier to swallow a potion than mutter that curse.

Harry might be in Gryffindor but he did not have that bravery.

So in front of him in this dimly lit hall were three items: the potion, his mother's letter and his will.

The potion need for obvious reason.

His mom's letter gave him the only love he could feel and had also Snape's letter attach to it. Harry nor Snape ever read it, but hopefully after tonight Harry will display the courage to finally grab Snape's attention. Despite what Snape said earlier today.

The will gave everything of his away. Invisibility cloak and books (which he actually had a lot of) for Hermionie, Firebolt for Ron, 50% of his vault to Weasleys, 35% to Lupin and 15% to help any broken families from the war. It was the least he could do, after all he was selfishly taking away the only way for Voldemort to die. But screw the prophecy. It was his life and for once and last act he would take control.

And then there were the letters. He gave his last plead for Snape to read the letter. He stated how he knew what he was doing selfish, arrogant and attention seeking but he just wanted peace. And if the only way he could get it, then so be it.

The will was simple, short and precise. A first in Harry's life.

There were no sounds besides his heart. He wonder if anyone would feel that exact moment his heart stop. There were those sayings that a parent feels when their child dies even before they are told. He let himself think as Snape as his father. The rejection that he normally feels will be ending soon, anyways.

Might as well get lost in the fantasy of what could be.

How if he was safe none of the terrible events at Hogwarts would occur.

How if he trusted an adult the Dursleys treatment would be no more.

How if his heart had experience love and safety so many deaths would be prevented.

How if his father loved him and accepted him, death would never be in the forefront of his mind as it is now.

He gave the vial a quick toast to no one, which was suiting but was also needed. A toast to life and death as they finally have out beat him.

Harry tip back the vial and swallowed.

Severus Snape was beyond fury. Beyond rage. Beyond disgust.

All because of stupid Golden Boy.

He would get himself lost on The Last Day of school. Tell his sidekicks he was just going to enjoy the last moment at Hogwarts by himself. But that was almost 18 hours ago. Students were all home leaving the whole staff was in panic to find the Boy-Who-Lived at 2 am in the morning.

Snape had better things to do then go looking for Mr. Arrogant. If Potter wanted to get lost and depress himself with his godfather's death, then so be it.

Mention of Black's death did give him a slight twinge of guilt. Potter did already loose his parents and now his mutt that he adored. Even he didn't deserve the words Snape yelled at him earlier that day.

*Flashback*

Snape had to find that book for that new potion the Dark Lord demanded. And by demand means going through several Cruciatus curses only few hours ago. Normally, Severus never went into the school's library as his own was big enough and carried the necessary dark or potion books for whatever needed. However his favorite ingredients book was destroyed from a potion that he was developing and apparently a drop plus paper gives fire. A reaction he studied thoroughly later, but at the cost of his book.

No time to go purchase a new one, the library had to make do. Then he found what he least wanted: Potter sulking in the library.

He just sat there. Holding a book but not reading the pages. Severus couldn't read the title from his angel but he guessed it was a book for homework that Potter was trying to finish and get turn in, even if it was the last of school. Maybe he would use the dog's death as an excuse for not finishing.

Okay, that was harsh. But Snape was in a foul mood as is. And it is not like his normal personality is full of sympathy. There was no reason, especially after what Lily did…no, there was no reason to dwell on that betrayal.

Snape steered towards Potter in now even worst (if possible) mood to tell the brat off.

"The point of a book, Potter, is often to actually read the words. That is how you learn. You will be amazed what that gives you."

Potter did not reply.

Snape just continue, "What, no quick come-back? Or is the mutt's death just too hard for you process simple English language?"

There was a brief flash of emotion in boy's eyes but still no answer.

"Your belief that world abides to your emotions continue to astonish me. Why Black risked his life for your safety is something I will never understand."

"Don't you do that already for me? Sir" coldly asked Harry.

"You foolish boy, I do it for the cause not you. You think we all do what we do for you? No, everyone does it for the hope to end this war, not your safety. Even your parents," disdainfully said Severus. Hurt was easily shown on Harry's face, but he wasn't through. "I know I would dread to be a parent of such a selfish boy. Most likely kill myself at that though."

Now an emotion of recognition flicked through Potter's eyes. Snape caught it quickly and latched on to it.

"Ahh, so thought of your death, have you Potter?" At this Snape's professor instincts tried to kick in. Not only does he know about his experience but he has seen enough cases in Slytherins and sometimes Ravenclaws to know about thought of suicide. He luckily stop all of them before they occur, so he can happily state there has never been a suicide in his years of teaching at Hogwarts. However, never the thought goes through a Gryffindor's mind. They are too brave or have too much pride to do such thing. So Snape knew this was just another Potter trick for attention.

"Thought about who will attend your funeral have you? What the press will say, because the Muggle saying is 'all news is good news', right? Must be your life motto. Wondering if I will feel remorse for all things I said about you. Well I can answer that question for you right now, no. Because everything I said is true and I will never weep over your act of attention by suicide."

At this Snape left with a curt exit and his robes billowing behind, potion book forgotten.

*End Flashback*

Recalling the library incident gave an added haste to the professor's step.

'He wouldn't…' he asked himself.

Finally entering the forgotten dungeons, Snape saw a lone dark silhouette of a boy sitting down against the wall. If life didn't get enough of a laugh, it was the exact place he sat when he needed to escape the pressures of a Death Eater, spy, Umbridge, the Order, students, the Order, Dark Lord, Lily, etc.

'Just asleep. All the attention for nothing' mused Severus, but his gut told him something was terribly wrong.

With a quick Lumos he saw two envelopes near the boy, but what stopped his heart was the empty vial on the ground near the boy.

Snape ran the last steps and summon the vial while shaking the boy at the same time.

The vial had a light smell of copper mix with nickel undertone. Also a faint hint of cotton. The Potion Master quickly figured out the potion. It was not his stalks but he knew it. The cotton was a tad too strong than it should be, but it was without a doubt it was Se Vita Privare.

The questions of how, why, when swarmed Severus' head but he blocked it off. If that cotton smell showed the potion was wrong than the boy might be in something worse than death.

He quickly checked a pulse.

5 seconds pass.

Than 10.

At the minute mark he felt the lightest thump. Not sure if it was his own pulse, waved his wand and showed Harry was alive. But just.

He was unconscious and in a coma state.

The question of his sanity and soul remained.

Snape gathered the boy in his arms, too light for a 5th year boy should be. Shoving another question from his mind, he picked up the parchments and vial stuffed in his robe's pocket and appreated to the Infirmity. It was one of the advantages of being a Head of House.

3 hours later

Soon as they arrived to the Hospital Wing and explain the situation, Severus and Poppy found no solution. The search was called off. Potter lay in 'his' Infirmity bed, neither dead nor living. He was a coma state. Not in a limbo, thankfully, as that would mean no heartbeat and dead. But this was still bad. Nor soulless as he would be awake and semi-functioning.

There was nothing they could do. If Potter wanted to be back in the realms of reality that was his choice. The effects of Se Vita Privare is not study often and Pompfrey and Snape had limited knowledge, and neither dealt with a case before.

So they just waited.

Dumbledore and McGonagall already came by. Both looked ten years older when the situation was explained.

Dumbledore's eyes were almost gray, no twinkle apparent. Only guilt, grief and sadness flooded those eyes to the soul. Severus in all his years knowing the man personally has never once seen him lose his composure, but now he was shaking. Everyone knew Harry was his grandson in everything but blood. Even when Harry was little and Lily was alive, he called Albus "Grandda". Now that boy was lying on a bed not noticing that same man combing through Harry's hair.

McGonagall was in tears. She was simply crying and had nothing to stop her. She just held Harry's hand. There was nothing else she could do. And Severus knew that is what also killed her, she was a woman in control. But this was a situation beyond anyone's control and it was about one of her lions.

After 30 minutes, the pair left saying they had to inform the rest of the staff and necessary family and friends. However, Poppy clearly stated no one can enter until 7 am. There was no reason to worry everyone at this hour in the morning when nothing would change. Eventually the professors agreed and headed their ways to prepare arrangements.

Poppy left too, saying she couldn't see the boy like this and there was nothing to do. He was the most frequent patient here and she grew attached to him.

Thus, leaving Snape alone with the boy. He conjured a simple chair and moved it towards the only occupied bed in the wing.

He could think of nothing to say but yet thought of so many questions:

Why would Potter do this?

How could no one notice this?

Did I push him to lead this death?

Is there a solution?

And then some of his more minor questions:

How did he get the potion?

How did he even hear about it?

How long has he been planning this?

What went wrong in the potion?

That last question could actually help find the answer, but the vial was completely empty and he doubted they would find a steaming cauldron in the boy's dorm.

Snape tiredly rubbed his eyes and stuffed his hands in his pockets. There he found those two envelopes.

One stated: Will of Harry James Potter

Severus knew there was no point of trying to open it. The will was properly sealed therefore allowing it to only be open when the owner died. But Harry wasn't dead.

The other: To Sev

Not only the use of his name shocked him but it was in Lily's handwriting.

Lily.

Tentatively he opened it…

He read the entire letter and for once Severus Tobais Snape was speechless.

There were no words to express all the emotions flowing through his brain. But as he looked on to the boy only thing he could think of was: My son.

Not James'. But his own.

Well yes both, but still Harry was originally his son.

Lily didn't betray him, Severus betrayed her. He never let her explain and instead threw out wife that was carrying their baby. Luckily James had more sense than him and took care of her.

'Great another thing to be in debt with Potter' sneered Snape but it was without his usual effort. He couldn't hate the man who saved his true love's life.

Severus wanted to grasp the boy's face to feel if it was real but as hand went towards the child's head, but he backed out in the last minute and went in alternative direction and stroked Harry's hair.

Hair that seemed darker, thinner and straighter than he remember seeing for past 5 years.

Oh Merlin. The past 5 years he hated his son. Years he yelled, mocked and treated his own flesh and blood like dirt.

And Harry knew that his own father treated him like this. But why didn't he say anything?

Then all the attempts to have a discussion brought by Harry in his first three years replayed in his head. Along with Severus's words of telling him off.

What has he done?

He brought his own son to death.

He was beyond a monster.

What can only be described as remorse filled his heart. A heart that was once frozen with hate but now melted at the sight of his son. Then clenched at the realization of the situation of the boy.

He had to have advice, and there is only one man he trusted: Dumbledore.

After explaining the revelations, moments of stuttering and trying to comprehend the newfound knowledge, Albus had a plan.

It was too dangerous for Harry and Severus sakes to tell anyone else the knowledge. Voldemort and Ministry certainly came to mind.

Harry had to be moved away from Hogwarts with discretion. No one could know. But the question was where. Had to be remote and virtually unknown because the treatment they had plan would leave the boy in a state beyond vulnerable. Their plan was to enter Harry's mind via Legilimency. If he was in a coma, they had to ease him out of his mind.

Severus assisted that Dumbledore was the one to enter but eventually Albus worn Snape down with his arguments of the fact he has already been in the boy's mind and Harry would need the comfort of his father.

At that last part, Snape was outrage.

"The boy hates me, with good reason. I would be the last person in his mind to comfort him."

"But yet, you are still his father. Harry already has lost every father figure in his life, but you. He needs you to finally fill that gap, my boy."

"There are many people who are better suited to fill in that position. Lupin, Mr. Weasley even yourself," protested the Potions Master.

"Ah, but my actions to protect the boy this year has only left him to distrust me beyond repair. And Remus is not the right mind to enter Harry's. And Arthur, well yes Harry is like a 7th son but he does not know how to handle the troubles that Harry has."

"And I do?" asked Snape in shock mixed with curiosity.

"Yes. Despite your past, you are his father. You know better than anyone the pressures of Tom and death. You are what he needs."

At this Severus just looked onto the boy, no his son, lying hopelessly on the bed. It was time to make up for the loss years of hate.

"I will do it," he whispered.

"I knew you would make the right choice, my boy," as a slight twinkle enter Dumbledore's once vacant eyes. "I think it is perhaps best we move him to your manor. It is off the map, wards are almost better than the ones here. Not to mention that it will give time for you two alone."

"What do we tell the others?"

"I say we keep this to ourselves. No one but Minerva, Poppy and ourselves know of Harry's condition. We will tell them that Harry is being moved to a safer location and tell the truth of your tempt to enter his mind to bring the boy out. No one must know."

"What about his sideki-friends?" He will start his amends by being nice to the boy.

The light in the headmaster's eyes went even brighter at this correction. "Mr. Weasley and Miss. Granger will be told Harry was found but he is moving to a location hidden as Tom tried to enter his mind."

"And the Dark Lord?"

"It is time for you to choose your duties as a spy or a father, Severus."

"What? The Order-"

"Harry is more important" cut off Albus, "And besides, the fact that Riddle is trusting you less and less is showing. You weren't even informed about the prophecy heist."

At this Snape had no argument.

"Give me time to think about it. But I will protect Pot-Harry with everything I have" promised Snape 'and not only for your sake Lily, but our son's' finished in his head.

After arguments between the mediwitch teamed up with Head of Gryffindor, the headmaster finally convinced them to allow Harry be moved to Severus' manor, along with the witches being sworn on their magic to not reveal Harry's location nor condition without Snape's consent.

Snape's manor was located in secluded area of England. No neighbors around, just the manor and its wards. The wards were a mixture of Albus and Severus' own design and the traditional ones from his mother's family, Princes. Only people allowed access was himself, Dumbledore and now Harry. The manor instantly recognized Harry as the Prince's heir and accepted the boy before Snape tuned the wards to.

The manor was a mansion. With all the pureblood glory of endless rooms and property. However, the professor could not stand the style so 6 years ago he remodeled it to be more modern and his type.

The size was the same but it no longer screamed "pureblood" with the classical Victorian marble and velvet.

The outer and inner design was simple but eloquent. Dark woods, green and surprisingly only a touch of black was the color pallet. It was done tastefully enough to seem as a warm serenity and not a torture chamber.

Harry was placed in the Heir's room, which automatically changed to fit the owner's needs. The room kept the modern of dark wood and even the green but it also had some gold intertwine as well. But overall, it match the rest of the manor.

'The boy was a Gryffindor after all' mused Snape as he sat next the bed holding the boy's hand. His son's hand.

With a gentle pat on the Potion Master's shoulder from Albus and a whisper "It is time", Snape was ready to enter the boy's mind as he muttered "Legilimence".

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