Disclaimer: All Harry Potter references belong to JK Rowling and company. I simply write to fill the gaps between the books and movies for all! If you sue me you get nothing because that is what I now have in abundance.

Bold areas mean someone remembering the past.

Italic is handwriting (i.e. letters).

Magic Simply Is:

By: Bonnie S.

Chapter Four:

Dreams Come True

Severus made himself move away from the boy as the Headmaster arrived and stood staring in absolute horror at the scene. That reminded Severus of the blood now soaked into his clothing. The pants were ruined, yet he did not care. After all that the boy suffered through, what was some ruined clothes to him? Still he had to make himself presentable. Two quick spells and the majority of the mess was gone along with the stench. Afterwards, Severus forced himself to breath as he reported to all what he saw.

"It would seem that Miss. Granger's nightmare was coming true, Headmaster. The largest beast was kneeling on one knee he was using to pin an unconscious Potter to the floor in the puddle of blood all of you have seen. He was punching and slapping Potter's face while encouraging his offspring to continuing in its kicking and stomping of Potter's lower extremities."

Vernon growled. "We never wanted the little freak! But every year we were stuck dealing with housing and feeding the ungrateful bastard! You freaks don't scare me! I do what I please in my home—that freak included!"

Remus barely beat Severus to the first blow back. "Harry's presence granted you three protections equal to his life here gave him from the Death Eaters!"

"Little monster is no better than my freak of a sister was. Got herself blown up, landing the brat with us. Little whore couldn't even live long enough to raise her demonic child." Petunia grumbled, silencing fast when a wand jabbed against her throat.

The wand belonged to an irate Severus Snape. His eyes were ablaze with hate and anger. "If you value your filthy Muggle life, then you will remember to NEVER speak such ill of Lily or her child in my presence EVER again, Tunie. Or else, there are worse fates than dodging falling tree limbs the rest of your life."

"Put that freaky thing away you depraved monstrosity!" Vernon roared as he tried desperately to get away from the magic that bound him to one of his own Sitting Room chairs.

Severus smirked as he moved his wand to the suddenly terrified and retreating creature that once was an irate Vernon Dursley—typical bully. Severus wondered how Harry was not a Death Eater because of these heinous ghouls.

Albus glared softly, feeling such deep regret for his decision nearly sixteen years earlier. "Severus, leave the three of them to the Wizengamot. Besides, Petunia is a Squib, not a Muggle. Go on with your report."

Vernon and Dudley looked shocked at the paled and terrified Petunia, but Dudley was who voiced the question slowly, "What's … a … Squib?"

Tonks sniggered. "That's one of us who has no magical talent at all. Still can see all we do and go into our places, but can't do a spell to save her life."

Petunia had tears of fear as she shouted out like a child, "liar, liar pants on fire!"

"Very mature for a supposedly grown squib." Moody smirked while the rest laughed.

Albus saw that even if Cornelius were to let the three of them go that nothing for them would ever be the same again. "Enough. Your report, Severus."

"Very well, Headmaster. Before I even made my presence known, Lily's sister came out complaining about her precious carpet and telling the pair that they would have to help her clean the area. Her husband promised her new carpet to celebrate. Then she handed over the kitchen knife all of you saw in the doorjamb as if it was a sword and told him to free their family of our kind." Severus looked to the others, many of who looked physically ill from his report and the crime scene. "The scared bully who dared to act like he would attack me a moment ago said it was time for Potter to learn that he is the man of this family. That what he said goes in this house. It would seem that the little show of force at the start of the summer injured this Muggle's pride because a group of freaks were telling him how to run his house."

Those who gave the show looked sick with guilt. While neither sanctioned nor demurred, the group had the meeting with the Dursleys as their way of showing Harry who was on his side always. None of them believed that Dursley would attack Harry for it.

Severus had to agree with the feeling. He should have done things different. "The knife went up like in Miss. Granger's nightmare. However, I disarmed the Muggle, stunned the Squib woman and their offspring, then removed the whale from Potter's chest after he growled gaily that I was too late and called me a freak while grinding his knee into the boy's chest."

Moody smirked with a kind of camaraderie he had never given Severus before. "Bombarda?"

Severus nodded and the retired Auror smiled almost gleefully as he nodded in agreement. "Nice choice. What happened next?"

"I sent messenger spells alerting Minerva, Poppy, and the Headmaster that the situation was worse than expected. I told them that Potter was dying." That caused a fury of whimpers, sobs, and glares at the shaking Dursleys. Severus went on. "All Potter cared about was that someone would save his owl that was obviously locked in the cupboard under the stairs the entire summer."

Albus was doing all he could to keep himself under control as he turned to Hagrid. "How badly off is Hedwig?"

"She's barely hangin' on. Think she's waitin' on Harry ta care of her." The half giant wept as he shook with grief.

"You need to keep her going, Hagrid. When Harry recovers, he will need her as much as she will need him," Albus whispered to which Hagrid only nodded. "Go on Severus."

Nodding, Severus sighed because this was the hardest. "I flooded his core with power, but in minutes his heart stopped because his was lying in all of his blood while his body existed on only his core. Having his final wish spoken, he gave up and died. Thankfully, Poppy walked in at that moment. We only now have him stabilized."

Despite his dearest hopes, the Headmaster of Hogwarts faced that he should have listened to Minerva's common sense ... woman's intuition ... whatever the woman would soon call it in her dressing down of him. Albus sighed and just slightly nodded to Poppy, meaning that the time was right to tell the truth—yet, that didn't mean it had to be explained as having always been known.

Poppy gasped a bit louder than needed in his view, until her words found voice, "I have never seen so many Dissimulatus charms on a single person in my life!"

Albus only knew of the one. "How were they were set?"

"The vast majority looks to be instinctive. Harry has been hiding something from us all!" Poppy gasped.

Moody did not look please. "How is it that you have never noticed this before?"

"He is unconscious and weakened now ... I think that he was able to maintain disillusionment shields to hide these instinctive charms even in unconsciousness. Now he has survived on nearly all of his magic, so his power is not strong enough to maintain his shields. This is not what the real Harry Potter looks like," Poppy exclaimed.

That announcement shocked all gathered, for six years they all thought that they knew the real Harry Potter. It sent Severus' heart into a race ... could he have been wrong all along? Minerva swallowed before she voiced the question on all minds, "is it safe to remove them, Poppy?"

The school Mediwitch silently nodded. Her wand waved over the boy a few times, testament to the many layers. Each layer melted away to show more wounds—many of which that were near mortally infected. Long before they made it to the final initial layer, there were sounds of people losing the contents of their stomachs in various place of the Sitting Room to Petunia's misery. Harry was painfully thin, but a sum of it nearly looked natural. His bones in so many places had healed in the wrong places. It was amazing just how athletic the young man was given just how damaged his poor body was. He had little muscle left on his body and virtually no fat. His body nearly looked like one huge bruise of various stages of healing which was marbled by various stages of infections from cuts, gashes, and burns. That panicked Poppy. Without permission, she sent a Message Spell off to her dearest friend—one of the Head Healers at St. Mungo's Hospital.

Finally, there was the original charm. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the true Harry Potter."

All that was James Potter in the boy's face melted away. Hair remained brittle and broken from a severe lack of personal hygiene and proper nutrition, yet it grew out quite a ways and darkened. His cheekbones rose slightly and seemed to be naturally thinner than the face all were accustomed to for so long. His nose and lips were as they once were—obviously attributes he received from his mother. The body lengthened a bit, but not much due to poor nutrition in his youth and recently. Broken hands and fingers lengthened and his magical core seemed to strengthen slightly.

Severus felt his heart fly and break at the same time. This was his precious son! He had given up his love and child to all of this? He dropped to his knees and fought to hold his emotions together a little longer. Then Harry opened his eyes for a few heartbeats and smiled before falling asleep. Harry had smiled at him!

His heart raced until he realized the truth. Harry was not wearing his glasses, so he probably didn't know whom he was smiling at for a moment. The boy hated him for the death of Sirius Black unfairly, and the world would never accept that their savior's father is a Death Eater. No, Severus could never open his heart to the boy nor could he let the world know the truth.

Minerva panted out, "Albus, what does this mean?"

"This means that Harry is the son of James Potter in heart and name only." Albus' eyes sparkled in hope. Both boys needed this so desperately.

Tonks chipped happily, "That means Harry has someone to take him from all of this?"

"Better hope the daddy wants the boy and is not a risk to Potter," Mad-Eye added.

"No," Severus decided as he growled darkly. His heart shattered as he chose the best for his precious child. "Poppy, you can reinstate the original spell. None need know of this outside of those here now."

Minerva walked over and slapped the man in the back of the head. "How dare you! What gives you the right to make any decisions when it comes to one of my House?"

"He is Harry's blood father," Albus called out gently.

That silenced everyone except for Vernon. "Then why didn't he keep his little beast? Why were we punished with the freak?"

Severus roared as he knocked Dursley backward in the chair that the others had tied the Muggle to earlier. "You were lucky to have my son at all! Lily would have never done anything like what you have done had she raised your boy!"

"Leave my husband alone! My son is loved and has people who are in line to take care of him!" Petunia shouted back.

"I'll just bet!" Severus spat. "Every person here only came because they love Harry! Not for a tour of the dismal redecoration you've made of this house!"

Petunia glared. "Well you were quick to dump the brat on us, refuse to let the world see he looks like you and my freak of a sister!"

"Why Lily ever worried about you is beyond me," Severus snapped.

Before another word broke the silence, a new person arrived. "Merlin's beard! Poppy who did this?"

"His Muggle relatives. Oh, tell me there is hope Jaden!"

"Let me see what I can do."

"Hold on." Mad-Eye growled. "How do we know this guy is who you think he is?"

Poppy glared at the man. "We do not have the time to indulge in your paranoia!"

Jaden on the other hand had the man by the worse of balls in this situation. "If I remember correctly, sir, at our last meeting you informed me that you would personally hex me with eternal blue balls if I tried to force you to take you trousers off. I could remind you about the why I learned later on for that threat."

Mad-Eye flushed and shook his head. "No need. Just save the boy already."

"Then let me do my job!" Jaden snapped before kneeling above Harry's head.

Poor Severus was in agony. His baby son was so close to dying and he had done nothing to help! How could he of all people miss the signs he knew better than most? Dark eyes never left his broken boy.

Arthur Weasley sighed. "If we can get him well, Harry is always welcome at our home for the rest of the summer."

"From the look of him, I don't think Harry will be ready for school much less a summer visit," Tonks pointed out.

"Ready or not, I will give Harry what is normal." Severus growled.

Remus shook his head, "Severus you are not alone in this."

"Why should that matter?"

"Maybe because you are the kid's dad and he need you?" Tonks pointed out as her hair steadily grew a darker shade of red with her anger.

Severus in turn glared. "Do you think anyone would give me custody of my child? With Fudge in charge and the court filled with his lackeys? With the fact of my having sat in Azkaban as a Death Eater against me? Really Ms. Tonks, I thought you had more brains than that!"

Remus sighed and tried again, "You still speak as if you stand in this alone. We are behind you fully Severus."

"But all of us cannot change the Wizengamot nor will it change how Harry feels about me!"

Severus faced the truth in his own mind. The boy still blamed the man for the death of Sirius Black, as unfair as such an idea was the truth was as it came. Even if with him would give Harry freedom from Lily's family, it was likely the boy would never accept that his hated Potion's Professor as a father.

Fred and George Weasley nodded to one another. The former began the tedious shared commenting that annoyed and amused Severus when the two young men where his students. "Professor, sir, you act as if you know …"

"… everything there is to know about your son. However, we …" George continued.

Fred nodded as he said lightly, "… can both assure you …"

"… only Harry has ever …" George mimicked his twin's attitude.

Then Fred smirked. "… managed to tell the two of us apart …"

"… without his glasses on." The pair finished as one.

Suddenly Harry whimpered out, "Dad … Dad! Help Dad! I'm Sorry!"

That drove Severus to his son's side, filled with the longing to hold the boy close just once in life as his child. After a heartbeat, the man saw that the Healer was straining. "What is happening?"

Madame Pomfrey sighed. "Harry's bones are in such an unstable state that all of them needed re-breaking and minimal movement. Jaden is locking all of Harry's bones in internal cast spells to allow access to the child flesh that still needs cleaning and healing yet. It is painful, but not as bad as could be if we remove bone by bone to re-grow each with Skelegrow potion."

That potion Severus remembered too well. No, he would never have his child suffer that. It was bad enough the body suffered re-growing an arm at twelve. His child … Severus wondered if any hope remained for some sort of relationship with his nearly grown son.

"Head is done," Jaden grunted as he continued down Harry's body. It broke Severus out of his pain.

Tenderly and with full love in his fingers' touches, Severus focused solely on his little boy. Deep inside, in spite of the fact that the boy was nearly grown, Harry was a little boy looking for love. The teen's reaction to the soft touch on his face revealed so. Harry's head moved into that touch as much as he could manage and his lower lip began to suckle. After a beat, Severus understood what this meant. Harry's suckling reflex had not faded with infancy.

With pain-filled whimper, Harry's still green eyes looked up at Severus as he whispered where only Severus, Jaden, and Poppy could hear, "I'm sorry Daddy … please don't go away."

With a groan, Jaden collapsed heavily into Poppy's arms. The amount of casting he set alone was nearly too much for him. However, now he knew the kid had a fighting chance to escape the prison that this house was. "Tell me this poor kids has someone to take custody. If he comes back here, I cannot promise that next time we will get here in time to save your son from death."

Tears filled those broken emeralds, pain Severus knew from his own broken childhood. Merlin, he had sworn he would have been a better father than his was. Making a conscious choice, Severus refused to lose all he had of his life with the woman who once would have been his wife. The Potions Master looked deep in those shattered and lonely eyes and made a vow to them both, "I will not leave here without you ever, my precious son."

Hope burned but it was only within the core of the deepest shadows. The poor boy expected the worse. For that reason, Severus lowered his voice further so that the next words were only for him and Harry alone, "I love you and am so proud of you my brave little boy. Now sleep and soon we will be home away from this dark place. You are my life now."

Tears flooded green and black eyes before they bathed the sides of Harry's face as the teen passed out once more. For the first time, Severus held out hope though instinctively he expected in the back of his head that the other shoe would all too soon drop.

Softly, Severus continued to wipe away the tears and brush the skin of his precious child's face. So much time they had lost and little remained before Harry would be a man.

Once again, Jaden pulled Harry's broken and deficient bones together into a proper shape with wraps of casting spells. He had to take five more breaks to rest, but in time, each bone outside of those used in hearing the Mediwizard pulled back together to heal properly.

"There … it will be a while before Harry can move on his own, but at least his body will heal properly."

Severus looked at the man hard. "Can I carry him out of here?"

Jaden smiled and nodded, "I only recommend travel by Portkey. Any other means of travel could undo the spells holding the poor kid together at present."

Nodding as he only half listened, Severus tenderly took his son into his arms for the first time with the full knowledge that this was his precious son. The elder man felt as magic cleaned the clotting thick coating of his child's precious blood from the underside of Harry.

Standing fully, Severus noted just how light his child weighed—too light for a near grown man. Harry moved as much as he could manage without help and Severus slowly understood that the boy was cuddling in his arms. Looking at the young man he held close, Severus marveled that he was no longer alone in the world. He was the father his mother pleaded him to become.

This birthed a smiled on his face. Severus' mother was a true and strong seer. The woman was likely worried sick for his grandson as much as she was eager to meet Harry for the first time. More importantly, she would make a full family for Harry as well as a family member Harry was not lucky enough to have outside of his family.

As Severus moved to walk his wounded son to the nearest Apparation point for home, a hand halted his motion and drew the man into reality. The Headmaster was smiling at the pair and setting the Portkey that had brought Severus to his son's rescue into the man's hand.

"You need not worry about the wards, Severus. This heinous attack on your son negated those. Moreover, arriving in my office should give you two a few moments alone. I'd say you both could use such."

With a nod, Severus smiled on the face of his sleeping son before whispering, "no place like home."

Okay, okay. I recently watch WoO. I had to give the show a nod. How are you all enjoying the updates and edits?