Once again, many thanks for all the reviews. I do hope you all continue to review; it means a lot to me.
Prophetess of Hearts: Severitus did write an optional conversation between Remus and Snape. Although I like it very much, I'm planning to write my own. Thanks for your reviews!
Bellum Domesticum
The Meeting, Part II
"Yes, your mother…" Snape's voice trailed off. Then he focused on Harry. "Potter, you're not going to like what I'm about to tell you. So before I start, promise me you won't run off until I've finished."
"I promise."
"Do you know the circumstances in which your parents went into hiding from Voldemort, Potter?"
Startled, Harry realised that Snape had not said "You-Know-Who" or "the Dark Lord" in reference to Voldemort, as the rest of the wizarding world was wont to do.
"All I know is that Voldemort was after them. No one's ever told me why," said Harry, who was wondering where this was leading.
"Your parents were particularly powerful when it came to their magical abilities. Your father was quite skilled at Transfiguration, and your mother was one of the best Charms students ever to attend Hogwarts."
Harry concealed a grin. He knew that his dad had been good at Transfiguration. Very few people, however, were aware that James Potter had become an unregistered Animagus while a student at Hogwarts, a particularly difficult feat.
"Your father had been actively working against Voldemort as soon as he left Hogwarts. He managed to thwart several attacks Voldemort had planned to carry out on the Muggle Ministry."
Harry felt a surge of pride at what his father had done.
"Voldemort, to put it mildly, was incensed," Snape went on. "So he decided to take revenge on your father by attacking those dearest to him. Your parents were engaged at the time-" Snape stopped, as if something had choked him off.
"Not long before their wedding- just a few months, I think- he sent several Death Eaters to the apartment where your mother was living. I was one of them," he said heavily.
"Dolohov killed your mother's roommate, a girl named Serafina Bell. I doubt anyone's told you exactly what happened when Voldemort sent his Death Eaters to attack a place. They liked to play with their victims before finishing off- I vividly remember Rosier casting the Cruciatus Curse on Bell several times," the wizard shuddered in remembrance.
"What- did he do anything to my mum?" Harry whispered.
Snape laughed bitterly, a short, ugly sound.
"He was going to kill her outright, to spite your father. Your mother and I had been friends of a sort when we were students together. She always seemed to think there was some good in me. After seeing what Rosier had done to Bell, I knew I couldn't stand for the same thing to happen to your mother."
Harry listened intently, green eyes wide.
"I persuaded him not to kill her. I told him- I told him it would hurt James Potter more to know that his fiancé had been raped and had seen her roommate tortured and killed. Potter would become so incapacitated with fear for his loved ones that he would become incapable of continuing to work against the Dark Lord."
"You didn't-" Harry began in a strangled voice.
"Let me finish. Dolohov and Rosier were perverts; I knew they enjoyed rape, enjoyed inflicting pain on others. So I volunteered to be the one to rape her, and I told them to leave, I would meet up with them later when I was through. I hoped that if they left, I wouldn't have to- I could just wait a bit, then leave.
"They were already suspicious of me, so they insisted upon waiting outside and leaving together. I tried to change their minds, but they wouldn't budge. It was either rape her or kill her, they said. So I had to follow through. I had hoped not to rape her, but once there was no other choice, I tried to ensure that she suffer as little as possible.
"I was so ashamed of myself afterwards that I went straight to Dumbledore fully believing he would turn me over to the Ministry. I insisted that he give me Veritaserum. I confessed everything to him. I was put in Azkaban for about a month, until Dumbledore convinced the Ministry that I should be released to work for him as a spy.
"Your mother, for her part, never told James that I had raped her. They married sooner than they had planned to, no doubt because James wanted her under his protection. You were born about a year later, and your father continued to work against Voldemort.
"You may be wondering what all this has to do with how I treat you in class. It's not because I hate you; I already told you I don't. It's because you remind me of something I wish I could forget. You look so much like your father that every time I see you I'm reminded of what I did to him and your mother."
"Although, without your glasses you don't look nearly as much like him," Snape added, looking at Harry thoughtfully.
"You asked me earlier if I hated you because you were famous. The answer is no; I don't resent your fame. But what I do resent is that your mother's giving her life for you to stop the Killing Curse is never given credit. Your mother was a strong, talented, remarkable woman. I'm sorry you never got to know her," he finished.
Harry's mind was reeling from everything he had just heard. Snape had raped his mother. Harry didn't know how to react; he was awash with conflicting emotions. One part of him was furious at Snape; the other sympathized with the shame and guilt Snape had felt. But at the moment, anger was the dominant emotion.
"Yes, and it's thanks to Voldemort and his Death Eaters- like YOU- that I never got to know my parents! I might have even have had an older bastard half-sibling thanks to you- I'm sure my mum would have loved that! Who knows, I might even be your bastard!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Potter, you look too much like James to be my son," snapped the older wizard.
But Harry was feeling too obstinate to drop the issue.
"Not any more, I don't! You yourself said just a moment ago that I don't look like him so much without my glasses. And how do you explain my vision suddenly correcting itself today?"
"When's your birthday, Potter?" queried Snape suddenly.
"What?" asked Harry, momentarily surprised out of his anger.
"Your birthday, when is it?" repeated Snape, as if he were talking to a very stupid person.
"July 31st, w-why?"
Snape paled. "No wonder she wanted the wedding sooner," he muttered.
"Professor, why did you want to know my birthday?" asked Harry, impatient.
"Suppose I told you it was November when I raped your mother," said Snape.
"I don't see what that-"
"Don't you see, boy, if you were born in July, you must have been conceived in November!"
Now it was Harry's turn to pale.
"So you think it might be true, then, that I could be your son?" he asked quietly.
He managed to keep his voice from shaking, but he was unable to extend the same control to the rest of his body.
"I- I hadn't really considered it. I thought you would tell me your birthday was in September or October. I never thought-" Snape broke off to stare at Harry a bit wildly.
"You should have thought when you raped my mother," said Harry coldly.
"Oh, believe me, I've thought," chuckled Snape bitterly. His dark eyes were filled with grief and guilt. "I've had fifteen years to regret what I've done."
"What if I really am your son?" asked Harry softly.
Snape rubbed his furrowed brows.
"I suppose- if you really want to know- there's a test that can be done. It's called the Paternis Veritas test. It's got to be administered by a third party, though. I'm willing to do it, if you agree."
This time, Harry couldn't keep his voice from shaking along with the rest of him.
"I- I agree," he whispered.
"Who do you want to administer the test?" asked the older wizard.
"I guess- Dumbledore."
Harry's stomach was churning, and he felt faint again. He avoided looking at the disgusting bottled objects that lined the shelves above the potions master's head.
"Very well." Severus peered at him more closely. "Do you feel all right? You look as if you're about to faint again."
"I feel like it," replied Harry honestly, a note of desperation in his voice. "But I've got to know the truth. I feel like I'll go mad if I don't."
"Do you feel well enough to walk up to Dumbledore's office?"
"Yes," said Harry firmly.
"Wait just a moment," Severus took out a cup from a cabinet and walked into the nearby potions classroom. When he returned, the cup was filled with water. "Drink it."
Harry downed the glass. At the first sip, he felt himself steady.
"Ready?"
Harry nodded.
The walk to Dumbledore's office seemed incredibly long. Neither wizard spoke; the air fairly seemed to crackle with tension around them.
With a start, Harry realised they had reached the stone gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office.
"Acid pop," muttered Snape.
The gargoyle sprang to life, jumping aside. Harry and Snape stepped through the gap in the walls and onto the moving spiral staircase.
"Albus?" called Snape
"Ah, Severus, come in. What can I do for you? And Harry? Is that really you? I almost didn't recognize you without your glasses. You've changed quite a bit over the summer."
Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled at them from behind his half-moon glasses.
"Albus, we were hoping you'd perform the Paternis Veritas test for us," said Severus. His voice sounded slightly strained.
Harry caught the strained note and frowned. If the test showed that Snape was his father, what would happen? Would Snape acknowledge him as his son? Did Harry even want Snape to acknowledge him?
"I was wondering when you two would decide to perform that test," said Dumbledore.
"You knew-" choked out Severus.
"I knew of the possibility that Harry might be your son," admitted Dumbledore, absentmindedly stroking his long white beard. "When you handed yourself over to me and renounced being a Death Eater, you insisted upon a full confession under the influence of Veritaserum.
"It was then that you told me what had happened after Serafina Bell was killed. But when I first saw Harry, he looked so much like James that I assumed he was James' son. Now though…I wonder. Very well, let's do that test."
Taking a goblet of plain water, Dumbledore placed it on the desk in front of him.
"I'm going to need a drop of blood from each of you," he said. With a wave of his wand, he transfigured two sheets of parchment into pins. Taking the first pin, he held Harry's middle finger over the goblet and extracted a drop of blood, which fell into the water with a soft plopping sound. With the other pin, he did the same to Severus.
"Now, Harry. I'll cast the charm over the goblet. If Professor Snape is, in fact, your father, the drops of blood will blend together and float to the top of the water. If he is not, the drops will separate and float to the bottom of the goblet."
Taking up his wand once again, Dumbledore held it parallel to the surface of the water, slowly drawing a clockwise circle. Softly but clearly, he intoned, "Paternis Veritas!"
Slowly, the drops of blood drew together and floated to the surface of the water. Harry stared at the goblet in stunned disbelief. It was true…Snape was really his father.
Harry was dimly aware of Dumbledore saying something to him. He staggered to his feet, but a wave of dizziness washed over him and the world went black.