Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings belong to J.K. Rowling.

"This book is so cool," Harry said as he thumbed through the Quidditch Through the Ages book Hermione had checked out of the library for him. "I wonder if I could pull off some of these moves." He said eagerly as he thumbed through the book.

Hermione suddenly looked a little distressed. "Oh no. If you break your neck trying it will be my fault."

Ron and Harry laughed. The three of them had become best friends since the troll incident. Apparently, knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is a good way to bond as friends. Hermione had relaxed a little about school rules, although not by much. And she helped them with their homework, she really was wicked smart. Harry was glad they were all friends.

The three of them were hanging out in the courtyard during their break, even though it was freezing. Luckily, Hermione had conjured up a bright blue fire that could be carried in a jar. They standing stood close to it to get warm and also to block anyone else from seeing it, as they doubted it would be allowed since it was an advanced spell. Unfortunately, Snape was limping by and when he noticed them, he immediately limped over.

"What are you three doing out here?" Snape asked suspiciously.

"Hanging out," Harry said, his voice turning as cold as the air as he faced his father.

"In this weather?" Snape asked doubtfully.

"So? You're out here too." Harry shrugged.

Snape narrowed his eyes at the boy's rudeness. "What have you got there, Potter?" He asked sharply.

Harry showed him the book.

"Library books do not leave the castle," Severus said, holding his hand for the book.

"Since when?" Harry demanded.

"Give it!" Snape snapped, not answering the question.

Harry handed it over, a scowl on his face. "You're such a -"

"What, Potter?" Severus asked silkily, stepping closer to the boy. He would be more than happy to assign detention to the bratty child if he called him something rude.

Harry shut his mouth and looked away.

"Five points from Gryffindor," Severus smirked as he limped away.

"He just made up that rule," Ron huffed. "And took points for no reason!"

"He always takes points for no reason," Harry muttered.

"I wonder what's wrong with his leg?" Hermione wondered.

"I think he injured it the night of the troll," Harry said. "I hope it really hurts him too." He said bitterly. His father was such a git! What could his mum have possibly seen in him?

HP

Harry was determined to get his book back. He had asked Madam Pinch about taking books out of the castle and she said it was fine to do as long as the book didn't get damaged and was returned on time. He knocked on the staffroom door and then slowly opened it. Snape sat with his robes above his knees. One leg was bloody and mangled as Filch bandaged it.

"Honestly, how was I supposed to keep my eyes on all three heads at once?" Snape said in frustration.

With wide eyes, Harry started to shut the door. Perhaps now was not the time to demand his book back...

"Potter!"

Harry stared at Snape, whose face was twisting in fury and before points could be taken, he slammed the door shut and ran. After seeing his mangled leg, he felt guilty for wishing his father in pain. Yeah, Snape was a git but that injury looked really painful. He wondered why he had gone to the forbidden corridor and why he had faced that three-headed dog.

He quickly returned to his friends in the Gryffindor common room.

"Did you get your book back?" Ron asked eagerly.

"No. But listen to this." Harry told them what he had seen.

Ron's eyes widened. "So then maybe, whatever the dog is hiding Snape is trying to steal! He's probably the one who let that troll in, to distract everyone!"

Hermione's eyes widened. "But he's a professor. I mean, I know he is not nice but would he really try to steal something Dumbledore is trying to keep safe?"

"I don't know," Harry said slowly.

"Come on, it makes sense!" Ron said excitedly. "But what is it he is after? What is being guarded by that dog?"

"I have no idea," Hermione shook her head. "It is a really interesting mystery, though." Her eyes brightened. "We could try and do some investigating."

Harry nodded. He wanted to know what his father was trying to steal.

HP

Severus watched Potter fly and had to admit the boy was good, especially for a first year. It made Severus think of how he used to fly when he was young. He had been good, according to Madam Hooch. She had told him he should join the Quidditch Team but although he had enjoyed flying, he had wanted to spend time on his studies, especially potions. Plus with James Potter on the Gryffindor team, he knew it would just make his life more difficult. Suddenly Severus's attention focused back on Potter as the boy's broom began to jerk. The broom flew higher and began rolling as the child clearly struggled to hold on.

"What in the world?" McGonagall gasped.

"That broom has been jinxed," Dumbledore said in alarm.

Severus immediately began muttering a counter curse, keeping his eyes on the boy. Someone clearly wanted to harm the child. Suddenly he smelled smoke and gave a yelp when he looked down to see the end of his robe on fire! He quickly put it out, jostling those around as he did. He quickly looked up to see Potter had righted himself on his broom, which was now acting normally. With a suspicious look, he glanced over at Quirrell who had fallen off his seat. He suspected Quirrell of trying to get to the Stone but Dumbledore wasn't convinced. So Severus was doing his best to keep an eye on him, even checking on Hagrid's three-headed dog on Halloween. He suspected Quirrell of letting that blasted troll in. This was another reason Potter needed to learn to follow the rules, he may have a dangerous wizard after him. The only thing Severus wasn't sure of was if Quirrell had any connection to Voldemort.

HP

"I'm telling you, Snape was jinxing your broom!" Ron insisted after the game.

Hermione nodded. "We saw him muttering some sort of spell, keeping his eyes on you. I distracted him and then your broom was fine."

Harry stared at them in shock. Snape had been trying to kill him? His own father? Why? He must really hate my mother and James to go this far, he thought sadly. If I told him the truth would he stop trying to hurt me? Or would he not care and want to hurt me anyway?

"At least Gryffindor won the game," Ron said happily. "What?" He asked when he saw Hermione's glare.

"You need to stay focused. Professor Snape is trying to kill Harry!" Hermione exclaimed.

"What is this nonsense?" Hagrid asked with a frown as he approached them, overhearing what Hermione had said. "Why would you accuse the professor of something like that?"

"Because we know that he tried to get past the three-headed dog on Halloween," Harry explained.

Hagrid paled. "You know about Fluffy?" He whispered.

"That thing is named Fluffy?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Yeah, he's mine. I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the -" Hagrid froze. "Shouldn't have said that," He muttered.

"To guard the what?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"Don' ask," Hagrid said. "It's top secret."

"But -"

"No, enough. Yeh have it wrong. Snape is one of the professors trying to protect it." Hagrid said firmly.

"Protect what?" Harry asked innocently.

"Protect the – stop that." Hagrid frowned. "Stop meddling. Forget about Fluffy and what it's guardin. It's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel -"

"Who is Nicolas Flamel?" Harry asked brightly.

Hagrid slapped his hand over his mouth. He really shouldn't have said that.

HP

That evening the trio lounged by the fireplace in their common room. "At least now we have a starting point," Hermione said happily as she wrote the name Nicolas Flamel in her notebook. "We can research the library tomorrow."

Harry nodded absently.

"You okay, mate?" Ron asked.

"I just can't believe he's trying to kill me," Harry murmured.

"Snape?"

Harry nodded.

"He's a Slytherin." Ron shrugged. "It's what they do."

Hermione frowned. "That can't be true."

"I just don't understand why he hates me so much." Harry continued. "I mean, I do know why but it's not my fault!"

"What are you talking about, Harry?" Ron asked.

Harry hesitated. "I found out something this summer...wait, I'll go get it." He hurried to his dorm room and retrieved his mother's journal. He needed to talk about it with someone and he trusted his friends.

He returned to the common room and held up the book. "This is my mother's journal," Harry said. "I found it this past summer. It turns out James Potter wasn't my biological father."

"What?" Ron asked in shock.

Hermione leaned forward. "Are you serious? Then who is?"

"Snape."

Hermione gasped.

"No way!" Ron exclaimed. "The journal must be fake or something."

"No, it's real. She was put under a curse that made her dump Snape and marry James. She was already pregnant with me when it happened." Harry explained.

"But why?" Hermione breathed. "Why would someone do that to her?"

"I don't really know," Harry admitted. "She mentioned the person who did it, Bella something. And that it wasn't safe to tell Snape the truth until Voldemort was destroyed."

"Don't say the name!" Ron winced.

"I wonder what the story is," Hermione mused. "So why haven't you told him?" She asked curiously.

"Told who? Snape? Are you kidding? Would you want Snape for a father?" Ron asked incredulously.

"I was going to. I couldn't wait to tell him but then he was such a git to me our first class." Harry shook his head. "Even at the welcoming feast, he kept glaring at me."

"Because he thinks your mother left him for someone else," Hermione realized. "You should tell him."

"No," Harry said stubbornly. "I don't need him and he wouldn't want me, anyway."

"You don't know that," Hermione said gently. "Maybe he just needs a chance."

"Nah, he's just a miserable old git," Ron said. "Harry's better off without him. You can share my family if you want." He offered.

Harry smiled, touched at his friend's offer. But still, he wished he had a real family of his own.

HP

Harry measured out the powdered spine of the lionfish, ignoring Malfoy as he taunted him about staying at the castle for Christmas. He didn't care what that prat thought, he was excited to have Christmas here instead of at the Dursleys. If only things would have worked out between him and his father but Harry was determined to push that thought out of his mind. Maybe he would tell the man the truth after he graduated from Hogwarts and didn't have to see him anymore.

"Turn in your essays from last week," Snape said after they had turned in their potions.

Harry reached into his bag to pull out his essay and accidentally knocked his mother's journal out of his bag. He'd meant to put it back in his dorm. He picked it up, longing hitting him as he gazed at it. If only...

"Is my class so boring that you brought a book to read instead of listening to my lecture?" Severus hissed when he saw Harry holding a purple book that certainly didn't look like a potions book. "Is it another pointless book about Quidditch? Hand it over." He demanded, holding out his hand.

Harry froze, exchanging a look of horror with his friends "No."

"Excuse me?" Severus asked dangerously.

Harry held the book tightly. "You can't have it. Give me detention or take points but you can't have it!" He yelled. Snape couldn't know the truth! He couldn't deal with him being angry that he was his father.

The class seemed to freeze, watching in shock as the boy-who-may-not-live-much-longer shouted at the potion's professor. Even the Slytherins looked a little horrified.

Severus struggled to control his anger. The brat deserved nothing more than a good swat across the seat of his pants. "Hand. It. Over." He said through gritted teeth, holding out his hand.

"No!" Harry stood up, intending to run out of the class. He didn't want Snape to see the journal. He didn't want him to know he was his father.

"Accio!" Severus snapped impatiently, the book flying right into his hands. He glanced at the cover. Lily's Journal... He froze for a moment. "Everyone but Potter is dismissed." He said finally. The students didn't hesitate and hurriedly packed their books up. He scowled at Weasley and Granger as they clearly didn't want to leave their friend. "Go!" He snapped at them.

Ron gave Harry a sympathetic look while Hermione gave him an encouraging one as they slowly walked out of the room.

"Why do you have this?" Severus asked once they were alone. He couldn't believe he was holding the journal he had given Lily. He remembered how excited she had been when he had given it to her.

"It's my mother's and I want it back," Harry said, a scowl on his face.

"Why do you have it?" Severus asked again, not handing the journal back to him.

"To read, obviously," Harry said rudely.

Severus reached out and took the boy's chin in his hand, looking into his eyes. "Enough with the disrespect. I will wash your mouth out if you continue talking to me in that snotty tone." He warned darkly.

Tears filled Harry's eyes and he shook himself free. "Fine. Go ahead and read it. But it changes nothing. I still hate you and you hate me and that will never change!" He ran out of the classroom.

Severus stared after him before looking back at the journal. It may be wrong to read it but he had to. It could provide him with the answers he needed. Answers to questions he had had for so long. Like why Lily had left him. Had she ever really loved him? Had she missed him? He had to know. And what had Potter meant that it would change nothing?

TBC: The truth is out and Snape and Harry agree to start over...