"The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing,

and should therefore be treated with great caution…"

Secrets

**Excerpt from GOF**

Uncle Vernon was waiting beyond the barrier. Mrs. Weasley was close by him.

She hugged Harry very tightly when she saw him and whispered in his ear, "I think Dumbledore will let you come to us later in the summer. Keep in touch, Harry."

"See you. Harry," said Ron, clapping him on the back.

"Bye, Harry!" said Hermione, and she did something she had never done before,

and kissed him on the cheek.

"Harry - thanks," George muttered, while Fred nodded fervently at his side.

Harry winked at them, turned to Uncle Vernon, and followed him silently from

the station. There was no point worrying yet, he told himself, as he got into the back of

the Dursleys' car.

As Hagrid had said, what would come, would come ... and he would have to meet

it when it did.

**End**

            Harry watched as his Uncle drove them home. He was a little worried at what would happen once he got home after what happened the summer before. He knew the Dursley's hated anything to do with magic. And so they hated Harry. The trip was a silent one. Neither spoke to the other. That is how Harry liked it. As they pulled into the drive Vernon spoke for the first time since they left Kings Cross.

"Boy, listen here and listen good." He said while looking right at Harry, "Don't think we forgot what you and those other freaks did to poor Dudley. There is going to be some changes around here and you will follow those changes if you want to return to that ruddy school again." Harry swallowed and just nodded to his Uncle. Vernon opened the trunk on his car and Harry took his trunk out and headed for the house. Just as he was about to open the door. It opened for him but his Aunt Petunia was standing there watching him.

"Put your trunk in the cupboard and keep that…that owl quiet in your room." She spoke harshly.

"Yes Aunt Petunia." Harry said just loud enough for her to hear. He put his trunk where he was old to and took the rest of his things upstairs to his room. When he entered his room, there were more bars on his window, the room was very bare. A smaller bed with an old worn out sheet and spread. All of Dudley's broken toys and such were gone. There was a small desk next to the window. From the looks of it, it was ready to fall apart. Sighing he put Hedwig up on he desk and quickly hid his wand photo album and invisibility cloak under a loose floorboard near the closet. He hoped that his Aunt and Uncle would at least allow him to do his home work. But that was doubtful.

"BOY!" Bellowed his Uncle from down stairs. "Get down here!" Quickly Harry left his room and entered the sitting room where his Uncle was standing holding a leather strap. Harry gulped as he watched his Uncle rub the strap with his hands. "There is a matter that needs to be taken care of first. Last year your and those freaks played an horrid trick on our Dudders. And now it is payback." Vernon grabbed Harry and threw him to the ground. Before Harry could do anything he heard the swish o the leather strap and the loud crack it made as hit connected with his back. Searing pain shot through his small body. The rest of the beating he didn't really feel until he felt a hard connection to his stomach. He felt a rain of punches and kicks all over his body. It wasn't until a kick made it mark on the back of his head that he fell into blackness. No more pain was felt.

            Severus had been pacing the castle trying to think. Since Voldemort returned he as yet to be summoned. But there are reports of Death Eater activities. He just didn't understand it. Finally he gave up with his pacing. 'Fix a potion, yes that is the best. Hrm…Remus Lupin will be returning this year might as well make that wolfsbane potion.' So spining on a dime he headed back to his private chambers. The cool damp feeling of the dungeons felt like heaven to Severus. Before he had time to spit out the password he was interrupted.

"I can't believe you still haven't told him," Remus said, a vague tone of disbelief  coloring his tone. Severus whirled to glare at him angrily, lips pulled back from clenched teeth.

"Told who what? I haven't he slightest idea what you're on about…" Severus growled, but was cut off by a sharp returned gaze from Remus.

"You know very well who and what I mean, Severus. It's been fifteen years…he has a right to know you."

"Know me?! Why in the hell does he have a right to know me? For all I know, he's not even mine!" Snape yelled, and turned to stalk away. Remus, however, latched tightly onto his shoulder and forced him to stay his ground. "Let me go, werewolf." He growled, but Remus kept his grip. For a moment, he didn't say anything, his expression shifting between concern and disbelief.

"He IS yours, Severus. Surely you knew that…"

"I knew of the possibility, but nothing more." Snape replied, though the tone of his voice clearly said otherwise.

"Then why didn't you find out?! He could have grown up without all the lies…"

"Oh, yes indeed. As if I would just pop up on his doorstep and admit to sleeping with his mother, oh I'm SURE that would go over well."

"Well, you've never seemed to worry about other's reactions to you before. You've got to TELL him! He'll probably find out on his own eventually, and just imagine what a mess that would be…."

"Not anymore of one than if I WERE to tell him. Can you imagine what would happen were he to know? ME?! His FATHER?! You can't honestly expect that he'd be happy in the least. I am not the type of person that can be a father."

"Oh, so that's it…"

"What?"

"You don't think you're worthy…"

"I'll be astounded if you can think of anyone LESS worthy. I was a Death Eater, Remus, I've done more evil than I can rightly remember…I'm not worthy of being ANYONE'S parent, and besides, I wouldn't even know how. And how do you think he would feel? You obviously have taken a liking to him, what do you think it would do to him if he were to discover that his real father was a murderer? A conscienceless follower of the Dark Lord? A cruel, bitter teacher hated by the entire school? It'd break him, I've no doubt that it would."

"Then that just proves that you need to get to know him."

"Why, whatever do you mean?"

"Tell me…why ARE you always on his case? Why is it that you always single him out for ridicule?"

"Simple. To teach him a lesson. Everyone else here, you included, tend to treat him like some high-and-mighty savior of the wizarding world. Half of the people who claim to be his friends would turn on him in an instant if his 'heroic' image were to be tarnished. He's got to learn to fend for himself out there, one way or another. If I don't break him of the spoiled lifestyle he probably enjoys at home, who will? You? Dumbledore? I highly doubt it."

"I thought that might be your reason."

"What? You'd better not even consider criticizing me for my methods, for I assure you, there's plenty I could say about yours."

"Have you heard about the Dursleys at all? The muggle family he lives with?"

"Of course not. If you'll remember correctly, I was comatose when he was placed with them, and I don't tend to bother with 'gossip.'"

"I've noticed. Either way, you wouldn't have learned anything more. Harry doesn't like to talk about them at all, I'm afraid I found out rather by accident…"

"Found out what?"

"Have you ever seen Harry getting mail in the Great Hall? Or going home for the Christmas holidays?"

"No, but I hardly see what that has to do with anything…"

"Severus, the first day of classes I asked him to stay after the lesson. I'd noticed he was looking ill, and I wanted to ask what was wrong. He was VERY reluctant to tell me, but after I slipped a little calming potion in his tea, he eventually gave in and told me some of what had happened."

"Go on…"

"His uncle beats him, Severus; quite often, in fact. As it turned out, he had a pair of cracked ribs, as well as severe bruising across his chest and back. I cornered Mr. Ron Weasley to find out more about the Dursley's, and I daresay it isn't pleasant. Evidently, they weren't even going to let him come to school this year. I suppose it was a lucky thing that I showed up…Anyway, one year, Weasley and his brothers had to actually break him out of that house as if it were a prison, bars on his window and everything."

"What?! Impossible…Dumbledore wouldn't allow him to stay in a place like that…"

"Dumbledore doesn't know about it. Harry's too proud and ashamed to tell him, and I imagine he doesn't want any more attention drawn to him, either. He made me promise not to tell a soul after I found out, and I've kept that promise until now. I tried to get him to tell Dumbledore, but I'm afraid he's just as stubborn as you."

"They …beat him? Why? He's their blood, surely they didn't…."

"The Dursleys hate magic, Severus. You didn't know Lily as well as I did, but I'm sure you heard her mention Petunia?"

"Once or twice, and never with pleasure."

"Yes, well Petunia hated Lily above and beyond a simple sibling rivalry…she thought Lily was a freak. Once they no longer had to live in the same house, Petunia severed all relations with her sister. She's carried that hate on to Harry, and her husband is the same way. Harry had to sleep locked in a broom closet for eleven years."

"Remus, you are coming with me to see Albus this instant, I'll not allow that…that FAMILY to ever…"

"No."

"What?!"

"Tell Harry."

"I can't, you know that!"

"He's your SON, Severus."

"I'm aware of that…"

"Then say it, admit it out loud."

"Fine. Harry is my son. Now, can we please get on with it? I may not wish that fact to be known, but I will NOT stand for ANYONE mistreating him."

"And how, precisely, do you think he sees YOUR behavior toward him and all the Gryffindors?"

"That is different. I have no choice, as long as Voldemort lives and I retain my title as 'spy.'"

"Yes, but you could always let him know that….let him know YOU."

"Oh, so we're back on that again, are we?"

"It's the only way you can keep him safe from the Dursleys….by telling him the truth."

"As I've already said, No. WE will inform Albus of the…abuse, and nothing more."

"If we tell Dumbledore, he will remove Harry from that house. Harry will have no choice but to go to an orphanage or a temporary care facility. Now, imagine what that would do to him….he's already got more than enough in common with the Dark Lord, how do you think he'd react to yet another?"

"Surely no worse than if I talked to him."

"I doubt that, Severus. I will make you a deal. If you agree to tell Harry and Dumbledore the truth, then I will come with you right now to talk to him about the Dursleys."

"But then Albus would send him to live with ME. I couldn't do that Remus, I'd be worse than the Dursleys…"

"No you wouldn't. You've never hit a student, and I know for a fact that all that yelling you do is just an act. You only need to give yourself a chance, and spare your son another summer of beatings."

"Very well…."

"Promise and swear that you will tell Harry, and soon."

"I promise that I will tell…Harry…the truth before Christmas. Are you happy now?"

"Yes, but you understand that I am not doing this for 'me.' I'm doing this for Harry…and for you."

"Me?"

"Yes. You have a son, Severus. You have as much right to know him as he does you. You're both the only real family either of you has."

"I'd have to agree with you on the last…but can we please get on with it? I'd like to tell Albus and get this whole thing over with as soon as possible, I'm sure he'll have plenty to say."

"He won't be ashamed of you, you know that."

"Yes…but then he doesn't have to be."