A/N First I'd like to thank Mikee, Corgi, Sela, Myrhfire, Thranx, mp, pixyfairy120, Charma1219, rebecca, enemah, Kateri, and SammiSnape for taking the time to review and for encouraging me to continue the story.

Thank you to everyone who suggested names for Snape's wife. I decided to combine names from several of the suggestions. Let me know what you think.

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Chapter 5

Facing Tomorrow

Harry now understood how the lights worked, so when he woke the next morning he took care to cover his head with blankets before asking the lights to turn on. One good thing about sleeping in a dungeon was that you never had to worry about it being too light to sleep. Once the torches were put out, darkness took over. Harry was happy for about a minute after he woke up. New clothes that actually fit! He didn't think he would ever see the day. Of course that minute passed and he remembered the rest of the previous day. He had told Professor Snape everything about his life with the Dursley's. Harry didn't honestly believe that the information could be kept out of the newspapers, attorney or no. The only thing that could be worse than living Dursley's, would be people finding out what his life with the Dursley's was like. Harry didn't want to be pitied. Harry didn't want people to stare, snicker, and whisper anymore than they already did. Harry crawled back in bed, pulled a pillow over his head, and didn't get back up until he heard Snape calling him to breakfast.

Severus Snape was surprised when his son joined him for a late breakfast still in his nightclothes, hair sticking up on end. He had tried to give the young man time alone to think, maybe it wasn't long enough?

"Good morning, the attorney will be here to see us about 11:00AM. Are you ready for this?" Snape asked.

"Ready, no. Do I have to do this, can't we just leave it alone? I don't want…" Harry had been pushing his eggs around his plate, he just didn't seem interested in eating them today.

"Mr. Potter, this can't go away. If we do not act you will have to return to the Dursley's, they have legal custody of you. In order to remove you from their care we must show reason." Snape paused "Even if you do not choose to live with me and wish to go elsewhere, we must show cause."

"Do you know Rita Skeeter?" Harry asked.

"She is not a close personal acquaintance but yes, I have met her. Not one of the most pleasant experience in my life, I must admit. That woman could make rock look like it had committed cold blooded murder… Is that what you are worried about?"

"Yea… It doesn't matter how hard we try to keep this private… someone will leak the information. I just don't want everyone to know that Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived, savior of the wizarding world, couldn't protect himself from his own family. I just keep seeing the front-page, center story, once again, about me. Especially with the news after the Tri-Wizard tournament. Minister Fudge doesn't believe me about Voldemort, you know? He's trying to convince everyone that I made it up. This would just add to his story."

"Let's talk to the attorney, see what can be done, and then discuss your options. From what the Aurors told me we should be able to keep this out of the press… Have you written to your friends?"

"Not yet, I don't know what to say," Harry sighed.

"Well were going to meet them on the 29th correct?"

"Yea… Are you sure you want to come?"

"I definitely want to come. I don't think this is a good time for you to be out alone, even in a place as safe as Diagon Alley… Why don't you invite you friends to spend the last day with you here?"

At this Harry sat up and took notice. "You wouldn't mind?" He couldn't believe his ears.

"I must admit that the idea of spending time in close quarters with Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley does not delight me, but I will be busy preparing for the start of term and I think you could use some private time to discuss things with your friends. So yes, you may invite them." To be perfectly honest Snape had surprised even himself with his offer. It's only two nights, keep yourself busy, it won't be that bad.

Snape noticed with some satisfaction that this news improved his sons spirits as Harry hurriedly finished his breakfast and rushed into his room to write his two best friends. As he sat at his desk, parchment and quill in front of him, Harry realized that as much as he wanted his friends to visit, if he told them who exactly they would be visiting they would be very unlikely to come. On top of that, they would probably call St. Mungo's to pick him up if he so much as indicated that perhaps Professor Snape wasn't the completely horrible person they all had thought he was. Sure, Harry wasn't convinced that he really wanted his most hated Professor to be his father, but he was trying to give the man a chance, and so far it was actually going ok. So, how was he to let his friends know that they were invited to visit without telling them who his father really was. Several drafts later…

Hermione

I'm sure that Ron already wrote you to tell you about me being adopted and my visiting with my biological father. He has invited both you and Ron to spend the day before school starts here with me. I have a lot more to tell you both, just not in a letter. I will meet you on the 29th outside of Gringott's, we can all spend the day together, then if you can, we'll leave for my home straight from there. I know your parents will want to meet mine before they'll give permission. My father will be joining us so you will get to meet him. I really hope you can come because what I have to tell you is really private.

See you soon,

Harry

After composing a nearly identical letter to Ron, and completely depleting his supply of parchment in the process, Harry set about solving the problem of how to let Hedwig out to deliver the letters without a window.

"Sir," Harry asked as he entered the living room "How can I send Hedwig with the post? Do I need to take her upstairs?"

Snape set aside the book he was reading and walked over to a wall where hidden between two bookcases was a heavy wooden door. After unlocking several Muggle locks and even more locking charms, he gestured for Harry to follow him. Up a very long stairwell, passing an occasional low burning torch, they climbed. The stairs turned several times, and still they climbed. After about three stories they arrived at a second door, this one locked with some kind of lever mechanism and several more charms. Snape opened the door and let Harry exit before him.

Harry stood in awe. He'd walked out into the most beautiful garden he had ever seen. There were flowers, trees, roses in full bloom, and several small ponds.

"Your owl can leave and enter through here, Mr. Potter."

"Why have I never noticed this garden before, it's perfect." Harry asked as he took it all in.

"This garden is for the staff and their families. The only ways to enter are through staff quarters. Are you planning to send your letters sometime today?"

Snape had to admit that the garden they were standing in was beautiful, there was no denying that. He didn't however have to enjoy any time he spent there. After all, who knew whether or not Flitwick's grandchildren were visiting. Cheerful, happy, bouncy, playful children. Nothing could make them leave him alone. Snape had scowled, sulked, growled, and done his best to ignore Flitwick's grandchildren but still they tormented him. Always happy to see him, wanting him to play with them, horrible children. Then once, about two years before, it had happened.

Severus Snape had been sitting in the quietest corner of the garden reading a book. Now if anyone had asked him, he would have given a reasonable and logical explanation for reading in the garden, one that would have been no where near the truth on the matter. You see, the truth was that Snape liked the garden, and enjoyed spending time there. Unfortunately, on this particularly lovely summer day he was distracted from his book by a group of children playing. He was fairly well hidden back in the corner, he didn't think they could see him, so he sat and watched. No one knows how long he watched but it was long enough for the children to notice that they had an audience. Even in the wizarding world any perfectly normal child will not willing leave someone out of their game. Everyone should be playing and having fun. So the children invited him to join them. Snape tried to refuse, he said he needed to go inside, that he had important business to attend to. In a matter of minutes he had been pulled into a game of… well, he didn't know what he was playing, the rules kept changing, he'd never seen this game before… Even worse he enjoyed his time with the children. It wasn't until afterwards, as he made his way back down the stairs to his rooms, that the guilt set it. He had spent the day playing with someone else's children while he didn't know where his own child was. He spent the evening reinforcing the locks on the door out to the garden and was very careful never to go out there again.

*Pop* "Mr. Professor Sn… Mr. Harry Potter Sir!" Harry looked up on a very excited house elf named Dobby sitting on his chest from his new position on the ground. "There is an attorney, a Mr. Alfonsis, to see you Sir."

"Show him down" Snape told the house elf as he turned toward the door that would lead them back to his quarters.

Whatever Harry may have been expecting, Mr. Alfonsis was not it. Mr. Alfonsis was the very stereotype of a Muggle Attorney, from the dark suit and tie to the gleaming leather shoes, he covered his expensive Muggle clothes with solid black robes. Before setting down to business Mr. Alfonsis took the time to explain that he was licensed and worked in both the Muggle and Wizarding worlds, he specialized in cases that involved agencies from both environments.

"Mr. Potter, you are a wizard, and charges are being filed against your Muggle relatives by wizarding authorities, but we also have to think about any other children your family may care for. I believe you have a cousin?"

"Yes Sir, but I don't see how this involves Dudley, they don't treat him the way they treat me. He is their son."

"Just the same, the authorities are going to look into how they care for Dudley. He is a Muggle is he not?"

"Yes"

"Well it may not be appropriate to move him into the wizarding world, not to mention we don't have the social care system that Muggles have. Wizarding children, if their parents cannot care for them, go to live with another family member or a family friend that is willing to take them in. We don't have orphanages or foster care. So if Mr. and Mrs. Dursley are found unable to care for their son, he will need to be placed with the proper Muggle authorities, unless he has other family that is willing take him." Mr. Alfonsis passed a glance over both Harry and Professor Snape as he ended his comments.

"Moving on. Can you tell me what your biggest concern is in pursuing this case?" Mr. Alfonsis asked.

"Privacy, Mr. Alfonsis, we would like to keep this situation, especially as it concerns Mr. Potter, out of the newspapers" Snape immediately answered.

"Ok well this is the situation on that. We can petition the court to seal the proceedings and records. If we do then the newspapers, and anyone else, could only print the story, no names, no descriptions, nothing that could give any indication of the minor parties identities. This would protect both Harry and Dudley from publicity. If you like I can file the papers today."

"What happens if we just leave this alone" Harry asked.

"Mr. Potter, regardless of whether or not you pursue this matter the aurors have already made a report and that report will be investigated. If you leave the situation alone and do nothing, the court will make a decision on it's own. You would do better if you let the court know your views on the situation. Also, without blocking the news agencies, this will be front page news. I can only tell you the truth on that."

Harry thought for a few minutes "Ok, let's do this. You will file to block the news?"

Mr. Alfonis pulled out several thick rolls of parchment and the three sat down to discuss the beginning of what could be a very complicated case. Several hours and many signatures later, they set up an appointment for the 27th of August to complete the second part of the paperwork, giving Mr. Alfonsis time to research the case. Their meeting completed, Mr. Alfonsis left to file the necessary information with the court.

*Pop, pop* "Mr. Harry Potter should not be missing meals!" Winky may have been small, but in the house elf tradition she was quite strong and had Harry seated at the table fork in hand, and napkin tucked under his chin before he'd even realized she was there.

"Mr. Professor Snape sir" Dobby cautiously asked "would you care for dinner sir?"

Snape made his way to the table as he tried to figure out what these house elves could possibly have with his son. There were a few free house elves, but most of the house elves served the school itself and as such were loyal to the headmaster. These two house elves seemed unusually taken with Harry. Of course, he reasoned, as famous as Harry is even a house elf would know the name Harry Potter.

"Sir, do you know Dobby and Winky?" Harry asked.

"No, I don't know them, they seem unusually attached to you though."

"Mr. Harry Potter set me free, Mr. Professor Snape Sir." Dobby explained excitedly

"Dobby used to belong to the Malfoy family."

"And now I work at Hogwarts, and receive wages, and get one day off a month!" Dobby proudly stated as he bounced in place hardly able to contain his happiness.

"And you would be happy to be set free, naughty house elf, you!" Winky squealed.

It wasn't until Winky's outburst that Snape noticed the difference between the two house elves. Dobby, while colorfully dressed in an outfit that would give a clown a headache, was clean and neat, eyes bright, excited to face the day. Winky on the other hand looked like she hadn't showered or washed her clothes in months, her ears drooped, her frame to thin even for a house elf. Two free house elves, two completely different outlooks. Snape was still pondering the two house elves, or more importantly his sudden interest in house elves, as he sat before the fireplace later that evening.

Harry had made his way over to a certain photograph on the mantle and was trying to decide which of many questions, to ask first.

"Sir, what did you name me?"

"What… We named you Henry… Henry Alexander Snape."

"Why do you call me Mr. Potter, isn't Harry a nickname for Henry?"

Snape knew these questions would come, but he wasn't quite ready to answer them. The passing years had done nothing to ease his pain.

"We actually called you Harry, only in private. We would have called you Henry in public. Harry isn't exactly proper."

Harry's first reaction was to defend his name. Years of being told what a nasty common name it was, had made him quite protective of it. He took a moment to steady himself before asking his next question.

"What was my mothers name?"

"Elizabeth Rose Andrews"

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A/N A few of you seem to be mind readers. I was merrily writing along and not two hours after I'd written a reference to a certain journalist, I get a review asking if she would play a part in the future. Lol… Maybe… Maybe not. He, he, he…

Look for more Snape family history next chapter. I thought about putting more in here, but I think it would be better covered from several different angles. It's too important, I just don't want to shortchange it at all.