A/N: A somewhat less tragic version of the last bunny. Apologies for not making the warnings clearer for those who were shocked. Another answer for my own "Boy Who Didn't Know" challenge. But still only a bunny length. This one is less about the amount of time before he finds out and more about how it's uncovered. There ARE slight differences in the beginning part - so don't skip them.

Given an angry Harry, more vindictive Durselys, and a more vitriolic Snape …

Boy Who Didn't Know V3

Hagrid was flummoxed. When he tried to tell Harry about his parents, the boy refused to hear anything about them. He had been told by the Dursleys how they died and it was a sore point.

He sighed. He didn't have much more to talk to Harry about other than his parents.

It was much worse the next day. When several patrons of the Leaky Cauldron tried to greet him too enthusiastically, Harry cried out with frustration, "Leave me alone!" The patrons decided that the boy was still upset about his parents deaths, years later.

Conversation was very stilted through the whole trip. Finally, Hagrid agreed to not mention his parents and the conversation was somewhat friendlier.

When they got to the bank, Hagrid asked for expedited service on withdrawing enough gold for supplies. Instead of being taken to the vaults, Harry was presented with a bag containing enough money for his supplies. Hagrid said something about not wasting it and Harry assumed that there wasn't much available. He did get his key.

When Harry was getting his wand, Draco Malfoy had entered with his parents and he hustled him out before Ollivander could talk more about his wand.

Harry had finally gotten onto the platform by watching for anyone who had Hogwarts supplies and following them. He was over an hour early. He got all of his things inside and took out one of his course books.

Several people tried to talk to him but he resolutely refused to talk further as soon as anyone said "Boy-Who-Lived" or mentioned his parents. Finally, even Ron Weasley, the socially retarded redhead, got the point.

Harry was tired of the talking and the stares and the pointing. He just wanted to go to class and study. Even though he had been put into Gryffindor, he didn't feel particularly brave.

The worst was Friday. When he had gotten into Potions class, the teacher had singled him out and called him a "celebrity." He didn't know why his parents dying and him surviving made him a celebrity, but the Potions professor took great joy in making fun of his lack of knowledge despite his "celebrity status." It was so bad, he went to his Head of House.

As soon as he started talking, his hopes were dashed. As soon as he said "Professor Snape," McGonagall stopped him and said, "I'm sorry Mr. Potter. But I have no control over how the other Professors run their classes. I can try to have the Headmaster look into it, but he has made it clear that I have no authority over Professor Snape's actions."

Harry looked at her in horror. Without saying a word, he turned around and left.

Minerva McGonagall sighed. The Headmaster had been adamant that Harry Potter must learn to deal with adversity. She had tried to get him to control Snape after several comments, but the Headmaster had only twinkled and given her his instructions.

She really didn't like this at all.

Harry endured the first month of his Hogwarts' experience, but his anger was being ratcheted up. Finally, in one of the Hogwarts corridors, it exploded.

Severus Snape was walking down the corridor when he saw Harry Potter standing in the middle of it speaking with another student. Several first year females were on the fringes, watching the boy with interest. He felt a jolt of irritation.

"Potter! Get out of the way! If you must indulge in your celebrity status, do it where you are not interrupting others from reaching their own destinations." His sneer was in full force as he said this.

Potter turned and gave him such a look of loathing that he was slightly taken aback. Potter ground out between his teeth, "Stop talking about that. I don't want to hear about that."

Severus was feeling some satisfaction. He had finally broken through and caused the boy to react. It led to him pouncing on it immediately: He wanted to show the world exactly how pathetic the boy was. "Why? Don't you just love hearing about how you're such a powerful wizard for surviving? How your parents died and you lived? About being the boy-who-lived?" He said the last with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

The boy yelled back. "So what? So I survived! I don't know why it's such a big deal. Why can't people just shut up about it?"

Severus Snape was taken aback. What was the boy talking about? But he knew Potters and he knew how they thought. "Don't tell me you don't enjoy hearing about how powerful you were to survive. You're just like your pathetic father: Glorying in the attention."

The boy screamed back. "Thousands of kids and even adults survived what I survived! Why is it such a big deal?"

At that moment, Severus knew there was something very wrong. He tried to reign in his disdain, but was not successful. "Do you know how your parents were killed?"

The boy looked at him with true hatred, something he hadn't seen since the disappearance of the Dark Lord. "Yes! My loving relatives told me all about it! My drunk father living on the dole killed himself and my whore of a mother by driving a car when drunk! Yes. I survived with this weird scar. So what? Muggles survive car crashes all the time! I am tired of getting reminded about it EVERY … GOD … DAMNED … DAY!"

Potter turned and rushed off.

Susan Bones, who had been in the crowd, was completely shocked by what she just heard. Harry Potter thought his parents died in a Muggle car crash? His scar was just a from that crash? She rushed to write her aunt. Something was very wrong.

Ron Weasley got back to the corridor after going to the bathroom and looked around. "Where did Harry go?" he asked another student who was standing there in shock.

The other student pointed up the corridor and said, "He ran that way?"

Ron thought the other student was acting weird.

Severus Snape was rushing to the Headmaster's office. Minerva McGonagall saw his face and was alarmed. "Severus? What is it?"

"Where is the Headmaster? I need to speak to him right away!" Snape said, even as Minerva moved to walk with him.

"Calm down! The Headmaster went to Hogsmeade to speak to someone at the Three Broomsticks. He'll be back in an hour. What is going on?"

Severus stopped dead in his tracks. He considered telling Minerva what he had just been told, but decided that Dumbledore needed to be told first. "An incident with Potter."

Minerva gave him a disdainful look. "Can't you just leave the boy alone? I've already had to shut up about your interactions with him by order of the Headmaster. If I can't talk about the boy, why should you be able?"

"You don't understand. I've just learned …" Severus violently shook his head once. "We need to see the Headmaster."

Minerva sighed. "Well, either send an owl or go yourself. There's no other choice. Or you can send a Patronus message …"

"Can you send it?" Severus asked desperately. He would not allow anyone to see his Patronus. "He needs to get back to his office as soon as possible as I need to speak to him urgently."

The Seventh-year Ravenclaw watched as the owl she just had sent flew off. She had always wanted to work at the Daily Prophet. Perhaps this would give her a leg up.

Albus sighed as he listed to the message. He stood up and drained the final part of the mead that Rosmerta had served him. "I'm sorry," he said to the Wizengamot member he had been speaking to. "Apparently I am needed back at Hogwarts. We'll have to discuss this next week."

The man nodded and watched as Albus Dumbledore moved to the floo.

Albus threw in the floo powder and called out "Hogwarts Headmaster's office! Sugar Plums!" The location and password sent, he stepped through the fire.

Upon arriving, he saw Severus standing with agitation. Minerva was watching with some curiosity.

"Hello, Severus and Minerva. What is the problem I was messaged so urgently about?"

Severus looked at the Headmaster and the Deputy. He pulled out the vial he had already put his memory in. "I need you to see this right immediately." He paused. "You should perhaps explain to the Deputy Headmistress after you've seen it."

The Headmaster accepted the vial and moved to the cabinet containing his pensieve. He carefully moved the memories already in the bowl to separate vials and then put the new one in.

He put his finger to the bowl and dropped into the memory. Minerva watched from the side, wondering what in Merlin's name the problem was.

When Albus exited the pensieve, his face was ashen. He looked at his two staff members, his mind racing. Finally, he decided on a course of action. "Minerva? Can you retrieve Hagrid? I need to enquire about a few issues and then an explanation will be given."

Minerva stood in a huff. "Fine. But I expect a full explanation when I return."

Albus nodded. "And you shall have it."

Minerva left. Albus looked at Severus. "Was it necessary to be so harsh with the boy?"

Severus' face took on a blank look. "I was merely attempting to ensure that his assuredly pampered upbringing did not give him the idea that he was entitled to special treatment."

Albus sighed. "It is becoming apparent that his upbringing is not exactly what you believed it was, nor even what I believed it was. I did not expect him to be pampered but it is apparent that it was far worse than I expected. I need to lock down the owlery until we can resolve this." Severus nodded. It had only been twenty minutes. Hopefully, this could be contained.

He, and Albus Dumbledore, would soon find out that they were not quite quick enough.

It was dinner time. The staff were waiting for Harry Potter to arrive. They had just had a meeting to attempt to find out exactly what had happened. Hagrid had told them how Harry had not wanted to discuss his parents when the two met and that he had said his relatives had explained how his parents had died.

Albus was not looking forward to enlightening the gentle giant about the truth of the matter. Before that, they needed to speak to the boy himself. It was decided that Minerva would get a note delivered during the meal and that they would speak to him in the Headmaster's office after dinner.

At fifteen minutes after the beginning of dinner, it was obvious the boy was not there. Albus murmured something to his deputy. Minerva nodded and stood up.

Ron Weasley was eating his dinner, fully concentrating upon the wonderful Hogwarts food. Suddenly he heard a voice. "Mr. Weasley?"

He turned and saw his Head of House. "Ut?"

Professor McGonagall gave him a look of disapproval. "Kindly swallow before speaking. It's rather disgusting when you talk with your mouth full." Hermione Granger, who was nearby, nodded in agreement with the quiet comment.

Ron quickly chewed and swallowed. "Do you need something, Professor?"

"Do you know where Mr. Potter is?" she asked with some interest.

Ron shrugged. "He was in the dorm. He said he wasn't hungry." Ron sounded confused at this. How could someone pass up a meal? "He said he was going to take a nap."

Minerva nodded. "I see. Thank you, Mr. Weasley. Return to your meal – and try to use more decorum as you eat."

Ron blushed red and looked around. Those around him were watching with satisfaction.

Minerva, Albus, and Severus quickly finished their meal. They needed to get Harry before the students started returning to the dorms. They completed their meal and left. Before they could make their way up the steps toward the Gryffindor dorms (Minerva) and the Headmaster's office (Albus and Severus), they were interrupted.

"We need to talk." They all turned and saw a sight that put fear in two of them and guilt in the other. Walking from the front doors was Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE.

Albus tried to extricate the staff. "Madam Bones. What are you doing here? We have a somewhat urgent matter to deal with – Hogwarts business and all. Can your business wait?"

Amelia looked at the Headmaster with disdain. "Is this about Harry Potter?"

Albus was brought up short. "Why do you ask?"

She pulled out a folded parchment. "I received a very disturbing letter during my dinner. And before it ends up blowing up in everyone's face, I wanted to get the truth of it."

Albus took the parchment, even as Amelia said, "This is a copy. The original was put into evidence."

Albus groaned internally as he read it. He sighed. "Yes. I learned out it after the fact. We were just attempting to resolve it."

Amelia's face took on a look of determination. "Well, I will be involved. When this gets out, the fallout will impact everyone and there will be calls for my department to get involved. I'd rather be able to say that we are already involved."

Albus tut-tutted. "I've taken steps to contain it."

Amelia looked at him incredulously. "Are you out of your mind? If I already have been informed, do you really think that someone else hasn't already started spreading the information? You DO know how fast rumours spread in and from this place, don't you?"

Albus closed his eyes in resignation. That was nothing but the truth. "Very well. Minerva was just getting Mr. Potter so that we might speak in my office."

Amelia nodded and then looked curious. "Is Mr. Potter a Slytherin?"

The staff was confused. "No. He's in Gryffindor. Why do you ask?" Minerva asked

Amelia looked at Severus Snape as she replied to the Deputy Headmistress, "I was wondering why Mr. Snape is involved with this discussion. It's obvious from the letter that the two do not have a good relationship and it's obvious that matters of heavy emotion will be discussed. Why would you include the Head of Slytherin house in the discussion?"

Minerva looked startled for a moment as she considered that. Albus tried to dismiss the matter. "He was the one who learned of the problem. His insights are needed."

Amelia pierced the Headmaster with her glare. "Since no one seems to care about Mr. Potter's mental well-being, I guess I will have to step in. Severus Snape is in no way to be involved when the circumstances of his parents' deaths are discussed. After that is resolved, I will want to speak to him, and both of you, regarding why he is being allowed to denigrate the good name of a war hero. I'm certain that the issue will come up."

Severus' face took on a pasty look. He hadn't considered that aspect. If Amelia Bones immediately took that as a matter of concern, he could just imagine what the unwashed masses would say.

Albus sighed and turned. "Severus. We will speak at 9:00 on the matter. I might be best if you were not present for the initial discussion."

Severus nodded and moved to retreat to the dungeons.

Daily Prophet Headlines the next day ...

Boy-Who-Lived Told His Parents were a Drunk and Whore

Boy-Who-Lived Told Scar was from Muggle Accident

What Happened to the Fabled Potter Wealth?

A/N: I don't have it in me to make this a big long story – that's why it's a bunny. But where it is going should be apparent.