Thank you again for all the reviews! This story is going to have to be eight parts; I didn't realize this particular set of scenes in the summer between Harry's fourth and fifth years would take so long.

Visit to St. Mungo's

In the end, Severus can only get some of James Potter's hair by waiting until the Potters come to Hogwarts to watch the Third Task. Apparently Potter wants to see what kind of "top talent" the Champions have, in case they want to be Aurors someday, and Lily...

Lily accompanies her husband. It is easier for Severus to say it than it used to be. He supposes that fifteen years of reality can pound their way even into his skull.

He cuts the hair from Potter's head using a mild charm, and enjoys the befuddled look on Potter's face as he turns around and waves his hand behind his neck for a moment. But then he turns back to the cheering and the enjoyment.

Krum wins the Tournament, as Severus suspected he would from his skill at offensive magic. Diggory comes in second, and he's bleeding from an Acromantula bite that makes Poppy shriek and immediately take him to the hospital wing.

Delacour does not come out of the maze alive. She encountered some other venomous creature and her body is entirely green by the time the Aurors pull it out. Madame Maxine is as pale as curd, and the Delacour family is keening without words.

Severus turns away, sickened.

"What are we going to do if the Healers ask my father something about this and he doesn't remember the visit, sir? And what happens if we run into someone there that my dad knows but you don't?"

Snape shakes his head and takes a vial from his pocket, turning it around so that Harry can peer at the white-flecked green potion inside. "Tell me what this is, Potter. And that will tell you part of the answer."

Harry feels his eyes widen. "Memory Replication, sir? You'll make him think that he's there?"

"Yes, and even speak normally about it with your—mother." There's always that kind of pause before Professor Snape talks about Harry's mum, even though Harry only started noticing it when he really listened for it. "That will spare you some of the pain of the revelation."

Harry pauses himself. In all his life, no one has done something like that for him. His parents and Remus and Sirius love him, he knows, but their love is mingled with pity. They're uncomfortable with him the way that Harry has sometimes seen Muggles act around people in wheelchairs, the times Mum has taken him and his siblings into the Muggle world.

Snape just goes ahead and does things.

"Thank you, sir," Harry says, and watches as Snape puts the hair in the Polyjuice Potion and changes into his father. It's odd seeing his muscles ripple and flow and his skin act like it's going to drip down the sides of his face, but Harry has seen odder things after his years of learning about Potions. Snape takes a small mirror from his pocket and checks on the change, then nods.

"And if we meet someone he supposedly knows?" Snape takes a step back and holds his hand out to Harry. He Apparated to just outside Lion's Door, and Harry met him there. "I shall pretend not to know them in return. We can let your father sort out any misunderstandings."

Harry looks at him critically as he takes his hand. "You would kind of like causing him confusion, wouldn't you."

"That is not a question, and therefore I shall not be answering it," Snape says in Dad's voice, and Apparates.

"Yes, of course, Mr. Potter. Right this way."

Severus manages to keep from grimacing and ruining the charade as he trails after the mediwitch into the depths of St. Mungo's. The corridors are filled with the smells of brewing potions, and the noise of hacking coughs, and the scents of sickness that remind Severus far too much of his childhood.

But the steady way that Potter walks beside him is new. Severus finds himself watching the way that Potter studies the people they pass, as if looking for signs of the diseases they might bear inside.

He has a capacious mind, curiosity, and natural talent. How could his parents have missed it?

"The Healer who supposedly conducted this test, Healer Edson? This is him," says the mediwitch, and shoots a soft smile at the Potter before she retreats. Potter doesn't seem to notice, but then, he never does, although Severus has noticed a few of the Hufflepuff girls casting him longing looks. In this case, he's too busy shaking the hand of the man who supposedly condemned him to a lifetime of disappointment and pity.

I would prefer it if he does not notice, Severus admits to himself, and shakes the Healer's hand in turn.

"Yes, I saw your request when they brought it to me," says Edson, a frank-looking man with long brown hair bound out of the way at the back of his neck. He smiles at Harry and sits down behind his desk. "I can only tell you that I never did a test on you. I would have remembered. There are so few babies I test who have lower than average magic. They're either average or Squibs. There's honestly not a lot of ground in between."

"Could there have been a mistake with the name?" Severus asks. He hates that his voice sounds like James Potter's, but he does enjoy the thought of feeding the main the Memory Replication potion. "A Healer with a name like yours who performed the test?"

"No," Edson says, shaking his head. "I've looked through all the records for a year after Mr. Potter's birth, and there's nothing. He was never here."

"Which doesn't make a lot of sense," Potter whispers.

"I suppose you can't try talking to the person who originally brought him?" Edson asks. "Perhaps they were the one who made the mistake. Brought him for some other test and thought the results were for the magical strength test, like."

"I thought my friend Remus Lupin brought him," Severus says, barely able to change the way the sentence wanted to emerge so that it sounds natural for James Potter.

Edson raises his eyebrows. "You don't know?"

"Well, of course I thought I knew…" Severus lets the words trail off. He never thought to ask the Potter which member of his family or his family's friends had supposedly brought him to hospital. He turns to Potter.

Who has his eyes closed, the way he does when he's seeking the mental answer to some question Severus has asked him. Severus shakes his head at Edson when the Healer opens his mouth. Edson subsides, watching Potter.

Potter finally opens his eyes and whispers, "I don't think you ever told me. I was sure I—I thought it was Remus, too."

"Then it seems that you have a mystery greater than just what that test said to solve," Edson begins.

"Could I take the test again? I mean, can you perform it a second time on someone? Or on someone who's a teenager if they aren't a baby?"

Severus would not have asked that question, but then, he has never had children and knows very little about the kinds of tests that magical families perform at that age. His mother certainly never bothered with them.

Edson smiles kindly at Potter. "I'm afraid that particular test can't be performed on someone above a certain age, no. But I can say that if you're using your wand on a regular basis, and performing acceptably in your classes, then there's no reason to think that you're anywhere near a Squib."

Potter looks down, his eyes shuttered. Severus knows why. The words of one Healer won't convince his parents. They put so much faith in the test that Potter apparently never took that they will want something like it.

Potter only looks up and nods, though. "Thank you anyway, sir."

Darkness

"Mum, who was the person who took me to St. Mungo's to get the test done? You know, the one that proved I was almost a Squib?"

Mum turns and looks at Harry with a shocked expression. Harry only watches her back. He knows that Dad hasn't approached her yet. Professor Snape hasn't had the chance to give Dad the false memory of his visit to hospital in a way that would appear natural, and Professor Snape won't risk Dad figuring it out.

But Harry is burning enough that he wants to ask the question. Now that he thinks about it, he can't believe that he missed such a vital part of his own mythology. His whole life has been influenced by that stupid test they supposedly gave him at St. Mungo's. How could he never have asked who took him?

"I—well, of course." Mum pauses to think back. "We didn't go, it was still during the war and we were fighting with the Order of the Phoenix—oh! It was Peter. That's right. Peter."

Harry feels as though someone has lit a candle inside him. Peter Pettigrew, who has avoided Harry all his life, barely speaking two words to him when he comes over to dinner, as if he has done something wrong.

At the very least, he's lied.

"Harry? Harry!"

Harry is already moving. He runs outside Lion's Door and over the garden, to the small owlery that stands at the far edge. There's not nearly as much use for the owls during the summer and they wave their wings excitedly when they see him. Harry finds Asphodel, his own white owl, and strokes her breast for a second before he focuses straight on her.

"No letter, girl. Just go find Peter Pettigrew and tell him that I want to see him. Can you do that?"

Asphodel seems a little insulted by both the lack of a letter and the questioning of her capabilities, but she bobs her head and launches herself into the air. Harry watches her fade out of sight before he turns around to find his mother standing at his shoulder.

"Harry? What is this all about?"

"I want you to hear it from Peter," Harry says, and turns around with his arms folded. He's going to lean on the side of the owlery until Asphodel gets back, or until Peter Apparates in. Mum tries to say a few more words to him, but Harry ignores her.

She lets him. That says more about their relationship than anything else does.

Severus looks up. He would recognize the Potter's owl anywhere. She spirals down into the middle of a meeting between Peter Pettigrew and the gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid. Hagrid wants to retire soon and explore the world, as he never got to do when he was a young man. Pettigrew is preparing to take his place.

Severus narrows his eyes as he watches the owl land on Pettigrew's shoulder and sharply nip his ear. He reaches up as if to brush her away, but she hangs on and flaps her wings hard. Pettigrew turns to study her, then visibly says something to Hagrid that makes the man nod, amiable as he always is. Pettigrew turns and walks towards the far side of the Hogwarts grounds, the owl flying ahead of him.

Severus stands and tucks away the last clump of herbs he came to the edge of the Forbidden Forest to gather. There is no doubt in his mind that the Potter has somehow discovered who took him to St. Mungo's.

Which means that certain secrets are about to come out. And Severus would not miss them for a solid gold cauldron.

He walks parallel to Pettigrew and Apparates the moment the anti-Apparition spells give out behind the massive trees.

Harry straightens up. Peter is walking towards the garden, Asphodel circling proudly around his head. And behind him comes Professor Snape. Harry wonders how in the world he found out, but he dismisses it. The point is that he's here now.

Some part of Harry relaxes at the thought that Professor Snape is going to be here, but he dismisses that, too. He's not going to be weak. He's not going to cower. That's never got him the results he wanted.

He turns around and heads towards Peter. Peter cringes harder than ever. Sometimes Harry wonders if Peter spends a lot of time in his rat form when he's not with Harry's family. It sure looks like a lot of the animal gets into his behavior.

"H-Harry." Peter swallows. "Asphodel insisted that I had to come." He watches as Asphodel lands on Harry's shoulder and starts to preen his hair. "What is this all about?"

"I find myself curious about that, as well." Professor Snape folds his arms and leans on the side of the fence around the garden. Peter jumps and whirls and squeaks. Harry feels a smile tug at the side of his lips despite himself. How could Peter not notice someone walking behind him like that?

Professor Snape catches Harry's eyes and rolls his own. Harry squashes the smile before it can go and is about to tell Peter when Dad's voice says from behind him, "We all want to know that."

Mum must have Flooed Dad at the Ministry to get him to come home. They're both standing behind him now, and Dad is frowning at Professor Snape. Harry says simply, "I owled the Healers about the test they did that proved I was almost a Squib, and they said they didn't have any records of a test like that. And then Mum said that Peter was the one who took me to get it." He glances at Peter. "What happened?"

Peter opens his mouth and then turns around like he's going to run. He catches sight of Snape's face, though, and shrinks backwards. But he gulps and gulps and apparently can't speak.

"Peter?" Dad looks cautious, but he's staring more at Peter than Harry. "What is it? I'd like to know what happened, too. Did they lose the record?" But his hand is resting on his wand. Harry feels the vindication break like a star in his chest.

Peter abruptly falls to his knees and begins to weep. Mum takes a step forwards as if she's going to comfort him, but Dad puts a hand on her arm and shakes his head. Professor Snape, meanwhile, is watching Harry like Peter has ceased to exist. Harry doesn't know why, when Peter is the one making the spectacle, but apparently that's the way it is.

Peter raises his head and uses the back of his hand to wipe his nose, sniffling over and over. Harry feels his lip curl, but manages to hold his face calm. Peter is disgusting, but it's not like he hasn't done things like this before.

"It was revenge," Peter whispers. "You were—you were so happy, and you always—you always acted like your son was going to be this great and powerful and wizard and I couldn't—you didn't even notice that I almost joined the Death Eaters!" Peter bursts out, lifting his head and staring more at Mum and Dad than Harry. "I almost got the Dark Mark because I was so tired of being ignored, and you didn't bloody notice!"

"That only proves how stupid you are, Pettigrew," Snape drawls, although he looks as shocked as Harry feels. The next instant, of course, the shock is gone, and Snape is simply studying Pettigrew the way he would a Hufflepuff who's upset the cauldron for a fifth time. "The Dark Lord could have offered you noting but use."

"At least someone would have noticed me! At least someone would have used me!" Peter is shouting now, his face turning redder and redder. "You made Sirius Harry's godfather, and you were already pregnant again and talking about making Remus the second child's godfather, and I asked, and you just stared at me blankly! You started disregarding me all the time when you got married, James! You laughed at me when my engagement ended! You said that no Rookwood would want to marry someone like me!"

"Peter, I—that was years ago—" Dad sounds stunned.

"But I didn't want to join the Death Eaters," Peter goes ranting on. "I already knew that V-Voldemort was going to lose. So I decided I could do this thing when you asked me to take Harry to the Healers for his test. I could come back and say that he was a Squib. I went to a private Healer and paid him to say that and plant some evidence the test was done at St. Mungo's by someone else." He turns to Harry now, his hands outstretched as though he's pleading for some kind of forgiveness. "The test did say that you were on the low side of average. So it wasn't all that different, right? You aren't a Squib, but you'll never be a powerful wizard. I could tell that already. I have magic sensitivity," he adds, with a proud sidelong glance at Mum and Dad. "So it wasn't such a lie."

Harry just stands there and stares at Peter as he breaks down in tears. So that's it. It was revenge, stretching the truth or changing it so that it was a word Mum and Dad didn't want to hear. Squib.

Not a lie. Not completely. Harry does still have to work harder than anyone else he knows at the spells and he'd have to work harder at making Mum and Dad happy, too, even if they had never thought he was a Squib.

A petty, cowardly revenge, just like Peter's reasons for doing it in the first place.

Mum and Dad are shouting at Peter now, who's wailing how sorry he is. Harry stands there and thinks. He glances to the side, at the only other silent person in the garden.

Professor Snape has the oddest expression on his face. It's like he's bracing for something. Harry wonders for what. Dad is too preoccupied with Peter to turn around and shout at Snape for being on his property.

Harry raises his eyebrows at Professor Snape and mouths, "What?" Snape's eyes move from him to his parents and back again.

Oh. Of course. Professor Snape did want to be here when Harry announced that he can actually do more powerful spells than they thought. Harry supposes he might as well do that now. Maybe it will make Mum and Dad less angry at Peter—which isn't actually something Harry wants to happen, but he does want the focus on him, not their friend. Peter deserves to be ignored the way he got so upset about being.

Harry draws his wand and holds it loosely at his side. Professor Snape leans forwards like he's actually going to descend on Harry like a hawk on its prey. Harry says, not shouting but loudly enough to be heard, "Protego."

The Shield Charm whirls up in front of him, a perfect, shimmering silvery half-circle. Harry tilts his head and watches as his Mum turns towards him. Her jaw falls open.

Dad is still shouting at Peter, but Mum tugs on his arm until he's quiet. Then he turns around, and he looks as though someone hit him in the face with a battering ram.

Harry smiles at them.

Severus did not know how sweet this moment would be.

He has never seen such shock on his rival's face. James Potter was surprised sometimes, but he would shrug it off in the next instant, laugh and pretend he had meant to do something like that all along, or meant to stumble over thin air into a prank of his friends' making. He never displayed shock.

And Lily…

Severus entertained some fantasies that his old friend merely underestimated her youngest child, not really believing he couldn't do spells this powerful but simply wanting to help Harry accept the reality. But now he knows. She took his supposed Squibhood to heart, probably because it would have aided the poisonous whispers that said James Potter should never have married a Mudblood. And Petunia…

She would have feared Harry would turn out like Petunia.

Severus thought that before, but he didn't grasp it, because he knows the real Harry Potter, and someone more unlike Petunia Evans never breathed. Harry has taken all that ambition that could have curdled into jealousy and trained it into relentless intelligence, phenomenal skill, humbling memory.

Instead, as he watches James and Lily step slowly towards the child they have disregarded, Severus is the one who feels himself choking on jealousy.

If he tells them everything now, if he turns away from me to accept their adulation—

As if he hears the thought, although Severus has taught him nothing of Legilimency, Harry turns towards him.

He catches Severus's eye and shakes his head once. It's a silent promise and nothing more than that, but Severus still finds himself relaxing. He watches as Lily embraces Harry and James demands, "How?"

"I've been practicing for years and years," Harry says calmly, patting his mother's back with one hand. "I know I'm not very powerful, I knew that even before Peter said it, but with enough practice, I could master those spells. I can do other things, too," he adds, and touches his wand to his forehead.

When he speaks the incantation of the Disillusionment Charm, he disappears entirely from sight, and Severus rejoices in the glassy look in James Potter's eyes because he understands it. There are adult wizards who cannot master that charm. It might have taken Harry years of work, but he has still arrived at a level far above that of many students in his year.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Lily is whispering. "I'm sorry, baby. That I never paid attention."

Harry lifts his head from her shoulder and turns to glance at Severus again. Severus understands the message flung in silence.

If Lily really cared for him, she would have said she loved him before now. Not withheld her approval until she saw he had power.

Something clenched in Severus unravels. Yes. He is still the one who saw the potential in Harry before everyone else. Even Minerva and Pomona pitied Harry and thought that he was studious but not capable of great magic.

I know. I realize. He is not going to turn away from me now.

I still have his trust.