A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or any character thereof.

Chapter 52

Come breakfast time Severus was strangely wide awake.

A bit on edge and in shock and still some what in denial, but wide awake.

He had spent all night staring at the photo album and replaying each interaction over in his head that he had ever had with the boy - with his son.

The words that seemed to hurt the worst was what Harry had said to Severus last month.

'And you appear to hate me because I look like my dad and no other reason. You don't seem to realize that I'm my own person, that my name is Harry and not James.'

And he was right.

Severus despised the boy simply because he looked like James. But looks are the only thing that Harry could claim of James because he was not James' son.

All of his previous reactions to Harry getting hurt made sense now - now that he knew the boy was his son.

And he knew what Albus had used the Sodalite for. Severus smirked to himself. For once, he definitively knew something the Headmaster didn't because a regular paternity test would show James as Harry's father. Lily had planned well.

Severus was on his 3rd cup of coffee when Lupin came in. He narrowed his eyes at the man. Lily had said that she only suspected that he knew.

He contemplated on cornering him but decided to wait and watch instead.

Severus let his mind wander back to the letter. Lily had said that they had changed something with the Fidelius Charm but Severus couldn't fathom what it had been. There had indeed been a letter to Black in the back of the photo album. He had tried opening it but he couldn't. There had been a recipient only charm placed on it.

He had thought about burning it but put it away instead.

By his 5th cup of coffee (which most of the staff had noticed and were already making plans to avoid his path today) Harry had came in the Great Hall, rubbing his messy hair and talking to Weasley and Longbottom. Granger, Severus noted, was already seated at the Gryffindor table surrounded by books.

Severus couldn't help but stare. That was his son, his and Lily's son. After a moment had passed, he blanked his face and resumed eating. He couldn't afford to act any differently. There were way too many perceptive people around, the most being seated immediately to his left.

"Harry, can you stay after for a minute?"

Harry nodded to Professor Lupin, then turned to Ron, "Wait for me?"

The red head nodded and went and stood in the hallway.

After the classroom cleared, Lupin reached into his desk drawer and pulled out the book Severus had delivered to him the prior evening and handed it over. "When you get a chance, read this and tell me what you think."

Harry looked at the book with a confused expression. "A book on meditation sir?"

Remus nodded. "It will help you control those boughts of accidental magic that you have if you learn the proper relaxation techniques, plus when you cast powerful spells, you won't feel as drained."

Harry nodded. "Thank you sir. I'll read it when I get a chance." He put the book in his book bag.

"You better hurry along so you're not late for your next class."

Harry nodded and left for astronomy with Ron. He wondered when on earth he was going to have the time to read the book on meditation between his homework and his Quidditch practices, which Oliver had scheduled six days a week again.

Severus was sitting in his quarters pouring over Sambardia's book. It was an interesting read and Lily's notes made a good accompaniment to it. It was easy to see that the woman had been an excellent potions' mistress.

He thought back to Harry during class that past week. He had finally solved one of his riddles concerning the boy.

He watched Potter brew a perfect calming draught and then watched as he sabotaged it himself.

"Disgraceful Potter. Even Longbottoms' is better than yours. A foot long essay on what you did wrong due by next class."

Severus sighed. He had a part to play, especially in front of his Slytherins. He so desperately wanted to see what the boy was truly capable of with the blood of two potion masters running through his veins.

He had even contemplated on talking to Harry after class - telling the boy that he was on to him hiding his knowledge and that it would no longer be tolerated but he couldn't. He couldn't start giving him good grades.

That would cause problems, especially since he was supposed to hate him.

Sighing again, he returned to the book.

February 23, 1994

Snape is acting weird. I've seen him staring at me a lot these past two weeks when he thinks that I'm not looking. It's making me paranoid because I've honestly not done anything wrong this time. He was already acting weird towards me from where I pointed out that I'm not my father but now he's even weirder.

Oliver has become fanatic towards this Quidditch game. When I'm not eating or studying, it seems that I'm practicing.

And he's not the only one. Even McGonagall has cut back on homework so we would have more time to practice, not that Snape has of course. My homework for him seems to have doubled.

Hermione and Ron still aren't talking to each other, at least not very much.

It's almost time for practice.

Harry

Harry stowed his journal away in his trunk, grabbed his quidditch gear, and headed out towards the pitch.

Severus was pacing his quarters, a habit he seemed to be doing a lot lately. He had just finished brewing the paternity potion that was in the book Lily had given him and had performed the test a few minutes prior. (Managing to get a hold of Potter's blood had not been easy, but he had done it.)

It was one thing to be told that you have a son. It was another thing all together to actually see proof of it.

All kinds of thoughts came out of no where about whether or not he could be Harry's father - whether he should be Harry's father.

This being, of course, if Potter even accepted him.

That would mean that Severus would have to tell him first.

"Better not do that until I know what I'm doing," he muttered to himself.

He saw all forms of rejection coming at him and shoved the notion of telling the boy to the back of his mind.

Severus felt nauseous again. He strode to the cabinet where he kept his potion stores and grabbed the one for nausea.

He needed to keep his mind active or he was going to drive himself crazy. His nerves were already frayed. After downing the potion, he strode off to his lab to brew potions for Poppy.

The excitement of the day was palpable on the Quidditch Pitch.

Harry was currently circling the Pitch searching for the snitch while keeping an eye on Cho Chang - in case she spotted it before he did (at least that's what he kept telling himself).

"Gryffindor - Seventy. Ravenclaw - Ten!" Harry heard Lee Jordan announce.

He realized eventually that Cho had decided to mark him instead of searching for the snitch herself.

Harry grinned to himself then went into a dive suddenly as if he had seen the snitch. She followed. However, as he pulled out of the dive, he actually saw that snitch at the other end of the field. He pressed himself tighter against the broom.

Several feet below him Cho had done the same thing.

In the background Harry heard Lee Jordan announce that Gryffindor had scored again.

"Ah!" Harry heard Cho scream from below him.

Harry looked up and saw Dementors at the end of the field. He pulled out his wand, yelled "Expecto Patronum", and saw something shoot at the dementors.

He then refocused on the snitch.

As he closed his hand around it, he heard the crowd erupt excitedly. He then found himself being hugged by 6 other red blurs.

Harry had shot a patronus at who appeared to be Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Flint. It wasn't fully formed but it definitely had a shape of some sort.

"Albus?" Remus asked with a slight question in his voice. He still wasn't sure what he had seen and wanted conformation.

The Headmaster shook himself out of his own stupor. "Excuse me. I appear to have some students to yell at." He then sauntered over to where Minerva was already yelling at the 4 Slytherin's dressed as Dementors.

Lupin then headed down to the field himself.

Severus watched as Lupin pulled Harry from the crowd and showed him what he had sent his half formed Patronus at.

After a few minutes Severus headed towards his quarters and downed a couple glasses of fire whiskey.

He knew that Lupin had been giving the boy patronus lessons but had assumed that the spell would be too advanced for his age. He figured Lupin spent that time regaling Potter of his school years.

Clearly not.

Harry felt as if he had just fallen asleep when he heard, "Aaargghhhh Noo!" At first he thought that he had screamed himself but realized that the silencing charm was on himself.

He quickly removed it and almost killed himself getting Ron's bed where the sound had actually came from.

"Ron. What is it?"

"Sirius Knife! A Black! Standing over me!"

"What?" yelled Harry confused.

"Sirius Black was standing over me with a knife!" he said more clearly.

Harry rushed to the door, opened it, knocked Percy aside (who had come to see who screamed) and raced down the steps.

If it was Black, he was long gone.

People were going down the steps thinking the party was continuing that McGonagall had just broken up two hours prior.

McGonagall eventually came back in to yell at everyone again. After she got the story of Sirius Black standing over Ron with a knife, the entire room listened as Sir Cadogan explained that he did indeed let a man in because he did have the password.

"He had the whole weeks worth. Read them off a piece of paper."

When McGonagall came back in, Harry thought that she was going to kill Neville.

As the castle was being searched again, Harry commandeered a corner by himself. He noticed that Ron was reveling in the moment. Hermione came over and sat by him.

"He was less than 5 feet away Hermione. Why didn't he just silence Ron when he got the wrong bed?"

Hermione shrugged.

"He was so close ..." Harry mumbled to himself.

"I'm glad that you're both alright," Hermione said quietly to Harry before going up the stairs back to her dorm room.

"How is he getting in?"

"I assure you that I don't know Severus. I'm fairly curious as to why he didn't just quickly kill Harry even if he was a bed away. The killing curse could have easily been cast in that short of a distance. Five sleeping teenage boys would have been no match for him, even if one had woken up."

Severus never even stopped pacing. "Who knows how he thinks by now. Azkaban has clearly unhinged him even more than he already was. What does Lupin have to say in the matter? I didn't see him searching last night."

"He was looking just as long as we were, just a different part of the castle. I do not believe that he is helping Sirius gain entrance."

"We need to increase security around Potter even more. Maybe add a second person to supervise his Quidditch practices or not even let him play. Who knows what spells could go flying through the air. We've been slacking on keeping an eye on him. We could start that back up again."

Albus watched as Severus continued pacing while making suggestions as to how to keep Harry safe. The man almost seemed frantic. It was baffling. He knew that Severus vowed to keep Harry safe but this ... this seemed different.

Eventually he got up and stood in front of Severus causing the man to stop and look up.

"Severus, what's wrong?"

Albus watched as Severus carefully blanked his face. "Nothing. What makes you think there is anything wrong?"

"Because I know you. This much concern for Harry is new."

"I've always been concerned about Lily's son," hedged Severus.

"Not this deeply." Albus looked Severus in the eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked again.

"You already know what's wrong," snarled the potions master, seemingly out of nowhere.

"I assure you that I do not," replied Albus calmly. "Why this new found concern?"

"Dammit Albus. It's because he's my son."

A/N: This story will stick mostly to canon of the Prisoner of Azkaban book, and some quotes are from the book directly. However, every once in a while, a scene or two from the movie may sneak in. (All that of course aside from the fact that a lot of scenes from my own mind are sneaking in as well - evil cackle!)

A/N: I hope everyone had a good holiday! I had intentions on posting this on the 20th but we lost power (and heat) on the 19th and it didn't come back until the 23rd ... after that it was more dealing w/ the aftermath of no power and getting ready for Christmas. After Christmas, I lost my internet for a couple of days ... but now it's back! The goal for the next chapter to be posted is late Tuesday / early Wednesday.

And as for the random cliff hangers. I had a couple of messages and reviews telling me that I should put more of them in ... so I did. *grins innocently*