Harry woke up as he heard the creaking of the stairs above his head. He sat up and muffled a sneeze from the dust in the air. No matter what he did to try and clean his cupboard, it was forever dusty. He stretched for a minute before approaching the door and waited for it to be opened so he could begin his day.

Soon, the sound of the lock turning echoed through his tiny room, and the door creaked open to the sight of his Aunt Petunia waiting to give him instructions for the day.

"I expect breakfast on the table in 15 minutes as Vernon has a meeting at the office today. And here is your list of chores for the day, get to it," she said curtly as she thrust the list at me.

Harry grasped the rather large list as he turned heading for the kitchen only to be halted when his Aunt stated with a slight uneasiness to her voice, "I am expecting a letter so I will be collecting the mail today instead of you."

Harry nodded as he continued, slightly confused at the tone in her voice, but knowing better than to ask questions.

He placed the list on the counter next to the back door, as he would prefer to work on the yard before it became too hot outside. Moving to the kitchen counter he quickly added bread to the toaster before pulling out pans for the rest of breakfast. Eggs would be the quickest, and his uncle always preferred sausage with his breakfast, so he started both. As he cooked, he made sure that jams and butter were on the table and tea for his Uncle. Soon, he was dishing the food onto a plate and began work on second helpings as usual.

Vernon bustled in and sat down, glaring at his plate. "You couldn't have made something else?", he asked as he poked the eggs with his fork.

"I'm sorry Sir, I thought you were in a hurry this morning, so I wanted -" Harry was interrupted in his reply.

"Then you should have woken up earlier!" Vernon growled, causing Harry's breath to catch in fear as he knew that no matter what he said it would be cause for punishment. Harry swallowed roughly and turned back to the stove, to make sure the seconds didn't burn. Behind him, the sound of cutlery against the plate began and he internally let out a breath.

Soon after, Dudley and Petunia also came in and sat at the table to eat. Dudley was being his usual self, loud and whinging. Harry served their breakfast as well before making himself a single slice of toast that would be his meal for the day.

Vernon finished his breakfast as Harry was cleaning the dishes and said his goodbyes to Petunia and Dudley. He noticed an unusual glance between the two that was reminiscent of the look Petunia had earlier when she mentioned the mail. Eventually, everyone was finished with breakfast and the day officially began. After the dishes were clean and put away, Harry went outside to the back lawn and began his chores by tackling those that would be the most exhausting for his frame, mowing the lawn. It was still a decent temperature, so he was able to finish without breaking too much of a sweat. Once the mower was put away, he focused on the garden. For him, this chore was the most therapeutic as the mindlessness of pulling weeds allowed him to breathe and focus without too much exertion. He considered this chore more beneficial than hurtful, especially since it put him in direct view of the neighbors, which meant his family couldn't harass him as they would if he was out of view.

Time passed and he was finished with the garden which meant he could head inside to begin the rest of his chores. As he stood up the mail carrier walked up, and he noticed his Aunt immediately stepping out and snatching the mail from the carrier's hands as if she had been waiting for him to arrive.

Harry followed his Aunt inside, being sure to remove his trainers so as not to track dirt in from outside. As he slowly headed to his cupboard to change into cleaner clothes, he noticed his Aunt hurriedly looking through the mail. Her face developed into a grimace that grew more pronounced as she continued through the mail as if expecting something that wasn't there.

Harry slipped into his cupboard to change quickly as his Aunt's behavior became increasingly more concerning, as she typically only acted this way when she was displeased with something he had done. He silently left his cupboard, avoiding his Aunt who was now staring at the pile of mail in her hands with a look of great distaste. As he was about to head up the stairs to make the bed, his Aunt stopped him.

"Check these letters for anything freakish," she demanded, as she shoved the mail at him. He looked at her confused but then turned his attention to the mail in his hands. Looking through the mail he noticed the usual adverts and letters to the Dursleys, but nothing out of the ordinary. "There isn't anything unusual here Aunt Petunia," he said trying to hand her the mail back.

She looked at him as if trying to determine if he was lying before snatching the mail out of his hand. She turned to walk away, all the while muttering something just low enough that he couldn't make out what she was saying.

Shaking his head in confusion he returned to climbing the stairs to continue his chores. As the day progressed Aunt Petunia's mood only seemed to worsen. Harry did his best to keep quiet and out of her way as he did not want her mood to result in more punishments for him. As he started to prep for dinner, he heard his Aunt in the living room speaking with someone on the phone.

"Vernon, the letter didn't come… We must have that letter. No Vernon, it's not better, if the freak doesn't get the letter to go to that freak school, then we not only have to keep the freak, but the money we get for him will stop!... I know how to contact one of them, I used to know the freak when Lily went to that place…. I don't want to, but what choice do we have?!"

Harry had to stop listening soon after that was said as she must have realized she was speaking too loudly and he needed to focus on preparing the roast and making sure that dessert would set in time for dinner.

But what his Aunt said stayed with him, the letter she was waiting for was for him? There was no one else she called a freak. And what about the money she mentioned she was getting for him? Who was sending it? Who was Lily? Where was he supposed to go? He had so many questions running through his mind, but he knew he couldn't ask because he would get into trouble for listening in.

Shaking his head, he tried to push the questions out of his mind so that he could make sure dinner was ready by the time Vernon came home.

He focused on his task; before he knew it, it was time to serve dinner to his family. Both his Aunt and Uncle seemed on edge, while Dudley was talkative as always. Harry stood to the side ready to serve seconds or dessert when they were ready, as was usual. He noticed they would occasionally glance at him, looking as if they wanted to say something, but wouldn't because he was in the room. Dinner was finished faster than usual and soon Harry was washing the dishes. After making sure the table and counters were wiped down, he went to the loo one last time before going to his cupboard. His Aunt was waiting for him, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Hurry up boy!", she growled as she motioned him towards his cupboard. As he passed the threshold, the door was slammed behind him, and the lock was turned. Harry laid down on his thin mattress as his eyes slowly adjusted to the dark. He stayed silent as he heard his Aunt start to speak quietly to his Uncle.

"I'm sending the letter to that freak boy that used to be friends with Lily. He at least knows how to blend in," said Petunia.

"Fine," grunted Vernon, "but this is the only letter you are sending to those things. If no one responds, we leave the freak at the orphanage or something." There was no more conversation, and soon two sets of footsteps went up the stairs.

Harry had no clue what was going on. Today was unusual, even by his standards. Hopefully, he would be told what was going on soon, after all, it seemed like it involved his future. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep even though it was still early.

Severus Snape was a busy man during the summer months, especially in the lead-up to the new term. The new school year would begin in just 8 days, and he had to make sure his classroom was well stocked, that the infirmary had all of the needed potions, as well as scheduling mandatory health checks for all of his Slytherins.

He was used to getting letters from worried parents, as well as instructions from those parents that had additional requirements or rules for their children. As he looked at the letter in his hand, he knew that neither of those instances would apply to it. The letter looked to be in a muggle envelope, and the return address had him on edge.

Petunia had sent him a letter. It looked as though she has married someone with the last name Dursley. He signed and opened the letter, his curiosity winning despite his distaste for the woman.

Snape,

I remember you from when you were friends with Lily. Her freak child was left with me and my husband. We have been waiting for his letter to that freak school, you and Lily went to, but it hasn't come. We know he is like you and your bunch, as there have been incidents over the years. We don't want him, and the letter that was with him when he was left on our doorstep stated we had to keep him until his letter came. If we don't receive a letter, we will be getting rid of him, as I will not have him infect my home anymore.

Petunia Dursley

Severus stared at the letter in disbelief. Albus left Potter with Petunia?! What was that man thinking? From what he remembered and what he gathered from the contents of the letter, she hated anything to do with magic. Not to mention, based on the little she said, it rather indicates that she doesn't treat Potter well.

Freak child? Getting rid of him? Even more concerning was the fact that Potter hadn't received his letter yet. Today was the deadline for all letters to be sent out, therefore the child should have received it no later than today, if not on his actual birthday. Everyone knew the Potter child had magic, so there was no way the child shouldn't be on the register.

Making a decision, he stood and strode out of his office. He would have to look at the book itself to see if Potter was on it or not. What would happen to his vow if the child didn't have magic? Albus had informed him that once the brat started Hogwarts, he'd have to protect him, but what if he doesn't attend school? Swiftly he made his way to the room that housed the book of names and waited for the wards to recognize his teacher status before he could access the book.

Severus flipped the pages, looking for the name he swore was on these pages. He looked again, and again, but Potter's name wasn't in the book. He swore, closed the book, and returned to his office where he began to pace.

Albus was gone to the International Confederation of Wizards (ICW) Headquarters for the quarterly session, so he wasn't going to be able to reach him as quickly as needed. The ICW had a blackout policy once a session started, so anything sent wouldn't be received until the day before the Hogwarts term started. He would need to go tomorrow morning to collect the boy and take him to Gringotts to figure out what had changed.

Sleep wasn't going to be possible as there were too many questions going through his mind. Instead, he focused on ensuring the Slytherin dorms were ready and finished several potions for the Infirmary that Poppy had requested. He also brewed himself some Pepper Up as he knew he would need it.

As time passed, he kept an eye on the time. He would want to arrive early so that he could get Potter into Gringotts without commotion. This meant showing up at Petunia's before 7 in the morning.

Finally, morning came, and as he prepared, he made sure he was wearing clothing that would help him blend in with muggle society. It had been some time since he'd had to do such a thing as muggle-born children were usually approached by Minerva, but he kept some spare clothes and muggle money for emergencies.

He left Hogwarts and made his way to the gates and then quickly apparated to Kings Cross station. Exiting the magical size of the station he made his way to the street where he flagged down a taxi driver and indicated his destination as Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging.

Severus approached the door with Petunia's letter in hand and knocked. He waited a moment before knocking again, and after a few moments, he heard movement in the house. The door opened a crack and he saw Petunia glare at him.

"What are you doing here so early? Come back later!" she said as she attempted to close the door.

Severus quickly blocked the door with his foot all the while stating, "I need to grab Potter and take him to see what is going on. Let me in, or do you want your neighbors to see?"

Petunia's face went from red in indignation to white in fear almost immediately. Severus felt smug about the change but kept his face clear of emotion as she opened the door fully and let him in.

"Why couldn't this have waited?" she demanded.

"School starts on the first and Potter's name isn't in our book of names when I know it used to be. I need to take him so I can verify his mag-".

"Shut up!", Petunia interrupted. "We don't use that word in his house! You and your freakish ways are not welcome here. I'll get the boy so you can't take him. And if he can't go to that freak school don't bother bringing him back!"

Severus glared at her words but kept silent as he realized that she hadn't changed at all from when he knew her. She was still phobic of anything she classified as "abnormal".

He grew uneasy as he noticed that instead of going up the stairs, she walked over to the cupboard under the stairs that had a lock on the door. The uneasiness grew when she pulled a key out of her robe pocket and unlocked the door.

"Wake up boy! You'll be out of the house today," she hissed into the dark space under the stairs. Almost immediately a small boy who looked to be no older than 9 years of age exited the room, his green eyes making it obvious who he was. He took in the boy's appearance and drew in a deep breath to calm himself.

"Why is Potter wearing clothes that are much too large for him?", he asked. The boy looked at him in confusion before looking at Petunia.

She glared at Severus, "I'm not wasting clothing on a freak, he wears Dudder's hand-me-downs. Now, take him and get out of here before my husband comes down."

Severus glared at Petunia before motioning Potter towards him. "Mr. Potter, my name is Severus Snape, and I'm sure you have questions, but they will have to wait until we arrive at our destination."

The boy continued to look at Severus confused but quickly moved towards the door when Petunia told them both to "Get out!". They both exited as the door slammed behind them.

Harry followed the man outside, confused and scared. Was he being sent away because they didn't get the freak letter? Why did he keep calling him Mr. Potter? Was Potter his last name? Mr. Snape seemed to be an angry man as he hadn't stopped glaring since he first saw him.

He watched as the man turned to him and pulled a stick out of his sleeve.

"Now, Mr. Potter, I know you are curious about what is going on. Give me a few moments and we will be in a safe location where we can speak." Severus gripped Harry's shoulder and suddenly he closed his eyes and he felt like he was being sucked through a tube. After a moment, the feeling dissipated, and he opened his eyes which widened as he looked around. They were in front of a large white building with the name Gringotts Bank on the front.

Mr. Snape started to guide Harry into the building, passing curious creatures who seemed to be standing guard. As they entered the building Harry let out a gasp. The room looked as if it had been made from gold and was one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen. Mr. Snape went to an open teller which was staffed by one of the same creatures guarding the door.

"Key", the creature demanded looking at them, teeth sharp. Harry started to panic, so he looked away at the floor trying to make sense of what was happening.

"I need to speak to the Potter account manager, as there seem to be some complications. I can cover the fee for identification purposes as we do not have a key" Mr. Snape spoke quietly to the creature. "We need a private room to conduct our business please." The creature looked at Mr. Snape for a few moments before speaking in another language to another behind him. They were then escorted to a door that led to a long hallway. At the door, another creature appeared and indicated for them to follow him to another door a ways down. In the room was a round table with a few chairs.

"Please have a seat Mr. Potter", Mr. Snape said.

Harry sat down and looked at him before quietly asking, "what is going on Sir?"

"Tell me, Mr. Potter, what do you know of your heritage?"

"Heritage Sir?", Harry replied, confused.

"Yes, your parents, grandparents, holdings, and so on…" said Mr. Snape.

"Aunt Petunia said my mum and dad died in a car crash because my father was drinking and driving. She would tell me I was left on her doorstep in the early morning with a letter, and that she never wanted me… that no one wanted me." Harry looked at his hands, trying to breathe as he felt incredibly overwhelmed by everything that had occurred already that day.

"Do you know anything else, Mr. Potter?"

"No Sir."

"I see. Well, then we will take this time to answer as many of your questions as you have while we wait for the Goblins to get here. Much of what we will discuss will answer some of the basics, but I'm sure Petunia did not educate you well in regard to what would happen when you turned eleven." Mr. Snape said as he looked at Harry with a softer expression than he had seen anyone point at him.

Harry thought for a few minutes before asking, "why do you call me Mr. Potter? Is that my last name?"

Mr. Snape looked taken aback as he answered, "I'm sorry Mr. Potter but are you telling me you don't know your name? Don't they take roll call in muggle school?"

Harry fought not to shrink into himself as he looked down at his hands. "Aunt Petunia didn't want to send me to school Sir, she filled out home school papers instead. I only knew my name as Harry."

There was a deep sigh from the man, and when Harry looked up he saw that Mr. Snape's hands were covering his face.

"Your name is Harry James Potter", Mr. Snape said after lowering his hands from his face.

"Oh. Where does James come from?"

Severus stared at Harry, taken aback and eyes wide in disbelief. "Are you telling me that Petunia did not even tell you your father's name? What about your mothers'?"

Harry shook his head and watched as Mr. Snape stood up and began pacing.

"I always knew Petunia was a jealous bint, but this is extreme" Mr. Snape seemed to say to himself. He turned to look at Harry and said, "James is your father, your mother's name before she married him was Lily Evans. Your parents were magical, just as you and I are. Ten years ago on Samhain, a bad wizard killed your father and mother before attempting to kill you. You were the only survivor.

Harry sat stunned, only able to stare at Mr. Snape as he tried to process what he had just been told. After a few moments, he felt a hand on his back and focused on just breathing as he heard Mr. Snape say "I know this must be overwhelming. Petunia didn't prepare you for any of this, and it seems she kept you ignorant on purpose. After we meet with the Goblins, I will do my best to help you gain the knowledge that should have been yours in the first place."

Severus continued to gently rub Harry's back as his breathing evened out and he was finally able to take in a deep breath.

"Okay, Sir. What is our purpose for coming here?", Harry asked hesitantly, unsure if he would like the answer.

"Petunia contacted me to let me know that you didn't receive your letter to Hogwarts. When a young witch or wizard turns eleven, they attend a magical school, in this case, you should have received a letter to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The deadline for your letter of admission was yesterday. She informed me that you have performed what she called incidents over the years, but are known in the wizarding world as accidental magic. I looked at our school registry, the book of names, and you were no longer listed in the book. We are here, with the hope that the Goblins can tell us what is going on" Mr. Snape explained, sitting back down opposite Harry.

Harry nodded in understanding, "Like when I made my hair grow when she cut it, or when my arm healed overnight when it was broken?"

"Correct," said Severus all the while filing the broken arm away in his mind for later.

With no other questions forthcoming they sat in silence for a few moments before a Goblin entered the room.

"I am the Potter account manager. You stated that you would cover the fee for the identification test?" the goblin stated.

Mr. Snape nodded, "Yes, please withdraw the amount from my vault as Mr. Potter does not have his key and some things have been brought to my attention that I need Gringotts to help with and we have to confirm his identity before we can move forward."

The Goblin nodded his head as he wrote something on a piece of paper and placed it on a spot on the table before it glowed and disappeared. In the same location, a box appeared, and the Goblin opened it to take out a small knife and a piece of thick paper.

Harry looked at it confused. "Mr. Potter, you will need to prick your finger with the knife and then let a drop of blood hit the parchment", Severus explained.

Harry shakily grabbed the knife and pressed the tip against his finger, wincing at the pain. He let a drop of blood hit the paper before sticking his finger in his mouth.

After a few moments passed words began appearing on the parchment.

Identification Test

Name: Harrison James Potter-Snape

Father: James Potter (Blood Adoption)

Father: Severus Snape (Biological)

Mother: Lily Potter Nee' Evans (Biological)

Severus quickly grabbed the piece of paper from the table, looking at it in disbelief. "How is this possible?" he said as he looked at the Goblin. "I was never intimate with Lilly."

Harry sat looking from Severus to the paper and back again stunned as well.

"Professor Snape, you should have received a letter when you gained custody of the boy" the Goblin replied, anger glinting in his eyes.

Severus snarled, "I never gained custody of him. Albus placed him with Petunia! According to Mr. Pot- Harrison, he was placed on her doorstep on an early morning with nothing but a note." The Goblin growled and motioned to the guards.

"My name is Griphook, and we need to audit some documents. We will need you to come with me. We will be going to my office. There will be most testing done, and I will be needing both of you to participate. I will also go over the Potter wills as it seems Albus failed to fulfill his duties." The goblin motioned for the two to follow him.

Harry stood and Severus placed a hand on his shoulder, "we will figure this out. The one positive is that you will not be going back to that shrew, Petunia." Harry nodded and followed the goblin out.