Of Phoenixes

Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore were playing a game of chess when Harry and his things tumbled into Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore and Lupin exchanged a serious look before Dumbledore greeted Harry, "Good morning, Harry. Did you enjoy your time with the Weasleys?"

Harry brushed himself off and replied, "Good morning, Professor. Yes, I had a wonderful time."

Lupin moved forward now and greeted Harry with a smile, "Hullo, Harry."

Harry smiled back, "Hullo, Professor Lupin."

""Well Harry, it is my pleasure to announce to you that you have been made a house prefect! You may take your things to your room, Remus can show you the way. Then, in one hour, I want you to come to Professor Lupin's office. There is a matter of the utmost importance we have to discuss with you," Dumbledore looked very serious as he explained all of this, but Harry noticed that the usual twinkle in his eyes was still there.

"All right, Professor. Thank you," was Harry's reply.

"Come on, Harry. I'll get Hedwig for you," said Lupin. Lupin walked with Harry to Gryffindor Tower, on the way there Harry tried to get out of Lupin what Dumbledore wanted, but Lupin refused to talk about. Harry resigned himself to just having to wait. Then the conversation turned to Sirius, "Professor, where's Sirius?" asked Harry.

Lupin looked up, he'd been lost in his thoughts, "Sirius? Oh, he hasn't come to Hogwarts yet. Actually, he doesn't even know you're here. He'll be here before school starts, though, so don't worry."

Harry looked a little confused, "Umm... why isn't he here yet? Why doesn't he know I'm here? Isn't this the safest place for him?"

"Harry," said Lupin, "You'll just have to trust Dumbledore."

"That wasn't much of an answer, Professor."

"I know, Harry, but that's the way it is," Lupin smiled apologetically. Harry got the message. Lupin did not want to talk about it, though he did know why Sirius wasn't there with them.

"Look, we're here," Lupin's voice broke into his thoughts, "Your room is behind this portrait," Lupin had led him to an off-to-the-side-hallway in the Common Room. "You can only get here if you know where it is," explained Lupin in response to Harry's questioning look. "Password's 'lemon drop'. You can change it later, if you like. Just talk to the portrait. Dumbledore had it changed to a snake for you, thought you might like the extra privacy this specific portrait will give you," Remus finished with a questioning look of his own for Harry.

"Didn't Dumbledore tell you that I'm a Parselmouth?" said Harry, by way of an explanation.

"Oh. No, he didn't mention that. I see," replied Lupin, "Well, here we are. You've got about forty minutes before you need to be in my office. I'll see you then."

"All right, Professor, thank you," said Harry.

Harry walked into his room. It was lovely, with a very comfortable looking bed, a bookshelf, armchair, and a desk in front of the window. Harry was sure that he would be spending a great deal of time here doing his homework. It would be much more pleasant than doing it in the Common Room where you never knew what would happen next. Harry smiled as he set down his trunk and unpacked the most important things, the rest would keep until after his meeting.

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Meanwhile, Albus Dumbledore was sitting in Lupin's office trying to calm down the younger wizard. Lupin was pacing around the room worrying frantically about the two lives that would now be changed forever. No matter what happened, after reading Lily's letter neither person would be leaving the room the same as they came in. "It will all work out in the end, Remus. Lily is right to tell them. The potions she gave Harry will be wearing off soon, we have no choice. We can't leave them in the dark. Severus will be wondering too when he sees Harry. This must be done," Albus explained.

"I still don't like it. The two hate each other! This will never work out, I'm sure of it!" exclaimed Remus.

"Sure of what, Lupin?" came Snape's voice from the doorway.

Lupin jumped, not even his keen werewolf's sense of hearing had detected Snape's arrival, that or he'd simply been too busy worrying. "Is it time already?" he asked.

"Yes, Remus. It's time," came the headmaster's calm voice.

Snape was getting impatient, "Time for what? I was busy working on my plans for the NEWTs level class, can someone either tell me what's going on, or may I leave?"

Dumbledore sighed, "No, Severus. I cannot tell you just yet what we need, but you may not leave. Some very important news has come to my attention. We're just waiting for young Mr Potter to arrive..."

Snape sneered, "Potter? What does he have to do with this?"

"Everything, Severus. Everything," was Dumbledore's only reply, "Ah! Here he is! Come in, Harry, come in."

Harry had been standing in the doorway, waiting and watching, his nervousness compounded thrice over by the presence of Professor Snape. When Professor Dumbledore addressed him, he walked in, hesitantly.

"Don't worry, Harry. Sit down, lemon drop?" asked Dumbledore.

Harry sat down, still looking rather pensive, though he did accept the offered lemon drop.

Dumbledore sighed and knew that he couldn't reassure the boy any further, he also realized that actually with the news that Harry was about to receive the boy was quite right in being nervous.

"Sit down, Severus," Dumbledore waited until Snape sat (which he didn't do until after sending a glare towards Dumbledore), then he continued, "Remus and I have come across some very important letters. The letters in question are from your mother, Harry." Harry gasped and there was a sharp intake of breath from Snape, then Dumbledore continued, "I received the first one the day before your birthday, then Professor Lupin received the second letter. Now there are two letters left and they are meant to be opened at the same time in the same place." Dumbledore paused and searched the faces of the two seated in front of him, Harry was still looking pensive and even Severus' mask was showing signs of crumbling.

"The last two letters are addressed to the two of you."

Harry's eyes widened and Snape asked, "There's one for me?"

Dumbledore's eyes had lost their twinkle now, "Yes, Severus. One is for you," Snape nodded and Dumbledore continued, "I am going to give you yours, Severus, and Harry, Remus will give you yours. Your letters are meant to be read together, here and now." Dumbledore paused again until the two nodded to show that they understood, though Snape looked dismayed. "Very well, here you go. Remus and I will wait until the two of you have finished."

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Harry's Letter

Harry opened the envelope that Professor Lupin gave him, he held it carefully, these were his mother's last words for him. He knew that no matter what the letter contained, and he knew it must be serious indeed to have Dumbledore and Lupin looking so concerned, he would treasure the letter for as long as he lived. He carefully took out the letter and began to read:

My darling son, Harry,

Oh how I wish I could see you grow up! I wish I could have been there to buy your wand with you, to see you study, to see you laugh, to see your triumphs and even your failures, to see you love, and just to see you. I know that if you're reading this I'm dead. I've charmed the letters to show up the day before your 15^th birthday incase I don't retrieve them. Harry, I have something very important to tell you. I think that by your 15^th birthday you will be old enough to understand the truth in this letter and to be able to live with it.

Harry, you will have grown up being told that your father is, was, James Potter. In truth, he is not. Harry, I know you must be feeling lost, horrified, even, but you must continue to read. You must know the truth, only the truth, Harry, will set you free. And so, I will tell you the truth.

Harry, the years before you were born were dark years. I'm sure you know of Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters. Albus will have seen to that. Twelve months before you were born Voldemort started a special extermination program of muggle-born witches. At this time he left the wizards alone, only he knows why, though I think that now I at least have a suspicion of why.

Voldemort had his followers kidnap the muggle-born witches, no one knows what happened to them, they simply disappeared. Well, I should correct myself, I do know what happened to them, but I am the sole exception, as I lived when I should not have. You see Harry, nine months before you were born, I was one of those witches taken by the Death Eaters...

I was taken to Voldemort, the Dark Lord they called him, he looked me over, but never was a word spoken. Then he told them to take me, apparently I was to be given to one of his favorites. Not until later did I learn who he meant. I almost died when I discovered who it was, thankfully, I didn't. Instead, I listened. I listened to the broken Death Eater in front of me, he'd been broken when he learned that I was one of those taken. This incident was the last in a series of many incidents that had shattered this young Death Eater's faith in his cause. So, I allowed him to take me.

We had no choice, Harry, really, neither of us did. It would have been the death of us both. Voldemort would have found out if that Death Eater hadn't taken me, he would not have hesitated to kill us both. He whispered words of apology to me the entire time, you should have heard the pain in his voice, Harry, he meant it, truly, he did.

After the deed was done, I was supposed to die. Instead, the young Death Eater took me away, and then that young Death Eater went to Albus Dumbledore and told him that he deserved the Dementor's Kiss for all he had done. Albus, in his infinite wisdom, saw this as taking the easy way out and gave the young Death Eater a new purpose--he would spy for the Order of the Phoenix, an order of witches and wizards fighting against Voldemort. He was a good spy, Harry, really, he was. He was the one who told us that Voldemort was looking for us and that we needed to hide.

Some weeks after I returned to James I realized that I was pregnant. After you were born, I explained the whole thing to James. We knew instantly that James was not the father, that the young Death Eater was. James said that he harbors no ill will towards that young man, in fact, he says that he's actually quite grateful to him. That young man had, after all, returned his wife to him safely. James has decided to adopt you as his own (though this is in name only, as everyone else thinks you are James' son), we are pretending to everyone that you are really James' son. We feel that not only is it in your best interests, it is also in the best interests of that young man.

In school, my best subject was potions. I created a set of potions that would allow you to look like James. The catch was that they would wear off roughly 15 years after being administrated. We would have given you more, or perhaps not. It would depend entirely on the situation of the world. As it stands, that decision has been taken away from us. Only I know how to make the potion, and only James can supply one of the necessary ingredients. The potions are wearing off now, Harry. You're beginning to take on your true appearance. You will probably look a lot like your father when all is said and done.

Harry, now I must tell you the name of that young Death Eater, though I'm sure you can already guess. Albus told us of his plans for that young man, and I'm sure you know him. Harry, the man who took me that night was a friend of mine from school, we became friends in our later years at Hogwarts, so don't hurt him, I do love him in a way. The young, broken Death Eater who took me that night is Severus Snape.

I love you so much Harry. I know you'll take this truth and make something good of it, you must make something good of it. Don't hate him, Harry. I don't, and if any of us should, it is me. Yet I don't, James doesn't, and neither should you.

I love you, Mom

For a moment, Harry couldn't breathe. He couldn't believe what he had just read. He didn't know how he felt, he felt numb. Then something hit him and he jumped up and yelled, "He's my what?!"

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Snape's Letter

Severus couldn't believe that he had received a letter from Lily. Why now? He couldn't understand why he had to open it here, with Potter, rather than on his own. Sighing softly, he opened the envelope and gently opened the letter and began to read:

Dear Severus,

I can only imagine the confusion you must feel at this moment. You never were one for surprises, were you.

Snape noticed that it was a statement, not a question, and he laughed a little, though inwardly.

Severus, it's time for the truth to come out. I have kept it from you for what, I (and James) have decided, is a very good reason--to keep you and our son safe. Severus, I know you recall the night that I was taken to Voldemort, the night that you went to Albus and offered yourself to him. I also know that you've been feeling guilty over that night ever since. Well, before I continue I just want to make one thing very clear to you: stop it. I won't have you feeling guilty about it. I've forgiven you for it, James has, he even feels grateful to you for what you did. You are not to continue holding this over your head. Live, Severus.

Severus stopped, Lily was right, he had been feeling guilty over that night. How could he not? He shook his head, Lily was asking far too much of him, she was too kind.

Well, there's no more avoiding the truth. I have to tell you, it wouldn't be right for you not to know anymore. Severus, some time after that night I realized I was pregnant, it was not until after the baby was born that we realized that James was not the father--you are. James has decided to accept the child as his own. I have created a set of potions that will allow him to take on James' appearance for roughly 15 years. Only his eyes are mine. Now that James and I are dead no more potions can be made, not even by you, my young Potions Master. The truth has most likely already begun to make an appearance, now it is has been revealed, but it won't show itself fully until after the potions wear off completely.

I know that Albus has you teaching at Hogwarts. He told me he would give you the position, and you know Albus, no one turns him down. You know your son already, you just have to accept him. I hope you do, I hope he takes you. I want you two to take care of each other, you need a family, he needs one too. You're probably too much in shock to make a guess as to who your son is, so I'll just have to tell you. We named him Harry James Potter. Though in reality he is a Snape, if you will give him your family name.

Take care, Severus.

Your friend, Lily Evans-Potter

Severus put down the letter in shock. He had a son? Something had come of that fateful night? He couldn't accept it, he didn't want to accept it. He wanted to simply go on with his life. He couldn't do this, he didn't even know how to be a father. He wasn't even particularly sure that he wanted to be one. Then something hit him and he jumped up and yelled, "He's my what?!"