Disclaimer: SN and HP belong to their creators/publishers.

[A/N]: Timeline of the story: All ages reflected as of what they would be in 2003. The ages of the characters at the time of their death are posted beside their death date.

Some dates are based on guesses rather than specifically recognized dates.

1950, August 12 - Bobby Singer born (age 52)

1954 - John Winchester born (age 49)

1954, December 5 - Mary Winchester born (would have been 48)

1957 - Vernon Dursley born (age 45)

1958 - Petunia Dursley born (age 44)

1960, January 30 - Lily Potter born (would have been 43)

1960, March 27 - James Potter born (would have been 42)

1979, January 24 - Dean Winchester born (age 24)

1983, May 2 - Samuel Winchester born (age 19)

1990, June - Dudley Dursley born (age 12)

1990, July 31 - Henry "Harry" Winchester (age 12)

1990, November 2 - Mary Winchester is murdered (age 36)

1990, November 2 - Henry "Harry" Winchester goes missing and presumed dead (age 3 months and 3 days)

1991, October 31 - Lily and James Potter are murdered (age 31)

1991, November 1 - Harry is left on his aunt's doorstep (age 15 months)

2001, July 31 - Harry gets his acceptance letter to Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

2001, September 1 - First day of Harry's first year at Hogwarts

2003, February - Where our story begins...

Witnesses to crimes can find themselves in grave danger, which is why there are protection programs for such persons. But when the crime is child abuse, the only witness is the abuser and the one who is being abused and the crime can occur for years before anyone suspects anything. All that being so, it's easy to say that sometimes help in the form of intervention can come too late.

Fortunately, that wasn't the case for Harry Potter, at least in the form of help arriving too late, and he really owed all his thanks to his despised potion's master. Not that the man had intentionally been trying to help him or anything.

-SNxHP-

It was supposed to be part of the second year curriculum that the paternity potion was to be taught. Snape, in particular never liked doing this lesson, for all the obvious reasons. He thought that the brats were too young and nïeve to understand the reason behind the results should they prove a startling revelation as it would once in a while. It would shatter their perfect little world if they found out that their mummy and daddy weren't actually their mummy and daddy.

"This potion…. Will tell most of you what you already know, for the other few of you the results may be a nasty surprise." Snape drawled curling his lip into a sneer at the last part, but the glim in his obsidian eyes made it obvious that he was taking some delight in the fact that he had the potential to ruin at least one of their lives, Harry thought angrily.

That was just like Snape to take glee in something so life-altering as finding out the people who you thought were your parents turned out to be someone else instead.

Of course, Harry knew that it wouldn't be him that Snape would relish in watching him have a meltdown, Harry knew what the potion results would say: Father: James Hamish Potter, Mother: Lily Lavender Evans. He was practically a carbon copy of his father minus the eyes, or so everyone who knew his parents, said. And Harry supposed he could see a resemblance to his parents in him through the pictures he had of them.

So it never crossed Harry's mind that he might not be the son of James and Lily as he continued to listen to Snape's monotonous lecture half bored to stupidity but not brave or stupid enough to actually fall asleep.

"If for any reason you have to leave before the end of class, your potion will be marked as a Zero and you fail this lab." it was an abrupt change of topic that Snape elaborated on what he meant.

"Two years ago I was teaching this potion to second years when a girl found out that her father was, in fact, her uncle," Snape smirked as he no doubt recalled the events that played out right thereafter. "And her sister was actually her half-sister. She ended up needing a calming drought " Snape smiled cooly.

"Knowledge isn't everything. Some of what you know is- Mr. Potter!" Harry started from reading the list of ingredients that were in his book to look at his Professor, wondering what it was Snape would accuse him of doing wrong this time, the git.

"Mr. Potter," came the silky smooth voice that promised a long and unpleasant detention sometime in the very near future, "what about your book do you find so much more important than what I am saying up here?"

Snickers from the Slytherin side of the classroom could be heard while Harry caught the looks of sympathy from the Gryffindors.

"Er, nothing sir." Harry mumbled more to himself than to his professor knowing that by saying anything would lead to points being deducted.

"Twenty points for failing to pay attention to the professor as they are teaching and another ten for mumbling when asked a question. Speak up, Potter!"

"I. Said. Nothing. Sir." Harry said through clenched teeth, stressing every word in a manner that would be called defiant.

"I told you on the first day of lessons last year Mr. Potter, that I would not tolerate any of your cheek! Now I suggest you pay attention to my lecture before you find that you've lost more points for your house and landed a week's worth of detention." The hook-nosed man said back just as softly and mocking as he always did when speaking to Harry.

Glaring mutinously at Snape, who thankfully had decided to quit picking on him for the moment and went back to his lecture Harry dared not look at his open book again for fear of losing more points for his house. And paid extra close attention to Snape's lecture so that he could actually understand what they were asked to do for once.

Any day was a good day when the Gryffindors walked out of Potions losing only thirty points, as Snape really didn't need an excuse to dock points from their house, but Harry thought it really wasn't fair that McGonagall didn't show preferable treatment to her house to help them win back the points they lost in Potions.

With Hermione paired up with Neville Longbottom, which left Harry and Ron stuck struggling to help each other correctly brew the potion. Fortunately, Snape had allowed them to assist each other due to the complexity of the potion and so Ron and Harry were free to talk among themselves softly as to not draw attention to themselves.

"I hate Snape." Ron grouched. "Did you see the way the git looked when he was telling us about that girl? Wonder who it was…"

"I don't know. Do you really think that Snape would give someone a failing mark if their results didn't turn out the way they thought? Sure that seems like a thing he'd do, but it just doesn't seem fair."

"It's Snape, mate. He's hardly fair to us Lions." Ron said while carefully adding diced dragon liver to the simmering potion. "'sides, it's not like will ever need to brew this potion again. I mean, you look like your dad and I have the trademark Weasley hair." A light red hue colored Ron's ears at the mention of his fiery red hair.

"I know. Can you believe Hermione thinks it's odd that I took so much after dad and hardly anything after mum? At least physically I mean. I'm sure loads of people take after one parent more so than another."

Ron didn't look as concerned about it as Harry had, instead the red-head rolled his eyes at their more studious friend. "She's mental, I tell you."

Harry nodded in silent agreement...but what if Lily and James weren't his parents. It could be possible, couldn't it? He guessed the potion would tell him one way or another. Although he did feel foolish for questioning who his parents were, his mum and dad had both sacrificed their lives for him, and not just anybody would go around doing that for a stranger. Beside's it was his mother's love that had saved him after all.

The rest of the class was spent brewing in relative silence...up until the point where Neville's cauldron exploded sending all its content across the room. Some of it landed in Harry's mouth by freak chance as he had opened his mouth to let out an exclamation at the sudden noise.

"You foolish boy!" Snape thundered once the smoke had cleared up enough for him to make his way over to the two drenched second-year students.

"What part of the word "complex" is too complex for you to comprehend Mr. Longbottom? And Ms. Granger! Why did you not tell him to add the Eye of a Newt before stirring counterclockwise? Twenty-five points each from both of you for sheer-"
"Sir!"
"-lack of-"
"Professor!"
"Harry!" "Professor Snape!" Half of the Gryffindor class shouted at Severus while the other half was looking past him while the Slytherin side snickered behind their hands a jeered at the Potter brat.

When Snape refused to act, Hermione actually got out of her seat and ran past him causing Snape to spin around and looked at Harry who had gone pale and was shaking like a leaf in the wind.

"Mr. Potter. Tell me, are you allergic to any of the ingredients in the potion?" Snape said in a soft, dangerous tone. These senseless acts of outbreaks would be put to a stop, starting with the Potter offspring, but first he had to do his duty as a potion's master and make sure the kid hadn't ingested anything harmful.

"No, but-"

"No, sir. The answer this Mr. Potter, did you think you are above my authority and disrupt my class whenever you feel like it just because you are the prophesied "Boy-Who-Lived"?

"No, sir but-"

"Then why, Mr. Potter, do you think that you can interrupt my class if you are not in need of assistance of any kind?" Snape growled out while stalking forward ready to snatch the piece of parchment the irritating brat was holding out before him like he was afraid the parchment would bite him.