Chapter 6: The Young Prince

Harry, staring at his supposed brother, looked utterly perplexed. His brother appeared to be a few years older than Harry: possibly around Bill Weasley's age. Sprouting short, greasy hair with a pale face that had wrinkles etched across his forehead, he looked quite similar to Snape.

“What do you mean? Who are you?” asked Harry, loudly.

“Well, I know you. But I know that you didn't even know that I existed,” replied Harry’s brother, with an unusually high-pitched voice, “I’m Jeremy, and I actually sent you the letter. I didn't write my name because you didn’t know me at the time. So, I asked your aunt to write her name instead.”

He hesitated, apparently waiting for Harry to speak, but continued instead, “You see, I’m the son of Severus Snape.”

Harry mouth gaped and said, “Come again?”

“I know this would come to you as a shock, but I’m the only son of Severus Snape and your mother,” replied Jeremy.

Harry, glaring at Jeremy in disgust, said “Hey! What are you trying to say?”

Jeremy, shaking his head, said, “Please sit down, so I can explain to you the whole story.”

He gestured Harry to sit on a nearby sofa. Harry, standing motionless for a moment, walked toward the sofa and sat. Jeremy began, “Well, from what I can recall, when my father and your mother left Hogwarts, he was still in love with her. After a few years, they started going out with each other. However, Lily didn’t know that my father was still a Death Eater. She thought he had given up his old ways, but she was wrong. Through all of this, she was still truly in love with him, no matter who he was.”

Jeremy stopped as Harry snorted loudly, and then continued, “So, after a couple months, they got married, and I was born. But rumors started circulating around Snape. Everyone seemed to think that he was involved in some dark incidents. He tried his best to hide them from Lily, even though he started arriving home late. Lily began suspecting that there was something wrong, and one day, found out about his true identity.

"She was absolutely furious and told him she couldn't live with a Death Eater. She left him for good. My father begged her to stay for me, but she said that it was a disgrace to be married to a Death Eater. She even believed that I would grow up to be just as bad as my father. She refused to hear my father's pleas, and left us for good.

“Lily had only one place to go: to James Potter,” said Jeremy, as his face tightened, “James took care of her and promised that no one would hurt her. After a short time, she started to like James, and then, well, you know the rest.”

Jeremy, starting to rub his knuckles, waited for Harry to respond, but Harry was lost in deep thought. Jeremy spoke again, “After that, my father started to hate me: mainly because Lily left him, of course. So, as a last resort, he sent me to Durmstrang, where I stayed for the rest of my school life. During the summer holidays, I was enrolled to an orphanage.”

Harry began to speak, “But how… how did you know me? Why didn’t you tell this to me before?”

Jeremy smiled, “Before my father left, he told me something. He insisted that I should never meet any person named Potter as long as he lived. Well, from what I found out, he died a short while ago. So, I’ve decided to stick with you… as a half-brother.”