Persistent Illusion

Sable Xane

Rated M, please use good sense as I did this for a reason

Warnings: Slash, het, sexual situations, slash, violence, yaoi/shonin ai, AU/AR situations, SLASH, adult themes, possibly infrequent updates, male on male relationships, vulgar language, anything else I happen to come up with, and SLASH!

You can't say you were not warned.

Summery: Harry Potter's death was the source for great grief amongst those who knew and loved him, but he wasn't quite as dead as they thought. Countless years later an archeological team uncover a crypt and make a most unusual discovery.

A/N: I have been suffering from writer's block for ages and I don't know how quickly this will update. Hopefully I will be able to keep on top of it. Since it has been so long since I have written anything feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Prologue

The distinction between the past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.
-Albert Einstein

2nd May, 1998

Just after the final battle.

Since they hadn't thought anyone would mind, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had simply slipped away into Gryffindor Tower. Ron and Hermione collapsed in front of the fire, which was still burning merrily in the grate, but Harry headed straight up to the dorm. Even after a year away it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. Though his trunk was not there, his bed was right where it should be and he fell into happily, far more tired then he could ever express. The world around him simply drifted away and he knew nothing more.

It would take several hours before anyone realized something was wrong. There was such chaos within the school that no one even really thought to look for the trio. Ron and Hermione were roused from where they had fallen asleep on the couch and directed Professor McGonagall towards the dorms to find Harry. Upon first seeing Harry strewn across the bed, clothes and shoes still on, and on top of the covers, she couldn't help but to smile. He had saved them all yet again while facing impossible odds. There was absolutely no way that any of them could ever repay what he'd done for them.

She reach out to gently shake him awake, wondering how long it had been since any of the three had been to sleep in a proper bed. "Potter. Wake up." He was stiff under her touch, as though all his mussels has seized up. She shook him harder. "Potter, Harry, wake up!" He still did not stir. With a great heave she pushed him on to his back, only to stumble backwards. His face was chalky pale. She reached out to place a hand on his cheek and felt a sob catch in her throat. He was cold and his skin was stiff; he wasn't breathing.

It was just then that Ron and Hermione appeared in the doorway. "Having trouble waking him, Professor?" Ron asked with an amused tone. "He can be a bit of a heavy sleeper when the world isn't in danger…" Ron's voice trailed off as he got a good look at the scene before him.

"No… no, no, nonononono…" Hermione kept repeating the word as she rushed forward toward her friend. Ron stood frozen in the doorway even as Hermione pushed past McGonagall and began casting diagnostic charms over Harry's still form.

"Miss Granger, Miss Granger. HERMIONE! IT'S TOO LATE!" McGonagall's attempts to pull her away were useless. However, for once, Ron seemed to know just when to move and wrapped his arms around Hermione just as she gave in to the sobs that had been building in her throat even as she cast her spells.

They sat there, crying over their friend. Nether knew just how long it had been, but at some point McGonagall had either called an elf or fetched Madam Pomfrey. Several others came in following the matron and pulled the two of them away from Harry's still form.

Everything around them descended into confusion and all they could do was hold on to each other.

XXX

It took several days for the reality of the situation to set in. Somehow, after surviving the killing curse a second time and defeating the Dark Lord again, Harry had apparently succumbed to magical exhaustion. That was the only answer that anyone could really come up with.

His affairs were settled quickly, despite the fact that Harry didn't leave a will. Apparently the Potter family charter made provisions in case there was no heir and no will. Teddy was named heir since Harry was his godfather and Remus and Tonks were dead. Andromeda took possession of Teddy's trust vault key until Teddy turned eleven and started school.

Harry was buried with the few possessions that he cherished, plus those things, which Ron and Hermione knew, were better off disappearing, such as certain Hallows. They even went so far as to find the ring to make certain that it could not fall into the wrong hands. It was a painful time for them all. Ginny took things particularly hard and was inconsolable for a long time.

It took time for everything to settle down, but eventually they, even Ginny, resolved to let Harry rest in peace. It was only fair after all. It was something he had never known in life and he was finally with his family again.

Time moved along, as it is want to do. Teddy turned seventeen and went to Gringotts to claim his inheritance from his Godfather. The trouble was that Gringotts claimed that the inheritance was not eligible to be dispensed. This confused the goblins as much as Teddy, his grandmother, his Uncle Ron, and Aunt Hermione.

The first reaction for some might have been that Gringotts was holding a grudge over a certain break in that had occurred some sixteen years prior, but that was not the case. Under the circumstances the three had been pardoned for their actions. In fact, Gringotts had after made it a policy to destroy or eject any dark or malevolent object that entered the back without extenuating circumstances (such as someone wanting something kept out of the wrong hands until they could figure out how to destroy it). They refused to harbor such evil ever again.

The goblins worked tirelessly to discover the reason that they were unable to complete the inheritance ritual for young Teddy Lupin. As a final straw they, rather secretly, exhumed the body of one Harry Potter to make sure that it was, in fact, even him. What they found was inexplicable. Still cold and lifeless, Harry Potter's body was otherwise untouched by time and decay.

This of course, didn't answer any of their questions, but they decided not to rebury him next to his parents. His stone coffin was placed inside the single vault that had been used to consolidate all of his inheritance. Preservation charms were put in place and then the vault was sealed. The bank chose then to hand over accumulated interest, active investments, and physical properties that existed outside of the banks control to Teddy Lupin. They didn't specifically say that there was more to be had in way of inheritance, but until such time as they could figure out what was stopping the ritual, there was nothing else they could really do. The inheritance would follow the boy's line until someone was able to claim it.

However no one ever did claim the contents of that vault. It was completely forgotten after countless centuries. Eventually the world changed beyond recognition. The magical world was eventually found as individual power grew weaker, but appeared in more and more muggles. Some magical species died out, while others evolved beyond recognition.

The shifting of landmasses, natural disasters, and time eroded the world that once was until all that was left was a meager population of human with a deep connection to the planet and a new evolution of humans who were barely as powerful as a squib.

Then the calamity came. It fell from the sky and wreaked havoc until the ancient humans managed to seal her away. Again time passed until the Ancients were little more than legends.

Then, almost simultaneously, two expeditions were taking place.

One at the northern creator where they found what they believed to be an Ancient woman encased in mako crystal.

The second was on an island just off southeastern coast of the eastern continent. There they found what they believed to be a series of crypts. Most were rather uninteresting, containing only a few metal artifacts and coins, but one was more than they ever could have hoped for. Within that one crypt there was a wealth of perfectly preserved artifacts ranging from metal to wooden, paintings, and even texts. However what they were most excited about was a perfectly preserved body within a stone coffin.

Then Harry opened his eyes.

XXX

TBC