Harry listened to the story unfold, the truth dawning on him like a shroud of mist receding from the morning light. Sleep was tugging at him and he could feel his eyelids droop. His muscles and bones were begging for sleep and in spite of himself he yawned.

Harry found himself being led to his "room" and before the sleep took him he saw a blurry figure at his door watch him for a moment before switching off the light and leaving, soft footsteps trailing down the hall.

For some reason that he couldn't explain dreams evaded Harry that night. Maybe it was knowledge that some greater underlying disorder was about to transpire in his life. Or perhaps whatever fates controlled him took pity on him.

Waking up he sighed and pushed back the covers and sat up. He rubbed his eyes and once again found himself looking about his room. He thought about the previous night and all the events that had transpired.

He scratched the nape of his neck absent-mindedly and yawned. Changing his clothes he wandered out into the main area where he found Dumbledore talking with Snape in low tones. Ever twinkling blue eyes met green and the conversation stopped.

"Er Good morning, headmaster, professor" Harry said uneasily, shifting from one foot to the other.

"Good morning, Harry, would you like some breakfast? The house elves brought down some toast and tea, there is some fruit here as well"

"No thank you, Headmaster," said Harry, shooting Severus a nervous glance he continued, "Er…sir?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"I found a library yesterday up on the fifth floor, I was wondering if you knew anything about it"

"Did you? It wouldn't surprise me; Hogwarts has many secrets yet to be uncovered. You'll have to show me sometime. Well, Severus, Harry, I must be off. The ministry sent me an owl, appears there is some trouble in Ireland"

Snape went with the Headmaster to the door where he said something in hushed tones. Harry stood in the middle of the room awkwardly, wondering what he should do. Deciding to just wait, rather than pick something up and risk the wrath of Snape. A few minutes went by and just when Harry was beginning to think he should sit down Snape came billowing in a scowl on his face.

"Breakfast?" he asked curtly.

Harry nodded but opened his mouth to say more. He worked his jaw for few minutes, feeling his nerve slip away as the obsidian eyes bore down on him.

"Well, spit it out, Potter, I don't have all day"

"I was just…I wanted…maybe…Um…well you see…"

"For Merlin's sake!"

"Are you my father?"

Silence reined for what seemed like an eternity.

Snape stood, face unreadable, cold eyes meeting youthful green. Such vibrant green.

"Yes" his voice was noticeably rougher, older, colder. "Yes, I am your father. I met your mother that night, on accident and we had dinner. We talked long into the night, perhaps to late. Drinking wine, perhaps to much."

"Drunk? I was conceived in a stupor?"

"No" he snapped, "we both knew what we were doing. Perfectly aware of what the repercussions were going to be. We knew what was going to happen"

"What? I don't think-"

"That is perfectly obvious" stated Snape, effectively shutting him up. "A long time ago a prophecy was made by Sybil's great great grandmother. She made the prophecy as a gypsie, while telling the fortunes of your mother's relations when they went to a fair in the country. Soon after that incident the seer left and went to Albus Dumbledore, she had the peculiar gift of remembering her Sight."

"But he couldn't have been headmaster? Why did she go to him?"

"Because he was an auror, and a very good one at that. He was to take the position of Defense five years later. So after she relayed it to him, he put the names of the muggles into Gringottes along with the written prophesy. The names were Lillian and Patrick Evans. Several years later Lily arrived on the Hogwarts Express and the name was immediately recognized. Several years later Albus took her aside and told her what had happened all those years ago. She knew immediately of what he was talking about from the story her grand mother had told her when she was a young girl. The prophecy was also handed down, woven into tapestries and became more of a fairy tale than taken seriously."

"What was the prophecy?" Harry asked, a dazed expression taking intrest in the wall.

'At the birth of the seventh month

The secret son comes forth,

To throw away his veil.

Of two enemies that were supposed,

One likeness will prevail .

Bloodstones bind what once was parted,

At the birth of the seventh month.'

That night when your mother spotted me she told me what the Headmaster had told her. It had haunted her for months, but always she pushed it to the far corners of her mind. But when she saw me, she did the math.

I was surprised what she wanted me to do. James was her fiancé; she was going to be married in a matter of days. They had both wanted to get married as soon as possible, so they planned it for three days after their work was done that week. She had thought when Albus told her that it would be James. After all, for years she hadn't liked him, maybe even loathed him as much I had. 'Two enemies that were supposed', it didn't fit"

"But you did"

"Yes"

Harry, who had been leaning forward, elbows on knees, now slumped back and closed his eyes. He did do or say anything for a long time, the silence in the room deafening.

"Dumbledore knows" it wasn't a question so much as it was statement, but Snape answered anyway.

"Yes, but other than Madam Pomfrey, no one else"

Harry quirked a brow at the mention of the mediwitch but realization dawned and he nodded. "The bloodstones?"

"Yes"

"What are they exactly? I know they were thought to be lost centuries ago, and they can be used in complicated rituals and, " he hesitated, "Altering spells"

Snape nodded, "Correct. The Ancients who also discovered the powers of Animangus created them in Rome. But when they discovered the way in which they could be used for evil, they tried to destroy them. But it didn't work, the Ancients themselves were stripped of their power and destroyed by them. I'm not sure how, but Lily found them and took it upon herself to protect you for as long as possible. She knew her child would be important because there was a prophecy for him in the Department of Mysteries.

Bloodstones are a dangerous business, and Lily knew that. She waited till James left town and then she performed the ritual. She disguised my blood with blood she had taken from James while he slept. The bloodstones made this possible without your death being possible.

She liquefied the bloodstones and put it into your system. It corrupted your blood momentarily, seemingly erasing my DNA from your generic makeup. You, in all actuality would have looked exactly like Lily. But if she had left it like that, you would have eventually died from your immune system slowly breaking down."

"So she injected James' blood, and that created a biological cataclysm and permanently altered my appearance, inward and out. What about my mind? Wouldn't it have affected that too? The blood circulates there as well" Harry's eyes widened considerably but Snape made a wave of his hand.

"Yes, in some ways it did altar your mind, but Lily protected most of your mind so if my blood was evident or not, you would still have your own mind. You have nothing to worry, other than a few traits you would still be the same."

"A few traits? Never mind, I don't want to know!" Harry sighed. "There is no way out of this" he stood up and glared at the floor.

"Of course not" Snape sounded a little confused.

"If you had told me this before, or even tomorrow I could have proven I wasn't yours. I could have proven it was a lie" Harry was tired, hurt and hungry. Why did he ask that before breakfast? Why had he asked that single question at all?

"What do you mean?" Snape asked.

"Today is my birthday" getting no response Harry continued, "'At the birth of the seventh month, The secret son comes forth, To throw away his veil'. Now do you see? It's my birthday today, and it's July, the seventh month. I know who I am now. And…" But he didn't get a chance to finish. A searing pain ripped through his body and his legs buckle under him. He felt his head hit something cool and hard a warm liquid trickling down his face, soaking into his robes. He could hear a voice, muffled but sounding very close begin to fade away.

'At least today can't get any worse if I'm unconscious,' was his last thought before drifting into a peaceful oblivion.

~

Athena Kitty: SO many questions! * is gobsmacked*

Miaka Chan 5: I know what you mean, but sadly I have a life. Revolving for the most part around school. *Despondant sigh * But at least the Exams are FINALLY over!!!

Serpent of Light: I like you! * Ponders huggling Serpent but decides against it* At least you made it as far as the pondering stage! Maybe it's because you are my twin. I being a Serpent of Darkness *cackles * Thank you for the compliment, in my opinion I'm good at titles and terrible at the actual plot. Oh well, I'm learning.