Harry Potter and the Legend of Camelot

Disclaimer: I don't own them, though I may have broken James and Sirius a bit. Sorry…

Author: Dimitri Aidan

Rating: R-ish

Pairings: SS/JP, HP, DM/RW, HG/PW, Forge/OMC/Gred, BW/FD, CW/NT, RL/SB, GW/DT

Warnings: Mpreg, AU, Vaguely Evil Dumbledore, and…well. Read and find out, ne?

Notes: Gives reviewers dirty looks. Well. I hope you're all happy now. I have such a hard time not writing when you people ask so nicely. I would like to go on record and say this concept still disturbs me greatly. Um. Seriously. I broke James and Sirius. It was an accident, honest, but it seems to me that coming back from the dead after fifteen years isn't going to be a fun experience and…well, I was watching Buffy. Bad influence that show is.

And people keep asking about the other baby… C'mon, people, if I told you what happened to it/him/her flat out what kind of author would I be? That's a good…15 percent of the drama! But I'll give you this: It's Dumbledore's fault. Nothing else shall be said.

Summery: There is more to Harry's parentage (and heritage) than most would have dared suspect. When those thought dead aren't a way to defeat Voldemort and Dumbledore may just be found.

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Chapter One

Why You Gotta be so Cold

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October 31st, 11:59 PM

Hogwarts, Gryffindor Dorm

Harry couldn't sleep, not tonight. Truth be told there were many nights he couldn't sleep, but this was the one where he never so much as tried anymore. The year before Voldemort had been kind enough to send him a memory of his parents dying, over and over again, until Harry had finally woken up and been unable to sleep for weeks. He'd been doing the same for the past two days, though not as bad as it had been that night.

Harry knew that Voldemort, being the twisted sort that he was, was just drawing it out, giving him a hint of what he intended to make him suffer through this night. Harry was hoping that as long as he was awake the Dark Lord would only be able to do so much.

Hoping, but not believing. He knew Voldemort could get to him, through his mind, whenever he wanted. There was no real safety for Harry anymore, no matter where he hid.

He was in the Common Rooms, in front of the fireplace. Ron and Hermione had tried to keep him company for this, but had long since fallen asleep; Ron in one of the chairs and Hermione stretched out on the couch. He appreciated their help, but had known when it hit eleven and Ron started to snore and Hermione's eyelid began drooping that they just weren't as used to sleepless nights as he was.

He flipped the page of the scrapbook he managed to construct. Part was the many pictures Hagrid had given him in his first year and some were things he'd gotten directly from Remus and Sirius the year before. Memories of their parents and their friends were captured in this book and when he needed to escape for a while this was what he lost himself in.

He let his fingers drift over a picture of his father standing between Remus and Sirius, arms slung over his friend's shoulders. They all wore matching robes with the Gryffindor crest stitched on and black pointed hats, though Sirius' was balanced on his head rather precariously and Hogwarts stood proudly in the background. The caption, in Remus' careful writing, read 'Graduation'. On the page opposite was a picture of himself, as a baby, with his father and Sirius. His father was holding a snitch in front of his face while Baby Harry tried to catch it and Sirius laughed.

They looked so…different. Remus and Sirius at least, younger and so much more open. By the time Harry had known then they'd closed themselves off; Remus from the betrayals and disappointments he'd constantly suffered and Sirius from a decade in a place that turned some of the darkest of wizards completely mad.

Now Sirius was dead and Remus was the only Marauder left, the only reminder of a group who probably could have changed the world, if they'd had the time.

Somehow Harry doubted that was what they'd been expecting when they'd been standing outside of Hogwarts, freshly graduated and getting ready to become part of the 'Real World'. They'd barely had a chance to do anything before everything had fallen apart around them.

He felt the glossy finish under his fingertips and wished they'd had more time.

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Severus Snape liked to think himself more or less unshakeable but this, what he was seeing now in the living room of his 'home, if one was inclined to call it that, did a fantastic job of sending his world off of it's axis.

He'd come home this Halloween, a rare thing for him, to gather a few things from his personal storage of ingredients, preferring to make his own potions with fresh things as opposed to the dried ingredients his students used. He'd gotten what he needed and made his way up from his basement, intending to floo back to his quarters at Hogwarts, only to be stopped by an impossible sight.

Huddled on his floor, in the far corner, was James Potter. His pale naked skin was streaked with dirt, his arms wrapped around his body as if he was cold. Perhaps he was, judging by the way he was shivering almost violently. His hair was much longer, falling around him in a tangled mess, and long fingernails and bloody knuckles marred the once delicate hands.

In short he looked terrible.

So terrible that for a moment Severus lost all common sense and went to him, kneeling before the pathetic figure and resting a calloused palm against his cheek, feeling the cool clammy skin. He knew this couldn't be James, because James had died fifteen years ago this night, and over a year before that in Severus eyes besides. Even if it were why would he be here, in this place in this condition? He looked like…

Severus didn't even know what the hell he looked like.

Wild hazel eyes snapped up and locked onto him. He shivered, caught in a totally empty gaze. He doubted the other man even saw him as more than a shadow, if that. A hand clutched his wrist, causing claw like nails to dig into his flesh, cutting through it harshly, and James' chest heaved as if doing that was a great strain.

He didn't flinch away and instead tried to meet James' eyes. For a moment there was nothing, like staring into the ocean at midnight on a moonless night, but then there was a flicker. Recognition, panic, confusion, fear.

"Sev?" The voice was rough, cracked and worn. Nothing like the smooth James Potter he recalled, who had been able to charm even him into bed with his warm and fluid voice. He'd always had the kind of voice and presence that could reduce a person to a quivering mass before he so much as touched you.

Or maybe that had just been him.

"James." The name stuck in his throat, as if his body didn't want to release it. It'd been so long since he'd done anything except hiss or spit it, usually in the face of James' child. Not that Severus was bitter or jealous… No, he was just angry. At James and himself for falling so far in love with the other man.

James all but flung himself into Severus' arms, hot tears burning against his skin as sharp knees dug into uncomfortable places. The scent of wet earth clung to him thickly. "Make it stop make it stop! Hurts so much, please, Sev, help me. Don't let it hurt. Pleasepleaseplease."

Severus wanted to fling him away, wanted to throw him to the ground and watch him writhe in pain and laugh. Whether it was because he knew this had to be some trick from Dumbledore, the only other living soul who knew of his relationship with James, or out some urge to make the other man hurt he couldn't really say.

He didn't do it though. Instead he reached up, threading his hair through dry hair and cast a simple sleeping charm. The body went limp almost instantly and Severus was standing, holding the slight form carefully. He rested the body, which he decided to stop thinking of as James, on the threadbare couch and took a few steps back to consider. He looked like James, or at least a shadow of James. Thin to the point of having his skin pulled taught over his bones and being able to easily count his ribs, lacking in the tan he'd always seemed to carry, and in much worse condition.

James had never been vain, not being nearly as good looking as his best friend was and aware of that fact, but he'd cared enough to never look like this. It reminded Severus of Black after he'd escaped for Azkaban, only worse.

He raked a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture he'd thought he'd long since rid himself of, then turned to the fireplace. This couldn't be James and he knew that. It had to be someone under a glamour or using the Polyjuice potion or something of that sort, but not James.

People didn't return from the dead.

Still he hesitated to go to Dumbledore with the imposter, as the man had undoubtedly been the one who sent him in the first place. As a test or a taunt perhaps. The man had truly become even more of a twisted bastard in the past few years. If things continued this way Severus might have to start offering his services to the Ministry, because neither Voldemort or Dumbledore was proving to have his best interests anywhere on their minds.

He continued to stare at his fireplace blankly. He knew whom he needed to call, who would be able to identify James Potter no matter the circumstances. He was loath to make the firecall, though he wasn't sure what that was.

'Hardly. You just don't want to share him now that you have him back.' His mind whispered in its usual traitorous fashion.

He growled at that, because it couldn't have possibly been farther from the truth, and walked to the fireplace, commanding the fire to life with a wave of his hand. He drew a handful of the power and tossed it in, watching as it burned from orange to green in seconds.

"Remus Lupin." The fire leapt wildly for a moment as it searched the floo channel for the home of the one he was trying to contact, before almost freezing in place to let him know it had done as requested. He was about to put his head through to call on the werewolf but was beat to the punch as the very annoyed head of Lupin emerged through the fire.

"What do you want Severus? Now is hardly the time."

"Was I distracting you from chasing rabbits?" Lupin's eyes narrowed and Severus noted the feral gleam the amber orbs held. Perhaps now wasn't the best time to be provoking a dangerous animal. He sighed, rubbed a hand over his face then stood to the side to let Lupin see beyond him.

There was a beat then a laugh that was somewhere between hysterical and amused. "I'll be there in a moment."

With that Lupin's head vanished and the fire began shifting again, announcing that the other side of the connection had been shut down. Severus dismissed it with a wave of his hand and turned his attention back to the figure on his couch. It probably wasn't the best idea in the world to leave him on the couch with nothing on. Trusting Lupin could Appearate without his waiting around for it he left the room and headed for his bedroom. He took the comforter from his bed, carefully not thinking about the things he and the real James had once done under that very cover in that bed, and folded it some.

He'd changed the wards on his house over the summer to allow the werewolf to come through as he pleased. In a twisted sort of way Lupin had proven himself to be more loyal and trustworthy than all of the people Severus had willingly put his confidence into.

Not even Dumbledore could come and go as he pleased, though Severus let the man think he could. The warning wards usually let him know if the man had any intention of making an appearance and gave him the time needed to make a temporary pass.

He had just enough time to throw the comforter over the man when he heard the muffled pop that announced Lupin's arrival. Every wizard had their own distinctive sound that supposedly said something about them. What Lupin's said about him Severus had no idea, but he had to admit to some curiosity.

He turned to look at the werewolf and found himself looking into the eyes of a dead man once again. Sirius Black, clothed in his usual black clothing, was standing to the side of Lupin and clutching the other man's arm like some kind of lifeline while one of Lupin's hands rested on the small of his back.

Severus lips twitched. No wonder Lupin had been laughing; it seemed his lover had made a miraculously recovery from Death as well. While Severus was aware the relationship between the two was more than just friendship, anyone with half a brain could see it if they watched how in tune they seemed to be with each other, he'd never mentioned it. It wasn't as if he cared or had anyone he wanted to tell, though it had always amazed him that James hadn't seemed to notice it.

Remus' gaze was instantly on the man on Severus' couch. His nostrils flared for a moment and his eyes narrowed as if he was thinking about something intently. Then he chuckled and stared to pull his arm from Sirius' grip. The other man made a noise that Severus could only take as a protest and seemed to cling tighter.

"Sirius." There was the sound of long-suffering, but affectionate, patience in Lupin's tone. "I'm not going anywhere. I just want to take a closer look at James and make sure he's okay. Think about how you'd feel if he was hurt and I didn't get a chance to check."

Black looked undecided for a moment then let go and wrapped his arms around himself, standing awkwardly in the center of the room as the werewolf went to the couch. Severus quirked an eyebrow, trying to communicate his question about the man's behavior. Black was a great many things (Bastard and Useless at the top of that list) but clingy had never struck Severus was one of them.

Lupin knelt by the couch and shrugged slightly. He trailed a finger over James' cheek, smudging the dirt there, and frowned. "It's James." Severus nodded. It still made no sense and was impossible, but there was no spell or charm or potion in the world that could full a werewolf. "He smells like earth and death. Like…a grave."

Severus thought of James' hands, cut up and bleeding. "He was buried."

Lupin's eyes darted over to him, confused for a beat and then understanding. "Oh." He was silent for a moment longer then reached out and put a hand on James shoulder. Severus could feel the power shift in the room and knew that the werewolf was healing James.

In a different lifetime Lupin would have been a Healing Master. There was no speculation or other options; that was simply what he would have been without question, if not for the Ministry regulations against Dangerous Creatures being healers. He had the magical aura of one who was destined for the profession.

While some, like Madam Pomfrey, were taught to heal with spells and potions others just had the ability in them to send out their magic and know instinctively what was wrong and how to use their energy to fix it. Lupin was one of those people.

With the proper training he probably could have been one of the better healers in Europe. Severus had seen his aura once, at their graduation. When receiving their certificates of course completion every student had a public reading, to give them an idea of what to pursue now that they were out of school, and Lupin's had easily been one of the brightest readings, a rare but brilliant shade of blue.

He pulled his head back and shivered then rubbed at his arms as if he were cold.

"We have to call Albus." The brunette muttered finally, not taking his eyes from James. "This doesn't make any sense. Sirius and James…it's them. But it can't be them; I felt them die."

"Do you think something could be fooling-"Severus said the words, though he already knew the answer. If he thought there was a chance Lupin could make a mistake he wouldn't have called him.

"No." Lupin's eyes darted over to him for a moment, a spark of anger in the amber depths. "It's not just the senses, it's a feeling. They were…are, family. There is nothing that could fool the wolf when it comes to pack."

"We can't call Albus." Severus said, rocking back on his heel and glancing over at Sirius who had yet to move. He looked so strange, exactly as he'd been before falling through the veil but at the same time very different. The eyes…they looked dead, lacking even the rage he'd had after escaping Azkaban. They were as empty as James' had been.

"Why not? He understands this kind of thing more than we do, he'll know what's-"

"I don't doubt he'll know what's going on." Severus sneered. "It's how he'll use it against us that has me concerned. James has been dead for fifteen years, who knows what kind of filth Albus will fill his head with?"

Lupin stood and Severus had the presence of mind to take a step back, knowing he was treading on careful territory by insulting Dumbledore. He had to find a way to convince Lupin that the man wouldn't be of any use to them, beyond Snape's own dealings with the man. Exposing those would expose not only his disloyalty to any side but his relationship with James as well, neither of which a man as 'honorable' as Lupin would take kindly too.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…he's a liar. He knows twice as much as he tell us and what he does tell us he only gives one side of. He is working for his own agenda."

"After everything Albus has done for you-"

To him would have been more truthful. Suddenly Severus knew just what to say and wished he had his wand because he had a feeling it was going to be painful.

"Do you really think he had no idea Lily and James didn't change secret keepers?"

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Padawan: Perhaps…

Beth: Well…I wrote more. Much against my better judgment, let me tell you.

Black Angel: Crazy…is a good word for it, I think.

Mechante: Tsk tsk…now you know, everyone can't be gay. Defies the laws of nature or some such thing… Bill and Fleur is, at times, a necessary cannon evil. And yeah, I didn't want Lily to be the cliché naïve wife character; I love her character too much. I have things planned for her. James however is naïve, to the point of frustration on the part of those around him. I was making fun on the story a bit and may just continue to do so…we'll see. There was actually a ? after Harry's name but ffdotnet hates double symbols so…I don't know yet. GW can be distracting…I lost the entire summer of 2000 that way, seriously.

Mia: I never thought of it either. It's wrong you see…sick and wrong. I disturb myself.

Akuma: I don't know what I'm doing with Harry yet. He may remain non-paired…he has a lot of other stuff going on in his life in this story, you know?

Fairy: Glad you liked it.

Chedder: Yeah…manipulation is Albus' forte in this tale…maybe in cannon too. Who really knows?