The Merlin Chronicles

by Teek

Chapter I- Enemy of God

Severus Snape was not a man easily shaken. After serving as a double agent and decieving the Dark Lord, he'd perfected the 'art' of coldness. There was very little that could get under his skin and cause him to loose his cool. His wife was one of those things, and apparently, the events of the previous night were as well. He'd hardly slept a wink, and when he did manage to get a few wihours, he was woken by the horrible images he'd been given.

He was currently sitting at his desk, books and papers strewn all over it, and littering every flat surface in the study. There was something incredibly wrong with all of it. Every memory and image that had been forced into his head didn't fit with anything he knew was possible. The Dark Lord had been capable of keeping many secrets, even from his most trusted of Death Eaters, but there were things that had never been kept from them, and most of them were his plans for Potter. He went out of his way to inform them all of his plans and intentions, and more often than not, Severus was part of making it happen.

"The duel I knew about, but this…" he sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"If you took a break from all this and just tried to relax, it might look clearer."

He looked up at the sound of his wife's voice, and smiled sadly. She knew how stubborn he was when he was working, and how preoccupied he'd become once engrossed in a project, but didn't say anything. It was one of the many things he fell in love with. He stood up and stretched, listening to his back pop with some amusement, and moved to the couch, where she flopped down next to him, head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in closer and kissed her hair.

"I'm sorry. This whole thing just doesn't make sense. I don't know how any of it is possible."

"I might be able to help, if you tell me what it is she showed you."

"I know, but not yet. I need to talk to Lucius first, see what he knows, if anything. He didn't seem at all surprised that I wanted to meet earlier. I might make a trip to see Lupin after, to browse through the Black library."

"Let me know if you are going, will you? I'll be finished, or nearly so, with Poppy by then, and can join you."

He smiled at her and conjured up a pot of coffee and a set of mugs. Hermione had been an incredibly gifted student, excelling in every subject she took, and she was not afraid to speak her mind, regardless of whether the person was a professor or classmate. She'd put him in his place many times, and amazed him each and every time. It had been a great shock to himself when he realized he was harboring feelings that were less than apropriate for a girl who was less than half his age, and even more so that she returned them. It had taken them quite a bit of work to get where they were now, more on his part than hers, and it had been a completely enjoyable ride. He'd rediscovered things about himself that he had long since buried, and found that by truly being himself, he could improve his skills beyond what they were. She'd taught him more than he had ever thanked her for, and didn't know if it was possible to make her truly aware of what she'd done for him.

"I'll call as soon as I'm done with Lucius. Lunch in London?" he asked, sipping his coffee.

"That'd be nice. My turn to pick where, isn't it?"
"Yes."

"Then I'll have to pick somewhere different. You should go take a shower and get ready."

He looked at the clock and sighed, kissing her hand as he got up. A shower would wake him up, and hopefully let him clear his head before meeting Lucius. Hermione reached over for a book left on the coffee table, hoping to find some insight as to what was bothering her husband.

"Historia regum Britanniae?" she read from the spine, mind automatically translating it ("History of the Kings of Britian" c. 1137). "So whatever that girl showed him has something to do with the past…"

---

He'd been sitting by the window since returning to their room the night before, staring out into muggle London without really seeing anything. There was a cup of coffee in front of him, the spoon in it sitting still, and she noticed there was no heat coming off the cup. With a sigh, Cyrenes dressed quietly, keeping her eyes on her father all the while.

"I may be grounded, but that sure as hell isn't going to stop me from getting my school supplies." she thought, tying her shoes and pulling on her cloak.

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?"

She stopped dead in her tracks and slowly turned from the door to face her father's level gaze.

"When I said you were grounded, I didn't mean just magically. You don't go anywhere without me, or someone appointed by me, and considering that I trust no-one, you're out of luck in that." he said, standing and stretching. "I have buisiness at the Ministry of Magic today, and you are coming with me."

"But dad!"

"I don't want to hear it. It's been a very long, not to mention tiring, two weeks, and after what you did last night, I don't expect it to get much better."
"I'll be good, I promise."
"I don't want promises, Cyrenes, I want to see results. You are further along magically than many -if not all- of the people you'll be meeting at Hogwarts, and despite being taught how to use those abilities like an adult, you insist on behaving like a child. If that is how you're going to act, it's how you're going to be treated."
"I am a child! I'm eleven-years old, for Merlin's sake, and you want me to act like I'm a hundred and eleven! You made plenty of mistakes when you were my age, so-"

" I was your age before I even knew I was a Wizard, let alone one as strong as I am, and you've been learning since before you could stand up on your own! I was foolish when I was young, and there are many things I would do different if I could, you know that. We have the ability to use magic in ways that have been long since lost the world, and because of that, we don't have the luxury of making mistakes. We must think before we act, especially now that Dumbledore is dead. I know I don't need to remind you why that is."

Cyrenes stared at her shoes, holding back the tears she wouldn't let herself cry the night before, when her father tilted her chin up and made her look him in the eye. He was upset, but not angry, and he had obviously been thinking about things that were more than painful to remember. She took a deep breath and willed herself to be strong, and to do what she had to in order to fix what she'd done wrong. He was right, and she knew it. They weren't allowed to make mistakes with the power they had… people ended up hurt, or worse, when they did. She had learned that the hard way.

"No, you don't. Will it be easier once we're done with all the legal bullshit?"
"Once you are allowed to attend Hogwarts, yes. I'll be able to rest much easier knowing you are safe while I continue to work on getting us settled here permanantly."

"I'm not going to be able to help you if I'm at Hogwarts."

"Do you remember what I told you about the Ministry's lowest level?"
"The Department of Mysteries is down there."

"Yes, and I have some serious work to do down there. Work that I can't do with you around."
"I'll be a distraction. Like I was when we were in Quebec."

"What happened in Quebec?" he looked genuinely confused.

"Raúl, duh! I totally screwed that up for you."

He pulled her into a hug, laughing at the memory. They'd been in Quebec more as a holiday than anything else (he didn't count his meeting with a Veela politician as work), and he'd met a young man that had sparked a little intrest. Nothing serious, just someone he felt a small connection with, and they'd had a few 'dates', if they could be called that. Being as Raúl was a muggle, they'd been out as muggles, and he'd been so involved in their conversation that he never heard his daughter tell him she was going down the street to the book store. She'd been on her way back to them when a group of boys started hassling her, and her defensive shields came up automatically. He'd gone into concerned father mode immediately and jumped up from the table he and Raúl were sitting at, causing the other man to spill hot coffee down his front, and his magic had rose so quickly that he didn't realize it had hit the muggle. Raúl, thinking he'd been pushed, retaliated and they'd almost come to blows before Cyrenes disarmed her own situation and then theirs. She'd been furious at the other man for what he'd said to her father, and slapped money on the table before dragging him away, muttering about 'stupid muggles'.

Kissing her hair, he took a good look at her and smiled. She hadn't objected to all the moving around, or to how hard he pushed her magically. She'd taken his occassional dating in stride, and had even set him up with a few of the idiots he'd mistakenly gone out with. What was most important to him, however, was the fact that she was just like every other child. She knew when to ignore him, and when not to. She knew when to be afraid of him, and when to push back, and not take any of his crap. She knew where she came from and used it. She was so much like him, and so much like her fa… he shook his head and dismissed that thought.

"It's better not to think of it." he told himself, nodding towards his coffee, "It won't change the fact that I left… if anything, it'll make it worse."

Seeing the steam coming off his coffee, and that the spoon was slowly returning to its normal state (as opposed to being cherry red to heat the cold drink) he moved to pick the mug up, motioning for his daughter to take a seat. She did as asked, and he conjured up a cup of hot chocolate for her, and called over the chair from across the room. What he needed to tell her was important, and was best done before they headed to the Ministry.

"You know there's a possibility of seeing your-" he started, before she cut him off.

"Yes, and I'll be the perfect lady."

"Good. What I need to do at the Ministry is not going to be easy, on either of us."

He hoped the mental images he sent her explained enough, because having to do it in words… it was just too hard. He couldn't explain it even to himself. He just knew what had to be done, and how he should go about doing it.

"I understand." she said, her eyes a bit more violet than usual. "Can I go down and get breakfast?"

"Sure. I'm going to take a quick shower then I'll be down." he said, sipping his coffee and nodding towards her. "Your glamour is up, so whenever you decide to go down…"

"Dad?"

"Yeah hon?"

"You do know I'm really sorry about last night, right? I was out of control, and there was no excuse for it and I-"
"I know. If things go well at the Ministry, we may go shopping later. Definitely tomorrow, if we don't get to go. We'll hopefully be done in this part of London, and I can take you to the house."

"I'd like that."

She got up and hugged her father, kissing his cheek as she went to get her cloak. When the door had clicked shut behind her, he let out a sigh. She was definitely growing up too fast.

"Hogwarts will help. She can be herself there, and I won't have to worry about her. I can worry about making sure things are ready for when she comes home on break instead."

He groaned and got up, his mug and hers disappearing as he went to get his clothes for the day.

---

Despite the damage that had been done to the Ministry of Magic building during the final years of the war, not much about it had changed. The floors were, for the most part, rebuilt as they were. The part that most Witches and Wizards didn't know, however, was that there was a new level nesteled between levels one and two. The current Minister of Magic, when asked about the level, told reporters that "During the war, St. Mungo's was hard pressed for space, and the Atrium and confrence rooms on different levels were made into make-shift hospitals. Many people worked around the clock, and there were more than a few incidents of people splinching themselves, or worse, while attempting to Apparate home or to a hotel. This new level will provide Ministry officials and staff a place to relax and get some sleep if working late, as well as work as an over flow area for Mungo's."

People later found out that the new level was very much like a hotel, in that it had 3 restaurants, a spa, gym, and at least a hundred suites, among other amenities. The medical facilities were linked directly to St. Mungo's, and was state of the art. It made the newest of Muggles hospitals look bad. It also acted as a second lobby, and you were forced to change elevators on this floor, if you were heading to Level 1A, which held the Ministers office, and those of the other high ranked officials.

He'd been in the ministry a few times since it's rennovations, but had avoided Level 1A like the plague. The Minister's office was there, the assistant to the Minister's office was there, Severus' office, Remus' office, and… his office. He'd tried to decline it, but they would have nothing of it.

"Dad?" he heard his daughter whisper, pointing to a door, "Why's that got your name on it?"

"It's mine?"

Indeed, the gold plaque did have his name on it.

Harry Potter

Head Auror

Special Forces Division

Order of the Phoenix

It was a possition he didn't want, that he didn't deserve, because he'd done basically none of the planning and strategising that was done during the war. That had all been done by the Order, and it was collective. He shook his head and they continued walking, following their escort to the Head Auror's office. He was not looking forward to this.

"Here we are." the short man said, knocking on the door, and opening it at the 'come in' that came from behind it.

"Thank you." he said, motioning for Cyrenes to go in first.

The door closed behind him as they walked in, and the woman behind the desk looked up, eyes narrow, but very familiar. The magic around her was different, which he had expected, but it wasn't the kind of magic that was supposed to be there. She set her quill down and stood up, walking around the desk to stand right in front of him. He dared not breathe, or move, while she was sizing him up. Her eyes flashed amber, and before he knew it, a hand had lashed out and connected with his cheek.

"That's for leaving, with no word, avoiding the world and the family you left behind." she growled, slapping him again with the other hand, "And that's for thinking you'd be able to walk into my office and expect me to not see through the glamors, or to not know who she is."

He felt all the air leave his lungs, and he took half a step back. The woman continued to glare at him, her dark hair very quickly lightening, and becoming shorter, and was finally the way he remembered it: short, spikey, and hot pink. He wasn't ready for her to fling herself at him either, and stumbled backwards a bit before keeping his balance.

"And this is for being alive, and well, and for finally coming home." she cried, trying to crush him to her, despite her very pregnant belly being in the way. "We missed you so much, Harry. So much."

He tentitavly wrapped an arm around her, and then the other, returning the hug. He hadn't had this much contact, or felt this many emotions, with anyone other than Cyrenes in longer than he would care to admit. He felt a small hiccup of magic from the baby, and reined himself in, taking a step away from her. She looked at him quizzically, eyes amber colored now.

"Don't want to hurt him." he said, nodding towards her belly.

"You won't." she turned her gaze to Cyrenes, "She's beautiful, Harry."

"Where are my manners? Cyrenes, this is Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin. Tonks, my daughter, Cyrenes P-"
"I know her name. She is on the family tree, after all."

He blinked, and cursed quietly. He'd forgotten all about the tapestry, and about Tonk's family. She motioned for the two of them to take a seat, and then conjured up a pot of tea.

"Don't worry, Remus and I are the only ones who know. I charmed it the moment I noticed it, and you're both completely blurred out." she reassured him. "Now, what can I do for you, Harry? Eleven years is a long time to be gone, and then to just appear here at the Ministry…"

"We were seen at the Leaky Cauldron last night." he corrected.

"Ah, so that was what Severus was muttering about on his way in to see Lucius. I haven't seen the old bat that worked up since his wife told him he was going to be a father." she covered her mouth, and hiccuped. "Sorry. You did know that he married Hermione, right?

He laughed, handing Cyrenes a cup of tea. He should have known better than to expect Tonks to act any differently than when he left. The woman never changed.

"Yes, I did. Was a bit shocked. She was with Ron when I left."

"Anyone tell you how it happened?"

"We've not had any contact with Dad's old friends, short of our confrontation with them last night." Cyrenes explained, sipping her tea and smiling at the Auror. "Good tea."

"Glad you like it. Enjoying London, Cyrenes?"

"Very much, thank you. We're hopefully going back to Diagon Alley to do my school shopping later today. It's so different than the shops in the States. Americans are much more open about their religions and their heritages. Secrecy laws are much less strict than they are here. But the magic's not nearly as strong there."

"It is different magically, most definitely. I've been to the States a few times, years ago. When you were still in diapers."

Harry hung his head, and Tonks saw the look that passed over his face, because she reached over and took his hand.

"He would love to see you, if you've got the time." she said, and he looked up at her. "Can you postpone your shopping trip until tomorrow? Come for dinner tonight, catch up, and we can make a day of it tomorrow, the four of us."

"He won't react like you did, Tonks. He's not emotionally equipped for it. I didn't do him any favors by leaving the way I did. He lost everyone and I-"
"He'll understand, Harry, more than you think. We've talked about what we would do when you finally came home… It won't be what you're expecting, I'm sure."

"I don't want to just spring my return on him. Give him some warning- a day or two maybe."

"Dad," Cyrenes said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I've never met Mr. Lupin, but from what I remember of your stories, I doubt he'd want to wait to see you. He'd be more upset if you didn't come by straight away."

"Quite right." Tonks beamed, "Besides, the house is more than properly warded, and you wouldn't be dealing with half as many people as you would staying in a hotel, or worse yet, at the Cauldron. Cyrenes will have her own room, and there's plenty for us girls to do while you boys catch up. Being an Auror, I have the ability to turn the floo off straight from home, so there won't be any unwelcome guests, and Dobby's been itching for a reason to cook a large meal…"

"Dobby? What happened to Kreacher?"

"Ask my husband… he loves telling that story. He can also tell you about Ron and 'Mione's break up."

"Please, Dad, can we? I don't mind putting our shopping off. I haven't even gotten my letter yet, so there's really no rush. I'd like to visit for a bit."

The look on his daughter's face was what did it. She looked her eleven years, when he was used to her appearing much older, and she was so excited about the prospect of meeting more of his old friends. He suspected that she wanted to get to know Tonks better as well. He could see her itching to do some magic, what he didn't know, but her holding back suggested that she required permission. She was grounded, and she knew that, but it wouldn't last long. She'd already agreed to a formal apology to Severus, and right now, that was enough for him. He smiled and reached over to hug her.

"Alright. We'll come and stay for a bit. What time is dinner?"

"Yes!"

---

He'd known that the news would be more than a little shocking, but he hadn't expected a reaction like this. Lucius was currently pacing back and forth across his office, raking a hand through his hair and rubbing the back of his neck- a nervous habit that was very seldom seen in the Lord Malfoy. The magic in the room had changed drastically, and every now and again, the themperature would spike as a result.

"Lucius, please, you're making me diz-"
"You're certain it was him? It's possible that this man just-"
"How many other people do you know can wear the robes of Godric Gryffindor, Lucius? Of course I'm sure. He addressed us all as well, and I'd know the boys' signature and voice anywhere."

"And the girl? There's no mention of a child being born to him."
"For Merlins' sake, do I have to show you what was shoved at me for you to believe me?"

"Show?"

Lucius' blue eyes were wide, and he stared at Severus. He nodded once, and allowed the controlled volley of images to be passed to him. Images of things he had been having nightmares of for years, and of things that should have been impossible. As soon as his mind was his own again, he sat down, head in his hands.

"What have I done?" he breathed, reaching up to grip the hand that settled on his shoulder.
"Lucius, please, tell me I've come to the wrong conclusions."

"You were the first one there after it all happened, weren't you? Was… was he bloody?"
"What? I was not the mediwitch that attended to him, Lucius, I have no way of- wait. You mean… you? He used you?"
"Who else would he have used, Severus? Lestrange, McNair? None of them were pure enough, or strong enough. They wouldn't have lasted more than five minutes in his possession."

"Then that would make you… fuck. That's why he left."
"Draco always blamed me, you know. When Harry left, he told me that I had betrayed them. That I was the reason Harry was sick, and that I was going to have to find him and 'make it right'. Short of business, I haven't talked to my son in nearly eleven years. Somehow, he knew. Draco knew what I'd been made to do, and knew what had become of it all, and he was right. I'm the reason Harry left."

"Lucius…"

"It's nearly one, Severus, call on your wife and take her to lunch. I… I'm going to check a few records, and talk to the Department of Mysteries. After everything that happened last night at the Cauldron, and now with this… I need to know out how to fix it."

Severus nodded and gave his friends' hand one last reassuring squeeze before heading out of the office to the public floos. He threw a handful of powder in, and called out his destination.

"Severus," a gruff voice said as a face appeared in the fire. "if this is about Ha-"
"Are you free for lunch today, Lupin? We need to talk." he interupted, his voice shaking.

"I hadn't planned on going anywhere."

"I'll be over shortly then. Just need to get ahold of Hermione to tell her where to meet me."

"Of course. I'll have a pot of coffee put on for you- you look like you need it."

"Thank you."

He threw another handful in and soon his wifes' face met his.

"I'm heading to Lupins' for lunch. We'll have to take a raincheck for going out."
"Meeting with Lucius wasn't good I take it?"
"It definitely made sense out of what that child showed me, but none of what it brought to light is good."

"I'm just finishing here, so I'll meet you there."

He nodded, and flooed over to number twelve Grimauld Place, only to be met by the master of the house, and a steaming cup of coffee. He dusted his robes off and took the offered cup, following the other man into the living room. He took his usual seat, and raked a hand through his hair with a sigh. This was not going to be as easy.

"What is it about this whole situation that has you so flustered, Severus?"

"You say that as if you understand, when I assure you, Lupin, you could not possibly even begin to comprehend what is that was revealed to me today."
"If you've learned that the girl that was with Harry last night and at the funeral is his daughter, then yes, I can certainly understand that you know when and how she was conceived. I'm sure Lucius has gone running to the Archives and pulled all birth records for that year, in various countries at that, and I am even more sure that he will find nothing."

Severus bolted out of his seat, eyes narrow and angry, and slammed Remus into the wall. He was met with an steely amber glare, but little resistance.

"You knew!" he growled, "You bloody well knew why he left, and told no-one!"

"What would you have me do, Severus, send the entire Wizarding World a letter, telling them that their savior was to give birth to the Dark Lords' heir? At the time he left, I knew nothing more than the rest of you. It was only after she was born that I learned anything, and it was then that I acted to keep her existance a secret."

Severus released him, and started pacing.

"But you told no-one! Not even Lucius, when he has a right to know that he's go-"
"If Harry were your son, would you fight his battles for him, when he is old enough, mature enough, and more than capable of doing it himself?"

"He is not my son, and leaving the way he did certainly didn't show that he's mature enough or capable of handling his own problems. Stop making excuses for him."

"I'm not making excuses, Severus, I'm merely doing what James would have done- understand. For the longest time, I wanted to kill him for leaving, wanted to rip him to pieces for putting us all through hell, but then I remembered something very important. Something that you seem to have forgotten."

"And what would that be, Lupin?"
"Albus Dumbledore."
"Harry hated him, so how could he have been important?"

"Why did Voldemort fear Dumbledore so much? Why, in the beginning, was he afraid to fight him alone?"
"Dumbledore could do things with a wand -and without- like no-one else. Was afraid of his abilities- that he wasn't strong enough to defeat the old man."

"Yet Albus never actively went after him, even tho' he knew he was stronger, and could defeat him. Albus knew that one day, Harry would surpass him magically, and he wanted him to be ready. If he were to go against Voldemort and fail to defeat him, he wouldn't have be able to groom Harry to handle the responsibility he was going to set upon him.

" Godric Gryffindor had a secret. A secret that he knew must be kept at all costs, and Albus figured out what it was. Albus knew why Slytherin wanted to preserve the bloodlines so badly, and why Gryffindor didn't. I think Harry figured it out as well, and that's why he hated the old man so much. Why he left the way he did. He needed answers, and he couldn't get them here."

"Albus knew a great many things about the Founders that were never in a text book, Lupin, so it doesn't surprise me that he was keeping things from the boy -in his second year, Harry wasn't old enough to know what being a Founders Heir really meant. I would have kept information from him as well, had I been in the late headmaster's shoes."
"He wasn't keeping anything about Gryffindor a secret, Severus, it was what Gryffindor kept secret from his own Heirs. It was why Voldemort feared Dumbledore, and why he was so afraid of Harry living to be taught by him. It was why he chose Harry for that ritual, and not some perfectly adaquate Witch. It's why he chose Tom Riddle as his first host. It's why it took place in Carmarthen."

Remus was frustrated. He'd promised himself that he would never say exactly what he knew, not until he had asked Harry's permission, but he could hint all he wanted. Severus knew enough about why he left, he just needed a little bit of help piecing the last of it together. He raked a hand through his hair and growled low in his throat. The potions master was normally much quicker than this.

"Slytherin and Gryffindor were strong on their own, but joining them was stronger. There was no female heir of-"
"It's not about the bloody Founders, Severus, it's about Merlin! He wanted to start a new blood line from the oldest blood line. How can you not understand what I've been trying to tell you?"

"Because he hasn't seen the family trees."

They both turned to the door, only to see Hermione standing there, Historia Regum Britanniae held tightly to her chest. She had a very determined look on her face as she walked over, setting the book on one of the tables in the room. She took a deep breath and looked her husband in the eye, then Remus.

"How long have you been standing there?" the werewolf asked.

"Long enough." she answered. "When did you figure all this out, Remus?"

"I finished confirming my theories about six years ago, after my last trip to Stonehenge."
"And you didn't think to tell anyone of your discovery? Didn't think to put our minds at ease by at least letting us know that you knew he was okay? I bet you thought we'd only want to know more if you told us anything, so you just kept your mouth shut and let us think he was probably dead."

Severus' jaw dropped, and he would have moved between his wife and his friend if he'd not been so shocked. He'd never heard her speak fo Remus like that, not even when she was incredibly pissed. He knew that Harry was a sore subject with her, and that it was better to just avoid the topic completely, especially after last night, but this was not her normal reaction. It had been a long time since she'd let her anger into her voice when she talked about it.

Remus, however, had expected this reaction, and it was exactly why he hadn't mentioned knowing anything about Harry's leaving. He growled low in his throat, trying to rein himself back in. He knew his temper, and knew that the fuse to it was incredibly short this time of the month, and with having to hand everything to Severus… this wasn't going to be one of his better moments.

"I did it to protect him!" he shouted, hurling his coffee cup at the wall behind her head. "The Wizarding World was just starting to piece itself back together after the longest reign of terror it'd ever seen, and this would have rocked it to its core. It would have destroyed everything he worked so hard to give us, and I couldn't do that to him. People expected so much from him, and he needed to be himself. He needed to spread his own wings and make his own life."
"He was! He was happy, Remus, and he threw it all away because-"

"Because I was angry, and more than a little scared."

Their heads whipped towards the door, and saw Harry standing there, Tonks behind him with his daughters hand tight in hers. He was dressed in plain robes, and his eyes were sad as he remembered his leaving.

"I left because I was pregnant, Hermione, and because the world wasn't ready for that, or for the real me. I left because I didn't want Lucius to be Kissed, and I didn't want to watch my boyfriends' heart break when I told him I was the reason it had to happen. I needed more answers, and I needed to find myself, since I didn't know who I was any more. It was my choice, and Remus played no part in my making it. The only reason he knows anything is because of the Black family tree. Had he and Tonks not seen it, then they wouldn't have been inspired to look for answers. The only reason you pieced anything together today is because Dumbledore is gone. You were lead to Ravenclaw's common room today, after Poppy finished with you, and were shown her notes regarding the Founders, and the building of the castle, were you not?"
"How did you…"
"Because she asked if she could show you, and I said yes. You two should it down, before you fall down, because I'm about to tell you exactly why Remus was well within his rights to protect me the way he did, although it wasn't completely necessary. Thank you for that, my friend."

Harry extended a hand to the werewolf, expecting him to shake it, or to ignore him, but was instead pulled into one of the tightest hugs he could remember being given. He felt the familiar magic wash over and through him, and let his own go just a bit in kind. Remus, unable to hold back completely, whimpered, and held on tighter. He'd ignored the wolf where Harry was concerned, just to keep this feeling at bay, but now that the boy was home…

"Welcome home, Harry." he said, pulling back to look at him. "You've certainly changed."

"In many ways, yes. Tonks, would you mind showing Cyrenes around, while I take care of this?"

"Not a problem. Mind if I introduce her to Dobby and Buckbeak?"
"Go right ahead. This won't take long."

Cyrenes shot her father a dirty look before following Tonks off to the kitchen, but wasn't really angry. She'd been hoping to get her apology out of the way so he'd unground her, but it could wait. Besides, she liked Tonks, and wouldn't mind getting to know the woman better.

Harry, on the other hand, was not looking forward to this explaination. He could almost see the gears inside Severus and Hermione's heads moving, and Remus, who would no doubt already know most of this information, would love to know the little bit of history he dug up while in the Ministry of Magic almost twelve years ago. He waved a hand at one of the armchairs, transfiguring it into one a little more comfortable, and motioned for the others to sit. He made note of the Potions Masters' frown and conjured up a fresh pot of coffee and set of mugs. A quick glance around the room and he noticed the bare section of wall where the Black family tree was once hung, and looked over at Remus.

"You can bring it back down, if you'd like. I'm sure Severus is eager to see how I'm listed on the tree, and Hermione's reaction to it will be quite entertaining." he smirked, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"I already know you're on the tree, Harry, so-" Hermione started, looking over at the tapestry as Remus flicked his wand at it.

"You saw it before anything regarding my current situation was put on it. Go ahead, take a look. Severus, you've already pieced together a bit about my daughter, but I think the beginning of the line is what will interest you the most."

As the old tapestry shimmered into view, Remus was the first to notice that there was something wrong with it. That it was different than when he last looked at it, two years ago. He followed the lines, and his eyes widened. Three generations had been added to the beginning of the tree, and one of the names was extremely familiar.

"Alya Gaunt." Severus breathed, stepping closer to trace the silver lines with his fingers. "The Blacks were related to the Guants."

"Hence the afinity for being sorted into Slytherin." Harry supplied, nodding slightly. "Recognize anyone else on there?"

The potions master looked at the names, brow furrowed. They were familiar, but he couldn't remember why. He did notice the metalic purple thread through Remus and Tonks' names, and the small star over their marriage line, as well as the faint purple line between Harry and Draco Malfoy. He understood the werewolves, but why his godson and Potter were-

"How long had you two been bonded, before it happened?"
"Little over a month."

"Was it still new enough that he could…"
"Yes, and it's very likely that he did. Can we not talk about him, please? It's bad enough that I saw him at the funeral..."

Remus was the first to notice the shaking, and immediately got up and headed over to the small store closet where he kept most of his every day potions. He sifted through a few, found what he was looking for and walked back over, pressing it into Harry's hand. Harry looked at it, and shook his head, trying to hand it back, but Remus wouldn't have it.

"Don't argue with me." he said, face set. "You need it."
"I'll be fine."
"No, you won't. I know what it's like, Harry, and it's not pleasant. Tonks took this for weeks after our mating, the pull was so strong."
"I don't need it, Remus."

"Don't be so bloody stubborn and take the potion! I'll not have you fighting yourself to the point of exhaustion."

The exchange was so familiar, Hermione had to smile. She remembered similar arguments, either when Harry refused to eat, or when he was in the bathroom, sick to his stomach…. it all finally clicked, and she hung her head. They'd been watching the signs for weeks, and didn't realize what was going on. He'd told them he needed help, and they told him to go to Mungo's. He'd been afraid of what would happen if the world found out he was… but it wasn't unheard of for gay wizard couples to have children. She looked back over at the tree, and gasped. She'd figured out who's daughter Cyrenes was, but this…

"There's a lot more to you than you ever let on, Harry." she said.

"I didn't know any of this until Albus decided it was time I knew why Voldemort was after me, and what it was that made me so different from other wizards.

"What, if anything, do you remember about the Founders history?"

"The Founders created Hogwarts with the intention of teaching magic to all magical children, and three out of the four agreed that it should be students of any parentage, not just the pure bloods." Hermione said, sitting down and taking her husbands hand.

"That's common knowledge, found in 'Hogwarts, A History'; what else?"
"If memory serves correctly, they were very solitary during their years building and teaching at Hogwarts." said Severus, making the pot pour him a cup of coffee. "They didn't marry until after the school was well established, and by then, they were nearly a hundred. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had the most children, I believe. Slytherin only had one son, and I'm not sure about Hufflepuff."

"You're right, Godric and Rowena did have the most children. Gryffindor was succeeded by his eldest, a boy named Geoffrey, and his two youngest -twins, one boy one girl- Aslan and Aislynn. Ravenclaws' oldest were a set of twins- boy by the name of Bertram, and girl named Branwen. Her younest was a girl named Lenore. Slytherin's son, Drakon, fathered a son and a daughter. The history of the daughter is unknown, but Drakon's line went on for many years, making the actual Slytherin line the purest, until one's first born was a daughter, and she married a Gaunt. They stayed as pure blooded as possible, until Alya's generation. Her marrying Sirius Black was the last time any of her line remained faithful to their forefathers wishes."

"So what of Gryffindor and Ravenclaws lines? What happened to them? They didn't just die out- you're living proof that Gryffindors magic is still strong."

"All their magic is still strong, regardless of the line it was brought into, it's just a matter of manifestation.

"Gryffindors eldest, Geoffrey, kept the actual line going, making sure that the marriages for all his heirs were to respectable wizards and witches, for nearly as long as Slytherin. He was nearly three hundred years old before he finally passed, and his line vanished, almost as if it died with him. I haven't been able to find anything on his family, so it is possible that his particular line has influenced many Gryffindor-sorted students at Hogwarts, but it's impossible for me to say if anyone is an heir or not."

"You are the last heir of any of the founders, Potter. Dumbledore would have found the others, if they existed."

"No, he wouldn't have. Each line was diluted enough for there to not be hundreds of people able to claim to be an heir, but in certain cases, it is possible for a witch or wizard to be classified as their heir. I'm the perfect example.

"Godric's youngest two are how I came to be his heir. Aislynn married a man by the name of Llewelyn, and that line has stayed extremely strong these many years. One of her decendants was my great-great-great-great-great-great aunt, Gwyneth. We went to school with David Llewelyn, who is an very distant cousin. My great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother, Geraldine, was a decendant of Aslan Gryffindor. His only child, a daughter, married a man by the name of Potter, and she started the line of heirs in them. It's an unwritten, magical law, one that predates our legal system, that basically says no person can call themselves an heir if they are not of direct decent of the witch or wizard in question. Through the Potter line, I am directly related to Aslan Gryffindor, and through my great grandmother, who was Dorea Black, I am related -although distantly- to Aislynn Gryffindor. The two lines joining, even on such a small level, put enough strength behind the Gryffindor magic for it to be written on the Gryffindor tree that I am the official heir."

"Which would have been easily discovered, had we researched your family history beyond the point that it is on file with the Minstry. How does this geneology lesson explain why you left, Potter?"
"It's merely my back story. Riddle's was much simpler, as it went straight from the Gaunts to the Slytherins. Ravenclaws heir went to school with us, and I'm quite sure you all still keep in contact with her, even if it is reluctantly."
"Who?" Hermione asked.

"Luna Lovegood." Harry smiled at the look of shock on their faces. "Bertram's line died out, after about a hundred years or so. Branwen's line became the Corvin line, and Lenore, who was a well known Seer, married a man by the name of Godelieve, and somewhere in the line, they changed the name to Lovegood."

"And Hufflepuff?"

"Died, about two years ago. Widowed woman, living in Paris. She never had any children."

The room slipped into an odd silence, until Tonks cleared her throat at the door. Harry looked up and nodded, and she and Cyrenes joined them.

"So now you know all about the Founders lines, and where they go, you should have some idea as to why I was important." Harry said, sipping his coffee.

"Did Sirius know you were distantly related to him?"
"Yes. It's why he went to great lengths to make sure I was named as his heir. Wanted to keep -no offense to you or your mother, Tonks- the family line as pure as possible. It is the family motto, after all."

Tonks conjured up a separate pot of tea for Cyrenes and herself, and sipped quietly, waiting for someone to ask the important question.

"And Merlin plays into this how? Lupin was rather adamant that he was the reason behind all this." asked Severus.

"He is. The reason I asked what you remembered, or knew, about the Founders was because there's a very crucial piece of history that was, up until Remus discovered it, kept secret. Something that will change absolutely everything about the way we look at our history as wizards."

"And what would that be, Potter?"

"That the Founders weren't just extremely talented wizards and witches; they were Myrddin Emrys' children."

---

He raked a hand through his hair for what was very likely the thousandth time, and growled at the scrolls before him. Nothing told him what he wanted to know, and he'd been looking all afternoon. He tossed the one he was currently reading aside and sat back in his chair.

"You've looked through the same files every year for eleven years, Lucius. They still haven't changed."

He looked over his shoulder at the man that walked into the small study, and he felt his heart leap. It was very rare for his son to seek him out, and although he had a feeling that this was not going to be a pleasant meeting, he was going to take the little bit of contact without any questions.

"I take it that the rumor's true; he was at the Leaky Cauldron last night."

"Yes. All the Weasleys, and Severus and a few other professors, confirmed it. The Death Eaters and the demon are true as well."

"Is he still in London?"
"I don't know."

Draco nodded to his father, and turned to leave, when a familiar pain in his chest caught him off guard. He stumbled, and reached for the wall, but was caught by a pair of strong arms instead. Lucius' eyes went wide as he recognized the energy he felt running through his son, and stepped back. Draco straightened his robes and continued on his way, as if it had never happened, but the entire floor gave a low rumble as he attempted to ground himself. Lucius wasn't going to let it go. If he was right, then he had done far more wrong to his son than he'd ever thought.

"Please," he said, voice catching in his throat, "tell me that's not a strained bond I just felt."

He stopped, and looked over his shoulder briefly, before starting for the stairs.

"Was it a full bond?" asked Lucius, starting after him.

"Don't ask questions you really don't want the answer to, Lucius."

"Draco."
"Does it really matter?"

"I wouldn't have asked if it didn't matter!"

He grabbed his son by the shoulder and whirled him around, prepared for the curse or hex that he knew would come, and was surprised when it didn't. Silver-blue eyes met his grey, and he was shocked at the ammount of pain he saw in them.

"On my part, yes, it was a full bond." Draco said, pushing his father away. "He was abducted before I could finish it."

"How long had it been in place?"
"Not long enough."

Without another word, Draco left the Department of Mysteries, and Lucius stood before the Veil, completely miserable. He hadn't known. His own son, and he had no idea…

"Interesting." an unfamiliar voice said, clearly amused. "Strong boy you've got, Minister."

He whirled around, and saw no-one.

"Show yourself."

A low, familiar chuckle met his ears, but still there was no-one there. With a wave of his hand, he'd lit the torches, brightening the entire department, and he cast a quick locator spell. He was the only one on this level. A light breeze -from where, he didn't know- ruffled the tattered curtain over the Veil, and he could have sworn he saw two people standing behind it, waving at him.

---

He knew the whole ordeal would be harder for them to handle, Hermione especially, but they'd taken everything pretty well. He chuckled, knowing that had it been anyone other than Snape and, well, Mrs. Snape, he would've been hexed six ways from Sunday, and he'd have a headache the size of the grand canyon from all the shouting. He'd told them about the Founders and about Emrys, and they'd both found it incredibly fascinating, and agreed that it would change everything if the whole wizarding world were to find out. They both wanted to see documentation, which he told them he'd provide once his business was complete here, and Cyrenes was off to school. Which brought them around to the topic of Hogwarts, and how much Cyrenes would like it. Eventually they'd gotten onto talking about babies in general, and from the looks Severus and Remus were giving him, he knew that he sounded incredibly queer.

"Who, other than Molly Weasley, do they have to talk to about this sort of thing?" he said, rolling his eyes at the other men. "It's not like Minerva can speak from personal experience, and Poppy… I don't think she has kids of her own."
"Ginny and Neville do." Tonks supplied, moving to one of the book cases. "Little boy."

"Harry's going to be six over Christmas." added Hermione.

Harry blinked at her. Neville and Ginny were together. They had a little boy, and they named him after him…

"Who else?"
"Bill and Fleur." said Remus. "They had twin boys the year you left. They'll be attending Hogwarts this year. Had another boy three years after they were born, and she just had a little girl, about two, maybe three weeks ago."

"Blaise Zambini married Pansy Parkinson, and they've got two girls, one four, the other just turned two." Severus said.

"That Patil twins both have kids, boys I think, and they'll be three in... November. I think." Tonks said, flipping through a photo album she'd gotten from the shelf.

"Charlie got married to a Romanian girl he worked with on the dragon preserve, and they're working on number five. The oldest is going to be ten in April." added Remus, taking his wife's hand as she found the page she was looking for and handed the book to Harry.

"And Ron's got Glynnis. She'll be eleven in March." Hermione said, leaning into Severus.

That got his attention. Ron had a daughter that was only half a year younger than his own. He sagged in his chair, resting his head in one hand while he flipped through the album in his lap. Pictures of the whole gang, with their kids. With a heavy sigh, he flicked his wrist towards the old writing desk in the corner and paper and a few quills flew out, writing furiously on their own. Envelopes addressed themselves, a candle lit and the black wax dripped to seal the letters of its own accord. Before anyone could say a word, the envelopes were in his hand, and he tossed them onto the table next to his coffee.

"See that they're delivered, Griphook's first, if you please." he said.

It was highly entertaining to him, to watch all of his friends draw their wands, three pointed at the table, the fourth at him, as a dark form crawled quickly up the leg of the table, fell over the letters, and was gone before the first curse could be uttered. Tonks sat down immediately, feeling oddly drained, and Remus sat next to her. He would trust Harry, until given a reason not to. He'd only just gotten the boy back, he wasn't going to send him running now. Hermione also took her seat, dizzy, although she couldn't explain why. Severus, however, remained standing, and glared at him.

"What exactly are you, Potter?" he asked.

"The same thing Emrys, and all wizarding kind, are, Severus."

"And what is that?"

A loud crash came from the entrance hall, and the door to the room quickly shut, and glowed a light blue color. Harry was on his feet, wand drawn, as Dobby popped into the room, muttering apology after apology.

"Dobby is sorry, sirs! Tried to keep him out, Dobby did."

"Who, Dobby?" Remus asked, kneeling down to console the elf.

"The other Master, Remus-sir! Told the house it was bad idea to let him in, Dobby did! House wouldn't listen!"

"Oh, shit. Severus, your strongest locking and barring charms on the door, now! Hermione, the windows. Tonks, make the house understand that this is not a good time for visitors."

Tonks' eyes went wide and she jumped to her feet. Cyrenes ran to her father's side as he clutched at his chest and fell to his knees, but kept her eyes on the werewolf. Tonks' eyes were now bright amber, as she moved towards the door, and transfigured one of the candle holders on the table nearest her into a small dagger.

"Send him away, to his flat." she said, slicing her palm and placing it on the door. "He's not ready for this yet."

"What is she doing?" Severus asked, frowning as his spells were ineffective.

"The house was built with blood in the mortar, it's bound to the family, like all old wizarding homes are." Hermione said, cursing under her breath at the windows. "She's trying to use the magic of the house to get rid of whoever it is that just showed up."

"Damnit, listen to me!" cursed Tonks, growling audibly. "I know you mean well, but it's not time for this!'

The house creaked and groaned under the stress of the magic coursing through it, and Harry took in a sharp breath. He knew who it was the second the house admitted him, and knew that it wouldn't listen. Not to Tonks, anyway. The house knew there was a bond that was in pain within its walls, and was going to try and set it right, no matter who told it what to do.

"It won't work. It feels-" he fell forward, the pain in his chest making breathing incredibly painful.

"Oh, balls." Cyrenes said, eyes slowly turning violet. "This is so not good. Mr. Lupin, do you have more of that potion, and a needle? Adrenaline would be great too."

"Potion I have, the others I don't. Is it that bad?"
"He's holding himself back, that's why he's in pain. He's bound the magic of the bond within himself, and it wants-"

The door burst open, and an incredibly pissed off Draco stalked in, grabbing the werewolf by the collar. Severus moved to disarm the situation, as did Tonks, but Harry's whimper of pain stopped them.

"He's here, in London, and you didn't tell think to tell me?" Draco growled, magic causing the house to creak.

"Draco, please, now is not the time for this."

"Where is he?"

"R-right behind you." Harry managed to breathe, gripping his daughters' hand tightly.

Draco whirled around, and glared at the man at his feet. His magic cracked like thunder, and shook the entire house. Harry saw the blonde's eyes flare, and then passed out. The shadows in the room all shook and whispered as the bond between them was finally let go, and all that he'd wanted to say was said. Shocked silver-blue eyes met concerned green-violet, before Draco fell to his knees. Tears rolled down his face as he looked at Cyrenes, and he brought a shaking hand up, brushing a lock of hair away from her face. She looked down at her father, and swallowed hard. It wasn't supposed to happen this way.

"Oh my God…"

TBC

Yes, I know, it's been ages since I've updated. But, long chapter, and it's been very uncooperative. As I believe I mentioned when I posted the prologue, I said that updates would be slow coming, and although this is slower than I had originally anticipated, I doubt that it will get any faster. I plan on having maybe four or five more chapters, all equally as long, if not longer, than this one, so don't expect updates to come quickly. I have a lot of information and what have you to cover -you got the bit about the Founders in this chapter- so it will probably be very slow going. Yes, I know, lots to swallow this chapter. But it was necessary to get to where we need to go. I have a 'modified' version of the Black family tree drawn up, if anyone would like to see it. The original tree (drawn up by the Lexicon) is still in tact, just a few additives.

Anyway, comments, questions, suggestions always welcome.