Sadly, Harry Potter does not belong to me. Though I really wish he did. He does, however, belong to the ever talented J K Rowling. Though, I think I spelled her name wrong. Anyways, I think she did us all a great favor literally by giving Harry Potter to the world. And I'll shut up now.

(New Summary: Our entire beings are made up by memories. The events that make up the span of our lives. A memory can never be deleted, but it can be modified. What would you do if you suddenly found that everything you had ever known was a lie? One single action over the summer rips apart everything in Harry's life and has far reaching ramifications. Will it also bring the truth? MPreg

Chapter One – The Heart of the Matter

It was the sound of a dull thud just outside his door that caused Dudley Dursley to open his eyes groggily. Grumbling under his breath, he stumbled out of bed and over to the door. One of the few things he had inherited from his mother was his penchant for nosiness, and he had to know what was going on. Maybe Potter was into something. He cracked the door open slightly and then his eyes rounded, all sleepiness forgotten. "What the hell!"

A soft, hesitant knock on the potions' door caused Severus Snape to look up. He had never heard that knock before. Albus always knocked with some sort of God forsaken muggle beat, Draco with a distinct confidence, and Hagrid with a fierceness that threatened to break the door. No one else ever came uninvited. It was only a couple hours past the Welcoming Feast, surely nothing horrible had happened yet. Briefly, he debated on whether or not to allow the person admittance, but decided that he might get some fun out of it anyways. "Enter."

The door swung open slowly, and to his utter shock there stood Harry Bloody Potter. The boy had his head downcast, and his hair fell forward, obscuring his face from view. Severus sneered slightly as he recalled Albus' great idea that Potter should teach the Defence class as well as take all his own NEWT classes. He wondered idly where the old man came up with half the ideas that went through his head.

He narrowed his eyes dangerously as Potter finally lifted his head just slightly to look at him. "I thought I told you, I never wanted to see you in my class rooms ever again?" It was true. He had said that, two years ago. Not that it had done any good. The boy was still in his potions class, but other than that Potter had never come back.

He flinched slightly at Snape's tone, but remained where he stood in the doorway, shuffling his feet slightly against the stone floor. He cleared his throat. "I – I – That is – I need your help with something, sir." He finally managed to blurt out.

An eyebrow lifted ever so slightly. What could be so important that the brat who lived would come to him of all people? "Come in and sit unless you wish for everyone to hear you, you stupid child."

Potter surprised him even more when, instead of glaring at the open insult, he nodded and stepped further into the lab, closing the door behind him. He sat down gingerly in the first seat he came to, and Severus' brow twitched up again. If he didn't know better he would say that the boy was scared. But, Harry Potter had never shown such behavior towards his professor before. It was mind-boggling. "Well? Are you going to tell me or do I need to start guessing?"

"I…" He started but then stopped and took a deep breath as though steeling himself. "I need to know something about potions sir, and you're the only one I could go to."

"There are a great many things you need to know about potions." Severus snarked. Why was this boy here, bugging him? If this wasn't important… The rapid rush of words caused him to blink and glare at the boy. He hadn't been able to make out a word of that it was so low, garbled, and hurried. "Care to repeat yourself?"

"I said… I need to know if, if th-there's a potion to, to change the parentage of a child before it's born."

A slow smirk curled its way across Severus' lips, despite the seriousness of the question. "Why, Potter, been fooling around and don't want the girl's child?"

"That's not it sir…"

"Then please explain."

"I'm sorry sir, but I can't." He got up, stretching his shoulders and turned to leave. "I'm sorry to have wasted your time." It was after he turned away from the Professor that he heaved a small sigh that might have very well gone unnoticed. But as he left he did one very small thing that grabbed his professor's attention. He was just walking out the door when he unconsciously placed his hand over his stomach and rubbed in small soothing circles. What Severus didn't see, was the falling tear.

"Potter, stay after class."

Harry froze, his eyes going wide even as he nodded. He had known that was coming. He'd nearly fallen asleep during Snape's lecture. The class filtered out slowly, Ron and Hermione both giving Harry sympathetic looks. Harry was staring at the floor again, and no one seemed to be noticing that he was withdrawing. It had been a week since the students had returned, and during that week Severus had been watching. He had watched as Harry withdrew repeatedly from his friends, seeking solitude from the hustle and bustle of student life. Potter's rooms had become a refuge, though Severus had caught him once or twice in the astronomy tower, staring out at the quidditch pitch.

"Sit at the front, Potter, so I can see you better." Harry moved up with out protest, his eyes ever focused on the dirty floor. "Look at me, Potter."

"I can't."

"Like you couldn't explain what you were asking me for?" No response. Severus sighed and did something he never thought he'd be doing. He sat down next to Harry, and Harry flinched away slightly. "Tell me why you need to know." Harry shook his head, but Severus roughly caught his chin and forced his gaze to his. "Tell me, Mr. Potter."

"I can't."

Severus took the time to slowly appraise Potter's appearance, and what he saw was not reassuring. The once sparkling eyes were slightly dull with shame and guilt and large dark bags under his eyes showed his lack of sleep. He didn't comment on it and he pushed away from the boy and coolly moved around the desk, leaning over a potion he'd been working on throughout the class. He bottled some of it before turning back to Harry, watching as the boy squirmed in his seat.

Severus paused, carefully thinking about how to do this, if he approached it directly Potter would run and deny everything. "The answer is yes. There is a potion that can change the parentage. However," he stressed quickly when the boy's head snapped up, "to use the potion before the child's birth can possibly kill the unborn. It is best to wait until at least a week after the birth before administering it. For whom are you asking this?"

Harry's mind produced a likely alibi, momentarily relieved to know that there was at least something he could do. "A friend."

"Does your friend attend this school?"

"If she did then teachers would already know, wouldn't they? After all, Headmaster Dumbledore knows everything that goes on here, and would do anything to help her. He would have probably come to you himself."

"Why does she not have the child terminated?"

He watched absolutely fascinated as a dark flush appeared on Harry's skin and his eyes iced over. "She doesn't want to lose the baby. In fact she very much wants to have him or her, she just doesn't want the baby's father to be a rapist!" He practically hissed the last word.

Black eyes locked with shuttered emerald for a moment and then slightly cool fingers pressed a small vial into a numb and cold hand. "Tell her to take this. It will at least help with the morning sickness. If she wishes to still change the baby's parentage you can come back and tell me later. I'll be asking you to stay after each class to give you her potion."

"Yes, sir."

"You may go, Potter."

"Thank you, sir," and as he left he once more placed his hand over his stomach, not sure whether to be happy that there was a way to change the parentage or upset that it couldn't be done before the child was born.

He made it back to his rooms and collapsed onto his bed with a weary sigh. Dumbledore had decided that since Harry would be teaching, he should have a private living area. Something about making sure Harry wasn't too biased towards his own house due to constant interaction. Honestly, he couldn't decide if the private rooms were a blessing or a curse. He was away from the hustle and bustle of Gryffindor tower, and not sharing a dorm made it much easier to hide his condition. On the other hand though, the lack of chaos left him with entirely too much time for thinking for thinking about the 'condition' currently resting under his hand. He dropped his concealment charm and traced the very slight beginnings of a bump, easing both the child and himself to sleep.

When he woke it was time for supper, and he made his way begrudgingly to the Great Hall. He sat at the head of Gryffindor table, Ron on one side and Hermione across from him. Neville was sitting next to Ginny, whispering playfully in her ear, causing her to giggle and Ron to give him murderous looks. Harry carefully picked at his food, only eating partial amounts. His stomach started to rebel as Ron tried to pass him a rather large portion of pork chop.

"Mate, what's wrong with you? You've hardly eaten anything since we got back, and quite frankly you look like hell."

"It's just taking me a while to recover from another fun filled summer at the Dursleys." It was no secret to Ron that Harry's treatment at the Dursleys was at best unsatisfactory, and while the answer didn't please him, it did at least explain things. His mind flitted over the year Ron and twins had rescued him. How he'd managed to keep the giant hand prints on his arms hidden, he'd never know. Still, he reminded himself before he could grow melancholy, it could be worse. The Dursleys hadn't left marks like that in ages, and they'd certainly nev – He stopped the thought abruptly, swallowing as he felt his face pale.

He closed his eyes for a moment. "I need to go check my lesson plans. I'll see you guys later." He got up and walked out; ignoring the odd looks he was receiving. He wasn't exactly lying when he said he had to do lessons plans - he did in fact need to do them - he just hadn't planned on doing them that night. He sighed when he got back to his rooms and sank gratefully into a leather recliner before accioing his lesson books to him.

His eyes were closed, the books fallen to the ground, and the concealing spell once more gone when Crookshanks came prowling into the room and settled himself on Harry's lap, his head lightly resting against Harry's stomach.

The rooms were dark when Harry suddenly jerked awake with a cry a couple hours later. "No!" The only answer he got was a meow and he looked down, surprised to see Crookshanks on his lap. He blinked and then lifted the cat, placing him on the floor as he got up and headed to his bed. He settled in, curling comfortably under the covers, when there was another mreow and Crookshanks again joined him. Harry couldn't help but to chuckle. "I suppose you're staying then?" The cat purred and settled in against him.

It was the sound of knocking that dragged Harry slowly from the soundest sleep he'd had in weeks. He groaned, mumbled the concealing charms, and stumbled his way to the door where he found Hermione peering in at him. "Harry, are you all right? You didn't come to breakfast and I thought it odd. Were you still in bed? Why is my cat in your rooms?"

"He decided I made a good mattress, I think. I didn't come to breakfast because I was sleeping, Hermione. I would really like to go back to it if I can."

"Harry, it's the first Saturday of the school term and you want to sleep?" Her voice was incredulous.

"Yes. I'm tired, 'Mione. I haven't had a decent nights sleep in a long time, let me catch up on it, please!"

"Nope, sorry, you're coming out with us today "

"Hermione, no! I don't want to and I don't feel like it. Please just leave me alone. I still have my lesson plans to finish."

"You are coming outside and you are going to enjoy it. So stop fighting or I'll use the petrificus totalus curse on you." Harry seemed to pale, but before he could respond someone else did.

"Miss Granger, kindly stop harassing the staff. Besides, I need to borrow Mr. Potter for an… experiment."

Hermione said nothing else. She scurried away from them as though she'd been burned.

Harry blinked and leaned against his door frame weakly, looking up at his professor, or would it be colleague now? "An experiment, sir?"

"I've completed it now. All I wanted to know was how long it would take for her Gryffindor courage to fade."

Harry would have smirked had his world not been threatening to go black. "If you'll excuse me, sir, I think I need to get back to my bed." Harry didn't wait for a response but turned away, quietly shutting the portrait door. He had only taken a step when his world tilted and went black. He landed with a muffled thump on the carpeted floor.

On the other side of the door Snape paused, listening for another sound. When none came he gave a long-suffering sigh, and entered through the portrait. Potter was lying pale on the floor, his eyes flickering slightly as he tried to pull himself out of the dark that was so welcoming.

Severus lifted him easily, settling the boy's very slight weight against his chest as he carried him through to the bedroom. Had it not been for his suspicions, he would have simply dropped the boy and left. That's what he told himself anyways. Instead, he gently placed Potter down on the bed and watched as the boy gave up trying to fight against the oblivion, and as he slid into a complete state of unconsciousness the concealment charms lifted. Severus no longer had to be suspicious, because now he could plainly see the truth. The slight swelling in Potter's stomach was all the evidence he needed. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. This was going to take some delicate maneuvering, and he hated handling humans delicately.

The fact that there was any swelling at all however gave Severus a time line to work from. For though the bump was small due to Potter's thin frame, he pegged the time for around the three month mark. Give or take a little that would mean it had to have happened right after school let out. He knew it couldn't have happened at school. The boy was watched far too well and the rumor mill would have went insane. He doubted that anyone could keep the secret of having slept with the Boy Who Lived.