2. Potters to the rescue

The children were sleeping after being fed, but the adults were discussing how to rescue their friends.

"I think that we should find Remus first. He should be the easiest. We just need to find where he s living and then go there, explain everything to him and get him here. Then we ll go see the Augusta Longbttom about Alice and Frank s condition and maybe take Neville with us, if she agrees to it. You might even be able to heal Alice and Frank." James said. "Then we ll find out what happened to Maria and if she s still alive, rescue her from whoever has her. Then I ll slip into Azkaban and get Sirius out."

Lily nodded. "But what if Dumbledore threw Maria in prison like he threatened? Then we should get her and Sirius out after we get Remus here."

"Well, we can find out what happened to her right now. James said, walking over to the huge tapestry hanging on the wall in the living room. The Potter family tree. It s charmed to show information about everyone on this tapestry. I just need to tap my wand on the name of the person I want information about and a piece of parchment appears." He showed the parchment to Lily. Sitting down on the couch next to his wife, James started reading it aloud. "Maria Ailyn Potter-Black, daughter of Harold Potter and Karolyn Quinn-Potter. Married to Sirius Orion Black, has a daughter Karolyn Maria Black. Age 26. Alive. Current location Azkaban Prison..." here James trailed off, unable to believe that the person that he d trusted and looked up to, would throw two innocent people in prison, especially in one as horrible as Azkaban.

"That bastard. I can t believe that he would do something so horrible. James you have to get them out of there now. I ll go get a room ready for them and have the house-elves make some soup. And I ll have some potions ready too." Lily said. James nodded and with flick of his wand he was dressed in all black. His shirt was acromantula silk, with inch-wide laces tied around his waist. Black pants and dragon-hide boots covered the lower half of his body. With a kiss to Lily, he was gone.

Smiling slightly, Lily went upstairs to get everything ready. She decided to give Sirius and Maria the room next to their daughter. Harry's room was across the hall from Kara and both were next to the master bedroom, which was at the end of the hallway. When she was inside the room, she called for a house-elf and asked for her healing kit to be brought to her, as well as some broth prepared. The elf nodded and popped away to do as asked. Lily sighed and started pulling the covers back. James would be back soon with Sirius and Maria. She still couldn't believe how someone as nice as Dumbledore could be so cruel as to take a child from his parents and through innocent people in prison, orphaning another child. And how had no one noticed how he manipulated others to get what he wanted, often with the cost of others' lives and happiness. How many lives had he ruined? How many people had suffered because of his actions? And for the first time Lily wondered if Voldemort truly was evil or had Dumbledore done something to him? Maybe he wasn t even like that, but Dumbledore turned him into a monster? Or maybe Dumbledore pushed him into becoming an insane Dark Lord. Or maybe he discovered Dumbledore s secret and the old man tried to get rid of him, but ended up creating a Dark Lord.

James appearing with the two prisoners interrupted her thoughts. She quickly grabbed hold of Maria to help her to the bed, while James did the same to Sirius. Lily immediately started healing Maria as best as she could. One of her Fallen-powers was the ability to heal anyone with just a touch. After she was done, she moved to the other side of the bed to heal Sirius. Just as she finished healing the man a house-elf popped in with the things she'd asked. She told the elf to put the soup bowls on the nightstand next to the bed and took her potions bag. Taking out two nourishment potions, she instructed the two on the bed to drink them.

"Are we dead?" Maria asked as she took the soup-bowl that Lily handed her.

"No, you re quite alive, sis'. We're currently in Potter Manor in Wales." James answered as he sat at the foot of the bed. Lily was sitting in a chair next to the bed.

"If we're not dead, then how can you be here? You're supposed to be dead." Sirius said.

"Well, we're not. Dumbledore lied to us all. He told us that Voldemort killed Harry and that Death Eaters attacked and killed you two and Kara. Remus was supposedly poisoned with silver, after he went after Pettigrew. It was decided that it would be best if we left Britain and let the public believe that we were dead." Lily explained.

"What happened with Kara? Is she okay? Oh Merlin, she was left on her own." Maria was panicking.

"Calm down. Kara is okay. She's sleeping in the room next to this one. Her and Harry appeared here this afternoon. A Phoenix brought them here. Or so they said. Both children are healthy and happy." Lily said. She looked at James and said, "Can you go and check on them? If they're awake, bring them here." James nodded and left.

A few minutes later he was back with two children in tow. When Kara got inside and saw her parents, both alive, she ran to the bed and climbed on it to hug first her mother and then her father. Then she turned to James and Lily, saying, "Thank you so much for bringing them back."

"No need to thank us. It should have never even happened." Lily said. She looked to the doorway where Harry was still standing. He looked a little lost and it seemed that he didn't know what to do. 'Come here sweetie. Sirius, Maria, this is your godson Harry."

Harry walked over to where his mother was sitting and smiled shyly at the two adults who were sitting on the bed. "Hello." He said quietly.

"Hello Harry. You look quite a bit like your father. Though I can see your mother in you too." Sirius said.

"Let's just hope that your personality isn't like James'. It was hell growing up in the same house as him." Maria added.

James grinned at that. "But you must have liked it or else you wouldn't have married Sirius, now would you? He's as big a prankster as I am."

Maria just rolled her eyes and looked at Harry. "Harry, you haven't given me a hug yet. Come here." She said. Harry went around the bed to where Maria was sitting and the woman drew him on the bed for a hug. "Oh, you ve grown so much. The last time I saw you, you were just a baby." After Maria let him go, Sirius pulled the boy on his lap for a hug.

"Let the boy breathe, you two." James said, still smiling. Sirius let Harry go and the child moved to his mother's side again.

"You never told us how you two are alive." Maria said.

Lily and James both frowned at that. "What do you mean? We're Fallen, remember? We can't be killed by the Killing Curse. Did you somehow lose your memories or something?" James asked.

"I don't know what happened. I remember everything clearly now, but the knowledge of us being Fallen was somehow blocked. That's why we thought you were dead. It must have been Dumbledore's doing." Maria said. 'That bastard. Not only did he rip apart our families, he also took away a part of us.' She thought. "How can a man who looks so nice and caring do something so horrible? Makes you wonder if Voldemort truly is that evil." The other adults nodded.

A house-elf popped in and announced, "Dinner is ready, Mistress Lily." Lily thanked the elf and it popped away.

"Well, we should get to the dining room." She said. At the looks on Sirius' and Maria's faces, she added, "You need the exercise. I healed the damage done to you by the time in prison, but you need to move, or else the muscles will wither away and I'm not sure if I can heal something like that." They nodded and after Kara had gotten off, the two stood up from the bed. Both were a little unsteady at first, but soon got used to standing again. Together the group went downstairs to the dining room, where the table was set for six. James sat at the head of the table, with Lily on his right and Maria on his left. Harry sat next to his mother, with Kara across from him and Sirius next to his daughter.

"The house-elves still make sure that we follow the etiquette rules. Remember when we were little and tried to sit at the other end of the table, but the house-elves placed us back where we were supposed to be? They put a spell on the table that made you sit where you're supposed to." Maria said. James nodded, a grin appearing on his face at the mention of their childhood. He and Maria were dubbed the Demon Duo for all the pranks they pulled. They rarely fought, but when they did, the fights were spectacular. They fell silent, each eating their food.

The silence was broken by Kara, who suddenly said, "Tonight is the full moon." The others looked at her in shock, and in James and Lily's case, worry.

"How do you know?" Harry asked.

"While I was in the woods I used the full moon to keep track of time. It was full moon on the night that Mum was taken." Kara explained.

Lily looked at the other adults. "If this is true, then we must find Remus by tomorrow morning. While in Japan, I came across a cure for him, but it must be done on the day after the full moon."

"We can use the Marauder Locator. Remember the ritual we did? You just have to say Locate and the name of the person you want to find, and a piece of parchment appears with the exact address and/or coordinates. We'll do it after dinner and I'll go fetch him tomorrow morning." James said. The other adults nodded, while the children just looked on. They started eating again, the adults telling Harry and Kara stories from their childhood. After dinner Lily and Maria took the children upstairs to get them ready for bed. James and Sirius went into the living room to do the spell to find Remus.

-

The next morning after breakfast James and Sirius left to go find Remus. Maria and Lily sent the children outside to the garden and then went about preparing a room for Remus. Lily had the house-elves bring her healers kit and a full potions set. Maria changed the bed sheets to those similar to what was used in the hospitals. Soon James and Sirius appeared, James holding Remus. Lily motioned him to put the werewolf on the bed.

"Maria, go into his mind and find the wolf there. Then set it like it's an animagus form. You've seen what it looks like in other minds, I'm sure. Before you leave his mind, make sure that the moon is erased from the wolf. If you don't, it won't work." Lily said. The other woman nodded and after placing her hands on Remus temples, fell into a trance. Lily ushered James and Sirius to one side of the room and started chanting spell after spell on Remus. Slowly, his wounds started to heal, his face lost its sallow and haunted look, and he seemed to fill out a little more. Maria and Lily finished at the same time, and at Lily's questioning look, Maria nodded. Just in case Lily did a were-detection spell on him. It came back clean and she let out a relieved breath. "It's done. Remus is no longer a werewolf. He's just sleeping now, which is understandable, knowing what he went through last night. Let's go, I don't want you waking him up."

"Okay. Let's go see what the kiddies are up to." James said. The others nodded and the four conscious adults left the room to find their children.

They found Harry and Kara playing tag in the garden. As there was still time until lunch, the adults decided to join in.

"Let's play hide-and-go-seek!" (AN-Is this the correct spelling?) Kara announced when the adults came.

"Yes, hide and seek. Dad can be the seeker." Added Harry.

"Why me? Why can't it be Sirius, or Lily, or Maria?" James asked with a fake pout.

"Because we said so. No using magic to seek and no, you can't hide yourself with magic either. It wouldn't be fair to me and Harry that way. You have wands, but we don't." said Kara. "Now, Uncle James, you cover your eyes and count to 30."

"And no peeking!" Added Lily. With that they left James sitting on a bench and disappeared to the garden. Sighing playfully, James started counting. "One.... Two... Three..."

-

They stayed in the garden playing various games until noon rolled around, and a house-elf came to tell them that lunch was ready. They were on their way inside when another house-elf, Plinky, appeared and told them that Remus was awake. The group rushed inside and to Remus room. When they walked into the room, the man was just finishing his lunch. Upon seeing them he went very pale.

"Hey, Moony!" James said. "How are you feeling?"

Remus just looked at him in disbelief. Surely he was dreaming? James and Lily were dead, and Maria and Kara had gone missing years ago, and Sirius was supposed to be in Azkaban. Maybe he had died?

"Remus, we know that this is probably a huge shock for you, but before you freak out on us, let us explain everything, okay?" Maria said. Remus looked at her for a moment before nodding. They all found seats - the two kids sat at the foot of the bed, while the adults conjured or pulled chairs around the bed.

James was the one who started talking. "Remember when we first heard that Voldemort wants us, and especially Harry, dead? We were so terrified then, what with there being a spy in the Order and all. And then Dumbledore suggested that we go into hiding under the Fidelius charm. We wanted to use Sirius as the secret-keeper at first, but then Dumbledore suggested that we pick Pettigrew instead. Sirius supported that, because we all thought that it would be safer, no-one would ever think that it was Peter. We didn't tell anyone of it, just in case. We wanted to tell you, but we were a little suspicious and very afraid that you were the spy. So we hid ourselves away. And on Halloween, we were betrayed. Pettigrew had gone to Voldemort. He tried to kill us, but because of who we are, the Killing curse doesn't work on us properly. It knocked us out for a while, and when we woke up, the house was in ruins. We couldn't find Harry anywhere, so we went to Hogwarts. Dumbledore was very shocked to see us, and now that I think about it, a little disturbed. He told us that you were all dead, no-one was left. So we fled. Britain held too many painful memories for us to stay here. And of course, Dumbledore supported the decision. Guess he was hoping to be rid of us for good." James finished bitterly. He had thought of the man as his mentor, sometimes even grandfather, so the betrayal hurt him deeply.

Lily continued, when it became clear that James wouldn't. "We gathered what things we had and left. I had a relative in Japan, so we went there. Cali helped us get settled there, and we built our lives up again, though we decided not to have anymore children. Losing Harry had hurt too much. We were as happy as we could be, though we never once forgot everything that we lost. Then, a few days ago, a woman came to us. She said that she's a seer, of sorts, a spirit talker. She told us that we need to return here, immediately, because, "Loved ones lost shall once again be found...: Those were her exact words. We were wary at first, but then decided that returning for a few days couldn't hurt. We wanted to find out where you were buried, so that we could at last visit your graves. So imagine our surprise, when suddenly two children appeared in the Entrance Hall. I actually fainted when we found out who they are. At first I thought that it was some weird trick, but then I remembered what the old lady told us. I was so happy. I had my son back. And then we heard what they'd been through, and I became so angry, that I wanted to rip Petunia and her husband and Dumbledore apart.' Lily finished. She still very much wanted to rip those people, if they could be called such, to pieces and then burn them. Or maybe burn them first.

Maria was the next to talk. "After we thought that James and Lily were dead, I tried to get custody of Harry. Dumbledore told me that it was better that he remain with Lily's sister. At first I didn't protest, because I was too wrapped up in my grief and worry. I'd just lost my twin brother, my best friend and my husband, in practically one night. After a while, though, I started thinking that Harry should be with me, because I'm his aunt and Godmother. So when I tried to get Harry away from those muggles, Dumbledore threatened to take Kara away from me and have me thrown in Azkaban. I couldn't let that happen, so I went into hiding. For a while we were fine. Kara grew and I taught her everything I could to make sure that she survived, should something happen to me. She was lonely, but I couldn t risk going out, because that would have meant that Dumbledore would find us. So the years passed, until one night he came to our house. I don't know how he found us, but the wards gave me enough time to hide Kara away. I told Dumbledore that she'd died, to keep her safe. He took me to Azkaban. I had no idea what had happened to Kara, if she got out and was okay, or if she was caught, or something worse..." She trailed off. She'd been so afraid of losing her daughter forever, it was one of the things that thr Dementors had tortured her with.

Remus was shocked and angry. How could Dumbledore have done this? He tore apart families, and for what? Power? Control? "So now that we're all together again, what's going to happen?" He asked at last.

"Well, we were thinking of going back to Japan. James and I have a new life there, and we'd be more than happy to have you there too. We own a large piece of land, so you can build your homes there." Lily said. James nodded.

"We can found our own village and name it Marauderville!" Sirius exclaimed. The others just looked at him like he was crazy. Which he probably was. "What? It's a good idea!" he said defensively.

"The village part yes, but not Marauderville. It's just too cliche." Remus said, to which Sirius pouted.

"Well, our house is named the Lunar Cottage. Maybe we could find something related to that?" Lily offered. Maria immediately agreed and the three men too, after being sent glares by Lily and Maria.

"Mummy, I'm hungry. Can Harry and I go downstairs to eat?" Kara asked. The two children had been so quiet that the adults had forgotten they were there.

"Of course. We'll come too. Remus, do you think you can come downstairs as well, or do you need to rest for a while longer? Maria asked.

"I'm fine. I feel amazingly well after a full moon. How did you heal me?" the man answered as he got out of the bed. He felt a lot healthier and stronger.

"We'll talk about it on the way to the dining room. Come on." Lily said. The group walked out of the room, the children happily leading the way. None of them had been that happy in a long while.

TBC.