TEN YEARS LATER

"Hello, Harry," Sarah called over the fence between the yards. "How are you doing? Dudley been beating you up again or something?"

"Nah," said the small, skinny, black-haired boy who looked just like his father.

Except for his eyes. His eyes are just like Lily's, like gleaming emeralds, Sarah thought.

"But, it's 'Dudders' birthday today," he said in disgust.

"How many presents is it this time?" Sarah asked in amusement.

"Thirty-seven, but he's going to be getting two more while they're out," the boy said, shaking his head. "And I'm lucky if I even get a song from them for my birthday."

"We have a party for you, though," Sarah said. "And give you presents, too."

"Yeah." Harry smiled at her. "You and Remus are more like my parents than the Dursleys are. And they're related to my mum!"

"We were friends of your parents," Remus commented. "Good friends."

"Really?" The orphan's eyes lit up. "Will you tell me about them?"

"Come on over. We'll tell you anything," Sarah said, then corrected herself. "Well, almost anything. Some information is better left unspoken." She exchanged a glance with Remus. They hated Dumbledore's instruction to not tell Harry about his true background, his magical background. However, Dumbledore had told them that it was better for Harry not to know about his fame until he went to Hogwarts. Otherwise, it could go to his head, though Sarah saw no possibility of that happening.

"Can't," Harry said sourly. "Uncle Vernon won't let me come over anymore. Says you could have bad influences on me."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Looks like Petunia finally recognized me," she whispered to Remus. "Took her long enough."

Just then, Vernon Dursley, a fat walrus of a man, came out with his horsey wife, Petunia, and his whale-sized son, Dudley. "Come on, boy. You're going with us. Mrs. Figg broke her leg." He glared at his nephew as he spoke.

"We'll keep him if you like," Sarah offered. She hated depriving Harry of the chance to go to the zoo, but she knew that he would probably perform accidental magic in his excitement and give the Dursleys cause to punish him in some way.

"No. He's coming with us, as you've got enough children of your own," Petunia said curtly. "But thank you for your offer."

Sarah knew that the thanks was fake. She shrugged. "Okay." Then she watched Harry get in the car, and Vernon drove off.

XxxxX

The Lupins didn't see Harry for several weeks after that, except for when the Dursleys got back home that day and when Harry came from and went to school.

Finally, during the summer holidays, Harry came into their house.

"Will you still tell me about my parents?" He asked.

"Of course," Sarah said gently. "What do you want to know?"

"What did they look like? How did you know them? How did they die? Where did we live? What were they like? What—?"

"Whoa!" Sarah laughed. "I can't answer all those questions at once! Just hang on, I'll get to them eventually." She paused, then added, "Wait here for a moment."

She went to the master bedroom and retrieved a photo book, one with Muggle pictures. Thank goodness that Lily insisted on both Muggle and wizard copies of all their photos so she could show her Muggle family!

She came back to the living room and sat next to Harry on the couch. Opening the album, she pointed at a picture of Lily and James. It was their wedding picture. "This is Lily," she said as she pointed at her late, red-haired friend. "She was a very nice woman who was loyal to her friends and also very stubborn. Your father had a very difficult time trying to get her to go on a date with him. They were seventeen when he finally succeeded in taking her out after falling for her when they first met at age eleven. When we all met, actually. Me, Remus, your parents, and a few other friends, one of whom is dead, the second in prison, and the third teaching in a school. Actually, Lily and I were the only ones of the group to be the teacher's friend, and Lily and this friend broke up when we were fifteen. I still correspond with him occasionally, but not often."

"Who's that?" Harry asked, pointing at Sirius. Sarah felt her throat clench.

"Sirius Black. He was the best man at your parents' wedding, and he was your father's best friend. He's currently in jail," she said.

"Oh."

"Remus and I met your parents when we were all going to a boarding school. We had to travel on a train, and it's where that teacher works."

She paused, trying to figure out how to answer his next question. "Your parents died...when...a...serial killer attacked them. He killed your parents, but for some reason, he disappeared when he tried to kill you. Your scar," she pointed towards the pale lightning bolt on his forehead, "is from his attempt on your life."

"Why would he disappear after trying to kill me? And why couldn't he finish killing me?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Sarah admitted. "Nobody does. But you lived in a town called Godric's Hollow. We lived there, too, but when your parents died and you came here, we followed. I knew the Dursleys, even then, and I knew you would need someone to provide love for you."

She paused again, trying to remember his next question. "Ah, and you asked what they were like. Well, your father...he was a prankster in school. Him and Sirius Black caused all kinds of trouble in school. Drove the teachers crazy. He was a bit proud at first, but he was from a richer family, so it was normal for him. He deflated his head a bit, after a while, though. He was great friends with Remus, Sirius, and the dead friend I mentioned earlier. His name was Peter Pettigrew. He wasn't as good in school as the rest of us, but he was a good friend. A...minion...of the serial killer who killed your parents killed Peter. Blew up Peter and half the street behind Peter. Killed a dozen people, not counting Peter. The minion was caught, though, and he was put in jail."

Her voice trembled slightly as she remembered the events of that day. November the first was unanimously left as a day of grief by the Lupin adults. They had discovered the loss of two great friends in the early hours of that day, and then lost two more great friends that afternoon.

"Sarah?" Remus called from the front hall

"In here!" She replied. She noticed the quaver in her voice and knew that Remus would instantly be worried about her. "Harry came over to hear about his parents," she informed her husband as he came into the living room.

"Oh, okay," Remus murmured. She knew that he would understand it as the reason for the quaver.

"Hi, Remus!" Harry said cheerfully. Then, a bellow came from the direction of the Dursleys' house. "Aw! I have to go..."He mumbled.

"Bye, Harry," Sarah said as he left. When he had gone out the door, she stood and leaned against her husband.

"I want to help him know about his parents, but it's so hard, reliving the past," she whispered. "I miss them so much. Even Sirius; at least, the Sirius we knew."

"I know," Remus said softly. "I know."