Summary – It's been a year since Voldemort was defeated by Harry. Most of the Wizarding community has moved on, but for those who were personally involved it's a bit harder. Then a something surprising arrives and Harry realises he's going to have a whole lot more to deal with now. "I want answers Remus. If you are Remus Lupin."

Disclaimer – Rowling lives on the opposite side of the world from me. You actually can't get much further away from my home than she is right now. So out of all the people in the world, I most definitely cannot claim to own Harry Potter or anything else in the wizarding world.

Notes – Hmmm, yes. Well, what can I say? This plot bunny spoke to me.

A huge big thanks to Jedi Keladry (good to see you again! How are you?), redhairnightmare, hikarisailorcat, aa900, korrd, amrawo, vero, Jeni-nite (hey sis), Mariann's (you'd think that wouldn't you, but we'll see what we can do about it), mdx1, shade, Jess-88, Calen (well, it won't be a focus as Ginny doesn't have a big part, but they will be together), Red Ranger Chick, Kazaam'sMom.

You guys are fantastic:-)

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Lily Potter had such a thumping headache that she just wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, but something drew her back to consciousness, there was something not quite right. The bed, the room…what?

With an effort she lifted her heavy eyelids and blinked adjusting the lighting in the room, provided largely by a few lamps on a low setting. The room was instantly unfamiliar, but it looked like she was in a magical home, which was both reassuring and frightening depending on whose home it might be.

Very slowly she took in her surroundings, finally he gaze settled on the young man beside her bed. His familiar face momentarily fooled her. "James?"

The young man was startled, but even before he spoke Lily was picking out the differences in the young man from the one she had married. This man was younger than James, taller, slighter. He had James' messy hair, but unlike her husband it looked like he attempted to control the wildness. Lastly, even in the shadows, behind his glasses, Lily could see that he vivid green eyes so like her own.

"I'm afraid not," he said softly, his eyes reflecting a depth of pain that Lily couldn't begin to comprehend. She had enough time to reflect that his voice to wasn't like her husband's, at once both harder and lighter, more uncertain. But right then he dropped a bombshell on her that she hadn't expected. "I'm Harry."

Shock flooded her senses. This man in front of her was at least eighteen, possibly older. Her Harry was just a baby, a tiny little boy, not quite a year old. But at the same time… then everything clarified in a rush of terrifying memories. Baby Harry, Voldemort's arrival, James shouting, herself screaming, sinister laughter, then nothing but silence.

Denial flooded her and she shook her head. "No! This is a trick. Where's Voldemort and what has he done with my son? Where's my husband? Who are you?"

She was shouting at the young man, who was now looking at her with confused tears in his eyes. For someone who was acting, she supposed he was very good.

"Mum…Mum! No! Listen to me! I'm Harry!" He reached for her hands but she shoved him away, convinced he was some kind of trick sent by Voldemort to get her tell the secrets of the Order, secrets that even Peter didn't know…

"No!" she shouted. "Don't touch me!"

Suddenly the door to the room swung open, hitting the wall with a bang, and instinctively Lily cringed away, afraid of who might be there.

To her surprise the man who stood there was not who she suspected – who had she been expecting? Voldemort? – but someone who was familiar and strange at the same time. He pushed past 'Harry', but not unkindly. Neither of the two women who followed him in were familiar to Lily. One had bright purple hair and wore what looked like a man's shirt, and a pair of ragged pants, the other had red hair and silk pyjamas on. But Lily's focus was on the man.

He was familiar, but not. And it took her a few seconds to work through the confusing jumble of memories to pull his name forward. It was not that she didn't know him well – she did – but that he was not who she remembered him to be.

The man before her was old. There was silver in his light brown hair, and his face was careworn, showing the marks of someone who had lived a hard life.

"Remus?" she asked, confused.

"Hello, Lily," he said gently.

"What…what's going on?" she felt herself calming down. Remus Lupin, despite his strange appearance, was someone she could trust.

"We're just trying to figure that out actually."

"Where's Voldemort?" Glances were exchanged, and Lily was unsure now who she could trust. They'd thought that Remus might be betraying them, but then he couldn't be, because he wasn't their secret keeper, Peter had been… Peter had betrayed her and James and Harry…

"Where's James? Where's Harry?"

Lupin looked floored for a moment and 'Harry' looked hurt, then the young man's face hardened and he shook off the arm the young redheaded young woman had placed on his arm.

"Lily, I don't know how to tell you this, but that's Harry." He indicated 'Harry' who was standing to one side.

"No! No, you're lying!" she accused feeling the heavy weight of the truth beginning to settle on her despite the denials she was throwing around.

With a low growl the young man spun and strode out of the room. She couldn't help but notice that his steps were graceful and cat quiet, the way James' had become recently…

Lupin looked up, "Ginny would you…?" but the young redhead was already following 'Harry' out of the room in a manner that was no less graceful or quiet.

"Where's James? Where's my husband? What have you done with him? Where is my son?"

For a second, Lupin looked at a loss, then he turned to the other woman in the room. "Tonks can you wake Molly and tell her that Lily is awake and that some soup or a cup of tea might be in order."

"Of course," then she and her bright purple hair was gone.

"I want answers Remus. If you are Remus Lupin."

"Oh, I assure you, I'm most certainly myself," this strange old man with Remus' face said. "Lily, I know it's hard to understand, but I need you to listen…"

"As you tell me more of his lies," she hissed angrily.

"No, as I tell you everything that has happened in the last eighteen years," he told her with his gentle, but now some sternness had crept in.

"Eighteen years?" she asked in a small voice.

"Yes, Lily. You've been dead nearly eighteen years – or we believed you to be dead, anyway. That young man who was in here is your son, Harry, and he's been through a lot in the time you've been gone. It may be hard to accept, but try not to hurt him too much while you do."

Lily's mouth tightened at the rebuke, but she didn't say anything, instead turning the topic away from the young man with James' face and her own eyes. "James?" she asked, but knowing the answer.

"Oh Lily," he sighed, and paused looking tired. "He died the same night you did." The pain was immense and it took her long moments to try and work through it. Yes, James had died: he never would have let Voldemort through to her and their son had there been breath in his body. Remus took her hand and rubbed her fingers softly, comforting her.

"Why didn't Harry die then?" she asked, her heart feeling heavy in her chest.

"No one really knows – although Dumbledore had some interesting theories on that one."

"Had?"

"He died more than two years ago now."

The blow hit Lily, not only James, but Dumbledore? "How?" she whispered.

"Snape," Lupin hissed angrily, but said no more.

Just then an older woman with fading red hair bustled in, and Lily identified her as Molly Weasley. She hadn't known the other woman well, but she'd met her a couple of times. If Lily remembered rightly she had a number of sons, one who was the same age as Harry – grown now, if Lupin's story was to be believed, and evidence was starting to point that way.

"Oh hello, dear," said Molly. "How are you feeling? It must have been a pretty nasty shock to wake up here. But I've brought you something to eat and drink and that'll help."

Lily accepted the tray, but did not eat the food. She had been around Moody too long; she knew that all kinds of things could be in the food or drink, things like Veritaserum, or worse.

"It's all right, Lily, there's no poison in the food. I'll test it if you like," Lupin said. But Lily shook her head. It could be a bluff, but she was beginning to suspect not.

"Where Harry?" asked Molly, a note of worry in her voice.

"Ah, Lily was a bit confused when she woke up, and you know how Harry is, but I doubt he's far away. Ginny's gone to look for him."

"Hmmm." Molly frowned and gave Lily a hard look. "I'll leave you be, shall I?" she asked a little abruptly.

"I think that's best, yes. Goodnight, Molly." The older woman nodded sharply and scuttled out of the room. When she was gone, shutting the door behind her, Lupin sighed and turned to Lily. "Don't mind Molly, her heart's in the right place, but she adores Harry. She just doesn't want to see him hurt."

Tentatively, Lily took a bite of the toast set in front of her, and it tasted surprisingly good. Crunchy with plenty of butter. The soup looked good as well, and smelled divine.

"That's really Harry?" she asked in a small voice, placing the toast back on the tray.

"It really is."

"But he's so big…"

"He's grown up a lot since you last saw him, Lily." Yes, he would have. He'd been a baby last time she had seen him. He'd just started to walk, only managing a few clumsy steps before collapsing on his backside, clapping his hands with delight. Such a bright cheerful little boy against such dark times. What had she missed?

"What's happened?" she asked in despair.

"Voldemort—"

"Is dead and gone," announced a voice from a door that Lily hadn't noticed opening. Harry. Behind him stood the young redhead – Ginny…Weasley? Maybe. "For real this time."

The words were strange. "For real?"

"The night you and James were killed—" it was strange to hear someone speak of your death to your face— "he disappeared, defeated. Most people believed he was dead," Remus said. "But he rose again. He was destroyed, completely, about a year ago."

Remus glanced at Harry, but the young man's face remained blank, unreadable. Ginny was stiff, and she shot a look first at Harry, then at Lupin, frowning. There was something in her face that said there was more to that story than the other two were saying. But the young woman sighed and shook her head.

"I'll leave you alone, should I?" she asked, almost mirroring her mother's words. Then she stood on tiptoe to kiss Harry on the cheek and turned to leave. "I'll see you in the morning, Harry."

"'Night Ginny," he answered absentmindedly. Lily understood with a jolt that the young woman was her son's girlfriend. My son. For the first time, she realised that as strange as it seemed she was beginning to accept that this quiet, sad young man was her son.

She looked up at him and said quietly. "Hello Harry."

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