With a deep groan, Lily Potter stretched her hurting back, in pain after a long morning working in the garden. Lily had insisted in having her own garden after her first trip to an unfairly expensive American apothecary, their first month living in the magical sector of Boston. While she didn't exactly regretted her decision, it was certainly taking a toll on her. Magical gardens, even tiny ones like hers meant a lot of hard work, because a lot of the magical plants, especially the valuable ones were extremely delicate and didn't react well with external magic, meaning that everything had to be done by hand.

Lily let out a small sigh. Harry was really good with plants, but it wasn't his favorite activity, so he only helped in transplanting, or when a plant needed an extra pair of hands, like the Tentacula. As she finished with the Bouncing Bulb, a voice behind her startled her.

"Need any help?"

Turning around, Lily smiled brightly to the newly arrived. "Remus!"

After embracing the werewolf in a strong hug, Lily led him inside the house, where the Potters and Sirius lived. "Are you all right Remus? We expected you back at least a week earlier"

Taking seat in one of the sofas Remus answered. "I know. Something came up in Hogwarts at the end of the term. Besides that, MACUSA is getting stricter about international travel, especially from Europe. Seems like good old Greyback is becoming more active recently"

The bitterness in his voice was clear but Lily refrained to pressure on the matter. After all those years, Greyback was still a delicate subject for Moony and she couldn't exactly blame him. She decided to change topics. "Are you coming back to Hogwarts?

"No" The werewolf denied, with a slightly sad expression in his face. "That and… other things I want to discuss after diner. It's… not good"

Lily gulped. Despite being the most serious of the Marauders, Remus was never this stern. There were bad news in his mind and she was certainly not ready to hear them.

Another voice broke the solemn mood in the room. "It´s not polite to ignore your goddaughter for that long Moony" said a smirking James Potter leaned in the door frame.

Startled, Remus turned around to find another smirking black-haired Potter next to him. With a smile Remus embraced twelve year old Alice Potter. "Hello Prongslet"

"Hello uncle Remus".

Letting her go, Remus examined his protégée. "You are extremely big! You must be as tall as Harry now!"

"Almost" answered Lily, ignoring the satisfied smirk in her daughters face. "You will have to apologize her. She learned the silencing charm this term and she uses it anytime, anywhere."

As Remus embraced James, he asked Alice "Where is your brother?"

Rolling her eyes, the youngest Potter answered. "Training with uncle Sirius. Second session today."

Remus frowned a bit. "Please don't tell me he is still bitter on losing the finals of the dueling tournament"

"Yes. Poor brother cannot take being defeated by a girl" responded Alice cheerfully.

Before any of them could reply, another voice was heard from the top of the stairs. "She being a girl doesn't bother me. The fact that she is ten years old is the annoying part"

Almost fourteen-year-old Harry Potter descended to embrace Remus. "Hello uncle Moony"

"Hello Mini-Prongs"

Harry frowned. "I preferred when I was Prongslet if I'm being honest"

"Nah". One last voice was heard. "Prongslet suits little Ice-cream better. And I have told you that that Amara girl is a prodigy. You have nothing to be ashamed of Mini-Prongs" said a smiling Sirius

Huffing at Sirius for his purposely annoying nicknames, Harry and Alice stood next to each other, allowing Remus to look at both. Even with the two year difference, the two Potter siblings were incredibly look-alike. The two of them had inherited the trade-mark Potter hair, and they both tried to tame it in a short ponytail, Harrys a bit shorter than her sisters. Both were very similar to James, with the factions softened a bit thanks to Lily. While that make a really pretty girl in Alice, the results were outstanding in Harry, who on top of that had inherit the deep green eyes of Lily, in contrast to the warm hazel eyes of Alice and James. Alice being on the tall side for a girl her age and Harry being a bit shorter than the average only helped to reinforce the similarity between the two of them, Alice being only slightly shorter than Harry.

With a chuckle, Remus remembered Lily´s complaint about his son, who had been caught snogging two girls that year. Knowing that those times were only the times he have been caught, Lily had investigated, reveling flirty letters with a girl from Salem, and rumors about other two in Ilvermorny. Albeit James was a bit proud, Lily had been horrified when she found out that "those mesmerizing green eyes" were Harry's strongest argument in the flirting department.

"She is too young to have a wand in some countries. It was unfair" answered the boy stubbornly.

With chuckles, the rest of the family walked to the dinning room, ready to eat. As always, the meal went comfortably, with same old jokes and same easy banter, as if Remus hadn't been gone for a year. Harry and Alice were still in Ilvermorny, coming back home each afternoon, Lily was still researching, publishing constant improvements to daily life potions (three in the year Remus was gone), Sirius was still the reckless Hit-wizard working for MACUSA, and James was still in business, making gold for him and the goblins in the American branch of Gringotts.

However, the calm ambiance of the dinning table was soon replaced by the more serious ambiance of James office. After James offered everyone a drink. (Remus and Lily declined), the four adults took sit.

"Are our spies in their spot?" Asked a semi-amused Remus.

"Nah" answered Sirius. "They usually need a couple minutes to disable the wards."

"Alright. I need to told you guys something." Remus took a deep breath. "Albus thinks You-know-who isn't dead".

The effect was devastating. Lily suppressed a gasp and widened her eyes, while Sirius paled extremely. James broke the glass he was holding, liquor pouring to the floor.

"Why? What!" The three raised their voices inquisitively.

Remus raised his hands. "Let me explain. Please".

Taking their silence as cue. Remus started. "The term ended well. Slughorn gave me enough Wolfsbane to deal trough the transformations, and the parents who were concerned about it were invited to one of them." He shifted in his seat. "It was uncomfortable for me, but there were no complains after the potion prove it´s effectiveness."

"However, as soon as I signed the second year contract I felt sick. Like extremely sick. Poppy identified dark magic but wasn't able to find the cause. Finally, Dumbledore released me from the contract and I started to improve. Albus and I talked a lot after that. Apparently, You-Know-Who wanted the post of Defense before starting his terror campaign, and when he got rejected, he cursed to position."

"But that doesn't make sense" interjected Sirius. "Unless he had cursed one of the keystones of the castle the curse should have been broken after he died. Especially with something as abstract as a teaching position."

"Exactly." pointed Remus. "That was what worried Albus at first. But it took another event to really alarm him."

"Three years ago more or less Flamel Manor was attacked. Nicholas and Perenelle were not there, but the attack startled them, as they are not exactly in fighting shape." Remus continued the tale. "Albus turned out with an idea. To create replica of the Philosopher Stone and making a big show about hiding it in Hogwarts. He and the rest of the staff created an obstacle course, strong enough to delay any trier, but harmless enough to not endanger any student. As far as Albus described it, the protections where designed to keep any thief trapped, even after they defeated the course. The stone was a fake after all."

Reus took a sip of his beverage. "It worked. Some kind of entity was possessing a professor and was trying to get to the stone. When Albus confronted it, it flee, letting the man catatonic"

"Next year the Weasley girl and the Longbottom boy presented him with a strange book, who was trying to posses the girl." Remus gulped forcibly. "She was only eleven at the time."

"While he didn't gave much details, he thinks is a dark artefact, used by You-Know-Who to preserve his life in case of death. Albus thinks it explains the curse of the Defense position and the events of the fake stone."

Silence reigned in the room, as the occupants of the room processed the bombshell that had been dropped upon them. James was the first to recover. "And how can we help?"

The other two nodded. While the idea of fleeing Britain was never regretted, they have agreed to return if they were needed, mainly because of the status of one Neville Longbottom as the Boy-Who-Lived to the public, and the Chosen-One, to those who knew about the prophecy. While both James and Lily felt awful for that line of thought, it was clear that the status of the boy take a lot of unwanted attention away from the Potter family, leaving them a bit safer.

However, Remus wasn't so enthusiastic. "I don't know." Albus seems to be more open to suggestions, but he still keeps a lot of secrets. The Wizengamot is quite tense, with Malfoy buying a lot of the votes to pass pureblood propaganda as laws. There is something for you two." He said, looking straight to James and Sirius. They didn't like their titles, but the truth was that an alliance between Lord Potter and Lord Black could pull a lot of support away from Malfoy.

"Besides there s the subject of Neville by himself." Said Remus

That picked Lily´s curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"The boy is quite reserved. He has a lot of friends but he barely speaks, neither at class nor at breaks. As far as I can tell, he takes his celebrity as a chore, not a privilege, and the only time I have seen him genuinely happy was when I visited Pomona in the greenhouses." Told the werewolf. "Albus is unsure if he needs special training in case of a possible return of You-know-who or if he is to left him alone until it becomes absolutely necessary."

"Maybe we can help with that" Was heard from the door.

Alice and Harry were standing on the frame, each on one of the sides. At the adults' silence, Harry continued. "Maybe we can help him train. Take him out of his shell and prepare him for more serious training with Dumbledore in case it's needed." Said Harry, with a face so solemn neither of the adults dare to make a pun.

"Dear I don't know…" started Lily to be interrupted by Alice.

"Mom" started the girl, with a voice so low they can barely hear her. "You have always told us how different our lives could be if Uncle Peter hadn't sacrificed so much. Maybe it would be Harry instead of Neville the one in need. If we can, we should at least try to help somehow"

For the first time in all her life, Lily lamented feeding her sons with so much information. But the fact was that they were right. They could help to prevent a second wizarding war, James and Sirius in the political arena and Harry and Alice in school. She even felt the small pull of magic, one who was encouraging to help her godson, who she had neglected for years.

Turning around, Lily could tell that a decision was made. James and Harry had that feral look in their eyes when there were in brooms, and Sirius and Remus had a determined expression. Lily nodded. The marauders had left Britain unattended for too long. It was time to take charge.

"All right" She said. "Let's make a plan then."

AN: Glad to see that the story picked some interest. I´m flattered. I would like to promise frequent or regular updates but the truth is that I can´t, due to work and RL taking away time. What I do promise is to finish the story, no mather the time it takes.

Stay safe.