Remus was thinking hard. James had seemed surprised when he saw the two queens, and downright dumbstruck when the name of the country was mentioned. That wasn't what was niggling at the young werewolf though. He could have sworn he'd heard the name Lucy before, and not just because it was a common name. He looked at Sirius and Peter and saw that while Sirius also seemed to be thinking hard about something, Peter was more concerned with fiddling with his wand. Finally, they reached the castle which James whispered to them was called Cair Paravel. The queens called over what looked like a beaver. "This is Mrs. Beaver, our housekeeper. She'll find you some accommodations." Lucy told them. "Oh, and you're all invited to supper with us and our brothers. We'll see you at seven o'clock." James bowed once more.

"Thank you, Your Majesties." Once the two queens left, Mrs. Beaver led the Marauders and Lily to a group of rooms.

"I hope you don't mind, dearies, but since Cair Paravel is rather full of other ambassadors, you boys will have to share."

"We don't mind, ma'am." James assured her.

"Right then, Lord James, you and Lord Sirius shall share the suite on my left here. Lord Remus and Lord Peter-do you perhaps go by a different name by any chance? It's only that the High King is also named Peter, and it would get rather confusing if there were two Peters."

"We call him Wormtail, ma'am," Remus offered. Mrs. Beaver seemed to consider this.

"That will do, I suppose. Anyway, Lord Remus and Lord Wormtail will share the suite one down from Lord James' and Lord Sirius'. And Lady Lily will have the suite across the hall. WIll that do?"

"Yes, thank you ma'am." James said. The beaver smiled one more time.

"Of course dearies. Remember, supper is at seven in the Hall. Just follow the crowd. You five will be at the first table with their Majesties' and the other ambassadors." James nodded again, and the housekeeper left. Without needing to speak, the other three followed James into his and Sirius' room.

"Explanations, Prongs," Sirius said when they were all settled on various couches in the main area of the suite. "Now." James began his story.

"Do you three," he said, motioning to Sirius, Remus, and Peter, "remember what I told you about my mother?"

"Of course, but what-" Remus stopped. Suddenly he knew where he'd heard the name Lucy in conjunction with Susan before. "You mean, they're your-"

"No way, mate!" Sirius exclaimed, also making the connection.

"What?" Lily and Peter asked. Peter had known, but had long since forgotten that McGonagall's real name was Susan, and she was James' aunt, but James had never told Lily anything about his mother.

"Queen Lucy is James' mum." Remus said, shocked. "But I thought your mum was magical, James."

"'Magic is different in Narnia.' That's what Mum always said when I asked why the siblings didn't just cast warming spells during the end of the White Witch's reign."

"The who?" Sirius asked.

"The queen of Narnia before the four siblings. If you can call her a queen, that is. She took Narnia over by force, and caused a winter that lasted a hundred Narnian years. It only broke when the four siblings came to Narnia, and Aslan returned." Even Peter could tell that James was telling the story the only way he knew how: the way his mother had told it to him. "Only, the two brothers were not on the best of terms. The younger had listened to something the Witch had told him, and betrayed a friend of the youngest girl to her. Then he ran away. The remaining brother and their two sisters ran once they realized what had happened, with the help of a pair of beavers they had met. The group set out for Aslan's camp, and along the way met Father Christmas. Before, Christmas had never come, but the Witch's spell was breaking. Father Christmas gave the older brother a sword called Rhindon and a shield to match. The older sister received a bow and a set of arrows, as well as a horn that, when blown, would summon help for the blower. The younger sister was given a healing cordial made from the juice of fireflowers, as well as a dagger.

"With the help of their brother, the beavers, and and the younger sister's friend, as well as countless centaurs, fauns, Talking Beasts, naiads, dryads, the trees, and especially Aslan, the great lion, the four siblings defeated the Witch, and were crowned kings and queens of the land. The land, known as Narnia, entered a Golden Age of peace and prosperity and the four siblings ruled wisely and well, having been crowned by Aslan himself." They all blinked when they realized James had stopped talking.

"Is that all?" Lily asked cautiously, a little worried.

"Narnia is in the Golden Age right now, yes."

"That wasn't what I asked."

"No, it isn't all. But it's all you'll need to know to pass yourselves off as citizens of this world. We got lucky today. If it was anyone other than the queens, we would not have been welcomed."

Later, at quarter to seven, the five convened again in James' and Sirius' suite. They had found clothes in the wardrobes in their rooms. Sirius was now dressed in a purple and dark yellow Narnia style tunic. Remus and Peter were dressed the same, except their tunics were navy blue and copper, and dark gray and pale blue respectively. Lily's gown was similar to what they'd seen on the queens earlier, but a little simpler. It was a deep scarlet with gold embroidery. Her dark red hair had been swept into a low, petal-like bun and a gold flower added the same contrast as her dress. James was wearing a tunic similar to his friends' but his more extravagant. Like Lily's gown, it was scarlet and gold, with extra swirls that Sirius', Remus', and Peter's didn't have. It was clear that both Lily and James were restraining themselves from snogging the other senseless.

Dinner went off quite smoothly. The food was delicious. None of them could keep themselves from internally comparing each of the monarchs to James. High King Peter was deep in conversation with the ambassador from a country called Calormen, and greeted them, but said little more to them. King Edmund asked a few questions about the way Hogwarts operated, who its rulers were, and things like that. Queen Susan was talking to the wives of some of the other ambassadors, but Queen Lucy was fascinated by them and their culture. It occurred to them, that she must be awfully used to dealing with people much older than she, so to talk to people only a year younger than her must have been a breath of fresh air. The food was delicious.

What happened after dinner, though, shocked everyone. A lion appeared. Everyone gasped, and every Narnian in the room knelt, James included. The lion chuckled. " Rise, everyone. Rise, Kings and Queens of Narnia. Rise James, Prince of Narnia. Rise, wizards and witch."

"Who-who are you?" Sirius asked, shakily. James had an odd look on his face, but he seemed more regal than before. He was a prince, the son of Queen Lucy the Valiant, and yet he wasn't. His parents were Charles and Lucy Potter (neé Pevensie), not Queen Lucy the Valiant.

"I am Aslan." As if that explained everything. In a way it did, but Remus was more concerned with the looks on the Narnians' faces.

"Lord James is a Prince of Narnia? How?" High King Peter asked, clearly at a loss as to what to do. James told his story to everyone, and they were almost a better audience than Remus, Sirius, Peter, and Lily had been.

"You're Lu's son?" Edmund asked.

"The Lucy I knew is not the Lucy that currently exists, but yes." James said awkwardly.

"How did you get here, if you were really born in Spare Oom?" Susan asked.

"Unfortunately, they do not have time to answer all the questions you wish to ask them. They must return to their world." Aslan said.

"But how did they get here?"

"James is a worthy Prince of Narnia, and Narnia will help those in need of its help. He needed to know about his mother, and the inheritance she left him, so the Old Magic brought him here to learn it. But he has learned, and now he and his friends must go home." He roared, and a swirling sphere of water appeared. Peter went through it immediately, but Remus, Sirius, and Lily hesitated. So did James.

"Thank you, Aslan." James said finally. He bowed once more, then turned to his friends and girlfriend. "It's time." Sirius and Remus nodded, and Lily slipped her hand through James'. As one, the group of four went through the portal, back to the world they knew. James felt something inside him change though, and knew that the Narnian in him yearned four the magical land. That yearning never waned for the rest of his life.

The next four years he never gave up hope that he'd see his mother again when he died. After all, she was in Aslan's country, with Uncle Peter and Uncle Edmund. And when Voldemort cast the green curse that ended his life, he found himself at a crossroads. On one side, he knew his father and grandparents waited out of sight. On the other, his mother, his uncles, his cousins, and more people he didn't recognize stood in clear view.

"You have a choice, my son." Queen Lucy said as he approached the fork. He nodded.

"I can either embrace my magical heritage or my Narnian roots, correct?" She smiled. He contemplated for a second. If he chose magic, he'd lose his mother again, but he was never completely Narnian either. As he thought, his wife appeared beside him. Even in death, Lily Evans Potter was lovely. As she slipped her hand in his, so like that day four years ago, he made his choice. Not left or right, but forward. With a little bit of both, a middle road came into existence. He and Lily walked down, and he felt his mother hug him one last time.

"I am proud of you, my son. I will always love you, James."

"I love you too Mum."

"May Aslan be with you."

"And you as well."

Another chapter finished! This closes the Marauder's era. The next one of these I write will be set between Halloween 1981 and May 2nd 1998. If you have any requests, please PM me. The next chapter of Four, Not Three will be published within the next week. Until then, farewell lovely readers, and may Aslan encourage you to leave me reviews.

-swanglade37