25-June 2015 Hi Guys, thankx for your patience. Personal and health issues have been a bitch the past six months and I am sorry. I am going back chapter by chapter, improving ( I hope) the story as I work and pulling out the worst areas and errors. I hope you all enjoy the revised work. I am taking a leaf from Mr Butcher's book and enforcing an hours writing a day upon myself. Hopefully I will make some good progress. A new chapter is about halfway complete.

All recognisable characters are the properties of Ms J.K. Rowling and Mr Jim Butcher. The Dresden and Potter verse, their magic and creations are the property of their respective owners and I make no profit form my tale. I own only this random story idea.

Chapter 2

Planning

Lily's P.O.V.

I met Margaret Dresden not long after we got here, and we had some surprising similarities, not the least of which was our son's named Harry getting into trouble. They both seemed to attract the interest of the Bad Guys. We talked awhile and Maggie started watching Harry's life with me as I watched her Harry's with her. We plotted and schemed and Maggie even argued her case to Maab but to little avail until Maggie's Harry became the Winter Knight. Then we could finally act. Maggie helped me to enter the Never-Never, showed me the Ways and told me just how to get her sons to help me. Her first born son, Thomas Raith, a White Court Vampire no less, had found her younger son Harry by now and they had formed a tight family unit. She hugged me goodbye and I stepped onto the Way in the Never-Never to wait for my cousins.

I didn't have long to wait. I conjured a pretty garden bench to sit and wait upon and soon pixies and sprites off all kinds were dancing around me. I heard the rumble of voices coming along the path and I tensed, waiting for my distant cousins to see me. While they approached I studied them. Both were dark haired and handsome, Harry towering a good six inches over Thomas.

Thomas was too pretty I decided instantly, not real in a sense to me. He reminded me of Sirius. That man had been a Dog in more ways than one. Harry was more natural looking, scarred and battered but wonderfully normal. I took in his amulet, the shield bracelet his mother had described and the beautifully carved staff held loose in his hand. He wore his ever present long black leather duster, jeans and a black shirt that bore a baby with a football shaped head, yellow top and red overalls. He was pointing out at everyone, with a speech bubble proclaiming "Obey Me!" above him. (I don't get it). Beneath the coat I could see the outlines of a holstered gun, a sword and another staff or stick beneath it. A sturdy black backpack hung over one shoulder, a mesh bag dangled from that holding a bleached human Skull who I knew, thanks to Maggie and my viewings, was actually the home of an air spirit named Bob who was a huge intellect as well as a major sleaze. With the Winter Mantle he just seemed to radiate power.

A mountain of grey fur and lolling tongue moved at his side, the famed Mouse. Maggie and I had enjoyed watching his puppy months and poor Harry and Thomas surviving them. Between the 'puddles', the chewing phase, the tug of war with the lead phase and the "I wanna sleep with you" phase, plus Bob's protests over 'puppy sitting' we'd laughed a great deal. Harry's cat, Mister, was positively mean to Mouse as a pup and Mouse was still thoroughly cowed by the huge tom. Visitors still watched in amused wonder when even at five times Mister's size, Mouse still deferred to the cat.

I noted that Thomas moved with an unnatural grace but Harry moved with calm purpose. A little behind them strolled Karrin Murphy and Molly Carpenter, The Winter Lady, deep in conversation about something or another, and the fairy, Toot Toot was perched on Harry's elbow arguing with Bob about, of all things, the hotness of Tinkerbell. I watched the amusing scene for awhile before they noticed me. They were returning from Edinburgh and a meeting with the White Council. Mouse noticed me first, bounded over, and decided immediately that he liked me. This would help my case. Mouse usually swayed Harry, and if that failed I'd go through Maab. She stilled owed my kind rather a big favour after the whole Shakespeare thing. Honestly fairies really should NOT play with Humans. It never ends well. Neither humans nor immortals ever learn.

The oncoming group stopped and studied me. Tall, beautiful and Amazonian, Molly Carpenter had already been powerful, and now with the Mantle of Winter Lady about her she reeked of it. she gave me a small, knowing smile. Her hair was sunkissed blonde again and cut beautiful in a shoulder length sleek bob. It looked elegant and timeless. I guessed her role as Winter Lady called for it though. Maeve had been wild enough for anyone. Karrin studied me expressionlessly. The woman was still all cop even if they had taken her badge. I stood up slowly, keeping my hands out and visible. I pulled in a deep breath and stepped to the centre of the path. I spoke carefully and politely.

"My name is Lily Evens Potter, I give you my name freely of my own lips as a symbol of good faith. I seek audience with the Winter Knight and Winter Lady." I paused. Molly stepped up beside Harry and I bowed politely. They both returned the bow, Molly smiling, Harry stiff and wary. She then looked at Harry and I saw the lost young girl of yesteryear still in her face. She was unsure what boon they were about to be asked of. Thomas stared at me then leaned in to Harry, murmuring in his ear. Harry raised an eyebrow a bit and studied me.

"My companion says you smell of family." he said, by way of greeting. "My name is Harry Dresden, but I bet you already know that .. Lily." I inclined my head. "Yes, and I know that your 'companion ' is your half brother. We share a common relative actually. I am a very distant cousin of Margaret Gwendolyn LeFay Dresden, although it is quite a bit more complicated than that." Harry and Thomas both became incredibly still, their eyes fixed on me, with identical looks of annoyance at the invocation of their mother's name on their faces. Molly spoke up "Wait.. Lily Evens Potter? I know that name..." she stared at me, eyes narrowing and then her power crackled as she snapped "Oh don't play games Fairy! I read those books, She's not even real." Harry looked like a light had come on for him to and suddenly they were all glaring at me. Well except Mouse who was letting me scratch his ears and leaning on my leg as if to lend me moral support.

"Yes, here in your reality I am not real, I am from a different reality. It's a long, complicated story with a great deal of Need to Know information I am afraid. I am here to beseech of you a boon. I need you to help my son." Molly gaped at me and muttered "Oh you gotta be kidding me..." Thomas just looked at me, apparently just going with the group and now clearly confused and asked "Who is your son?" Harry started choking on laughter as I calmly replied, my chin jutting in defiance "Harry Potter." Dresden began laughing in earnest at the stunned expression on his brother's face. The guy was wasn't totally clueless. "Your THAT Lily?" he asked. I nodded. Then I refocused on Dresden who took a step back. Good. The skull had remained quiet for now, but I am sure it was vibrating. Good, Bob loved anything that messed with Harry.. as long as he wasn't hurt. That Bob didn't like and I did not want to mess with Bob.

"Long ago there were Witches and Wizards who traversed the realities. It's forbidden now.. technically... Merlin was one, as you know Harry. So was a distant grandmother of ours. Seems a witch, Matilda Highwater had two daughters in two realities. She was our Grandmother's grandmother, some times removed. Our mothers came from those two daughters. My Harry and I are your cousins, if somewhat distantly. We have a blood tie and your mother bids me to give you this message: "Thomas, Harry, Wizard McCoy is my father, your Grandfather. There are very few who know this. Please, aid Lily as much as you can, her boy is alone as you were, Harry. He needs a family." I added "He will not easily accept you so you will need to give him this message.. "I Solemnly Swear I am Up to No Good." and tell him to give the map the password "Lily Flower." He will like the result. It will ensure he believes you. Please help him. I can not go back but you can take a new way and make everything that much better." I was begging but so what. This was my son. I looked at Dresden and used the most devious thing I could.. I pleaded "You did more for your own daughter Mr Dresden, my son is your family too. Please help him."

"What.. Wait, you want us to go into your world, one that exists only in BOOKS and MOVIES in my world and save your son, who you say is my cousin?" Harry was thunderstruck. I nodded, my hands knotting together. The kinship bond was definitely thrumming between us now. They could both feel it. Thomas poked Harry hard and he sighed. "Yeah.. ok we'll help." Molly squealed "OMG I get to go to Hogwarts!" and even Harry looked kind of excited for a moment. Then he remembered he was an adult and straightened his face. Thomas and Karrin just seemed wary. Karrin hadn't even spoken as yet, just stood back watching. "At least Death Eaters are human." said Harry. "The rules are different in my world." I reminded him. "You will not be persecuted if you kill in self defence." He sighed, relieved. He'd hated to kill anyone but didn't want to be killed either. "There are the usual rules but no White Council for you to worry about." I explained. "Harry's friend Hermione is very smart, I am sure she'll be able to help you a lot." I carefully pulled the roll of parchment I had inside my robe and handed it to Dresden. He took it and looked at me, eyebrow raised.

"What's this?" he asked. I smiled, my inner prankster coming out to play. "Directions to Potter's Keep, a place where you can put those kids back together and prepare to end this thing in safety. There will be some gold there, and the house is under stasis so it should be in good shape. Tell harry to bond with dobby and Winky. A Potter needs Elves after all. James sent the Potter Elves into hiding when we did, some may return when Harry can take up his House rings. There is also information, everything I could squeeze out of Dumbledore, Bathilda and Regulus Black. Everything I could learn about Voldemort's horcruxes and how to destroy them, the names of his Death Eaters, it's all here." Harry looked impressed then back to me. "We will be returned home when this is done? Back to our lives?" I nodded and added my own icing on the cake. "Maab owes we 'other' wizards for an incident a few hundred years ago, you will be returned as if you'd never left. Same time, same day, same year."

"Damn that was some favour."

"It was." I laughed. "Lets just say William Shakespeare was a bit too adventurous for his own good..." Just then a pixie zipped through the trees and alighted on my shoulder, her tiny hands pulling on my hair so I'd incline my head. She whispered urgently in my ear then zipped away. My Harry was in trouble. Again.

"You have to go, Mr Dresden, he's in trouble again!"