Devon looked nervous as he approached the Room of Requirement.

"Don't let my family have any linage with dark wizards such as Voldemort or the Lestranges," said Devon desperately, thinking of his yew wand.

"Devon," said Lily clearly, "Don't worry. We know you're a good person and we won't judge you by any family connections you may have."

"That's a promise," added James fiercely, "We all know you and who you really are and nothing we learn today can take away from that."

Hugo, Ainsley, Samantha, and Stephanie all nodded their heads vigorously at this.

"Thanks," said Devon simply.

Devon ran past the wall three times thinking "I need to see my family tree with an indication of anyone who has magic."

The door to the Room of Requirement appeared.

Lily pulled the handle and held the door open for Devon, James, Hugo, Samantha, Ainsley, and Stephanie before entering last herself.

When James had entered the room a neon circle had formed around him and now as Lily entered the room, a neon circle formed around her.

"It can't be," chorused James and Lily in disbelief.

"What can't be?" asked Devon, turning around to look at them.

"Well," said Lily slowly, "If a person asks the Room of Requirement to show him or her his or her family tree with the indication of anyone magic, a neon circle will form around any relations of his or hers that enter the room with him or her. That means, according to the Room of Requirement, James and I are related to you."

"That would also mean that our brother Albus is related to you as well.

"That's right." said Lily simply.

"Impossible!" said Devon breathlessly, "I'm going to go look at my family tree,"

Devon walked around the room towards his family tree. When he looked it over, he got an eye opener.

There were indeed neon glows on his family tree indicating that he did have magical relations. But it was who these magical relations were that was the real eye opener.

The Potters and the Dursleys were indeed related.

"James, Lily, please come here," called Devon quietly.

At being called to come forward, James and Lily realized that the Room of Requirement had been right. They and Devon must be related. But how?

"James, Lily," said Devon clearly, " We are related. Listen to me very carefully and pay attention."

"We will," promised James and Lily.

"James, Lily, our, paternal grandmothers were sisters. Petunia Dursley nee Evans was the sister of Lily Potter nee Evans," explained Devon.

"So that also means," said James slowly, "That Petunia was our great aunt and that Lily was your great aunt?"

"Yes," said Devon matter of factly," It also means that Harry Potter and Dudley Dursley are cousins since their mothers were sisters."

James and Lily said nothing. It was all starting to sink on them.

Devon continued.

"Harry and I are first cousins once removed and Dudley and you two are first cousins once removed. Dudley is also the first cousin once removed to Albus Severus Potter. A person is the first cousin once removed to the children of his or her cousins and the children of a person are the first cousins once removed to the cousins of that person."

"And us?' asked Lily eagerly.

"The children of cousins are second cousins to each other. That means that I am second cousins with you two and, Albus," said Devon in an amazed voice.

"I-I d-don't know how to react," said Lily,

"Neither do I," admitted Devon, "The last thing I expected to find out when I came in here was that I was related to my best friend."

"We were both so confident that you wouldn't have any magical relations," said Lily wryly.

"And I agreed with that," said James, "But I think us being related is kinda cool."

'This is an eye opener to be sure," said Devon, his mind buzzing with what he had discovered. "in a way it's kinda cool that we're related. But I don't how my relationship with Lily will proceed going forward. James, you and I have been good friends in our right, but Lily is my BFF. Lily, you're the best friend I've ever had. To be honest, I think it's likely that I will continue to think of you primarily as my best friend. Our being second cousins is something I'm happy to know but…."

"Sometimes friends are family and family are friends," said Lily clearly, "in my family we have long had three duos of people who could claim to be both cousins and best friends, Albus and Rose, James and Hugo and myself and Hugo. Not to mention that James and I can claim to be besties as well as brother and sister. In Harry's Hogwarts years, Fred and George Weasley were best friends as much as twin brothers, a fact that made Fred's death so such more tragic. Our relationship actually won't be too affected by learning what we have learned today."

"You mean so much to me, Lily," said Devon warmly, "Ever since the day we met you've been as good a friend to me as anyone could ever want. Obviously, you proved that when you helped me through my heartbreak over Petunia's death. But you know what moment means the most to me?"

"The day I helped you with your trunk the day we met?" guessed Lily.

"Exactly," said Devon, "Because it is in that moment that I realized I had potentially met the most special friend I would ever know. How many eleven year olds would take the time and effort to help a stranger like that? Not many."

"Ever since I started at Hogwarts," said James proudly, smiling at Lily, "Lily has always carried my trunk to my room for me whenever I've come home for summer and Christmas. She's done that same favor for Albus since he started at Hogwarts. "

"That sounds like you alright, Lily. You mean even more to me now that I know we are related. You're right Lily, being family and friends are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the most special relationships occur between people who are both to each other." said Devon sincerely.

"And now we know that we are," said Lily.

Devon, James, and Lily went and told Hugo, Samantha, Ainsley, and Stephanie what they had found.

"I already knew," admitted Ainsley. "I knew about the Potters and the Dursleys being related from having read all seven books on the Hogwarts years of Harry Potter. But I didn't tell because I knew Devon, James, and Lily would prefer to discover this on their own accord. Since this was something personal to Devon, James and Lily, it was something that they deserved to be able to discover for themselves."

"I also have read the Harry Potter books and also knew," added Samantha simply, "But Ainsley is right. Devon, James, and Lily had the right to learn about their relationship in an organic manner and that right had to be respected."

"Thank you for holding your tongues, Ainsley and Samantha," said Devon gratefully, "I appreciate you letting me find out in my own way."

"So do I," added James.

Lily nodded. "Same here," she said simply,

"Samantha and Ainsley are class acts," said Devon genuinely, "There are plenty of people out there who would've blurted out everything they knew."

Before they left the Room of Requirement, Devon, James, and Lily found four books about the history of the Potter and Dursley families and the relations between them sitting on a table.

These books had warning letters explaining that the books contained sensitive and uncomfortable content.

Each of these books had a nametag: Devon, James, Albus, and Lily.

"Yes, Albus should know too," agreed Lily.

They left the Room of Requirement and returned to Gryffindor Tower where they found Albus discussing the latest issue of Transfiguration Today with Rose and Pamela.

Lily explained to Albus how The Potter and Dursley families were related and how Devon was their second cousin. She passed the books that bore the appropriate nametags to Albus.

Lily, Devon, James, and Albus all promised each other not to share any discoveries they made in the books with anyone except each other until such time as they reached a group decision to do so.

James, Hugo, Devon, Samantha, Ainsley, Stephanie and Lily would spend the 3 p.m. hour sitting by the Black Lake just quietly enjoying each other's company.

Things were rather quiet the rest of the day.

Later that night James, Devon, and Lily sat in their respective rooms just taking in the revelations of the day.

One thing that became clear in all their minds was that the Potters and the Dursleys were never supposed to enemies.

The friendship between Devon and the Potters was not merely healing old wounds. It was righting a wrong.

They also thought about how special their bond was and how much it would mean going forward.

The line between family and friends didn't matter much.

Sometimes, friends were family, and family were friends.