In Name Only

Chapter One

Beginning of the End

It seemed to be a normal day on Privet Drive in Surrey, but then in Harry Potter's life, appearances tended to be deceiving. His own deceived many. He lived with his very normal family, Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and his cousin Dudley Dursley. Very normal, in fact so normal that the very thought of anything abnormal was enough to send any of them into fits. Enter prime example, Harry himself who would seem to many to be the farthest person from the Dursleys as one could possibly get.

Harry was a wizard and not the kind seen on the telly who pull rabbits out of their hats, but a real wizard. His family told their friends that he attended a school for incurably criminal boys, but it was far from the truth, instead he attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and had just finished his fourth year of magical training.

To many observers, magical and Muggle (non magical people) alike, he seemed to be a typical withdrawn and moody fifteen year old boy, but even that was far from the truth. The previous June Harry had experienced something he had hoped would never happen; he witnessed the return of his enemy, the Dark Lord Voldemort, who was the reason Harry now lived with the Dursleys because Voldemort had killed Harry's parents when he was but a year old. For his protection, the Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, had send Harry to stay with his only living blood relatives because of the magical ties blood had. For ten years Harry grew up living in a cupboard not knowing of his parents or of their sacrifice or of the world he now belonged to. The Dursleys had hoped to squash the magic out of him, but they had not succeeded and now Harry was seen as a very powerful wizard, so powerful that Lord Voldemort has tried many times to kill him and almost succeeded during the conclusion of the Tri-Wizard Tournament during which one of Harry's classmates and friends, Cedric Diggory, was murdered by Voldemort's henchman, Wormtail.

Now, barely one month after that fateful night Harry was sitting outside his family's house looking up and down the street. He'd battled Voldemort four times and survived but now he was reduced to sitting around waiting for something to happen. He hadn't heard from any of his friends from school and hadn't received any news from his godfather or Dumbledore about what was happening with Voldemort. He hated being left in the dark about this. He had been the one to battle Voldemort yet he wasn't being told anything about it or what was happening in the wizarding world. Didn't he have a right to know what was going on? Hadn't he almost been killed time and again by the monster? He was being treated like a wayward child, like the criminal his uncle claimed him to be. It wasn't fair but Harry could do nothing about it.

Harry kicked a stone down the garden path. He sat under the big tree and tried not to think about the path his life was taking. Voldemort had tried to kill him. Why again, this time? What was so important about him? He was Harry, just Harry, nothing more, but not to the Dark Lord it seemed.

Harry wished something would happen. He was bored and right now anything would do. He'd been with the Dursleys for the past month and he knew nothing about the war effort against Voldemort. There was nothing in the newspapers, Muggle or magical, about mysterious deaths or catastrophes and Harry wondered why. If Voldemort was back and killing people, wouldn't it be all over the news?

Something popped. Harry looked u. The sound was familiar. It sounded like someone Apparating or Disapparating. Who, though? There weren't any wizards around here that he was aware of. It had to have been his imagination. He was too ready for something to happen that he was imagining noises. If he didn't leave soon, he would probably lose his mind.

But there was the sound again, louder this time and three more subsequent pops. Harry stood up and gripped his wand. He was not imagining this. There were people there to get him but were they friend or foe?

Harry turned and looked around. What direction had the sounds come from, because now he knew it had been Apparation he knew someone was there.

"Hello, Harry," came a voice from behind him. Harry spun around and came face to face with Dumbledore. Behind the headmaster stood Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, and other people Harry didn't know and had never seen.

"Wait a minute, Dumbledore, how do we know we aren't too late? He could be a Death Eater."

"You've spent too much time with Mad-Eye," Sirius said. "Hey Harry."

"Sirius!" Harry said and launched himself at his godfather. He may have been fifteen, but he hadn't spent much time with his godfather. Sirius had been his father's best friend in school and the night Harry's parents were killed, everyone believed Sirius had betrayed them to Voldemort and then killed thirteen people. Two years ago Sirius had escaped from the wizard prison Azkaban and Harry had found out the truth at the end of his third year of school.

"Not many can fake that kind of enthusiasm about Sirius," a black haired woman said once Harry had backed away from his godfather. "I certainly don't know of a Death Eater who would. No one likes him much."

"Well, I believe it's settled then," Dumbledore said, ignoring the woman's last comment. "Sirius, you and I will go inside with Harry to get his things. The rest of you keep watch out here. We move out on Alastor's signal."

Harry wasn't sure what to do now. As much as he hated his relatives, he knew what Sirius' reaction would be to seeing how they treated him. He didn't want Sirius to see that but right now he didn't have a choice. Dumbledore motioned for him to lead them into the Dursley home.

Dudley was sitting on the sofa and taking up two-thirds of it with his massive weight. Aunt Petunia came out of the kitchen and shrieked upon seeing the two full grown wizards. Seconds later Uncle Vernon came out of the kitchen and stopped, paling at the sight.

"I'll deal with this," Dumbledore said. "Sirius, take Harry upstairs to get his things. We have five minutes."

Harry was confused. What was going on? He led his godfather up the stairs to his room before turning to confront the man.

"What's going on? Why are you all here now?"

"Harry," Sirius said. "Now is not the time to explain. One of our spies got a tip that Voldemort would be here today and these wards are not strong enough to withstand a concentrated attack from him. Now get your things. We don't have much time. Keep your father's cloak out."

The serious tone of his godfather's voice prompted Harry into action. He wasted no time gathering his clothes and school items into his trunk, including his father's Invisibility Cloak from under the loose floorboards under his bed. Once he was sure he had everything he turned back to his godfather.

"Everything?" Sirius asked and Harry nodded. Sirius smiled and muttered a spell at the trunk and it became much smaller. "Keep it in your pocket he said. We have two minutes before we portkey out."

"Plan B!"

Dumbledore's voice carried up the stairs and Harry looked to his godfather for guidance. What was happening? Sirius strode to the window and looked out. Harry walked over to join him but Sirius pushed him out of the way.

"Damn," Sirius muttered. He turned to Harry. "Put on the cloak. Dumbledore is out fighting with the others, we're on our own for now." Sirius looked out the window again. "We're going to Floo to the headquarters."

"From where?"

"Nearby. Mrs. Figg is on the network," Sirius answered, but didn't take his eyes away from the battle raging outside. Harry was scared. He could hear the steely coldness of his godfather's voice. He didn't want to ask questions, such as how Mrs. Figg was on the Floo network but he hated being left in the dark.

"Are you ready?"

Sirius and Harry both turned to face the black haired woman who'd spoken earlier. Sirius seemed to glared at her, but nodded.

"Arabella awaits," she said. "Get ready and I'll clear the path."

Sirius nodded to Harry to put on his cloak. Harry did so and Sirius transformed into his Animagus counterpart, Padfoot, a big black dog. The woman nodded curtly and turned. Harry and Padfoot followed her down the stairs and to the back door located in the kitchen. She looked around before stepping out the door and Harry followed her. Her wand was out and she walked like she had experience in these types of situations. Harry wondered if she was an Auror.

Padfoot whined.

She and Harry both whirled around to see a Death Eater come over the bushes and he wasn't alone. The woman's face set in anger. Harry could feel hatred radiating from her body.

"Go on, Padfoot," she said with an ice cold tone. Harry got the impression she was not a person to cross in any situation. "I'll deal with these two."

"You think you can handle us, dearie?" one of the Death Eaters said. She smiled. "Crucio."

Harry had been hit with that curse before; the Cruciatus Curse hurt like nothing he had ever experienced before but the woman didn't even seem affected by it. Padfoot was nudging Harry's hand, urging him to move but Harry stood transfixed. She didn't scream or even make a motion indicating the curse had even touched her.

"Ouch," the woman answered. "I'm sorry, was that supposed to be this, Crucio! Anger, anger, anger. It is a very good thing."

The Death Eater fell to the ground screaming and writhing in pain. He looked to be in more pain than Harry had ever seen anyone in. His opinion of the woman being an Auror evaporated. An Auror would not use Unforgivables like that. He turned and allowed Padfoot to guide him away from the scene.

The sight of the Death Eater being tortured haunted his thoughts while he followed his godfather, ducking under bushes and behind trees to hide from scouting Death Eaters and when the woman caught up to them a few minutes later he eyed her warily. She didn't seem at all ashamed of what she had done nor did she seem at all tired. In fact, if Harry had to describe her, he would have said she was jubilant. She watched everything and everyone and when a Muggle crossed their path, she made pleasant passing conversation with him.

When the three reached Mrs. Figg's house, the woman walked up to the door and knocked three times and Padfoot barked once. The front door opened and the woman nodded of Harry to precede her and the dog. Sirius transformed once inside and Harry decided it was fine to take off his cloak. The woman was at the window looking out.

"What the hell was that about?" Sirius demanded, standing behind her.

She didn't turn to look at him. "Arabella, have you any tea, I'm parched."

"Answer me, Rebecca."

"Did you not recognize who those two were, Sirius?" the woman named Rebecca said. "McNair and Crabbe. Idiots the both of them. I trained them and they could do no better than that. I don't pity them Voldemort's wrath after that little escapade of course that's even if they see Voldemort any time soon. I didn't leave them in much of a condition to run away."

"Right," Sirius said. "And so you thought you'd give them a lesson in Voldemort's place? Here you've got everyone believing you've changed your ways but you'll never change. I'm surprised you haven't gone back to Voldemort yet, or have you and you're just going to lay the Order open to him?"

"I do not answer to you, Sirius Black. Contrary to popular belief people can and do change. I will not justify what I do to anyone, least of all to someone like you. How about that tea, Arabella?" Rebecca walked away. Harry looked after her for a minute before turning to his godfather.

"Who is she?"

Sirius didn't answer. "Don't get any closer to her than you have to, Harry. She's dangerous." Sirius looked at the clock above the mantle. "Three minutes," he called out before sitting down on the sofa.

Harry was confused. He would listen to his godfather, but he was curious. The woman, Rebecca, had all but admitted to being a Death Eater. Harry watched his godfather for the next few minutes. Sirius seemed to be in deep contemplation and Harry didn't really want to bother him, but he was curious. The answers Sirius had given before didn't seem like enough now. Harry wanted to know the truth.

"Okay, let's go," Rebecca said, walking into the room. Mrs. Figg was behind her. "Sirius, you go first."

"I'm not leaving you alone with Harry," Sirius said, standing up. "Like it or not, Sister, I do not trust you and I never will."

Harry could feel the tension in the room. The two stared at each other. The hatred in Sirius' eyes was equal only to the hatred Harry had seen in his eyes when they found Wormtail.

"We're running out of time. Whoever is last has to Apparate after sealing the Floo. Go now, Sirius or I will make you. The Aurors are here and I don't fathom seeing them any more than you do right now."

Sirius grumbled something but stepped toward the fireplace. Rebecca either didn't hear him or simply didn't care. She was once again looking out the window.

Sirius was glaring again, but turned to Harry. "We're going to Number 12, Grimmauld Place," he said. "Wait until Rebecca gives you the signal. We can explain more once we're somewhere more secure." Harry nodded and Sirius stepped up to the fireplace. He nodded to Mrs. Figg, threw the Floo Powder into the grate and said the address.

"Merlin, I thought he'd never leave," Rebecca said from her place at the window. "Arabella, do you have your protections in place?"

"Yes," Mrs. Figg answered. "Alastor came by last night and reinforced your shields."

"Good, and you're still going off to stay in France for a few days with Penny?"

"Yes, the arrangements are all made."

"Then you'd better go on, Harry, Arabella. I'll stay here until the Aurors come."

"Go on, Harry," Mrs. Figg said.

"Lovely," Rebecca said from the window. Harry and Mrs. Figg both stopped.

"What is it?"

"Lucius. Go on, I'll handle him." Harry could have sworn he saw a look of sadness on the woman's face before he called out his destination.