Everything belongs to JKRowling except the mad plots and the occasional characters I have added. I make no money on this and just write to express my warped sense of imagination.

Must read "Sorry About that Harry" first or this story won't make sense

Chapter 1 – The Panic Button Is Pressed

Geoffrey Ford-Hill was leaving his last morning class to go to lunch. He would be meeting his girlfriend Daphne then they would head off to their respective afternoon classes. Geoffrey was carrying a double major so he had carefully arranged his schedule to be able to spend time with his girlfriend during the week and at least have one official date on the weekend. He also tried to keep in touch with his other university friends even if it was only to attend the meetings of the various clubs to which he belonged.

It was an exhausting schedule but he loved learning and was carrying a double major as he hadn't yet decided on which career he wanted to follow. This life was his official life but he and his parents had another secret life which less than a handful of humans knew anything about. Well actually it was just three humans who knew about it. It was only Geoff and his parents to be exact. The only other entities who knew the truth about the Ford-Hills' official and secret lives were Goblins and three house elves.

Officially in the world of Muggles, Steven, Ruth and Geoffrey Ford-Hill were expatriate British citizens living, working and/or attending university in Europe. Steven had been a civil servant unfairly passed over for a well-deserved promotion too many times due to nepotism or the old boy network. (Note: *An old boy network can refer to social and business connections among former pupils of male-only private schools. British public school students were traditionally called "boys", thus graduated students are "old boys".)

Ruth had been in a near fatal car accident and lost the child she had been carrying and had sunk into a severe depression. Their son Geoff had been betrayed by his girlfriend and best mate and had run off in despair, didn't look where he was going and was hit by a lorry. He had also nearly died and had been left emotionally traumatized.

When Steven had received an unexpected inheritance, the family had enough money to take time off to find themselves and to plan a new life. They had traveled extensively and had only settled down when it was time for Geoff to attend university.

Unofficially and the true story was that they were Magicals and refugees from the horror which Magical Britain had become when Albus Dumbledore had finally taken over the country and molded it into his idea of a Magical paradise and what Magic should be. There were many people like the Ford-Hills who had attempted to escape.

They were some of the very few fortunate as they had escaped early and chose to hide in the Muggle World where Dumbledore's lackeys couldn't find them because they wouldn't think to look for them in the Muggle World. They were also very lucky that they had access to money - lots and lots of money. So much money in fact, that they were able to contribute substantial sums to finance certain organizations devoted to helping magicals, mostly children and/or young adults, escape from Dumbledore's Britain and be educated and successfully assimilated into the Muggle World.

Unknown to Daphne, her rescue, assimilation and even her university education had been financed by her boyfriend, who she thought was a Muggle. He wanted it that way as he wanted Daphne to like him for himself and not because he was her savior. Besides, no one could know who the Ford-Hills really were as it was too dangerous.

As Geoff was hurrying to the school cafeteria to meet up with Daphne, he ran into Trudy, one of the Ford-Hills' house elves. Naturally the elf was magically disguised as a Muggle adult since she was out in plain view of everyone. Officially she was the Ford-Hills' live-in servant. Geoff stiffened slightly as the only reason Trudy would be here at school was if something terrible had happened.

"Master," Trudy whispered, "HE IS BACK. Your parents are going to his side and now you must…." Geoff didn't wait to hear the rest of it, he just said "Carry on as per instructions" before he stepped up his walking. He had to find and get Daphne away as soon as possible.

He caught up with Daphne just as she was about to enter the cafeteria. She didn't notice he was hurrying or even looking upset. No because like Daphne, Geoff had been carefully trained to control his facial expressions. He merely walked up to her and said, "Come with me" then gently guided her to the nearby alleyway.

"Geoff, you naughty boy are we going to have dessert before…"

"Daphne, do you trust me?" he asked looking into her eyes.

Shocked a bit she responded, "Of course, you know I do so why…"

"Then hug me." She did and then felt a familiar but totally unexpected sensation. She had been portkeyed from the alley by her Muggle boyfriend.

"Where are we, why are we…are you a…" she started asking.

"We are in a Gringotts branch. Don't worry your sister should be arriving at one shortly, although I don't know which ones the Tonkses use for each of their rescues. But by now they will have been alerted and started initiating their "Plan B" or whatever they call it. I don't know not having been rescued by their organization."

"You, you are one of us then?"

Geoff looked at her and gave a slight laugh before saying, "After portkeying away from an alley and landing at a Gringotts you have to ask?"

Before she could reply or he could say anything else, a Goblin quickly entered the room. The room was a portkey arrival area which only special clients had access to and an alarm went off upon arrival alerting the account manager and a few Goblin guards. These special clients always carried a Goblin made portkey on their person so that in an emergency they could escape and take refuge in a specified, pre-arranged Gringotts branch. Geoff's portkey was his Muggle watch. He also had another one hidden on his person which would send him to a different Gringotts if this branch had been compromised.

The Goblin Bonecrusher entered, saw who it was and asked, "My Lord, what has happened? For what reason are you here?"

"He's back, here on the Continent. I've been notified and no doubt my Dad got out a message to the Tonkses and/or the Drs. Grangers before he and Mum had to leave. If he didn't manage to reach any of them, we must do it now as before sundown the whereabouts of everyone will be known."

"I'll see to it immediately my Lord and alert the other branches. Are your other elves alerting any of the others?"

"They already know their orders and their duties. We've been practicing drills ever since we acquired Dirkie." Dirkie was a young elf who had lost his entire family due to his master running afoul of a more powerful wizard. His master and his entire family had been murdered in retaliation. Dirkie's parents had tried to defend their master and his family but had been killed.

Only Dirkie and his sister had survived because their mother made them flee to get help. Naturally the elves had been placed on the market to be sold by their master's attorneys so that some of the family's debts could be satisfied. His sister had been sold immediately as she was older and had more training and skills. But Dirkie had been lucky when he had been bought by Trudy on behalf of her masters and he had settled happily in his new home with Trudy and Head Elf Kreacher.

Geoff and the Goblin finished their conversation and another Goblin led the wizard and witch out of the room to another one safe room within the confines of the bank. It wasn't until they reached the room, a luncheon was provided and the Goblins leaving them, that Daphne could finally ask, "So…you aren't a Muggle?"

"What was your first clue?" asked Geoff taking a bite out of a sandwich.

"Well my first clue was when we portkeyed out of that alley and into a Gringotts branch. My second clue was when that Goblin, apparently your account manager, addressed you as 'my Lord' the first time. Let me guess. Have I the honor of being in the same room with the mysterious and elusive Lord Black?"

Geoff swallowed his piece of sandwich before replying "Observant as always."

"So was it Sirius or Regulus who was your father?"

"Neither. Regulus died without legal issue as did Sirius Black."

"So you are HARRY POTTER?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"Because Potter was Sirius Black's godson and therefore his heir. Draco is going to be so very.…"

"Just because Potter was Sirius Black's godson and thus his heir, makes him just that - Sirius' heir."

"But then how…who are you?"

Geoff swallowed another bite of his sandwich – well he was hungry, not to mention trying to avoid answering the questions he knew she was going to ask.

"Daphne, you are a Pureblood. As I am sure you are aware, Pureblood wizards are not exactly known for fidelity, correct?"

"Well yes."

"Arranged marriages are not usually love matches. Pureblood matches are made for the production of heirs, making political alliances, keeping money in the family, establishing power bases and many other necessary and useful things, just like Muggle alliances throughout history. Pureblood wives must remain faithful, but not husbands."

"So you are saying that you are…"

"I am just stating a fact," and he was so he couldn't be accused of lying if or when she found out the truth. "A godson and therefore legal heir of Sirius Black would have a better claim than the son of Sirius' female cousin. After all, Narcissa Black Malfoy was a daughter, the youngest daughter of the cousin of Sirius' father Orion."

"But very few people remember that Sirius' father pre-deceased Sirius so he was never Lord Black. Sirius' grandfather Arcturus survived his son Orion, dying in 1991. Therefore until Arcturus died no one could claim being Lord Black and even though everybody thought Sirius became Lord Black after Orion and his brother Regulus died he never claimed the Lordship AND Arcturus HAD DISOWNED HIM. He also knew that he had other more worthy heirs other than Sirius, Draco and Harry Potter."

"Now I will not tell you all of the details as it is family business and since you are not family nor under any current contract to become a family member at the moment, you will understand that I do not have to explain anything to you. Your name is Greengrass not the dreadful, overly nosy Hermione Granger. However, you are a very intelligent person and can make your own decision about what I will now tell you."

He then took another bite of sandwich, chewed, swallowed and nodded at Daphne to join him in eating. She didn't as she wanted answers and her stomach was now tied up in knots.

"Let us just say that Regulus had no legal heirs. Let us also say that Orion was not a faithful husband – have you ever heard about or saw a portrait of his wife Walburga? If you did hear about or see…well you could understand why he might have looked for 'comfort' in other places."

"It can also be mentioned that around the time of my Mother's birth, Lord Arcturus was a wizard in good health who traveled a lot doing business for the Family. Now as you also well know, in Pureblood families, the most important thing in an heir is that the heir be MAGICAL. A male is desired but a female will be accepted as long as she is magical. Even if they are not legitimate, as long as they are magical, they do have a claim."

"The House of Black is known for many things and set certain standards. Next to having magic, purity of blood is the most important requirement. A little thing like being born on the wrong side of the blanket doesn't matter in a pinch. My mother is magical and pure of blood. If she wasn't a legitimate child it can be overlooked when it comes to the status of an heir. Also, my mother was legally married a few years before my birth so in the eyes of the law I am a legitimate heir. Since she has a son, the son, being a male, would be accepted as the heir before her since the House of Black is patriarchal."

"As it stands now, as my mother's son, I had a better claim to the Black Lordship than a mere godson of Sirius Black. Harry Potter might have been Sirius' legal heir, but not his blood heir. While Potter could trace his line back to having some Black blood, something which most important families can do, I still have a better claim being the son of my mother who is a Black by blood as well as being a Pureblood. From what it is said, Harry Potter is a Half-blood."

"Well that explains it in a nutshell," said Daphne. "You have a better claim than Potter and Malfoy. However, as Malfoy likes to rant, what about the heirs you are purported to have? That has been his main worry especially since you refused to make him your heir."

"Did anybody ever tell you about the recording?"

"Oh yes," laughed Daphne, "Ted Tonks couldn't restrain himself despite his wife's threats. After all Malfoy put us all at risk because - wait! You've been funding all our support and education and - well everything."

"Yes. It was the ethical thing to do under the circumstances. Just because Drakey-poo is a right bastard and a fool, being a Malfoy after all, didn't mean the rest of you should suffer. We are British and it is only right and proper that we all stick together and help one another. And I don't want to hear any mumblings about thanks. It was a responsibility which I gladly took on. None of you owe me anything even gratitude – although a thank you note would be nice" he said giving her one of his adorable and disarming smiles.

To attempt to distract her from giving the thanks, he got back to the conversation. "As to my heirs, well my parents would inherit everything were I to die without issue. But I made alternate arrangements using Muggle methods just to doubly insure that Potter and most especially Malfoy, never inherit the Black Lordship."

Daphne was an intelligent girl so she asked, "You stored your sperm, didn't you?"

"Yep, in several different sperm banks. If I die without issue, Mum and/or Dad will choose a proper girl as, to quote Mummy, 'to use as a brood mare' to make certain the Black line continues. She really hates Harry Potter and loathes all Malfoys. She's even threatened to take care of Draco liked he planned to take care of me. She didn't appreciate hearing those recordings."

Daphne started laughing at this. Geoff so loved the sound of her laughter. She had been brought up too properly and hearty laughter coming from a Pureblood girl was considered vulgar. But it was such an enchanting sound.

While Daphne and Geoff chatted and ate lunch, the other House of Black-sponsored refugees were being alerted to the danger they now found themselves in. Or at least the real danger they thought they were in.

Rabastan had left a message on the answering machines of both the Tonkses and the Grangers. Neither of them recognized his voice as he had not officially been introduced to them. But then Trudy the house elf had alerted the Goblins and the Goblins also alerted the refugees.

The messages said, "You are in great danger, he knows where you are so use your other escape plans until further notice."

The first, and really the only thing, Narcissa, the Tonkses and the Grangers thought of was that despite Britain being totally isolated from the rest of the Magical World, the economy dead, the Magical inhabitants virtually prisoners and the Isle of Britain actually sealed off magically to prevent people from entering or leaving, was that Dumbledore had found a way out and first on his agenda was to retrieve the "lost British souls" who had foolishly left the land of their birth and refused to join the Light.

But then that sounded like something Dumbledore would do. He would not attempt to repent his ways, as he was the only person who knew what was best and what was right for all concerned, therefore he had nothing to repent. He would not re-establish relations with other countries (because one of the requirements would be his arrest and trial) or even bring in food, clothing and other necessities to the ruined land.

So everyone was gathering together to hide from Dumbledore and his minions coming to steal them back to a life of slavery and horror or worse.

But it had nothing to do with Dumbledore. No the alert was started because Bellatrix and Rabastan Lestrange were being called to the side of their Lord - their Dark Lord Voldemort. Their dark marks, dormant for these past years and hidden by Muggle surgery had flared to life. It wasn't a full mark, so apparently Voldemort did not possess a complete body. But the mark was real and potent enough for them to be called and forced to obey that call.

They would have to answer his call but yet they did not want their son involved, especially considering who their son really was. Bellatrix and her brother-in-law Rabastan had each officially blood adopted Harry Potter and pretended to be a married couple raising their only child. They would first have to explain things to Voldemort and hope he would believe them. Since there was no guarantee he would be anything other than hostile to "Geoff" he had to flee for his life so that his parents didn't have to give "their son" to their Lord.

Arrangements had been made so that Geoff could simply disappear if need be, along with taking his money with him. It might mean they would never see him again but at least he would be protected from the Dark Lord. "Real parents" protected their child for no reason other than he/she was a child.

Unlike what Harry Potter had been told by so many, he did not "OWE" James and Lily "for their sacrifice" and, if fact, it had been them (controlled by Dumbledore) who had chosen to stay in Britain even after knowing that Voldemort was after the prophecy child(ren). Any idiot (James/Frank/Sirius, etc.) would (and probably did) know that Dumbledore was using their child as bait, but the chance that their son (James/Sirius) actually hoped that Harry was the child of prophecy.

Poor Frank had been browbeaten into staying, whereas Lily and Alice wanted to flee the country and "Let the men, Aurors and most especially Dumbledore take care of Voldemort" especially since it was said by everybody that Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort feared and also was the "Greatest Wizard since Merlin" so - DEFEAT HIM ALREADY!

Impossible as it would have seemed to him years ago, it had been Bellatrix Black Lestrange and Rabastan Lestrange who had shown him how "real parents" took care of their child. Even now being called by their Dark Lord and having no way of refusing him, they had been planning for years for just such a circumstance and how to protect their child from He-Who-Wanted-to-Kill-Harry-Potter and hopefully not Arcturus Serpens Black-Lestrange a/k/a Geoffrey Thomas Ford-Hill.

Harry Potter had no memory of his parents other than hearing his Mother's scream and begging for her child's life. He knew only what he had been told by the Dursleys (lies) and what Dumbledore and others told him (very little and only what Dumbledore wanted him to hear). Sirius and Remus Lupin only talked about James and how wonderful, noble, brave, funny, handsome, popular, etc. James was and only that Harry had "Lily's eyes" and not much else.

Much like Neville Longbottom, who had been "raised to be like his Father even to being forced to use his wand to "honor him" when it was all wrong for the boy, people expected and DEMANDED at times that Harry be more like James. Both Harry and Neville would never be allowed to be themselves as Augusta Longbottom could not cope with "losing" her wonderful son any more than Sirius and Remus wanted James back and couldn't have him. Since Harry looked so much like James with his messy hair and atrocious eyesight, it was almost like their James had come back to them and with a proper molding Harry could become James incarnate.

Harry Potter had never had a chance to be himself if only because people controlled him, had mapped out his life for their own nefarious reasons (Dumbledore), had used their jealousy and heartbreak to get back at a lost love (Petunia) or able to express their "dark side" by hurting, debasing, using him as a slave (Vernon) or making his parents "happy and proud" of him and getting presents as well as developing his own dark side (Dudley).

Sirius and Remus forgot about the baby they had loved and saw only a way to have James back. The Wizarding World wanted their "savior" or "symbol" their Boy-Who-Lived to boast about (when it suited them), the teachers who knew James and expected – and were dissatisfied – that the boy who looked so much like James Potter wasn't James or really like him except for the hair and glasses. Sad to say "Harry" was just an abused, unloved, sickly-looking and basically a "disappointment" because he was really only Harry, just Harry and not James or the powerful wizard (as Dumbledore had arranged for that not to happen) that they expected.

Now being the child of two Deatheaters (one of whom was still slightly insane at times), Harry had become Geoff and was not only allowed but encouraged to be all that he could be, starting with his physical healing and segueing into being very well-educated, his own person and most important of all…finally loved for just being him.

As far as he was concerned, Harry Potter was dead and would stay that way.

Then there was the "Malfoy problem" as Lucius had not only betrayed his Lord on more than one occasion he, like the rest of the Death Eaters who lived in Britain, was now a follower of Dumbledore and a member of the Light and that was the worst betrayal. However, he had promised Draco to Voldemort and here was Draco, alive and free and "up for grabs" and Bellatrix and Rabastan would be expected to turn the boy over to Voldemort. Only if he was alerted and given a chance to flee would he escape the Dark Lord.

However, just to punish Lucius for his betrayal Voldemort just might decide to kill Draco and/or Narcissa. If Draco was found, then the others would be compromised and possibly killed or forced to join Voldemort, as Dumbledore had claimed all of Voldemort's surviving followers, except for the Lestranges and the few Voldie currently had with him.

In any event, it didn't matter whether it was Dumbledore or Voldemort who "found them" all were now in danger and new identities would need to be established.

It was a right mess but at least there had been some years of peace and being able to actually live life for once.