Authors Note: I don't really know how long this story is going to go one for, Right now I plan on it being fairly short. Anyways, it is a very AU story.

Disclaimer: With the exception of Shadow none of this is mine. It all belongs to the one the only J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 1:

Shadow walked bare foot along the deserted beach in the Florida Keys. She was thinking- over what was to come of her life. Her waist length red hair that never did what she wanted it to, it was always coming out of the pony tail or braid she would secure it in and get into her hazel eyes. At the moment it was loose and blowing on the wind behind her as she walked. She was thinking about her life, the life that she neither understood nor controlled.

Shadow had had a very strange life. She knew that up to the age of 5 or so she had lived in a cottage far from anywhere. Since then she had been moved around a lot. At eleven she had gotten a letter from a Professor Dumbledore who had told her because of her situation (a situation that she didn't even understand) she would have to complete her studies by correspondence. She would now be starting 6th year in September, and she didn't even know where the school was. She didn't even know her real name.

Ever since she had turned 11 Shadow had been moved around to different homes. Every time she moved she was given a new name and a new story of her past. She didn't know what they hid her from or who they were. This was the first time that she was brought somewhere where there weren't any adults to look after her. It had been four months since she had arrived. Every two weeks a boat would dock give here a shipment of groceries and leave again.

Shadow was not her real name it was just the earliest name she could remember being called so that is what she referred to herself as to those who brought her to her next hiding place. It had become a code name of sorts. If some one knew the name Shadow Lark, they were safe. The only people she knew much of were Remus who often came to bring her to her next hiding spot and Minerva who always met them there.

Remus was a kindly man. She did not know his last name but she knew when she had first met him. She had been around 5 years old and Remus had come to move her from her first home. She hadn't wanted to leave her Aunty Arabella and her cats that had taken care of her. Remus had been kind to her and with the help of Arabella explained to Shadow that she had to go. Arabella, who wasn't a witch, rarely came to see Shadow after that but Remus always brought letters from her.

Shadow stopped and looked back up to the beach to see the small cottage that she lived in with her cat Lily way up the beach. She sighed knowing that she should get back. Turning she began to walk back up the beach. Lily had been given to her by Arabella as a kitten when Shadow had been ten. The little ginger cat had moved every where with Shadow and was her closest friend and confident. Actually, now that Shadow thought about it that was the last time she had seen Arabella.

Shadow got back the cottage a half hour latter to find Remus sitting in her living room with Lily curled up purring her heart out in his lap. The little cottage had been surrounded by many wards that allowed very few people in. "Hello Shadow Lark," said Remus showing Shadow that it was really him. He looked tired to Shadow, even more so then usual.

"Hello, Remus, isn't time to leave then?" Asked Shadow in a tired voice. She began to walk around the living room collecting things she would want to take with her. She was almost hoping she would get to stay here, even though she had limited contact with people this place was beginning to feel like home.

"Not today Shadow, tomorrow. Tomorrow we are going to visit Arabella and then go to the head quarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore has decided that it is time for you to come home and learn who you are Shadow." said Remus. Shadow has no idea what the Order of the Phoenix was but she had a good idea that it played a large part in her past, present and probably would in the future.

"Does this mean that I will finally know my true name Remus?" Shadow asked. She looked on the edge of tears. Remus seemed to be telling her that the one thing she had always wanted beyond all else was finally with in sight. With the truth she would finally be free of this lie they called her life. Heck, she would finally know who they were beyond Arabella, Remus and Minerva.

"Yes, you will but to me you will always be my little Shadow Lark. There is much to the world out there that you have yet to see Shadow. I did not think it wise to keep you so isolated but there are those higher then me that believed it was necessary. It is time to come out of the shadows, dearer then Daughter, and spread you wings to fly." Remus got up unceremoniously dumping at rumpled Lily on to the ground and put his arms around the 16 year old girl, giving her a fatherly hug. He planted a light kiss on her long red hair, hair that reminded him so much of her mother. "You need to pack tonight; we will be travelling to England the muggle way because it is more inconspicuous. Here I'll help you."

So for the next couple of hours Remus and Shadow worked to collect and shrink all of Shadow's things into her two large trunks. Shadow looked at the two trunks wistfully. In those two trunks was everything she had in this lie of a life she had been living for the last 15 years. Actually the only thing she had discovered about her life was that her parents had died when she had been just over a year old. That was the only shred of truth she had known.

It was late when she and Remus went to bed as they had stayed up late talking about the trip they would be taking. Remus wouldn't tell her anything beyond that they would be going to England and how they would be getting there. She cajoled and annoyed him for more information but he remained tight lipped. Finally they retired to bed. Shadow went to her room that after tomorrow would never be hers again and Remus to the couch in the living couch. Shadow had offered him her bed seeing she was much shorter then he was but he had refused.

It was just before six in the morning when Remus awoke Shadow and told her that their port key to Orlando Florida would be activated in a half hour. So Shadow got up and changed into her clothes for the day. Her pyjamas were packed into her trunk with everything else. Remus came in not long afterwards and shrank the trunks before placing them in his backpack. Lily was placed inside her cat carrier and left at the front door. Lily never travelled with Shadow, however she was always waiting for Shadow at the other end of the trip.

They touched to old yellow fisherman's hat which brought them immediately to a small alley in Orlando not far from the airport but where they would be pretty sure they wouldn't be noticed. They walked towards the airport where they would get catch their plane to London England's Heathrow airport. Once they reached their airport they went to a small coffee shop in the terminal where they got some breakfast. About an hour latter it was time to get in line to get their baggage checked and go to the waiting room to board the plane. Seeing they didn't have any large baggage it didn't take them long to reach the waiting room.

Once they reached the waiting room Remus began to look around for someone or something. He found them seats but remained standing and seemed to be continuing to look for something getting more and more distressed looking as he couldn't find it. Finally, a man with a long grey beard and half moon glasses touched Remus on the shoulder. Remus jumped out of his skin. "Albus don't ever do that to me again!" (AN: I didn't mean for him to show up he just decided to come along!)

The elderly man chuckled at Remus. "And so this is our Shadow Lark?" he asked looking at the girl sitting on the chair, going through her backpack to find her cd player. At the sound of her name Shadow looked up at the elderly man. She had never seen him before but couldn't help feeling that she knew him.

"Yes," replied Remus softly. "Shadow, this is Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts. Albus, this is Shadow Lark." Remus had never been happy about Dumbledore's decision about Shadow's life. Remus had offered to take her, it Dumbledore couldn't see fit to leave her with her brother. However, Dumbledore wished her to be invisible to the world and her identity even her existence to be known to very few.

"Headmaster, when will I learn the truth?" Shadow looked at the man and knew that if anyone would know the truth of her past it would be the man standing in front of her now.

"Soon, Shadow, soon. Here is neither the place nor time to have this discussion though. All will be revelled once we get to the headquarters. By the way it is a pleasure to meet you. Minerva and I have been marking all of your work for the past five years however I have not laid eyes on you since you were a year old. It is a delight to find out what at marvellous and may I say beautiful young woman you have ground into." Once again Dumbledore smiled a little private kind of smile. "By the way would you like a Sherbet Lemon?" At this Remus burst out laughing.

Several hours later, Shadow was staring out her wind looking at the clouds, seeing there wasn't anything else to see. Dumbledore was reading and eating another Sherbet Lemon, Shadow was starting to wonder where he was keeping them all. Remus was sleeping in his seat on the other side of the aisle from Dumbledore. Shadow was feeling a bit sleepy herself. They had only been in flight for an hour and it was going to be a long haul. Dumbledore almost as if he could feel that the red haired girl's boredom was reaching a peak pulled a book out of the bag he had been carrying.

"Shadow," he said passing the girl the thick book. "I though you would like to learn about your school before you get there. This is Hogwarts: A History. It is pretty comprehensive although I know of one student who feels that it left out some of the more unsavoury elements of the school." Dumbledore handed Shadow the book reminded immediately of another red head who had many years ago read this same copy. "Shadow, I want you to keep this book; it was your mother's."

Shadow took the book reverently. "Thank you, professor," was all she could say. In the many hours of flying that remained ahead of them Shadow devoured half of the book. She was fascinated by what she learnt. She had been learning magic for the last 5 years and some of the homes she stayed in were the homes of magical people but Hogwarts was above an beyond them all.

It was ten at night when Shadow's plane landed in London's Heathrow airport. Heathrow made every other airport Shadow had ever been in look small and relaxed. Shadow had no time to think about anything but keeping up with Remus and Professor Dumbledore as they went through customs. She let out a deep sigh of relief when they finally exited the terminal. Dumbledore led them to a larege balck car waiting for them in the pick up zone.

Waiting for them outside the car stood Minerva McGonagall. Shadow broke away from Remus and ran to the woman who had been one of the few constants in her life. After giving the excited girl a hug Minerva picked up the cat carrier and handed it to Shadow. "Safe and sound as promised" said Minerva with a smile.

Dumbledore and Remus had been talking to a pink haired woman whom Shadow hadn't noticed till now. "Shadow," said Remus. "This is Nymphadora Tonks, she is an Auror and our guard. Nymphadora this is the Shadow Lark," said Remus while he gave the woman a meaning full look. Shadow wondered why Remus had called her THE Shadow Lark like it was a title instead of her name.

"Hi, Shadow, call me Tonks," Said Tonks giving Remus a glare. "I really do detest my first name, I don't know what my mother was thinking, then again her name was Andromeda." Tonks looked thoughtful as though she was seriously thinking of the possibility.

"It's very nice to meet you Tonks. Your hair is an awesome colour; I don't think I've seen that shade of pink before." Replied Shadow.

"I personally like yours Shadow. Come on lets get into the car." Shadow and Tonks slide into the car. "Actually do you mind if I borrow your hair for a while its so beautiful." Without waiting for an answer Tonks screwed up her eyes and after a couple seconds she had waist length red hair exactly like Shadows.

Shadow's eyes opened wide. "How is you do that? It was awesome!" She exclaimed reaching out to touch Tonks now long red hair just to make sure is was real.

"I am a matemorphomagus, it's a natural ability of mine to change my looks at will. Very handy for disguises let me tell you."

At this point Dumbledore, Remus and Minerva got into the car. Remus who was sitting in the drivers seat turned, "there has been a little change of plans Shadow. Arabella will be meeting us at the Headquarters instead of us going to her place." Remus turned the car on and began the drive to number 12 Grimmalde Place.

Dumbledore, who was sitting in the back of the car with Shadow and Tonks, turned to the Auror. "Nymphadora, I rather liked that beautiful shade of pink and at this time I don't think playing Shadow's sister is a good idea." Tonks nodded and turned her hair to shoulder length black, which was actually her natural hair colour. Both she and Dumbledore looked saddened after this short exchange.

Shadow was feeling tired even though it was still only about 4 in the afternoon at home. "Will the Weasley's and company be there when we get there?" Asked Remus to no one in particular. The words only slightly registered in Shadow's tired brain.

"No, we don't expect them till tomorrow around noon. I think the Shadow Lark is asleep." Shadow noted that she had been called THE Shadow Lard for the second time as though it were a title instead of a name.

"Do you think they will have any problems getting Harry from his aunts and uncles?" Asked Tonks.

"I don't believe so," said Remus. "I think they will let him go happily especially after we threatened them at the end of school year." Remus chuckled at the memory.

Through this entire conversation Shadow sat in silence as though she were asleep. She was actually trying to sort out all of the unorganised information that was being shot around her. After and hour and some of driving through London they arrived in a fairly quiet neighbourhood. Remus parked the car at the street corner.

Everyone piled out of the car. Dumbledore handed Shadow as folded piece of paper. "Memorize this information and then give the paper back to me," he said.

The paper read: The headquarters of the Order of the Pheonix can be found at number 12 Grmwald Place London.

Shadow handed the piece of paper back to Dumbledore who proceeded to burn it.

The small group walked down the road until a large house suddenly emerged from between two other houses. As they entered the house Tonks turned to Shadow, "We need to be very quiet. We don't want to wake up the painting in the front hallway, its rather unpleasant," said Tonks.

Everyone walked into the house as though they were walking on eggshells. Suddenly a large motherly woman with hair the colour of fire emerged from the kitchen. Shadow recognised this woman, she had lived with her and her husband Arthur for three weeks the winter of the year she had been twelve. She had never been told her last name like all the homes she stayed in. Mother Molly had known Shadow as Enya. Her story had been that she was going to visit some family in Africa but her family had come down with some illness and they asked that she wait till they discovered what had caused it. Shadow's stay with Molly and Arthur had been one of her shortest anywhere.

"Molly!" Exclaimed Dumbledore in a voice that was still very hushed. "We weren't expecting you till tomorrow. Harry hasn't been in trouble again has he?" Dumbledore's voice showed ultimate care for this situation.

"Actually there was an attack in the village. As soon as Arthur heard we came here. Harry isn't here yet that is still the same plan as ever." Molly surveyed the group. "Come into the kitchen where we can talk properly."

Everyone walked into the kitchen and Molly looked each person as though accessing their health with the eye of a mother. Finally, her eyes fell on Shadow. "Enya…" she whispered. Her eyes opened in recognition. Turning to Dumbledore she looked at his accusingly. "She is the Shadow Lark and you let me believe that I was only helping a poor stranded child."

"Molly calm yourself. I had my reasons, and even Shadow doesn't understand her life right now. The only person who cared for her in the last 15 years who knew who she was were Arabella, Remus and Minerva. Not even I have seen her since she was a year old." Dumbledore looked as Molly sternly and finally cowed her into silence.

"Shadow are you tired or should we have our talk now? We don't have to though I would like to get this over with." Dumbledore asked the girl who was getting mighty tired of having people talking about her as though she was there and stuff that she didn't even know at that.

"Now, I am much more awake then I was in the car." Answered Shadow. She wanted the truth and wanted it now.