The Watcher

Chapter 1-On Privet Drive

By Magoo

Number four, Privet Drive was about was normal a household as you could get. Well, for Muggles anyway. But Harry Potter was not a Muggle. And as far as Arabella Figg was concerned, there was no reason for her godson to be staying with those.... those... Lily's relatives for one second longer than absolutely necessary.  Admittedly, she understood why he had been placed there in the first few weeks following his parents' deaths.  But now that Arabella had been cleared of all charges, she did not understand why she couldn't have custody.  True, Remus had skipped town almost immediately following the funerals.  And Sirius…Arabella shook off the thought, not wanting to think about Sirius Black one second longer than absolutely necessary.  But that still didn't explain why she couldn't have custody of Harry. 

Just because I dated the man who killed the Potters, Arabella thought bitterly.  Is no reason to declare me to be an unfit guardian.  I didn't know.  None of us did.

Continuing to walk down Privet Drive that late February evening, Arabella tried hard not to think of Sirius, the mischievous glint in his eye, the way she felt when wrapped in his arms, the raw emotion in his voice when he told her he loved her…

"NOOO!!!!!!" Arabella screamed.  Falling to her knees, she sobbed her heart out, still six doors away from number four.  Six doors away from Harry.

The thought of her godson brought Arabella up off her knees and heading towards number four.  To her goal.  To her godson. 

Right foot.  Left foot.  Right foot.  Left foot. Right foot.  Left foot. Right foot.  Left foot. Right foot.  Left foot. Right foot.  Left foot. Right foot.  Left foot.  Just concentrate on moving forward.  One foot in front of the other.  Right foot.  Left foot. Right foot.  Left foot. Right foot.  Left foot. Right foot.  Left foot. Right foot.  Left foot.  Right f…

Arabella froze in mid-step.  Something, a spell, was preventing her from turning up the Dursley's front walk. 

"No!" Arabella howled.  "I will NOT let this happen.  I promised Lily and James, and I will not be denied!"

Reaching for her wand, she began to undo ward after ward.  Truthfully, the amount of protection spells Dumbledore had managed to invoke in so short a time was astonishing.  Even she, who had been second best in her year at both Charms and Defense, didn't recognize all of them.

For nearly three-quarters of an hour, Arabella was forced to expend all of her energy on the wards.  Luckily, few Muggles were outside at this hour of the night.  When she finished, she collapsed onto the grass in exhaustion.

"Arabella," a familiar voice called from above her.  She ignored it.  This was possibly the last person (or one of the last anyway) whom she wanted to see.

"Young Miss Figg," the voice continued, "do get up and look at me.  I understand that you're angry, and you have every right to be-"

"Every right is exactly correct Headmaster!" Arabella snapped.  "I've lost everyone that ever mattered to me, and now you're trying to take my godson away too!  You have no right!  He is all I have left, and you won't even let me see him.  Well, too bad Headmaster, I'm not one of your students anymore, and you won't keep me from my godson!"  She quieted. "He's my only family," she finished, tears streaking down her face.

Arabella saw Dumbledore's eyes softened in compassion.  Yet she knew that even with all of his power, could do nothing to ease her pain.  Her pain, or that of any of the others who had suffered so at the hands of Lord Voldemort.  Arabella had been so completely and utterly betrayed, and there was nothing he could do, unless…

"Perhaps Ms. Figg, we can work out some sort of a compromise," he said gently.

Arabella perked up.  "You'll let me have my godson?" she whispered, not daring to believe.

Yet her hopes were crushed when Dumbledore shook his head.  "I am sorry Arabella," he replied.  "But the Ministry has decided that there are two reasons why you cannot have Harry.  Firstly, he is very well protected here-"

Arabella snorted.  "It didn't even take me an hour to break those wards," she informed him, ignoring the fact that she was good at breaking wards, and it had worn her out in the process.  "Even an amateur, given enough time, could manage."

Dumbledore peered over the rims of his half-moon glasses to look down at her.  "Really?  Do you have that little faith in me, that you would think I would leave young Mr. Potter here unprotected?  I've known you were here since you arrived.  An ingenious idea to use Muggle transport, might I add."

Arabella blushed.  All of her plans, all of her scheming, for nothing.  Not a very marauder-like plan of hers.  Marauder- Sirius- no…

The tears began to fall again.  It had been barely four months since Lily and James were killed.  And Peter…poor, poor Peter… Four months since Sirius had been dragged off to Azkaban for his crimes against them.  And Remus had left at Christmas for parts unknown, even to her, Remus' last surviving friend.  Since Remus had left, since all of them had left her, Arabella had lost everyone.  They had been her whole support system.  And she had been reduced from a once-proud, strong, brave Gryffindor to the shuddering heap of tears that lay at Professor Dumbledore's feet.

"As I was saying Ms. Figg, no one can get through my wards without my consent.  I know how much young Mr. Potter means to you, and that you would disobey my instructions to see him.  So I let you succeed."

"Thank you Headmaster," Arabella whispered, her voice choked with raw emotion.  Then a thought occurred to her.  "Headmaster," she began tentatively.  "You said that there were two reasons.  What was the second?"

She already knew quite well what the reason was.  But she was hoping that his answer was anything but what she suspected.

Professor Dumbledore sighed.  "It is rather simple, my dear child.  There is absolutely nothing that will convince the Ministry to give our world's greatest hero to the girlfriend of the servant of our greatest enemy."

Arabella opened her mouth to protest, but she was cut off before she could speak.  "I know that you are innocent of any wrongdoing, as does anyone who knows you.  But, there are those who would seek to vilify you, to shift blame onto your shoulders.  You will never succeed in getting custody of your godson."

"Politics," Arabella spat in disgust.  "The Death Eaters would rather vilify me than have people remember what crimes they have committed."

Dumbledore nodded.  "I happen to agree with you whole-heartedly on the subject of politics, but unfortunately, we must continue to play their games."

"Of course Headmaster."

"As I said before, the Ministry had two reasons as to why you should not be permitted to regain custody of young Harry.  I, however, have a third."

Arabella's eyes widened in shock.  Of all the things she had ever expected to hear come out of Professor Dumbledore's mouth (and mind you, there were a lot of them), this was not it.  After all the betrayals she had experienced, she did not think that one could ever top Sirius'.    But to have this betrayal from her teacher, her mentor, her friend was unbearable.

Something deep inside of her, forgotten in the past few months awoke.  A new vigor and spirit bubbled forth.  Her spine straightened, and a new fire came back into her eyes.  She prepared for battle.  Just like the marauder she had always considered herself to be.

"What exactly do you mean, Headmaster?" she said in a voice that was low, dangerous, almost snarling.  Snarling, like a wolf, she thought, glancing up at the full moon hanging overhead.  Oh Remus, why did you leave me?

Professor Dumbledore's eyes sparkled in the way she was so familiar with.  The same glint she was used to seeing after a successful prank.  Of course, the aforementioned glint was generally accompanied by a detention from Professor McGonagall.  But it was worth it… most of the time anyway.

"Well, Arabella, that is possibly the most life you have exhibited since Lily and James were killed.  I'm glad to see that you are returning to normal, or whatever it is that passes for normal these days."

"My reason is very simple," he continued.  "You have been an emotional wreck since the events of Halloween.  You need the time to recover, both physically and emotionally.  You are simply in no condition to take care of Mr. Potter."

Arabella tried to form a coherent argument, but found none within her.  As much as she hated to admit it, deep down she knew he was right.

"Then what did you mean by compromise, Headmaster?  Visitation rights once a month?" she asked sarcastically.  Her signature sarcasm coming back to the fore.

"Actually, no.  I have a different idea in mind."

Obviously.

"What I intend to do is to install a guardian for young Harry.  I need a qualified witch or wizard who will watch out for the boy, and to help guide him throughout his life.  Preferably one who is skilled in Charms and Defense.  However, the guardian is not allowed to intrude in his life without the consent of his relatives.  This guardian can do nothing that will cause him any harm from his relatives in any way.  She cannot reveal herself to the Dursleys, so letting young Harry hear about magic or his parents would not be acceptable.  Do you agree with these terms Ms. Figg?"

Arabella didn't even bother to think about it.  This was a chance to be with her godson, however indirectly.

"When do you want me to start?" she inquired, smiling for the first time in many months.

"Good to have you aboard," Dumbledore said jovially.  "Now, onto the specifics of this job.  You will, of course, be paid the salary of a Ministry worker."

"I wasn't expecting to be paid at all, Headmaster.  I am perfectly able to live off my grandmother's fortune."

"Well, as you are doing this for me, I am insisting upon payment.  I don't want to see anymore of this house-elf mentality from you.  You will be paid."

"There is no reason to pay me for watching my godson!" Arabella protested.

"Do stop arguing Ari." Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling.  "You will have other jobs to work on while posted here.  The usual odds and ends.  For the ministry you understand.  Research projects and such."

Arabella made a face.  She hated doing research.  Her final project in Defense had been atrocious.  She half-smiled in the memory.  Trying to piece together a project that was supposed to take three months in only one night.   The seven of them all working together.  They'd had so much fun that year.  Lily, James, Jane, Remus, Peter, herself and Sirius. 

But as much as she loved remembering all the good times, Arabella hated Dumbledore's use of her old school nickname.  She hadn't even known he was aware of her nickname.  It had been a private thing between her best friends and favorite teacher.  But of course he knew it, he was the Headmaster after all.  She knew exactly why he had used it there as well.  He wanted the old Arabella to return, and that meant getting her temper to rise.  And what better way to do that, than by reminding her of what had been her nickname all throughout school.  Sirius' pet name for her.  But something that had also taken on a special meaning every time he had said it.  Something she had never wanted to be called again.  Something that had made her cry every time she had heard it recently.  But now with everyone gone, there was no one left to use it.

Yet now, for the first time since Sirius' betrayal, Arabella did not cry at the sound of his old pet name for her.  With this offer to protect James and Lily's son, something inside of her hardened.  The fire in her eyes was now permanent.  The weak, cowardly Ari was gone.  Now only Arabella, the survivor existed.

"Of course, Headmaster," she replied after a long pause.  "But I am reminding you about my…quality of research presentations.  And for the record, it is Arabella, NOT Ari."
           

"As you wish Arabella, of course. I am certain that you will have much time to improve, considering that this is a ten-year assignment.  Now," Dumbledore smiled.  "Onto your accommodations.  I believe that you have a house somewhere in this neighborhood?"

Arabella considered for a moment, then nodded in comprehension.  "Yes, I inherited my mother's old house.  It's only a few blocks away."

Her eyes suddenly scrunched up in pain.  That house only held bad memories for her.  That fateful summer when she had received her own Hogwarts letter….

I will not tolerate one of those freaks in my household!  After what those, those FREAKS did to me, I will not tolerate my daughter being of their blood.  No child of mine will go to that school.  I would rather die than have a witch in this family!

You go to that school Arabella, you don't even think about setting foot in this house again for as long as I live!!!!

"Arabella," the Headmaster's kindly voice knocked her out of her vision of the past.  "I know the sort of memories that house holds for you.  But it is the most ideal location for us to operate from."

She grimaced in pain and then nodded in determination.  Weak, cowardly Ari is no more remember? she told herself fiercely.  You're Arabella again, just like you used to be, before HE came up with that blasted nickname.  Before you became weak.  This is only a house, and it's only memories.  Ghosts can't hurt you now.

"Now, one last thing," the professor said as he made ready to leave.  "I believe that Petunia Dursley is familiar with your looks.  Perhaps a change?" he suggested delicately.

"Of course." A wicked grin crossed Arabella's face, the same type that used to make Slytherins tremble in fear.  "I always wanted to act anyway, and I think I might have just the disguise…"

To be continued…..

Author's Note-Wow!  I actually finished something…. ::is very impressed with herself::  Ok, up first, my really really long thank you list…

1-To Ali-for being the best twin in known existence (even if you didn't want to read this fic)

2-To Liz and Leesie-for not making me give up on this and for yelling at me to keep typing, instead of going to check for updates every two seconds. (I swear, you two are the fic nazis, not me) 

3-To Joyce for spending hours trying to figure out Arabella's character

4-To Elle, just because you're the best BIG sister a girl could have

5-OBHGF!  When are we finishing the prequel?

6-To Anne and Paula-for volunteering to look over this fic, even though it isn't H/G.  Also, for helping me through writers block.  (Anne you are the BEST beta, and you aren't scary, regardless of what Paula says)

7-To GT chat….just because

8-To Bovine-because cows ROX

9-To Zsenya for Beta-reading

10-To Brandeis for accepting me!!!!!  (And giving me money)

Explanation-Well, first off, I hope the fic was self explanatory, or at least this first chapter was…Anyway, this is a sequel to a work in progress that will hopefully one day be finished.  This one begins four months after James and Lily are killed.

Disclaimer-This stuff belongs to JKR.  If it belonged to me, I wouldn't be worrying about how to pay for college.  Arabella Figg's personality belongs to me, even though the character belongs to JKR.