Chapter 3 – sold as a slave
It was late afternoon and Privet Drive looked quiet and friendly, cars parked in the proper places, gardens well cared for with flowers still blossoming, the grass was green as only in England it can be, nothing could be more normal in everybody eyes, nothing not even the three person walking slowly towards number 4 .
A soft knock on the front door, just as a kind stranger would do, no wonder that it was opened without the rage Remus had experienced the day before, but soon afterwards the face of Vernon Dursley turned to the same ugly rage filled mask he had saw before.
" May we enter Mr Dursley? I think you would welcome the business offer I have for you "
Morwenna had a lovely voice, more fitting for an erotic line then for small talk, even the ugly muggle could not resist her and they were granted entrance in the house and invited in the sitting room.
" Thank you Mr Dursley, be assured you will be rewarded for your kindness. As I know you are a busy man please let me go straight to the point, I've a business proposal for you that I'm sure will be profitable for both of us. As only living relatives of the minor Harry Potter you are allowed by both Human and wizard Law to be free of your burden selling that minor as Slave&Apprentice to a Master, and of course to ask a refund for all those years said child had been cared for. Here I am to offer you a legal wizard contract for your nephew and a sum of money I hope you fill find satisfying for the past, a check of 50,000 pounds "
Just looking at Vernon's face was a show worth the trip to Surrey
This thought was both on Remus and Severus mind but the spy's face gave away nothing while Remus' one let it slip, and that granted him a kick in his calf from his schoolmate.
Vernon made a quite stunning pic of a fish while his brain worked at its maximum speed to analyze and digest the news; at last he regained his voice
" Well … it IS a good offer and I indeed deserve a refund for all the money I've wasted in caring for that ungrateful brat but … his kind, you know … we have been threatened by his freak friends, the one near you come just a day ago to see him …"
" Nothing to worry about, the contract is legal, be sure of this Mr. Dursley.
I've followed the right way and the Minister of Magic had personally signed it, see? The Headmaster of his school could do nothing to you or your family if you sign this contract; of course you do know that the boy will be mine … mine in every meaning of the word …"
" yours? … as a .. as a servant? "
"Of course. He will receive food, cloths … well, enough of both as he will deserve as long as he works hard to gain them, I'm not an easy Mistress to deal with, but, alas, that would not be your fault, wouldn't it? signing those papers you may grant him a future, a work, some kind of way of earning his food .. an honest way, away from those freaks you seem to not be friendly with …"
" Sure, sure … let me see the papers .."
A soft sickening sweet smile made Morwenna's face even more attractive … and made Severus shiver with fear, he knew that smile, it was blinding … evilly blinding … and nothing good ever came from it nor would ever come.
Vernon was dealing with a black mamba, facing it without glasses, unaware of the danger … well, he was a muggle as she was and he was supposed to be a business man, wasn't he? Sure he was old enough to deal with a muggle woman
offering him the best deal of his whole life … sure it was none of Severus' business to warn him or to give him advice in his own house, wasn't it? And indeed he was the boy's uncle and had the right to sign such a contract … sure, sure as tomorrow the sun will rise again, perhaps not in the west as the papers assured, but the sun would indeed rise.
Remus kept silent, his nose had detected the fury and the rage in the woman sitting nearby as well as he could smell the greed arousing from the man, no fear coming from the fat ugly muggle while the wolf inside him was screaming to run, run away from this dangerous storm dressed in the smiling body of a woman.
The same woman that had tricked Albus Dumbledore a few hours ago into a bonding oath granting her the only guardianship of the Golden Boy Saviour-to-beas well as his and Severus' lives …
"Here states that also my wife's signature is required …"
"Yes as she is his only bloody relative still alive, I suppose it will be no problem for you, will it?"
"No, no … no problem at all … Petunia ! darling come here, you have to sign a paper for me "
" Vernon, dear, what is this … and why are those people here ?"
" Nothing you have to worry about, just a business of mine, here, sign in this place … and in this other one, good girl, and right, just here again … done! Here are your papers my dear lady … the check?"
" Here is your check, the sum is the one we spoke before, and would you please summon the boy? Thanks "
" BOY! COME HERE!"
Harry arrived in a blink, the small body even skinner then Severus remembered, how could it be? He had left Hogwart less then a month ago, had those Muggles ever given him any food at all?
" Mister Snape here will gather the boy's stuff and we will leave immediately afterwards, oh .. I forgot … he will never return to your house of course, his servitude will last as long as he will have paid me back … and for his living meanwhile of course …."
Harry looked stunned at her words while Remus shivered barely managing to keep the wolf from running away from that voice that dripped poison as well as danger … and the presence of Professor Snape in his relatives' house was not a good thing, oh not at all !
"Boy, go to your room and fetch your stuff, then you will go with this nice lady, she has offered to teach you a work and by doing so she offers you a future. You have better to behave and obey her, she is your Mistress from now on … "
" MISTRESS? What do you mean? You could not have done this … you could not have sold me as a slave … Headmaster Dumbledore will not allow this …"
" SHUT UP BOY! That Headmaster of yours is not the one to sign the contract, nor is that Minister of your, we as your legal guardians are … everything is perfectly legal … and you will obey her, you will, boy … now do as you have been told!"
Severus stood and with a wave of his hand made Harry leave the room leading the way to his bedroom. Once inside Severus took out his wand and with a simple spell gathered all Harry's belongings in his trunk, even those hidden under the loose floorboard near his bed.
" Things are not always as they seem Mr Potter and yes, the Headmaster is informed and had allowed this … this charade. While servitude to a Master or a Mistress is indeed legal both in muggle and in wizard world you have nothing to fear from this contract, but you can be sure you will never had to come back here, never again."
"Are you sure Sir? I will never have to come back here? Never? "
" Never Mr Potter, you will never have to be with your relatives as long as you are under the protection of your Mistress"
" So I'm exchanging the evil I know for one I do not know … "
Severus looked at young man but kept silent, not daring to help him, not yet.
Too much was at stakes but soon Harry would be free and well cared for as he never had been till his parents' death.
Soon, too soon for Harry's comfort they left his bedroom, no, not his, never his, just Dudley's second bedroom! Coming back to the sitting room and facing the stranger woman was difficult but not frightening, the Snake Lord was surely worse than her.
What was going on?
Something was off-tuned but he could not really tell what was wrong, he had better to keep silent and play along. The presence of Snape and Remus was strange enough to raise both his suspicions and his hopes while the happy smile on his uncle's face was sure hint of bad news for him.
"I suppose you have gathered the entire boy's stuff Mr. Snape, well"
The small nod of the tall Potion Master was welcomed with a brief smile
"Harry you are my Apprentice from now on, you will speak only when I will allow you to and you will always address me with the proper title of Mistress. Say farewell to your Uncle and your Aunt and thank them properly for all their hard work in growing you, then we will leave."
"Thanks Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia for allowing a poor orphan to grow up in your house. You have done your best for me and I will never forget your kindness and love in rising me. I'm leaving now following my Mistress in a new life never to come back but I will never forget how you have welcomed me in your life all these years, thanks. "
A small bow followed the words that fooled his relatives but he knew that neither Snape nor Remus had believed those words, and looking at the strange woman he realized that she hadn't been fooled either.
Her eyes were strange, the strangest he had ever seen after those of Remus and of Snape. He could not define what was inside them but he felt attracted by them, felt ready for diving in them to find all the answers he had been looking for so many weeks … he was sure she had the answers he needed to know to be really free … how could his feelings cope with the news of being sent away as a slave he could not understand, but he felt safer then a few hours ago.
"Mr. Dursley it has been a pleasure meet you and your pretty wife. It is time we leave your house; we have bothered you long enough. May you reap what you have soiled."
While Vernon and Petunia Dursley dismissed this strange farewell without really understanding it, Harry saw both his professors shiver as if a curse had been delivered in full rage and he too experienced an unknown fear, the strange woman, his Mistress from now on, was not a person to be crossed, she was dangerous, perhaps more dangerous than old Moldy Voldy itself …
