Chapter 4 – going away

from the last chapter

" 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 felt both his professors shiver as if a curse had been delivered in full rage.

As soon as the strange fellowship was outside, a velvet voice was heard

"May I have the keys, please? "

and the Potion Master's hand was roused just in front of Harry's Mistress, long fingers elegantly waiting

"Am I supposed to dare my life with your driving ability? I think not"

"Either I drive or we are going to apparate, I'm not letting you drive while you are in this mood, I too would live a bit longer then today, your choice"

" Beloved, you are really stretching my patience"

"Keys please?"

"Here! But you have better grant us a smooth ride"

"Sure my beloved, Lupin and Potter sit in the back and tie your belts"

"That's not a good way of start our ride …"

"Better safe then sorry, hurry up my darling, they will not wait for us "

The strange exchange between his Professor and his Mistress was a bit disturbing to Harry, but he kept quiet, the Dursley's have been a good school for him – better no ask as punishment may be your reward for bothering the adults with questions.

Remus sitting at his side was soothing his fears too, all was so strange, but he was The Boy Who Lived and all his live was filled with strange things, the last one had just happened, being sold as a slave …

" I really cannot understand your world Severus, slavery was abolished last century in the civil world, oh .. sorry! In the Muggle world! Sure you have heard of civil rights in the oh-so-mighty wizard world, have you?"

"Morwenna stop it now, if we were not so medieval you could have not be granted with the boy and us, you really cannot bent laws to your intentions and afterwards complain of what you have achieved! You are illogical!"

"Since when am I supposed to use logic? I am a woman, therefore no man could expect me to be a logic being, nor to be easy-going, wouldn't you?"

"You are the most difficult, illogical, dangerous …"

"Go on, it may be instructive … if you could be able to tell me something I do not know yet"

"Bloody Hell Morwenna! I did not made those laws! And we all are much better off with you as our Mistress instead of being tied hands and foots to either Dumbledore or Voldemort! Do I need to tell more? Lupin?"

"Mistress Morwenna as werewolf I had few rights in our – pardon, in wizard world, I would always be considered a no-human being … your claiming had changed things a lot, now I'm your sworn servant but my place in wizard society is higher then it was, and you have promised to help Harry surviving the Dark Lord –"

"First thing for you to remember Remus Lupin: if you have fear to say that name aloud you will never be able to defeat him, he is no Lord, he had twisted his name to fit his madness … so from now on he will be referred to as Tom Marvolo Riddle, and Mr. Riddle is a crazy wizard who believes to be stronger and wittier then he really is, the same rule applies to you Mr. Potter "

"Yes Mistress"

" Oh just drop it Mr. Potter, what I was obliged to do in presence of witnesses is not what I'm going to do now that we are in private!"

"That meaning … Mistress?"

"That means I'm your new teacher Mr. Potter and just to be sure we will not be bothered from that old meddling cot I've request the help of two Professors of yours, who have kindly agreed to help me in hiding you from Mr. Riddle and from Mr. Dumbledore"

"From Dumbledore? Mistress?"

"Yes, from Mr. Dumbledore, the old meddling cot who has no scruples in using people, no matter if they trust him …"

"Morwenna, please calm down, you are here now and Mr. Potter will learn to defend himself from Riddle, Lupin and me are here too to hide all of us … breath deeply and relax, all will be fine"

"Beloved, be sure I will never leave either of you unshielded again … all of you will walk under the wings of Guardians from now on, you have my word on this"

"And for your words I do thank you my beloved Morwenna, and I'll be at your side from now on till our ways will part"

"Will you act as one of my blood?"

"I will"

"The Above is witness of your oath, you will be asked to stand at my side when the time will come"

"I will be there, at your side, as one of your blood, proud of such an honor"

Inside the car nobody spoke for a while but there was no tension, just peace.

Their ride ended in a place the wizards have never gone to, Heathrow Airport, the muggle one.

The car's keys were given back to the rent agency and their fly tickets were picked up at the check desk and the wizards followed quietly their Mistress, only one of them knowing where they were going.

Their flight was so common, so plain and common, so filled with muggle tourists that no real wizard could feel comfortable with – the best way to discourage wizards and their tracking spells.

A half chocked gasp was all that escaped from Remus' mouth when they reached the gate, their destination was one he had ever dreamed about, a city with roads of water where magic could never be traced for sure, Venice in Italy.

The little smile that graced the face of Severus Snape spoke of happiness and joy, for him it was going back to the only safe home outside the gates of Hogwarts.

Harry could not believe what was happening, first he was summoned from his relatives to be given away as a slave, then he was driven away - in the muggle way! - by no other then the Potion Master himself, in the company of his former Professor Remus Lupin, and the two of them were slaves too to the same Mistress, or at least so seemed from their words, but they had no fear of this Lady who now was leading them all to a city of wonder and beauty, away from Britain, away from Headmaster Dumbledore, away from Death Eaters and Riddle the Crazy One … what other was going to happen to him?

Only when they were all sat in their places Morwenna spoke again

"As you have seen we are going to Venice in Italy, not only because wizards will have a bad time tracking you and your magic while we live surrounded by water that moves with the tides but also because my house is there … and I hope it will become your home and safe nest too Mr. Lupin and Mr. Potter "

a brief smile was directed to Severus Snape, welcomed by another shy smile

"Severus I hope you will be happy to come back, it has been a long time – mi casa es su casa mi hermano"

"No place will ever be dearest to my heart than that where you live my beloved, yo te quiero mi hermana"

Harry could not understand the foreign words but they made him shiver, there were deep emotions in them, he had never seen his Potion Professor so human, so caring, so involved … and it has to be with his Mistress! Why this was bothering him? Why was he so hurt in seeing the Big Git smiling to another person, to a … to a woman? Why?

Remus was surprised by the speech of his Mistress, he was welcomed as a guest and not addressed as a servant as he was supposed to be … but what bothered him more was the strange change in Harry's smell … no more fear – sure the kind words had took care of that – no more self-pity and depression as a few day before … but now there was … jealousy … offence … delusion … what was happening to Harry? he was a slave and was bound to obey and respect that woman, not to contrast her … if he crossed her she could very well refuse to help him … and that would be the end of all, their lives as well as the hope to defeat the D- Riddle .. damned, that was hard, but he would not be afraid to call him with his name, as his Mistress had asked … he will …

"Mistress, may I ask you what your farewell to my relatives meant? May you reap what you have soiled. It sounds strange and a bit dangerous too"

"Mr. Potter please do stop to call me Mistress, it is my title in more than a way but you have better address me in another one. We are not friend yet, so first names are not an option either at the moment. Other pupils of mine use the title Mother … would you feel comfortable calling me Mother?"

"I … I do not know …"

"I am not putting myself in your mother's place in your life and heart Mr. Potter, no one could take her place, she had given her life to shield you, I'm just going to teach you ways to survive and win a war started before you were born … have you a title for me you are comfortable with Mr. Potter?"

"I would like to be called Harry and not Mr. Potter … Sn – Professor Snape does it all the time and I am never sure if he sees me or my father in saying my surname … they were not friends and I'm not a dear pupil of him either …"

"Severus is an hard teacher but only because what he teaches is a dangerous subject, a little error is what makes an healing solve become a dangerous poison … he needs to drill into you pupils the danger of distraction and clumsiness before any of you becomes a murderer without willing to be one … can you understand him a bit more now Harry?"

"Yes … now that you explain it so plainly I do understand things better … Mother "

"Teacher do live to share knowledge, as well as pupils are doomed to make things difficult to teachers all the way along … do not worry Harry, youth needs to explore and make mistakes, wisdom will arrive later … much later … I'm not wise yet and I've been out of my teens by some years now"

a wink and a smile went with the words, and warmth filled Harry's mind and soul in seeing the Potion Master shaking his head as if in presence of troublesome children, but not a single bad word spoken …

things were changing in Harry's life, may be this time they were changing for the best.

A/N:

RL sucks, badly :-(

I am -not- translating the Spanish words in order to keep the plot shadowed a bit more, enjoy 