Okay, maybe I shouldn't have used the word 'whip' in my last chapter. You all seem to be under the impression that I'm about to bring out a cat o' nine tails or something! I meant one more along the lines of a small crop, something that's not even likely to break the skin…
Oh, and why do you all seem to think Mr. Fairfaxer is a bad guy? I've re-read the scene from the last chapter and I just don't get it…! He's not even going to be featured in person.
Once again thank you so much for all your reviews. It looks like I'll probably end up with over 100 by the time I finish this fic, which would be my first time over that amount.
This is basically the last chapter of the main story. There is a short epilogue-type chapter still to come, which should be written fairly soon, and then my attention will flick over to my other WIP, Legal Guardian.
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"I found it," said Hermione quietly.
They were all in the small library of Mr. Fairfaxer's manor, and she had spent the last few minutes flicking through the leather-bound book, occasionally remarking on things she read, including some fairly interesting spells. The book had been revealed to be the journal of a famous explorer of the eighteenth century, who had no doubt gone on long-distance trips while leaving his slaves to tend to his estate.
She read through it briefly, and then looked up. "I think this should work, Sir."
"What does it entail?" asked Dumbledore, quietly.
"A fairly complicated spell that Harry has to perform. It's in Latin. When it's done, Professor Snape should be able to be away from Harry for up to ten and a half months. During the other one and a half though he'll be forced to act even more like a slave than he has been."
"How, exactly?" asked Snape himself.
"Um, lots of kneeling, bowing… the book calls it 'showing your inferiority'. I think punishments would be a lot worse than normal as well, and you'd have to personally wait on Harry for most of the time. Oh, and…" she trailed off as she read a particular line.
"And what, Miss Granger?"
"When you first saw him again, you'd be given a major punishment… kind of making up for all the ones you missed all year, I suppose. Publicly, although I think just having a few carefully-chosen spectators will do."
Snape closed his eyes for a second. Pain did not frighten him, but the thought of being punished in front of others was not a pleasant one.
"Fine," he said opening his eyes. "I will endure what I must to secure as much freedom as I can. I assume that I will still be required to treat Mr. Potter as my master while he is at school."
"Yes. This spell isn't supposed to give you freedom, Sir, I'm sorry. It's meant to allow slaves to do their master's bidding away from their owner. The punishment at the end is supposed to make them realise that. But we can make it work for us."
"Indeed."
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Harry stared at the crop in his hand. According to Snape, it would hurt him sufficiently to satisfy the requirements of the slave bond, but would not be likely to break the skin unless Harry wished it – provided that he first learned how to wield it.
'Uneasy' didn't even begin to describe his feelings. But Snape had chosen this punishment for himself, had preferred it to any of the others they could have dreamed up. And the life debt bond would prevent him from permanently harming his slave.
They were standing in the Room of Requirement, and Snape was instructing him on how to use the crop. A dummy stood in front of him, even the lashes of the whip making no marks on its plastic flesh.
He reluctantly obeyed Snape's commands – not that they were phrased as commands; more as quiet requests. But the intent was there.
As he swung once again, he mused on the last few months. He had gained a healthy respect for Snape during his time as the other man's master – not that he had not respected him before the fall of Voldemort, but Severus' reaction to his slavery had been surprising.
Snape had accepted it, to an extent. Oh, obviously he wanted desperately to be free, and it was obvious every time he called Harry 'Master' that he hated it, that every time he bowed in the Great Hall at dinnertime he felt humiliated. And yet, he had coped with it far better than Harry himself could have done.
It was pitiful, in a way. Snape was used to serving – used to doing Voldemort's bidding, or the Order's. Slavery was in some ways a dramatic, humiliating extension of that. Which had, of course, been Voldemort's intention. After all, the spell had been cast in response to Snape's claim of freedom.
And now it would be a long time until Severus could obtain true freedom. Nearly thirty years. He would thankfully have an illusion of it next year, would be semi-free for much of the year provided that he did not see his master during that period. Harry would have to be careful to avoid him whenever he came to Hogwarts to see his mentor Professor Dumbledore. But it would not be true freedom, not until the spell was ended, permanently.
There were times when he wished Voldemort would come back to life, just so that he could kill him again.
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Harry spoke the last line of the complicated spell, and a mist wrapped itself around him, and around Severus, who was knelt at his feet, his head bowed to the floor. He heard Snape gasp with pain, and then he himself was hit with something, a new kind of binding… and then he was hit with memories, feelings, thoughts that were not his own.
"Oh," he said when the mist faded and the spell appeared to be complete.
"Oh?" asked Hermione, incredulously. "Oh what?"
"I think…" he glanced downwards, at the slave who was still debasing himself. "I think it gave me access to his mind. I can… I can sort of read it."
Snape's head jerked up in shock.
"Hold on." Harry frowned, then nodded. "I think I've managed to shut it off, for now. That was… weird."
"The book didn't say anything about a mind link!" protested Hermione.
"It does make sense I suppose," said Dumbledore tiredly. "If Severus' mind has been connected to Harry's, it would enable Harry to check that his slave was not using his time away to misbehave. Harry, do you think that you can keep it turned off?"
"I – I think so. Or I can keep shutting it off if it comes back, anyway. I won't invade your privacy, if I can help it Professor," he added to the man, gesturing for him to rise.
"Thank you, Master," said Snape, gruffly.
"And how do you feel, Severus?" asked Dumbledore.
"No different than I did before. I believe the best way for us to test the effectiveness of the spell is for my master to send me away for a few days. If I can do that, then it is likely that I can last the full ten and a half months without him."
"Okay, um," Harry glanced at Dumbledore for help.
"I suggest you order him to go to Grimmauld Place for the weekend, Harry. I'm sure he can find some things to occupy himself with. I will arrange for a substitute for his classes on Monday, and he can come back that evening."
"Sure, okay, do that," said Harry, eloquent as usual.
"As you wish, Master." Snape bowed low and left the room.
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It was many months since the spell had first been cast, giving Snape some relative freedom. Over that time he had been experimenting, parting from his master for longer and longer periods.
And now the summer was over, and it was time for him to go back to Hogwarts, while Harry was due to enter the Auror training centre in two weeks' time.
He cast a feather-light spell on his trunk, mentally checking one last time that he had everything he would need. He had little desire to be forced to come back to his master's home if he had forgotten anything. Harry may have become as close to his friend as was possible for them, but he was still the person who controlled his life, against his will.
His back was still sore, from the punishment he had received yesterday. His master always took care not to actually harm him, and had grown proficient at the technique, but it was supposed to hurt, and certainly filled that requirement. Healing or numbing spells were not permitted unless actual damage had been done.
Still, he was used to pain, had endured it in far greater quantity while under Lord Voldemort's rule than under Harry Potter's. He was an accomplished actor – had been forced to be in order to spy on the Dark Lord - and so would be perfectly able to hide his pain from the students at Hogwarts, just as he had done on various occasions during the previous year.
Harry came into the room, and stood leaning on the doorframe. "Are you ready?"
"Yes, Master." He paused, as the spell told him that he should show his subservience in a greater fashion before leaving. He quietly knelt, lowering his head in a show of absolute submission.
"You may rise," Harry said quietly, and regarded him as he did so. "Good luck this year, Severus."
"Thank you, Master."
Harry nodded. "I'll see you in July. Don't forget to contact me if you need permission to go anywhere during the year."
"I doubt the bond would let me forget, Master." He bowed, stiffly, then said, almost against his will, "Thank you for all you have done for me this past year, Master. I… know you have not wished this situation any more than I. You have not taken advantage of it even when you could have, and for that I thank you."
"You're welcome, Severus. I wish that I could have done more."
Again, he bowed, and then reached out for his trunk, disapparating instantly.
Harry just stood there for a moment, taking in that final thank you, and then left the room, almost missing the man who had been constantly around him for so long, and yet so glad for Severus' sake that he now had over ten months of freedom.