A/N: I don't own Harry Potter

This is for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Day 19 - Auction 2 - Blind Songs: Poor Unfortunate Souls - The Little Mermaid (cost 5 coins)

Insane Prompt: 552: Song – Poor Unfortunate Souls – The Little Mermaid

Spring challenge

Days of the Year

30th March: I am in Control Day - Write about someone taking control of a situation

Hufflepuff Challenge - Hufflepuff Prompts

Traits – 8: Loyal

Word Count: 1289

"Please, I'll give anything to save her, everything I have."

"Just your loyalty will suffice, Severus. I need a spy."

"I can do that. If I do, you'll protect her, save her?" Severus knelt in front of the man, the only man he believed could save the woman he loved. Albus Dumbledore surveyed the man in front of him, and smiled.

"You have my word. I will do everything I can protect her, what of her son and husband?"

"The boy as well. He's the one the Dark Lord is after."

"Very well. Go Severus, go pledge your loyalty to him. Go claim you are his. You will report back to me." Severus rose from the floor. He hurried from the office, his black cloak sweeping the floor. Once he was gone, Albus Dumbledore turned to the crystal ball on his desk and smiled.

"Poor unfortunate soul," he whispered. "So in pain. Leave poor James to die? Oh, Severus, you shouldn't have made such a deal. He will come for them. He will come for Harry," the old man muttered gazing into the ball, watching the silvery mist swirl.

"They're dead! She's dead!"

"The boy lives."

"You swore you'd protect them, protect her!"

"And I did. They were under a protective charm, no one should have been able to find them. Their secret keeper betrayed them. That was not my doing."

"You swore you'd protect her!"

"I did everything in my power, Severus. Now, I seem to remember having your undying loyalty? Yes, I upheld my end."

"She died."

"I promised to do everything I could and I did. Now, about your employment."

"I want nothing to do with you." Severus tried to lunge at Dumbledore, but found himself frozen in place instead.

"Ahh, you promised me your loyalty, Severus. Loyal men don't kill their masters, now do they?" Albus smiled as Severus' expression changed to one of pure rage. "In ten years Harry Potter will be coming to Hogwarts. You will protect him for me, you will make sure nothing interferes with my plans for the boy. He shall defeat Lord Voldemort, no, I do not believe him gone for a minute. Go to your quarters Severus and await my instructions." Almost in a daze, Severus made his way to the dungeon he called home.

"I will find a way out," he whispered. "I will find a loop hole, there must be one. You didn't save her!" Severus screamed.

Severus started looking for a way out of the contract. Spent three years reading every book he could find about magical binding contracts. Nothing helpful. Albus watched as Severus was becoming more and more involved on escaping his control.

He checked briefly on Harry, the boy was alive. That was all that really mattered anyway. So what if the little toddler wasn't happy? Unhappy and alive were better than dead. He wondered if Severus had even actually cared about the child, or just about Lily. It was a shame they'd lost her. She had been so talented. There are always sacrifices in a war.

In his office, Albus sighed. Maybe if he hadn't borrowed James' cloak? It was too late to think about that now. They were dead, Harry was alive and safe with his relatives. He only hoped Severus didn't become a problem. Having a man with nothing left to lose could become a problem. Maybe he should have made sure Severus couldn't kill himself to get out of the contract? He hoped the man wouldn't be that desperate. He needed to find something to keep him busy. His eyes landed on a volume of almost obsolete potions and smiled.

"Perfect. He'll be too busy researching these, seeing if anything is of use, to have time to think of much else."

Severus frowned at the knock on his door. Albus. The man would not leave him alone. It was almost as if the man knew his thoughts. Severus sighed. He would have to put more work into his shields.

"Albus, what a surprise. Care for a cup of tea?" he asked, letting the sarcasm drip from his voice.

"Thank you for the offer, Severus, but no. I merely came by to drop this off. I found it among my many possessions and thought you might find it of interest." Severus eyed the book. He couldn't deny his interest, some of the potions mentioned had disappeared centuries ago.

"What's the catch?"

"There is none. Have a good day," Albus handed him the book and left. Severus put the book on his table. There was no such thing as something without a catch, not with a man like Dumbledore.

"A distraction, maybe? To keep me calm, keep me from thinking. No. It won't work, old man." Severus sat picked up the book and pretended to browse its yellowing pages. There had to be a way out of this damned contract. He had upheld his part. He remembered that night, his desperation used against him. Suddenly a thought came to him. The boy. Dumbledore had sworn to protect the boy...and if Severus remembered anything about Lily's muggle sister, the boy was not in good safe hands.

He waited until nightfall, slipped out under the cover of darkness. Finding the house was easy enough. He crept through the street, peering in the window. There was no sign that little Harry Potter even lived there. Where was the boy? He found the Dursleys' son, a fat little blob. He appeared to be quite spoiled.

Severus stayed near number 4 Privet Drive until morning when he finally saw little Harry. The child was in dirty clothing, looked too thin, and had apparently wet the bed. This last act earned him several lashings with Vernon Dursley's belt. Severus felt his hands clench in rage. The boy was only four!

A slow smile crossed Severus' face. This child was not being protected. He was being abused. Here was his loophole. The boy. He needed to make sure this worked. Which should he do first? Confront Albus, no, he would weasel his way out, make it look like this was right. No. Severus strolled to the house and knocked on the front door.

"Yes?"

"Hello Petunia."

"Severus. What do you want? Lily's dead. She never liked you anyway."

"I am here about little Harry and the belt your dunderhead of a husband just put across his backside. Give me Harry Petunia, and I will leave." She nodded shoving the dirty crying child into his arms.

"Keep him!" she yelled slamming the door in his face. Severus looked at the child in arms.

"Hello Harry. We are leaving." Severus apparated back to Hogwarts' gates. He knew Albus was watching. Knew the old man would be down here soon enough.

"Severus! What have you done?"

"What you have failed to do, sir. You promised to protect Lily and Harry. You failed. I am free of the contract," Severus stated drawing his wand.

"I don't see how."

"Harry. Harry was the key, wasn't he? He's the key to your plan, whatever it may be. He was also the key to me getting away from your manipulation. You promised to protect him. Instead, you left him with his abusive uncle. Don't bother to speak old man. You will never lay a hand on this child again. Your puppeteer behavior concerning me is over. I will raise this child, I will protect in him a way you could never, never imagine. Good bye, Albus. I really do hope you can live with what you've done." With that, Severus and Harry disappeared leaving Albus standing there shaking with rage at having lost both his potions master and the Boy Who Lived.