Chapter 6
"Figg, Where are the candlesticks? We can hardly see our plates?"
demanded Petunia Dursley.
"They are missing my lady, I've searched high and low" said Figg fearfully.
"It seems we have a thief in our midst" said Dudley looking at Harry in
particular when he said it. It was obvious what he was thinking, that
Harry was to blame for everything that went wrong.
"Hmm. So this is how I'm treated after all our years together. My
sisters prize possessions! Well, I shall just garnish your wages until
the pilfered items are returned" said Petunia.
Harry nearly snarled at that but held it in, how dare the bitch pretend
to care! She was the one that got his mother killed. He knew Figg was
thinking the exact same thing. No wages, well he could say goodbye to
some new clothes. Not expensive clothes, but clothes none the less, life
didn't half suck at the Dursley's.
"Is that quiet understood?" said Vernon his beady eyes gleaming with
happiness at his wife's ideas.
"Yes, sir, ma'am" said Harry and Figg both down heartedly.
"Perhaps I should ship you off to the America's with all the other
thieves" said Petunia sniffing disgusted at the two slaves.
Dudley and Vernon must have liked that thought, for their eyes light up
like a Christmas tree, twinkling like they were the richest people in
the world.
Which they were not, the Dursley's money was actually fading and fast,
as they could not get their hands on their Sisters money. Although they had
the house and everything in it they didn't get the money. Which they both hated,
but lived with it. They now had to sell their possessions to actually have the
money they are used too. Vernon's business was not going very well, neither
was the small farm they had. With their limited resources and only a few people
to actually tend to the farm, the vegetables were not the best.
"Didn't you hear? The Prince asked the King to release all those men"
said Poppy delighted.
"He didn't!" gasped Harry shocked looking at Poppy like he had never
seen her before.
"Mmm" said Poppy nodding at Harry almost friendly. Poppy didn't treat
Harry like the rest of her family, something Harry was thankful for at
times.
Petunia glared at her nephew, as if he was the cause of her daughter not
being like the rest of her family. Petunia knew she wasn't, she was too good
hearted and nice. Poppy was more like her sister than Petunia liked, kind hearted
and beautiful. Petunia had never been like that, ugly, odd and only doing what
was best for her.
"Now by royal degree, any man who sails must be compensated" said Poppy
gulping slightly under her mothers glare. Poppy knew her mother didn't
love her like her brother, she knew it was also because she was nice to Harry.
However, she could never bring herself to be horrible to him, he was their blood.
Come to it she could not bring herself to be horrible to anyone; she hated the
fact that her mother hated her because of that.
"Compensated? Honestly! What is the world coming to?" said Petunia.
"I want to know who this young man is everyone keeps talking about!"
said Dudley looking put out. Waving his goblet in Harry's direction
obviously wanting more juice.
"Ten courtiers were speaking of him today and how the Prince fell all
over himself" said Dudley. How dare someone talk to or touch and get the
attention of the one who was his.
Harry and Figg both shared a smirk; quickly wiping their face of all emotion
otherwise it would be seen. The last thing they needed right now was a
whipping or a stay in the dungeons.
"We should find out who he is and bury him" said Petunia nodding her head.
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The Prince was indeed playing tennis that day; and getting beat as well.
Getting back into position after falling into the nets trying to get the
ball. The other player pointed behind him, he looked around and quietly
walked up to a young man.
"You look well," said the Prince.
This young man looked like Harry a little, perhaps they were related.
Perhaps if he was nice he could be able to find out more.
"You're welcome to look, your highness" said Dudley, being what he
thought was seductive. His mother and father smiled behind him, he was
actually talking to the Prince! Everything was working out well.
Severus laughed nervously not showing his disgust for the huge boy. He
was probably the biggest boy Severus had ever seen, shaking his head he
grabbed the ball and began playing. If he wanted to find out more about
his mysterious Harry he would need to be nice to him.
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"Harry Potter" said Riddle coming up.
Harry groaned, didn't Riddle ever give up? He just didn't understand the
man. The man was disgusting so were the people that followed him.
"You get prettier every week" said Riddle coming up to their stalls. The
food they grew in their farm was all laid out and ready for people to buy.
"And you, Monsieur le Riddle are wasting your flattery" said Harry.
"It's a pity your soil's the best in the province…and yet so poorly
tended" said Riddle.
"We have limited resources sir, we do the best we can" said Figg coming
to Harry's defence.
"You should bring it up with the Dursley's and stick to shopping" said
the other servant.
"I'd rather discuss it with Harry if you don't mind" said Riddle looking
at the servants in disgust.
"I may be twice your age boy, but I'm well- endowed" said Riddle
suggestively. He had wanted Harry for a couple of years now, always
saying one remark or another. It was as if he was determined to have Harry,
Harry was repulsed with the man.
"As evidence of my estate, I've always had a soft spot for the less
unfortunate. You need a wealthy benefactor. And I need a young man
with spirit" said Riddle licking his lips.
Harry was disgusted, how many people had Riddle had in his bed, with
that kind of promise? He was not so stupid to think that Riddle would ever
give him a better life than the Dursley's. He hated the mere thought of the
man touching him, or trying to kiss him with those rotten teeth of his.
"Prunes?" asked Harry smiling a fake smile, inside he was still as disgusted
as he has always been with the man.
Riddle grimaced, he hated prunes! And the boy knew that very well "No.
I'll buy nothing this week. It would do you well to remember that
without my generosity your pathetic little farm would cease to exist. So I'd be
very, very careful if I were you" said Riddle walking away.
"Oooh! Horrible man! If he didn't buy a bushel of vegetables every
week…I'd spit on him!" snapped Figg shivering in disgust, wondering how
Harry put up with the man and his advances.
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"Here" said the Prince "Never have you tasted anything so delicious". Of
that he had no doubt, but the boy didn't half eat, he knew he should not
give the boy chocolate; it would just make him fatter.
Dudley opened his large mouth and closed his eyes, obviously wanting
Severus to feed him. Honestly Dudley was such a big child; he honesty
thought that Severus would like feeding him. Severus was not a teenager,
he was pass the teenage phase and a long time ago too.
Severus looked around almost uncomfortable, silently sighing, he just
hoped that Harry was worth the trouble. He slipped the chocolate into
Dursley's mouth wishing it was Harry.
"Mmm" said Poppy moving forward to take a piece.
"Don't even think about it" said Petunia pushing her back, her son was
going to be Prince and King one day nothing could be doing better. A
life in a castle was in the edge of her vision and she would be damned if she let it go.
"Like it?" asked Severus, of course the boy would like it! He liked
anything he could put in his mouth.
"Like it? Why, it's positively sinful" said Dudley "What's it called?"
Now that's a first! A Dudley that doesn't know about chocolate.
"Er…Chocolate" said Severus. "The Spanish monks keep sending bricks of
it" said Severus.
"These are our servants you highness" said Dudley as they came to the
Dursley's stalls.
"Really?" said Severus, well they looked quite old, and he was beginning
to think it was not right treating them horribly. Harry was getting to
him more than ever these days.
Walking around Severus said to the servants "Good day ladies".
Harry came up carrying chickens, upon seeing Severus he screamed his
arms going to cover his face before bolting, hoping no one saw him. The
other servants started panicking and acting like the chickens themselves.
"What are you doing? Trying to scare the Prince to death?" shrieked
Petunia, if they had spoiled anything they were in the dungeons for five
months!
"We were startled, that's all my lady" said Figg nervously.
"Were there just the two of you?" asked Severus confused.
"And the chickens your highness" said Figg immediately.
Severus looked confused, he had been thinking of Harry when it had
happened. Perhaps that's all it was, shrugging it off he continued
walking on with the Dursley family. At the end of the day he was no closer
to finding out about Harry than before.
