Chapter 35
Chapter 34
It was nearly dinner time when Snape and Harry arrived back at the gates of the Prince estate.
“Are you alright?” Snape asked as the gates opened for them.
“I am a bit shaken up,” Harry muttered. “I had no idea how bad it was. How can the Ministry treat their own citizen like that!”
“Well, you are from the future. It’s very likely that someone cleaned house,” Snape mused.
“It would have been Robards,” Harry stated. “That man ran a tight ship once he took over from Scrimgeor but that isn’t for another year.”
“Snape, was that wise?” Harry asked after leaving the Elf trader’s establishment. “I get that the estate might need more house elves but buying them from a sketchy guy like that?”
“Hermoine would have a field day about their conditions and the morality of it all,”
“Ms. Granger might well be right about the conditions those house elves are in but she’d only be partially right. They need to be bound to a family otherwise they will die. Were you lot taught nothing in History class?”
“Potter you claimed to be somewhat of a history buff in the future. Was that a lie?” Snape asked as Harry shot him a look, though with their cloaks covering their faces the glare had absolutely no effect.
“There is a lot of history in the world Snape. I can’t know it all,” Harry defended. “The history of Egyptian rituals and spells, a good though very morbid topic once you delve into it. The Great Lamia migration of 942 B.C., etc. All I learned at Hogwarts from Binns was Goblin rebellions. So excuse me if I am not that up-to-date on British magical history. It all seemed rather dull,”
“Is that why Ms. Granger kept spewing all that nonsense about freeing the elves? No wonder my snakes spoke of her ignorance. Potter, the house elves are bound to families as servants because they willingly chose that as their punishme-OYE!” Snape got interrupted when a boy bumped into him. The lad made a quick dash past him though Snape caught him by the collar. “Where the hell do you think you’re running off to with my coin purse?” The potion master asked with an edge in his tone.
“Oye, let me go ya wanker!” The boy struggled in the Potion master’s grasp.
“My coin purse first,” Snape stated as he held out his hand. “Don’t think I don’t know where your sticky fingers have been. I used to do this for a living too,”
“Yeah, right ya posh tosser.” The boy growled and started swinging his arms though they never reached Snape. “I’ll yell for me boys if ya don’t let up!”
“Do you really think that’s wise?” Snape said as he made a motion with his head. The boy looked to where the man had indicated and froze. Harry gulped as he felt the other man was losing his patience. Snape had discreetly drawn his wand from his arm holster and held it, pointing it towards the pavement. “Being a little thief will only land you facedown in the river one day,”
“Alright, alright. Here ya go,” The boy uttered and threw the pouch back at Snape once it was clear the potion master wasn’t joking. “Just don’t turn me over to the coppers alright?”
“Why are you even doing this? Surely you’re parents must be worried about you?” Harry tried to defuse the situation. He had no doubt that Severus would have no qualms about thumping the boy upside the head.
“What the bloody hell would you know?” The boy shot back, more defensive this time. Clearly, Harry’s comment wasn’t well received. “I ain’t got no parents. Just me and my boys taking care of my little sister!”
“Is she sick?” Harry pressed. The boy barely looked seven. If he had a little sister there might be no way for them to fend on their own.
“I dunno. She cries a lot. What’s it to you?”
“Maybe we could help?” Harry offered. “My friend here is a Potion’s master,”
“Harry,” Snape warned.
“Come on, could you really leave small children to fend for themselves?” Harry asked with a frown.
“Very well, lead the way,” Snape muttered.
“You’re joshing me, right? You’ll really take a look at her?” The boy asked wide-eyed.
“I won’t repeat myself,” Snape grumbled.
“Alright, alright,” The boy said as he began to lead the way. He looked back to see if the two men were following. “You know, you two rich blokes are weird,”
“Well that’s not nice,” Harry stated.
“Most blokes I pickpocket would have beaten me black and blue if I got caught. Not the nicest bunch coming out of that Elf trader’s tent ya know,” The boy shrugged as if it was an everyday occurrence, and maybe it was Harry realized.
The lad led them to a dark side alleyway just off of Knockturn and Harry instinctively readied his wand. He had no doubt that Snape was on high alert as well as the man stiffened. “It’s just down there,” The boy pointed to a corner where a huge amount of cardboard boxes and old wooden crates were discarded.
“Rudy, that you?” Another child called out.
“Yeah,” The boy, Rudy, yelled back. “I brought someone to take a look at Emma,”
“You what?!”
“Stand down Sam,” Rudy ordered and both Snape and Harry could see a dirt-covered boy standing in front of a pile of rags with a piece of broken wood.
“Ya can’t trust adults Rudy!” Sam’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t ya remember Mr. Oley? He tried to feed ya some dark potion!”
“I know but Emma ain’t getting any better!” Rudy shot back.
Coughing could be heard coming from the pile of rags and Snape proceeded to use his wand to spell the obstinate boy to the wall. “Oye lemme go ya damn tosser!” Sam squirmed as he tried to break free while Snape bent down to check on the small coughing girl. He muttered some diagnostic spells and then frowned. “She’s got pneumonia and a severe case too,”
“You lot and your sticky fingers should have gathered enough for her medical needs. Why is she still like this?” Snape hissed as the little girl continued to cough.
“Why do ya think?! It’s because those bloody Bobbies keep taking it all,” Sam grumbled. “We barely have enough for food,”
“Are you saying the Aurors are taking people’s money?!” Harry’s eyes widened.
“Damn right, I am!” Sam retorted. “Protection money they call it but they bleed the whole of Knockturn dry! They even cursed Mrs. Rover’s kneazle when she couldn’t pay. Last week they left Rudy with a knut while he begged them not to take it all,”
Snape canceled his sticking spell on Sam with a wordless Finite and then picked up the small child. “Harry change of plans. We are going to St.Mungos.”