Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Alfred A History
Serving in the VIP room was a very different experience for Harry. In all his other jobs, he had moved along trying to do everything as efficiently as possible without disturbing anyone or allowing anyone to talk to him. Sleeping in the break room and chatting with Hedwig on the roof were the only breaks he got. In the VIP lounge, it was expected that he walk slowly and never come close enough to bother the patrons without a summons. Mostly he stood in the center of the room with drinks on a tray in one hand and a towel folded over the other arm.
The atmosphere was sedate and Harry enjoyed the anonymity one feels in the presence of the very rich. The feeling of being part of the furniture, only acknowledged when in use. Harry couldn’t say he didn’t like it, but he also found it very boring to just stand in the middle of the room waiting for the snap of a finger that beckoned him closer to the super wealthy patrons.
The customers liked ‘Alfred’ because he was unassuming and discreet. Nobody likes a servant who goes blabbing to the kitchen staff. The other good thing about working with all the High Class patrons was that Harry was paid extra for having to deal with the crazy requests he was generally subjected to. This added bonus allowed Harry to finally have enough money for a down payment on a small flat. He could quit his job as Harry Potter, stop secretly living in the break room, and stop fielding questing about the snowy owl that had taken up residence in the trees outside. People in new environments were surprisingly observant.
Harry had pretty much given up on contact with his wizard friends. Therefore, it was with a saddened heart that he finally went house shopping after turning in ‘Harry’s’ two week notice.
The first thing Harry looked for in apartments was distance in relation to The Horton. There was a pretty run down place about two blocks away which seemed to be in his price range. As Harry walked in he couldn’t help being thankful to the Dursleys for desensitizing him to spiders and small living spaces.
Harry walked up to the manager’s office and knocked on the inside of the door. A fat man chewing a dirty, unlit cigar answered with a grunt and an idle wave of his hand beckoning Harry inside the dingy office.
“Excuse me,” Harry started into his request, “I’m looking for a flat. Preferably furnished, but most importantly, cheap.”
“Cheap hmmm, do you have any issues with a fixer upper?” The man looked at Harry’s uniform speculatively.
“Not at all!” Harry tried to smile instead of grimace, recognizing the man’s look from dealing with Uncle Vernon.
“Hmm, well, come with me and I’ll show you the cheapest room we got.” The manager, still unnamed, heaved himself from the spindly chair and scooped up a set of keys from the board behind his desk. Harry barely managed not to be run over as the man exited the office. Needless to say, Harry followed the man into the lobby and up the back stairs.
All of the way up to the fifth floor, Harry tried not to get too close to the struggling back of the manager and listened carefully to the labored breathing. Just to make sure he could get out of the way should the man’s legs give out on the rickety staircase.
They stopped at a door just like all the other doors with the exception of the number, a barely hanging on, 11D. The manager opened it after fumbling with the keys for a small moment.
“And there you go.” He growled. “The appliances are mostly broken, but you look the handy sort. I would recommend buying new sheets.”
Harry looked around the flat with a wary eye, stopping on the chalk figures on the floor. He turned and raised his eyebrow.
“It’s a real shame what they did to that dog.” The man shrugged.
“I’ll take it.” Harry struck out his hand.
The man snorted, turning. “I’ll get the paperwork.”
Harry was abandoned, a rush of ownership spreading a smile across his face. “This is my home.” He tried out the word. All of the sudden, the scuffed laminate tile didn’t look so horrible. The little stove, less likely to blow up at any second, the tired sofa less saggy. This was home, and Harry had never had one before.
Harry barely contained the urge to spin around, and he was lucky as that was the moment when the man called, “Are you going to come sign these papers or not? I don’t have all day you know!”
Harry trailed after the man somewhat dreamily. “My name is H-Alfred by the way.”
“Bill.” The man grunted back. Harry signed the papers leasing the apartment to him and was given a set of keys. “The big one is for the apartment; the little one is for your mail. If you loose them, the replacement fee is your responsibility.”
Harry nodded enthusiastically and handed over the first months rent money. Life was getting easier every day.
AAH3AAH3AAH3AAH3AAH3AAH3AAH3AAH3
Harry was proud to change his address on his paper work, though he still didn’t have a telephone number. He shrugged his shoulders, not particularly bothered. He still wouldn’t be able to be home very much, as he still had a week and a half left working as Harry. He figured he could use the time while he wasn’t really living in his flat to fix it up a bit. He had always been rather handy at fixing things, Dudley’s toys for example, and if he went to the library to look up how exactly to wire a refrigerator, well that was neither here nor there. Hermione would never know.
Harry once again wondered what his friends were doing without him. He was sure they wouldn’t forget about him. At least, he hoped they wouldn’t. ‘Maybe they are fighting off Dark Lord Lucius’ Harry snickered at the thought of the blond man, whom he had seen kissing the robes of that snake, as anything other than a slave. ‘It could happen I suppose…’ Harry tried really hard not to burst out laughing in the silence all around him. He continued to silently chortle as he signed out and walked down the street. Maybe he would start with the lights next. It would be nice to have light in the darkness.
The atmosphere was sedate and Harry enjoyed the anonymity one feels in the presence of the very rich. The feeling of being part of the furniture, only acknowledged when in use. Harry couldn’t say he didn’t like it, but he also found it very boring to just stand in the middle of the room waiting for the snap of a finger that beckoned him closer to the super wealthy patrons.
The customers liked ‘Alfred’ because he was unassuming and discreet. Nobody likes a servant who goes blabbing to the kitchen staff. The other good thing about working with all the High Class patrons was that Harry was paid extra for having to deal with the crazy requests he was generally subjected to. This added bonus allowed Harry to finally have enough money for a down payment on a small flat. He could quit his job as Harry Potter, stop secretly living in the break room, and stop fielding questing about the snowy owl that had taken up residence in the trees outside. People in new environments were surprisingly observant.
Harry had pretty much given up on contact with his wizard friends. Therefore, it was with a saddened heart that he finally went house shopping after turning in ‘Harry’s’ two week notice.
The first thing Harry looked for in apartments was distance in relation to The Horton. There was a pretty run down place about two blocks away which seemed to be in his price range. As Harry walked in he couldn’t help being thankful to the Dursleys for desensitizing him to spiders and small living spaces.
Harry walked up to the manager’s office and knocked on the inside of the door. A fat man chewing a dirty, unlit cigar answered with a grunt and an idle wave of his hand beckoning Harry inside the dingy office.
“Excuse me,” Harry started into his request, “I’m looking for a flat. Preferably furnished, but most importantly, cheap.”
“Cheap hmmm, do you have any issues with a fixer upper?” The man looked at Harry’s uniform speculatively.
“Not at all!” Harry tried to smile instead of grimace, recognizing the man’s look from dealing with Uncle Vernon.
“Hmm, well, come with me and I’ll show you the cheapest room we got.” The manager, still unnamed, heaved himself from the spindly chair and scooped up a set of keys from the board behind his desk. Harry barely managed not to be run over as the man exited the office. Needless to say, Harry followed the man into the lobby and up the back stairs.
All of the way up to the fifth floor, Harry tried not to get too close to the struggling back of the manager and listened carefully to the labored breathing. Just to make sure he could get out of the way should the man’s legs give out on the rickety staircase.
They stopped at a door just like all the other doors with the exception of the number, a barely hanging on, 11D. The manager opened it after fumbling with the keys for a small moment.
“And there you go.” He growled. “The appliances are mostly broken, but you look the handy sort. I would recommend buying new sheets.”
Harry looked around the flat with a wary eye, stopping on the chalk figures on the floor. He turned and raised his eyebrow.
“It’s a real shame what they did to that dog.” The man shrugged.
“I’ll take it.” Harry struck out his hand.
The man snorted, turning. “I’ll get the paperwork.”
Harry was abandoned, a rush of ownership spreading a smile across his face. “This is my home.” He tried out the word. All of the sudden, the scuffed laminate tile didn’t look so horrible. The little stove, less likely to blow up at any second, the tired sofa less saggy. This was home, and Harry had never had one before.
Harry barely contained the urge to spin around, and he was lucky as that was the moment when the man called, “Are you going to come sign these papers or not? I don’t have all day you know!”
Harry trailed after the man somewhat dreamily. “My name is H-Alfred by the way.”
“Bill.” The man grunted back. Harry signed the papers leasing the apartment to him and was given a set of keys. “The big one is for the apartment; the little one is for your mail. If you loose them, the replacement fee is your responsibility.”
Harry nodded enthusiastically and handed over the first months rent money. Life was getting easier every day.
AAH3AAH3AAH3AAH3AAH3AAH3AAH3AAH3
Harry was proud to change his address on his paper work, though he still didn’t have a telephone number. He shrugged his shoulders, not particularly bothered. He still wouldn’t be able to be home very much, as he still had a week and a half left working as Harry. He figured he could use the time while he wasn’t really living in his flat to fix it up a bit. He had always been rather handy at fixing things, Dudley’s toys for example, and if he went to the library to look up how exactly to wire a refrigerator, well that was neither here nor there. Hermione would never know.
Harry once again wondered what his friends were doing without him. He was sure they wouldn’t forget about him. At least, he hoped they wouldn’t. ‘Maybe they are fighting off Dark Lord Lucius’ Harry snickered at the thought of the blond man, whom he had seen kissing the robes of that snake, as anything other than a slave. ‘It could happen I suppose…’ Harry tried really hard not to burst out laughing in the silence all around him. He continued to silently chortle as he signed out and walked down the street. Maybe he would start with the lights next. It would be nice to have light in the darkness.
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