Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Alfred A History
Apparently, telling a spy agency he had nothing to hide gave him a direct ticket to the interrogation room. After all, everyone has something to hide. Harry sat in a grey room at a grey table facing a grey mirror. A suave man stepped in the room about half an hour after the grunts had brought Harry back to their headquarters. Harry just wanted to be back to his apartment, hopefully with a nice cup of tea to accompany him.
“So your name is Alfred and you work at the Horton?” The intruder asked after looking casually through the file that he had snagged from the table.
“I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage,” The proclaimed Alfred sighed. “You know all there is to know about me, and yet I know nothing about you.”
“Yes, about that.” The man raised his finely sculpted eyebrow, “How does a waiter take out three low-level and one mid-level thug of a major organized crime family whom, until now, no one could attach a sentence to. Can you tell me how that happened?”
“I don’t see why it matters, or why I am being interrogated because of it. If they were such bad guys, you should be glad I dealt with them for you. Besides, they weren’t that good; they were just no match for my new electric carving knife.” Harry wished for a moment he really was Alfred and that all his skills in taking people down stemmed from an OCD desire to keep everything in perfect order.
Surprisingly, the man laughed. “We’re not mad at you! At least, I think we aren’t, I’m not actually the one supposed to talk to you. This is standard recruitment policy! Anyone as good as you without any training would be unstoppable with it.”
Harry felt his stomach sink. It seemed he couldn’t escape the government, they always wanted him. Why couldn’t everyone just leave him alone?
“Well I must tell you, I’m not interested. I have a stable job and no reason to put myself in danger.” Harry almost cringed. He hated how cowardly he sounded, but he refused to become a military pawn.
“You know most operatives don’t have much choice, right?” the man seemed more serious as if remembering an experience he wished hadn’t been brought up.
The self proclaimed Alfred snorted, “I don’t have anything with which to blackmail me with. Sorry, but I have no family and no criminal record.” Harry had family, he also had a criminal record, but Alfred didn’t.
“You’ll see.” The man muttered and slipped out of the room, barely missing the bureaucratic woman as she bustled in to begin the interview.
It would be a long night.
AAH5AAH5AAH5AAH5AAH5AAH5
Harry had to refuse many times, and finally cite that his work would start soon to even be permitted out of the building. After all, even the MI5 likes to avoid missing person’s reports. Harry just shook his head, no meant no and no government organization ever seemed to get that. “Stupid vultures” Harry muttered under his breath.
“Well that’s just mean,” A smooth voice interrupted, “There’s no cause to insult vultures that way. They never did anything that wasn’t a natural part of the circle of life.”
Harry swirled around to find the same man who had talked to him earlier. Now that Harry thought about it, he was rather young to be involved in the government very high up, but then again, so was Harry when he looked like himself. The man had blond hair and stormy grey eyes and he stood with a barely restrained energy.
“Who are you really?” Harry looked down his nose at this man- boy.
“No need to get nasty, you can call me Alex. And for the record, I’m on your side. No need to get you involved in the government just because you would be good at it. They don’t even know who you are, according to your file. Is Alfred even your real name?”
Harry sighed, “What do you want?”
“I want to know how you did it! Well, that and I think that you would be more useful as a civilian contact than as an operative. As an operative myself, I know that one can’t have too many contacts in the normal world.”
Harry supposed this couldn’t be as bad as becoming a government lapdog. Besides, they would have to make sure that not too much attention was drawn toward him. That had some potential. However, Harry couldn’t be sure what Alex really wanted or weather he even had the authority to offer Harry this convenient way out.
“I wouldn’t mind being an occasional contact, but how do I know this isn’t some weird ploy of yours that will just get me into more trouble?”
Alex just laughed and gave Harry a card with a security clearance and the words Alfred Pennyworth on it. “Come see me tonight at the headquarters. This card only has the lowest security clearance, but it is enough to get you into the gym. We can see then how good you are and I can talk to some higher ups about not bothering you so much.”
With this, the other man broke off from beside him and quickly disappeared.
AAH5AAH5AAH5AAH5AAH5AAH5AAH5AAH5
Harry fiddled with the card and the decision all through work that day. As he dealt with wealthy patrons and drunken ambassadors, he felt that maybe he had something to offer. Maybe training would help him, maybe he was just holding on to the past too much. After all, what reason did Alfred have to fight the darkness? Who was Alfred anyway? Not for the first time, Harry wondered if he would come to regret his hasty character change.
As he turned in his tray for the night he had all but decided that maybe this would give him the excitement to keep himself sane. With that thought firmly in mind, Harry strode down the streets with determination, and when he got to his address, he turned into the building across the street instead of going home.
Once in the building, Harry fought to keep his features in check. ‘Remember, Alfred is never shocked. Nothing fazes him, not even really scary receptionists who are probably really spies who can break him in half.’ Harry gulped, missing the placid receptionist from the day before.
“Can you direct me to the gym? I was told to be there tonight.” He didn’t bother to smile sheepishly; he just kept his features firmly where they were and tried not to look as if he was bothered at all by the presence of frightening women.
A jerk of a thumb later and Harry was walking down a hall full of pictures of the various rulers of England. When he finally came to a door, Harry slid his card through the key card slot. ‘This is just like any door at the Horton. Think hotel, that’s familiar territory.’
The door popped open and Harry entered to find Alex waiting for him. “Hello there.” He smiled “So glad you could join me, Harry.”
“So your name is Alfred and you work at the Horton?” The intruder asked after looking casually through the file that he had snagged from the table.
“I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage,” The proclaimed Alfred sighed. “You know all there is to know about me, and yet I know nothing about you.”
“Yes, about that.” The man raised his finely sculpted eyebrow, “How does a waiter take out three low-level and one mid-level thug of a major organized crime family whom, until now, no one could attach a sentence to. Can you tell me how that happened?”
“I don’t see why it matters, or why I am being interrogated because of it. If they were such bad guys, you should be glad I dealt with them for you. Besides, they weren’t that good; they were just no match for my new electric carving knife.” Harry wished for a moment he really was Alfred and that all his skills in taking people down stemmed from an OCD desire to keep everything in perfect order.
Surprisingly, the man laughed. “We’re not mad at you! At least, I think we aren’t, I’m not actually the one supposed to talk to you. This is standard recruitment policy! Anyone as good as you without any training would be unstoppable with it.”
Harry felt his stomach sink. It seemed he couldn’t escape the government, they always wanted him. Why couldn’t everyone just leave him alone?
“Well I must tell you, I’m not interested. I have a stable job and no reason to put myself in danger.” Harry almost cringed. He hated how cowardly he sounded, but he refused to become a military pawn.
“You know most operatives don’t have much choice, right?” the man seemed more serious as if remembering an experience he wished hadn’t been brought up.
The self proclaimed Alfred snorted, “I don’t have anything with which to blackmail me with. Sorry, but I have no family and no criminal record.” Harry had family, he also had a criminal record, but Alfred didn’t.
“You’ll see.” The man muttered and slipped out of the room, barely missing the bureaucratic woman as she bustled in to begin the interview.
It would be a long night.
AAH5AAH5AAH5AAH5AAH5AAH5
Harry had to refuse many times, and finally cite that his work would start soon to even be permitted out of the building. After all, even the MI5 likes to avoid missing person’s reports. Harry just shook his head, no meant no and no government organization ever seemed to get that. “Stupid vultures” Harry muttered under his breath.
“Well that’s just mean,” A smooth voice interrupted, “There’s no cause to insult vultures that way. They never did anything that wasn’t a natural part of the circle of life.”
Harry swirled around to find the same man who had talked to him earlier. Now that Harry thought about it, he was rather young to be involved in the government very high up, but then again, so was Harry when he looked like himself. The man had blond hair and stormy grey eyes and he stood with a barely restrained energy.
“Who are you really?” Harry looked down his nose at this man- boy.
“No need to get nasty, you can call me Alex. And for the record, I’m on your side. No need to get you involved in the government just because you would be good at it. They don’t even know who you are, according to your file. Is Alfred even your real name?”
Harry sighed, “What do you want?”
“I want to know how you did it! Well, that and I think that you would be more useful as a civilian contact than as an operative. As an operative myself, I know that one can’t have too many contacts in the normal world.”
Harry supposed this couldn’t be as bad as becoming a government lapdog. Besides, they would have to make sure that not too much attention was drawn toward him. That had some potential. However, Harry couldn’t be sure what Alex really wanted or weather he even had the authority to offer Harry this convenient way out.
“I wouldn’t mind being an occasional contact, but how do I know this isn’t some weird ploy of yours that will just get me into more trouble?”
Alex just laughed and gave Harry a card with a security clearance and the words Alfred Pennyworth on it. “Come see me tonight at the headquarters. This card only has the lowest security clearance, but it is enough to get you into the gym. We can see then how good you are and I can talk to some higher ups about not bothering you so much.”
With this, the other man broke off from beside him and quickly disappeared.
AAH5AAH5AAH5AAH5AAH5AAH5AAH5AAH5
Harry fiddled with the card and the decision all through work that day. As he dealt with wealthy patrons and drunken ambassadors, he felt that maybe he had something to offer. Maybe training would help him, maybe he was just holding on to the past too much. After all, what reason did Alfred have to fight the darkness? Who was Alfred anyway? Not for the first time, Harry wondered if he would come to regret his hasty character change.
As he turned in his tray for the night he had all but decided that maybe this would give him the excitement to keep himself sane. With that thought firmly in mind, Harry strode down the streets with determination, and when he got to his address, he turned into the building across the street instead of going home.
Once in the building, Harry fought to keep his features in check. ‘Remember, Alfred is never shocked. Nothing fazes him, not even really scary receptionists who are probably really spies who can break him in half.’ Harry gulped, missing the placid receptionist from the day before.
“Can you direct me to the gym? I was told to be there tonight.” He didn’t bother to smile sheepishly; he just kept his features firmly where they were and tried not to look as if he was bothered at all by the presence of frightening women.
A jerk of a thumb later and Harry was walking down a hall full of pictures of the various rulers of England. When he finally came to a door, Harry slid his card through the key card slot. ‘This is just like any door at the Horton. Think hotel, that’s familiar territory.’
The door popped open and Harry entered to find Alex waiting for him. “Hello there.” He smiled “So glad you could join me, Harry.”
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