The Rules of Life

Title: The Rules of Life

Summary: There was no Harry Potter at the Dursley’s when Dumbledore sent Hagrid to fetch him in first year. Where in the world is Harry Potter? This fic is SNARRY slash, Snape!Dom, Harry!sub.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or any of the other familiar characters. Harry Potter and this magical world belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money made from this.

Warnings: This fic is Snarry slash, which means two men in a sexual relationship – specifically, Harry and Snape. This fic also contains BDSM elements with Snape as the Dominant partner and Harry as the submissive. If you don’t know what this means then please don’t read the fic – you won’t understand most of what happens. The fic starts out before Hogwarts and contains elements of chan (just mentioning of it), dub-con and non-con (rape). Don’t read if you don’t like!!

“We will have a long talk tomorrow Mr Patterson. For now, go wash up and get ready for bed. You look dead on your feet.” And it was the truth. The boy had a glassy eyed look about him and even as he walked from the room, a huge yawn stretched over his face. Severus wondered for how long the boy had maintained the silencing charm as it could be very taxing, especially on one so young and wandless as well.

Draco gave him a questioning look but Severus ignored it and resigned himself to another hour of his godson’s inane babbling.

Chapter 2

Harry nervously fiddled with the washing cloth as he finished cleaning the table, sinks and counters.

Master Snape had sounded really serious the previous night about their talk and Harry dreaded what it could mean. Was Master Snape going to send him away? Did his Master not want him anymore? Was it because he was a muggle?

Questions kept rushing through his mind but Harry could find no answer.

“Stop pacing Mr Patterson! Sit down, eat and then we can talk.”

Plates appeared on the table before them and after his Master served himself – Harry still tried to do so for his Master, but he always received a harsh glare for his efforts – Harry served himself.

“Something came to my attention last night Mr Patterson, something concerning you.”

The tight knot in his stomach clenched tighter and Harry put his knife down as his hands started shaking uncontrollably.

“It came to my attention last night that you are not a mere muggle as we first thought.”

Harry looked up in shock at the words but he quickly lowered his head again. No, he was a muggle, he had already done a test on himself and there was no doubt in his mind that he was a muggle.

“Do NOT contradict me on this Mr Patterson! I can see it in your face, you may not be able to speak but your actions speak louder than words. I know of which I speak and a mere boy such as you do not have the same understanding as adults. You enveloped yourself in a silencing charm last night while Mr Malfoy and I conversed on the other side of the room. You did not even realize that you put up the charm, and only because I stepped inside your silencing bubble did I realize it.”

Harry thought hard on the night before but realized that his Master was correct, he could not remember doing anything different or experiencing anything different.

“It seems Mr Patterson, that you are a muggle-born. I do not recall seeing your name on the Hogwarts student list and I went through all the names of the coming first years for the next five years. I am afraid your name was not on it. The only Harry on that list that I recall is Harry Potter, the celebrity of the Wizarding World.”

The sneer in his Master’s voice made it clear that he felt nothing but contempt for this Harry Potter.

Harry thought back hard on his first four years of life, three of which was spent at the Dursley’s but could not remember ever hearing a name other than ‘boy’, ‘freak’ or ‘it’ directed at him. When his uncle sold him to Master Damen, Harry overheard his uncle say that if he remembered correctly the brat’s name is Harry, Henry, or something like that – his uncle wasn’t sure. His nightmares sometimes contained a woman with red hair that screamed his name – Harry. Master Damen called him Harry, Henry, or any other name that he wished. The name ‘Harry’ was the only one that meant anything to him though, and he called himself Harry in his thoughts – no matter the other names his Master called him.

“Admittance to Hogwarts is decided by a magical object called ‘The Goblet of Acceptance’. Most pure-blood families have been attending Hogwarts for hundreds of years and admittance for them is automatic, no matter if the name is on the list or not. Muggle born students and Half-blood students – children with one magical parent and one muggle – is admitted by the decision of the Goblet.”

The brief hope that flared inside him died as his Master continued his explanation. He might have a bit of magic in him but apparently not enough to earn him entrance to Hogwarts.

“There is, however, a small school in Hogsmeade that is open to all children. You will attend the school, you will work hard, you will achieve the highest marks you can and you will behave yourself at all times.

You may decide now, I could drop you off in the streets of London and you can make your living there or you can go to this school, earn good grades and make a name for yourself. No one is going to make the decision for you; you need to learn to look out for yourself. I am not going to coddle you, I am not going to play the role of ‘father’ for you, no matter your delusions, and I am not your Master. You will do this for yourself and for no other. Do this and you will one day look back, proud of what you’ve accomplished or decide against it now and live forever in fear and shadows.”

Harry gaped after the man as his Master who was not his Master swept out of the room.

He really didn’t know what to do and having everything poured on him all at once brought him to his knees. Shaking with confusion and despair, Harry curled in on himself and willed himself into a deep sleep. Maybe when he woke up this would all have been a huge nightmare.

*--------------------------------------------------------*


Severus shook his head as he returned to the living room where he had left the child. The boy’s thin frame still shook with silent sobs, even in his sleep, and Severus sighed as he flicked his wand. Levitating the boy to his own room and bed, Severus thought back on what he had said and how he could possibly have done it differently. No, he would not do it any other way, the boy needed to learn that no matter what life dealt at him, he would have to stand up for himself and learn to depend on himself.

Should the boy decide to go through with this insane plan of Severus – which Severus refused to think or hope upon – then they would have to decide on where the boy would stay. The best and most logical conclusion would be with Severus at Hogwarts. The boy can walk to school every day and back, he would not be living on his own and Severus would be able to keep an eye on him.

Severus just had to get Albus to agree to this insane plan.

*-----------------------------------------------------------------*


Harry looked around him in awe. Master Snape (Harry still had trouble with the thought of not calling the man Master) walked beside him with a menacing glare that cleared the path in front of them more efficiently than anything Harry had ever seen.

The shops on either side of them were open and people rushed from one shop to another in order to get their last bit of school shopping out of the way.

“Come, and keep close. I do not appreciate the multitude of people in this alley so we will make our way over to Nocturne Alley. It is a most disreputable place and if you do not wish to come to harm then you will stay close to me. We will first collect you a wand then deal with the rest of the purchases.”

Harry nodded and kept as close to his Master as possible.

The choosing of a wand or rather, as the wand maker pointed out – “IF you are found worthy of a wand it will choose you for its master and none other” – went far quicker than Harry would have thought. He was now the proud owner of a nine and a half inch wand with the scale of a basilisk as the core, and the wood of a tree found most commonly in Africa – the Adansonia digitata, more commonly known as the Baobab tree. The wand was very stiff but as it sent a warm feeling through Harry whenever he touched it, he didn’t mind much.

Purchasing the other necessities took a bit longer but finally Harry had everything he would need and Master Snape led him back to the Leaky Cauldron where they then proceeded to floo back to his Master’s place.

Taking all his purchases in hand, Harry made his way to his room and quickly organized his things in piles before he proceeded to put it in different compartments of his trunk.

Harry wondered how he would ever be able to pay his Master back for everything but as the man refused the only offer of payment Harry could make, he would just have to think of something, and soon.


Soft voices from one of the other rooms brought Harry back from his musings but he did not have time to wonder about it as his Master stepped into his room.

“I have a form here that I need you to look over. Albus pulled a few strings in the ministry and before you now lays a document that will grant me guardianship over you. Two people who will act as witnesses are waiting for us so if you wish for me to act as guardian then it is best to read that over quickly and not keep the others waiting.

With me as your guardian, any and all decisions pertaining to you will fall to me. If something should happen to you it will be my responsibility to care for you.”

It was clear just what his Master thought of this care and Harry could not fathom why the man would consent to do this if it was not what he wanted.

“You will also be allowed to stay at Hogwarts because you will be my ward, my charge, and no one will be able to turn you away from the place where I live. You will, however, still go to school in the village.”

The changes life threw at him came too fast to comprehend but Harry had little choice in the matter. He had no alternative to fall back on and though not pleasant, his life had been better since Master Snape took him in than ever before.

One thing rang clear in his mind: Master Snape wanted him; Master Snape would be his guardian and take care of him.

A big smile split his face but it dimmed by the look Master Snape gave him. Harry didn’t know what to think. He knew by experience that no one liked him, no one wanted him; why then, would Master Snape consent to be his guardian if not for ‘liking’ him?

“I repeat Mr Patterson, I will not coddle you, I am not your friend nor your confidant. I am here to look after your physical wellbeing, nothing more.”

Confusion clearly showed on his face as Harry followed his Master to the other room. He knew that Master Snape was not his friend for Harry did not deserve friends but what in the world did ‘coddle’ and ‘confidant’ mean? He would take his Master’s word for it but he wished he knew what it meant.

Entering the kitchen, Harry came face to face with the oldest man he had ever seen. Not that it meant much, as he knew no one other than his relatives and the people he had seen in Malfoy manner.

The man had a short graying beard; his hair also had streaks of grey between the black strands and eyes as black as his Master’s, pierced his as they locked eyes. Harry could not look down no matter how hard he tried. After what he learned from Master Snape, that magic was real, he had no doubt that the man was using it on him now.

Harry couldn’t tell how long they stayed that way but eventually the man moved back and broke the eye contact.

“He is worthy of your guardianship, nephew.”

Harry looked at his Master as the old man finished speaking and could clearly see the resemblance now. Master Snape did not look pleased with what his uncle said and Harry did not have to wonder why for long.

“Thank you, uncle, for that piece of irrelevant information. I did not ask you here to ascertain the brat’s worth. As soon as you sign these documents, I will be acting guardian of the boy. You are here to act as witness, nothing more.”

A woman stepped out from behind the old man and laid a hand briefly on his Master’s arm. Harry could see that the man did not appreciate the gesture as his Master stiffened as soon as the woman stepped close enough to touch.

“We will witness this binding of guardian and charge. Do not mind your uncle, Severus; you know how he is. He will not change his ways just to suit your needs. If this gives him some peace of mind, let him be.”

Harry watched his Master closely as the man nodded. He could see that his Master was still unsettled after the brief touch but a scowl quickly reappeared on the man’s face and Harry lowered his eyes.

“Mr Patterson, do you consent to the acting guardianship of my nephew?”

The question, spoken softly by the woman next to his Master, made Harry looked up at her. Although also old, she did not have the same look of age and experience as the man – who Harry now guessed was her husband.

“A nod and your signature on the document would suffice Mr Patterson.”

Harry glanced at his Master but the man’s face was the blank mask he knew all too well by now.

Stepping up to the table, Harry looked down at the documents scattered there. He could read, a bit, but the words there were mostly beyond his comprehension. Master Severus would be his legal guardian, that was all Harry knew, and it was enough. No one else wanted him, he would end up on the street – where his Master thought he came from – and knew he would not make it past the first month.

Here, he would have a home, a place to sleep, to eat. A Master he still owed his life to but who wanted nothing from him in return. If nothing else, he would sign his name on the documents because he owed it to his Master.

Grabbing the feather sticking out of an inkpot, Harry looked it over with a frown but as he had no other writing things, he lowered it to the strange paper in front of him and signed his name with messy blotches in-between. Looking at his Master for confirmation, Harry startled a bit at what the man said next.

“You will be known as Harry Patterson from hereon out. Though guardian, I am not adopting you or changing your name - nor surname. You chose ‘Patterson’ as your surname and now it will become legal.”

Suppressing a disappointed sigh, Harry signed his surname as Patterson. He would have loved it if his Master gave him permission to use his surname but knew better than to complain.

The old man and woman signed their own names and congratulated Harry and then his Master. Why he was being congratulated, he had no idea but he would not ask questions.

Master Snape saw the two visitors to the door, gave Harry a hard look, and then proceeded to his workroom.

Harry did not know what to do or feel. He thought he would feel different after such a huge change in his life but he felt nothing, nothing but confusion and apprehension for what the future held.

The bedroom walls seemed to be closing in on him as Harry lay listlessly on the bed. What would he have to do to repay his Master for everything? What could he, Harry Patterson possibly do to earn his keep?

His Master’s words from a few days back rang clear in his head; earn good grades and make a name for yourself. No one is going to make the decision for you; you need to learn to look out for yourself. I am not going to coddle you, I am not going to play the role of ‘father’ for you, no matter your delusions, and I am not your Master. You will do this for yourself and for no other. Do this and you will one day look back, proud of what you’ve accomplished or decide against it now and live forever in fear and shadows.

He would earn the good grades his Master demanded. He would do everything in his power to please the man, to one day be able to look at the man and see pride in his eyes; pride for him, Harry. Master Snape would see, he would see that Harry was worthy of having him for a Master. If doing his best did not please the man, then nothing would.

With that resolution clearly in mind, Harry closed his eyes and was asleep within minutes.


*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------*


Hogwarts School was everything and more than Harry imagined. The hallways filled with paintings that moved awed Harry, and suits of armor that stood guard filled him with apprehension.

Master Snape led the way up to the Headmaster’s office and Harry had to jog from time to time to catch up with the man after some of the paintings made him pause a bit too long.

A huge stone figure leaped aside as Master Snape barked something at it and Harry hurried to follow the man before the passage closed again.

The office they entered was huge, Harry looked wide-eyed at all the paintings and the strange but beautiful bird perched on the back of a chair. The chair in question turned a bit and Harry could not help but gape a bit at the man seated there. His Master’s uncle might seem old but he was nothing compared to the man seated before them now.

Blue eyes that seemed to pierce into his soul locked with his and Harry diverted his gaze before the old man could trap him in another staring game such as with his Master’s uncle.

Harry could see a slight narrowing of the old man’s eyes as he looked at the bird again but could not bring himself to worry overly much. His Master was there and he would protect him.

“Albus, this is Mr Patterson, I mentioned his situation to you. He will move into my quarters with me and will attend Hogsmeade School. If you foresee any problem with this arrangement please tell me now.”

The old man regarded his Master another minute before turning his attention back on him. Harry squirmed under the gaze but he refused to look up.

“Very well Severus. How old is this young man if I may ask?”

Harry startled at the question and looked at his Master to see if the man knew the answer, he sure didn’t.

Master Severus’s eye twitched a bit and it was the only indication Harry received that his Master was also startled by the question.

“I am afraid that you will have to ask Mr Patterson himself as I do not know.”

Harry looked at his Master with apprehension. He did not know how old he was and dreaded the consequences of shaming his Master in front of his employer.

“Well then, Mr Patterson, how old are you?”

Panic swelled within him and Harry took a step back but he knew better than to run away. Looking towards his Master, Harry gave the man a helpless look and after a minute of staring at the man, Harry had to lower his eyes. Comprehension showed on his Master’s face but rage replaced it and Harry could not look at the man for a moment longer.

“It seems we will never know Albus as Mr Patterson himself does not seem to know.”

His Master’s voice was cold and cut through Harry like a knife. Barely suppressed rage became clear in his voice and Harry wanted nothing more than to run away.

“From the look of him, I would hazard a guess that he is eight or nine, definitely no more than ten years old.”

The old man nodded his agreement with his Master and Harry forced himself to stop his nervous fidgeting.

“I agree Severus. For a moment, he reminded me of someone else but a crucial feature is missing and the age does not match. You may move his belongings in with you but he cannot disturb the students of my school in any manner. He will have his friends from Hogsmeade, friends who are his own age. For his protection and those under my care, no interaction with the Hogwarts student body will be allowed.”

Another twitch of the eye let Harry know that his Master was not pleased with this rule but with a nod, his Master acquiesced.

“Get yourselves settled in your rooms Severus and then join me for lunch, there is a matter of utmost importance that we need to discuss.”

Another nod and his Master pushed him out the door. Harry stumbled a bit but righted himself quickly and ran to keep up with his Master. It was clear that his Master was not in a good mood and Harry would do nothing to worsen it even more.


*-----------------------------------------------------------*


“Meddling… damnable… old coot…”

Harry lost track of all the names his Master mumbled as they entered a spacious room with only a few lit candles.

Though trying his best not to worsen his Master’s mood, Harry could see that the man was near breaking point as they finally put their things down.

“The door behind you leads to your room. You will keep it neat and clean at all times. The bathroom, kitchen and sitting room are open to you at all times as with my house. You will not enter my room or the workroom under any circumstances. Make yourself some lunch, I will not be joining you, as I have to meet with the Headmaster – meddling old man that he is.”

Harry nodded his head as his Master paced the room in apparent agitation.



Severus cursed Albus for being a meddling old fool. He knew that it was not only the Headmaster himself that would not allow his new charge free reign of the castle – the board of governors could put them both out if they saw any need – but that Albus would not even allow the boy to interact with any of the students was going too far.

The boy posed no threat to the students, as they were more experienced, and it could only be good for the boy to have a few friends in the school, but no, Albus forbade it.

The Headmaster’s behavior did not really surprise Severus as he knew how Albus viewed people. Everyone, no matter the age or gender, was a pawn to the Headmaster and with the kind of power the old man had over the wizarding world, there was nothing Severus could do that would make any difference.

Severus shook himself from the thoughts as the gargoyles to Albus’s office came in sight. The headmaster had lunch ready for him as he took his seat and Severus resigned himself to a long discussion.

The meal passed in silence and Severus was glad that Albus knew him well enough not to engage in small talk.

“Do not let this new responsibility of a charge monopolize your time from your other tasks and responsibilities. You do not know the boy very well and know nothing of what he might do – young as he is, he could still be a danger to the students in my school. I hold you fully responsible for his actions.”

Albus’s voice was hard and cold as ice but his words came as no surprise to Severus. The man might be the representative of the ‘Light Force’ in the war but it did not mean that he was kind or compassionate.

“Of course Albus. The boy will behave himself and will pose no threat to the students of this school. Now, may we proceed to the reason you brought me here?”

Nothing could ease the restrictions on his charge in this school and Severus refused to debate over it with the headmaster.

Albus gave him another long look before nodding his acceptance.

“I need you to go to number 4 Privet Drive, today if possible. Hagrid went to fetch Mr Potter yesterday but he was not there. The relatives denied any knowledge of the boy. You may use any means necessary to obtain the information we seek.”

Severus knew that the headmaster was referring to Legilimency; he gave a tight nod. Legilimency was not something to take lightly but Severus could see the necessity in the matter.

“Very well Albus. I presume I am to bring the boy here when I find him.”

There was no ‘if I find him’, for the headmaster would accept no excuse if Severus was to return empty handed. He knew that all too well. Failure from anyone in the Order was out of the question, for the protection granted to him or her from the headmaster would be lost – be it protection from the ministry or life itself.

“That would be advisable. Thank you Severus, I will expect the boy in my office by tomorrow evening. I do so hope that the poor lad is alright.”

Severus snorted at the last sentence. Of course you hope the brat is alright Albus, for if he is not then you have lost your most important weapon in this war.

Severus did not put voice to his thoughts though, for that would be foolish beyond words. Giving a stiff goodbye to Albus, Severus left the office to take on this new mission.

The Potter brat would certainly feel his wrath when he found him.


End Chapter 2