Disclaimer - Still don't own it.
AN: So, I have a fanfiction Insta - DobbyRocksSocks_Fanfic - so if you wanna go follow that... feel free. There will be a few updates posted on there as and when I get my shit together enough to do so. At the moment, there's a list of updated word counts of the chapters I've edited so far.
Chapter 3 - Shaking Off The Chains
Five to ten in the morning on August first found Harry in his bedroom, checking and double checking that he had everything he needed. His wand was in his hand—while he trusted Dobby to get him out of trouble, it didn't hurt to be careful—and in his pocket, a long scroll of his history, written as briefly as possible.
He called for Dobby to join him, and as the clock struck ten, he was pulled away from his bedroom with Dobby's hand in his own.
They arrived in a well lit office-like room, although it was far more informal that one would expect from a solicitor's office. A large desk, displaying a myriad of scattered scraps of parchment, sat in the centre of the largest wall. All of the other walls were covered with bookshelves, all of them filled to bursting. To the left of Harry, there was a coffee table surrounded by three comfortable looking chairs.
A brown haired man, who looked to be in his early thirties, stood in front of the desk, clearly waiting for Harry's arrival. He waited until Harry got his bearings before holding out a hand to shake.
Harry took the hand and shook it firmly.
"Hello, Mr Potter. I'm Alex Jackson. Shall we sit?" He gestured to the armchairs, crossing to one himself.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr Jackson. Please, call me Harry," Harry replied, sitting down in the chair facing Mr Jackson. He noticed that Dobby remained directly at his side, ready to get him out of there, should it become necessary.
He smiled at his elf.
"Then please, call me Alex. Would you like something to drink?"
"Anything cold is fine," Harry replied softly. It was entirely too hot for coffee, and he'd never been a big lover of tea. He continued looking around the room curiously, wondering where, exactly, they were.
Alex seemed to realise what he was thinking and he chuckled. "This isn't my work office, as I'm sure you've noticed. It's my home office. I thought perhaps that we might be better meeting in private, particularly this first time, to stop anyone from gossiping about your being in a solicitor's office."
He left for a moment, then returned with two bottles of Butterbeer, which he put on the table before retaking his seat.
"Did you write everything down like I asked?"
Harry silently offered him the lengthy scroll of parchment. They sat in silence while Alex read, except for the occasional hushed curse or question from the solicitor.
"Voldemort was on the back of your teacher's head and Dumbledore allowed him to stay?"
"Yes."
"Did you harvest the Basilisk for potions ingredients and its hide? It's worth a fortune."
"No, nobody said anything about that. I think it's still in the Chamber though."
"Sirius Black was innocent? And Peter Pettigrew is alive? Bloody hell!"
It carried on in this vein for quite a while until Alex had finished reading. He put the parchment on the table and looked at Harry.
"First off, I'm sorry to hear about your Godfather. From what you have written, he seems to be one of the only people who truly cared about Harry, instead of Harry Potter."
Harry swallowed hard, but nodded. Alex seemed to realise that Harry didn't want to talk about Sirius if he could avoid it, and moved swiftly on.
"Second of all, if you decide to retain me as your solicitor, we have a lot of work to do. Headmaster Dumbledore isn't as white as his beard, and unless you can accept that, there isn't much I can do for you."
Harry arched his eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Hadn't he been questioning the Headmaster himself recently? It was still odd, to hear someone without a Dark Mark—or a member of the Ministry—bring up the Headmaster's more questionable behaviour though.
"From what I have read, both on that parchment, and reading between the lines of the Daily Prophet, you have a battle ahead of you, and not just one with Voldemort. Did you know that Albus Dumbledore is your legal Wizarding Guardian?"
Harry was briefly impressed that Alex said the Dark Lord's name without stuttering, but was quickly distracted by the second piece of information.
"What? What does that even mean? I thought my aunt and uncle were my guardians." Harry frowned, trying to understand exactly what was going on. "I… why would the Headmaster be my guardian, but leave me with them?"
"Your Aunt is your guardian in the Muggle world, as both your blood relative and legal guardian, but every Magical person under the age of 17, unless they are emancipated, must have a Wizarding Guardian. Most of the Muggleborn students who attend Hogwarts fall under the guardianship of Albus Dumbledore, strictly because he's the Headmaster."
Harry nodded. He supposed that made sense, though he'd have suspected more that the Heads of House would be the guardians of the Muggleborns under their care, given they were supposed to spend far more time with them than the Headmaster.
"With you, it's slightly different. I happen to have a copy of your parents' will, left to me by my father, who hoped I would take up the mantle of Family Solicitor to the Potters.
"In the will, there are four people named to take you should something happen to them; Sirius Black, Alice and Frank Longbottom, and Minerva McGonagall."
"Professor McGonagall could have taken me? Then why... "
Harry would not admit it, but he was sure he might start hyperventilating, hearing what sounded like deliberate manoeuvring to place him away from his parents' wishes.
"Why were you left with two people named in the will that you were not to go to under any circumstances? That is a very good question, one I would like to find out the answer to.
"There is also the matter of your Wizarding Guardian having access to your Vaults, as the assumption is that they will be teaching you about your inheritance and financial matters. As it stands, I doubt Dumbledore ever explained anything to you?"
Harry shook his head, numbly. "I've never received statements, or anything. Hagrid said I have a Vault, the one he took me to when he picked me up before first year and nobody's said any different. He had my key, where did he get it from?"
Alex nodded, and made a note on a sheet of parchment in front of him.
"Another question I find myself asking is why are your school marks lower than they should be? Your parents were both exceptionally strong magically, so it stands to reason that you should be as strong, if not more so, than them.
"The genetics of Magic seem to have gone a little off somewhere, and again, I'd like to know why."
"How do you...I mean...I don't even know what to say."
Harry felt a little lost. Had his whole life been a lie?
"I'd like to retain you as my solicitor Mr Jackson, I think on my own, I could be in heaps of trouble."
Alex nodded slightly and smiled.
"We have a lot of work ahead of us Harry, not least of all, moving your things here immediately, and getting a signature on this form from your Aunt. It's an Exchange of Guardianship form, changing it from her to me."
Harry stared. "What?"
"Don't worry," Alex assured him with a small smile. "It won't be in effect long, as I intend to have you emancipated as soon as possible, but it means that you moving into my spare bedroom—in a house protected by the Fidelius Charm—while we get everything done is completely legal and above board."
Harry nodded. In all fairness, despite how quickly things seemed to be moving, he'd do almost anything to get away from the Dursleys, even if it didn't mean safety or freedom.
"Your Dobby here can take us to pay one last visit to your Aunt's and collect your things while we collect the signature."
Harry thought for a few seconds before an idea came to him, and he cursed himself for not thinking about it before he'd even arrived.
"Would you swear a vow that you mean me no harm and will only work towards what is best for me?"
"Of course. I wondered how long it would be until you asked."
Harry ducked his head, embarrassed that he hadn't thought to ask as soon as he arrived.
Wand in hand, Alex cleared his throat, and intoned, "I, Alex Jackson, swear upon my Magic, that I will never intentionally cause any harm to come to Mr Harry James Potter, and will always work to the best of my ability toward what is best for him. So mote it be."
A bright light flashed around Alex, signifying the magic's acceptance of the vow, and Harry relaxed slightly.
Harry nodded and smiled, before he looked at Dobby. "Can you carry us both to Privet Drive at the same time?"
The little elf smiled slightly, as though Harry had asked him a ridiculous question, before he held out his hands to both Harry and Alex. They arrived in Harry's bedroom, Harry almost stumbling into the desk as they landed.
"I's put magic sensor blocks on the house Master Harry, but they is not be lasting long. Dobby pack your things quickly while you is busy."
"Thank you Dobby. The Order of the Phoenix—Dumbledore's organisation—has spies on me over the summer." Harry said, answering the unasked question in Alex's eyes before they walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where Petunia sat at the table.
"Who are you?" She screeched shrilly when she saw the man following Harry into the room.
"Aunt Petunia, this is my new solicitor, Alex Jackson," Harry answered, before she could start ranting. He was good at heading her off before she could really start, he'd had a lot of practice, after all. "He just needs you to sign your guardianship of me over to him, and we'll be on our way. You'll never have to see me again."
"Just like that?" She asked, taking the parchment Alex offered her. She read through it quickly, and then signed her name along the bottom, before she handed it back. She turned to look at Harry.
"You'll not come here ever again?" she asked, her head tilted to the side slightly.
Alex answered before Harry could. "Not if I can help it, Mrs Dursley. You treated this young man appallingly after he was left in your care. Should he choose to press charges of child abuse and neglect, the only time you'll see him again will be in a Court Room."
Her mouth fell open in shock.
Harry glanced at Alex. He hadn't had any intentions of trying to have them charged, preferring to simply leave and never look back again, but he couldn't deny that leaving the threat behind for her to stew on was a fitting retribution for the way she'd treated him over the years.
He watched the colour drain from her face and then turned away with a smirk tilting his lips. Alex followed him back upstairs.
Just before they reached the top, they heard her voice. Harry could just imagine the happiness on his Uncle's face when he heard about Harry's departure, only to leave when he heard the threat he was leaving behind.
Dobby was waiting for them in the bedroom, Harry's trunk prepared and Hedwig's cage resting on top. She was out flying at the moment, but Harry had no doubt that she'd find him; she always did.
Dobby took them back to Alex's house, and then disappeared, reappearing moments later with the trunk and cage, leaving no trace of Harry Potter in Little Whinging, except perhaps, childish drawings on the wall of the cupboard under the stairs.
Alex directed Dobby to the spare room with Harry's trunk, while Harry looked out of the window of the office. When Dobby's blocks fell, the Order would likely realise that something was different, but it would be too late.
Harry was finally learning about himself and his heritage, and gaining the freedom that had been kept from him by those he'd trusted.
And when he finally shook off the chains they'd tried to quell him with, boy would they know about it.