Again, I own Nothing!
A big thanks to the amazing pazed for the edit!
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If you have questions feel free to ask, but I'll only answer if the don't impact something I want to keep to myself for the sake of the story.
Chapter 17
This was one time that Harry was glad he had learned something from Tannim, when not to open his fool mouth! Shar was stomping down the path away from the castle, grumbling the entire time about old men, a baseball bat wrapped with barbed wire, and enemas. Things no man wanted to ever hear. So... he was content to leave her to her mutterings.
As they passed through the gates, one in particular caught him off guard and made him stumble. He turned to Lady Ako. "Would he even want to survive that?"
She shook her head. "I don't think surviving is an option for most of them, but that is particularly nasty." She shuddered. "Thankfully, I don't think she can get her hands on any flesh eating bacteria, or has the skill to inject it…. There."
Shar twisted to look at them a maniacal grin spread wide. "For that I'd learn!" she cackled as she walked on. They both shivered.
A voice called from behind them as they walked trough the small village, "Ms. Shar! Lady Ako! Mr. Potter! Please, stop a moment!"
The three slowed and turned to see the Deputy Headmaster and Sirius walking briskly to catch up. "Thank you for waiting," said the woman as they joined them. "I was asked to catch you before you left." She brushed her dress. "There is a traditional ball that is held in conjunction with the tournament, at Yule, the night of the 24th."
"No," said Harry.
"It is traditional Mr. Potter, the Tournament Champions are honored with a feast, and then they open the ball with the first dance." She spoke as if explaining to a small child. "You will need to be here, in the castle, no la-"
"I told you, No! I will not be at your ball. I have other obligations on Christmas Eve and Day." he stated simply, and began to turn away.
"Mr. Potter! This is important! Your fut-" she began.
His eyes darkened. "And what I want isn't?" he asked. "You want me to give up my time to come here and be some form of poster boy! I have plans on Christmas! Plans that are a HELL of a lot more important than a bunch of people sitting around stuffing their faces and dancing! You and your people don't know me, or what I consider important! So don't even try!"
He took a deep breath, then began again. "I am not this legendary boy-who-lived, and I don't give a rat's ass about this school, or this tournament! I am an orphan! One that has been blessed with a new family and the chance to make something of his life! That is important! How I spend my Christmas, that is important! And not you, not that moron up in the castle, or any one here can tell me what is important for my life!" He spun and strode through the door with The Three Broomsticks on the sign above it.
Professor McGonagall stood there stunned, never had a student of hers spoke to her in such a way. Lady Ako and her daughter turned their eyes toward the professor. "The boy-who-lived?" Lady Ako asked.
It was Sirius that spoke. "Yes, the Boy-who-lived. That is the title that Harry was given after the survived the killing curse, and defeated He-who-must-not-be-named the night his parents were killed."
The pair of women looked at each other then broke out in laughter. "You're kidding!" said Shar, getting her laughter under control. "He was what? Two? Less? We know he was with the Dursleys about that time. How in the hell could he have done any thing to defeat anybody? Who would hang a title like that on an infant?"
"It was what the paper, The Daily Prophet, called him the next morning." Sirius looked worried. "He had a good laugh about it last night, when I told him what they called him… Later I think it made him angry…." He looked at the pair, sadness in his eyes. "You see, he is seen as the savior of our world and his parents heralded as heroes, for what happened that night."
Shar looked absolutely dumbfounded, as Sirius continued. "There are books about his life and adventures, Harry Potter toys and dolls… he is one of the most famous people in our world. He even has his own Chocolate Frog Card."
Shar shook her head. "Unbelievable. You people take the cake. You make an icon… a savior of an infant. The same infant is just left to rot in a house with abusive people, meanwhile others get rich off the use of his name…" She turned to McGonagall. "And for your information, you insulted my son. Your assumption that what he was going to do with his Christmas was not important was a slap to his face."
She waved her arm into the direction Harry had walked. "My son does the same thing every year, and has from the year after he came to us." She faced the woman, arms crossed. "He spends a lot of time preparing for those two days. Christmas Eve he spends delivering packages of gifts to the families with children that need to stay in places like hospitals over the holidays. He does the shopping for gifts so parents have more time to spend with their children. On Christmas Day he delivers toys and goods to the local orphanages, donations and things bought with money he has collected through the year through the foundation Fairgrove helped him create. He decided to do those things, and we, his family help as much as we can. So forgive me if I agree with Harry. That is much more important than any ball!"
Shar glared at her. "Even worse is the fact that someone decided that it was appropriate to have a ball on that night! Why not earlier? Before the term ended so the children that want to be home with their families could be? Or after the Holidays?"
McGonagall was stunned. "I-I I don't know… It is tradition…"
Lady Ako scoffed, "Tradition is important, but tradition can not be the held so tightly that it trumps everything else. Harry has told us of this Tournament, and how it was tradition, but at some point the tradition was halted because it was too dangerous. So that became traditional, to not have the tournament.
"Now, in the name of the tradition, the tournament is restored, but the danger still remains. Do you want it to be tradition again that people die for a game? It is fine that people wanted to restore the tournament, but why make it dangerous? Use sports, academic contests, music, art, anything that showcases the children and their talents.
"Let them have dances, and parties but plan them so they can go home, to the families that miss them. They spend enough time here at school, they need to be part of their families as well."
"As for Harry we will return for the second task." Shar and Lady Ako walked away.
Sirius chuckled. "Wow! What a pair they are. Makes me wonder what the rest of his family is like."
McGonagall watched as the pair vanished into the pub. "If they are anything like that… He'll grow up to be just like them." Sirius snorted in agreement.
"Anything you want to do while we are in London Harry?" Shar asked as she buttered a scone.
"Hmm…. Harrods?" he said with a grin.
She glowered at him. "You and that damn tea… Why can't you drink coffee like a normal person?" She stood, and walked into her bedroom.
Harry sat back in his chair and chuckled. "Because I don't like that stuff, and the way the guys drink it it's not even liquid, it's sludge!"
He looked around the room, he had always liked this hotel. It was the one they had stayed in when they signed his final adoption papers. It was probably his favorite for that reason… well, that and the fact they used the Harrods tea blend he preferred.
"Harry," Shar's voice rang out from her bathroom, "Call your grandmother. Let her know we are headed to Harrods, and see if she wants to join us. If she does, we'll arrange for the concierge to send our things to the plane. I told them we would be there by 3:00. We can leave straight from the store."
"Ok!" He was reaching for the phone when a knock came from the door. Hanging up the phone he walked to the door and tugged it open. "Morning Sin-" His voice faltered. "Sorry, I was expecting someone else. Can I help you with something?"
"Harry James Potter? You were required to present yourself at this morning's meeting of the Wizengamot. Your failure to appear at the opening of the session has been noted, and we have been tasked to escort you," stated the imposing man dressed in a bad suit. "I am Auror Scrimgeour, this is Auror Tonks. Please come with us."
"Ummm… News to me… Come in." He pointed at the table. "There are some scones left if you want some. Let me get my mother, and change. We'll be right with you," he said drifting out of the room already pulling off his t-shirt.
As he passed Shar's door he knocked. "Mom, we've got visitors, Aurors. They said we are supposed to be at some meeting. You know anything about that?"
Her voice answered, "No! Get dressed, and get your grandmother... Get her over here."
As he entered his room he heard her exit hers and walk into the living room. "Good morning. I'm Shar, Harry's mother. What is this about our needing to be at a meeting?" She sat on the end of the couch and started putting on her shoes.
Both of the Aurors were caught off guard by the woman, her nonchalant attitude was not what they had expected. Auror Scrimgeour spoke first. "Harry was required to present himself no later than 8:00am this morning in the matter of his custody."
Her head pivoted slowly. Her eyes were hard. "What matter of custody? He is with me, his mother!"
"I have not been briefed on any other information, other than he needs to be in the chambers as soon as possible on a matter of his custody. Auror Tonks and I were tasked with collecting him as he did not appear," the man said. It would have been hard not to notice the wand in his hand.
"And just how would my son have been notified of this request?" asked Shar, anger pushing her to stand.
"By owl, sometime yesterday," said the young woman, she looked very nervous. "The special session was called for this morning."
"I see. As far as I know neither Harry nor I received any notification. Especially by one of your owls," she spat. "By what right have they deemed it necessary for a US citizen to appear before them?"
"His adoption is under review by the Ministry, your claim of him as your son has been challenged under the rules of the Wizengamot," he said calmly. "He is required to attend the decision."
"The decision?" she snapped. "What decision? What the hell is going on?"
A door opening kept anyone from continuing. Lady Ako entered. "Good morning daughter, is Harry almost ready?" She passed the pair of Aurors without acknowledging their presence, picked up a cup and poured herself a cup of tea.
"I expect him out in a few minutes." Shar looked at her mother oddly for a moment, until suddenly it dawned on her what she wanted. "Shall I go check on him?"
"I doubt that will be necessary, I expect that he will need to join us before we can leave." She sipped her tea, and added a little more honey.
By this point the lead Auror was becoming agitated. "Mr. Potter needs to come with us, I only let him change as a courtesy. He has delayed the session long enough!"
"Have we?" asked Lady Ako. "Interesting, considering they hold no jurisdiction over a person with US citizenship, considering he has broken no law. Much less do they have the ability to compel him to appear without representation nor his guardian present, more so considering he is a minor. Shar, please collect his documents, I'll accompany Harry and will collect you at the front desk." Shar bowed slightly and left the room.
"Now then, could you please tell me who, exactly, is challenging the rulings of the courts here and in the US? I assume it is not Mr. Black," the younger Auror almost jumped with nervousness at the name, "seeing that he was planning to come to the States as soon as he has acquired the appropriate entrance documentation."
The young woman shook her head slightly, but her partner answered, "I have no information for you about that, my orders are to present him to the Wizengamot chambers with all due haste. As I told the other woman a decision has been reached, he must be there for the final decisions announcement."
"From the sound of it, neither my nor my daughter's presence has been requested at this announcement. That leads me to believe that the ruling is not in favor of my family's custody," she said setting the cup back on the tray table. The elder Auror stiffened at her remark.
"Whether that is true or not is not my concern. Harry Potter will appear at the session!" the man said.
"Oh, of that I have no doubt." She smiled a wide smile as she daintily bit a scone. "Mmmm. These are quite good here. Please help yourself, I'm sure Harry will be out shortly. As soon as he has finished we should be ready to go."
A short time later a smiling, freshly showered and dressed Harry entered the room. "Good morning sensei," he said in Japanese. "I just spoke with Mother, they are here and are waiting downstairs."
"Very well my student." She then switched to English. "Shall we?" She motioned toward the door."
The large man grumbled, "We don't have time for this!" He strode toward Harry. "The session has been held up long enough boy!" He went to grab Harry's arm, only to find that the boy had somehow sidestepped his grasp and was now inside his reach. Harry's leg connected with the side of the large man's knee, buckling it, the man sprawled across the floor his head slamming into the end table, leaving him stunned and groaning.
"Never call me boy!" He took a step, the heel of his boot landing heavily on the wand held in the man's hand. It gave an audible snap as he continued his pace. "I hate that! Now then, please lead on Ms. Auror, let's not keep my mother or the government officials waiting."
She smiled at him, she had never really cared for her partner on this assignment, but he was the senior Auror. "I-I can take you from here."
"Oh, well I'll call down and have them come up." He moved to the phone.