How do we feel about the new title? I'm not good at naming my creations; I always had trouble naming my old art pieces as well.

Hey all, as we near the end of this plot line, I find myself unable to decide how to continue.

should i continue this story in this book as it is

Or should I start a new book where I would be free to include more... adult... mature? content—actual depictions of violence, war, and the growing pains of adolescence. I'm just not certain these themes can fit into the theme of this "book."


Harry sat and stared blankly after the recess had ended. The Wizengamot came back into session and gave Dumbledore the floor. Harry hadn't really listened at lunch. He had started to disassociate, lost or blocked-out memories flaring behind his eyes. He watched Quirrell's body burn from the inside as it was attacked by the basilisk venom. He didn't understand what could have caused the burning though; venom didn't do that, even magical venom. He wondered if it was the unicorn blood Quirrell had been consuming that had reacted with the venom to create that demonic fire that ate away at Quirrell in such a way. Harry wasn't sure; the more the memory played in his head, the more it didn't make sense. (SMACK!) His head shot forward, and his senses flared back to reality. He looked around, seeing Dumbledore looking at him, Ted Tonks looking at him, and the Wizengamot (yup) also looking at him. He looked over at the serpent sitting on the desk, her tail still raised like a bludgeon. "That hurt," Harry hissed out in Parseltongue before looking up and addressing the Wizengamot.

"Err, I'm sorry, I was deep in thought there. What was the question?" asked Harry sheepishly.

Dumbledore spoke up. "I asked Mr. Potter if your life at Privet Drive was so bad, why did you never seek to leave, run away, or report your abusers?"

"Err, I..." Harry shook his head to clear it and took a drink of water. "I did. On my 9th birthday, I ran away from the Dursleys, but the local policemen brought me home. Vernon spread lies about me being an unconstrained nutjob around the neighborhood, so no one came near me. I didn't have a doctor to visit or complain to. No policemen would believe me, and when I tried to get my teachers involved, they would mysteriously suddenly have to quit or move. After the second time, I just stopped and accepted my fate. Mr. Tonks, what did the OPSEC scan say again?"

At this, Ted got a piece of paper, put it down, and began to read. "Patient has been subject to 'Acceptance' potions, an ancient potion used before the ban on all controller magics. Levels suggest dosing going back at least five years. The pertinent bullet point is listed as number '6.A' on the St. Mungo's transcripts. Because of these potions and at the levels displayed, even after months of them not being administered, they still had sufficient strength that Harry put up with his uncle's abuses for almost a month. Does that answer your question, Dumbledore, or do I need to break down how the mind of a child would not normally go to 'leave the only relatives and house I have ever known'?"

Dumbledore looked abashed at that. The old man had obviously not expected Harry or whatever lawyer he had hired to do as much or prepare as much as they had. "No, that answers all my questions quite succinctly, Mr. Tonks. I'll rest for now," Dumbledore said as he sat back down.

Ted Tonks stood and said, "I call Mr. and Mrs. Dursley to question." With that, both of Harry's relatives stood and walked to the center of the room. "Tell us your side of this, Mrs. Dursley. We have heard the facts of Harry's time with you. Tell us how it was from your perspective."

Finally, the woman who had been oddly silent through Ted expounding on the various abuses Harry had suffered spoke. Harry had thought she'd defend herself before now.

"We woke up on November 1, 1981, to find Harry on our front porch with nothing but a blanket and a note. A note that told me my perfect sister, Lily, had been killed. I had been broken that day. My sister, my last remaining blood relative aside from my own son, was dead. I cared for Harry as any person would for the next two years, and that's when the oddness began: doors unlocking, toys flying through the air. It wasn't until Vernon had angered Harry by denying him a cake that Dudley, our sin, had wanted. That we had awoken to the dangers of magic, not even my sister, smart and powerfully magical as she was, had scared me that badly. Harry had sent every knife in our kitchen into the wall behind Vernon. That was the first time Vernon resorted to corporal punishment; he spanked Harry so hard and for so long he had bruised the boy, and he went back to his room.

"His cupboard, you mean," Mr. Tonks interrupted.

Petunia seemed to hesitate, not wanting to admit it out loud, but she continued, her eyes downcast and tears streaming down her face. "Yes. Yes. His cupboard, he ran there and hid from us, crying for hours. We left; my husband was still apoplectic with rage, and I dragged him and our son out to calm down. When we got back, he was silent, asleep when I checked on him. He didn't cause any more trouble for years after that. He was distant and quiet, and we were too harsh on him. I see that now. I see what we did; how we acted was wrong. We spoiled our own son to assuage our guilt and ignored the trouble that caused for both kids. When he turned eight, it seemed his body could no longer contain his magic, and that's when—" At this point, the entire room went still, entirely focused on the woman as her face lost expression and her voice dropped into a monotone. "We took matters into our own hands. Our harsh punishments worked before, and they would again. It's our job as guardians to beat the wrongdoings out of him, and that's what we did."

The entire room was silent. Looking at the woman and man who had still not spoken either, Ted looked at the two and then at Dumbledore, who seemed to be going pale. He raised his wand at Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard in the last hundred years, as did a full two-thirds of the Wizengamot.

"Fawkes!" the old man yelled, and a bright, flaming bird appeared above his head. He grabbed onto the phoenix's talons and cast an Accio at Harry, who flung toward Dumbledore. But Ted, Petunia, and Vernon all raced forward and caught him. Spells rained in from the gallery and the stands of the Wizengamot, and Dumbledore blocked them all with a golden bubble and, with another burst of fire, was gone.

It took a full ten minutes for the Wizengamot chambers to come out of complete lockdown, and a full 30 minutes more for Fudge and Madam Bones to get control of the Wizengamot so that they could speak freely.

"In light of what has just occurred, I feel that we must reconvene this hearing at another date. That's a manhunt that needs attending to. Fudge was speaking until being interrupted.

"No!" said Harry. "Sir, Minister, please. Can we not continue this and wrap it up today? We are here. My lawyer is ready. The witnesses are ready, and the testimonials are prepared. Please. We only have the testimonials and support pledges to go, and then the Wizengamot can make its decision. It shouldn't take more than an hour!"

Fudge sighed. "We will put it to a vote, then. All in favor of finishing this hearing today, raise your wands."

To Harry's shock, it wasn't just Mr. Greengrass, Madam Bones, and Madam Longbottom who raised their wands, but almost all of the Wizengamot raised them in favor—all but fifteen or so, by Harry's count.

"Very well, then. We will take a 10-minute break."

"Amelia, I want a total lockdown of Dumbledore's resources. And someone can work on the Mugg—on the Dursleys while we wait." At that, Andromeda stood up and approached the Dursleys, whispering before the two adults clenched their eyes shut as if preparing for a bomb. She started quietly and gently casting various spells that Harry couldn't hear.

It was 15 minutes later when Madame Bones came back into the room. Andromeda was finished. The two Dursleys sat drinking strong tea that had been brought to them. Andy had brought two scrolls over to Madame Bones and the Minister, who read them quickly before tucking them away.

"Well then, let's begin again unless anyone else would like to come out as a dark wizard and attack us? No? Well then, good, let's begin.

"I see, Mr. Potter, you have managed to acquire letters of support from all four of your teachers from your first year at Hogwarts. We of the Wizengamot will read the two absentees, but we will let the two in attendance relate to us why they support your emancipation. Professors McGonagall and Snape, please come forward and address the assembly."

And with a huge jump, Harry turned back just in time to see the greasy-haired pillock that called himself a professor start to walk and stand before the assembled lords and ladies.

"Well then, we'll start with the one who would know him best. I believe the head of the lad's house could speak to the lad's character. So why don't you proceed, Professor McGonagall?"

"I have been teaching young witches and wizards for more than 50 years in this chamber. I see many an old student or classmate from when I myself was a student. I can count on one hand the amount of children that have come through my life that I knew without a doubt could look after themselves. But no one stands in that small group in front of Mr. Potter. In his short time at Hogwarts, I have seen him learn and listen, fight for his beliefs, defend the defenseless, and help all who come before him, even if they don't ask for his help, even if helping will land him in a load of trouble. He is a fantastic student when he applies himself and competitive enough to always apply himself to be the best because he is always in competition with his good friend, Miss Granger, who is number two on that list. Earlier, if he is granted emancipation, I have zero doubt that none of us will regret it."

"It has been far too long since Wizarding Britain has had a proper Lord Potter," McGonagall said this with the sincerely stern and regal poise that Harry had come to expect from her, before standing to the side and letting Snape take her spot in the center. With a gesture of Fudge's hand, Snape seemed to still and center himself before speaking.

"On September fifth of last year, the first day Harry Potter walked into my potions lab, I saw nothing special—an unremarkable boy with no extraordinary magical power. I saw what I wanted to see: an arrogant, spoiled child who felt the rules, laws, and classes were beneath him. And I hated him for it. But as the year progressed, my view changed. I saw an intelligent and insightful young man whose passions lay outside the potions class but did not detract from his skill inside it." At this, he pulled a bright blue vial out of his robes and another potion that was a deep sea green.

This green one is a sample of Mr. Potter's first attempt at potions ever. His first class: a potion to cure boils, the first potion any student makes in my class so that I can judge an individual's skill level. The first day, first potion. It was perfect, one of two perfect potions that day. The best two first attempts in my twelve years of teaching. This second vial was the potion that I set for Mr. Potter for his end-of-year test. I told him it was a first-year potion. It is not. This is a Blabbering Beverage, a fairly useless potion that makes the drinker unable to form coherent words. It is a potion I have my second years brew for a midterm. It is, once again, perfect and well beyond his age level's usual skill. His sharp and intuitive mind is that of his mother's, even if he shares an unfortunate resemblance to his father. I have no doubt that Mr. Potter could not cause himself or the community irreparable harm in the two months he is out of school, and so I must also endorse his emancipation. It is what his parents would want; they did not like Petunia. Now, would Lily be happy with what has happened to her son?" And with that, Snape walked back, glowering, to the back of the gallery without being dismissed.

"There is also a letter of support here from Petunia Dursley. I thank you, Solicitor Tonks, for highlighting the important points in these letters. Mrs. Dursley, I am not going to allow this letter of non-support to affect the decisions of this hearing. You are obviously biased, no matter how heartfelt your current motivation. Your prior behavior indicates that you simply want the boy out of your house no matter what, and I will tell you I will not allow him back in your house after what we have seen, read, and heard here today. Whether your actions are your own or were influenced by another, your house is not safe for children to grow in. So, as acting Chief Warlock, I deny the evidence of testimony by Petunia Dursley."

Madam Bones spoke up then. "The letters from his other professors speak of the same sentiments given by Mr. Snape and Mrs. McGonagall. All speak very favorably of the young man. I think we can move on to any Wizengamot sponsorship of this request. If you'd allow, I could begin."

"Yes, Amelia, that sounds fine. Go ahead," said Fudge.

Madame Bones stood them from her chair. "I'm afraid, lords and ladies, that I barely know Mr. Potter. I have met him a few times performing my duty as Head of the DMLE and once as a guest of the Longbottoms as she held a dinner in hopes that the boy could curry a bit of favor for this hearing.

Like his professors, I have had a very positive outlook on Mr. Potter. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders, and I believe, like Mr. Snape, that he would not get into any irreparable trouble in the two or three months a year he is away from school and adult supervision.

Mr. Greengrass stands up as Madame Bones sits down and begins to speak as well. "I, like Amelia, am not a stranger to Mr. Potter. In fact, I've only had one dinner conversation with him, but it was I he reached out to for support for this hearing, and I should say he found it. I am speaking today on behalf of a coalition of business associates both within his body and without. In past generations, the Potter family had been an economic powerhouse. Still, to this day, there are ingredient suppliers that have a majority contract with the Potter family potion business, and while it is no longer in operation, it is still around, if only in legal form. Without a Lord Potter to realize or release these contracts, potion ingredients in the British Isles have been painfully high since the end of the last war. Not to mention the Potter family potion business itself, which served as a faithful apothecary for centuries, and the fresh potion ingredients and magical animals cultivated by various families on Potter land that have not been available for nearly 40 years since the death of Lord Charlus Potter sent the old Potter Manor house into total lockdown.

Granting Mr. Potter his emancipation will grant him access to his lordship, which will allow the various businesses and families to flourish like they haven't in nearly a generation. It will be a great boon to the economy." With that, Cyrus Green sat down and clasped his hands in front of himself.

Are there any who wish to speak against this notion? "I do," said Madame Marchbanks. "Normally I would give two rotten pence how old a child is nor what emancipation would do for the economy. Children should live with adults, children should live with family, and he has family in the Tonks."

"But, I quite agree, Mr. Potter here is more mature than a third of this body, so I'll hold my tongue on the matter going forward."

"Right, well then," said Fudge, seeming not to know how to take that little speech.

All that's left of the evidence, I believe, is the will that Mr. Tonks turned in. If you could provide the blood for the seal's solicitor?

As Ted walked to the dais and put a drop of blood each onto the seals, they dissolved, giving off a large amount of black smoke that formed the crest of House Black, which Fudge waved his hands through, fanning it away. "You know, I really do not miss working with the Blacks and their thrice-blasted theatrics!" This caused most of the gathered lords and ladies to snicker.

"Now, let's see here. I'll refrain from reading this entirely out loud—no point in—oh my! Oh MY, DEAR ME!"

"IN THE EVENT OF MY DEATH, HARRY IS TO BE RAISED BY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING IN ORDER OF PRECEDENCE."

1. ALICE LONGBOTTOM- OATH-SWORN GOD MOTHER

2. SIRIUS BLACK — OATH-SWORN GODFATHER

3. REMUS LUPIN. DEAR FAMILY FRIEND PROTECTORATE OF HOUSE POTTER

4. MINERVA MCGONAGAL DEAR FAMILY FRIEND

IF NON OF THESE PEOPLE ARE AVAILABLE BECUASE OF THE WAR OR OTHER REASONS THAN HARRY IS TO BE PLACED IN THE CARE OF THE LOVEGOOD FAMILY OR FAILING THAT MAGICAL FOSTERCARE.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS HARRY TO BE GIVEN TO MY SISTER PETUNIA DURSLEY OR HER HUSBAND OR ANY OTHER MEMEBER OF HER FAMILY."

"The witnesses of this document are signed: Dumbledore, Sirius, and Peter Pettigrew."

That got the Wizengamot chatting, and they sat back, oath sworn. This document was sealed by Dumbledore, and he knew that it listed Black as oath sworn. "Dear me, this is going to be a nightmare," Fudge could be heard saying, even over the crown of lords and ladies talking.

"Ted? What does that mean? Oath sworn."

"It means, Harry, that Sirius Black, who has been in Azkaban for betraying your family and killing a group of innocent Muggles, is trying to kill the other witness, Peter Pettigrew.

is undeniably innocent. If he had done ANYTHING that could even loosely be interpreted as betraying you, he would have died instantly." Ted looked up and looked to the gallery. Harry thought to meet eyes with Andromeda.

"Well, I, oh my, what a revelation, my word is. Is there anyone else that wishes to speak for or against Mr. Potter's bid? No? Well, then I say we call a vote and end this hearing before anything else earth-shattering happens. Please raise your wands if you vote to give Harry James Potter his complete emancipation."

"Forty-five to eighteen, motion carries. Congratulations, Mister—or should I say Lord—Potter, you are a legal and recognized adult. Stop by the Misuse of Magic Office and have the Trace removed from your wand. I recommend you go to Gringotts as soon as possible and retrieve your Lord's ring." Fudge banged the gavel, standing immediately and flowing out of the room, giving orders to Amelia the whole while. "Go get Black out of there, search the records for his trial transcript, get me an update on Dumbledore and more," but he was leaving the range of Harry's hearing.

For his part, Harry stood there frozen, his eyes open but unseeing.

He was free. Free, no more Dursleys, no more secrets, no more lies, no more abuse, no more anything he didn't want in his life.

What did he want in his life, a thought that he had never asked himself before? And then suddenly his vision was filled with the one thing he was absolutely certain he wanted around: Hermione. She had jumped on him and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Ohhhhh, Harryyyyyyyyy, congratulations! I knew you'd get it, I just knew it, especially after Dumbledore ran off like that." And then she gasped, having remembered. "Oh my, he tried to kidnap you, didn't he? He used a Summoning Charm to try to bring you to him and then Flash out, and oh my god, Harry, what would have happened if-" Harry cut her off by giving her a bear hug, the first hug he had ever initiated.

"Give it a rest, Hermione, or your head will explode from a lack of oxygen. Yes, he did, but no, he didn't. I'm fine. We're all fine. And I can get any type of protection I want against him from now on. And-"

"Excuse me, Harry. May I be on my way?" asked Teb. "It's just that my first client will be in need of legal services within the hour, and I need to get to him. I can't believe I'm finally saying this, but I will invoice you for your bill now that we've won your case. But I must be going now." He points at Andromeda and pushes him in that direction before almost running off. Harry felt Smara climb his arm and drape herself over his shoulder before shrinking down somewhat and settling there for travel.

Andromeda was laughing at her husband when they arrived. He ran into the door, trying to push a pull door out of his way.

"Well, Harry, what should we do now?"

"I suppose we should go and get my trace removed. Then, when does Gringotts close?" Harry said, still in awe that he was free. "Where are the Dursleys? I'd like to say goodbye."

Andromeda sniffed. "For you, I doubt Gringotts closes at all. And they were remanded back to Ministry custody. You seem to forget they were arrested, Harry, not summoned. Arrested."

Her husband's arrest for attempted murder and her former abuse of a minor... I know you didn't want them brought up on charges, but that is out of your control. Give it a few days for processing and intake. It takes a minute, but in a few days, we can come back, and I'm sure you'll be allowed to speak to them, to her at least. Come now; we have a lot to do and a short time to do it in.

With that, Andromeda led Harry, arm in arm with Hermione, and the Granger parents bringing up the rear, through the doors of the conference room and through the throng of reporters littering the Ministry corridor and to a lift where, finally, the rest of the world dropped away for a short time, and Harry finally felt he could breathe. He closed his eyes, enjoying the quiet as the lift rattled down to the atrium.

It was only 30 minutes later that Harry and Party left the Ministry through the visitors' exit, an abandoned metro station just a block from Diagon Alley. A short trip through the alley to Gringotts. On their approach, two goblins dressed in shining armor clapped fist to breast and called out.

"Hold, humans! Gringotts is closed to all regular visitors. Please come back tomorrow."

"Are you sure I can't pop in for just a minute?" said Harry, holding up a piece of paper the court scribe had given him. "I have a court mandate from the Wizengamot here to retrieve my family ring."

"Family ring? Most of you humans look the same to me, but still, you look on the young side, human—much too young to be head of the family."

"I was just emancipated today, and I am the last of my family line. I am h-"

"We know who you are, Mr. Potter. Please enter. I was awaiting you." A finely dressed goblin stepped out of the bank and addressed Harry directly. "You may enter, Lord Potter, but your party must wait here for banking hours if they have any business."

"No, sir, they're just escorting me."

"Good, then follow me. Dipsnout, good work. Please keep Lord Potter's party company while they wait." With that, the goblin and Harry disappeared into Gringotts.

And they walked together in silence through the nearly empty bank. There were, Harry thought at first, young goblins polishing the marble floors to a mirror finish by hand. But a different thought soon entered Harry's mind when he noticed the state of most of the polishers they passed and the strange, tatty blue uniforms.

"Sir, are the goblins polishing the floor prisoners?"

"A sharp-eyed Lord Potter, yes, our criminals have two options if their sentence is light enough, that is. The first option is the mines. The second option for those too young or too old or who have exemplary behavior is to polish the stone here at our bank. It is a sought-after job, as prisoners in the mines are not treated... well." A sharp grin from the sharply dressed goblin made a tingle run down Harry's spine; he sensed danger in that smile.

As they came to a stop in front of a door, the goblin then stuck out his hand. "My English name is Bloodrock, Mr. Potter," indicating the words on the door. "It is good to meet you. I have sent many letters, but they were always returned unable to find you, except for one that seems to have made it through to you at school, but I gather the old codger burned it upon arrival. Touching it activated a portkey, but all I got back was ashes. I am the Potter account manager and I have a good deal of things to discuss with you, but that can wait until later during business hours. For now, we need to get you your lord's rings. No one aside from the Lord Potter of the day is aware of this, but your family has access to five lordships, but not all of them are strictly reliant on blood. Your father could claim three, your grandfather four. I'm unaware of any Potter claiming all five at once. Three are reliant on feats and achievements to claim." At that, he bent down at his desk and brought up an ornate box. Upon opening it, it revealed five rings: one gold and ruby, one silver and opal (Harry thought it was an opal), one silver and amethyst, one gold and black, and the center one was a thick ring of an odd black with a huge yellow stone.

"These are your family rings. The gold one set with a ruby is for the Gryffindor line. You can only wear this ring if you have a brave deed to your name. The silver set with amethyst is the Lord's ring for the Peverell line. This is an inherited ring all Potters have claim to. Aside from the Potter ring, these two are considered the most important in your family. The next one is an odd one, a rare mineral called silverite set with a blue moonstone. This ring can only be claimed by those who have slain darkness. It is said that this ring was passed to your family from a Viking lord. The Potter family ring is made from another extremely rare mineral, orichalcum, and is set with a fine yellow sapphire. This one is also inherent to your family and requires no deeds. And finally, the gold and black is the ring of the fallen House of Emrys." The goblin flips through some pages, eyebrow crinkled. "Not much is written here. It just says, 'If worn, it tests you. If you fail, you pass.'"

"So, if in fail—whatever the test is—it'll kill me? No, thanks," said Harry adamantly.

"Yes, by all accounts, the Emrys had gone completely mad when he split reality and left for whatever land he now resides in."

"Do I just go to claim them all now or what?"

"Oh no, Lord Potter. Claim them as you feel the need to, but I'd claim your family ring now if I were you."

"Right," said Harry, extending his arm and grabbing the ring before quickly placing it on the ring finger of his right hand. It automatically sized to perfectly fit his finger.

"Congratulations, Lord Potter. Now, I believe you have access to all family property. There is an apartment in Diagon Alley and a few more places around the country. Most houses are more than a few centuries old and in need of revitalizing, if not demolition. Potter Manor is in Somerset. I recommend getting into the apartment first, Lord Potter, at least for tonight, and then going and unsealing your family home. I have heard about your troubles with the old one, and while we could not stop his thieving when he was your guardian, he has now been locked out of all accounts and properties. Here is—" and he listed a folder almost three inches thick, "a list for you to turn into the DMLE. It has all Potter property your guardian 'borrowed' since he named himself your guardian. You can turn this into the DMLE and get your property from that which has been seized following the old man's flight from the Ministry. It will also allow you to seize any property from his personal vault that either is yours or to make up for any of your property that is missing. He did sign that as collateral against these object loans, after all."

Oh, and 30 percent interest per year of the items' worth against his vault and against the vault of the office of the chief warlock. He signed that as well. I'll give that to your solicitor as soon as possible.

Harry sat and thumbed through a few pages. Books, some artifacts whose meaning escaped Harry, and something called a Pensieve. He stood, taking the file of object loans and properties with him, and began to bow slightly to say goodbye when the goblin tsked loudly.

"Never bow to a goblin lord, Potter; it's rude."

"Right, err. How do I do that?"

"Clap your arm to your chest and incline your head. A warrior's salute."

Harry repeats the motion. "Good night, Bloodrock."

"And you, Lord Potter?"

With that, Harry left the bank, retracing his steps until he was out of the door and repeating the salute to the two goblins at the door, who wordlessly repeated it.

"So?" Andromeda asked Harry. "Where to?"

"number 93, diagon ally," and the group set off to find Harry's apartment.


:julieta0121:

I'm sure everyone can tell, but I obviously have no legal experience or experience in a courtroom. I'm trying to emulate what little bits of Law Order I've seen here, so I apologize for not apologizing if it's terrible.

Okay, wow! This stuff keeps getting away from me, lol, but I'm having fun, so I guess that's all that counts, right?

Right?

Anyway, that's it for this post. Leave a review and tell me what you think.