Potter Manor
29 March 1994
6:00 a.m.
James's eyes shot open in response to the alarm clock next to his bed going off. Rather than a traditional ringing alarm, it had been enchanted to scream "WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" at him. Lily hated it. He reached over to slap the alarm into silence and then, with a groan, he pulled himself up to a sitting position on the side of the bed before rubbing the sleep from his eyes. It was only then that James noticed the intense light from a small object on his nightstand.
It was the Remembrall that Dumbledore gave him, and its sudden intensity meant that it had completed its job of reconstructing the memories that Peter Pettigrew had hidden away.
James put his glasses on before carefully picking up the Remembrall as if it were incredibly fragile. Or perhaps incredibly dangerous. Then, he picked his wand up off the nightstand and, after a deep shaky breath, tapped it three times against the Remembrall.
There was a blinding flash of light.
Then ...
"Are you sure about this, Pads?" James asked cautiously. "Lily's been preparing to cast the Fidelius for a while now, and she's almost ready to start. This is not the best time to start changing things."
"On the contrary, Prongs," Sirius said excitedly. "This is the absolute best time to change things. You already announced at an Order meeting that I would be the Secret Keeper. So, if we do have a spy among us, we can figure out who it is just by giving our suspects different information about my movements and seeing which ones pass it on the the Death Munchers. And the whole time, the Dark Wanker will be going after the wrong person! It's the perfect Marauders' Prank!"
James frowned. "I don't like the idea of thinking of this as a prank, Sirius. We're not in school anymore. And I don't care about putting one over on You-Know-Who as much as I do about protecting the people I care about."
He turned to the nervous twitchy wizard sitting next to Sirius, perhaps the last person he'd have ever expected to see here in this situation.
"What about you, Peter? Do you really feel up to something like this? It could be incredibly dangerous for you."
Peter shrugged and rubbed his hands together self-consciously. "I-I'll be fine. It's like Sirius just said. No one will ever believe someone as ... pitiful as me is your Secret Keeper." He gave a nervous laugh. "Hell, if it comes down to it, I can just turn into a rat and go hide in the sewers somewhere until this is all over."
James looked unsure. "We should at least tell Dumbledore. And Remus..."
Peter shook his head furiously. "We don't know who the spy is, James. I trust the Headmaster, of course, but he says he's got his own spy among the Death Eaters but won't say who it is. What if he's put his faith in a double-agent? Or, I don't know, what if You-Know-Who has a way to spy on him that we can't even imagine? As wise as Dumbledore is, he can't possibly know as much about Dark Magic as You-Know-Who. And as for Remus ..."
Pettigrew trailed off uncertainly. James's eyes widened.
"You can't think that Moony is the spy?! You of all people!"
"I didn't want to believe it either, Prongs," Sirius said firmly. "But hear Peter out."
With visible reluctance, as if embarrassed to speak ill of the fourth Marauder, Peter hesitantly explained.
"I've heard stories ... stories about the werewolves in Europe allied with You-Know-Who. Their attacks are growing bolder, but also more ... organized. A lot more organized than any werewolf pack has a right to be. Some people are saying that You-Know-Who has figured out a way to mentally influence them or found someone else who can do so. I know Remus would never deliberately betray the Order or the Marauders. But if the Death Eaters can influence werewolves as thoroughly as they can Imperius wizards, Remus might be a double-agent and not even know it!"
James leaned back slowly and considered what he'd heard. Finally, he peered deep into Pettigrew's eyes as if searching for something.
"Peter, are you ... are you sure this is what you want?"
Pettigrew nodded bashfully. "I ... know I haven't been the best Gryffindor or the bravest. Certainly not like you two. For a long time, I wasn't sure why the Hat made me one in the first place. But I know now. I am a Gryffindor, and I'm ready to step up and prove it."
He leaned forward towards James with an earnest expression. "I know what I'm doing and why." And then, Peter smiled. "Believe me. I'll do Gryffindor proud."
Doubt and worry washed over James's face, but finally he slowly nodded his approval. "Okay, Peter. You win. You'll be our Secret Keeper."
Sirius clapped Peter on the shoulder almost affectionately before turning back to James.
"I won't let you down either, Prongs," he said cheerfully. "I promise you. Nothing is going to go wrong. This plan is perfect!"
Now ...
The Remembrall slipped through nerveless fingers and dropped to the floor before rolling under the bed. James sat transfixed, his eyes wide with absolute horror, his mouth hanging open as he struggled to speak and even to breathe.
"Oh ... Oh God ... Sirius ... No!"
Elsewhere in the home, the house elves all looked fearfully in the direction of the Master bedroom as a wail of regret and shame and despair echoed through the halls of Potter Manor.
The Contemplation Hall
7:45 a.m.
The somewhat pompously named "Contemplation Hall" was actually a series of interconnected rooms adjacent to the Wizengamot Chamber. Its name was derived from its official purpose – to provide an area for the members of the Wizengamot to withdraw and give reasoned thought to the issues that were before the body. In practice, the Contemplation Room basically functioned as a private club for the Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot and was used less for contemplation than for gossip, naps between sessions, and the discreet exchange of favors and occasionally outright bribes. Its largest room was a dining area for those members who did not have an opportunity to eat breakfast before early morning sessions or who simply wanted a snack during breaks in the proceedings. It also had a fully-stocked bar, though it was not open this early in the morning. The Founding Families did believe in having some decorum, after all.
Today, Elphias Doge (who was not only Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Doge but also its sole surviving member) sat alone at a table and picked at the remains of his breakfast while reading through the day's agenda. He glanced up and smiled as two familiar faces came to join him, each bearing a plate of food from the nearby buffet.
"Albus! Barty!" he exclaimed. "I was wondering if you'd make it back in time for this foofaraw. How was Paris?"
"Miserable," Barty Crouch replied irritably. "Rainy and full of French people, as usual. We got back late last night. Everything went smoothly." He spared a mild glare towards Albus Dumbledore who took a seat beside him.
"In fact," he added reproachfully, "there was more strife within the British delegation than between us and the other representatives!"
Albus sighed. "Barty, my old friend, you know the basis for my objections. But since you and young Ludo successfully pushed through the proposal in my absence, I consider the matter closed. Take your victory and move on."
"What were your objections about, Albus?" Elphias inquired, but it was Barty who answered.
"I managed to get the entirety of next year's interscholastic tournament paid for by the ICW plus extra funding for Hogwarts that makes up the budget hole left from losing last year's Mandrake crop, and Albus is still complaining because in exchange we agreed to incorporate a priceless historical relic into the tournament in order to increase public interest."
"What Barty neglects to mention is that the artifact in question is over 3,000 years old and we don't know who made it originally or how it works, but we do know it has the power to strip wizards of their magic or even kill them outright. And so naturally, the ICW wants to bring it into a school full of children."
"It will be perfectly safe, Albus," Crouch said testily.
Albus merely shook his head. Despite their intense disagreements on many issues, Albus Dumbledore and Barty Crouch had maintained a rocky friendship for over fifty years. That friendship had nearly broken in the 1970's over Crouch's draconian choices as DMLE head during the war against Voldemort, but Albus knew the reasons for his friend's blind zealotry. In 1971, Barty Crouch had five children and two grandchildren. Ten years later, he had no living relatives at all save for his estranged cousin Augusta. Every other member of House Crouch had died at the hands of Death Eaters save for his wife, who died of illness, and his youngest boy, Barty Jr., who had joined the murderers of his extended family and perished in Azkaban for his crimes. It was not until years later, after unexpectedly losing the 1990 Ministry election to Cornelius Fudge, that Crouch and Dumbledore met for drinks to commiserate and finally heal the rift between them.
Of course, while their friendship had been repaired, it did not change Dumbledore's private belief that Crouch from time to time could be a pig-headed arse.
Meanwhile, Crouch sniffed the air loudly before leaning over to smell the food on his plate. Satisfied that his ham and eggs had not gone off, he turned to Doge.
"What is that smell?" he asked.
Elphias shrugged. "Something to do with the Ministry ventilation systems, I gather. You must have arrived in the Atrium and taken the elevator down. Every part of the Ministry that doesn't have built-in air freshening Charms smells of wet fur for some reason. It's only really bad if you ride the elevators though."
Barty snorted and then went on a rant about how the smell had turned him off his breakfast and someone really ought to do something, etc. etc. Albus ignored the other wizard's tirade and turned his attention to his oldest friend. Or at least in the sense of being the person who had been his friend the longest. Albus, of course, had great many "old" friends and several who were actually "older" than Doge in the chronological sense. But Albus and Elphias had been sorted into Gryffindor together in 1882 and stayed close ever since. Doge, like Crouch, was the last of his name, Lord of a House that seemed doomed to extinction when each of them passed.
"So, Elphias, other than ambient malodors, is there anything noteworthy on the agenda for today besides the now-resolved Azkaban crisis?"
Doge shrugged casually. "A few matters of House business, but I haven't heard any details. One raised by Malfoy and the other by Potter. I gather Potter's business involves his Heir."
He handed over the agenda to his friend, and Albus studied the last note for a few seconds.
"Oh James," Albus thought with a grimace. "What are you up to now?"
The Wizengamot Chamber
9:40 a.m.
"Chief Warlock," said the court reporter. "252 votes have been cast to open this Special Session of the Wizengamot. The quorum of 220 votes has been met."
"So noted," Dumbledore said. "As Chief Warlock, I hereby call this Special Session to order."
The Viewing Gallery was packed, but from his vantage point in the Potter box, Harry could see Lily and Jim watching the proceedings. Harry had made a point of giving James his Heir's Ring back right after swearing his Vow the day before, and as Jim sat down, he noticed it was already on the boy's finger. Which was technically premature, but Harry was hardly going to complain about it at this stage.
Harry had managed to avoid Lily for most of Friday, but they did speak briefly after dinner. He assured her that he was leaving House Potter of his own free will and was eager to do so. She, in turn, revealed that James had already told her of his decision and of the Vow he'd sworn. To Harry's amusement, she also praised him on getting a guarantee of eleven million galleons from James.
He had been evasive on the topic of whether he would consent to move in with her full-time after today. He obviously would not be doing so as an Evans, and to be honest, he suspected that after all of today's festivities were done, moving in with his mother in any capacity might no longer be on the table. He hoped neither she nor Jim would hold a grudge over it, but he had no such expectations for James. Speaking of Jim, Lily had said that his brother had wanted to come and show his support for Harry. Given the Imperius he was under, Harry rather doubted that was the case, especially what with the ring already sitting on Jim's finger.
"And hey! I guess Pettigrew didn't curse it after all," he thought with some amusement.
Further down, Harry noticed Rufus Scrimgeour sitting among the other Order of Merlin holders. Pius Thicknesse ("The Man of the Hour" according to breathless Daily Prophet articles) sat next to him in an Auror's formal dress. Apparently, Rufus planned to nominate Thicknesse for an Order of Merlin during today's session, which would likely drive James Potter to distraction if he didn't have other things on his plate.
Closer by, Harry could see Professor Snape and Justin Finch-Fletchley. Justin would be taking his vow at the close of the session, right before the Potters' business. Despite his Muggleborn heritage, Justin sat as regally as any Pureblood. Closer still, Artemus Podmore and Hestia Jones sat together in the Black box, a fact that caused a brief spate of excited muttering when they first sat down as the Black Seat had sat empty for almost fifteen years. Old Arcturus had never permitted anyone else to represent his family's interests. When he had a debilitating stroke in 1979 that left him unable to attend meetings or even leave the Black ancestral home, there had been no instructions left in place for a regency or even a proxy. Artie and Hestia's presence in that box gave clear indication that they would be representing Sirius Black's interests today.
Artie would also be representing Harry today, though in a slightly different capacity.
After the Chief Warlock formally opened the session, he called upon Minister Fudge to deliver his speech to the assembly. In Harry's layman's opinion, it was a good speech full of soaring rhetoric about the Ministry and the people of Wizarding Britain "standing firm against the ruinous fear engendered by the last remnants of the Death Eater Insurgency." It was a bit stiffer and more pompous than his speech given the day before, but of course, he wasn't the opening act for the Weird Sisters today. At the conclusion of the speech, Fudge raised four points.
"First," Fudge noted, "the resolution of the crisis leaves us with an unexpected moral dilemma. The three surviving Death Eaters in DMLE custody had all suffered Death of Personality. While their prior sentences to Azkaban remain valid, there is now a legal question for the Wizengamot as to whether prisoners who have 'died' in such a manner should be recommitted to Azkaban. Moreover, because they are now complete amnesiacs no longer capable of developing any new long-term memories, it is impossible for them to have any 'happy memories' for Dementors to feed upon. Consequently, both the Department of Mysteries and the Warden of Azkaban have expressed concern about how the Dementors might respond to the presence of high security prisoners upon whom they cannot feed. With that, I open the floor for questions and discussion."
After some spirited back and forth lasting about twenty minutes, the Regent Longbottom surprised everyone, including Fudge, by calling for the matter to be held in abeyance until the Unspeakables could deliver a full report on the Tabula Rasa and the prognosis for the Lestranges and Rookwood at the next regular Wizengamot session scheduled for later in the month. The motion passed unanimously, though Harry suspected that it was mainly a matter of kicking the can down the road because it was a Special Session and most of the Wizengamot did not want to spend an entire Saturday mired in an ethical debate.
For a second, Minister Fudge's expression seemed mildly annoyed as he took a moment to write something in the margins of his prepared speech. However, when he spoke again, he seemed unperturbed by the delay of a ruling and advised Director Bones that those three prisoners would remain in DMLE custody pending further consideration by government, which she accepted with equanimity.
"The second matter I wish to raise before this august body deals with Sirius Black," Fudge continued. "As I'm sure you all are aware from reading the papers, we now have conclusive evidence that Sirius Black was innocent of the crimes for which he was sent to Azkaban so many years ago."
There was a general commotion in response to that, which ended abruptly with the bang of the Chief Warlock's gavel. Fudge called upon Amelia Bones to deliver a report on the matter. Bones was succinct but thorough. When the missing Death Eaters were recovered, the Aurors also found memory samples whose authenticity was confirmed by the Unspeakables. The memories indicated that a Metamorphmagus and Death Eater named Marcellus Frump impersonated Sirius Black while using the Imperius Curse to enslave many prominent citizens to You-Know-Who's will. Saul Croker also stood when called upon and tersely confirmed that the Unspeakables examined the memories thoroughly and vouched for their authenticity. If Croaker at one point in his report happened to glance first at the Chief Warlock and then directly at Harry Potter, few would have remarked on it.
"Was it also this ... Frump person who led Sirius Black to betray the Boy-Who-Lived and his family to You-Know-Who?" asked Lady Brown. "Or was that of Black's own free will?"
In response, James Potter slowly rose.
"Lady Brown, Members of the Wizengamot. It is with great sadness that I must confess ... that Sirius Black was not our Secret Keeper. It appears now that I was Confunded and Memory Charmed through dark magic to believe otherwise these many years. The curse I was under – which somehow was undetectable via Remembrall – was finally broken just this morning, and I can now state unequivocally that Black did not betray my family, though – as a result of Death Eater treachery – I did betray him. I can only hope that, at some point, Sirius Black, who I once treated as a brother, can find it in his heart to forgive me."
With that, James sat down without further comment. There was more surprised muttering from the gallery that was swiftly gavelled into silence by Dumbledore.
"Where is Sirius Black now?" asked Lord Doge.
"He's upstairs in my office, actually," Fudge said mildly. Harry thought the Minister seemed to enjoy the sudden commotion his casual words caused. "On the advice of his Healer, he has elected not to attend these proceedings in person, though he is listening to them over the Wireless in my office. On that note, I turn the floor over to Madam Hestia Jones of the law firm of Podmore & Associates, who has a statement to deliver on behalf of Lord Black."
Hestia rose and addressed the Wizengamot with Artie sitting beside her and bearing an oddly proud expression.
"My honorable Lords and Ladies, Ministry Officials, and Citizens. I am Hestia Jones Esq., and I am honored to stand before you on behalf of my client, Sirius Orion Lord Black. Lord Black contacted our office this past Thursday just a few hours after Minister Fudge announced publicly that his case was being revisited. On his behalf, I negotiated a meeting between the Minister and Lord Black late last evening. We briefly considered having Lord Black appear today to speak to the Wizengamot and to formally take his Vow of Unity, but his Healer recommended against that. Lord Black is still gravely ill as a result of his lengthy incarceration, and it was felt that the stress of appearing in front of so many people might cause him serious trauma and delay his recovery, to say nothing of the possible stress on his magic from uttering a Vow of Unity.
"Consequently, and at Lord Black's direction, I present myself to this body today as Temporary Proxy for the Ancient and Noble House of Black. Sirius will formally take his Vow of Unity at a future date once he has been cleared to do so by his Healers. Until then, I will stand before you in his place and represent the Black seat under the Special Circumstances provision of the Inheritance Act."
At that point, Lucius Malfoy raised his wand and was recognized by the Chief Warlock.
"Madam Jones, for those among us unfamiliar with the Special Circumstances provision, can you explain its workings to us? Surely you do not expect us to approve of Black claiming his ancestral seat without first swearing an Oath of Unity! Or even a showing of his mental and physical capacity to serve!"
Although Lucius's remarks might have suggested disapproval of Sirius taking the Black seat, Artie had anticipated some opposition both from the "Death Eater adjacent" wing of the Wizenganot and from those individuals allied with James Potter, who currently controlled Sirius's votes. And so, Lucius had offered to raise the issue preemptively in a way that Hestia could address and dispense with.
"Respectfully, Lord Malfoy," she answered, "no such approval is sought or required. Sirius Black is Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Black by operation of the Black family charter, and the Wizengamot's own charter forbids any other party from interfering in the internal workings of any founding family. Absent a legal basis for denying Sirius Black's claim to his Lordship – and no such basis exists since he is guilty of no Azkaban-worthy crime and no other viable candidate for Lord has ever been put forth – this body lacks the legal authority to exclude him from claiming this seat and appointing whoever he wishes as his Proxy while he is recuperating.
"Similarly, the Special Circumstances provision of the Inheritance Act is part of a magical law fully binding on both this body and this nation. The provision states in relevant part that when the legitimate claimant to an ancestral seat cannot immediately swear the Vow of Unity due to issues of health, age, or other special circumstances, the swearing of the Vow may be deferred for up to six months, with the Lord or Lady permitted all the powers, rights and obligations of any other voting member during the interim."
There were a few more perfunctory questions from various parties, but no one wanted to be the person who stood in the way of Sirius Black claiming a dormant Ancient and Noble seat after years of false imprisonment. Although he maintained a demeanor of mild curiosity during the discussion, Harry was positively giddy on the inside. The Wizengamot had accepted all their legal arguments about the Special Circumstances clause without objection.
Which would be very convenient for Harry before the session was done.
Once all the issues relevant to the Black seat were resolved (including an acknowledgement by James Potter that all Black votes would be returned to House Black effective immediately), Fudge rose again to address the chamber.
"Thank you, Madam Jones. Moving on, the third matter I wish to bring up for discussion, if only for information purposes, is that the DMLE's investigation has identified two individuals who we now suspect of being active Death Easters loyal to You-Know-Who but who escaped discovery until now. As the investigation is ongoing, I will not reveal their names at this time. But one of the two is in DMLE custody and undergoing interrogation even as we speak. We anticipate bringing him here to trial very soon."
There was another murmur of excitement from the crowd that Dumbledore quickly banged into silence. In the viewing gallery, the Boy-Who-Lived wiped away some tears, though Lily kept her composure. James simply stared down at the table in front of him. Between their reactions, James's admission that someone other than Sirius Black was their Secret Keeper, and the conspicuous absence of the Potter Seneschal and Proxy, Harry wondered if there was anyone in the room who hadn't figured out already that Pettigrew was one of the secret Death Eaters.
Meanwhile in the DMLE Detention Wing ...
Of course, there were other people in the building who were well-aware of Peter Pettigrew's status as a secret Death Eater. Not that it was much of a secret anymore. After interrogators confronted Pettigrew with Lily Potter's memories of his confession, his formerly concealable Dark Mark became fully visible. This confirmed what the DMLE had suspected for years: that marked Death Eaters could somehow conceal their marks until such time as they were known conclusively to be a Death Eater, at which point the Mark could no longer be hidden. Presumably, it was a property built into the Mark by Voldemort, a punishment for secret Death Eaters who were foolish enough to get caught in the act.
At the moment, Pettigrew lay alone in his cell with nothing to keep him company save a persistent rattling sound in the air vent above his cot. The room was saturated with anti-Animagus Charms to keep him from trying to use that air vent to escape, and so the man just lay there nursing the black eye he'd gotten during one of his interrogations when one of the questioners decided to take a little revenge on him for the injuries suffered by the hit wizards who'd visited his apartment.
Those interrogations had gone on into the night but had yielded nothing useful. Now, the traitor was left alone in his cell while his guards listened to the Wizengamot proceedings over the Wireless. With conventional techniques of no use, the DMLE was waiting for the word to send him down to the DOM for some more exotic forms of interrogation. Privately, however, the DMLE guards keeping watch over the detention wing agreed that Pettigrew was probably too emotionally damaged to yield any useful intelligence. While they couldn't actively watch him in his cell, they could hear him quite well. And after the last interrogation (which was really more of a beating than a true interrogation), Pettigrew had been reduced to odd babbling mutters and to badly humming some song the guards didn't recognize. Their consensus was that the man's mind was broken.
They were wrong.
Peter lay on his cot and nursed his swollen eye and sore ribs. Then, he once again heard a very soft sound from the air vent. It was a very faint clicking noise not unlike the sound of tiny claws against metal, followed by several soft squeaks. Peter closed his eyes and started babbling to himself once more, but with some soft squeaks and clicks of his own mixed in with the general nonsense sounds. There were a few more squeaks from the vent, and then the clicking sound resumed before receding as the author of those sounds moved away through the duct work.
Peter closed his eyes, smiled, and resumed his tuneless singing to pass the time.
"Skee-dooby-do. Scoobity do. Dooby-do-woo."
The guards noted his weak attempt at music but then went back to ignoring him in favor of the Minister's speech on the Wireless.
Back in the Wizengamot Chamber...
"On a related note," Fudge continued, "I now yield the floor to my good friend and former colleague, Rufus Scrimgeour, OOM, Chief Auror Emeritus."
There was a brief applause as Rufus climbed to his feet.
"Thank you all. I stand before you today, no longer as a servant of the people, but here solely by virtue of my status as holder of an Order of Merlin. Yet it is my honor to speak to you all today in my dual capacity of OOM recipient and former law enforcement officer. Because I speak on behalf of someone who currently stands as a Senior Auror and who I believe is worthy of recognition and distinction."
While Pius Thicknesse actually blushed in the seat next to him, Rufus gave a glowing account of Thicknesse's role in capturing both Fenrir Greyback's pack and the escaped Azkaban prisoners. In fact, "glowing account" might have been an understatement, as Harry thought the older Slytherin might be laying it on a bit thick. It was a good thing for Thicknesse that Scrimgeour wasn't the only person in the room who thought his star was on the rise. As Rufus reached the end of his speech and then officially nominated the Senior Auror for an Order of Merlin, 1st Class, Cornelius Fudge immediately seconded the motion which passed easily on a voice vote with no opposition.
"Thank you, Mr. Scrimgeour. And congratulations, Senior Auror Thicknesse, OOM!" After another brief round of applause, Fudge returned to his speech.
"The DMLE believes that the other suspected Death Eater is presently abroad. As I said, the investigation is ongoing, and so I will not reveal the suspect's name at this time. But if the evidence eventually shows her guilt, I promise you that we will have justice for her victims even if we must pursue her to the ends of the Earth!"
There was only a smattering of applause for that, mainly because few knew who Fudge was even talking about beyond "an unknown female Death Eater." But some people did know. Harry glanced over to Lord Nott's box, where Tiberius's face showed barely concealed fury at the thought of the DMLE pursuing Narcissa Black "to the ends of the Earth." He turned towards his rival, Lucius Malfoy, and glared murderously. Malfoy noticed and turned towards Tiberius to offer him a polite nod and a smile, thereby confirming Nott's suspicions that Malfoy had played some role in Narcissa's exposure.
As Harry studied the two men, he tilted his head slightly as the beginnings of an idea sprouted in his head. Then, he looked around the chamber and mentally started counting votes. Meanwhile, Fudge continued.
"Fourth and finally, with the last remnants of the Death Eater Insurgency either captured or on the run, I am honored to declare that the Azkaban crisis is effectively resolved. It was my ... intention to formally surrender my powers as Praetor Maximus immediately upon the conclusion of this session. However, with the disposition of the Lestrange Brothers and Augustus Rookwood held in abeyance, I feel it inappropriate to do so while the job is not yet quite finished. Accordingly, I hereby declare instead that my time as Praetor Maximus shall end immediately upon the final disposition of those three traitors – however this body chooses to dispose of them – and that of the two unnamed suspects I mentioned previously. My hope is that both those matters are resolved by the end of the month. Regardless, I thank you all for the faith you have all shown to me by conferring such power upon me, but I am happy to return once more to the office of humble Minister for Magic. But I say this to the Wizengamot and to our citizenry listening at home by Wizarding Wireless: Whatever the future holds, we, ever your servants, will continue to defend your liberty and repel the forces that seek to take it from you! Your Ministry... remains... strong!"
Fudge's final pronouncement was met with thunderous applause from the gallery despite the Chief Warlock's best efforts to gavel the chamber back into order. After a few seconds, some of the observers started chanting the Minister's name. "FUDGE! FUDGE! FUDGE!" Harry found the whole scene quite amusing, though it suddenly gave him a craving for chocolate. The more conservative elements of the Wizengamot were less amused, as were various individuals in the audience who'd been considering a run for Fudge's job in the next election. While the septennial election was still a few years away, the incumbent appeared to have just greatly improved his reelection chances.
Finally, after a minute or so, Dumbledore fired off some loud fireworks from his wand.
"Now that I have your attention," he said mildly, "I would remind you all to respect the solemnity of this chamber. While I recall the Minister's predecessor making international headlines through her infamous declaration of Britain's 'inalienable right to party' at the conclusion of the Death Eater conflict, she still upheld the value of decorum."
Chastened, the crowd quieted down, and Dumbledore turned his attention back to the Minister. "Minister Fudge, the Wizengamot thanks you for your stirring words and your sterling service. Have you anything more to add?"
"No, Chief Warlock," the Minister said while puffing himself up. "I yield the floor."
Dumbledore nodded to the Minister before addressing everyone else. "This concludes the primary purpose of today's special session. Before I adjourn, however, I am informed that there are two matters of House business added to the agenda, one by House Malfoy and one by House Potter. The Wizengamot calls Lord Malfoy to speak."
Lucius Malfoy rose from his chair and addressed the room with his usual poise.
"Thank you, Chief Warlock. Though in truth, I rise not to address a matter for House Malfoy per se but simply from my position as a member of this body. Article 9 of the Wizengamot Charter allows any British magical citizen the right to petition any Noble House for an opportunity to address and be heard by this assembly. One highly esteemed member of our society – and someone whose friendship I have valued for many years – has so petitioned House Malfoy, and I am more than happy to grant his request to speak today. Accordingly, House Malfoy opens the floor to Severus Tobias Snape, Potions Master and Hogwarts Professor."
With that, Snape descended from the gallery and strode confidently down into the well of the chamber to stand before the Chief Warlock. Justin followed him down and stood beside him. While the man covered it well, Harry was pretty sure Dumbledore was surprised by Snape's appearance.
"The Wizengamot welcomes you, Professor Snape," he said. "At Lord Malfoy's request, the Wizengamot will entertain your petition."
Snape bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Chief Warlock," he said in silky tones that nevertheless resonated throughout the chamber.
"I have come before the Wizengamot today to invoke a seldom used article of British wizarding law, yet also one with a storied history and which remains legally valid. Standing beside me is Justin Finch-Fletchley, a Third Year Hufflepuff and also a Muggleborn."
At that, there were a few derisive snorts from several of the more conservative (and bigoted) Lords and Ladies, though Dumbledore quickly gavelled them into silence. Snape was unperturbed.
"Though Mr. Finch-Fletchley's parents are Muggles, they are desirous that their son fully integrate himself into our world. To that end, and pursuant to the Muggleborn Integration Act of 1783, the boy's parents have asked me to assume the role of Magical Guardian, and I have agreed to accept that responsibility. I stand before the Wizengamot today because my guardianship and his wardship will not become official until the members of this chamber be given an opportunity to register objection and, if there be none, the Chief Warlock signs the guardianship papers."
As Snape spoke, Dumbledore accepted a parchment from the Court Reporter which outlined the guardianship agreement and was signed by Snape, Justin, and Justin's parents. While he reviewed the paperwork, Lord Ogden raised his wand and was recognized.
"House Ogden rises to a point of inquiry. Forgive me, Potions Master Snape, but ... if the boy is a Hufflepuff, why would the Slytherin Head of House wish to become his guardian?"
"For one simple reason, Lord Ogden," Snape replied evenly. "As it happens, the two of us are very distantly related. Despite our different house affiliations, each of us is the other's sole living magical relative."
Ogden nodded at that. Nearby, Lucius Malfoy sat quietly and hoped that no one else in the room knew the maiden name of Snape's mother.
"Everything seems to be in order," Dumbledore said before addressing the room. "Does any member wish to present an argument against Professor Snape's assumption of guardianship rights over Mr. Finch-Fletchley?"
No objections were raised, most likely because none of the Lords or Ladies who might otherwise have complained just on principle cared overmuch about a Halfblood assuming guardianship over a Mudblood. Lucius leaned back in his chair and smiled. The tricky bit was over. Now the fun would begin.
Dumbledore banged his gavel. "Hearing no objections, I see no reason why this guardianship should not be ratified forthwith."
Then, he picked up a quill and signed his name to the bottom of the parchment before tapping it with his wand. It disappeared, and copies were magically and instantly registered with the relevant Ministry departments.
"So mote it be," he said to signify that the legalities were complete.
"Thank you, Chief Warlock," Snape said smoothly. "And with that formality complete, I open the floor to my young ward, who has an announcement for the Wizengamot."
With that, the Slytherin took a step back, and the Hufflepuff stepped forward while pulling a prepared speech from his pocket.
"Chief Warlock, my Lords and Ladies, Ministry Officials, and Citizens. I stand before you today and address this body as ward of Severus Tobias Snape. I am deeply grateful to Professor Snape for accepting the burden of guardianship for many reasons, but most importantly, because of the opportunity it gives me to stand before you all ... and stake my claim. I am Justin Finch-Fletchley, the son of two Muggles, Sir Malcolm Finch-Fletchley, O.B.E. and Dame Barbara Finch-Fletchley née Woodnutt. My mother is the only child of Jonathan Woodnutt, the 12th Duke of Forgill. Through him, I claim direct lineal descent from Duncan Woodnutt, the 1st Duke of Forgill and his wife, Mary Woodnutt née Prince. Before her marriage, Mary Prince was the squib great-granddaughter of Robert Prince, who founded the House of Prince which was elevated to Noble status in 1655."
That was enough to send a wave of muttering through the Wizengamot, but Justin continued without concern.
"In chartering his Noble House, Robert Prince desired to avoid an issue which has plagued many of the Houses of the Wizengamot over the centuries: line extinction resulting from inheritance requirements which were too restrictive. Accordingly, he chose to emulate the more progressive houses of the day and designed a charter so that if there were no Pureblooded heirs eligible to become Head of House Prince, that role could pass to any Halfblood or even Muggleborn who met certain additional requirements. Specifically, the claimant must be a wizard or witch, must be able to prove blood descent from Robert Prince, and must have either at least one wizarding parent or a magical guardian who can also claim biological descent from Robert Prince. There is no requirement that either the claimant or the guardian actually be considered members of the Prince family by name, only by blood."
Justin put the prepared notes away and looked around the room. "With the guardianship of Professor Snape, I have now met all of those requirements. Accordingly, I stand before the Wizengamot and present myself as Heir Presumptive of the Noble House of Prince as recognized by the Prince family charter and so certified by Gringotts Bank. Is there anyone here who can contest my claim?"
The prior mutterings grew into a loud rumble of discontent from around the chamber which grew louder even as Dumbledore continued to bang his gavel. Finally, Lord Crabbe literally jumped out of his chair and yelled out.
"BUT HE'S A MUD- !"
KRACKOWWW!
Dumbledore slammed the gavel so hard that it sounded like a literal thunderclap. The room went instantly silent. Crabbe's head jerked around to look at Dumbledore who returned the man's gaze levelly. The Chief Warlock said nothing, but he was giving Crabbe what James Potter had once referred to as The Look. Crabbe swallowed and slowly sat down. Then, Dumbledore addressed the assembly.
"The question has been put before the Wizengamot: Is there anyone here who can present any factual or legal basis for denying the young man's claim?" There was grumbling but no response. Dumbledore turned back to Justin and Snape.
"May I assume, Mr. Finch-Fletchley, that documentary evidence to support your claim has been presented to Gringotts in accordance with the various Goblin-Wizarding Treaties?"
"Yes, Chief Warlock," Justin answered confidently. "The goblins verified my ancestry and have given me provisional access to the Prince vault."
Dumbledore nodded and turned to the Court Reporter. "What does the Book say?"
"The Book," in this case, referred to the official Book of the Wizengamot which magically transcribed every utterance during an official session. Among its many magical properties was the ability to identify anyone who spoke before the assembly by their proper name as it was legally recognized under the laws of Wizarding Britain. The Court Reporter looked down at the perfect transcription of Justin's speech and nodded.
"The Book has updated, Chief Warlock. It now identifies the young man as Justin Finch-Fletchley, Heir Presumptive of the Noble House of Prince." Then, the Court Reporter blinked in surprise.
"I should add, Chief Warlock, that the Book also now identifies Professor Snape as Regent Snape of the Noble House of Prince."
"I shall explain," Snape said while stepping forward again. "As my ward correctly stated, the Prince Family Charter allows for a Muggleborn raised outside of the wizarding world to eventually assume lordship over the House in the absence of any other viable candidates, but any such Muggleborn must have a magical guardian of Prince descent who will serve as regent until the heir either reaches the age of 25 or completes a Mastery, whichever comes first. My mother, prior to her disownment, was Eileen Prince, the daughter of the most recent Lord Prince to hold the family seat. Even though my mother was disowned, the same charter provisions that allow my ward to claim the Heirship also allow me to assume the regency despite not officially being a member of House Prince."
"So noted," Dumbledore said. Then, he paused for a moment. "Is it your intention to activate the Prince Seat today?"
"Yes, Chief Warlock," Justin said. "Now that the Wizengamot has acknowledged my status, which the Book clearly shows it has, the funds to reactivate the Prince seat will automagically transfer."
The Court Reporter spoke up again. "The Book so reflects, Chief Warlock. The sum of 50,000 galleons has just been deposited into the Ministry account, earmarked as 'dues for the Noble House of Prince.'"
The announcement was accompanied by a flash of light as two chairs suddenly materialized in the box that had been set aside for House Prince but which had been empty for decades.
Dumbledore looked pensive. "You do realize, Mr. ... that is, Heir Prince ... this means you must take your Vow of Unity at this time for your family seat to become fully active."
"Yes, Chief Warlock," Justin said gravely. "I am prepared to do so."
The Chief Warlock nodded almost sadly. "Then proceed."
The boy held his wand aloft and began to speak.
"Whereas there is no Lord or Lady Prince, I, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Heir Presumptive to the Noble House of Prince speak for my family and swear this Vow of Unity before my peers."
Then, he paused and took a deep breath before commencing the official Vow.
"Let Magic itself hear my oath and sanctify it. I stand in unity with the Wizengamot and the families both Noble and Ancient and Noble who are its foundation. Let my magic be bent to our collective purpose and so too the magic of my family and all who come after me lest they be forsworn and suffer expulsion. From the unification of my family magic with that of my peers, let there arise a deeper magic that is greater than the sum of its parts. From this day forward, I hereby submit myself to the will of the Wizengamot as expressed through its majority. I hereby accept the judgment of the will of the Wizengamot as expressed through its laws. I vow to act with the Wizengamot, and when we act as one, so shall we perform miracles. This I swear upon my life and unto the ending of the world. So mote it be!"
While there was no visible effect, Harry could feel the power of the magic invoked by Justin's oath as it permeated the whole chamber, causing goose bumps to form on his skin and the hair on his arms to rise. From his conversations with Artie, he knew it was somewhat unusual to see this oath uttered by an individual as opposed to the entire Wizengamot swearing it en masse. When new Lords (or in this case, Heirs forced to stand in as Lords) joined the Wizengamot, they swore individual oaths, but it was relatively rare since Lords and Ladies typically served for decades. If this sudden sensation of raw magic in the air came from just one 14-year-old swearing the Oath in front of him, what would it be like for Harry when he swore the oath himself later? Moreover, what would it be like in a few years when the Septennial came and all the Lords and Ladies renewed their vows together?
Harry had come to view the Wizengamot as a collection of dotty old men and women who sat around and played their political games. But this was his first exposure to the immense magic that this body could bring to bear when its members were in accord. For the first time, he understood how something like the Ultimate Sanction could bind most of a nation, and he also realized how potentially dangerous it could be if a large enough majority agreed to use their collective magic for a truly terrible purpose.
"The Oath of Unity having been completed," Dumbledore said, "I hereby welcome the revived House of Prince to full status as a Noble House. Congratulations to both Heir Apparent Prince and to Regent Prince. You may claim your seats."
As they'd practiced, Snape and Justin bowed respectfully and then made their way proudly to the Prince box. There was a smattering of applause, but for the most part, the Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot sat still in wonder (and to some extent, absolute horror and outrage) that a Muggleborn had just claimed a Noble seat and there was nothing any of them could do about it. Several of the Lords who'd only narrowly escaped prosecution as Death Eaters openly glared towards Lord Malfoy who seemed to have engineered this shocking turn of events, but his expression was as relaxed and blasé as ever as he stood once more.
"That concludes House Malfoy's business, Chief Warlock," he said with remarkable understatement. "I yield the floor."
"So noted," said the Chief Warlock who was quite bemused at this turn of events. "In that case, the Wizengamot calls Lord Potter to speak."
There was a pause. "... Lord Potter?" Dumbledore asked again.
"Huh? Oh!" James jumped to his feet abruptly. The poor man, who'd been through a lot of shocks over the past few days, had been so surprised and confused as to what the hell just happened with Malfoy, Snivellus and some Muggleborn kid that for a brief moment, he'd forgotten what was next. "House Potter calls forth its Heir Presumptive, Hadrian Remus Potter."
Harry rose from the Potter box and stepped down into the Well to join his father. Up in the Gallery, Lily watched the proceedings intently, but she couldn't help but be distracted by the show Severus had just put on. Granted, she'd probably had too much brandy during their last encounter, but she felt pretty sure that if Sev had mentioned that he was about to become a Regent to a Noble House, she'd have remembered it. Lily then noticed that immediately upon taking his seat in the Prince box, Snape quietly summoned a Ministry house elf which promptly disappeared on whatever mission he'd sent it.
"House Potter has two matters to bring before the Wizengamot, both involving my Heir Presumptive. First, having observed my son's demeanor, intelligence, poise, resourcefulness, and loyalty to Wizarding Britain, I, Iacomus Charlus Potter, Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter, do hereby declare that I judge him worthy of respect beyond what his youth would normally inspire. Through his quick thinking, the lives of both my wife and the Boy-Who-Lived were saved just the other day from a Death Eater traitor. As reward for his heroic deeds and recognition of his maturity and fitness to assume the role of a full wizard, I hereby exercise my authority as Lord of House Potter to grant Hadrian Remus Potter full emancipation and declare him a legal adult for all purposes not expressly barred to him on account of chronological age, including immediate elevation to Heir Apparent."
The crowd began to mutter again, but for once, Dumbledore didn't bang his gavel, as he was too shocked by James's pronouncement to notice the disturbance. True, he'd once broached the topic of emancipating Harry after his Third Year as a threat to force James to tell him the true reason for his hostility. But like this? His concerns were only barely assuaged by the fact that Harry Potter stood next to his father and looked completely at ease. Whatever was happening, it seemed that Harry understood it and was fine with it. Perhaps James and Harry had gotten over their differences with James offering emancipation as a shortcut to an early elevation to Heir Apparent. But somehow, the Chief Warlock doubted it.
As for Harry himself, he was inwardly jubilant. James had proclaimed his emancipation as they'd agreed. The law required James to make the formal announcement here, but there was no legal mechanism for anyone to stop it at this point. Also, Hestia and Artie had thoroughly reviewed the issue of what, if anything, would be expressly barred to him on account of chronological age, and they concluded the list was limited to four things. Even emancipated, Harry could not get an Apparition license, be free of the Trace, or legally vote until he was 17. The fourth and most important thing on the list technically applied only until he turned 14.
But then, that was what the Special Circumstances provision was for.
After several shocked seconds, Dumbledore gaveled the audience into silence before speaking slowly.
"The Wizengamot acknowledges Lord Potter's pronouncement. Is there anyone present who objects or has grounds to contest the granting of emancipation to Harry Potter?" Silence. "Very well. I hereby recognize Hadrian Remus Potter, commonly known as Harry Potter, to be a legal adult for all purposes not explicitly barred by wizarding law. So mote it be."
Albus touched his wand to the orb on his desk which glowed brightly for a few seconds, signifying that Harry's emancipation had been legally recognized and was now a matter of public record.
"With that, Chief Warlock," James said with some difficulty, "I now yield the floor to ... my Heir Apparent."
Then, he stepped away stiffly and took his seat. At the next table, both Fudge and Bones were looking at him in confusion. Meanwhile, Harry moved to the center of the Well and looked up at the Chief Warlock with an expression of supreme confidence.
"The Wizengamot welcomes you, Heir Potter. What business do you bring before the chamber?"
"Thank you for your kind welcome, sir," Harry said before addressing the entire room. "Chief Warlock, my Lords and Ladies, Ministry Officials, and Citizens. I stand before you all today, so that you may all be witness to my vow and testify that Magic has accepted it."
With that, he pulled out his wand and held it aloft.
"I, born Hadrian Remus Potter, do hereby swear before the Wizengamot and Magic itself as follows: From this day forth and for the rest of my life, I hereby sever all ties and connections with House Potter. I hereby disclaim any inheritances, legacies, or familial rights associated with House Potter. I hereby deny Iacomus Charlus Potter and will henceforth no longer call him Father. I am a Potter no more. So mote it be."
There was a flash of light from Harry's wand, followed by an immediate commotion from the crowd. Again, Dumbledore was too shocked to notice.
"Harry!" he exclaimed in a breach of decorum. "Do you know what you have done?!"
And then, Harry smiled at the old man. "Yes, Chief Warlock. I know exactly what I have done."
Dumbledore stared at the boy and then looked over to James Potter who would not even meet his eye. Indeed, the man kept his head down, even as Bones and Fudge were hissing outraged questions at him.
Meanwhile, up in the Gallery, Lily looked down at her firstborn sadly. Despite everything, she wished it hadn't come to this. But then, she was suddenly distracted when she noticed the return of the Ministry house elf Severus had summoned earlier. The creature handed Severus a small paper sack before bowing and popping away once more. Then, the Prince Regent reached into the bag, removed a small bit of white fluffy food, and popped it into his mouth. Despite all the drama with Harry, Lily couldn't help but be distracted by the question now posed.
"Why on Earth is Severus Snape eating popcorn during a Wizengamot session?"
Finally, Dumbledore took a deep breath and gaveled the chamber back into order.
"The Oath ... is sworn. And being sworn in such manner, it is valid and binding and cannot be unsworn. Do you have anything to add ... Harry No-Name?"
The boy nodded, still completely unconcerned at everything that had just happened.
"A few matters, Chief Warlock. First of all, my name is not Harry No-Name. Through my late grandmother, Dorea Potter née Black, I am a child of House Black by blood. And I am pleased to report that my godfather, Sirius Orion Lord Black, has had opportunity to renew his Godfather's Oath and has offered me sanctuary in House Black. Accordingly, by blood and by magic, I am now Harry Black, as I believe the Court Reporter can attest."
The official coughed in excitement. "The young man is correct, Chief Warlock! The Book now registers him as Hadrian Remus Black!"
Dumbledore leaned back in surprise at that development, while the audience muttered in excitement. At his table, James suddenly looked up in shock at the unexpected announcement.
"Well," Dumbledore said with a sudden smile, "that rather changes things. I am pleased to recognize you by your new name, Mr. Black. Now, is there anything else you have to add before these proceedings are complete?"
"Just a few quick bits of House business to bring to the Wizengamot's formal attention, Chief Warlock."
Then, Harry smiled at him again.
For a second, Dumbledore paused at the boy's expression. Oddly, it was only now, after Harry had disclaimed his familial connection to James Potter, that Albus could truly see how much the two resembled one another. In fact, the look on Harry Black's face right now was the same angelic smile the Headmaster remembered seeing so many times on a younger James Potter's face whenever the boy virtuously denied his obvious involvement in the planning of some Marauder prank. It reflected the exact same mixture of calculated innocence combined with the promise of imminent chaos.
"Forgive me, Mr. Pot- ... Mr. Black," he finally said. "But while you are now a member of the Black family, you are not entitled to speak to Black family matters. That is why your godfather has engaged a Proxy."
"I was not referring to any business of House Black, Chief Warlock," the boy said with the same guileless smile.
Albus looked down at him in confusion. "Well, you can hardly be entitled to speak to Potter family business seeing as how you've just disclaimed your birthright."
"Actually, Chief Warlock, I only disclaimed my paternal lineage," Harry said easily. "I do still have a mother, you know."
Up in the Gallery, Jim's forehead creased in confusion at Harry's words, confusion which only deepened when he glanced at his mother and saw her own expression. Lily Potter was leaning forward in her seat, her eyes wide, the blood draining from her face, as she suddenly whispered: "Oh no. Oh, no, no, no."
Unaware of his mother's mounting panic, Harry continued. "Her name is Lily Potter née Evans. She is the daughter of the late Michael Evans and Rose Evans née Carmichael. Through Rose Carmichael and the six generations of Carmichaels who preceded her, I am the oldest male wizarding descendant of Hyacinth Carmichael..."
And then, the boy grinned broadly at Albus.
"... née Wilkes!"
"Ah!" Albus thought to himself as he banged the gavel furiously to restore order. "There's the chaos."
As the furor began to die down, Harry continued.
"Hyacinth Wilkes was born in 1836, the daughter of then-Lord Atticus Wilkes of the Ancient and Noble House of Wilkes. She was a squib, and on her 11th birthday, her family abandoned her on the streets of London with nothing but the clothes on her back. She survived because the owner of a local pub found her, took pity on her, and gave her a job as a scullery maid. Later, at the age of 17, she married the owner's son, Albert Carmichael, and bore him four children, none of whom were magical. Indeed, magic remained dormant among Hyacinth's descendants until it emerged once more in my mother, my brother, and myself.
"I realize, of course, that the most recent Lord Wilkes, who served You-Know-Who, would have likely greatly disapproved of our familial connections. But since Erasmus Lord Wilkes died a traitor's death before I was even born, his opinion carries no weight. House Wilkes is a patrilineal family, and with the death of Erasmus Wilkes, there was no other male of the main family line to succeed him, not even a male child who could claim the seat under a regency. Happily, the original founder of House Wilkes, like the founder of House Prince, had the foresight to plan for such contingencies.
"When a sitting Lord Wilkes dies without male issue, the lordship passes to the next closest wizard in the extended family tree who can meet the appropriate requirements. Specifically, he must be an adult male wizard born of two wizarding parents, one of whom can also claim blood descent from a prior Lord of House Wilkes. The charter is silent as to any required blood status, so the fact that I am a Halfblood is not an obstacle. In fact, I don't even have to bear the name Wilkes, and the surname of the family now known as Wilkes has indeed changed three times since its founding."
"EXCUSE ME!" bellowed Lord Goyle. "But I rise to a point of order! Erasmus Wilkes already had an heir at the time of his death!"
"No, sir, he did not," Harry answered easily. "True, his wife, Linnea Wilkes, was with child at the time of his death, but she gave birth to a daughter, Amaryllis Wilkes. As a female, Amaryllis cannot inherit directly under the family charter. Hypothetically, if she were to marry a wizard at some point in the future and give birth to a male child while there was no one else already holding the Lordship, it could indeed pass to her son. But Amaryllis Wilkes is not married, she is 12, and even in the unlikely and offensive chance she were carrying a child out of wedlock, the future claim of any such unborn child cannot defeat the claim of someone who meets all the Lordship requirements right now."
He narrowed his eyes at Goyle "And I do hope, Lord Goyle, that you are not insinuating that my 12-year-old cousin Amaryllis, who was left for you and your wife to raise all these years, is carrying some wizard's bastard!"
Goyle made a short gargling noise in the back of his throat. "I ... withdraw my point of order," he mumbled before dropping back down in his seat. Harry turned back to face Dumbledore.
"Having researched my family history quite thoroughly, I can safely say that I am the only person who can satisfy the requirements of the Wilkes charter. Indeed, except for legal adulthood, Gringotts verified that I met all the other requirements in 1992, and I have held the status of Heir Presumptive of House Wilkes since then. With my emancipation, all the legal requirements are met, and I am now Lord Wilkes. As I am sure the Book of the Wizengamot will agree."
With that, Harry looked meaningfully towards the Court Reporter who simply stared at him slack-jawed. Finally, Dumbledore noted the man's distress and coughed loudly.
"Is Mr. Black correct, Court Reporter?"
"Huh?! Oh! So sorry. Um ... yes. The Book now recognizes the young man as Hadrian Remus Black Lord Wilkes."
"HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN ABOUT THIS?!" James Potter bellowed after shooting up out of his chair in a fury.
Harry turned back to him with an amiable expression. "Since June of 1992, Lord Potter. But as you'll recall, we were estranged at that point as a result of my Sorting, and I was concerned that announcing my connection to such a notorious House might make things worse. Not wanting to cause any problems for my mother and younger brother – and also not wanting to see House Wilkes subjugated to House Potter – I kept quiet about it. Happily, now that I'm not a part of House Potter anymore, my status as Lord Wilkes won't reflect on your house at all."
He gave a casual shrug. "Like I said the other night – everybody wins."
"Lord Wilkes?!" This time, it was Tiberius Nott's turn to scoff. "A 13-year-old Lord of the Wizengamot?! Absurd! He hasn't taken a single OWL yet!"
"Chief Warlock," said Lord Greengrass, rising to his feet. "I rise to a point of order. Two actually. First, there's been a lot of shouting going on today. The outbursts from the Lords Potter and Nott should be stricken for speaking out of turn and without recognition."
"Your first point is sustained," said the Chief Warlock. "Lord Potter and Lord Nott are admonished against both outbursts and speaking without being recognized. And your second point, Lord Greengrass?"
"Merely that Lord Nott displays historical ignorance. Although it has fallen out of favor mainly due to longer lifespans among wizarding kind and less internecine violence in the modern era, many of the older House charters contemplate individuals claiming Lordships as young as 11 when a prior Lord dies unexpectedly without having named an adult as Heir. Indeed, my own House's charter permits the accession of a Lord or Lady as young as 13 if no adult claimant can be found. Furthermore, the Wizengamot's own charter permits the claiming of an ancestral seat as young as 14. It is also completely silent on the subject of how many OWLs a Lord needs to claim his seat, understandably so since the Wizengamot charter predates the OWL and NEWT testing regime by centuries!"
"Lord Greengrass is, of course, correct," said Harry. "There is a requirement that an underage and orphaned child of a Noble House must pass a certain number of OWLs to be considered a true wizard or witch and thus be eligible to claim Lord Conditional status. That requirement is irrelevant where a wizard is already a legal adult due to emancipation. I had actually planned on taking my OWLs this next summer so that I could petition for emancipation, but Lord Potter's kind gesture made that unnecessary."
Behind him, James was turning a vivid purple but as he was acutely aware of how many feet away his boss was sitting, he managed to restrain his temper. Harry continued.
"Which leads me to another matter. Although I legally hold the title Lord Wilkes, I am technically not eligible to claim the Wilkes Seat because my 14th birthday isn't until July. Luckily, as Madam Jones stated earlier in reference to my godfather, Lord Black, the Inheritance Act addresses that issue. Being underage is specifically listed as a Special Circumstance justifying a delay in taking the Oath of Unity. Accordingly, I hereby claim the Wilkes Seat effective immediately, with my solicitor Artemus Podmore to serve as my Proxy. I will be taking my Vow of Unity at the August session, but I am paying my family's Wizengamot dues today."
And sure enough, the Court Reporter revealed in a stunned voice that the sum of 100,000 galleons had been deposited on behalf of House Wilkes.
"BUT HE'S THIRTEEN!" Lord Nott bellowed again.
Dumbledore banged his gavel. "Lord Nott, you have been warned about speaking out of turn. Any further outbursts will be met with monetary sanctions!"
While Nott fumed, Lucius rose. "Notwithstanding the impropriety of Lord Nott's outburst, House Malfoy rises to respond to his fundamental point. The boy in question is a 13-year-old adult. This is so because his father emancipated him and no one in this chamber objected. We cannot complain after the fact if a 13-year-old adult does something that any other adult in his situation would be free to do."
Then, Lucius turned to Nott with a contemptuous expression. "Honestly, Nott, if you're so upset at someone making legal use of the Special Circumstances provision, perhaps we should take another look at the Inheritance Act as a whole. Based on past events, it's obviously ripe for abuse. But regardless, it is the law of the land, and it is binding on this body – as I'm sure you realize given your research into its more arcane points!"
Harry smirked at that, while Dumbledore banged his gavel before Lord Nott snapped and began hexing Lord Malfoy, which was a disappointment to Harry who really wanted to see the man stripped of his seat for public violence.
"Enough!" the Chief Warlock exclaimed. "Lord Malfoy is correct. So long as Mr. Black has obtained the Wilkes Lordship by lawful exercise of the Wilkes Charter, then this body cannot challenge his right to it. And so long as he is lawfully Lord Wilkes, has paid his dues, and can take his Vow of Unity within six months, this body cannot challenge his right to the Wilkes Seat either, regardless of his age. Those matters are closed to further discussion."
He turned back to Harry. "Now, Lord Wilkes. Is there any more business which you wish to bring before the Wizengamot?"
By his tone, Harry assumed Dumbledore desperately wanted him to say no, but unfortunately, he had two matters left to discuss.
"Just two brief announcements, Chief Warlock," Harry said. "First, I wish to give notice that any outstanding but unexecuted contracts between House Wilkes and any other parties that were negotiated on behalf of House Wilkes by Lord Goyle during the interregnum will be held in abeyance pending review by my solicitors and advisors. The other parties to any such contracts will be informed in due course as to whether those contracts will be reaffirmed ... or voided."
Harry turned to look right at Tiberius Nott for that last remark, his way of announcing that a certain marriage contract would definitely be voided.
"And finally, while House Wilkes is deeply grateful to House Goyle for looking after my cousin Amaryllis for the past twelve years, I would like to have the chance to get to know her better. To be honest, I rather like the idea of having a sister. And so, I hereby announce that House Goyle's guardianship of Amaryllis Wilkes is terminated. Starting this summer, she will be staying with me as a guest of House Longbottom. Assuming this is agreeable to the Longbottom Regent. Lady Longbottom?"
"Most certainly, Lord Wilkes," Augusta replied magnanimously. Elsewhere, Lord Goyle was fuming, but his anger soon turned to fear as he wondered how this would affect his relationship with House Nott.
The crowd continued to murmur. Most of the mutterings came from those who were agitated over both the infamous House of Wilkes returning to power and the propriety of two children now holding Wizengamot seats. But there were also urgent whispers among those who noted that the new Lord Wilkes clearly had the support of the Ancient and Noble Houses of Black, Greengrass, Longbottom, and Malfoy, and probably the Noble House of Prince. And then, with some alarm, they started doing the math on how many votes their alliance could command.
Meanwhile, Harry turned back to the Chief Warlock.
"That concludes my business before the Wizengamot, Chief Warlock. I thank you for your kind indulgence."
With that, Hadrian Remus Black, Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Wilkes, turned and made his way to claim his ancestral box and the chair that had just materialized in it. Artie had already moved to join him there and bowed to him respectfully before proudly shaking the boy's hand while the Chief Warlock struggled to restore order so that he could finally close the session.
"Congratulations, my Lord Wilkes," Artie said deferentially.
Harry nodded before taking his seat. "Just promise me I don't have to say 'Hadrian' again today," he quipped. "That's getting really annoying."