Chapter - 10 : Pleasure Part - 6

It was his prerogative as Teddy's godfather after all.

About midway through the summer Harry approached his uncle with a request.

"Uncle Vernon? I need to be in London August thirtieth by ten a.m. Can you take me?"

"No. We're going the next day to take your cousin to the doctor. Got to have that ruddy tail removed. Wait until then."

"I can't. Can I go by myself?"

Harry's Uncle finally looked away from the telly to glare at him. "Going to steal from your Aunt's purse again, are you?"

Harry tried to look ashamed.

"No. I was going to ask Hagrid – the one who collected me for my school supplies – for bus fare."

His uncle snorted. "See that you do. We won't abide you stealing from us!"

Harry nodded. "I won't. So… er… it's okay if I go then?"

"We don't care what you do."

"Um… Thanks."

Harry Potter left Privet Drive bright and early on August thirtieth. The first thing that he did was get a room at the Leaky Cauldron. Tom was as friendly as Harry remembered and he did a good job of trying not to treat Harry as anything particularly special. He made sure that Harry's room was particularly secure however. The second thing Harry Potter did was buy an excellent camera and film. Photographs were more Colin Creevey's thing than Harry's but Harry had a need. The third thing Harry did was buy some decently fitting clothes in muggle London.

Early in the morning on August thirty-first, Harry went to visit with Mrs. Bones, his solicitor.

"Magically you're a legal adult."

Harry stared at his solicitor. "I'm what?"

"Magic is a combination of many things Mr. Potter. There is even a theory that one's magical strength is a reflection of the strength of one's soul. Thus a wizard's magical signature changes and grows throughout the wizard's lifetime. Regardless of the theory behind magic, in the wizarding world majority is determined by the average age at which a young wizard or witch's magic starts showing the markers that indicate maturity on the part of the young witch or wizard. Generally, that's around seventeen. Although you're eleven and your magic does not appear to be fully developed as of yet, there are enough matured elements that magically speaking, you're an adult. So much so that the ministry's trace on underage magic has not even attached itself to your wand."

"But – what does this mean for me? For the things that I want?"

"For one thing, you can apply to be emancipated. That means you would be a legal adult in every sense of the word."

"The Wizarding World does that sort of thing? I'm only eleven!"

"It is an ancient law that was last used about four hundred years ago. The Wizgamot has yet to overrule it. And with the current makeup of the court, I doubt that they could. This solution to the loss of your cloak and coin will be quicker than proving Sirius Black's innocence and getting your proper legal guardian to challenge Professor Dumbledore's takings. I have yet to find anything useful in regards to the Sirius Black matter."

Harry slowly nodded. "Okay. Will it work?"

His solicitor's eyes became distant. "It would in part depend on the barrister we retain but I believe that there is a seventy percent possibility of success."

Harry nodded. "Is there any way that I could improve my chances?"

"If you could wait a few years until you're older, preferably until after you've sat your O.W.L.S."

"No."

"Or if we could find a copy of your parents' wills."

"You haven't found them yet?"

Ms. Bones' smile was small and wry. "They seem to have mysteriously vanished at some point in the last few years."

Harry glowered. Evil manipulative Dumbledore!

"That's it? Those are the only ways I could help my case?"

"I'm afraid so."

"What if – What if I took my O.W.L.S tomorrow and passed? Would that be enough?"

Ms. Bones sat up sharply. "Mr. Potter that is quite impossible."

"But if I could, would that help my case?"

"Yes. It would go a long way towards proving your strength and independence. Many members of our society go one to lead vital productive lives after only sitting their O.W.L.S."

"I could pass them tomorrow."

"Mr. Potter you have yet to have a single magical lesson and – "

The memory of Remus at Teddy's birth. Remus asking him to be Teddy's godfather.

"Expecto Patronum!"

The magic felt…odd. Uneven. There was Harry's usual magic, of course, but there was some new element to it as well. It was… unfamiliar. And powerful.

A gigantic Prongs bounded out of the tip of Harry's wand and ran the length of the room, wheeled about before ever touching the wall, and came galloping back to them. Harry's patronus peered at him expectantly.

"Merlin" Ms. Bones breathed.

"There isn't anyone here to protect me from, Prongs" Harry said a bit sadly. "I just needed to prove that I could."

The stag leaned forward until he was almost but not quite nibbling Harry's hair. He disappeared. So his dad really didn't mind this being his choice at the train station. Harry bit the inside of his lip and turned his attention back to his solicitor.

His voice when he spoke was low and rough.

"I'm not saying that I could get an O in every class. And I couldn't pass Arithmacy or Divination or Ancient Runes. But I could pass everything else with an 'Acceptable' or better."

"I – I'll have the paperwork ready to be filed by tomorrow."