A Forest Lord

Chapter Seventeen

                                                                         ~Harry Potter-LeFay~
When we came out of the other side of the portal, I led the way first to the greenhouses,  hoping that Professor Sprout was inside-I didn't want to bring the entire group of forest lords into the school.
I checked inside each greenhouse before sighing and casting a tempus charm-it was lunchtime. Everyone would be in the great hall, including Professor Sprout. Having a thought, I asked, "Forrester, would you please find Professor Sprout and ask her to meet us out here? It's lunchtime, I'm afraid, and I don't want to disrupt the meal time by entering the school."
Forrester nodded, popping away for a moment. It took a few moments, but he reappeared with Professor Sprout. Her eyes slid along the group, her eyes alighting with recognition before she turned to me and hinted, "You asked me to meet you, Lord Potter-LeFay?"
I smiled at her, "Yes, Professor. I believe you have family amongst my people. Your...Relative, for lack of a better word, is unhappy with my status as King Williams' blood-adopted son. He and two others, that I know of, believe that I could have coerced King William into blood-adopting me before I brutally murdered him for his abilities.  I believe they have some questions for you, so I'll be stepping over here to figure out lunch with Forrester, and the forest lords and ladies can ask you questions, if you're comfortable with that, that is."
Professor Sprout turned and glared at Kadamus, "Lord Sprout, you may not have attended Hogwarts, but almost every Sprout since your time has been in one house-Hufflepuff, the house of the loyal. King Harry is one of my students, and a bright one at that, but more importantly he's loyal, and hard-working. He saved the school last year from Volde-Voldemort. Yes, you recognize the name, my Lord, he is not dead. He possessed one of our teachers, and under the stupidity of our headmaster had the chance to claim the Philosophers' stone last year. Harry and two of his friends saved practically the entire magical world as we know it last year when they figured out the traps and saved the stone from V-Voldemort. Harry fought him alone, had to kill a man with his own hands to do it, and you know what his first concern was? If his friends were alright."
Lord Kadamus frowned, "Why are you so protective of the boy, Pomona? Is he in your house?"
Professor Sprout glowered at him, "He is a student in my school, Kadamus. More than that, he is a good boy who is growing into a great man. Yesterday, he settled his rivalry with a boy here who is a schoolyard bully. Do you know what I overheard he and his friends discussing? About whether extending the hand of friendship would give the boy a chance to mature and to stop and think about his own actions-whether that hand of friendship would stop him from following the dark lord like his father does."
Kadamus rolled his eyes, "So the boy is thinking ahead-so what? It doesn't mean that he deserves to be Forest King!!"
Professor Sprout narrowed her eyes, "So that's what this is about, then, Kadamus?? You and the other three assumed that King William would choose one of you as the next King, but he didn't so now you're being a jealous prat?"
Kadamus' face darkened red, and he thundered, "William chose us to be forest lords, if anyone deserves to be Forest King, it's one of us! I will not submit to a boy king!"
My face heated up, whether it was because of humiliation or anger, I no longer knew-my hands trembled, my magic thrummed. One of the other forest lords spoke before I could, "You will submit, Kadamus, or we will strip your forest lord magic from you. King William, and the Great Forest, chose King Harry for a reason-we may not know that reason yet, but that does not give us the right to question or rebel. We only rebel when a king forces us to do something that goes against the code of honor."
Several other forest lords, or ladies as several were women, nodded along with him in agreement. The same forest lord spoke once again, "You will either swear a vow of fealty now, or we will vote to strip you of your forest magic. Which will it be, Kadamus, John, Reed?  Oaths of fealty the lot of you, or we'll vote on your magic."
John McCalley hesitated only a moment before he nodded, stepping forward, and stated, "I would ask King Harry to swear an oath that he did not coerce or connive King William into adopting him or choosing him to become King, and if he is willing, I will swear an oath of fealty."
I looked from Professor Sprout, who nodded, to Forrester, who also nodded, and finally to the lord who had spoken up to Lords Sprout, McCalley and Thomasson. He hesitated for a moment before he, too, nodded his approval.
Swallowing slightly, I asked, "As I've never sworn any oaths before, may I ask what wording I should use?" Lord McCalley went to speak, but I glared at him and stated, "I will take no suggestion from someone who would prefer I lose my magic or my life, rather than be speaking the truth."
A woman giggled lightly, stepping forward, "My King, may I suggest the usual oath on your magic? You would begin with your name, then state the specifics that John used, then you would finish with 'this I swear, so mote it be.'"
I nodded, "Thank you...?"
She smiled widely, "Violet Gray, My King."
I smiled, "Thank you for your help, Lady Violet."
I swallo wed lightly and began my oath, "I-wait a moment, do wizarding titles count? Should I be using all my titles?"
Lady Violets' eyes widened and she asked, "All your titles? Aren't you only lord of Potter and LeFay?"
I shook my head, "No, Lady Violet, I am the lord of several houses that have previously been extinct. I am Lord Harry James Potter-Gryffindor-Peverell-Slytherin-LeFay. Am I supposed to use all my titles then?"
Lady Violet nodded, "That is correct, my King."
I nodded,  "Thank you for your help, Lady Violet." I took another deep breath and began the oath, "I, Harry James Potter-LeFay, Lord of Houses Potter, Gryffindor, Peverell, Slytherin and LeFay, do hearby swear upon my magic that I did not coerce nor connive King William LeFay into blood adopting me as his heir, nor passing his powers to me. So I say, so mote it be!"
I paused for a moment, then reached for my magic, a portal appearing in the stone wall of the castle. I looked to the Lords Sprout, McCalley, and Thomasson and spoke calmly, "Shall we take the oaths at the home in the forest then?"
Lord McCalley nodded, while the other two simply sneered and walked through the portal. I waved everyone through before I turned to Professor Sprout and asked politely, "I don't know if I need outside witnesses who aren't a forest lord, but would you consider coming and witnessing them giving their oaths? I'd ask Professor Snape, but I'm pretty sure that he has a class right now, and I'd hate to upset him by interrupting it."
Professor Sprout smiled, "I don't mind at all, Lord Potter-LeFay. Shall we? I've never used a portal before. Is it as awful as most wizarding forms of travel?"
I shook my head, "No ma'am. No disorientation, no weird sensations. You just step through in one place and step out in another." Professor Sprout happily walked through the portal, and I finished with following her, closing the portal behind me.