Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin

Chapter 51: Potters and Blacks

Meanwhile in Minister Fudge's Office ...

As the Chief Warlock finally banged his gavel to close the Special Session of the Wizengamot, Sirius Black leaned back in his chair up in Minister Fudge's office. In the office with him were Senior Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge, Healer Ted Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Sirius remembered Shacklebolt from his school and Auror Academy days, but Umbridge was new to him.

"Bloody hell," Sirius Black said in amazement as he listened over the Wizarding Wireless to Harry's shocking announcement. Actually, his three shocking announcements: his emancipation, his self-expulsion from House Potter, and his wholly unexpected claim of the youngest Lordship in Merlin knew how long. Umbridge was equally surprised by the sequence of events, but Shacklebolt was more amused by the outcome rather than simply astonished.

"Good for you, kid," he said under his breath at Harry's announcement. Sirius's keen hearing heard him, though.

"Do you know Harry?" Black asked.

"A little," Kingsley answered. "And only ... in a professional capacity." Then, he suddenly grimaced in embarrassment. "I was the bonder for the Unbreakable Vow between Harry and James that led to today's events."

Sirius stared at the man in shock, and even Umbridge was amazed.

"A 13-year-old?" she exclaimed. "Made to swear an Unbreakable Vow? What were the terms if I may ask?"

Shacklebolt shrugged. "I suppose I can reveal most of it, or at least the bits of it that just got executed in front of the whole country on the Wizarding Wireless. James swore a Vow to emancipate Harry, and Harry swore a Vow to leave House Potter immediately afterwards. There were some other terms, but those have not been discussed publicly yet, so I don't feel right about sharing them."

"Did one of them involve James speaking up on my behalf?" Sirius asked quietly.

Shacklebolt looked pensive. "There were terms they'd verbally agreed to before I arrived that were ratified by the Vow. That might have been one of them, but I don't really know."

Then, the Auror smiled. "But hey, I'm pretty sure that Harry has taken care of all his obligations, so the Vow's no threat to him anymore. And now that he's in your family instead of House Potter, I suspect he'll be much happier."

Sirius looked away, while Ted spoke reassuringly. "Indeed, Sirius, I'm sure he'll have a better father-figure with you than with his birth father."

With that, Sirius's mood lifted, and he let out a sudden laugh. "Heh! My godson, a Lord of the Wizengamot at 13! He must be the youngest Lord ever!"

"Oh no," Dolores said while reaching for another biscuit. "Before the Inheritance Act set the minimum age at 14, there were several Lords and Ladies who claimed their ancestral seats as young as 12. But your godson is definitely the youngest Wizengamot Lord since 1643."

The three men looked at her in surprise.

"I'm a historian," she said airily. "We live for trivia like that."

The Wizengamot Chamber

Once the Wizengamot session had officially ended, Harry and Artie swiftly made their way out of the Chamber, pausing only long enough to congratulate Justin and his new guardian and regent. Harry glanced back and saw both Jim and Lily heading his way (with James on an intercept course for his wife and remaining son), but he decided he did not want to have that discussion in such a public place. According to Artie, as a Lord of the Wizengamot, Harry was entitled to a private office on this level, and the boy decided that would be a good place to regroup.