A Forest Lord

Chapter Eight

                                                                             ~Harry Potter-LeFay~

Professor Snape suggested that we use the floo system to get to the Ministry, since Gringotts had a direct access to it. "Of course you may use the floo, Lord Potter-LeFay. Lord Prince, please keep Lord Potter-LeFay safe, and should you need any help, you can simply floo us, or have Kismet or Forrester bring us. I don't know that the Ministry will enjoy having the boy-who-lived being emancipated."

Professor Snape nodded, "Thank you, King Ragnok. I will do my best to protect Potter, and should I require assistance I'll send Kismet. I feel as though Forrester, although capable of transporting you all, would be more beneficial to keep with his Lord."

King Ragnok nodded, and motioned for us to go, reminding us, "Come back when he's done, and we'll go over the paperwork. Gringotts is always open to you, Lord Potter-LeFay. We will see you soon."

I nodded, smiling gratefully at him before I followed Snape and another goblin out of the room. The goblin, who I found out was named Blackclaw, led us to the private floo area and sent us off, making sure we knew the password to get back in the same way.

Snape led us to the division we needed, and at the sight of me, we were ushered into the head of the division's office, a witch named Helen Pucey.

Mrs. Pucey immediately began speaking, "Mr. Potter, may I ask what you're doing here today?"

Smiling politely at her, I replied calmly, "Yes, Mrs. Pucey, I'm here to become emancipated, under the grounds of becoming a Forest Lord. Specifically, the Forest Lord of the Forbidden Forest, just outside of Hogwarts grounds."

She seemed to stare at me in shock for a moment, taking in my features, before she shook her head, "Of course, Lord Potter. May I ask who your current magical guardian is?"

I nodded, "I spoke with Dumbledore before I left Hogwarts, and he said he was my magical guardian. However, he has never taken care of me, nor have I ever stayed with him. He left me with muggles-muggles who have been less than kind to me. They are my guardians in the muggle world, and I would also like to be emancipated there. They would drain my vaults dry if they knew that I had money, even if it was just my trust vault. I won't allow them to."

Mrs. Pucey nodded, looking a bit stunned at the information I'd just told her, and stated, "Of course, Lord Potter. Have you gone to Gringotts to accept your inheritances yet?"

I shook my head, "Yes, I've been there but I haven't yet accepted anything, as I was blood-adopted yesterday by the former Forest King, William LeFay, and King Ragnok suggested that I wait to claim anything until I'm emancipated, so there is no chance of any of my guardians trying to lay claim to what's mine."

She sputtered, "The forest king adopted you??? You're a LeFay now?? From the original line??" At my nod, she hastily gathered several papers together and agreed, "Yes, we need you emancipated immediately. If any pure-blood family finds out you're related by blood to Morgana, you'll be fought over like the newest, shiniest toy. We cannot allow that to happen. Even Dumbledore, I'm sure, has several things he would like to take from you that you would receive from the LeFay lines."

I nodded, "I agree, which is why I've come. By the way, Mrs. Pucey, this is Forrester, he's a free elf who has served the Forest Lord line for many years, and this is Kismet, a phoenix who lives within the forest I now protect. Both decided to come with me to ensure my safety, as did Professor Snape, thankfully. I wouldn't know how to navigate the Ministry or Gringotts alone, that's for sure."

Professor Snape nodded, his voice grim as he stated, "Yes, Lord Potter-LeFay has revealed that the muggles he lived with treated him similar to how a pure-blood family would treat a house-elf. Chores from a young age, including cooking, and locking him within a cupboard when he wasn't needed, or for punishment. We will need this to be discreet, of course, but as you're a former member of my house, and your son is a current member, I'm sure I can trust you with this. It is, of course, completely necessary for you to know the details in order to make this go quickly. Preferably before we leave here today."

Mrs. Pucey nodded quickly, "Of course, Professor Snape. I will simply need Lord Potter-LeFay's signature on several pages, most of them with a blood quill to make it official, but after that we should be fine, as it is usually my job to approve the emancipations, adoptions and such. Not, of course, that I mind doing this for you, Lord Potter-LeFay."

I smiled happily up at her, "Of course, I appreciate you being able to do this for me, Mrs. Pucey. I can't imagine that you get approached like this very often, but I appreciate your willingness to help me."

Mrs. Pucey smiled slightly at me, her eyes warm, and she stated softly, "Of course, Lord Potter-LeFay. If I had known about your situation sooner, I would have helped you. I will look into remedying the situation, and making sure other children don't live similar lives to yourself. Thank you for bringing this sort of situation into light. Oh, and congratulations on becoming a Forest Lord. I'm sure the forest is lucky to have you."

Forrester spoke for the first time since we'd come in, "Yes, we in the forest are very lucky to have him, Mrs. Pucey. We thank you for your help."

Mrs. Pucey smiled at Forrester and replied, "I'm glad. Hopefully he'll be able to keep the forest safe from the Ministry. I wouldn't usually state such a thing, as I work here, but the department of regulation and control of magical creatures has been trying and failing to pass laws about that forest in particular. The fact that it still had a forest lord was the only thing holding them back from getting an actual vote. However, with Harry Potter, now Harry Potter-LeFay, it is most likely safe now. You're revered as our savior, so of course they won't want to cross you. Most are terrified of how you beat the Dark Lord at the age of one."

I shrugged, "Dumbledore says its my mother's protection, when she gave her life for mine, but I don't think so. Many mothers must have given their lives for their children, but there hasn't been anyone else to survive a killing curse." I rolled my eyes, "If Voldemort had been smart, he would have just tossed me out a window or started the house on fire in my nursery. You don't need an unforgivable curse to kill an infant."

Mrs. Pucey smiled slightly, "No, you don't. However, I suppose he was worried even at that age that your accidental magic would save your life."

Furrowing my brow, I asked, "How young can you have accidental magic? Is it possible to have it that young? I thought it developed later."

Severus shook his head, "Children as young as three months have had accidental magic. Floating toys, breaking glass, levitating objects for their entertainment. Children can do it all."

Shaking my head slightly I admitted, "I still don't see why he had to use an unforgivable curse to try and kill me. Surely, something more simple would have worked-a cutting curse or even something smaller would have worked on a baby, wouldn't it?"

Considering carefully for a moment, Severus stated, "The dark lord had a flair for the dramatics. Perhaps he thought it would be more dramatic if he used unforgivables. Get more people's attention, perhaps."

Shrugging, I stated, "He did seem like a dramatic fellow last year when I met him. Trying to kill me and trying to use me to get the stone. Making sure to flee through me, instead of straight through the fire."

Snape choked slightly and stated, "He did that because he was attempting to possess you, Potter, not because he was trying to be dramatic."

My head whipped around as I turned to stare at him in horror, and he hurried added, "You would know if he had succeeded-you are not possessed! He was probably too weak to attempt it, after you killed his host."

Shaking my head, "Let's just get the paperwork over with, sir, ma'am, so we can get back to Hogwarts before midnight."

Severus and Mrs. Pucey both nodded, Mrs. Pucey handing me a quill and several pieces of parchment. Quickly she explained blood quills, how it would take my blood from the top of my hand when I signed, but that there was a potion that would heal it and rid me of any scars, should they occur. I quickly signed everything, ignoring the itchy, burning pain that occured on the top of my non-dominant hand, and accepted the potion she handed me, spreading it over the wound as she told me to.

Severus and I both shook her hand after she informed us that I was legally emancipated in both the muggle and magical world, and that should definitely take care to go directly Gringotts without any stops.

Severus and I both nodded, quite seriously, and I once again opened a portal, once again directly inside the doors of Gringotts.