"So Tom was able to recreate the effects of a Pensieve at the age of…sixteen or seventeen. Remarkable." Dumbledore said with a shake of his head.
The two of them observed the interactions of the past-Harry and memory-Dobby, ending just after the visiting Mason family was ushered out the door. Dumbledore drew Harry out of the Pensieve and the two returned to their original bodies.
"Well, that ought to make my visit with the Improper Use of Magic Office a swift one. An open and shut case if I've ever seen one, Harry." Dumbledore said as he drew Harry's memory out of the Pensieve and placed it into a conjured crystal vial.
"Sir…" Harry spoke uncertainly, "Would it be possible to try and get Hagrid's criminal record overturned? If I gave a memory of Riddle's memory talking about what he had done, that is?"
Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "I must confess the thought of having Hagrid proven innocent of all wrongdoing appeals greatly to me. Such a case would require not only the memory, but for you to testify in person, my boy. Would you be willing?"
"But I'm underage." Harry protested.
"In the Wizarding World, anyone who is the Heir to a Noble House or more, are thirteen and has claimed their Heirs Ring is allowed to testify as an adult, including questioning under the truth potion Veritaserum, which is all but infallible…as long as the person being given it is sane." Dumbledore replied.
"I'll do it then." Harry nodded firmly.
"Very good then. I'll arrange things so that you get a summons from the Wizengamot a few days after your birthday." Dumbledore looked pleased, "Cornelius isn't going to like it, but I daresay that very little makes him happy that is out of the ordinary."
"Sounds like my uncle." Harry remarked.
"Cornelius is considerably less…fanatical…than your uncle." Dumbledore said, "He merely prefers thing to remain as they are. Safe, stable, secure and with himself as Minister. Now then, I believe we have discussed enough of your issue with the ancient laws for one day. I believe that you should read those books and then come back to me with any questions you might have."
"Alright sir." Harry was about to turn and leave when a bright flash of fire bloomed over the golden perch next to Dumbledore's desk and a red-gold bird the size of a swan appeared.
"Ah Fawkes. I was wondering where you had gotten off to." Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling. The Phoenix sang a couple of notes that filled Harry with warmth, just as they had in the Chamber of Secrets.
Fawkes fluttered over to Harry and landed on his shoulder. Harry hesitantly stroked Fawkes' feathers, which were very soft and warm to the touch.
"Fawkes seems rather fond of you Harry." Dumbledore chuckled, "That speaks a good deal about your character, as phoenixes tend to avoid all but those who are good and true."
Harry flushed at the implied compliment and focussed on stroking Fawkes' feathers, making Dumbledore chuckle at the boy's humility.
After petting Fawkes for a while, Harry excused himself and headed off to Gryffindor Tower, to do some serious reading and thinking.
HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP
The Next Day - Morning
Second Year Dormitory, Gryffindor Tower
Harry lay back on his bed with the curtains closed. He was busy reading the second book Professor Dumbledore had given him, as he had flipped through the law book quickly the night before and examined the ancient laws section.
There were about a hundred ancient laws bound to the Sovereignty Magic of Britain, put in place by various members of the Wizard's Council upon their founding, the most recent laws added being that of Merlin the Magnificent, the two laws that concerned Harry.
Regrettably, the laws were exactly as Rockclaw and Dumbledore explained to him. There was absolutely no wiggle room in them at all, no ability to avoid them, as they were written to prevent the noble families of Wizarding Britain from dying out.
Frustrated, Harry had turned to the section on blood purity to see if he couldn't use the prejudiced was of the Purebloods to get out of it, only to find that Merlin had been very crafty and sneaky (unsurprising considering he had been in Slytherin) when writing his laws.
Under the Merlin Amendment, any person who was at least one-sixteenth blood related to a Noble Family was eligible to become Head of House. Not very many people knew of it, but it was there. Harry had throw the book to one side in disgust and gone to sleep.
Now he was reading the book regarding Lords of Britain, which was…illuminating, to say the least, especially the current section he was reading.
"…In Magical Britain, there are two types of Lords: Lords of Blood and Lords of Magic.
Lords of Blood (not to be confused with vampires) are the Heads of House of any Noble Family. The title permits any Head of House to sit on the Wizengamot and almost guarantees the status of Department Head within the Ministry of Magic should they be employed by the Ministry. Being a Head of House also grants a slight increase to the wizard's magic.
Being a Lord of Magic, however, is of a completely different nature. It is not by blood, money or land that one is deemed a Lord of Magic, but by the Sovereignty Magic of Britain itself. Long before the founding of the Wizards Council, long before the Founding of Hogwarts, yet after the Romans abandoned Britain in the Year 410, the country of Magical Britain was divided into small magical fiefdoms ruled by a Lord of Magic, who was literally one with the land, able to sense all who dwelled within their lands, be they muggles, wizardkind or any non-human race.
The power that the Lords of Magic possessed in those days was a frightening thing, magic so strong that they were well able to defeat any number of lesser wizards, even when the wizards were arrayed as a unified fighting force against a Lord of Magic.