{{Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Beginner Spoiler}}
Our first introduction to this statute is in the note that is given out to every student at the close of each school year; [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Harry Potter|Harry]] first receives his first at the end of the first book,and at the time1. [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Fred and George Weasley|Fred and George]] comment that they always hope thatthe theynote will forgetbe that noteforgotten one year, but they never haveare. While this does not tell usmentioning the namerule ofby the lawname, itthe doesnote sayinforms thatstudents studentsthey are forbidden from doingperforming magic until they come of age.
Harry first runs afoul of this law in [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Chamber of Secrets/Chapter 2|''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'']] when [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Dobby|Dobby]] uses a Hover Charm to destroy a dessert in the Dursleys' kitchen. Evidently, the Ministry assumesassumed thatHarry it is Harryperformed performingthe magic, because a warning letter is sent by one [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Mafalda Hopkirk|Mafalda Hopkirk]] saying that hewarning shouldhim not do that again.
When Harry accidentally inflates his [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Marge Dursley|Aunt Marge]], he is deathly afraid that, as he hashaving violated this Statute, he may now be kickedexpelled out offrom the Wizarding world. He decides that his only recourse is to become a fugitive, but as he is approaching [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Places/Diagon Alley|Diagon Alley]] to retrieve his money, he is intercepted by [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Cornelius Fudge|Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic]]. Fudge inexplicably dismisses the inflationinflating incident.
When Harry uses [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Magic/Expecto Patronum|the Patronus charm]] to protect [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Dudley Dursley|Dudley]] from [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Magic/Dementor|Dementors]], he is once again told that he has violated this Decree, and thathis hewand will have his wandbe destroyed. This results, eventually, in a hearing, at which it is determined that Harry was justified in using magic to defend himself and a Muggle bystander against a magical threat.
Finally, Harry is overjoyed when, on his seventeenth birthday, he is suddenlynow free to use any magic he chooses without hindrance.
