Laws of hospitality

Laws of Hospitality or Obligations of Guest and Host  or Old World Code of Conduct or Rights of Hospitality or Guest Rights or Manners and various other phrasings is like a sacred pledge of courtesy, safety and guest privileges among the Old World supernatural community.

Description
The Code of Honor of the Old World was accepted and expected when negotiating between various supernatural factions. The Obligations of Hospitality and a Sworn Oath are more binding than the threat of violence. A being making such an oath would be obligated to protect the other person from themselves and others making a threat. Failing that duty would be a serious loss of face and respect. Word would get around.

The Obligations of Guest and Host are almost holy to the Supernatural world.

The Fae, in particular, set great store on forms of courtesy, etiquette, and the relationship of guest to host. One openly ignored the proper forms at their peril. The Sidhe, the Lords of Faerie are likely to have extreme reactions.

The Old World Code of Conduct ruled that problems are settled face to face amongst quarrelers. Supernatural fights in the open calls human attention who, as history tells, will band together and kill Supes indiscriminately.

Traditional courtesies are respecting safe passage and Losing to a guest with grace.

Storm Front
In Storm Front, Harry goes to ask Bianca questions about Jennifer Stanton and she immediately attacks him. To calm things down so they can talk, Harry invokes the Old World rules of Courtesy and Hospitality. He even pulls out her chair for her.

Grave Peril
In Grave Peril, Kyle and Kelly Hamilton presented Harry Dresden outside his apartment with Susan Rodriguez present with an invitation to Bianca St. Claire's Ball—the safety of all guest being assured. After they leave, Susan wanted to go believing it will advance her career to interview vampires. Harry told her that Bianca has a grudge against him and would find a way around the Laws of Courtesy and Hospitality, adhering only to the letter ane not the spirit of the Code. During the Ball, Kelly Hamilton touches Michael Carpenter and her hand burns. Kyle Hamilton threatened to start a fight over it until Harry reminds him that he wouldn't want to break the Laws of Hospitality. Near the end, after Bianca had laid a trap for Harry by having her vampires bite Susan, an uninvited guest, threatened to start a war on the grounds that Harry broke the Laws of Hospitality by burning her house up, unless Harry left Susan to her to change completely into a vampire. She is backed up by Paolo Ortega, emissary of the Red King. Thus started The War between the Red Court and the White Council.

Blood Rites
In Blood Rites, Lara Raith makes an oath to extend their truce and to give Guest Rights to Harry Dresden so long as he is at her home.

Changes
In Changes, Harry struggles with the fine line of not trusting his Godmother, the Leanansidhe—who is an intruder in his house and cacooned Susan and Martin—and the proper forms of courtesy, host to guest etiquette. Harry requests that Lea release Susan and Martin, saying that they are his guests in his home.

The whole issue of obligations and responsibility as guest to host and vice versa was something Harry considered closely when Harry sat down in Donar Vadderung's office. Harry was pretty sure he knew who he really was and that he was known to test people on how well they upheld the traditions. He'd reward the faitful and send a hideous demise to the miserly, callous, or cruel.

Harry and Susan fall through a Way into the Erlking's medieval dining hall filled with by Goblins surrounding them. The Erlking says: "I trust that you will be patient whilst I blow dust from the old courtesies." Then he kisses Susan's hand complimenting her as a huntress. He also compliments Harry for being an interesting quary. Then Harry assures the Erlking it was "chance not design" that brought him there and says: "I am humbled by thy generosity in accepting us into thine home as guests. Mine host." The Erlking is amused that Harry caught him in his own words, courtesy is not his "close companion" and Harry would have the advantage in a duel of manners. "This hall honors cleverness and wisdom as much as strength."

Cold Days
In Cold Days, when Cat Sith is summoned by Harry into Thomas Raith's apartment, he demonstrates to Harry and Thomas his utter respect for the obligations of guest and host.

Quote
"While I am here, I am bound by the same traditions as would apply were I your invited guest. I will offer no harm to anyone you have accepted into your home, nor take any action which would be considered untoward for a guest. I will report nothing of what I see and hear in this place, and make every effort to aid and assist your household and other guests while I remain." ~ Cat Sith