Chapter 4: Family

"He seems to be settling in, Your Highness" spoke a stern voice.

Gerry looked away from watching his children play. "He is." He responded while giving a quick glance at the newcomer. "And hello to you too Uncle."

"You haven't presented him to the council" the man replied gruffly.

"Is that a directive, zaqen?" Gerry asked but no reply came. His uncle stood rigid, watching the children carefully. Gerry sighed. "We will take him at the New Moon. It's only a couple more days."

His uncle nodded. "And the adoption?"

"He will decide on his own."

"He is but a child. The decision must be made for him" his uncle argued.

"He is only a child in stature. His mind is far from it. He can make his own decisions."

"Ridiculous."

"I'm sure you've received copies of his file. He has been here only a year and is out performing students twice his age."

"Yes, you claim he is a prodigy."

"I claim that he is intelligent."

"I can read between the lines. You practically worship him" he sneered.

"I do not worship any man, Uncle. And I find it insulting that you would make that accusation. You may not believe the tenets of the Path but I do."

"Simmer down. I merely wanted to see what the fuss was all about."

"Because seeing is believing?" he asked with contempt.

"To me, yes."

"You know, you are welcome to come to any Sabbath meal. Our door is always open. You could have meet him already."

"I rather see him tested."

"That is also his choice."

"Not if you adopt him."

"Even then. I already have an heir."

"All Princes must be trained. What are you to do if Jacob cannot ascend?"

"I have a daughter as well."

"Unacceptable, she.."

"She is a Princes" he said cutting off his Uncle's remark. "Blood of my blood. She shall rule if her brother cannot. Had she been my first born it would be so, regardless of your antiquated views on females."

"It is not antiquated. It is a fact that men and women are different."

"Yes, that may be true in some cases, but has no bearing on whether or not Sarah can rule. She knows her duty and accepts it with love and honor. I would be proud no matter which of my children were to take my place."

"I didn't come here to argue with you."

"Really? Then why are you here?"

"Purely coincidental."

"I'm sure, Uncle, I'm sure".

—HPHPHPHP—

"You wanted to see me, sir."

"Yes, come in."

The child walked into the large study and stood at attention in front of the antique oak desk. Behind the desk sat Jeremy "Gerry" Khay, Cohen of the Sanhedrin, Leader of the Rishonim, King of Pardes.

"You may have a seat."

"Thank you sir" responded the child as he sat.

"I wanted to see how you were feeling before the council meeting tonight."

"Nervous, to tell you the truth. I don't want to disappoint you or Maggie. Or the rest of the family."

"You have nothing to worry about. We are all very proud of you. Your coming into our lives has been a blessing. Never doubt that."

"Thank you, sir,"

"You've read Sefer ha-Meshiv and have begun the Zohar. I did not begin to study those texts until I was thirteen. You are miles ahead."

"It's all very fascinating! Master Nito says that we will start on Sephirot Runes if the council approves!"

"That is correct. Anyone can read the books, those outside the faith and even non-magicals, but the text itself holds secrets that can only be unleashed by following the Path and the guidelines set by the council. I want you to know that I have complete confidence in your success this evening."

"That means the world to me. Thank you, sir."

—-HPHPHPHP—-

The excited chatter that had filled the chambers was finally dying down. Many were impressed with the feats of magic performed by one so young. The Cohen raised his hand to silence the room. Immediately everyone complied.

"Young one, what is the purpose of the Path?"

"The purpose is simple, Your Highness. To help those that are willing to become connected with their souls; to aid them find their spirit."

"And you believe you are worthy of such a task?"

"Everyone is, Your Highness. The Path is not for those who believe they are worthy. It is not about the welfare of the righteous, the noble, the moral, good hearted people of the world. While there are those who are truly righteous, who have transformed their own inner darkness to light, there are far more of us that have not."

"Then who is it for, if not for those who are worthy?"

"The Path is for the average being, Your Highness. The goal is to improve the consciousness of the average person. I know I am not righteous. I am like most, in the middle. I have Light and Dark within me. Instead of feeling anguish regarding that fact, it comforts me."

"Why would it comfort you to know that you are not righteous?"

"It comforts me, Your Highness, because I have no interest in extinguishing the darkness that resides in me. It is not my task to change darkness into light, bitter into sweet."

The Cohen nodded. The young man waiting as a privacy shield was cast around the council members. The deliberation took less than five minutes.

"Harry James Potter, son of Lily Evans and James Potter. You have been deemed worthy by the Sanhedrin" spoke Gerry with evident pride in his voice. "You have been granted the honor to study the Path. What say you?"

"Your Highness, and esteemed council members, I am indeed honored by this opportunity. I accept. I will study and train to the best of my abilities. Thank you." He bowed to the men and women on the raise platform.

"Very well. Further trials will be scheduled to monitor your progress and determine your placement in the ranks. Dismissed."

—-HPHPHPHP—-

Jeremy and Magdalena were sitting on the veranda enjoying a glass of wine. It was a couple of hours after dinner and the house was finally calming down for the day. They heard the glass door behind them open and a voice call out.

"Could I speak with you both?" asked Harry shyly.

"Of course, dear. Have a seat" smiled Magdalena.

"What did you want to speak to us about?" asked Gerry.

"I made a decision" he said pausing to take a deep breath before continuing "I want to be your son, officially that is."

"Oh sweetie!" was all Magdalena said as she pulled him into a hug. Gerry wrapped his arms around them both.

"Are you sure?" asked Gerry as he let them go after a couple of minutes but still holding onto their hands.

"Yes. I know that I can be adopted and keep my name. But I want to be a part of you both, and Sarah and Jacob and everyone else."

"Have you thought about your parents? What about all those on the other se?"

"I will always honor my parents. I will always be their son. As for the Wizarding World, it cannot survive if it places all its hopes and burdens on Harry Potter. Harry Potter died three years ago in Surrey." His voice full of conviction.

"You've chosen a name then?" asked Gerry after several moments of silence.

"Yes, sir. Isaac Evan. In hopes that I never forget the sacrifices they made for me."

"Isaac Evan Khay. May our ancestors keep you and bless you" said Gerry as he held his hand over the child's head. The blessing washed over his entire body. It was a cocoon of warmth, love and acceptance.

"Thank you. Father."

—-HPHPHPHP—-

Magdalena was sorting supplies in the training room when she felt the wards shift. She rose from the hard-wooden floor and made her way to the kitchen where she knew the kids would be.

"How was school?" she asked as she gave them all a kiss on the forehead. A round of "Good" was mumbled as they looked for snacks in the cupboards and fridge.

"Master Akingbade gave us permission slips for the summer trip!" called out Isaac.

"Where is this years' survival training?" asked Magdalena.

"America!" replied Sarah.

"Well, not all of it" countered Jacob.

"Ah with Ilvermorny I presume."

"Yes, can you please sign it? Dad takes forever" said Isaac. He was bouncing up and down with glee.

"He just likes you closer to home so he delays anything that would send you away. But I will sign it so you aren't grumbling and arguing about it for weeks"

"Woohoo! Ima, you are the best, thank you."

—-HPHPHPHP—-

Isaac was sitting on a log in the middle of an American national trust. He was waiting. And getting bored of waiting.

He was the first one to make it to the campsite and could not wait to see the look on his sister's face when she finally made it. She probably thought he would follow her crazy directions since it was his first survival training but he knew it was a prank to delay him. He had gotten very good at dodging her traps over the years and this one was just too easy. She was losing her touch.

Survival training meant that magic was prohibited. It was just the clothes on their backs and nothing else. But just because they couldn't use magic didn't mean he couldn't use muggle magic, as he liked to call their technology. Isaac had prepared by memorizing maps and topographic images. Muggles were very inventive with their satellites and he took advantage of his perfect memory to get the lay of the land. He was not the outdoor type but knowing what to do in the middle of nowhere was a skill he knew he needed in order to pass the next trial.

Waiting was boring. He had just decided to mediate and work on his shields to pass the time when his thoughts were interrupted.

"Are you lost?" asked a dreamy voice from behind him.

He whirled around, taking a slightly defensive position. He looked for the source of voice. Several feet away, standing between very thick trees was a little girl with hair so blonde it looked white. She wore bright yellow dungarees, a neon pink tee, with no shoes. A flower crown looked to be weaved into her hair. He kept looking around but couldn't see anyone else.

"Are you lost?" he asked her. She was too small to be on her own.

"Oh, are you an echo?" she asked in the same dreamy voice.

"No" he replied puzzled by her question.

"Too bad. I would have loved to finally meet an echo."

"Uh…" he wasn't sure what to say to that.

"So, are you lost then?" she asked again.

"No. I'm waiting for my camping group to catch up. Are you out here alone? And where are your shoes?"

"Daddy is off following a hidebehind. And the forest nymphs are offended by shoes so I took them off."

"Right. Do you want me to help you look for your father?" he offered with a kind smile.

"That's okay. And I'm glad you're not lost."

There was a long stretch of silence. He stretched out his magic and found no other presence nearby. He didn't know what to make of the girl but she seemed nice enough according to his scan. She was magical, not that his scan revealed this, but she had to be to mention hidebehinds but also to see the camp site as there were anti-muggle wards up for several acres. He watched her as she watched everything else. Her blue eyes looked sad to him and that made him feel sad as well.

"Would you like to have a seat?" he finally asked.

She nodded and seemed to float towards him into the clearing. She sat across from him on another log and looked him in the eyes. Her words startling him.

"Thank you, Harry Potter."

He gaped at her. "It's Isaac actually. Isaac Khay. Why did you call me Harry Potter?"

"It's the name I see in your possession."

He sighed. "Please tell me you aren't a seer."

"Sure. I am not a seer."

"Really?!" he asked suspiciously.

"No. But you asked very politely that I tell you that."

"A seer" he grumbled "I don't have much luck with seers."

"I know, but that has changed now."

"Yeah right. How do you know you're different?"

"Simple. I'm your beshert."

His eyes widened in shock. "What! How? You're just a kid! I'm a kid! We can't get married! I don't even know your name!" he exclaimed without takig a breathe.

She giggled. "I'm Luna. And you are right, we are much too young to get married, I'm only 9."

"Nine. You can't find your soulmate at nine" he said still in shock.

"You can if you're a seer. My mother told me we can see them earlier than others can." She had whispered the last bit.

"Your mother? Is she out in the forest with your father?"

"No" she shook her head. "Mum's gone."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." He felt like his stomach was twisting for upsetting her.

"You didn't know, how would you. We didn't see how sudden it would be either. Daddy has not been the same since."

"Is there anyone else I can contact for you? Aunts, uncles, grandparents, siblings? Nosy neighbor perhaps?" he was really worried about her being alone.

"People stay away from us, because we see and search for things they cannot see. We do have neighbors down the road from our house. But they have a lot of kids to mind for me to add to their lot. It's just me and Daddy. I manage."

"Some people are not able to handle different. It's not your fault if they stay away. And you are too young to manage on your own. You should enjoy being a kid."

"Thank you for the kind words. But being me makes acquiring friends nearly impossible."

"I can be your friend, if you want."

"Really?" she asked in surprise. The dreamy voice gone for the first time.

"You claim to be my soulmate, at the very least we should be friends before the hand-fasting" he joked.

"I suppose you are right."

—-HPHPHPHP—-

"I wish you could come to Pardes now. You can attend The Orchard and continue your training. Hogwarts is not good enough for you."

"You know I want to go to school where my mother went. We've talked about this. Stop whining."

"I'm not whining" he said in a voice that was proving her point. He pulled her into a hug. "I'll miss you too much."

"I will miss you too. We knew this was coming. It will be an adjustment to spend ten months away from you after being able to see you so often these last couple of years."

He was silent. Still hugging her. Not wanting to let go. With a sigh, he finally shifted slightly away from her. "I'll ask your father for permission to link our Mindscapes. This way we still be together without the mess of cross dimensional travel."

"I thought you didn't want to ask the Council for a favor for that."

"That is correct. I decided that if I do not ask then they cannot deny the request. Which is doubtful. Or if they do grant it, which is extremely likely, then they cannot decide on a preposterous price as payment."

"Say that three times. Preposterous price as payment. Preposterous price as payment. Preposterous price as payment. Hey - I did it"

"Luna, focus."

"I am. How is this going to work if you don't get permission? Magical blocks placed by the Council are impossible to remove"

"Yes, well hypothetically speaking, that is correct."

"Oh goodness. What did you break now?"

"I didn't break anything! It's just that, in theory, a soul bond can anchor any astral landscape. Souls don't have dimensional limitations. Thus, if two souls are bound on different sides then a connection can be made and even expanded using one of the partners as a conduit."

"Right, even if that made sense to me, we aren't bonded to each other. We're too young."

"That is a also a technicality that can be worked around. All theoretically, of course."

"Of course. So, you have a theoretical solution to cross dimensional subconscious communication that bypasses a sanctioned bonding?" she asked shocked.

"Hypothetically speaking, yes."

"Stop saying hypothetical. Cut the crap Isaac. What did you do? Are you going to get in trouble? This is not something your father can get you out of. You are breaking fundamental rules and countless laws. Tell me! Now!"

"Well, I may have, accidently mind, accelerated my spiritual growth." He rushed the sentence but she was still able to understand it.

"YOU WHAT?! How is that even possible?" she pulled further away from him with wide panicked eyes.

"Calm down. It's not a big deal. I just rather not tell the Council for the time being. They will make such a fuss."

"Calm down?! Not a big deal?! You are not even 12 for Merlin sake. What does it mean? How much did you accelerate? How did it happen? When did it happen?"

"Hey, my birthday is only a couple of days away. I'm basically 12."

"That is not the point. You've told me that most initiates start at 13 and don't complete their first trial until they are at least 16. And even then, spiritual growth is a tiny dot in the horizon."

"That's the thing. I figured I could make it happen before the craziness of puberty sets in. It was a simple Gematria equation in the end. And due to my accelerated learning abilities, I skipped a lot, or more accurately advanced quicker than the others. Like I said, this new discovery was an accident. I just wanted to be able to reach you. Talk to you. See you. Your stupid new school has wards I am not allowed to mess with. That is a rule I am not willing to bend since it would draw a lot of unwanted attention. I don't need the British Magical government or the ICW after me"

"Explain. All of it. What the heck happened?"

"I know you've read all the books I could lend you about the Path. But what they leave out, and I'm only telling you this because at this point it doesn't matter, is that the essence of spiritual growth is the experience of 'bittul hyesh'. And I just happened to find a short-cut, for me anyway. I am convinced this is not going to happen with others."

"And what is bittle high-ish?"

"It's 'bittul hyesh' and it means to put your egoic self aside. To transcend the walls and boundaries of the ego."

"Oh that's better" she said sarcastically.

"The training helps with that. Anyway, once you do that the Sages say that you can experience a newer and infinitely grander astral landscape. So, by reaching this step I can connect with you while you're on the other side."

"And you, all of a sudden found a short-cut to transcend your ego. You're 11.."

"Basically 12" he interrupted.

She rolled her eyes. "You're 'basically 12' and not a sage yourself. How did you do that? And how did you go from spiritual landscape to a mindscape."

"I can't tell you with your mind unprotected. What I did, what I know, is because of this" and he pointed to his forehead. He pointed to the scar on his forehead hidden by his mop of black hair.

Her eyes widened even more at that. "Your scar" she whispered.

"That is correct. Just know that we can skip some steps. I just need to ask your father's permission to finish the connection to our mindscapes since you are underage."

"What about you? You are just as young"

"Yes, but I am a Prince of Pardes, and that comes with privileges and exceptions."

"Spoiled brat!" but she smiled and hugged him as she said it.

Foreign words all from Hebrew:

Zaqen - elder

Cohen - Priest

Sanhedrin - council

Rishonim – scholars or sages

Pardes - paradise

Sefer ha-Meshiv – also known as The Book of Responding Entity, kabbala text

Zohar – also known as The Book of Splendor, kabbala text

Ima - mom

Beshert – soulmate

Gematria - the spiritual interpretation of numbers, is one technique for understanding sacred texts

A/N: I went with Isaac as his new name because of Parshat Vayera in the Torah. The name in Hebrew, Yitzchak, means 'he will laugh" and he is named that because his birth brought happiness to his mother because she had been barren for many years. Then when he is older, his father, Abraham, is told by a messenger of Gd that Gd wants him as a sacrifice. Abraham doesn't tell his wife about it, just says they are going on a trip. It takes three days to reach the location. Can you imagine how awkward those three days must have been. "Hey pop, you look down, what's up?" but no answer back. Yeah, bonding time indeed. Anyway, Abraham and Isaac get to the mountain and carry all the stuff to set up the sacrificial altar to the top. They built it and then Isaac is like "Pop, where's the sacrifice?" and his father says that Gd will provide one. Then when he is about to stab the kid in the heart, or however you do human sacrifices, the heavenly messenger stops him and a ram appears and Abraham kills that instead. I mean can you say drama! I then take some creative interpretation and think that an epic argument takes place. "You were going to kill me?! Because a voice told you?! That's just mental! I'm gonna tell ma" is definitely what Issacs says. And then the next part of the text says that Abraham goes down the mountain and heads home. It leaves out where Isaac went but tells you that they did not return home together. Imagine if they did go back together. That ride back would mean three days of sleeping with an eye open in case your old man wants to rip your heart out. Tense! And you thought your family had issues. Oh and when his

mother hears what happens she drops dead from shock. Yup. Abraham has a dead wife and an estranged son. The story of Isaac doesn't end there but what a start. Anyway, I see a lot of connections with the HP series. FYI, my rabbi loves HP so this is totally kosher, lol.

"Take, I beg of you, your only son whom you love, Isaac, and get yourself to the land of Moriah and offer him on one of the mountains." from Parshat Vayera.