Chapter 1

Adoption

'What in the world!? Who is calling at this hour?' Vernon Dursley mumbled to himself as he stomped down the stairs. Getting woken up in the middle of the night did not sit well with him, and if he had to wake up then others weren't going to be allowed to just peacefully snooze. Opening the door to find nobody standing there only infuriated him further. It took all his will power not to scream out into the night, but he could just hear in his head what Petunia might say. "What would the neighbors think?"

In lieu of yelling, he prepared to slam the door, that would release at least a fraction of his frustration. As he reared back, his eyes fell to the floor and he noticed a basket on the doorstep. He jumped back with a light squeal. He peered down into what appeared to be a basket full of blankets, and noticed the small folded piece of paper with his wife's name on it.

'Tunie! Get down here!'

Moments later Petunia Dursley groggily made her way down the stairs to the landing where Vernon was still staring at the basket on their doorstep.

'Well, don't just stand there you big lug, bring it inside. Who knows what the neighbors have already seen.'

Vernon reached down and grabbed the basket, then slowly closed the door, his anger being replaced by surprise. This basket didn't feel like it was full of only blankets, but it wasn't particularly heavy either. He handed the note to Petunia, who quickly opened it and began to read. Immediately her eyes widened and then she quickly sat down into the large sofa. Her eyes glistened as she fought to hold back the tears.

'Set the basket on the coffee table, Vernon.'

She slowly unwrapped the top layer of blanket to expose the sleeping face of a baby. The sight that can melt any mother's heart washed away any hint of residual animosity she had towards her sister. He looked so peaceful, swaddled in those thin sheets. Those peaceful feelings were quickly swept away as she looked up into the blubbering face of her husband.

'Did they drop off Moses or something?' he stammered.

'It's Lily's boy. . . Harry,' she quietly responded

'Lily's? Your sister? How? What? Why? We didn't even know she had a child.'

'Yes, my sister. And, I didn't know she had the baby, but I knew she was pregnant. We met up when I was pregnant with Dudley. We both had exciting news, it was the best conversation we'd had for a long time.'

Petunia had been at odds with her sister for sometime. Maybe it was the new life that was growing in her belly, and her sister having the same experience that made them both realize that they were both more similar than they had previously wanted to admit. However, it was the commonality of their pregnancy cravings that truly drove this point home.

Perhaps it was the loss of their parents that sparked the desire for at least partial reconciliation between the two. That may have been the impetus for their get together, but there was no denying that after the initial awkwardness, their conversation had been easy. The commonalities were impossible to ignore, and the prospect of getting her sister back was more real than it had ever been. And just like that it was ripped away, her sister was lost again, and there was no reconciliation possible this time.

'So why is her son here now?'

'This note says that Lily and her husband were killed,' Petunia said somberly, fighting back tears.

'Killed?' Vernon breathed in question.

'That's what it says. When we last talked she mentioned that she wouldn't be able to have much contact for a while. She thought that her family was going to be targeted in whatever war that was going on with the wizards.'

'This war must still be going on if they are just dropping off orphaned babies in the middle of the night. Are we a target now? You've told me about the powers of these freaks.'

'I don't know, Vernon. The note says something about placing blood wards on our house that will keep him, and us, safe.'

'Well of course they would say that we're safe. I don't know what the bloody hell blood wards are, sounds freakish. They wouldn't drop off a baby, and then say that we better watch our backs. I don't know, Tunie. I've got a bad feeling.'

'What do we do then? He is still family.' Scared and uncertain what to do.

'Yes, and, if keeping him safe is a priority, then keeping him here won't do it. You are family so this would be one of the first places to look for an orphaned nephew. The freaks might be weird, but I can't imagine they are stupid enough not to check the boy's relatives.'

'But we don't even know if the boy is in danger anymore. Maybe getting to Lily and her husband was enough. Maybe those blood wards truly will keep us safe, this is my last link to Lily,' she said hopefully.

'Are you willing to take that chance? There's no protecting him if they come,' he warned.

'No, you're right. He's not safe, and if he's not safe we're not safe,' she said in realization. 'So, do we just find an adoption agency and drop him off?'

'No, we can't leave any kind of paper trail. We can't even know where he is going. You said those freaks can look at your old memories, right?' he asked pensively.

'Yeah, I remember Lily talking about reading minds, and people showing old memories like on a TV.'

'Ok, so we won't be able to get away with lying either. We just can't have any idea where he ends up. And there can be no trails leading to him, or back to us. I think I know a guy. Well actually, he knows a guy who knows a guy, and that is just what we are looking for.'

'I'm sorry, Harry. I'm Sorry, Lily. I just don't see another way.' Petunia said as she looked from Harry and then up to the ceiling, tears streaming down her cheeks.

'Jennifer, honey, I've got good news.'

'What is it, Evan?'

'Well, you know how you —how we have always wanted a family. I mean we wanted— we want kids. Right?' he said bordering on timid.

'Yeah, what did you do? I know that look.' She had an accusatory tone.

'Nothing. Yet. But this guy, um, long story short, there is an orphaned kid, about a year old, parents died in an accident and he was basically left for dead.' There was a hope in his eyes.

'Do I even want to know how he ended up with this guy that you know? And we can just have him? Adoptions are expensive, that's one of the reasons why we haven't pursued it.'

'Well, we don't have to worry about money for this one. The paperwork is all lined up, we just have to tell them what name to put on the birth certificate, it will look like we had the baby ourselves. I've seen a picture, the kid is adorable. I know you're gonna love him.'

'This feels too good to be true. Evan, what aren't you telling me? I know nothing is free, especially here in New York,' she said with suspicion.

'Umm, don't worry about it babe. I've got it all under control,' he soothed.

'Evan, tell me.' The fire in her eyes told him this argument was over.

'Fine, I just have to help with a job.'

'No! You said you were done with that. No! You can't risk it. If you get caught again it's not just going to be a couple years. You know that right?' Her anger showed in her face.

'I know. But, Jenn, this could be our last chance, our best chance, at having a family. Even if we make enough money to afford an adoption we will never pass the background checks. We were always going to have to go underground to pull it off. And this is going to be confidential, or double blind, or something, there's no paper trail on either side. Nobody is ever going to come for the kid. This is as clean as it could get. I know the risk, but for a family, I think it is worth it. I'll do what I have to for you, for us,' he said determinedly.

'Fine. Oh Evan, I love you. You better not get caught. You hear me!? As soon as this is done we are moving. Far away. California. We're starting a new life.'

'That sounds great. A fresh start for a fresh family. So, what do you think is a good name for our baby boy?'

'Your jokes are still lame, but as for a name, how about Cody? Cody Evan Langdon.'

'I love it.'

'Albus, what a pleasant surprise.'

'You're surprised I have come to visit you, Arabella?'

'Oh, nothing you do truly surprises, though I have given up trying to predict your actions.'

'Unpredictability is the spice of life. How are you, Arabella?'

'I am doing very well, thank you.'

'And how is our little baby Harry?'

'I couldn't say.'

'Pardon.' Dumbledore tried to hide his surprise, but was not successful.

'I haven't seen him.'

'Well, I hadn't expected him to be a particularly prominent member of the family, but surely you've seen some evidence of him.'

'No, Albus, I haven't. The family has left the house all together on multiple occasions. They clearly have only one car seat,' she said with conviction.

'In nearly two months, you have seen no hint of the boy?' he asked with concern.

'Nothing.'

'And you've been checking regularly?' his disbelief beginning to become evident.

'Constantly. Stalker status.'

'This is slightly disturbing. You don't suppose they have just kept him inside?'

'I would hope not, and perhaps it is possible, but I cannot say for certain.'

'This is most interesting. I would like to consult with Minerva. I shall return to check with the family posthaste.'

Back in the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore gave Professor McGonagall his report.

'Minerva, please come in. Lemon drop?'

'No thank you, Albus. One of these days you will save your breath.'

'Ah, then I would risk missing the opportunity to watch you savor the joys of the lemon drop.'

'We shall see. What can I do for you today?' she asked successfully fighting off the grin that almost overcame her.

'There is something I wish to discuss. There is a situation afoot. I may have the need for your assistance,' he said in a solemn tone.

'To what are you referring, Albus?'

'Harry Potter.'

'Have you found the family that you want to place him with?' Her excitement was palpable.

'No. Now that the trials are complete, I had intentions of visiting various families over the holiday to decide where might be best. But before I made those visits, I went to check on Harry first. Something I found there has me concerned.'

'Please, elaborate.' She wasn't particularly fond of being made to wait.

'As far as Miss Figg can tell, he is not there. One would expect to see two car seats if the family left the house for any extended period of time, she has only ever seen one. There is no indication of a second baby in the home.'

'Not there? How could that be? Where would he be?' she breathed.

'That is the mystery that needs solving.'

'But the Dursleys are his family, and Lily said she felt they were beginning to make amends. Surely they didn't . . .' And she covered her mouth with her hand.

'I don't feel speculating and worrying about possible worst case scenarios is our best course of action at this time. We must learn all we can before we allow our feelings to take over.'

'Yes, we need to speak with the family. And now I know why you brought me here. And the answer is no.,' she finished sternly.

'But Minerva, I feel it would be best if you visited the Dursley's to inquire about Harry. Surely they would be more receptive to your kind nature.' He used his most persuasive tone.

'Be that as it may, and your flattery will not activate the rune, this is your responsibility. You are his magical guardian. You can have a civil discussion with his relatives.'

'You seem quite firm in your resolve on the matter. There is nothing I can do to persuade you to change your mind?'

'Certainly nothing comes to mind,' she replied with a near air of defiance.

'Very well. I shall endeavor to gather the information myself. I assume you would like to be kept abreast of any developments.'

'Of course, I still feel some sort of responsibility for the boy.'

'Well then, I have some plans to make. Thank you for your time. Have a pleasant evening, Minerva.'

'Good evening to you, Albus, and good luck.'

Albus Dumbledore slowly approached Number 4 Privet Drive contemplating the many directions this conversation could go. He was generally in control of conversations, but there were just too many unknowns for him to prepare for this time. He just needed to get it over with. He strode up the walkway to the door and knocked politely on the door. A hippo of a man, with a walrus mustache opened the door and eyed the strange man with the strange purple robes.

'Who are you? What do you want?'

'Vernon Dursley, I presume?' Dumbledore replied calmly.

'Yes, I'm Vernon. Again, who are you?' The large man retorted.

'I am Albus Dumbledore, and I would like to have a kind word with you and your wife, if I may.'

'Who is it?' yelled Petunia, as she made her way from the kitchen toward the entryway. She saw the man in the purple robes and pointy hat, and froze, for just a moment. Then, ever so quickly, she slapped Vernon on the forearm and said, 'well, let the man in. Hurry, don't make him stand at the door.'

Vernon cleared his throat. 'Yes. Yes. Come in. Do have a seat.'

'Would you like some tea Mr . . ?'

'Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore. And yes, tea would be lovely, thank you.'

The blood in Petunia's face evaporated as she turned to make her way back to the kitchen. Hopefully he didn't notice my reaction, that would've been a dead giveaway. That name, she recognized it, and the feeling associated with the memory was not pleasant. There was definitely no face affixed to the name in her memories, and she was good with names and faces. This felt to her like a character from a book, like she had read the name before.

Suddenly, the teacup and saucer she was holding fell and shattered across the kitchen floor. She remembered the name, the name at the bottom of the note that was in baby Harry's basket.

'Is everything alright dear?' Vernon asked from the sitting room.

'Oh yes, just a silly accident. Nothing to worry about, I'll be just a minute,' she fought to keep her voice calm.

He was back, but what for? Was he here to kill us? No, if that were the case we'd be dead already. He was here to warn us. Whoever killed Lily was still out there and was tracking down Harry, and was getting closer. He was here to help. Did he know Harry isn't here? Only one way to find out.

'Here you are, sir. I recognize your name, but I can't quite seem to place it.'

'Yes, I believe we have had some correspondence in the past. Most recently would be a letter that accompanied a baby boy in a basket. It is in regards to that same boy that I am here this evening.'

Vernon's face began to redden, and Petunia shot him the "keep your mouth shut, and let me do the talking" look.

'Yes, I remember that baby quite well. Having your infant nephew dropped off in the middle of night, with a note stating that his parents have been killed is not something one tends to forget easily.'

'No, I suppose that came as a bit of a shock, and let me tell you I am sorry for your loss.'

'Thank you, we might have had a tumultuous relationship, but we were still sisters. And I think we both had hope things were on the road to redemption.'

'She had expressed a similar sentiment. So, first, I will give you this. She left this to you in her will.'

'She left us money. She really did forgive me,' her emotions bubbling to the surface again.

'I hope that does something to help the healing,' Dumbledore said consolingly.

'Yes, it does. I said some terrible things to her when we were younger. I wasn't sure we could ever recover our relationship. This helps me know where we were headed at least.'

'I'm very glad for that. So how is our little Harry doing?'

'Well, we wouldn't know.'

'I'm sorry. I don't quite understand. You said you remember receiving him.'

'That would be correct. You see, the information we received the night he was left with us made us feel that he was in some sort of danger. From whom or what, we had no idea, but if he was in danger then it was only safe to assume we also would be in danger. We did a little reading between the lines. As relatives, we knew we couldn't be far down the list of where to look for the boy. So in order to protect him, we gave him up for adoption.'

'Adoption? I see. Well, we cannot undo what is done. Though I can assure you, he and your family would've been safe here, had you kept him. But we will not dwell on that. Do you know where he might be now?'

'No, we have no idea. We made sure it was a completely confidential adoption. No information about where he was from was given. And we received no information about where he would go.'

'Hmm, do you have any information on the agency you used for the adoption? How long was he here at your house before it happened?'

'He was here for approximately three days. Vernon, will you go get that business card we kept from the man who helped us?'

'Yes dear, of course.' Vernon scurried to a desk, fumbling for the card.

'This is the business card of the man we worked with. I don't expect any of the information to be current, but it is all we have. We figured that it was only a matter of time before somebody would come looking for him. And if that somebody was associated with those that killed Lily we didn't want to be able to give them any information that might lead to them hurting her baby. We also knew if they came for him here we couldn't protect him, so we did what we thought was best. I'm sorry.'

'I see. I see. Well, you did what you thought was best. I can only fault myself for not being more forthcoming in my information. I do hope that he has found a good home. You don't possibly have any more information that might help me locate him? Did you give them his name or his birthday?'

'No, I'm afraid what we've given you is all that we have. I don't believe we even knew his birthday, come to think of it. And obviously we wouldn't have given his name. But I do have a question for you, sir. Are we safe? Are those same bad guys still out there?' she asked with concern.

'I'd venture to say there are always still some bad guys out there. Though, considering there are only two other people that know Harry was ever brought here, and there is no actual evidence of him ever being here, the likelihood of anyone coming for you to get to him is extremely small. I would consider yourselves quite safe,' he soothed.

'Well that little bit of assurance does help. Thank you.'

'I do appreciate you being honest with me, but I believe it is time for me to be on my way.'

'Have a good evening.'

Once the door was closed Petunia grinned at her husband.

'You didn't say much.'

'That's— that's what you said to do. If they ever came for him, just keep my mouth shut. Even if I did want to scream at him.'

'Yes, and you did wonderfully. Now, go freshen up, and take your blue pill,' she said with a sultry smile.

'Albus, come in. Tea and biscuits?'

'Yes, thank you Minerva.'

'See, if you offer something palatable, people will accept. I take it you have returned from your quest, and have some information to share.'

'Yes, I'm still trying to decide if it's all bad news, or if there is anything positive I can glean. Perhaps you can help my perspective.'

'What did you learn?'

'The boy was given up for adoption within three days of being dropped off.'

'Oh my! His own family didn't want him? Though it certainly beats some more sinister alternatives. Surely the adoption agency has some way of tracking the family he was given to.'

'If they had used a regular agency, I'm sure you would be correct. Alas, they wanted there to be no trace, in either direction. They gave me this card of the individual that facilitated the transaction. The name is a fake, the phone number is disconnected. There is no trail to follow. Which unfortunately also leaves those other alternatives still possibilities.'

'Why would they do that?'

'They were concerned about safety, and I didn't get any sense of deceit. They seemed to truly feel like they would've been in danger had they kept Harry there. And Lily and her sister seemed to have truly been on the road to amends. I can only fault myself for not being more forthcoming with them.'

'Their point is not without merit. And Harry may actually be safer with another family in complete anonymity.'

'That is if he ever actually made it to a family. But if he did, and I can only hope, then there is a chance this turns out for the best.'

'Is there anything we do in the meantime?' she asked.

'We can discreetly keep our eyes and ears open in regards to accidental magic incidents. But ultimately, I believe we just wait. The admissions book will determine his Hogwarts eligibility like any other. That will also provide his location, then we shall deliver his letter on his eleventh birthday as we do with our muggleborns, and we proceed from there.'

'I suppose that is all we can do. I do hope he found a decent family.'

Eight year old Cody Langdon and his two best friends, Victor and Jamal, were playing at their usual park in South Central Los Angeles. It hadn't taken long for the three to become best friends, they were the only other kids his age in his apartment complex. The fact that none of the three had fathers present in their lives brought them together in another way. Cody's dad was tracked down and convicted in conjunction with a bank robbery in New York City. He was serving twenty years in a New York state prison. Cody wasn't sure exactly what happened to the other boys' fathers —it wasn't a frequent topic of discussion amongst the group— but neither had a memory outside of some pictures.

It wasn't difficult for the mothers of these boys to realize how close their sons were getting. They began watching each other's kids regularly. They coordinated schedules as best they could so at least one of the women was home when the boys weren't at school. Despite their best efforts, there were still hours of time when the boys were left to their own devices. Most frequently they found themselves at a nearby park, with a playground, basketball court and a large grass field. Finding things to do there was not hard, and the lack of overall supervision made staying out of trouble nearly impossible.

Cody, Victor and Jamal stuck together, they were brothers in all but blood. There were a few rules they learned to live by in order to minimize the amount of bullies they had to deal with. One; you only have to be stronger than the weakest target; that was fairly easy to accomplish by sticking together. Two; inflict damage; if somebody insists on escalating a confrontation, make sure they don't leave without something to remember you by. Bullies prefer easy targets, ones that don't fight back. So after scrapping a few times, the trio got the reputation that they just weren't worth the effort to pick on.

Today though, everything went sideways and somehow Cody found himself separated from his brothers. He hated running away, but when he realized he was alone with no backup, he knew he had no other option. These two boys were older and bigger, and he knew it wasn't much longer before they would catch him. He didn't dare look back, knowing that would only slow him down. He could hear one of them getting closer and closer.

The moment he thought he was caught, he began to spin. He braced himself for the impact of the ground, and was dreading the moment one of the older boys was going to land on him. After a moment the spinning stopped and he felt compression on all sides. Why did his beating feel like getting sucked through a straw? His eyes were closed, and he was laying on his stomach when all the sensations stopped. Nobody was pounding on him, and he heard none of the typical taunts that he was expecting. His arms and legs felt limp, like they were dangling from their respective sockets. Probably broken. Great, Mom is going to be so pissed.

He blinked his eyes a few times and then glanced around in all directions to gather his bearings. Am I in a tree? What the? He was lying flat on a tree branch, and from what he could tell, was on the other side of the park. With nobody in the near vicinity, he determined it safe to get down. He swung his legs down, then dropped his upper body so he was dangling from the branch like a pull up bar. From there it was about a six foot drop and he was able to land deftly on his feet. Then he slowly wandered over to the bench he and his friends had designated as their meetup spot if they ever got separated.

'Dude, Cody, what happened? We didn't realize we got split up until we couldn't see you or those two jerks anymore.'

'I don't know man. I guess I got cut off by one of them, so I had to head in the other direction. I didn't see where you guys were headed before it was too late.'

'So how did you get away? None of us are fast enough to outrun them on our own, and you still seem to be in one piece.'

'That's the craziest part. I have no idea. One minute I was sure they were about to tackle me, and the next second I'm up in that tree over there, literally just lying on a branch. I have no clue what happened,' Cody said, incredulous at his situation.

'You just magically ended up in a tree?' Victor sounded suspicious.

'Yeah. I mean, I guess so. Everything went black for a second.'

'Maybe they beat you so bad you just don't remember a thing,' Jamal wondered.

'Beat him without leaving a scratch?' Victor asked a bit accusatorily.

'It's about as likely as magically popping across the park,' Jamal defended.

'Like I said, I have no idea how or what happened. I'm just happy I'm not all busted up, or in a coma.' Cody tried to find some middle ground to prevent another fight.

'That sure is lucky, man. Mom always says, "Jesus helps those who are most in need." Today that was you.'

'Guess I'll be thanking Jesus tonight then. Let's get outta here, those punks will be out for blood after that.'

Cody, Victor and Jamal continued to do just about everything together. Today that led the trio of ten year olds to a local corner market to grab an afterschool snack. Their relatively boring walk home turned adventurous when they decided to take a shortcut through one of the many back alleys of this Los Angeles neighborhood.

Unfortunately, they had got in a bit too far before realizing this alleyway was not unoccupied. They stumbled upon a couple individuals engaged in some obviously illicit activities. It appeared that a deal was going down.

'Oh shoot.' Said Jamal.

'Hey kids, you shouldn't be here. You haven't seen anything have you?'

'No no! Of course not, we haven't seen a thing!' Cody claimed.

The man who looked to be on the receiving end of the money, pulled out a gun and motioned for the kids to come closer, while saying, 'why don't you kids come over here and we'll make sure you don't remember anything.'

The boys simultaneously gulped and started slowly walking closer, even though they knew they should be moving in the other direction. Cody was in the middle and grabbed the forearms of his two friends on each side. He thought back to that day he ended up in the tree, and tried to generate the same feelings. He closed his eyes as they took slow steps forward, he focused on being somewhere else, anywhere else. He focused on being in front of their apartment building, on the sidewalk. He thought of the little cracks running through the cement, and the weeds poking out of those cracks. They drew closer to the man with the gun, and he shoved them against the wall. Cody could hear the shallow breaths of his friends, he felt his heart hammering in his throat. He kept his eyes closed, and refocused on the sidewalk in front of his apartment building. Take me there, take me there, please, take me there.

Victor gasped in a deep breath as he saw the gun barrel get raised and placed against his forehead. He is just trying to scare us to death, he doesn't need to kill us. We're gonna be ok.

He never found out. The next moment he was spinning, spinning and getting sucked through a tube that was not quite big enough, his world gone black. The moment ended with a thud on the hard concrete. He opened his eyes, he was on his hands and knees. Cody was on his right hand side in the same position and gasping for breath, sweat dripping off his face. On the other side of Cody was Jamal, also on his hands and knees, panting and gasping for breath.

'What. The. Hell. Just. Happened?' Victor asked.

'Remember when I told you about ending up in the tree in the park last year?'

'Yeah.'

'I think I just did it again. Except this time I was concentrating on getting right here.'

'Dude, you seriously just teleported us. Do you know what this means?' Victor said with a glint in his eye.

'What are you thinking?' Cody knew the look.

'Man, you can get us into the SC games for free.'

'He just saved our lives and all you can think about is getting into some football games, you're crazy,' Jamal said, exasperated.

'Forget it. I don't think I can do it anyway. I can only do it when I'm like really scared or something. Both times I thought I was about to die, or at least get beat up. I'd have to admit that it'd be pretty sweet though,' Cody added.

'Dude, you just teleported us like 5 blocks. For sure you can pop us over a chain link fence. You just need practice. You said you knew where you wanted to go this time, yeah? So, you just need to practice concentrating on where you want to go and see if you get there. Doing it once was a mystery, doing it twice means something else. And you took us with you, that's gotta mean something. And don't give us your Jesus thing again, Jamal. I don't know what it is, but you need to figure out what you can do, and control it.'

'We can't tell anyone either, if this gets out, you're getting taken away by the government for testing or some crap like that,' Jamal noted.

'Thanks guys, but I think I need to rest before practicing. I'm exhausted, and hungry.'

'Cody have you tried teleporting anymore?'

'Nah, I haven't had the time.'

'What are you waiting for? SC is home today, so no way we're going to that one. That gives you about a month before they play Notre Dame. That's plenty of time to get this down. I want to see Marinovich before he goes pro, that'll be his last home game for sure.'

'Yeah man, I want to go too. We're never getting in any other way.'

'Ok, ok. I'll try. Get out of the way. I'm going to try and go over to the kitchen, start small.'

He closed his eyes and visualized himself standing in front of the refrigerator. He pictured the different magnets, and his mom's work schedule. He tilted his chin down and pictured the shiny patterned linoleum flooring. Take me there, take me there. He could feel the sensation start small as he kept playing the same images over and over while thinking the same thoughts. The feeling grew until the spin took over and he felt his feet leave the soft carpet and hit the harder kitchen floor. He opened his eyes and reached out to steady himself on the fridge, a grin growing across his face.

'WHOOOAAA! YOU DID IT!'

'THAT WAS AWESOME!'

His friends ran into the kitchen, Jamal wrapping him in a huge bear hug and Victor slapping him forcefully on the back.

'That was so cool. You were there, and then, pop, you are here.'

'Yup, we could hear the pop too. I thought you were gonna pass out. You were starting to breath heavy, sweat was beading on your forehead. But then, boom, you were gone. So cool.'

'Holy cow! I can't believe I did it. Now I'm going to see if I can get back over to the couch, then I'll need a break.'

He made it back to the couch with a tiny bit less effort than before, but he was still exhausted.

'Man, that is so tiring. I need a break,' Cody said, taking a seat on the sofa.

'It's probably like any other kind of exercise, you gotta keep practicing to make it easier. Your body isn't used to it yet, you're out of shape.'

'Yeah man, as far as teleporting shape goes, you are a fatty.' The boys burst into laughter as not a single one of them had an ounce of fat apparent on their bodies.

'Well, I don't plan on doing it a ton obviously, but you're right that I should be able to do it when I want. And it would be nice if I wasn't wasted when I'm done. But for now, are we watching Star Wars or what?'

.

.

.

'Cody, what if you are a Jedi?' Victor asked.

'Jedi don't teleport, bro,' Cody countered.

'Maybe they just didn't put that part in the movies,' Victor reasoned.

'Yeah, I'm sure it's all based on a real story but the Jedi said, "just don't reveal that we can teleport. All the other Force stuff is ok though." ' Jamal said sarcastically.

'Fine, make fun, but if Cody can teleport, who knows what else he can do. I'm gonna take this pillow to the other side of the room, and you are going to Force grab it,' Victor said, moving across the room.

'Force grab? What are you talking about?' Cody asked.

'I mean, grab it from the other side of the room without moving, just will it to come to you. You know, like Luke does to grab the lightsaber, and Force grab, or Force pull it. I don't know what to call it. Come on man. You can move your whole body, moving a pillow shouldn't be any harder.'

'Ok, I'll try.'

'No! Try not. Do or do not. There is no try,' Victor said with a grin.

'Right.' Cody reached out his hand with fingers outstretched. He tried to think about the pillow popping into his hand, but his will was not behind the thought. His doubt was evident on his face, he opened his eyes and the pillow was still on the other side of the room.

'Sorry guys. I guess I don't have The Force. I'm just a teleporter, which is still pretty cool,' Cody said, slightly defeated.

'Don't give us that load of crap. You didn't even try. You never believed you could do it. Remember what Obi-Wan said, you have to feel it. Try again. Close your eyes and focus,' Victor demanded.

'K.' Cody inhaled deeply and tried again to picture the pillow. He still had a hint of feeling that this was a stupid idea, but he tried to push that aside. Reaching out his hand, he tried to pull the pillow across the room. His hand began to quiver, and he scrunched his eyes shut even tighter. His focus was so much on the pillow he didn't even notice the small tug from within his abdomen, and then—

BAM! The pillow slammed into his hand and then dropped to the floor.

'Whoa!' Jamal cried.

'Awesome! But you are going to need to work on catching better though,' Victor said calmly.

'Did you feel anything? How was it different? Are you tired?' Jamal asked.

'No, I'm not really tired. Definitely not compared to teleporting. And I'm not sure what I felt. I was so focused on the pillow, I didn't really pay attention to what I was feeling before it hit my hand,' Cody explained his feelings.

'Well, it makes sense that you're not as tired. Moving a pillow is nothing compared to moving your whole body. But try it again. Pay attention to how you feel. See if it's similar to when you are teleporting.' Victor said. Jamal gave him a half sideways glance, Cody wasn't quite paying attention to him, which was good or he might have been suspicious.

So, Cody threw the pillow back to Victor on the other side of the room, who placed it on the ground. Cody lengthened his arm, stretched out his fingers and curled them at the last joint. He tried to envision all aspects of the pillow, the purple fabric, the white fluffy stuff on the inside and even the zipper on one side. Then he pictured the pillow lifting off the ground and floating into his outstretched hand. This time he tried to generate the feeling from deep within his body, like he was siphoning the Force from his stomach. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead and nose, and his arm began to shake.

Victor and Jamal were intently watching Cody. Victor had a slight smirk, and Jamal a slight scowl. Next to Victor the pillow began to tremble. Jamal noticed it first as he was turning to glower at Victor. All he did was point. This drew Victor's attention to the trembling pillow which was now beginning to lift off the ground. His eyes bugged out of his head and shot an astonished look to Jamal, who only placed his right index finger to his lips to ensure Victor didn't ruin Cody's concentration. The pillow hovered in place for a moment before it slowly started floating across the room until it hit Cody's hand and he gently pulled it to his body.

Cody opened his eyes, only to barely see the two blurs headed straight for him. He had no time to react before both friends had tackled him back onto the sofa.

'NO WAY!'

'HOLY SMOKES! You ARE a freaking Jedi!'

'This is unreal. I can barely believe this. Holy freaking cow!' Victor could not contain his enthusiasm.

'Guys. What's the big deal? Why are you so much more excited this time?' Cody asked in surprise.

Jamal gave Victor another scowl before he started. 'The second time was legit. Like it was all you, The Force, whatever it was, the pillow levitated off the ground, hovered there for a sec, and then just floated across the room.'

'Yeah, that's exactly what I was picturing in my mind. But what happened the first time then?' Cody still wasn't catching on.

'Victor here, he chucked the pillow at you. That's why it came at you so fast and you couldn't catch it.'

'But then you did it for real. Like, I'm still in shock, man. And, honest, I didn't do nothing the second time. Like Jamal said that was all you. And I'm sorry for having fun with ya, that wasn't cool of me to try and make fun of you.' Victor interjected.

'No, it wasn't. But honestly, if you hadn't done it, I probably never would've succeeded. I was doubting that I could do that the first two tries, but that last one, I believed.'

'So, did it feel different? Like teleporting?' Jamal eagerly asked.

'Oh yeah. I could feel the energy, or whatever. It felt like it was flowing through me. And I'm not as tired as I am after teleporting, but I am definitely drained now.'

'Man, that is so cool. And I was right, doesn't take as much energy to move a pillow,' Victor said victoriously.

'Yeah, you were right, even if you were being a dick.' Jamal added.

'I know, I know. And I already said I was sorry. You better not let your mom hear you say that. She'll slap you silly. But still my dick theory was spot on.'

'Better not let any of our moms hear you say that. Any one of them will slap any one of us,' Cody reasoned.

'True that, it's like we've each got three moms, isn't it?'

'Three moms and three brothers, we're like a messed up Brady Bunch.'

'We're messed up alright. But not as messed up as ole Jedi over here,' Victor teased.

'You won't be calling me messed up when I get you into the SC game for free. So you better watch it.'

'I didn't say you weren't cool, just messed up, big difference. You wanna try it one more time? Unless you're too tired.'

'I'm good, and yeah, let me do it once more.'

This time it took less strain and less time before the pillow was levitated. Cody still had his eyes closed as he was focused on channeling the energy from wherever in his body it came from out through his fingers. Again the pillow was slowly floating towards Cody, about half way across the room.

'Stay focused, but open your eyes Cody.' Victor said calmly.

Cody barely heard Victor, he was so in tune with his feelings, but slowly he opened his eyes and saw the pillow floating in the middle of the room. Both his friends far enough away that there was no way they were interfering. The pillow started dropping slowly before Cody refocused and steadily brought the pillow the rest of the way across the room.

'Nice. I wanted you to see it with your own eyes, so that you aren't doubting yourself. I didn't want you to think we tried to pull one over on you, since I kinda already did that.' Victor said sheepishly.

'Thanks. I think I can come up with tons of ways to get you back, so don't be too sorry. If you're too remorseful I can't in good conscience drop a glass of ice water on you.'

'A freaking Jedi. Our best friend is a freaking Jedi.' Jamal was still awestruck.

'Hey, get your head out of the clouds man. We gotta be ready to back him up if R2 comes to deliver him some weird message. No running off with robots without telling us first, alright Cody?' Victor added teasingly.

'Of course, no way I'm leaving my brothers.' Cody chuckled his response.

Updated A/N - I recently tagged the Hogwarts characters in the story, so if that's what drew you to the story, be aware they don't show up until around Chapter 10, plan accordingly. I started this story as a silly thing for my family before deciding to share. So, if I took too long trying to develop things pre-Hogwarts, sorry. I also tried to mainly write about things I was somewhat familiar with, I can see how that might give a self-insert feel to some sections, oh well. I may come back and streamline some of the middle chapters, but that would be posted in another version, and I want to finish this before going back over things.

And this is a very different Harry, I guess people say indy!Harry, I'm still learning the FFN world. He's very much different, down to the name, but I don't need people telling me he's basically an OC, any I've ever read indy!Harry is that. If the flow or tone of the story isn't super consistent, well I'm just putting down some of my own dumb ideas and trying to learn how to write better. I do not claim to be a good writer, so I won't pretend, this is just for fun. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, or are at least entertained a little.