Title: Way of the Force
Author name: Icy Manipulator
Author email:
Category: Action/Adventure
Sub Category: Romance
Keywords: Harry Jedi

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Training to be a Jedi Part 1.

DISCLAIMER:

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling and/or George Lucas, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, Lucas Books, Del Rey and Randomhouse, Lucas Arts and Lucasfilm Ltd., and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author notes: I would like to give a shout out to my Beta, Jeassa. As many of the readers have noticed, I did pull down most of the chapters to rework on the fics spelling and grammar. Jeassa had been kind to volunteer her time to help straighten things out.

In addition, I put in a few minor changes to some of the chapters that would help clear up a few things. The fic would have a total of 27 chapters which includes the trailer, prologue and epilogue.

Thank you to those who've reviewed and continue to support this work. To those who haven't reviewed yet or don't want to, just drop a line to say hello.

The Force is created and Sustained by Life.

- Jedi Tenets

The boy nodded his understanding. "Can I ask you something?" The Jedi Master nodded. "What are midi-chlorians?"
Wind whipped at Qui-Gon's long hair, blowing strands of it across his strong face. "Midi-chlorians are microscopic life-forms that reside within the cells of all living things and communicate with the Force."
"They live inside of me?" the boy asked.
"In your cells." Qui-Gon paused. "We are symbionts with the midi-chlorians."
"Symbi-what?"
"Symbionts. Life-forms living together for mutual advantage. Without the midi-chlorians, life could not exist, and we would have no knowledge of the Force. Our midi-chlorians continually speak to us, Annie, telling us the will of the Force."
"They do?"
Qui-Gon cocked one eyebrow. "When you learn to quiet your mind, you will hear them speaking to you."
Anakin thought about it for a moment, then frowned. "I don't understand."
Qui-Gon smiled, and his eyes were warm and secretive. "With time and training, Annie, you will."

--from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace novelization by Terry Brooks

Chapter 4 – Potty Training I

01 July 1996. 0300 Local Time.

It was an unusually cold that early morning. Through the calming atmosphere that permeated the woods surrounding the summer home of the Potters', the only sounds that could be heard where the hooting of owls and the songs of crickets. But if you were near enough to a particular window east side of the second floor, mirthful laughter could be heard from a raven haired, green eyed youth.

The boy… no… young man is giddy with mirth. To those who didn't know, it would seem that this was how he's always been. Mischievous, brash and quick to find something worth laughing at in any situation, after all, he is the son of one of the Marauders.

To those that did though, they know it was not so. Harry Potter was a serious and broody person. Full of anger against his fate and going about as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Which he does, in fact.

Look again through the windows, my dear friends…what do you see?

A young man, who has decided to take control of his life because it was his to control.

A son, who would make any parent proud.

A friend, who you know, you can trust your back with, never expecting anything in return.

A hero, that has accepted his fate – to fight the darkness and be , not because it was expected of him but rather because he knew no one else could or would do it and be that beacon of hope. Like that shaft of light he saw grandfather was wielding in his vision, he would slash through whatever the dark would throw at him.

The greatest thing about it was that… It was his decision.

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Earlier that evening…

"...Now, I know how granddad got here and I know he was to be a knight in training or something…"

"Padawan learner…" his mother interrupted him. As she had promised, she told Harry of how her father was a Jedi in training, how the attack on their ship had caused it to malfunction and sent them careening off across the universe.

She told of how her father eventually fell in love and married a widower, about how Petunia became her half sister. And how she was trained by her father from an early age to wield the Force, until the time she got her Hogwarts letter. She wasn't able to continue the next summer though, caught unawares or perhaps, most likely by the Force's will, both her father and stepmother were murdered... among the first of many that issued forth the first reign of Voldemort's terror. Luckily, Petunia too, was at her boarding school and wasn't killed. However, this started the animosity between the two sisters. Petunia blamed Lily and her kind for losing her mother and the man she grew up with to know as a father.

"Yes, Mum, but the thing is, you still haven't answered my question... What is the Force?"

"Harry" his mother replied. "Some think that the force is a form of energy that permeates the universe, some believe it is the essence of a higher unknown, some actually consider it a being... but nevertheless, the main fact is that the Force is created and is sustained by Life. It is the power that binds us all. It is the source from which all peoples, whether human or not, derives the will to live."

"...I still don't understand..." Harry was beginning to say but his father then interrupted.

"Imagine, Harry, how do you suppose a man, a muggle man, could suddenly rip the doors off a car to rescue his family that were trapped inside it after an accident? Where do you think the courage of rescue workers flow from... firefighters rushing into burning buildings...? Or something closer to home... your, as your friend Hermione would say, "People saving thing."

Sirius then added. "You see, Harry, since the Force is, as Lils explained, is created and sustained by life... It would therefore be imperative for it to help it grow and flourish...and most importantly continue..."

"The Jedi", his mother continued in explanation, "are individuals that live in harmony with the force. They have always been the keepers of the peace and more times than not, enforcers of its will. To make you further understand, Harry, is that the force aims for balance. It is neither light nor dark, the force could be used for good or evil and there are times when the dark side would seem overwhelming yet at the same time seem to be the will of the force..."

"Isn't that a bit strange?" Harry mused. "I mean how could balance be achieved through darkness?"

"If there is only good or light, how would you know what it is without knowing the dark?" James interjected.

"From what I understand from Dad, this was the start of the Old Republic's downfall. The Jedi had become complacent and so sure of their powers that they could not imagine the Force as anything but the light side. So when the darkside reared its head, they didn't know how to react to it. Only a few, who had experienced fighting the darkness, had seen it. They were few, but they were among the most powerful of Jedi. But even these few did not prevail. It is here that an orphan... raised by his aunt and uncle, rose up to be the bridge... The last of the old and first of the New Jedi Order."

"...Is it me?" asked Harry.

"No. He is the one called Luke Skywalker. You've seen the movies that were his story." There was a short silence as his mother thought about it and she then continued after. "Come to think of it, you do have a lot of similarities... Orphaned, grew-up with relatives, powerful enemy and fated to fight the darkness and bring balance to the Force"

Again James took on the explanation "Yes, my son, you are to bring balance to this world. You must wield both light and dark, for there is no difference in them but except in intent. You must understand too that the battle... the war that is worth winning is against that dark that is in you. We are always faced with choices about what is right and what is easy and this is where you must win. Every victory gives you strength, every failure a lesson."

Harry thought about this. The words of Dumbledore being echoed by his dad brought him back to look at all the choices he's made...all the failures he believe he's done.

"You are the one hope for this world, Harry." Sinus was talking now. "But, you'll not be alone in your battles. We would be with you, your friends will be with you and the force will be with you."

Grinning in his trademark doggy manner, Sirius added "No pressure, right?"

Harry could only smile at this, though his stomach twisted in knots.

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0900, same day.

"...you want me to do what?" Harry exploded.

After breakfast, the three spirits (if that is what they are) led Harry through the woods for a jog. Although they've been doing this for the past few days, Harry thought it was just to make him better acquainted with the place. He learned that the area was huge and walking would take the entire day, so it was decided that they would jog instead, pointing out new places each time they went out.

Today was different though. It was the start of Harry's training and introduction to the Force. The run was much harder. He was running through the woods for about two hours now when they arrived by a grove of trees. His mother has just told him to blind fold himself and continue running...

"I said to tie your kerchief to cover your eyes and then we'll continue with your jog..."

"But, how am I supposed to see where I'm going? Harry replied, getting irritated.

"Why Harry, afraid you might trip and fall flat on your face?" Sirius teased.

"My, my... maybe it's just teenage rebellion...you know, always asking for a reason..." His father mused.

Harry just rolled his eyes and did as he was told.

Two steps later found him flat on his face...

As Sirius and James howled in laughter, Lily went to him and said "Well, that didn't work well...let's try something else..."

Harry just ripped that blindfold from his face, went down to wash his face by the stream. It was while taking a drink off the cool refreshing stream, that he felt cold. It was an odd sort of cold that raised the hairs from his nape. It caused him to tense up, eyes darting around to find the source of this sensation.

His parents and Sirius became concerned at his change, but it was James who suddenly realizes where they were and promptly told them to head back to the house, where... after prodding from Sirius and convincing talk from Lily about holding nothing back from Harry, acquiesced to tell him the complete version.

"Harry, I know I told you last night that we, as well as the Longbottom's and the Weasely's are related to Godric Gryffindor... And that the reason why Voldemort chose you over Neville is that the Potters are of an older line than the Longbottoms..."

Harry just remained silent, knowing that more is coming.

"Yes our line is very old. Our relation with Gryffindor however, is that we come from a direct line."

Harry was about to interrupt him but he continued.

Looking at his son he said "You, Harry, are the last of our line and Heir to our proud heritage."

"Why didn't you just tell me last night...?"

"I didn't think it would be important. Until today... The grove of trees where you felt that cold stirring of the darkside is tainted by evil. It is the place where the Dark Lord Slytherin met his end at the hands of our ancestor."

Harry just looked at his father. 'I wonder if there something else I should know…'

"Are there anymore secrets that I should know about? I think my heart can bear a few more…" Harry then said sarcastically.

"Well… let's see… Jamsie here is not really your father…Voldemort is, Dumbledore is also your grandfather by the way, then there's Hermione being your twin sister…" Sirius was counting off with his fingers, teasing Harry to lighten up the serious atmosphere.

Getting the idea, James then continued on with a solemn expression on his face, but this time to get back at Sirius for not being (pardon the pun)…Serious enough. "But the biggest secret of all, I think, was when we, Remus, Sirius, Peter and I, got pissed drunk in the common room. Your esteemed grandfather here, turned into his animagus…."

Sirius eyes grew wide with alarm. "James!!! No! Please don't tell him!!!" He pleaded…

But James just went on "… form and proceeded to run around the common room upturning everything on site…Of course Professor McGonagal came in to see what the matter was."

"….for the love of God….. We swore an oath on it James…" James paused for a moment to look at Sirius. "You swore an oath, none of us did it… it was too good to pass up…" Lily just rolled her eyes in amusement while James turned back to look at Harry with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Knowing he was beat, Sirius just grunted as he covered his face with his ethereal hands as James finished his story.

"Siri then ran over to her and being the old dog that he is…proceeded to hump her leg!!"

Needless to say, the cold dread that they felt that morning vanished as they all burst into roaring laughter.

Hearing his Godsons' laugh made his embarrassment, in Sirius' opinion, worth it.

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Harry was still having a few burst of the giggles whenever his mind strayed to the image of his godfather humping Professor McGonagal's leg. Just imagine the look on the professor's face…

He was in another of those fits that he hadn't realized that James appeared during his lunch.

"I suggest we should resume your training at Gryffin's Den."

"mmm… what was that Dad? Harry asked with a mouthful of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Harry, its disgusting." His father lightly admonished before continuing. "I said that your mother and I agreed that it would be best if we resume your training at Gryffin's Den, our ancestral home."

"But, how do we get there? I can't apparate yet." Harry said matter of factly.

"You'll go by portkey on the sixth. Look under the portrait hanging on the west side of your bedroom and press down the center of the panel. You'll find a medallion there that would send you over to the Den at precisely noon." James instructed him.

"But why do I have to wait 'till Saturday?" he asked after counting the days 'till the sixth.

"Well, the medallion was once mine. I used it whenever I needed to go home during the weekends…" James shrugged. "actually, I think you could go to most of our property using the medallion, but on specific dates and times. I remember Dad gave that to me to help me learn to manage my time while visiting our estate, which is quite a lot mind you."

"I thought my Gringots' Vault contain my inheritance?" Harry said, eyes widening.

"Haven't you been listening to the things we've talked about? " James teased "You are the last of our line, Harry, ALL of our Assets belongs to you now, but control will transfer upon your majority. Why do you think that no matter how much you take out of your account, it still remains the same? It's been arranged to be checked monthly and replenished according to the specified amount, which is around Five Hundred Thousand Galleons."

"I thought I was rich but this is…" Harry was getting dizzy again at the revelation. Through all of the trials Harry went through his naiveté somehow always seem to push out.

"Harry, you've always been rich. Look at how many good friends you have. Count the number of people that loves you. I daresay, its worth more that the Potter's millions put together…isn't it?" Harry smiled broadly as he realized the truth of this and then thought 'Oh, the things I could do….. He immediately started to plan what good his being filthy rich could do.

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Every morning except that Saturday the ethereal figures of his elders would accompany him on his jogs. They didn't wander any further near the small grove, but the running that he did was still intense. It was their last day at the Hollow, and as the previous evenings, Lily, would then proceed to teach him about what she knew about the Force and how to tap into it. But mostly they were working on Harry's ability to focus and feel the flow of the force.

"Remember Harry, clear your mind…even your breathing and relax. Feel the energy that surrounds us…binds us…"

Harry was sitting crossed leg, already falling into a trance. He could sense it…immeasurable power… bridging lives both from the past, the presence and the future. He was aware of his mother voice, aware of their presence…He felt the life that surrounded the house, He saw the strings of energy that binds every living being as one…"

"Yes, let it flow through you… to be one with the force gives you peace… It is far reaching, showing you the past… and possibly the future…" Lily continued speaking in an even pace, seemingly, that she is too, flowing through the force at that moment…

A cry of a new born baby…The bond of friends long gone… A flash of red and brown and gold… a field full of flowers… a cool summer breeze as it blew… Laughter, like tiny silver bells filled the dainty air…

A flash of white like lightning… Rivers of red water, no…blood, that flowed… Another flash, this time green and along with it a high pitched laugh, mocking…A field filled with the dead…Black…now the river flowed, poisoned… 'What do we have here?" a hissing voice asked…

Harry's eye suddenly flew open "He knows!!!" he said in an alarmed tone. His heavy breathing competing with the thudding of his heart.

"Don't worry, Harry. You were cloaked in the Force, He cannot sense you as you are" Lily tried to comfort him. It seems to work though, for soon he calmed down. After a few more minutes…

"Quite your mind again, do the calming exercises and get ready for bed young man. We'll be busy tomorrow. After your run, we will immediately head for the Den and get the place ready, you'll then follow after you had an early lunch."

"ummm, No offense mum, but, how're you guys going to be able to ready the place when… you know… can't touch things?" Harry asked sheepishly.

"Why Harry, haven't you heard about house elves?" His mother teased as she smiled.

He again prepared to start the calming routine, which he discovered was a great help in blocking bad dreams.

TBC