Chapter 9

A New Introduction

'I hope you are both well rested.' Dumbledore said as he was let into the hotel room.

'I think we are. We are ready to go. Am I right to assume that our clothing is going to be standing out when we reach Diagon Alley?' Cody asked.

'Yes, I suspect it may, a little, but not as much as you might think. Many of the wizarding youth are dressing like you are, but the older generation still fancy the robes. You will be the recipient of some glances and some stares, but likely nothing more than I received last night at the restaurant. Pay them no mind. Shall we be on our way?'

'Let's go.'

'Each of you will grab an arm.'

'What a weird feeling.' Cody pretended to be feeling the sensation for the first time.

'Yes, magical travel induces some very interesting sensations. Though I must commend you both on your stellar landings, congratulations are in order.'

Mother and son shared a quick glance, and both restricted the smiles that were trying to creep across their faces. Cody had taken his mom via apparition on multiple occasions; quick trips to the grocery store were a fairly common occurrence.

'We better move quickly, this is the designated apparition point for Diagon Alley, somebody else is due to land on us at any moment. I'll point out some of the shops we talked about yesterday. The Apothecary, Quality Quidditch Supplies, Eeylops Owl Emporium, Flourish and Blott's, Madam Malkin's, and of course Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. We can stop there after our meeting. And here is Gringotts, follow me.'

'Hello, Professor Dumbledore.' He was recognized by the teller that he approached.

'Good day to you, I am here for a twelve o'clock with Bloodfang.'

'Have a seat, and he will be with you shortly.' The goblin teller said curtly, and motioned across the foyer.

They sat on some uncomfortable wooden benches at the end of the foyer, taking in the comings and goings. Cody noticed a few people that shot looks between him, his mother, and Dumbledore, though none stared long, and no one said anything. A few long minutes passed by before another goblin approached.

'Follow me.' And the goblin spun and began walking away without a moment's hesitation.

They all quickly proceeded down a long hallway, until they reached what was apparently Bloodfang's office, the nameplate on the door gave it away. They entered, and the escorting goblin took a seat against the back wall. Bloodfang gave the group a toothy grin and gestured for them to sit. Three wooden chairs lined the front of his desk, comfort did not appear to be a priority.

'Professor, we meet again.'

'It is a pleasure to see you too, Bloodfang.' Dumbledore replied.

'Before we begin, we must confirm that this is the rightful heir to the Potter estate, as you claim.'

He pulled out a small stone bowl that had symbols etched all around the surface of the bowl. Along with the bowl he had an athame, with a black leather handle, and a sharp blade that came to a point.

'We will need a few drops of blood from you.' He placed the stone bowl and the athame on the desk in front of Cody.

Cody tentatively grabbed the athame and placed it in his palm, hovering over the bowl. Dumbledore had gone over exactly how he should do this. Even explained the level of pain he should expect and that the wound would heal itself almost instantly. All that prior knowledge did not make him feel anymore at ease when the moment came to actually touch steel to skin. He slowly slid the blade across his palm, the trail of blood was immediate. Rapidly the drops of blood hit the stone basin and the runes lit up. No sooner had he glanced at the bowl then his hand stopped bleeding and the wound sealed.

Bloodfang reached across the desk and grabbed the bowl and held out his hand for the athame, the blood seemingly having evaporated from the blade. He sat pensively, staring into the bowl, a quick nod and he set it down on the desk. He looked up at Cody, his dark eyes unreadable.

'Well, you are Harry Potter, heir to the Potter Estate.'

'Wonderful, I guess, what do I have to know?' Cody felt that was good news.

'Here is a folder with a full account of your current holdings.'

'How much of this do I have access to right now?'

'Your trust allowance is set at 10,000 Galleons. With annual limits in place.'

'Ok, whatever, of course there's stipulations. What about the properties? Can I visit them, or even live in them?' Cody asked, already irritated.

'Yes, you can visit them and even live in them. Here we have a permanent portkey. Just say the name of the property and you will be taken there.' He passed across a medallion that had the Potter crest inscribed on its face.

'That's nice. What are these two items? Sleekeasy's, and Puffy Publishing.' Cody said, pointing to another line on the parchment he was looking at.

'Those are a couple sources of income, you will find monthly statements in the folder. Your grandfather was a cofounder of Sleekeasy's, so you will inherit part ownership. The next is from the series of Harry Potter books that have been published. I do believe Professor Dumbledore negotiated your portion after he realized someone was profiting off your name without consent.'

'Someone wrote books about me? I've got to see these.' Again, he tried to feign ignorance to their existence, though he truly had interest in seeing these books.

'Yes, they are quite fictional, and children in Britain have gone to bed listening to these stories for years now. I'm sure we could get you some copies from the publishing company.' Dumbledore added.

'I'd like to see what people are anticipating from Harry Potter, not that I intend to bring him into the public eye. I'm rather enjoying my life as Clark Kent so far.'

'I thought you wanted to be known as Cody?' Dumbldedore asked, confused.

'Oh, yeah. I am Cody. Clark Kent is Superman's alter ego, he's another fictional character. So, what about the rest of the funds in the vault? What requirements do I have to meet to receive that part of my inheritance?' There was no point in delaying the inevitable, and these goblins seemed on board with getting this all over in a more than timely manner.

'You must be actively fulfilling your role on the Wizengamot. That basically entails attending a minimum number of meetings a year, and ensuring a proxy is present for necessary meetings that you don't attend personally.'

'So, either I have to be there or have someone there representing me. That's not so bad. When can I take the seat?' Cody contemplatively asked.

'The most direct way to obtain your family seat is to graduate from Hogwarts, and complete a 6 month apprenticeship. If you graduate from a non Hogwarts institution a two year apprenticeship is required.'

'Bring it back to the magical education, it seems more and more unavoidable.' Cody sighed. 'What is the current state of my family seat?'

'I do not know the dealings of the Wizengamot in those regards. I am only involved with regards to eligibility of accessing family vaults, in conjunction with the Treaty of 1777. Perhaps Professor Dumbledore has the information you are seeking.' Bloodfang answered.

'Yes, I do. Your familial seat is currently split between two allied families, Longbottom and Bones. They each get an extra half vote until you are able to take your seat or assign a proxy, which you can do at age seventeen, as long as you are progressing towards fulfilling the role yourself.' Dumbledore explained.

'That seems fine, I don't know anything about politics right now anyway. Anything else? Can I have a copy of these records?'

'That is your copy. There is nothing else from our standpoint. If you have your key you are free to visit your vault, Mr. Potter.'

'I'm not going to get used to that, oh well. I'd like to visit my vault. Thank you, Bloodfang.' Cody said.

'Silverdrill will lead you there. May your gold flow, and the heads of your enemies roll.'

'Uh, yeah, you too. As long as I'm not your enemy that is.' Cody chuckled, Jennifer covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. This whole interaction was fascinating, and she was impressed with her son's thought process. For someone who brought home such unremarkable grades, he had a way of understanding complicated situations and getting answers to his questions.

'This way to the vaults.' Silverdrill called out as he marched on, and led them to the carts. They loaded up and away they went beginning their descent. Jennifer quickly grabbed on to the handle bar in front.

'Hands up mom! You can't hold on, come on.' Cody cried, thoroughly enjoying the ride.

'You know how I hate roller coasters.' Jennifer replied.

'That was unexpectedly awesome. I can't decide if that was better than Space Mountain or not.' Cody said happily.

'It was shorter, so I'll take it over Space Mountain, but we better get moving. Silverdrill doesn't seem like he enjoys waiting.' Jennifer pointed to the goblin who was standing with one hand on a hip and the other outstretched indicating where they were headed.

'Here is your vault, number 687. Place your key in the keyhole.' Silverdrill instructed. Cody did as instructed, opened the door and walked in. His eyes got wide as he examined the entire room.

'Wow, it's not exactly Scrooge McDuck level, but seeing the numbers on paper still don't quite do it justice. How much am I allowed to take out?'

'You can remove up to 5,965 Galleons today, and another 1,500 on your 15th birthday.'

'When is my birthday?' Cody asked.

'Do you not know your own birthday?' Silverdrill replied condescendingly.

'I know when I celebrate my birthday. I want to confirm the date with your records.' Cody said with cheek.

'We have your birthday recorded as July 31, 1980.'

'Dang. Well, a few days won't matter that much. How are we going to carry all this? Can you shrink money?'

'Do you have that pouch I brought to you on my last visit? It magically expands to fit just about anything, certainly it would hold anything you wanted to take with you today. You should take a look in the trunks, see what things your family has saved to pass down.' Dumbledore answered.

'Yeah, I have it. "JFP," that could be my father's trunk, I'll start there. How about you tell me if anything looks especially useful.'

'That looks like his personal journal. That would help you get to know him or what he was like. That next one that says "The Marauders" is probably an interesting read. Your father and his friends were quite the pranksters, the self proclaimed "Marauders," in their day. That journal likely tells of some of their escapades. You see that glimmering piece of fabric in the corner of the trunk? Throw that on, over your head.' Dumbledore said, obvious excitement entering his voice. Cody did as instructed.

'Oh my!' Jennifer gasped.

'What?' Cody asked.

'Now give it to your mother, let her try it on and you will see.' Dumbledore suggested. Cody passed the cloak to his mom, who quickly threw it over her head.

'Oh, wow! What is that? I mean, what do you call it? I can tell it hides you.' Cody said.

'It's called an invisibility cloak. Not exactly a creative name, but it certainly fits. Yours is particularly special, but we can discuss particulars at another time. Be sure to take great care of it, that is as close to a priceless artifact as there is in the world.' He said with care.

'Yeah, that is absolutely amazing. The rest of this looks mainly like school books and clothes. Except this, this is a photo album. Whoa, these pictures are moving!'

'Aha, yes, wizarding photographs are animated. We have a few special ways of remembering those no longer with us. Surely at your properties you find some methods even more amazing than this album.'

'Really? I need to start leaving my expectations at the door so I'm not so surprised by stuff.'

'No, it is perfectly acceptable to be surprised by new revelations. I myself am still caught off guard by some of the possibilities of magic.'

While he was entranced in the photo album his mom, with the invisibility cloak still on, had positioned another trunk directly behind him and made her way around to about a foot in front of Cody. When he was done looking at the pictures he brought his head up and was looking straight through her. It felt so surreal to her, having him look straight at her without a hint of recognition. She quickly revealed just her head and shouted,

'Boo!'

Cody startled and lunged backward, only to find a trunk impeding his progress. He bent at the knees and was toppling over backwards when his mother grabbed his wrist and kept him from landing on the floor. She was glad to have prevented his fall, as that probably would've gone a little too far, but this scare was the perfect amount of healthy fun.

'That was not cool. And you look pretty creepy with just your head floating there.' He said, still catching his breath.

She tore off the rest of the cloak unable to withhold her laughter any longer. Dumbledore also chuckled, but he was also shaking his head.

'As if you didn't already have enough Marauder blood in you, it is evident your mother enjoys a good joke as well.' Dumbledore acknowledged.

'Oh, she thinks she is a lot funnier than she is. I'm going to have to keep that away from you.' Cody responded glaring at his mom, though it didn't portray true anger.

'I don't care who you are, that was funny.' Jennifer breathed out in between laughs, still holding her stomach.

Cody sorted through a few more trunks, stowed away a few more journals, and loaded up his full allotment of Galleons.

'I know I said I wasn't going to be surprised anymore, but this pouch weighs the same as it did when we came in here.' Cody noticed.

'It's called a featherweight charm. I can also add a protection, so that you are the only one able to access the contents, if you'd like.'

'With how much is in here I think that would be a very good idea. Thank you.' Cody said, and Dumbledore quickly performed the charm.

'Now, if we are done here, I think a bite to eat is in order. My stomach is starting to get angry with me.' Dumbledore said.

'Yes, you did mention an ice cream shop on the way here.' Cody suggested.

'After lunch, son. You will remain civil.' Jennifer scolded.

'Mother knows best, let us be off.' Dumbledore said.

'One last thing. Can we change some of these Galleons for pounds, so we have some money for when we are out and about?' Cody asked.

'Yes, once we reach the main foyer, any teller will be able to help you.' Silverdrill answered.

'Great, let's go.' Cody said. He was a bit disappointed the ride back wasn't as exciting, Jennifer was grateful. He changed a good chunk of money and they made their way out of the bank.

'The Leaky Cauldron is a good place to grab some food. I can place some privacy barriers so we can eat in peace.' Dumbledore suggested.

The late lunch was spent reviewing the visit to the bank. Dumbledore explained how unique the invisibility cloak was, without divulging any possible tie to the Deathly Hallows. They spent time looking through the photo album, with Dumbledore regaling stories about Cody's parents and their friends.

'Tell me about Sirius Black. He is my godfather, right?' Cody said.

'Yes, he is your godfather. He was also your father's best friend. His story as it pertains to you begins when your parents went into hiding. The house your parents were living in was put under a protective charm called the Fidelius Charm. It makes the location invisible to anyone that hasn't heard about the secret location. In conjunction with the charm a person is made the secret keeper, and that person is the only one that can reveal the secret location. It was conspicuously made known that Sirius Black was the secret keeper, even though that was just a ruse. The actual secret keeper was Peter Pettigrew, one of your father's other good friends. The fact that your parents got attacked in their home was proof that they had been betrayed. While there were a few of us who knew the truth, that Peter was the betrayer, the world at large believed it to be Sirius.'

'Wait! Peter was listed in the will of my parents.' Cody blurted out.

'Yes, he was one of your father's best friends. He wasn't much with a wand in battle, but he certainly excelled at deception. I believe that was another part of the reason to make him the secret keeper. Obviously, if he didn't have your parents' complete trust, he wouldn't have been in their will, let alone the secret keeper.'

'What a rat!' Cody spat.

'Funny you should say that. Obviously, Sirius was enraged that Peter would betray your parents, and he tracked him down. The result of that confrontation was a large explosion that left twelve people dead. When the authorities arrived at the scene Sirius was standing there laughing, in shock at the entire situation. The only thing left from Peter was a single index finger, he had cut off his finger, caused the explosion, and transformed into his rat form to get away.'

'His rat form?' Jennifer asked before Cody could get the words out.

'Yes, some wizards can develop the ability to turn into an animal. Your father and his friends achieved that, Peter's form was a rat. Great for moving around secretly. Sirius was arrested at the scene. There had been a State of Emergency declared, so the head officer was allowed to imprison Sirius without a trial. Law enforcement was more worried about pinning the blame on somebody, rather than focusing on catching the actual culprit. Sirius became the fall guy. To this day, even with the evidence, or lack thereof, people refuse to open the case against Sirius without somebody to take his place. Basically, until Peter is found and brought in, Sirius will be considered a criminal by the government.'

'So there is just as much corruption in wizard society as ours. And my godfather is like the opposite of our O.J.'

'I am afraid so. I fear corruption is a human condition, and wizards are just as susceptible. And I can't speak for all wizards, but I do enjoy a nice glass of orange juice myself.'

'Oh, no, it's not that, it's— never mind.' Cody shrugged, while his mom giggled.

'Should we continue our conversation over some ice cream? I have been accused of having a sweet tooth, and I dare say they are correct.' Dumbledore continued, ignoring the laughs.

'I'll never say no to ice cream.' Cody agreed, and looked to his mom, who nodded her approval.

'So, are there any other things you want to discuss or go over?' Dumbledore asked, after they had all sat with their bowls of ice cream.

'Yeah, I'd like to visit some of the properties. It seems pretty easy getting there, but getting back to the hotel might be a bit of an issue.' Cody said.

'I could be of help there. I can make you a portkey that will take you back to your hotel room. I can make it function the entirety of your visit here.'

'That would be great. Then, if we ever got lost we could get back. You make creating a portkey sound so easy.' Cody tried to sound awestruck, hoping the unasked question would get answered.

'It isn't a particularly difficult task, at its most basic level it is nearly the same as apparition. As you add more details and contingencies to the object it gets more difficult. The Ministry likes to try to keep a tight hold of the use of them, which is why the procedure isn't publicly taught. But, as there is no way for them to accurately monitor or prevent their use, as long as you don't report me, we won't get in any trouble. Would you like me to visit the properties with you today? Just to do a cursory inspection to ensure safety, and maybe give you the wizards perspective as to why some things are the way they are. I won't be available for the next few days.' Dumbledore explained.

'That would probably be good, and my lips are sealed. I'm guessing you know about a few things that are going to surprise us and you just want to see our reactions.' Cody said, and Dumbledore's lips curled slightly and he let his eyes twinkle.

'I do find some pleasure at watching people discover magic and its mysteries. For me, it is what I imagine it is like for a parent watching their child on Christmas morning.' Dumbledore admitted.

'I can see that.' Jennifer said.

'Well, should we head off to the first location, make the most of our time?' Cody asked.

'That would be a wise decision. Let's all grab hold of the portkey. You just state the name of the property you'd like to go to.' Dumbledore said.

'I'll just start at the top of the list. Potter Manor.' Cody said. They landed in a grass field about one hundred yards away from the house.

'It looks like a mansion.' Jennifer observed.

'It is a traditional manor house. Most of the prominent wizarding families have them, it is much easier to maintain one's privacy in a setting such as this.' Dumbledore said, as they began their walk to the large set of double doors that served as the entrance. 'Cody, it should be safe for you to open the door, they should recognize your blood.'

'If you say so.' Cody turned the handle, which gave no resistance, and opened to a large entrance hall, with two sets of stairs on each side.

'It doesn't look like anyone has been in here for years.' Jennifer noted as she swiped a layer of dust with her finger. 'If I had allergies they would be going ballistic right now.'

'Yes, it looks as if it has been very unoccupied for some time. Let us go for a small expedition, I have an idea.' Dumbledore said curiously. He led them down the hall, passing several other rooms and some doors, until he came to a stop in front of a large door. 'I believe this is the study, it should have some things of interest. Cody, if you would do the honors.'

Cody, opened the door and entered the large room, the side walls lined with bookshelves that were completely full. Desks, chairs and sofas were scattered throughout the room. The far wall was what drew the interest of Professor Dumbledore and he led them across the room. As they approached a chorus of conversation erupted from the many portraits on the wall.

'Hello, may I introduce you all to the son of James and Lily Potter—' Dumbledore began.

'Our grandson!' The outburst came from a portrait in the center of the wall. 'But you aren't Lily, and where is James? Why are you so old? Where have you been?' Her questions came out rapid fire, until she was shushed by her husband.

'Let the boy speak. Excuse your grandmother, Euphemia was not known for keeping her opinion to herself, which is something I adore about her. I am Fleamont Potter, your grandfather. Please, tell us about yourself.'

Cody stood frozen, his jaw on the floor, a few steps behind Dumbledore. He had stopped walking when he realized the portraits were talking as if their brains were still functioning. His mother stood behind him with her hand over her mouth.

'I said, speak, boy!' Barked Fleamont.

'Uh, ok, I'm Cody, it's nice to meet you.' He started tentatively, unsure how to go about talking to a portrait, this was unnatural. 'I guess you haven't heard the story about me, I don't know all the details myself but my parents were killed when I was a baby. This is Jennifer, she adopted me and has raised me as her own.' Half the portraits didn't hear the last sentence as they again erupted in a cacophony of questions, so Cody decided against trying to explain more at the moment.

'Excuse me!' Dumbledore's voice rose above the crowd. 'We don't have nearly enough time today for a thorough explanation. I suppose I could return another day to elaborate, but suffice it to say that young Cody here is experiencing the wizarding world for the first time, so a lot of this is very new to him. Fleamont, where would your house elves be, if they were in stasis?'

'Stasis! Why would they be in stasis!? Charlus was st—' Euphemia erupted once more.

'Not now!' Fleamont scolded. 'They would be in the cellar, on the left hand side.'

'Thank you, we shall be off, but we shall return for a much longer, more substantial discussion.' Dumbledore tried to placate the eager portraits.

'Nice to meet you all.' Cody said.

'Cody, it is a pleasure to see you. And Jennifer, you may not be a Potter, but anyone that cares for one of our own is as good as one of us. Thank you, and you are always welcome for a visit.' Fleamont added cordially.

As the three were leaving the study they could hear the voice of Euphemia, 'What do you mean not a Potter? I know that wasn't Lily, but not a Potter!' Apparently she was one that had tuned out the end of Cody's introduction.

'You will have to make sure you have plenty of free time if you want to have any conversations with your ancestors. It seems they are ravenous for information.' Dumbledore chuckled.

'Yeah, I'll be honest, I felt pretty weird talking to a portrait. My grandma seems like a fireball.'

'Your mother was very similar when there was something she was passionate about.' Dumbledore added. 'This way to the cellar. House elves are very unique magical creatures, they require a bond with a witch or wizard in order for their magic to be functional. Once your Uncle Charlus, whom your grandmother was referencing, and your father died, there were no more Potters to which the elves were bonded. Thus, they went into a state of sleep that would allow them to survive until someone, you, could come and rebond with them. You will essentially be giving them their lives back, and they will be the most loyal of servants and friends to you, especially if you treat them with kindness.'

'Servants?'

'Yes, they thrive on service, there's no way around it, and I can't quite explain it, but they live to serve. I sometimes wonder if the elves have found the key to happiness, getting lost in the service of others. Some wizards treat their elves poorly, and those elves are not so happy, but the elves that are treated well are some of the happiest beings I've come to know. I can't tell you how to feel, but I suspect if you treat your elves with kindness, you will not feel guilty about accepting their service. Here they are. I think all you have to do is touch their hand and you will wake them up.' Dumbledore said.

Cody went around the room and touched the hands of the elves lying on their beds. They slowly began to stir as if waking from a long dream.

'Master Harry! Is it you?' One elf called out.

'It is, it is! I knows his magics.' Another chimed in.

'You remember me?' Cody asked.

'Oh, yes. I takes cares of youz when youz was a tiny baby.'

'What's your name?'

'I is Blinky.'

'Nice to meet you, Blinky. What do we have to do to get you bonded again?'

'Yous shakes ours hands and says "I accept your bond—" '

'Don't forget, then him gives us hugs and kisses on ours heads.' Another elf, that had been suspiciously close to Jennifer, piped in before Blinky could finish. Cody cocked an eyebrow at Dumbledore, who only shrugged and said,

'The elves know far more about this than I.'

'Ok, but I don't know about all this Master business.' Cody said uncertainly.

'That's just the ways we says things, how wez honors the bond, Master Harry.'

'Fine, but not Harry. You can call me Master Cody, and that's not negotiable.' He said firmly.

'Wez can do that.' Blinky nodded aggressively, along with the rest. The procession of bobble heads made their way one by one to Cody who performed the bonding handshake, along with the added hug and kiss his mom had suggested to her new friend, Schweaty, who had absolutely loved the idea. Jennifer had to stifle her giggles and Dumbledore only allowed himself a small grin. They had to admit, Cody was a good sport about it, and it certainly got the relationship off on the right foot, all the elves already adored him.

'What youz wants from us, Master Cody?' Schweaty asked.

'Well, how would you feel about putting the manor back into the state it was before?' He asked.

'Wez can do that.'

'Alright, thank you. I'm sure we'll be back, so just take care of yourselves. I think we are on to the next. Flat Potter.' Cody said, as he held out the portkey and the others grabbed hold.

'Is there a way to know exactly where we are? I don't even know what city I'm in, not that I could tell you the names of many cities in England.' Jennifer asked. As they walked out of the back bedroom they hand landed in, and made their way out to the main living area.

'I would assume there is a map of all the Potter properties somewhere. I would venture to guess the most likely places to find it would be the family vault, or the library at the manor house.' Dumbledore said.

'We'll have to look for that. This flat is nice, very cozy compared to the manor.' Jennifer observed.

'It has a TV, and regular light switches.' Cody noticed.

'This appears to be a non magical dwelling.' Dumbledore said.

'We'll have to come back here and walk around outside; we can probably find out where we are by finding some landmarks or something.' Jennifer said.

'Yeah, we could do that. It looks like a few properties on the list have been scratched out. Do you know anything about that?' Cody asked.

'During the war many properties were completely destroyed, that would seem to me to be the most likely explanation.' Dumbledore explained.

'This last one says "Godric's Hollow – no portkey." ' Cody looked to Dumbledore with a questioning look.

'That is where you and your parents were in hiding. It was under the charm that kept its location secret, which was probably why the goblins couldn't put it on the portkey. I could take you there, but that also would be better if we had more time, as there are other things there you'd probably like to see.'

'That's fine. It's been a long day already.' Cody said.

'Before I leave for the evening, I'd like to ask you, Harry— I mean, Cody. I'm sorry, it may take me awhile to break that habit. So, Cody, do you have any thoughts about attending Hogwarts?'

'I do, and obviously I am not in any state to make a final decision. But I promised my mom I would come with an open mind, so we should have a discussion about the possibility of me attending.'

'Great, are there any questions I can answer for you right now? I wouldn't worry much about the actual curriculum, that won't be hard to sort out.'

'Well, one of the main factors for me not attending Ilvermorny was not being able to see my mom for months at a time. While that was a bigger issue when I was younger, I still don't love the idea of going months without seeing her.'

'Do you already have something in mind?'

'Well, if she were here, at say Flat Potter, would I be able to get away for a weekend every so often?'

'I suppose that could be arranged. Students are by no means in prison at Hogwarts. Parents regularly come and take their children for family events or the like, so we could certainly find ways to allow you to visit your mother.'

'That would be really nice.' Cody said.

'Professor, if I may, I know this has been a lot, and regardless of what we decide, I just want to thank you for how helpful you have been the last couple days.' Jennifer added.

'Well, I admit I am trying to make up for lost time. I had hoped to be a part of your son's life far earlier, but the universe had other plans. My goal was to allow Har— Cody to have as normal a childhood as possible. I might venture to say that you accomplished this far better than I ever could have on my own.'

'On that note, if I were to go back to school, I would not go under the name Harry Potter. If what you say about the books and stuff is even remotely accurate, there's no way I could integrate into the school as a normal student with that notoriety following me around.' Cody said somewhat forcefully.

'I can agree with you on that point. I admit, deep down, you will always be Harry to me, but I can understand not wanting to change one's identity at your age. Not to mention the attention that would come with it.'

'Well, I think those were my two biggest hang-ups. Being away from my friends and wrestling will be tough too, but I'll talk it over with my mom, and we will come to a decision.'

'That sounds wonderful. Why don't we take this portkey back to your hotel to make sure it works properly. Then I'll come back and check in with you in a few days.'

'Awesome, thanks again.'

'All you have to say is "Harry's hotel room—" I'm sorry, I was still in the habit and we had just come from the bank. I promise I'll get Cody in my head by the time school starts.' Dumbledore said slightly abashed.

'I think it's wonderful.' Jennifer smirked, and Cody glared at her.

'It will work the entirety of your stay here. After that, it will just be a regular spoon again.'

They returned to their hotel room and Dumbledore disapparated from there after confirming his return visit. They retired for the night and spent much of the next day wandering around taking in the sites.

'So are you ready to have this conversation, or do you wanna keep putting it off?' Jennifer asked later in the day. She had given Cody space to think about it, but she felt it was time to get things out in the open and over with. Then, maybe they could actually enjoy some vacation time without this cloud looming over them.

'I guess I'm ready. I mean I don't know how I can say no. It's almost a million—'

'Stop right there! I don't want to hear another word about the money. It really doesn't matter how much it is -well, that's not true, if it were generational wealth, that would be a different story- but it's not, so that's neither here nor there. If money is all you want, then money is all you will get. But you'll end up miserable, and it won't be worth it.' She said scathingly.

'Ok, well if it's not about the money at all then it's a no, that's easy.' He retorted.

'Is it? Because from what I've seen you are very intrigued by all this. Did you know you could shrink stuff? Did you know about those portkeys being able to travel across the country and across the ocean? How much other stuff was totally eye-opening to you? The goblins, that whole blood ceremony, the portraits, the elves, the invisibility cloak, even the little photo album. And how much more of that stuff is still out there? You're really that willing to just ignore it all?'

'I could get books out of the trunks in the vault. I'm sure I could pick up a lot of magic from those.' He tried to argue.

'I think you're smart enough to know that not all knowledge is contained in books. You would surely be missing out on things by not learning from another person directly. How much wrestling could you learn from a book?'

'That's totally different.' He declared.

'I think it's actually more alike than you are willing to admit, at least right now.' Her tone had softened, he didn't need to be admonished anymore.

'Why does it feel like you're trying to convince me to do this?'

'I'm not trying to convince you, but I can't help but acknowledge what kind of opportunity this is. I think everyone has some regrets when they look back on their life. I try not to focus on mine, but they are there. I haven't had a whole lot of exciting opportunities in my life —you were the exception, and I'm so grateful I agreed to it; your dad was so persistent— so part of what I regret is not trying to create more opportunities for myself.'

'You think I'll always regret not doing this if I choose not to?'

'Yes. It's as close to knowing as I can get without being able to see the future.'

'So, you are trying to convince me.' He said light heartedly.

'No, I'm not trying to convince you. I'm trying to help you understand what you are feeling. I think I know you better than you want to admit. You are pretty good at thinking things through logically; emotions can easily get in the way without you realizing it. I think the real thing holding you back is probably having to tell your friends. That is not gonna be a fun conversation, and I can't fault you for not wanting to have it.' She added comfortingly.

'Is that where you think my apprehension is coming from? Because I really do like other things at home, some of my other friends and wrestling.'

'Yeah, you would miss those a little bit —maybe even a lot— but I think you would get over those things. It's the missing your friends that would be the most real. And I think you are right to not tell them about the money or your potential celebrity status. They have been very supportive of your magical talent, and they are great friends; but jealousy is real, especially for teenagers. That's another reason you can't make this decision about money, if they find out you left them just for money, or if they even perceive it is about the money, they'd think you are a greedy jerk, and they'd be right. So as long as you don't let any money you have, or inherit, get to your head, they will always be your friends.'

'I think I'm finally realizing why you are so adamant about this not being about the money.'

'I'm glad. This has to be about you. In the end they will support you if you do this for the right reasons. As will I. I could easily move into the flat. A few upgrades and that place will be nicer than our apartment back home.'

'I don't think you would even have to do that, at least not permanently.' He said with a smile.

'Oh? I thought you wanted to see me on occasion, or was that just you playing your upper hand? I knew you didn't actually want to see me that much.' She replied with mock hurt.

'Oh no, that was real, but I don't think you'll have to be here in England for me to see you. I'm pretty sure I can learn to make those portkey things, with a bit of practice, and that would make traveling back to California a piece of cake.'

'You would be able to see your friends a bit also, that will help things go over better with them.'

'You're sounding like the decision is all but made.'

'Is it not?' She asked knowingly.

'Well, if I can sort out that traveling aspect, then yeah, I guess it is. I can't believe I'm not only considering this, but kind of excited about it.'

'It was easy to say no when you were totally ignorant of the possibilities. Now that you have seen so much it would be hard to walk away without forever wondering what you missed out on.'

'Anything else I need to ask from Professor Dumbledore? Once I commit I kind of lose any leverage.'

'He seems pretty fond of you. I'll bet he will respect your wishes, if you are reasonable. But he also might try to give you special treatment, and if you are interested in having a normal experience, it won't help if people see you as the Headmaster's pet. You are going to need assistance from people to adjust, and catch up. You need to make sure they are doing things for you willingly or they might hold a grudge against you.'

'So I need to make sure, as much as I can, people are volunteering to help me. Or even have him allow me to ask people myself.'

'That would be a great approach. If he asks something of someone, they may not view saying no as an option, so it may as well just be an assignment. You don't want to be someone's assignment.'

'Alright, I'll ask him about that. Now, all this talk has made me hungry. Let's go see if we can find some good food around here.' He said rather excitedly. This talk had taken the burden he had unknowingly been carrying, off his shoulders. He felt lighter and ready for a new adventure.

A/N - Jthomajba - Obliviators only show up if something has to be reversed. Ministry only tracks underage magic via the Trace from a wand; no wand = no Trace = no detection of using magic and no arrest. I feel that concept is completely in line with canon. As far as what has gone on at Hogwarts during this time, it will come out as the story progresses, but you can assume Hogwarts has been just a normal magical school without all the craziness that Harry Potter brought.

I'm sorry if the story isn't magical enough for you, except I'm not. I've had lots of fun writing some of those non magical scenes (and the lack of magic didn't go unnoticed by Cody). The story will continue to be dialogue heavy, I really enjoy trying to envision what they would say in different situations. At this point it is what it is, I don't expect to change.