Chapter Ten: Coming Home For the First Time

Star Wars + Harry Potter Crossover

A/N: Chap 9 review responses are in my forums as normal. If I missed a question or comment, feel free to post those questions or comments in the forum and I'll eventually respond. Thanks for reading!

Chapter Ten: Coming Home For the First Time

If you have 500 credits and Kyle has 500 credits,

Kyle still has more credits than you.

The only person who hated shopping more than Harry was Kyle. Having to go shopping with a young, perky woman with pink hair just made it more irritating for the elder Jedi master. Harry, however, did not mind that part of the trip quite as much.

Tonks tended to bounce about, and it had fascinating effects on her anatomy that Harry, a healthy fourteen-year-old boy, could not help but notice. He did work hard to employ Kyle's advice, though, and fought with all his might not to simply stare. Their first stop of course was Gringotts Bank, where Harry discovered he already had a great deal of money.

"We don't care about riding the carts," Kyle said when Tonks started talking to the goblin teller. "We just want a withdrawal."

"Personal withdrawals have no fee," the Goblin said with a sneer. "Teller withdrawals charge a twenty percent administration fee."

Kyle stared at the goblin a moment before saying, "Bantha crap. One percent, no more, or I'll kick you so hard your grandsons will feel it."

"You are foolish to threaten a goblin within Gringotts, human! I shall charge no less than fifteen percent!"

"One point five, you hairy little rat-faced bastard."

"How dare you! Your mother was a whore to trolls, your father a bastard without honor! Ten percent!"

By the time they were done, a squad of five goblins had surrounded their teller, and they huddled together between each round of insults, until they agreed that all goblins were the unholy union of a hairless cat and a dwarven cow, and Kyle's parents were both shit-covered apes from Borneo, and Harry would pay a three point five percent fee on all teller-based withdrawals from that point forward.

Tonks stood the whole time with wide-eyes and pale skin, as if she expected open battle in the halls. She didn't get why the goblins hadn't attacked, but Harry did. While the little beasts looked fierce, in the force he could feel their genuine enjoyment of the bartering. He was still paying far more than a normal bank, but probably a lot less than most wizards for the same service.

After that, Kyle marched them through a fast tour of the Alley, not dawdling a second, until at last they went to Ollivander's for Harry's wand. A man who made Kyle look young glanced up from his counter in surprise when the party of three came in. "Harry Potter," the old wizard said at first glance. "You're late."

Harry shrugged. "I had other things to do."

"Indeed. Well, you're here now, so let's get to it, shall we?"

Kyle watched with muted interest as Ollivander plied Harry with wand after wand, receiving no response, until at the last he tried holly and phoenix feather with a spectacular shower of sparks. He started to say something about the wand when Tonks said, "Keep in mind, Harry, there are restrictions about under age magic, so don't go casting spells out of school until you're seventeen."

"Or what?" Kyle asked.

His abrupt tone made Tonks blink and stumble over her words for a moment. "Or the Ministry will detect it and he'll receive a warning, or worse."

"How will they detect it?"

"With the Trace. All magical children have it."

Kyle straightened up from the wall he leaned against and walked to the counter. "How is this trace administered? I assure you Harry did not have anything prior to coming here."

"As you have surmised, sir, the trace is given to the child with his or her wand," Ollivander said, blinking rheumy eyes at the Jedi. "Under age magic is a legitimate concern, I assure you."

"Remove it," Kyle said. "I won't tolerate anything on my apprentice that can be used to trace his location."

"I'm afraid that's quite impossible," Ollivander said. "The law is quite…"

"Put the wand down, Harry. We're leaving. I know of a Nexus in the Force that might be able to negate the effects of Dumbledore's meddling."

"Yes, Kyle," Harry said simply, with absolute faith in his master.

"What are you talking about?" Tonks said, stuttering. "Harry's needed here!"

"Too bad," Kyle said. "I value the well-being of my padawan above the well-being of your little community. If you insist on being able to trace him, then we leave."

Desperate, Tonks said, "Please, just wait! Please! Let me just…let me just…"

"Perhaps, Auror Tonks, you should share this gentleman's concern with your superiors at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Ollivander said with a knowing smile.

"Yes, that's it!" Tonks said. "I'll be right back!" She disappeared with a pop.

"She is a most excitable young woman, but her heart is in the right place," Ollivander said. "I do not know you, sir. My name is Gerrick Ollivander."

"Kyle Katarn."

Ollivander nodded. "A powerful name, for a powerful man, I sense. And you are Mr. Potter's guardian?"

Kyle nodded.

Ollivander walked slowly around the counter. "Before young Nymphadora interrupted, I was trying to impart something of importance regarding Mr. Potter's wand. You see, the phoenix that provided the feather in its core provided only one other—to the one wielded by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"You mean Voldemort?" Harry asked.

"Oh, we do not say his name, Mr. Potter," Ollivander said. "Before his last encounter with you when you were but a babe, he cast a taboo that would allow him to find anyone who dared speak his name. While it is true the average wizard may not be as practical as their Muggle cousins, we are not completely without reason. We fear his name because he made us fear it."

The old wizard lifted a lock of Harry's hair to reveal the scar. "And that, Mr. Potter, is no ordinary scar. It links you to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in a deeply personal, and dangerous manner."

"And how would you know that, Ollivander?" Kyle asked.

The wizard smiled sadly. "I am a wandsmith, Mr. Katarn. I've been so for over a century, and in that time I have developed feelings for magic that few others have. That wand chose Harry because something of his magic resembled the magic of its brother wand's master. There is something of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named within Mr. Potter, something of his magic. I cannot tell you whether it is good or ill, but it is there regardless."

Following a trio of pops, the door to the shop opened to admit three new figures. Tonks returned accompanied a tall, bald-headed black man Harry and Kyle both recognized from when Dumbledore first attacked them. The third was a woman in her forties in thickly-layered, bright red robes. She had sandy-colored, shoulder-length hair, a strong chin and a monocle hanging from a necklace.

She took only a quick look at Harry before turning her attention to Kyle. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"General Kyle Katarn, retired, New Republic Defense Forces, and Jedi Masteer. Who are you?"

"Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

Harry wasn't sure if they were going to hit each other, or start snogging passionately, such was the tension between them.

"Do you mind explaining how you came to be in possession of Mr. Potter?" Bones said.

"His family did not want him, so I took him in," Kyle said with a shrug. "I am legally appointed his guardian in the Muggle government with the appropriate forms signed by his former family."

"Yes, about that," Amelia said, "I maintain close ties with my counterparts in the Muggle World, and there is no record of you ever petitioning to receive guardianship. In fact, it appears the records were…what's the word, Tonks?"

"Hacked, ma'am."

"The records were hacked," Bones said, with a nod of thanks. "Which implies that you did not have legal authority to take him, whether Harry's relatives agreed or not. So, I once again ask who you came to be in possession of Mr. Potter?"

Kyle narrowed his eyes and examined the three. "Dumbledore," he said softly. "Interesting. Very well, Madam. I came into possession of Mr. Potter after witnessing him being abused by his family. Afterward, I had a discussion with his relatives who stated they had no desire to have him. Following the traditions of my Order, I accepted Harry as an apprentice. He has been my apprentice for some time, and has been fully accepted and vested by the Jedi Order as a padawan learner."

"None of that is legally binding in the Wizarding World, Mr. Katarn," Bones said.

"Then I suppose we will leave the Wizarding World after all, Madam Bones," Kyle replied with a smile.

"There is nowhere on this Earth you could go where we could not find you," Bones said with a narrowed eye.

Kyle leaned forward, and whispered sotto voce, "What makes you think we'll stay on this world? Harry and I were nine thousand light years away when Dumbledore managed to slip Harry's name into that goblet of yours. Do you understand what that means, Madam Bones? The light from the star Harry and I were standing under just days ago will not even reach your world for another nine thousand years, if it reaches it at all. We are not bound to this world, and if you and Dumbledore continue to put my padawan in danger, we will leave and let you deal with your dark lord problem on your own. Remove his damned trace now!"

Bones narrowed her eyes and blushed in obvious anger. "You are making a powerful enemy, Mr. Katarn."

"I am not interested in making enemies, only in protecting my apprentice," Kyle told her plainly. "He has a heavy enough destiny as it is without having to worry about the adults who should be protecting him instead going out of their way to place him in harm's way. Dumbledore admitted he allowed Harry's name to be entered into that blasted tournament, knowing it was placing the boy in danger. If you have questions, take them to Dumbledore. But in the meantime, remove the trace, or we leave."

"Boss…" the black man began.

Amelia waived him off. "He's telling the truth, Kingsley. I can see it in his eyes. And we both know Albus is no angel."

"The light side can be as cruel and destructive as the dark," Kyle said.

"And which are you, Mr. Katarn?" Bones demanded.

"I'm a weapon of the light, Madam Bones," Kyle said with an eloquent shrug. "The Jedi serve what you call magic directly through an aspect of it we call the Force. It guides our actions and motivations, and it can be as cold and cruel as the darkest of enemies. I will not hesitate to remove Dumbledore's head if he continues to endanger Harry, just as I would not hesitate to kill any of you for doing the same. However, I would just as soon not have to harm anyone if I can avoid it. And one way to avoid it is to ensure potential enemies cannot use your Trace to locate Harry. We've already been attacked by wizards once."

Bones pursed her lips while behind her Kingsley looked dismayed and Tonks looked confused and pensive. "Fine," she said at last. She took her wand and began chanting in a language neither Harry nor Kyle understood, and finally touched the wand to Harry's head.

Harry felt an odd sense of wind despite the still air, and the feeling that something light had blown off. "I felt it, Kyle," he told his master. "It's gone."

"I sense it as well," Kyle said. To Amelia, he nodded. "Thank you."

"Tonks, Kingsley, please return to the office."

"But…I was supposed to…" Tonks began.

"You can play with your little club later, Nymphadora," Bones said with a hard stare.

Tonks blushed and her hair turned red, but she nodded. "Yes, Madam Bones."

Kingsley evidently knew better than to complain, and the two left. "Gerrick, thank you," Bones said to the wand maker. "Mr. Katarn, Mr. Potter, perhaps you would like to join me for lunch?"

~~Katarn~~

~~Katarn~~

It should not have surprised Harry that Kyle flirted with the head of the DMLE throughout the meal, nor that she flirted right back. It was an odd kind of flirting, thought. They exchanged a few threats just to establish their mutual turfs and then started talking about the Jedi Order and the Ministry of Magic.

The restaurant she took them too was not in Diagon Alley, which surprised Harry. It was instead a small Thai Food restaurant barely large enough for the five tables it possessed. The food, however, was delicious, and the flirting was at least bearable since both were too self-possessed to act foolish. And, Amelia Bones was not an unattractive woman by any means. Though she was older than Harry would ordinary look at, he supposed for an old person she was quite beautiful.

Eventually they came around to discussing Voldemort's first insurrection. "He laid a lot of ground work before he struck openly," Bones admitted. "And unfortunately a lot of that ground work is still there. He created a spell so evil and insidious that it almost brought down the Ministry just in and of itself—a spell called the Imperius curse which suborns a witch or wizard's will to that of the castor. It could force men to slaughter their families, or betray their best friends, and they would never know. Worse yet, it was undetectable and incurable, so when the war was done and half Voldemort's followers claimed they were under the curse, we had no legitimate way to determining whether they were lying or not."

"Have you developed a way to detect is since then?" Kyle asked.

"Nothing fool-proof," Bones said. "That's the danger with mind-magic. I truly fear for the Ministry when it's impossible to tell friend from foe, especially when they might be one and the same."

"I can see the frustration," Kyle said. "I'm assuming it was Dumbledore that put you up to challenging my guardianship of Harry?"

"He might have mentioned his concerns," Bones admitted wryly. "And when Dumbledore mentions something, it generally gets our attention. It would not surprise me if he did enter Harry into the tournament."

"He facilitated the one who did," Kyle amended. "To spring a trap. My question to you, though, is where you stand?"

"I stand with the Ministry of Magic, Mr. Katarn."

"Even if the Ministry is wrong?" Kyle asked. "What would you do if you found out your Minister was under the Imperius? Would you still follow his orders? What if you found out Dumbledore was intentionally placing children in harm's way, would you still go along with his suggestions?"

Harry could see some of the familiarity in Bones's demeanor leave as she stiffened. "What are you suggestion, Mr. Katarn?"

"Nothing at all, other than to be mindful of the circumstances around you. You live in a small, insular community. I can easily foresee a time when your entire support network disappears. If that happens, what will you do? I don't have an answer for you, only you can answer that. But I think you're smart enough to at least ask the right questions. Such as, why was Harry placed with the family he was? What really happened thirteen years ago? What does Dumbledore know that he's not telling anyone else? And more importantly, why isn't he telling anyone else? And why is he placing so much stock on one fourteen-year-old boy? Those are good questions, Amelia, and I would like to know the answers as well."

Kyle stood, with Harry right behind. "Thank you for lunch, Madam Bones. It was delicious. Perhaps we will meet again."

"Perhaps," she said. He took her hand, and instead shaking it, he kissed her knuckles.

Harry fought not to roll his eyes. As they were leaving the restaurant, he said, "Really?"

Kyle shrugged. "I like women in uniform. And evidently they like me."

~~Katarn~~

~~Katarn~~

That night, once more in the home of Sirius Black on the eve of his first trip to Hogwarts, Harry glanced through one of his new text-books. With the help of the book-seller, Harry elected to buy the current book lists for all seven years of Hogwarts. He started with the First Year charms book—the first ten pages were actually taken up with a discussion on how to read spell diagrams. Curious, he found the same passage in the First Year Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts books.

Swishes, flicks, jabs and slashes were clearly and precisely defined. Additionally, the introduction gave a primer on the phonetic aspects of spell casting—specifically definitions of the different symbols used to advise how spells were pronounced. The writing was very basic, and Harry could see it was written for younger children.

With those clear directions, it seemed a simple thing then to point his newly purchased wand at a nearby book, perform the swish and flick as defined in the book, and say the incantation: "Wingardium Leviosa."

The book rose into the air exactly as the spell predicted; Harry dropped the wand in alarm and grabbed his hand. Across the room, Kyle Katarn looked up from his own reading of several back-issues of the Daily Prophet. His glance was the question, and Harry understood it well enough.

"It was strange, Kyle. It's like the spell pushed the Force through my hands and wand in a strange way, but…but it didn't pull the Force from around me. It's like…it's like it pulled the Force right out of my body!"

Harry spoke more loudly than normal, because at the door Sirius Black paused and stared in. "Are you okay, Harry?" he asked.

Kyle swung the chair he was using around to more directly regard Sirius Black. "You can help us. Remove your wand and perform a simple spell, please."

Nonplussed, Sirius did as he was asked and shot a color-changing spell at the wall of their room, changing it from green to red.

"Thank you, that's all we needed," Kyle said in dismissal.

Sirius opened his mouth to say something, but then changed his mind and walked away with a sad expression. "You don't have to be mean to him," Harry said when he was gone.

"I do, actually. At least at first. He has to understand that he is not the person you turn to in need. So, did you sense his magic?"

Harry nodded. "It's like the Force, but it comes from inside him."

"The native power," Kyle said. "Much like a Kiffar's psychometry. Some species have unique powers that have their basis in the Force, but express themselves differently. This magic is unlike any power I've encountered before, and yet it is still couched in Force energy. However, it draws that energy from within your own body, rather than accessing the Force at large. This seems to place a set limit on just how much power a person can access at any one time. What's interesting is how the spell forced the magic out in a pre-determined manner. What is it about those words that produces that effect?"

"I guess we'll find out," Harry asked.

"Maybe. In the meantime, I thought you might like to read this." Kyle handed Harry one of the newspapers, and on the cover of it were two pictures. The first was a young girl with a freckle-covered faced and long hair smiling at the camera and waving almost as if it were a 2-D holoimage. And next to it was a second picture of a much older witch in white robes levitating a stretcher covered in a white cloth, with a thin, limp hand hanging from underneath the cloth.

TRAGEDY AT HOGWARTS, the headline read.

Harry read the story in mute silence, fighting a strange urge to cry.

Ginevra Molly Weasley, age 11, died of dark possession at Hogwarts after unleashing a Basilisk which petrified four students. Her brother, Ronald Weasley, discovered what was happening from a note clutched in the hands of one of the petrified students, a Muggle-born child named Hermione Granger. He desperately sought the help of Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, only to discover the so called hero was in fact a black-hearted coward who ran away before offering any assistance.

Unfortunately, the Headmaster by this time had been forced out of the castle by the head of the Board of Governors, Lucius Malfoy, and so was unavailable. Mr. Weasley next sought help from Professor McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress. Somehow, she summoned Dumbledore back to the castle, and with the aid of the headmaster's phoenix, located young Ginevra.

It was, sadly, too late. What they did find was a demonic apparition that took the appearance of a young You-Know-Who. The stalwart headmaster and the demonic apparition fought a titanic battle, the end of which was the death of a thousand-year-old basilisk, the destruction of the Chamber of Secrets, and the loss of the only daughter of Arthur and Molly Weasley.

Miss Weasley's body was cremated in accordance with the ancient rites and her ashes given back to the land of her ancestors. This reporter extends his deepest sympathies to the Weasley family for this terrible loss.

Harry let the newspaper fall, thinking somehow that he could have made a difference if he was there. But he wasn't—he was on Ossus. "I can't help but think my vision of her was important," Harry finally said.

"Perhaps it was," Kyle said, once more back at his desk. He did not look up from the papers he was reading through. "The moment I found you, Harry, I changed your fate, just as it changed mine. Our meeting was not accidental—the Force guided me to that park, which as you know was not anywhere close to the home I'd chosen. But say I never came to Earth, or never found you. You would have lived an abused, unhappy life with your relatives, and when the time came gone to Hogwarts. Who's to say that you would not have made the acquaintance of her brother, and through him, she herself? Perhaps she was destined to play a role in your life. But because I did find you, your fate changed, and sadly so did hers. You cannot blame yourself for what might have been, Harry. Any more than you can accept responsibility for the actions of others."

"Yes, Kyle."

"Now, let's get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."