Harry Potter and the Call of the Force

Chapter Two; The Master of the Jedi

BOOM. They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake.

"Where's the cannon?" he asked stupidly.

There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands -- now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.

"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you -- I'm armed!"

There was a pause. Then--

SMASH!

The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.

At first, it seemed as if no one was there. But something was shuffling in the doorway. It seemed to be a man, but it was the tiniest man Harry had ever seen. Then Harry realized with a shock that it wasn't a man at all.

A diminutive creature barely two feet tall was shuffling forward on two legs, supporting itself on a tiny, knobbly cane. Its green face was almost completely covered with wrinkles, and thin wisps of grey hair sprouted from the top of its head, but you could make out its eyes, glinting like yellow tennis balls among all the wrinkles.

The creature hobbled its way into the hut, stooping with old age. Then it turned around and raised a three-fingered hand. The door levitated off the ground as if held by invisible wires, then floated back into the doorway, fitting easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. It turned to look at them all.

"A long and difficult journey, I have been on. Refreshments, could you provide?"

It strode with vigor over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.

"Move, if you please," said the stranger.

Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.

"And here is Harry!" said the creature.

Harry looked down into the wizened, green, shadowy face and saw that the tennis ball eyes were crinkled in a smile.

"Only an infant you were, when last I saw you," said the creature. "A long time I have lived, and remember you past, I still do. Much of your father's looks you have, but your eyes -- like your mother's, I believe."

Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.

"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"

"Ah, Dursley, such a prune you should not be," said the creature; it reached over the back of the sofa, and the gun jerked out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and flew into a corner of the room.

Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.

"Now -- Harry," said the creature, turning its back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to you. Found something here for you, I did. Someone has sat on it, I believe. But taste all right, it should."

From within its tattered brown robes it pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.

Harry looked down at the creature. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "who are you?"

The creature chuckled.

"True, an introduction of myself I have not given. Yoda, Jedi Master and member of the Jedi Council."