"Normal Speech"

"Thoughts"

"Mental Speech"

"Alien Language"


"What do you wish to hear? That I once believed in the code of the Jedi? That I felt the call of the Sith, that perhaps, once, I held the galaxy by its throat? That for every good deed I did, I brought equal harm upon the galaxy? That perhaps what the greatest of the Sith Lords knew of evil, they learned from me?" - Kreia


Chapter 8 – Echoes of the Past

(36,431 TYA / 978 ARR / 1994 A.D.)

Hogwarts Grounds, Scotland (U.K.)

Ever since Harry had arrived at Hogwarts, he had felt a stable presence in the Force, one equal to that of an untrained Force-sensitive. And ever since that incident in the seventh floor, with the diadem, he had finally been able to sense who was the other Force-sensitive on Hogwarts. He had felt a strange connection in his mind when he had used the old Sith magic against the diadem. It had been as if there was someone on his mind, and yet there was no one there. It felt like an echo. Since then, for some reason, he had been constantly thinking about his Trials of Skill.

And when he had finally discovered who was the other Force-sensitive he was surprised. But his identity only brought out even more questions. Questions which he did not had the answers to.

"How? How can it be him?" he asked out loud "How did she not sense him?"

The thoughts of why his old master had not sensed the other Force-sensitive were irritating him. They were both there, young and extremely close. There must have been a reason for her to ignore the other one. But why? What had happened?

"Perhaps it was the Force that clouded his presence, keeping me away from him." said a voice.

Harry quickly turned around, and his eyes landed on the blue ghostly figure of an old robed woman, with her eyes covered by the hood.

"It has been a long time my old master." stated Harry.

"Indeed it has Harrison." replied the Force Ghost. "Or should I call you by your other name?"

"Which one? I have held many over the years."

"You have, yes. But there is one that reflects your past, your present and your future. All the choices you have made and those that you have yet to face. A name that carries with it a mission as old as many of the civilizations of this hidden world."

Harry smiled. "It may be so. But in the end, what matters is neither my name nor who I am, but what my message is."

The cloaked figure returned the smile.

"Then what is your message, my old apprentice?"

"My message is something that cannot be transmitted by words." he answered "One would have to walk in the darkest corners of the galaxy to even understand it."

"And so you let the galaxy wage a pointless war while you wait?" questioned Harry's old master "A war whose outcome will cause the imminent death of the Republic and the Jedi?"

"The future is simultaneously certain and uncertain. My presence in the war is undecided. Plus, the Republic is already crippled, devoured by centuries of corruption and unending bureaucracy. This oncoming war will be the blade that will strike at the heart of the Republic, and I intend to see it die."

"And the Jedi Order?"

"Jedi Order has changed for the worst. What was once an Order that was ready to fight properly for their beliefs and the Republic, is now a bunch of little children that play with lightsabers and hide behind a boy, believing him to be some sort of saviour. No matter how much they try to hide it, the Order has lost its…touch. Gone are the days when the Order searched for those that were strong in the Force by using the Kyber Crystal, training them without any kind of discrimination. Now, they delve into scientific methods, by inventing the 'Midi-Chlorians'' and only train those that possess a certain number of...whatever those things are. The ability to manipulate the Force comes from ones essence, not from ones blood or cells."

"And what do you make of Bane's Sith?"

"They call themselves Sith, but they are nothing but cowards. Smart, intelligent, cunning, but cowards nonetheless. Like the Jedi, they became somewhat 'slaves' to the idea of the Midi-chlorians as well." said the young Force-user "From what I know of them , they claim that their rule serve to prevent the Sith to destroy themselves. But in the end, their very lack of loyalty, organization and proper and constructed goals became their own weaknesses, and that brought forth their doom. Now, Bane's Sith Order clings to teachings that will lead to its very own destruction. Eventually, the two Sith will destroy each other, and their order will meet its end. I have to admit though that I admire a Dark Lord of Bane's Sith Order."

"Who?"

"Darth Vectivus." answered Harry "Unlike his predecessors and successors, Vectivus had little to no interest in the Jedi or in some kind of revenge against them. He instead focused on the study of the Force and the Dark Side, expanding the already vast ocean of knowledge of the Force."

"You have changed much my old Padawan." said the woman.

"I had a long time to think about by choices, and who I am supposed to be. I know what must be done. I saw, what must be done. I long for vengeance, but I also want to rescue the galaxy from decadence. A decadence that was brought by the Jedi and the Republic. I wish for vengeance for what the Jedi did to me, and to them as well."

"Do not let your hatred of the Jedi to cloud your rationality." said the spectre "Keep a clear mind and don't be reckless. That will only cause your premature death. And then what? With you dead, how can you fulfil your desires?"

"Hate does not control me. As my ancestor once did, I control hate." said Harry in a calm but harsh way "And how can death claim that which is beyond its reach?"

"Indeed." was the reply of the Force ghost.

Harry smirked. Vitiate's holocron had explained in a very detailed fashion two ways of attaining immortality. The first had been a very complex ritual that once started could take entire weeks, while the second one consisted in transferring one's essence to another body. He had to be thankful to Sith alchemy and Kaminoan cloning.

"I have to ask you my old Padawan, what do you intend to do now that you have found another Force-sensitive in this planet, residing in the walls of that old fortress?"

"In time, if he shows promise, I will attempt to make him my apprentice. His potential may be great, and if I am successful, then the Wizarding World will have a very unpleasant surprise."

"We shall see." said Harry's old Jedi Master "Goodbye, my old apprentice. We may speak again soon."

And as the Force Ghost faded back into the Netherworld of the Force, Harry replied to the disappearing woman.

"Goodbye…Kreia."