The History of Magic class itself was not very interesting, though Hari tried hard to pay attention. Most of the other students seemed to be staring blankly at the admittedly admirable architecture of the lecture hall, gazing longingly out the tall windows, or dozing.
Several students in green-trimmed robes seemed more engrossed in whispered conversation than in the lecture, but over half of Hari's fellow Hufflepuffs (not Sentinels, though the word still came easily to his thoughts) managed to stay focused, as did one girl from the red house (he ought to find the name of that house, because he still found the associations with black and red largely negative) and two of the Ravenclaws.
There was something simultaneously stimulating and mundane about the classes, Hari thought. Perhaps it had merely been too long since he was last a youngling himself, but he found it hard to care very much about what he was learning. He took careful notes from sheer habit, but ached to be doing something.
With the Force so wrong, he was unable to seek its comfort and guidance. It flailed its vast power through him, one of its very few conduits, with all the subtlety and elegance of an infant's tantrum. He would find a way to set things right. He had to.
But in the meantime, he was recording just how many statues of himself the infamous Helios the Hideous had commissioned across the world at the dawn of Wizarding history. Why this was considered essential information, Hari had yet to discover. His grasp of Earth history was tenuous at best, since he'd had only weeks in the 'muggle' school and his studies since then had been largely undirected and far less effective than he'd have preferred.
The lecture wrapped up mere seconds before the bell rang to signal the class's end. The other students stood and began to leave, but Hari found Master Binns's eyes on him and stayed back. There was plenty of time before dinner began, and Hari had only been planning to explore the castle further anyway during the upcoming break.
"You aren't Fleamont, are you?" the spirit asked, as Hari approached. "Always trying to solve that messy hair."
"Hari," he replied. "Harry Potter, officially."
"Officially? I suppose so." The ghost hovered in place a long moment, looking at Hari as though trying to discover something about him, but Hari couldn't guess what.
"What did you do?" Master Binns finally asked. His tone was mild, but his translucent eyes were fixed on Hari with an intensity that suggested anything but.
"I believe I created a Force bond with you," Hari said. "I'm sorry for doing so without your consent or knowledge. I should have been more restrained. The Force on Earth is so strange I'm having a hard time adapting to it, and I didn't realize the effect it would have."
Though now he wished he'd been paying closer attention at the time. Just like with Sev, he had acted on unplanned instinct in the moment.
The spirit was silent for so long Hari began to worry. Without Binns breathing or any motion to show expression, it was difficult to guess what he was thinking.
"That sounds like a binding ritual, but to what end?"
"I acted on a feeling, Master Binns, without thought. I can't guess at what will happen."
Binns nodded slowly. "I feel different, Mr. Potter. Different than I have for years upon years. You have aroused me from a rest I did not realize I was taking, and I do not know if I like it."
"You have my sincerest apologies," Hari said, "should you decide you do not."
The ghost turned and floated through the large blackboard at the back of the room, disappearing from sight. Hari stared after him, then tentatively reached out to the Force again.
The thread shone there still, faint and silvery-grey, pointing Hari toward where he knew he'd find Binns, just as the warm white-gold thread connected him to Sev. His cat was young and energetic; that bond pulsed almost constantly with playful energy, while the new one seemed dull and lethargic in comparison.
He could only believe this to be progress. The more people he could connect with, the more the Force would be brought closer to its true purpose.
Still. It seemed that his second childhood came with more drawbacks than physical size. He'd certainly not been so impulsive as a Jedi Master, nor so careless. Listen to your feelings, but do not allow yourself to be ruled by emotion's aimless whims. He would need to relearn his earliest lessons.
The last class of the day was over. All the other students were long gone. Hari stood in the empty lecture hall a long time, running his eyes absently over the architecture.
It made him homesick for the Jedi Temple, lonely in a way no mission or distant trip ever had. This was a different world, a different reality, and he'd never in his life felt so completely out of place.
His traitorously young body filled with sadness and longing, Hari seated himself on the floor and struggled to submerge his mind into meditation.
Emotion, yet peace.
He was lost, alone in a world where he couldn't feel he belonged. No.
Ignorance, yet knowledge.
"Are you alright, m'lad?"
Hari opened his eyes and found Master Flamel seated across from him on the floor, a look of concern on his ancient face.
"I'm far from home, Master Flamel, that is all." Hari stood and bowed politely. "If you need the room, I did not mean to intrude."
The older man stood, shaking his head. "No, I wanted to check on you. Cuthbert told me you'd been behaving oddly, and John mentioned you couldn't cast Lumos though your wandwork and pronunciation were flawless. I do love a good puzzle." He chuckled. "I hope you don't find that arrogant."
"No, Master, people are indeed the most interesting puzzles to solve."
The old man raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? You speak not as one so young."
"I am young only in body," Hari replied. "In spirit, I have lived a full lifetime."
Master Flamel peered over his spectacles at Hari, and nodded slowly. "I can see it," he said. "Fascinating. It almost makes me wish. . . well. Best not to speak of what might have been."
"I am still trying to understand this new world in which I've found myself," Hari admitted.
"Times change. When one lives on for lifetimes, one tends to leave a great many things behind," Master Flamel said, then added more quietly. "A great many people, as well."
Hari nodded. The faces of his companions back in his home galaxy flickered in his mind.
Toretin Severill II, Sev, who he'd grown up with in the Jedi Temple. The bothan was quick and curious, always getting into trouble as quickly as he got out of it, but bore responsibility unflinchingly. Mara-Kon Zenn, a rival and later friend, dedicated and focused. She spoke with consideration, always seeming to know more than she did.
Teira Starstrider, lost so recently the memory still pained him. The twi'lek had always fought hardest for the causes no one else believed could be won, and that had finally caught up to her. Ram Toruno, with his penchant for dark spaces and fast ships.
And, of course, N'Eli.
Hari felt his inner turmoil reach physical tangibility. With the Force so scattered and disconnected, he could no longer seek its solace. Everything else could be borne, but not alone. He ought to be stronger, but he seemed to have forgotten how.
"I have lived longer than anyone else in history," Master Flamel said softly. "I have outlived so many of my beloved friends. My own children, and grandchildren, are no more than names to anyone alive today. I know not how you have come to us, nor what your past lifetime may have been like, but I feel it is my place to assure you of one thing. You are not alone."
Hari blinked away his tears to look up at the older man. Master Flamel met his eyes quite seriously, his expression gentle, but Hari could see the deep sadness lurking there. A perfect mirror of his own losses, amplified over and again. He sensed something between them, an understanding.
Perhaps he began alone and far from home, but he didn't have to remain so.
"If ever you find yourself in need of someone to speak with, my office is open to you," Master Flamel said. "Please don't hesitate to call on me, should you require company of an evening."
Hari nodded. "Thank you, Master."
"And please, do not believe I make this offer from some sense of vague duty, Mr. Potter. I would truly welcome the chance to converse with you at greater length."
"Thank you, Master."
Master Flamel smiled and touched his shoulder briefly, then turned and departed.
Hari returned to his meditation, and this time his thoughts settled themselves neatly in plenty of time for him to calmly join the rest of his house for dinner.
Author's Note:
I'll be reducing update frequency yet again; my current schedule for my projects is unsustainable. I really wish I didn't have to do this, I love all my projects, but my writing time is limited by work and life. I've posted an updated plan for the next two months on my profile.
I have every intention of eventually writing the prequel/original story which this is a sequel to, though I don't have either the Star Wars knowledge or time to do it justice at present. I'm envisioning it as a loosely-connected series of adventures taking place throughout Hari's lifetime, in similar vein to the old Jedi Apprentice series. It will be set in the Legends EU, and I'm currently thinking the era will be somewhere around 700-400 BBY-ish. I have a whole lot of Star Wars novels to read before then, though, as I'm largely ignorant of huge swaths of SW lore at present.
If things go exceptionally well, I might be persuaded to send Harry back out into the SW-verse after Jedi of Little Whinging concludes, complete with his new magic abilities. Due to timeline-jumping and universe chronology differentials, that would place him into the movies era, so some considerable planning would have to be done to make it work. Absolutely several years away at this point. We'll see how things go.