*Mad pterodactyl screeching when realizing I had 104 followers*

Chapter 10.

Harry rubbed his eyes. He had stayed up all night long, and the large majority of the day researching what he now knew were blood quills. He figured out that all corporal punishment was banned from Hogwarts over 400 years ago. He had also figured out that blood quills used for anything other than Gringotts, Marriage, or some very specific wizarding binding agreements was banned and considered part of the dark arts. Umbridge was breaking over a hundred school bylaws and wizarding laws together. She could very well be sent to Azkaban for life for using them on underage students, Umbridge might even receive the dementors kiss. Harry unfortunately, knew that he personally couldn't testify against her, mainly because he was thought of a mad crazy teenager without any caring legal guardians, but if he were to get someone from a prominent pureblood family, he could get rid of Umbridge for once and for all. However, he couldn't do anything about it, other than store his notes in a patch he created in his bed (he learned very well in second year not to trust housemates with his things), before occlumency, which he could very well be late for if he didn't get a move on.

…..

Severus sighed tiredly. He had a hell of a day. First the younger Greengrass sister came in for a bruise balm. She had allegedly crushed her hand in the door of her dorm. He was fresh out of bruise balm so he had to brew a new batch of the horrid stuff, Draco was still sulking and had been giving him dirty looks. Mr. Nott had been in some sort of argument with Montague, and to top it off, Minerva was upset at him for rightfully taking points from Creevey for being a nuisance in his class. Now he had to deal with Potter, and try to teach the incompetant fool in occlumency. A soft knock alerted Severus to Potter's presence.

"Cutting it close, are you Potter?" Severus decided on a cutting remark. Potter, the fool didn't even deign a response. Severus looked carefully at the brat. He looked exhausted, as if he had been up all night long. Dark purple circles lined his eyes. Severus shook of his examination of the boy.

"Close the door, Potter, then we will begin." Potter had done as he had asked, and slumped into a chair.

"Clear your mind. Legilimens!" For a moment, Severus couldn't find a hold onto the boy's memories, it was as though a layer of thick fog had come over the boy, but then: "What did you do to my son, Boy?!" A huge body threw Potter into a wall. Potter slumped against the wall, obviously exhausted. The scene flipped, and Severus realized that he wasn't in control of Potter's memories and neither was Potter. What was happening? A small five year old Potter, stood on a stool, in ratty clothes, obviously too large for him washing dishes, next to a thin woman with a horse like face. Petunia, Severus realized. " Aunt P'tunia? Where are my Mum and Dad?" the child's voice was trembling, as though he was afraid to ask. Petunia stared at the small child with hard eyes. "Dead. worthless drunks that died in a car crash. Don't ask questions" and with that, she swung a frying pan at his head Severus could feel the shock and pain that the Potter brat had felt in that moment. Petunia's declaration and violence had shocked him as well, but before he could do anything, the scene flipped again A screaming woman out in the dark fog surrounding a dementor, Lily's voice, Severus realized with dread "Not Harry, Please!" A high, cold voice, "Step Aside, Girl." The scene flipped again A nine year old Potter, in a dark, small space, listening at the door "Vernon, a whipping or caning would be good for the boy. Show who's boss, that's what I do with the dogs." A deep females, booming voice. And the same voice from the first memory answered, "I know, Marge, I know." Finally Potter broke through whatever walls were forcing him to watch.

"Stop it!" Potter roared. Severus was thrust from the boy's mind. Potter was panting, on the floor, and holding his head as though it had been split in two and needed to be held together. Severus had also fallen to the floor as well. Both gasped for breath for a few minutes. Severus couldn't believe what he had seen, Potter. He obviously had been abused, Severus, however wasn't sure how bad it had been. It could have been anywhere between basic neglect, to full out beatings. What really puzzled Severus was that he had not been in control of the memories, nor it seemed had Potter either. This meant that someone else had been trying to infiltrate Potter's mind for a period of time. It was rather impressive that Potter had been able to fend off the other who was attempting for so long, and made sense that Potter had such little ability to fend off Severus himself, a known enemy. Severus stood up and sat in his chair behind his desk.

"Sit Potter." Potter looked up from the floor, with red eyes and a furious expression on his face, for a moment, Severus thought that Potter would just storm out of his office, but Potter stood stiffly and sat on the chair that he was on previously.

"Someone other than I was in control of that particular stream of memories Potter." Severus wanted the boy to understand that he hadn't drawn on what could have been some of the more frightening memories the boy had.

"If you think I ever wanted you to see those memories, you're a lot denser than I thought!" Potter replied angrily. Severus steepled his fingers together. He would forgive Potter for that particular comment. The boy was obviously upset

"No Potter, I mean that someone else has been trying to infiltrate your mind, for quite some time now, if I am correct." Potters mouth dropped open in shock. Obviously the boy was a natural occlumens then, one would never have guessed as the boy was an open book.

"You mean, that's why I've been having those headaches after lessons with you?" Severus pondered this for a moment.

"I suppose that could be a side effect." Potter seemed deep in thought, hands hidden in his lap. Severus decided it was time to approach the subject of Potter's relatives.

"Potter, why have you not brought up your relatives to your head of house?" Severus was really curious, he himself had been abused as a child, an absent mother, and a drunk of a father, so he had understood the fear of telling and not being taken seriously, but Potter was Dumbledore's and Minerva's favorites. Potter stared at Severus for a moment, then in a rough, scratchy voice, said

" Why would I? Dumbledore already knows."

…..