Chapter 10: Occlumency and Smacks to the Face
Delores did not stop with her decrees, and her teaching was a joke. She had the students writing lines everyday. They weren't learning anything.
The trio and a few others created a club to teach themselves, only leading to another decree about students meeting together being banned.
"This is ridiculous. I...I just had an idea. Want to watch?" Cytheria grinned to her children.
The three nodded as they got up from her couch and followed her out of her room. The three professors and nurse went to Umbridge's classroom and entered without preamble.
"Professors? What's the meaning of this?" Umbridge frowned.
"Well you see we had an epiphany with your latest decree. It said, and I am paraphrasing: NO students should meet in groups of three or more with regular intervals and times. So we came to tell the kids they could leave if they wanted. According to that decree all classes are optional. If the children do not want to be in any of our classes they do not have to be."
The students blinked in shock.
"A class is vastly different than any club."
"Not actually. Clubs facilitate two or more children coming together for a common reason and expanding their knowledge or skill. It is the same as a classroom. Therefore children, you are all free to leave if you like. This meeting is technically illegal."
The students were gone in seconds. The professors following and leaving a fuming Umbridge in their wake.
Over the next few weeks, Dumbledore's Army met every Saturday evening and every class continued as scheduled, except for Defense and History classes.
A few days before Christmas, Harry was shaken awake by his roommates during a fit. Neville had retrieved McGonagall and once Harry had told her of the dream they quickly headed to Dumbledore's quarters.
"In the dream were you standing next to the victim or looking down from above?" Albus frowned.
"Neither it was...it was like I...professor what's happened?"
"Everard you must hurry to the Ministry and see that Arthur is found by the right people."
A red faced former headmaster nodded and left his portrait.
"Dyles head to the hospital and check on his arrival."
The only headmistress in the room nodded and hurried out of her portrait.
"Phineas you must hurry to Grimmuald place and tell Sirius to expect the Weasley children will be coming to him by portkey."
The Slytherin headmaster nodded and left his portrait.
"Good now we..."
"LOOK AT ME!" Harry roared at the headmaster. Angry he was being ignored like all year.
Harry shook himself as the anger was quickly replaced by fear.
"What's happening to me?" Harry whimpered.
Albus simply stared at him as his door opened and revealed Severus.
"You wished to see me headmaster?" Snape asked looking at the pajama clad Gryffindors and head of house oddly.
"AH yes, I'm afraid we cannot wait any longer Severus. Not even till the morning," Albus stated.
"Capable as I may be sir, I doubt he would benefit. I a sure Minerva agrees on this. Mother would be more appropriate," Severus stated looking at Harry.
"Mother!?" Harry and the Weasleys exclaimed.
"What is all the screaming about down here Albus?" a voice called from above.
Professor Harris came into view looking down at everyone. Her hair was in a messy slept in braid and she was in what appeared to be one of Albus' night shirts. It hung on her slimmer figure.
The children gawked as a phoenix feather appeared from no where and fell to Harry's feet.
"The signal. Minerva, Severus you must distract her. Tell her anything. Cytheria we need you," Albus stated quickly conjuring the portkey for the Wesley children.
McGonagall and Severus rushed out of the office as the ginger children left. Cytheria came downstairs and pulled Harry to a book shelf that slid aside for her. They hurried down a hall and came out at another book shelf that was in Professor Harris' office.
"What...how..."
"Ok first things first...Harry, I've been married to Albus for the last seven years."
Harry gawked, "So...and...and Snape and McGonagall are your children?"
"So is Remus and Poppy," she nodded.
Harry shook his head as he felt a headache coming on.
"Now about what I'm doing with you. We have been thinking, Albus, the kids and I that is, that you may have a mental connection to Voldemort with that scar. You are linked. You are not having nightmares but seeing into his mind. By the same token he could see into yours."
"He...he can read my mind?"
"Read it, unlock it, unhinge it."
"What do you mean?"
"In the past, Voldemort would drive his victims mad by creating horrific visions in their heads of their loved ones being tortured or dying. It stands to reason that when he discovers your minds are connected that he would do the same to you to get information about the Order. Because of this you need to start learning to block him out using Occlumency. I'm going to have private lessons with you to help you learn this. We will start right now. Empty all thoughts. Think of something very useless. I always think of a pair of Lemon Drop Socks."
Harry chuckled a bit. He shut his eyes trying to think of something useless. His mind wandered to his trunk where his broom was. That wasn't really useless, but it was helping. He stopped thinking about the dream and was thinking about flying. He didn't hear the professor say a spell. He kept thinking about his broom and flying around the pitch, which led him to thinking about quidditch. He strolled down Quidditch memory lane a bit before he started seeing bits of his life before Hogwarts. Flashes of all the bad things Dudley did to him. He frowned and forced his eyes opened.
"That was pretty good Harry. You had me staring at quidditch games for at least three minutes before I could change it. Not bad for a first try."
"You went in my mind?" he blinked.
She nodded smirking, "You did remarkably for someone so young. You are quite the amazing power."
Harry bowed his head blushing.
"Enough for now. We'll continue every Sunday night. I'll lead you back to your dorm."
He nodded following her out of the office.