It took Lily several moments to come back and realize how deeply she was nestled in James' side, and she hardly had the energy to pull away after that. It felt callous, to keep going after hearing the fate of her friend, but the only way she knew to help was getting to the bottom of these books, to Harry's memories. She just knew that would be the key to saving everyone, it had to be. The moment he understood how to let them out of this place, she could go and save Alice, Frank, and everyone.

With that thought in mind, it still took her a few moments to process why Remus wasn't still going, and she had to clear her throat hard for a moment before calling to him.

He jolted in surprise, almost as if he'd forgotten where he was. She couldn't blame him, but he finally agreed that part was done and she begrudgingly let her infant leave her arms, but some

color finally came back to at least Remus' face as he cradled the infant and she found her place to start.

Harry was glad he wasn't the one reading again. He could feel some nasty catch in his throat, but as he tried to quietly clear it, it almost came out as a sob. He only just managed to turn it into a cough, his face more troubled now than ever to understand what that could mean.

Sirius was frowning in unease in here though, a trickle of worry starting to replace his calm. Kreacher wasn't like Dobby though, his wretched thing didn't have the gall to go against him, and

it's not as if he abused Kreacher like Dobby had been. He mainly ignored the imp unless he did something that deserved a kick from the room.

"Oh boy," James muttered. He'd already been watching Sirius with concern, he'd seen the confusion and beginnings of something on his face at the mention of Kreacher, but now something else was entirely masking that. Hearing about how flamboyant he'd been during Christmas had been the most they'd seen of their Padfoot yet, and Harry hadn't even been in the same way to enjoy it. Now somehow things were flipping right back around! Was it really so

impossible to have everyone be happy for a moment?

Lily was worried that's all they seemed to feel in here anymore as well. School, while not an ideal time in their life what with Voldemort trying to kill them all, was where they all had their best memories. It seemed that way for Harry as well, and yet the horrible things that so often happened to him there seemed to rival the good of his first home.

"The worst part is, I may cave in and agree with you by now," Sirius grumbled.

"That was pleasant, honestly just what we needed," Remus groaned as Lily now clearly dreaded just flipping to the next page.

Lily stuttered to a halt in surprise, her lip already curling in agitation of thinking of Harry back around him for any reason when they'd had quite a space since the last time.

The boys were already grumbling and shifting around in agitation as well, knowing without a doubt any reason Snape was singling Harry out wasn't going to make them feel better even without the books warning.

"Honestly I try to ignore most sentences with his name as well," Remus agreed.

"That wasn't any more pleasant to hear a second time!" Sirius groaned.

Lily almost wanted to laugh if she hadn't wanted to do the same thing.

Sirius wouldn't deny he was stalling as he demanded, "why not just kick him out of the room then?"

"Hermione's always been big on letting Crookshanks where ever she is. If anyone suggested making the cat get out, she'd get really offended and say she'd just leave to," Harry almost smiled again, even if his brow was still creased with worry for whatever was fixing to happen.

"He's certainly done nothing to earn that respect," James said bitterly.

"I'd call him Professor Snivellus though," Sirius smirked.

"That presumption is almost hurtful," Remus rolled his eyes.

"If it wasn't so often true," Harry sighed.

"Still not worthy of such a highly esteemed house call," James snarked.

"Well some good will clearly come of this," Lily said with even more worry now. "The two are going to kill each other, and that'll give us a little more breathing room."

"I'm hurt Lily," Sirius frowned at her, "as if he could actually kill me, if I wanted him dead I'd already have the stake ready."

Lily just rolled her eyes at him.

"Tell him what to do, not at school, even then he doesn't deserve to-" James trailed off into more disdainful mutterings that Lily was trying to ignore in favor of curiosity of all this.

"Ha!" Sirius barked, all three boys looking far to pleased in Lily's opinion.

James flushed in agitation. He was already worried sick Sirius was going to do something to get himself hurt, shut up in that house. He couldn't help thinking about the last time he'd been shut away for his family's good, and someone else had given him up, resulting in all of this happening. If Snape pushed the right, or in this case the wrong buttons, he didn't want to imagine what Sirius would do to prove him wrong.

Remus' face flushed with fury, his jaw tensed and ready to do more than snap something back for that. First Molly, now Snape, he was sick of everyone putting him down for doing exactly what

he'd been told to do!

Lily kept her face buried behind her hair and the book closer than it strictly needed to be, because she didn't want the others to see she couldn't come up with an argument for that one. Sirius was still on the run, his face could very well still be in the public image. She'd be just as worried about him doing anything as well, and even though she'd love to slap Snape for saying that to him, she couldn't come up with anything else to say either.

Lily froze in confusion, studying the word as if looking for a mistake. She'd considered the idea, but had ruled it out because whatever was happening to her son was too unknown, why add the

extra strain of such a complex bit of magic that they didn't even have proof would work. This wasn't like normal Legilimency she'd heard about, there was no eye contact to what Voldemort was doing, so how would this help?

Harry cut off her train of thought by asking uneasily what that even was, his expression making it clear he wasn't going to enjoy relearning the answer, and indeed while James gave a brief explanation, only more worry lines appeared.

Sirius hardly waited for Harry to wrap his head around such complex magic before howling in frustration, "I still don't understand why he's there! Where the bloody hell is Dumbledore!?"

"We've been wondering that one all year, what makes you think we're getting an answer now," Remus ground out.

Harry couldn't help an extra little scowl, how Snape managed to make the most simplest explanations put him as if he were stupid for not knowing, when his dad had explained even better than that without making him feel idiotic at all.

"No, no Harry," Lily quickly agreed. "Not possessed, he's not controlling you or forcing you to do anything. If, well if this does work the way it's supposed to, then that just means you won't see inside his head anymore."

Harry could not force himself to relax though. It sounded like a great plan...if it worked. He hoped that was his pessimism saying otherwise.

"Then I actually can't wait for them to start," James snapped. "Dumbledore'll finally have to do some explaining, there's no way he can avoid looking at you while teaching you this."

Harry opened his mouth, a nasty warning already going off because of that.

"Really? I thought he just told her every little detail of his life!" Sirius snapped.

"Thought that was obvious," Lily's brows pulled together in confusion as she glanced at Harry. "Dumbledore's the only one I'd trust to do this, considering how advanced it is for you. I'm not

even entirely sure McGonagall knows how."

Harry had no energy in him to say anything otherwise, he was already holding his breath against blurting something out that was going to be still more unpleasant.

Lily was now convinced Dumbledore was out to kill her son as much as Voldemort was.

"Wha-" James voice failed him, he couldn't even put into words every way this was a bad thing!

Sirius did. He said a few things that made Lily's ears want to curl before stating in no uncertain terms, "there is no way I was told about this! Otherwise I'd have broken off his nose and shoved it up his arse for suggesting such a thing!"

"You mean Snape, or Dumbledore?" Remus tried to ask in a pleasant tone of voice, failing miserably.

"Both!" He barked. "The one person worse than Voldemort rooting around in Harry's head while he learns to block it, I still question why that vermin's allowed to teach children! Now he's being given more-" he strangled off with a deep throated noise promising violence that no one would have stopped.

It took a moment for him to catch his breath before he almost said in a calm voice that was nearly as scary as his yelling, "there's no way this is going to happen. Dammit, I should have had some kind of say in this, there's no way I'll let him do this to Harry."

Harry still wasn't sure if he was threatening Dumbledore or Snape more, but he still tried to offer with whatever assurance he could, "I don't think it lasts long." He broke off uneasily, mostly for trying to remember this, but some even larger warning to do with this.

"That wasn't anymore reassuring," Lily grumbled, forcing herself to keep going now.

James couldn't help recoil a bit at Harry's rhetorical question. All his son had ever done was have him for a father, and it had given him nothing but misery his whole life.

"That's as unbelievable as Snape teaching Occlumency!" Remus spluttered. "He certainly hasn't stolen a heart long enough to be helping Harry extra with a class, I'd more likely believe he was

actually torturing you!"

"Saying he had detention for the rest of his life would even be better," James agreed.

"You're not far off," Harry grumbled, his head starting to pound worse than ever at the idea of this. It helped nothing his detentions with Umbridge were going to seem laughable here soon.

"Oh boy," Lily muttered, her joke from earlier looking more likely by the second. It helped nothing the sneer on James' face showed he'd be egging his friend on any second.

"There's my Padfoot," James smirked, Lily having to fight the urge to smack him upside the head for doing exactly what she'd known he was going to do.

"This isn't going to be good," Remus groaned, his eyes already flashing furiously. Snape belittling James in front of Harry infuriated them enough, but now he was going to try the same in front of Sirius. That murder was becoming more apparent by the second.

"I think that's the nicest thing he's ever said about me," James looked bewildered now, unsure just how mad he was supposed to be at that.

"You'd think he of all people would know better than to do that," James just had time to say before Sirius snapped.

"I'm going to very Siriusly rearrange his face!"

Remus tisked sadly, "haven't heard one that bad since first year."

"He hasn't tried to insult me like that since first year, then I taught him better," Sirius said, his face still too red to return Remus' attempt at a smile. "Clearly he needs a reminder."

Sirius returned how Malfoy was doing, he couldn't believe the man let his lapdog out of sight.

Sirius looked at Harry like he'd never seen him before. "Of all the times you try to stop a fight? Neville I understood, but I completely deserve this one Harry!"

Harry's face was set though as he matched his godfather's glare. There was something about this moment, a fight brewing that involved Sirius. He didn't like it, and he tried to make Sirius realize he didn't always have to jump into a fight. "And cursing him would do what? You're already in enough trouble Sirius, this wouldn't help any-"

"I was helping you," Sirius snapped, looking stung Harry wasn't more thankful for this defence.

"I didn't need your protection with this, he's said worse to me," Harry said back, still looking more beseeching than anything, "and you, why'd you suddenly snap?"

"I think I've shown plenty of patience listening already, excuse me if I hit my limit," Sirius growled, now looking as affronted at Harry as if he'd just called him a coward as well.

Harry just kept frowning at him, neither clearly grasping the other's point. The worst part was, Harry wasn't entirely sure what he was trying to say. That Sirius shouldn't be involved in a fight? Harry didn't need to know his godfather long to know that wasn't likely, so why was the idea filling him with such dread...

The others were watching with deep unease, it was unsettling for Harry to be arguing with Sirius like this, and they weren't even sure why he was either. Harry had backed down though, muttering an apology he clearly didn't really mean, just looking for an excuse to look away and move past this.

Sirius just gaped for a moment, before scowling but unbelievably letting go as well. If Harry wouldn't tell him what his problem really was he wasn't going to pry it out of him, especially if it

somehow involved him not standing up to Snivellus for any reason.

"There's the bright side," Remus told Lily mockingly, more tense with unease at the fight in here than the one between Snape and Sirius which was so common place he could practically picture

himself in the background.

Lily gave him an extra huff, still glancing at Harry and Sirius who weren't looking at each other. She wondered if she was the only one who agreed with Harry, Sirius was being an idiot picking a fight with Snape now of all times. The real bother was that she had no clue why Harry thought that way, and clearly neither did he.

"I know I can't picture it," James grumbled, still watching the two critically in here. He couldn't picture anything in his mind's eye that wasn't Harry with his wand on Snape as backup, what was Harry playing at trying to mediate that one?

Remus shivered in unease of the last time Sirius and Snape had been in the same room, he'd be cheering Sirius on just for some pay back of that disastrous night. Instead he threw out a question that had only just occurred to him, "where did you even get a wand?"

Sirius looked to him in confusion, before the question clicked and he said, "don't know, maybe Ollivander got me one. If Dumbledore told him to trust me I'm sure he would do it."

Harry had already presumed Azkaban took a wand away and snapped it, but it was the little questions like this he'd never bothered to ask his godfather that bothered him the most. He'd spent

so much time worrying about Sirius in his past, he hadn't a chance to ask him much of anything. His worry from before was rising up with more force than ever, that he should be taking the time while he had it to ask Sirius anything and everything. He'd only made him smile once in his life, and that had lasted all of a second. He didn't want Sirius to ever think he didn't care, that's the conclusion his godfather could easily draw from Harry, so he quickly blurted, "I'm sorry Sirius, I just got worried watching you start that fight...I don't know why. I-" he stumbled off though, as useless with an apology as he was explaining himself to begin with.

Sirius sighed, but seemed to take it with good grace, he just couldn't seem to stay mad at Harry. "It's alright, I guess. Not like you did something irredeemable, like side with him."

Harry looked affronted at the idea, causing him to laugh, and Harry flushed with warmth at least he was doing something right in here he'd never taken the time to do in his own past.

"I claim that as the most ludicrous lie you've yet told," Remus told him pleasantly.

"And that's saying a lot," James snorted.

James grinned a bit, all too easily picturing that one as if from his own wife.

"I can imagine that didn't bring back the best memories," Sirius muttered, still unsure what it had tried to awaken in Harry, but already knowing thinking back on all his fights with Snape, and

having Harry try telling him to stop rather than having James at his shoulder would make him wish more than ever to not be where he was.

"That was not what was really bothering me," Sirius scoffed. "As you so pleasantly informed me, he's said much worse."

Harry wasn't much reassured.

"I think the nightmares will still be more pleasant than more time with Snivellus," Remus scowled.

Sirius perked right up at once, snickering away that Remus had mimicked Ron, who only rolled his eyes indulgently.

"Always nice to feel talked about," James said, looking affront at Remus, who looked just as hurt and confused at himself. He had a hard time imagining hiding anything from Harry

"Would you give me a little more credit?" Sirius demanded of him. "If I didn't go out and do it already, than that man isn't going to be the one to cause it, I'll do it because I want to."

"Was that supposed to make me feel better?" Harry demanded, his throat nearly restricting the words at the idea of Sirius leaving again!

Sirius just grumbled a bit, the only thing the others caught were his wishes the Ministry would hurry up and clear his name already, he couldn't take Harry's panicking much longer. Harry

agreed with that at least, wishing something would quiet his mind, at least that.

"Not another book!" James said in exasperation.

"It was too light," Harry disagreed, thinking back, and somehow now feeling worse than ever. His vision started to blur out of focus, and he tried to pass the moment by quickly cleaning his glasses on his shirt, ignoring his hands shaking the whole time.

"You really couldn't have just said what it was," Remus said with intense curiosity.

"Think I might know," James said as he thought about the little description Sirius had given, but it resembled their old mirrors. They still used them on Order meetings to keep in contact with each other, had Sirius possibly rebuilt another pair to do the same with Harry?

When he realized the others were looking at him expectantly, he just shrugged without answering further though. Whatever Sirius had just given Harry, he wanted to know about it as much as

anyone, and he wanted to hear about Harry opening it more than some old idea.

"Harry," Sirius spluttered, hurt really coloring his face now. "It's a gift, you took the last ones happily enough."

Harry wouldn't meet his eyes again.

Even as Sirius groaned with understanding, he didn't feel any better. "You have got to stop worrying about me so much!"

"Kind of hard to do when you won't stop giving me reasons," Harry said back softly, a tight lump balled up at the back of his throat. He couldn't seem to look at his godfather much at all as these memories were returned.

Sirius just huffed, highly tempted to do something that would make Harry have to look at him, at least in exasperation or something, but Lily was still going loudly over Sirius who she thought was being an idiot again.

All of them laughed, probably harder than they should have, but all of them could appreciate a man who joked about what he went through.

Harry was very glad he wasn't the one reading, as he felt his heart growing heavier by the moment. It would be a long time before he came back to Grimmauld place...and that should be a

good thing! It must mean Sirius would be free of there soon...how could that be a bad thing?

"Look, you're teaching him how to do that on purpose," James snorted, none of them thinking much about Harry looking so pale. He was clearly still thinking about Arthur's attack after the man

had just brought it up again.

"Well someone's in a grumpy mood," Sirius snickered.

"That doesn't last long," Lily chuckled.

"Pleasant," Remus crinkled his nose.

"Can't deny I love this match up," James said a little wistfully. Remus had taken no part in singling Harry out for any conversation since he'd met back up with him over the summer, and

that continued to hurt worse the more opportunities he missed. It was like listening to the third book all over again, that constant wonder of what had happened to their Moony. Instead he said aloud so as not to focus on that, "I do love you seem to be spending time with the twins, really makes me wish we could hear those conversations you get up to."

Remus just frowned, as unable to answer that as Harry, but he wholly doubted they were anything as lively as James was thinking, considering he seemed to have lost all sense of fun after his friends had died. Even getting Sirius back hadn't seemed to help with that one bit.

"I guess I should still be glad he's not calling me Neville," Harry said airly.

Harry had a strange expression on his face. He wasn't mad at Stan like he was everyone else in the world for thinking him crazy, but he wouldn't quite call that a compliment either.

"Really, he fell every time?" Sirius asked with disappointment. "I learned to brace myself by at least the third."

"Brace yourself against what?" Harry demanded. "I nearly ripped my arm out of socket hanging onto that thing to keep me upright."

"Permanent sticking charm on one of the chairs," Sirius grinned, "if you'd been on the second floor you'd have seen it."

"I wouldn't call that bracing yourself so much as disturbing public property," Lily rolled her eyes.

"Ernie wasn't pleased," James snickered, "it's still there when they put the beds up, so it's just a random chair that looks funny there."

"Tonks is getting better and better, bribing people to get her way," James snickered.

Harry had never thought about it before, considering he'd never left the school on holiday before, but he suddenly asked, "would we always have gotten there and back by the bus?"

"Depends on you honestly," James shrugged. "Some families don't want to make the trip back to London in the weather so they put together with the school to let you come back through the Floo

system, some pony up for the Bus, others do take the train again."

"Why can't you have all those options every time you go to Hogwarts?" Harry asked, thinking it would be easier on the Weasley's the other two ways.

"Tradition," Lily said. "Since they built Hogwarts they created a magical way to get in and out of the schools borders, and so they created the train to make it an all access kind of thing. Holidays make it a bit more chaotic, constantly checking people in rather than letting them all in at once."

"A bird would be very useful right about now," Sirius grumbled.

"She's being really paranoid today," Sirius kept snickering.

"Maybe she's just proving a point, being so young and all," Remus shrugged.

"Wish I'd told him that myself," Sirius snipped.

That made all of them frown with unease, the two Marauders most of all. Remus hadn't shown he found this a better idea than any of them in here, so why the change this time?

Remus in particular looked troubled at his own words, though he was the only one thinking of the possible reason, and had no want to share it. This more than likely meant he still trusted

Dumbledore absolutely, and when he said Harry needed this than he just automatically agreed. He had no proof of this, but it bothered him he hadn't gotten to hear him talking about this with Sirius. Though he was fairly confident he'd have curled up in a corner and died already if he'd had a book just about what he'd been up to in the meantime, he hadn't seen any evidence it had been anything good.

.

"How has your Monday actually managed to grow worse!" James groaned.

Sirius pressed his hands to Harry's forehead in concern, practically yelling in his ear, "I think his brain melted at some point, there's no way he could be delusional enough to think otherwise!"

Harry pried his fingers away with a glare he couldn't hold for long above the twitching lips for the antics.

"This actually manages to get worse already!" Lily groaned. "Now it's going to be even harder to plan your meetings now that one day a week is tied off!"

"That's actually what you told people?" James demanded, looking faint. "Okay Sirius, check him again, you may be onto something."

Sirius leaned forward again, but Harry smacked his palm away even faster, shaking his head at the two.

"How does this keep getting worse?" James said with disgust.

"No need for permission, the act speaks for itself," Remus said with chipper.

"You know, maybe Harry needs some medicine to cure this suddenly passive phase, it's starting to worry we," Remus couldn't help adding to the joke, Harry rolling his eyes harder than ever.

"Subtle," Lily chuckled, her smile only growing as all of the boys snapped to her attention and Harry groaned with misery louder than ever. He should have stolen the books over night and

edited all the parts with Cho's name out.

"Congratulations Harry, you are officially two years ahead of your father on this accomplishment," Sirius beamed with actual praise while Harry's face already began glowing red again.

"Oh, oh Harry my poor boy," James eyes lit with mirth. "You see when a girl likes a boy, especially a girl you've kissed-"

"Dad," Harry pleaded between gritted teeth. Looking back now he was well aware of what Cho had been asking, but he'd like to see his father at fifteen trying to talk to his mum. Surely he wasn't

all bravado like he claimed.

James only kept himself quiet by the bare amount, wanting to hear this more.

Sirius' shoulders were already shaking with silent laughter, chuckles escaping regularly while Harry considered snatching the book away from Lily and burning a few particular pages. Surely

this couldn't be that vital for them to watch!

"I give it twenty-four hours before it clicks," Sirius managed semi-intelligibly.

"Give him some credit," James tried to say while getting some air back. "He'll figure it out as he's lying in bed tonight."

Remus was laughing too hard to add in while Lily was trying hard not to join in and also looking pitifully at her boy.

All three boys lost it and were still slumped back in their seats laughing as Harry excused himself to the bathroom, not coming out for far longer than was necessary. Upon his reappearance, they

began snickering all over again, but Lily kept reading quickly before they could build themselves up again.

"Valentine's day is my favorite holiday!" Sirius declared.

"That's a pretty big set up you've got, first date being then and all," Remus forced himself to say while wiping away the tears.

"No pressure or anything," Harry hissed.

"You'll be fine Harry," Lily soothed, her own smile still unable to dim as she watched him. "Just be yourself, that's obviously what she's fallen for."

Harry was growing more glad by the minute he hadn't tried asking for advice on this, and was now terrified what Hermione and Ron were going to say as well.

James failed to add for a moment for the quick realization Halloween hadn't been mentioned this year, and he couldn't have been happier considering it's previous mentionings.

"Articulate as always," James jumped back in with glee, beaming at his muttering son.

"I think she technically asked you out, so that shouldn't count," Sirius critiqued.

"I think he should take whatever he can get, all things considered," Remus said with an obvious nod at James, while Sirius conceded the point.

"You do that a bit," Lily told him, the smile already dimming again, "knock then enter, I'm not sure you got the message you're supposed to wait in between."

Harry almost wished to go back to talking about Cho now, rather than all of the dower faces around him again. He couldn't fool himself any more than them this was going to go well.

"I disagree, just because you did it dosen't mean he should accuse you of doing it," James scoffed.

"And yet, if you're going to get accused of doing it, you might as well just do it," Sirius shrugged.

Lily was eyeing the pair, and looked hopefully at Remus as he said, "Rules are like paperclips. Meant to hold things together, fun to bend, and easy to twist out of shape."

Then she sighed and went back to reading loudly before they could impart any more wisdom.

Lily raised an inquisitive brow, but looking up she saw they only looked cross at the idea, James already muttering about hypocrisy. Knowing full well Snape wasn't so stupid as to actually do that, and he in fact likely had one of his own, she just kept going.

"Honestly, I don't even feel like you're exaggerating," Remus sighed.

"A talent he perfected early in life," James scowled, shifting in agitation, automatically wanting to move between Snape and his son picturing such an expression being aimed towards him.

"Only when you deserve it!" James snapped.

"So, when it snows in July," Sirius agreed.

"I can just hear the sincerity," Remus rolled his eyes, even Lily couldn't manage any degree of respect reading about this. He'd done nothing to deserve it, nor could she yet find reason this

wasn't more torture for her son. Maybe if someone would answer some questions of why Harry was being put through this she'd give in a little, find the gratitude buried in her for Snape doing this.

James felt his jaw tensing already, fighting back the urge to wave in Harry's face how founded Sirius' reaction had been now. Harry couldn't ask a single question without being insulted!

"Clever." Remus managed to make the word sound like an insult.

"Oh bollocks," Sirius groaned, quickly explaining before anyone could ask, "remember Harry's first year, that Stone and he was worried Snape read his mind and knew what he knew?"

"Oh," Remus groaned.

"I'm still not quite believing he managed to accomplish this, as hard as it is to do," James snapped.

"In layman's terms, it is," Lily agreed.

"Snape's just trying to make himself seem intelligent by correcting you," Sirius scowled.

"And failing," Remus grumbled.

Lily shot them all a look of agitation. They were no better than Snape constantly insulting him after everything he said. Still, she'd rather ignore them for now, as they at least knew all this, she still wanted to know why Harry was supposed to so young.

This didn't feel like much of an answer, as it was all they had worked out for themselves last year, what they wanted to know was why it was becoming more intense!

"I can see what you're doing Harry," Lily said softly, "but what it does to you still outweighs whatever potential you're thinking. It's dangerous, you come away from it in pain every time worst than the last, and an open connection is certainly not healthy! If," she stressed the word, "this does work, than you certainly need to use it, or your fears from earlier really could happen, and Voldemort could know what you do. Best to shut this off if you have a chance."

Harry wanted to argue the point, that anger flaring in him again from the other night. His safety shouldn't make anyone's else's death okay. He couldn't do that to his mother though, her eyes

pleading with him to at least give this a chance. It felt pointless to argue that, considering, and so he held his tongue between his teeth, for now.

"How dare he ask for clarification! It's as if he's supposed to be reading his mind already," Remus snapped.

"Maybe he wouldn't if you'd say something useful," Sirius ground out.

Lily was about ready to snap the book in half in frustration. Severus was trying to say so, if he'd quite being interrupted by these petulant boys! She'd gathered it for herself already though, and by their stark expressions, they had to and were just lashing out.

So their guess had been right, and Voldemort had seen inside his own snake? Controlled Nagini? Just what kind of magic was that? It was infuriating they kept getting more questions than

answers.

"Who'd have thought from him of all people," James said with further anger at Dumbledore. He still wanted his answer of why that man who'd claimed so much responsibility for Harry's life had suddenly disappeared when Harry needed him most.

"Naww, does the poor little Death Eater need his Dark Lord's permission to take a piss as well?" Sirius snarled in disgust, he couldn't imagine being so afraid of something he had to use some

other stupid name to call it.

.

"I'd like to burn something else into his skin," James snarled.

Lily tasted copper in her mouth, and hadn't realized she'd been scraping her teeth against her lip as she paused for breath in reading this, so hard it cut her lip. She couldn't stand this, thinking about this connection happening to her son, having to have this explained by someone who detested him. Why couldn't Sirius be doing this if not Dumbledore, at least he'd show some kindness in his effort to explain. What on earth possessed Dumbledore to entrust this task to someone so despised, it's not as if Harry trusted him, so she couldn't blame him for questioning all of this the way he was.

None of this was helping the revelation of why this had happened, not that they'd really gotten that, more of a confirmation they were right in saying this was different.

"After every other word eh? You sure demand a lot of special treatment," Sirius sneered.

"No, it is not." James said flatly. "There is no way Dumbledore put this together without some theory as to why it happened!"

"It's that bit of Voldemort he accidentally put in me," Harry quietly reminded, still unbelieving they'd taken that in stride back in his second year when it still made him feel contaminated if he thought about it too long. He began running his hand through his hair in agitation again, brushing his bangs down over his scar despite how unnecessary it really was in here, the only place where they never wanted to look at his scar for the reminder of what it would mean to them.

"Well, yes but I thought that was more like-" Sirius wavd his hand at Remus for help.

"Magical residue? Maybe a bit of magical backlash from a spell gone wrong that emanated from his wand," he offered.

"Yes, that," Sirius kept going. "I didn't think he meant, literally! The worst side effect we've put down to that so far was the Parseltongue, but this seeing into his head bit is..." he trailed off shaking his own head as he ran out of words to describe all this.

Harry started edging away from Sirius a bit, his skin crawling with nerves. Sirius looked really upset about this, and if Harry's reminder had somehow put the thought into his head there was something wrong with Harry-

Sirius scurried that idea from him at once as he reached over and ruffled Harry's hair. "Would you stop doing that. I get it's a nervous tick, but it's unnatural for me to see even a hair lying flat."

Harry brushed his hand away even as he couldn't help smiling at him again.

James made a blistering noise, already wanting to tow Harry out of the room himself so he could have a private chat with old Snivellus!

Lily on the other hand finally put together why Snape of all people would have been picked for this. She'd never gone through the process herself, but had heard tales from some of the oldest

seventh years who had begun the process of learning it, and all they spoke about was how excruciating the process was. Someone like Sirius would probably go easy on Harry then, considering he was even younger, but some cold hearted distance could be a better teacher, until he took it to far and Lily would have to start breaking fingers. Still, in the wake of this revelation,

she felt a small bit of thawing around his name she hadn't felt in a while. She didn't know why Snape was doing this, simply because Dumbledore told him to? Yet he was doing it, and that

finally earned him a morsel more of respect than he'd gained this whole time he'd been in Harry's life.

"He's really not that hard to figure out," Sirius scoffed, while Remus more kindly explained, "if you're going to learn Occlumency, even though he's going to be the one going through your head, it does make sense for the teacher to ah, put away any thoughts they wouldn't want on display." He finished with a disgusted twist of his own lips though he'd had to refer to Snape like that.

"Aptitude," James repeated with a sniff, still considering what Harry had done an even more impressive feat than his Patronus.

"What?" Lily shrieked as she glared at the page, her nails nearly breaking through in frustration.

"That's all the information he gives you, to block and prepare yourself? I am going to kill him!"

"What was I supposed to do?" Harry couldn't help but ask a bit timidly in the face of her wrath.

Lily took a deep breath before answering, "I'll be honest, I'm not sure, never having studied it myself, but I know there must be more."

"I actually find it a bit like casting a Patronus," Remus shrugged, "concentrate on one thing to block out what you're really thinking."

Harry looked to him in surprise, asking, "is that why Dumbledore and Snape never figured out Sirius was an animagus from you? Can you do this?"

"Oh, no," he quickly waved off, "at least I wouldn't think so, most likely I avoided thinking about it all together." He finished with a terrible wince for even thinking of what he'd think of Sirius in the future. He tried to shake that off around a suddenly burning throat, "been practicing it a bit, all

of the Order has I thought."

"Dumbledore never said anything to me," James said in surprise, Lily nodding as well. Remus looked just as shocked.

"Err," he said uneasily, exchanging an uneasy look with Sirius, who looked just as mystified. "We only started practicing on each other last week because Dumbledore mentioned something about

it, I'm sure he will to you two soon."

The couple still exchanged an unsatisfied look, but didn't argue the point. The only reason Remus and Sirius had been here to begin with when this started was because they'd just returned from a two week long mission, so it wasn't impossible to believe something new had happened, just surprising.

Lily managed to shake the whole thing off by going back to finding out what Snape was fixing to do to her son.

"That is most certainly not how you're supposed to practice," Sirius hissed, especially on someone's very first try as a beginner! "Give him a little warning for what's fixing to happen, how about a suggestion for how to block it other than brace yourself!"

Harry shivered as he ran his fingers through his hair, his head already aching again from this experience.

"Oh yes, because this is really what I wanted to remember!" James snarled in outrage, already wondering how many times Vernon had strangled his son in between those memories again!

Remus couldn't help but hum curiously even while he was scowling for Harry's closed eyes, he could only imagine thinking about all of those things again would hurt him at any time. Still, it

was fascinating that this was just a touch like his Imperius training, and Harry's resistance stemmed from his will of what he did and didn't want to show someone.

Sirius was growling hatefully even as a twisted smirk appeared. Finally Harry was getting just the smallest payback, and Snape couldn't do anything, considering he'd told Harry to fight back

however he could. Not that this would stop Snape from giving Harry a detention on top of everything, but he could dream.

"He never had control," Lily spat, her hand twitching more every moment to rest on her own wand, sick of his teachings that were now hurting him more than just bad grades.

"You're ugly step-sister," Remus grumbled.

"No!" James snarled, "no he will not be getting anything of the sort so long as he continues to torture you with smirking!"

Harry was starting to miss Umbridge's detentions as he rubbed hard at his forehead, the anger around him while comforting on his behalf, helping nothing with the pain of all those memories

flashing back to him so suddenly, already leaving him feeling weak kneed even while sitting down.

"That is actually impossible," Sirius scoffed. "The moment you try to do anything of the sort, you start feeling annoyed because you can't do it."

Harry tried to offer Sirius a smile no matter how forced it felt.

"Or his," James huffed.

Lily inhaled sharply, the burn of that memory crackling through her full of so many things, double upon her son. What she would give to take that all away from him...

"Yeah, after he'd already been through the most traumatic thing in his life, so helpful!" Remus said aghast, looking from Harry to the book and not for the first time wondering how the poor kid still had any sanity after all he'd been through.

"I'm well past that," James vowed, his hatred for the slimeball in school holding nothing for what the man had become. His abuse of Harry, his belittling of his best friend, what he'd tried to do to Remus and Sirius. No, there wasn't a chance in Merlin's mind Snape was going to live when James got out of here.

"Realized what?" Sirius tried to keep the savagery out of his voice while speaking directly to Harry.

Harry didn't answer, but it was clear from his face he wished he hadn't. He was drawn tight into himself now, his eyes fixed on a point none of them realized. Whatever he'd just put together, he

was going to live to regret it.

Lily finished with ice replacing her veins. She couldn't help her mind flashing back to his first two years, how he'd figured out where something was being kept and so had launched himself after it.

"Oh," the Marauders all muttered, but they'd already put this together last night, not that it made any more sense now. Why was Harry reacting again?

Harry wasn't even sure himself, he could just feel the difference. Of having an answer in knowing, and his memories also doing the same. In here it was a relief, but for his time then he didn't want to know what he'd do with this.

Harry rubbed hard at his ear to get rid of the ringing noise suddenly erupting, some lie hidden in Snape's words he no more wanted to understand at this moment than his last realization.

"That you don't know either and you're just failing to sound smart again," Remus grumbled, even if he knew that not to be true, or at least, Snape may be as aware as the rest of the Order, still didn't mean he had to acknowledge it happily.

"I thought he said once a week!" Lily snarled in frustration. "What's this coming back two days later?"

"He reset them for Wednesdays, guess he just wanted that extra day to torture me my first back," Harry said bitterly.

"I do not understand how that would make things harder for someone to read my mind," Harry said, venting all of his frustrations with his jumble of emotions into this problem he could complain about. "Wouldn't that make things easier!"

"I can see it working both ways," Remus sighed with frustration. "Too many emotions, and the Legilimens can peel them all apart and see what's causing them, yet being of no emotion means

you're also more likely to feel one very strongly if a memory does pop up. I really wish we had more practice at this, I do agree this just can't be that helpful-"

"Coming from Snape of all people," Sirius finished bitterly. Remus rolled his eyes as that hadn't been what he was going to say, but also had nothing to argue the point.

Lily was blinking more than was necessary to keep her eyes focused, rather than constantly darting to her son. He was shaky and pale in here from remembering this happening to him, she

imagined he was even worse at the time.

"I'm sure that's just your imagination," James said evasively. "It's a mark, can't be glowing or anything."

Harry sighed, his fingers tracing the familiar pattern without answer.

Sirius wondered if there was something else about that, something that had been bugging his mind earlier at St. Mungo's, but then that heart breaking seen with Alice and Frank had taken place,

now he was trying to remember what he couldn't even remember before!

They hadn't much of a chance to question that themselves, but none of them could disagree with Hermione either. Lily still hesitated a moment before saying, "do you think something happened, and he was trying to get whatever it was out, but got caught?"

"That could be," James agreed, his brow creased in agitation they didn't have more information about this. Why would the Order suddenly decide to move it? What had been the change there?

Too much was going on they just weren't privy to, Harry never seeming to be told enough.

"Sounds more like a disaster waiting to happen," Remus corrected with a huffy breath. He couldn't find much more comfort the Ministry had whatever this was over Voldemort, considering

how many Death Eaters they knew had access to the place same as the Order.

Sirius brushed up against Harry in commiseration, he hadn't much of a talent for it either the few times he'd tried.

"Finally!" James burst out so loud Lily nearly dropped the book in surprise before glaring at her husband, the baby across the room giggling madly as he heard his father's voice. "I've been

waiting ages to hear more about this!"

Lily hesitated for a moment before going back with the smallest of smiles, but he wasn't wrong. This was something normal, to giggle and envision what the twins were up to again rather than

snake attacks and what Voldemort was up to.

Sirius hummed thoughtfully before shaking his head slowly. "I guess they all can't be Skiving Snack boxes, this is more like a cheap one second trick."

"Still, credit to them for putting this together, it's more than anyone else ever bothered to do," Remus shrugged as he grinned lightly.

"A first for her I'm sure," James snickered.

Lily was smiling in appreciation as well, she would love to meet the twins just to ask them how they'd managed to only make the charm extend across the head rather than the whole person like

most spells of that type would do. They were ingenious little buggers.

"I think I'm getting jealous," James pouted as he caught her grin. "You think they're cleverer than us?!"

"Then you dear? No, never."

James actually pouted at her for the sarcasm, while Lily took advantage of Harry laughing loudly to keep going before she was accosted by all three of them.

James let the moment go just because Lily's picking had managed to push that feeling off of Harry for even a second in here, he'd get back at his wife later.

"Forgetting was never the problem," Sirius rolled his eyes, "it's finding the time to do it."

Harry begrudgingly pulled that out instead, the little book telling him not to leave it till later, calling him a second rater as he jotted down Umbridge's undone assignment.

"I can't decide what I want to burn alive more, the woman or the work," James huffed.

"Need kindling to get started," Remus offered helpfully.

"Ergh, as if that wasn't Hermione's quote already, now we have inanimate objects doing it to," Remus grumbled.

Causing all four of them to snort with laughter at Harry's unintentional continuation of the joke.

Lily started fidgeting with the pages uneasily, hating that Harry's humor was already drying up in here again, he was already back to rubbing at his scar. She'd lose her mind if he suffered another of those visions again already, surely another Order member wasn't going to be attacked so soon after the last! She wanted Harry to just this once tell her she was being paranoid and reading those signs wrong.

Lily made a keening noise of frustration, fighting back the urge to throw the book away and run to her son now. She didn't know what she'd do if he fell back into that fear of what Voldemort was doing to him, they'd only just gotten it through his head he was safe here, but if something happened now-no! She cut the thought off, watching him steadily until he forced himself to meet her eyes. He still had his hand pressed firmly to his scar, his eyes shining with fear and pain, but he was aware enough to egg her on, to reveal this new horror.

"Why does Ron think smacking you is helpful!" Sirius burst out, his eyes too wide from continued panick.

"He's as violent as you?" Remus offered, staring shrewdly at the book and forcing himself to do no more than that, rather than go for his wand with the baby still cuddled up in his lap.

"The weapon?" James began in a panic, if they lost that he didn't want to know how much worse things were going to get.

"No," Harry spoke in a detached way, trying to think back to that feeling while also not let it consume him into laughing maniacally in here as well. "No, it was something else-"

"Okay, okay, I'm almost done," Lily cut in gently, trying to hurry up and finish now before Harry did something everyone would regret.

"Why, it's not like he can think you're anymore crazy," Remus muttered to himself. He honestly couldn't imagine how Seamus couldn't believe Harry anymore after what he'd seen, surely he knew Harry couldn't push a lie that far. What had happened to Harry should have been proof enough for any non believers something was going on in the magical world.

"How is that helpful!" James snarled in frustration. "Making him more vulnerable, I'm going to rip someone's tongue out if they don't explain why Harry's being put through this, and it's just making things worse!"

"Start with Dumbledore," Sirius told him helpfully with the same scowl in place.

Lily hardly had a second to look to her son, her mouth seemingly set in that uneasy frown she held for him and everyone of his time for this happening, when the sensory alarm went off, someone

was here.

HPHPHPHP

I know the timing is unbelievable, but it makes for a great cliff hanger rather than happening in the middle of a chapter and cutting off whatever's going on. Sorry for asking for a little suspension of disbelief for the timing.

I would be terrible at Occlumency/ Legilimency. I know that's how most people even try to fall asleep, but I actually let my mind wander and create things in my head until I fall asleep without

realizing it. Also I get really easily distracted. So on these basis, though I'm not really sure if I trust Snape to be supplying the most helpful advice learning this, you think you'd be any good?

*I actually read this really interesting fan theory that Tonks and Lupin were having an argument about them getting together. Lupin was again telling her she was too young for him, and you

know what Tonks does? Disguises herself as an elder woman for their return trip in spite. Also why she's so extra on edge during the trip, trying to prove to Remus she takes her job as seriously,(shut up Sirius!) as anyone his age. Just something that amused me.