"Hayley, are you going to come down to dinner?"
"Hayley?"
"Hellooooo, earth to Hayley!"
Hayley's head shot up at the action of Ginny waving her hand in front on her face, she was so immersed in the Occlumency book that she hadn't heard her calling her at all.
"Sorry, what?" she asked.
"Dinner" Ginny said pronouncing the word at a super slow speed as if Hayley was dense. "You coming?"
"Oh, I don't know" said Hayley nervously, "I've still got an hour or so before Snape gets here, I might keep reading..."
Ginny let out a sign and came to sit next to Hayley, perching on the end of the bed.
"Hayley, you'll be fine. You said yourself that the book has made loads of sense to you and that you understand your mind magic more than ever now".
It was true, Hayley mused. She couldn't really explain it when asked, but this book was amazing. She found her mind magic developing as she read it. As she understood what Occlumency was and how it worked, she could instantly create barriers in her own mind, shutting her other mind magic, (legilimency and perpellimency as they were officially named), away with ease.
She couldn't help but wonder what she would be capable if she learnt more about those other branches of mind magic too. But she could still remember her dad's look of shock when she voiced this, as if she had said something dreadfull. She also remembered the careful controlled way Remus had replied, telling her that her other branches we're offensive, dangerous, and that the only goal was to keep them locked away so she could have a normal childhood. She knew she didn't dare ask again.
Still, she couldn't help but feel optimistic at how in control she felt lately. But even that couldn't stop the feeling of dread when she thought about being tested by Snape.
"Snape hates me" she told Ginny miserably. "He'll probably lie and say I can't control my magic just to keep me out of Hogwarts".
Ginny shook her head. "He wont do that, Dumbledore won't let him and your dad would kill him!" at the persistent look of doubt on Hayley's face she added "and don't take the whole him-hating-you thing personally. Snape hates everyone and everything!! Especially the shampoo bottle"
Both girls couldn't help laughing at that.
"Now, come on" Ginny tried again, standing up and taking Hayley's hand, "Put that boring book down and come and have some dinner".
It's was Hayley's turn to sigh then, but knowing that Ginny was right, she let the book fall onto the bed with a thump and followed her out of the room.
...
A few hours later, Hayley and Sirius were waiting in a sitting room. Both stood up by fire, facing the door. Most of the Order were gathered in the kitchen. Hayley could here the buzzing from their voices and knew there was at least 20 people there.
This was part of the test, Hayley knew, and she couldn't help her hands shaking as she folded them across her chest. Soon enough, she heard her grandmother's portrait begin her familiar shrieking, announcing Snape's arrival.
"Just stay calm" her dad said, turning to look at her. "You're strong and you can do this".
She didn't have time to respond as Snape enters the room, looking as ominous as ever.
I bet he looks and acts like this on purpose. Hayley thought bitterly.
"Black... Miss Black" he greeted coldly.
"Professor" Hayley acknowledged. Her dad managed a small nod in his direction, but otherwise said nothing.
"No need to prolong this" Snape said, drawing his wand instantly. "If you have managed to understand and apply the fundamentals of occlumency from your reading, then I will know. If not...well, I'm sure you can be of value to your father here. You can help with the... cleaning" he shot them both a dark grin at that, revealing yellow teeth. God, how she hated him.
She didn't give him the satisfaction of a response though, and for once, neither did her father. She knew that meant he was more nervous than he let on. That he was scared she couldn't control her mind magic.
Oh no, thought Hayley madly. What if he's right? What if I can't do it?
She didn't have time to calm herself back down before Snape cried "Legilimens!" and she felt the intrusion of him in her mind again. Her magic buzzed and prickled with a need to fight back, but she resisted. Remembering how to keep her barrier strong, to keep her other magic way back in the depths of her mind where she could barely even noticed it calling out to her.
After a moment, she felt most of Snape's presence withdraw.
"I have created an anchor point" he told her. "Let's proceed to the kitchen shall we?"
"What can you see so far?" her dad asked suddenly, "Is it working?"
Snape looked up at her dad slowly, with an impassive face and said in a cold voice as he raised an eyebrow "Time will tell"
Hayley noticed her dad's jaw clench at the in-answer as knew he was about to argue back.
"Come on" she said, looking up at him. "Let's just get this over with". She willed him to understand the pleading in her eyes, she couldn't drag this out, and she wanted him out of her head as soon as possible.
Her dad seemed to understand for he smiled softly at her and said "Okay, lets go"
He took her hand and led them down the hall. Hayley didn't have to listen to Snape's footsteps to know he was following, the presence in her mind told her that he was close.
She held her breath as she entered the kitchen and was suddenly reminded of the first time she entered this room, beckoned in by Molly, looking straight into her dad's eyes and mind to check firstly, that he was truly innocent and secondly, that he didn't want to harm her...
Now it was her dad's hand that gave her strength as she followed him into the kitchen, which was full to the brim with Order members and their kids. Everyone went silent as she walked in.
Completely silent.
It took her a moment to realise, but when she did she couldn't help the huge grin that erupted across her face.
"I don't hear anything!" she exclaimed, looking up at her dad with bright eyes. "It's working!".
Her dad's face broke into an almost identical grin and he grabbed her into a hug with such force that he lifted her up and span her around the kitchen, when he placed her back down they were both laughing with joy as we're most of the Order members.
"That's it then, right?" her dad said, looking around to where Dumbledore sat.
Dumbledore looked across to Snape then, "Severus?"
Severus nodded slowly, with an expression that plainly showed how delighted he was about the news!
"Excellent" Dumbledore said clapping his hands together and standing up from the table, "In that case, Hayley you are to have weekly lessons with Professor Snape throughout the school year but other than that, you'll have an experience equal to every other student, which brings me to the next order of business..."
He waved his wand and out dropped an old tatty hat. It looked battered and worn. Hayley couldn't help but wrinkle up her nose at it.
"It's the sorting hat Hayley" explained Dumbledore, clearly amused by her expression "It will tell us what house you'll belong in at Hogwarts. We thought, for the time being it best not put you in a situation where the entire school is focused on you."
Hayley tried to remember her mum telling her about the sorting hat, but her stories about Hogwarts had got less and less frequent once they realised that Hayley couldn't go...
"What do I do with it?" she asked eventually.
"Just put it on" her dad said with a knowing grin, giving her a nudge towards it the tatty old hat.
Feeling completely rediculous with all eyes on her, Hayley thought it best to get it over with. She crossed the room in 3 quick steps, snatched the hat up and plonked it on her head...
"Gryffindor!" it yelled out loud, instantly.
She blinked in shock, it barely even touched her head.
There was a beat and then, all at once the kitchen erupted. The twins were cheering; Ginny was squealing; her dad errupted into barks of laughter and was pulling her into a hug again; Snape was muttering something in disgust as he left the room...
Hayley got swept up in all of the happiness, but really, she couldn't help a niggling feeling of confusion.
A house known for its bravery, nerve and determination? Really? Hayley couldn't recall ever feeling particularly brave in her life...
...
The next morning was a blur! The house was in chaos as everyone frantically tried to pack and get ready to leave the house for Hogwarts. Molly was beside herself screaming bloody murder at everyone who got in her way. Hayley, who had the sense to pack last night and bring her trunk into the hall first thing this morning, was wisely sat in the corner of the kitchen having a cup of coffee with her dad, whislt everyone else ran around like headless chickens.
"Is it like this every time?" she whispered to him.
"I imagine so" he answered under his breath "She does have 7 kids".
She looked sideways at her dad then. He looked sad this morning and she knew why. He would soon be alone in the house, save for order meetings. She was only by herself for a week after her mum died, but it was still awful and she couldn't help but feel immensely sorry for him, but as she thought that, she realised that she felt sorry for herself too. She was going to miss him.
Suddenly Molly came running in, red in the face and yelling "Hayley come on!! We have to leave!!"
They both stood up and her dad made his way to the kitchen door ahead of her.
"Dad?" she called out to him quietly.
He looked around at her instantly and she knew it still caught him off guard being called dad. It still felt a little strange when she said it too, but it also felt right.
"I'll write to you all the time, and I'll, I'll come back at Christmas and the Order will be here all the time and if you need me you can -"
Her rambling was cut off as her pulled her into a hug.
"I'll miss you too" he said quietly.
She returned the hug fiercely and they stood that way for a moment until Molly's head appeared back at the door.
"Come on you too!!! NOW"
Relatively short chapter I know - just wanted to push something out to keep you going while I draft to biggy that is her entrance to Hogwarts!!