Occlumency

Harry met the basilisk in the Chamber after breakfast. So… How to Apparate?

The snake curled himself up near the fountain and observed his master with a keen interest. The last kind of Apparition Harry had experienced was with the use of a Portkey. He remembered the first time he had felt the weird sensation in his navel. He had no recollection of such a feeling when he was teleporting away from his cousin. What had he felt then?

He focused, pulling those memories from the mental graveyard he had created over the years. Burying past painful memories was the only way he had ever found to cope with them. Sometimes he was remembering, and the sorrow was immense. But most of the time, he could go through his days unbothered by them.

He remembered when he was chased by Dudley and his goons on a back alley behind his school. He had called for help as soon as they tried to catch him but all the supervisors had ignored his cries. Therefore, he had run away. And as he was backing up in the dark alley, he knew he was done. Usually, Dudley was leaving him alone long enough between his attacks to let him recover from the inflicted wounds. But this time, Harry's ribs were still bruised. He had been beaten by his uncle and never had the chance to heal completely. He knew that any additional blow would lead to broken bones. He was young but mature enough to know that broken ribs could lead to something far worse than bruises. No one would come for help, and he would agonize alone in the hope someone would hear his whimpers.

He shivered with disgust while remembering how vulnerable he had felt. But then his gaze had raised toward the sky. Like a prayer to an invisible protector. And he had noticed the roof. If he could go up there, he would be safe. He had closed his eyes briefly, bracing for the coming blows. But he never felt them, and instead, a mild breeze had caressed his cheek. He had opened his eyes and had found himself at the top of his school roof.

He let out a deep breath and focused on the other side of the Chamber. He closed his eyes, letting the feeling or urge and danger fill him. He had to get there, fast. Or he would be done… Such a usual feeling for him. When he opened his eyes again, he realized in disbelief that… he had succeeded!

'First try!' Hissed the basilisk admiratively.

It was the first time Harry was achieving something magical on first try. He felt a huge wave of pride fill him.

When he left the Chamber around two in the afternoon, he had ten successful Disapparation against three failed. It had been exhausting and he really needed to eat something before joining Snape for his afternoon practice.

He stood a few minutes in front of the heavy black door of Snape's office. His instinct was urging him to flee but he didn't have the choice. He had been cocky in the Great Hall and knew that Snape's retaliation would be merciless. He sighed and knocked.

The office was dark. The main source of light was coming from luminescent solutions in their vials around the room. Harry noticed that Dumbledore's Pensieve was lying on Snape's desk, and he refrained a smile. So, the Professor was indeed afraid of failing.

'By the start of next term,' said a drawling voice coming from the other side of the room, 'you will present yourself on Tuesdays and Fridays at three in the afternoon. No excuses, no exception.' The Professor advanced in the Pensieve's light. 'You are here today so I can assess your ability to withstand a mind attack. Since it seems you already have covered the subject theoretically, I won't explain to you the principle of Occlumency.'

Harry remained quiet and nodded.

'It appears the curse that failed to kill you seems to have forged some kind of connections between you and the Dark Lord. The evidence suggests that at times, when your mind is most relaxed and vulnerable, you are sharing the Dark Lord's thoughts and emotions. The Headmaster wishes me to teach you how to close your mind to the Dark Lord.' He had said this in one go like he was reciting the recipe of a horrible meal.

Harry's heart started to pump very fast. So, Dumbledore thought that he had only witnessed the attack through the eye of the snake. But Harry thought otherwise. It had been too real. He hadn't just seen the attack, he had lived it like he had been the snake. Every pulsion, every detail the snake had sensed… He could remember the coldness of the stoned ground against his body. He could remember the flesh tearing itself apart under his teeth.

He realised it would be dangerous for him to share this with Snape and Dumbeldore. Soon the students would come back to the castle. But if Voldemort was truly able to turn him into a beast and use him, he had to get to the bottom of it before it was too late.

'But if this connection is only between my mind and the Dark Lord's one,' he said before the teacher could add anything else. 'How come I was in the snake's head and not His?'

'Do not interrupt me, Potter,' said Snape in a dangerous voice.

But Harry didn't care. Snape seemed to be competent on Mind Magic and Harry was determined to use it to understand what had happened to him. He was adamant it wasn't a simple mental connection.

'How come I saw through the snake's eyes if it's Voldemort's thoughts I am sharing?'

'Do not say the Dark Lord's name!' Spat Snape.

Harry glared at the professor who answered by the same look.

'I just want to understand,' began Harry again, forcing his voice back to politeness.

Snape scrutinized the young boy, and a nasty silence filled the room.

'You seem to have visited the snake's mind because that was where the Dark Lord was at that particular moment,' snarled Snape. 'He was possessing the snake at the time and so you dreamed you were inside his head too.'

Harry almost burst out of laughing at the poor explanation. No… that poor snake really. But he remained quiet and nodded politely.

'But the most important point is that the Dark Lord is now aware of the connection and knows that your fragile mind is gaining access to his thoughts and feelings.'

'My mind is not fragile!' Blurted Harry.

'This is the last time you interrupt me, Potter.' Menaced Snape.

The Professor turned then toward the Pensieve and proceeded to withdrew slight silver filaments from his head with the use of his wand. It allowed Harry to think about what they had just discussed. Maybe the Dark Lord had been controlling the snake and Dumbledore was partly correct in his interpretation. But Harry could feel there was something else. You can't be in the mind that is not yours and feel so much… at home. Of course, he had no experience in this domain but this what his instinct was telling him. And his instinct had done a pretty good job so far to guess correctly. But he decided to play along. Whether Snape was right or not, the method to defend himself didn't differ.

As for understanding what had happened to him, he was on his own, as usual.

'Stand up and take out your wand, Potter!'

Harry got to his feet, feeling anxious. He wasn't quite sure of what was about to happen.

'I am going to attempt to break into your mind,' said Snape savouring Harry's growing nervousness. 'At my signal, you can use to use your wand to disarm me or defend yourself in any way you might think of. I have been told,' he continued in softer voice, 'that you have already shown aptitude at resisting the Imperius Curse. If you can yield similar powers, you may resist just fine.'

Harry's heart lost a beat. If Snape found out about the Chamber or Voldemort's Secret, he would tell Dumbledore. Harry's plan would then fail and saving Tom would become harder than ever. Moreover, he would lose Dumbledore's trust. Maybe forever.

Snape turned toward him and raised his wand without waiting for Harry who still hadn't moved. He had never been so focused in his life. He didn't know if Snape would cast a spell and if he should cast a protective enchantment on his side. What was he allowed to do?

"I have always believed that rules are there to be played with."

The words of the founder came back to his mind. What had Snape said about the use of his wand? At his signal? So that meant that Harry could use any other type of magic without waiting for the signal. Something as discreet and useful as wandless nonverbal magic for example.

'Now,' said Snape in a slow voice – 'Protego maxima, Fianto Duri' thought Harry – 'Brace yourself,' Snape was clearly enjoying this – 'Salvio hexia,' he was repeating in his head all the protective enchantments he had learned during his life. He didn't now which one would be needed and was summoning as many charms as possible – 'Legilimens!' Shouted Snape.

Harry saw a white jolt coming out Snape's wand rush straight at him. He had invoked invisible shields and the spell disintegrated around him. However, he hadn't anticipated that Snape would go with such a force. Part of the attack pierced through his protection and for a moment he felt like he was drowning into a dark ocean with a huge pressure pulsating around him. He could feel a presence trying to invade him.

Fortunately, the pressure disappeared with the last flash of magic from Snape's spell.

'You… How did you?' Snape was breathing heavily while looking straight at Harry. 'I don't know how you managed to do this without your wand, Potter, but you didn't fool me.'

Harry withstood his gaze.

'Protective enchantments,' continued Snape. 'Those will work to certain extent, but it won't be enough.' He grinned and said in mocking voice that was very unpleasant for Harry. 'You were so proud of yourself in the Great Hall, weren't you? Thinking you could summon Mind Magic to defend yourself because you had read its effects somewhere in a book. In the end your arrogance is only matched by your incompetence.'

Insults and taunts. The Harry from three months ago would have snapped back and, at the same time, lower his guard. But the boy knew now that it was an attempt to anger him. A poor attempt to make him loose control. He feigned his most offended look and discreetly took a deep breath. Let the next attack come!

Snape waited for the biting reply he had anticipated but surprisingly, it never came.

'Again!' He said eventually. 'But this time, if you are as good as you say you are, no protective enchantment. Bar me access to your thoughts with the sole use of your mind.'

Harry straightened up. He would play it Gryffindor style this time.

'Legilimens!'

Again, Harry's mind spiraled through a hole in which the pressure was unbearable. Soon he was back in the shadowy world and the presence started to attack him. With each painful assault, his mental barrier was fissuring. He just had to lower it, and everything would end. He just had to surrender, and he could rest.

Or he could just withdraw himself from the situation. In the same fashion he had decided to step aside the flow of emotion the third time he had looked at Dumbledore, he could just let the presence go.

And just like that, it disappeared. The pale light of Snape's office reappeared and to his great pleasure, he caught a glimpse of sincere surprise in Snape's eyes before he had the time to get over himself.