In the weeks leading up to the OWLs, Harry could detect a small but definite change in the way Snape treated him-for the better. It was subtle-his papers now received A's with the occasional E, and his potions all received E's. Granted, that was partly due to the fact that Snape's comments were (or felt) less acerbic. He still made comments about Harry's cutting up roots or how he was squeezing some beetle eye too severely, but they felt more instructive than malignant. Eventually, about a week before the OWLs were supposed to start, even those ceased. Whether it was because Harry had improved or Snape viewed him as a lost cause, he did not know. Certainly, most of the professors had stopped teaching new material, and devoted the lessons to review. Snape was determined to teach up until the last minute.
It was almost easier, the way Snape was doing it. He was proceeding the same way as he had before the standard exams, instead of acting like their entire future depended on their OWL results.
Not that Harry thought he had any chance at an O after completing his Potions OWL. The written exam was harder than the practical, and while he was reasonably sure he had passed, he wouldn't have bet any major money that he had gotten an E, much less an O.
He was working hard to clear his mind, but this was proving to be difficult with all the information in his mind for exams. He didn't exactly give up on it, but he rather thought it was a lost cause.
When the vision of Sirius being tortured came to him, his first instinct was to gather Ron and Hermione and get into the ministry. Never mind how, he just had to do it.
Then, Snape's words came to mind. It would only take a few more minutes to talk to McGonagall. Except, she was still at St. Mungos. So, without hesitating, Harry headed straight to Snape's office, sure he looked like a maniac.
The door was already open, and Snape looked up from his work as soon as he heard Harry's footsteps.
"Potter," he said, raising his eyebrows. "What's wrong?"
"I had a vision-" he began, but Snape made a movement for Harry to silence himself.
"Enter, first, and close the door behind you," Snape said, rather severely.
Harry did as he was bid, and Snape pointed his wand at the door, locking it behind them.
Then, he nodded at Harry. "Well? Continue, Potter."
"I had a vision, sir. You said to come to you, so I did." Harry swallowed hard. "Voldemort has Sirius! He's torturing him as we speak, and he wants something from the Department of Mysteries!"
Snape looked unperturbed. "When was the last time you spoke with your godfather?"
Harry blinked, surprised. "When the twins left the school."
Snape raised his eyebrows, just a little, and turned his back on Harry.
"Did you hear me?" Harry yelled. "He has Sirius! Don't you care?"
Snape pointed his wand at the bookshelf, which moved aside several feet to reveal...a fireplace.
"You can't! She's watching all the fireplace!" Harry protested.
"Potter, do not raise your voice at me, or I shall perform a silencing charm on you," threatened Snape. "As for the feline loving toad, use your head. Do you really think that I, and all of the professors, do not have ways around that? She is powerful within the ministry, but her magic can be easily fooled. Besides," he added, gruffly, "as much as I despise Black, I have little desire to see him captured and sent to Azkaban."
Harry, for lack of anything better to do, nodded, and muttered an apology, then waited for his Potions teacher to act.
"Stand behind the bookshelf," Snape instructed.
"What? Why?" he asked, striving to remain calm.
"Because I am going to contact your godfather, and if that house elf of his sees you, he might not tell the truth regarding his whereabouts." Snape paused, then added, "As the elf believes I am a friend of Miss Bella and Miss Cissy, as he calls them, he will answer my questions truthfully. That is, if he answers my floo call. Is that satisfactory to you?" he asked, sardonically.
"Yes, sir," Harry answered, nodding.
Snape threw in a pinch of Floo Powder and spoke the address clearly, but rather more quietly than Harry would have expected.
Kreacher appeared. "Kreacher speaking."
"Hello, Kreacher," Snape said, in the tone of voice he would use for a favorite student. "I am looking for your master, Sirius Black."
"Master is with the foul hippogriff, Mr. Snape, sir. Does Mr. Snape want Kreacher to find him and bring him here?" Kreacher asked, also with a tone of respect Harry had never heard from him.
"Yes, please do so, Kreacher. Thank you very much for your assistance," Snape answered, still much more kindly than he had ever spoken to Harry.
In spite of himself, Harry felt both angry and a bit jealous of the foul elf.
Bowing lowly before Snape, Kreacher retreated, and there was only the sitting room in the background. Before Harry could think of something to say, Kreacher was back, dragging Sirius with him.
"Sirius!" he gasped, stepping out from behind the bookshelf. "You're okay!"
Breaking free of a now glowering Kreacher, Sirius stepped to just in front of the fireplace flames.
"Harry? Is everything all right?" Sirius asked, concern written all over his face.
"I-I'm fine. I passed out in my History of Magic exam, and I had a vision of Voldemort torturing you," Harry admitted. "But you're okay. You're safe."
He was suddenly feeling exhausted, like he might fall asleep then and there.
"Snape, can I come here?" Sirius asked, giving Harry a look of concern.
Snape nodded, then waved his wand at the door that Harry had walked through. A curtain fell over it.
"Five minutes, no more. It's not safe," he cautioned.
Sirius nodded, then entered the flames, and then into Snape's office. Suddenly, Harry felt himself being swallowed up by his godfather.
This was not the one-armed hug of the end of the Christmas holidays. It was a full arm embrace of his godfather, of someone who had lived on rats for a year for him, who had offered him a home after barely knowing him for a few hours.
Harry pulled his arms around Sirius, and holding on as though someone might tear him from his godfather.
Sirius tightened his own hold, and even though Harry thought his ribs might break, he didn't care. They remained like that for several moments, until Harry felt it was all right to let go. That if he let go of his godfather, he wouldn't disappear into the Department of Mysteries, after all.
Sirius kept an arm around him, though.
"It was a trick," Harry murmured. "Voldemort was trying to get me to go to the Department of Mysteries, thinking you were being tortured."
"Which is," Snape reminded him, sternly yet without the usual amount of venom, "why it was essential for you to clear your mind every night. To prevent him from getting in."
"I tried to!" protested Harry. "But between exams and everything, I'm no good at it."
"I'll teach you," Sirius offered, standing in front of Harry, placing both hands on his shoulders. "Over the summer holidays. Just as soon as we can get you away from the Dursleys."
Harry looked down at the floor. "You'll be invading my mind, then?" he murmured.
It might be better than Snape, but Sirius would see...everything.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sirius glance at Snape.
"Invading your mind?" he asked, clearly perplexed.
Harry chanced a glance up at Sirius, then Snape.
"He used legilimency to broach my mind. Told me to repel him with my wand, but better, with my mind," Harry explained.
Sirius swore loudly. "Yes, but after you've developed a strong mental foundation, not to mention a trust filled relationship with your teacher. Neither of which applies here, so I imagine!"
Harry now stared at Snape, who looked a bit uncomfortable.
"That's fine if you have years to spend studying theory! The Dark Lord won't wait until Potter is ready to be attacked before trying something, as we just witnessed," he snapped back.
"Yes, and all children should learn how to swim if they live near water. That doesn't mean you should teach them by tossing them into a lake!" Sirius retorted. Turning to Harry, he said, far more gently, "Look, Remus bought me a couple of books on the topic. I have a good understanding, and I can teach you all I know, and it won't involve Snivellous invading your mind."
"Please...don't call him that," Harry murmured.
But his thoughts were elsewhere. There was a way to learn Occlumency without having Snape (or Sirius) searching his mind? At least, not until he was ready?
Sirius gave Snape a look of disgust, then turned back to Harry. "Look, here. You tried it his way. Will you give mine a chance?"
Harry nodded, then smiled as Sirius pulled him into another long hug.
He could get used to this.
"I'll see you soon, I promise. In the meantime, if you have to contact me, use the mirror," Sirius told him, gently.
"Mirror?" Harry echoed.
Sirius reached into one of the pockets in his robe to reveal a small hand mirror.
"It's part of a set, Harry. Remember, the package I gave you? Your dad and I used them whenever we were in separate detention." Snape snorted at this. Ignoring him, Sirius asked, slightly hurt, "Didn't you open it?"
Harry shook his head. "I thought it was dangerous...you said Mrs. Weasley wouldn't approve."
Sirius chuckled, then tousled his hair. "I shouldn't have said that. I only meant that she wouldn't approve. Use it whenever you want to talk-"
"But use it in private and cast a silencing charm, first," Snape interrupted, "or he will be discovered. Then again," Snape added, feeling his arm, "it may be immaterial in a matter of hours. Voldemort is summoning his followers, no doubt banking on you being at the Ministry."
"Which I won't. Thanks to both of you," he said, nodding at both males in the room. "Thank you, sir."
Snape brushed it off. "You've been here too long as it is. Say your goodbyes."
After a final hug, Sirius disappeared back into the flames, and the connection went off.
Harry turned to Snape. "Thank you, Professor."
Snape rolled his eyes. "I might despise the mutt, but I don't want him dead."
Harry nodded. "Well, thanks, anyway."
Snape nodded back, then placed an hand on Harry's shoulder, just for a second. Withdrawing quickly, looking uncomfortable, he cleared his throat.
"You finished your exams, then?"
"Yeah, but I probably failed History of Magic. And there's no way I got an Outstanding in Potions," he added.
Snape looked unconcerned. "History of Magic has no NEWT class, which should indicate its importance."
Harry managed a grin at the near joke.
"You can't be in my class without an Outstanding, but you can sit the exam without taking the class. If you work extremely hard, much harder than you did in Occlumency, I might be persuaded to give you occasional tutoring." At Harry's open-mouthed looo, Snape added, rather sharply, "An Auror is the perfect occupation for someone as foolhardy as you, Potter."
"Yes, sir," Harry murmured.
"There's undoubtedly a raucous party you're missing in your common room, although you might consider resting instead. Do not forget to clear your mind, though, and do remember to open the gift from that dog of your godfather," he added, rather gruffly. "Now, if there's no one else in need of potential rescue from the dark lord, I have exams to grade!"
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," Harry answered, turning around.
Snape unlocked the door, and Harry left his office, then headed back to the Gryffindor common room. He headed past the partying to his dormitory, where he made a real effort at clearing his mind before closing his eyes.
The next morning, the following headlines appeared on the Daily Prophet:
VOLDEMORT RETURNS!
Twelve Death Eaters caught at the Department of Mysteries!
Sirius Black-innocent of all charges?
Fudge sacked!
In the days that followed, the question of Sirius Black's guilt, given that he was not at the Department of Mysteries, gave way to a trial.
After being proven innocent, he was finally granted his freedom, allowing Sirius to take full guardianship of Harry.
The end
A/N: As always, comments are always welcome! :)