"Right, you need to clear you're mind. The best way to block the spell is to try and reverse it. Try and get into my mind, Harry" Talitha said as they stood in the living room the next morning.
"Aren't you going to use a pensieve to put you're memories in, like Snape did?" Harry asked
"Harry, I told you last night, I have no secrets from you. I will warn you there may be things that will shock you but I'm not going to keep anything from you ok. If you concentrate really hard you might even find out some stuff about you're dad"
"I don't know if I want to after what I saw in Snape's memory"
"Ah yes. Remus told me about that. I'm going to show you something Harry" she said taking a large bowl of off the shelf which Harry recognised as a pensieve. She put the tip of her wand to her head and then pointed it into the bowl. Harry peered in cautiously.
"Go on in then" Talitha told him
Harry instantly recognised where he was as he looked around the Gryffindor common room. He glanced around, there was only about 5 or 6 people in there. Talitha spoke behind him, having followed him into the memory.
"This is the same day as the memory you saw of Snape's" she said quietly, she pointed over to the corner of the common room. Harry walked a bit closer and looked at the two students sitting there. One was a very pretty girl, long dark hair and hazel eyes aged about fourteen, Harry instantly recognized her as Talitha, shocked at how much like James she looked. He hadn't realised before. She even had the Potter untidy hair. Next to her sat a boy about the same age with dark blonde hair and scruffy robes. They were laughing loudly.
"Is that Dung?" He asked. Talitha nodded. Harry moved a bit nearer so he could see what they were doing. He walked passed a blonde haired girl surrounded by parchment and books who was frantically searching for something. Harry noticed a pile of items on the table near Talitha and Dung, 3 bars of chocolate, 2 quills, some exploding snap cards and a book on Quidditch. As he reached them he saw Dung pointing his wand towards a boy sitting in the corner reading a book.
"Accio wand" he said chuckling. The boy's wand came floating past Harry.
"I think you've got the summoning charm now Dung" the young Talitha laughed mischievously, catching the wand and putting it on the table with the other things. Harry laughed as well. Harry thought to himself that Talitha and Dung had probably been as mischievous as James and Sirius had. Harry turned as he heard someone come storming into the common room. It was his mum, her face had gone slightly red, just like Ron's did when he was angry. She threw her self into a chair next to the blonde girl.
"What's up with you?" the girl asked Lily.
"Potter! He's so annoying"
"What's he done this time?" the young Talitha called across to her
"You're cousin is an arrogant, pig-headed git and that Sirius Black is no better" Lily answered
"Well I know that but what did they do?" Talitha asked as she grinned at Lily. Lily went on to explain what James and Sirius had done to Snape.
"Ah come on Lily, you know he does it to impress you because he fancies you" young Talitha told her
"And that's supposed to make me like him more. He'd be alright if he wasn't such a show off"
"James Potter, not show off, now that's a thought" young Talitha laughed. Lily laughed as well.
"Give him a chance Lily" Dung said "he's crazy about you"
"Well he'd have to grow up a lot if I was to change my opinion of him"
"And you know Snape's always asking for it, he'd hex anyone rather than look at them. He deserves it if you ask me" added Talitha. Lily started to smile.
"You should have seen him when Sirius spun him upside down, I had to force myself not to laugh" she said.
"So, they're down by the lake?" young Talitha asked, after they had finished laughing. Lily nodded.
"I might go and see if I can find Sirius then" she added as she stood up to leave. Harry and grown up Talitha followed her. As they were leaving the common room, Harry continued to listen to the conversation going on in the corner.
"Has any one seen my quill?" the blonde girl asked.
"Do you need a new one?" asked Dung "I can sell you one if you want"
Harry and Talitha followed the young Talitha through Hogwarts.
"See, your mum didn't really hate your dad. I think she used to get annoyed with him showing off because she did like him. Her shouting at him was the equivalent to him showing of in front of her. It would have been much easier if they had just told each other" They continued to walk down passed the great hall. Harry found it strange to be walking through Hogwarts and not recognising anyone. Suddenly Harry felt a pang of excitement in his stomach.
"Are we going to see my dad and Sirius again?" Harry asked. Talitha nodded. They were outside by now and heading back down towards the lake where Harry had been in Snape's memory. They could see James and his friends in the distance. Remus still sitting reading a book. Sirius and James also sitting now, facing away from them. Peter had disappeared.
"Oi, Potter, you great idiot!" they heard young Talitha shout across to them. James and Sirius both jumped up and spun round whipping out their wands as they did so. When they realised who it was they both grinned and put their wands away again. Sirius ran over to young Talitha and kissed her. He no longer looked bored, like when Harry had seen him previously. They walked back over to where James and Remus were sitting.
"So James, I hear you've been upsetting Lily Evans again. She told me you were a pig-headed git." Talitha said as she sat down
"Ah well…" James started.
"She also said she might actually quite like you if you grew up a bit and stopped showing off"
"Did she? Really?"
"Sounds like a challenge to me, Prongs" said Sirius. James didn't reply as he sat there thinking how to prove he was grown up.
"Come on lets go" grown up Talitha said to Harry "we've got some Occlumency to do"
Seconds later they were back in the living room at Remus' house
"But I still don't get why they were horrible to Snape in the first place"
"Snape was as bad as they were, used to walk around school cursing and hexing people. Mostly he would pick on the younger kids though. Nasty piece of work he was."
"But why did Sirius and my dad hate him so much"
"Well, there is a reason for that. I'll show you later but first Occlumency. We aren't putting it off any longer"
"Ok"
"Now, clear you're mind, think of nothing" Talitha told him. "And you've got to try and fight against it"
They stood facing each other. Talitha said the incantation.
"Legilimens" Harry could see Dudley pinching him, then uncle Vernon shouting at him. He tried to fight against the spell, more memories of the Dursleys. Then suddenly, a little girl, about seven or eight years old, was sitting in a garden. She was crying. A boy, not much older came out of the house and sat down next to her. The boy put his arm round the girl to comfort her. Then it went blank
"Good Harry, you're getting there" Talitha said
"I saw you and my dad, you were crying. Was that just after your parents died?"
Talitha smiled at him and nodded.
"Shall we try again?"
Harry nodded. This time he saw Sirius and Remus in the shrieking shack, the first time he had met Sirius and still thought he was an escaped murderer, this memory went on longer than the others had and then he remembered he was supposed to be blocking it. He mustn't let things like this stay in his mind just because he wanted to see them. 'No' he thought to himself willing it to go. He could see a familiar room, Sirius and Talitha were there, Sirius looked about 16 years old. A tall thin dark haired woman was there as well. Suddenly Harry realised where they were, it was Grimmauld Place, the kitchen.
"I'm not having her in my house, dirty half-breed" Mrs. Black was screaming at Sirius "Get her out!"
"Then we'll both go, and I won't be coming back here again ever!" Sirius yelled back Sirius stormed out of the kitchen Talitha following him. Harry came out of the memory.
"Oh my god Talitha, that was horrible" he said
"Well, you know what Mrs. Black was like, you saw her portrait. That's the only time I ever met her in person. I got pretty much the same treatment from the portrait though. Horrible old hag she was"
"Did Sirius ever go back?"
"Just the once, the next day to collect his stuff, he spent the rest of the summer at your grandparents."
"How's it going?" Remus asked from the door way.
"Fine" Talitha answered "We're getting somewhere, I think"
"I've made some dinner" Remus told them. After dinner Talitha, Harry and Remus sat up talking late into the night.
"Aren't you going to use a pensieve to put you're memories in, like Snape did?" Harry asked
"Harry, I told you last night, I have no secrets from you. I will warn you there may be things that will shock you but I'm not going to keep anything from you ok. If you concentrate really hard you might even find out some stuff about you're dad"
"I don't know if I want to after what I saw in Snape's memory"
"Ah yes. Remus told me about that. I'm going to show you something Harry" she said taking a large bowl of off the shelf which Harry recognised as a pensieve. She put the tip of her wand to her head and then pointed it into the bowl. Harry peered in cautiously.
"Go on in then" Talitha told him
Harry instantly recognised where he was as he looked around the Gryffindor common room. He glanced around, there was only about 5 or 6 people in there. Talitha spoke behind him, having followed him into the memory.
"This is the same day as the memory you saw of Snape's" she said quietly, she pointed over to the corner of the common room. Harry walked a bit closer and looked at the two students sitting there. One was a very pretty girl, long dark hair and hazel eyes aged about fourteen, Harry instantly recognized her as Talitha, shocked at how much like James she looked. He hadn't realised before. She even had the Potter untidy hair. Next to her sat a boy about the same age with dark blonde hair and scruffy robes. They were laughing loudly.
"Is that Dung?" He asked. Talitha nodded. Harry moved a bit nearer so he could see what they were doing. He walked passed a blonde haired girl surrounded by parchment and books who was frantically searching for something. Harry noticed a pile of items on the table near Talitha and Dung, 3 bars of chocolate, 2 quills, some exploding snap cards and a book on Quidditch. As he reached them he saw Dung pointing his wand towards a boy sitting in the corner reading a book.
"Accio wand" he said chuckling. The boy's wand came floating past Harry.
"I think you've got the summoning charm now Dung" the young Talitha laughed mischievously, catching the wand and putting it on the table with the other things. Harry laughed as well. Harry thought to himself that Talitha and Dung had probably been as mischievous as James and Sirius had. Harry turned as he heard someone come storming into the common room. It was his mum, her face had gone slightly red, just like Ron's did when he was angry. She threw her self into a chair next to the blonde girl.
"What's up with you?" the girl asked Lily.
"Potter! He's so annoying"
"What's he done this time?" the young Talitha called across to her
"You're cousin is an arrogant, pig-headed git and that Sirius Black is no better" Lily answered
"Well I know that but what did they do?" Talitha asked as she grinned at Lily. Lily went on to explain what James and Sirius had done to Snape.
"Ah come on Lily, you know he does it to impress you because he fancies you" young Talitha told her
"And that's supposed to make me like him more. He'd be alright if he wasn't such a show off"
"James Potter, not show off, now that's a thought" young Talitha laughed. Lily laughed as well.
"Give him a chance Lily" Dung said "he's crazy about you"
"Well he'd have to grow up a lot if I was to change my opinion of him"
"And you know Snape's always asking for it, he'd hex anyone rather than look at them. He deserves it if you ask me" added Talitha. Lily started to smile.
"You should have seen him when Sirius spun him upside down, I had to force myself not to laugh" she said.
"So, they're down by the lake?" young Talitha asked, after they had finished laughing. Lily nodded.
"I might go and see if I can find Sirius then" she added as she stood up to leave. Harry and grown up Talitha followed her. As they were leaving the common room, Harry continued to listen to the conversation going on in the corner.
"Has any one seen my quill?" the blonde girl asked.
"Do you need a new one?" asked Dung "I can sell you one if you want"
Harry and Talitha followed the young Talitha through Hogwarts.
"See, your mum didn't really hate your dad. I think she used to get annoyed with him showing off because she did like him. Her shouting at him was the equivalent to him showing of in front of her. It would have been much easier if they had just told each other" They continued to walk down passed the great hall. Harry found it strange to be walking through Hogwarts and not recognising anyone. Suddenly Harry felt a pang of excitement in his stomach.
"Are we going to see my dad and Sirius again?" Harry asked. Talitha nodded. They were outside by now and heading back down towards the lake where Harry had been in Snape's memory. They could see James and his friends in the distance. Remus still sitting reading a book. Sirius and James also sitting now, facing away from them. Peter had disappeared.
"Oi, Potter, you great idiot!" they heard young Talitha shout across to them. James and Sirius both jumped up and spun round whipping out their wands as they did so. When they realised who it was they both grinned and put their wands away again. Sirius ran over to young Talitha and kissed her. He no longer looked bored, like when Harry had seen him previously. They walked back over to where James and Remus were sitting.
"So James, I hear you've been upsetting Lily Evans again. She told me you were a pig-headed git." Talitha said as she sat down
"Ah well…" James started.
"She also said she might actually quite like you if you grew up a bit and stopped showing off"
"Did she? Really?"
"Sounds like a challenge to me, Prongs" said Sirius. James didn't reply as he sat there thinking how to prove he was grown up.
"Come on lets go" grown up Talitha said to Harry "we've got some Occlumency to do"
Seconds later they were back in the living room at Remus' house
"But I still don't get why they were horrible to Snape in the first place"
"Snape was as bad as they were, used to walk around school cursing and hexing people. Mostly he would pick on the younger kids though. Nasty piece of work he was."
"But why did Sirius and my dad hate him so much"
"Well, there is a reason for that. I'll show you later but first Occlumency. We aren't putting it off any longer"
"Ok"
"Now, clear you're mind, think of nothing" Talitha told him. "And you've got to try and fight against it"
They stood facing each other. Talitha said the incantation.
"Legilimens" Harry could see Dudley pinching him, then uncle Vernon shouting at him. He tried to fight against the spell, more memories of the Dursleys. Then suddenly, a little girl, about seven or eight years old, was sitting in a garden. She was crying. A boy, not much older came out of the house and sat down next to her. The boy put his arm round the girl to comfort her. Then it went blank
"Good Harry, you're getting there" Talitha said
"I saw you and my dad, you were crying. Was that just after your parents died?"
Talitha smiled at him and nodded.
"Shall we try again?"
Harry nodded. This time he saw Sirius and Remus in the shrieking shack, the first time he had met Sirius and still thought he was an escaped murderer, this memory went on longer than the others had and then he remembered he was supposed to be blocking it. He mustn't let things like this stay in his mind just because he wanted to see them. 'No' he thought to himself willing it to go. He could see a familiar room, Sirius and Talitha were there, Sirius looked about 16 years old. A tall thin dark haired woman was there as well. Suddenly Harry realised where they were, it was Grimmauld Place, the kitchen.
"I'm not having her in my house, dirty half-breed" Mrs. Black was screaming at Sirius "Get her out!"
"Then we'll both go, and I won't be coming back here again ever!" Sirius yelled back Sirius stormed out of the kitchen Talitha following him. Harry came out of the memory.
"Oh my god Talitha, that was horrible" he said
"Well, you know what Mrs. Black was like, you saw her portrait. That's the only time I ever met her in person. I got pretty much the same treatment from the portrait though. Horrible old hag she was"
"Did Sirius ever go back?"
"Just the once, the next day to collect his stuff, he spent the rest of the summer at your grandparents."
"How's it going?" Remus asked from the door way.
"Fine" Talitha answered "We're getting somewhere, I think"
"I've made some dinner" Remus told them. After dinner Talitha, Harry and Remus sat up talking late into the night.