Harry arrived at Talitha's office after dinner and knocked on the door, they had arranged another Occlumency practice.
"Come in" Talitha called. Harry entered the room. Talitha was sitting at the desk with an old photograph in her hand. Harry could tell she had been crying. He put his hand on her arm to comfort her and looked at the picture. There was a group of people all in their late teens. There was his mum and dad holding hands, Talitha ruffling Sirius' hair, Remus and Dung looked like they were arguing but in a friendly way and Peter stood on the end.
"I was just thinking how happy we all were then" She smiled at Harry "Now only three of us are relatively unaffected by it all" Harry smiled back at her and they both remained silent for a few minutes.
"Anyway" said Talitha "we've got to get on with Occlumency. Oh and before I forget, if you're having any trouble with the Potions work you must let me help you. I told Snape that you wouldn't struggle or fall behind. I want you getting full marks so we can prove him wrong"
"Ok. Talitha, can I ask you something?"
"Shoot"
"How come Professor Dumbledore has let Malfoy come back here after what his father did?"
"He had good reasons Harry. Remember, nobody is responsible for anything that a member of their family has done. Now, clear your mind. Ready?"
For the next hour Harry tried and tried to block the spell and whilst he mostly managed to stop his memories he couldn't seem to reverse it and see Talitha's like he had been able to before. She must be trying harder to block it because all he could get was a few brief images of her as a child sitting on a train. When they stopped for a break he asked her about it.
"Ok, I was going to show you that later anyway." Talitha told him. She took out the pensieve and put it on the desk. Talitha used her wand to transfer the memory. Harry leaned over and suddenly found himself on platform 9 ¾. A few seconds later Talitha appeared. Harry gazed around and once again spotted a familiar face, his dad. James came walking past, a few steps behind was Talitha aged about 11, her hair in two braids.
"That's your grandparents Harry" Talitha told him pointing at a man and a woman just behind young Talitha. They were probably about the same age then as Talitha was now. The man was pushing a trolley with two large trunks on it.
"James, make sure you look after her" Harry's grandmother said "and Talitha, you behave yourself at school" The two children nodded. Harry realized it must be Talitha's first year at Hogwarts.
"Potter, up here" a voice called. Harry looked along the train and smiled when he saw a twelve year old Sirius leaning out of the window. James and young Talitha climbed into the carriage containing Sirius. Young Remus and Peter were there as well. Harry and Talitha followed them onto the train. The Hogwarts express left the station and after about five minutes young Talitha stood up.
"I'm fed up of listening to you lot, I'm going to see if I can find anyone else to talk to" she said as she left the carriage. Harry wanted to stay and listen to James and Sirius but Talitha nodded at him to follow the younger version of herself. About three carriages down the train young Talitha had stopped, she was talking to a boy who Harry recognized as Dung.
"Alright if I sit here" Talitha said to him. He nodded "I'm Talitha"
"Mundungus" he said "call me Dung though. Is it your first year as well?"
"Yeah" Talitha nodded "I was sitting with my cousin and his friends but they were boring. Do you have any brothers or sisters at Hogwarts?"
"I've got a brother in the sixth year." Dung answered. Young Talitha looked round as a thin, scruffy looking boy with dark greasy hair came into the carriage and sat down without even looking at them.
"Is that Snape?" Harry asked as he looked as well. Talitha nodded
"Which house do you think you'll be in?" Dung continued "I hope I get in Gryffindor, my dad was. My mum was in Ravenclaw so that would be ok"
"Yeah, I want to be in Gryffindor too, my mum was in Gryffindor"
"What about your dad? Dung asked
"Oh he didn't go to Hogwarts. He was a muggle, he died about four years ago" she answered. Young Snape looked up and glared at her. Young Talitha saw him and glared back.
"What's your problem?" she demanded.
"Your dad was a muggle?" Snape asked.
"Yeah"
"We don't need your sort at Hogwarts" Snape sneered
"What do you mean by my sort?"
"Dirty half-breeds, nearly as bad as them letting in mud-bloods"
"How dare you call me that!" young Talitha yelled as she jumped to her feet "Take it back!"
"I will not, I meant every word" yelled Snape also standing up.
Grown up Talitha ushered Harry back to the carriage where James and his friends were. They could hear Talitha and Snape screaming at each other even though they were three carriages away.
"That's Tali" James said as he jumped up and pulled his wand out. He ran down the train towards the shouting. Sirius had also jumped up. Harry followed them back. By the time they got to the carriage, Sirius was in front of James. Harry could see Remus just behind. Snape was just about to hex young Talitha when Sirius yelled.
"Expellerimus" and Snape's wand flew out of his hand, Snape tried to grab it back.
"Impedimenta" Sirius yelled again and Snape fell to the ground.
"What happened?" James asked. Young Talitha told him.
"You!" James yelled at Snape "Leave my cousin alone or you'll have me to answer to"
"Yeah, ignorant pig" young Talitha added.
"Come on Tali, you come and sit with us away from this idiot"
"Come on Dung" Talitha said and they all but Snape left the carriage.
Grown up Talitha touched Harry's arm and he felt himself rising up. The next thing he knew he was back in Talitha's office.
"So that was pretty much the start of James and Sirius hating Snape and Snape hating them. Although they weren't exactly friends to start with. From then on things between them just got worse. Snape used to pick on me to get at James, not that I didn't have a go back at him, but he was always reading Dark Arts books, he knew curses that some of the professors hadn't even heard of." Talitha told him
"I can't believe I felt sorry for him when I saw my dad and Sirius teasing him"
"Well now you know the full story, and I'm not saying it was all Snape's fault because they were all as bad as each other, maybe if James and Sirius didn't always have to try and get one over on him it would have all calmed down." Talitha told him.
Harry stayed and chatted to Talitha for about half an hour and then, making the excuse that he had some homework to finish, he raced back to the Gryffindor common room to tell the others about Snape.
"Come in" Talitha called. Harry entered the room. Talitha was sitting at the desk with an old photograph in her hand. Harry could tell she had been crying. He put his hand on her arm to comfort her and looked at the picture. There was a group of people all in their late teens. There was his mum and dad holding hands, Talitha ruffling Sirius' hair, Remus and Dung looked like they were arguing but in a friendly way and Peter stood on the end.
"I was just thinking how happy we all were then" She smiled at Harry "Now only three of us are relatively unaffected by it all" Harry smiled back at her and they both remained silent for a few minutes.
"Anyway" said Talitha "we've got to get on with Occlumency. Oh and before I forget, if you're having any trouble with the Potions work you must let me help you. I told Snape that you wouldn't struggle or fall behind. I want you getting full marks so we can prove him wrong"
"Ok. Talitha, can I ask you something?"
"Shoot"
"How come Professor Dumbledore has let Malfoy come back here after what his father did?"
"He had good reasons Harry. Remember, nobody is responsible for anything that a member of their family has done. Now, clear your mind. Ready?"
For the next hour Harry tried and tried to block the spell and whilst he mostly managed to stop his memories he couldn't seem to reverse it and see Talitha's like he had been able to before. She must be trying harder to block it because all he could get was a few brief images of her as a child sitting on a train. When they stopped for a break he asked her about it.
"Ok, I was going to show you that later anyway." Talitha told him. She took out the pensieve and put it on the desk. Talitha used her wand to transfer the memory. Harry leaned over and suddenly found himself on platform 9 ¾. A few seconds later Talitha appeared. Harry gazed around and once again spotted a familiar face, his dad. James came walking past, a few steps behind was Talitha aged about 11, her hair in two braids.
"That's your grandparents Harry" Talitha told him pointing at a man and a woman just behind young Talitha. They were probably about the same age then as Talitha was now. The man was pushing a trolley with two large trunks on it.
"James, make sure you look after her" Harry's grandmother said "and Talitha, you behave yourself at school" The two children nodded. Harry realized it must be Talitha's first year at Hogwarts.
"Potter, up here" a voice called. Harry looked along the train and smiled when he saw a twelve year old Sirius leaning out of the window. James and young Talitha climbed into the carriage containing Sirius. Young Remus and Peter were there as well. Harry and Talitha followed them onto the train. The Hogwarts express left the station and after about five minutes young Talitha stood up.
"I'm fed up of listening to you lot, I'm going to see if I can find anyone else to talk to" she said as she left the carriage. Harry wanted to stay and listen to James and Sirius but Talitha nodded at him to follow the younger version of herself. About three carriages down the train young Talitha had stopped, she was talking to a boy who Harry recognized as Dung.
"Alright if I sit here" Talitha said to him. He nodded "I'm Talitha"
"Mundungus" he said "call me Dung though. Is it your first year as well?"
"Yeah" Talitha nodded "I was sitting with my cousin and his friends but they were boring. Do you have any brothers or sisters at Hogwarts?"
"I've got a brother in the sixth year." Dung answered. Young Talitha looked round as a thin, scruffy looking boy with dark greasy hair came into the carriage and sat down without even looking at them.
"Is that Snape?" Harry asked as he looked as well. Talitha nodded
"Which house do you think you'll be in?" Dung continued "I hope I get in Gryffindor, my dad was. My mum was in Ravenclaw so that would be ok"
"Yeah, I want to be in Gryffindor too, my mum was in Gryffindor"
"What about your dad? Dung asked
"Oh he didn't go to Hogwarts. He was a muggle, he died about four years ago" she answered. Young Snape looked up and glared at her. Young Talitha saw him and glared back.
"What's your problem?" she demanded.
"Your dad was a muggle?" Snape asked.
"Yeah"
"We don't need your sort at Hogwarts" Snape sneered
"What do you mean by my sort?"
"Dirty half-breeds, nearly as bad as them letting in mud-bloods"
"How dare you call me that!" young Talitha yelled as she jumped to her feet "Take it back!"
"I will not, I meant every word" yelled Snape also standing up.
Grown up Talitha ushered Harry back to the carriage where James and his friends were. They could hear Talitha and Snape screaming at each other even though they were three carriages away.
"That's Tali" James said as he jumped up and pulled his wand out. He ran down the train towards the shouting. Sirius had also jumped up. Harry followed them back. By the time they got to the carriage, Sirius was in front of James. Harry could see Remus just behind. Snape was just about to hex young Talitha when Sirius yelled.
"Expellerimus" and Snape's wand flew out of his hand, Snape tried to grab it back.
"Impedimenta" Sirius yelled again and Snape fell to the ground.
"What happened?" James asked. Young Talitha told him.
"You!" James yelled at Snape "Leave my cousin alone or you'll have me to answer to"
"Yeah, ignorant pig" young Talitha added.
"Come on Tali, you come and sit with us away from this idiot"
"Come on Dung" Talitha said and they all but Snape left the carriage.
Grown up Talitha touched Harry's arm and he felt himself rising up. The next thing he knew he was back in Talitha's office.
"So that was pretty much the start of James and Sirius hating Snape and Snape hating them. Although they weren't exactly friends to start with. From then on things between them just got worse. Snape used to pick on me to get at James, not that I didn't have a go back at him, but he was always reading Dark Arts books, he knew curses that some of the professors hadn't even heard of." Talitha told him
"I can't believe I felt sorry for him when I saw my dad and Sirius teasing him"
"Well now you know the full story, and I'm not saying it was all Snape's fault because they were all as bad as each other, maybe if James and Sirius didn't always have to try and get one over on him it would have all calmed down." Talitha told him.
Harry stayed and chatted to Talitha for about half an hour and then, making the excuse that he had some homework to finish, he raced back to the Gryffindor common room to tell the others about Snape.