A/N: Yo! Thanks for the feedback, it really helps. I'm glad you like my poetry! I wasn't too sure of it myself. Anysway! Enjoy the fic.

Well, classes started up again, and everyone but Hotaru's foster parents had to leave. There were tearful goodbyes and hugs, but eventually everyone left.

Monday started out normal enough. Astronomy first, then Potions, then DADA, and after that Kinetics, in which Hotaru was only excelling. She was now able to do the actual levitating charm without a wand. But for her session with Snape, well, they're normally a bit…exciting. But today was especially odd. One reason was that Harry was there too, but it was only one reason.

"Why is Harry/Hotaru here?" Both students asked at the same time.

"Because you are both going to learn Occlumancy." Snape told them.

"Why are you learning Occlumancy?" Harry asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." Hotaru answered.

"Enough, it doesn't matter why." Snape told them firmly, "What matters is that you are, both of you. And I'll expect no bickering." He said, it was mainly directed towards Harry, though not because Hotaru was mild-tempered. "Tomo, I'd like you to sit over there and try to meditate while I work with Potter." He said clearing away the chairs. But then he straightened up and considered a moment, "On second thought, Tomo, stand in front of Potter. I want to try something." He said. She did so and he continued. "Occlumency is a branch of magic that seals the mind against magical intrusion and influence." He stated.

"But…" Hotaru began, but she shut up before Snape could shush her. Maybe, maybe it would…yes it possibly could work depending…

"And why does Dumbledore think I need it?" Harry asked sourly.

"This may not be an ordinary class, Potter, but I am still your teacher and you will therefore call me 'sire' or 'Professor' at all times." Snape stated.

"And why does Dumbledore think I need Occlumancy Sir?" Harry asked. But then he remembered Hotaru was in the room and was about to choke on his words.

"It is alright Potter, I'm guessing miss Tomo already knows about your…'connection' with the Dark Lord." Hotaru drew a sharp breath. "Of course I could be wrong." He added smoothly. "Potter is in this class because he has a magical connection with the Dark Lord's mind and needs to block out anything that the Dark Lord might send to him. Tomo is here because she must find a way to keep the demon inside of her from taking over her mind and body." He said briskly.

"I figured as much." He said looking at his feet.

"You told him?" Snape inquired, raising an eyebrow at Hotaru.

"Oh…Setsuna-mama didn't tell you?" Hotaru asked.

"I have not seen Miss Meiou since you're hospital trip after the Quidditch game." He told her.

"Oh, well, I-er-she…attacked, a group of students. She was actually able to take control of me. Most of the students chose to forget what they saw, all but Harry, Kioko, and Malfoy. So Setsuna-mama told them…" Hotaru explained.

"Well, if the whole school doesn't know by now I suppose that means Potter hasn't been blabbing. With this out of the way we might as well go on. I suppose there will be more explaining so you may take your seats." He waved his wand and the two chairs came back, positioned so that they faced Snape's desk, where he sat down as they did so as well. "Now, to answer you're question Potter. Surely even you could have worked that out by now, the Dark Lord is highly skilled at Legilmency—"

"What is that, sir?" Harry asked, hatred was emitting from him in waves that were starting to make Hotaru's head ache a bit.

"It is the ability to extract feelings and memories from another person's mind—"

"He can read minds?" Harry said, his worst fears confirmed. Hotaru rubbed her head and tried to block out his thoughts.

"You have no subtlety, Potter. You do not understand fin distinctions. It is one of the shortcomings that makes you such a lamentable potion-maker." He said, dark eyes gleaming. "Only Muggles talk of 'mind reading.' The mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched on the inside of skulls, to be perused by any invader. The mind is a complex and many-layered thing, Potter…or at least, most minds are…" He smirked. "Do you have something to add Miss Tomo?" he asked, though without the venom he used for Harry.

Hotaru had probably been expressing her thoughts in her facial expression slightly. If the mind wasn't something you could just read, then how come she was doing it all the time and had to work to stop herself? She could even sort out several different thoughts going at one time in a person's mind, even down to the really small thoughts if she tried. She could get at things in the backs of people's minds, things they're trying to remember, she could see those things. In fact she'd made a habit of suggesting hints as to what some people forgot or the words they're looking for. If the mind was so difficult to decipher, how come she could read it so clearly nowadays? All she had to do was turn on a switch… "No sir." She said shaking her head.

Snape didn't look like he believed her, but he went on anyway. "It is true, however, that those who have mastered Legilimency are able, under certain conditions, to delve into the midns of their victims and to interpret their findings correctly. The Dark Lord, for instance, almost always knows when somebody is lying to him. Only those skilled at Occlumency are able to shut down those feelings and memories that contradict the lie, and so utter falsehoods in his presence without detection." He said.

Whatever it was, it sounded like mind reading to Harry. Hotaru rubbed her head again, why couldn't she shut off his thoughts?! She tried pulling up some sort of mental wall and numbed herself to whatever he was thinking. It seemed to do the trick, all she could hear were her own thoughts…for now.

"So he could know what we're thinking right now? Sir?" Harry asked.

"The Dark Lord is at a considerable distance and the walls and grounds of Hogwarts are guarded by many ancient spells and charms to ensure the body and mental safety of those who dwell within them," Snape said. 'Then how come I can tell that the person walking down the hall right now is irritated that her cat is lost…?' Hotaru thought. "Time and space matter in magic, potter. Eye contact is often essential to Legilimency." He said though his voice was kind of off track. 'Then what am I using?' Hotaru questioned mentally. Both Harry and Snape were looking at her questioningly.

"D-did you say something?" Harry asked.

"N-no!" Hotaru said, her heart started thumping hard as she realized she was just speaking in the Silent language that her book had been written in. She'd never done it before, could people hear her? Could they, understand her?

"I do believe, Miss Tomo, that you just entered you're thoughts into our minds." Snape stated. "Try it again." He said, intrigued. "With Mr. Potter."

Hotaru turned to Harry, 'Can you hear me?' she asked with the same language, directing it specifically to him. Slowly, very slowly, Harry nodded his head, his eyes were as wide as golf balls.

"It-it was a lot more clear that time…" He said awkwardly.

"I could only hear a whisper of it, what did she say Potter?" Snape asked sharply.

"She asked if I could hear her." Harry said.

"Is that right Miss Tomo?" Snape asked.

Hotaru nodded. "Intriguing, perhaps this is another power your demon has given you." Snape said.

But he was wrong, it wasn't. It was the language of Saturn, the Silent language. But…how could they hear her? She thought that only she could understand the language. Maybe, maybe it was something only she could use, but others could understand her. But that didn't seem right. She had figured that this Silent Language was a result of having the slight ability to read the mind, wouldn't they have to have this slight ability to hear her? Maybe not, maybe they needed it to speak the language…maybe…She'd have to ask Setsuna about it.

"Potter, Tomo. Stand up and face each other." Snape told them. They did so. "Potter, I want you to try and think of nothing. Tomo, I want you to try and read his thoughts." They both gave him rather surprised looks, but he wouldn't have it, "Now!" He exclaimed. They both turned back to each other.

'Why do I have to do this with Snape of all people? It couldn't have been any other teacher could it? Well, at least Hotaru's here and I'm not alone…' Harry thought.

"Harry, you're suppose to be clearing your thoughts." Hotaru reminded, blocking out the rest of what he was about to think.

"Er…" Harry looked rather surprised.

"Let me guess, you've been able to do this for a while now haven't you Tomo?" Snape asked, a bit accusingly.

"Er…" Now it was Hotaru's turn. "Yes…" She said, looking at her shoes in guilt.

"Y-you read…people's minds?!" Harry exclaimed, feeling as though he'd been invaded.

"Not often!" Hotaru defended. "I'm normally able to keep myself from it." She told him. "And it's mostly emotions that I can read." She said.

"Oh…" Harry trailed off, unable to say any more to add to it.

Hotaru rubbed her head, "But for some reason it's getting harder to block." She said in little more than a whisper.

"I'll ask the Headmaster about this kind of thing. For now, Tomo, I suggest you keep a low profile about that. I doubt you knew, but the Dark Lord has already began collecting people to bring you to him." Snape said. Both Harry and Hotaru drew in sharp breaths. She had enough problems as it was!!! Now that Voldemort person was after her, could things get any worse? Oh yes they could.

"We'll continue with the actual lesson, starting with you Potter." Snape said, waving the chairs away with his wand. "Take out your wand, Tomo you may go stand over there." He instructed. They complied and the Professor raised his wand to Harry. "You may use you're wand to attempt to disarm me, or defend yourself in any other way you can think of," he told him.

"And what are you going go do?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"I am about to attempt to break into your mind," Snape told him, "We are going to see how well you resist. I have been told you have already shown aptitude at resisting the Imperius Curse…you will find that similar powers are needed for this…brace yourself, now…Legilimens!" Snape exclaimed. There was no beam of light, no sound, no nothing. But Harry's thoughts seemed to fill the room and hammer themselves into Hotaru's head so that there was no way she could keep them out.

He was five, and he watched a fat chubby kid riding his new red bike, he was jealous of it too, an angry…he was nine, a bull dog was chasing him up a tree and a bunch of people were laughing at him below in the lawn….He was sitting under the Sorting Hat, and it was telling him he'd do well in Slytherin…Hermione was lying in the hospital wing, her face was covered with black hair…a hundred dementors were closing in on him beside a dark lake…Mistress 9 was looking down at him, smirking, her eyes were venomous. Everyone else was lying on the ground, Mistress 9 opened her mouth to speak and…

The memory was cut short, 'No! You're not watching that, I don't want to remember that! I won't let you!!!' Harry's thoughts rang in her ears. He swished his wand and yelled something she couldn't understand, but she could see he had produced a Stinging Hex, Kioko did those all the time. He fell to the floor before he was able to wake up fully.

"Did you mean to produce a Stinging Hex?" Snape asked rubbing his wrist.

"No." Harry said bitterly as he rose back up from the floor.

"Miss Tomo?" Snape questioned, Hotaru suddenly realized she was on the floor too. She scrambled up.

"Harry!" She gasped grabbing his sleeve, she looked into his eyes, "What did she say?! What did she tell you!?" She demanded breathlessly.

"Y-you could-you could see it too?" He asked, looking a bit sick.

"Miss Tomo's mind is obviously becoming very sensitive to thoughts and emotions, of course she could see it as well!" Snape snapped. "In fact she saw more than I did, obviously." He said reproachfully.

"Harry, you have to tell me!" Hotaru begged.

Harry's eyes seem to wander over to Snape, "I'll tell you later." He promised.

"Mr. Potter, Tomo's condition is the very reason she is here. If we are going to find out how to 'cure' her I will need to know any little detail as well." He said plainly.

Harry glared at Snape and then he turned back to Hotaru, she got the message in his eyes. 'She said, "Ah, I know you. And not just because you're 'the boy who lived'. There are things about the universe as well as yourself that you do not know. But I know, I know all about you, do you know about me? Do you know who I am? What about Hotaru? Want me to tell you who she really is? I know more than she does as well, she doesn't remember her past because the Silver Alliance flushed her memory before they sealed her away. But I know, I can see the back of her mind, I know what happened."'

Hotaru bit her bottom lip, what was she talking about? "It wasn't anything about how to get rid of her…" She told Snape.

Snape glared at Harry and cleared his throat. "Let's try you now." He said. "Just, try not to kill me the way you did those Vampires."

"You mean—" Harry gasped.

"Mr. Potter go sit in that chair please." Snape told him with one smooth motion. Hotaru stood in front of him, wondering what she was suppose to do. "Brace yourself, Ligilmens!" He exclaimed.

The entire room faded in front of her. Hotaru was 6, she was bending over her dead goldfish crying….she was 7, Kelorinite just smacked her face angrily…she was 8, tugging on her papa's sleeve to get him to pay attention to her, but he threw her back and just continued on his work. Hotaru started crying…she was 9, tied to a cross with hands grabbing her, threatening to tear and brake her, all whispering 'crucify'—no she didn't want to go back there! Hotaru pushed back any more thoughts, she kept her mind blank, her feelings still. She remained perfectly thoughtless, emotionless, until finally the room came back into focus.

Snape's wand was still raised, but he lowered it when Hotaru looked at him awkwardly. "That is what resistance is, Potter!" Snape said, proudly pointing at Hotaru. "She stopped her memories, she let go of anything she was feeling, she stopped herself from even thinking." He said, sneering at Harry who just glared back. He then turned back to Hotaru, "Who was that woman, with the red hair?" He asked.

"That, er, that was…Kelorinite. She was my caretaker before she was killed." Hotaru said, bitterly remembering her former mother figure.

"Ah. Potter, trade with Tomo." He ordered.

Again, Harry's memories seemed to pound into Hotaru's mind. A great black dragon was rearing in front of him…His father and mother were waving at him out of an enchanted mirror….Cedric Diggory was lying on the ground with blank eyes staring at him…

"NOOOOO!!!!" Harry yelped, falling back onto the floor.

"Get up! Get up! You are not trying you are making no effort, you are allowing me access to memories you fear, handing me weapons!" Snape exclaimed fiercely.

"I—am—making—an—effort," He said, teeth clenched and trying to hold down his anger.

"I told you to empty yourself of emotion!" Snape snapped.

"Yeah? Well, I'm finding that hard at the moment," Harry snarled.

Hotaru shrank back in her chair, two people she liked were fighting and emitting a lot of hate at each other. Hotaru rubbed her head, wishing they'd stop.

"Then you will find yourself easy prey for the Dark Lord!" Snape said savagely. "Fools who wear their hearts proudly on their sleeves, who cannot control their emotions, who wallow in sad memories and words—they stand no chance against his powers! He will penetrate you mind with absurd ease, Potter!"

"I am not weak," Harry said, trying to keep his voice steady. But he was so angry, so frustrated.

"Then prove it! Master yourself! Control your anger, discipline your mind!!! We shall try again! Get ready, now! Legilimens!" Again the room filled with pictures. A fat man was hammering the letter box shut…a hundred dementors were drifting across the lake in the grounds toward him…he was running along a windowless passage with Mr. Weasley…They were drawing nearer to the plain black door at the end of the corridor…Harry expected to go through it…but Mr. Weasley lead him off to the left, down a flight of stone steps…

"I KNOW! I KNOW!" Harry yelled. He had ended up on all fours again, and Hotaru was standing as if to run off somewhere, but calmed herself down.

"What happened then, Potter?" Snape asked.

"I saw—I remembered, I've just realized…" Harry panted.

"What is it Harry?" Hotaru asked softly.

Harry didn't answer her at once, he turned to Snape, "What's in the Department of Mysteries?" he asked.

"What did you say?" Snape asked, a bit unnerved.

"I said, what's in the Department of Mysteries, sir?" Harry asked again.

"And why," Snape said slowly, "Would you ask such a thing?" He asked.

"Because, that corridor I've just seen—I've been dreaming about it for months—I've just recofnized it—it leads to the Department of Mysteries…and I think Voldemort wants something from—"

"Do not say the Dark Lord's name!" Snape hissed. The two glared menacingly at each other, their hate was really starting to hurt Hotaru's head. And she had had enough mind intervention.

"I'm just going to…leave…" Hotaru said shakily. She made her way over to the door and weakly slipped out. She practically ran down the hallway to get away from the two, but it seemed that the aftermath of their emotions didn't leave her mind until she was in the library.

********

Journal Entry, : For the life of me I just could not focus after that. My mind would continually wander to what had happened, all the new questions I'd obtained. I've written down Mistress 9's message to Harry and I gave it to Setsuna. But until Kioko was out of Illusionary I couldn't focus. I talked about it with Setsuna, the thing about my Silent Language and the mind reading I keep doing. She just told me that eventually I'd be able to block everyone's thoughts unconsciously so that it's just be like a real on and off switch. As for how Harry and Snape can understand the Silent Language, she couldn't come up with an answer. When I tried looking for answers in my book the pages went blank again. It's either keeping information from me or it doesn't know, unfortunately I can't figure out which.

Michiru-mama tried approaching me with something so very far from my mind at the time that at first I had no idea what she was talking about. She had to ask it twice. "So, what has been going on with you and Malfoy-san?" She asked merrily.

"Not now Michiru-mama." I sighed, I had to bite my tongue to keep my voice soft and not snip at her.

When Kioko came she was followed by Fred and George to our normal table. Then later came Harry with Ron and Hermione into the library. Though those three didn't seem to want to do much Homework.

"Is it true you can read minds?" Ron asked. 'Ugh, what an outright pig.' Hermione thought reproachfully.

I rubbed my head again, wishing that no one was staring at me.

"Huh?" Kioko was hardly able to keep her gasp a whisper. She quickly pulled out her wand and put up a silencing ward on the area around the table. "You can read minds?!" She exclaimed, comfortable with being loud now.

"Y-yes." Hotaru said guiltily.

"Ron, I don't think she wanted us to know!!!" Hermione hissed.

"No, I didn't." Hotaru said, frowning slightly at Harry.

"It's not his fault Hotaru, I made him tell us what happened." Hermione said.

"Hang on a moment! What happened?! What are you all talking about?!" Kioko demanded.

I rubbed my head, 'did you tell them everything?' I asked Harry, trying to keep anyone else from hearing me.

"Did you say something Hotaru?" Kioko asked. Though she seemed to be the only one who noticed anything.

'No, just that Snape was a git and you can read minds, sort of.' He answered mentally. He wasn't using the silent language, but he made his thoughts precise and loud enough that I currently had no choice but to hear them.

"No." I answered Kioko. She gave me that look again, I sighed. "I didn't want you to know because you'd make a big deal about it." I said. And by the look of her guilty face she knew what I meant.

"Yeah…you're right. But you could have at least told me, though I get why you didn't." She said.

Most of them were able to understand that I didn't do it often, and I should be able to completely block it all out soon. But it took a good deal of explaining, especially with everyone adding in questions here and there. It was a very…nervous moment.

Eventually we all started working on our Homework. I was able to get into my study mode again and finished quickly so I could help Harry while Hermione helped Ron. They were able to get their work done faster as well because of their quick pens.

Later, when we were all finished and just talking, Harry piped up, "Hotaru, let's try something." He said.

I looked at him, wondering what he had up his sleeve. "Remember when you spoke to Snape and I with our minds? Try doing that to the rest of us. Maybe, maybe we could pass messages to each other that way." He said quietly, looking rather hopeful.

"She can enter thoughts in our minds?!" Kioko gasped.

"Maybe, I'll try." I told her. I then reached to everyone in the table, keeping my thoughts from everyone else. 'Can you hear me?' I asked.

Kioko looked taken back, her eyes were wide and she slowly nodded. Harry merely nodded. But no one else seemed to hear me. "Didn't you hear her? She asked if you could." Harry asked them.

"No, mate. I didn't hear anything." Fred said shaking his head.

"Me neither." Hermione told him.

"Oh," Harry sighed, his heart dropping.

"But I could, I heard her! How come only you and I can?" Kioko asked.

"I don't know." Harry said, they looked at me.

"I don't know either." I said, holding up my arms in defense.

"Well, I don't think Harry's lost it, and I know Lady Hex is quite sane, so you guys have to be telling the truth about this." George stated, scratching his head.

"Do it again." Kioko said.

'How's this?' I said with the Silent Language.

"I could hear it in a bit of a whisper." Harry confessed.

"It was pretty clear to me. We'll have to experiment more when we have time." Kioko said gathering up her books. "Milichent is having us practice today. Oh, by the way we have Quidditch today Hotaru." She said laughing nervously.

"Okay." I said picking up my books. "But I don't see why we have to do it out in the cold." I sighed. I really didn't like the cold.

"Hm, oh, I got some gloves for you. They're made of a skin tight material that keeps your hands warm in cold weather. I forgot to give them to you along with your Christmas Present." Kioko said. She handed me the gloves.

"We'll see you guys later." I said putting on the gloves.

We played Quidditch for about an hour because it got dark soon. The gloves really helped, they kept my hands from getting cold at all. Maybe I should ask Setsuna-mama for a shirt and pants of the same material to wear under my robes.

In our room Kioko made me talk to her using the Silent Language. She wouldn't let me say a word out loud, only she was doing that. But, she got me to practice blocking out thoughts by really trying to make me read them, I mean she was really trying. Normally I was able to keep myself from reading them, but now it was hard. Mostly because she wanted me to read them, sort of. I had told her what Setsuna said about it and she was determined to help me into that on and off switch thing.

Well, something happened that I could not have expected. It wasn't that I was suddenly able to stop seeing her mind images, but she spoke. She spoke to me using the Silent Language.

'K-Kioko, you just-you just…' I trailed off.

'I just what? Spit it out! Hey…wait a…' "Oh, my, gosh." Kioko gasped. "I-I'm doing the same thing…aren't I?" She looked a bit shocked at first, and then she started grinning. 'We can talk to each other now, without anyone else hearing. Well, save for Snape and Harry, but I'll bet we can keep them from hearing us with a little work.' She said.

I still can't believe it, it's so confusing! I thought I was the only one who could speak the language of Saturn. Apparently not, but if Kioko can speak it, could Harry and Snape do so as well? And why are certain people able to understand me, and others aren't? It's so confusing…

Well, I decided to tell Kioko what we were really doing. That we were speaking in the same language my book had been written in. The language without sound or movement. She still can't read the book, but she was able to make sense of a few of the words. Now, more than ever, do I suspect that Kioko is a part of these mysteries. There's just no other explanation!

I'm pretty shaky today, and uncomfortable. Probably could have guessed from my writing. It's pretty speedy and uncomfortable, just like how I'm feeling right now. I feel like there's a lump in my stomach, like I need to get up and do something. I'm trying to calm myself down, but it's a bit hard. So much stuff seemed to have happened today. It's true I didn't want anyone to know I could read minds, if word spread, no one would want to talk to me anymore. And the thing about the Silent Language, perhaps if I tried writing some poetry I could calm down.

It's a tongue that has no sound

A language that has no movement

It is heard, and yet it is silent

It is felt, and yet it is still

These are the words that reach no ground

These are the words that have no sound

Awkward I know, but I'm tired. I think I'll go on to bed. Hopefully I can relax enough to do so.