A/N and Thanks

Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw how many reviews I received after my last posting! Thank you so much to all of you who took the time to post a review. I appreciate it – please keep on letting me know how you think things are going.

Sorry to have to do a "group reply" again, but quite a few of the mails and reviews asked similar questions, so here goes:

1) Nope, I'm not British. I was born and bred in Zimbabwe, where I received 13 years of British-style education and wrote Cambridge O and A levels. This probably accounts for my "British" style of writing! I currently live in South Africa.

2) I haven't forgotten about the prophecy at the end of OoTP. I have big plans for it, so keep tuned!

3) I've got no intentions of stopping writing this fic, but my updates may be a little slower than in the past. I've starting writing my own original fiction, so research is taking up a good deal of my spare time. Wish me luck, folks – I'm absolutely terrified! I will, however, complete Harry Potter and the Legilimens Curse, as the story line is fixed in my head and I won't be happy until I get it "down on paper", so as to speak.

Thanks again to my reviewers and please do keep your comments coming!

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DISCLAIMER: I own nothing – it all belongs to JK Rowling.

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Harry spent much of the next week sailing around with his head in the clouds. Deprived of love and warmth throughout his childhood, he'd never considered himself to be an especially demonstrative person. However, he soon discovered that having someone around who was more than happy to give and receive affection revealed an expressive side of him he didn't know existed.

For her part, Ginny was glowing with happiness. She confessed to Harry that she had forced herself to get over her crush on him by going out with Michael Corner, but that it had backfired on her.

"You see," she said, blushing, "because I was seeing Michael I was able to talk to you like a normal person, and I got to know you even better. That was really tough, because I started to like you all over again, and you were so nuts about Cho. So when Michael got upset after we beat Ravenclaw in Quidditch, it was the perfect opportunity for me to break up with him. Not that he cared too much," she added. "I think he'd had his eye on Cho for a while."

"What an idiot," said Harry with feeling.

However, Harry wasn't convinced that Michael was entirely over Ginny. At their next DA meeting, both Michael and Cho looked utterly shocked when Harry and Ginny arrived together at the Room of Requirement, hand in hand. Every now and then, Harry would catch Michael shooting venomous looks at him.

Harry refused point blank to partner Ginny during their DA training. "Sorry, but I really don't think I can bring myself to hex you," he said flatly. "Now, Ron, on the other hand …" He winked at her.

Tonks was teaching them the Rope-Binding Charm. "OK, is everybody watching?" she said briskly, knocking over a chair as she strode over to Terry Boot, who was her rather unwilling assistant for the evening. She pointed her wand at him and said "Legatum!"

Instantly, thin cords flew out of the end of her wand and wrapped themselves tightly around Terry's wrists and ankles, causing him to fall over. "Accio wand!" commanded Tonks, and Terry's wand flew out of his bound hand and into hers.

"How do you get out of those ropes?" asked Neville, impressed.

Again, Tonks pointed her wand at Terry. "Libero!" she commanded, and the cords melted away immediately.

"Is it possible to protect yourself?" asked Harry, as Terry got to his feet, rubbing his wrists.

"Yup," said Tonks cheerfully. "Try it against me, Harry!"

He pointed his wand at her and muttered "Legatum!" Flashing her wand upwards, Tonks yelled "Reverso!" The cords that had appeared out of his wand suddenly changed direction and headed back towards him.

Without even thinking, Harry shouted: "Incendium!" The cords burst into bright blue flame, and turned into ashes that drifted slowly to the floor.

Tonks stared at Harry. "How did you know how to do that?"

"I didn't," said Harry, rubbing his forehead. "I just did the first thing that came into my head."

"Hmm," said Tonks. "Very impressive. OK everyone, let's start practicing. Just don't try Harry's protective measure – we might all end up in a burning room if things get out of hand."

Things got a little crazy after that, with ropes flying around the room, causing mass havoc. Neville missed his aim at Dean and got Seamus instead – at the same time as Lavender. Seamus ended up hopping around, covered ropes and looking like a mummy, while the rest of the group collapsed in hysterical laughter. Hermione's reverse incantation was so effective she managed to bind together Ginny, who was her partner, and Ernie Macmillan, who was standing behind her.

Harry's scar suddenly started stinging. He pressed his fingers to it, his eyes watering with the pain. Tonks spotted him from the other side of the room and came hurrying towards him. In a blaze of agony, Harry felt like his scar was splitting open.

"Get … Dumbledore…" he whispered to Tonks. "Something's happening …"

"Ron!" yelled Tonks. "Go get Dumbledore – hurry!"

"I … I can't wait," gasped Harry. "He's weakened his defenses – I need to go in now…"

"NO!" shouted Tonks. "Wait for Dumbledore, Harry!"

Harry was vaguely aware of the DA members gathering around him. "I can't, Tonks…" he said roughly. He straightened up. "Legilimens!"

Rushing, sliding, skidding along in blackness along a highly polished floor … suddenly hitting an unearthly cold, like swimming into a cold patch of water in the middle of a warm sea … freezing, icy, bitter … a high, cold voice … "get the wolf – you must GET THE WOLF!" … an image of Remus, transforming … utter darkness and silence … "who is there? I COMMAND YOU … WHO ARE YOU?" … slipping backwards, rushing, scrambling towards the light …

Harry opened his eyes, gasping, to find himself flat on his back on the floor, surrounded by a ring of frightened faces.

"Dear Lord, Harry – are you OK?" whispered Tonks, who was as white as a sheet.

Not having the strength to answer, Harry nodded, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Hermione, tears running down her face, was kneeling next to him, with Ginny on his other side holding his hand and trembling uncontrollably.

Suddenly, Dumbledore was there, his face looming above.

"Professor!" said Harry urgently, trying to sit up. "Voldemort's going after Remus … we have to help him!"

Dumbledore nodded curtly. "Tonks, find Mad-Eye and Kingsley and get to Remus as fast as possible." Tonks sprinted away. "Harry, is he going to do it himself?"

"I don't think so," said Harry, struggling to control the waves of nausea that were washing over him. "No, he was giving an order to someone else."

"The Aurors should be able to cope, then," said Dumbledore. "Are you strong enough to get up?"

Harry nodded again, and shakily stood with help from Ron. Dumbledore looked around at the DA group. "I think that will be all for tonight," he said quietly. "Everyone back to their common-rooms, please."

No-one dared argue, so they filed silently out of the door, looking curiously back over their shoulders at Harry. He waited until they had all gone.

"Sir?" he said quietly. "He knew I was there – he could feel me. I think I was lucky this time because I caught him unawares, but the next time …" He shook his head. "I don't know."

"He is a highly accomplished Occlumens, Harry, but I suspect he couldn't shut you out because of the bond that exists between you," said Dumbledore. "Did you come back on your own accord?"

Harry thought about it for a moment. "As soon as he started looking for me, I came back as fast as I could," he said finally. "It wasn't like it was with Remus and Mad-Eye, where I could feel them shut me out – I chose to come back on my own."

"Excellent!" said Dumbledore, with grim satisfaction. "That will put him on the back foot for a while. However, you are quite right. He will make it more difficult for you in the future."

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall appeared in the doorway. "We've got him, Albus," she said softly. "The Aurors got there just in time – a gang of Death Eaters that arrived just after they did. There was a bit of a scuffle, but no-one was injured and the Death Eaters fled. They weren't expecting any resistance and weren't prepared for a fight."

"Has Remus transformed?" asked Dumbledore.                

"Yes, but he's been taking the wolfsbane potion so he's safe," she replied.

"Why do they want him?" mused Harry. "Why would Voldemort want Remus Lupin?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I think that Voldemort is going to try to pick off members of the Order, one by one," he said. "Remus is at his most vulnerable now, and Pettigrew would have told Voldemort that. I suspect that he thought he'd start with a soft target, and move on from there."

Harry stared at him, aghast.

"Don't worry, Harry," said Dumbledore gently. "As Alastor Moody always says: 'constant vigilance'. We're aware of it and we're keeping our eyes open. But I must say, it certainly does help when you get a vision like the one you had tonight."

He opened the door. "Goodnight, Harry – and try not to brood on it too much, will you?" He left quietly.

Harry stood silently for a few seconds, and then followed. He found Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna waiting for him at the end of the corridor.

"Are you sure you're OK?" said Ginny anxiously. "You scared the life out of me! You started shaking, and then you went totally rigid and keeled over. What on earth happened?"

Still feeling very shaky, Harry rubbed his scar, which was tingling slightly. "I went into his head," he said simply. Neville and Luna gasped – this was the first time they had heard about what Harry was trying to do. "It was awful … I felt a bit like there were Dementors close by. It was so cold …"

Ron, who was still ashen, whispered: "Could You-Know-Who sense you?"

Harry nodded. "But he couldn't shut me out, which is a good thing," he said.

Hermione looked furious. "How can that possibly be a good thing?" she said angrily. "Harry – you know he wants you dead. The risks are so high! I don't understand how Dumbledore can allow you to do this!"

"Well," said Harry, annoyed, "if I hadn't seen what I did tonight, then Remus Lupin would be dead by now."

A resounding silence met this statement. "What?" said Luna, shocked.

"I heard Voldemort give the command to go after Remus, and when Tonks and the other Aurors got there, a gang of Death Eaters had arrived to kill him," said Harry. "Apparently there was a bit of a fight, but the Death Eaters took off and they managed to save Remus. He's here now, but he's in wolf form so we can't see him until tomorrow."

Starting to feel a bit dizzy, Harry was almost knocked sideways by an alien blast of fear. Neville was staring at him, wide-eyed.

"It's OK, Neville," said Harry. "They can't get into Hogwarts, so you're safe." He clapped a comforting hand on Neville's shoulder, feeling his shaking start to subside.

"It's not that," choked Neville. "Harry – it's starting all over again, isn't it? People are going to start dying; people are going to be … tortured … again. Is there nothing anyone can do to stop him?"

No one had an answer for him.