Disclaimer: No I do not own any of the characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling. I do own Erica, Voula, and brief characters mentioned during the sorting though.

Chapter 4

When Harry and Erica reached the top of the stairs they saw a large door with the word Headmaster inscribed on it in gold. Harry reached out and knocked. "Come in," a voice said. Harry reached out and turned the knob and stepped in with Erica not far behind. "Hello, Mr. Potter. What, if I may ask, brings you here? Oh, Hello Miss Kohle. May I help you?"

"Hello Professor. Harry was just helping me find your office. I asked him to stay so he could help me back, if that's alright."

"Of course it is. Please, have a seat."

"Well, I was talking to Hermione earlier, sir. She seems to think that I am an empath. Well, so do I. I was wondering if there's some way to lessen my sensitivity. I need it. I truly do. I think that my sensitivity is a bit stronger than most. At least it feels that way to me. They are a bit overwhelming; it has gotten worse since I moved here. Harry's feelings are the worst. Not to say the most present. I just don't want to feel it. Can you help me professor? Please, I would do anything to stop them."

Dumbledore looked at her with his twinkling eyes, she thought she saw a bit of knowing in them, and smiled. "As a matter of fact, Miss Kohle, I do know a way," he looked at Harry, "It would need much concentration and time though. Are you sure about this? You can strengthen your ability. This would just keep the thoughts from your head, which is just a short-term fix. You do not want to get rid of the gift completely. Trust me, it may be beneficial in the future. It can be used as a lie detector. Along with this, you will want to train your ability to keep it better in control."

"Yes Professor, I want to do this. I am willing to do whatever I have to."

"Fabulous. Harry, you are to continue Occlumency lessons with Professor Snape again this year. Erica will be joining you."

Harry purely objected, "But, Professor! Please, can't someone else do it? It did not work out last year! I do not think it will be any better this year! Can't you teach it?"

"I'm sorry Harry, I can't. I have too much to do. I am simply too busy, though I wish I could. With Voldemort back I have hardly any time to myself. Snape will just have to get over it, and so will you. Please, no more objections. Erica will be there, he can not do anything to you without a witness," he smiled at Erica while she cringed a bit with Harry's ever- present anger trying not to scream at the charming Headmaster, "I think you are overpowering Miss Kohle here a bit. Please do try to calm down Harry."

Harry quieted but was still just as angry, as Erica knew. "Sorry."

"Anyways, Erica. What this Occlumency will do is keep the feelings from entering your head. It does basically the same for Harry only his keeps people from entering his head. I'm sure he will tell you the details. I will tell the Professor that he is to teach you both, at the same time, and make sure that he knows everything. He will, in no doubt, object but he will have no choice. When you have your first potions lesson with him this week he will give you the details of your lessons. When you get well enough at it you can practice together."

Erica felt a faint anticipation well up in her chest, "Thank you Professor, I look forward to it. Thank you," she was practically speechless. She just did not know why Harry objected so strongly.

"Well, do visit sometime, Miss Kohle, Mr. Potter."

"Yes Professor," the two said in unison. The only one to say thank you, as they left, was Erica. Dumbledore closed the door behind them with the same knowing smile plastered on his face.

@--;-- --;----;-- --;--@ (A rose)

Harry and Erica were meandering through the hallway on their way back to the common room. "Harry?"

"Yea?"

"May I ask why you dislike Professor Snape so much?"

"Sure, well, if you asked anyone, they would say that he was the meanest teacher in the school, and he is. No one in the school likes him, except Dumbledore of course. Snape is an ex death-eater, only me and Hermione and Ron know that and I guess Dumbledore too. Well, my father went here with Snape and they never got along. My father was really cruel to him; I guess he almost killed Snape with one of the pranks he and his friends pulled on him. He also saved him. That wasn't enough for Snape though. Snape doesn't exactly like me because of my father. In fact, he loathes me and I return it. He tried to teach me Occlumency last year but quit when I accidentally found out. Now I have to go through all of that again. What fun," he said sarcastically.

"Why were you studying Occlumency last year?"

Harry looked her in the eyes for a second to see how she would react. Why did he speak to her so openly? He had only told Hermione and Ron about his father and Snape. Why was she so different that made him trust her? Was it because of her empathy?

"Voldemort," he noticed that she didn't flinch when he said the name, just nodded, "me and him have sort of a link that was forged when he tried to kill me when I was a baby. Last year, I started to have dreams. In one of them I was. I saw Voldemort try to kill Mr. Weasley, Ron's dad. It wasn't a dream though. They actually found him hurt. Thank god he lived. The dreams had gotten worse after that and more vivid. He had found out that he could use the link to send me images. I told Dumbledore and he made me take Occlumency with Snape. Last year was not one of the best," he stated with a bit of remorse. Erica placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled a bit.

"Hey, Harry I want to do a bit of research on this empathy thing. I want to know more of what it is and how it works. Can we go to the Library? Please? It will go faster if you help me," she made a sarcastic puppy face and he laughed.

"You are a bit like Hermione."

"Hey! I resent that, I have a totally different fashion sense and taste in music and my hair is tame. I also like to think that I'm a bit better looking. Are my stunning blue eyes not wreaking havoc on your insides?" she said with a laugh and a cute smile.

"I take that back, you are worse than Hermione." Erica slapped him on the arm playfully and poked him in the side just to find that he was ticklish. Of course, that provoked her to tickle him some more and they were soon rolling around on the floor trying to make the other give in. They soon calmed down and just laughed some more on their way to the Library.

i-=****** o-(== (Caution: Has Flamethrower and uses it)

They had been in school for three days now. It was Thursday and their first class was Potions with the Slytherins. Erica was a bit nervous now with everything she had heard about the Slytherins and Snape. She had learned much about Malfoy and how he had been transfigured into a weasel in their fourth year. They had just sat down in the dungeon, Hermione sitting by Ron and Harry by Erica, when Draco walked in. Erica's first thought as she eyed him up and down was that he sure could give Harry a run for his money in a Hottest Wizard of London contest. He was simply stunning she thought as she smirked a bit. Draco noticed her sitting by Harry. "Hello there, Potter. This your new girl friend?"

"Malfoy, what? Couldn't think of anything better? I don't see what it is to you. Is your father still in Azkaban?

"What the bloody hell are you smirking at?" Malfoy addressed Erica.

"Nothing. You were hoping that I wasn't his girl friend," she said knowingly, "Well I'm not and my name is Erica by the way. What are you smirking at ferret?" he glared at her.

"What? Spreading rumors now Potter?"

"You think I'm hot but you can't say anything because I'm a Gryffindor," she said with a laugh and stood up, slowly advancing on Draco, "What are you going to do Malfoy?" She felt his nerves build though it didn't show in his face, "Don't be nervous or scared," she turned around and sat back down as he backed up a bit.

"What the hell was that about? I'll see you later. whoever you are." Erica laughed and he glared again at her and went to sit by Pansy Parkinson who was also glaring at her and Pansy punched him on the arm. (A/N: Pansy is Draco's girlfriend)

"Erica, what was that?" Harry inquired.

"Oh," she giggled a bit with Hermione, sitting behind her, "seems that Malfoy has a bit of a crush on me. I felt it when he looked at me, though he didn't show it," she didn't say that she thought he was attractive. She still did not know if it was her own feeling. "He was a bit upset that I'm a Gryffindor. I think he will be looking at me the rest of class and that I scared him a bit there."

Harry laughed along with her then the Professor entered. "Silence! Ah, seems we have a few new students in the class. Stand up and tell the class your names," Erica and Voula did so, "Good, Good, sit down. There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class. Now let's see what you all remembered over break and get these two up to date. At the end of class you will be paired up with your partners for the rest of the year."

The class seemed to go on forever. It turned out that Erica was right, Draco had stared at her the whole class and cost Slytherin a total of ten points for not paying attention and messing up on his potion by adding the bat wings too fast. He had also been punched numerous times by Pansy during the class.

"Alright, silence! I have paired up all of the Slytherins with Gryffindors. Since there is one more Gryffindor than Slytherin there will be a group of three. The partners for this year are Granger and Parkinson, Potter and Crabbe, Weasley and Goyle, Kohle and Malfoy," he continued to name off the rest of the people in the class.

The class finally ended and Harry and Erica stayed after to talk to Snape. He was sitting at his desk writing and did not notice them standing there so Erica spoke, "Professor?"

"Miss Kohle? Potter? May I help you?" he said with a sneer.

"Did the headmaster speak to you Professor? Did he tell you that you were to teach us Occlumency sir? We were told that we would find out when we would have lessons today after class."

"Yes, Kohle, I did. You will have them on Tuesdays after school hours and Potter will have them on Saturdays after school. Now leave me."

"Wait, sir, please," she grabbed Harry's arm to keep him calm and controlled, she could feel him straining to not blast Snape's head off. "Professor Dumbledore told us that we would have it together. I'm sure he would tell you the same. I would hate to have to go to him to fix this sir, and waste his time when he could be helping with the new Voldemort problems at the ministry, sir," she said trying to look troubled and considering actually doing it.

Snape glared at her, "Fine, you will both will have them on Tuesday afternoons at five o'clock. Do not be late or it will result in detentions. Now leave my sight."

"Thank you sir. I can't wait," she smiled at Snape and pulled Harry out of the Dungeons by his arm as he rolled his eyes and they went to meet their friends

Erica was still dragging him with a big smile on her face when they ran into Draco in the hallway, literally. Erica had been walking in front of Harry, facing backwards talking to him, when they turned a corner and she backed into Malfoy. She would have fallen if Malfoy had not caught her. Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at Malfoy, "Let her go Malfoy."

"Cool it Potter," he threw Erica to Harry and she stood up, "It's not like I want a bloody Gryffindor in my arms," Erica knew he felt differently.

"You both cool it," she said looking at them. Draco had pulled his wand out too. They were both aiming at each other's heads. "Harry he only kept me from falling. Now both of you put your wands down or I will have to find a painful way to punish you both," she said with an evil tone purposefully glancing low on both of their bodies.

She could tell they were a bit scared when they lowered their wands. Malfoy spoke first, "Good thing you had your girlfriend here Potter or something bad might have happened."

"Oh, shut up Draco," she said using his first name which only bothered Harry, "You do not mean that. You wouldn't have done anything unless Harry fired first. Why do you keep threatening Gryffindors? Especially Harry and his friends?"

"How the hell would you know Kohle? You only talked to me for a minute and I have never met you before! So why don't you shut up about things you don't know about," he said angered, Harry was angered too. Erica felt both of their adrenaline running through her veins. She was going to have a major headache after this she thought holding her temple.

"Just shut up Draco," Erica said raising her wand, holding her temple with her other hand, "or I'll jinx you! Dam it! Harry, can we go? Both of your anger is becoming too." and she fainted.

@(*0*)@ (Koala Bear) @(*0*)@

The boys were standing there angry. Harry was staring at Draco and Draco was staring at Erica. Draco saw Erica's eyes glaze over a bit before her legs started to give out. "Dam it!" he darted forward and caught her before she hit the floor. Harry was about to punch Draco's lights out when he saw him dart for Erica but that was before he saw that she had fainted. Draco cradled her in his arms and started for the hospital wing.

"Give her here Malfoy!"

"Fine! You can have her Potter. I don't want the damn Gryffindor," he handed the girl over.

"Yes, you do, but you can't have her," He continued the rest of the way to the hospital wing.

"Whatever in the hell gave you that idea?"

"She did. She says that you like her," he said smirking.

"Well then, how the hell did she get that idea?"

"Just forget it Malfoy," he said walking into the hospital, "Madam Pomfrey!"

She stepped out of her office and looked at the two and Erica being carried limply, "Now what happened here?"

Malfoy answered, "She fainted."

"Well then lay her down on a bed Harry," he did so, "Do you have any idea why she fainted?" Draco shrugged.

"Well, she's an empath, she was saying something about anger before she fainted."

Malfoy was stunned, "She's an empath! That's how she." he was being ignored by Harry and Poppy.

"Let me guess, Malfoy and you were fighting."

"Well, yes."

"How stupid of you two!"

"What?" Harry was stunned that she was blaming it on them.

"You should never fight around an untrained empath! She had no control of her feelings! All she felt was both of your anger and it overloaded her system!"

"It's not like we had any idea. Malfoy was the one who provoked us."

"Oh that's very grown up Potter. It's like I knew she was a damn empath," Draco responded.

"Both of you shut up and go to your classes. You will be excused. She will be fine. She just needs some healing sleep. She needs to cleanse her body of feelings. Now go! Leave my ward this minute! Shoo!" They were rushed out of the ward.

"She has something up her arse."

"Shut your trap Malfoy."

*|:^)(.)(.) (Snowman) (.)(.)(^:|*

I like this chap! It wasn't as forced as the last. I liked the last ones too. I think this empathy thing is going to get interesting. I had fun teasing Draco there. I don't know much about the fight though. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!!! Remember! Read and Review! I like to know what you all think!! I think I might just have a little bought of writers block though. We'll see. I don't know where to go after this. Give me ideas please.

Thanks to norfintrollgirl ~ Yea, that was a mistake thanks for alerting me to it! (