AUTHOR'S NOTE: Alrighty my muse seems to have gone AWOL. That's why it's
been so long between chapters and why this probably isn't very good. But
anyway here goes the Occlumency lesson.
Harry cautiously walked down to the Potions classroom, Ron on one side and Hermione on his other. They entered the classroom, eager to find out who else would be in the class. Harry wasn't looking forward to the lesson. It'd been a shock when the day after Harry'd been told about his resumed lessons Hermione came up to him and said that she'd been informed after Defense Against the Dark Arts that she would be learning Occlumency as well and later that day Ron had been told the same thing.
Harry blinked in surprise at the number of people in the Potions room. He hadn't expected this, there had to be a dozen students here, including themselves. Neville, Ginny, and Susan Bones were chatting animatedly in at one table. Staring off into space was Luna, sitting alone. The Creevy brothers were talking to Professor Delano, and Snape was engaged in explaining something to Dumbledore. The Hundus twins were whispering together. Harry had just sat down with Ron and Hermione beside him when the door opened again and Cho Chang, Harry's former girlfriend, stalked in.
"Good, now that everyone is finally here we can get to work," Snape said, his voice like acid.
"Allow me, Severus," said Dumbledore, pleasantly. "Seats, everyone. Take a seat. As was explained to you upon your invitation here by one of us, the 12 of you are students we feel are at highest risk of being possessed by Voldemort or one of his higher Death Eaters." Many in the room shuddered at hearing the name. "Four of you shall work with each of us. Professor Snape will be working with Mister Weasley, Miss Bones, Mister Colin Creevy, and Miss Hundus. Working with myself will be Miss Granger, Mister Dennis Creevy, Miss Weasley, and Mister Hundus. Professor Delano shall instruct Mister Potter, Miss Lovegood, Mister Longbottom, and Miss Chang. Stand please." Twelve chairs scraped against the floor as the students stood up. Dumbledore waved his wand; the tables vanished and the chairs moved themselves to be in lines against 3 of the room's walls. He then gave a quick speech about just what Occlumency was and why they were learning it. He closed by saying, "Please rearrange yourselves into the groups in which I named you and we'll begin immediately."
They all shuffled around and Harry found himself against the left wall with Neville, Cho, and Luna. Neville asked eagerly, "Why were you chosen? Snape said that.because of my parents and because I'm friends with you, Harry, it might be me, and I'd have to learn to defend myself. What about the rest of you?"
Cho sniffed angrily. "They think I'm emotionally fragile! And a little unstable just because I cry a little bit."
Harry scoffed. "They aren't crazy. You cry all the time. You are fragile. And you're a brat."
Neville nodded and Cho turned away angrily from both of them.
Professor Delano said, "Who's first?"
"Me," said Luna, dreamily.
"Okay. I'm going to try to break into your mind. You must defend yourself by any means necessary. On three. 1.2.3! Legilimens!"
It was astonishing. Luna made the slightest gesture with her wand and seemed to say something; apparently she was under no stress at all. Professor Delano crumpled to the floor, sobbing.
Luna looked down at Professor Delano and said, "You hung out with Lily a lot, didn't you? Best friends? Isn't that right? You can't look at him because you miss Lilly and James." She turned to face the rest of them and she stared directly at Harry. "You make her sad. That's why she's crying. Neville, I'm here because Professor Delano thinks I have a weak mind." She put out a hand to help her to her feet.
Delano ceased crying, and the students and teachers in the other groups went back to their work. "Who's next?"
None of them volunteered.
"You." She stared directly at Harry. "Come here, now." Harry came and stood about a yard in front of her. "Do whatever it takes to disarm me or defend yourself. On three. 1.2.3.Legilimens!"
Harry saw images flickering through his mind like some insane movie: Sirius was taunting his cousin as he fell back through the veil. Marietta came into Dumbledore's office and took her hands from her face to reveal the word SNEAK inscribed there. Ron, Hermione, and Cho were tied up at the bottom of the lake. Ripper was chasing him up a tree. The Dursleys were burning his letters from Hogwarts. His parents' echoes were speaking to him at the graveyard after the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Luna's intense eyes were staring at him, first on the train, then in the forest, then when they were at the Department of Mysteries.NO! He thought desperately. Get out of my head! You're worse than Snape ever was! LEAVE!
Suddenly Harry found himself back in the potions classroom, he was sitting rather painfully on the floor with his leg at an odd angle as though he had fallen.
Professor Delano helped him up. She spoke quietly so none of the others could hear. "You were shouting. Professor Snape warned me you did that sometimes. Something about eyes. And me getting out of your head. You also performed the jelly-legs jinx not a long while back, missed me but hit Professor Snape."
Harry couldn't help grinning.
"You must fight me with your mind, then you won't have to use your wand. Block me out. Clear your head." She raised her voice again, "Next!"
Cho stood forward. Her attempt ended with tears and Professor Delano whispered quietly for a few moments before telling her to sit down and calling her next victim.
Neville's face paled. "Just how bad is this going to be, Harry?"
"You remember the Dementors?"
"Uh-huh."
"Kinda like that."
"I said 'next', Mr. Longbottom. What part of that didn't you understand?"
"Oh no." moaned Neville. He stood and stared squarely at Delano. She shouted the spells and Harry watched him closely. He bit his lip 'til it bled and he appeared to be concentrating so hard that he was sweating. He was turning as white as the sheets in the hospital. But he didn't fall, "R- riddikulus! Riddikulus! RIDDIKULUS!" The last time, it came out like an angry bellow.
The mind connection between them broke. Neville stopped sweating, sighed, and stood a little taller, though still dreadfully pale.
Though obviously not under quite the strain that Neville had endured, the same sort of effects could be seen on Delano. "Well done. Let's take a break and we'll begin again." She conjured a pitcher of water and five glasses. "What made you choose the spell for vanishing Boggarts?"
"The memories.they were awful. Kind of like when a Boggart comes. A Boggart looks like what you fear and to get rid of it you've got to laugh. To not find it funny. I thought the same thing might apply here."
"That was a very good idea."
Harry watched the other groups as he drank. Ron and Hermione were both starting their turns. Hermione shrieked and crashed backwards, caught by Dennis and Marcus. Ron screamed and shouted several random spells.
Hardly anyone seemed to fare better. Thrice more they each took a turn, and when it wasn't his turn Harry watched another of his friends. Harry himself fared sometimes better sometimes worse but all of it was difficult and at the end he always saw Luna's eyes.
Luna seemed to stop Delano every time fairly early, and at least twice appeared to have broken into her memories. Neville's turn went about the same every time as it had the first time. Cho seemed to be doing the worst in their group, though did much better on her last try.
When they were released at last, Harry was exhausted and in no mood to listen to Luna who was in an unusually talkative mood and had chosen his as the victim for her chatter.
Harry cautiously walked down to the Potions classroom, Ron on one side and Hermione on his other. They entered the classroom, eager to find out who else would be in the class. Harry wasn't looking forward to the lesson. It'd been a shock when the day after Harry'd been told about his resumed lessons Hermione came up to him and said that she'd been informed after Defense Against the Dark Arts that she would be learning Occlumency as well and later that day Ron had been told the same thing.
Harry blinked in surprise at the number of people in the Potions room. He hadn't expected this, there had to be a dozen students here, including themselves. Neville, Ginny, and Susan Bones were chatting animatedly in at one table. Staring off into space was Luna, sitting alone. The Creevy brothers were talking to Professor Delano, and Snape was engaged in explaining something to Dumbledore. The Hundus twins were whispering together. Harry had just sat down with Ron and Hermione beside him when the door opened again and Cho Chang, Harry's former girlfriend, stalked in.
"Good, now that everyone is finally here we can get to work," Snape said, his voice like acid.
"Allow me, Severus," said Dumbledore, pleasantly. "Seats, everyone. Take a seat. As was explained to you upon your invitation here by one of us, the 12 of you are students we feel are at highest risk of being possessed by Voldemort or one of his higher Death Eaters." Many in the room shuddered at hearing the name. "Four of you shall work with each of us. Professor Snape will be working with Mister Weasley, Miss Bones, Mister Colin Creevy, and Miss Hundus. Working with myself will be Miss Granger, Mister Dennis Creevy, Miss Weasley, and Mister Hundus. Professor Delano shall instruct Mister Potter, Miss Lovegood, Mister Longbottom, and Miss Chang. Stand please." Twelve chairs scraped against the floor as the students stood up. Dumbledore waved his wand; the tables vanished and the chairs moved themselves to be in lines against 3 of the room's walls. He then gave a quick speech about just what Occlumency was and why they were learning it. He closed by saying, "Please rearrange yourselves into the groups in which I named you and we'll begin immediately."
They all shuffled around and Harry found himself against the left wall with Neville, Cho, and Luna. Neville asked eagerly, "Why were you chosen? Snape said that.because of my parents and because I'm friends with you, Harry, it might be me, and I'd have to learn to defend myself. What about the rest of you?"
Cho sniffed angrily. "They think I'm emotionally fragile! And a little unstable just because I cry a little bit."
Harry scoffed. "They aren't crazy. You cry all the time. You are fragile. And you're a brat."
Neville nodded and Cho turned away angrily from both of them.
Professor Delano said, "Who's first?"
"Me," said Luna, dreamily.
"Okay. I'm going to try to break into your mind. You must defend yourself by any means necessary. On three. 1.2.3! Legilimens!"
It was astonishing. Luna made the slightest gesture with her wand and seemed to say something; apparently she was under no stress at all. Professor Delano crumpled to the floor, sobbing.
Luna looked down at Professor Delano and said, "You hung out with Lily a lot, didn't you? Best friends? Isn't that right? You can't look at him because you miss Lilly and James." She turned to face the rest of them and she stared directly at Harry. "You make her sad. That's why she's crying. Neville, I'm here because Professor Delano thinks I have a weak mind." She put out a hand to help her to her feet.
Delano ceased crying, and the students and teachers in the other groups went back to their work. "Who's next?"
None of them volunteered.
"You." She stared directly at Harry. "Come here, now." Harry came and stood about a yard in front of her. "Do whatever it takes to disarm me or defend yourself. On three. 1.2.3.Legilimens!"
Harry saw images flickering through his mind like some insane movie: Sirius was taunting his cousin as he fell back through the veil. Marietta came into Dumbledore's office and took her hands from her face to reveal the word SNEAK inscribed there. Ron, Hermione, and Cho were tied up at the bottom of the lake. Ripper was chasing him up a tree. The Dursleys were burning his letters from Hogwarts. His parents' echoes were speaking to him at the graveyard after the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Luna's intense eyes were staring at him, first on the train, then in the forest, then when they were at the Department of Mysteries.NO! He thought desperately. Get out of my head! You're worse than Snape ever was! LEAVE!
Suddenly Harry found himself back in the potions classroom, he was sitting rather painfully on the floor with his leg at an odd angle as though he had fallen.
Professor Delano helped him up. She spoke quietly so none of the others could hear. "You were shouting. Professor Snape warned me you did that sometimes. Something about eyes. And me getting out of your head. You also performed the jelly-legs jinx not a long while back, missed me but hit Professor Snape."
Harry couldn't help grinning.
"You must fight me with your mind, then you won't have to use your wand. Block me out. Clear your head." She raised her voice again, "Next!"
Cho stood forward. Her attempt ended with tears and Professor Delano whispered quietly for a few moments before telling her to sit down and calling her next victim.
Neville's face paled. "Just how bad is this going to be, Harry?"
"You remember the Dementors?"
"Uh-huh."
"Kinda like that."
"I said 'next', Mr. Longbottom. What part of that didn't you understand?"
"Oh no." moaned Neville. He stood and stared squarely at Delano. She shouted the spells and Harry watched him closely. He bit his lip 'til it bled and he appeared to be concentrating so hard that he was sweating. He was turning as white as the sheets in the hospital. But he didn't fall, "R- riddikulus! Riddikulus! RIDDIKULUS!" The last time, it came out like an angry bellow.
The mind connection between them broke. Neville stopped sweating, sighed, and stood a little taller, though still dreadfully pale.
Though obviously not under quite the strain that Neville had endured, the same sort of effects could be seen on Delano. "Well done. Let's take a break and we'll begin again." She conjured a pitcher of water and five glasses. "What made you choose the spell for vanishing Boggarts?"
"The memories.they were awful. Kind of like when a Boggart comes. A Boggart looks like what you fear and to get rid of it you've got to laugh. To not find it funny. I thought the same thing might apply here."
"That was a very good idea."
Harry watched the other groups as he drank. Ron and Hermione were both starting their turns. Hermione shrieked and crashed backwards, caught by Dennis and Marcus. Ron screamed and shouted several random spells.
Hardly anyone seemed to fare better. Thrice more they each took a turn, and when it wasn't his turn Harry watched another of his friends. Harry himself fared sometimes better sometimes worse but all of it was difficult and at the end he always saw Luna's eyes.
Luna seemed to stop Delano every time fairly early, and at least twice appeared to have broken into her memories. Neville's turn went about the same every time as it had the first time. Cho seemed to be doing the worst in their group, though did much better on her last try.
When they were released at last, Harry was exhausted and in no mood to listen to Luna who was in an unusually talkative mood and had chosen his as the victim for her chatter.