Chapter Sixteen:

Harry screamed. So did the reflection. The reflection stopped screaming and reached out its arm, laughing manically in the process. The glass in the mirror did not shatter. It was as if no barrier existed. The silver hand grasped Harry by the throat and began to choke him.

"Bloody hell, he's going to throttle himself in his sleep!"

Wormtail continued to laugh as Harry desperately tried to release the firm grip and take in oxygen.

"I think someone should get Mcgonagall."

"No, wait. I think he's awake now."

Harry opened his eyes and let go of his throat to shield his face from the crowd of startled room mates.

"W-what?" He stammered.

"Ok, mate? You've really got to stop scaring us like that." Ron handed Harry a bucket, but he shook his head and pushed it away.

"But I saw him. He was choking me....my face..." Harry touched his face and felt smooth skin. No cuts, no blood. Ron eyed him suspiciously.

"Harry...you fancy a trip to Madam Pomfrey?"

"No!" Harry said at once. "It was just...nothing. Nothing." He repeated, not sure if he was trying to convince the people around him or himself.

Neville, Seamus, and Dean left Harry's side to go to sleep, but Ron remained.

"Look, if it happens again I'll talk to Dumbledore."

"Right. You ok then?"

Harry nodded, and Ron went back to his own bed. Harry could hear his snores shortly after.

But Harry could not fall asleep. He tossed and turned, sat up to check the time (1:53), laid back down, sat up again to see how much time had gone by (twenty minutes). After about an hour of this Harry threw off his maroon covers with frustration. It was time for a long-delayed and much needed night time stroll around the castle. For once, without Luna. He dragged his trunk from underneath his bed as silently as he could possible manage, and grabbed his invisibility cloak, which was folded neatly amid a messy stack of books, wrinkled shirts, and his broomstick kit (which he had been trying to forget he possessed). He proceeded to the common room where he put on the cloak, and slipped past a not-quite-conscious Fat Lady. Right after the portrait closed with a click, Harry realized his stupidity in forgetting the Marauders Map. Knowing it was too late to go back for it, he secured the cloak around him, and walked down the dark corridor. He turned down the corridors, taking rights and lefts past statues and armor without really paying attention in sense of direction. He was deep in thought. Had Wormtail harmed Remus with his silver hand? He couldn't have. Remus would have to be kept unharmed until Wormtail knew of the prophecy.

Then maybe he already does know...but then, does Voldemort?

No, if he had I would have felt my scar hurt. Voldemort would have broken into my mi–

Harry stopped his thinking. Right then and there he could feel someone trying to break into his thoughts. It was faint, but getting stronger with each passing second. Harry started to panic, but common sense took over and he began to try to shut out the intruder. He forced a memory of an eccentric house elf shoving a plate of biscuits under his nose in the kitchens.

"Effective method, but a little slow on the uptake," said a deep voice ahead of Harry.

Harry gasped, and quickly covered his mouth.

"No use hiding, Potter. I can sense your exact position in these halls with you stupidly walking around with your mind like an open book."

"H-how?" Harry could only manage to stutter.

"That," Snape ignited his wand tip so that his grim face was lit up,"is another branch of Occlumency that you will never master. My office," Snape said firmly, "now."

Portraits along the halls opened their eyes halfway to the sound of Snape's footsteps. Harry was still under the cloak should someone run into them. Harry's heart pounded in his chest so fiercely he expected the entire castle to wake up. He struggled to keep up with the Potions master as they descended the stairs to the dungeons. Snape let Harry slip past him before walking into his classroom and shutting the door behind him. He felt around for Harry, caught a piece of the cloak between his index finger and thumb, and tore it off. Harry watched it fly some five feet away and land sloppily on a desk.

"Explain yourself," Snape said, his tone unreadable to 't sleep." Harry said lamely.

"Is that all?"

Harry nodded.

"Well, in that case carry on with your stroll for as long as you please." Snape waved his hand at the door.

"You're joking."

"Keen observation," Snape huffed. "What," he slapped down both of his palms on his desk and leaned towards Harry, " were you thinking? Have you no common sense, boy? Frolicking around the halls nearly three in the morning! Hasn't the Headmaster chiseled the dangers into your thick skull yet?"

Harry grinded his teeth, trying with all his might not to talk back. "I saw Wormtail, Sir."

Snape eyed Harry, "Explain."

"It was...really fast," as usual Harry felt a little uncomfortable opening his mind to Snape. "I saw Wormtail's silver hand right in front of my face. He scratched me so I got up to clean it off..."

"Go on," Snape urged in a cool voice.

"He attacked me. He tried to strangle me."

For a moment Harry thought he saw a flash of sympathy flash in Snape's eyes. It must have been a trick of the dim lighting however, because it was quickly replaced by the cold face Snape always seemed to carry. "I don't believe you," he said.

"You don't, Professor?" Harry asked in disbelief. He reminded himself that it was indeed Snape he was conversing with, not his head-of-house who was usually more lax in his punishments for being out past curfew.

"No," Snape replied firmly. A small smirk spread across his face, pushing the deep creases of age and resentment of his skin in an odd position. "However, I will allow you to prove yourself."

"You will, Sir?"

Snape now grinned and softly said, "Legilmins."

Harry instantly fell to his knees as the vision played out in his mind. He could once again feel Wormtail claw at his face. It was evident that Snape too had notice it because he lifted the spell immediately. Harry felt something drip down into his mouth and he tasted blood. He stood up, using a desk for support and looked at Snape. He looked curiously at Harry.

"Extra Occulmency tomorrow night. Do not be late. Now leave."

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Snape just pointed towards the door. Harry found his cloak and left the Potions room. His feet pattered softly as he ran down the dungeon halls.

"Harry?" Someone was shaking him awake.

"Nnnmmmm...." But why? Nightmare? No. He wasn't really dreaming, but still getting sleep. The best sleep he had gotten for a long time. He didn't want to wake up now. He groaned again when the person continuously poked his shoulder. Couldn't they see he was trying to sleep here?

"Harry, I was worried when you did not show up for breakfast. Ron and Hermione are very anxious that you have skipped lunch. They said you have not shown up for any of your morning lessons. Do not worry though, I told no one you would be here. I knew you would be here."

Harry opened his eyes to find Luna staring back, her butterbeer cap necklace swung inches from his nose.

"Harry, have you gotten any sleep?" She ran a finger over the dark circles under his eyes.

"No, Wormtail came, and then Snape."

"What?" Luna asked.

"Never mind," Harry pushed himself up. "The point is Snape is making me endure an extra lesson. That's worse than detention." Harry frowned, "Is it tomorrow night yet?"

Luna giggled, "no, not yet."

"Well, that's a relief." He grinned as Luna pulled him to his feet and gave him a small peck on the cheek.

"Come on, Harry. Your friends await."

"I really don't want to." Harry sat back down.

"Oh, come along. You can read the article in Daddy's paper about the Blibbering Humdinger."

Harry shook his head in confusion, "the what?..."

"Come on!" She grasped on of his wrists and pull him to his feet once more. Before he could object, she led him out of his little hide out in the Room of Requirment and down the halls towards the Gryffindor Tower.
Harry furiously stomped down the halls after afternoon's lessons, not answering to Hermione's calls behind him. After Luna had left him by the Fat Lady's portrait he reluctantly stepped inside to find Ron and Hermione on the other side, bombarding him with questions of his whereabouts. The trio then had a loud argument concerning Harry's behavior. The quarrel had ended with Harry storming out of the common room, Ron retreating to his dorm, and Hermione standing stupidly in the hall, shouting at the top of her lungs until Peeves dropped a bag of dead mice over her head.

Harry knew he was treating his friends horribly, but he was in a delicate state and being scolded on skipping "obligations" as Hermione put it only made things worse. Nothing however, could have been worse than realizing he still had Occlumency with Hogwarts's most-hated professor.

Because he did not feel like confronting his friends again, he skipped dinner and set out to the dungeons early. His stomach growled loudly in protest, but he ignored it and trudged down the halls, snapping at Seamus when he stopped to say hello.

"Sir," Harry said before stepping into Snape's deserted classroom. Snape shut a red, leather-bound book he was reading at his desk, and hastily shoved it into the bottom drawer of his desk.

"Well, Potter, you arrived earlier than I expected." Snape briefly glanced at a strange contraption on his desk which Harry guessed was a clock. "On time in fact."

"Yes, sir." Harry said as he sat down.

"Stand up, Potter. Let's make this as quick as possible. I haven't all the time in the world to waste."

"Yes, sir." Harry stood up and raised his wand.

"Legilmens."

The familiar throbbing in his head had set in, accompanied by the rubbery feeling in his knees. Harry struggled to stay balanced as his sense of direction was distorted. Then a memory came.

A/N: Sorry for the pathetic attempt at a cliff hanger. And sorry that this story hasn't really been in my top priorities lately. Things haven't been so great outside of my little Harry Potter world. But if you feel this story is starting to drag you'll be happy to know that I'm going to try to finish it before I go vacation in a few weeks. My other story is in the very beginning stages so I hope you'll stick around for it. So..right, here's Chapter 16, working on 17. Read, review, criticize.