Chapter 16 - The history of Emily Potter

She chuckled softly.

"You don't trust me at all do you?" she asked with a crooked grin. "Not that I blame you of course"

Harry stared at her for a moment, unable to think of an appropriate response. She laughed again.

"I locked the door because you have a friend downstairs" she explained.

Harry's eyebrows furrowed. Emily sighed.

"So that we won't be interrupted. We have a lot to get through today" she said.

Comprehension flooded Harry's face and Emily shook her head, still chuckling.

"I'm a Potter Harry. I wont let any harm come to you" she said with a soft smile. Harry smiled back. "Alright then, enough mushy stuff, let's get down to business."

And with that, the lesson began. Emily stared off gently, as she had done in their previous lesson. Harry blocked it quickly.

"Very good Harry. Now I'm going to start becoming a little more forceful. I want you to understand that I don't want to hurt you, but Voldemort will not be gentle if you come face to face with him. From what I have heard, you have experienced first hand how forceful he can be"

Harry remembered what had happened the previous year at the ministry of magic when Voldemort had possessed him and shuddered.

"He nearly killed me" Harry said softly.

Emily's eyes filled with pain and concern, but quickly returned to being expressionless.

"All right, let's give it a try shall we. One. Two. Three. Legilimens!" She cried.

Memories flashed quickly in front of Harry's eyes and he felt pain radiating through him. Emily lifted the charm.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Harry opened his eyes and realised that he was on the floor. The sting of failure seeped through him as he nodded and got up.

"That was good Harry" Emily said softly.

Harry looked up at her with a glare.

"How can it be good?" he asked angrily. "I couldn't do it!"

"Calm yourself Harry" Emily said softly. "Occlumency is a difficult skill to learn. Not many know how to use it"

"Why do you know then?" Harry asked curiously, his anger ebbing away slowly.

"I can't tell you that yet Harry" she said softly. "Maybe one day, but not today. Let's try again shall we?"

Harry sighed. He knew that she wouldn't give him any information. He nodded resignedly and tried desperately to clear all the thoughts from his head.

"One. Two. Three. Legilimens!" she cried.

Harry focused on keeping his mind clear. He felt the memories start to flash before his eyes, but they came much slower this time. He could feel her inside his head and repelled her into the dark corner as he had done previously. She lifted the spell.

"See?" she said with a smile. "You just need to focus"

Harry smiled weakly back. This lesson had taken a lot out of him, but he wanted to continue.

Emily surveyed him for a moment, then gulped nervously.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly.

"Fine" Harry lied. Emily stared into his eyes for a moment and bit her lip.

"I have just used Legilimens at the level that Professor Snape used on you Harry. The next stage will be much more difficult to fight back. Though I'm not nearly a rival for Voldemort's own powers, the force of the next level will be quite painful, and even deadly" she said slowly.

Harry nodded.

"I need to know if you are really alright. If you aren't, then continuing would be dangerous" she continued softly.

Harry thought for a moment. The weariness in his body seemed to have ebbed away and he was fully alert and focused.

"I'm fine" he said firmly.

Emily nodded.

"Prepare yourself" she said.

Harry nodded and cleared his mind. Emily took a deep breath. Harry could feel magic in the air, like electricity, making the hairs on his arms and neck stand on end. He cleared his mind of all emotion and thought.

"LEGILIMENS!" she screamed.

Harry felt something hit his brain hard. All he could feel was pain. He tried desperately to push away the force that was making his head explode with pain, but it wasn't working. He felt it probe deeper and deeper. Memories flashed past his eyes. Voldemort returning. Cedric's empty eyes. The triwizard cup. His feelings for Cho. Sirius falling through the veil. Seeing the shadows of his parents coming out of Voldemort's wand. Harry felt darkness enveloping him. He was vaguely aware that the spell had been lifted and Emily was at his side, before the darkness consumed him.

"Harry! Wake up" Emily said, tapping his face lightly.

Harry woke up and looked into her concerned eyes. She sighed.

"That's enough for today. You need to rest" She said softly as she helped him up and led him over to the bed.

Once he laid down she made to leave the room, but turned to look at him after she had unlocked the door.

"I'll get someone to come and get you when dinner is ready" she said.

He nodded and she smiled as she left the room. Harry didn't have the strength to think, he let sleep envelope him.

Harry found himself in a narrow corridor. There was a man in front of him, wearing a black cloak. He couldn't see the man's face because the hood was drawn up, but he could tell that it was a man by the way he walked. He ran after the man, trying to figure out who it was. The man stopped when they got to the end of the corridor and opened a door that appeared on the wall next to him. Harry watched the man walk through the door. Curious, Harry walked up to the door and noticed that the man had left it open. He walked through the door also and looked around the room. There was a picture on the wall, staring down at them.

Harry gasped when he realised that it was a picture of himself. Feeling somewhat unnerved, he continued to look around the room and saw that the man was at the fireplace, making a fire. Harry walked closer to get a better look. The man sat up straight and pulled the hood off his head as he reached up for some floo powder. Harry gasped once more before waking up.

He was sweating. He looked at the clock next to the bed and realised that it was nearly dinner time. He took a few deep breaths. It's just a dream. Harry thought to himself. It's not real, its just a dream. He sighed, falling back into the pillows and staring up at the ceiling. It seemed so real, but he hadn't had a vision except for when it was related to Voldemort. No, not true. He remembered when he had the vision about Emily. He shook his head. There was no way that it could be true. He was dead. Harry jumped when he heard a soft knock on the door.

"Come in" He said.

Emily was standing at the door.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, concerned.

Harry looked at her for a moment before answering.

"I'm fine" he said softly.

Emily smiled. "Dinner's nearly ready if you want to come down. Everyone's waiting for you" she said.

Harry nodded and Emily closed the door. Harry heard her footsteps echoing down the staircase a moment later. He got up and looked into the mirror.

"He's dead" Harry said softly to himself and then made his way downstairs to the kitchen.

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"Are you rested enough to try again?" Emily asked after dinner was finished.

Harry nodded slowly. Emily smiled.

"I'll meet you back upstairs in 20 mins. Spend some time with Ron" she suggested.

Harry nodded and walked over to Ron, who was finishing his third helping of treacle tart.

He caught up with Ron for a while, then headed back upstairs to his room for his lesson. Emily was waiting for him. Once again, she locked the door and turned to face him.

"Ready Harry?" she asked. He nodded.

"LEGILIMENS!" she cried, pointing her wand at him.

Harry felt memories flashing past his eyes again. His head began to throb. He couldn't control it. The memory of the dream he just had flashed before him and suddenly, Emily lifted the spell. She stared at him wide eyed and white faced.

"What was that?" She asked in an awed tone.

Harry looked at her.

"It was just a dream" he said.

Emily raised her eyebrows at him slightly.

"Do you know who that man was?" she asked softly.

Harry hesitated for a moment.

"Dad" he said simply.

Emily swallowed hard, still looking at him. She shook her head slightly to compose herself, then pointed her wand at him again.

"Ready?" she asked. He nodded. "LEGILIMENS!"

He felt the spell hit him, but this time he was ready. He pushed with all his might until she couldn't see into his thoughts. She lifted the spell and smiled softly.

"Very good" she said. "You'll be able to block Voldemort now. Sit down Harry. It's time I told you who I am"

Harry sat down on the bed and Emily pulled a chair over to sit opposite him.

"What would you like to know?" she asked. Harry thought for a moment.

"Why haven't I heard of you before?" he asked.

"I've been on the run from the ministry for nearly sixteen years. I couldn't risk it" she replied.

"Well why didn't anyone tell me about you?" he asked.

"Probably the same reason that no one told you about your godfather" she replied.

He thought about this for a moment.

"Why are you on the run from the ministry?" he asked. She grinned.

"Good question" she said. "I worked at the ministry for 5 years as an unspeakable. I quit because I had a vision of the ministry becoming corrupted by Voldemort's forces and wanted to get away before it started. Young ministry officials do not often retire without a better offer, so they assumed that I was joining forces with Voldemort and put a bounty on my head, dead or alive"

"Visions?" Harry asked, confused.

"I'm a seer" she replied, shrugging.

"Like Professor Trelawney?" Harry asked, without thinking about what he was asking. She laughed.

"That fraud? No, dear boy. I have a different gift. She has only been able to give 2 correct predictions, and hasn't been able to remember either, whereas I have visions that I can remember and can also relay to others" Harry stared at her stunned.

"So where in the department of mysteries did you work?" Harry asked. Her eyes flashed.

"Unspeakables don't talk about their work" she said slowly. Harry looked at her hard.

"You aren't an unspeakable any more" he said, crossing his fingers and hoping. To his relief, she laughed.

"True" She admitted. "I'll tell you as long as it stays between us"

Harry nodded.

"I heard about what happened last year in the department of mysteries Harry" she said softly.

He felt himself shudder involuntarily when he remembered. "I know that when he explained the prophecy to you, he explained a room that is kept locked at all times. It contains the most powerful magic known to the wizarding world" Harry stared at her with wide eyes when he realised the room that she was speaking of.

"It was I who told Lily about the protection that could be given by sacrifice. I told her before I left, hoping that it would never need to be used" she said, her voiced now strangled as she glanced up at the scar on his forehead.

Harry stared into space thoughtfully, taking in the information. Emily got up.

"That's enough for now" she said as she walked to the door. When she opened it, she turned.

"Oh, and by the way Harry, congratulations on your OWL's" she said, grinning at his expression as she closed the door softly behind her.

Harry gasped, realising that he had never actually opened the letter containing his results. He reached over to the desk where the letter lay and opened it.