Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, etc… etc…

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The light streaming in through the enchanted window located in his room awakened Harry. Looking around he noticed that on the small table the house-elves had already put out his breakfast. He shook off the last bit of sleep, put on his glasses, and climbed out of bed and over to the awaiting breakfast. As he was eating, thoughts of his coming duties with Professor Snape consumed him. 'If I am to spend the whole summer with him, I should at least try to get along with him. I am sure that he must have some human emotions somewhere inside him. After all, we know that he is a spy for Dumbledore, and I am sure that he has to keep up a harsh façade so that Voldemort's supporters won't suspect anything.' Thought Harry.

Harry finished up the last bit of breakfast and then got up from the table to ready himself for the day. When Harry had dressed himself in his robes (since he was now back at Hogwarts and was sure that the professor would prefer this), he went over to his desk and decided to start with the transfiguration essay that Professor McGonagall had given them. He knew that with all of his homework, it would take him the rest of the summer just to finish. Time passed quickly while trying to write this 2-foot essay. Harry suspected that the teachers were being hard on them because of the recently taken owls and already approaching Newts. Before he realized it, lunchtime was upon him and Harry, thankful for the break, sat down once again at his small table to eat. Thoughts of the monotony of this schedule for the upcoming summer as well as his first occlumency lesson with Snape were foremost in his mind. All to quickly, lunch was at an end, and it was time to leave. Harry went to the Potions classroom where Snape had indicated that they would meet.

As Harry entered the room, he heard the shout, "Legilimens," but was too stunned to respond. Harry saw the familiar memories flashing before his eyes. The many times when before he knew of the wizarding world, Harry was locked in the cupboard and forced to go without eating. The times on the playground when precious little Dudley would beat and bruise Harry. As soon as it began, it was over.

"You must be on guard at all times, Potter! I thought you should have at least learned that from our lessons."

"If you could just explain to me a little more about what exactly I am supposed to do ward of the attacks, that would be very helpful, sir."

"Oh very well, Potter, I will explain once again how this is accomplished. You must clear your mind of every thought, every emotion. You must not have a care in the world. It's very similar to meditating. In fact, every night before you go to bed I want you to practice meditating. I will give you a book so that you may read more about this, doubtful that it will help though." Snape added as an afterthought.

After this brief interlude Snape put legilimens on him many more times, taking the time in between to insult him about how little he knew and how he should have been expected to come farther in his studies.

At last, when Harry was too weak to ward off any more attacks of any nature and Snape was also weakened from exertion, Snape called it off. "Okay, Potter, time for dinner. We will be eating in my quarters tonight, and I will be able to give you the book that I suggest you read from cover to cover several times this summer. Come along."

Harry and Snape made their way back near Harry's room, to Snape's living quarters, which was right near by. All Snape had to do to get in his room was wave his wand over the door. As Harry entered Snape's private rooms, he looked around with amazement and awe. He had expected a dark and evil atmosphere in the room (after all the man was sinister), but found the complete opposite. They were standing in a room that seemed to be a living room/dining room/kitchen combination. It was all decorated in warm colors and seemed almost homely. Harry could also see a door that he could only assume led in to Snape's bedchambers. Harry dared not linger too long looking at it. The dinner passed in relative silence, which he was grateful for as it meant that Snape was not berating him.

"Tonight I will be brewing some more pepper-up potion for Poppy as it needs to be restocked. You will only do EXACTLY what I tell you to do. It will be absolutely amazing if you don't mess it up. I expect that my orders will be obeyed precisely. Do you understand, Potter?"

"Yes, sir."

While helping Snape brew the potion that night, he found that he rather enjoyed brewing potions when Malfoy was not trying to sabotage him and without Neville blowing something up every two seconds. 'That's amazing,' Harry thought. 'I never would have guessed that this is something I enjoy. I wonder where I get this from.' Nearing the end of making the potion, Harry was as surprised as Snape that the potion managed to come out okay.

"Well, Potter, I knew that you could do something when you put your mind to it. If you actually tried concentrating in class, you might have managed to get an O on your owls. Time for bed now. Run along."

As Harry got ready for bed that night, he read a chapter in the book that Snape had passed along to him about occlumency and meditation techniques. He practiced these in hopes that it would help in his next lesson. Before drifting off to sleep he thought about how he only had about 2 more months of this as today was July 1st. '30 days until my next birthday,' he thought. 'Well, at least it's not as bad as I thought it was. Mrs. Weasley was right. It'll be over before I know it.'