A/N: This chapter is dedicated to all my friends.

Chapter Nine

Light and Darkness

Snape arrived for the second Occlumency lesson and was greatly disappointed to find that Harry hadn't found an image to fill his mind with. Wasn't the boy taking this siriously? He thought angrily. Why can't he just do what he's asked for once in his life. He took a second look at Harry and realized the boy was overly anxious. I can't guide him to an immage if he's this anxious. He held back his tirade, and decided for a calmer approach.

"You still don't seem to be taking this seriously Mr Potter."

he sneered. The boy flinched. What is wrong with him today, he asked himself.

"I have tried, Sir, I just haven't found one that works for me,"

Snape considered him for a moment.

"tell me what immages you have tried?"

"Uh sir do I have to? I mean is that really important?"

The question was answered by the cold look in Snape's eyes.

"Well I've tried a blue sky, but little white clouds kept floating across it, and a stag but..."

But, everything has too much detail." Snape said reflectively.

"Potter you need to have an immage you can get lost in. Something that you can hide your memories behind and only show those you don't mind the dark Lord seeing.

Keep trying. We don't want Voldemort to know the truth of that prophecy or any other secrets he may get from your mind." "

"I will keep trying, alright? I know it's important and I do want to learn," Harry said defensively.

The professor just staired at him. It was almost like he was studying him, but Harry was pretty sure he wasn't invading his mind, yet anyway.

"Uh sir, does this mean we can't have a lesson until I find an immage?" The boy actually looked disappointed. Snape simply shook his head.

"Well for today's lesson, since you can fill your mind with the water image, we will use that. I want you to do that now and try to keep me out of your

memories. Raise your shield and push me out Potter." Uh o, Harry thought, here we go again. He immediately filled his mind with water, a waterfall dropping into a river, he focused all his attention

on that and didn't even know when Snape entered his mind.

Snape tried to enter, tried to see what was wrong with the boy, though why he should suddenly want to know baffled him. He couldn't however, perhaps his teaching methods last school year left a lot to be desired he admitted grudgingly. Perhaps the boy really was trying to learn this time. If I can gain his trust, I may be able to help him find an immage and even show him how to keep the dark Lord out! He stopped the spell and instead spoke to Harry.

"You have been trying," Snape reluctantly admitted. "I can't get into your memories." Harry was surprised at even that admission from Snape,

he thought it must have been the nicest thing his teacher had ever said to him. Before he knew it though, Snape was in his mind and Harry was on the floor.

He tried to fill his mind with water again but this time he wasn't quick enough. Memories flashed before his eyes. Him being at the zoo that time on Dudley's birthday, talking to a huge snake, the glass vanishing and uncle vernon's reaction. No he screamed in his mind. I don't want him to see. no!At last Snape withdrew his mind and Harry sat up shakily. He had to hold his breath to stop himself from gasping. Not even Ron and Hermione knew how he had been treated by his aunt and uncle. He wasn't going to give Snape those memories, but he had..

"You didn't shield your mind Mr Potter," Snape said ominously, "The dark Lord isn't going to ask nicely if he can take a look in your head and he won't wait

around for you to get your shield up,"

"Sorry," Harry muttered.

Severus looked again at the boy. He was obviously very distressed and what he saw didn't make a lot of sense to him. Oh, he understood that Potter was a Parselmouth, but he didn't understand what happened after the boy had released the snake. It looked like accidental magic to Snape. so why? The professor didn't know how to ask the question any other way so he asked bluntly.

"Why did that man lock you in that cupboard?" Harry suddenly couldn't breathe. A red flush krept up his neck and turned his cheeks almost redder than the Weasley boys.

"That's my business," Harry snapped.

"You weren't too keen on keeping out of my business as I remember," Snape said snidely. At that remark, the boy went positively white! This was a puzzle, Snape just didn't understand it and he didn't understand why he wanted to know so badly.

He had to get out of here and think, decide what he would do. He seemed to calm himself and shake his head as if dismissing the subject. He at least was fairly sure that the boy regretted looking in that pensieve, maybe he should give him a break, he conceeded.

"I have to go now, Mr Potter, but we will discuss

this again."

As he was fluing away, he thought he heard the boy whisper,

"not if Ican help it."

The potions master sat in his dungion and wondered yet again what was troubling the boy?He looked upset and he was clearly hesitant to discuss what that memory was about. Surely the famous

and pampered Harry Potter had no dark secrets to hide? It couldn't be his relatives who pampered and probably ran to his beck and call locking him in that cupboard? There had to be an answer. But severus, why do you want to know? He challenged himself. "Because I can't teach him properly if he is desperately hiding from me. I have to access his mind to try to find a suitable immage, to teach him how to layer his thoughts. There was more to that explanation, and Snape didn't want to delve in to it too much. What did it matter to him whether or not the boy was distressed. Snape abruptly stood up. He didn't have time to think about this just now, he had a potion to brew for the Werewolf.

He set to work on his potion, but strangely, he kept seeing Harry's face. The expression looked haunted, almost frightened. Severus knew that feeling all too well.

Harry didn't even want to think about what had just happened. He went outside to find Sirius, he needed to be with someone who cared about him. He didn't

want to think about that cupboard or the prospect of telling Snape about it. He found Sirius and Amelia talking to Enid.

"You look distressed," Enid said, gazing at Harry. She had the gentlest and kindest eyes Harry had ever seen.

He smiled at her and shrugged. It didn't work however, for his Godfather was looking at him intently.

"Was it awful?" Sirius asked sympathetically.

Harry nodded, his face going pale again. His eyes grew wild as he answered his godfather.

"Snape saw me in the cupboard at Privet Drive, he wants me to tell him about it but I don't want to," He blurted out all in a rush. Enid and Amelia looked puzzled, but Sirius just nodded. He knew what he was talking

about, Harry had told him what life was like with those horrible relatives of his. He put his hand on Harry's shoulder and felt him shaking. Sirius felt

angry with the headmaster, why couldn't Dumbledore see why Snape teaching Harry Occlumency was a bad idea? If only he was good at Occlumency, he could teach him. Sirius had to admit that he had spent too much time fooling around with James to master occlumency however.

Enid took Harry's hands and held them tightly, it was somehow comforting.

"Darkness is all around you," she said in her soft warm voice, "You need to find the light within yourself. Seek the light within you and do not allow the

darkness to overcome you." Harry looked in to her eyes. He didn't think he understood what she was saying, but the more he looked at this woman, the more he thought he understood.

"What light are you talking about?" he asked softly.

"You already know Harry. I see it deep down in your heart."

Harry suddenly thought he knew what she meant, he was sinking in a sea of darkness but he had light in his heart. It was love, just like Dumbledore

said, love for Sirius and Ron and Hermione, that love had kept him going even in the darkest times of his life. The love of his mother had saved his life, protected him from Voldemort, from professor Quirrel and would always protect him.

Suddenly his mind was filled with light, warm, rich pure, golden light. It sprang up from somewhere inside him and filled him with warmth from the top of his

head to the tips of his toes. The light filled him with happiness and hope and Harry discovered he had found his image for Occlumency. He smiled and thanked

Enid who nodded and squeezed his hands before letting go of them.