I do not own Harry Potter. Charlotte Potter is my OC.

First Occlumency Lesson

The winter holidays were rapidly coming to a close, and Charlie was dreading returning to Hogwarts. Umbridge would no doubt be on a rampage, especially now that a good chunk of students had disappeared under her very nose. But she still had one more day left at Grimmauld Place, and she was determined to enjoy her time as much as possible.

Kreacher, as it turned out, had been hunkered away in the attic, covered in dust and muttering under his breath. Sirius came across him a few days ago and determined that the house-elf had been attempting to save a few more Black family relics. Kreacher returned to work, but he seemed to be less bitter than he was before. He took orders with little fuss and he no longer grumbled insults under his breath.

It was a bit strange, but Sirius dismissed her concerns when she brought them to his attention. She still felt uneasy, but with her departure at Hogwarts close at hand there wasn't much she could do. Besides, she had other things to worry about than the slight attitude adjustment of a house-elf.

Sitting in the drawing room with her friends, Charlie curled up on worn-out couch, browsing through the first volume of the defensive magic book set Remus had gifted her. Hermione was holding Crookshanks in her lap, running her fingers through his fur as she observed the Wizard's Chess game Harry and Ron were playing.

Mrs. Weasley entered the room and her eyes immediately went to the raven-haired girl. "Charlotte, Professor Snape is here to see you."

Ron jolted so violently that he accidentally hit the chess board, sending the animated pieces flying to the floor. Charlie looked up from her reading and blinked, taking a moment to process what the woman had just said.

"Eh?"

"Professor Snape, dear," said Mrs. Weasley patiently. "He's waiting in the kitchen and he'd like to speak to you."

Still confused, Charlie stood up and set her book to the side. She went past Mrs. Weasley and made her way to the kitchen. When she passed the threshold, she found her Potions professor sitting stiffly at the wooden table. Sirius sat across from him, and the tension in the air was palpable.

"Hi," she voiced, making her presence known.

Snape shifted his gaze towards her. "Miss Potter. Have a seat."

"I'll be the one giving the orders in my house," said Sirius tersely.

Okay…this is not going to go well.

Charlie hurried into the kitchen and took a seat beside Sirius. There was a letter in front of him, but before she could peek at it Snape spoke. "I'm here on the orders of Professor Dumbledore. Due to recent events, he feels that it is imperative for you to start learning Occlumency this term."

Furrowing her brow, Charlie rolled the foreign term around in her brain. "What's Occlumency, sir?" she asked, unable to find the definition within her expanse of knowledge.

"It is the magical defense of the mind. It protects against external penetration."

"You mean Voldemort?"

Snape's head jolted slightly and his eyes flashed. "Do not speak his name!"

Sirius jumped to his feet. "Don't you dare talk to her like that!" he snarled.

Charlie grabbed hold of Sirius' wrist and yanked him back into his seat. "Sirius, stop it! It's fine." She turned to Snape with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, sir. I forget that I'm one of the few people comfortable saying his name."

Calming down slightly, Snape nodded. "The goal of the lesson is in relation to You-Know-Who. But I will speak no more here." He sneered at Sirius. "I was intending to speak with you alone, but he refused."

"I'm her godfather," said Sirius shortly.

"As you make very clear," drawled Snape.

"Um…sir?" spoke up Charlie. Though she was still not quite clear on what exactly she would be learning, she figured she would know when it came time for the lessons to start. "Who is teaching me?"

Snape glanced at her, arching an eyebrow. "I am, Miss Potter. Your first lesson will be at six on Monday evening. You will not tell anyone about these Occlumency lessons, and you will have them once a week."

"Oh. Okay."

She wasn't as nervous by this as she would have been during her first couple of years at Hogwarts. But now she was fifteen, and she was certain Snape had let go of his bitterness towards her and stopped seeing her as a reflection of her father. They were in a good place, and she hoped it would stay that way.

Sirius, however, was far from comforted by this. No matter what Charlie said, he refused to believe Snape was not out to get her. "Why can't Dumbledore teach her?" he demanded.

Because he's doing everything he can to avoid me this year, she thought silently.

But Snape only glowered at Sirius. "Because his orders were specifically for me to teach her. Do not concern yourself with matters that do not involve you."

Sirius' face flushed red with rage. "Anything that has to do with Charlie concerns me. You better treat her right. If I hear you've mistreated her, you'll have to deal with me."

"A pleasant experience it will be, I'm sure," said Snape sarcastically. "But you need not worry. I've come to the relieving conclusion that Miss Potter, though she has the misfortune of carrying his surname and genetics, is nothing like her father."

"You foul little—"

Charlie did not hear the rest of the curse, for she had to focus on ducking Sirius' arm as he grabbed his wand and vaulted upwards, radiating fury. Snape was on his feet as well, though he was quicker with his wand and it was pointing directly at Sirius' chest.

"What did you say about James?!" growled Sirius.

Snape's eyes glittered with satisfaction at getting the man riled up. "You heard me. His poor attitude and utter idiocy have not been passed down to his child. Surely you've realized by now that's she's nothing like him."

Knowing that spells would be flying if either of them continued to speak, Charlie climbed onto the table and put herself between the warring men. "Sirius, just leave it."

"Get out of the way, Charlie!" Sirius attempted to push the girl out of his way. "I'm going to hex him into oblivion!"

"You can't, you're going to get into trouble!"

Joyful sounds suddenly infiltrated the atmosphere and soon the entire Weasley clan, plus Hermione and Harry, appeared on the threshold. Mr. Weasley immediately took in the sight of the standoff and his smile slipped off his face. "What's wrong?"

Giving one last scathing glower at Sirius, Snape pocketed his wand. He looked at Charlie and said shortly, "Monday at six. Do not be late."

He filed past the Weasleys without another word. Sirius pressed his lips in a tight line, but his agitation soon dispersed in order to greet Mr. Weasley. Sighing softly, Charlie got off the table and shuffled over to give Mr. Weasley her warm wishes.

Harry cast her a bewildered glance. 'What was that all about?'

'I'll tell you guys later,' she returned.

Dinner that night was a very happy occasion. Mr. Weasley was in good spirits and Charlie was relieved to hear that he recovered from the snake venom with no problems. Tonks and Mad-Eye stopped by to visit Mr. Weasley, and soon the kitchen was filled with laughter and loud chatter. Charlie and her friends sat at the end of the table, and the raven-haired girl leaned closer so that they would be able to hear her.

"Professor Snape was here because Dumbledore wants me to take Occlumency lessons. But don't tell anyone. It's supposed to be a secret."

Ron frowned. "What's that?"

"It's the defense of the mind. I guess it's going to keep Voldemort from getting into my mind."

Hermione nodded; expression thoughtful. "That makes sense. After what happened, Professor Dumbledore must want to make sure it won't happen again."

"Yeah, I suppose so. But I've been thinking."

"Here we go," joked Ron.

Charlie rolled her eyes at him before continuing, "I think it's time we tell Remus and Sirius that we know."

Harry's eyes grew wide. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. I know we've been trying hard to keep it between us for the last three years, but with the connection Voldemort and I share, he might discover our own connection."

"It might be a good idea for Harry to take Occlumency as well," agreed Hermione.

Harry looked doubtful. "I don't know…I mean, if they haven't told us the truth yet, should we really bring it up to them?"

"Well, they probably didn't count on us finding out in the first place," returned Charlie. "Or that we'd be able to accomplish telepathy. I think it's really important."

"You should have told me that before I took my Glamour Potion," muttered Harry, lightly pulling his fingers through his short brunette locks. Remus was unaware that his charge knew that the drink he needed to have twice a year was actually a Glamour to hide his true appearance, and Harry offered no hints that he knew more than he should.

"What if you wait?" suggested Ron. "Charlie can take her first Occlumency lesson, and maybe she can then teach it to Harry. That way neither of you have to get into trouble."

"I doubt it's going to be easy, but I suppose we can wait a little longer," muttered Charlie reluctantly. "But we're definitely telling them by Easter, at the latest."

Harry flashed her a thumbs-up. "Got it."

Ron nodded in satisfaction. "Now that's sorted, someone play Exploding Snap with me."

…

The day to return to Hogwarts came, and the group of children gathered downstairs, bundled in coats and scarves. Mrs. Weasley fussed over all of them, making sure they were warm enough and not left anything behind. Tonks, disguised as an old woman, and Remus were escorting them back to school.

Charlie managed to slip away from the group to say goodbye to Sirius. "Thanks for having all of us stay here. It was a great Christmas."

Sirius wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. "Anytime, kiddo." His face then turned serious. "I have something for you."

He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a package. Charlie accepted it and studied it curiously. "What is it?"

"You'll find out when you get back to Hogwarts. I don't want Molly seeing it."

Now Charlie was suspicious. "Again, what is it?"

"If Snape isn't treating you right, use it to let me know and I'll sort it out."

It didn't answer her question, but Charlie let the matter drop. "It won't be as bad as you think, but thank you." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss her godfather on the cheek. "I'll see you soon. Be careful."

Sirius smirked. "I should be the one telling you that."

Laughing, Charlie waved and went back to join the others. She slipped the package into her trunk and soon it came time to leave. They filed out of Grimmauld Place, and it wasn't long before the house disappeared from their sight. An uneasy feeling welled in the pit of her stomach, almost like a sense of foreboding, but she tried to ignore it.

Keep safe, Sirius.

Remus made sure everyone was accounted for before sticking out his right arm, wand in the air. The familiar Knight Bus came squealing up to them seconds later, the purple a stark contrast to the snowy landscape. Charlie brightened as Stan Shunpike opened the doors, but he did not see her at first. He launched into his spiel, but was cut off by Tonks.

"We know, we know," she said impatiently. "All right, everyone on."

They filed past Stan one by one. When Charlie climbed the steps, dragging her trunk behind her, Stan stared at her with an excited expression. She beamed at him. "Hi, Stan. Hi Ernie!"

"Charlie—"

"Say her name any louder and I'll hex you," growled Tonks, taking Charlie by the arm and hustling her forwards.

The last time she had been on the Knight Bus was during the evening. Instead of brass beds everywhere, there was a collection of mismatched chairs gathered near the windows. The stop to pick them up had been violent, and people were picking themselves up from the floor with irritated expressions. A witch had dropped her grocery bag and there was a container of ice-cream rolling around the floor.

Charlie bent down and picked it up, handing it to the flustered witch with a smile. The witch smiled back gratefully. Tonks urged the girl forwards, and they continued down the bus aisle. Hermione, Ginny, Charlie and Tonks went to sit on the top deck, leaving Remus, Harry, Ron and the twins to take the bottom.

Stan followed after them and collected their change once they were settled. "How're you doin', Charlie?" asked Stan cheerfully.

"Er, pretty good, Stan, thanks. How are you?"

"Doin' real well! Got meself a raise last month."

"That's great!"

He returned to the front of the bus to take his post and she looked out the window, watching the world fly by as the Knight Bus rushed forwards. It wasn't long before they reached Hogsmeade, and Tonks walked them off the bus.

"You'll be safe once you reach the grounds," she informed.

Remus hugged Harry goodbye and ruffled his hair fondly. "Be careful and be good."

"Bye," they chorused, waving goodbye and going on their way. They crossed through a snowy Hogsmeade and towards Hogwarts' gates.

Well, thought Charlie, another term and another round with Umbridge.

Here's hoping she survived.

…

The first class on the first day from winter break was double Potions, which wasn't exactly a nice way to ease them back into the school routine. But Charlie managed to keep Harry from blowing them all up and getting a decent grade in the process.

"Was Potions always that hard?" moaned Harry, shuffling after his female friends down the corridor.

Charlie giggled. "Only because you always psych yourself out."

"Oi, Potter!"

Harry rolled his eyes as Zacharias Smith sauntered up to them. "Zach."

"Harry," he greeted his fellow Hufflepuff before turning to Charlie. "So when's our next DA meeting?"

"As I've told everyone else, you'll know the usual way," said Charlie patiently. "We just got back."

"Just thought I'd ask," returned Zacharias before taking his leave.

"As pleasant as ever," quipped Harry.

Charlie laughed. "I appreciate their earnestness."

The rest of the day went by quickly, with a few more badgering from other DA members. Soon it came time for her lesson with Snape and she made her way towards the dungeons. She stepped inside his classroom, where the shelves were lined with glass vials of ingredients she could identify and ones she couldn't.

"Close the door, Miss Potter," spoke Snape, stepping out of the shadows.

Charlie complied, shutting the door and moving to stand in the middle of the room. She glanced at the familiar shallow stone basin on his desk, which she knew was a Pensieve. "Um…Professor, before we start, why does Professor Dumbledore think I need to learn Occlumency?" she asked. She still did not know exactly what they would be doing or why, and she didn't like having pieces missing from the puzzle.

Snape surveyed her for a moment before answering. "He believes it is necessary in helping you protect yourself. The Dark Lord is skilled in Legilimency."

Charlie mulled the word over for a brief moment. "If Occlumency is a way to protect the mind, is Legilimency the way to invade it?"

Snape's dark eyes sparked with approval. "Very good. Legilimency is the ability to extract feelings and memories from a victim's mind. Depending on the conditions, the Dark Lord can delve into the minds and interpret their findings, so he knows instantly when he is being lied to."

So it's not exactly mind reading…good to know.

"Occlumency," continued Snape, "if one is skilled enough, can be used to shut down the feelings and memories of the victim that contradict the lie. They are also able to utter falsehoods without detection."

"That makes sense," said Charlie slowly. "But why does Professor Dumbledore want me to learn this now? I mean, I've always had pain in my scar and having odd dreams before this. Why now?"

Snape studied her intently. "You are special in the case of having the curse the Dark Lord used with the intention to kill you form a connection between you both. When your mind is relaxed, such as when you are asleep, you share thoughts and emotions. But up until now, he has been unaware of this connection."

Charlie's heart fell as she finally came to a realization. "The snake. Nagini. The reason I was the snake was because he was possessing the snake at the time."

Snape nodded. "And it was then he realized you were there. If he is able to utilize the connection, the consequences could be dire. It is important that you learn to defend yourself against him. It is time we get started."

He put his wand to the roots of his hair. He slowly drew the wand away from his head, a thick strand of silver substance stuck to the tip of his wand. Charlie watched as he deposited the thought into the silvery-white pool in the Pensieve. He did it a few more times before putting the Pensieve away in the cupboard.

"We shall start. Use your wand to defend yourself in any way you can. I've been told you are able to break through an Imperius Curse, from the Dark Lord no less, and that is no easy feat."

Heart pounding nervously, Charlie stood straight and raised her wand.

"Legilimens!"

She didn't have time to even think of a spell, let alone cast one. The room before her suddenly dissolved and memories were rushing past at such a fast pace, she felt she was blinded to everything else.

She was six and cleaning the kitchen floor of her aunt and uncle's house. She was on her hands and knees, swiping a soaked cloth over the tiles because she was too small to use the mop. Dudley was at the kitchen table, watching the small television. He turned his attention away from the cartoon for a brief moment to take his glass of orange juice and dump it all over the floor. He cackled evilly, and she just bristled in irritation before resigning herself to cleaning up his mess…

She was eight and she was stuck in the branches of the tree in their front yard. Ripper was at the trunk, barking ferociously and clawing at the bark. The Dursleys were gathered below and they were laughing hysterically at her predicament…

She was being closed in by Dementors, hundreds of them descending upon her, flitting across the lake. It was a swarm of black and fear threatened to consume her…

It was a particular cold winter night, and with heavy feet she approached the cupboard under the stairs…

All at once her body jolted. Only Harry knew of that extent of the Dursley's mistreatment of her, and she would do her very best to take that shame to her grave. No one would ever know that she slept in the cupboard under the stairs for the first eleven years of her life.

"No more!"

Something hard struck her leg and she returned to reality, gasping heavily. Snape held out his wrist, which bore a red welt. "Sorry," she apologized, stomach twisting.

"I suppose you didn't mean to cast the Stinging Hex, then."

Moving her sore leg, which she realized had struck one of Snape's desk, Charlie glanced at him. "What did I do wrong?"

"You weren't able to keep control," replied Snape.

"So, did you see anything?" she asked, praying that he didn't see the last bit.

"Only flashes," he said. "Was the dog theirs?"

Charlie was relieved. He hadn't seen the cupboard, or else he certainly would have asked about it. "No. It belongs to Aunt Marge, but we were dog-sitting at the time."

Snape's jaw tightened slightly, and he had a feeling that the girl's memories would be darker and more despairing than any girl her age should have. "We will try again. Close your eyes, and repel me with your brain. You only need to concentrate. Let go of all emotion."

"Okay." She closed her eyes, trying to prepare herself.

When he was sure the girl was as relaxed as she could be, he said, "One, two, three, Legilimens!"

It was boiling hot out and she was outside, sweltering under the sun. She wore Dudley's old shorts, which might as well have been capris on her small form. Sweat rolled down her back and her hair stuck to her face as she hosed down Uncle Vernon's car, feeling the beginnings of a horrible sunburn on the back of her neck…

Angelina was on the ground, eyes blank and staring ahead, her lifeless body spread out before her…

"Noooooo!"

She stumbled out of her memories, crashing to the floor with a shriek of agony. Panting heavily, she bit her nails into the floor as she forced herself to regain control.

Snape extended a hand, and she accepted it, climbing to her feet. "You cannot give the Dark Lord access to such memories, the ones you fear the most. He will use them as weapons. As hard as it will be for you, you cannot wear your heart on your sleeve or be so emotional. You have to empty yourself of emotion and not wallow in your memories."

"Okay," breathed Charlie, trying to calm down. "I'll do my best."

Snape allowed her a moment to catch her breath. She was doing better than he expected her to. She didn't last long under the spell, but she also couldn't bring herself out of his control quickly enough. Though she dwelled on her painful memories and let them affect her, she had a strong advantage working for her. She was not quick to anger, not like Voldemort was.

"I'm ready," she declared, straightening.

Nodding, Snape raised his wand again. "Legilimens!"

She was running down the school's sidewalk, fleeing from Dudley and his gang of jerks. It was a daily occurrence, and she was sick and tired of it. But if she got caught, it would be humiliation central. She just had to be faster than them…

She was walking down a windowless corridor with Mr. Weasley. There was a black door at the end, and when she expected they would go through it he led her to the stairs off to the left…

"That's it! That's it!"

Her joyful exclamations brought her back to reality. Her scar prickled, but she managed to ignore it. She got up from the floor and swayed on her feet. Snape stared at her intently, wand lowered slightly. "What was that?" he demanded.

"The windowless corridor I've been seeing," she said breathlessly. "It's the one I saw on the day of my trial! It's the one leading to the Department of Mysteries!"

"Is that important?" asked Snape, keeping his expression calm.

"It is! Whatever is in there is what Vol—the Dark Lord is after!" she insisted. "That's why I keep dreaming of it. That's why Mr. Weasley was attacked, because he was guarding it."

Snape looked at her for a long moment. "I think that's enough for tonight," he spoke. "Be back here at the same time on Wednesday. Practice clearing your head, making it blank and calm, before bed every night."

Though Charlie wanted to ask what exactly was in the Department of Mysteries, she knew it would be pointless to ask. "I will," she promised. "Thank you."

She hurried from the dungeon, leaving a perturbed Snape to watch after she disappeared from his view, he let out a soft sigh and went to his Pensieve so he could replace his memories. He certainly had a few things to report to Dumbledore after this.

…

The library that evening was packed with students, mostly fifth-years, working on their homework. Quills scratched against parchment and no one took any notice of the darkening sky outside the windows. Harry, Ron and Hermione were gathered at the back corner of the library, tackling Umbridge's latest slew of homework.

They were brought out of their intense concentration when Charlie stumbled over to their table, collapsing in the spare chair beside her brother. Hermione took immediate notice of her paler-than-normal complexion. "What happened?"

"Okay, so I just finished my lesson with Professor Snape," she panted, eager to relay to her friends what had just happened. She told them what had occurred, and her realization of what her dreams of the windowless corridor meant.

"So You-Know-Who wants something from the Ministry of Magic?" asked Harry nervously.

"More specifically, from the Department of Mysteries," added Charlie. "Do you know anything about that, Ron?"

The redhead shook his head. "It's a really secretive department. The people who work there are even called Unspeakables."

Great, thought Charlie. A very secret place within a government organization. It's bad enough that Voldemort wants this weapon. I'm not exactly comforted that whatever it is seems to be locked up tight.

Hermione looked thoughtful. "Well, that makes sense. Remember when Sturgis Podmore was found prowling around there and got arrested? That must have been why."

Ron frowned. "But why would Sturgis Podmore, who is on our side, be interested in what's in that room?"

"I'm not sure," admitted Hermione.

Staring at the tabletop, Charlie recalled uneasily how Voldemort had possessed the snake in order to try and break into the Department of Mysteries. It had occurred not long after their return to Hogwarts at the beginning of the school year, when Podmore had not shown up to escort them. Her past experience told her that when two odd experiences occurred close to each other, there was a good chance they were related.

"I think I'm going to go to bed," she spoke. "I'm not feeling so well. I'll do my homework later."

She stood up, her stomach swirling. She had only taken three steps before she experienced a sensation she could only describe as her forehead melting. The library melted away, replaced by black. All she was aware of was the maniacal laughter ringing in her ears. She was happy, so happy, she was ecstatic. Something wonderful had occurred, the best thing to happen in a long time.

"Charlie!"

A sudden stinging sensation occurred in her cheek and the laughter was interrupted with a cry of pain. The world rushed back with clarity, and after a few dazed beats Charlie realized it was her who had been laughing. She sealed her lips shut, but she could not stop the cold, wicked cackle from echoing in her mind.

Very slowly, she sat up from where she had fallen to the ground, her scar blazing and her head pounding in agony. All the students in the library had stopped their studying and were staring at her in terror. Madam Pince was kneeling over her, her sharp expression intent as she surveyed the pale girl.

"Miss Potter, do you need to go to the infirmary?"

Breathing heavily, Charlie stared blankly ahead, clutching at her scar. "No. I'm…I'm fine."

Pince looked doubtful, but she did not say anything more. She helped the girl up and looked towards the three teens that crowded around her. "Bring her to her dorm," she instructed. "You can come back for your things later."

Whispers erupted as the four departed the library. Charlie smiled weakly as they stepped into the corridor, making their way for Ravenclaw Tower. "This doesn't really help my 'I'm not crazy' argument."

"What happened?" asked Harry anxiously. "You just went down. I didn't even feel anything!"

Charlie felt a flare of relief. Somehow, she was subconsciously learning how to throw up a guard to keep Harry from experiencing the moments when she was in severe pain. "He's happy," she muttered somberly. "The happiest he's ever been in a long time. He's actually been hoping for this."

The words fell from her lips. She knew them to be true, and she now knew why. She was sharing his thoughts, his emotions, a connection that perhaps went deeper than the one she held with Harry.

And that frightened her.

"Well, your defenses are pretty low right now, since Professor Snape has been fiddling with your mind," said Hermione. "But I'm sure in the long run it'll be very useful."

Charlie could only nod. She was too busy thinking about what could have happened to make Voldemort the happiest he's ever been in fourteen years.