Chapter 16: O rage

Harry's attention was focused on Jasper and the guards behind him. His eyes never left the two black orbs, which began to move despite the immobility of the marble body. With the exception of these small movements, it was as if everything stood still for a few moments, until the empath's hand tightened on the wizard's, not to the point of hurting him, but enough for him to prepare to cast a spell if need be. Edward's eyes turned black and his posture stiffened; the telepath was discovering his brother's memories at the same time as Master Kangae, and didn't like what he saw. Carlisle exchanged concerned glances with those remaining outside the room, and Emmett, followed by Rosalie, entered. Harry watched the scene, trying to control his stress so as not to communicate it to the empath. Rosalie took her brother's hands in hers and Emmett took his place as the young woman pulled Edward away before he lost control because of the images he was receiving. Seconds after his exit, Alice entered and stood between Emmett and Carlisle, while Esmée stood behind Harry. The latter had no doubt that the seer had had a vision and that the situation was in danger of degenerating.

The stillness returned, heavy and tense, as Jasper's dark eyes grew more and more agitated, as his hand seemed to spasm as it tightened and loosened on Harry's, as the Kangae master stiffened and sweated. Everyone knew these moments were the calm before the storm, they just didn't know when the storm would break.

Pain imprinted on Jasper's features and everything happened in less than a second. Alice twitched her lips, Esmée lunged at Harry, Jasper screamed in pain and rage, Emmett and Carlisle grabbed his shoulders and Rosalie rushed into the room. Harry felt a sharp pain in his hand as he flew across the room into the arms of Esmée, who cushioned the shock of the landing. The mother of the Cullen clan tried several times to get the wizard out of the room, but each time she was blocked and pushed back. Jasper's experience as a fighter and the strength he had regained since his arrival at Grimmauld place were on display for all to see. Alone, he was fighting off four members of his clan and fending off a fifth. The black capes slipped and Jasper lost what little restraint he had left, unleashing his power on his family members who fell to the ground, unable to get up in the despair that seized them. They all struggled, but now they were fighting against themselves, to find the energy to get out of the room and away from this imposed feeling. The wizards outside the room reacted quickly, casting spells to pull them back into the corridor.

In the room, only Harry and Master Kangae remained with the enraged vampire. At no time had the legilimens left his patient's mind; he had stood back, hidden behind a memory, and watched what was happening as the situation evolved. He prevented anyone from taking him or Harry out; he still had his black robes on and was convinced that The Survivor was in no danger.

The snakes had attacked him when he had touched the wall, but had returned behind their enclosure when the fight broke out and had become agitated when the capes had fallen. Now they had calmed down, and the vampire's state of rage came only from his pain and no longer from the hold on his mind.

His dark gaze fell on Harry on the floor, holding his broken hand, and the crack in the wall flickered, glowing as their eyes met, but fading as he realized what he'd done to him.

"Go away." he growled before shooting Kangae a murderous look. "Get out of my head." he added before moving into the adjoining bathroom.

The sound of shattering earthenware and loud crashes saddened Harry. He couldn't get up, couldn't leave, couldn't let this destroyed man break everything around him to express one hundredth of what he felt. A white fist smashed through the wall, followed by a scream of rage, and as Harry considered going to his side, a gnarled hand with blotchy skin appeared before his eyes. The young man felt his heart clench, but grasped the hand that helped him to his feet with surprising strength. Master Kangae placed his hand on his back and gently but firmly pushed him towards the exit.

"I apologize," he said as they made their way down the corridor. "I didn't manage not to hurt him."

"I suppose after Voldemort's passing, no one can."

Harry's voice was sad as he said these words, reflecting the guilt he felt at having agreed to try legilimency when his instincts were screaming at him that it would hurt Jasper.

No one spoke as the two men joined the group in the corridor. The atmosphere was heavy and the tension made even more palpable by the absence of Edward and Alice, and the sounds of banging coming from the bedroom.

Wizards and vampires walked briskly to the kitchen, where Esmée served tea and cakes to some, warm animal blood to others. No words were exchanged for many minutes, until all the glasses were empty and Esmée poured a second for each. This was the moment when Edward, his face closed, and Alice chose to join them. The telepath drank three glasses of blood before sitting down and taking his companion on his lap.

"What did you see?" Harry finally asked in a hushed voice.

He couldn't get the black, pain-filled look out of his mind, the cry of pain, the feeling of despair that had just brushed past him, the last words... He felt sick to his stomach and held himself back from going back up. So, failing to help Jasper by being with him, he wanted to move forward on finding a solution to free his mind.

"You-know-who repeatedly tortured him using legilimency, until Jasper no longer sought to fight him. Fighting meant more suffering, so he ended up letting him do it without fighting and waiting for it to pass. He used his docility to install a nest of snakes in his head, surrounded by a wall protecting the nest. The snakes control his reactions by hissing."

"Can you destroy the wall?" asked Carlisle.

"Just touching it caused Jasper enormous pain and the attack."

"But there is a possibility," said Edward, staring at the master.

"Yes, the wall is cracked and I think Mr. Potter is responsible. You have a special bond with him, don't you?"

"No, you've got to be joking," Ron murmured as Hermione clutched her head in her hands.

"Harry is Jasper's soul mate," replied Edward.

"It's true that love is a powerful thing…"

"We know the song," Harry interrupted. "It's love that has allowed me to outlast Him every time we've met. He doesn't know what love is and that's his greatest weakness, combined with the fact that he passed on to me the gift of parseltongue."

Harry didn't like this; he didn't want to use his budding feelings for the vampire when he didn't know if he wanted to start a relationship with him. Was freeing him from Voldemort's grip worth the risk of breaking his heart?

"Are you parseltongue, Mr. Potter?" asked Kangae.

"Yes, but I don't shout it from the rooftops."

"I understand, but perhaps that would allow us not to use your link with Jasper."

"Were you reading my mind?"

"No, your face spoke for you."

Harry closed his eyes; he didn't like to be drilled so easily.

"I'm not a legilimens, how could I help you?"

"Well, you see, Harry," intervened Flitwick. "There are spells to enable a legilimens to take someone with him when he explores a mind."

"He'll hate the idea," Edward declared.

Harry agreed, and he wasn't sure he wanted to play on their bond again to influence Jasper's decision.

"Still, it's taking Mr. Potter with me in his mind so he can talk to the snakes or use their bond to break the wall."

A heavy silence fell over the room. Everyone was looking for an alternative to what the master legilimens had just said, but nothing came. Kangae finally took his leave, leaving them with the thought and assuring them that he would make himself available to them when they had reached a decision.

Harry then decided to sleep at Ron and Hermione's and left the group before the conversation could be resumed.