Thursday came around quickly. Sirius headed to the headmaster's quarters after dinner. Arcturus was waiting for him.
"Hello Sirius," he greeted him with a smile. "Please sit." Sirius sat across from his grandfather. "So far, we have been working on meditation to clear your mind for Occlumency. It is not just about meditation, however. Meditation is great, and very important, but today, I will be introducing something else to you that will help prepare you for invasions."
"Didn't you say we're going to do gentle invasions today?" Sirius asked.
Possible Arcturus corrected him. "It may or may not be today. It will all depend on how well you do with mental shields."
"I read a little bit about them," Sirius stated. "I re-read Chapter two."
"Very good," Arcturus said. "Let's get started then."
They started with working on how to build a mental wall, something that a lot of Occlumens used. They then worked on imagining things or places to try to use as a shield, which was harder to do, since Sirius had to be more creative, because there were more details.
"Why do people use their imagination to create a shield when a wall is slightly easier?" Sirius asked.
"Neither method is easy, and both will take time to learn, but using your imagination is useful to help confuse someone who is trying to look into your mind. Imagining a place or a thing is a different kind of shield, but it can confuse them, depending on how creative you are," Arcturus explained. "You will most likely learn that after learning the method where you use a wall as a shield."
"Yes, because I am not very good at being creative," Sirius said.
"I think you are," Arcturus corrected him. "Last time around, you and James planned many pranks, correct?"
"Er… those were mostly James' ideas," Sirius admitted. "I only came up with a few of them."
"Either way," Arcturus continued. "You still came up with a few. That's better than nothing. You can be creative when you put your mind to it."
Sirius sighed. "Well, I'm not creative for this," he stated grumpily.
"We will focus on that another time. For now, let's start with the wall shield," Arcturus said with understanding. "I was once the same way when I was your age."
"I'm finding more and more that we are similar, if you know what I mean," Sirius said thoughtfully.
"Yes, indeed. You are correct," Arcturus said with a nod. "Now, let's get back on topic."
For the next hour, they worked on building a wall in Sirius' mind. It was very hard work. Sirius' temper kept flaring, so they had to pause a few times so Sirius could calm down.
"This is SO frustrating!" Sirius said after the third time.
"Sirius, I know it is," Arcturus said patiently. "I was there once. I had to go to these same lessons, and learn the same methods. It's not easy. However, I know you can do it."
"Oh, really? I don't know, Grandfather," Sirius said with a sigh.
Arcturus walked over to Sirius and put a hand on his shoulder. "Sirius, you have been through a lot. You have, and you will always impress me with what you can do, and what you have done already in your life. I've gotten to know you very well for the past year and a half. I know for a fact that you can do this. It will not be easy to build a sturdy wall, but I know you can do it. Believe in yourself. You may not get it today, but there's always next week, and the week after. Take your time. There's no rush."
"But I thought you wanted to test it today! Like, a gentle invasion," Sirius said, confused.
"I said that it was a possibility, but I did not say we WERE going to do that today. I will not be invading your mind until you are able to create a wall, and even then, it will not be a perfect wall. I am sure that you will have to improve your wall. However, I never said for sure we were doing that today. I only said it was a possibility. Now, are you ready to continue, or would you like to stop for the day?"
"Let's continue," Sirius said with determination. Arcturus chuckled.
"A Black through and through," he stated, heading back to his seat. "Alright, then let's continue."
For the next hour and a half, they worked on building the wall. Finally, Sirius felt that he was getting somewhere. He was now able to picture a wall in his mind without a bunch of cracks.
"I think I got it, Grandfather," Sirius finally said. "I'm ready."
"That is good that you feel like you're getting it now, but after all that work you did today, I believe it would be beneficial to not do any invasions today," Arcturus replied.
"But I…" Sirius started.
"No, Sirius. You look tired. We will do this next week. Plus, it is nearly curfew. So we will do it next time, alright?" Arcturus asked.
"Oh, alright. Fine," Sirius grumbled. "We can wait."
"Very well," Arcturus said. "You can go now. Unless, of course, there is anything else you'd like to discuss?"
"No, I don't think so," Sirius responded. "Thank you, for everything."
"There is no need to thank me," Arcturus told him. "You'll get this down. Just be patient. We'll work on it."
Sirius nodded. "Have a good night, Grandfather."
"You as well, Sirius," Arcturus said with a smile. Sirius left the room feeling more determined than he had felt earlier. He would get this down. It would just take time.