Chapter 29

Shattered Mind

(Opening song #2. ＷＲＫ by Millennium Parade, and Sheena Ringo)

(Evening, Saturday)

Harry started feeling the physical strain of having to maintain the sphere of magic for the hour at supper. Beads of sweat started forming on his forehead from the added concentration. It would've been nice of Vespera to mention the strain on his and Ron's bodies this type of training would have. He glanced over at Ron, who was looking as exhausted as he was, his face slightly red.

"Just a few more minutes," he thought as he continued to focus while trying to keep a straight face amongst the others sitting next to him.

Hermoine, meanwhile, was doing a good job taking up most of the conversation, making sure their friends didn't notice the strain Harry and Ron were under.

"So, how are we with" she lowered her voice to a whisper "finding the traitor in our midst?" she asked Fred, Geroge, Ginny, and Neville.

Neville shrugged and looked like he was going to say something but paused as Ginny and the twins simultaneously leaned in and lowered their voices even more.

Fred looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping before speaking. "We think we've narrowed it down-." But before he could continue,

"And this is all speculation, mind you." Ginny cut in.

"Of course," Neville said quickly, his eyebrows drawn together in concern. "We can't jump to conclusions yet."

"But we do have a good idea who it's not," George added, his expression grim. Harry was straining to hear their quiet voices over the noise of the Great Hall, his eyes fixed on their hushed conversation.

"Terry and Anthony are in the clear; both of them are stressing over N.E.W.T's," Fred said. "Both of them were neck-deep in books and scrolls in the library yesterday."

"And Luna's a bit of a loner. Hung out with her all week." Neville added, " She's more interested in hunting House-Pixies than wanting to hang around the other Ravenclaws."

"House-Pixies?" George asked half furrowing and half raising an eyebrow.

"Apparently, they cause trouble around the houses, like hiding things in odd places. We hunted for them all week, turned up nothing of course, but the point is she's too invested in hunting for them to meet up with anyone."

Hermoine tilted her head at the explanation but shook her head. "Ok, that checks out, I suppose."

"But I'm sure of one person definitely not being the mole," Ginny said, tilting her head and speaking with absolute certainty, "Michael."

Ron was about to say something until Hermoine gave him a side glance, telling him to focus. The twins, however, shared a look.

"And that reason being cause...?" Fred asked but George already had an answer. "Because my boyfriend couldn't possibly be a spy," he said in a mockingly girlie voice.

Ginny gave a flat look at George. "Because I've been going out of my way walk back with him to the Ravenclaw common room after supper and the D.A meetings, been meeting him after his Quidditch practices, and have been studying with him in the library." she explained in a dull tone. "Y'know, the thing you should be doing George, instead of tormenting the younger Gryffindors with pranks in the common room."

"Ok-ok. No need to get personal now, Skinny Ginny" George said, which got a piece of bread at him by his sister.

"But that still leaves a few other possibilities..." Fred added, scratching his chin thoughtfully. Neville looked like he wanted to say something, but instead, he just nodded.

Finally, time was up, and Harry could relax. He took a deep breath out and then looked at the group. "Like Cho," he said grimly.

"I don't want it to be, but I haven't had the chance to talk to her since our fight back in December," Harry explained. "She's been avoiding me other than coming to the meetings."

"Just cause you have given each other space doesn't necessarily mean that she's betrayed us, Harry," Ginny said reassuringly.

"But it gives her more time to meet up with someone in secret," Harry countered.

Neville looked uneasy. "This is all speculation, though, right?" he asked, his voice soft.

Fred nodded. "Of course, we don't know for certain, but we need to consider every possibility."

"Mr. Potter?"

They all turned around to see Professor McGonagall standing there, looking at them with a mix of concern and sternness."Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office. He's concerned about your grades in potions."

His heart skipped a beat as he realized the real reason for the summons. He nodded at McGonagall, trying to keep his face composed. "Of course, Professor. I'll go right away."

He got up from the bench and picked up his schoolbag, his friends watching him in confusion.

"Is everything alright?" Hermoine asked, her forehead wrinkled in concern.

Harry just nodded and forced a smile. "Yeah, just want to talk about my potions grades. I'll catch you guys later."

He left the hall, his mind racing with thoughts. This conversation with Dumbledore was going to be serious; there was no doubt about that. Harry made his way quickly towards the headmaster's office. The gargoyle stood guard before the hidden staircase, and Harry approached it. "Acid Pops," he said to the statue, but then he remembered that Dumbledore had changed the password. He paused for a moment, trying to remember what the new one was before finally recalling. "Peppermint Toads." The stone gargoyle sprang to life and stepped aside, revealing the moving spiral staircase behind it.

Harry carefully made his way up the staircase, each step leading him closer to Dumbledore's office. The door was ajar; he knocked softly on it, and Dumbledore's voice invited him in, sounding tired.

He opened the door and was greeted by the sight of Professor Dumbledore, with Snape sitting across from him. The Potions Master looked paler than usual, probably still recovering from the mental assault that had left him in a trance-like state for the last three days.

"Professor-" Harry said, looking at Snape, trying to be at least cordial, "glad to see you're better."

Snape gave Harry an emotionless glare, but it was Dumbledore who spoke. "Thank you, Harry," he said, gesturing for Harry to sit down across from him. "I've asked Professor Snape to join us for this conversation, as it concerns the both of you."

Harry hesitated for a moment but took a seat, feeling a mix of caution and curiosity. He looked back and forth between Snape and Dumbledore, waiting for one of them to start the conversation.

The Headmaster leaned forward, his eyes meeting Harry's. "Harry, I've called you here because there's a matter that needs your attention. It's about your 'extra lessons' with Professor Snape."

"I figured," he responded. "Are we starting them back up next week?"

Snape spoke up for the first time, his voice low and cold. "No. we've decided not to continue your extra lessons."

"Or rather," Dumbledore interjected, giving Snape a sympathetic look. "There's no way Professor Snape can continue your lessons in his current state," Harry could almost hear Snape's grinding together as he clenched his jaw in his fury. "Until he makes a full recovery, they'll have to be put on hold."

Harry's heart sank at the words, despite not liking the fact he was learning from Snape, he had at least hoped to learn some way to defend against Voldemort's mental intrusions. "Why's that Professor Dumbledore? What happened?"

Snape didn't say anything, and instead, Dumbledore answered Harry's question. "Professor Snape was subjected to a… psychological attack," he explained. "One that makes it almost impossible for him to use or teach Legilimency."

Harry looked over at Snape, his eyes widening slightly in surprise. He'd suspected the mental attack had been intense, but he hadn't realized to what extent.

"Are you saying he had his knowledge of Leglilimency and Occulmancy erased?" Harry asked

"It's...more complicated than that," Dumbledore said with a troubled look. "The curse that was placed on Snape isn't a memory-wiping charm like Obliviate. In fact a full memory erazer would be easier to deal with than this curse, in my humble opinion."

Dumbledore glanced over at Snape, who still hadn't spoken a word, and then back at Harry. "From our own experiments, we've learned that this particular curse only lets the victim, in this case Professor Snape, to retain three pieces of information regarding Legilimancy, once he gains a "fourth" new piece of information, he'll lose the first set of three. As of right now, he only remembers Legilimancy's basic principles, how to defend against it, and its application throughout the centuries. If he were to learn the incantation to cast the spell, then the curse would erase the three older memories, thus creating a feedback loop where Snape forgets concepts, theories, and applications of Legilimancy continuously."

Harry could feel his mouth go dry from the explanation. No wonder Snape looked more exhausted and frustrated than he normally was, having to walk on eggshells on the subject or risk forgetting everything again. He looked between Snape and Dumbledore, processing the information.

"So basically, he can only remember three things at a time," he said slowly. "And once he gains a fourth piece of information, the first three disappear?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Precisely. And given the complexity of Legilimancy, it's essentially rendered the subject impossible for Snape to teach you. Let alone use the spell himself."

"But!...surely there's a way to break the curse, righ-".

Snape slammed his fist on the table and glared at Harry. "You fool! If there was a way to break the curse, why do you think we would even be having this miserable conversation!?" he hissed.

Harry was about to come back with his comment but stopped himself. Through Snape's glare was a look of pain at what had been done to him.

"Of course, Professor," he said more as of a sigh. "We wouldn't be having this conversation if that were the case."

"Exactly," Snape echoed. "So stop asking stupid questions."

Dumbledore rubbed his forehead as if Snape's harsh tone was giving him a headache.

"Unfortunately, Harry, this curse is unlike anything I've seen before," he continued. "I've been unable to find a counterspell or possible potion to reverse its effects. It's gotten to the point." he sighed and ran his fingers through his beard, "that I've been forced to call upon Minister Fudge to send Unspeakables from The Department of Mysteries for assistance."

"Damn them," Harry thought to himself with a furrowed brow. Just as he thought he, Ron, and Hermoine had finally gotten an edge in the fight, with Vespera helping train their magic, the Triad had once again gotten the upper hand on them. "But won't having more Ministry officials here give Professor Umbridge more authority to override your rulings?"

"Yes, it will," he answered grimly. "But it's a risk we have to take if we want to find a way to reverse the curse. We need all the resources we can get." There was a brief pause in the conversation before he spoke up again. "Which brings up another issue, one regarding your study group."

Harry felt the lump forming in his throat, knowing Dumbledore was talking about the D.A. meetings happening in secret.

Dumbledore steepled his fingers and looked at Harry intently. "While I'm not against you and your friends trying to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts, given the current curriculum," he said, his voice low and serious. "I am concerned about all of your safety with more Ministry officials coming to Hogwarts. I understand that you want to make sure you're prepared for the dangers you may face, but you must be extremely cautious moving forward when it comes to holding your meetings."

Harry nodded, acknowledging Dumbledore's words. "We've been careful so far, Professor. We've been using secret locations and changing the meetings every few weeks."

"Yes, you've done well so far," Dumbledore said approvingly. "That said, be even more careful now. We can't take any chances with the Ministry breathing down our necks. Any slip-ups could be costly. In the meantime, I'll be looking for a replacement tutor for you to continue your Occulmency training. When you'll be picking up with your lessons again will... hopefully be soon."

Harry nodded. "Of course, Professor. We'll be more vigilant moving forward."

"Thank you," he said, the usual twinkle now back in his eyes.

Snape, meanwhile, was still seething silently in his chair. Dumbledore looked at him with a mixture of concern and frustration. "Now, I believe Professor Snape and I need to discuss some other matters in private. You're dismissed, Harry."

Harry stood up slowly, nodded. He made his way to the door, trying to ignore Snape's glare following him as he left the office. When the door shut, Snape immediately fixed his gaze on Dumbledore.

"He's hiding something from us, Albus," Snape growled. "If he would've told us about the Triad earlier-"

"Hindsight is a luxury we cannot afford," Dumbledore rebuked. "We must focus on moving forward and finding a way to unravel this curse."

Snape leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, his face twisted in frustration. "But we wouldn't be in this predicament if not for Potter."

Dumbledore's expression softened, his eyes filled with understanding. "I understand your frustration, Severus. But blaming Harry isn't going to solve anything. Whatever information he is hiding, he's doing so out of fear."

Fear?" Snape sneered.

"Yes, fear, Severus. Fear of the Triad. Fear of what they're capable of and how they would retaliate if we investigated them."

Snape grunted, clearly unconvinced. "Potter should've informed us, nonetheless. We could've better prepared and not left ourselves so vulnerable."

"Knowing what your enemy is capable of is sometimes better than knowing who they are," Dumbledore said. "Whether conscious or not, going after a member of Triad early would've put the students and teachers in perilous danger." There was a brief pause as he took a lemon drop from his bowl. "That said, we do have a better understanding of them now, so any information Harry has is crucial in how to defeat them."

Snape's eyes narrowed. "And how do you plan to get him to tell us what he knows?"

Dumbledore stood up and walked towards the window, looking out at the Hogwarts grounds. "By regaining the trust I deservingly lost," he said. "Keeping secrets on his connection to Voldemort was a mistake. One we're now paying the price for."

Snape stared at the old wizard's back. "You truly believe Potter will forgive you?" he asked skeptically.

There was a pause as Dumbledore thought back to his younger years and how his actions had led to the death of his sister.

"I believe that we've all made mistakes we regret," he finally said, turning back to face Snape. "And I believe that trust can be regained given time and effort."

Snape stared at Dumbledore for a moment before looking at the clock above one of the office windows. Finally, he let out a huff of frustration. "Time, something we're currently running out of."

(A few weeks later, February. The Gryffindor Common Room.)

With so much to worry about and so much to do —startling amounts of homework that frequently kept the fifth years working until past midnight, secret D.A. meetings, and the strenuous training from Vespera — January seemed to be passing alarmingly fast. Before Harry knew it, February had arrived, bringing with it wetter and warmer weather. Within the month, the sphere of magic that Harry and Ron had continuously tried to keep at the tip of their finger had grown to the size of a golf ball, but it was getting harder and harder to keep the orb in focus.

"Three…two…one." Both Harry and Ron exhaled as the orbs dissipated from each of their pointer fingers. Harry collapsed onto his four-poster bed, his entire being throbbing with exhaustion. He knew that the fatigue was a natural side effect of the training, but it didn't make the discomfort any less excruciating.

"Gonna be honest mate," he groaned, his breath coming out in gasps, "I'm starting to dread these lessons more than Umbridge's detentions."

"Yeah!" Ron panted. "It wouldn't have been nice for that old hag to tell us how physically exhausting this would be!"

"Old Hag, huh?" Hermoine's voice was heard at the door of their room

The two boys jumped and whipped their heads around to see Hermoine leaning on the side of the frame with her arms crossed, looking at Ron with a raised eyebrow and bored expression. Despite looking like she usually did, Harry could tell Veserpa was currently in control.

"Uh, w-well..." Ron stuttered, trying to backpedal.

Vesepra rolled her eyes and closed the door behind her. "Spare me, Weasley. Your perceived exhaustion is more offending than your words."

"Perceived exhaustion?" Harry repeated, sitting up on the bed. "You've been working us to the bone, Vespera. Don't act like we're exaggerating."

"Apologies," she said with a dry drool. "Perhaps wizards of this age are just naturally out of shape."

"Oi, we're in top physical condition! We play Quidditch," Ron said defensively.

"Why did Hermoine let you retake control, anyway, and where's-" Harry motioned to his cheeks and ear "Y'know the whole elf get up?"

She raised an eyebrow "Elf get up?"

"The ears and face markings," Harry specified

Vespera pinched her brow. "The "elf get up" as you call it, is a result of magic coursing through the body. I can easily restrict its flow and look like any other human. It's how The Triad can move around without setting off Dumbledore's wards." she explained. "And part of Granger's training is allowing me control for at least an hour a day so our body doesn't burn out if they attack again"

Harry nodded, understanding the reason behind it but still feeling a bit uneasy. "Right, I see."

Ron, on the other hand, was still fixated on the previous comment about their physical fitness. "Out of shape my foot," he muttered under his breath.

"In any case, after your next D.A meeting, you two are going to take a test," she said

Ron and Harry exchanged puzzled looks.

"A test?" Ron repeated, sitting up properly in his bed. "What sort of test?"

"One that decides the type of wizard you are,"

"Type of wizard?" Harry asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"I'll explain in greater detail later. Just conserve your magic on that day is all" she said, and then she closed her eyes and let out an exhausted.

Hermione groaned slightly as her consciousness returned to the forefront, rubbing her forehead as if she had a headache.

"I don't know how you put up with her all the time," Harry said jokingly, gesturing towards Hermoine's weary expression.

She looked up at Harry with a furrowed brow.

"Her thoughts are insufferable," Hermoine said, a hint of irritation in her voice. "That exam we had in transfiguration was nearly impossible because she kept correcting the questions. Is she correct yes, but Professor McGonagall doesn't know that does she? She's becoming a real pain the ar-" she caught herself mid-sentence, but then covered her mouth, "-neck" she finished awkwardly.

Ron couldn't help but smirk at Hermoine's uncharacteristic slip-up. "Language, What would the prefect in you say?"

Hermione shot Ron a glare, her cheeks turning slightly pink "Oh shove off Ronald" and then she took out an envelope from her robe pocket.

"I finally got this today," she said, as she began to eagerly, tear open the envelope and pull out a small piece of parchment.

"You mean the person you said you were going to write a letter to? They replied back?" Harry asked.

"About time too" Hermoine's then eyes sped from left to right as she read through the message and a grimly pleased expression spread across her face.

"Listen, Harry," she said, looking up at him. "This is important. … Do you think you could meet me in the Three Broomsticks on the fourteenth?"

"Well … I dunno," said Harry dubiously. "I was thinking that would be a good date to ask Cho "out on a date?"

Ron, who had been lying on his back and staring at the ceiling, suddenly sat bolt upright again. "Wait a minute," he said, turning to look at Harry. "You're going to ask Cho out on a date? And you're going to ask her on Valentine's Day?"

"Well yeah, I was thinking it would be a good time to re-connect, since that last fight we had. But mainly I thought it would also be a good time to see if-"

"To see if she's the mole, right?" Hermoine interrupted "That's your real reason for wanting to ask her out."

Harry looked uncomfortable, but he didn't deny it. "Yeah, that's part of it," he admitted. "I mean, I do like Cho, but...I need to figure out if she's on our side."

"Isn't there a simpler way to figure that out without asking her out on a date?" she asked.

"I don't know," he said. "I've been trying to think of a different approach, but this seems like the best one."

Hermoine opened her mouth to argue, but Ron cut her off.

"I say you go for it," he said, shrugging. "The worst thing that can happen is she says no, then you can let one of us take over watching her."

Harry felt grateful for Ron supporting the action. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said.

Hermione let out a sigh. "Alright, but please, Harry, don't turn the date into an interrogation. The last thing she needs is to feel like you're cornering her with questions."

"I know, I know," he said. "I'll be subtle about it."

(Meanwhile at the Quidditch Pitch, after the Ravenclaw practice)

Faulin dislodged from her broom and faced the Ravenclaw team. "Alright, that's enough for today. Pretty sure we're gonna give Slytherin a run for their money yeah?"

The rest of the Ravenclaw burst in unison of cheers and agreement.

"I like the enthusiasm" Faulin laughed. "Alright get showers and do whatever the bloody hell you do with your time and get some rest. We have the game tomorrow at eleven tomorrow. Don't be late"

The rest of the team nodded and started to head off to the locker room to shower and change. As Faulin was leaving, she spotted a taller Hufflepuff student.

"Aye, Chang," Galin said to her with half a smirk and half-hooded eyes. "Mind if I ask you somethin' important?"

Her eyes widened a bit. "Uh, yeah...sure," she said with false hesitation. Galin motioned to her to follow her out of the pitch, while the girls on the Ravenclaw team stole a quick glance and began giggling.

Once she and Galin reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, she turned to him with furrowed brow

"Oi!" she smacked him on his arm

"Hey that stings!" he yelped rubbing his arm.

"Wat da' hell is wrong wit' ya' Gal? You tryin' to start rumors bout' us!?"

"In your dreams Faul," he said leaning on a tree. "Had to make it look like I was going to ask you out. Just tell people you turned me down or whatever."

"Dat don' mean ya can just saunter on in, all flirty an' everythin'," she said with an annoyed scowl.

"Hey, gotta rep here with the ladies, might as well use it" he said defensively, which resulted in annoyed scoff.

"Why ya' here anyway?"

"Ari just wanted to get a report on how your plan to cover our tracks was going. Valentine's days a week away."

"Well, I 'ave yo' "fall guy" 'eddy." she said. "Now I jus' need Potter to agree t' let her join"

This caused Galin to raise an eyebrow. "Didn't he and "Cho" have a break up near the end of the school term?" he asked. "That's what the rumor is going around is"

Faulin shook her hand and squinted her eyes. "Eh. It wasn' exactly a break-up. More of ay fight 'bout him payin' too much attention t' Granger or somethin' like tat" she said with indifference. "Jus' used it as an excuse really t' focus on gettin' revenge on Riddle"

"So you're gonna start talking to Potter again? Y'know since you broke Riddle's spine, killed a couple of his death eaters, plus his snake, and blew up his house."

"Yeah, for now at least," she said with a shrug. "Might as well help you guys out while I plan my next move."

"Well Aren't you feeling generous in your old age" Galin said with a laugh before propping up from the tree he was leaning on. "Just remember that The Boss is gonna want you to chip in when were ready to take down the Ministry. Tom comes later."

"Morgie got nothin' to worry 'bout tat'. Tey next on m' shite list" she said with a smirk. "I'll catch ya' later."

"Yeah see ya later Faul," Galin said, running his hands through his messy black bangs as he turned to walk back towards the castle, before stopping and glancing. "I know it must be getting old hearing this, but... it's good to have you back again."

She looked back on her shoulder, an half-hearted annoyed look on her face. "It is gettin' old. But cheers" she said with a smirk.

Galin chuckled and then turned towards the castle again.