Another chapter… Hope you'll like it! For some of you there might be a surprise at the end of this chapter... (don't peak!)
Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, and a big hug to _Amber_Eyes_!
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Ch8: OCCLUMENCY WITH HERMIONE
It was like the time had stopped. Harry stood frozen on the spot, his wand still pointing at the black hole, where the picture of Sirius mum had been.
So he finally got rid off her…
Harry's wand seemed to glow, and he felt a rush of unwanted excitement through him. The tickling sensation he had discovered the night he woke after the night he, or Voldemort, had killed the Patils', was now not only in his arm, it was trough his whole body. He could even feel it in his toes!
Disbelievingly, he stared at the hole in what seemed like an eternity, and it took quite some time before he, slowly, started to realise what he had done. He had used the worst of the Unforgivables. He had used the Killing Curse! But how could it have worked? He had never done it before… Not on purpose anyway.
He slowly lowered his wand, shaking. What on earth had possessed him to do such thing?
His scar was tickling, and dimly Harry realised that Voldemort was happy, really happy. He probably knew what Harry had done already…
The door to the hall, where he was standing, opened suddenly. Molly Weasley came in, looking very disturbed.
"Harry, dear, what's taking you so long? ...Oh my!" Mrs Weasley stopped abruptly when she saw the black hole in the wall and clapped her hand in front of her mouth.
It didn't take long before Hermione, Arthur, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George Weasley came in to see what was going on. Harry wished he could disappear in the ground. If Voldemort managed to kill him sometime, he could just as well do it now, Harry thought dryly.
They started asking him questions, but Harry couldn't register what they asked him about. It was like the voices were coming from someplace far away. He felt too dizzy to care.
"Harry, what happened? Are you okay?" Harry finally registered Hermione asking. He opened his mouth to answer but no sound came out. He closed his mouth again and nodded awkwardly instead. He felt someone with strong hands grab his shoulder from behind, and Harry's body went rigid from the touch. He felt a strong urge to just yell at them to leave him alone.
"Come Harry, let's go out for a minute, shall we?" said Arthur Weasley and guided him out to the kitchen.
"I'm okay, Mr Weasley," said Harry, finally managing to talk again. Mr Weasley had let go off his shoulders and was now standing in front of him instead.
"What happened, Harry?" he asked.
"Er…"
"Come on, just say it."
"I used a curse on her, that's all," said Harry, absolutely terrified for Mr Weasley to know what he had done.
"What curse?" Mr Weasley asked, looking curious. "We have been trying to get rid of her for an year, and we have done everything we could think off. And here you go, getting rid of her with only one curse! Tell me, what did you use?"
"Er… I don't remember actually," Harry lied, hiding his wand behind his back. He knew what was coming.
"Well," Arthur said, "there's always a way we can check it out, if you just give me your wand, and then-"
"No!" Harry exclaimed, taking two steps back.
"Harry, what-?"
"I won't let you have it!" Harry repeated, more forcefully, taking another step back.
"You've been too much around Moody, mate," Ron said from the door, and chuckled. Harry faked a laugh.
"Wanna play some chess?" Ron asked, and Harry, grateful for an excuse to get away, nodded and went with Ron upstairs.
-
Harry was even easier to beat by Ron in chess than he used to be. Harry's head kept spinning with thoughts of his resent actions, and he couldn't concentrate. Ron even seemed to be a bit tired of winning every ten minutes, much to Harry's surprise. Harry never thought he would see the day Ron was getting tired of winning.
"You aren't even trying!" Ron exclaimed every now and then when he won an important poem, but Harry just shrugged. After loosing his fourth game Harry called it quits, and got up.
"I'm sorry. I guess this just isn't my day."
Ron nodded, accepting the excuse. "What curse did you use?"
"I don't know," Harry answered, using the same excuse he had given Mr Weasley. "I just did something. It's not much of a deal, really."
Ron shook his head. "Blimey, Harry! Not much of a deal? That must've been a hell of a curse!"
Harry grunted. "I'm going upstairs to finish my essay for Dumbledore."
-
Writing the essay for Dumbledore was harder than Harry thought it would be. At first Harry couldn't think of a single thing he thought could be useful against Voldemort. However, after a while he had an entire list of spells he wanted to learn, many of them from the books he had read from over the summer, like the ones Remus and Tonks had given him. Harry also wrote down that he wanted to be an animagus, even though he knew that was very unlikely. After finishing the essay Harry collapsed on his bed, starring up at the ceiling.
He could give anything for being someone else - anyone else - but himself.
Could it be done? He wouldn't be surprised if that was. Hermione would probably know... Harry turned over of the thought of her. Had she accepted Ron's suggestion? It certainly looked that way…How painful it was to think about!
His eyes fell over a shadow on his desk. All About The Unforgiveables… He still had the Disillusionment-charm on it. Stupid book… Why had he even started reading it?
Hedwig flew over to Harry and landed beside him, nipping his ear with her beak, as if she was trying to comfort him.
"Yeah, yeah, Hedwig, I'm okay, really," Harry tried to assure her, but she didn't seem to listen. Harry sighed, just as somebody knocked on the door.
"Harry?" Hermione's voice said from behind the door. "Can I come in?"
Harry said nothing.
"Harry, I know you're in there!"
"Fine!" Harry said, and tried to ignore the feeling of dread in his stomach. "Come in."
Hermione opened the door and stepped in, looking carefully at Harry. "How are you?" She asked, her voice only a whisper, as if she too was nervous. Harry gave her a look. She sat down on the bed beside him.
"Do you remember what we talked about?" she asked.
"Yeah," Harry said, "I'm guess that you didn't turn off Ron?"
Hermione looked up at him, like she was searching for something, and then blushing slightly. She had a weird look in her eyes. "That's not what I meant."
"What, then?" asked Harry, confused. Hermione sighed.
"That Occlumency thing, remember?"
"Oh… yeah…" said Harry, frowning. He deeply regretted telling her that he wanted to learn Occlumency now!
"You promised!" exclaimed Hermione, clearly seeing the expression in Harry's face.
"'Mione…" Harry pleaded, and gave her his best puppy eyes.
"Don't "Mione' me!" snapped Hermione. "You promised!"
"Okay, okay," surrendered, Harry and shrugged. Hermione smiled cunningly.
"I've looked it up again, and it's not really a hard spell to do. The hard part would be to end it, but that would be okay. So- do you want to start now?"
Harry gulped. "Huh?"
"Right now."
"Not really, I was -eh- going up to se Buckbeak!"
Hermione gave him a look that matched Harry's when she had entered the room. "Buckbeak can wait."
Harry lowered his head, a little vexatious. He could never win an argument with Hermione. Hermione pulled him up so they were both standing in the middle of the room.
"Erm, there's something I want to give you," she said, and blushed deeply for some reason. Harry eyes her curiously as she pulled something out from her pocket. "It's your birthday present. I wanted to give it to you when we were in that restaurant, but after everything that happened, I didn't see it right to give it to you then. I'm so sorry, I should've give it to you before." Hermione sighed nervously and gave the wrapped present to Harry, who could only stare at it. He had completely forgotten that he hadn't gotten a present from her. And if he had remembered, he would've expected a book or something. This was certainly not a book.
"Oh," he said, and smiled, "that's okay."
He opened it carefully, and what he saw made his breath stop. She had gotten him a beautiful, silver watch. But not an ordinary one, no... on it he saw four hands, with the names: Hermione, Ron, Ginny and himself. There were also two more hands, but they were nearly invisible, and they didn't have any names on. Around it, where there usually would be numbers, he saw letters like; 'School', 'Home', 'On Visit', 'Lost', 'Danger', and 'Mortal Peril'. Right now the green hands with Hermione, Ron and Ginny were on 'On Visit.' The clock was in many ways similar to the clock Mrs Weasley had in the Burrow, Harry realised.
"Hermione!" he said in astonishment, "that must've been really expensive! You shouldn't give something like that to me!"
Hermione smiled warmly, and placed her hand on his arm. "It's okay, I wanted to give something special for a change. You deserve it."
"Thank you," whispered Harry, his attention half on the clock and half on her hand. He made a mental note that he needed to find something just as special to Hermione's next birthday in September.
"The clock will glow red if any of us are in danger, and green when we are nearby, like it does now." Hermione explained. "I also think it would get warm, so you'll notice. Do you like it?"
He stared at her in amusement. "Like it? Like it? Hermione- I love it! This is amazing! Where did you get it?"
Hermione smirked. "I asked Mrs Weasley, and she told me about a store in Diagon Alley where she got hers from. I went there and bought it a couple of days before I went to your place."
Harry shook his head. "You're really something, Hermione..."
"Thanks," Hermione grinned, looking deep into his eyes. "So, are you ready yet?"
"Ready for what?" said Harry, his mind elsewhere.
"Occlumency…?"
"Oh, right," Harry laughed faintly, "I guess I am." He put the watch around his wrist, and felt his nerves calm down a little.
"You know how it works?" Hermione asked but she didn't wait to hear the answer. "I'm going to say 'Legilimens', and then you're going to try to block me out. Er… I haven't tried it before, but I think I can do it."
"You think? You are going to enter my brain and you think you can do it right?" Harry half-joked, but he didn't question her any further. He had never seen Hermione not managing something. Except with the Dementors in third grade that was, he suddenly remembered and got nervous again.
Hermione let go of his arm. "Yes. But you have to do your best to block me out. The book says you need to think about as few things as possible, and not let your mind wander. If you do, you have lost... ready?"
"I'm ready," said Harry, and concentrated on keeping his head blank. He didn't succeeded properly though, because as soon as he heard Hermione say 'Legilimens!' he felt his thoughts wander.
He was one: Flash of green light. A flying motorcycle... (Hadn't he seen that before?) He was seven: Dudley and his gang were chasing him around the schoolyard, beating him up. He was eleven: Hagrid knocking the door down in the small hut… King's Cross station…
Suddenly Harry felt his mind jump, and things were happening much faster: Voldemort out of Quirrel's head… Tom Riddle, motionless Ginny on the floor, the basilisk…
Every thought were just flash of images… Trelawney's second prophecy… Dementors… Sirius… Horntail… Second task, seeing Hermione and Ron sleeping under the water, next to Cho and Gabrielle… Voldemort! Cedric on the ground beside him, his eyes open with surprise, staring at him… mouth open… Duelling with Voldemort… His mum and dad… Getting away…
Stop it! thought Harry desperately. He didn't want to do it anymore!
Fifth year…The Thestrals… The DA… Umbridge… I must not tell lies…seeing his dad in Snape's memory… Hermione hit by a curse… Sirius duelling… Falling through the veil… Harry chasing Bellatrix… His first attempt on an Unforgivable… Voldemort and Dumbledore duelling... Voldemort possessing him… AH! The pain! He and Hermione kissing… Kingsley hit by the Killing curses, falling dead on the floor… Killing Parvati… No, that's final; no more… he had to stop it…
Harry, standing in front of Mrs Black's painting…
NO! shouted Harry, but no sound came out of his mouth, I can not let her see that! Harry blocked her out with every bit of strength and willpower he had, and slowly, very slowly, he began to see the room more clearly, to see Hermione… She was on her knee with her eyes closed, a pained expression on her face. He felt his thoughts wander back to where they was - he shouting at the painting - but he was not letting her see anymore… She had seen enough… Instead Harry tried to imagine Sirius, like he remembered him when Sirius was happy. But the thoughts soon shifted to see Sirius falling through the veil once again.
Harry was getting tired now; he wasn't sure how much more he could handle. He was very tempted to just letting Hermione see whatever she wanted to see, and get over with it. Surely she must be getting tired too?
But just in the moment Harry decided to do just that, he saw something else take form in his head. It was Nagini, Harry realised, as the snake took form and hissed.
"Hello Potter… slept well?"
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked.
The snake snickered. "The question is not what I am doing here, the question is what she is doing here… Why is she in your mind?"
Harry snorted. "We're practising."
"Practising what?" The snake hissed. "If there's Occlumency you're talking about then you're not doing a good job. Even I can reach you."
"I'll snap out of it, then!" Harry hissed back, and focused hard on taking a step forward. It was like walking in a steam; it was nearly impossible, but finally Harry felt his foot left the ground and he took a step forward, only to fell over. He took some deep, calming breaths before he looked over at Hermione, who looked like she was beaten up. She was on the floor and shivering badly. Small sobs escaped from her lips.
Harry stared dumbfounded at her for some seconds, but quickly got up and lifted her up from the floor and placed her on his lap, rocking her back and forth like she was a little child. Her sobbing slowly subsided.
"I'm sorry," she choked out, "I should've ended it earlier, but I c-couldn't d-do it, and…" She hiccupped.
"It's okay, 'Mione," said Harry, and stroke her hair absently behind her ear. He was pretty shaken too, but he had, after all, gone through these memories over and over in his dreams more times than he could count already. He was beginning to get used to them.
He kept rocking her back and forth until she stopped shaking completely and got up. She smiled weakly up at him.
"What a first lesson, huh?" she tried to joke.
"Yeah…" mumbled Harry, worried about how much she had seen. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
Hermione looked up at him. Harry was startled to see that se was a little black under her eyes. Was she wearing mascara? He wondered. He remembered Petunia always used to complain to go outside when it rained, because of her make-up.
"No, I don't think so. Maybe later, thank you for asking though," said Hermione, biting her lip. Harry realized he rarely asked her that question. Actually, he couldn't remember ever asking her that. Nor could he remember Ron asking. He felt a pang of guilt. Hermione asked that question all the time. But with Harry and Ron, they only asked her things like 'did you get hurt? Are you alright?' When they were doing or had done something dangerous. Harry made another mental note to himself. He had to ask her that question more often.
"Oh," said Hermione, as if she just remembered something important. "Arthur told me to tell you we're going to have someone from school over. He wouldn't go into details, but it had something to do with a family being attacked."
Harry looked at her question. Sure he would've known it already? Hermione seemed to know what he was thinking.
"You didn't know?"
Harry shook his head.
"Maybe it happened when you were awake?" Hermione suggested. Harry just shrugged his shoulders. He would've thought that he would have felt something in his scar, but on the other hand, maybe Voldemort had found a way for blocking it? He wondered which family that had been attacked this time.
They didn't say anything for a while, but Harry felt Hermione looking at him when she thought he didn't notice. That made Harry even more uncomfortable, but he tried not to think about it too much. He didn't know how much Hermione had seen under their not-so-successful practice, but she had seen more than she should have.
After a while, Ron and Ginny came up to talk to them. Only Ginny seemed to notice something had happened.
-
-
It wasn't until three hours later that Mrs Weasley interrupted them and said that the guest would be arriving any minute. Harry was glad for the interruption, sense the conversation had come dangerously close to what happened to Mrs Black's painting. Harry could tell that even Hermione, who had been unusually quiet the whole time, also was interested to know what had happened to the painting.
"Maybe you should greet them alone?" suggested Mrs Weasley friendly, but Harry could tell it was more than a request.
"All right, Mrs Weasley," said Harry, and got up from the floor.
"Just Molly, dear," she said, and Harry disappeared out of the door and downstairs.
Only after a couple of minutes Harry heard a soft knocking on the door. That went quick, he thought with surprise and opened it.
What he saw made his mouth drop. On the left side of Remus Lupin Harry saw a girl with long, black hair that he had never thought he would see again
The person standing beside Remus Lupin was Parvati Patil.
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