In His Eyes

In His Eyes Chapter 02

Harry leant against the wall and sunk to the floor. How could I have been away for a year? He was sitting with his head in his hands, reeling from the conversation, when the doors to the Great Hall opened again.

'Harry?'

He looked up. Albus Dumbledore stood in front of him. 'Would you like to come to my office? I daresay it is slightly more comfortable than sitting on the cold flagstones.'

Harry looked up into Dumbledore's twinkling blue eyes and detected something unfamiliar within them. Harry frowned slightly, but obliged. Dumbledore helped him to his feet.

As they walked, Harry said, before he could stop himself, 'Why are you scared of me?'

Dumbledore stopped. For a second, his composure slipped. But then he carried on walking, ignoring Harry and his question.

They got to his office and Dumbledore spoke the password, 'Strawberry bonbon.'

They hurried into his office, and he sat down behind his desk, straightening a few items. Harry sat opposite Dumbledore in a comfy, red armchair. Dumbledore put the tips of his fingers together, and rested his elbows on his desk. For a while, they just sat staring at each other.

Harry was just beginning to feel uncomfortable, when Dumbledore said, 'I'm truly sorry, Harry, but I need to clear a couple of things up before we continue.'

Harry frowned slightly. 'Such as..?'

Dumbledore did not answer for a few moments. 'You are Harry Potter?' he said abruptly.

'Well, yes, of course I am! Why is everyone asking me that?' Harry replied irritably.

Dumbledore sighed. 'Well if you really are, and I apologise in advance if you are, then you won't mind us performing a couple of tests, just to check?'

Harry was getting worried now. What is he apologising for? What is he about to do, which is so bad that he feels he has to apologise?

'Tests?' he asked suspiciously. 'I suppose. I have nothing to hide.'

Dumbledore nodded, and called into the sudden burst of fire, (which, Harry noticed, was an emerald green colour,) 'Remus, we are ready for you,'

A second later, Remus Lupin stepped out of the flames, brushing ash from his slightly shabby robes.

'Professor Lupin!' Harry exclaimed. He hadn't seen his old teacher in what seemed like ages.

Lupin glanced at him, and eyed him warily. 'Is it him, Albus?'

'Well, that's what you are here to determine,' Dumbledore replied.

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. What now?

Lupin drew his wand and pointed it directly at Harry.

'What the--' Harry started, but Lupin cut across.

'Are you Harry James Potter?'

Harry looked at him in disbelief. Not again. 'Yes, for Merlin's sake! I am Harry James Potter!'

'If you are, then you should be able to answer the following question that only the real Harry would know.'

Harry braced himself, fearing what Lupin was about to say.

Lupin finally spoke after what seemed like hours. 'What is the location of The Order of the Phoenix's Headquarters?'

Harry sighed in relief. Dumbledore and Lupin were still glaring at him.

'The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London.' Harry was quite impressed with himself that he still remembered the words on the little slip of paper, from back in the summer.

They relaxed a little.

'You do not object to taking Veritaserum, Harry? We now know it is you, but you may be withholding information,' said Dumbledore.

'Do you honestly believe that I would do that?'

'I believe that you may have no choice in withholding it.' His expression softened. 'I think that if you do have information, you either don't remember knowing it yourself, or you are not saying anything to protect someone.'

Harry shook his head. 'This is ridiculous! Has the whole world gone crazy? I HAVEN'T BEEN ANYWHERE!' He tried to get up, but he found he couldn't move his arms or legs.

'Please be quiet, Harry, or we will have to do this by force.'

'Oh, like you haven't done already, by immobilising me? LET ME UP!'

Dumbledore's eyes lowered. 'Not until we are done here. Now will you take the Veritaserum?'

'That depends on the questions you're asking,' Harry snapped. He knew they were only doing this to check it was really him, but he hadn't been anywhere!

However, Harry agreed and opened his mouth. The potion was tipped onto his tongue, and he swallowed. A strange feeling came over him, he felt incredibly calm, but also incredibly exposed.

'You are Harry James Potter?' Lupin still kept his wand fixed on Harry.

Harry was getting annoyed. 'Yes.'

'Where have you been for the past year?'

'I haven't been anywhere! I have been at Hogwarts all this year, when I haven't been at my aunt and uncle's house, and all the years since I turned eleven.'

Dumbledore and Lupin looked at each other.

'Don't you think there's something--different--about him, Albus?' Lupin muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

'I was just thinking the very same thing,' Dumbledore replied.

'Do you think his mind has been altered?'

'Perhaps. For now, give him the antidote, I don't think we are going to get anything else out of him.' This relieved Harry immensely.

Lupin made Harry drink a second potion, and he felt secure again. Harry tried to get up; surely they would let him go now?

There was a knock at the door.

'Enter,' called Dumbledore.

It was Snape. 'You asked to see me, Headmaster?' he said in his silkiest voice. His eyes flicked from Dumbledore and Lupin, with the latter pointing a wand, and then to Harry, who was still immobilised and trying desperately to get his limbs to move.

'Yes, Severus, it is time for you to perform what we discussed last night.'

This worried Harry even more than Lupin pointing a wand at him. Snape turned around, to face Harry, and pulled out his wand. His eyes were unfathomable. Harry looked at Lupin, who avoided his eyes. Harry tried frantically to get to his pocket, but his hands still weren't moving. He then noticed his wand had been taken and placed on Dumbledore's desk. He wondered when they had had time to immobilise him and take his wand.

There was a slight pause, and then Snape bellowed, 'Legilimens!'

Harry instinctively grimaced and closed his eyes, but the sudden rush of memories he expected did not come.

He opened his eyes, and whatever he had expected, it wasn't the scene that now met his gaze.

Snape had been thrown across the room, and was getting up, with difficulty, from on top of Dumbledore's desk. Many objects had been smashed, and were lying all over the floor. Snape was mumbling to Dumbledore and Lupin, (who were helping him up) and Harry caught snippets of what he was saying.

'Couldn't break through...like running into a brick wall...he was never any good... at Occlumency... don't know what happened...' Snape got up and the three of them looked at Harry. Lupin turned to Dumbledore. Harry strained his ears to hear what he was saying.

'...an extremely strong block...'

For some reason, Harry felt confident.

'Alright,' said Snape, taking a deep breath. Then suddenly, he cried, 'Legilimens!'

The same thing happened. Harry didn't even close his eyes. He saw Snape being propelled across the room by an unseen force.

'I was led to believe, Harry,' said Dumbledore, after helping Snape off his desk for the second time, 'that you were not any good at Occlumency.'

Harry chose his words carefully. 'So was I, sir.'

He looked at his reflection in a mirror that was hanging on the wall opposite him. His forehead had sweat across it, and his scar was a raw pink colour, unlike the normal deep red. He noticed that his face had turned white.

'I've just realised what's different about him,' stated Lupin. He looked at Harry with something close to sadness. Harry could see it in his eyes. Harry was aware that he had suddenly developed a talent for reading people's feelings through their eyes.

'You may leave Harry,' said Dumbledore wearily.

Harry stood up and flexed his stiff muscles.

The door closed and Lupin carried on. 'His eyes--' Snape looked up at his words, '--they're empty, and cold. They aren't at all how they used to be.'

'Hmm,' said Dumbledore thoughtfully. 'His eyes and his sudden talent for Occlumency. As we were walking here, he could tell my exact feelings just by looking at me. Harry did not possess that attribute before he left. But, they are subconscious things. Things that he wouldn't be aware of until someone pointed them out to him. Neither develops overnight.'

~ • ~

Harry stormed down the corridors. What the hell was that all about?

He knew as much as they did about his supposed disappearance. And why were they looking at me like that? With a mixture of suspicion and fear? It wasn't his fault that Snape had been thrown across the classroom.

But he didn't regret it.

He had finally got one over on Snape.

Well, that's what they get for trying to invade my mind, he thought mutinously. But his sudden gift at Occlumency astounded and worried him. He had never practiced closing his mind, as he had been instructed to, and Dumbledore knew that.

Harry didn't feel like facing anyone, so he made his way to the owlery, to see Hedwig. She immediately swooped down at his call, hooting sleepily, and nibbled his hand affectionately, but with much more feeling than she usually did.

Stroking her head, he decided to write a note to Sirius.

Dear Padfoot,

I don't know what to do. Everyone has told me that I've been away for a whole year! But I'm sure you know that. Apparently, word has travelled fast. The thing is I haven't any idea what they're talking about.

I've just been taken in for questioning by Dumbledore, Lupin and Snape. Firstly, they asked me a question that they thought only I would know, (the location of the Headquarters) then used Veritaserum on me. Then Snape came, and tried to break into my mind! Now, as you know, I've never been any good at Occlumency, but Snape got thrown across the room! (I'm glad to have one over on him!) They also say there's something different about me, but Dumbledore dismissed me before I heard what it was.

What's going on? Have you had any word?

Write back soon,

Best,

Harry.

He gave the note to Hedwig, and watched her soar out through the hole where a window should have been, into the evening light. The sun was sinking lower in the sky. He didn't feel hungry, even though he hadn't eaten for a few days. Besides, he didn't want to face anyone after that disastrous morning, especially Dumbledore and Snape.

He made his way up to the Gryffindor common room and said the password, 'Knotgrass.'

The common room was empty; everyone would be down in the Great Hall, having dinner. Harry sank into one of the good armchairs next to the fire, and was staring into the embers, when Sirius' head appeared.

~ • ~

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