Harry Potter and the Power of Emotions

Chapter 11: Caught in a lie!

"You seem to be with your head in the clouds today, Potter," said Professor McGonagall, "I know you are soon to give your first real lesson, but that's no reason to pay no attention in my class. I'd say that you should pay extra attention in this class, because you are about to miss some good lessons."

"I'm sorry, Professor," said Harry and went back to transfiguring his racoon.

He hadn't been thinking about his first lesson. No, he had been thinking of his kiss with Luna up in the Owlery. He had thoroughly enjoyed that kiss. While he was looking out of the window of the Owlery, Luna came to stand behind him and put her arms around him. It was no longer two questions, it was a hug, a hug that warmed Harry through and through. Cho suddenly was just a pawn in his life. He had turned around and kissed Luna. After that they had gone downstairs, still holding hands.

At the 27th of September it was time. Harry would have his first real challenge as a teacher. Luckily he had only his own class that day.

"Hello, welcome to my first lesson. I want to talk to you about a very special Defence Against the Dark Arts. It's called Occlumency, and it defends your mind from external penetration. To further illustrate this I've ask for a little help of a skilled Occlumens. I only know three, but here is my assistant for today: Professor Snape!" said Harry. Neville gave a squeak in fright.

"No, Neville, he will not do anything to you," said Harry.

"Occlumency is strictly related to Leglimency, the art of penetrating the mind by thought. It usually needs eye-contact, but a very powerful and skilled Leglimens doesn't need to have eye-contact," Snape said looking at Harry. "The Dark Lord is a very skilled Leglimens, so it's very important to practice Occlumency."

"You have to clear your mind of every thought because he will attack you mostly when your mind is most vulnerable," said Harry apparently calm. "Now is there a volunteer who wants Snape to try and access their mind? Or does anyone want to be surprised when Voldemort does it to you?"

Everybody in the room flinched at the pronouncement of his name.

"I told you, not to speak his name in my presence, Potter!" growled Snape.

"Dumbledore has told me that fear of a name increases fear for the thing itself. There are defences against some curses he might use on us, creatures he might send upon us, but let us speak his name. Or better yet, let's use his real name. Tom Riddle," said Harry in an argument with Snape.

Suddenly his scar began to burn. Harry knew instantly this was not Snape's doing. HE was doing it again. Harry turned to the blackboard, and shouted: "Protego!" His scar was still prickling, but the visions had stopped. He had seen how Crabbe and Goyle were tortured.

"Hermione, clear your mind," said Harry, "Professor Snape will you ..."

"My pleasure," said Snape, "Leglimens!"

"STOP," cried Hermione.

She was on all fours, like Harry had been, when Snape had practised Leglimency on him.

"Interesting," said Snape, "I've to talk to someone about this. What was that room I found you in?"

"The Room of Requirement," stammered Hermione.

"I see," said Snape.

"As you can see Hermione had not cleared her mind properly. Now, if you want a better example, watch how Snape uses it on me," said Harry.

Again Snape called, "Leglimens!" Harry had cleared his mind, and nothing happened.

"Very good, Potter!" Snape called. "You have mastered Occlumency completely. Maybe you wish to learn Leglimency?"

"I'll talk about that after this lesson," said Harry. "The homework is a twelve inch piece about what Occlumency is. It is to be handed in to me or Professor Lupin." The bell rang.

"I'd like very much to study Leglimency. It's said that offence is the best defence. So if I learn Leglimency, I may be able to handle HIM better."

"Very well, I'll teach you. Monday at six. Remedial Potions!" sneered Snape walking out of the room with a swish of his robes.

"I think that went rather well," said Ron. But Hermione seemed still in a voice of shock by what Snape had gotten out of her.

"I never knew what you went through during those lessons with Snape. Now I know, and wish I didn't know!" she called.

Harry led them to a deserted classroom.

"When I said his real name, I thought I used Leglimency, or used the connection again. Voldemort was torturing Crabbe and Goyle. I used the Shield Charm, because that the only thing that helped during my lessons with Snape last year. The rest I just found out over the summer," said Harry.

"What did Crabbe and Goyle do wrong?" asked Ron.

"I'm not sure, but it sounded like he just found out that I was teaching here by Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione do you know if there are anti-apparating spells on Azkaban? If not then Malfoy's dad is already out, and my scar will burn again in a while."

"I guess there are, because otherwise people would have escaped sooner. But that was with the Dementors," said Hermione honestly.

"What if Voldemort turned up at Azkaban just now and freed all his Death Eaters," said Harry because he had felt a sudden feeling of happiness that was not connected to his own.

"Indeed, that is what he has done. I have to go and warn Dumbledore," said Harry.

Harry sprinted to the stone gargoyle, gave the password, and went up the stairs.

"Come in, Harry," said Dumbledore. "Professor Snape has just been to see me. He said that you would come to me very quickly because he noticed you doing something."

"Well, Voldemort tortured Crabbe and Goyle. Voldemort has freed all his Death Eaters from Azkaban. He's ecstatic just now," said Harry. "I used the Shield Charm because that helped against Leglimency when Professor Snape taught me Occlumency. Snape is willing to teach me Leglimency now."

"Severus told me. He told me exactly what you had said to him. And you have a point. Snape volunteered to teach you," Dumbledore told Harry. "I know, that's the new Remedial Potions," said Harry. Dumbledore thought about it for a minute, and Harry walked out of Dumbledore's office.

That Saturday was devoted to Quidditch practise. Ron stopped several of Ginny, Katie and Colin's Quaffles while Andrew and Jack were getting quite better at their job as beaters.

"Very good," said Harry afterwards in the changing room. "If we play like this at the match against Slytherin, we will certainly beat them. Although Malfoy isn't so cocky this time around, we still got to beat him in Quidditch!"

Harry walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room alone in the hope that he would meet Luna.

He happened to look in a classroom. He saw Snape blowing off steam towards Malfoy. Harry went to listen.

"If you kiss Granger one more time, I will put you in detention. I'll be watching the Room of Requirement very closely. If I see you and Granger ever near it together, I'll give you a month worth of detentions! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" roared Snape.

"Y-Yes, P-P-Professor," said Malfoy cowering backwards.