Harry Potter and the Past That Never Was

Once inside Snape's office, the Potions Master pointed his wand to his door and cast the Muffliato charm on it. "We wouldn't want any one to just happen by and hear things they shouldn't," he said, looking directly at Harry.

"It is possible?" Harry asked him. "I mean to be able to communicate with each other using Legilimency?"

"I'm frankly surprised you've yet to try," Snape said, sitting down at his desk, and gesturing for the two first years to do the same. "You're certainly more adept at Occlumency than I'd estimated." Then he looked at Draco. "Your mother however, never taught you to project thoughts and memories when she taught you."

"No," Draco said. "She just taught me how to close my mind and to passively probe another's mind."

"Did she?" Snape raised an eyebrow. "I'm impressed. However, to attempt communication in that fashion, you'll need to know how to project your thoughts. Mister Potter, because of the wound the Dark Lord gave him is able to detect an attack before it comes. He's able to project his thoughts."

"So that's how you knew to look for me in Diagon Alley?" Draco asked him. "I wondered about that when I saw you both looking around all of a sudden."

"Yes." Harry nodded. "Will you teach me passive probing, Professor?"

"Since you've managed to find a free period," Snape smiled, "perhaps it should be spent learning something of that nature."

"How is it done?" Harry asked him.

"Passive Legilimency involves not verbalizing your intentions," Snape said. "It means you cast the spell with neither your voice, or your wand."

"Try it," Snape said. "Focus on me, and the incantation is Legilimens."

They spent the rest of the period trying, failing, and trying some more. By the end of the hour, Draco was able to project thoughts and Harry was able, if only just, to get into Snape's mind.

"That's not a poor start for a first attempt," Snape commented. "As always however, the key is practice."

"Now to figure out how to teach Hermione," Harry said.

"You will find," said Snape, "Miss Granger is more accomplished at Occlumency than either of you. However, she's yet to show the slightest bit of an ability to use Legilimency."

"That would mean..." Draco started.

"It would mean she will not be able to initiate contact, but could communicate if someone else had the ability," Snape answered.

"But we still have to have eye contact?" Harry asked.

"Ordinarily, yes." Snape nodded as he steepled his fingers in front of his face. "However, as I observed in the past, the wound the Dark Lord inflicted upon you has left you with certain abilities. The ability to see his thoughts from hundreds of miles away is one such departure from what is generally considered normal."

"How would I go about finding out?" Harry asked. "I mean casting the spell."

"It's likely to involve concentrating on the person you wish to contact from a distance," said Snape.

Harry may have tried it right then, but Snape told them the period was nearly up and they both had another class to attend before lunch. "And DO try not to appear too advanced," Snape said as he let them out of his office.

"That would eliminate the need for the Room of Requirement," Draco said. "Good one, Potter."

"You know," said Harry, "it occurs to me if we're going to appear to be friends, we should all be using first names."

"Probably," Draco said. "Let's see if we can catch up with Grang... ahhh... Hermione and let her know what's going on."

"She can be worse than Snape when it comes to lectures though," Harry laughed. "I'd rather have detention than have to listen to her go on about something."

"There you are!" Hermione's voice sounded from somewhere behind them.

"Uh oh," Harry murmured, as they both turned around to see an exasperated Hermione bolting toward them.

"What were you two thinking?" she demanded, glaring at both of them.

"Are you going to spank us, Mother?" Draco asked, with a little smirk.

"We didn't think," Harry said. "And Snape already gave us an earful."

Hermione grabbed each of their arms and pulled them aside away from the traffic. "I'll have you two geniuses know your little conversation this morning on the way to class was heard by one Pandora Wheeler." She glared at Harry. "You obviously didn't notice she was only two steps behind you."

"Wonderful," Draco muttered. "How much did she actually hear?"

"Enough to know you're seventeen-year-olds in eleven-year-old bodies," Hermione said icily. "And now SOMEONE is going to have to do damage control." She looked pointedly at Harry. "And that will be you."

"Why me?" Harry wanted to know. "You're in her house."

"Because I'm not the one who doesn't know how to keep my thoughts to myself when other people might hear," she replied. "You caused it, now you deal with it."

"Speaking of..." Draco stopped her... then sent the thought, "Pinch Harry's arm if you hear me." Hermione looked at Draco as he raised his eyebrows, and then turned to Harry and pinched his arm hard.

"Ow!" Harry exclaimed, rubbing his arm. "What was that for?"

"For being a prat," Hermione said, but grinned in spite of herself. "Does Harry know how?"

"A little," Harry said, getting the idea of what just happened. "Draco is better at it than I am, though." Then he sent to Hermione, "We'll be in Snape's office learning this during flying lessons."

"I'll have to try getting out of flying lessons as well then," she sent back. Harry nodded at Draco, indicating Hermione was able to communicate.

"That will make our conversations safer," Draco said.

"I told you she was worse than Snape when it comes to giving lectures," Harry said. "Almost as good as McGonagall, in fact."

"If I didn't have to spend all of my time keeping you two out of trouble, perhaps we could get something constructive done," she shot back.

"I don't know," Draco said. "We've done all right so far."

"Yes," Hermione admitted. "But really, you've got to be more careful."

"I know," Harry nodded.

After an uneventful Charms class, everyone started to make their way to the Great Hall for lunch. "How much do you think I should tell Pandora?" Harry whispered to Hermione.

She only shrugged and said, "Figure out how much she's already guessed and use your judgement."

As luck would have it, when Harry was about to walk up to her and ask to talk, she was suddenly in a crowd of older girls. However, Pandora caught his eye and was able to remove herself from the group as Harry got near.

"Hi," Harry said, uncertainly. "My friend Hermione tells me you are good at potions. I can use some help if you're free." It was the best Harry could think of to not make anyone suspicious.

"I charge a galleon for three lessons," she said with a smile. "But I'm available if that's what you meant."

"That's what I meant," Harry agreed.

"I can meet you here after classes this afternoon," Pandora said. "I'd like to have lunch."

"Come with me," Harry suggested. "I think I know a place to have lunch." The older girl regarded him for a moment, and then said, "All right, then."

"Where are we going?" Pandora seemed to be drawing back away from Harry as they got to the seventh floor.

"There's a special room here," Harry replied and started thinking, "I need a place to have a private lunch with someone," as he started pacing back and forth near where he knew the entrance to be. After three or four passes, Pandora gasped as a door appeared out of nowhere. Harry opened the door and waited for Pandora to enter and he did so behind her.

The room was done up in what looked like a quiet, romantic restaurant. There was a round, linen-draped table with two candles in the center, which was the only light available in the room. In addition, there was soft music coming from some unseen place.

"What is this place?" She looked around, unsure of what to do.

"It's called the Room of Requirement," Harry said. "It will become exactly what you need, when you need it."

"Oh?" Pandora said; her eyebrows arched high. "And you feel you need a place to seduce me over candlelight, do you?"

"No!" Harry said at once, feeling his face grow hot. "I needed a place to have a private lunch, apparently it misunderstood."

"I'm only teasing you," Pandora giggled. "Can anyone come here?"

"Not now," Harry said. However, the thought occurred to him the room hadn't misunderstood at all. "But yes, if you know where to walk anyone can use this room."

"Wow," she said sitting down at the table and picking up a little menu that was placed on a place setting. "I've never known this room existed. And you, a first year, knows." Pandora said pointedly.

"Yeah," Harry said, sitting down opposite her. When he looked up at her across the table he was suddenly engulfed with several impure thoughts. "We need more light, I think," he said, and as needed, the room became more brightly lit, but he felt somehow smaller.

"The candles were nice though," Pandora said.

"Too nice," Harry said wistfully. He picked up his own menu and was gazing at it.

"So do we just wait to be served?" she asked.

"Oh," Harry said, he'd seen this once before at the Yule Ball in fourth year. He looked down at his plate and said to it, "Fried chicken." A fried chicken lunch appeared on his plate.

"How nice," she said, looking down at her own plate, and said, "Garden salad." When it appeared, she said, "This is shaping up to be a most interesting date."

"This is not a date," Harry said, shaking his head.

"No, I know a date when I'm on one," Pandora smiled at him. "And this, my little dreamboat, is a date."

Harry sighed, still not able to figure out the inner workings of a teenage girl's mind.

"No, I think you already know why I asked you to come here with me," Harry said, businesslike.

"I have an idea," Pandora nodded. "But I still have to take the Mickey out of you. You're too cute when you blush." She laughed as he blushed again.

"How much did you actually hear?" Harry asked her.

"I was right behind you when you and that Slytherin boy started talking," Pandora said. "I only decided to follow when you started saying some interesting things."

"Okay," Harry said. "Then you heard it all, I'll need to fill in the blanks." Which he spent the next few minutes doing. Much to his surprise the girl didn't seem the least bit shocked.

"Do you know what Deja Vu is?" she asked him when he was done.

"I think so," Harry said. "That's seeing things happen, and having the feeling they've happened before."

"Yes," Pandora nodded. "When the first years came in last night, I had a sense of Déjà vu, and it involved you. But when you looked at me and smiled, it was different."

"The first time, I was uncomfortable with everyone watching me. I only looked straight ahead," Harry told her.

"When Hermione was sorted into Ravenclaw that somehow didn't seem right either," she went on. "I've had the feeling something weird has been happening since the train."

"Do you by any chance, have the Second Sight?" Harry wanted to know.

"Trelawney thinks so," Pandora said. "But I'm not sure if that's what it is. I can't tell the future, but I experience Deja Vu frequently and can easily tell when something is out of sort."

"As if the universe isn't situated properly?" Harry asked. "You have some sort of gift."

"But you have a larger problem, and it involves what you are going to do with me, right?" asked Pandora.

"Yes," Harry admitted.

"Is my memory going to be erased?" she wanted to know; now she did look a little frightened.

"What?" Harry asked. "No, why would we do that?"

"To keep your secret," Pandora said. "It's what I would do in your place."

"Have you told anyone else?" Harry wanted to know.

"No," she said. "I had double Defense Against the Dark Arts this morning and it's O.W.L. year for me. No time to talk to anyone, was there?"

"Then how did Hermione know you heard us this morning?" Harry wanted to know.

"When I stopped following you, she was right behind me," Pandora said.

"Ah," Harry said. "Even if we were to have the memory wiped from your mind you'd still walk around knowing something isn't right."

"Likely so, yes," she agreed.

"Here's what we're planning." He outlined the idea for building a network of allies. "You could join us. You'll only be here three more years, so we'd have another ally outside of school. We're trying to unite all four houses, but our ultimate goal is to eventually control the Ministry."

"Planning to take over the wizarding world?" she asked.

"Planning to stop You-Know-Who from taking over the wizarding world," Harry said. "The Ministry has proven able to be penetrated by his followers."

"And you're going to trust me to keep this secret of yours?" Pandora asked him.

"That is what friends and allies do," Harry said. "They keep each other's secrets."

"Are you going to make me do the Unbreakable Vow?" she wanted to know

.

"No," Harry said laughing. "Nor are we going to threaten you with torture, if you join us, wonderful. If you don't, we'll cope with it."

"Fair enough," Pandora said. "Then I would be happy to enlist in Dumbledore's Army."

"Hold on," Harry said after a moment or two of silence. "That name has never been mentioned."

"So it hasn't," Pandora said with a shrug.

"Tit for tat is it?" Harry mused. "You can do more than just experience Deja Vu."

"Caught me," Pandora smiled. "The centaurs don't have an exclusive on how to read the stars. But their knowledge is far more complex."

"Yes," Harry said, remembering the classes with Firenze.

"I do however, find it quite interesting how when you said you needed to have a private lunch, it gave you a room intended to seduce a girl. Soft music, candlelit table," Pandora said.

"Yeah, ahhh," Harry said. "Since you heard everything this morning you should already know why." He blushed again.

"And that is why," Pandora said softly, her green eyes sparkling, "We did not need more light." With that, the room darkened except for the candle. "You see, across this table, in this light. I see you as a seventeen-year-old." Harry DID feel as if the room had gotten a little smaller.

"I don't know if I could even..." Harry started, but Pandora cut him off, and cut him off by placing her lips against his own.

"It's all in your mind, Harry Potter," Pandora whispered, as she got up after the kiss. "You should trust it." Then the door opened and Harry found himself alone.

Floating back to the Great Hall, Harry's feet could not have touched the ground at that moment so yes; he floated back to the Great Hall. As he entered, he saw Hermione sitting with Draco, Dean, Parvati and Ron, at the Ravenclaw table. Looking around, Harry noticed that it was mostly the first years, but there were several other groups of people from different houses sitting at tables other than their own house. They definitely accomplished quite a bit in one day they'd been at Hogwarts.

"Hey, Harry!" called Seamus, who was sitting with Crabbe, Neville, and Goyle at the Slytherin table. "Over here, mate." Harry walked over to the Slytherin table and sat with them.

"That was one cool bit of flying you and Malfoy did this morning," Crabbe said.

"Thanks," Harry said. "We couldn't let Neville break his neck or anything."

"So?" Draco's voice was in his head.

"Nothing to worry about," he thought back. "She has some sort of talent."

"Oh do tell," Draco said; he could almost feel him leering.

"Not that kind of talent, you git," he thought back. "She has some sort of ESP, I think."

"Yeah, thanks a lot," Neville was saying. "I was just standing there listening to Madame Hooch, then all of a sudden I'm in the air."

"You should have seen the look on your face," Goyle told him. "You looked as if You-Know-Who himself was guiding your broom." Everyone laughed. Harry noticed Flint, an older Slytherin, look over at the group with obvious distaste.

"It was weird," Neville went on. "There's Madame Hooch telling me to get back down, then there's Harry and Draco right next to me."

"Hermione, can you hear me?" Harry concentrated hard on picturing Hermione's face, as she was facing away from him.

"Yes!" Hermione's voice sounded excited in his head. "Oh Harry, you can do it without seeing me."

"It seems so," he thought back. "Listen. Pandora is on board with us and knows everything. She has some sort of ESP talent; I'm not sure exactly what, but it's safe for you to talk to her."

"Okay, Harry," Hermione said. "But you know divination is a load of baloney."

"This is not divination she can do," Harry thought back. "There's definitely something there. Something powerful."

"All I knew," Harry told his group, "is it looked like he wasn't in control of his broom."

"If you say so, Harry," Hermione's thoughts sounded condescending.

"Don't 'If you say so, Harry' like that, Hermione," Harry thought back angrily. "TALK TO HER YOURSELF!"

"All right, all right," Hermione thought back to him. "I'll talk to her, sorry."

"I wonder," thought Harry to himself then started concentrating hard on Pandora.

"Can you hear me?" he thought.

"You know perfectly well telepathy is impossible, Harry Potter," Pandora's voice said to him. "So no, I can't sense your voice in my head asking me if I can hear you."

"I know what your talent is now, anyway," Harry thought to her. "Other than being a smart alec."

"Oh do you?" Pandora asked. "Harry, it was only one kiss," she told him teasingly.

"Legilimency," he said. "Do you know what that is?"

"No," she thought. "What is it?"

"The ability to see inside someone's mind," Harry said. "I think that's what you can do."

"Where are you anyway?" she wanted to know.

"In the Great Hall," he thought back. "Where are you?"

"In my room," she told him. "Is there any way I can verify this?"

"Professor Snape can help," thought Harry. "He's very good at Legilimency and Occlumency."

"What is Occlumency?" Pandora asked him.

"The ability to close your mind to a hostile attack." he told her.

"Oh you mean to keep people from seeing things like this?" Pandora projected an image of she and Harry doing....

"Pandora!" Harry said in shock.

"Oops," she giggled in his mind. "Was that too naughty?"

"Much too naughty," Harry agreed.

"Well, now that you as Muggles would say, have my number," Pandora thought to him. "Feel free to call me anytime."

"Okay, I will. Talk to Professor Snape though," Harry told her.

"Okay," she said. "Bye dreamboat."