Finding Heather

Year 5 Chapter 10

Author's Notes:

I am taking a direct section of writing straight from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, as well as paraphrasing a section of dialogue. I do not own any of this, it belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter Ten

 Taking the Knight Bus to Hogwarts was just about as much fun has Harry remembered it being. That is to say, close to none at all. Ron was excited as they boarded and climbed to the top deck, saying how he'd always wanted to ride this thing. After the third time he had to pick himself up off the floor after the bus gave one of its loud bangs and jumped, his opinion of the experience soured. Tonks managed to bride the driver into moving them up in the queue, and soon they were standing in front of the gates to the castle.

 Harry spent the rest of that Sunday dreading the following night when he would be having his first Occlumency lesson with Snape. All that day and the next members of the D.A. found him, excitedly asking if the first meeting would be tomorrow.

"I'll let you know" he told them, trying not to use the excuse Snape had given him for needing to have extra lessons with him. Zacharias Smith kept pushing however, demanding to know why Harry wouldn't set a date.

"You take remedial potions?" he asked superciliously, "Good lord, you must be terrible."

After dinner, as he left the Great Hall, the person he'd been most nervous about seeing from the D.A. approached him. Cho Chang tapped him on the shoulder on his way up the Marble Staircase.

"Hi, Harry." She said, looking decidedly uncomfortable

"Oh, Hi Cho, had a good holiday?" Harry asked

"Yeah, it was pretty quiet." She replied.

Harry hesitated not sure what to say, then decided to stop avoiding the issue. "Listen, Cho, I'm sorry about what happened."

"No, no Harry don't be. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted that way." She said, looking sad.

"I just...I don't like you that way." Harry stammered.

"I know that, part of me has known that for a while but I couldn't help but liking you."

"I hope we can be friends?" Harry offered

"Of course we can. I'll see you at the next D.A meeting." She said before hurrying away up the stairs and disappearing.

 At six o'clock Harry found himself standing outside the door to Snape's office, every fiber of his being telling him to run. The last time he had been in this office had not been a pleasant experience and He truly doubted this time would be any better. He knocked on the door and was told to enter, deciding it was better to go ahead and get it over with.

 The office was dark and cold, with shelves lining the walls full of various slimy bits in different colored potions. Snape stood in front of his desk, and Harry's attention was drawn to the low stone basin that sat on it. It was Dumbledore's pensive that he had inadvertently found himself in last year. It appears Snape had just finished siphoning off memories into it.

 Before Harry could say anything, Snape began speaking. He explained again what occlumency was and told Harry about a connection that seemed to exist between his mind and the Dark Lord's. The goal of these lessons was to teach him how to block Voldemort's access to his mind. When Snape said that he would be attempting to enter Harry's mind, a cold fear filled him. Would Snape be able to see his memories? Would he find out about Heather?

 His fear must have reached his face despite his efforts to hide it. Coldly, Snape said "You're right to be scared, Potter. Now, take out your wand. You are allowed to use it in any way you can think of to defend yourself against me. I am about to break into your mind, you are going to resist me. Brace yourself...Legilimens!"