The Hidden Half-Blood Prince

Chapter 14: The Letters

Previously:
"You speak as if you know where he is," a new voice came up from behind Leo, causing him to freeze and pale.

"Oh, yes," Luna said, nearly causing me to turn as white as Leo did when he heard Thalia just now. "But I respect him too much to reveal where I discovered him. He's just beginning to heal and I don't want to cause a setback."

I take that back. She's not just wise beyond her years. She sees everything. I continued gaping at her in complete shock even as I felt the goblet in my hands get a little heavier. As if something was dropped in it.

"Done right, Occlumency can help prevent the imperius curse, which would be a huge help in the war," Penny said from atop my desk in the classroom. I sat behind her, actually sitting in the seat behind my desk."If only everyone pursued this. But you don't have a problem with that curse, do you Harry?"

"Why doesn't everyone learn it?" Harry asked curiously. He seemed more attentive now than he does in my classes sometimes. He sat in the seat right in front of Penny. It was weird to see only one student here.

"It's very difficult to learn," Penny explained. She was swinging her feet as she spoke, looking almost the perfect image of a child. "And the world has gotten too blind to take the initiative to change anything about the subjects we learn. At the very least, it should be something we learn about."

"Do you need to be a Master Occlumence to teach it?" Harry asked. "To teach it correctly?"

My eyes narrowed. Something was...off about this line of questioning. There seemed to be more behind this than what he was letting on. Then again, I could just be paranoid.

"Not really," Penny told him. "You can't really cause too much damage of any kind with a limited knowledge of the subject, it's only a matter of protecting and shielding the mind. Now, Legimency on the other hand...plenty of danger there. It invades another's mind, normally without them even knowing. Unless they do the opposite on purpose. That would be the epitome of cruelty. An unskilled Legimence can cause permanent damage to the person's mind they intrude on."

"Really?" Harry looked horrified. "How do we know Snape is a Master Legimence?"

I almost growled. I needed to have a talk with Albus, it seemed.

"A series of tests done with a Master Occlumence." Penny waved her hand dismissively. Her indifferent attitude was ruined by the worried glance she sent me over her shoulder. "We are here to help you protect your mind so stay focused."

The next few weeks saw Harry in my classroom more than usual and looking more invested than I'd seen him all year. It also saw me spending more time with my Weasley brothers and sister.

I saw a pattern with the campers as of late. That morning that they all came late to breakfast wasn't the last time. It became normal for Tuesdays through Saturdays to not see them until the last 15 minutes of breakfast. Whenever asked, they would only say they'd been by the forest. Or the lake.

The thing is, they weren't lying. About that at least. I just don't know what they're up to. Besides with Leo. I knew what he was trying to do and it was kind of annoying now. I had to keep an eye out for every puddle that may or may not hold a letter to yours truly.

I wasn't complaining that they weren't seen in the Great Hall for the majority of breakfast. It became my time to act myself with my brothers and sister and eased my nerves that they would find out who I really was.