|| Star-Crossed ||

16

Legilimency

TIME JUMP: 2 MONTHS
CAROLINE POTTER

"Excellent work today everyone. Keep practicing. I'm proud of all of you." Harry said. Everyone clapped and then we started to leave. It's been 2 months since Dumbledore's Army started and we get bigger and better everyday. There are now 28 people and we practice almost everyday. The only hard thing about this, is keeping it a secret. Umbridge is hunting us nonstop and the Inquisitorial Squad follows us around everywhere. The worst part is having to lie to Draco.

We all headed for the Great Hall and sat down for dinner. We ate and talked and it was nice to just relax. Then everyone went quiet. I turned around and Draco was behind me. "Hey Line, fancy a walk?" he asked. I smiled. "Let's go." I said. I nodded at my friends and Harry nodded back. Then I took Draco's hand and we walked outside. I noticed him glancing at me periodically and I would smile. "Why do you keep looking at me?" I said as I blushed. "You know why," he replied. We kept walking and sometimes we would talk and sometimes we wouldn't.

But I never stopped smiling.

LATER THAT NIGHT

I woke up screaming and in cold sweats. Visions of blood and Mr. Weasley and a snake flashed through my head. My scar was burning. "Caroline!" Hermione exclaimed. Her and Ginny looked frightened. She pulled my shaking body into her arms. "Harry." I said through chattering teeth. They nodded and we headed for the boys' dorms. When we got to the common rooms, we saw Ron and Harry leaving. "Where are you guys going?" Ginny asked. "Harry had a nightmare about-" he started. "Mr. Weasley." I said. He nodded. "Let's go." Ginny said. I was still in a daze as we went to McGonagall's quarters. Then to Dumbledore. Dumbledore was racing around, making arrangements to help Mr. Weasley. I was still shaking and lost. Harry was angry.

"Look at me!" he shouted. We all froze. "What's happening to us?" he asked. Just then, Snape walked in. "You wished to see me, headmaster?" he asked. "Yes, Severus. I'm afraid we can't wait any longer. Not even until morning. Take the twins now." he said. Snape just nodded. "Follow me." Snape said. "Where? Where are we going? What are we doing?" Harry asked. "Just get your sister and follow me." he snapped. I felt Harry take my hand and I let him lead me. We walked through the halls to Snape's private potions room. Then we stopped.

"I will be teaching you two legilimency. Miss Potter, you will go first. Mr. Potter, wait here." he said. I looked at Harry and he nodded. Then I followed Snape inside and he shut the door. I sat down and he grabbed his wand. "Do you know what Legilimency is?" he asked.  I nodded. "I read about it in the library. Legilimency is the act of magically navigating through the many layers of a person's mind and correctly interpreting one's findings" I said. "Correct. There is a connection between your mind and The Dark Lords. He may or may not already know of it. Pray he remains ignorant." he said. I just nodded. "So what are you going to do?" I asked. "I am going to invade your mind and you will attempt to resist," he said. "What?!" I exclaimed. No, this can't happen. "You'll be able to see my memories?" I asked. He nodded. "Which ones?" I asked. "All of them," he replied. I shook my head. "No. No, you can't do that." I said. He raised an eyebrow. "I can and I will. Do you ot realize how vulnerable you are if the Dark Lord uses this connection?" he asked. "I know but-" I started. "Let's begin" he said. I nodded. "Legilimens"

I felt him pierce through my mind and I gripped the arms of the chairs so hard my knuckles turned white. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to clear my mind. But he just looked through my mind as if he were skimming through books on a library shelf. He saw everything. He saw the good stuff and the bad stuff. Like all the times the Dursleys beat me and Harry, he saw the times Aunt Petunia burned me for making a mistake, he saw Dudley and his friends tying me up, ripping my clothes, writing freak on me. Seeing Cedric die in my head. All of it. But he also saw good stuff. Like when Hagrid came and got us. Told us we were wizards for the first time. Our first Christmas at Hogwarts. Meeting Uncle Remus. Saving Sirius and Buckbeak. Going to the Yule Ball with Max. Eventually, he came out of my head. I was panting and sweating. He just stared at me. "I told you not to look in my head." I said. Then I got up and left.

I went back to my dorm and Hermione was waiting. "Are you ok?" she asked. I shook my head. I just laid with her and she held me. "It's ok. It'll be ok." she whispered. Eventually, I dozed off.