Ace of Spades

Chapter 11

When everyone else left for St Mungo's to visit Mr Weasley, I didn't go. There was no point in me visiting him when I had never been properly introduced to him besides that one time during the summer.

During the whole winter holidays, I refused to call it the Christmas holidays anymore since I didn't celebrate it, I found more and more small trinkets being placed on the bookshelves in my bedroom. There were many different ones and Silver said that Kreacher, the HouseElf, was leaving them in here since he knew I wouldn't touch or mess with them without a good cause. Apparently, I was the most trusted one with Dark artefacts in the house. I wasn't very surprised by this, considering I liked to know what I was touching before I held anything.

The night before we would leave for Hogwarts, Molly Weasley called me down to the kitchen at a time that would be too early for dinner. I went down, finding Harry and Sirius standing with a sour Snape. He definitely looked like he didn't want to be here.

"Sit down, Miss Potter," Snape said. "We have something to discuss."

I sat down next to a sheepish Harry as Sirius put a hand on my shoulder.

"The headmaster has sent me to tell you that it is his wish for you both to study Occlumency this term,"

Harry's face was blank, "Study what?"

"Occlumency, the defence of the mind. It stops people from almost reading your mind, in the plainest terms," I told him before turning to Snape. "Are you sure I need it? I haven't got any visions from You-Know-Who before."

"You might not have before but it is a possibility that the Headmaster wants to prevent," Snape said. "Mr Potter will receive private lessons once a week, as will you, Miss Potter, though on different days. You will not tell anybody what you are doing, least of all Dolores Umbridge. You understand?"

I scowled, "As if I'd tell her anything."

"Yes," Harry said. "Who's going to be teaching us?"

"I am," He said.

"Why can't Dumbledore teach Harry?" Sirius spoke up. "Why you?"

"I suppose because it is a headmaster's privilege to delegate less enjoyable tasks," Snape said coldly. "I assure you I did not beg for the job. I will expect you at six o'clock on Monday evening, Mr Potter. And Miss Potter on Wednesday evening."

Snape stood up, his travelling cloak billowing behind him.

"Wait a moment," Sirius started as he stood up straight.

Snape barely looked at him. "I am in rather a hurry, Black...unlike you, I do not have unlimited leisure time..."

"I'll get to the point, then," Sirius said. He was actually a little taller than Snape. "If I hear you're using these Occlumency lessons to give Harry and Viktoria a hard time, you'll have me to answer to."

"How touching," Snape sneered. "But surely you have noticed that Mr Potter is very like his father? At least, Miss Potter has the decency to keep her opinions to herself within classes. Still, they're both much like their father."

"I know," Sirius gritted his teeth.

"Well then, you'll know they're so arrogant that criticism simply bounces off of them," Snape's words were like silk, almost like they were backhanded compliments towards us.

I could agree with the fact that we were arrogant. Harry was because he thought he was better than everyone because he saved the world when he was a babe. I, on the other hand, had to pretend I was the best because I couldn't show weakness. That was why I was trying so hard with my classes, trying to get the best grades and the most experience I could.