𝐕𝐈. 𝐍𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐄 ➵ 𝐏𝐉𝐎 𝐱 𝐇𝐏

008.

 ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

⟻ NEPENTHE ⟼

008.

the split.

——— ☾𖤓 ———

HARRY HAD GIVEN A CRY OF PAIN; His scar had burned against as something flashed across his mind like a bright light on water. He saw a large shadow and felt a fury that was not his own pound through his body, violent and brief as an electric shock.

"What did you see?" Ron asked, advancing on Harry. "Did you see him at my place?"

"No, I just felt anger—he's really angry—"

"But that could be at the Burrow," said Ron loudly. "What else? Didn't you see anything? Was he cursing someone?"

"No, I just felt anger—I couldn't tell—" Harry felt badgered, confused, and Hermione did not help as she said in a frightened voice, "Your scar, again? But what's going on? I thought that connection had closed!"

"Hold up, what?" Evan raised up a finger, eyebrows furrowed as the rest of the boys turned to look at Harry. "What are we talking about? What connection?"

"Harry's been having visions—" Hermione started off hesitantly, glancing at the bespectacled boy, "Since first year, whenever You-Know-Who is close or around, his scar starts hurting. But since the end of fourth year— after he came back, Harry's been having visions. Like looking through his eyes."

Regulus glanced at both Barty and Evan, a glint in his eyes. The two other boys sent him a barely noticeable nod, indicating that they were, indeed, thinking of the same thing.

"It's not always." Harry insisted, glancing at them nervously as if afraid that they'd kill him in an instant. "Recently I've just been able to feel what he's feeling, not visions."

"But you said it closed!" Ron exclaimed.

"It did, for a while," muttered Harry; his scar was still painful, which made it hard to concentrate. "I-I think it's started opening again whenever he loses control, that's how it used to—"

"But then you've got to close your mind!" said Hermione shrilly. "Harry, Dumbledore didn't want you to use that connection, he wanted you to shut it down, that's why you were supposed to use Occlumency! Otherwise Voldemort can plant false images in your mind, remember—"

"Yeah, I do remember, thanks," said Harry through gritted teeth; he did not need Hermione to tell him that Voldemort had once used this selfsame connection between them to lead him into a trap, nor that it had resulted in Sirius's death.

"Then you're going to learn again." Regulus' cold voice joined in the conversation. "I've mastered the arts of Occlumency since the age of sixteen. You will learn from us." Regulus gestured to himself and his fellow Death-Eaters.

Evan shrugged in agreement while Barty rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.

He wished that he had not told them what he had seen and felt; it made Voldemort more threatening, as though he were pressing against the window of the room, and still the pain in his scar was building and he fought it: It was like resisting the urge to be sick.

He turned his back on Ron and Hermione, pretending to examine the old tapestry of the Black family tree on the wall. Then Hermione shrieked: Harry drew his wand again and spun around to see a silver Patronus soar through the drawing room window and land upon the floor in front of them, where it solidified into the weasel that spoke with the voice of Ron's father.