Occlumency Opportunity

Chapter 2

A/N: Credit for this chapter goes to Hufflepuff4ever93

What the bloody hell? the esteemed Potions Master and feared Dungeon Bat, Professor Severus Snape couldn't understand what happened. Could it be that arrogant, pampered Potter might not be so spoiled after all? Severus disregarded the thought at once. Potter had always flaunted his wealth along with his many little followers,  but....No! It could not be. Severus fought this internal battle with himself for a few more moments until he came up with an idea that during Potter's next Occlumency lesson, Severus would dredge up every possible bad memory from his childhood and put his mind at rest. Of course it would be that memory would be the worst, wouldn't it?

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That was bloody weird, Harry thought as he took the stairs two at a time to make it to Gryffindor tower before curfew.  Harry didn't normally run, he'd had enough of that when Dudley and his gang 'Harry hunted', but Snape had made him late again. Harry continued running as fast as he could, there were only minutes left, and a hell of a lot of stairs to get up from the dungeons, when he heard a voice.

"Hem hem, Potter! Why are you running around so late this evening?" Harry nearly groaned, but schooled his face into a mask of politeness and turnaround. Professor Umbridge stood by the door of her office, it all of her toadly glory, wearing a fluffy pink cardigan, and her customary creepy smile.

"Sorry Professor. I just finished remedial potions with Professor Snape, we ran a little bit late this evening." Harry said in the most polite tone he could muster, purposefully bringing up remedial potions, as she knew that Snape hated him almost as much as she did, not wanting another bloody detention with the toad. His hand was still healing from her last detention. Umbridge however smiled wider.

"Understandable, of course Potter, however, there is a strict school policy about running, so, I think, twenty points from Gryffindor, and a detention withme tomorrow, 7 o clock." Inside Harry was burning with anger, but he honestly didn't want anymore trouble tonight, it had already been exhausting so he nodded jerkily.

"May I go now Professor? I don't want to be late." Umbridge nodded, looking as if she had caught an extremely juicy fly, and Harry left, walking until she was out of sight and sprinted at full tilt up the next few floors.

"Mimbulus mimbletonia" Harry gasped out to the fat lady's portrait, and clambered inside as the portrait swung open. Harry slumped upstairs, passing Fred and George's bent heads over what must have been another of their pranks, and upstairs to the fifth year quarters, where he met Ron slumped over his desk, snoring. Ron normally stayed up long enough to talk to Harry after occlumency, but tonight Ron had fallen asleep. Harry sighed. His head hurt alot from occlumency already, and while he didn't want his friend to wake up with what might be a bloody awful ache in his neck, Harry really didn'ttalk about another abominable occlumency lesson, but...

Harry shook Ron's shoulder and slung one of Ron's arms across his shoulders.

"Wha-? 'Arry?" Ron's sluggishness helped Harry to avoid any questions while guiding his best mate to his bed.

"Go back to sleep Ron, we can talk in the morning." Harry muttered as he walked back to his own desk. Harry still had unfinished homework in potions (ugh), transfiguration and charms that he had to do. Since occlumency and Umbridge's horrible detentions started up, Harry was progressively get less and less sleep each night, especially since O.W.L's were coming up, and despite, that Ron and Hermione thought that Harry often slacked off off homework, he didn't, actually he often rather enjoyed it, other than potions. It was just that Harry had an insane amount of work, Quidditch, Occlumency, Umbridge, who's detentions often went far past midnight if she could swing it, A certain dark lord, hell bent on killing him, horrible nightmares,from Voldemort, a bruised back, that was still healing from his time with the Dursleys, and on top of that, Ron. Even though his friendship meant the world to Harry, Harry slacked off with Ron a lot, mainly because Harry was afraid to lose his first friend again, even for a moment, and often Ron seemed disappointed in Harry, when Harry wanted to buckle down and do school work. Harry sighed, it was going to be a long night.