Occlumency Opportunity

Chapter 5

A/N: The Flashback portion of the chapter belongs to @hufflepuff4ever93. All credits go to them for that portion.

Previous: As Snape dragged Harry to his office, he stated, "I do not like you, mister Potter, but what that ministerial toad allows herself is too much!" 

"Professor!" Harry protested indignantly. "You're hurting me!"

Present

"Hurting you?" Snape turned around. "No, Mr. Potter. I'm simply doing what I should have done a long time ago."

After that cryptic remark, they walked in silence until they reached Snape's office.

"Sit down," he growled at Harry as he went to his Potions cupboard and grabbed Murtlap Essence before pouring it into a bowl. "Put your hand into it...your scarred  hand," he added gently. 

Harry nodded and did so. 

"How long has this going on?" he asked the scarred, petite noirette.

"S-since the first class with Umbridge," Harry stuttered out.

His expression inscrutable, he sat behind his desk and steepled his hands under his chin.

"Has she done this to other students as well?" he quizzed Harry.

"Yes," Harry replied softly.

Snape opened his desk drawer and sifted through the items until he found a spare piece of parchment, ink and a quill.

"Names?" he ordered, the quill poised over the parchment. 

"Cho Chang," Harry began. "Colin Creevy, Dennis Creevy, Astoria Greengrass, Lee Jordan, Fred and George Weasley,  Luna Lovegood, Pavarti Patil, Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Hannah Abbot, and Susan Bones." 

Snape froze at the mention of Astoria Greengrass, the lone Slytherin in the list of mostly Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs.

"Legilimens" Snape quietly muttered and dove into Harry's memory of how he met Astoria Greengrass. 

Flashback

Harry's hands were shaking in anger as he walked out of Umbridge's office. He had been ambushed by Umbridge who had made him do detention for the last three hours, but as he had entered her horrid pink room with the hundreds of cats, he saw a blonde, little Slytherin second year leaving. She had been crying and cradling her hand, as Harry had done many times before (not the crying part. He didn't cry). Harry had looked at her hand as he was passing her to get to his usual seat. It had said something along the lines of "I am not worth being noticed." Harry seethed, furious. He knew that the Gryffindors often got this sort of treatment, but never the younger years. Harry guessed that Gryffindors were just more proactive in taking the blame quickly, or distracting Umbridge from what they had done previously.

 Harry ended up searching the corridors for the little blonde, knowing that it was a stupid idea, and in all likelihood she had gone to the Slytherin common rooms. Trying to find her proved harder than anticipated. He had searched all through the library, through the dungeons, and now he was searching the staircases. Generally Harry didn't approach the younger years because they ended up looking at him either as though he was some sort of mini dark lord in the making or with so much hero worship that Harry wished he had never gotten his scar. At one point, before Hogwarts, Harry had actually liked his scar, before it became a reminder that his parents had died because of him that he was famous, that he was different, even in the wizarding world.

 Harry finally heard some sniffling coming from one of the top staircases that had a large window overlooking the courtyard, and in the distance, the forbidden forest and Hagrids hut. Harry approached cautiously, hoping it was the little blond girl. There she was, still cradling her hand, and crying, her eyes puffy and red, and legs drawn up to her chest.

"You know, murtlap essence works well on cuts like that." Harry said softly. She jumped up, pulling out her wand, and aiming it at Harry, she arm trembling

"What do you want?" she squeaked. Harry held up his hands in surrender, and continued in a conversational tone, hoping that she wouldn't curse him.

"Just telling you about the murtlap essence and wondering what you did to piss Umbridge off so much. You know, it takes a special kind of person to do that. Someone who is most definitely not worthless." The girl lowered her wand and gave him a tremulous smile.

"Thanks. I'm Astoria Greengrass." Harry smiled back, albeit weakly

"Harry. Thanks for not hexing me to bits." Harry learned a long time ago not to add on his last name if he didn't want the baggage that came with it. Astoria's smile became more genuine.

"Yeah I've learned a few good ones." Harry nodded and searched through his bag to find his own container of murtlap. He tossed it to her

"Catch." She did so, with surprising grace.

"That'll get rid of any chance of scars. If it still hurts afterwards, get a bruise balm from Madam Pomfrey, or Snape, as he's your head of house, and probably won't mind helping you out." Harry told her. She nodded, and bit her lip, she seemed to be hesitant to ask a question.

"Anything else you need?" Harry asked her, prompting gently. She appeared to think about it for a minute then burst out

"Can you help me find my way back to the Slytherin common room? I mean I know I'm a second year, but I can't remember the way back, maybe Umbridge is right, I'm useless." Tears filled her eyes as she burst into tears and fled into Harry's arms. Harry patted her back awkwardly. He never did know how to deal with emotional girls, or hugs at that, even though he should probably be used to both by now, due to Hermione's many outbursts.

"You're not useless, don't listen to that cow. Even now I get lost every once in a while, how can I not, with those insane staircases. It's not a big deal. And yeah, I can help you get back." After he had convinced Astoria to stop crying and clinging onto him like some demented monkey, they walked back to the Slytherin common room in silence. Harry knew that going to the Slytherin common room was practically suicide for him, but what else could he do? Tell Astoria to find it on her own? That wasn't who Harry was, so yes. He was walking into a den of snakes. Knowingly.

Harry was jerked out of his thoughts when he heard

"Potter? What are you doing down here?" Ahead of him he saw a Slytherin in his year. What was his name again? Tony Bott? No that wasn't it. Theodore Nott? That sounded right. Harry didn't know him well, so he looked over to Astoria, giving her the chance to answer him.

"Oh Theo! I got lost, and Harry found me! He was helping me find my way back to the common room." Astoria gave Nott a huge smile. Nott's eyes, that were hard when they first saw Harry, softened.

"That's good Tori. I can take her back from here." This last part was significantly colder and directed to Harry, who nodded, and said "Don't forget to get that bruise balm Astoria, I'll see you later." And with that he turned around and left, listening to the fading sound of Astoria's chatter and Nott's quiet replies. It was time to do a Hermione and do some research.