The Boggart by TheRogueLibrarian

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Harry's eyes were filled with hidden contempt as he stared at Dumbledore, sitting across from him, them separated by his desk. This was the man who had left him at the Dursleys. This was the man who had forced him to fight Quirrelmort. This was the man who had left him to kill a basilisk. And this was the man who was currently trying to read his thoughts.

Thank god Harry didn't normally meet people's eyes or all his new secrets would have been stolen before.

No.

Harry had learned Occlumency. Really it wasn't too difficult to one so apathetic as him. Yeah. He was apathetic. Right. I hate him I hate him I hate him. Hate? That was part of apathy right? Sadness? Anger? That tint of love when Malfoy stared at you for a second too long, admiring you. Was it something on your face? Did you have a smudge on your nose? Or could it have possibly been Harry's dazzling green eyes, holding so many memories.

Harry supposed he wasn't really apathetic. He didn't care about much but he still felt emotions. He was proud to say that yesterday he had forsaken shoes once and for all!

"Uh... Harry?"

"Yeah Neville?"

"Why aren't you... wearing shoes?"

"I quit them."

Sirius hummed in the background, reading a book, every now and again twirling a lock of his messy hair in his fingers. He simply nodded slightly at the conversation. He had learnt in the past few days that Harry was slightly... strange. But that was fine. Sirius was strange too so it didn't bother him much. He was more than compensated for the strangeness by being forgiven.

"Why?"

Harry shrugged.

"Why not?"

Nasty little blighters kept trying to jump back onto his feet, luckily Harry had incendioed them quickly before they could nab a toe. Perhaps he was exaggerating.

Harry had actually learnt the skills of Occlumency because he had made techniques to cope for his relatives. Mostly blocking out pain. He could never get all of it. But it helped. Apparently it was some form of meditation. And meditation was key to Occlumency. So he learned it pretty quickly. The strangest thing was that when he was learning it he felt like he didn't want to which was weird because he absolutely did. Luckily Harry's strong sense of self overcame these... weird thoughts and he continued on well, learning it in about a month and making sure not to meet people's eyes until then.

Harry's eyes narrowed and he wrote Legilimency of a minor is illegal in bold red letters in front of his mental shield. The shock on Dumbledore's face was palpable and Harry had a hard time stopping from falling to the floor and laughing like a kookaburra or some sort of demented squirrel. He tilted his head to the side dangerously and said,

"So... Headmaster. Why did you want to see me?"

Dumbledore's 'default' persona kicked in and he smiled warmly at Harry, with his twinkling eyes and grandfatherly smile. Harry rolled his eyes and waited for him to answer the question.

"Harry, my boy, I have a few things to discuss with you. The most important being about your end of year exams. Due to your... personal reasons you haven't been attending classes so it is assumed you will need to repeat third year, or have some intensive lessons in the summer holidays."

Harry rolled his eyes again, this time the victim being McGonagall who was looking at him with an admonished frown. As if she was disappointed in him. She was attending the meeting because she was his head of house, along with Snape. Who was apparently there for emotional support. Because ever since he had been Harry's therapist he had turned into an overprotective bunny.