Chapter 222: Occlumency

After a long practice, the D.A. members left the Room of requirement in pairs. At last, only Chris, Harry, Luna, Ginny, Colin, Ron and Hermione stayed for Harry's Occlumency lesson. Hermione insisted that Harry should learn it as soon as possible so the available option was Chris.

Chris and Harry faced each other as the others practised jinxes or talked among themselves.

"So do you understand?" Chris said after explaining Legilemency and Occlumency. "You've to stop it. You are going to create a barrier in your mind to stop people from looking inside it."

Harry nodded.

"Clear your mind," Chris said pointing her wand at him "And just so you know, that I'm not good like Snape so it's possible that you will easily stop me. Ready?"

"Yeah," Harry held out his wand as well.

"Legilimens!" 

Images swarmed in front of Chris' eyes: Chris saw herself, she was telling Harry about the Prophecy. . . Dumbledore wasn't looking at Harry and he was feeling frustrated. . . Padma was standing in front of him, too close to. . .

"Sorry," Chris pulled back from Harry's mind.

"I—," Harry looked flustered. "That was — actually — "

"I know," Chris said dismissively. "You are not resisting that much. You should resist more."

Harry nodded looking away.

"Again — ready? Legilimens!"

Voldemort came out of the cauldron. . . A great black dragon was rearing in front of Harry. . . A hundred dementors were closing in on Harry beside the dark lake. . . Hermione lying on the hospital wing, petrified. . .

"Resist me, Harry," Chris said. "You can't let me see everything I want."

"I'm trying," Harry said panting. "Really."

"Sorry to interrupt," Ron called sitting on a cushion. "But Harry and I've some homework to do, so —"

"Alright, we will practice one more time then you can go," Chris said briskly. "Ready Harry?"

"Yeah, yeah," Harry closed his eyes, shook his head, then opened his eyes.

"Legilimens!"

Chris met a light resistance in Harry's brain but her legilemency was strong enough to break through it. Harry's parents were waving at him out of a mirror. . . A bulldog was chasing Harry up a tree and four people were laughing below on the lawn. . . .

Harry's resistance grew a bit and Chris pulled back.

"Not bad, were those people — ?"

"Dursleys," panted Harry.

"And the mirror?" Chris whispered.

Harry looked away. Chris felt she had asked something personal.

"You don't have to tell me, it's alright."

"It was the Mirror of Erised," Harry said walking towards an empty corner of the room.

"Mirror of Erised?" Chris followed him, out of curiosity.

"It shows us what we want to see in it," Harry said then smiled a little bit. "In Dumbledore's words, it shows us the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts."

Chris smiled because, Harry didn't always remember things word to word, it was Hermione who did that. Then she thought back about Harry's words.

"Mirror of Erised. . . deepest desire. . . erised. . . desire. . ." Chris muttered. "Of course, if you write desire backwards then it spells erised. That's genius!"

"Chris, would you want to see yourself in it?" Harry asked suddenly ignoring Chris' analysis. "What do you think you will see through it?"

"Er — me?" Chris was surprised. She didn't think about it till now. But after thinking a bit she answered. "Maybe — no."

"Why?" Harry looked at her more surprised. "Don't you want to see your wishes coming true?"

"No, to tell you the truth, I don't want to know what is my deepest desire is," Chris said with a sigh. "Because if it's something impossible then it's gonna hurt. . . bad."

"Sometimes you sound like Dumbledore," Harry said, shaking his head.

Chris chuckled.

That night Chris instructed Harry to not think anything before sleeping but she knew it was kind of impossible for Harry after seeing his parents. But she just have to keep trying.

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"Michael wants to go to Hogsmeade together," said Ginny slamming two fat books on the table in the Gryffindor common room. "On Valentine's Day."

Chris and Colin who were very engrossed in their dream diary writing for divination class looked up startled by Ginny's action.

"You sounds like that's a bad thing," Chris said as Ginny sank on a chair beside them.

"Because it is a bad thing," Ginny said, looking at the window. The outside sky was black and cloudy but clearly Ginny was staring at it, absently.

"Gin, what happened?" Chris asked putting back her quill.

"Michael is so annoying nowadays," Ginny sighed looking back at them.

"Really?" Colin tried to sound surprised but clearly, he said that just for the sake of saying something.

Chris shook her head at him then turned to Ginny.

"Tell us."

"He is not happy with anything lately. He is always complaining about my bad temper and all. . ." Ginny muttered angrily. "He said, that Quidditch banning thing was my fault. Can you believe that?"

"Wait, seriously?" 

Chris thought that was stupid. Of course, Ginny had anger issues but taking Umbridge's side was the worst thing a boyfriend could do (according to Chris).

"What else were you supposed to do?" Colin said impatiently. "Enjoy the insulting song, Pansy Parkinson created about your brother?"

Ginny smiled a little. She was pleased to find her two friends onboard in this.

"So? What next?" Chris asked skeptically. She knew Ginny wasn't exactly happy with her relationship with Michael.

Ginny sighed. 

"I think I'll dump him," she said at last.

"You will?" Chris and Colin said together.

"Yup," Ginny said coolly. "Tell me what's your plans on Valentine's Day?"

"Er —" Chris hesitated. She had plans with Jason but what if that upset Ginny?

Ginny seemed to guess Chris' thoughts because next second she rolled her eyes and said, "Relax I'm not going to cry just because you've plans with your handsome Slytherin."

Chris chuckled at this.

"What about you Colin?" Ginny turned to him.

"I and Luna are just going to hang out like always," said Colin happily.

"Do you know Harry is going with Padma?" said Parvati.

All three of them turned and saw Parvati and Lavender giggling, they were walking towards the dormitory but stopped in front of Chris, Ginny and Colin.

"Yeah, I know," Chris replied to Parvati.

"I can't believe when Padma told me," Parvati said cheerfully.

"So this is real?" Lavender quirked up. "They are really a thing now?"

"Seems so," Chris said.

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And the two friends still gossiping started walking again.

The mention of Harry reminded Chris of their Occlumency classes that week. Apparently, Aurelia had talked to Dumbledore and convinced him that she could give Harry and Chris both Occlumency class once a week. Dumbledore had given permission and to prevent Umbridge from knowing, he asked them to use his office for it. They had had a class last week when Dumbledore was out, and Umbridge was too focused on Dumbledore leaving the castle that she barely noticed Chris and Harry entering his empty office — well, not so empty — Aurelia was already there with a help of a portkey.

Though Chris had a feeling that Harry wasn't having much progress.

_____________________________

To be continued. . .