Chapter 388: Occlumency Lessons
Chapter 388: Occlumency Lessons
"Only Muggles talk about 'reading minds.' The human heart is not a book to be casually flipped through."
"Thoughts are not etched into the skull, to be read by anyone who wishes. The human mind is a complex, multi-layered thing, Harry—most minds, at least."
"However, those skilled in Legilimency can, under certain circumstances, study another person's mind and make accurate interpretations. For example, Voldemort can almost always tell when someone is lying to him. Only those proficient in Occlumency can shield the conflicting feelings and memories, allowing them to lie without being detected."
Harry's thoughts wandered as Sherlock's words painted a picture of Legilimency as an incredibly powerful form of magic.
"Can Voldemort see what we are thinking right now, Professor?"
"Space and time are the greatest obstacles to magic, and this is true for Legilimency as well. The most effective way to use this magic is to make direct eye contact with the person being Legilimized. Besides, Hogwarts Castle is protected by ancient and powerful magic, so he lacks the ability to do so", Sherlock explained.
"However, the spell that failed to kill you seems to have established some kind of connection between you and Voldemort. Signs indicate that at times, when your mind is most relaxed and vulnerable—such as during sleep—you can perceive his thoughts and emotions. This is a highly dangerous situation, Harry."
"If this continues, he will eventually notice and, once he does, your mind will be completely open to him. At that point, he could make you dream anything he wants you to dream."
Harry, having been repeatedly warned by Dumbledore and Sherlock, clearly understood the severity of the situation.
"What should I do first, Professor?"
Sherlock opened the notebook and said somewhat helplessly,
"I haven't delved deeply into Occlumency myself, which is why I asked Severus to help write these teaching notes. However, the teaching methods he proposed are rather harsh, though they are also the fastest and most effective way to achieve results."
He looked at Harry seriously.
"Therefore, before we begin the formal lessons, I need to ask your opinion, Harry. Are you willing to open your memories to me? If you feel uncomfortable, we can use another method, but it will be much slower."
Harry shrugged indifferently.
"I have no problem with that, Professor. There's nothing in my mind that can't be seen."
It was one thing to trust Sherlock, but if it were Snape, Harry would have a thousand objections.
With Harry's agreement, Sherlock's next steps in teaching were much easier. Snape had already laid out the plan, and he just needed to follow it.
Sherlock first retrieved a stone basin from a nearby cabinet. Harry recognized it as Dumbledore's Pensieve.
Next, he drew his wand from his robes, raised the tip to his temple, and inserted it into the smooth roots of his hair.
When he pulled the wand away, a silver thread, like thick spider silk, was attached to the tip. Sherlock broke it off and gently let it fall into the Pensieve, where it swirled into a silver-white substance, neither gas nor liquid.
Sherlock repeated this process twice, adding more of the silver substance to the basin.
"When I probe someone's memories, I need to extract a part of my own to avoid affecting any important segments. That's why I specifically borrowed the Pensieve from Professor Dumbledore."
As he explained, he placed the Pensieve containing the memories back into the cabinet and gestured for Harry to stand up from the chair.
"Next, I will attempt to enter your mind, Harry", Sherlock said solemnly. "You can resist in any way you can think of. I need to test your willpower, and this is crucial."
Harry took a deep breath and nodded, signaling that he was ready.
"Legilimency."
Sherlock moved suddenly, and before Harry could prepare to resist, the office in front of him vanished. Scenes began flashing through his mind like a movie, blotting out everything around him.
At five, he watched Dudley riding a new red bicycle, filled with envy; at nine, he was chased up a tree by the guard dog Ripper, while the Dursleys laughed on the lawn; he wore the Sorting Hat and heard it say he could go to Slytherin; during the summer of his second year, Sherlock came to him, offering to take him on a trip to France; hundreds of Dementors surrounded Sirius Black, and he charged forward, using the Patronus Charm; at the Yule Ball of the Triwizard Tournament, he watched jealously as Cedric held Chang's slender waist, dancing gracefully.
The earlier memories were manageable, but when it came to the part about Chang, Harry instinctively felt a shy resistance.
He began to struggle, and Sherlock's office reappeared in his vision.
Harry panted heavily, realizing at some point he had gripped his wand, and a spell mark, smoking white, appeared on the wall beside Sherlock.
Seeing this, Sherlock could clearly guess what had happened.
"Sorry, Professor, I, I didn't realize I cast a spell."
Sherlock interrupted Harry's apology.
"You don't need to apologize. Your resistance is exactly what I wanted to see. It shows that you are not completely defenseless against your own memories, and that's a good thing."
He didn't mention the last scene, but Harry had initially not thought about it. There were still some things he didn't want others to discover, even subconsciously.
Teenagers, after all, have restless minds.
"You've already grasped some of the techniques. The key to Occlumency is to have complete and total control over your thoughts."
"When someone uses magic to guide your thoughts and memories in a certain direction, you must ensure that you maintain absolute control over your own mind."
"The crucial part of achieving this is to control your emotions, avoid any unnecessary feelings, and try to empty your mind, thinking of nothing. Even if a Legilimency spell tries to pull you in, if you remain unaffected, it means you have a good grasp of Occlumency."
After giving Harry a taste of the sensation, Sherlock explained the techniques.
Harry took a deep breath and nodded.
"I'll do my best. Should we try again?"
Sherlock raised his wand once more.
"Of course. Remember what I said. Now, clear your mind."
(End of Chapter)
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