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Chapter 662: Kyle, Teach Me How
Chapter 662: Kyle, Teach Me How
After leaving Snape's office, Kyle didn't head back to the dormitory to work on his study plan. Instead, he found Harry, who was spacing out in the grounds outside the castle.
Harry's face was pale, his hair sticking to his forehead, covering the scar. Kyle couldn't tell if it was from the water that had been splashed on him or sweat.
"How are you feeling?" Kyle asked as he approached.
"Oh, Kyle, you're here." Harry shivered slightly, rubbing his scar unconsciously. "It's the same as last time. My head feels like it's splitting open.
"But thanks to you, I didn't scrape my arms and knees this time... There were a few times I fell and realized the floor was soft. That was your doing, wasn't it?"
"Why can't it be that Professor Snape is worried about you getting hurt?" Kyle said.
"Snape's worried about me?" Harry suddenly laughed, as if he'd heard a particularly amusing joke. "I'd rather believe Ron could drink all the water in the Black Lake."
"Well, Ron does have quite the appetite." Kyle laughed too. "Where is he, by the way? Didn't he want to come back with you?"
"He wanted to, and so did Hermione... but they couldn't." Harry shook his head. "Anyone who hasn't signed the list to stay at school has to wait until the start of term to return to Hogwarts, so they have to stay at 12 Grimmauld Place.
"And this is my problem alone... I can't ruin their holiday too."
Harry's voice held a hint of dejection as he spoke, especially at the thought of having to continue classes in the underground classroom tomorrow.
Not only had his well-deserved break been ruined, but he also had to endure Snape's torment. Harry couldn't understand what he had done wrong to deserve such punishment.
Harry felt the urge to complain to Kyle, but as he turned to him, something else occurred to him.
"Kyle, I remember Snape mentioning that you know the Legilimency spell, right?"
"That's correct." Kyle nodded. "I do."
"Then, teach me how," Harry said excitedly.
"What?"
"Teach me Legilimency," Harry repeated. "Isn't Headmaster Dumbledore having you assist Snape? So it should be the same if you teach me.
Since you know this spell, you must know what to do."
"That's true... but are you sure you want to learn from me?" Kyle's expression turned odd.
However, Harry, still excited, didn't notice. He nodded vigorously. "Yes, can you?"
Kyle didn't answer right away. Instead, he studied Harry for a moment before replying seriously, "I suggest you learn from Professor Snape first.
"Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm unwilling to teach you. It's just that my methods may not suit everyone, and you might not be able to handle it."
"That's fine." Harry said without hesitation. "As long as it's not Snape teaching me, I can handle any other method."
Seeing Harry's determined expression, Kyle hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "Even if you say so, I'm just an assistant. It's not up to me to decide. We'd need Professor Dumbledore's consent."
"Then I'll go find him now." Harry started running toward the castle.
"Wait." Kyle hurriedly grabbed his arm. "Professor Dumbledore isn't at school, so it's pointless to go looking for him."
Harry froze in his tracks, his disappointment evident.
Just when he thought he'd found a way to possibly escape Snape's tutelage, it seemed that fate had other plans.
If Dumbledore had decided to have Kyle assist Snape, why couldn't he just let Kyle teach him directly?
Didn't Dumbledore know how much Snape despised him?
In that moment, Harry's resentment toward Dumbledore peaked.
Kyle, unsure of how to comfort him, sat by his side until Harry gradually calmed down. Then, he changed the subject. "By the way, when you were in the office earlier, you saw Voldemort again, didn't you?"
Harry lifted his head to look at Kyle, and for a fleeting moment, he forgot all about learning Legilimency. A spark of delight flashed in his eyes.
This was the first time he had heard someone else say the name "Voldemort."
Usually, whether it was Ron, Ginny, Mr. Weasley, Auror Tonks, or the professors at Hogwarts, they all insisted on using the term "You-Know-Who" or "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
Even Muggle-born Hermione followed suit, as if only he and Dumbledore dared to utter Voldemort's name aloud...
Kyle was the third.
He knew there were others who weren't afraid to speak the Dark Wizard's name...
Harry felt like he'd found a kindred spirit in Kyle, and his earlier displeasure faded away.
"Yes, I saw Voldemort," he said.
"What was he doing?" Kyle asked.
"I don't know," Harry shook his head. "It was too brief. I had just dreamed about Voldemort when Snape woke me up."
"You don't remember anything else?"
"I only saw a passageway," Harry thought for a moment before replying. "It was a very dark place, with no windows and no light."
"That's all?"
"That's all." Harry said. "I was just about to take a closer look when Snape splashed water on me to wake me up. Do you know where that place is?
"I'll pass," Kyle replied. "I still need to work on my study plan."
"A study plan?" Harry looked at Kyle incredulously. He had thought only Hermione would come up with something like that, but it seemed Kyle was similar in that regard. Was this a common trait among good students?
"I have no choice. It's what Professor Snape asked of me," Kyle sighed. "At least three feet long, covering the Legilimency spell."
"Three feet?!" Harry was first astonished by the length of the plan, then realized something else.
He pointed at himself awkwardly and said, "Is it because of me that you have to write this plan?"
Kyle shrugged noncommittally.
"Don't worry about it. You don't have to write it," Harry quickly added. "I know exactly what I need to do, it's just that I can't seem to do it.
How can I set aside all my emotions? The moment I see Snape, I just want to punch him."
"Good thing you've held back," Kyle said with a smile. "But since it's Professor Snape's request, I have to write it regardless of your actions."
"Snape again..." Harry muttered under his breath. "That's why I said no one could control their emotions around him."
And with that, the two parted ways by the shores of the Black Lake.
Harry headed toward Hagrid's cabin near the Forbidden Forest, while Kyle returned to the castle to work on the task Snape had assigned him in the library.
...
The next day, at the same time, Kyle arrived punctually at the underground classroom.
Harry's performance was slightly better than the day before; by the end of the session, he could barely stand instead of lying on the ground.
But that was it.
According to Snape, even a giant would have made faster progress than Harry.
This evaluation infuriated Harry, and he stormed out of the office, his anger boiling over.
"Just like I thought... Such arrogance and rudeness," Snape sneered.
"Professor... Perhaps it would be better to change the teaching schedule to once every three days," Kyle suggested, looking at Snape. "The frequent Legilimency attacks are quite a burden on Harry's body."
"I know what I'm doing. I don't need your reminders," Snape said impatiently. "Also, your study plan is useless. Write another one today, still three feet long."
"Write another one?" Kyle couldn't help but raise his voice. "But I wrote that plan very thoroughly, and you didn't even let Harry read it. How can you know it's useless?"
"Of course, I know," Snape said, his face twisting into a mocking expression. "Everything you wrote is a step-by-step process... If Potter had the patience for that, he would have learned it by now.
Rewrite it, and I want to see something different this time."
A few minutes later, Kyle also stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
Harry was right; anyone who spent a few minutes with Snape would want to punch him.
Kyle had stayed up late the previous night to finish the plan, and now he had to do it all over again.
If Snape wanted something different, he should have said so earlier... Kyle suspected that Snape was deliberately making things difficult for him, but he had no proof.
Reluctantly, Kyle returned to the library, where he borrowed the same books he had returned the day before, earning a curious look from Kona.
Kyle sighed. He had no choice but to write the plan; after all, he had taken on the role of assistant.
...
However, what Kyle didn't expect was that this was just the beginning.
The next day... and the day after that followed the same pattern.
Every day Harry attended class, Kyle had to write a new plan, and whatever plans he had made for himself were put on hold.
"Don't tell me this still isn't good enough!"
Finally, when Snape asked him to rewrite it yet again, Kyle decided to call his bluff. He narrowed his eyes at Snape's mocking gaze and said, "If you dare to make me rewrite it again, I'll send the name 'Half-Blood Prince' to the Daily Prophet!"
Snape froze, the schadenfreude on his face turning to rage in an instant.
"You're threatening me?!"
"Aren't you toying with me?" Kyle said nonchalantly. "And I won't just send that name to the newspaper; I'll make it the headline on the front page.
It's perfect timing, too, as there hasn't been any big news in the wizarding world lately. I'm sure many people would be interested in learning that a well-known Potions master from his student days had given himself such a grandiose name."
"You... have no... proof..." Snape ground out through clenched teeth.
"Do you think Rita Skeeter needs that kind of thing?" Kyle asked.
He noticed Snape's hand tightening inside his robe pocket, likely gripping his wand.
But Kyle wasn't worried in the least.
They were in Hogwarts, and Snape wouldn't dare to attack him here, no matter how angry he was.
"I will, but not now." Kyle said, "Professor, I think you must have noticed that after three days of intensive teaching, Harry is now a little unsteady on his feet."
Snape remained silent; he had, of course, noticed.
His original idea was to use this intensive teaching method to squeeze Harry, so that he would have no time or energy to think about anything else, effectively diverting all his emotions.
Apparently, he had failed.
Mainly, he didn't expect Harry's Occlumency talent to be so poor. After studying for several days, he was still stagnant, with no progress at all.
Snape's expression was uncertain, as if he was hesitating about whether to continue.
Kyle didn't rush him, instead sitting down on a nearby chair and saying, "Professor, through these days of observation, I've noticed that Harry seems to be resisting learning Occlumency."
"Impossible." Snape said, "Occlumency can help him ward off the Dark Lord's attempts to probe his mind. Why would he resist learning it?"
"I don't know..." Kyle said, "Maybe it's because of Sirius Black."
"Black?" Snape frowned thoughtfully.
"It's just a guess." Kyle said softly.
Harry had relied on the information he obtained in his dream to alert Dumbledore about the danger facing the Order of the Phoenix, allowing them to rescue Sirius in time.
This was probably why Harry was resisting learning Occlumency.
If he didn't learn Occlumency, he could still see into Voldemort's thoughts, and perhaps one day, he might be able to save Sirius again.
Harry's reasoning wasn't wrong, but he overlooked the most important point: if Voldemort saw into his thoughts, then the danger wouldn't just be to Sirius, but to everyone in the Order.
Moreover, Voldemort could easily create false visions and allow Harry to see them, thus leading the entire Order into a trap. The consequences would be unimaginable.
Of course, Harry knew this, but he was too concerned about Sirius.
Perhaps even Harry himself didn't realize that he was subconsciously resisting Occlumency.
But the most important aspect of learning this skill was confidence, believing that one could definitely succeed, just like learning the Patronus Charm.
It was also because of Harry's near-instinctive resistance that his progress was so slow.
If this issue wasn't addressed, he might never be able to master Occlumency.
With Kyle's reminder, Snape came to the same realization.
"An emotional fool." he muttered, "And that Black, always getting in the way..."
"Professor!" Kyle thought for a moment before asking, "Would it be alright to let Harry suffer a bit?"
"What do you mean?" Snape asked coldly.
"Nothing, I just want to try a different teaching method with Harry, the same way I learned Occlumency." Kyle said, "I didn't think it was necessary at first, but now it seems like it might be a good idea."
"What do you plan to do?" Snape asked.
He was also curious as to how Kyle had managed to master Occlumency before his third year, and with such proficiency.
"First, I need to borrow something." Kyle said, "By the way, I'll also need Professor Dumbledore's signature, because what I want to borrow is quite dangerous. Without the permission of the Headmaster, they probably won't lend it to me."
"I've already said that the Headmaster isn't here." Snape said, "And he's gone to a distant place, so he won't be back until the start of term."
"That's fine..." Kyle took out a piece of parchment and a quill, quickly writing a short letter, which he then handed to Snape.
"What do you mean by this?" Snape asked coldly.
"Just sign it, if Professor Dumbledore isn't here, then your signature as the Head of House will do." Kyle explained, "I just need someone of sufficient authority to prove that I have a valid reason for borrowing it."
Snape took the letter and read it.
As he read the contents, his eyes twitched involuntarily.
"Is this how you learned Occlumency?"
"Yes, that's right." Kyle said, "Although the process was painful, the results were good, and more importantly, it was a safer method of Legilimency."
"Are you sure this will help Harry learn Occlumency?"
"I'm not certain, but it's worth a try." Kyle shrugged, "Of course, if you have a better idea, then never mind what I said."
Snape hesitated for only a moment before taking the quill and signing his name beneath the word "Agreed" at the bottom of the parchment.
...Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House...
"That's it." Kyle looked over the parchment and said softly, "Professor, let's give Harry a day off tomorrow. In the week ahead, he probably won't have much time to rest."
"I don't think that's necessary, half a day is enough for him to rest." Snape said with a sinister smile, looking very much like a villain.
...
(End of Chapter)
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