Chapter 855: Snape's Provocation
Chapter 855: Snape's Provocation
Snape didn't care about Harry's threats and found them somewhat amusing. However, Harry's disobedience in revealing their private Occlumency lesson to others left him extremely displeased.
"Very well, it seems you won't learn unless you're taught a lesson", Snape threatened harshly.
"Depends on whose orders!" Harry glared at Snape, defiantly retorting.
"Then continue to be stubborn..." Snape sneered. "I think you might have forgotten that anger makes your mental defenses porous..."
"Legilimency!" Without giving Harry a chance to prepare, Snape waved his wand and shouted.
Harry was clearly taken aback. His mind grew hazy, and the memories he desperately wanted to keep hidden resurfaced.
Harry gritted his teeth, trying to stop it, but without his wand, he could only recall trivial memories to mask the more important secrets.
This stalemate lasted for an indeterminate amount of time. Just as Harry felt he couldn't hold on any longer and the secret of the Invisibility Cloak was about to be exposed, the feeling of mental invasion vanished.
Harry slumped to the ground, gasping for breath, beads of sweat covering his forehead. But before he could catch his breath, Snape's voice, like a demon, whispered in his ear.
"Rest for five minutes, then continue!"
Five minutes? Harry shuddered. He wanted to stand up and argue with Snape, but he didn't even have the strength to speak...
Seemingly to exact revenge, the next hour of training was pure Hell. Snape precisely gauged Harry's limits, always stopping just before Harry's mental defenses crumbled, forcing him to exert every ounce of effort to protect Dumbledore's will.
By the time Snape used Legilimency for the sixth time, Harry was completely drained, his eyes vacant, slumped in a chair, unable to recover. He had never felt an hour drag on so interminably.
Snape glanced at the darkening sky, estimating that Harry had reached his limit. He waved a hand and said, "Today's practice is over. You can leave!"
Hearing this, Harry was overjoyed. His dazed spirit snapped back, and his body seemed to regain its strength. He stood up in a flash.
"Remember to practice clearing your mind when you get back. Don't expect me to go easy on you tomorrow!" Snape added.
Harry opened his mouth, wanting to ask for a few more days of reprieve. He doubted he would want to experience tonight's ordeal again for a month.
But pride kept him from speaking. He remained silent until he reached the door, then he remembered something.
"My wand, Professor?" Harry asked hesitantly, looking at Snape.
"As punishment for your insolence, I will confiscate your wand for two days", Snape said nonchalantly. Before Harry could protest, he continued, "I don't think you'll need it on your days off. Or, if you perform better tomorrow, I might consider returning it to you."
Harry glared at Snape, his eyes blazing with fury, but the situation was against him. After over an hour of "torture", he didn't even have the energy to yell. He left the room, slamming the door in frustration.
The fire in the fireplace flickered, and Snape sat alone in his dimly lit office, lost in thought for a long time. He then waved his wand to lock the tightly shut door and placed his hand on the broken Ancient Clock.
...
The next morning, in the Great Hall, at the Gryffindor Table, Harry was seething with anger, continuously complaining about his encounter in Snape's office the previous night.
"What? He actually confiscated your wand? How dare Snape do that?" Ron, after hearing Harry recount his experience in the office, was furious and shouted loudly.
"We should go to Professor Dumbledore!" Hermione, equally outraged, dropped her knife and fork and was about to stand up.
But as soon as she spoke, Hermione remembered that Professor Dumbledore had passed away more than two months ago, and there was no one at the school who could control Snape.
Harry and Ron's moods also became very low.
Ivan didn't join in the discussion, but he had a hunch that something was amiss.
"Harry, you said you disarmed Snape's wand in the Potions office last night?" Ivan asked.
Harry nodded. He had been afraid that Snape would discover the Invisibility Cloak Dumbledore had given him, so he attacked Snape without thinking.
Perhaps because Snape was focused on probing his memories, he didn't resist, and Harry's spell hit its mark.
"This doesn't make sense..." Ivan furrowed his brow, thinking to himself. To prevent any accidents like those in the original Time and Space, he had specifically warned Snape to be cautious when teaching Harry. Yet, Snape still fell for it.
Ivan couldn't determine if this was simply a result of Snape underestimating Harry's strength or if it was a deliberate act.
The thought crossed his mind to bring Snape in for a thorough questioning.
However, he knew that if he asked, Snape would likely give an answer, but it would be incomplete or even misleading...
As an excellent spy, Snape could easily conceal the truth, and Ivan had no way of extracting the full story from him.
Ivan found himself somewhat frustrated. This was the first time he felt that Occlumency was a troublesome spell. Without it, he could use Legilimency to read Snape's thoughts.
While Ivan was lost in his thoughts, Harry was telling Ron and Hermione about the dreams he had been having. Every time he dreamed of Voldemort, Snape was by his side. Harry strongly suspected that Snape had betrayed Dumbledore's trust and joined Voldemort.
"Don't worry too much, Harry. Things might not be as bad as you think..." Ivan tried to comfort him. In his view, the likelihood of Snape joining Voldemort was virtually zero.
Given his relationship with Lily, Snape was probably the last person who would want to see Harry in danger.
Moreover, no one in the Wizarding World knew better than Snape how dire Voldemort's situation was. Describing him as a dog with its tail between its legs was not an exaggeration. Defeat was inevitable, and Snape would have to be insane to abandon a promising future and join Voldemort.
(End of Chapter)
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