Restricted Section

The days went by, and it was getting hotter and hotter. The exams were getting closer and closer. Approximately ten days.

For this reason, the marauders put aside the pranks and explorations and spent all day studying. James stopped going to the dragon club. It was useless as there was no one to practice with since everyone was studying 24/7.

He was still fighting with Gwen, after finishing the Slytherin vs Ravenclaw match, he could feel Gwen's furious look in the Great Hall.

James guessed that this was because Gwen must have realized that he had caused the dungbomb prank in the Slytherin common room. Luckily, since they weren't speaking to each other, he was able to save himself from her screams.

James, on the other hand, enjoyed the exam period at Hogwarts. They had been given a whole week to devote to studying, so they no longer had lessons. Sirius didn't seem to enjoy it as much as he did, even though he was very smart, in some subjects he had relaxed a lot causing him to be in a foul mood.

Lupin, Peter, and Toby were also nervous, but unlike Sirius, they had started studying much earlier. As for James, he wasn't worried. He would pass without a problem.

In Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and Transfiguration he was very good. Not to be conceited, but he had a lot of knowledge in these disciplines. Just brushing up on some theoretical concepts would suffice.

This allowed him to dedicate more study time to subjects he didn't like so much and was a bit behind in, such as History of Magic and Astronomy.

One day late at night, when everyone was already asleep including the marauders, James was staring at the ceiling of his bed. He couldn't fall asleep, 'Should I go to the secret room to practice?' thought James as he opened the curtain and heard Sirius snoring.

'He sure is trying hard...' thought James.

He slipped out of bed grabbed his precious cloak, wrapped himself in it, and disappeared.

Without another thought, he cautiously made his way out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room, and through the portrait hole.

"Who's there?" shrieked the Fat Lady. James said nothing. He walked quickly down the corridor.

'Where will I go...?' thought James stopping. He didn't want to practice he had already practiced a lot. Suddenly an idea popped into his mind.

The Restricted Section of the library. He had never been in there. He could read anything he wanted, even books not normally found in the library and dragon club.

'Maybe I'll find a book on ancient defensive magic or something,' James thought and started walking again while adjusting the cloak around him.

The library was dark and ghostly. It reminded him of the night they explored the greenhouses. James turned on a lamp to look at the row of books. The lamp seemed to float on its own in the air giving it a creepy air.

The Restricted Section was just at the back of the library. Stepping carefully over the rope that separated those books from the others. James lifted the lamp to read the titles.

They didn't tell him much. Some books had faded gold lettering that formed words in languages James didn't know, 'Maybe I should start studying ancient runes and the odd language...' James thought with a grimace.

Other books didn't even have titles, there was even a book that looked like it had a bloodstain on it. Finally, he found a book in better condition and his language. The title was as follows: Phineas Bourne's Most Potent Potions.

James propped the lamp on the floor and picked up the book. He sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor and began to read. He liked potions, so this book might come in handy.

'Mm, let's see... Some of these potions have effects almost too frightening to think about,' James read and made a strange expression at such a description.

Twenty minutes passed. James had an increasingly odd expression on his face. He thought he would find very useful and powerful potions, but most of the recipes in this book were dangerous, controversial, and arcane. On top of that, gruesome illustrations showed the effects of such potions.

One of these illustrations was a woman. The horrifying thing was that her hair was a giant, hairy, long-legged spider. It reminded James of the flower potion that turned your hair into flowers only this potion turned your hair into a giant spider.

'Disgusting...' thought James, looking at the hideous illustration. He wondered how Rabastan would have reacted if instead of flowers he had a giant spider on his head for hair. For some reason, he thought the Slytherin boy would prefer the spider to the pretty flowers.

In addition, there was information on potions of slow-acting poisons and other deadly poisons, there was also a laxative potion that caused very powerful diarrhea.

James had a disgusted expression. He would never use such potions (laxative and giant spider) for pranks. He closed the book and put it back in its place. He only read a few pages, but he could already get an idea of the recipes that would be in there.

He started looking for a book again. On a shelf, there was an interesting-looking one, a large, black, and silver volume that caught his eye.

However, as he was about to pick it up, the book next to it caught his attention more, it had a light red color, and unlike the other one, it did have a title: Incantation to Protect Your Mind. A Practical Guide to Countering Legilimency.

James had read a book about Occlumency. A branch of magic that involves closing the mind to counter the opposite branch, Legilimency.

He had practiced Occlumency at a very beginner level. So that the Sorting Hat couldn't enter his mind and see memories of his past life, though he didn't know how much power the hat had and if it could navigate that deep. He preferred to be cautious and prepared.

What he did at the selection ceremony was to empty his mind, especially his memories of his past life as Edward Rothschild, and leave his new memories unprotected.

It was always in his mind to keep improving in Occlumency, but he was too busy. Today it was time to continue on the path of Occlumens. It wasn't a nice feeling that a wizard you don't know can read your mind.

'Well, let's hope it's better than the book my parents gave me,' James thought as he opened the book to the first page.

[Introduction:

In the pages that follow, we will explore the intricate mysteries of Occlumency. An ancient discipline that allows one to close the mind against outside penetration. Although considered an obscure branch of magic, Occlumency is a valuable and essential skill for those who seek to safeguard their thoughts and emotions against the arts of Legilimency...

Chapter 1: Fundamentals of Occlumency...]

An hour passed as James read in concentration in the silent, dark library. He finished reading two chapters and he also put a lot of emphasis on each one.

In a nutshell, chapter one talks about mental clarity, and how to learn to empty your mind and reach a blank state of mind. It also talks about controlling intense emotions and staying calm under pressure.

This chapter was what James had already learned. Blank your mind so they can't read your thoughts or minimally the important thoughts you want to hide.

Chapter 2: Basic Occlumency was much more interesting and useful. It explained the steps to build your first mental shield. This shield will act as a first line of defense against Legilimency, blocking attempts to intrude into your mind.

James was able to defend himself against the Sorting Hat because he knew beforehand that it would try to browse through his memories to find out which house to put him in. Thanks to this, he put his mind at ease when he placed the hat on his head. However, if a Legilimens decides to enter his mind without warning he will be exposed and would not be able to hide anything. So building a mental shield was essential.

'These days I will start practicing. I must build my first mental shield however I can...' thought James as he closed the book and put it back in its place. It had already been a long time. He had to go back and sleep the hours that were necessary for a good sleep.

As the very name of the book indicated, there were practical exercises to get better at Occlumency.

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