Vast Sea

Lucas sat cross-legged on his thin mattress in the cramped cupboard under the stairs, the only place he could find true solitude away from the Dursleys. He straightened his back and with a slow, measured breath, he closed his eyes, the darkness behind his lids a welcome escape from his confined surroundings.

He inhaled deeply and the musty scent of the cupboard filled his nostrils, a reminder of the stale air that often clung to his skin. With each exhale, the tension in his muscles began to fade, and his body sank into a state of relaxation. The anxious thoughts that had been buzzing in his head like persistent flies gradually faded into the background, their incessant noise replaced by a stretching, meditative stillness.

In the depths of his mind, a vast ocean began to take shape. The endless, rolling waves crashed in a serene, predictable rhythm, and their steady rhythm were a soothing balm to his once-restless thoughts. He envisioned the ocean on a clear day, the water a deep, mesmerizing blue that seemed to absorb the light from the flawless sky above.

At first, his visualization was messy, like rough waves crashing against his focus. A worry about the Dursleys briefly crossed his mind, while a distracted idea about learning new spells threatened to break his meditation. Each formed a small ripple that disrupted the perfect calm he desired.

Undeterred, Lucas allowed the ripples to rise and fall while his attention was drawn back to the steady thrum of the waves with each passing moment. He didn't fight the distracted thoughts, but neither did he dwell on them, becoming a neutral observer to their ebb and flow. Slowly, the ripples shrank back down into the glassy ocean surface, their impact diminishing with each breath he took.

As he held the unbroken visualization, Lucas felt his mind sharpen and his thoughts becoming clear. His breathing slowed even further, the rise and fall of his chest barely perceptible in the stillness of the cupboard. The distractions were still present, ebbing at the edges of his awareness like the faint whispers of a distant conversation. But they no longer had the power to form disruptive waves on the mirror-calm sea of his mind.

He understood this meditation technique was just the first step towards truly protecting his mind from outside influence. Lucas could feel the potential inside, a pool of mental strength and discipline that had been unintentionally built through months of practicing emotional magic. Each time he had tied a spell to a particular emotional state, he was effectively reinforcing his mind's defences as well, building pristine mental barriers, layer by layer, that would eventually develop into an impenetrable mind shield.

The process of focusing intensely on separating distinct emotions had strengthened his mind's ability for concentration. Without distracting thoughts or feelings, he could achieve higher levels of sustained focus.

And focus was the core essence of Occlumency.

oo0ooOoo0oo

"...and the big brown bear said, 'Who's been sleeping in my bed?'" Petunia read aloud with her bony finger tracing the words on the colorful page.

Dudley bounced excitedly on her lap, jabbing a pudgy finger at the picture. "Bear! Big bear!"

"Very good, Diddykins!" Petunia praised, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Can you say 'bed'? The bear's bed?"

While Dudley struggled to form the word, Petunia's gaze flicked over to Lucas sitting beside them before returning to the book.

Lucas barely noticed because his mind was far away as he pondered on Occlumency. He had achieved a basic level of emptiness in his meditations, stilling his thoughts until they were smooth and unbroken like a vast, calm sea. But that was only the beginning.

How do I actually block a Legilimency probe? His brow furrowed slightly as he turned the problem over in his mind. The books never really explained the mechanics...

From what he could recall, Legilimency usually required either direct eye contact or the use of a wand to initiate the mental invasion. But there were exceptions, like the Natural Legilimens Queenie Goldstein who could effortlessly skim surface thoughts without a wand or eye contact.

A true Occlumency barrier should block all forms of Legilimency. But what if a Natural Legilimens used a wand as well? Would it amplify their already formidable abilities?

He had no way of knowing for certain without testing it.

Maybe the key is to somehow disperse the magic of the Legilimency probe as it reaches my mind. Drain its power before it can take root and extract any information.

Lucas's mind drifted back to his ocean visualization, the cornerstone of his current meditative practice. He had been focusing on calming the waves into smaller and smaller ripples until they vanished entirely, leaving only a perfect mirror-like stillness. But what if he did the opposite?

If I sense a Legilimency probe incoming, I could try to generate ripples that condense into larger and larger waves. Waves of certain emotions or thoughts specifically selected to crash against the probe again and again until it's exhausted!

The corners of his mouth curved up slightly as the idea formed in his mind. It would be hard to practice without someone who could actually read minds, but he wanted to try it out. He could start by doing the opposite of his usual meditation - instead of clearing his mind into a calm sea, he would fill it with big, deliberate thoughts and feelings. Huge waves to push away any attempt to get inside his head.

"...and they all lived happily ever after. The end!" Petunia shut the book loudly, her voice breaking Lucas's focus. "Alright, time for your naps."

She took him to his cupboard 'room', while Lucas's gaze stayed distant. He couldn't wait to test his new theory during his next meditation session. Maybe he could picture specific memories as the waves, hiding his real thoughts under a flood of fake impressions...

oo0ooOoo0oo

Petunia stood at the kitchen sink, moving through the familiar motions of washing dishes, but her mind wandered elsewhere. Her gaze drifted to the small, dark-haired boy sitting quietly at the table as he ate his cereal.

Harry. Her nephew. Lily's son.

Petunia's grip tightened on the plate, feeling an old ache in her chest from resentment and grief. Months had passed since the boy arrived at their doorstep, yet his presence still felt like an intrusion into her ordinary life.

Something about the child unsettled her. The way he would sit for hours, lost in thought, his vivid green eyes - a painful reminder of Lily - seeming to see right through her. He possessed an unnatural calmness for a toddler.

Unlike a typical child, he never cried or fussed. Instead, he would meet her gaze steadily and make requests in an articulate voice beyond his age.

"May I please have some more milk, Aunt Petunia?" His words were clear, and his pronunciation perfect.

It was creepy. Dudley, despite his energy and volume, still struggled to form coherent sentences. But Harry spoke like a much older child.

And then there was his accent. Petunia frowned, trying to place it. A subtle lilt to his words, reminiscent of the Dutch tourists she occasionally encountered in London. But that made no sense - the boy had been born and raised in England, just like his parents.

An old memory stirred, a fairy tale from her childhood. Tales of changelings, of faerie folk swapping human babies with their own otherworldly children.

For a fleeting instant, Petunia wondered... could Harry be...?

No. She shook her head, her lips pressing into a thin line. Those were exactly the kinds of freakish, unnatural thoughts she had worked so hard to banish from her life.

Harry was just a quiet, pensive child. Perhaps the trauma of losing his parents had left deep scars, stunting his emotional growth. Yes, that had to be it. A perfectly logical, perfectly normal explanation.

As if sensing her scrutiny, Harry looked up from his cereal. His eyes met hers, and Petunia had the uncanny feeling he could see straight into her mind. She quickly looked away, a tightness in her chest.

A shadow seemed to flit past her hand, and Petunia nearly dropped the plate, her heart pounding. She spun around, her eyes darting around the kitchen, searching for... what? She didn't even know.

But there was nothing out of place. The same familiar appliances, the same spotless countertops. Petunia drew in a shaky breath, trying to slow her racing pulse.

She glanced back at Harry and found him staring intently out the window, his gaze fixed on the quiet street outside. The morning light cast a soft glow over his features, giving him an almost otherworldly appearance.

Petunia blinked, and the illusion vanished. It must have been a trick of the light, a play of shadows that had startled her. Nothing more.

She turned back to the sink with her hands gripping the edge of the counter as she fought to quell the unease twisting in her gut. Everything was fine. Everything was normal.

Just the way it should be.

oo0ooOoo0oo

Lucas looked at Petunia as he ate his cereal, noticing her distant look and restless finger tapping on the counter. The corners of his mouth moved slightly at the irony - for someone who claimed to hate anything strange, Petunia herself was quite odd.

It wasn't the first time he had seen her in these thoughtful states. The way she would sometimes jump at the slightest movement or sound, as if seeing things no one else could, interested him. What thoughts bothered her in those moments? What fears or memories made her jump at shadows?

Lucas's eyes narrowed as an idea formed, an intense look settling over his features. Perhaps it was time to learn Legilimency, the magical skill of navigating through a person's mind layers and understanding what he found. If he mastered it, he would no longer have to guess about Petunia's inner turmoil - he could simply take the answers directly from her head.

Of course, attempting Legilimency on Petunia, Vernon, or Dudley without proper training would be unwise. Lucas had no idea what kind of damage an untested mental probe could cause. If he accidentally caused severe harm, it would undoubtedly attract unwanted attention from Dumbledore or other wizarding authorities. They would investigate, and his secret magical activities would be exposed.

No, he needed a safer subject to practice on first. Something with a simpler, less complex mind...

Parseltongue, Lucas realized, his fingers stilling on the spoon. He could use his ability to speak to snakes to establish a basic mental connection. Snakes were conscious creatures, albeit with a very different type of awareness than humans. He had never seen them display any true intelligence when not in the presence of a Parselmouth. It was as if the serpentine language itself somehow raised their mental state.

If he could find a small grass snake or adder in the garden, Lucas could attempt Legilimency while communicating with it in Parseltongue. The snake's mind would likely be far easier to navigate than a human's, with fewer barriers and complexities to overcome. It would be the perfect way to test and refine his technique before moving on to more challenging targets.

But first, he would need to find a way to sneak out into the garden undetected. The Dursleys kept the doors and windows locked at night, and any attempts to physically pick the locks would be far too conspicuous.

An unlocking spell, Lucas thought, and his emerald eyes wandered to the kitchen door. Something like 'Alohomora' from the books. He had never put much stock in the idea of incantations and wand movements - in his experience with magic so far, they were little more than crutches to focus the mind and strengthen one's intent. With enough practice and mental discipline, he was certain he could achieve the same effects without them.

After all, he had already mastered spells like 'Accio', 'Depulso', and 'Wingardium Leviosa' using nothing but focused emotions and sheer force of will. Surely 'Alohomora' would be no different. It was simply a matter of finding the right emotional state to channel his intent.

Lucas narrowed his eyes, examining the problem from all sides, while his fingers unconsciously traced patterns on the table.

Then the solution suddenly became clear - the key was a feeling of freedom, of breaking away from limits. He would need to feel emotions of release, of chains falling off and doors swinging open. A powerful rush of liberation and newfound opportunity.

Yes, that could work. The corners of Lucas's mouth curved upwards slightly as he planned his next meditation. He would focus on memories and visions of breaking free, leaving his old life behind and welcoming the endless opportunities of his new life full of magic. And when the moment was right, he would channel that liberating energy into his unlocking spell, willing the door to open with all his focus.

One way or another, he would find his way into that garden and find a snake on which he could practice his Legilimency.