Chapter 102 - Learning from the best

It was a week into Thomas's second year at Hogwarts, a week filled with the familiar rhythm of magical education, the thrill of once more being with his friends, and the comforting aura of the castle that had become his fourth home, the first being his home, followed by Latia's home and even the Sitri mansion considering just how much time he spent in each of them over the holidays. Yet, beneath that sense of belonging here, something told Thomas that his free time will once again be cut short and if he were to guess, it will either be due to Snape or the headmaster.

"Mr. Grayson," Snape's voice slithered through the cacophony of clinking glass and bubbling concoctions, "A word if you please."

Thomas, who had been meticulously brewing a Wartcap Powder, looked up from his cauldron with his eyebrows arched in surprise. Daphne on the other hand looked between the head of her house and her friend with a worried expression on her face, not knowing why Snape would call Thomas at the end of the class.

The Potions Master then led Thomas to the back of the classroom, into a more private setting away from the prying eyes of his peers.

"Professor Dumbledore has deemed you ready, Mr. Grayson." Snape began, his voice low and his eyes piercing through Thomas's own. "Ready for the next step in your Occlumency training."

Thomas's heart skipped a beat. He had been learning Occlumency under Snape's tutelage for the past year and while he didn't have to worry too much about beings going into his mind thanks to a Titanic Dragon, Bahamut, and even Mars suggest he takes those lessons since it would help in the long run. Yet, this was the first time he had heard of any 'next step.'

"Sir?"

Snape, however, seemed unfazed by Thomas's confusion. "It's time to learn about counter-attacking and attacking one's mind," he explained, his tone as matter-of-fact as if he were discussing the weather. "A necessary skill for anyone studying Occlumency."

[Don't refuse, boy. There will be days when I won't be able to defend your mind from your enemies, besides it is always better to have more cards to play, no matter how strong you are.]

Thomas didn't respond to either Snape or Bahamut, instead, he chooses to be silent and listen to the potion master as he continues with his explanation.

"I must warn you, Mr. Grayson," He continued, "This is not child's play, and there will be times when you wish to quit. But if you truly wish to master Occlumency, you must endure."

Thomas nodded his head knowing better than most that nothing comes for free. "I understand, Professor."

"Very well, Mr. Grayson," Snape concluded in a voice as cold as the castle's stone walls. "Prepare yourself, for Occlumency, is not just a skill, but a journey into the depths of one's own mind. And often, what we find is not always what we expect, but you should already know this don't you?"

"Of course, sir."

"Very well, Mr. Grayson. I reckon you have a history class mine which I'm more than sure you will rather miss than be there so I want you to stay behind so that we can start your training."

After that, Thomas returned to his table, where Daphne was waiting for him with a concerned look on her face.

"Thomas, are you okay?" She asked as he packed his things. "What did Snape want from you?"

Thomas hesitated for a moment, wondering how much he should tell her. Over the past week, they grow somewhat closer and he trusted Daphne, but he also knew that Occlumency was a sensitive and personal subject after a few seconds of thinking about it, he decided to tell her the truth, but not the whole truth.

"He wanted to talk to me about Occlumency," Thomas said, lowering his voice. "The headmaster asked him to teach me."

Daphne's eyes widened in surprise before whispering. "Occlumency? Why would the headmaster want you to learn that?"

Thomas shrugged, trying to act casual. "I don't know, maybe he thinks it's useful for me. You know, with all the things that have happened to me."

Daphne nodded, remembering how Thomas had been involved in several dangerous and mysterious events in his first year.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay," Daphne said, smiling at him. "But be careful, Thomas. Occlumency is not easy, and Snape is not a gentle teacher."

Thomas smiled back at her, grateful for her concern. "Don't worry, Daphne. I can handle it, besides I'd rather have Snape as a teacher than anyone else, well maybe other than our headmaster teaching me Occlumency."

When the class officially ended and Michael, James, Adam, Daphne, and Tracey were about to leave the classroom, Adam turned around and saw Thomas still inside the room, making him frown before asking his friend what he was doing.

"Hey, Thomas, aren't you coming with us?" Adam called out. "We're going to the library."

Thomas shook his head and said, "No, I have to stay here for a while. Snape wants to talk to me about something."

Adam looked puzzled and curious. He walked back to Thomas and said, "What does he want to talk to you about? Is it something bad? Did you do something wrong?"

"It's nothing bad, Adam," Daphne said, joining them. "It's just related to Thomas's training. You know, the special training that the headmaster arranged for him."

Adam raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh, right. Occlumency training. Well, good luck with that then. I hope Snape doesn't give you a hard time."

Thomas smiled weakly and said, "Thanks, Adam. I appreciate it."

With that, he was left alone with the potion master. Thought, Thomas will rather die than admit that he wasn't even a little happy to have someone like Snape teach him just an advanced branch of magic.

Once every student left the classroom, Snape closed the door and locked it with a flick of his wand before turning to Thomas and said, "Sit down, Mr. Grayson. We have a lot to cover today."

Thomas obeyed and sat down on a chair in front of Snape's desk.

"Occlumency, Mr. Grayson, is the art of shielding your mind from external penetration and influence, something that I think you should already know," Snape began, speaking in a low and stern voice. "And as you know, it is a rare and difficult skill that requires constant practice and discipline. It is also essential for your survival, as you are well aware."

Thomas nodded, remembering how Lucius had tried to invade his mind several times in that short time he was inside his manor.

"The purpose of Occlumency is to create a barrier between your conscious mind and your subconscious mind, where your memories, emotions, and secrets are stored," Snape continued. "By doing so, you can prevent anyone from reading your thoughts, feelings, or intentions. You can also resist any attempts to control your actions or plant false information in your mind."

Thomas listened attentively, trying to absorb everything Snape was saying. He knew Occlumency was important for him, not only to protect himself from the dark lord but also to protect everything dear to him.

"However, Occlumency is not easy to master," Snape warned. "It requires a lot of concentration and willpower. You have to clear your mind of all distractions and emotions. You have to be calm and detached at all times. You have to be able to lie convincingly and convincingly believe your own lies. You have to be able to deceive not only others but also yourself. And I have to admit, Mr. Grayson you have done a brilliant job in the past year, and yet no matter how strong your defense is, it will be next to nothing if an enemy will keep on attacking you until your mind will surrender to those constant attacks."

Not giving him any time to prepare himself, Thomas heard Snape's voice and this time, the man had his wand raised.

"Are you ready, Mr. Grayson?"

Thomas swallowed hard and nodded.

"Very well then," Snape said, pointing his wand at Thomas's forehead. "Legilimens!"

As Snape uttered the word, Thomas felt a sudden jolt in his mind, as if someone had slammed a door open. He saw flashes of images and memories, some familiar, some not, before recognizing some of his own memories, such as his first day at Hogwarts, his first Quidditch match, and his first time killing a being. He also saw some of Snape's memories, such as his childhood with a girl named Lily Evans, his time as a Death Eater, and his confrontation with Dumbledore. Which made the young boy feel a mix of emotions, some of his own, some of Snape's.

Thomas tried to push them away, to focus on his barrier. He repeated to himself that these were not his thoughts, that they were intrusions. He tried to calm himself and detach himself from the emotions and above all, he tried to lie to himself and believe that none of this mattered.

But it was hard. It was hard to resist the onslaught of Snape's mind. It was hard to ignore the pain and the confusion. It was hard to keep his secrets.

Snape was relentlessly probing deeper and deeper into Thomas's mind, looking for any weaknesses and cracks. His sole goal was to search for clues and information that could be useful or damaging while at the same time, he taunted and mocked Thomas using all kinds of real and fake memories.

But Thomas was not helpless. He had learned a lot from Snape in the past year and while it wasn't anything easy to master, he managed to learn to fight against Legilimency, and how to shield his mind.

However, Snape was a powerful and experienced Legilimens, and he certainly knew how to break through someone as young as Thomas and his not-so-strong defenses, or at least in theory he could.

The more seconds passed, the more Thomas felt his barrier cracking under Snape's relentless assault. He felt like he was losing himself, but he had to fight back no matter what!

He knew he couldn't use Legilimency against Snape, as he was too skilled and too strong and not to mention that Thomas knew next to nothing about how to properly attack one's mind. No, he needed something else. Something that Snape wouldn't expect. Something that Snape couldn't handle. If Bahamut didn't want to help, then fine. Thomas would force the dragon to help him one way or another.

So just as the last bit of resistance was going to give up, Thomas focused on Bahamut's image in his mind. He visualized every detail of his appearance, every nuance of his personality, and every memory of the dragon from the moment he met him too earlier today. Before throwing the image into Snape's mind. And with that, his defense burst open, and from behind them, a towering figure appeared roaring in Snape's mind.

The potion master's eyes widen in shock before he quickly left his mind, leaving him to recover. It wasn't pretty by any means and Thomas was no fool to think he could fight against anyone in his condition but it was a start, a start that he won.

"How do you like that, Professor?"

"It was a good example, albeit a slower reaction than I would have liked, Mr. Grayson," Snape said, congratulating Thomas subtly, not wanting to feed the boy's ego. ". You have managed to surprise me and to defend yourself which is in my book a good point since most people rarely even manage that feat in their first tries."

"Thank you, Professor," Thomas said, smiling slightly.

"You are free to leave, Mr. Grayson," Snape said, gesturing to the door. "But remember, this is not over. We will continue to practice twice a week until you become able to fight from the get-go."

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