Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 83 What does it mean to dislike each other?

"I'm dead..."

Harry cried out those words in despair, but he had already returned to Gryffindor.

Although he struggled desperately on the way, trying to run back to the headmaster's office and make Dumbledore retract his decision, he even told Professor McGonagall that Snape was the man in black!

But given that he and Ron had just fought with Malfoy that evening, and his face was still swollen.

Professor McGonagall forcefully suppressed his resistance.

"Mr. Potter, although you stay out all night, copy homework, and fight... I still hope you're a good boy. Now, you'd better obey Dumbledore's orders, or I'll put you in solitary confinement for two weeks and have Professor Snape supervise you!"

"Don't blame me for not warning you beforehand!"

Clearly, in Professor McGonagall's eyes, Harry had already become a person who had broken his promise.

Dragged back to his dormitory by Professor McGonagall, Harry was utterly desperate. He lay motionless on his bed, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

Worried about him, Ron, without taking a break, ran to the common room and asked his female classmate Lavender Brown to go to the girls' dormitory and call Hermione over.

Hearing Ron's retelling, Hermione frowned: "Harry, didn't Dumbledore say anything else?"

She stood at the entrance of the boys' dormitory. Several boys, including Simo and Neville, were wrapped up tightly and didn't dare to utter a sound.

The only one making a sound was Spotty by Ron's bedside.

The fat rat screamed desperately because Fruit Tea had also come and was squatting in front of Ron's bed, shaking its head at the spotted cage.

Ron didn't care about Scabbers right now. He shoved Harry a few times, and Harry, who was staring blankly in despair, said with a mournful face, "No, he only told me that starting tomorrow, Snape will take over teaching me Occlumency."

Hermione thought for a moment, "We'll go with you tomorrow!"

Ron nodded hastily, "Yes, Harry, we're with you. With so many of us, Snape definitely won't dare to lay a hand on you."

Neville peeked out from the side and asked, "Why did Snape attack Harry?"

Ron didn't even turn his head: "It's nothing, Neville, you come along tomorrow too!"

Neville: "..."

Seamus and Dean quickly suppressed their curiosity and pretended to be asleep. No one in Gryffindor liked Snape, and no one was afraid of him.

Poor Neville, why did he have to be so talkative?

After agreeing on a time for tomorrow, Hermione went back. Harry lay on the bed like a dead fish, listening to Ron's rambling worries and Neville's stammering resistance.

As they talked, the two of them started snoring, leaving Harry alone, mentally broken, tossing and turning, unable to sleep all night!

The next morning, Harry stared wide-eyed as Ron yawned as he got up, then shamelessly said to him, "Harry, I didn't sleep a wink last night because I was worried. Look, I have dark circles under my eyes."

Ha ha……

That was clearly Crabbe's shot!

Harry ignored him, silently washed up, went to the dining room for lunch, and then, taking advantage of the few classes in the morning, secretly slipped up to the eighth floor to try and find Dumbledore.

He recited the command that Professor McGonagall had given him yesterday, but the ugly dripping stone beast didn't react at all; instead, it attracted Peeves.

"Aha, Harry Potter! Gotcha! You truant brat, you're in big trouble!"

For Harry, facing Snape would be the real disaster.

He threatened, "Shut up, you little devil! Do you know the password to the principal's office? Tell me, or when Vaughn gets back, I'll have him teach you a lesson!"

Peeves seemed startled, blinking his small, dark eyes. "Oh no—how could poor Peeves possibly know the password? Dear Harry Potter, are you trying to break into the Headmaster's office?"

An annoyed Harry casually replied, "Yes..."

The words had barely left his mouth when he saw Mischief do a somersault in mid-air, grinning widely and shouting:

"Help! A thief is trying to break into the Headmaster's office! Filch, you damn cripple, come here and grab Harry Potter!"

Harry fled in panic, but how could he possibly escape Peeves's pursuit? That guy was riding on his head and wouldn't leave no matter what he did.

Ultimately, Harry was dragged to Professor McGonagall by Filch, who rushed over.

Seeing Professor McGonagall clutching her chest in anger, barely able to breathe, Harry sighed and decided to accept his fate.

He realized that these adults were completely unreliable!

Hermione's suggestion is more reliable!

At night, Harry, who had spent the day mentally preparing himself, picked up a lantern and prepared to head to the House of Requirement.

He doesn't need to worry about Filch now, but if possible, he'd rather be caught by Filch and taken to the guard's office!

After walking down the corridor for a while, Harry quietly turned back, looked at the empty space behind him, and whispered, "Are you still there?"

Then Ron's reply rang in his ears: "We're right behind you!"

Neville sobbed softly, "Seriously, can you let me go back? What if I get caught..."

A few steps away, Hermione's voice came: "Alright, Neville, you won't get caught, I promise!"

"Hermione, why aren't you in the Invisibility Cloak?"

"I'll bring the fruit tea. Don't worry, my Disillusionment Charm is pretty good... Let's go, Harry, don't waste time, you have to go no matter what!"

"Sigh..." Harry sighed, and had no choice but to huff and puff as he made his way to the eighth floor.

When they arrived, the door to the Room of Requirement was already in sight, slightly ajar, across from the tapestry of the troll beating Banaba. A sliver of dim light shone through.

Harry nervously rubbed his trouser leg, glanced behind him where there was no one, and pushed open the door.

It was still the same little study where he and Vaughn often practiced, but everything that he used to find warm and familiar was now chilled by the presence of Snape, dressed in black like a ghost, standing before the fireplace.

Gudong!

Harry swallowed hard, deliberately opened the door wide, and quietly gestured behind him.

But his plan failed.

Snape turned around, his dark eyes seeming to pierce through Harry's body, and said in his signature tone, drawing out the last syllable, "Granger, Weasley, Longbottom—get out!"

"..."

Harry forced a smile: "Nobody's here, Professor..."

"I'll say it again, get out, and while you're at it—close the door behind you!"

The air was still for a moment.

Squeak!

Harry heard the scraping sound of the door, and he knew that his friends had given in after all. He felt even more sorrowful and desperate.

Outside the door, Ron ripped off the Invisibility Cloak, hissing in fear, "Oh no! I did it out of fear. Will Snape kill Harry in there?"

He could almost see Harry turning into a mosaic.

Neville, standing nearby, was so frightened that his teeth chattered.

Only Hermione, after the Disillusionment Curse was broken, stared thoughtfully at the fruit tea at her feet:

Fruit Tea looked very anxious. It sniffed the air as if it wanted to find something, but it didn't dare to leave Hermione's side—it still had to help Hermione deal with Mrs. Lorris so that everyone wouldn't get caught while out for a night out.

boom!

The door closed behind him, and what was originally a slight sound sounded like thunder to Harry at that moment.

He felt as if his head had been hit by a giant's club, numb and empty. Many thoughts rushed in and then quickly disappeared, as if there was no longer any substance in his mind to sustain their existence.

Ha vigorously rubbed his trouser legs.

Snape, who had been staring coldly at him, lowered his gaze, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "The renowned Savior, nervous? Looks like you're quite self-aware, knowing you're just a fool—excuse me, I shouldn't insult fools!"

This infuriating sarcasm finally brought Harry to his senses.

He took a deep breath, knowing he had to accept reality. Dumbledore had arranged for Snape to teach him Occlumency, and he was powerless to resist.

But at least, he could choose not to let Snape succeed.

That wretched old bat, don't even think about reading his memories and thoughts!

Harry also couldn't let Snape know that he had discovered Snape's "true colors".

With all the knowledge Vaughn had taught him flowing through his mind, Harry desperately used Occlumency to lock all his thoughts and memories firmly inside a cold "shell".

That shell was made up of emptiness and distracting thoughts, and for the past month or so, Harry has been able to maintain it while fully conscious.

However, the intensity is always difficult to increase, and once you fall asleep, it is easily relieved by relaxing your mind.

Vaughn said that this was due to his lack of survival pressure. The safe environment affected his practice efficiency, and he did not develop a set of subconscious defensive instincts.

Harry didn't understand the specific theories, but he knew that his sense of crisis and pressure to survive were at their peak!

Following Vaughn's instructions, Harry desperately built up his mental defenses. The result of this extreme focus was the expected side effect: his expression gradually turned cold.

"Let's begin, Snape... Professor!"

Watching Harry's transformation, Snape looked somewhat dazed. Those cold, emerald-like eyes... how similar they were!

Just like about 20 years ago, when he lost his mind and shouted "Mudblood," and she left in tears, the same look in her eyes when she saw him again.

There was no emotion left...

Snape felt a sharp pain in his heart and instinctively looked away, then he saw Harry's face.

That hateful face!

Pain turned into rage, which burned uncontrollably!

He raised his wand and forcefully chanted the spell: "Levitate!"

A powerful spell, carrying immense, invisible magical energy, crashed down upon them.

This time, Harry really felt like he'd been hit on the head.

A powerful, invisible force is violently attacking his brain-sealing technique.

The sea of ​​thought surged into a raging torrent, and all the light in the room quickly faded before Harry's eyes, leaving only boundless darkness.

This wasn't because his eyes were injured, but because his brain, which was fully engaged in defense, had no energy left to receive information from his senses.

The mental world, due to external attacks, this space that does not exist in a physical form, is now showing various strange phenomena.

Lightning, gales, earthquakes... or many other indescribable horrors.

These were all manifestations of Harry's fears. Since he didn't understand memory magic, he couldn't see them. He just felt that he was very scared. The mental shock caused by the attack made his mind wander, and it became increasingly difficult for him to maintain Occlumency.

He finally understood what the pressure of survival meant!

This was completely different from how Vaughn had treated him with Legilimency over the past few months, but Harry knew it wasn't because Vaughn was weak, but because he hadn't been on guard against him.

More importantly, it was because Vaughn had never felt such deep hatred, disgust, and malice towards him before!

Harry, struggling to stay afloat, was of course unaware that deep within his mind, a humanoid cloud of mist quietly raised its head.

It watched as the "mental storm" raged within Harry's heart.

The gleaming eyes recorded everything, then awaited the person who placed them to retrieve them, read them, and analyze them…

……

Harry didn't know how he managed to persevere.

His mental defenses, built up with all his might, were like a small boat adrift in a storm, constantly on the verge of capsizing under Snape's attacks.

Time seemed to pass for a long time. When Snape finally stopped Legilimency, Harry found that his clothes were soaked and his body was covered in sticky sweat.

As the attack subsides, the brain's defenses weaken, and vision clears again.

He suddenly felt as if he had been transported to another world.

Harry also noticed that Snape didn't seem to be in a good mood either; he secretly clenched his trembling hand—maintaining strong emotions is very taxing, and there are similar examples among Muggles; when people are in extreme grief, they can even faint.

Harry couldn't help but laugh, but he soon paid the price for his overconfidence.

"Potter—you seem quite pleased with yourself? Yes, you withstood Legilimency…even though you couldn't move an inch the whole time and were completely at their mercy, it must have been a very valuable experience for someone as foolish as you!"

"...I'm not gloating, Professor Snape!"

"Next time you lie, watch the smile on your face; it looks disgusting!"

"..."

Snape always managed to break down any young wizard's defenses with his cold expression and vicious words, especially Harry.

He clenched his fists, barely managing to control the urge to throw a punch. He knew he couldn't beat Snape, so he decided to endure it.

But for Snape, seeing his enemy's son so tolerant only emboldened him to vent his frustration at having to raise his enemy's offspring!

He raised his head high, adopting that Malfoy-like, disdainful air about him, and said slowly and deliberately:

"Take a 20-minute break, then we'll continue!"

Harry turned pale instantly. He was exhausted and sweating so much that he was almost dehydrated.

He was worried that he might not be able to handle it if he had to do it again!

He cried out in a panic, "Professor Snape, 20 minutes is too short..."

Before he could finish speaking, he heard Snape, who was secretly flexing his wrist, let out a cold snort: "Ten minutes it is then, Potter. Do you have any further objections?"

hateful!

Harry finally understood that this old bat was willing to die together with him in order to read his memories and thoughts and to humiliate him!

Harry, equally determined, gritted his teeth and said, "No, Professor!"

"Very good. I hope you can show your savior potential next. To be honest, your defense just now seemed only slightly better than a troll's."

"I feel the same way. Your attack is like Aunt Penny tickling Cousin Dudley, afraid of breaking his delicate skin."

Snape's face darkened, and he said, enunciating each word clearly, "...Very—good, Potter! I'll see if your defense is really as tough as your mouth!"

Although he was somewhat regretful, Harry was absolutely not going to back down. He retorted sharply, "I look forward to your performance, Professor!"

"..."

"..."

The two stopped talking, staring at each other without blinking, as if they wanted to compete in this aspect.

Ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye, and as Snape raised his wand, Harry let out a muffled groan.

The fierce battle has begun again.

"Tsk tsk, how interesting."

In the corner of the study, Vaughn, who was hiding, smiled and looked around.

The clash between Snape and Harry may have been mentally intense, but from his perspective, their actions were essentially a blank stare at each other, followed by a sudden jolt as their attacks and defenses paused, causing them to stop panting and rest to recover their strength.

It's like performing a comical, and perhaps even suggestive, silent film.

Neither of them was willing to admit defeat, so the silent performance continued in a way that made the onlookers burst into laughter.

As time went on.

Sixty minutes later, Harry, on the defensive, was exhausted. He frantically waved his limp hands and feet, trying to grab the back of the sofa or something else to keep himself from falling.

Snape, no longer concerned with maintaining his public persona, leaned against the fireplace, his face pale and covered in sweat.

It must be said that the professor does have professional ethics.

Even in moments like these, even when he couldn't help but spit venom, he was truly dedicated to teaching Harry.

"Potter, phew... your stupid brain only knows how to brutally defend against all attacks, without understanding how to adjust and adapt..."

Harry was too exhausted to argue. He listened to Snape's words, panting, and then, with the last ounce of strength he had managed to muster, gritted his teeth and said, "Again!"

So, let's continue!

In the 90th minute, as Snape ended another attack, Harry, who had barely managed to hold on, was completely exhausted, his eyes rolled back, and he passed out.

Snape was not having an easy time either; he had been using Legilimency for over an hour straight, and it was the enhanced tutorial version with a lot of emotional investment.

His face was as pale as Malfoy's.

If it weren't for his unwavering belief, he probably would have collapsed.

Even so, his arms, which were braced against the fireplace, were trembling.

Vaughn dispelled the spell and clapped lightly: "Brilliant! A sharp attack and a tenacious defense, Professor, you and Harry have put on a textbook-perfect battle of wits!"

Snape was not happy at all to hear Harry's name mentioned alongside his own.

He forced back his breath, his face hardening. "Go check on Dumbledore's savior. See if he's dead!"

"Oh, Professor, Albus and I still trust you. I'm only here as a precaution, and I won't be coming back tomorrow."

"snort……"

Ignoring the mocking hum, Vaughn walked over to Harry, squatted down, and his eyes gleamed slightly.

In the mental world that Snape could no longer see, Vaughn saw a humanoid cloud of mist. He did not take it back, but left it there to continue recording.

He examined it for a moment, then said in a light tone, "Occlumency is still intact. Although it operates passively and its defensive capabilities are not ideal, it is sufficient for early warning... Hmm, Harry seems quite wary and resistant to you, Professor. I've never seen him have such a sensitive subconscious after falling asleep before."

This is nothing to be proud of, Snape's expression grew even colder.

Ignoring his unpleasant expression, Vaughn checked for a while longer to make sure there were no oversights before smiling and saying, "Alright, everything went smoothly, and the results exceeded my expectations. Sigh, I should have let Harry receive the professor's instruction sooner!"

stare--

Snape's dark eyes seemed to pierce through Vaughn's head.

"Don't be angry, Professor, just kidding. Actually, I think you and Harry work together quite well. The sparks fly between you amidst your mutual hatred and loathing. The intensity of your emotions is truly..."

"Vaughn Weasley!"

"Alright!" Vaughn shrugged, no longer provoking the professor. "Let's continue at this pace, Professor. Of course, that's enough for today. You can call Ron and the others in to take Harry back."

After saying that, he disappeared again.

Snape stood there catching his breath for a while, finally regaining some strength. He glanced somewhat awkwardly at the spot where Vaughn had disappeared, straightened his robes, and once again became the calm "ghost," flicking his wand.

The door opened with a click.

Ron, who had been waiting anxiously outside the door, quickly poked his head in. When he saw Harry lying on the ground with his eyes closed, his face immediately turned ashen.

"Harry—" he yelled, clenching his fists and glaring at Snape.

Hermione, who had rushed to Harry's side to check on him, quickly said, "Wait, Ron, Harry just fainted."

"--oh……"

Ron smoothly opened his fist, scratched his head, and grinned sheepishly.

Snape curled his upper lip. "Gryffindor loses 10 points! Ronald Weasley attempted to attack the Professor!"

"No, I just... I just have an itchy scalp, and I haven't washed my hair lately..."

Snape: "...Deduct another 10 points. Ronald Weasley is mocking the Professor!"

Ron decided to shut up.

He and Neville helped Harry up, and before leaving, he asked, "Hermione, should we take Harry to the school hospital? I'm worried he might be injured."

Snape said with a dark expression, "I think you can send him to St. Mungo's. The delicate Savior needs 100 wizards to worry about his head. You can also take a look at your own head to see if it's filled with troll snot."

Ron and Neville grabbed Harry and slunk away.

His indistinct mutterings could only be heard from a distance:

"That old bat's mouth is getting more and more venomous. Neville, if you hadn't held me back just now, I definitely would have punched him."

"Huh? I, I didn't..."

The sound quickly faded away as Neville offered his explanation.

Snape felt terrible, or rather, he hadn't been happy for even a second in the past two days.

All of this was thanks to Dumbledore and Vaughn. So when Vaughn deactivated his invisibility and tried to have a word with him, he simply tossed his robes aside and walked away without looking back.

Looking around the suddenly empty study, Vaughn shrugged, sat in the study for a while, and then prepared to go back to rest.

In order not to disrupt Dumbledore's plans, he cannot appear before Harry for the time being.

I have to get back to the Ministry of Magic through the fireplace first thing tomorrow morning.

This does have some advantages; at least the blame for skipping class can be shifted to Lao Deng.

Vaughn couldn't help but laugh when he recalled how Professor McGonagall had stared at Dumbledore's beard with such rage that evening.

Then, as he walked out of the Room of Requirement, he saw a large cat excitedly meowing as it ran around the corner of the corridor.

And then there's Hermione, a girl in pajamas, huddled in a corner, only her eyes sparkling:

"I knew you'd be here!"

(End of this chapter)