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Chapter 661: Tit for Tat, the Role of the Assistant
🕑 Added 2025-03-27 14:08:47 +0000 UTCAfter returning from Hagrid’s, Kyle didn’t have much planned.
For the next few days, he spent his time in an empty classroom on the sixth floor, diligently working on his holiday homework. The classroom’s window provided a clear view of Hagrid’s hut, a small detail Kyle found useful.
That day, as usual, he arrived early, sat by the familiar window seat, and started writing. Every now and then, he glanced outside. Before long, he noticed an owl fly to Hagrid’s hut, drop off a letter, and swiftly depart.
Hagrid collected the letter, briefly looked around as though checking for onlookers, then hurried inside, shutting the door behind him.
The scene played out exactly as it had for the past few days.
However, just as Kyle returned his focus to his homework, another figure emerged near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
It was Filch.
Kyle froze, watching as the caretaker skulked behind a tree, peering out only after Hagrid had disappeared inside. Once the coast seemed clear, Filch crept toward the hut, moving with exaggerated stealth.
He peered through the windows, but Hagrid had taken precautions—thick curtains covered every pane, and even the gaps in the hut were tightly sealed. Unable to see anything, Filch circled the hut twice, muttering angrily, then left, grumbling curses under his breath.
Kyle waited until Filch was out of sight before swiftly packing up his homework. He needed to post his most important letter in the common room, but as he hurried downstairs, he ran into Snape.
“I thought you’d broken the rules again and sneaked out of school,” Snape said, his voice icy. “What a disappointment.”
“I’ve been here all week, Professor,” Kyle replied calmly. “If you don’t need anything else, I’ll be going now.”
Kyle attempted to step past him, but Snape blocked his path.
“Just a moment,” Snape said, his tone firm.
“It’s only been a week. I trust you haven’t forgotten what you promised the Headmaster.”
Kyle stopped and looked up at Snape. “If you’re talking about helping Harry learn Occlumency, of course, I remember.”
“Good,” Snape said curtly. “Follow me.”
“Already?” Kyle asked, remaining still. Normally, lessons like this wouldn’t begin until after term started. Besides, Harry was still supposed to be at 12 Grimmauld Place. Surely, they weren’t going to barge into Sirius’s house for this.
“Yes, now,” Snape snapped. “Hurry up, and don’t make me repeat myself again.”
Reluctantly, Kyle set aside his plan to post the letter and followed Snape.
When they reached the Dungeon classroom, Kyle was surprised to find Harry already there.
Harry, however, didn’t look pleased. His face was tense, his breathing heavy, and his glare at Snape was practically burning holes through him.
Snape’s expression was equally disdainful.
“Trust me, Potter,” Snape said in a low, cutting tone. “If it weren’t for the Headmaster’s orders, I would never have allowed you to set foot in here.”
“Am I supposed to thank you for your generosity?” Harry retorted, his face flushing with anger.
He suspected Snape was doing this deliberately. There were still ten days left of the holiday, and Sirius had promised to take him to Diagon Alley to pick out furniture for his new bedroom. Instead, he’d been summoned back to Hogwarts to learn Occlumency.
For a fleeting moment, Harry even considered storming past Snape and leaving.
“No thanks,” Snape replied coldly, ignoring Harry’s irritation. “As long as you’ve learned something from your previous lessons and don’t make me repeat myself endlessly.”
“But why now?” Harry burst out. “Can’t it wait until the start of term?”
“It seems you’d rather enjoy yourself than consider the safety of the Order of the Phoenix,” Snape shot back icily. “As I explained before, the Dark Lord is aware that you can sense his thoughts and has likely deduced the situation is reversible. In other words, the Dark Lord may now believe he can sense your thoughts as well."
“Or do you imagine the Dark Lord is as arrogant and foolish as you, completely ignorant of such possibilities? Perhaps you see this as a game—a thrilling opportunity to delve into the Dark Lord’s mind, more exciting than wizard chess?”
“I don’t!” Harry shouted. “I’ve never thought of it like that!”
“Then prove it,” Snape snarled. “Learn Occlumency. Stop wasting time complaining about your disrupted vacation!”
Harry’s face grew redder, but as much as he wanted to argue, a voice in his mind whispered that Snape was right.
“Fine,” Harry said through gritted teeth. “I won’t let Voldemort into my head.”
“Don’t say the Dark Lord’s name!” Snape snapped sharply.
An awkward silence hung in the air as the two glared at each other. Ultimately, it was Harry who conceded, his frustration simmering just beneath the surface.
“What do we do?” Harry asked warily.
“The same as last time,” Snape replied, drawing his wand from his robes. “Try to protect your mind from the intrusion... or defeat me, using whatever magic you can muster.”
“Professor Snape...” Kyle, who had been silent until now, stepped forward. “As a qualified teaching assistant, I feel it’s my duty to demonstrate the correct method to Harry.”
Snape’s face darkened as he took in Kyle’s eager expression and the wand in his hand.
“I strongly disagree with you,” Snape said curtly. “A qualified teaching assistant does not take matters into his own hands.”
It was one thing to criticize Harry—after all, Snape could say whatever he liked to the boy. But Kyle? Snape had no desire to deal with the fallout of antagonizing him.
Meanwhile, Harry finally noticed Kyle’s presence in the room.
“Kyle? What are you doing here?” he asked, surprised. “Are you learning Occlumency too?”
For a moment, Harry felt a flicker of relief. Having Kyle there was far better than facing Snape alone.
Before Kyle could answer, Snape cut in sharply:
“Potter, if you used your ears properly, you might have caught the word assistant mentioned just now.”
“Assistant ?” Harry repeated, confused.
“I’m glad you heard that this time,” Snape sneered. “I trust I don’t need to explain what a teaching assistant is.” His gaze flicked to Kyle before returning to Harry. “If your Occlumency were even half as good as his—no, even a third as good—we wouldn’t be wasting our time here.”
Harry flushed with embarrassment, his ears burning.
“All right, enough nonsense,” Snape snapped.
Instead of immediately casting a spell, Snape moved to the cabinet. He retrieved a Pensieve and, pressing his wand to his temple, began extracting thin, silver strands of memory. He deposited the strands into the Pensieve one by one, repeating the process three times.
Kyle’s eyes narrowed. Now it was clear why Snape needed the Pensieve.
Snape’s teaching method involved using Legilimency to invade Harry’s mind, forcing him to practice resisting the intrusion repeatedly. It was effective, but with a significant risk: if the student managed even a brief moment of successful Occlumency, the Legilimency Spell could backfire, allowing them to see into the caster’s mind.
It all made sense now.
No wonder Snape had been so furious after his first Occlumency session with Harry. Harry must have accidentally deflected the Legilimency Spell, glimpsing something deeply personal in Snape’s thoughts. Even a fleeting look would have been enough to infuriate him.
To avoid such incidents, Snape was removing any memories he didn’t want Harry—or anyone—seeing and storing them in the Pensieve.
Kyle glanced curiously at the Pensieve as Snape returned it to the cabinet and locked it securely. What memories could be so important that Snape would go to such lengths to conceal them?
“Now, be prepared,” Snape said coldly, raising his wand. “Legilimens!”
Harry barely had time to react. A faint white light emanated from his wand before his body stiffened, and he collapsed to the ground uncontrollably.
“Spongify!” Kyle muttered, flicking his wand. The hard floor softened instantly, cushioning Harry’s fall.
At the same time, Snape let out a muffled grunt, pulling his wand hand back. His wrist bore a red, swollen mark, as if struck.
“The Stinging Jinx?” Kyle raised an eyebrow, impressed.
Harry’s response had been better than expected.
The Legilimency Spell required the caster to maintain a magical connection to their target.
Breaking that connection was a valid—and often effective—tactic. The Stinging Jinx, as well as other spells like the Disarming Charm, Knockback Jinx, or even the Patronus Charm, could all disrupt the caster’s focus.
As Snape lowered his wand, Harry stirred, his eyes fluttering open.
First, he noticed that he wasn’t hurt from the fall—a surprising change from past sessions. Then, his gaze locked onto Snape, filled with wary suspicion.
“Is this the best you can do?” Snape asked coldly, rubbing his wrist where Harry's earlier curse had struck.
“I...” Harry began, but Snape didn’t give him a chance to finish.
“Legilimens!”
Harry’s body stiffened again, and he collapsed to the ground, hissing through his teeth, “No, stop...”
This time, however, Snape waved his hand to stop Kyle from softening the floor.
“A little damage will help him master the spell more quickly,” Snape said dismissively.
Kyle frowned slightly. “So what else can I do?”
“Nothing,” Snape replied, shooting him a glance. “Just watch.”
Kyle shrugged and leaned back, opting not to argue.
Meanwhile, Harry groaned as he woke from the painful jolt of his knee slamming into the table leg. He glared at Snape, his face twisted in frustration.
“That was a sneak attack,” he growled. “I wasn’t ready!”
“Your enemies won’t let you prepare,” Snape retorted sharply. “I find it hard to believe you’re taking this seriously. After all this time, you’ve made no improvement whatsoever.”
Harry glared at him furiously, but Snape ignored his anger.
“Eliminate distractions, Potter,” Snape continued, his tone cutting. “I’ve told you before: cast aside all emotions. That is the key to learning Occlumency.”
Kyle nodded silently in agreement. Snape was right—the essence of Occlumency lay in focus and discipline. To resist a mental intrusion, one needed to clear their mind and summon absolute concentration. Any stray emotion or thought would only weaken their defense.
Unfortunately, Harry’s current state of mind—full of anger and frustration—was precisely the kind of distraction that made Occlumency difficult. His outbursts, though fiery, only undermined his progress.
“Again,” Snape commanded. “Get ready... Legilimens!”
Harry hit the ground once more, this time landing hard on his knees.
“You’re not doing it, Potter!” Snape barked. “Discipline yourself. Focus! Again!”
The session devolved into what looked like a wrestling match between Harry and the floor. With each failed attempt, he slammed into the ground in a different way—sometimes on his knees, other times on his arms. The sight was almost absurd, and anyone watching might have thought Harry was training for some bizarre contact sport.
Kyle, meanwhile, remained the most composed person in the room. At Snape’s insistence, he only softened the ground when Harry fell face-first, to prevent any serious injury.
“Get up, Potter,” Snape barked after yet another fall. “You’re not doing it. You’re not trying. I told you to let go of your emotions!”
“I’m trying!” Harry snarled, his teeth clenched tightly.
“Tried?” Snape sneered. “I barely showed you a memory from before you turned ten, and you crumbled like a child, begging me to stop! Weaklings like you are no match for the Dark Lord, Potter.”
“I’m not weak!” Harry shouted, his fists clenching as if he were about to throw a punch at Snape.
“Then prove it!” Snape snapped. “Legilimens!”
As expected, Harry fell to the ground again.
“I told you to let go of your emotions!” Snape shouted.
“I can’t!”
“Control your temper!”
...
The office echoed with Snape's sharp reprimands and the dull sound of Harry's body hitting the floor.
Two hours passed in this manner until Harry finally fainted. He lay sprawled on the ground, his brow furrowed, one hand clutching the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, the other twitching involuntarily.
Kyle stepped forward, observing the scene thoughtfully. “Professor Snape, he’s not... entering You-Know-Who’s mind again, is he?”
Snape’s face darkened even further, though he remained silent.
Without warning, a large puddle of water materialized and splashed directly onto Harry’s face. He jerked awake, gasping for air, his body trembling as he knelt on the ground.
“You saw it again, didn’t you?” Snape demanded, his piercing gaze fixed on Harry. “Entered the Dark Lord’s thoughts.”
“I... I didn’t...” Harry muttered, his eyes darting away.
“Liar!” Snape barked, his voice sharp with anger.
Harry remained silent, avoiding Snape’s glare. The tension between them hung heavy in the room as neither moved, locked in a silent standoff.
Kyle, sensing the impasse, broke in. “Why don’t we let Harry go back for now? Two hours is more than enough. If we push him further with Legilimency, he might not be able to handle it.”
A flicker of relief crossed Harry’s face, though he tried to hide it. He was desperate to leave.
Snape scrutinized Harry’s expression for a long moment before finally speaking. “We’ll continue at the same time tomorrow,” he declared. His tone was clipped, but his words carried weight. “And remember what I told you before—before you sleep, clear your mind of all emotion. Make it empty and calm.”
“Okay,” Harry replied hastily, turning on his heel and leaving without a backward glance.
Kyle watched the door swing shut, his expression wry. “I don’t think he listened,” he remarked, his gaze lingering on the spot where Harry had just stood. Harry’s thoughts were practically broadcast on his face—it was clear he only cared about escaping.
“Arrogant, emotional fool,” Snape muttered, exhaling sharply through his nose.
Kyle shrugged. “Well, I’ll be heading back too, Professor.”
“Not so fast,” Snape said, his voice deceptively calm. A sinister smile played on his lips as he turned to face Kyle. “As a teaching assistant, it’s time you fulfilled your responsibilities. You’ll draft a detailed plan for Potter’s Occlumency lessons—a minimum of three feet long. Include areas of focus and strategies for managing his emotions in everyday situations. I expect it on my desk by this time tomorrow.”
Kyle froze. “But I have other things to do,” he protested, his voice edged with frustration. A three-foot plan? If he agreed, he’d have no time for anything else.
“That’s not my concern,” Snape replied with a pointed look. “You accepted this position under the headmaster’s orders, and you’ll see it through. Unless, of course, you can find a way to extricate yourself from the job. But I must warn you—the headmaster is currently away. Any appeal will have to wait until his return.”
Kyle’s mouth twitched as he resisted the urge to groan. It seemed there was no escape.
If he’d known it would come to this, he’d have insisted on teaching Harry how to block Legilimency himself.
