Harriet Potter

Patches of bright blue skies began to appear over the castle, but the signs of summer were not accompanied by an improvement in the situation.During this period of time, the castle can be said to be calm, but obviously the outside world is not like that.Hermione read us more and more bad news from the newspaper at breakfast: the nine-year-old boy was under the Imperius Curse and tried to kill his parents, the young Montgomery family was attacked by a werewolf... Every now and then, someone would be in Classes get called out, and then terrible news creeps in, and I can barely remember the families of students who have had accidents.

Ron and Hermione don't think as much about these things as I do, they have other things to worry about.Indeed, despite the constant gossip, they're apparently going pretty well, and there are mornings when they both eat breakfast with smirks that look like they're about to glow from the inside out.Now the three of us are no longer inseparable like in the past, I try to leave them as much space as possible, whether it is in Hogwarts or the Burrow, the space we live in is always crowded and noisy, and there is very little undisturbed time. time, and they have waited too long for this.One can imagine what other people would attribute our estrangement to, but I don't think any of us would mind that.

Alvin didn't look for me again, maybe the conflict at the school hospital angered him, maybe he decided that I liked Ron, anyway, at least I don't have to worry about how to respond to him anymore.Everyone seemed to believe the lie, the only one who didn't believe it at all was Ginny, I told her part of the truth, she knew I had been attacked that morning but didn't know who or where.Besides her threatening to write to Mrs. Weasley to find out what happened, I also think Ron's sister should at least be shown that they are not that kind of people.Later, Ginny would often show up on my way from get out of class, going to dinner or the library with me. She explained that she was trying to avoid Dean, but I still felt that she didn't want me to be alone, which I was very grateful for.Sometimes Luna joins us, and I find it surprisingly easy to get along with, neither of them asks embarrassing questions, and Ginny gives me a hard time on anyone who calls Luna a "crazy girl" or tries to harass me , which reminds me how much she resembles Ron.

Because I never got to get the Half-Blood Prince's book back, my Potions scores were not as good as before.Slughorn, too, chalked it up to “emotional hurt,” often expressing regret, but still being as witty and gracious to me as ever.Maybe it’s closer than before. During this time, I often go to him on weekends or when I’m not in class. In addition to telling me anecdotes about my parents when they were in school, he will also talk to me about what happened around me. thing.Slughorn can indeed be a very good listener and a friendly elder when he wants to.A few times the topic ended prematurely in an awkward silence, and then I stopped asking him for memory, and he stopped asking me if I was the "savior of the world".

Dumbledore never sent me another private lesson notice as he said, so I figured I should press the memory request a little more urgently, but that would just make Slughorn send him back again. The office door was closed, and even if he finally agreed, it would mean losing my only access to the real parents.I can almost hear Dumbledore say in my head "I understand how you feel, Harriet, it's no good living in vain dreams and forgetting real life", and then I'll want to go Your, your purpose has never been more real than those "false dreams".

In between schoolwork and Quidditch practice, I found myself getting better and better at understatement and secrecy.I've figured out how to boost morale, or wipe worry off Hermione's face in a few words without letting anyone know what I'm actually thinking.The nightmare was expelled from my mind, not sure if it was because Voldemort really wasn't trying to control me anymore or my success at closing my brain, my scar hadn't hurt for the better part of a year.Often after a discovery like this, I realize that Occlumency classes are the only time I have now to be honest.Snape knew all my thoughts that I even hid from Ron and Hermione, which was really weird, he became the person who knew me best at the moment, and I didn't even like him.

Snape didn't point his wand at me in class now and say Legilimency spells like before, we sat opposite each other on opposite sides of the desk, and he would silently intrude at any moment when my mind was slack my thoughts.After reliving the scene of Sirius retreating into the veil countless times, my brain can finally react to the invasion before I can, and I often don't realize that Snape has started until this scene.I haven't had a panic attack over that scene in weeks, and I don't know if that's a good thing.I was amazed when Snape suggested that we would both have to look for specific memories in each other's brains for the next phase, judging by the way he flew into a rage every time I countered successfully, I thought he'd rather have everyone do it in class The game doesn't offer to let me into the brain itself.

"I thought you objected to my peeping into the mind of V-You-Know-Who, sir."

"Defensive offense is also one of the Occlumency strategies," said Snape dryly. "The Headmaster thinks there's evidence that exposure to your thoughts makes the Dark Lord feel strongly uncomfortable - I'm totally ok with that." Understandable."

"Dumbledore wants me to hack into Voldemort's mind?" I wondered.

"Nobody 'wants' you to do this, except yourself." Snape narrowed his eyes, "Reverse access is a last resort, and what I'm going to teach you is just a little strategy, not like you always have Flying around like flies. The Dark Lord's mind is not for anyone to pry into, remember that."

"but--"

"If you don't want to learn, that's the end of the lesson. I'll be thankful for that."

I figured I would too, but the course went on anyway.Most of what Snape asked me to look for were potion formulas. I don't know if I was overwhelmed. These potions seem to have avoided the prince's improved ones.However, it is impossible for me to check with the prince's textbook again, so I have to put this idea on hold.

April 21st was the day of the first Apparation exam, and in the morning I received a letter from Hagrid, the handwriting on it was blackened by water stains that were obviously tears.Hagrid told me that Aragog had died in a very sad tone, and hoped that we could go together to see him off.

"He's crazy!" said Ron vehemently. "The beast told his mates to eat Harry and me! Say anything! And now Hagrid wants us to cry over his hideous, hairy corpse." !"

"Not only that," Hermione said, "he wants us to leave the castle at night, knowing that the security measures have been tightened by a million times, and it will be a lot of trouble if we are caught!"

"We've seen him at night before," I said.

"Yes, but for something like this?" said Hermione. "We took a lot of risks for Hagrid, but after all—Aragok is dead. If it was to save him—"

"—I don't even want to go," said Ron firmly. "You haven't seen him, Hermione. Believe me, Hagrid would be much better off if he died."

"Harry, you're not going to go, are you?" Hermione asked. "It's not worth the detention."

I sighed and put Hagrid's note away. "Yes, I know, I think Hagrid will have to bury Aragog himself. But I'll send him a message, anyway."

The classroom was very empty all day long. Among the sixth graders, only a few of them under the age of [-] went to class, and the professors also relaxed their requirements for coursework.Slughorn let us configure whatever we liked, and didn't examine the results particularly carefully, except to wrinkle our noses at the pile of purple gnocchi at the bottom of Ernie MacMillan's pot.After class, Malfoy quickly packed up his things and left the classroom, as if being chased by something.I knew Snape was helping him - act like it - with his mission, because I still had a habit of looking at the Marauder's Map, and now it was Snape's turn to disappear on it with some frequency.I still don't know what he was doing in the Room of Requirement, and regretted not asking Dumbledore last time.

Ron and Hermione came back late in the afternoon, Hermione excited to have passed the exam, and Ron downcast, half of his eyebrows dropped during the exam.We spent most of dinner scolding the Apparition examiner, and Ron was in a slightly better mood when it came time to find an empty classroom to deliver a letter to Hagrid, both of whom were curious about conjuring a talking Patronus.Hermione pressed me on a bunch of technical details, and finally I had to ask her to watch it in action first.

"You're keeping this from us!" she said indignantly.

"I didn't think to hide it," I said with a headache. "I just didn't remember it, okay? I forgot. It's not usually necessary, and I have so many things to deal with."

"You always have a lot to deal with," said Hermione, looking slightly annoyed for some reason.

"I didn't ask for this, did I?" I pushed open the door of an empty classroom. This classroom is located on the west side of the castle. From the window, you can see vegetable fields and greenhouses. The golden red light of the setting sun is slanting low from the side of the mountain Come in.Except for the students who have just finished herbal medicine class, no one will pass by here, and the get out of class is already over by now.

"Here it is." I closed the door and pulled out my wand, remembering what Aberforth taught me, "Call God for protection!"

The silver stag jumped from the tip of my staff and came briskly to Hermione, moving with strange grace despite its size.

"Hagrid, we are very sad and sorry about what happened to Aragog. We would like to bury him with you, but the security measures in the castle are too strict now, and there is no way for us to leave. May the Spider King rest in peace. A message will bring you some comfort. Harry, Ron and Hermione."

It was weird listening to the Patronus, I rarely had the chance to know what my own voice sounded like to others, it seemed a little hoarse and arrogant than my own.After the Patronus dissipated, Hermione was still staring ahead, seemingly completely shocked.

"Do you think that's okay?" I asked.

"I think it's ok, it's enough to give the beast face," said Ron. "Looks like it's easier to lie with a Patronus."

"Let's just say that," Hermione agreed.

We waited for a while after sending the message, but Hagrid didn't reply.Not too surprising, Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts in his third year for a broken wand, and he probably won't be able to use the Patronus Charm.I gave Hermione the gist again, and she tried again, but before her Patronus could fully form, the classroom door was pushed open.The silver otter disappeared from the tip of Hermione's wand, and I pointed my wand at the door, only to find it was Slughorn.He held a large handful of leaves in one hand, and held his wand in the other.