pretty girl diggory- R.Weasley

5:23

CELESTE SPENT MOST OF THE NEXT DAY dreading the evening. She had told Melody and Daphne, who had accidentally mentioned it to Theo, who obviously told Blaise, so now she had half of her Slytherin year bugging her about it.

"So you're like a seer now? Can you tell me the answers for McGonagalls' test?" Theo asked as they sat in the common room. She could tell Malfoy wanted to join in, but she was glad he did not.

"No," she said for what felt like the hundredth time. "I'm not a seer."

"So, what are you?" Theo asked.

"She's like an animagus but can look through animals' eyes or something," Daphne said.

"No," Celeste groaned. "I'm not an animagus, and I can't see through animals' eyes. Shut up, you two."

"Can you tell me my future?" Blaise asked, grinning.

By the time it was six, she was in a bad mood, worsening every step she took towards Snapes' office. She was met with Harry, who was knocking on the door.

It was a dim room with shelves bearing hundreds of glass jars in which floated slimy bits of animals and plants, suspended in variously colored potions. In a corner stood the cupboard full of ingredients that Snape had once accused Harry — not without reason — of robbing.

"Shut the door behind you, Diggory."

Celeste did as she was told with the horrible feeling that she was imprisoning Harry and herself as she did so. When she turned back to face the room, Snape had moved into the light and pointed silently at the chair opposite his desk. Harry and Celeste sat down, and so did Snape, his cold black eyes fixed unblinkingly upon them, dislike etched in every line of his face.

"Well, you two know why you are here," he said. "The headmaster has asked me to teach you two Occlumency. I can only hope that you prove more adept at it than Potions."

"Right," Harry said tersely.

"This may not be an ordinary class, Potter," said Snape, his eyes narrowed maliciously, "but I am still your teacher, and you will therefore call me 'sir' or 'Professor' at all times."

"Yes ... sir," Harry said.

"Now, Occlumency. As I told you back in your dear godfather's kitchen, this branch of magic seals the mind against magical intrusion and influence."

"And why does Professor Dumbledore think I need it, sir?" Celeste said, looking directly into Snape's dark, cold eyes and wondering whether he would answer. "The nutter tried to kill Harry, not me."

Snape looked back at her for a moment and then said contemptuously, "Surely you could have worked that out by now, Diggory? Even if you aren't 'special,' The Dark Lord is highly skilled at Legilimency —"

"What's that? Sir?" Harry asked.

"It is the ability to extract feelings and memories from another person's mind —"

"He can read minds?" Harry said quickly, his worst fears confirmed.

"You have no subtlety, Potter," Snape said, his dark eyes glittering. "You do not understand fine distinctions. It is one of the shortcomings that makes you such a lamentable potion-maker."

Snape paused for a moment, apparently to savor the pleasure of insulting Harry, before continuing, "Only Muggles talk of 'mind-reading.' The mind is not a book to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched on the inside of skulls to be perused by any invader. The mind is a complex and many-layered thing, Potter ... or at least, most minds are. ..." He smirked. "It is true, however, that those who have mastered Legilimency are able, under certain conditions, to delve into the minds of their victims and to interpret their findings correctly. The Dark Lord, for instance, almost always knows when somebody is lying to him. Only those skilled at Occlumency can shut down those feelings and memories that contradict the lie and utter falsehoods in his presence without detection." Whatever Snape said, Legilimency sounded like mind reading.