Fuzzy. Cold. Brutal. Dark—
The familiar setting welcomes Aine when she closes her eyes at night, drifting away to a corridor she knew all too well. The same aisle filled with mirroring black glossy tiles, reflecting everything it catches except her very own reflection. The cool flooring sends shivers down Aine's spine as she drags her feet across it. Trying to find her way out of this place, to whatever path she had walked on. The room wasn't as dark as the girl had recalled, the faint whisper calling ahead of her, luring her closer... And closer to the brass knob door.
She looks down at it, the little light revealing the engravings of the letter 'M' and a pair of scales. Her fingers reach to it, trailing over the inscriptions before she held the knob. Without hesitation, she twists the handle and pushes the black wooden door...
Aine...
Aine..!
"AINE, WAKE UP!"
The girl jolts awake, gasping for air when a pair of arms shook her body. Her eyes widened in alarm and she nearly screamed, thinking that it was another one of the reoccurring nightmares she had before. She scanned around her surroundings, scarlet and gold tapestries greeting her as a brightly lit candle blinded her sight momentarily. She blinks and sat her body upright, feeling her numbing lips quivering before her eyes set on a familiar brunette.
"H... Hermione..?" she calls out warily, her vision of her friend slowly clearing up as she squints at the girl. It was still dark outside the windows and deadly silent. Everyone must still be asleep.
"Yeah. It's me, Aine," Hermione replies, feeling apologetic that she had to wake her sleeping friend from her deep slumber. Though she wasn't exactly sure if she had done the right job or not, judging by how shaken Aine was. "Are you alright?" she asks the younger girl who cursed under her breath, thankful that she wasn't stuck in another nightmare.
Nodding her head furiously, Aine sweeps her raven locks away from her slightly drenched face, further waking herself up. She became more aware of her environment, realizing she was back in the Gryffindor's Common Room. "Y... Yeah, I'm— I'm fine... What's wrong? What time is it?" she asks her friend who was clearly freaking out just as much as she was. Aine turned her head around her room, then her attention focused on the other empty bed next to Hermione's.
It was Ginny's bed.
Furrowing her brows to make sure she wasn't seeing wrongly, she gulps. "Where's Ginny?" she asks again nervously.
"It's past three in the morning," Hermione said, slowly lowering herself to sit on the edge of Aine's bed. She bit her lips and went on, "There was an accident..."
Aine's ears perked up immediately, concern plastered across her pale face as she gasps, "Accident..? What happened? Is Ginny alright? Was she hurt?" she bombards Hermione who quickly waves her hand, calming the girl down. Her heart was pounding so quickly at the thought of her best friend. What the bloody hell happened when she was asleep?
"She's fine! Don't worry...!" Hermione reassures, patting Aine's tensed shoulders. "In fact, it's actually Mr Weasley who was caught in an accident..." she trails away, watching Aine's eyes get even larger as if any bigger it may pop from its sockets. "He was attacked in the Ministry while patrolling at night earlier. Authorities had rushed to the scene as soon as they could and he will be getting treated when they find him. Ginny, Ron, Fred and George had left not long ago to St. Mungo's..." she explained, bitterness in her voice.
A sigh of relief escaped Aine's lips, and she covers her face with her hands. Worry still swirling in her wavering golden pupils, the thought of Mr Weasley being attacked had thrown Aine's mind. "Is... Is he alright?" she asks, genuinely concerned and afraid for the Weasley family head.
"He should be... Harry did have a dream about it and he alerted Professor Dumbledore when he woke up. He's in the Headmaster's office now..." Hermione replied and Aine gave another sigh. She places her hand over her beating heart, calming it down. Then, Hermione continued reluctantly. "Which brings me to you..."
"Me?"
"Professor McGonagall conveyed to me to bring you to Professor Dumbledore's office now," Hermione stated, her lips pursing into a thin line.
"What..? Why..?"
The girl shook her head, unsure why the adults needed Aine who had seemingly nothing to do with whatever had just happened. Nonetheless, she was being instructed to bring the girl in this late at night. "They wished to speak to you too."
Aine quickly got up from her sleep, even without changing into her uniform and was still in her knitted pyjamas. She layered on a thick cardigan before heading to the Headmaster's office with Hermione in hurried steps. By the time she had gotten past the Griffin Statue that was the entrance to Dumbledore's post, she could hear the arguments coming from it.
"...LOOK AT ME!"
"...WHAT'S HAPPENING— TO ME..?"
Hermione was told to return back to the common room with Professor McGonagall who had accompanied her, leaving Aine together with Harry with their Headmaster and a rather not-so-surprising face.
Snape.
"Oh, Severus! I'm afraid we can't wait. Not even till the morning. Otherwise, we'll all be vulnerable," Dumbledore said to Snape, urgency in his tone. He paces back and forth, his brows knitting together as he fell deep into his train of thoughts.
Aine whips her head to the two men, confused as to why she was even here in the first place if not to hear the males debate. "Aine dear..." Dumbledore calls to her in a raspy voice and she turns to the headmaster, puzzled. Wondered what help she could possibly offer to all of them.
"Yes, professor?" she replies.
Dumbledore steps down from his podium and with softened eyes, he looks at Aine. "I apologize for calling you out here late at this hour, but as I am familiar that you have been trained in the Arts of Legilimency and Occlumency. Would you mind aiding Severus here? I'm sure he could use your help."
Snape immediately clears his throat, shooting a questioning look in the Headmaster's direction, "She's not ready, Headmaster," he protested strongly, huffing through his nose. He ignores the glares Aine was giving him. Though the girl had her fair share of training to control her own mind, let alone the power of infiltrating other minds, he had still opposed the idea of dragging her in any more than she already has. She knew too much after all, and danger is all that follows anyone who had known too much.
Aine casually rolls her eyes away, meeting her friend who was still agitated about the whole situation he was caught up in. "With who?" she asks.
The Headmaster's gaze landed on the boy who was sitting in the chair next to the table where a pile of sherbert lemon candies was sitting. "With Harry... And Voldemort," he responded sadly.
"Headmaster!" Snape exclaims, his brows contorting downwards as his expression hardens grimly. The first in a long time that Aine had witnessed her Potions professor showing any emotions.
Dumbledore held out a hand to his colleague, halting Snape's refutes despite the disapproving glares he was showing. "Severus. It is imperative that we do this, for Harry's safety and for what's to come.."
"What's there to come?" Harry questions, darting to Snape who tutted at him, scoffing blatantly in the boy's face. But Harry had simply brushed away the reaction he had received. He was stunned and in need of some answers, anything. If someone could enlighten him about whatever was happening to him, he would take it. No matter how trivial it may be.
Snape clicks his tongue after a long moment of consideration, he puts aside his emotions and tries to find the reason behind the Headmaster's request. The silence that looms over the group was deafening, for a minute, Aine had even thought he was going to reject Dumbledore. Nevertheless, he ended up giving in to the Headmaster. He steps towards Harry and forcibly drags him by his arm, then looks at Aine who had given him a look, whatever expression he had on his face. Aine sure didn't like it because it felt like he was judging her (which he always seems to do).
With an exasperated sigh, he orders them to follow him out of the office, "Come along, you two!" he commanded sternly.
"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore remarked, his lips curling up into a small smile before he nodded to Harry and Aine, beckoning them to go along. Yet, just as Aine watches the door close behind her, she caught a glimpse of Dumbledore's smile falling and a grave expression replaces it.
The door to Dumbledore's office shuts with a loud bellow, echoing through the spiral stairway that Aine has found herself cascading down with Harry and Snape. She recognizes the place they were going, it was where she had been training to control her mind before when Snape had taught her.
"Hurry up!" Snape scolded Harry, yanking his arm as he descends the stairs, deeper into the depths of Hogwarts. The poor boy grunts, nearly tripping on his feet as he tries to catch up with the Potions Professor.
Sitting the boy down, Snape proceeded to his desk, unrolling a series of equipment while Aine stood next to Harry, keeping him company. Her friend darted around anxiously, he had no idea what was going on, let alone what would happen to him. But what he did know was that Snape was a ruthless teacher who wouldn't go easy on his students. Now that Dumbledore had tasked him to teach Harry to control his mind, it would be a lie to say that he wasn't one bit afraid for his own mind, or rather, what Snape was going to do to him. He swallows his saliva, gripping tightly onto the handles of the chair he sat.
"You'll be fine," Aine whispers to him, giving him a small nod to coax her distraught friend.
Harry gave a shaky chuckle, "I highly doubt that..." he replied, his laugh stopping when Snape turned around dramatically with his wand. He eyes the two of his students suspiciously before circling around his table to them.
"It appears there's a connection... Between the Dark Lord's mind and your own. Whether he is, as yet— Aware of this connection is— for the moment, unclear. Pray he remains ignorant," Snape discloses and Aine held her breath. It was the same words that she had heard him say to her previously and she could only imagine the sinister grin on Voldemort's face if he were to find out of such a connection.
Harry frowns, "You mean, if he knows about it, then... He'll be able to read my mind?" he inquired.
"Read it— Control it— Unhinge it. In the past, it was often the Dark Lord's pleasure... To invade the minds of his victim... Creating visions designed to torture them into madness. Only after extracting the last exquisite ounce of agony. Only when he had them literally begging for death, would he finally... Kill them," Snape elucidated slowly, observing Harry closely from his face to his twitching, trembling hands that clutched onto his checkered pants.
"Used properly, the power of Occlumency— Will help shield you from access or influence. In these lessons... I will attempt to penetrate your mind. You will attempt— To resist," he enlightens the boy, signalling Aine to have her wand ready. However, the girl merely stood still with her head tilted to one side, a sceptical look appeared on her face. Snape rolled his eyes again.
"What are you waiting for?" he asks her who was standing awfully still for someone who was supposed to be helping him.
"What am I supposed to be waiting for?" she retorted back and he sighs deeply through his nose.
He lowers his gaze to her, looking straight into her irises and Aine narrows her eyes at him before she realizes that he was speaking to her in her mind. Looking back to Harry for a second, she lets down the gates of her mind, letting Snape converse with her.
'You will be assisting me in this one. I want you to cast a shield around Potter's mind while I attempt to invade it, do you understand?' he instructed her.
Aine chewed on her lips, though she has cast a barrier around her mind to prevent others from infiltrating it; to do that on another mind was something she hasn't quite perfected. For her professor to charge her with doing such an important job, she was feeling rather unconfident about it. What if she had accidentally made it worst? After all, she too had a connection to the Dark Lord's mind.
Snape had seen her thoughts and worries clearly without knowing that her mind had been opened for others to read. His eyes softened at her, surprising the girl when he spoke to her mind again. 'Have some faith in your skill.' Aine almost burst out into a fit of laughter when she heard his words, almost as if trying to hearten and cheer her up. Though his tone was as monotonous as ever, she decided to heed his words and trust her ability.
'Alright. But don't blame me if things go wrong!' she tells him, grinning.
'We shall see.'
"I'm sorry, but what are you guys— doing?" Harry timidly asks, wondering why his friend and professor were staring so intensely that he thought they were going to start fighting. For a second, he even wondered if he should step between them both, or flee for his life.
Aine patted Harry's shoulders and walked next to Snape, "Telepathy. You'll get there," she added, winking.
"What? Telepathy..?"
"You'll see," was all Aine said before giving a short bob of her head to Snape, composing herself as she pointed her wand at Harry. She needed to be extremely focused on this, to enchant a barrier of protection around her friend's mind to prevent other minds besides hers and their professor's and at the same time try to look inside his mind to see if there were any clues.
Harry shifted uncomfortably, sitting upright as his chest rise and deflate quickly. "Um... Aine... I don't think this is a good idea..." he gulps. He glanced towards the door, wondering if he should sprint out of the room or not.
"Too late," Aine replied coldly, the look in her eyes changing.
"Prepare yourself, Potter," Snape seethes.
"Legilimens—!"
Harry's eyes widened in fear, it happened so quickly even before he could even take a deep breath. He lets out a groan, his head lurching backwards as he felt his mind cracking apart as if someone had hammered his head. The sight of Aine and Snape slowly tunnels in as he replays his memories in his mind, trying to resist letting them in and at the same time, trying to claim back his own mind.
"Concentrate, Potter... Focus!" Snape barked.
It was going to be a long, rough night.
Aine's wand trembled in her grasp as she delved into Harry's thoughts. From the moment she met him in Twelve Grimmauld Place, to witnessing Voldemort standing on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, to him training alongside the members of Dumbledore's Army, and to him kissing Cho Chang under the mistletoe. It came flooding into the girl's mind all at once as if she was the one who had been through what he went. She gasped, biting onto her lips as she tried to hold the enchantment on him.
She saw what Harry had dreamt, a slender pale hand reaching out into the darkness, the faint glow of light emitting from a man's wand as he enters the lair of mysteries. The hissing sound crept behind before it finally attacked the poor red-headed man and the gruesome sight of snake bites appeared all over Mr Weasley's face and arms, red dyeing the fabric of his clothes. Aine wanted to stop looking into Harry's mind then and there, the sight had completely scarred her and all she could think of was how lucky the Weasley children and mother were to be away from watching Mr Weasley getting brutally harmed.
'Don't,' Aine hears Snape telling her, he gave a forewarning look as he shook his head. 'Not yet.'
'I don't like this, Professor...' she replied to him in her mind, trying her very best to look past the horrible encounter. Was this still him trying to train her mind to be strong? Because whatever it was, Aine hated it.
'This is training for you too,' he told her.
A strained smile flickered past her face, trying to hold the facade up. 'Figured...' she grins through the vision, going deeper into her friend's screaming mind.
GET OUT!
GET OUT OF MY HEAD!
Harry clenched his jaw, revisiting the moments he shared with Voldemort. From the moment he was reborn, to watching Cedric die before his eyes, to meeting his godfather and mentor again, to noticing Voldemort's presence once more. The memories of the Dark Lord resurfacing like a buoy, he struggled to keep it locked down in the bottom of the sea of his thoughts. He knew his thoughts weren't safe anymore, that he was literally an open book to the two figures standing before him. Even so, he was determined to keep himself in control.
Then he saw it. For a second as it flashed by his thoughts.
A room of darkness with never-ending towering shelves that were stretched to the ceiling. It was so high that he could barely see the end of it. There were a million of whispers coming from the room, every voice speaking in different tongues and pitches, muttering words he couldn't understand. It was deafening and the voices slowly grew louder, and louder, drowning away his thoughts. The boy clutched onto his head, squeezing his palms over his ears to mute the voices away. But he could still hear them all and he was losing track of how much time has passed for all he know, the voices echoed in his mind for a long, long time.
Aine's lids fluttered, the ringing in her ears wouldn't stop and it was making her dizzy. She squeezes her eyes shut and readjusted the way she was breathing so she was stable again. She could feel her strength declining away, her arms growing numb as her face went pale.
'Are we done yet?' she questions Snape who furrowed his brows deeply.
There was no reply from him and Aine merely uttered a small curse, she was shivering from exhaustion and the cold. Even the thick cardigan was completely useless now because she was freezing, even more, it was as if the clothing wasn't even layered on in the first place.
Just a little more... She tells herself, casting a look on Harry's grimacing face. Her friend was working hard to control his mind and it was only fitting that she work hard alongside him as well.
Then, out of nowhere amidst the lingering voices that whispered around her. Aine managed to grasp a specific voice...
... Marked him as an equal...
... He shall have powers the Dark Lord knows not..!
─── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───
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- Zeneria