It took a couple heartbeats, but all of a sudden, the pressure in the room built up, causing Harry's ears to pop. Dumbledore completely shed the image of a kindly grandfather and stood, staring at the quills looking like an avenging angel of death. "Who?" Dumbledore asked simply as he turned burning eyes towards Harry.
"Who else?" Snape sneered with an elegant wave towards his companion. Harry for his part could completely believe this was the person that Voldemort feared most as he took a step back and tried to keep himself from hiding behind Snape's robes.
"May I see your hand, Harry?" The older man reached out, visibly trying to keep his voice calming and not dripping with anger.
"Er…um, well, the professor healed me up pretty good," Harry shuffled forward nervously and held out his hand for the headmaster.
"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore said quietly as he inspected Harry's hand. "It has already started to scar. She must have been doing this for a while?" He said more as a question than a statement. Harry just nodded and hurried back when his hand was returned to him. "What have you already done to her, my boy?" He asked Snape with a look that promised no rebuke no matter what the answer was.
"I only took the quills, and circumstances dictated that she needed to be obliviated of the end of Potter's detention so she would not blame the theft on him," the vampire explained, expertly skirting why she really needed to be obliviated.
Dumbledore nodded and continued to glower. "So, she doesn't know they are gone yet. That will give us some time since Hogwarts' wards will not allow illegal torture devices to be flown in with the post. She'll need to go in person to get replacements."
"It may be best to get Shacklebolt and Tonks involved," Severus suggested.
"Indeed," Dumbledore said contemplatively. His face cleared some as he took in Harry's concerned expression. "Sit, Harry. I must apologize; I've completely lost my manners. Would you like a lemon drop?"
"Er, no sir," Harry almost laughed at the change in atmosphere. He did sit in the armchair beside where the potion master sat as well.
After they were both seated, the headmaster sat at his desk once more. "I'm so sorry, Harry. I knew she was unpleasant, but I had no idea she would do something on this level of atrocity."
Harry shrugged. Honestly, he'd had worse, and that wasn't even mentioning getting his soul sucked out of his body. "I'm fine now. Sn—Professor Snape healed me up."
Snape sneered at Harry brushing off what happened, but since it seemed the headmaster didn't believe it was nothing either, the man let it drop. "Harry…the fact remains that this never should have happened to you. Trust me, I'll do my best to get this rectified before she can replace the quills," Dumbledore assured him. "I lack the political influence I used to have, but I'm not without resources."
Harry nodded, but wasn't going to hold his breath. He'd believe it was handled when the woman was effectively moved out of the castle and not before. "Yes, sir," was all he mumbled though as he pulled out his habitual tube of lip balm and applied it unconsciously.
"Since you are both here, I had a proposition for you two I had meant to bring up shortly," Dumbledore changed the subject, his eyes twinkling madly which caused Harry and Snape both to be suspicious of the proposition. "I think it would serve Harry well to learn Occlumency from you Severus."
Harry just looked confused and Snape immediately started protesting. "That's a terrible idea, Albus!" He was talking over Dumbledore's continued explanation about what Occlumency was. "It's not like the Dark Lord can get into his head anyway. You're only setting me up to be killed later if I teach him and the Dark Lord finds out!"
Dumbledore immediately quieted and looked confused. "What do you mean Voldemort can't get into Harry's head?"
"Er, I haven't had any dreams or visions all term, sir," Harry added in, not really sure what they were talking about.
"Albus, I already told you this," Snape sighed in exhaustion. "I told you the Dark Lord was trying to find a way to influence Potter's mind."
"Yes, hence the Occlumency lessons…" Dumbledore still looked confused.
"If he was able to get into Potter's mind through Legilimency, he'd already have done it. He's a master Legilimens!" Snape growled. "He's looking for other ways because he can't get into the boy's thick head!"
Both men glared at each other, seeing their mistakes in communication. "He can't get into Harry's head?" Dumbledore asked in clarification, an amazed look on his face. "But, there is a connection. He created it through the killing curse rebounding and evidenced by Harry's knowledge of Parseltongue. Harry was having visions last year as well. A connection like that doesn't just go away."
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