The Snake and the Dragon

Chapter 1 - The First Lesson

            I entered the dungeons to find Snape ready and waiting for me. He was sitting at his desk, a pensieve in front of him. I sat down at a desk and watched while he pulled a smoky thread from his temple with his wand and placed it in the pensieve. I recognized this at once to be a memory.

            Obviously one he doesn’t want me to see. Now I’m curious...

I smirked, but made sure it was gone before Snape looked up.

            “Please move a chair to sit in front of my desk.”

            Without a word, I did as he said and sat, leaning the chair back slightly on two legs. He gave me a slightly reproachful glance, and I corrected my posture with a slightly irritated sigh. He seemed satisfied and began.

            “Tell me what you know of Occlumency. I trust that with your intelligence, it is not a foreign subject to you?”

            It was hard to resist another smirk as I recited from memory,

            “Occlumency is the magical defense of the mind against external penetration. It is an extremely useful, although obscure branch of magic. It seals the mind against magical intrusion and influence.”

            I could tell he was impressed. This time I did allow a small smirk.

            “And Ligilimency?”

            “Ligilimency is the ability to extract feelings and memories from one’s mind, and is possible to do without their knowledge. This is another invaluable, but little known magic.”

            Snape nodded in approval.

            “Excellent Miss Youngblood. One hundred points for Slytherin.”

            My smirk changed to a genuine smile at his praise.

            “Now tell me, with all your knowledge of these subjects, you have never attempted them?”

            “No sir, but I am more than willing to learn.”

            He nodded once more.

            “Then let’s begin.”

            He moved the pensieve safely to a shelf, then picked up his wand and returned to face me. I was already standing, wand at the ready, when he turned. He raised a brow, but only began his instructions.

            “You may use your wand to defend yourself in any way you can think of. I am about to break into your mind.”

            I nodded, and prepared myself.

            “Legilimens!”

            He was more powerful than I anticipated. I struggled to gather my senses as the room vanished from sight, and empty blackness took its place.  Then, flashes of my past came into focus. There I was at age five, hiding with my four year old sister as Father stormed through the house. Then there I was again at nine, holding my dying sister in my arms on the streets. The painful memories brought me out of my stupor, and I forcefully repelled him from my mind, not realizing I had also produced a Shocking Hex.

            The room slowly came back into view as I stood, panting, and glared at Snape. If I had not been so upset by the resurfaced memories, I would have burst out laughing. The Shocking Hex had not only given Snape a nasty jolt, but it had caused his hair to literally stand on end, so he looked as if he had a spiky ‘fro. He looked at me briefly with what I thought might be a glimmer of sorrow, or guilt, but it was gone before I could be sure. He cleared his throat, corrected his appearance, and once more looked every bit the professor.

            “Well, that was much better than I expected from a beginner. At least you have sense enough not to waste time and energy on yelling. Compose yourself, and we will try again.”

            It was only then that I realized I was crying.

            Shit...

            I hastily wiped my tears, thoroughly embarrassed. I continued to glare and waited for his next attempt.

            “Legilimens!”

            This time I was ready, and the room hadn’t even faded from my vision before I expelled him from my mind so emphatically, he was forced to stagger backwards a few steps.

            And that’s for seeing those memories...just when I had almost forgotten, too.

            My anger lessened as he righted himself, and he gave me a rare look of respect.

            “Excellent! You will without a doubt excel at Occlumency. Now let’s give Ligilimency a go.”

            I nodded and imitated his previous wand motions as I shouted

            “Legilimens!”

            But nothing happened.

            “Put more force behind the spell or it will never work! You have to mean it.”

            I tried again, throwing all I had into the spell.

            “Legilimens!”

            This time, I was rewarded for my efforts. I shoved past his mental barriers, and took the same from him that he did from me.

            I watched as memories as bad as mine were revealed to me. A small dark haired boy cowered an a corner while a hook nosed man screamed at a scared looking woman - a greasy haired teenager alone in a dark room shooting down flies with his wand - another memory began, but I ignored it, and let him shove me from his mind.

            He stood there, extremely pale, shaking. As much as he tried to compose himself, he still glared at me the same way I had glared at him.

            “An eye for an eye, sir. Though I daresay your second one was nowhere near as bad as mine.”

            All the anger seemed to fade from him as he digested those words, though he was visibly shaken.

            “Very well. That is all for today. Report to my office this same time tomorrow.”

            I nodded and exited the dungeons.

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            I watched as Miss Youngblood left the room, and then sank wearily to the chair behind my desk.

            Never in my life have I met one so powerful.

I remembered the glimpse into her past and sighed.

            Then again, with a life like hers it’s no wonder. She’d have to be strong to survive.

            I paused for a brief moment of thought.

            I wonder what other tragic memories she has hidden. And how much of her life mirrors mine...

            I shuddered at the unwanted memories that came once again to the surface, and retired to my quarters with a sigh.

            This girl continues to surprise me...