Harry Potter and the Obscurus

Chapter 10 Occupational Surgery

Wood had intended to keep Harry's appointment as Gryffindor's new Seeker a secret, but on the day of the incident, there was another freshman riding a broomstick in the sky above the playground.

After being pardoned by Professor Snape, Draco Malfoy had been trying to find out what punishment Harry had received. When he finally learned that Harry had not only escaped punishment but had also been promoted to Gryffindor's Seeker, he was so devastated by the fact that he couldn't accept it that he went into a frenzy.

Besides telling everyone that Harry had become the Seeker, he also wrote eleven letters to his father accusing Harry of breaking school rules and trying to persuade Lucius Malfoy, a school board member, to get him into the Slytherin Quidditch team as well.

Unfortunately, Slytherin's Quidditch team wasn't as lacking in a Seeker as Gryffindor. Seventh-year student Terence Higgs had performed well in the previous season. Even though Malfoy's father strongly recommended that his son become the new Seeker, this was against school rules and required Dumbledore's approval.

In the end, all of Malfoy's efforts were in vain. Enraged, he skipped dinner and waited at the lobby entrance until finally…

"Potter, do you dare to have a wizard duel with me tonight!"

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance and gave Malfoy a caring look.

"You...and me?"

"Yes! It's you. What? Haven't you ever heard of wizard duels?"

“Of course he’s heard of it! No…” Ron said, then suddenly seemed to realize something.

"You mean tonight? Ha! No wonder you dared to duel Harry! You're trying to lure us out at night so you can get the professor to arrest us, aren't you!"

Malfoy's face turned bright red, and he stammered:

"How could that be? I'm just afraid that you'll be rescued by the teacher while I'm beating you up."

Ron showed no mercy to Malfoy, and he shoved Harry forward slightly.

"Then why don't we start now? Harry can duel you anytime, right Harry!"

Harry nodded, acknowledging Ron's statement.

Malfoy instinctively wanted to hide behind Crabbe and Goyle, but after witnessing Harry's spellcasting abilities a few times, his two fat henchmen were too afraid to confront Harry head-on.

"Midnight! I'll be waiting for you in the prize display room! Anyone who doesn't come is a coward!"

Watching the Malfoy trio turn and run away after leaving these words, Harry smiled and said:

"You reacted quickly, Ron. I thought you were going to agree to it for me right away."

"His excuse was just too lame."

"Don't be modest, I've told you before that you're very smart too."

Harry's praise made Ron blush, but on their way back to the Gryffindor common room, someone even more unexpected than Malfoy appeared.

"Thank God, I've finally waited for you."

"Nawi? Why aren't you having dinner in the banquet hall? Did you forget the password? This week's password is 'pig nose'."

"No, I came... to see Harry."

Hearing this, Harry patted Ron on the shoulder and stepped forward to ask:

How's your arm?

"It's alright now!"

As he spoke, Neville raised his arm to show them.

"Ms. Pomfrey cured it in no time."

“Harry, I heard about what happened between you and Malfoy… If you get expelled because of this, I’ll never forgive myself… I mean… thank you, Harry, thank you for getting the Remembrance Orb back for me, thank you for standing up for me.”

"Actually, all the Gryffindors wanted to help you teach Malfoy a lesson, Neville. I was just the first one to fly up on a broomstick."

Harry's words of comfort did not cheer Neville up. He shook his head and confessed quite honestly:

“I’m not you, Harry. I’m always afraid of this and that. Maybe the Sorting Hat put me in the wrong house. I want to be as fearless as you, but I can never do anything right.”

Neville's words silenced Ron as well. Yes, compared to Harry, they all seemed inadequate. Even if they occasionally exposed Malfoy's little tricks, what difference would it make?

No, Neville.

Harry suddenly spoke up:

“I am not fearless; in fact… I may be more afraid of things than you are.”

"How is that possible? You've never even ridden a broom before, yet you dare to challenge Malfoy in the sky!"

“Listen to me, Ron.”

“A guy who has no reverence for anything and knows no fear is at best a clown who doesn’t know his own limitations. That’s definitely not true courage.”

"To tell you the truth, when Professor McGonagall called my name from behind, I was terrified. I thought I was going to be expelled. As I walked into the castle, I thought a thousand times about how to get back to my uncle's house and how to face the life ahead. I even regretted my impulsive decision to fly up into the sky to chase after Malfoy."

Neville lowered his head even further, not wanting Harry to see the tears welling up in his eyes.

“However, Neville.”

"After everything was over, I calmed down and reflected on everything that happened today... I don't think I regret standing up for you."

“You are my classmate and my friend. Under those circumstances, I would never have allowed Malfoy to insult you so wantonly. Even if I had to make the choice again now, I would still help you get the memory orb back. However, I would most likely solve the problem with my wand instead of risking expulsion by chasing after him on a broomstick.”

“Harry…”

Neville kept murmuring Harry's name with tears in his eyes, his snot practically dripping into his mouth.

“I’m not saying this to make you thank me, Neville. What I want to tell you is that true courage is the process of understanding fear, facing fear, and overcoming fear.”

"Don't be ashamed of your fear. Too many people in this world choose to run away before they even get to this point. As long as you dare to admit it and face it, sooner or later you will find the courage in your heart and overcome it."

Ron was so stunned by Harry's speech that he couldn't speak. After a long while, he finally recovered and asked:

"My God, Harry, who taught you all this?"

Harry pouted, looking a little embarrassed, and said:

"I guess you could say... I taught myself that."

……

Friday arrived quickly once again. Just like last week, Snape didn't make things too difficult for the Gryffindor students in Potions class. Although he still gave Slytherin a few extra points, it was still much better than when he taught other years.

Hermione was absolutely in top form this week. Aside from flying lessons, she earned Grant five or ten points in almost every class, which made many people look at the little witch with new respect. As for Harry, in addition to learning about potions in Professor Snape's office this week, he also received extra instruction in Occlumency.

"Brain Occupation is a defensive magic used to prevent the mind from being invaded by external forces. It is obscure, profound, and of course, very effective."

"Is it used to prevent mind reading, Professor? I seem to recall reading about Legilimency in a book."

"Potter, pay more attention. You need to get used to noticing the most subtle distinctions. Now that you've read about Legilimency, you should know that 'mind reading' is just wishful thinking on the part of Muggles. The human mind isn't a book you can just flip through. Think about the things imprinted in your head; they're never arranged in a neat, orderly fashion, are they? The human mind is a complex, multi-layered thing. If you can master Occlumency, I believe it will be very beneficial for your future studies in Potions."

Harry guessed that all of this was probably Dumbledore's arrangement. In Hogwarts, only he knew that he had once seen Voldemort's memories. And since Dumbledore entrusted such an important task to Snape, it meant that Professor Snape was most likely a teacher who could be completely trusted, or at least that's what Dumbledore thought.

"Okay, Professor, I think I understand."

Harry said seriously that he wasn't planning to reveal the relationship yet.

"Capturing thoughts is actually more like a sophisticated lie detector. Because thoughts are active and leaping, it can only make a very close-to-correct inference about people's minds by observing memories and emotions."

Snape nodded in satisfaction.

"It seems you have some talent, Potter. Occlumency is used to seal away memories and feelings that contradict lies and illusions, allowing you to deceive those who invade your mind and make them make wrong judgments. But I must remind you, you are now a wizard, so don't always use Muggle vocabulary."

"Okay, Professor, does this kind of magic require chanting an incantation?"

Snape, who had just shown a slightly better expression, immediately reverted to his sour look, and explained to Harry with a look of exasperation:

“Not all magic requires incantations. You are a wizard! A wizard! A mute wizard without a wand is still a wizard, but a Muggle cannot wield a wand and cast spells.”

"If you need to chant spells to protect your brain, what do you do when you're sleeping? Make yourself raise a magic wand in your dreams?"

"I'm sorry, Professor..."

Snape stared into Harry's eyes for a moment, then slowly calmed down.

"Alright, this is your first time encountering such advanced magic. Listen to me, for ordinary wizards and beginners, eye contact is often crucial for Legilimency. You can use this to tell if your mind has been invaded."

"However, once you're up against a highly skilled wizard like Dumbledore, spells, wands, and even your gaze become irrelevant. They can easily slip into your brain without you even knowing it."

"Unfortunately, neither Legilimency nor Occlumency is a spell that ordinary wizards can master. So if you encounter someone who wants to invade your mind, their magical skill will not be low."

"Now!"

Snape pulled out his wand.

"I'm going to enter your brain, and you'll involuntarily recall fragments of memories. Remember, this isn't your choice. You can resist me, deceive me, or even take out your magic wand to stop me. Only by training your resistance can we proceed to the next step."

"Get ready... Three, two, one, Legilimency!"

Harry's preparations seemed to be of no use at all; the office dissolved in ink before his eyes, and images flashed through his mind like a movie.

One summer when he was five, after cleaning his room, Harry saw that Dudley had made a mess of the floor after riding his bicycle. Uncle Vernon scolded him and made him clean it again, but Dudley refused to listen to his mother and go upstairs to take a bath. Instead, he ran back and forth in the hall. Harry cleaned from the afternoon until evening before he could rest.

When Harry was five years old, his Aunt Maggie came to visit on Halloween. Her dog, Lippi, chased Harry all the way up a tree, and the Dursleys laughed uproariously on the lawn.

Seven-year-old Harry started school, and Dudley, who was no longer daring to lay a hand on Harry, gathered a group of followers who surrounded Harry after school and mocked him for being a wild child without parents...