NABC Ch352- Teaching Occlumency
Ch352- Teaching Occlumency
Ch352- Teaching Occlumency
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"At the end of this year, I will hand Barty Crouch Jr. to you."
Neville blinked, turning to Harry, clearly caught off guard by the statement. "What?"
"You heard me," Harry said calmly, though he kept his eyes on the horizon. "He’s the one who tortured your parents. The one who helped Bellatrix. At the end of this year, I’ll make sure you get your shot."
Neville didn’t respond right away, gripping the stone beneath him tightly. His jaw clenched, and for a moment, it looked like he was struggling to find the right words. "Why are you telling me this?"
"I failed to find Bellatrix last year," Harry said, the lie slipping out effortlessly. He accepted that it was easier than the truth. Last year, when Bellatrix escaped, he and Neville had sat in this very spot on the Astronomy Tower, and Harry had made a promise—one he had no intention of keeping once Bellatrix fell into his hands. Instead of handing her over to Neville as he planned, he saw more use in keeping her under his control. Still, he wasn’t about to leave Neville empty-handed. Barty Crouch Jr. would have to do.
Neville stayed silent, gripping the edge of the stone ledge tightly. The wind whipped around them, cold and biting, but neither moved.
Neville nodded, his brows furrowed. “How will you find him? Wait, isn’t he dead?”
Harry looked up at the sky for a moment. Venus gleamed bright, cutting through the murky clouds. “I’ve been tracking Death Eaters for a while. Turns out Barty Crouch Jr. cheated death and escaped Azkaban.”
Neville’s expression shifted from confusion to disbelief. “Escaped? But they said he died in prison. How did you even—”
“His father covered it up,” Harry cut in smoothly, keeping his gaze on the stars. “Old man Crouch went to extreme lengths to keep it quiet. Replaced him with his dying wife using Polyjuice Potion, staged the death, and kept Junior under house arrest. All secret until... well, he slipped out eventually.”
Neville stared at Harry, stunned by how casually he was recounting something so twisted. “And you’re sure he’s alive? Not just some rumor?”
“Positive,” Harry said flatly. He didn’t offer any further explanation. He learned long ago that most people didn’t need the whole story—just enough to trust he knew what he was doing.
For a moment, Neville didn’t say anything. He tightened his grip on the stone ledge beneath him, the cold biting into his skin. "Good. I will wait for the end of the year." Getting up, he smiled and reached for Harry, who took his hand to stand. Together, they made their way down the spiraling staircase, heading toward the dueling hall. The distant echo of chatter grew louder as they neared the entrance.
“Sounds easy enough,” Tracey muttered sarcastically from the back. “Except for the part where someone’s messing with your mind.”
Harry smirked slightly. “That’s why we’re practicing. If you’ve never felt the curse before, the first time will throw you off completely. It’s like getting caught in a rip current. You don’t realize what’s happening until you’re halfway out to sea. But once you’ve been hit by it a few times, you’ll know what it feels like, and you’ll know how to fight it.”
Hermione folded her arms, frowning slightly. “But if resisting is about knowing when you’re being influenced, doesn’t that mean being cursed repeatedly could wear down your resistance over time?”
Harry nodded. "That is the professor’s method. And that’s exactly why I think it’s important for us to build a second wall."
A student from Hufflepuff asked, "And what’s your method?"
Harry turned to the room, his eyes scanning the faces before him. "Occlumency."
The moment he said it, the room fell into a stunned silence. Several students exchanged looks, some of them wide-eyed with disbelief. A few of the younger ones looked confused, but whispers quickly spread through the crowd, filling in the blanks for those who didn’t know. The reactions were mixed—shock, doubt, and a fair bit of skepticism.
"You’re joking," Tracey muttered, eyeing Harry like he’d lost his mind.
"Occlumency?" Blaise repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You want to teach us that?"
"Yes," Harry said simply, not bothering to elaborate just yet. He leaned back slightly, waiting for the inevitable flood of questions.
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