White walls surrounded the room, as pristine as the day they were built. A strong antiseptic smell wafted passed his nose as he hurried down the aisle to the bed cordoned off at the end. The wonder boy was back.

Reaching the closed white curtains, he took a breath to steady himself against what he was about to see, and pulled back the curtain.

“Severus.”

He should have known the Headmaster would be here. Closing the curtain behind him, Severus nodded in the headmaster’s direction.

“Albus.” He gestured towards the boy lying in the bed. “Well?”

Albus sighed as he stood up from the armchair he had placed next to the bed.

“Poppy has patched him up to the best of her abilities. No scars shall remain to remind him of this ordeal.”

Severus almost felt himself sag in relief. The boy had been with the dark lord almost two weeks. There was no need for scars to remind him of the time. The memories would undoubtedly give him enough trouble. With that thought, Severus asked the question he was most interested in.

“And what of his mind, Albus?” He held his breath waiting for an answer.

“Alas. That we cannot know until he wakes up.” A wizened old hand reached out to stroke the black hair off the pale forehead. Severus thought the child winced slightly as contact was made.

Blue eyes gazed over half mooned spectacles down at the boy sleeping in the bed.

“You’re worried.”

Albus smiled tiredly at him as he stood up a little straighter.

“You know what they say, child. Hope for the best.”

“Expect the worst.” Severus finished for him, their gazes returning to the peaceful face of the child in front of them.

“Why don’t you rest for a while, Headmaster? I’ll stay with the boy.” Severus could see age catching up with the old man.

“Thank you, Severus. You’ll let me know when he wakes up?”

“Of course.” The robes sweeping the floor was the only noise that penetrated the still night as Severus settled himself down next to the bed.

The covers were pulled up to the boy’s chest; one arm underneath and one draped across him. His head was turned a little to the side, and if his eyes had been open, he would’ve been staring straight at his professor. There was a calm serene look on his face; a look Severus knew was only possible to achieve with the help of a potion. The matron had undoubtedly given the child some dreamless sleep to ward off any nightmares that would plague him tonight.

Once again, Severus found his thoughts drifting to the boy’s sanity. Would his mind still be intact? Would he be the same cheeky brat as always or would the experience have left him as an empty shell, no recollection of the former personality that used to inhabit it? Severus shuddered at the thought. A sigh escaped his lips as he found himself sinking deeper into the chair.

He hoped the boy would wake up soon. This not-knowing was enough to drive anyone crazy.

A half hour…forty five minutes…an hour passed with nothing.

Soon after that his silent glare was rewarded with a twitch of the boy’s legs which seemed to start a chain reaction. The arm that had originally been under the blankets found its way out, and now both rested across his torso. Once his head started to roll a bit from side to side as if fighting off the fatigue, Severus leaned forward in his chair. His elbows rested on the edge of the bed, his chin on steepled fingers. The boy was finally waking up. He got up for a moment, quietly summoning the matron from her office before returning to the same position.

Madam Pomfrey hurried to stand next to him. She fidgeted a bit re-arranging a few potion vials on the bed side table. The clinking of the class seemed to do the trick. The eyes opened; his face towards the ceiling.

“Welcome back, Mr. Potter.”

Poppy fidgeted a bit more next to him.

Slowly, slowly, the boy turned to face them.

“Professor.”

Startling green met obsidian and Snape let go of the breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. Clarity showed through the emerald. Severus held his gaze for a bit longer, raising a hand to keep Poppy from pouncing on the child for another minute. Understanding what he was doing, she stepped back. Severus nodded his thanks and, pushing gently against the boys mind, he searched for a way in. He found a simple barrier blocking his entrance and set to work breaking it down. Severus met no resistance. When he was halfway through he felt a cold wind pass by, making the hair on his neck stand up.

He felt something like the tendrils of a vine whipping around him. Severus stopped what he was doing and silently stepped back. The cold air strengthened, and Severus recognized an attempt to block him. A smirk crossed his lips. Potter had never learnt how to occlude. It was a feeble attempt to get rid of him. Nonetheless, knowing better than to try and force his way in after what the boy had been through, Severus retreated slightly and tried another approach.

‘Show me. Show me that you are here.’

The air around him tingled again. Soon it was rushing past him forcefully, vines grabbing at his body, pulling him back. Severus fought, pulling against the unseen force.

It was futile. He found himself back in the chair, emerald orbs staring straight at him.

The boy had managed to throw him out. He had occluded. Surprise flitted across Severus’ features as he watched the boy blink a few times

“Potter, how did you—“ The boy cut him off.

“You underestimate me, sir.”

Severus stood up from his chair and headed to the door. He would allow Poppy to fuss over the boy, shoving potions down his throat as she checked him over.

This made no sense to him. Potter couldn’t have learned Occlumency, not on his own, and Severus certainly hadn’t taught him. He needed to talk to the headmaster.

Severus was just about to close the curtain when Potter called out to him.

“Professor.”

Severus turned to look back at the bed. The boy was staring at him with such intensity that Severus was frozen to the spot. There was something off here. The boy’s eyes blazed as he addressed him.

“I’m capable of a lot more than you know.”

Severus could have sworn that he saw red tinting the edges. He shook his head, clearing it, and when his gaze returned to the child, Potter’s eyes were closed. Severus closed the curtain behind him and headed quickly to the door. Unable to shake the feeling that he had just been threatened, he didn’t look back as he glided up the aisle.

He really needed to speak with Albus.

.

The soft clinking of silverware on china was the only sound that filled the room as the two men sat in front of a roaring fire. Occasionally a sigh would escape from the older of the two as they quietly stirred their tea.

A few more minutes passed before either of them spoke.

“Are you certain?

“Yes, Albus, quite. The boy pushed me out.”

Albus stayed quiet a few more minutes before he stood up, placing his teacup on the table in front of them.

“I know you never resumed teaching him despite my request, but it is apparent that you did a better job than you believe.”

“Albus, I did not teach him this.”

“Did he occlude properly?”

“Yes. But—“

“Then that’s it! Harry has learned how to occlude, and I for one, am very pleased.”

The headmaster clasped his hands together in delight. This was one less thing for him to worry about. Severus stood up, unwilling to upset the ancient wizard, but unable to leave matters as they stood.

“Listen to me. I did not teach the boy, Albus, and yet he has learned. Does that not seem strange to you?”

“Oh, Severus, why must you always be such a naysayer? The boy obviously has some natural talent.”

Severus scoffed at the idea. The boy had some talents, but Occlumency was not one of them. Yet the headmaster refused to see the truth.

Severus returned to the attack. “The boy should have been incapable of blocking me. Even before these past two weeks, he would have been unable to resist me. Two weeks with the Dark Lord does not make a person stronger.”

“Then how, Severus? How was Harry able to push you out?”

“Can you not see it, Albus? I do not believe this ability is intuitive to Potter, or we would not have had such difficulties when he studied with me. Someone else has taught the boy, and taught him well, loath though I am to admit it. But you and I are only two of the three known Master Occlumens in the world.”

The headmaster seemed to finally reach the same conclusion as Severus and he began to pace the small office. Severus placed his own teacup down on the table and turned to retire to his chambers for the night.

“Severus.”

“Yes Headmaster?”

“If it is true, I will need you to help him. Harry’s defenses will need to be strengthened.”

There was no use arguing. “Of course. Goodnight, Albus.” Severus turned and headed out to the spiral staircase. Reaching the top, he heard a soft whisper.

“I do not like this. I do not like this at all.”