‘Harry. Harry? Harry!’

‘Hmm?’Harry looked up from the book to see Ron looking at him in exasperation.

‘You’re spending more time in the library than Hermione. That’s a bad sign mate.’

‘Yeah. I just need to work something out.’

‘That’s what she said five years ago and she’s never left!’ The subject of Ron’s rant appeared behind him.

‘Very funny Ron. Just because Harry’s decided to take his studies seriously. What are you reading anyway?’ Harry passed her the book.

‘“Crossing the Divide”. This is to do with your Occulmency?’

‘Sort of. Remember I said it was going a lot better? Last week I nearly knocked myself out doing something. I think maybe if I read about it I’ll figure out what it was.’

‘You alright?’ Ron asked.

‘Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit strange.’ He slammed the book shut. ‘I bet the book I need’s in the restricted section anyway. Let’s take tonight off.’

‘Good idea.’ Ron looked at Hermione in surprise.

‘I’m done, you’ve given up and Harry’s exhausted. Let’s go for a walk or something.’

They walked the grounds talking until it was too dark to see and then spent a companionable evening playing Exploding Snap and Wizard Chess. When he lay down to sleep though Harry found his mind again working over the problem of his shields coming down. Shaking it out of his immediate thoughts he cleared his mind and lay down to sleep.

‘Hello Harry.’ At least this time he knew it was a dream. While speaking to Luna in the Room of Requirement was not unusual, the rest of the scene was.

‘Is Malfoy okay?’ The dream-Malfoy was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room, with what looked like a small dragon walking agitatedly round him. Malfoy’s eyelids flickered rapidly as if his thoughts upset him. Points of green light buzzed angrily round his head.

‘He’s perfectly well. The lion shall lie down with the snake. And everything will be connected as it should be.’

‘Luna, that’s not a snake.’

‘And that is not a lion.’ She pointed towards the far end of the room and he saw himself in a similar state to Malfoy. But the animal walking round him was a stag and as he watched it walked over to Malfoy who seemed to relax.

‘You see. A lion and yet not a lion. A snake and yet not a snake. Like the rare fanged flobberworm. Where is your snake Harry?’ Luna looked towards his other self, which was now being assaulted by the green light. As she spoke a serpent seemed to be formed out of the dust around him and it traced circles around his sleeping self. He turned round to face Hermione and Ron.

‘You see Harry if the wards are inside then, although anyone can still find the room when they want, we can control what happens when they get in.’

‘Like a spider’s web.’ Ron shuddered. As Harry watched, the snake held off the light until the stag charged back. The light was trapped between them and was eventually forced back in a beam. It hit the hand of Professor Snape. ‘Very good Mr Potter.’

Harry woke up the next morning with no memory of his dream. Throughout his classes his mind kept returning to the problem. If he could work it out before Occulmency this evening Snape would probably let him try it again. He sat in the library that evening with yet another book. Ron and Hermione joined him but, as he couldn’t explain what had happened without giving away Malfoy, they couldn’t help. In the middle of another chapter that bore no relevance to his problem he heard his name.

‘Hello Harry, hello Ronald, hello Hermione.’

‘Hi Luna.’ Harry froze.

‘The lion shall lie down with the snake.’

‘Lamb.’ Hermione corrected gently.

‘Who knows?’ Luna interjected. ‘Perhaps Harry has seen something we have not.’

‘Luna, have you ever heard of a fanged flobberworm?’

‘No. But that doesn’t mean no such creature exists. If you believe in it Harry then I do too. If I only believed in things I had personally seen then there would be no evidence of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.’ Hermione snorted. ‘Or Voldemort.’ Hermione and Ron stopped smiling. Harry smiled though, and as he stood up gave her a quick hug.

‘Thanks.’ He turned to the others. ‘I figured it out.’

‘Just in time.’ Hermione gestured towards the clock. ‘You have five minutes to get down there.’

‘See you later.’

************

‘Mr Potter, you’ve decided to grace us with your presence.’

‘Sorry Professor, I was working something out. Do you mind if we try something?’

‘What do you have in mind?’ Snape asked, while Malfoy looked on curiously.

‘What we did last time. Where I nearly fell off the broom? Only without the near fainting.’

‘So you want me to break into Draco’s mind…’

‘And I’m going to try and help him block. Provided he doesn’t block me. Then you try me.’

‘Is that okay Draco?’ The blond shrugged.

‘Fine. As long as Potter doesn’t decide to raid my mind.’

‘Agreed.’ Harry responded.

‘Would this be better if I was in my rooms?’ Snape inquired.

‘Probably. Give us five minutes?’

‘As you wish.’ Snape swept out and Harry sat cross-legged on the floor. At Malfoy’s glance he explained.

‘Just a hunch. Less chance of falling over if nothing else.’ Malfoy saw the logic in that and joined him. Both began the process of mind clearing.

Harry reached out for the connection that meant Malfoy and felt along it. His shield was up. And now it did feel vaguely dragon like. Harry concentrated on two images. The first was his normal shield, his stag. He conjured up a snake to go alongside it, a Boa Constrictor, in memory of the first time he spoke Parseltongue. Concentrating on holding both he wrapped the serpent round his mind and sent the stag along the connection. Malfoy was under assault from the force both recognised as Snape’s mind. The stag helped Malfoy’s dragon drive the force back, and it pulled out abruptly. Harry felt almost a tugging on the other end of the connection. His snake was now being attacked, but at the moment he knew Snape was still outside his mind. He borrowed the dream image of the stag galloping back along the connection and drove Snape’s mind back down its line. He saw one glimpse of Snape teaching a class and then fell back into the physical world.

‘That was rather impressive.’ Malfoy looked across at him with interest.

‘Indeed.’ Either he had blanked out for a little while or Snape had learned how to circumvent the anti-apparition wards.

‘I’m glad you appreciated it.’ Harry took deep breaths.

‘How did you manage it then?’ Snape asked.

‘You have to split your mind in two. Which creates a very disturbing feeling. Like being pulled in half.’

‘Perhaps we should abandon the experiment then?’

‘No! No…it’s just tiring. Maybe take a break for a while.’ Harry watched as Snape and Malfoy alternated the Occulmency and Legilimency. When they were done Harry decided to ask the question.

‘Malfoy? What do you use for your shield?’ He smirked.

‘Not difficult Potter.’ He pointed to himself. ‘Draco. I use a dragon.’ Harry smiled in satisfaction.

‘Harry.’ He turned to Snape at the sound of his name. He was handed a card.

‘What is it?’

‘A library card.’ Snape answered as he made a complex wand motion over another at his desk. ‘Madam Pince informed the Headmaster that between you two the school’s library is now devoid of books on the mind. I recalled that most of the interesting texts are in the Restricted Section. Here.’ He handed one to Malfoy but continued to work at the desk. ‘Normally sixth years have access anyway but Professor Metus decided that only seventh years really needed access to those “nasty dangerous works” and even then only with express permission.’ He glared at nowhere in particular. ‘These give you access to whatever you need in there. It has my seal. Here.’ He passed another to Harry.

‘What’s this?’

‘For Ms Granger. I would hate to create jealousy in the ranks. Mr Weasley however, is on his own.’ Harry smiled.

‘Thanks.’

‘You’re welcome. Now go on.’

‘Goodnight Professor.’

‘Goodnight. Wait.’ Both boys stopped in their tracks and turned round. ‘I wish to sleep tonight. If I feel either of you in my head there will be trouble.’

‘Fine.’ Malfoy answered.

‘No sleepwalking.’ Harry agreed.

‘Very well. Go to your rooms.’

‘Of course Professor.’

The boys were silent until they were out of earshot.

‘So he won’t try and get into our heads tonight either?’ Malfoy asked.

‘That’s what he said.’

‘So…’

‘Yeah?’

‘Rematch?’

‘Nobody won the first time.’

‘I won. You were in a headlong dive! You would have broken your neck if you had hit the ground.’

‘Ah. But I didn’t.’

‘Because I stopped you.’

‘I caught you first.’

‘Winner takes all?’

‘Yeah.’ A quick clasp of hands in agreement and the two walked off.

Snape stepped out of the shadows. ‘Just this once then.’