Harry looked at Hermione, who was on the verge of tears. “I really wanted to tell you.” She moaned. “That’s why Lupin kept me in his office so long. At first I refused to not tell you, but he kept telling me what would happen if you knew…”
“And what’s that?” Harry spat.
“Harry… Promise you won’t go looking for Sirius. Your not that advance in Occlumency. Not even Dumbledore is, or else he would have gotten him out age’s ago.” she pleaded. “And… and even if you could stay in your right mind, you couldn’t snap Sirius out of it. There’s just no way we can save him Harry.” Harry sat down and ran his fingers through his hair. So right now Sirius thought he was a death eater?
Harry thought of the irony the followed Sirius's life. He was placed in Azkaban by the weakest of the four Marauders. Everyone in the wizarding world thought he was a Death Eater, but it was really Peter. Now, when few people new that he wasn't a Death Eater, Sirius thought he was.
“How come he can’t just walk out of there?” Harry asked.
“Well, ever since the charm was placed on the veil, the ministry made sure they couldn’t get out as a death eater, only if the person who goes in keeps their mind could they get back out.” Hermione said promptly.
Harry stared. He wasn’t sure whether to be sad or relieved. Sirius wasn’t dead, but he thought him self to be a Death Eater.
“But everyone said he was dead! Even Dumbledore said he was dead!” Harry shouted furiously. Hermione and Ron stepped back.
“W-well he is. Not physically but… Harry, you have to understand. The Order didn’t lie to you… Anyone who goes into the veil that wasn't already a Death Eater is considered dead. They don’t have there own mind or anything. His body’s alive, but that’s it.” she said softly.
Harry opened his mouth but didn’t say anything. Hermione was right; if Sirius didn’t have is own mind, he just wasn’t Sirius. Harry looked down at the small leather book before him. The dark color seemed to mock him. Harry didn’t care about how hard it was to enter the veil and come back with your own mind; he was going to save him. He knew the prophecy. It was dangerous for Harry in particular. He got up and headed for the door.
“Harry? What… where are you going?” Hermione asked. Harry continued to walk.
“I’m going to test my Occlumency.” he said sternly. Hermione ran in front of him and blocked the door. Ron followed, not really knowing why.
“Harry don’t you get it? This is why the Order didn’t tell you. You cannot go looking for him. Your Occlumency is not nearly strong enough.” Harry stared, and then walked forward towards them.
“Move.” he said firmly, but they stood still. “MOVE!” he shouted. Hermione shuttered but didn’t move. She took her wand out of her pocket and pointed shakily it at Harry.
“I-I’m not letting you go.” she said. Harry and Ron drew their wands, Harry’s pointing at the two of them, while Ron’s pointed squarely at Harry. A small tear was now trailing down Hermione’s face. She wiped it on her robes.
“Harry promise me. Promise me you will not back to the veil.” she said with her voice strengthen. Harry looked strait into her eyes. Slowly he nodded and put his wand into his pocket.
Harry sat on his bed, trying to clear his mind. He had Occlumency tomorrow, and was hoping to master it before then. He didn’t want Lupin to know he had found the book. Slowly he thought about it less and less, then drifted too sleep.
He was sliding across the floor. His flexible body gliding across it with ease. He headed towards an archway with a large tattered cloth hanging from it. He felt as though he should stop, but his body kept sliding towards it. “No,” Harry heard an extremely quiet voice say. “Turn around.” The voice was getting slightly stronger. Harry felt as though a suction cup was separating him from the snake. “Don’t follow him,” the voice said now at a normal sound. Harry recognized that voice. It was his. His scar singed with pain as the snake went further away from him. He felt sick, as though his body was turning into a liquid. He longed to go back to the snake, get away from the sickness. “Don’t follow!” his voice hissed dangerously. The snake slipped under the veil.
“Nagini, you’ve come,” said a voice from behind the veil. Harry’s scar was now bursting with pain. The snake was so far away. Harry listened to the voice talk to the snake. He knew that voice…
“Harry? Harry!” Ron asked nervously. “Are you alright?” Harry looked up, and shook his head.
“Yeah, I just… ow!” he grasped his scar and tried to iron out the pain. Hermione came up the stairs.
“Harry, what’s going on?” she asked skeptically. Harry groaned. He wasn’t sure himself.
“It was another dream but, this one was… different.” He explained every thing he had seen in his dream. Only when he got to the part about the voice behind the veil, did he realize who it was. “Sirius…” He felt a large lump for in the back of his throat. He did think he was a Death Eater. Hermione interrupted his thoughts.
“Why did your view change? I mean, how did you get out of the snake’s view?” she asked. Harry thought for a moment.
“I was practicing Occlumency so; I guess it worked but… Why didn’t the dream just fade out?” he asked Hermione. She thought for a moment.
“Because it isn’t a normal dream. Instead of freeing yourself from the dream, you freed yourself from the snake. I think when you get better at Occlumency, you’ll be able to just tune the dream out entirely.” she said thoughtfully.
Harry stared out the window at the snowy grounds. Now he really understood why Dumbledore wanted him to continue Occlumency; he was so easily being possessed by Voldemort. He hadn’t thought he was until he realized how hard it was to escape. The worst part was, Voldemort knew when he was present. He had this horrible feeling that he might try to show Harry something to trick him, just as last year. and last year it caused something worse than death. It caused his godfather, his father’s best friend, to turn against him.