Taming the True Fire (HP)

Catherine knocked on the door of Dumbledore's office, barely able to contain her eagerness as she waited for the invitation to enter. To her surprise, the Headmaster wasn't seated behind his desk as usual. Instead, he was standing, bent over a shallow stone basin.

"Ah, Catherine – right on time!" – the greeted her with a smile – "I trust you enjoyed your dinner. Despite the smaller number of students, the house-elves are as diligent as ever."

"I especially appreciated the limited company in the Great Hall." – the girl replied with a smirk, stepping closer and eyeing the intriguing object on his desk. The basin's surface was engraved with ancient runes forming words she didn't recognise, and inside it swirled a silvery substance, somewhere between liquid and gas, shimmering under the candlelight.

"I see you've noticed my Pensieve." – remarked, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles – "As you're about to begin studying Occlumency, it's a useful tool to have at hand."

"I've never seen one of these before." – Catherine said excitedly, circling the desk to examine the Pensieve from every angle – "If I'm not mistaken, you can store thoughts and memories inside it?"

"Precisely." – the Headmaster nodded, touching his temple with the tip of his wand. A silver strand stretched from his head to the wand, then floated gracefully into the basin – "To test your Occlumency shields, I'll need to use Legilimency. I wouldn't want to browse your mind without boundaries, so you can place anything you'd rather keep private into the Pensieve before we begin. You can retrieve it afterward, and I'll ensure it's cleared for you."

With a gentle motion of his hand, the wizard transferred the silvery thoughts into a nearby jar, sealing it immediately.

"I thought using one of these artifacts required extraordinary skill." – Catherine said thoughtfully, her fingers absently tracing the runes carved into the stone.

"In principle, yes." – Dumbledore replied with a smile – "But the skill lies in extracting thoughts and memories with enough clarity to examine them in detail later. It's not too difficult if you simply want to store memories. All you need to do is focus on the thought you wish to remove, then 'push' it out of your mind while holding your wand as I demonstrated."

The young witch drew out her wand, hesitating as she considered what she should keep away. She certainly didn't want the Headmaster learning about their Animagi project, but there were other "adventures" that could also get her in trouble—especially her secret trips to Hogsmeade over the years. Feeling the pressure, she quickly placed several memories into the Pensieve under her Master of Fire's watchful gaze, hoping it would be enough.

"I believe I don't need to explain to you what Occlumency is." – the wizard aid once the fourth-year was finished – "I'm aware your family has a strong tradition in it, and your father may even be more skilled than I am. Therefore, I expect you'll be able to grasp the basics quickly and build some initial shields to help with your nightmares."

Catherine nodded, focusing intently, determined not to miss a single word of Dumbledore's explanation. She was more resolved than ever to fend off the demon's influence and finally enjoy a restful sleep without relying on Dreamless Sleep Potion.

"First things first." – the Headmaster began pacing in front of the fireplace, while Fawkes observed him intently from his golden perch – "The key to effective Occlumency is mastering your emotions. Strong emotions—anger, fear, even joy—can leave your mind wide open, like an unlocked door, and make it vulnerable. To learn Occlumency, you must cultivate a calm, focused mind. This requires detachment—a mental discipline that allows you to step back from your emotions, preventing them from clouding your judgment or overpowering your focus."

"Secondly," – Dumbledore continued – "visualise your mind as a fortress, one with strong, impenetrable walls. These walls must be built from the strength of your will. Whenever you feel someone attempting to enter your mind—such as through Legilimency—you must imagine these walls rising, deflecting the intruder's presence. The stronger your mental focus, the thicker and higher these walls become. When you sense a presence trying to break into your thoughts, do not panic or react with fear. Instead, meet it with composure. Think of pushing the invading presence out, as if they were merely a fog that could be dispelled by a strong wind. Remember, the art lies not in forceful resistance, but in controlling your thoughts so there's nothing for an intruder to hold on to."

"But how do I do that when I'm asleep?" – Catherine asked impatiently. So far, Occlumency sounded like a meticulous craft that had little to do with raw magical power.

"Occlumency shields will serve you in many ways, not just for blocking nightmares." – the Headmaster gave a reassuring smile to his frowning student – "But I understand this is your most pressing concern right now. Begin by practicing mental clarity before sleep each night. Picture the day's thoughts drifting away, like leaves on a stream, until your mind is as calm and still as a quiet pond. This habit will strengthen your defences, making it easier to maintain control, even under stress. Like most things, the more you practice, the easier it will become."

He paused, his expression growing slightly more serious. "Now, let's test your shields. I'll use Legilimency to attempt to enter your mind. We'll see how well you can maintain your defences while awake. Let's give it a try."

Catherine took a deep breath, focusing as hard as she could on imagining shields encircling her mind. Clearing her thoughts proved far more difficult; chaotic fragments buzzed through her head, refusing to settle. Her emotions presented a separate challenge, dominated by uncertainty, fear of failure, and an uncomfortable self-awareness. 

Suddenly, she felt an overwhelming presence in her mind, invasive and unsettling. It was as if she were forced to share her most private space with a stranger who could see not only her actions but also her thoughts. Fighting down a surge of panic, she struggled to follow Dumbledore's instructions, pushing back with her mind as best as she could. She began to feel dizzy as flashbacks from her life flickered across her vision, utterly beyond her control. She watched herself as a child, sobbing over her brother's burned body as he screamed for their mother.

Then, just as suddenly, the presence vanished. Catherine realised she had fallen to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. The Headmaster was at her side in an instant, gently helping her to her feet.

"I don't think I'm doing very well, sir." – she admitted with a disappointed sigh once she steadied herself, still trembling.

"You're far too harsh on yourself, my girl." – the Professor replied kindly, conjuring a glass of water with his wand. The young witch accepted it gratefully, draining it immediately – "It was only your first attempt. Improvement will come with time."

But the second, third, and fourth attempts brought little progress. Each time, her mind lay bare before Dumbledore, leaving her feeling exposed and humiliated. He witnessed memories she would have preferred to keep private: her grief over Betty's death, her first kiss with Remus, and her simmering jealousy over Sirius and Marianne. Though the Headmaster said nothing about what he'd glimpsed and was endlessly patient and reassuring, Catherine felt like a complete failure. She couldn't muster even the faintest shield, her mind seemingly an open door for anyone with even basic Legilimency skills.

This worried her greatly, as she apprehended what Adrian Borealis could have seen if he had decided to use Legilimency when they bumped into each other in Hogsmeade. The new sense of impending danger left the black-haired girl feeling intensely vulnerable and disappointed in herself.

She quietly retrieved her memories from the Pensieve, her gaze fixed on the stone basin, carefully avoiding Dumbledore's eyes.

"You have to let this go, Catherine." – the Headmaster said softly – "Failures are a natural part of learning. You can't give up just because you aren't progressing as quickly as you'd hoped."

"I know." – she mumbled, though her tone was less than convincing – "I won't give up on learning to protect my mind, but... I suppose I expected more from myself. Maybe I was relying too much on my bloodline."

"This is a unique and rather peculiar type of magic." – Dumbledore noted thoughtfully, his expression serious – "I'll admit, it took me quite a while to grasp it myself. Influencing human emotions, dreams, and thoughts is among the most challenging feats one can attempt. In fact, I'd argue we've lost much of the knowledge ancient witches and wizards once possessed."

"Is it a form of Ancient magic?" – Catherine asked, surprised. Her gaze shifted to the runic symbols carved into the Pensieve's surface – "I don't recognise these words."

"Occlumency and Legilimency do indeed have roots in ancient magic practices, but they're fragments of what could be achieved through the proper rituals." – the Headmaster responded, tracing his fingers along the edge of the Pensieve – "It's no surprise you don't recognize the symbols—they're written in Selenithra, the language of ancient moonlight. It's the most fitting for magic that affects the mind and dream realm. If I'm not mistaken, Professor Oakenscript includes it in the fifth-year curriculum."

"If my performance today is any indication of how well I'll do learning Selenithra, I might end up missing my current struggles with Lumirith." – the girl remarked bitterly – "I thought studying light magic would strengthen my healing abilities, but it doesn't seem to be helping. I couldn't do anything for poor Autumn."

A shadow passed over Dumbledore's face as he placed a gentle hand on his student's shoulder, prompting her to look up, a question in her eyes.

"What happened to Autumn was unimaginably cruel. She's still traumatised—as are you and Miss Fawcett, I suspect." – he said, his voice carrying a steely note – "I know you're someone who takes action, Catherine, and I have no doubt you did everything in your power to help. But the curse used on Miss Monroe was exceptionally vile. Dark magic lingered in her wound, preventing it from closing properly. In such cases, the type of healing I've taught you, based solely on light magic, isn't effective. For it to work, it must be combined with dark magic."

"Mix light and dark magic?" – the girl arched an eyebrow in disbelief – "That sounds a bit counterproductive. Won't they just cancel each other out?"

"Not necessarily." – Dumbledore smiled at the scepticism in the Gryffindor's eyes – "There's always darkness in the light, just as there's always light hidden in the darkness."

"Light and darkness are one and whole, though they seem to dwell in different forms." – the young witch recited.

"Precisely." – the Headmaster nodded – "It's a formula, translated in every ancient language, but particularly significant when using Sylvanor."

"Then I can't effectively heal anyone who's been cursed." – Catherine concluded unhappily – "You said it yourself—we need to fight Voldemort's influence within the school. But it seems my abilities aren't as powerful as I'd hoped."

"That isn't true." – Dumbledore assured her. Shadows played across the tired lines of his face, yet his eyes were as lively and full of strength as ever – "You possess the strongest weapon—one that Tom has never seemed to understand and has greatly underestimated: love and compassion. I firmly believe that, in time, your power could become as great as his, but your choices will lead you down a very different path. Don't give up; you're vital to this fight, and countless people, including your friends, will rely on you."