#3 Occulmency

“Hey Sirius, what are your plans for tonight?” came the voice and the seventeen year old lads, Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew turned to see raven headed, black and blue robed, girl walking towards them, her satchel hung at one shoulder, with her girl friend, Teresa Turner who passed by reserving a smile for Remus Lupin.

“Why planning a detention date for my mate, here, Uma?” came the question from the Head Boy, thumping Sirius’ back, who hadn’t missed Remus’ reaction to Teresa.

“Oh detention or not I would rather go on a date with my boyfriend than your mate here, James” she said smiling at the lot, “Although can I steal him from you for a couple of minutes” she asked smirking at Sirius.

“Steal away,” with a flourish of his hand, “but careful there is another raven on the branch” replied James laughing as he; Remus and Peter left Sirius, who was certainly enjoying the conversation.

“I am pretty sure you aren’t going out with that raven tonight though” said Uma as she fell in step next to Sirius talking of a particular Ravenclaw Sirius was dating off and on in their last year at Hogwarts.

“And why do you feel that?” asked Sirius smirking.

“Because I think you have much better time going out with your friends for a moon light stroll” she replied coming to a halt. Sirius who had just walked a step ahead of hers stopped and turned around.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked, maintaining his lopsided smile.
“I mean that a midnight stroll under the full moon towards the Whomping Willow will be real fun, won’t it?”

Sirius grabbed her by her elbow tightly and jerked her away from their place in the middle of empty grounds of Hogwarts, as if taking her in a corner, almost towering over her.
“What are you talking about? Who told you all this?” Sirius began ‘did Peter open his mouth? What all do you know damned it!’ his mind racing in all sorts of thoughts.

Uma was stunned by his reaction but then replied calmly, a small smile lurking at the corner of her mouth trying to maintain the carefree attitude of hers, “I have upped you, haven’t I? You should have believed me when I told you I can read minds”

“You never told me that crap!”

“You have forgotten our challenge, have you? You didn’t believe I could do that, perform Legilimency” she replied and Sirius went silent for a while. He realised what she was talking about. Running his hand through his hair, his usually haughty dark mysterious features had turned pale and frightened in Uma’s eyes.

“I still cannot believe you. Anyways that challenge was for you to perform that day, maybe immediately next day or month. I would have accepted it even if you would have come up with something by the end of that year. You come and tell me two years later, I do not think I believe you any bit that you were capable of doing it when you were fifteen...You must have learnt it now...” he replied.

“I was put under freaking detention for it Sirius,” Uma charged at Sirius, “you think I will actually risk it with Professor Dumbeldore the second time and surely get myself expelled?” she demanded, “as if the first time wasn’t close enough...and do you know how hard it is to practice that charm perfectly. Besides you didn’t give me a time frame did you?” her voice coming back to normal at the end.

“Yeah, I heard that. But I do not believe you even an iota” he replied even though he had a feeling she was capable of performing the spell, “You have made this up. I do not know why” he trailed but held up his hand,

“Hold on a second” he began, “he put you up with this. He told you, didn’t he? His last effort to mess with us in the final year”
“What are you talking about? Who?”

“The person who got you in detention in first place that night, two years ago” Sirius replied, his arms folding at his chest, looking down sharply at Uma.
“What? Snape!” she replied, “are you out of your mind?” she replied, “ What has Snape got to do with any of this. Why would he tell me - hold on, does that mean Snape knows it as well? He knows about your trips to Whomping Willow?” she was aghast, slightly disappointed somewhere deep inside. She would have loved to be the only one to have that secret, but it didn’t look like.

Sirius sensed his mistake and immediately turned around and began walking towards the class cursing himself for slipping about his friend Remus again. The first time was when he did it on purpose which had led Snape to the Willow and then, now. He slipped it up to Uma. Uma quickly followed him, “Alright, if you don’t want to tell fine. But how do you explain Snape knowing the challenge you set me up with?”

“He is a greasy odd snitch” Sirius answered as he hurried down the grassy mound of Earth his eyes fixed ahead, “I have seen him many times lurking around. He must have his people around us, or personally overheard us discussing sometime outside the detention room or in the library...anywhere”

“Do you hear yourself speak?” Uma began feeling really ridiculous about this accusation, “why would Snape wait for two years to tell me if he already knew this stuff about you. If you think he put me up to this prank why do you think, he didn't he tell me then itself two years ago?”

“What did you have on him, huh? On Snape? What did you come to know about him while performing illegal Legilimency that caused you a good half year's worth detention in our fifth year. What did you find about him that he bartered this information for your silence?”
“At least you accept that I was capable of doing it on Snape”

“That was a disastrous, detention leading fluke” Sirius replied with a sneer.

“Come on do not play shy” he replied, “I am just very keen on what you had on Snape” he went on.
“Something you will never get out of me,” she added with honest conviction, “the way no one will ever get out of me what I saw when you were asleep in your History Class”

“Believe me if you want to, if not I am leaving and you can play dirty to get the information out of me,” she challenged. “You will only realize how secured your memory is with me” she said stepping away from him.

“I just wanted to inform you another of your detention challenge is complete and after this we will never have any more in future” and she began her walk down to the Green House 7 for her Herbology Class.


All through the class Sirius was glancing at Uma which she pointedly refused to acknowledge. He couldn’t stop thinking about the incident. Sirius realized that his arrogance and haughtiness was once again going to cause trouble for Remus. 'Uma looked genuine. If she said that she knows about Remus’ condition, then I must have given it to her...when I dozed off...Merlin...damn it!' Sirius' thoughts went on in his head.

“Sirius, you alright?” Peter muttered. Sirius looked to his side and then ahead and found James and Remus’ eyes on him.
“what did I do?” he muttered back.
“nothing, you are not doing anything” answered Remus, "we are supposed to be peeling those pods, not leaving our hands to soak in their sap"
“and your hair’s messy” James replied gazing at Uma and then smirking at him.
Sirius rolled his eyes ‘whatever mate...’

Uma in general was much more adventurous and risk taking person than an average studious Ravenclaw. She was always up for a good challenge and there wasn’t dearth of it in the nest of the Ravens where quite a few smart and intelligent people were eager to improve their skills and tact having a healthy sparring which sometimes bordered between challenge and a prank.

But Uma found another type of competitor in Sirius Black, not because he was a worthy challenger because he was often the only other detainee partner she came across under the person she served her detention. This constant correspondence since her second year until her sixth year had grown into an interesting detention time for both of them, bouncing off ideas for challenges, most of the riddles and logical ones coming from her which Sirius was always sporting enough to play along. On the other hand most of the practical dares and challenges came from Sirius. It was one of the reasons how and why the two of them would always score better in any form of wand work at school. She should have been gloating happily like always completing another of Sirius’ challenges but not today.

As the class ended and the students were piling out, Sirius left his group and walked towards the Ravenclaws.
“Uma, I need to talk to you for a bit”
Uma’s boyfriend, Shashank Patil who had his back to Sirius turned around. Just an inch shorter than Sirius, he looked at Sirius and asked, “Everything alright Black?”
“Haven’t gotten into trouble now, both of you, have you?” he glanced at Uma as he addressed.

“Oh no, not at all” Sirius replied, suddenly conscious of all the eyes on him. However, Uma excused herself quickly from her friends and walked along with Sirius at the back of the entire class walking slowly and deliberately falling behind so that they couldn’t be overheard.

“Snape has not put me up on anything you want to know why?” she began before Sirius opened his mouth. They did not stop in their walk but continued, Uma’s voice dropping enough for Sirius to move closer to listen to her speak.
“Why?” he said stopping in his walk but he didn’t say anymore indicating he was ready to listen.

“You woke up with a start yesterday afternoon in History Class remember?” she asked and tugged his arm to continue their slow walk back to school. Sirius’ brow furrowed, “So?”

“While you sleep, you lower the defences of your mind, that way it becomes easy for anyone to enter your mind, in short perform, Legilimency” she replied and Sirius was visibly silent. “You must have felt a rush of memories pass through your mind when you got up with a start” his insides churned with anxiety but he nodded slightly, “I knew something was not right” he replied.

“Sirius,” Uma began, “I am not here to mess with you, understand that. I had been practicing it for a long time. You were just there dozing off in the class and I remembered your challenge and thought maybe I could try it on you” she replied, “and I knew you wouldn’t believe it till I did that on you, and you wanted that yourself, if you remember our detention. Maybe I shouldn’t have come ahead and disclosed it to you” she continued.

Sirius sighed and shook his head, “It is better that you told me”

“It was just bad timing. You were thinking about it before falling off to sleep and I caught you on that. Believe me, I wasn’t looking for anything horrible to pin on you and show off” she replied, her voice calm and reassuring.

“How much does Snape know?” Uma asked softly,

“Enough to scare the crap out of me...and make me think he is spreading it like a Daily Prophet News.

“But how does he know?” it was Uma’s time to stop in their walk.
“I do not want to answer the question”

“Fair enough” Uma replied and they continued with their walk.

Sirius looked up at her, “why did you wait for two years?”

“Besides trying to keep myself out of trouble of an actual expulsion I wanted to try using it as a non-verbal spells. And it does take time to learn them” she added with a small side smile.

“Bloody hell... You played it damn well” he replied.
“Again, I had no intention to wait for two years to learn non-verbal spells completely and use it. It just happened. And I wanted to test on someone who was asleep. I never tested it before, I don’t know why.”

“We shouldn’t be discussing this here” he said looking around the ground.

“There is nothing more to talk about Sirius and I do not think anyone is here around us to listen us murmur” she replied looking around at the empty grounds, “Listen, you do not need to worry about it alright” she said, her hand on his arm, “My lips are sealed and so is my mind” and Sirius looked at her slightly stunned, “Occulmency?”

“Learning, but enough to keep you all safe, for now" she replied with a shy smile. "Do not worry, I will be an expert by the time I apply for a Ministry job” she continued with a bigger grin.

They began their ascent from the Herbology greenhouses when Sirius spoke, “Don’t you think you risked if not an expulsion but a detention for this in your final year?” and Uma smiled. She knew this question was coming. She shook her head, “You just happened to be the person I could take that risk with. Only this bit was planned, in about a minute in the History Class” her smile growing into a mischievous grin.

Sirius grinned back “You know, you are too awesome to be a Ravenclaw, you should have been in Gryffindor” the feeling of awe evident in his voice. He was beginning to believe her and coming back to his own self.

Uma on the other hand, laughed, “I think I make an amazing Ravenclaw. Besides I think it is better that way, less tension for Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore.

As they silently headed up towards the Castle Sirius said, “I hope this doesn’t change how you look at Remus”
“How I look at Remus?” Uma said, “It...doesn’t” she replied but Sirius noticed the tiny pause in her sentence, “if you expect me not to be intimidated by his condition, that is doubtful”

Sirius frowned, “But if you expect me to not discriminate him, you have my word, whether you spell it out for me or not” she replied, “you see I have been brought up in a slightly more liberal household” and Sirius seemed to have relaxed a bit, “and Turner? You haven’t told her, have you?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t” she replied, “But I think Remus feels the same for her, and there I believe he should weigh his options” she continued.

There was considerable change in Sirius’ look and looked straight ahead “that is the problem; people like him live with weighing options for the rest of their lives, so much that they forget they have a life to live. You do not need to remind him of that” his voice sharp as a hunter’s whip looking back at her as they were in the open grounds leading to the school entrance. They were lucky they didn’t come across students around them on their way back because it was lunch time by then.

“I am sorry” replied Uma, “I am looking out for my friend just like you are for yours” she stopped in her way right outside the giant wooden doors turning to face him, “But what you are doing is much more brave” she said.

But before she left Sirius said, “You know what; you said that was one of your last challenges ever from me. I challenge you to keep the knowledge safe” though there was a smile initially, Uma noticed the anxiousness in his eyes.

She replied with an amused smile “Challenge accepted” and turned away, “It will be safe till the very end” her voice, reassuring, reached him as he saw her retreating back.


“Dumbledore where are you? I have a recommendation to make” thought Sirius Black, lying on his back in his room back in Grimmauld Place thinking. They had to try other options, to help Harry continue studying Occulmency after the one who was exceptional at it chickened out for one mistake his godson made. Sirius rolled in his bed, his godson’s face swimming in front of his eyes, “May Merlin’s Magic keep you safe, son” he muttered a prayer for the first time after long, before drifting off to sleep.

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Hey everyone, I am posting this new one shot after almost a year. Let me know what you think about it. Thank you. constructive criticism is very much welcomed here! Have a good day!