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Rebellion, Chapter 24"Legilimens," Snape cast without warning.
Harry had been expecting something like this, and countered with one of Mrs. Figg's doors that had been scratched up by her many cats. Snape's glare increased and he quickly snapped the spell again. Harry knew that Snape would really be trying to get inside his mind, given how intense the glare was, so he blocked it with another picture of a scratched up door.
It amused Harry that Snape didn't really quite pay attention to Harry's mind anymore. He would cast the spells many times during their lessons, but he had ceased to be truly aware of what Harry was actually showing him. Snape was only seeing the pattern of the pictures shown to him. He allowed himself to zone out on that pattern, although he became aware if Harry changed the pattern. Thus, Harry was able to truly practice Occluding his mind.
Harry would show Snape three or four patterns of pictures, and then he would switch off to Occluding his mind. Snape would notice the break in pattern, but he wouldn't be able to tell what exactly Harry had done. Harry would just make an offhand remark, and the lesson would continue with a new pattern.
Although Snape could barely stand Harry's presence, this lesson actually lasted longer than the recent past lessons. Part of the reason why the lesson was longer was because Harry was being unusually unprovocative, allowing Snape to ignore him.
Of course, this unsaid truce between Harry and Snape only lasted for fifteen minutes. By that time, Harry figured that anymore of his true practice would cause Snape to realize that something strange was going on, and that it wasn't just the dancing flamingoes in his office. Although, he did seem to be noticing the flamingoes just now.
"Potter, why are there flamingoes in my office?" Snape's voice was borderline dangerous.
"You aren't throwing a party?" Harry's tone was a careful mixture of confusion and innocence.
"Why would I invite flamingoes to a party?" Snape glared at the dancing pink birds.
"Why wouldn't you invite flamingoes to a party?" Harry demanded, turning to look at Snape in bafflement.
"Why would I even throw a party? Do you honestly think that I would ever throw a party?" Snape asked a more relevant question.
"Not even after I graduate, or if I get expelled?" Harry asked, bobbing his head like the flamingoes.
"If you graduate, or get expelled, the only people at any party I might throw would be me and a case of firewhiskey," Snape replied.
"In which case, there might be flamingoes showing up," Harry concluded.
"That doesn't explain the flamingoes in my office right now." Snape tried to banish a flamingo as he talked. Unfortunately, the only thing that happened was that it duplicated itself, although the clone of the first one was significantly smaller than the original.
"Well, it's obvious that someone told them there was a party in your office tonight." Harry cloned another flamingo by banishing it, just for fun.
"And you wouldn't know who that is?" Snape said, his tone implying that Harry did know. Another flamingo was cloned in an attempt to get rid of it.
"Well, I might know." Harry tried to banish one of the smaller clones, resulting in an even tinier flamingo.
"And who might that be?" Snape tried a harsher method to try and get rid of the dancing creatures. This resulted in two clones being made of every flamingo hit by the curse.
"Dumbledore," Harry cheerfully replied.
"Dumbledore?" Snape demanded, his eyes widening. Dumbledore had sent dancing flamingoes to his office?
"Well, who else knew of our Occlumency lessons?" Harry asked.
"Dumbledore could not have sent these… monsters to my office." Snape stared at the dancing flamingoes in disgust.
"It's a reminder for the next Order meeting, so you wouldn't forget about it." Harry cloned another few pink birds nonchalantly.
"Why me?" Snape muttered, almost too low for Harry to hear.
"You know what you could do?" Harry offered.
"What's that?" Snape asked.
"You could usher all of them out of your office, let Umbridge take care of them?" Harry suggested.
Harry left before Snape could reply, since he kind of had the feeling that his only reply would be a glare. Although he did hear Snape's cursing and the rasping of the flamingoes' feet on the stone floor as he got farther away from the office. Looks like Snape was trying out his advice after all.
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