`You.ve.told.me.this.before,.Professor,..said.Harry.bluntly..He.did.not.care.about.being.rude..He.did.not.care.about.anything.very.much.any.more..
`Yes,..said.Dumbledore.apologetically..`Yes,.but.you.see.‐.it.is.necessary.to.start.with.your.scar..For.it.became.apparent,.shortly.after.you.rejoined.the.magical.world,.that.I.was.correct,.and.that.your.scar.was.giving.you.warnings.when.Voldemort.was.close.to.you,.or.else.feeling.powerful.emotion...
`I.know,..said.Harry.wearily.
`And.this.ability.of.yours.‐.to.detect.Voldemort.s.presence,.even.when.he.is.disguised,.and.to.know.what.he.is.feeling.when.his.emotions.are.roused.‐.has.become.more.and.more.pronounced.since.Voldemort.returned.to.his.own.body.and.his.full.powers...
Harry.did.not.bother.to.nod..He.knew.all.of.this.already..
`More.recently..said.Dumbledore,.`I.became.concerned.that.Voldemort.might.realise.that.this.connection.between.you.exists..Sure.enough,.there.came.a.time.when.you.entered.so.far.into.his.mind.and.thoughts.that.he.sensed.your.presence..I.am.speaking,.of.course,.of.the.night.when.you.witnessed.the.attack.on.Mr.Weasley..
`Yeah,.Snape.told.me,..Harry.muttered..
`Professor.Snape,.Harry..Dumbledore.corrected.him.quietly..`But.did.you.not.wonder.why.it.was.not.I.who.explained.this.to.you?.Why.I.did.not.teach.you.Occlumency?.Why.I.had.not.so.much.as.looked.at.you.for.months?..
Harry.looked.up..He.could.see.now.that.Dumbledore.looked.sad.and.tired..
`Yeah,..Harry.mumbled..`Yeah,.I.wondered...
`You.see,..Dumbledore.continued,.`I.believed.it.could.not.be.long.before.Voldemort.attempted.to.force.his.way.into.your.mind,.to.manipulate.and.misdirect.your.thoughts,.and.I.was.not.eager.to.give.him.more.incentives.to.do.so..I.was.sure.that.if.he.realised.that.our.relationship.was.‐.or.had.ever.been.‐.
closer.than.that.of.headmaster.and.pupil,.he.would.seize.his.chance.to.use.you.as.a.means.to.spy.on.me..I.feared.the.uses.to.which.he.would.put.you,.the.possibility.that.he.might.try.and.possess.you..Harry,.I.believe.I.was.right.to.think.that.Voldemort.would.have.made.use.of.you.
in.such.a.way..On.those.rare.occasions.when.we.had.close.contact,.I.thought.I.saw.a.shadow.of.him.stir.behind.your.eyes.….
Harry.remembered.the.feeling.that.a.dormant.snake.had.risen.in.him,.ready.to.strike,.in.those.moments.when.he.and.Dumbledore.had.made.eye‐contact..
`Voldemort.s.aim.in.possessing.you,.as.he.demonstrated.tonight,.would.not.have.been.my.destruction..It.would.have.been.yours..He.hoped,.when.he.possessed.you.briefly.a.short.while.ago,.that.I.would.sacrifice.you.in.the.hope.of.killing.him..So.you.see,.I.have.been.trying,.in.distancing.myself.from.you,.to.protect.you,.Harry..An.old.man.s.mistake.…..
He.sighed.deeply..Harry.was.letting.the.words.wash.over.him..He.would.have.been.so.interested.to.know.all.this.a.few.months.ago,.but.now.it.was.meaningless.compared.to.the.gaping.chasm.inside.him.that.was.the.loss.of.Sirius;.none.of.it.mattered.….
.Sirius.told.me.you.felt.Voldemort.awake.inside.you.the.very.night.that.you.had.the.vision.of.Arthur.Weasley.s.attack..I.knew.at.once.that.my.worst.fears.were.correct:.Voldemort.had.realised.he.could.use.you..In.an.attempt.to.arm.you.against.Voldemort.s.assaults.on.your.mind,.I.arranged.Occlumency.lessons.with.Professor.Snape...