"Stunning is one of the most useful spells in your arsenal." Harry says. "If used correctly, you can stun your opponent and throw them back."

     "It can also be used to knock an opponent out for a bit, but it takes a lot of power." Ursa says.

     "Come on then Nigel." Harry says as he stands down the room from Nigel, people lining the sides of them. "Give me your best shot."

     "Stupefy!" Nigel casts. It hits Harry and he gets thrown back. The power from the spell also knocks Nigel back.

     "Not bad at all, Nigel." Harry says. "Well done."

     "Very well done." Ursa says as she walks over to Nigel. "Let's fix that stance and see if we can keep you from getting knocked back as well." Ursa fixes his stance and his wand position. "Try again."

     "Stupefy!" Nigel casts again. It hits Harry and he gets thrown back again. Nigel stumbles backwards and is caught by Ursa.

     "Better. A good stance and proper posture is necessary to keep yourself on your feet. Especially the stronger the spell is. There is no need to be embarrassed if you stumble and fall. It happens to every young witch or wizard. Even me."

     "Even you?" Colin Creevy questions.

     "Mhm." Ursa says before using magic to move a dummy where Harry was standing. "I recommend backing up to the wall. This spell is very dangerous and potentially lethal." Everyone nervously backs up while Ursa points her wand to the ceiling. "Protego Totalum." A shield surrounds Ursa and the dummy and Ursa shifts her focus to the dummy. She adjusts her stance like Lucius taught her to and aims her wand at the dummy. "Confringo!" Ursa casts. A fiery orange light shoots from Ursa's wand and hits the dummy. The dummy is hit with a fiery explosion and Ursa stumbles back. She trips over her foot and lands on her ass. She laughs at herself. "See. Even I stumble and fall. You just have to learn to focus the power." Ursa repairs the dummy.

***

     "I may need your help." Snape says to Ursa when they are alone in his classroom. "Dumbledore believes Potter could benefit from Occlumency lessons and wants me to teach him. You seem to have a decent mastery of it."

     "Decent may be an understatement but continue." Ursa replies.

     "Since Potter hates me and is your friend, I believe you could be helpful as a neutral party."

     "So basically you want me here to make sure you two don't kill each other?"

     "In part yes."

     "I help and we call it even. I don't owe you anymore."

     "Fine."

***

      Fawkes drops Ursa to her feet in Dumbledore's office. Seconds later the door bursts open and McGonagall, Harry, and Ron come in. Fawkes flies back to his perch and Ursa slowly walks down the stairs.

     "Professor Dumbledore," McGonagall says. "Potter has had... well a nightmare. He says..."

     "It wasn't a nightmare." Harry says.

     "Very well then Potter. You tell the headmaster about it."

     "I... well I was asleep... but it wasn't a normal dream... it was real. I saw it happen. Mr Weasley, Ron's dad... he's been attacked by a giant snake."

     "Nagini." Ursa says as her face pales. Ron, Harry, and McGonagall look at Ursa, finally noticing her presence. Dumbledore turns to Ursa.

     "Nagini?" Dumbledore asks. "Are you sure?" Ursa nods. "Fawkes fetch Severus." Fawkes flies out of the tower.

     "Nagini?" Harry questions. "What?"

     "Don't worry about it." Ursa says.

     "In the dream," Dumbledore says. "Were you standing next to him or looking down at the scene?"

     "Neither." Harry answers. "It was like I... Will you please tell me what's happening? Why is Ursa here?"

     "It doesn't matter why I'm here." Ursa says. "Answer the question."

     "Everard, Arthur's on guard duty tonight." Dumbledore says to a portrait. "Make sure he is found by the right people."

     "Hurry!" Ursa adds.

     "Sir!" Everard says before leaving his portrait.

     "Phineas." Dumbledore says to a different portrait. "You must go to your portrait at Grimmauld Place. Tell them that Arthur Weasley is gravely injured... and his children will be arriving there soon by portkey."

     "They've got him Albus." Everard says. "It was close but they think he'll make it. What's more the Dark Lord failed to acquire it."

     "Oh thank goodness. Next we need to-"

     "Look at me!" Harry interrupts. "What's happening to me?" Snape enters the office.

     "You wished to see me, headmaster?" Snape says.

     "Oh, Severus." Dumbledore says. "I'm afraid we can't wait. Not even till morning. Otherwise we'll all be vulnerable."

     "Yes sir. Ursa..."

     "Now?" Ursa whines.

     "Yes now. You agreed."

     "I didn't agree to one of my late nights."

     "Ursa please." Dumbledore says.

     "Fine." Ursa sighs. She turns to Snape and points a finger at him. "You better have a Wide-Eye potion for me to use tomorrow Severus."

     "Fine." Snape says before grabbing Harry's arm. Snape drags him out and Ursa slinks behind them.

     "Oh and Ursa?" Dumbledore says and Ursa turns. "See if you can confirm it was Nagini... and make sure they don't kill each other."

     "Yes sir." Ursa says with a chuckle before jogging to catch up to Snape and Harry. No one speaks until they reach the potion classroom.

     "Why did Ursa have to come too?" Harry asks. "What were you doing in there?"

     "Doesn't matter what I was doing in there." Ursa says.

     "Miss Malfoy is one of the greatest Occlumens of her age." Snape replies.

     "Disadvantage of being a powerful witch. Have to be prepared so no one can use me." Ursa steps on a stool and lifts herself up onto the a table. "I've been training in both Occlumency and resisting the Imperius Curse since I was young. Plus as someone close to both of you, I am here to make sure you don't kill each other." Ursa sets her wand down next to her. Snape grabs a roll-up pouch and turns around. He just sighs and shakes his head at Ursa before putting the pouch on the table and rolling it out. "Dumbledore specifically said 'Make sure they don't kill each other.'" Snape pulls a wand out of the pouch and turns to face Harry.

     "It appears there is a connection between the Dark Lord's mind and your own." Snape says. "Whether he is, as yet, aware of this connection is, for the moment, unclear. Pray he remains ignorant."

     "You mean if he knows about it, then he'll be able to read my mind?" Harry asks.

     "Read it, control it, unhinge it." Ursa replies casually.

     "In the past," Snape says. "It was often the Dark Lord's pleasure to invade the minds of his victims. Creating visions designed to torture them into madness. Only after extracting the last exquisite ounce of agony, only when he had them literally begging for death, would he finally kill them."

     "That seemed a little over dramatic." Harry says. "So he would do something like that curse Ursa used on me?"

     "The way Severus said it was dramatic but otherwise he is right." Ursa says. "And kind of. The curse I used only shows my victim's worst memories and I don't have to continually cast. I can curse them and leave them to their suffering. As Severus said, the Dark Lord looks at your mind and creates visions to torture. For example, you may not remember your parents deaths but he does. He may take notice of how much your parents mean to you and force you to relive it from his perspective, so you are killing them."

     "Neither of you will tell him?" Harry asks.

     "Rude." Ursa says. "Of course I wouldn't tell him. And Dumbledore and I told you that you can trust Severus."

     "Used properly," Snape says. "The power of Occlumency will help shield you from access or influence." Snape suddenly turns on Ursa. "Legilimens." Ursa blocks him out while casting a nonverbal and wandless Disarming Charm, causing Snape's wand to fly out of his hand.

     "Sorry." Ursa says. "The Disarming Charm is a reflex."

     "In these lessons, I will attempt to penetrate your mind. You will attempt to resist. Prepare yourself." Harry takes a deep breath. "Legilimens."

     While Harry is focused on keeping Snape out, Ursa carefully wraps her hand around her wand and points it in Harry's direction, fist still on the table. "Legilimens." She whispers. She closes her eyes and searches through Harry's mind while he tries to keep Snape out. She finds the vision and watches it before pulling out of Harry's mind.

     "Concentrate Potter. Focus."

     "Devoid yourself of emotions."

     After they give up and Harry leaves, Snape turns to Ursa. "Did you manage to see it?" Ursa nods.

     "It was Nagini."

     "I'm surprised he would risk sending her there."

     "So am I. I'm also surprised Harry didn't notice I was in his mind too."

     "I kept him distracted."

     "But I didn't stop like you did. It gets worse. She wasn't there to attack Mr Weasley. I think she was there to get whatever they are protecting."

     "What do you mean?"

     "Harry's thoughts were those of Nagini. She mentioned resisting the urge to bite Mr Weasley because she 'had more important work to do.' She only attacked him because he woke up."

     "He was asleep?"

     "Mhm. The Dark Lord must have thought Nagini could slip in and out unnoticed." Snape goes into the storeroom and comes back with a vial of Wide-Eye potion.

     "I assume you know how to use this properly?"

     "Yep."

     "Aright off to bed with you. I will tell Dumbledore what you discovered. You had better be in class in the morning."

     In the morning, Ursa is working in potions and Snape says something. "What did he say?" Ursa asks Draco.

     "Who?" Draco questions.

     "Snape."

     "You're hearing things. He didn't say anything."

     "Three, two, one." Ursa hears Snape say. Ursa jumps as Seamus's potion explodes.

     "What the fuck?" Ursa thinks to herself.

     "Miss Malfoy!" Snape exclaims.

     "What?" Ursa asks.

     "You know what. Stay after class."

     After class Ursa goes up to Snape's desk. "What?" Ursa asks.

     "There is no cursing in my class." Snape replies.

     "I didn't... at least not out loud."

     "What?"

     "I heard you count down and then Finnegan's potion exploded."

     "Can you hear this?" Snape thinks.

     "Yes." Ursa replies out loud.

     "We need to go see Dumbledore."

     "I believe I may know what is going on." Dumbledore says after they explain. "Severus, when you agreed to be her godfather, did her parents have you do anything after? Any kind of ritual? No matter how small."

     "I don't believe so." Snape replies. Ursa hisses as her head suddenly hurts. A memory plays through her head, from a third person perspective. The memory is silent. She looks upon a Death Eater meeting. Lucius is holding a baby Ursa with Snape next to him. Voldemort shoots a spell at Snape but the angle makes it go through Ursa first. Ursa starts silently crying. Ursa opens her eyes and looks at Snape.

     "Did you..." Ursa trails off.

     "I remember that now. He tried to use Legimency on me for some reason and it went through you first."

     "Why did it go through me?"

     "It doesn't work on very young children."

     "Pardon?" Dumbledore questions.

     "Lucius brought Ursa to a meeting when she was a few months old to let Narcissa rest." Snape says. "The Dark Lord tried to use Legimency on me but the spell went through Ursa first."

     "That must have unintentionally linked your minds."

     "Why is it just now appearing?" Ursa asks.

     "I used Legimency on you for the first time last night." Snape says.

     "So now we have to learn to block each other out too."

     "No, we already can. We were just both relaxed during class and accidentally let our guards down."

     "As if my life needed to get weirder." Ursa groans.

     "Voldemort and your family cannot find out about this." Dumbledore says.

     "Why?"

     "If the Dark Lord finds out about this he could use it against us." Snape says. "We do not know the extent of it. We've only had one vision but otherwise we have only been able to speak. If we can do more..."

     "He could use you to torture me." Ursa says. "What about my friends?"

     "You friends and the Order may know." Dumbledore says. "I will inform the Order."

     "Does 'family' include Draco?"

     "Yes."

     Later that day, Ursa is sitting in Transfiguration when Snape contacts her. "My office, now."

     "I'm in class." Ursa replies.

     "Who's?"

     "McGonagall."

     "Dumbledore already told her about the connection. Tell her she's the cat Umbridge keeps finding around the castle." Ursa stands and goes up to McGonagall's desk.

     "Professor Snape needs me in his office now." Ursa whispers.

     "And why should I believe you?" McGonagall asks.

     "He said to say that you are the cat Umbridge keeps finding around the castle." McGonagall writes a quick note on a scrap of parchment and signs it.

     "In case you get caught in the hall." McGonagall says as she hands Ursa the note. "And the homework for over break."

     "Thank you Professor. And I want to know what he meant later." McGonagall winks at her before shooing her. Ursa goes back to her desk and silently packs her bag before leaving. She goes downstairs to Snape's office.

     "Why did you need me?" Ursa asks when she arrives.

     "St. Mungos has requested my help in finding an antidote for Nagini's venom." Snape says. "Until then Arthur's wounds won't close."

     "And you want my help?" Ursa questions.

     "You said poisons and antidotes were some of you specialties."

     "What kind of snake is Nagini? Is there a Muggle equivalent?"

     "No."

     "Any way to get a hold of some venom?"

     "Probably not."

     "So where the hell do we start!?"

     "No idea."

     "Restricted Section?"

     "I guess."

     "Great. Madam Pince is going to love having me in there."

     "She doesn't like me in there either. Too much Dark Arts stuff in there."

***

     "Nothing." Ursa says as she closes another book the next day. "The closest thing I can find is a way to extract the venom from his blood but it's a highly painful and possibly lethal process."

     "Let me see that." Snape says. Ursa passes him the book and he reads over it. "This could possibly done in small scale."

     "I'm running on three hours of sleep and a Wide-Eye potion. Dumb it down please."

     "If we had some of his blood we could possibly extract the venom from it."

    "Well I know how to safely get the blood already."

    "Good. Work on recreating this in small scale and I'll send a letter to St Mungos."

     "And how am I supposed to do that?"

     "You just need two liquids"

     "I'll work on it."