12 Occlumency

In the library, during this time of the day, it was almost empty with only a few Ravenclaw students present. Among them were Felix and Xeno, who had come to work on their homework like the rest of the Ravenclaw students. One thing Felix detested the most about this school was the amount of homework the professors assigned. It seemed as if they disliked giving students too much free time.

After two hours of diligent work, the students started to leave in small groups as they finished their assignments. Xeno stretched on his chair and turned to Felix, suggesting they go watch the Quidditch team's training.

"No, I'm not interested. You can go if you want. I still have something to do," Felix replied, heading towards the old lady wearing reading glasses sitting behind the desk.

"Well, later then," Xeno said as he left the library.

"Ms. Scribner, can you tell me where I can find the Occlumency book, please?" Felix asked politely.

The old librarian raised her head, gazing at Felix for a few seconds, then waved her wand, causing the book titled "Occlumency" to come flying to her.

"Here you go," she said.

Felix was amazed by the versatility of magic for a few seconds, then reached out to take the book and returned to his seat. As he turned around, he was surprised to see a familiar face he hadn't seen since the sorting ceremony. It was a boy with dark, oily hair, holding a book titled "Book of Potions" — Severus Snape. Felix still remembered his face from the ceremony, a face that seemed to signify the collapse of his world and the loss of his childhood friend.

"It's not like we were friends," Felix watched him for a few seconds, then returned to his seat and started reading his book.

After three hours of focused reading, Felix leaned back in his chair, his expression one of excitement. He was amazed by the potential of Occlumency. Though it would take a long time to master, he had plenty of time at Hogwarts. The most basic form of Occlumency involved clearing one's mind, making it "blank and empty." From there, a wizard could choose one of two paths: the fortress path or the maze path.

The fortress path involved turning the mind into a fortress, suppressing thoughts, emotions, and memories behind great walls that Legilimens couldn't trespass. This was the path most Occlumens took since it was quicker to master and safer. The maze path, on the other hand, turned the mind into an ever-expanding maze that grew with the Occlumen's strength. Felix was drawn to this path due to its infinite potential and the ability to think faster by slowing time within the maze. However, the maze path had its disadvantages: it couldn't protect memories, thoughts, and feelings behind mental walls like the fortress path, and it was slow to grow.

Felix chose to follow the second path, confident in his ability to progress faster than most wizards due to his good memory. He could memorize a book after reading it two or three times, and his fast thinking ability would help overcome the time constraints he faced with future Transfiguration spells. As he contemplated the shape of the maze he would create, his eyes wandered around the library, where old bookshelves lined up like a maze.

"The library? Yes, I can create a library and put every book I memorize in it. That will help me create the maze more easily and memorize more books and information faster. I can even turn my memories into books and hide them in the bookshelves," he thought, delighted to have found a solution to both his problems. However, his thoughts were interrupted by the old librarian.

"Student, you should leave. The library closes at 8:00 pm," she said.

Felix looked around, realizing he was the only one left in the library. He then asked the old lady, "Can I take this book with me?"

"Yes, but you should return it to the library in two days, and you have to sign this borrowing note," she replied, handing him the note.

"Okay, thank you, and good night," Felix said as he left the library with the book after signing the note.

Upon reaching the entrance to the Ravenclaw tower, the eagle head at the door posed a riddle. "What is always in front of you but can't be seen?"

"The future," Felix answered, and the door opened. He entered the common room, which was empty, and proceeded to his room, finding it devoid of occupants as everyone was still in the dining hall. He lay down on his bed, closed his eyes, and began the process of emptying his mind.

"What does it mean to have an empty mind? How can I stop thinking?" he wondered. Then he recalled what Sister Martha would do at the end of each day. She would listen to classical music with her eyes closed. He had asked her once why she did this every day, and she had explained that it helped her empty her mind.

"Classical music... Should I try that?" Felix stood up, chose one of the discs next to the gramophone, set it up, and launched it. He returned to his bed, closed his eyes, and focused on the music. After a few seconds, he started feeling relaxed, and his mind began to empty.

Suddenly, Xeno walked in and, upon seeing Felix, started talking non-stop. "Oh, Felix, you're back in the room. I was wondering what you were doing, but you were here listening to music. You missed a lot of things today. The Quidditch team was awesome!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Felix's eyes blazed with anger as he yelled at Xeno, who was taken aback by Felix's sudden reaction, feeling as though the old Felix had returned.