Chapter 28 28. Remember the night of a lifetime
"The essence of Occlumency is actually the linkage of will and magic power to build a wall in one's mind. This wall can block the entry and prying of magic, and proficient people can even build false memories outside the wall. In order to confuse memory stealers, there is no way to tell whether the memories they see are real or fake."
While explaining to Jon, Slughorn didn't forget to pinch a piece of candied pineapple from the cardboard box beside him and put it in his mouth.
"The learning of Occlumency has always relied on two methods. One is to directly and forcefully break into the learner's brain so that he will keep remembering the feeling of being broken into. His body will Subconsciously resist, the will will actively mobilize the magic power, this is the most primitive way to learn Occlumency. But I don't like this, it is too rough, and it peeps at other people's memories too frequently, for wizards It's not a good thing to say."
Speaking of this, he set his sights on the stone basin on the desk.
"So I will use the second method, which is less brutal and much more dexterous in comparison. I borrowed this basin from Dumbledore. When I moved, I forgot where I left it. Stupid thing, I actually have a memory of where I stashed it, in that pot of mine, but I can't get it if I can't find it Memory, if I can’t get the memory, I can’t find the basin.”
Slughorn shrugged mockingly.
"I can't find that pot anymore. Fortunately, Dumbledore's pot was brought out of that castle by him, otherwise I don't know how to start teaching you. Pensieve, a kind of pot used to store thoughts and memories magic item."
Jon looked at the empty stone basin and couldn't help but ask in doubt.
"Then how do we start? Teacher."
Slughorn cleaned the icing from his snacking hands while holding his wand.
"Now you have to recall in your mind, any memory is fine, I will extract the memory you are thinking about."
Jon took a group of deep breaths, and he began to look for a scene that impressed him deeply in his mind.
"Ready?" Slughorn asked.
"Okay, teacher."
He aimed the tip of the wand at the position of Jon's temple, and then, as if some thread was connected to the tip of the wand, Slughorn twirled the wand, pulling a bright silver thread from Jon's head out!
Jon feels very strange now. He can clearly feel that there is a force pulling his memory. This kind of experience is not good, and his body instinctively resists this behavior.
Although there was no movement in his body, the sense of resistance in his mind was very strong, as if some robber had snatched something from his hand in front of him, and his first reaction was to chase after his own things. return.
At the same time that Jon had this thought, the silver thread that had been pulled out of his mind suddenly seemed to have taken root, and the movement of being pulled out became difficult and slow.
But in the end, the magic wand still pulled out the silver thread completely.
Slughorn stored the memory extracted from Jon's mind in the Pensieve. He smiled and looked at Jon who was a little absent-minded at this time, as if he was reminiscing about the feeling just now.
Jon nodded, and he said with a frown.
"My body has an uncontrollable desire to interrupt the process, and...seem to have acted?"
"It doesn't seem to be." Slughorn said with admiration, "Your body's self-defense instinct is very strong, and you really made a spontaneous resistance, and this resistance also produced certain effects."
"This is a very good start, Jon. When Occlumency was first created, someone recorded the feeling of being constantly forced to read memory, strengthened this physical instinct, and eventually evolved into magic. And some people are not naturally sensitive to the act of reading memory, such people will find it extremely difficult to learn Occlumency, and you obviously belong to the opposite category."
Slughorn was very happy.
"This is a very good thing, and it shows that our future progress should be smooth." He said, looking at the bright silver mist-like memory in the Pensieve, and asked Jon, "Is this memory available for others to watch?"
Of course, Jon had no reason to refuse. He and Slughorn entered the memory extracted from his mind together.
The waves under the night sky are as peaceful as a sleeping baby in the arms of its mother.
On both sides of the long table filled with delicacies and delicacies, both students and teachers stood up, and the old man with gray hair and beard took the lead in singing the opening tune of the school anthem, followed by a melodious chorus .
Jon stood on the beach, silently watching himself three weeks ago being infected by the atmosphere at the dinner table, and joined in the chorus together.
Slughorn, who was standing beside him, suddenly sat on the beach, looking at all the teachers and students in this small Hogwarts with a peaceful expression.
"What do you remember most about this evening?"
Hearing his question, Jon also squatted down. He grabbed a handful of gravel on the ground, and the things in memory slipped from his fingers, but his eyes kept staring at those joyful and full of joy. Students and teachers who sang songs in sorrow.
"This may be the most memorable day in my life, teacher."
Slughorn put his left hand on the back of his right hand, put his arm on his knee, and looked up at the bright night sky.
"I'm like you, Jon, I'll never forget the night Dumbledore first brought me to this Hogwarts before I promised to be a professor here, that cunning old man If you ask me to come, you don’t need to give him an exact answer, just follow him to have a look and attend the welcome dinner for that year.”
"That day was the same as the night you experienced. In despair, there was a last bit of hope that people couldn't even bear to look at. I was dragged by him to sit down at the table, and a student beside me asked me happily. Is it a new professor? He said that there are too few teachers in our school. I am really grateful that I am still willing to teach them. At that time, I actually thought in my heart that maybe Dumbledore deliberately arranged for me I'm sorry, but my nose just can't help being sore."
"When the dinner was over, Dumbledore took my arm and stood up without any prior notice, announcing to dozens of children that I was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts and History of Magic professor. I must scold him loudly on the spot, sweep his face, and then turn around and leave. But in the end, all I can say is 'Hello, children, I am your Professor Slughorn .'"
His voice was very soft, but full of extremely heavy feelings.
"After that sentence was finished, I thought I would regret it, but in fact, what I thought at the time was that it would be good to just agree to stay as a professor."
(end of this chapter)