Harry potter:Dark lord

Robert couldn't allow the secret buried in his heart to be exposed to Queenie.

It wasn't something that people in this world could understand.

He didn't want others to think he was crazy, nor did he want them to go insane upon discovering the truth.

God knows what would happen if Queenie learned that their world was actually a work of fiction in another reality.

Of course, there was also the possibility that magic and everything else were real, but a writer had unknowingly recorded them in a novel, transforming reality into fiction.

Robert shook off these chaotic thoughts. Now was not the time to dwell on such matters.

He needed to find a solution to his problem—fast.

And he had at most one day and two nights to do it.

After Robert and the others got off the carriage, Flanders Doyle drove the Thestral-drawn vehicle away from Godric's Hollow.

Professor Hicks stayed behind, tasked with looking after Robert and Tom until the Jacob family arrived.

Tom was naturally thrilled about this arrangement, as it meant he could receive more one-on-one tutoring from an exceptional professor.

Compared to the enthusiastic Tom, Robert seemed far too relaxed.

He even spent part of the day lounging on a recliner, dozing off under the warm sunlight.

But, of course, that was just on the surface.

On the day he moved into Godric's Hollow, Robert had quietly summoned Toby.

He instructed the experienced house-elf to go to Diagon Alley and buy every book on Occlumency available in the bookstores.

Then, he had Toby hide them in a secure, secret location.

For a house-elf as skilled as Toby, this was a simple task.

By the time dinner had ended, Toby had already returned.

Once night fell, Robert deliberately told Professor Hicks that he was feeling tired and wanted to turn in early.

Hicks didn't think much of it, especially since she was busy teaching Tom, who was always eager to learn.

After locking his room, Robert had Toby Apparate him to the hidden location where the books were stored.

It was a dry cave, its entrance carefully sealed with stones, leaving only enough space for airflow. How Toby had managed to find such a place was a mystery.

The house-elf had been extremely thorough, setting up a complete set of tables and chairs inside, along with a bundle of candles. On the large wooden table lay a stack of books—some new, some old.

Toby had even visited second-hand bookstores to ensure that he had acquired every possible book on Occlumency available in the market.

At that moment, Robert felt immensely grateful to have such an experienced house-elf by his side.

And so, that night, after drinking the energy potion Toby had purchased for him, Robert began his crash course in Occlumency.

Mastering the basics of Occlumency in just one day and two nights—and successfully hiding his mind from Queenie—seemed nearly impossible.

Even Robert himself wasn't confident.

Which was why he had quietly prepared a backup plan.

If he failed to grasp Occlumency within the given time, he would have Toby take him away—at least temporarily.

After all, it was better to escape and later come up with a barely acceptable excuse than to let Queenie uncover his deepest secrets.

That night, thanks to his strong memory, Robert managed to absorb the knowledge from the books relatively quickly.

In his understanding, Occlumency was about constructing a mental door—locking away certain memories so no one could access them.

Then, in front of that door, he had to project a screen that played false memories on a continuous loop.

When a Legilimens attempted to probe his mind, they would only see these fabricated memories, never the truth behind the door.

This was Occlumency.

However, if the Legilimens was powerful enough, they could still see through the illusion and break the mental barrier.

Fortunately, Queenie's ability was passive. She wasn't actively casting Legilimency with a wand, which meant she wouldn't be able to force her way through.

According to the books, there were two methods of practicing Occlumency.

The first was faster and more effective: find a trusted wizard and have them use Legilimency on you repeatedly.

This would stimulate the brain and magic, forcing the mind to develop a natural defense—an automatic mental wall that constructed itself upon sensing intrusion.

It worked like training the body's immune system.

The second method was much slower.

It required the learner to actively control their own consciousness.

First, they had to maintain a state of absolute calm, emptying their minds completely.

Then, they had to carefully construct and implant false memories into their consciousness.

Finally, once they could hold onto this mental state at all times, Occlumency was considered mastered.

Since Robert had no trustworthy wizard to practice with, he had no choice but to use the second method.

With his training method chosen, Robert began meditating, trying desperately to clear his mind of distractions.

That night, he was so focused on his practice that he didn't even check the system product refresh.

He only stopped when Toby returned him to the house the next morning.

When Tom saw Robert lying on the recliner with his eyes closed, he assumed he was just dozing off.

Delighted to see his rival being "lazy," Tom secretly hoped Robert would continue slacking off so he could surpass him.

Professor Hicks, on the other hand, assumed Robert was simply adjusting to the new environment and hadn't slept well. She decided not to disturb him.

Thus, Robert was able to continue practicing Occlumency in peace.

But the process was frustratingly difficult.

Even the first step—clearing his mind of distractions—was an enormous challenge.

Robert had persisted all night, yet he couldn't even calm his thoughts.

In fact, the more he worried, the harder it became to focus. His mind simply refused to quiet down.

And the problem was, Robert wasn't the type of person who could empty his thoughts. Even in sleep, his brain remained active.

If he couldn't achieve a blank mind while unconscious, how could he possibly do it while awake?

As time passed, Robert's confidence began to wane.

Perhaps, given enough time, he could eventually succeed.

But time was precisely what he didn't have.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Robert slowly opened his eyes.

In the end, he decided to give up.

Tonight, he would prepare to leave. He'd take Toby and quietly escape.

As for his excuse for leaving? He'd figure that out if he got caught.

Exhausted, Robert stood up from the recliner.

At that moment, Professor Hicks was explaining the basics of Transfiguration to Tom.

"...When transforming an object, you don't need to visualize every detail of the target form…"

"For instance, if you're turning a goblet into a bird, you don't need to imagine the shape of every feather. That would be exhausting."

"Instead, you simply focus on the idea of a bird. Magic will take care of the details."

Robert had read all this in his Transfiguration textbook before.

But…

"Leave everything else to magic…"

That single sentence struck Robert like a bolt of lightning.

Suddenly, he realized—he was a wizard. He had magic.

Occlumency wasn't just meditation. It was a magical skill!

He didn't need to achieve absolute mental clarity like a Muggle. That wasn't a state one could reach in mere hours.

His entire training approach had been wrong from the start!

As a wizard, all he had to do was let his magic do the work for him.

Because magic was idealistic.

With that revelation, Robert—who had just stood up—stretched his arms lazily and lay back down.

(End of Chapter)

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