Order Only—Private Message to Alice Longbottom

[alt_severus]

I expect you would like to hear a report on your son's progress.

He is doing better than I had expected. His reading is ponderous. I had not the opportunity to witness it before now, but some person should take him in hand. Fluency in reading, particularly reading aloud, is an important skill for a wizard.

He has a great deal of emotional control and he does not shrink from onerous or embarrassing lessons.

His reserve is, in fact, unshakable. I have succeeded in breaching his defenses many times. He invariably behaves as though I never have. Mark, I do not believe him to be stupid. He is well aware of the things that I know. He merely refuses to give me the pleasure of seeing him acknowledge it.

I had come here in hopes of being a help to your son, Alice. Not to mention Lily's. I may be successfully teaching Occlumency. That is a skill that will certainly help him. But there is nothing more.

How can I It is very hard How does one gain the trust of a teenage boy? My own experience as a teenage boy does not lead me to have much hope.

Comments

[alt_alice]

I'm so very glad to hear that he's been doing well. I know that teaching that sort of control can be frustrating for both parties at times, and it's good to hear that you are both willing and able to put in the effort it requires.

And I believe that you are giving him a great deal more than Occlumency lessons.

You're giving him hope, Severus. Hope that he can be useful, and hope that he can learn more about us and what we do without putting his sister in danger. And you're giving him one more connection to us, to the Order, in a much more direct way than he's ever had before.

So thank you for that.

I do think that some teenage boys are a bit tricky to get to know -- but that they gain trust through shared experiences and action. It's one thing to tell them you can be trusted, it's another if they see you are capable of not telling a secret. And shared experiences create more of an emotional connection as well -- when Frank and Neville were getting to know one another properly again a few years ago, they did all sorts of things that required very little talking. Fishing and swimming and kite-building and all that.

I can guarantee you, for instance, that simply by teaching Neville Occlumency, you've gained a substantial amount of trust from him. There are several reasons why -- first, he knows you're helping him do something which would make it possible for him to hide, so he knows you're on his side. Second, you're teaching him something that gives him power and something that would be genuinely useful, so he will respect you for that. And last of all, you're doing something with him.

When it comes to Harry specifically, well, each boy is different, isn't he? Harry's grown up around people trying to tell him what to do or how to think or what other people think of him. I'd imagine he'd find it difficult to openly express himself, but at the same time, he'd appreciate the opportunity if given it. He's also probably used to people going out of their way to curry favour. I'm not sure if there are easy ways to address these, but I wonder if you were to teach Harry Occlumency if it mightn't give him an opportunity to gain trust for very similar reasons.

After all, he does have some things to hide. Not many, from what I know, but I warrant that he would certainly see the value in being able to shield his mind.

[alt_severus]

Regarding your son, I suppose so. I am not the most patient man.

As for Lily's—the difficulty lies in how I would go about it. Were I him, I would be mistrustful. Hermione cannot vouch for me without revealing far too much. Perhaps Neville is my route. Someone would need to convince him that I was safe—though 'safe' is hardly the term I would use to describe myself.

[alt_alice]

I don't think Neville is very close with Harry, necessarily. I do know they were on the same team for a game they played recently, but I'm sure Hermione knows much more of school politics than I ever could.

I'm hesitant to use this, but Neville is friends with two Slytherin girls, and they are far closer to Harry as they are in the same House and year. It's a bit indirect, of course, and I would caution against revealing too much to them lest it put you in any danger of being exposed.

I also think it would be best if it didn't get out too widely that Neville is learning what he is, so there's that.

Hermione is also quite sharp, and I believe her capable of subtlety -- she might be able to turn his head a bit to make him notice you positively, and in a trustworthy light. Perhaps if she comes up with a story about how you kept her from getting into trouble.

Also...

I know you wouldn't care for this overly much, but if he heard it from Sirius, that might be a more direct method?

Or if you gave him a letter from Sirius? That would show that you are connected to someone he already knows and trusts, that you are trustworthy yourself, as you didn't turn the letter over to the MLE, and that you know something that he might need to keep secret.

[alt_alice]

It would be sort of like an old-fashioned letter of introduction, I suppose, but it might work, even if you'd find the source distasteful. And I would have to twist his arm, but I think he would do it.

[alt_severus]

I would rather not be in debt to Sir Dog.

[alt_alice]

That's understandable.