Sighing, offering his hand for the taking, Tom advised, "I will show you how to shield without shutting him out completely." It was as easy as breathing for them to work Harry's mindscape. Harry, Ron and Hermione were still adjusting, patching up holes in their shields, learned to work in tandem. Together they were an unbeatable team, but otherwise, there were still hiccups; mostly strong emotions slipped through. But Tom Riddle and Harry Potter together, it was as if their minds were one. One soul older, more experienced, settled in a way the teenager hoped to achieve one day. The other young, hopeful, eager to learn, with a bigger capacity for kindness and cunning than anybody could fathom. Together, they were unstoppable. When Tom showed Harry how to erect a transparent shield between himself and Severus, the young man could still register his advisor's desperation but was not suffocated by it any longer.