Ultimately it’s the unexpected consequences that have me reaching for the occlumency book I bought so long ago. It sounds obvious in hindsight, but being mentally connected to a girl who is being traumatized by her relatives means that you’re traumatized right beside her. Nevertheless, I continue to feed her a steady drip of love and reassurance to soothe her hurts and loneliness during the long days stuck in her cupboard, which ended up bringing its own problems. I could feel her getting more dependent on me and our link, forming her self-confidence around it. If I was a better person, I would do something about that, as healthy people need to be able to stand alone.