Challenge #2:
Harry learns Legilimency at a young age. Got the idea from here: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6520665/1/Legilimens

Rules:
* Less (or no) talk of a persons 'Magical core'.
* Less (or no) gaining knowledge from Voldemort/the horcrux inside Harry/etc.
* Harry must not be Hufflepuff.
* Nobody else other than Harry and those who knew it in cannon should know Legilimency/Occulumency.
* Harry must not be paired with Luna, or any male character.


Other notes:
The best written use Legilimency I've seen so far has been from this story, http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3123807/1/In-Light-of-Silver-Memories. Take the basics from there.
The way Occulumency works and how it is written in various fics changes depending on who is writing it. Before writing the challenge I had a bit of a discussion here https://forums.darklordpotter.net/showthread.php?t=22608. Most people seem to prefer 'redirecting' to 'shielding' so I'd prefer if we went with that style of occulumency.

So for example, if Draco killed Ron and Harry was using Legilimency on Draco to find out what really happened, if Draco knew Occulumency he could 'redirect' Harrys Legilimency from the real memory where he was killing Ron, to a fake one (or real one from another night?) where he was sitting in the Slytherin common room reading.

The varrying skills of the Legilimens/Occulumens would determine how hard it would be for an Occulumens to 'redirect' them to other memories.

For example, if Harry was trying to use Legilimency on Dumbledore then he would have an impossible time trying to get a memory without being redirected elsewhere. Whereas if he was using it on Ron or Hermione it would be a relatively easy thing to do.


Learning Occulumency: In cannon the only real lessons we get are to 'clear your mind' and to 'stop wearing emotions'. I take this to mean that an empty mind is harder to read than a full one.

For example, if I took you to the fair to see purple elephants and later that day you mind was filled with the purple elephants you saw then it would be easier for me as a Legilimens to see your memories of them. But if later that day you were thinking about nothing (clear mind) then I would have to spend time digging to find the memories of the purple elephants. Same concept with emotions, I think.