One Tin Soldier

Chapter 32: Ride Away

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office, dejected. The holidays were almost over, and he hadn't had much to celebrate this season.

He'd looked upon his own mortality and it frightened him. And now, it seemed, his worst fears of Harry was going dark had been realized. The boy had abandoned everything he, Albus Dumbledore, stood for – it was disheartening.

He couldn't understand where he went wrong. He did however have several answers to a few of those questions that plagued him, but they only served to raise more questions.

One answer he now realized, was the sword that Harry claimed was more than a simple Japanese blade. It was a soul sword which had bonded to Harry. NO wonder he couldn't get the thing away from him! He'd been unwittingly dealing Harry a mortal insult in trying to confiscate it, an act punishable by death in Japan he was told.

It now became apparent that Harry spent this past summer in Japan. That would explain the formal speech patterns, and noble attitude, he was showing. Some Japanese nobles had obviously trained the boy. His behaviour reflected as much, they were a very formal society.

Why was Harry at the Ministry, besides meeting with Amelia and the Unspeakables? What happened to all of the horcruxes? Was Tom really gone?

Remembering those horrible 'Doors of Hell' gave him the shudders. Was it really necessary to send Tom and Greyback through them? Was that the fate awaiting him, as the Soul Reaper implied? Surely his 'Greater Good' couldn't be wrong?

"Greater Good! There is no such thing! I'm warning you right now Albus," came Amelia's voice breaking into his thoughts. She had spent an hour the day before reaming him out for all the 'misery he'd caused that young man.' Albus had tried to defend his choices, but she had a counter to each and every one of his arguments.

"That young wizard is leaving us because of you! And the 'greater good' you are always spouting? It's only a figment of your own warped and senile imagination! He no longer has any love for us, and especially not for you! You saw to it that he has no roots within our society, and now we are all paying for it. Leave him alone, or you'll be spending time in my holding cells! Your 'greater good' be damned!" She finally dismissed him as if he was a naughty child.

"Oh, and Albus? I'll be calling for a vote of no confidence at the next Wizengamot meeting, be ready," she warned as he left her office. "You might wish to, gracefully retire, before then."

Albus glanced over at the ancient wand resting on his desk, her words still ringing in his ears. It was his original, the one he received when he was only eleven. He'd lost the elder wand, and in such a childish maneuver. Albus knew Harry had the cloak prior to winning the wand. Thank Merlin he didn't have the stone as well.

"Albus are you here?" came Minerva McGonagall's voice as she entered. "We have a problem."

Albus sighed deeply. Now what?

~~

Harry smiled as he exited the plane when it arrived in Japan. He made sure that the letters he wrote would be reaching the headmaster just about now. He never looked back as he walked out of the terminal.

Home. He was finally home. There was nothing left in England that he cared to stay for, except maybe Luna.

She was still on his mind as he stared up at the tall buildings beyond the air terminal. The promise they made to each other before he left meant he would see her again, just not in England. It would be years, if not decades, before he could bring himself to return to his native land. That didn't mean they would not find ways to meet. She was, after all, still underage and in school. And there was always the chance she might be coaxed to come over, in search of one of her mysterious creatures. Once she graduated he would like to pursue a relationship with her, if she wished.