Dabbling With The Dark

Chapter 9

As the days passed and the snow outside grew thicker, for once Harry was happy for the Christmas holiday to arrive. That wasn't because he'd be going anywhere, but because nearly everyone else at Hogwarts would. It meant the end, at least temporarily, of the sympathetic looks when he was escorted here or there. It meant not having to deal with Slytherins mocking him for it either. Yes, fewer students meant that Dumbledore and the rest of the staff would be able to focus on what he was doing even more, but it would still be easier to find peace and quiet in the emptier common room. A few dozen sets of eyes on him were easier to evade than hundreds. And while having fewer eyes on him was a blessing, the constant supervision even with the entire school there was nowhere close to being his biggest problem. No, as usual, that honor went to Voldemort.

He'd never thought about Voldemort having had a room like the one he'd created in the Room of Requirements way back when Lord Voldemort had still been called Tom Riddle by more than just Dumbledore. He wanted to kick himself for not having thought of it before Voldemort had admitted to having had one. Not that it probably would've done him any good having known it sooner since he couldn't find the right combination of words to get the Room of Requirements to reveal the fucking room. He'd tried asking for the room Tom Riddle or Voldemort had used as a teenager ever way he could possible think of pacing back and forth in front of the blank wall hoping for a door to appear and nothing. The extreme measure that Voldemort/Tom Riddle had used to hide the room only made him want to get in there more because just like stealing the book from Snape's office, he knew it would be worth the trouble he'd gone through to do it.

As much as he wanted to get inside that room, at the moment he wanted to get outside even more. He knew he probably wouldn't make it to any castle door before someone stop him, but he still wanted to breathe fresh, if icy cold wintry, air. Not wanting to deal with that, he took the long way to his dorm for his coat and gloves and then took the long way to the Astronomy Tower. He knew the students who saw him along the way would run and tell a professor that he had his coat and gloves on, but he kept going anyway until he stepped outside onto the thinly snow-covered tower. Walking to the edge of the battlement, he leaned forward on his elbows and just looked at the scenery. It really was beautiful. With his mind locked down from Voldemort and anyone else, he took a deep, cleansing breath for what felt like the first time in months. Just like he knew it wasn't, it wasn't destined to last. His cheeks were barely even chilled when the door opened to the staircase behind him.

"Ah, Harry, there you are, my boy," Dumbledore said.

"You mean every student left in the castle didn't tell you they saw me with my coat on and what direction I was heading?" he chuckled softly. Dumbledore didn't reply, but when he turned and glanced at the old goat there was a smile on Dumbledore's face. He chuckled and turned back towards looking at the lake. "I didn't sneak away from the castle again, sir, I just needed some air," he replied.

"Honestly, Harry, I am rather surprised that you have not," Dumbledore said stepping up beside him and staring out in the direction that he was. "In fact, you nullified a bet within the Order as to how long it would be before you did manage to leave the castle for parts unknown once more," Dumbledore chuckled.

"I almost did more than once if it makes you feel better since I know you were part of it," he replied and Dumbledore chuckled again. He cracked a small smile, but it faded quickly. He saw Dumbledore turn and look at him out of the corner of his eye, but he kept his eyes focused on the lake. "Eventually the time is going to come when I will leave. I have things that I need to do and we both know what those things are. Once I know which direction to go, I'm going. We both know that no matter how many people you have watching me that when I'm ready to leave I'll find a way to."