Harry Potter : In the shadow of divinity29.76%

Chapter - 25 : Reflections and Revelations part - 3

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(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

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Harry had always been a light sleeper. After years spent being woken at all hours of the night to perform some menial task or another for the Dursley's his body had conditioned itself to never fall too deep into a slumber. This particular skill was a pain when sharing a dormitory with five other boys as both Crabbe and Goyle snored like you wouldn't believe and Blaise had the tendency to mutter nonsense in his sleep. So when someone began gently running their fingers through his hair, he was awake in a matter of seconds. Harry forced his body to remain relaxed in the uncomfortable hospital bed kept and his breathing deep and even, but his visitor wasn't fooled for even a second.

"I know you're awake, Haraldr. Open your eyes, we have things to discuss."

Harry winced, the use of his full name and his father's ominous words did not bode well for him, add to that Loki's flat voice, devoid of any emotion, and he knew that he was in trouble. Big trouble.

Reluctantly, he opened his eyes and peered up at his father. It was late in the night, or early in the morning depending on how one looked at it, and the hospital wing was almost completely dark. Torches strategically placed along the wall cast the room in shadows and hid most of Loki's features from view.

The flickering shadows made it hard for Harry to discern his father's expression; the thoughts and emotions he'd been to taught to read were lost to the darkness, which meant that Harry couldn't plan his words and actions accordingly. So he tried for an endearing smile and silently hoped for the best.

"'lo Dad."

"What were you thinking?"

Harry grimaced, it seemed that there would be no beating around the bush or careful broaching of the subject, Loki was going straight for the kill. "I'm sorry," he muttered pushing himself up into a sitting position in the mildly uncomfortable hospital bed.

"I didn't ask if you we're sorry," Loki said coldly. "I want to know what you were thinking."

"I-I wasn't."

"Obviously, and that is a problem."

"Is it?"

"Yes, it is," Loki snapped. "You willingly put yourself in danger tonight. You jumped headfirst into a situation you knew nothing about and almost died because of it."

"I know, it was stupid, I'm sorry," Harry said meekly. "But in my defense I figured Dumbledore had a lifetime supply of lemon drops or an all male brothel hidden under the school, not trolls, and giant chess sets, and evil, should be dead dark lords growing off of the back of my Defense professor's head. So if there's anyone to blame for my current condition, it should be the headmaster."

"So you don't think you were in the wrong at all?" Loki said, he seemed calm for the most part, he was still idly playing with Harry's hair and the little of his face Harry could see was relaxed, but he knew not to be fooled, Loki was well known for hiding the most terrifying of emotions under a tranquil, incredibly misleading front. "The headmaster was entirely at fault for tonight's actions?"

"I wouldn't say he's entirely at fault," Harry said hesitantly. "But I do believe that if he'd been wiser in his choices none of this would have happened. I mean, it wasn't exactly the brightest idea to hide such a dangerous artifact here."

"I agree."

Harry's brow rose in surprise. "You do?"

"I do," Loki confirmed. "Dumbledore was not taking into account the possible ramifications of his actions when he decided to hide that blasted stone here. Because of this, I can no longer trust him with the safety of my son, thus I have come to the conclusion that you will not be returning next year."

Harry's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because-because you can't pull me out of Hogwarts, you just can't!"

"You almost died, Haraldr," Loki snarled, his calm façade suddenly falling, replaced with a terrifying fury. "You could have died. Your headmaster's stupidity put your life and the lives of hundreds of others of children in danger. You will not be returning next year."

"Dad, please-"

"There will be no debate, Haraldr. Dumbledore has proven that he does not have the abilities required to keep you safe, so I will no longer allow him to try."

"Of course he doesn't," Harry said desperately. "No one does, that's why you've been teaching me how to protect myself. Don't you trust me and all the things I've learned?"

"Of course I do," Loki said. "You are powerful, incredibly so, and one day you will be an incredible warrior. But that day is not today. You are still a child, Harry, young and inexperienced, and there are men out there, men like Voldemort, who are older and more powerful than you. You need to be protected until you are capable of protecting yourself, and that is something Dumbledore has proven time and time again that he is unable to do."

"So where will I go?" Harry asked bitterly. "Back to the Dursley's where they can belittle me, make me feel unwanted, lower than dirt? Would you really send me back to them?"

"No, I would not. I will take you, we will leave to some forgotten corner of the universe and live out our lives in peace, free from worry, and fear, and expectations that we couldn't possibly live up to."

Harry smiled sadly. "And what happens to our family, to my friends?" he asked. "Will we forget about them? And do you honestly believe that they will forget about us? They will search every nook and cranny of the universe, and they won't give up until they've found us."

"You underestimate me."

"And you underestimate them and the sheer tenacity those searching for those they love possess." Harry looked up at his father pleadingly. "We can't leave, if we do we'll constantly be running, hiding from those who want to find us, peace will be nothing more than a pipe dream. It's about time that we accept that no matter what I do or where I go, I will always be in danger, you simply have to trust that I can take care of myself. The only way I can become stronger and more experienced than the people who want to hurt me is if I get experience of my own, but I can't do that if you keep me locked away in some gilded cage for my own protection."