The old man watched the head of black hair exit Hagrid's hut hurriedly and stride quickly past the many students that littered the grounds. The boy never stopped, though it was obvious that a few people called out to him. They all turned back to their own devises in disappointment.

Harry walked along the edge of the lake until he reached a somewhat hidden spot among the trees near the shore. Albus could still see him quite clearly from his high window, but he knew that from a ground-level perspective, Harry would not be seen.

He watched his charge for a few minutes, wondering how long he would sit there, staring out at the lake's shimmering surface, the giant squid's tentacles bobbing out of the water.

He shook himself, returning to his work; he needed to decide the situation of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts position before the Ministry decided to intervene once again. One Dolores Umbridge was quite enough for Hogwarts, thank you very much. There were several options; Remus Lupin would certainly protest if it was mentioned, but Albus knew he could wear the man down. He was even thinking of enlisting Alastor again, seeing as he never really had his chance the previous school year. And then, of course, there was always Severus…

Albus glanced out the window again, his eyes drawn to Harry. He still sat there, unmoving in the receding afternoon sun. No one had approached him; it appeared that he was right about the spot's secrecy.

He returned to his parchment, quill lingering over the thick sheet. A drop of ink fell onto the spot he had been planning to use as an introduction space. After staring at the green splatter for more than a minute, he admitted to himself that he would not be finishing this particular letter soon.

The headmaster looked down at the lake again, surprised to see it was becoming dark already. Squinting his eyes, he noticed that the students had retreated into the Great Hall for dinner, presumably; however, when he looked at Harry's hidden place by the lake, he could still barely make out a form in the trees.

Extracting his wand, he silently preformed a spell he learned in his own Hogwarts days; a nifty little thing that allowed him to see well in the dark. He looked again at Harry.

He had not changed positions the entire time Albus tried to work. He stilled gazed out in the same place, his head rested on his knees. Albus wondered whether he ought to go down and have a word with the boy. He thought of Harry as much more than just a student and it pained him to see him like this.

How could I do this to him? He was not ready to know; not after Sirius had just died! Why didn't I wait?

And indeed, the man wondered why he had not told Harry later…or sooner. Definitely he was ready to take the truth about the prophecy, but if he had only said something earlier; if he had only explained….Harry would not be feeling the pain he was at the moment had Albus only come out in the open after his vision before Christmas, but instead, he had shunned him, and sent him with the one man in the castle who had the power to make things worse.

And if this was not a mistake, certainly telling him directly after, not even an hour after his Godfather's death was. He hated himself for dropping this bombshell on his student so soon after the death of his good-as father, and yet, was oddly glad of Harry knowing. Because now, he knew, and Albus was sure his student would not run away.

He focused again on Harry, and was pleased to see that he was finally rising from the ground. He wiped an arm across his eyes, and made his way slowly back to the castle.

Albus could not be certain, but before Harry had retreated, he had looked up into the night sky, and his tiny face plainly showed what he had hoped it would since his pupil had left the very office he sat in for the last time that year.

Harry was certainly not past his grieving yet, but he would be.

A little one-shot I wrote a while ago. Thought I should post it. Please review!

TwilightCalling