TORMENT (Harry Potter Sequel)

Chapter Thirty Seven

It was cold outside. The wind was blowing harshly across the grounds of Hogwarts. Even from the inside of the castle it could be heard roaring outside and some in the comfort of their dorms still shivered as they heard the sound imagining how cold it was out there. The moon shone proudly, reflected in the lake and sending shimmers of light over the otherwise pitch black grounds of the school. And lying in the middle of the field was Tom. His body lay back on the ground completely still, a lit cigarette in his mouth and a small streak of smoke emitting from it. He wasn't thinking of much; he'd been out here since he left the Headmaster's office- which had to have been a few hours ago at this point. He couldn't be bothered to think. Thinking only brought pain. And that's why he brought all the drugs. And the cigarettes. Addiction cured his pain.

'I tell myself that,' Tom thought, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and dropping it by his side onto the cold grass. He pulled out another and placed it back in the spot in his lips he'd placed his previous one, 'But does it really make any difference? Apart from killing me faster that is.'

That was the thing Tom had been told about all the drugs: They would kill him faster but, in reality, Tom didn't particularly care about dying any faster. He had no ambitions- he'd never had any. He had no goals, nothing, nothing beyond the commitment of school and even then he wasn't even showing up to classes anymore.

'What really is the point?' Tom took the cigarette out of his mouth again and puffed out all the smoke stored in his mouth. It felt satisfying. Slightly. Better than nothing he supposed.

"Tom?"

Tom's eyes opened. He hadn't realised but he'd fallen asleep again. His eyes scanned his surroundings without moving his head. He was still outside; he hadn't moved and he could also tell that he hadn't slept for too long, maybe a few minutes maximum. He breathed a sigh of relief.

'Maybe I am more tired than I think,' Tom thought to himself.

"Tom?" the voice repeated and Tom, having not noticed it before, turned sharply to the direction it had come from, "Is that yer?"

Tom looked up at the large form of Hagrid standing over him, his face barely discernible through his thick beard. Tom avoided eye contact with the half-giant. He wasn't really in the mood for a reunion nor any conversation of any kind. But at this point he knew it was inevitable.

"What are yer doing out here..." Hagrid said slowly, noticing the cigarettes lying around. Tom responded with silence. He didn't move a muscle mostly out of tiredness. Eventually he found it within himself to find the effort to speak.

"Resting."

The answer didn't seem to satisfy Hagrid, "What are you doing?!" he said, outrage filling his voice. He roughly grabbed Tom's collar and pulled him up, knocking the cigarette out of his hand, "Are you smoking? At yer age?!"

Tom effortlessly pulled Hagrid's arm off him, shocking the half-giant with his strength, "I'm just minding my business."
"Yer meant to be in your dorm, being a kid and instead yer out here being-"

Tom interrupted Hagrid's rant, "Why do you even care?" he said sharply and turned around, "I'll just go," Tom stopped to say one more thing, "Don't tell the Headmaster."

Hagrid watched as the boy kept walking towards the castle. He called out to him, "Wait!" Tom turned around to face him, "Come back to my Cabin first. I want to talk to yer about something."
After a moment's consideration, Tom shrugged and followed Hagrid back to his hut.

"It's past midnight, yer should be in bed," Hagrid said, starting the kettle up. Tom hadn't said anything for a few minutes now. He just sat there in silence. As Hagrid was turned away from him, he couldn't help a look of concern from building upon his face. Over the years he had grown fond of the boy and he still remembered to this day what he had been like when he had first found him.