Little White Lies | Book 4

Chapter 23: Looking Death In The Eyes

Dumbledore ended up taking us to the Astronomy Tower, where we looked out at the distance. Harry stood beside me, not saying a word. "Alright, I think we're ready. Harry, if you would take my arm." The Headmaster spoke, cutting through the silence. He did so, taking my hand as well. Then, we Disapparated.

My first time doing this was awful, and my second was no better. When we made it to our destination, I heard rushing water, and waves slamming into rocks. I opened my eyes, ignoring my urge to puke, and looked around. We were standing on a huge rock, which stood in the middle of seemingly angry waters. A cold mist sprayed me, making me shiver a bit. I looked over at Dumbledore, who was staring straight ahead of him. I followed his gaze, and noticed that he was staring directly at a cave. "That's where we're going?" I asked. "Correct, Riley. But, I must warn the both of you to take caution. Voldemort would not make it easy for anyone to find his Horcrux."

Harry and I both nodded, before we Apparated again, but this time, into the cave. It was almost pitch black, making as all draw our wands, illuminating the tips of them. The air in the cave was damp, and hot. Rocks were piled up everywhere, and even a few bones. We made cautious steps, using the tiny bit of light we had to make our way around.

After a while, we found ourselves standing in front of a large boulder, which we weren't able to get around. So, Dumbledore pulled a small knife from the pocket of his robes, and drew it across the palm of his rotting hand. "Sir-" I began anxiously. "In order to enter this passage, there must be payment. Payment intended to weaken any intruder." He told me, cutting me off. He glided his bloody palm over the surface of the rock, barely wincing in pain. "You should've let me do it." Harry said, sounding slightly ashamed. "Oh no, Harry. Your blood is much more precious than mine."

Slowly, the boulder began crumbling to the ground, allowing us to walk over that mess, and into another. I held my wand high, squinting to see. The moisture of the air stuck to my skin, making me begin to sweat. "Voldemort would not make it easy to find his hiding place." Dumbledore told us. "He would've put certain defences in position."

We ended up standing before a body of water, much calmer than the one outside the cave. The silence sent chills down my spine. Then, Dumbledore raised his illuminated wand, sending a sphere of light on the other side of the water. It began glowing brighter, lighting up everything around it. "There it is!" He said. "But, the question is, how do we get there?"

He paused, thinking for a moment, before raising his hand above the water before his feet. It began bubbling, and gurgling. Then, a chain raised into his hand. "If you would, Harry and Riley?" He said, handing the chain to me. I nodded, handing the end of it to Harry, and started to pull.

After a moment, something raised out of the water, and made it's way towards us. As it got closer, I managed to make out what it was; a boat. It was small, but, it seemed big enough for the three of us to fit in, hopefully without sinking. Once it reached us, Harry and I dropped the chain, and allowed Dumbledore to step in, before we did ourselves. The boat rocked a bit, putting me in edge as we made our way towards the sphere of light ahead of us.

I looked down into the water, and could've sworn I saw something floating. As much as I wanted to tell myself it was just a fish, I couldn't. I don't know if there are any fish shaped like a human body. I looked away from the water, and stared ahead, not wanting to get too nervous.

Finally, we made it to the other side of the water. There was only a small section of rocky land, before there was more water leading deeper into the cave. Dumbledore stepped out of the boat, followed by Harry, who held out a hand to help me out. I accepted it, not wanting to let go of him. But, as soon as I was standing upright, he released me, and turned to follow the Headmaster.