𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝑋𝑋𝑋𝐼.

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𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙮-𝙤𝙣𝙚

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

TODAY WAS THE day. The first challenge was starting in less than ten minutes. Caroline had dropped her bag with Hermione and Ron, and was making her way towards the champions tent. She needed to see Harry one more time before he faced off with a dragon. Caroline hoped that the spells she had given him would help him.

      Caroline arrived outside the tent, her curls bouncing as she moved quickly. She pressed her mouth to the tent, whispering Harry's name as quietly as she could three times, until she heard footsteps, and the tent moved. "That's you, right?" Caroline whispered once she felt his presence.

      "Yeah." Harry answered, Dumbledore was making announcements about safety for spectators, but neither Harry nor Caroline were listening. They were focusing on each other and each other alone.

      "How are you feeling? Are you ready?" Caroline asked. Harry didn't give her an answer. "You just have to focus. And keep your wand on you. Once you've done that, you just have to–"

      "Battle a dragon." Harry joked, but Caroline knew it wasn't a joke.

      She made a rash decision, and Caroline flung open the tent flap and collided with Harry, wrapping her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. His gloved hands were on her jacket-clad back, breathing in her scent of nature and cinnamon. She probably slept with her window open again, Harry assumed. Her hair smelled sweet, but not too sweet. More like a summer day. And Harry adored it.

      Their hug was interrupted by the flash of a camera, and they both partially separated, squinting in the direction of Rita Skeeter entering the tent. Their hands were clasped together. "Young love. How... stirring," Rita said, her quill writing her words automatically as Caroline and Harry fully separated. Caroline's face was hot with embarrassment. "If everything goes unfortunately today, you two darlings may even make the front page." Caroline didn't know what to do, especially as the other champions drew close.

      "You have no business here," said Viktor Krum, his accent thick as he neared Rita. "This tent is for champions and friends." Caroline sent him a grateful nod as Rita turned around.

      "No matter. We've got what we wanted." Rita's quill touched Krum's face, and with one last picture, she and her cameraman were gone.

      Dumbledore entered the tent, and Caroline squeezed Harry's hand twice for good luck before she ducked out of the tent, successfully leaving without Dumbledore seeing. Caroline sent Harry one last look from outside the tent, and then she walked to her seat, ignoring Hermione's questions and Ron's teasing about her flushed cheeks.

      Cedric battled his dragon first, winning the golden egg. Krum went next, and then Fleur. Harry was up next, and Caroline was practically shaking with nerves. When Harry emerged, about to face the Hungarian Horntail, the entire arena was chanting his name.

       Harry began to make his way towards the golden egg, but the dragon slapping its tail down sent him tumbling away. Harry ran away as the dragon blew fire at him, and then he narrowly avoided being hit with its tail again. And when he did get hit, flying into the ground, Caroline gasped, hand over her mouth.

      "He'll be fine. He'll be fine." Caroline whispered, repeating herself.

      There was more fire, until Hermoine had had enough. "Your wand, Harry! Your wand!" she shouted to him.

      Caroline could see Harry performing one of the spells she had given him, and she felt better knowing he had a way to defend himself. Harry hid behind a rock, and Caroline spotted his broomstick flying over to him. She smiled, but the smile faded when the dragon spit fire on the rock Harry hid behind. And then when the dragon stopped, he quickly jumped out from the rock and landed on his broom, flying away.

      "Yes!" Hermione and Caroline cheered. They were probably the loudest out of all the spectators. Ron cheered half-heartedly, and Caroline elbowed him in the ribs.

      Harry tried to go for his golden egg, but the dragon spitting fire at him veered the boy
off-course. And then, the dragon broke free from its constraints, and followed Harry out of the arena. "Yes!" shouted one of the twins.

      "Well done, dragon!" yelled the second.

      Everyone waited in silence, with bated breath for Harry and the dragon to return. And Caroline spotted him first. "Yes! Yes!" she screamed, and Hermione joined in. The back of his broom was smoking, and he made a crash landing after getting the golden egg. But, he got it, and Caroline had never smiled so hard.

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