𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝑋𝐿𝐼𝑉.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙮-𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

AFTER A LESS than restful night, Caroline was less than thrilled to be going to Defense Against the Dark Arts. She hated that room. The office, those desks. Caroline had been hit by both the Imperius and Cruciatus curses in that room. That room was the last place in Hogwarts that Jacob had been in before he died. Caroline didn't want to go. She really didn't want to. But, Hermione was persuasive.

Caroline sat with Hermione, drawing on a piece of parchment while a parchment bird flew around the room, being hit or maneuvered by various students. Caroline watched Crabbe hit the bird with a slingshot, and then the bird was set on fire, floating down to Padma and Parvati's desk.

Professor Umbridge lowered her wand from the back corner. "Good morning, children," everyone turned and followed the professor with their eyes as she made her way up the aisles, her wand pointed at the board. "Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations.
O-W-Ls. More commonly known as OWLs. Study hard and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so, and the consequences may be severe." Professor Umbridge smiled, and Caroline grimaced.

"She's going to make me go mad, Hermione." Caroline whispered to her friend, but was shushed quickly as Professor Umbridge dealt out their books.

"Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven. But you'll be pleased to know, from now on you'll be following a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic. Yes?" Hermione had raised her hand, after flipping through the book beside Caroline, who had done the same.

"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells?" Hermione posed her response like a question, treading lightly around this new professor.

"Using spells? Well, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom." Umbridge said, walking close to Hermione and Caroline. The dark skinned girl inched her chair back ever so slightly. She wished she didn't choose the aisle seat

"We're not going to use magic?" Ron asked from the other side of Harry.

"You'll be learning about defensive skills in a secure, risk-free way." Umbridge explained. Harry glanced at Caroline briefly.

"Well, what use is that? If we're gonna be attacked it won't be risk-free." said Harry, as Umbridge turned around.

"Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class," Umbridge demanded, pausing for a moment as she arrived at the front of the classroom. "It is the view of the Ministry... that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations, which, after all, is what school is all about."

Caroline's mouth fell open. After everything she and Harry had endured, they weren't even going to defend themselves? She would not stand for that. "Yes, but how is theory going to prepare us for everything out there?" Caroline asked. People turned to hear her speak. Most people hadn't heard her voice since she was bleeding, screaming for her brother on the quidditch pitch.

"There is nothing out there, dear. Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourself?" Umbridge said, voice high-pitched and sickly sweet.

Harry took over now. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe Lord Voldemort." he said, and the room went quiet, save for whispers and gasps. Caroline shook her head at Harry, but he ignored her.