Enchantments of Serpent's Embrace: The acknowledge - T.N. FF.

tangled legacy

Caroline wakes up feeling exhausted. Her throat is still sore from the night's screaming, remnants of the vivid, terrifying dream she had. Slowly, she gets out of bed, grabs some clothes for the day, and steps out of her room. The morning breeze lingers around the house, giving it an eerie calmness at such an early hour. Normally, she would sleep until at least 10 a.m., but it's only 8. After waking from that nightmare, she couldn't fall back asleep. The haunting images of her dream and Sirius's reaction kept her mind racing, unable to find peace.

As she moves through the hallway, passing by a few open doors, she notices one of the living rooms with its door slightly ajar. Whispers emanate from within, stirring a flicker of curiosity inside her. Despite feeling weary, Caroline is drawn to secrets and the hidden lives of others. It's one of her guilty pleasures, not to spread the information but to understand the things people try to conceal.

She takes a few steps forward, opening and then shutting the door of the bathroom she originally intended to use. With silent steps, she walks back to the cracked door and leans against the wall. As the sound of the bathroom door closing echoes down the hall, the whispers grow louder, and she sharpens her hearing. The quiet voices of Harry, Hermione, and Ron come from the room, and Caroline leans closer to hear more without making her presence known.

Peeking through the cracked door, she sees Harry, Hermione, and Ron gathered around a table littered with parchment and quills. The three of them are engaged in an intense discussion, their faces serious and animated.

"Are you sure about this, Harry?" Hermione asks, her brow furrowed with concern. "If Umbridge finds out, we'll be in serious trouble."

"We can't let her stop us," Harry replies with determination. "The Ministry is useless, and the students need to learn how to defend themselves. Voldemort is back, and we can't just sit around doing nothing. It is dangerous, but we need to continue. We already got so many members. There's no going back now."

Ron nods in agreement, his expression resolute. "Harry's right. We need to be ready for whatever comes. We can't rely on the adults to protect us."

Caroline's breath hitches at the discovery. She has so many questions and feels slightly hurt. Normally she wouldn't care if Harry has secrets, but this seems big. The way they are whispering even though they are surrounded by friends and family, and how seriously they are taking it, it must be something important. But why wouldn't they tell her?

A sting strikes her heart in that moment, but why? It always seems as if there is something important going on, but no one tells her about it. An even sharper sting pierces her heart. Did they believe that she would betray them? Is that the reason? But she could and wants to help. Sometimes she just feels left out in this whole house.

The sound of their conversation becomes muffled as Caroline's thoughts swirl. The sense of exclusion weighs heavily on her, and she finds herself questioning her place among them. The urgency and gravity in Harry's voice make it clear that this secret is about something critical, something she desperately wants to be a part of. Her mind races with the implications of what she overheard and the possible reasons they might be keeping it from her.

"I think we should learn the Patronus spell next. It's useful, but hard to do, but I am sure that everyone will be able to learn it. After the break, we need to continue instantly. There's no time to waste while he is out there somewhere, wandering around," Harry's voice brings Caroline back to reality. She knows the spell, and she's confident she can cast it. She just wants to help.

Taking in a shaky breath, she steps back and slowly returns to the bathroom, where the whispers in the room continue, but as she moves farther away, they become less understandable.