𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝑋𝐼𝐼.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

CAROLINE WAS BACK in the hospital wing later that afternoon, visiting Harry and doing some of their homework. Harry was sitting in his bed, playing with Caroline's cat while she worked, a crease in her eyebrows as she focused. Harry found it amusing, but he needed to talk to her, and ask her a question. So, he took her quill right out of her hands.

      Failing to get it back from him, as he kept switching it from hand to hand, Caroline was growing frustrated. "Harry Potter, you give me my quill back this instant." Caroline demanded, standing up and pushing her parchment to the side.

      "I'm sorry, Carol, but I'm afraid I can't do that." Harry said, a smile on his face as he teased Caroline.

      "Why not? I'm doing your homework, you know." Caroline reminded her best friend, sitting down on the side of Harry's bed, arms crossed.

      Harry chuckled, looking down. He spun the quill inbetween his fingers as he spoke. "I wanted to ask you a question, and I really needed you to focus. I'll give you your quill back when we're done." Harry answered.

      Caroline gaped. "Bloody hell, you couldn't have just asked me to stop doing homework so I could talk to you?" she rolled her eyes. joining Harry in petting Penny.

      "Would you have, though?" Harry teased, smiling. He certainly knew her, how she worked, how she thought.

      "Ask me the question, Harry Potter, or I will leave and make you do your own work." Caroline threatened, though she's never been able to sound serious in her life.

      Harry smiled, and then formed the question in his head. "I never got a chance to ask you, but, that night on the train, did you hear a woman screaming when the dementor came into our compartment?" he asked.

      Caroline frowned. "Not a woman, but a man. He was begging, and pleading. I didn't know who he was at first, but after facing the boggart, I think I know now." she admitted. Caroline had been thinking about that moment on the train a lot lately, especially after her talk with Professor Lupin.

      "Who was he?" Harry asked, adjusting his glasses.

      With a deep breath, Caroline answered. "My dad, I think. That's who the boggart was. Him and my mum. I recognized their voices."

      Harry furrowed his brows. Caroline could tell he was putting a lot of thought into his next response. There was a reason he wasn't sorted into Ravenclaw, Caroline had told him this a few times. "You never mention your parents. What happened to them?" Harry asked.

      Caroline shrugged. "I dunno. All I know is that they were wizards, died when I was a year old and that we lived in Godric's Hollow." Some of her dark braids fell in her face, and she pushed them away quickly.

      "I lived in Godric's Hollow. Do you think our parents knew each other?" Harry said suddenly, sitting up straighter.

      "I asked Professor Lupin about that. He said he didn't know." Caroline said. She had no idea that Professor Lupin did know that, and much more about Caroline's life.

      Harry frowned. "Professor Lupin knew my parents. He told me my mum was there for him, and that he knew my dad. He must know about your parents. What are their names?"