𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝑋𝑋𝑋.

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𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙮

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

ONE AFTERNOON, WITH the first challenge drawing near, Caroline, Jacob, Harry and Neville were by the lake. Neville was searching for water plants, ankle deep in the water. Harry sat against a tree trunk, reading over Neville's plant book. Caroline and Jacob were on their knees, planting an instant blooming flower for Jacob's herbology homework.

"So, now what do we do?" Caroline didn't remember ever doing this assignment with Professor Sprout.

"We finish planting it, I do the spell, and once it blooms, I have to take the flowers to Professor Sprout tomorrow." Jacob explained, adding some dirt to the hole the plant was in.

Caroline nodded, adding some dirt of her own. Once it was ready, Jacob performed the incantation, and the plant started to grow before their eyes. "Amazing. Amazing!" Neville said from the water a few seconds later, looking at his plant.

"Neville. You're doing it again." Harry said. Caroline narrowed her eyes at him, silently telling him to be nice to her friend.

"Right, sorry." Neville apologized.

Caroline saw Harry looking at the cover of Neville's book. "'Magical Water Plants of the Highland Lochs'?" Harry questioned.

"Yeah, Moody gave it to me. That day we had tea." Neville explained. Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Moody should be out of a job here." she remarked, sitting back on her heels and brushing the dirt off of her hands. She fixed her curly hair, letting it spring around her head.

Neville chuckled. "He's actually really interesting. You'd like him if he didn't perform the Curses on a spider, Carol."

She scoffed. "Pity he did, though." Caroline turned her head as Neville waved to someone beyond them, seeing Hermione whispering to Ron as Ginny followed them.

"Ron, this is your problem, not mine," Hermione said as she neared Harry and Caroline. Harry stood up, and Caroline did too, after receiving a look from Harry. Ron whispered one last thing to Hermione, and she came to stand in front of Harry. "Ronald would like me to tell you, Harry, that Seamus told him... that Dean was told by Parvarti that Hagrid's looking for you."

"Is that right? Well..." Harry began, but he was confused, and Caroline was too. "What?" he asked Hermione.

"Uh... Um..." Hermione stammered, turning around and going back to Ron. Harry looked at Caroline, who shrugged. Hermione walked back. "Dean was told by Parvarti that... Please don't ask me to say it again. Hagrid's looking for you." Hermione went to turn around.

"Well, you can tell Ronald–"

Hermione turned around quickly. "I'm not an owl!" Hermione walked away without so much as looking at Caroline. Ginny waved at her before Hermione pulled her away, and Ron followed.

Caroline stuffed her hands into her pockets, looking over at Harry. "How come whenever you and our friends get into an argument, I always become the one they're mad at?" Caroline questioned.

"It grew, Carol!" Jacob said happily.

"I'm so happy, Jacob."

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