𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝐿𝑋𝑋𝑋𝐼𝑋.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙮-𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙚

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

IN THE BACKYARD, the Weasleys were magically setting up the large tent for the wedding later that afternoon. Everyone was in their separate corners, getting ready for the event. Caroline's long braids reached her waist, and she tied half of them up behind a neat clip. She wore a dark blue dress, her color. There was a scrape on her cheek from the night before and a scratch on her forehead, but they would heal in a day or two. Caroline left Ginny's room and wandered down into the kitchen, finding Harry reading a newspaper.

"Zip me up?" Caroline asked, turning her back to Harry, pulling her hair over her shoulder. Harry stepped over to her, swiping away her stray braids. He had seen her undressed, a few times, so this was nothing new, but both were still awkward with each other. "I can't believe that there's a wedding, with everything going on." Caroline said, feeling Harry's hands on her skin.

Harry drew her zipper up agonisingly slow. "Maybe that's the best reason to have it, because of everything that's going on." he said, rearranging Caroline's hair over her back the way he knew she liked it.

Caroline turned to face Harry, hands buttoning his waistcoat. She stepped closer and kissed him, as his hands framed her waist where her dress hugged her curves in all the right places. From the sink in the centre of the kitchen, a new voice spoke. Caroline and Harry were too enamoured with each other to notice George hopping into the kitchen. "Morning." George said, winking dramatically as he held a mug in his grip.

Awkwardly, Harry and Caroline broke apart, Caroline scurrying away and leaving Harry by himself to answer to George. It was only a few minutes later that Ron was rushing into the house, gathering Harry and quickly finding Hermione and Caroline, because the Minister of Magic was in his house. Hermione and Caroline met Harry at the bottom of the stairs, seeing Ron standing with the Minister. "To what do we owe the pleasure, Minister?" Harry asked, speaking first.

"I think we both know the answer to that question, Mr. Potter." the Minister said.

They located to the living room, Hermione, Ron, Caroline and Hermione sitting across from the Minister in that order. The Minister placed a parcel onto the table, saying nothing. Caroline frowned, obviously confused. "And this is...?" Harry said, Caroline pinching him for his lack of patience.

The Minister took a piece of paper from his briefcase and it magically unfolded itself, levitating in his view. "'Herein is set forth the last will and testament of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. First, to Ronald Bilius Weasley, I leave my Deluminator, a device of my own making, in the hope that when things seem most dark, it will show him the light.'" The Minister spoke, unfolding the parcel to reveal the Deluminator.

"Dumbledore left this for me?" Ron asked, taking the Deluminator from the Minister's hand.

"Yeah." Scrimgeour affirmed.

"Brilliant. What is it?" Ron asked, but he received no answer. As Ron used the device to take the light from the lamps around the living room and then give it back, Penny and Marie trotted into the room, Caroline picking them both up. "Wicked." Ron mumbled in awe.

Scrimgeour looked at Dumbledore's will once more. "'To Hermione Jean Granger, I leave my copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, in the hope that she find it entertaining and instructive.'" the Minister handed the battered book over to a confused Hermione, who shared a brief look with Caroline.

"Mum used to read me those. The Wizard and the Hopping Pot. Babbitty Rabbitty and the Cackling Stump," Ron said, but no one knew what he was talking about. "Come on, Babbitty Rabbitty." the redhead tried again, but his three friends were lost.

"Ron, dead parents, adopted by Muggles." Caroline reminded him briefly, stroking her cats' fur gently.

They turned back to Scrimgeour. "'To Caroline Lana Taylor-Jones, I leave a singular key, reminiscent of her first adventure at Hogwarts, in the hope that it leads her to the answers to every question she has ever asked.'" the Minister held the key out to Caroline and she took it skeptically, twirling it between her fingers.

"Dumbledore gave me an old key?" Caroline asked incredulously, Harry looking at the key's details.

Scrimgeour said nothing. Caroline recognized something about the key, she just didn't know what. "To Harry James Potter, I leave the snitch he caught in his first Quidditch match at Hogwarts, as a reminder of the rewards of perseverance and skill." Scrimgeour held the snitch in a cloth, gingerly extending it towards Harry, being sure not to let his skin touch the golden sphere. Confused at Scrimgeour's actions, Harry took the snitch.

The Minister clearly was expecting something to happen when Harry held the snitch, but nothing did. "Is that it, then?" Harry asked a moment later.

"Not quite. Dumbledore left you a second bequest: The sword of Godric Gryffindor." Scrimgeour revealed the news, the four friends faces emitting confusion.

"We always knew you were the favourite." Caroline said, Marie lying on Harry's leg.

The Minister sighed. "Unfortunately, the sword of Gryffindor was not Dumbledore's to give away. As an important historical artifact, it belongs–"

"To Harry. It belongs to Harry. It came to him when he most needed it in the Chamber of Secrets." Hermione cut the Minister off, holding the book Dumbledore gave her carefully.

"The sword may present itself to any worthy Gryffindor, Miss Granger. That does not make it that wizard's property. And, in any event, the current whereabouts of the sword are unknown." Scrimgeour said.

"Excuse me?" Ron said accusingly.

The Minister knew what they were up to, so he gave the four friends as much information and warning as he could without getting himself killed. "The sword is missing. I don't know what you're up to, Mr. Potter, but you can't fight this war on your own. He's too strong."

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —