𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝐶.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙣𝙚-𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙙

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

HERMIONE WAS ANGRY with Ron, so she stayed outside, away from him. Caroline was reading through her poetry, sitting away from Ron and Harry so they could talk later that afternoon. "Engorgio," Harry said, pointing a wand Ron had found for him at something. "Reducio!" Harry yelled quickly.

"What did you do?" Caroline shouted towards them, standing.

"Nothing." Ron and Harry said at the same time. Caroline abandoned her book and moved to where Ron and Harry were sitting as Hermione burst into the tent.

"We need to talk." Hermione said, Ron and Harry standing.

Ron seemed hopeful. "Yeah, all right." he spoke. Caroline stood next to Hermione, lightly gathering her long braids into two larger ones that rested on her shoulders, stray pieces framing her face.

Hermione brushed through the boys, standing on the steps in front of them, Caroline making her way to Harry's side. "I want to go see Xenophilius Lovegood." she announced.

"Sorry?" Harry asked instantly, confused at the request. He wound his arm around Caroline's waist, tucking her into him as she finished with her braid.

Hermione opened the book Rita Skeeter wrote about Dumbledore, showing Caroline and Harry. "See this? It's a letter Dumbledore wrote to Grindelwald. Look at the signature," that same symbol appeared once more. "It's the mark again. It keeps cropping up. In Beedle the Bard, in the graveyard in Godric's Hollow." Hermione sat down on the steps again.

"It was there, too." Harry said after a minute, Caroline turning to him.

"Where?" she asked quietly, flicking some of Harry's hair from his eyes.

"Outside Gregorovitch's Wand Shop." Harry answered while Hermione stood once more.

"But what does it mean?" Ron wondered, speaking up for the first time.

Hermione didn't answer him. "Look, you've got no idea where the next horcrux is, and neither do I, but this, this means something. I'm sure of it." she spoke mainly to Harry.

Ron stepped towards the girl. " Yeah. Hermione's right. We ought to see Lovegood. Let's vote on it. Those in favour?" Ron said, trying to win some points back with Hermione by instantly being on her side. It was awkwardly quiet for a minute, until Hermione raised her eyebrows and walked away, Caroline following her to plan their next adventure.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

THEY APPARATED TO the hill Luna Lovegood lived on, holding their bags as they walked up towards her house. Ron walked ahead, Harry and Caroline hanging back to speak to Hermione. "You're not still mad at him, are you?" Harry asked quietly so Ron didn't hear, holding Caroline's hand so no one tried to kill her. His nightmares were like that those days. Teasing dreams of her death, him not being able to save her. Now, he didn't let her out of his sight.

"I'm always mad at him. Carol's always mad at you." Hermione said, nudging Caroline.

"You're always mad at me?" Harry looked over at Caroline, fixing her hair for her.