𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝐶𝑉𝐼𝐼𝐼.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙣𝙚-𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙙-𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

"NEVILLE!" CAROLINE SAID excitedly, Harry turning to her sharply, eyebrows raised. She elbowed his ribs and he looked back at the bleeding Gryffindor as he stepped through the passage.

        "Oh, you look–" Harry began, speaking of Neville's appearance. Caroline elbowed him once more.

        "Like hell, I reckon. But this is nothing. Seamus is worse." Neville said, kneeling in the passage.

        Caroline frowned. "What, he finally blew himself up?" she asked, knowing her good friend had a knack for explosions.

        Neville cracked a smile. "Not yet," he looked for Aberforth. "Hey, Ab! We've got a couple more coming through." he warned the man, before leading the four through the passage.

        "Don't remember this on the Marauder's Map." Ron said, his voice echoing in the tunnel.

        "That's because it never existed till now. The seven secret passages were sealed off before the start of the year. This is the only way in or out, now. The grounds are crawled with Death Eaters and Dementors." Neville updated them. Hogwarts was clearly in rough shape.

        "How bad is it with Snape as Headmaster?" Hermione asked, walking behind Harry and Caroline.

        Neville shrugged. "Hardly ever see him. It's the Carrows you need to watch out for." he explained.

        Caroline frowned. "Carrows?" she had heard the name, but not in a long time.

        "Yeah. Brother and sister. Incharge of discipline. They like punishment, the Carrows." Neville said. Caroline assumed the marks on Neville's face were from being punished.

        "They did that to you? Why?" Hermione asked, concerned.

        "Today's Dark Arts lesson was practising the Cruciatus curse. On first years. I refused. Carol, if you were here, we're all pretty sure you'd be dead. They hate you." Neville said, glancing behind him at Caroline.

        She shrugged. "Must be jealous that they're not me." Caroline said. Death Eaters hated her because no matter how many times they ruined her life, she still came back at them. They couldn't take her down, and they were angry about it.

        Neville smiled. "Probably. Hogwarts has changed," he continued to lead them back to school. They reached the end of the passage. "Let's have a bit of fun, shall we?"

        "Fun would be ripping You-Know-Who's head off." Caroline commented under her breath, Harry smiling from behind her.

        Neville pushed open the portrait, entering the common room. "Listen up, you lot! Brought you a surprise." he called to the Gryffindors, stray students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff there as well.

        Seamus looked up. "No more of Aberforth's cooking, I hope. Be a surprise if we can digest it." he said, and Caroline smiled. She missed him.

        Neville stepped aside, and Caroline and Harry walked out of the portrait, Ron and Hermione behind them. "Miss me?" Caroline said, seeing all of her friends. They looked different, which reminded her how much she had missed in those months hunting.

        "Blimey! It's Carol and Harry!" Seamus said in awe, standing up. All of the Gyrffindors and other students rejoiced, because Caroline and Harry were back, and they would be safe.

        When they stepped over to everyone, Caroline hugged Dean and Seamus under Harry's watchful eye, reuniting with all of her friends alongside the others. "Get the word out to Remus and the others that Harry and Carol are back." Neville instructed a younger student.

        Caroline turned to him. "Is Remus safe? Tonks and the baby?" she asked quickly.

        Neville nodded. "They're fine. We helped him get the message to you safely," he said, and Caroline exhaled. "Okay, okay. Let's not kill them before You-Know-Who does." Neville said as Harry and Caroline continued to be swept up into reunions.

        "River, D.A. calling. Do you read? We have a new weather report," the student spoke into a radio. "The stars are out and lightning has struck. I repeat: The stars are out and lightning has struck." he spoke in code.

        "What's the plan, you two?" Neville asked Harry and Caroline, everyone knowing Caroline made Harry's plans for him.

        Harry glanced at Caroline, and she spoke to him with her eyes, telling him he had to figure it out. Harry rolled his eyes and faced the large group of their friends. "Okay. There's something we need to find. There's something hidden here, in the castle. And it may help us to defeat You-Know-Who." he looked at Caroline again and she shrugged, figuring that was good enough.

        "Alright. What is it?" Neville asked, beside Hermione.

        "We don't know." Harry answered.

        There was silence for a minute. "Where is it?" Neville questioned once more.

        Harry looked at Caroline. "We don't know that either." she rolled her eyes at him begging for her help.

        "Harry realises it's not much to go on." Caroline said, speaking for him. He sighed and she smiled.

        "That's nothing to go on." Seamus said, face covered in dirt.

        "I think it has something to do with Ravenclaw. It'll be small, easily concealed. Anyone, any ideas?" Harry asked the group of silent students.

        Caroline turned to him. "Really, you're asking them?" Caroline whispered, but it was silent, so everyone heard her. "Where's your 'Chosen One' mindset?" she flicked him in the forehead.

        Harry sighed again. "We're desperate." he whispered.

        "Yeah, 'cause we're gonna die." Caroline reminded him, small smiles rising on the students. They were glad that Harry and Caroline still bickered like they used to.

        Luna spoke up. "Well, there's Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem." she said in her dreamy voice.

        "Oh, bloody hell. Here we go." Ron whispered under his breath.

        "Lost diadem of Ravenclaw? Hasn't anyone heard of it? It's quite famous." Luna said, a cut on her face from being held in the Manor.

        "Yes. But, Luna, it's lost. For centuries now. There isn't a person alive today who's seen it." Cho cut in.

        Ron frowned. "Excuse me, can someone tell me what bloody diadem is?" he asked the group.

        "It's a sort of crown. You know, like a tiara." Cho explained, and then the doors opened.

        Ginny rushed in, freezing when she saw who was there. "Carol. You're not dead!" Ginny breathed out, the four friends' faces landing open in confusion.

        Caroline gaped. "Obviously, I'm not dead." she said, unsure of why the topic had come up.

        "We figured, since you seem to get tortured or have a family member killed every other month, you'd either be dead, broken up with Harry, or pregnant." Seamus explained the bet some of the Gryffindors had, both Harry and Caroline blushing.

        "Well, none of that has happened. I mean, I did get tortured a lot, but I think my mother's still alive." Caroline said, shaking away the conversation.

        "What is it, Ginny?" Neville asked, once the conversation had ceased and Harry collected himself, embarrassed.

        Ginny breathed heavily. "Snape knows. He knows that Harry and Carol were spotted in Hogsmeade." she revealed, and Caroline sighed. She had to make another plan, so she did, as quickly as she could.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —