Note: Here we are again! I was so thrilled to hear from so many of you about the last chapter! Thanks so much for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from this piece of writing.

4: The Lupins' Promise

As she sat upon the steps that led up to the front entrance of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, toying absentmindedly with the bottle of still lemonade that she had in her hands, whilst watching Teddy Lupin chase a shrieking stampede of children around the lawn in front of her, Carrie Winters barely noticed the flaming haired witch sidling up next to her until Dora Lupin observed:

"Well at least somebody hasn't been trying to steal the punch! You're white as a ghost, Carrie love!"

The muggle glanced up at the witch with a fleeting smile,

"I'm alright." she lied, diverting her gaze back to Teddy just in time to see an over-excited Louis Weasley run head first into a distinctly startled looking wizard who narrowly avoided dropping his champagne glass.

"I've heard that one before." Dora told her, pausing to take a generous gulp of the alarmingly acid-green concoction that she had in her hand. Carrie turned to peer at the liquid curiously, wondering what on earth it could possibly contain to make it such a bright colour. It certainly wasn't the alcohol, though the muggle could only assume that there was a healthy dose of it in there somewhere – she'd watched Charlie Weasley go to refill his glass only a handful of times and yet his most recent staggering trip to the refreshments table had been very telling indeed.

Dora, on the other hand, appeared to be remarkably sober as she dropped down upon the steps beside the muggle, for she was observant enough to tell her:

"You're worried."

Carrie briefly considered lying, but she supposed that never got her very far where either Dora or Remus were concerned, apparently they could both read her like a book.

"Yes." she admitted, and instantly regretted doing so for the sudden urge to cry that had taken hold of her during the remembrance service returned with vengeance. She waited for Dora to say something reassuring, but instead the witch gave a snort of disapproval and muttered:

"I knew Remus shouldn't have just blurted all of that out without warning!" She seemed to realise what she'd said, for she hastily reached to pat the girl upon the arm and announced: "Don't you worry, Carrie love. There's absolutely nothing to be afraid of."

Carrie contemplated this assurance for a long moment, frowning down at her bottle of lemonade before shifting to fix Dora with a searching look as she asked:

"Am I an adult, Dora?"

The witch offered her a raised eyebrow that disappeared under her carefully sculptured blazing fringe.

"I don't know, Carrie, do you think you're an adult?"

At this question, the muggle couldn't help but feel very disappointed.

"You think I'm still a child." she observed, reaching to set the bottle down by her feet so that she could cross her arms somewhat indigently across her chest. "You both do, you and Remus!"

"Does that matter to you?" Dora asked, seemingly oblivious to Carrie's failed attempts not to sound rather offended.

"Yes!"

"Why?"

"Because! I...I'm not a child! I'm not a little girl anymore, I'm...I'm grown up!"

When Dora merely took a long sip of the acid green drink, entirely unmoved by the outburst, Carrie felt a sudden urge to scream.

The urge doubled tenfold a moment later when the witch observed:

"Well thinking you're grown up doesn't make you an adult...it makes you a teenager..."

"I don't think I'm grown up, I know I'm grown up!"

"Mm...same thing, Carrie love..."

"No it isn't!" Carrie paused, drawing a deep, calming breath as it occurred to her that she was on the verge of shouting and really that wasn't the most adult way to conduct a debate, it would do her reasoning no favours at all. "I'm...I'm just saying," she said, sitting up straighter. "I might not be that old, and I might not be...like you, but I'm not a little girl anymore and I'm not a naïve, clueless muggle who doesn't know anything about magic. You can't just...just pat me on the back and say everything's sunshine and daisies because...well it isn't, is it? Something major is happening, if it wasn't major Remus wouldn't have said anything, and it will affect me! So...so I think you should...you should tell me the truth!"

Dora drained her glass before leaning to set it down upon the lower step beside Carrie's bottle of lemonade. She shifted until she could better fix Carrie with a deadly serious look.

"I'm not lying to you Carrie." the witch said, reaching to push the hair from her eyes. "Yes, something major might happen, and I can't tell you quite what it would mean for you if it does, but what I can tell you is that you don't need to be worried or frightened. Remus and I won't let anything bad happen to you, I promise."

Carrie smiled somewhat uncertainly, and Dora smiled back, only for a voice to call her name. The witch turned to spot Ginny Potter striding across the grass towards them, a distinctly bemused expression upon her face.

"Tonks have you seen Harry?" the Head of Aurors' wife asked as she came to a halt before them, and both Dora and Carrie glanced around searchingly, only for Dora to conclude:

"Not since half an hour ago when I bumped into him and Hermione over by the buffet table."

Ginny reached to run a puzzled hand through her hair, sighing heavily.

"Where in Merlin's name has he got to?" she wondered aloud. "Nevermind then, I'm sure he'll show up in a minute."

"Have you checked by the lake?" Dora suggested as Carrie reached to retrieve her bottle of lemonade.

"No, that's a good idea." Ginny agreed, and with that she turned on her heel and set off through the crowd.

Carrie glanced absentmindedly around the grounds as she sipped at her lemonade. Teddy was still chasing his cousins around in front of her, though from the looks of it they were running him ragged. Somebody had set a record player down upon a small table beside the buffet table and judging from the music that was blaring out of the speakers the muggle could only assume that the dodgy dancing that Teddy had mentioned would be in full swing in no time at all, Bill and Fleur Weasley were already swaying gently in time to the music, her arms locked tightly around his neck as they murmured cheerily to one another. Off to Carrie's left, stood just under one of the castle's vast windows, she spotted Remus stood talking to a man who she had never seen before. He was dressed in a long navy cloak that looked much too warm for the summer weather.

"Who's that talking to Remus?" Carrie asked Dora, nodding in their direction, and the Auror turned to look searchingly over towards her husband.

The smile instantly faded from her face.

"I'm...not sure." she admitted darkly, and Carrie leant to peer round her so that she could get a clearer look.

"They're standing rather close together, don't you think?" Carrie said, frowning deeply, for there appeared to be precious few inches between the two men as they stood staring intently at one another as they spoke.

"Yes, they are..." Dora muttered, and quite suddenly she got abruptly to her feet and set briskly off towards the pair.

Carrie abandoned her lemonade upon the step and got up to follow at a lengthy distance.

Upon hearing Dora's approach, the cloaked man paused in whatever he was saying to glance over his shoulder at her. Carrie watched him murmur one last word to Remus, who failed to respond, before turning sharply around and striding off towards the main crowd. He seemingly misjudged his step as he passed Dora, for their shoulders collided, sending the witch stumbling backwards a step. Their eyes locked for a brief moment and Carrie heard him mutter a distinctly insincere:

"Terribly sorry."

Dora watched him disappear into the crowd, expression utterly poisonous, only for it to fade from her face as Remus appeared behind her, his arms reaching to wrap tightly around her middle.

"Making friends, are you?" Carrie heard Dora inquire dryly, and as he too stared after the man, Remus admitted:

"That isn't quite how I would describe it."

Dora turned in his arms so that she could reach to wrap her arms around his neck and the rest of their hushed conversation was quite lost to Carrie, who suddenly became distracted by a hand closing around her elbow. The muggle jumped.

"Just the person I was looking for!" Teddy announced loudly as he gave her a gentle tug around to face him, and Carrie couldn't help but feel that the sight of his beaming face, reddened from his cousins' escapades as it was, was like a breath of fresh air.

"Hi!" she greeted, the sudden tension evaporating on the spot, and he took hold of her by the hand and announced:

"Quick, they're distracted! Victoire's getting them all ice cream!"

The slipped around the side of the castle and through an archway into a small cobbled courtyard where he deposited her upon a low stone bench before drawing his wand from his pocket.

"What're you doing?" Carrie wondered, grinning up at him as he cleared his throat meaningfully, and he offered her a raised eyebrow as he said:

"Well, since this is our first sort-of-date, I think I better try and do it properly. I've been practicing this half the night, Mum and Dad weren't impressed when they came downstairs this morning and saw that the back garden appeared to have migrated into the living room, but still..."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Carrie sniggered, and the wizard cleared his throat again before giving his wand an odd little wave. A muttered word later a vibrant burst of colour shot forth, swirling before the muggle for a brief moment before settling as the brightest bunch of flowers that Carrie had ever seen. She watched with wide eyes as Teddy reached to snatch them out of the air.

"For you." he announced, sounding very pleased with himself indeed, and as she accepted the gift with a smile as bright as the flowers themselves he came to sit down beside her, beaming proudly.

"They're absolutely beautiful." Carrie mumbled, feeling her cheeks tinge pink at the gesture. Funny, she mused as she reached to examine a bright blue flower more closely, that in just one short day his gifts could make her blush. It was not the first time that he had presented her with flowers, he often sent her a bunch when it was her birthday, and the previous year she had received two dozen red roses on Valentine's Day with a cheeky note commenting that this will have Cleo stumped! But she had never felt quite so overwhelmed by the gesture as she did just then.

Things had certainly changed...

It made Carrie feel rather nervous.

"Well I'm glad you like them!" Teddy told her, stretching his legs out in front of him with a contented sigh, and to her slight relief he then changed the subject, asking: "So, what do you think of Hogwarts?"

"It's...magical!" Carrie exclaimed, staring up at the towering stone castle around them, and the wizard gave a soft snort and muttered:

"Well I could have told you that..."

"Oh shut up!" the muggle muttered, reaching to slap him rebukingly upon the arm. "You know what I mean! It's...it's the most wonderful place that I've ever seen in my whole entire life!"

"I've only one year left..." Teddy mused sadly as he too gazed upwards.

"What're you going to do, after your NEWTs?" Carrie asked, and he puffed his cheeks uncertainly.

"I'm not sure..."

"Not going to go into the family business of kicking Dark Wizards' arses then?"

"What?"

"That's what James said you were going to do, that time at the Potters' barbeque last summer."

Teddy shook his head disbelievingly, but admitted:

"Well...I did think of it. Joining the Auror training scheme, that is..."

"But...?"

"But...well, it might be a bit weird. Working for my mum and my godfather. I wouldn't want people to think...well...you know, that I got in because of who I am or that I'm their favorite or something. Mum says it wouldn't be like that, if I don't pull my weight she said she'd be the first one to kick me out...but...people might think otherwise."

"You shouldn't care what people think." Carrie told him, watching as an owl swooped through the archway and up towards one of the castle turrets. "I think you'd make a brilliant Auror."

"Uncle Charlie reckons I could go out to Romania to work with the dragons, since I like animals...but then again I don't really fancy getting my hair burnt off on a regular basis. I did have one idea, though...probably a stupid one..."

"Go on."

"Well, Dad says I should try and get a job that interests me, or something that I feel is worthwhile. And...well...I figured, maybe...I might like to be a teacher."

"At Hogwarts?"

"Mm. I thought I could...teach Muggle Studies."

Carrie sniggered.

"What, and tell all your students all about how daft we are? Use me as a case study?"

"Something like that." Teddy chuckled with a shake of his head. "It's a silly idea though. Dad says McGonnogal is unlikely to employ somebody straight out of school...they like teachers who are a bit older, you know.."

"I don't think it's a silly idea." Carrie reasoned, and he gave a shrug.

"Professor Whitburn isn't going to leave any year soon, she's only been there for a couple of years."

Teddy shifted sideways to look at her as he asked: "What about you, what are you going to do after your A-Levels? Are you still going to go to University?"

Carrie reached to twirl a strand of chestnut brown hair around her finger with a deep frown.

"I don't know...my parents want me to go."

"But you don't want to?"

"Not particularly...but of course I can't tell them that. They wouldn't understand." she gave a despairing snort as she mimicked: "You're so clever, Caroline, you're a bright girl, you could get into a top university if you really try hard...! Well I don't feel very clever..." she trailed off with a sigh as he reached to put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"You're not stupid, Carrie." he murmured, grip upon her shoulder tightening reassuringly. "Your parents are right, you could go and study anything you want! What about those booklets you had at your house at Easter? Have you looked through them again, seen anything interesting?"

Carrie gave a dull shrug.

"What's the point?" she mumbled, "I'd never fit in." she sighed heavily as she admitted: "Sometimes I think I don't fit in anywhere...not in my world, not in yours..."

"Don't say that!" Teddy told her sternly, reaching to prise the flowers from her hand so that he could set them down upon the bench beside him and take hold of her hands in his own. "How many times do I have to tell you? You fit in perfectly fine wherever you go!"

"No I don't, Ted. I don't fit into the magical world because it's not mine...I just dip my toe in the water every now and again and if you were to throw me in the deep end I'd sink for sure. And as for my world...my world...! It's hardly mine, is it? Half the people at college think I'm a freak!"

"That leaves a whole half who don't..."

"It's hopeless. University would be just the same...except it would be bigger...more people to think I'm away with the fairies..."

"But you're not away with the fairies, you're away with the wizards and we're just so much cooler!" When she failed to snigger at his joke, he tried again: "Come on Carrie, what d'you suppose Mum and Dad are going to say when I tell them all about this conversation? Keep this up and Dad's going to be running out of chocolate..."

At long last, Carrie managed a smile as she assured him:

"That'll never happen."

"No...you're probably right." the young wizard agreed, reaching to brush a stray strand of hair behind her ear, causing her stomach to give an uncharacteristic flutter. "Where's all this nonsense coming from then?" Before she could give a suitably vague shrug, he frowned somewhat accusingly a her and asked: "It's not Austin and Melanie, is it? Because I swear...!"

"It's not that! Really..."

"Liar. Well don't you worry, their opinions lost all credibility the moment they stumbled into that broom cupboard at the college. You needn't give a toss what they think...if Austin reckons you aren't orange enough it doesn't really matter...I can be orange enough for the both of us!"

As she watched him screw his face up until his skin had brightened to an alarmingly tomato soup coloured orange, Carrie felt her mood brightening along with him.

"You look like an Oompa Loompa!" she laughed, slumping forward so that she could stifle her amusement into his shoulder.

"A what?"

"An Oompa Loompa!"

"What in Merlin's name is that?"

"From Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...oh never mind!"

"Dad's got that book."

"He does?"

"Mm...found it under his pillow a while back...he claims he used to read it to me when I was little but I don't remember..." Teddy trailed off with a shake of the head, turning so that he could reach to ease her back from his shoulder until he could fix her with a firm look. "Look," he told her as she gazed up at him. "You bring those university booklets over in the morning, we'll have a look together and pick out some stuff. How about that?"

Carrie offered him a half-hearted smile.

"Well...okay then..."

"Great!" he exclaimed happily as if she had just agreed to go out for ice cream, and with that he reached to sweep the hair back from her face, positively beaming. There was a long, deliberating pause and Carrie was just about to attempt to think of something to say when he leaned forward to kiss her, one arm wrapping firmly around her waist, just in case she felt tempted to topple backwards for a second time.

Except Carrie Winters had absolutely no intention of toppling backwards, or any other way for that matter. She was much too busy attempting to memorize exactly what it felt like to kiss Teddy Lupin. It was difficult to memorize anything or even think straight, what with the butterflies whizzing around her stomach and the thundering of her heart and the mass of fireworks in her head, but what she did manage to muse was that Teddy was a better kisser than Austin by far. He didn't do that gross slobbery thing with his lips and she didn't feel even vaguely worried that she might chip a tooth...

As a matter of fact, kissing Teddy was in no way, shape or form even remotely similar to kissing Austin.

Kissing Teddy was, well...just as Carrie had imagined it in those dreams she had been having for the past year. Teddy's kisses were rather like Teddy himself – immensely enthusiastic and yet careful, gentle...his lips tasted of orange juice...

It was glorious. Wonderful. Utterly amazing, fantastic and...

"Teddy?"

At the sudden interruption the two teenagers sprung apart, and Carrie very nearly lost another battle with gravity, barely managing to grab hold of the edge of the bench to keep her balance. As she felt her cheeks flush with colour, she turned to join Teddy in staring over at the stone archway that led back out into the school grounds.

Remus was stood, leaning against the wall, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his robes as he stared back at them. Carrie wondered how long he had been stood there watching them...

She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Your grandmother's going home. She wants to say goodbye to you." the werewolf informed his son, and the younger wizard shot his girlfriend one last smile before getting to his feet. Carrie watched him stride across the courtyard, reaching to smooth his fiery hair.

"Nice one, Dad." he muttered as he passed his father, but Remus ignored him.

Alone, werewolf and muggle stared at one another for a long moment, before he straightened up and began to walk towards her. At first she thought he meant to sit beside her, but instead he carried on towards the door leading inside the castle, beckoning her to follow him with a tilt of the head.

When they reached the door, Remus drew his wand from his pocket and, with an incoherent mumble and odd, sweeping gesture Carrie heard the hefty lock upon the door open with a deep click. The door swung back upon it's hinges with a creak and without a word, Remus led the muggle inside.

They walked in silence down a long stone corridor, their footsteps echoing off the walls and ceiling. Carrie stared in wonder at the vast arched windows, the numerous doorways and immaculate suits of armour that shone in the sunlight that streamed through the glass. The muggle felt rather as though she had been transported back in time. The entire place was still but for the two of them, and for some reason Carrie felt the need to whisper as she wondered:

"Are we allowed to be in here?"

"No, it's off limits to the public." Remus told her, not bothering to whisper at all, and Carrie glanced back over her shoulder towards the door they had entered through, biting her lip.

"Oh..." she mumbled, and he glanced sideways to offer her a raised eyebrow.

"I shouldn't worry," he assured her, "nobody is going to notice. Besides, the Headmistress won't mind if..."

He was cut off by Carrie letting out a high pitched scream as she came to an abrupt halt, eyes wide in shock, and he immediately turned back to see what she was looking at.

As Carrie clamped a hand down over her mouth to stifle her shock at the pearly white apparition that had floated through the wall just ahead of them, she was taken aback to hear Remus call:

"Good Afternoon, Sir Nicolas!"

The ghost, who had come to an equally as abrupt halt as Carrie at the sound of her scream, leant forward to peer down at the visitors, his head wobbling in such a fashion that Carrie had a nasty feeling that it wasn't quite as attached as it ought to be.

"Ah!" Sir Nicolas exclaimed, voice far more jolly and less ominous than Carrie had expected. "Lupin Senior! Fancy seeing you here! It's the parade today, I suppose? Peeves has been having an awful lot of fun with those banners the Headmistress has been hanging from the windows!"

"I can just imagine." Remus agreed, as Carrie took a few steps forward, very much staring.

"And who's this then?" the ghost asked, drifting down a few meters towards the stone floor. "I don't suppose we've met, have we dear girl?" When Carrie merely stared at him, eyes still as wide as snitches his smile vanished and he murmured: "Evidently not."

"I'm afraid Carrie here isn't much accustomed to seeing ghosts." Remus explained as Carrie felt herself blushing furiously once again. "She's a muggle."

Apparently Sir Nicolas was equally as fascinated by muggles as Carrie was by ghosts, for he drifted forward towards them, staring at her eagerly.

Despite his jolly demeanor, Carrie felt somewhat unnerved. She hastily shuffled slightly closer to Remus' side.

"We're just heading for the Great Hall." Remus explained, smiling reassuringly, only for the smile to falter a little when the ghost inquired:

"Goodness, you're not hiding are you?"

"Certainly not. What makes you think that?"

"Oh nothing, nothing at all! Only Peeves was listening, you see, by the windows earlier and...well...!"

"Well?"

"Well of course none of us listen to a word Peeves has to say about anything..."

"But?"

"But...well...he caught wind of what you said out there, in front of all those people. Do you know, I think you've inspired him? To write a new rhyme, I mean..."

At that precise moment a zooming figure shot around the corner, a bright orange drape that looked remarkably similar to those Carrie had seen hanging from the castle's turret windows draped over its head as it broke out into loud, raucous song.

Loony Loopy Lupin!

Whatever has he done?

The Marauder's crossed a border!

He better run, run run!

As Peeves disappeared around another corner, cackling gleefully at his rhyme, Remus merely raised an eyebrow.

"Inspired." he murmured dryly. "No doubt about it." He offered the deeply apologetic-looking Sir Nicolas a smile before telling Carrie: "Come along then, we should get going."

As they continued on through the castle, past a number of elaborate paintings from which the inhabitants peered down at them as they passed, Carrie found herself feeling far more wary of her grand surroundings than beforehand. She kept close to Remus' side as they turned a corner and mounted a staircase.

"You'll want to avoid the eighth step." Remus announced, and no sooner had Carrie glanced sideways at him in bemusement to ask why, she suddenly found that the stone beneath her right foot seemed to have suddenly developed the consistency of treacle. She failed to suppress a shout of alarm as her entire leg sunk downwards into the step, stopping just short of her knee. Arms flailing in panic, she hastily reached to throw them around Remus' arm as he paused to turn and regard her with a distinct look of resignation.

"Don't panic." the werewolf instructed in a manner that in all honesty Carrie felt was far too casual for such a mortifying time as this. And then, to the muggle's further bemusement he gently pulled his arm free from her grasp and carefully settled himself down to sit on a step above her. "Don't struggle." he instructed calmly as she attempted to yank her leg free again. "You'll lose a shoe."

"Can't you...help?" Carrie cried, her heart beginning to pound as her struggling did little beside make her sink further.

"Just stay still." Remus insisted, reaching into the deep inside pocket of his robes and drawing out a highly polished golden pocket watch upon a chain. He observed the time with mild interest for a moment before adding: "It will let you go when it wants to."

"When it wants to?"

"Yes."

"What...is it...is it alive? Is the staircase alive?"

"In a manner of speaking...yes. And no." Remus closed the pocket watch with a click before reaching to put it away again. "It's magical." he explained, and Carrie's face contorted furiously as she muttered:

"Oh well then! It makes perfect sense now!"

"I wouldn't worry, everybody gets caught by a step or two when they are here. Once, in my fourth year, I was in such a rush to get to Transfiguration that I forgot about the one at the bottom of the Astronomy tower and I was stuck there for two and a half hours..."

"Two and a half hours?"

"Mm."

Carrie had to bite her lip against the next retort that came to mind, instead she stopped struggling and asked: "Why are we going to the Great Hall, anyway?"

Remus shrugged.

"I thought you might like to see it. I can't give you a grand tour of the entire castle, of course, but the Great Hall isn't very far away and it's probably the best room in the entire castle."

Despite her predicament, the muggle smiled.

"I'd like that." she said, gazing around at their surroundings, still utterly awed. "I never thought I'd see it...Hogwarts, I mean. I thought...all those muggle-repelling spells and...and everything..."

"They don't work on you." Remus told her, reaching to dust a spec of dirt from his immaculate attire. "They rely on ignorance, and you are very much in the know."

Carrie felt an odd swell of pride in her stomach, before she wondered:

"But what about back at home? At your house sometimes, when you have a party? You cast repellents then and...and if I look out the window into your garden it makes my eyes ache, and I can't see or hear a party at all."

"There a different types of protection...you couldn't cast the sorts of charms we use at home on a place as big and bursting full of magic as Hogwarts is. It would be impossible to maintain. Not to mention an offense. You can be fined for using those spells for too prolonged a period of time, the Ministry claim the prolonged effects on muggles' eyes can be damaging if they insist on staring for too long. They say it's anti-social...but then again that might not last." A dark look passed across the wizard's face, only for it to disappear within the blink of an eye and he suggested: "Try moving now."

Carrie gave her leg an experimental tug, only for it to come free with such ease that she very nearly lost her balance again, only for Remus' hands to shoot forward, catching hold of her forearms. As he helped her up onto the next step, she glance accusingly down at her feet for a moment, mumbling:

"Thanks."

"One skill a man must master if he is to have any hope of marrying Nymphadora Tonks," Remus recalled as he turned and continued on up the stairs. "The ability to prevent a tumble. Or the ability to fall faster enough to act as a human cushion, of course. Either one is good."

They walked halfway along one narrow corridor before opening a door onto a large landing, where a grand, sweeping marble staircase led down to the school's entrance hall. Carrie eyes the enormous double doors in awe for a long moment, but then they began their descent of the stairs and she began to stare gingerly down at her feet. The muggle made it to the bottom without incident and it was then that they turned left and through another tall pair of open doors Carrie Winters at last laid eyes upon the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

She dashed forwards into the vast room, coming to a halt just before one of the long house tables, staring around her in an attempt to take it all in, and as her gaze came to rest upon the sunny blue of the enchanted ceiling Carrie exclaimed:

"Sweet Merlin!"

From the doorway, Remus chuckled.

"Impressive, isn't it?" he agreed, gazing up at the ceiling himself as he wandered forwards. "Even by magical standards, I always think."

The two of them wandered up the center of the room beside the Hufflepuff table and at the very end they came to a halt again, Carrie staring up at the elaborate throne-like chair that was set behind the long teachers' table. Her attention was drawn to the floor when Remus gestured to her feet and she looked down to find herself stood upon a stone block that seemed ever so slightly darker than those around it.

"Teddy tells me," the werewolf recalled, "that the students won't stand upon that spot there, not for all the gold in Gringotts."

"Why not?" Carrie asked, frowning deeply down at her shoes.

"They say it's cursed." Remus told her. "It's the very spot that Voldemort fell. That's why it's darker than the others. They say his blood has stained the stonework."

Carrie immediately sprang backwards in horror at the thought, only for the werewolf to chuckle, leaning to stamp a foot down upon the darkened stone as he added:

"Obviously that's just a silly story made up to frighten first years."

"Oh..." Carrie attempted to chuckle herself as her face reddened again. "So...it's...not true, then?" she attempted to clarify, eying the stone warily.

"They're right about it being the spot where Voldemort fell. But as for it being cursed from his blood...well that's ridiculous. For starters, there wasn't any blood when Voldemort died, he was killed by his own spell rebounding on him. The colour of the stone is just a coincidence."

Carrie watched as he dropped into a crouch, reaching to run a hand across the smooth, cool surface, a somewhat faraway expression upon his face.

"To think," he murmured, fingers tracing the stone's edge, "that we thought this place so untouchable...even when we knew he was coming. We kept falling back, into the castle, into this room and yet there was always that thought in the back of my head...this is Hogwarts. You can't break us here. Not inside these walls. There's no place safer in the whole world than Hogwarts..." he trailed off with a shake of the head before glancing up at the watching muggle with a small smile. "But of course it wasn't Hogwarts that brought Voldemort ruin. It was people. The truth of the matter is, Carrie, that it doesn't matter where we are or where we go in the world. It's people who save us, not bricks and mortar."

"Good thing I've got you and Dora around then." Carrie told him with a bright smile as he straightened up. "To save me, I mean."

And Remus fixed her with such an intense gaze that she felt her heard begin to race before he swore:

"Always. I promise."