Chapter Three: Madeline

“Carrie, seriously, you’re freaking me out,” Maddy said, staring at her friend. Carrie lowered her head.

  “Here, in this world, I’m Carrie. But I’m not, not really. At Hogwarts, here you belong, I’m Bucky Carter, one of your best friends,” Carrie repeated. Maddy shook her head.

  “And Jacob is Jake Smitty, my other best friend, I get it. If what you’re saying is true, how do you know this?” Maddy asked.

  “You translated your best friends as us, and as your subconsciousness. We know the things Esmeralda knows,” Jacob answered.

  “I’ve lived here for 13 years, why are you coming up now?”

  “At Hogwarts, you’ve only been asleep from 13 weeks. But Severus has started using Occlumency to contact you. We’re the part of you that are awakening in your brain.

  “Those dreams you have a night, those are Severus. He’s talking to you. Trying to get you to wake up.”

  “Alright, now I’m sad. Tell me about my life there, if you aren’t making all this up. It seems happier,” Maddy sighed. Carrie smiled.

  “You and Jake are in Ravenclaw. I’m Slytherin. We’re in our 5th year. You’ve got a crush on Remus. He’s been spending days and nights at your bedside, by the way. You’re James’ twin sister, older-”

  “wait, hold up. Harry doesn’t have any family left in the books. Does that mean I die?”

  “I can’t say. I only know what you know,” Carrie shrugged.

  “Explain the Harry Potter books. If I’m with the Marauders, then how do I know what happens in the books?”

  “You’re a Seer, duh. Anyway, you’ve got lots of friends. All of your friends here are all your friends there-” The recess bell rang and the three were forced to go to their classes.

  The three sat at the same table in their next class.

  Maddy continued to ask Jacob and Carrie questions, all of which they could answer. Maddy veered from the questions that might hurt, like how her brother was feeling, or how Bucky and Jake were reacting. Her favourite topic was Remus.

  “You know those tingles you get, every now and again? The one’s that feel like somethings crawling up your skin?” Carrie asked, a smug smile on her face.

  “Yeah...” Maddy answered.

  “That’s someone. If it’s on your back, it’s usually Madam Pomfrey, as with your legs. Your hands could be anyone really. And anywhere on your face, well, that’s Remus,” Carrie said. Maddy’s hand flashed to her cheek, as the tingling started. Her cheeks grew red. Jacob and Carrie started laughing.

  “What happens now?” Maddy asked after a few moments of silence.

  “What do you mean?”

  “How do I wake up?” Maddy continued. Jacob and Carrie looked at each other solemnly.

  “We don’t know, Maddy. We know what you know. we are you, but also interpretations of-”

  “Bucky and Jake, I know, I know,” She waved her hand dismissively.

  “The good thing is, Remus hasn’t left your side in all his free time,” Carrie said, hoping it would lighten the mood. She smirked as Maddy’s face went red again.

  “Maddy, isn’t it obvious? You’re a Ravenclaw, Jacob’s a Ravenclaw, I’m a Slytherin! That’s what we’re like here, that’s what we’re like there!” Carrie said, after Maddy’s questioning of their houses.

  “What about Quidditch?”

  As Maddy said the word ‘Quidditch’, images flooded Carrie’s mind. The Quidditch match, the bludger, the darkness.

  “Carrie?” Jacob asked.

  “That’s it, Maddy, that’s why you’re in a coma. You were playing Quidditch, you and Jake. Both on the ravenclaw team. You’re a Beater, and he’s a Chaser. You got hit with a tampered Bludger,” Carrie whispered loudly, even though the closest people to her and her friends were 50 yards away.

  “That sucks,” Maddy replied, her face falling.

  “I’m a Keeper for the Slytherins, just so you know,” Carrie said, leaning backwards.

  One of their other friends trotted over.

  “Hey,” the three chorused. They continued to talk about Esmeralda, Jake, and Bucky, as the friend sat down.

  “You are obviously a pureblood, because James was. Bucky and I, we’re muggle borns,” Jacob said. Maddy groaned.

  “No fair!”

  “Hey, at least you have a hot brother,” Carrie scoffed. Maddy whipped her head to look at her friend.

  “What did you say?” She gasped. Carrie blushed and shrugged. Before any other words could be exchanged, their friend, Abdalla, piped up.

  “Whatcha guys talking about?” he asked. The three started talking all at once, while the poor boy tried to take it all in.

  “So, she’s in a coma and all of this is just a dream?” He asked. The three nodded, “Does that mean I don’t exist?”

  “No, it means she translated someone she knew into you. Like me and Jacob, we’re Bucky and Jake, Esme’s best friends. You might be the partner she had on the potions project a few weeks ago. We’ll never know,” Carrie shrugged.

  “She made everyone up?” He continued. Carrie nodded.

  “Everyone-”

  “And everything,” Jacob added.

  “Who they are-”

  “Where they live-”

  “What they do-”

  “Why they are who they are-”

  “Okay, both of you, stop it. You’re even creeping me out,” Maddy said, shivering slightly at their unison.

  After that, Abdalla left, obviously bored with this conversation the three were having amongst themselves. He wasn’t sure whether or not they were making stuff up, but neither was Maddy.