Different

snakes

Claire was walking down a hallway that she had seen hundreds of times before. Except this time she wasn't alone.

One of the biggest snakes that she had ever seen was next to her, and when it looked up at her, all she could see was Harry. Claire tried to speak, but her voice was caught in her throat, and all she could manage was a cough. The snake went ahead of her as if it knew exactly where to go.

Arthur Weasley was all alone. He looked bored and lonely as he observed the wall in front of him, lightly twirling his wand. He hummed a muggle song under his breath, stopping when he heard movement. His eyebrows furrowed and he gripped his wand tighter, but he was only able to cast one spell before the snake was attacking. Claire tried to scream but her voice was caught. She tried to help but her hands just went right through him.

She was helpless once again.

"Wake the fuck up!"

Claire sat up with a gasp. Daphne was looking at her with wide eyes while the other members of the room were complaining about being woken up.

"I had the worst nightmare," Claire mumbled, trying to convince herself that it was all it was. She hoped it was a vision, something she could change, but it felt too real.

"Professor McGonagall wants you," Daphne informed her.

"Harry," Claire gasped, hurrying to put on shoes and then running out of the dorm before anyone could ask questions. She ran right into Professor Snape as he was making his rounds.

"What are you doing out of bed at this hour?" Professor Snape asked her, looking concerned. Claire had never really seen him as her godfather, mostly just as a professor who was nicer to her than others. But he was looking at her with such concern that she remembered how he had been a friend to her mother, and he had held her when she was just a baby. Claire wrapped her arms around him for the first time since she was a baby, making the man tense before he tentatively hugged her back, trying not to show how much he cared about it.

"I need to see Harry. Something is wrong," Claire said shakily. Professor Snape hurried to guide her to Professor Dumbledore's office where a worried Harry was sitting with the Weasley clan.

"Thank Merlin," Harry breathed, hugging her.

"Were you...?" Claire asked. Harry looked troubled as he nodded, making Claire hug him tighter.

"My grandson says he would be delighted to have guests," a portrait spoke. Claire sent Harry a questioning look, but he was too concerned to answer or explain.

"Miss. Lupin," Professor Dumbledore said. "You'll be happy to know that you will be returning home tonight. Now, everyone, touch this and you'll go back to Grimmauld."

A loud noise made everyone jump and the Professors frown.

"I'll hold her off until morning," Professor McGonagall sighed, looking upset. Claire guessed that Professor Umbridge knew that students were out of bed.

"Hurry up," Dumbledore instructed. Claire shoved herself between Ron and Harry and grabbed the port key. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried not to vomit as she fell through the air.

"Oh, I've missed you two," Sirius exclaimed as soon as they came in. He helped Harry and Claire stand and then gave them a big hug.

"Okay, you're more likely to tell us what's happening than anyone else," Fred spoke up. Sirius looked a little conflicted but didn't argue.

"What happened to our dad?" George asked.

"Order business," Sirius told them, which Claire knew technically wasn't a lie.