Different

hospital wing

The world was still and quiet. A flash of green and it was all over. The Death Eaters were silent, appreciating what had just occurred. 

Claire's mind followed Dumbledore as he fell over the side of the building, his eyes open and staring straight into hers. He was peaceful until the landing, which made his limbs go askew. His eyes stayed open, no longer able to see everything. A great man reduced to a pile of limbs on the ground.

Sudden cheers of exclamation filled the air, sparks flying from the ends of wands like fireworks. The celebration was short lived when they remembered where they were and what they had just done. Snape was the first one to run down to the door, dragging a fighting Draco with him. The boy's eyes were wide and tears were falling down his face and she could tell that he was arguing with the professor. His wand was laying on the ground where he had dropped it when Snape killed Dumbledore, preventing him from releasing Claire. The professor didn't care, continuing to drag him away. Claire knew that if Snape was aware of her presence that it would be different, but the man was simply unaware. 

Harry, however, was free now that Dumbledore was dead. The second the last of the Death Eaters had left, Harry was throwing the cloak off of himself. Claire grunted, hoping that he would release her. But, of course, he had different plans.

"Malfoy is right. They can't find you," Harry apologized, making sure that the Invisibility Cloak was secure over her. His eyes were glossy and exhaustion and regret were evident in his face, but he was determined as well. As soon as Claire was secure, Harry went running after the Death Eaters, leaving Claire all alone. 

Draco's wand was within her sight, taunting her. Her own wand was digging into her side from how she was positioned, making it uncomfortable for her to stay there. 

Claire had never attempted to break a spell before. She knew the limits of her powers and what she could be risking if she took advantage of them. But her family was in danger, and she couldn't lose anyone else, especially not Draco. 

With a deep breath, Claire focused on the moonlight floating over her, letting it illuminate her in an almost painful glow. The Invisibility Cloak went flying off of her body, the full light embracing her. The pain was unbearable, a scream attempting to leave her lips. But then it was all over, letting her fall to her knees. She took a second, coughing and wheezing on all fours. She was exhausted now, her body now shaking from exhaustion, worry, and fear. All she could care about was that she was free from the stunning charm and could finally help. Claire hurried to grab Draco's wand and to shove the cloak into her pocket before making it onto the stairs where she could now hear that people were still fighting. 

"Not so fast."

Claire grunted in pain when someone grabbed her hair and pulled on the back of her head. The smell of rotting meat filled her nose, making her gag. She brought her hands back and scratched, but the person just threw her down, making her fall down some of steps. This new position let her see that it was Greyback who had grabbed her, and the way that he was licking his lips made her shiver. 

"Leave me alone," Claire threatened, but she felt too weak to do much fighting. She had hit her head and her ribs when he pushed her, making it hard to take in deep breaths. He had a few scratches on his face that were bleeding, but he didn't seem to care. 

"I don't think so," Greyback growled, crouching down in front of her and grabbing her chin in his hands, forcing her to look at him. She grimaced and spat in his face, but he simply grinned and wiped it away. "Look at your eyes. I've never seen a Moon Child with such a bright ring. How no one has snatched you up before..."

Greyback trailed off, a disgusting smirk on his face. Unlike Remus, who looked nothing like a werewolf other than his scars, Greyback was obviously no longer human. His teeth were filed to points and painted red with blood. His nails were longer and were more like claws than actual nails. He had more hair than a normal person and his eyes were practically black.