Different

tension

It was almost midday before most people had woken up. Madam Pomfrey was diligently taking care of everyone, although Bill's werewolf scratches took priority. Luckily, he wouldn't turn into a werewolf, but it was likely that he would like his steak rare. The Order spent most of the morning interviewing everyone, trying to fit all of the pieces together. It seemed as if Snape had fought with Flitwick when they realized what was happening. Greyback got away because he jumped off of the side of the building, although Jack thought that he had broken at least one leg. 

When Harry finally finished talking with Sirius and Remus and had his breakfast, which he could barely eat, Claire nodded her head outside and the pair went and sat in the windowsill, neither one wanting to go very far from everyone else. 

"I'm sorry for leaving you," Harry apologized. "I couldn't let them find you, but I guess Greyback did anyways."

"He must have smelled me," Claire sighed, remembering how the werewolf had sniffed the air so much. "It's not your fault."

"He took a torture curse for me," Harry said softly, making Claire furrow her eyebrows in confusion. "Malfoy protected me, even though I attacked him. I thought that he had switched sides and attacked him when I saw him with Snape. I almost hit him with the curse again and yet he still jumped in front of Bellatrix."

Claire frowned, not knowing that Harry had attacked Draco or that Draco hadn't been the original target of the torture curse. 

"He knows that I'd kill him if he let anything happen to you," Claire halfway joked. 

"Trust me, I'm sure you would," Harry laughed, rubbing his side where she had broken his ribs.

"Sorry about that," Claire apologized, realizing that she never had. Harry just shrugged, looking outside at the burned remains of Hagrid's hut.

"I had it coming," Harry responded, his voice quiet. "I sometimes feel like my emotions aren't my own. It feels like someone is in my head, making me do and say things that I never would."

"Did you tell my dads?" Claire questioned. Harry shook his head no and cleared his throat. 

"They have enough of their plates," Harry explained. "They don't need my problems added onto that."

"Harry, they're your dads too," Claire reminded him. "They want you to open up to them more. Don't feel like you can't do that."

"Sirius and I talked about that," Harry admitted. "I'll work on it. You know how the Dursleys were with all of that."

"I know," Claire assured him, knowing why he was so scared to open up about his feelings. "Plus, you have Ginny."

"I'm going to end things with her," Harry announced, his voice choked up. Tears filled his eyes and he hurried to blink them away.

"Harry..." Claire said sadly, reaching out and grabbing his hand.

"If the Death Eaters got to her because of me..." Harry trailed off, clearing his throat and shaking his head. "I could never forgive myself. And to see everyone in the Hospital Wing because they were protecting me feels bad enough."

"They're not just protecting you," Claire reminded him. "They're protecting the whole wizarding world. You can't feel sorry for that because no one in there regrets anything. If Ginny makes you happy and you really like her, do what you think is best, but she can take care of herself. You can't protect everyone."

"I can try," Harry said with a small smile. "I am the Chosen One, after all."

Claire rolled her eyes and smiled at the teenager. His smile fell off of his face suddenly and turned dark.