Different

prologue

"What happened to you?" Harry Potter, Claire's best friend, asked when he saw her.

"Always so polite," Claire sniffed, grabbing Harry's hand as they walked into the woods behind their house to their small tree house that they had built two years prior.

"You're obviously hurt," Harry noted as they sat in their tree house.

"Thomas hit me," Claire sniffled. Harry frowned and pulled her into his shoulder. Claire cuddled into his shoulder, making sure to not touch her cheek too much.

"You should tell Remus," Harry suggested. He knew about the strange relationship Claire had with her father, and from the few times he met the man, he knew that Claire was loved.

"That's the worst part," Claire croaked. "He's forbidden me from seeing my dad."

"He can't do that," Harry said immediately. "Don't they have a legal agreement or something?"

"I don't think so," Claire said. "I think it's an informal thing."

Harry was silent as he pondered the situation. Claire sighed and sat up, putting a fake smile on her face as she looked at Harry.

"Happy birthday," Claire said, pulling a small box out of her pocket.

"Happy birthday," Harry responded, pulling his own box out. Claire grinned and they exchanged presents.

"It's beautiful," Claire gasped. Harry had gotten her a small charm of a moon for her bracelet, which was the only thing she still had from her mum.

"I don't know why, but I thought you would like it," Harry said. "And thanks for the new game. It'll be helpful to ignore Dudley."

Claire giggled as she thought of Dudley, Harry's cousin who was probably the worst person that Claire had ever met. Harry lived with his aunt and uncle since his parents had died in a car accident when he was just a year old. Claire and Harry had migrated towards each other as soon as they met, and they had been inseparable ever since.

"I don't know what I'm gonna do without you when you go to school," Harry said sadly. Claire had told Harry that she would be going to a special school and wouldn't be able to see him anymore.

"I can write," Claire assured him, but a frown took over her face. "But I'm not sure if I'm going. Remus said that they're supposed to send us a letter on our eleventh birthday, but I haven't gotten my letter yet."

"Maybe the mailman lost it," Harry suggested. Claire chuckled, knowing that an owl would be the one to deliver the letter.

"Yeah, maybe," Claire agreed.

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Claire didn't know where Harry was. He didn't respond to her flashlight messages, and Millicent had seen the whole family drive away in a hurry. Claire could only hope that he was okay.

It was finally September 1 and Claire couldn't be any more miserable. She had never gotten her Hogwarts letter and without her visits from Remus, she had no one to talk to. Thomas continued to threaten her about her mother, and she couldn't help but hide in her room from fright.

The whole house had been stiff since the night of Claire's birthday, with Lauren running off to her boyfriend as often as she could and Matt never leaving his room. Claire couldn't help but feel guilty. It was dinnertime before anything odd happened.

"Claire, go get that," Millicent said when a knock rang through the house. Claire hurried to the door, gasping happily when she was Remus standing there waiting for her.