If I Was Stupid

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Disclaimer: See Prologue

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This is going to be the chapter Claire starts gaining her memories backkkkkkk~~~~~ ;D

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I took one last look at the Malfoys before I went on the train. They knew the entire time that I was a Potter, yet they treated me the same as Draco. They cared about me, and I could tell. Ever since I found out I was a Potter, I had to wonder why they would treat me as though I was their own child. I realized later that the answer was simple.

I was a girl, and mum (Mrs. Malfoy) always spoke of how happy she was to have a baby girl to dress up and teach propriety to. Also, since I didn't know about my lineage until I was older, I wouldn't ever mention the Potters, thus, it wasn't hard to ignore. And the most important reason: they needed me. I knew somehow I was a weapon. I was to be used, but what for? Why me? I didn't understand.

I entered the train, carrying my barn owl - Chocolate - into the compartment with me. I saw Harry sitting with his friends in a compartment with a teacher who was sleeping.

"Hello, Harry," I said, opening the compartment.

"Claire," he said, smiling. "How are you? I haven't heard from you in a while."

My face darkened slightly. "Sorry, Harry. The Malfoys wouldn't let me owl anyone for a stretch. They were afraid I'd... You know..." I said, trailing off. We never liked talking about my involvement with Voldemort and his cronies, so we never really stated it anymore.

"I-it's fine," said Hermione. "Would you like to sit with us?" I looked out into the hall.

"Alright, but only for a little while. I don't want Draco to come and bother you all. And you know how he is," all three of them nodded in total understanding. "How were your summers?"

"Oh, mine was fantastic," Hermione said. She began rambling about everything that happened over the summer, and I couldn't help but giggle at her enthusiasm. When she finished her story, Ron started up his. I grinned at all the stories of his brothers and their antics. I may not have actually liked his brothers all that much, but I had to admit, they were a riot. I turned to Harry. "I know yours wasn't fantastic at all," I stated. "But did anything interesting happen?" That's when Harry told me about Sirius Black. And the wolf he had seen.

I had a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. This year, I could tell, wouldn't be good for either of us. I hesitated, thinking. I looked up and saw the name of the sleeping man on the suitcase, silently filing it away. Professor R.J. Lupin.

"Harry," I said slowly once he finished his story. "He helped kill our parents."

"I know-"

"Harry. He's not going to stop under any circumstances. He's against Voldemort in every way, shape, and form," He stopped, his eyes getting wider.

"C-Claire, you're not safe," he said. "He knows of Voldemort's plan for you. You're a weapon, right? You don't know what for, but what if he's going to use you against me? As bait?" I paused for a moment. I knew what he was going to say. "He's going to try and kill you to stop Voldemort's plan. So he can get to me first."

I nodded, "I have thought of that possibility. But I don't think it's something we should dwell on at the moment, Harry. We're going back home," I finished with a smile on my face. He grinned back at me.

"Yea," he said. "Yea, we are."

My smile faltered slightly, "Harry?"

"Yes?"

"I forgot to mention before," I said slowly. "I'm Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team."

He paused.

"We're going to have even more rivalry now, you know."

"We'll think about that later I suppose. Congratulations! I know you've been working so hard to get that position, and now... You've finally got it!"

"And just in time to beat Wood. That boy has got too much pride for his own good, I swear, it's as though he's forgotten what it means to lose! Well I swear, by the end of this year, he's going to bloody well remember what it's like!" I was ranting, pacing the small compartment when I realized what I was doing. "Sorry guys, he just... Makes me angry."

"Yea, I can tell," Ron said, with that look that makes people wonder if he's high.

"Oh, shut up, Ronald."

"You sound like Hermione!"

"I do not-"

"Claire," Harry said, interrupting me. "Do you think... Sirius... Can get into the castle?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but I was interrupted when everything turned cold and I was immersed in this... Immense feeling of dread.

"There's something moving out there," I heard Ron say. I looked at him and saw his hand on the frosted glass. Then I heard the compartment door slide open, and I saw a black hand open the door.

The... Thing, whatever it was... Looked at me. It was big and black and cloaked, and... There was another one that popped up right behind it. Suddenly, images, only flashes, went through my head.

"You will not hurt her!" I heard, then I saw a flash of light and my father - my real father - James on the ground dead at the bottom of the stairs. I heard a woman screaming for my name when I was about to go down the steps to him.

I saw another flash and I felt a searing pain that shook my whole body, starting at the part on my collar bone where I have my scar.

I saw another flash and my mother on the ground dead.

Then I saw Harry, only a baby, eyes closed, and I remember sobbing, confused. I was scared, and I didn't understand why my parents weren't moving and my brother wasn't opening his eyes.

I saw me being taken by a man and - I heard another scream before my world went black.

I woke up. Somehow I made it from standing in the middle of the compartment to laying on one of the seats. I looked up to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting on the seat opposite. Harry was eating some chocolate and he looked exactly how I felt - as if someone hit him in the head with a block of wood and almost hexed him.

"Claire," I heard a man say. I looked up. "I'm-"

"Professor Lupin, I know... What - what happened? What was that? Who was screaming?"

"Settle down, settle down," he said, letting me sit up, but putting a hand on my shoulder. "Those were Dementors. Nasty creatures. They live off of the misery and hatred of others. Eat this," he said, handing me a piece of chocolate. I took it, giving him a wary glance. "It's just chocolate. It'll help, trust me. We're almost to Hogwarts, only another hour or two left. Now if you don't mind, I think I'm going to have a little word with the driver," he headed toward the door, sliding it open and looking back at me. "Eat. You'll feel better."

I took a small bite of the chocolate, and then remembered everything I had seen. I couldn't help but think about it. I never even remembered anything about my parents, let alone details of the night they died. It was a few minutes before I heard someone calling my name.

"CLAIRE!" I finally heard. I looked up to see Harry. He was sitting in front of me. "You heard it too? The scream? A woman?" I looked at him and nodded slightly.

"Who- who was it?" I asked, knowing full well who it was, but not wanting to believe it.

"I don't know... No one else heard it."

I sighed, nodding. It took me a half hour before I regained my composure, but those visions... I couldn't get them out of my head.

"I have to go find Draco. He'll be wondering where I am," I said. They nodded and I stepped out, my legs still felt numb, as though I would fall over if someone so much as tapped me. Which was absolutely wonderful because just as I turned I hit Oliver Wood. I do hope you noted the sarcasm in that sentence. My legs began to give out, but before even my knees got to the ground, he caught me around the waist. I felt odd... All of a sudden my entire body felt warmer, especially around my middle, which was where Wood was holding me.

"Are you alright, lassie?" he asked. "You don't look too well."

"Thanks."

"No - no, I don't mean it like that, it's just... You look like you've seen a ghost," I tried shaking my head to see if that would help me stop thinking about the warmth I felt from this contact with Wood. I've never so much as touched him and - I had to stop there. The word "nice" can't be associated with this prat.

"I'm fine," I insisted.

"Are you-"

"I said I'm fine!" I said, pushing away as hard as I could. That most likely wasn't the best idea,I noted once I hit the wall and my legs gave out on me again, sending me onto my behind. In front of Wood!

He crouched in front of me, "If you'd like, when we get back to the castle, I'll take you straight to Madame Pomfrey." If I was stupid, I'd think that I heard genuine concern in his voice. But I'm not stupid.

"Leave me be, Wood, I said I'm fine!" he opened his mouth to talk again when I saw Draco headed our way. "Draco," I said, my voice was shaking slightly.

"What are you doing to my sister?" he growled at Wood.

"She fell. She seems ill. I was offering to take her to Madame Pomfrey's when we got back to the school to get her checked out. She really doesn't seem well."

"I don't see how that's any of your concern, Wood," Draco sneered at him. "I suggest you leave, since shehas stated she doesn't want your pathetic help."

He knelt down, helping me to my feet. I sent one last glance Wood's way before letting Draco help me to his compartment.

If I was stupid, I would have thought he looked disappointed. But I'm not.

So, when I got back to Draco's compartment, I filled him in on where I'd been, and what happened.

Of course, I left out the part with the flashes of images and screams. I just told him I heard a scream and passed out when a Dementor came into our compartment. I had barely finished my story when Pansy Parkinson came into the compartment and began laughing about Harry's episode she heard some man talking about. I knew she meant Professor Lupin. But what made me mad, was when Draco laughed along.

They were blessed with me deciding against punching them both in the face. Instead I took to playing with my long, silky black curls, trying not to rip them out from the anger that was boiling inside me.

We finally arrived to Hogwarts only minutes later, my legs feeling less like jelly. I went to the carts, my heart beginning to speed up, my anger disappearing immediately at the thought that I would finally, truly, be home again.

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Wow guys! I've been updating sooooo much! Ultimate pride for me! Haha well I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you're happy that I've been updating so much! :D
~Em