Being a passerby in HP female protagonist fanfiction

"..."

There was an unusual silence.

Barty finally relented—no, it's more accurate to say he was still torn between being good to Claire and being good to himself. In his dilemma, the scales in his heart seemed to tip slightly in my favor.

“Go ahead,” Barty said. “The Weasleys are very famous, but it would be a good thing for you, Claire, to associate with them.”

The young man laughed, a mixture of struggle and relief in his expression.

I expressed my doubts.

He explained to me the Weasley family's awkward position among pure-blood families, patiently teaching me about the intricacies of these families, and telling me not to get too close to those self-proclaimed noble pure-blood wizards.

"They would discriminate against a wizard like me?" I frowned and countered, "Because they believe in that so-called theory of bloodline?"

"Maybe he's got a screw loose," I commented sharply.

Perhaps not expecting me to be so direct, Barty paused for a few seconds.

“That’s right,” said Barty. After the brief surprise, he recovered and remembered that Claire was not the kind of child who was oblivious. On the contrary, sometimes her keenness and intelligence could be almost frightening. Sometimes Barty even felt that this child had eyes that could see through everything.

Most of the time, Claire was quiet and unassuming, but there were a few moments when Barty felt that the child's heart was not at peace, like a silent, suppressed iceberg. This state was very similar to when he was at Crouch's house, suppressing his emotions and sense of powerlessness, waiting for the day he would explode.

But Claire was much gentler than he was at the time. Her thorns were never aimed at those around her. She was better at loving others and loving life than Barty Jr., and the wear and tear of life could not break her.

Claire is different.

She is a very unique individual.

While at Hogwarts, Claire often wrote letters to Barty Jr., and he still clearly remembers how she wrote about being cut by the herbs she was growing.

The magic potion could heal the wound, but Claire—she only mentioned it briefly, along with countless other simple everyday stories—made it seem like nothing of great importance.

Little Barty wrote to ask her if she was in pain, but Claire's reply was enough for him to see the child's autonomy and... helplessness.

"Yes, I got a cut and bled a little, but it wasn't serious. I bandaged it up immediately and had Mrs. Pomfrey examine it. She was very kind and gave me a potion to prevent scarring. It was completely healed overnight. Mrs. Pomfrey is truly a remarkable lady; her medical skills are so advanced..."

Not a single word was about whether the wound hurt or not.

There was no mention of any friends comforting her.

Of course, she needed to see a doctor for treatment after being injured, but Claire was only 12 years old, and the whole incident was just an accident in her eyes.

Since it was an accident, it naturally needs to be dealt with.

What happens after that?

There's no after that.

There was no fear of pain, no need for comfort, no temper tantrums over unexpected events, only a calm description.

Claire did the same thing not only in letters, but also at home.

A lingering sense of alienation and unease.

A child who grows up in love wouldn't be like that.

A child who receives attention wouldn't act like that.

Excessive precocity is not a good thing.

For almost a year, Barty Jr. sometimes wondered if Claire really needed him? Did she really depend on him?

But now, seeing her muttering complaints under her breath, seeing her comfortably taking a nap, seeing her trying to pretend she doesn't care while secretly glancing at the young man out of the corner of her eye, afraid that he might be dissatisfied with her grades, seeing her temper flare up and subtly criticize those so-called pure-blood families—comparing the Claire of today to the Claire of the first time we met, she has changed a lot.

More like a child bathed in love.

Little Barty thought.

This is Claire, whom he raised.

With his companionship and his shaping influence, Claire gradually emerged from the shadows.

The young man laughed again.

The smile still concealed emotions, but I sensed a distinction: the person before me wasn't Gavin, but rather the little Barty who never appeared before me, the one behind the scenes.

“Pure-blood families have very strong connections and resources in the magical world, or you could say they are stubborn.” Little Barty told me about the information I didn’t know before, bit by bit. When he mentioned these things, his smile even carried a hint of sarcasm. “They set all sorts of standards to distinguish themselves from others.”

“If Claire wants to make a living in the British wizarding world in the future, she will inevitably have to deal with this kind of thing,” he said. “Given your status, Claire, it’s not appropriate for you to have too much contact with these people, but the Weasleys are an exception.”

Barty the Younger told me some secrets very easily, like telling a story, but the content was very clear, allowing me to fully understand the current situation of the Weasley family and what I should do.

"If you encounter a pure-blood family, do not get close to them, and it is best not to antagonize them."

“What you’re saying reminds me of a not-so-good classmate,” I said, pursing my lips. “Like that Malfoy kid we met before, Draco Malfoy.”

Barty listened with a smile as I complained about Draco's outrageous behavior.

“So, Claire, if you want to live a better life, you have to be careful,” Barty said, his tone unusually intimate and sweet. “We’re family, and I’ll give you the best advice I can, and I won’t let you get hurt.”

I nodded and looked at Little Barty very seriously.

"I understand."

I relaxed and smiled.

Just as Barty thought.

------

------

------

Small theater (added later).

Little Barty: This is the child I raised. I slowly shaped her into this person, and I will watch her grow up.

Claire: Little Barty is finally a bit more reliable. He plays spy games all the time. Looking at it this way, it seems like there's still hope for him?

This is the branching point between the happy ending and the bad ending for Barty Jr. It was only at this point that Claire truly accepted Barty Jr.'s existence and began to consider the possibility of saving him.

If Barty Jr. remains in Gavin's state without changing, or does something detrimental to Claire, he will be immediately excluded by the very vigilant Claire.

This leads to the bad ending of the fourth-year Goblet of Fire, where Barty Jr. is caught and Claire chooses to stand by and watch.

Additionally: Claire will not use her enthusiasm to warm someone's cold heart in this book; Claire doesn't have that many thoughts about saving others.

She cares about both those she likes and those who like her; both are indispensable, with the former being slightly more important. She also cares about kind people, but this care is mixed with a bit of calculation. Claire will readily accept unequal costs, choosing to permanently eliminate enemies over being hurt or saving friends.

This is why Klein has a chance of becoming the Fourth Calamity. _(:3」∠)_