Breaking the shadows

Two snowy owls?

1998
Wednesday June 10th 

I woke up early with an uncomfortable feeling inside, I couldn't sleep anymore, so I unzipped my hammock carefully, I took my duffle bag and found a clean outfit, I had almost run out, and we still have four more days left, I think it might be time we find a town and get new supplies. 
As I had changed into a scarlet t-shirt and a pair of shorts, I started wandering around in the forest. "Where is Astra" I thought to myself, she was at the campsite Monday, but I haven't seen her since, she just came to get some food and then she left again. But was that even Astra? The owl looked bigger, but there can't be any other snowy owls out here, could there? Nah, they are not out in the wild around here. 

Suddenly I heard hooting from a distance, I cant see anything but trees, so I try climbing up in one of the tallest trees, but my hands keep slipping, there is no way I can do this without claws, so I thought back on a memory where I had been jealous, which isn't hard, I just thought back on every time Ginny left to hang out with Harry and I felt so alone and left out. Just thinking back on that, I transform into a black cat. I start crawling up the tree again, and this time it goes much more smoothly and elegantly, when I reach the top of the tree, I see another campsite not so far away from ours, the hooting seems louder now, and it draws my attention to a cliffside, where two snowy owls are flying around, under them there is a nest, and this gets me curious. I transform from a cat to a snowy owl, and fly to the cliffside to get a better view. When I see the two snowy owls I quickly realize, one of them is Astra and the other is the owl that came to our campsite two days ago, I knew it seemed bigger than Astra, probably because it's a male snowy owl. Land on top of the cliffside and Astra notices me, she flies up and at first, she seems aggressive but when I transform back to my human form she calms down and lands on my arm, I feel her claws dig into my skin and I say a bit choked: "Astra, careful." She understands me and flies to my shoulder instead. There is something different about her. She has never digged her claws into my skin like that. I look at my arm and eight small red markings has appeared on my arm, just where Astra's talons were. 

I sit and pet with Astra for a while, when I see a boy my age with dirty blonde hair, he calls the male owl and it flies down to him and lands safely on his shoulder, he looks up at me and yells: "You shouldn't be up there."

"Why not" I yell back.

"It's dangerous." He yells, I can hear the desperation in his voice, so I crawl back on to the cliff and transform into an owl again. I fly down with Astra by my side. And as she lands in a tree I transform into my human form once again, the boy looks shocked at me and says: "I've seen you before, you go to Hogwarts don't you."

"Yeah, I do."

"I'm Ashton, Ashton Ravens."

"Hi, Ashton, I'm Harlow, Harlow Granger."

Ashton: "I know who you are, you made that art gallery once right."

"Yeah, I did. But what are you doing out here Ashton?"

Ashton: "My parents wanted to go camping, it's a muggle thing."

"Yeah, I know, I'm out camping myself, with my sister and some friends."

Ashtons owl hoots and Ashton says calmly: "Someone's jealous I see. This is Orion by the way."

Astra flies down to my shoulder and I say: "And this beautiful girl is Astra."

Ashton: "I think Orion might have a crush."

"I guess so."

Ashton: "But you an Animagus right."

"Right" I say hesitant.

I lie because it's not normal being a shapeshifter like me, but if I just tell people I'm a Animagus, they'll believe me.

I hear some voices in the forest and then Ashton says: "That's my parents I have to get back, but nice talking to you Harlow."

"You too, Ashton."

Ashton leaves with Orion and I go back to the campsite with Astra on my shoulder.
As I get back, I see that the others are up and have already packed everything down. 
Ginny comes over to me and asked worriedly: "Where were you?"

"Out finding Astra."

Ginny: "Okay, but we have to go now, we barely have any food left so we have to find a town."

"I think I saw one not so far away."

Ginny: "Good let's go."

She hands me my duffle bag, and Astra wants to fly away, and I say: "Not so quickly Astra, you stay on my shoulder."
Astra turns around in the air and land heavily on my shoulder again. Hermione looks at me and asks: "Why can't she fly."

"She might have a boyfriend."

Hermione: "What?"

I sigh: "Didn't you see the bigger owl that came to get food two days ago."

Hermione: "I thought that was Astra."

"I thought so too, but his name is Orion, and he belongs to Ashton Ravens."

Draco: "You talked with Ashton Ravens?"

"Yeah, he's out camping with his muggle parents."

Draco: "Ashton isn't a mudblood, sorry muggleborn."

Both Hermione and I turn angrily to Draco as he says mudblood.

Draco: "I'm sorry, but Ashton is a pureblood, he's in Slytherin and there is a rumour that he works with my father."

"But it doesn't make sense, why would he tell me he was muggleborn."

Draco: "It's a trick, he told us the same, but I went with him home and he told me the truth, he's evil."

Hermione: "How is he evil?"

Draco: "He works with my father, and he was a part of the death eaters."

Neville breaks in: "You are a death eater."

Draco: "I had no choice. I had to obey my father."

"You always have a choice, Draco."

Draco: "Yes, my choice was be killed or be a death eater."

Harry: "Let's not ruin the mood, Astra might have mated with Orion, and owl's mate for life, but we just have to keep a distance from Ashton.

"So, Harry, you are telling me that Astra has a boyfriend."

Harry: "It only makes sense why she was gone for so long and why Orion was the one coming for food."

"Okay?"

Hermione: "but how can we keep a distance from Ashton and not from Orion."

Luna: "We can't, if they are just as inseparable as Harlow and Astra, we can't keep them apart."

Neville: "Then Harlow will need to take over as Orion."

"How?"

Neville: "Just take care of Astra as you do now, give her food when she is laying on her eggs, as Orion would"

"Okay, I can do that."

Draco: "Now, let's get on the road, I'm starving."

We each take on our duffle bags, and we follow the trails until we find a town.

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Puplished: 30-06-23