THE SHADOW PATH ⎯ james potter

[013]

chapter thirteen: he's watching you

Ellie sat in the courtyard, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, head resting against them. The sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows across the stone ground, but she barely noticed. The weight in her chest had grown heavier over the past two months, the nagging pull of the Shadow Path haunting her every moment.

It had been too long. She could feel the girl trapped within the shadows, calling for her, her cries echoing in the dark recesses of Ellie's mind. Every day that passed without Dumbledore's guidance felt like another failure. She was desperate, and the constant pressure was suffocating.

She didn't hear Sirius approach until he was right beside her.

"Hey," he said, his voice unusually soft for him. "What's going on?"

Ellie looked up, startled, but quickly dropped her gaze to the ground again. Sirius sat down beside her, his grey eyes full of concern. He wasn't laughing or joking around like usual—this time, he seemed to know that something was really wrong.

Ellie hesitated for a long moment, her fingers picking at the edge of her robes. She hadn't spoken to anyone about the Shadow Path in detail, not even Remus. It was something she kept locked away, too dangerous to share. But the burden was becoming too much to bear alone, and Sirius was here, waiting patiently, offering a quiet kind of support she hadn't expected.

"I... I haven't told anyone this before," Ellie began, her voice barely a whisper. "Not even Remus."

Sirius waited silently, not pushing her but giving her the space to continue.

"There's this place I can go to," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "The Shadow Path. It's... it's like another version of our world. Darker, shadowier. I can see things—people—trapped inside."

Sirius raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt, his eyes fixed on her.

"There's a girl," Ellie continued, her voice breaking slightly. "She's been pulling me into the Shadow Path, crying for help. I can't get her out, and I don't even know how she got there. Dumbledore told me not to go back in until he figured out a safe way to do it, but it's been three months, Sirius. Three months. I can't just leave her there, and I'm scared that... I'm scared I won't be able to help her."

She paused, feeling a lump in her throat. "It's getting to me," she admitted quietly. "I don't know how much longer I can wait."

Sirius was silent for a long moment, processing everything she had just said. He rubbed the back of his neck, clearly unsure of what to say. "Bloody hell, Ellie," he finally said. "That sounds... intense."

Ellie let out a small, bitter laugh. "That's one way to put it."

"But," Sirius added quickly, his tone more serious now, "if anyone can figure it out, it's Dumbledore. He's probably working on it—just give him some time."

Ellie sighed, her frustration boiling just beneath the surface. "Time is the one thing I don't think I have, Sirius."

Before Sirius could respond, a familiar voice called out from behind them. Both Ellie and Sirius turned to see Professor McGonagall standing in the courtyard archway, her sharp eyes focused on Ellie.

"Miss Lupin," McGonagall said, her tone firm but not unkind. "You are needed in Professor Dumbledore's office. Immediately."

Ellie felt her heart drop into her stomach. There was only one reason McGonagall would be delivering such a summons. Dumbledore had figured something out, and it was time to face whatever awaited her in the Shadow Path.