Shadow Claw: The Life Story - The Fourth Chapter

Ch. 34 - Howl For The Lost

FYI - I'm sorry... ;-; I had to... blame J.K. Rowling, not me...

More spells shot outwards, and Harry and Hermione seemed to absolute professionals - of course, Neville hit a few Death Eaters with weaker spells, however his aim was somewhat off - alot. James was snapping legs and arms, and Jenny was shouting out more complex spells such as, "Bombardo maximo!"

I leapt out from under the desk and charged at a man. I grabbed him by the throat, my teeth sinking in deep. He let out a strangled cry and gargled, blood spewing from his mouth. I snarled and left him, trying to listen to the words in my head that told me not to kill anybody - it was harder than it seemed, honestly. Bloodlust was something I barely had control over, and that was something that could not be taught, but learnt by oneself in time.

Harry, Hermione, Neville, Harry, Jenny, James, Nova and I shot towards the next door that lead back to the darkened hallway. However, a couple of Death Eaters poured through other doors that were barely visible, so we veered a sharp left, slamming into a cluttered office. It was too small to hold for long, and the Death Eaters were closing in.

"Collo-" Hermione stammered out, before the two Death Eaters rammed open the door, yelling out, "Impedimenta!"

We all flew back with a sharp crack as Nova and I smashed into the walls, the obsidian-coloured bricks cracking and bruising under our heavy bodies.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry shouted, and the first Death Eater fell to the floor, stiff as a board. Hermione was struck though, and she fell motionlessly to the floor. Neville crawled forward, but the second Death Eater kicked him in the face and his nose cracked loudly. He cried out in pain, his voice twisted with agony.

I stumbled up and helped Nova, who was bleeding worse than ever. During the crash, my paws had dislodged the shards of glass, so even though I was bleeding, I had a much better chance of fighting.

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Jenny cried as another Death Eater, Dolohov, with a baby-head came crashing in. He fell too, and then blundered out of sight. Neville and Harry felt Hermione's pulse. I snarled, padding over, "What did he do?" I hissed, lashing my tail. James barked angrily, and I restrained myself from going after Lucius, who I knew was somewhere around the orbs.

Nova shook her head, "I'm not s-sure." She breathed out, her chest heaving heavily. Harry shook his head too, "She's not dead, that's for sure." He murmured. "Good." Jenny stated, frustrated. We hauled Hermione onto my back, since I was least injured of us all, and then I lead the way to the room, out of the small office room.

There was a clamour suddenly as three people fell through a doorway. "Ron! Ginny- Luna, are you all?-?"

I took a hold of my breathing as I concentrated on staying upright, and tried to listen in on the conversation, but there were too many sounds. James barking, Jenny scolding him, Harry talking to Ginny, Ron giggling about Uranus, Luna sighing drearily and Neville groaning. They got a move on soon enough, but as I staggered forwards, three Death Eaters burst through another door.

"How many doors does this place have?! Fuck!" Nova yelled furiously. Bellatrix Lestrange screeched that we were here, but we'd bolted back through a whole set of rooms again, locking them with Hermione's spell as we went. Luna cried out in the middle of a spell to be thrown back and smash into a desk. She went still, just like Hermione, and I groaned darkly.

We seemed to be in the brain room, and Ron had his wand pointed at the tank. Harry yelled out, but a brain had already burst from the greenish liquid and soared towards Ron, unraveling tiny nerve endings like rolls of film. They made contact with Ron's skin and wrapped around him tightly like tentacles.

There were more screams, more spells, more Death Eaters, and more injuries. Harry showed them all the prophecy then staggered upwards and away, towards the stone-arch room. I followed, with James at my heels. The ten Death Eaters, each including Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy, circled us all. I snarled, and kept my body upright. James seemed to be having problems staying up too.

They taunted us, and snatched up Neville when he came barreling in. He screamed at Harry to not give Lucius the prophecy, but Bellatrix screeched out, "Crucio!" And he fell to the ground, writhing. She stopped at last, and only Neville's sobs could be heard, except for the odd swirling in the archway beside us all.

Harry held out his hand with the prophecy, and Malfoy lunged at it, but at that same moment, doors burst out in the circular stone-henge, and Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Tonks and Kingsley appeared. Spells ensued, and we all ducked out the way. James and I leapt at a few more Death Eaters, trying to break their bones and incapacitate them. I tore at one's neck again, but he smacked me into the arch. I cried out, panting heavily.

Sirius and Harry dived out the way of a hissing green jet, and I managed to deposit Hermione's limp body at the side of the room, out of view, so that she wasn't in harms way. I leapt at Lucius, but he ducked and sent me into a wall with a, "STUPEFY!" He had Jenny by the neck, and was hissing furiously in her ear - through the clamour, the only words I could pick out were, "... stay away... my son..."

I charged at him again and knocked him to the ground, leaping over Moody, his eye rolling and his head bleeding badly. Lupin gave me a sharp look but I snarled, "I will fight!" I growled loudly, snapping a Death Eater's arm that reached out to grab my tail.

Nova flew past me with Salem at her paws, snarling aggressively. They tumbled through the archway and down into a door. It splintered, but held strong. Nova bit his neck, but Salem jabbed at her with his tail again. I sprinted at him, and held fast around his tail. He howled out in agony, and Nova stuck her claws into his back. I ripped the silvery metal spikes from his fur, tearing at the skin too. We struck again and again, until he was a messy pile of heaving fur. Lupin snapped at me with stern eyes, and I barked out a few more words like a mindless dog.

Bloodlust.

"DUMBLEDORE!" It was Neville's voice, distorted by the shouts and roars. The old, furious man sped down the stairs and shouted some spell at a Death Eater. The man collapsed, and the Headmaster carried on the fight, the deafening roars ringing in my sore ears.

James appeared at my side, and we watched as Sirius danced as though the battle was an easy challenge, ducking out the way of Bellatrix's jet of red light. "Come on, you can do better than that!" He yelled, his voice standing out bold and echoing as though we were in a high cavern.

The second jet hit him in the chest.

The laughter didn't really die from his face, but his eyes sort of widened in shock somewhat. Everybody turned towards the dais, watching. Silence fell again, and it seemed to take an age for Sirius to fall. His body curved in a graceful arc, and through the ragged veil hanging between the arch. His body melted into the misty winds, and they flared for a moment, before whispering and swaying again.

Sirius did not reappear, as we had expected. A joke of his, we had expected.

Not death.

"SIRIUS!" Harry cried in anguish.

James howled like it was the full moon.

I roared like I had never used my voice.

Lupin grabbed Harry, Nova snatched me back and Jenny took a hold of James. "SIRIUS!!" I screamed, my form reverting to human and struggling away from the hold of my friend. Her arms stuck fast, and she pinned me against the floor, in my most vulnerable position, so that I could not obliterate the room that tied us to our fates.

"There's nothing you can do..."

"He's gone..."

"... nothing... he's gone..."