Shadow Claw: The Life Story - The Final Chapter

Ch. 19 - Belly of the Beast

I began to ignore the conversation after Aberforth had fed us all, myself interested by Axton and his silent presence. I was rendered unable to move for a short while as he stitched back up my side with gentle hands, eyes flickering around as he did. His appearance was that of his Claw form: shaggy blonde-ginger hair, amber eyes, tall and lanky, and he had a strangely calm aura about him. Usually, I hated needles (especially for stitching), but that day something had snapped inside of me; perhaps all we had been through had rid me of all fears, save for one.

Losing those whom I loved.

James had awoken as well, but he was perturbed by Axton's being there. He did not like him very much and stayed well away, under a table in the corner. Jenny and Harry were standing close, and Hermione and Ron were listening to Aberforth talk about what happened to his sister, Arianna, Grindelwald and his brother, Albus.

I thanked Axton quietly, sitting up stiffly after he had bandaged me up again. "Take it easy now. No more Death Eater encounters, I'd hope." The man smiled faintly and, in a moment of childish need, I gave him a great big hug. He responded as if he had expected it, "I-... I don't remember you but... but you seem like a good guy. It'd've been nice to grow up normally, without all of-... this." I gestured wildly around us. He gave a grim nod and sighed, ruffling my hair gently, then said, "I know what you mean, Shadow, and thank you. I think I would have enjoyed watching you grow up."

I turned carefully to tap into the conversation going on behind us. 

"... no, it isn't. Your brother knew how to finish You-Know-Who and he passed that knowledge on to me. I'm going to keep going until I succeed - or I die. Don't think I don't know how this might end. I've known it for years." Harry was saying, staring intensely at Aberforth, whom seemed to want to argue, but did not.

"We need to get into Hogwarts." Jenny put in quickly. "If you can't help us, we'll wait until daybreak, leave you in peace and try to find a way in ourselves. If you can help us - well, now would be a good time to say." She was desperate - Hell, we all were.

Aberforth remained silent and still for a long few moments, gazing at us all with extraordinarily blue eyes, like Albus had, before he cleared his throat and got to his feet slowly, as if old age had suddenly taken him. He approached the portrait of Arianna and gave a short nod, "You know what to do."

She smiled and nodded, turning around and walking down the portrait, not off to the side as normal magical portraits did. It was some more of dirt path, or a tunnel, and gradually she grew smaller and smaller, then the darkness at the other end swallowed her up and she was gone.

Aberforth turned to us all and I stood shakily, pulling my dark jumper on over my shirt that had the bandages beneath it. James emerged from underneath the table and Jenny shot us both a brief, slight glance. "There's only one way in now, you must know they've got all the old secret passageways covered at both ends, Dementors all around the boundary walls, regular patrols inside the school from what my sources tell me. The place has never been so heavily guarded. How can you expect to do anything once you get inside, with Snape in charge and the Carrows as his Deputies... well, that's your lookout, isn't it? You say you're prepared to die."

At that specific moment, Arianna returned with a rugged character behind her, who appeared to have a gashed face, torn clothes and bruised skin, but he seemed familiar. The two reached the point where both their heads filled the portrait, then it swung open swiftly and Neville Longbottom leapt out. "I knew you'd come! I knew it, Harry!"

"Neville- what the- how-?" Harry stumbled over his words, dumbfounded.

I started towards the tunnel, but Axton caught my arm gently with his broad hand. My head snapped to the side as I gazed at him. "Be careful. Stay out of direct battle." He told me. I shook my head, "Aren't you coming? You and Aberforth surely can't stay here-? I could ask Shade to-" His expression changed and my eyes stung suddenly - how much did he know?

"There is nothing for me to go back to, Shadow. There's a reason, and I dare not delve back into it, for why I stay among humans instead of with our own kind-..." He had barely finished his sentence and I was backing away again into the tunnel, Neville and the others waiting for me. "I see." I said stonily. He took a step forward but I growled as a warning, "We all have something to hide then." And with that, I turned and fled down the passage with the others in front.

After a rather long trek in the darkness, we emerged into an unfamiliar room, whereupon our entrance spurred on masses of shouting and cheering.

"HARRY!"

"It's Potter, it's the POTTERS!"

"Ron!"

"Hermione!"

"James?! Jenny!"

"Shadow Claw!"

I leapt into the crowd and forced my way through the throng of people, searching. "Is Nova here?!" I snarled. Somebody answered from the other side of the room, "No! Last I heard she was at your Clan!"

I let out a relieved breath and leaned against a large pillar. What was this room- my thoughts could go no further as a boy shoved me seemingly out of nowhere. I cried out but regained balance and punched him in the face, "What the fuck was that for?!" I roared. He clutched at his nose and pointed to myself, Jenny and James, "You're Slytherins-!" I kicked him in the side, "Not anymore, you son of a bitch, and stop assuming all of Slytherin is worse than anything." I gave him a last good kick and then glowered at the rest of the room.

"Anybody else got a problem with us?"

The room was almost completely silent.

"That's what I thought."