Courage {Neville Longbottom} (ON HOLD)

Chapter Ninety-Nine

For several moments, no one seemed to know what to make of the green light that flooded the area, but all of them, deep down, they knew what it signified. Kefira felt her breath catch in her throat in such a painful manner, that it hurt to breathe for a few seconds afterwards. From where she stood, she didn't know who had been struck by the Killing Curse, or who had performed the Killing Curse, all she knew was more than likely, someone was dead.  It made her stomach turn, thinking back to the time of their fourth year where "Professor Moody" had shown then the Killing Curse and she watched the spider die.

There was just something about death that Kefira couldn't handle seeing in front of her. She didn't fear it, but it left her with the sickest feeling, it didn't even matter if the death was quick and painless, it was still so sudden and so permanent in her mind that she just couldn't grasp how anyone could feel comfortable taking another's life. But perhaps those that had no emotional attachment or an unhealthy emotional attachment, didn't find it difficult to take the life of another. In their minds, it probably felt right. 

Suddenly, that's when her eyes focused on two figures attempting to flee the area. They weren't the Death Eaters that had stormed in on the scene earlier that night. They were two people that Kefira had foolishly offered her sympathies too when no one else would and it all seemed to be coming back to bite her in the arse. It seemed everyone else had been right about Professor Snape and Draco all along because they were fleeing the scene with the air of guilt following behind them. They had made a fool of her when no one else would pity them, she had done so, and what did they have to show for it?

There was no gratitude, instead, it was a kick in the stomach and a spit to the face. In seconds, Kefira felt her petite body fill with rage to the point where she just had to scream out in frustration before breaking away from Neville and Ginny and going after the group. She could hear the sound of Neville and Ginny calling after her, telling her to stop, but she was in no mood to listen. She had no intentions of letting them get away so easily, not because they had simply made her eat her own words, but because they had betrayed all those in the castle.

That evening, they had put so many students and faculty in the line of danger, and she was never going to forgive them for doing such a thing. The two had resources, they could have turned to someone but they didn't. They had taken a cowardly way out and that was not going to go unpunished. She had been running so hard and pushing herself, that Kefira didn't realise that she had dropped on all fours. 

It was only as she attempted to call out Professor Snape and heard a roar, did she look down to see that her claws were out and ready to strike. Behind her, her tail lashed out violently as she glared him down. Draco, who had grabbed by the scruff of his neck and led away by the man, let out a shriek, not expecting to see a lioness grace the corridors of the school. Granted, most people probably would have reacted the same and if Snape's adrenaline wasn't racing at that point, he probably would have reacted similarly.

However, at that point, the man withdrew his wand to attack, only to stop himself when the lioness transformed back to Kefira. Her eyes were narrowed and she could only look at him with pure disgust as she shook her head at him.

"I should have known that you being a bully inside these castle walls would only lead you to hang around other bullies! That goes for both of you!" She spat in the direction, causing Draco to flinch at her tone.  "The two of you are pathetic! You're cowards!"

"Oooh, found yourself in a bit of a lover's spat, have you?" A voice that caused her skin to crawl, brought Kefira to instantly whip around to see that other Death Eaters had taken to the scene. The man before her was not a normal man, by any means. He had an animal look to him, his teeth seemed filed into narrowed daggers along with his nails and he had let his hair become overgrown to the point where he looked like a werewolf with no need of the moon.