A roar filled the battle, startling everyone and causing them to lose concentration. Lupin fired a curse at the brutal-faced Death Eater he was fighting, but his opponent dodged in time and shot a killing curse at him. The jet of green light narrowly missed; Lupin could feel the breeze of it as it passed. It flew across the room and struck Gibbon, the Death Eater returning from the tower.
Suddenly, something huge and golden pushed past Lupin, making him stumble slightly. A lioness had joined the fight. She was long and lean, with sharp curving claws and snarling teeth. And she had her eyes set on Fenrir Greyback.
With a vicious growl, the lioness pounced upon Greyback from behind, pulling him off of Bill Weasley. Fenrir wailed in pain as her claws dug deep into his shoulders, ripping through his robes and drawing blood in thick welts.
Breaking away, Greyback keened like an animal as he backed away. The lioness didn't try to follow, but rather planted herself in front of Bill, growling menacingly.
Someone darted up the stairs. The Malfoy boy, scampering out of sight. Lupin started to follow, but the opponent he had almost forgotten about shot a curse at him, sending him reeling away. He tripped and nearly fell onto the lioness. She whipped her head towards him and snarled, her long teeth exposed and her whiskers bristling. The lioness abruptly stopped however, and twitched her tail as thought signaling it was all right for him to come closer.
The lioness swiped her paw at a Death Eater who got too close, slashing his robes but not making contact with skin. Nevertheless, the Death Eater yelped and skipped away.
Without warning, several of the enemy made a run for the stairs. The two Carrows, Grayback, and Lupin's opponent. Several Order members rushed after. But Neville had staggered to his feet and charged the doorway with a yell. He was thrown back bodily, hit the far wall, and collapsed.
"They've blocked the stairs!" Tonks shouted. "Reducto! REDUCTO!" But they still couldn't push through, nor did they have time to. The huge blonde one was still firing curses everywhere, as though he was such a poor aim he just intended to fire as many shots as he had as quickly as he could.
One of the spells, a purple stream of fire, bounced off the window, shattering it, and streaked towards the lioness. She picked up a paw just in time and snarled as the fiery spell singed her fur.
"Bella!" several of the students shouted. Bella? Lupin thought in disbelief. The lion is Bella O'Reagan? Whoever it was, she was now nudging Bill worriedly, gently turning him over as everyone else continued to fight the remaining Death Eaters.
Suddenly Snape, his black robes billowing out behind him making him look more than ever like an over-grown bat, rushed up the marble staircase. Lupin felt himself go a little limp with relief.
Lupin watched as Snape ran straight through the cursed barrier on the stairs as though it wasn't there. Thinking Shape must have disabled the jinx somehow, Lupin rushed forward, and was thrown backwards by the force of the spell. He hit the stone floor and felt his head crack. His hands felt like they had little cuts in them, as though he had fallen on broken glass.
Something warm hovered over him and something rough scratched his forehead. He opened his eyes and his vision was blurred. But the prod came again, slightly more insistent this time. His vision blurred even more, then cleared. The lioness was regarding him, evidently concerned, her golden eyes begging for him to get up. She had been nudging him with her paws.
Lupin tried to stand, nearly fell, and grabbed the lioness's fur. She didn't seem to mind, but rather patiently helped him to stand. Then the blonde Death Eater fired a curse that sent yet another part of the ceiling caving in.
"I think the door's free!" Tonks shouted. Everyone hurried forward, even the lioness, but Snape and Malfoy rushed down the stairs. Good, Snape got Malfoy out, Lupin thought, relieved and slightly ashamed because he didn't think about the boy up there, alone with all those Death Eaters.
And then all those Death Eaters came thundering down the stairs. Lupin shot a spell at Amycus, who retaliated and the two of them moved aside, exchanging hexes, spells, and curses. Fenrir barely had time to clear the stair before the lioness roared again. The werewolf, looking terrified, leapt away from her. This time she gave chase, weaving after him through the dueling pairs.
"It's over. It's time to go!" someone shouted. Just as he said that, Lupin say Harry push his way between Professor McGonagall and Tonks, who were back to back battling a Death Eater each. Fenrir, still fleeing the vengeful lioness, launched himself at Harry.
"Harry!" Lupin shouted, but Amycus shot a spell at him that felt like a red-hot whip across his arm. Clutching his arm, Lupin countered, but Amycus broke away. Turning back around, Lupin saw Fenrir lying on the floor and Harry running to Ginny's aid as Amycus turned on her instead.
The Death Eaters began to break away in ones and twos. Amycus and Alecto running together, arms over their heads; the blonde one, holding his face in pain; and the brutal-faced man limping after. Harry was running after them.
"Harry, no! Come back!" Lupin shouted, but the boy either wouldn't obey or couldn't hear.
The lioness limped out of the crowd. Grayback seemed to have landed at least one blow, and the cat's shoulder was bleeding heavily.
"I think... I think it's over," McGonagall panted. "Everyone, report to the Hospital Wing." Everyone nodded mutely. "I'm going to make sure the students are safe and in bed." Sure enough, there was a distant rumble of voices below as thought the entire student body was awake and out of their dormitories. McGonagall left, leaving the rest of them to make their way to the Hospital Wing.
Bill was the worst, the long gashes across his face bleeding sluggishly and he seemed to have passed out from the pain. Neville needed to be carried, as well, having not only been struck by the door-barricade curse but also having had the ceiling collapse upon him. Everyone else sported several minor injuries.
They staggered, slowly, supporting one another, to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey came halfway to meet them and help Levitate Bill's body onto a bed. Neville was also placed on a bed near the door, and Flitwick was there too. Apparently he had fainted and hit his head when he had gone to warn Snape of the attack.
Where is Snape? Lupin wondered wearily.
The lioness limped to the middle of the ward and closed her eyes, looking thoroughly tired. She began to shift, growing taller and standing upright until Isabella O'Reagan stood there. She swayed for a moment, and Lupin could the blood already starting to stain her t-shirt's sleeve.
Luna came over silently and took Isabella's hand, gently leading her to a bed. Madam Pomfrey dithered, unsure who to tend to first.
"I can help," Luna offered quietly. Madam Pomfrey nodded and pulled out a bottle of greenish liquid. She poured some on a cloth and gave it to Luna, who rolled Isabella's sleeve up and began to dab at the wound there. Isabella hissed in pain and for a second Lupin was reminded of her second form.
"Will he be all right?" Isabella asked, nodding at Bill. Madam Pomfrey was passing her wand along Bill's wounds, muttering to herself. "I thought... I thought he might be one of them... the twins," Isabella said weakly.
"He's their older brother," Hermione explained softly.
"I don't think there's much I can do," Madam Pomfrey admitted. "He'll live, but he won't look the same anymore."
"Is Neville going to be okay?" Isabella asked, looking over her shoulder. Madam Pomfrey lifted one of the boy's eyelids and nodded.
"Yes, he and Professor Flitwick will be just fine," she nodded.
"What about Bella's arm?" Luna asked. Madam Pomfrey took the cloth from Luna and examined Isabella's arm.
"Hm, well, it should heal," she said. "It may always hurt a little. And you'll always have that scar."
"War wound," Isabella grinned, but her smile faded away. "At least Harry and I will be able to compare scars."
"Does anyone know where Harry went?" Hermione asked worriedly. They all shook their heads.
"Well, what about Ginny?" Luna asked.
"Ginny's not here?" Ron asked, looking startled out of his daze.
"No," Luna said as everyone looked around.