The sky over the battlefield was no longer a canopy of blue; it had become a bruised, swirling vortex of charcoal clouds and jagged lightning. The atmosphere hummed with the terrifying resonance of ancient magic as two titans of the dragon world prepared to tear the earth asunder.
Before them stood Thorn Claw. The dragon's once-vibrant crimson scales were undergoing a sickening transformation, darkening into a bruised violet and obsidian black, though his tail remained a defiant, bloody red—a lingering anchor to his present self. His eyes, once warm and protective, were now twin pools of quiet, simmering rage. Across from him stood Nyx Blazer, a majestic vision of ivory and emerald. Her scales shimmered with a pale, celestial light as she positioned her massive bulk between the threat and the two humans trembling behind her.
James pulled Rose into a fierce embrace, his arms trembling as he tried to shield her from the heat radiating off the dragons. Rose buried her face in his chest, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she watched the fierceful predators square off.
Further back, the rest of the group watched in horror. Albus, his face pale, tried to bolt toward his friends. "Let me go!" he screamed, his voice cracking with desperation.
"I have to get to James and Rose!"
Frank and Bobby moved as one, their larger frames intercepting the younger boy. "No!" they shouted in unison, their voices firm but laced with a protective softness. They gripped Albus's shoulders and arms, anchoring him to the spot. "It's too dangerous, Albus. Stay back!"
Dagger looked upward, his eyes narrowing as the morning sun was completely swallowed by the unnatural dark. "It doesn't look like a good sign," he muttered, his hand gripping the hilt of his weapon. He knew the legends. Thorn Claw's lineage—the Claw Dragons—had once ruled an entire empire with iron and flame. Their attacks were legendary; escaping a full-strength torrent from a Claw Dragon was an exercise in futility.
Yet, Nyx Blazer was no ordinary opponent. She was the thickest, strongest, and most resilient of her kind, possessing a calm ferocity that matched Thorn Claw's madness. Dagger knew that if these two truly collided, the consequences would be catastrophic. The land would not heal for a century.
Miss Mirael, her eyes darting between the dragons and her students, felt a cold knot of doubt tighten in her stomach. With a flick of her wrist, she took to the air, her robes billowing as she began to weave a shimmering protective shield around the group. Dim and Dagger stood ready, their bodies tensed to defend their friends at a moment's notice. Kael Nightshade, overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the power on display, stumbled back two steps, his face a mask of pure terror.
Suddenly, a voice like grinding stones echoed through the valley. It was Thorn Claw, but the voice was ancient, distorted by a thousand years of malice.
"Hey! Nyx Blazer!" the dragon hissed, his violet scales pulsing. "If you wish to live, run from here immediately. Or else you may get killed by me before I finish them—and the one responsible for my death and my master's downfall."
Thorn Claw's gaze shifted, locking onto James with a murderous intensity. A primal, earth-shaking roar ripped from his throat. "RRRRAAHHHHHHH!"
The dragon's neck craned forward, his voice booming like thunder. "I WILL KILL THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR MY DEATH AND THE DEATH OF MY MASTER! Be ready to face the wrath of the past!" He lunged forward a step, his eyes glowing with a sinister red light. "HEY, ALDRIC! I will kill you and your friends with my dragon power! I will give you the most painful death imaginable! This is a promise! BE READY TO DIE!"
James froze. Aldric? The name felt like a phantom limb, a memory that wasn't his own. Thorn Claw didn't see a boy; he saw Aldric Gryffindor, his ancient executioner.
Thorn Claw's eyes blinked, and suddenly, two beams of violet-red laser fire shot toward James. Rose screamed, clinging tighter to James's chest. But before the beams could strike, Nyx Blazer let out a defiant roar, exhaling a torrent of white and green flames that intercepted the lasers, vaporizing them in a shower of sparks.
"HOW DARE YOU!" Thorn Claw screamed, his aggression reaching a fever pitch. "How dare you stop my attack, Nyx Blazer! If you try to save them, I will kill you mercilessly! Leave this place now!"
Nyx Blazer took two slow, calculated steps backward. A cruel, satisfied smile spread across Thorn Claw's snout. "Someone has finally found their intelligence," he sneered. "Smart enough to save their own skin."
The group exchanged shocked glances, their hearts sinking. But Nyx Blazer hadn't retreated in fear. She planted her feet firmly in the dirt, her sharp eyes flashing with a dare. She was a living wall, a guardian of ivory and emerald.
Thorn Claw's satisfaction turned to nuclear rage. He reared up to his full, towering height, looking like a mountain of shadow and spite. "RRRRRAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A torrent of fire erupted from his jaws, a sea of red and gold that scorched the air and sent waves of heat rolling over the shield. He slammed back down to the earth, glaring at Nyx. "I will have my revenge," he growled. "I am the Shadow Claw! King of the Claw Dragons! Loyal servant to the Dark Lord, the King of Dark Kings, the master of evil magic—VARKON BLACKSHADE!"
"What...?" James and Rose whispered in unison, their voices lost in the wind.
"Shadow Claw?" Dagger repeated, his face turning ashen.
Frank and Bobby looked as if they might faint. The name Varkon Blackshade hit them like a physical blow, a name whispered only in nightmares.
Miss Mirael hovered in the air, her mind racing. The Dark King, she thought bitterly. I feared this. I should never have let the transition happen. She remembered the legends—Shadow Claw's final moments had been filled with a desperate wish for redemption, a desire to wash away the sins committed in Varkon's name. She couldn't let the Dark King rise again. She had promised Selene Ravenclaw that she would protect the secrets of the past and guide the future toward the light.
"I will not let the Dark Lords rise," Mirael whispered to herself. She closed her eyes, murmuring an incantation, and a brilliant blue light began to pulse from her palms.
Nyx Blazer finally spoke, her voice calm but heavy with the weight of centuries. "As long as I am with them, I will save my friends. I will always serve the light, even if it means fighting you, Shadow Claw. If you touch them, I will destroy you, just as I fought you once before."
She looked at the violet dragon with a hint of sorrow. "I suspected who you were. I hoped you had changed. But you will never change, Shadow Claw."
Enraged, Thorn Claw shot a sudden burst of fire directly at James and Rose. "NOOO!" the group screamed, closing their eyes against the inevitable.
But when James and Rose opened their eyes, they were unharmed. Nyx had wrapped her massive wings and body around them, taking the brunt of the heat. Her eyes were now rimmed with a pained, angry red.
Thorn Claw laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. "When did you become so weak, Nyx Blazer? Protecting people you have no connection to?"
Nyx let out a cry of unbearable pain—not just from the burns, but from the memories flooding her mind. She saw the faces of Helian Hufflepuff and Aldric Gryffindor. She remembered their voices: "Never let evil win, Nyx. Protect the innocent." She remembered pleading with Shadow Claw centuries ago to abandon Varkon's evil, only to watch him slaughter their own kind in the name of his master.
"Protect them..." Nyx groaned, her body trembling with the effort of standing.
Rose couldn't take it anymore. Tears streamed down her face as she watched the dragon she loved suffer. She pushed away from James and ran toward the front of the shield.
"Do you even have a heart?!" Rose screamed at Thorn Claw. "How can you kill your own friend? James was always kind to you! He saved your life! He treated you as an equal! You are bad—so bad! You deserve to be punished, not loved!"
Thorn Claw froze, his red eyes flickering. "How dare you speak to me in such a tone? I am the Dragon King!" But as he looked at the girl's tear-streaked face, the violet in his eyes began to shift. "You are right," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I am bad. And I will show you just how bad I can be!"
"Stop it!" James stepped forward, his voice echoing with authority. "Stop this immediately, or I will forget we were ever friends! I know you're in there, Thorn Claw! Come back to us!"
"I am Shadow Claw!" the dragon roared back. "I will have my revenge!"
James didn't hesitate. He drew his wand, and immediately, Scorpius and Dagger moved to his flanks. Even in his terror, Kael Nightshade tried to hold his ground. Miss Mirael descended, her blue magic ready.
"Be ready to die!" Thorn Claw lunged, fuming flames. Again, Nyx used her tail as a whip, batting the flames aside and shielding the pair.
Rose broke down, throwing herself against Nyx's side, hugging the dragon's ivory scales. "Please stop, Nyx! I can't watch you die! When you're hurt, I feel it! Please, just stop!"
Nyx looked down at the girl, a weary, beautiful smile touching her eyes. "I am lucky," the dragon whispered. "I found a master who treats me like family. You are the first to show me such love since Helian. You won my heart, Rose. I will never forget any of you."
"Please..." Rose sobbed.
"If I die protecting you, it is my honor," Nyx said softly. "I call you Rose, not Master, because you are special." Nyx gently nudged Rose back toward the ground.
Seeing the bond, Thorn Claw snarled and prepared a final, killing blow. Nyx's eyes turned emerald-bright. "HOW DARE YOU ATTACK MY ROSE! I WILL KILL YOU FOR THIS!"
The dragons collided in a whirlwind of teeth, claws, and fire. Every strike drew blood; every breath scorched the earth. The group watched in silent agony, Rose clutching James's collar. "Do something, James! Please!"
James looked at Scorpius and the others. "Scorpius, Dagger, Miss Mirael—create a shield! Hold it for five minutes, no matter what!"
"What are you doing?" Frank asked, his voice trembling.
"Just watch," James said grimly. He drew the Gryffindor Sword, the silver blade catching the flickering light of the dragon fire.
Miss Mirael flew to his side. "James, wait! Something is wrong. He is being controlled, just like the drakes at the Hufflepuff Fort."
"I know," James replied, his eyes locked on Thorn Claw's chest. "I saw the evil mark. I have to slash it."
"It is not enough," Mirael warned. "He thinks you are Aldric. To save him, I must cast a blue magic spell on his mind while you strike the mark. And Nyx must strike the same spot with her flame at the exact same moment. Only then can the curse be broken."
"How do we tell Nyx?" James asked.
"I will shrink and hide in your pocket," Mirael said quickly. "Climb onto his shoulder. Once I cast the spell, give Nyx the signal. She is intelligent; she will understand."
The plan was set. Scorpius and the others threw up a massive, shimmering dome of energy. James, with the tiny Miss Mirael in his pocket, sprinted into the chaos. As the dragons grappled, James leaped, digging his fingers into Thorn Claw's darkening scales. He climbed with desperate strength until he reached the dragon's massive shoulder.
Miss Mirael zipped out, growing just enough to press her hands against Thorn Claw's head. A brilliant blue explosion of magic forced the dragon to freeze, his eyes rolling back.
James slid down, landing in front of Nyx Blazer. He pointed urgently to the pulsing black mark on Thorn Claw's chest. Nyx's eyes widened; she understood.
In one fluid motion, James swung the Gryffindor Sword in a massive arc, the blade biting deep into the dark mark. Simultaneously, Nyx unleashed a concentrated beam of white and green fire onto the same spot.
"RRRRRRRAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Thorn Claw's scream was deafening. He collapsed to the ground, the earth shaking under his weight. For a moment, there was only silence. Then, slowly, the violet and black receded, replaced by the brilliant red and gold of the dragon they knew.
James ran to his friend's side, tears blurring his vision as he cradled the dragon's massive cheek. "Please come back," he whispered. "Come back to us."
At that moment, the pearl locket around James's neck—a gift from Guardian Chang—began to glow. The light grew from a soft shimmer to a blinding, divine white that washed over the entire battlefield. It healed the scorched earth, mended Nyx's tattered wings, and flowed into Thorn Claw's mind.
The memories of the past and present merged. Thorn Claw saw his friendship with James, his bond with Rose, and the ancient, twisted lies of Varkon Blackshade. He realized that his "master" had never loved him, and that in his final breath as Shadow Claw, he had wished for a master exactly like the boy standing before him.
Thorn Claw opened his eyes. They were clear, golden, and filled with tears of relief. The dark clouds broke, and the morning sun spilled over them like a benediction.
In the Dark Palace...
Voldemort stared into the shimmering surface of his black mirror, his pale face contorted with a rage that defied description. He watched as James hugged the dragon, watched as his carefully laid plan crumbled into dust.
With a shriek of fury, the Dark Lord lashed out, his magic shattering every stone and glass ornament in the room. He bared his teeth, the sound of his breathing like a dying animal. James had won this day—but the war was far from over.