Shadow Claw: The Life Story - The Third Chapter

Ch. 8 - Imperius and Light

Days or months; I did not know how long I spent researching useless projects in useless books. The mass homework was keeping my distracted as usual, however the time passed me by like a clock - the pendulum would swing forward which signaled me getting on with life, until it would swing back, when something or someone would trigger me and I'd go right back to square one. No lesson could distract me from my pondering, not even Mad-Eye Moody, whom summoned me to the front of the class - filled with both Slytherins and Gryffindors - including Draco Malfoy, James Black, Jenny Potter and Harry Potter, along with Athea Nova, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

*

"Shadow Claw, yes?" Moody asked me, his crazy magical eye fixed on me temporarily. I folded my arms and squared my shoulders, "Correct." I responded, the tension in the room exceedingly high. "Others have tested their strength against the Imperius charm. I would very much like to see it tried on a Claw, and a Shadow Claw no less. They say Shadow Claws have no happiness, however I am not so sure." He smirked, as if challenging my being.

My lips tugged up ever so slightly, "Go ahead, Professor." In my peripheral vision, I saw Jenny squirm uncomfortably, obviously afraid for me. I spotted Nova biting her lips, and James... well, James was drawing Moody's crazy eye, somehow unseen by the teacher - everybody knew Moody could see through the back of his head and seemingly through wood too. I gave Jenny a calming look and she smiled softly, mouthing the words, 'Be careful.'

"Imperius." The whole room leaned closer.

That one word made the lingering darkness in my mind clench and tighten around my mind. I let it form a hard barrier, closing off every other thing I felt. Everything almost seemed too silent and time somehow slowed down. I growled lowly, watching Moody's gnarled lips form the sentence, 'Shift into your true form.' It echoed in my mind and my whole body tensed, before Mad-Eye's eyes widened and he released the charm.

The world seemed to come back to me, and I inhaled deeply. The Professor, "Well done indeed, miss Claw. It seems the rumours were true." He said. The class clapped and some whooped, amazed at how I could resist the curse so well - perks of being a Shadow Claw, I guessed.

I had no idea why, but those words made me hurt so bad - the rumours about Shadows having no happiness. I nodded once and sat down, clenching my jaw and balling my hands into fists. I had happiness! Of course I did! But... where was it? I searched the confines of my brain, only finding darkness and depression - maybe I didn't have any happiness, and all Shade was, was a chemical romance.

But...

I loved him...

*

I did not know how many times I had lay waste to my skin, I did not know how many times I wanted to kill myself, but I was slowly turning into the hollow shadow my existence was meant to conceive. I was born for the dark - not for a life with a mate and cubs and friends and choices, but for a dark chasm of nothingness where I control the domain I was sent to devour. Shadow Claws were not meant to live that happy ever after - or so say the Light Claws.

I sat in the Great Hall, staring at a sketch of my handsome mate - his Claw face blended to look like both his feline form and his human form. I sighed and stroked its jawline, my dark thoughts slowly dissipating as more people began to channel into the area. The teachers ushered me to stand and I shifted, growling in annoyance. I took my sketch book in my jaws and leapt up to the wall banisters, perching there and snarling at any that dare tell me to come down. I was not looking forward to this so-called Tournament, and I had a feeling Nova was feeling rather anxious since she had never met a Light Claw. She should be afraid, I thought to myself, Light Claws are manipulative monsters. Cunning, sly, disastrous little buggers.

"Shadow!" Jenny's worried voice pulled me out of my trance and I growled at her, "Get down this instant!" Her eyes were scornful and, with no intention, it made me extremely pissed. Why? I had no idea, but I gave into my primal instincts. The room was silent, all eyes on us.

I leapt down in a cloud of black smoke, my human form emerging. "Get over here!" Jenny scolded, but I was already striding towards her, my pace hastening.

CRACK.

I had punched her right in the jaw, and it sent her stumbling back, clutching her face with teary eyes. "You... Y-you hit me!" She launched herself at me, but I sidestepped her, however I did not see her leg kick out and knock me to the ground. "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" The students were yelling - James too. Jenny pulled out her wand but I snatched it and threw it across the Hall.

We both leapt at each other, each blow she would land, I would get her at least three times more. She knew my weaknesses when it came to hunting and fighting. I roundhouse-kicked her in the belly and she keeled over, wheezing as she tried to gather as much air as she could. I delivered another kick to her side and she collapsed to the ground.

In seconds, it had turned into a cat fight. She scratched at my eyes and I scratched at hers. People began to realise this was going to get much worse at any point. Fred and George, much to their disappointment, stopped Jenny by pulling her back and restraining her from getting to me. I was hauled back by James, who was not very strong at all. I broke his grip and charged at Jenny once more.

"Shadow Claw, I presume?"

I froze, my eyes widening.

"You're not making much of an image for yourself, of course, it was always the way. Your species would pick the fights and we'd stop them. The balance, or the circle, of life, as man would call it. Duty of the Light, downfall of the Dark."