Shadow Claw: The Life Story - The Fourth Chapter

Ch. 6 - Dolores Umbridge

I was gonna put Umbridge as a pic up top, but Wattpad was like nu uh, story not saved, file too evil to save. xD I hate Umbridge so much. 0_0

Nova entered the Great Hall the next morning, with a searching expression. I left my lonely spot on Slytherin table, since I had left Jenny swooning over Draco, and James, well, I didn't even want to go there. I stepped closer to Athea and her eyebrows lifted, "Shadow!" She called, pushing past a few second years to get to me.

I put a hand on her shoulder, "Calm down. What's wrong?" I asked sternly. Nova took a deep breath, "Last night, when Harry was going to bed, Seamus had a go at him, and there was so much tension between them." Her eyes were worried, "Seamus and his mum's been reading the Daily Prophet. They believe every bit of it. Harry's getting really frustrated." She ran a hand through her soft hair and bounced on her heels. "It's bringing everybody down, Shadow." She uttered and I only just caught it.

I sighed and crossed my arms, "Why did you come to me?" Her brow creased in confusion.

"If it's bringing people down, then you've come to the wrong person." I growled, perhaps harsher than I expected, but I continued on, "All I know is how to bring people down and make the wrong decisions." I returned to my seat, but Nova pestered me further until I hissed something at her that made her freeze up, nod then walk slowly back to her table.

"Hey, Claw girl." I snapped my head round to see Draco standing there with Jenny. I narrowed my eyes, "You're in our spot." Draco sneered. I stood up and walked right up to him. The few students in the Hall fell silent. "How much do you want to bet that I can end your worthless life, right here, right now?" I snarled. I felt a presence beside me, "Hmm, perhaps all mummy and daddy's savings? You rich shit." James snapped and I glanced gratefully at him. He nudged me playfully behind our backs and I knew we were back to our friendship again. "Stop it!" Jenny protested, but Draco shut her up.

James smacked him in the face, "Don't you dare tell her to shut up." It wasn't James that said it, though. Behind us, stood Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred and George. All five of them had said it in unison. "You're ganging up on him, Shadow! It's not fai-"

"Who told you what was fair, Jenny?" I growled bitterly. "Life isn't fair. Malfoy here needs some manners, but you can't change him."

She opened her mouth to speak but James halted her. "You're too kind. He will ruin you." Draco's face fell, as if he no longer had a chance with her. Pah! As if! "Choose which side you're on before you defend him." James muttered before all of us returned to our seats. "Keep an eye on him, would you?" Harry uttered to me. I nodded once, "I'll do my best."

*

The rest of the day flew by, and by flew by, I meant like an obese, wounded pigeon with a fat, demented tortoise riding on its back.

Snape reminded us, also, that we had extremely important examinations next June, and they would prove how much we have learned and the composition and use of magical potions. He threatened us all with his displeasure if we failed, too. His glares were directed mainly at Harry and Neville, and he set a large homework of twelve parchment inches on the properties of moonstone and its use in potions.

Damn.

Anyway, when Divination finished and we all headed towards Defence Against the Dark Arts. Professor Umbridge was standing there with her stupid cardigan and her stupid black velvet bow on her stupid head. Nobody knew what to expect from her, but as I entered with Nova at my side and James and Jenny behind us, Umbridge gave me a dirty look that nobody else saw. It was a look that said 'An animal? In my classroom? How disgusting.'.

I returned her nasty expression and slumped down to my desk, and she looked slightly surprised at my boldness, before shaking my glare off and starting the lesson with 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge' and telling everybody to put their wands away. I slipped out my ink, quill and parchment before scowling at her with a dirty sneer. Even Draco Malfoy seemed to dislike her already.

Defence Against the Dark Arts

A Return to Basic Principles

Everything she explained was theory and I zoned out now and again, keeping my face blank yet hostile too. That woman was trouble and we all knew it inside.

The book she told us to read was incredibly boring and I practiced making my eye colour change - of course, I used my emotions to do that, but I didn't have a mirror to see if it worked - then I noticed Hermione had her hand shot in the air like it was life-death important. Finally, Umbridge acknowledged her.

"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" She asked her, as if she had only just noticed that she wanted her attention.

"Not about the chapter, no."

"Well, we're reading, and if you have any queries we can deal with them at the end of class."

"I've got a query about your course aims."

"And your name is?"

"Hermione Granger."

"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them thoroughly." Umbridge said with a desperately sweet voice and raised eyebrows.

"Well I don't." Hermione countered. "There's nothing written about using defensive spells."

After a few more questions and shout outs by others and snaps by Umbridge, she made her point very clear that that year, we were not going to use spells. At all.

Harry and Jenny kept yelling at her that Voldemort had returned, and both of them got detentions which made James very angry, until Harry said something harsh. "Oh, so Cedric Diggory just dropped dead of his own accord, then, did he?" He snarled. I growled and clenched my fists together tightly. Umbridge turned cold and heartless, and she said, "Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident."

"Like your life!" James hissed, standing up and storming away from the classroom. There was a loud silence. "Detention!" Umbridge called after him, trying to preserve herself.

"Voldemort killed him and you know it." Harry stomped up to Umbridge's desk and they exchanged something before Harry left the room. I got up too, "If this is the way you're teaching, I'd rather have been notified so I could stay at home with my m-" I caught myself, "People." I hissed and not-so-gracefully made my way out of the room and after James.

That bitch, was a witch, literally and figuratively.