I Am Lacerta - Reposted for the Watty Awards 2011

I Am Lacerta Chapter 24

I Am Lacerta Chapter 24

Finally the 29th came and the Dark Lord had arranged a guardian to come with me - Crabbe. He was as tall as he was wide, and I'm not even exaggerating. His face is almost as blank and stupid as the face of his son. Right now, Crabbe was glaring at me, probably due to jealousy.

In fact I would bet by looking at his expression alone that he was thinking: "Why couldn't my son be in this idiotic girl's place?". His son, Vincent, was one of Draco's protectors along with Goyle. He had once tried to ask me out and had ended up in the Hospital Wing for two weeks before being transferred to St. Mungo's for another two months. It's safe to say that he learnt his lesson.

All the way to The Leaky Cauldron, we had taken the Knight Bus rather than apparating, I was experimenting with my looks, until deciding on a ash blond pixie cut and violet eyes. All the while Crabbe was glaring clearly at me, not even hiding his loathing of me. 

As the Knight Bus moves very fast, we were at the Leaky Cauldron in almost no time at all. We stepped off the bus and I gave a mock salute to the conductor, Stan Shunpike, who saluted back. Crabbe just rolled his eyes, but I ignored him.

I stormed ahead of him into the Leaky Cauldron, Crabbe was too slow to walk ahead like he clearly wanted to do, and marched straight up to the woman at the desk.

"Excuse me, what room is Albus Dumbledore in? I have a meeting with him in-" I checked my watch "- 10 minutes." 

The woman examined me carefully and decided that I probably wasn't who I said I was. "Why should I believe you're Lacerta Lestrange?" 

I was furious, and I couldn't control my morphing. My eyes turned a blood red and I started to grow taller and thinner, like a creepy monster from a horror film.

"Listen here, lady. I'm my mothers daughter - if you know what you mean.." I whispered menacingly close to her ear, before backing away and changing back to my original innocent form. She whimpered in fear and stammered out:

"R-room 101." then said, "pl-please don't..." when I walked up to her.

"Thanks kindly." I said mocking sweetly. I cackled with laughter when I turned around and saw Crabbed looking slightly freaked out of me.

"Oi! You! Yeah, you Crabbe. Come on!" I said, and he scurried after me. We walked up to room 101, in silence but I could just tell that Crabbe was trying to make as little sound as possible so I didn't notice him. At least I wasn't with wimpy Avery. Double as stupid, half as strong - I thought trying to think of good things about being escorted by Crabbe. At least Crabbe can follow with orders..

When we reached the door, I turned to him and he flinched. I smirked slightly and said:

"You guard the door, 'k? It'll seem suspicious if I came with you - if it were a normal chat I would've come with Cissy or no one." I said the last part to myself, but he nodded anyway.

I rapped three times on the door, but no one came to answer it. So I blasted the door down silently and walked inside.

"Oi! Anyone home!" I shouted viciously. 

"Ah, you're definitely your mothers daughter, Miss. Lestrange. Come in and take a seat." chuckled Dumbledore and I followed the voice into a small living room. I saw him pointing at the other chair, the one he wasn't sitting on.

I walked in slowly, but did not sit. "I'd prefer to stand." I said boredly. He just smiled benignly, so I rolled my eyes and said:

"So why am I here?" he chuckled again and said:

"Ah, yes I can't imagine you're the type of girl who commits to small talk. You're here because I need you, Lacerta." 

I snorted and muttered, "You're not the only one mate..." 

"I just realised what your name means - Novenia. Latin.. Did your mother make it up?" he asked out of the blue.

"Yes actually." I said stiffly.

"Yes, well, it means 'no mercy', I believe. There's truth in that.." 

"What are you trying to say, huh? That I'm heartless? Ruthless? There's endless descriptive options aren't there-" 

"Be quiet, Lacerta." he murmured and I found myself complying, before realising that I had just done what he had asked, so I spat back:

"Don't tell me what to do, old man-" 

"You will call me, Professor-"

"Why should I, you're not my teacher-"

"Give your elders respect, child-"

"Give the more powerful respect, Dumbledore-" That was quite out of line, I realised as soon as it came out of my mouth, but he only made me more angry when he replied calmly:

"You're not more powerful than me."

"Oh yeah." I smirked and changed into a huge, fire-breathing dragon. I breathed fire into a circle surrounding him and shock flashed across his face for a half second - but then he tried to act as if he had been expecting it. 

"Change back, Lacerta." he said calmly, but when I wouldn't he added, "Please.", and I changed back to myself quickly, so quickly that my hair remained the same cherry-red as the dragons scales had been several seconds ago.

"Go on." I growled menacingly, which would have made a weaker man flinch, but he stood his ground.

"Have you ever met your cousin, Lacerta?" he asked curiously. I looked at him as if this was the worlds stupidest question.

"Ha ha! That's stupid - even for you. I've been living with him all my life-" 

"Your other cousin." Dumbledore stated blankly. My head snapped up and as if naturally one of my eyebrows raised in a question. When he didn't explain any further, I asked:

"What other cousin."

"Nymphadora Tonks. Your mother Bellatrix had two sisters - Narcissa, obviously, and Andromeda. But Andromeda chose good over evil, when she fell in love and married a muggle, Ted Tonks. Hence your cousin, Nymphadora. If you ever see her, though, call her Tonks. She hates the name Nymphadora." he chuckled, but I was shocked. Why had no one mentioned this before? 

"And your cousin is a metamorphmagus, aswell. Not quite the same as you though.. she can't do THAT..." he said indicating me turning into a dragon. "In fact she can only change her face."

"Thanks to being pushed by my "uncle" to practice every hour of the day.." I muttered.

"It's very rare to have two metamorphmagus' alive at the same time, and even MORE rare for them to be in the same family." 

There was an awkward silence as I absorbed the information, before Dumbledore said, "Lacerta "no mercy" Lestrange, I really need you to be more like your aunt. You could do such wonderful things.. you just need to change sides. That's all you need to do." 

I chuckled darkly before saying acidly, "Too late, old man - too bloody late...", and started to roll up my left sleeve. Dumbledore didn't realise what I was doing for a moment before realisation dawned on him and he closed his eyes and cursed. I smirked and showed him my mark.

"Where were you two months ago, Dumbledore. Talking to "precious" Potter, I'd bet. That's all you really care about, isn't it. Harry bloody Potter. Everyone knows you favour him and everyone accepts it - but why should we? Your a teacher, your not supposed to have favourites! You don't know the names of three quarters of the school I'd bet - especially not some low-life Slytherin - like me. Yeah, don't deny it, you didn't know my name until about a month ago - you couldn't give a crap about Lacerta Novenia Lestrange until she became a threat, a danger to your "precious" Potter. And yes - Novenia suits me because I have no sympathy for you and I am merciless. Good luck old man. Give my regard to my "cousin", because she's on her own." I said abruptly, and left.

I met Crabbe in the hall and he grabbed my arm quickly and apparated away quickly before Dumbledore could get up. But as we apparated away two words followed us through, so when we arrived at Malfoy Manor it caught up with us, "You're wrong."