I Am Lacerta - Reposted for the Watty Awards 2011

I Am Lacerta Chapter 42

I Am Lacerta Chapter 42

Try as I may, I couldn't stop myself from screaming. I was sweating all over and shaking. My body writhed around in agony, and sadly the Cruciatus Curse wasn't one you could simply get used to. No matter how long I sat there in pain, screeching for mercy, which I knew I would not be granted, I couldn't get used to the pain. 

I was floating in and out of conciousness, but whenever Umbridge noticed I had passed out, she would awaken me using her cursed dagger. It was not made of any ordinary metal I knew of, as when it cut into my flesh I could feel it like a white hot light burning me.

I was beginning to think the agony would never end, when it stopped suddenly. I weakly lifted my head and saw Umbridge looking at me wearily, but still with the maniacally evil glint in her eyes.

"Do you have anything you'd like to say to me?" she asked haughtily, yet I could hear how tired she was of this.

I didn't trust my voice just yet, so I simply shook my head.

"Are you stupid? Why won't you tell me?" she screeched. I just shrugged, my throat unable to make a sound from the continuous never-ending torture. 

"I guess you're stronger than the average thirteen year-old, huh?" she muttered and I smiled weakly in response, tears still dripping down my face from the pain.

She walked up to me slowly, scrutinising me carefully.

"How would you like to become a ministry spy?" she asked slowly. I found my voice immediately and growled:

"I'd rather die."

She smirked. "Would you now? I guess that could be arranged. But first-" she lifted her hand to my face and strand of hair from in front of my eyes. "-I think a little punishment is in order. You can't just expect to be disloyal to your country, your ministry and get away with it, can you?! As a citizen of Britain, your loyalties should lie with the British Ministry of Magic, and if you are honoured with a request you should accept whole-heartedly and immediately." 

She paused to look me straight in the eye at the end of her pompous little speech. 

"But, as I'm a forgiving woman, I'm going to offer you one more chance to accept the offer. Would you like to help protect the country by becoming a Ministry agent?" she said looking down at me, watching me closely.

I stayed silent for a minute, pretending like I was considering the offer, even though I'd decided long before she asked the question. I then looked up at her, red eyes meeting brown, and said:

"Umbridge, you really think I'm going to accept after the agonising 12 hour-torture you just put me through? If our fabulous Ministry's so great - why did they employ someone as stupid as you?" I asked scathingly.

"What do you mean?" she asked shrilly, her voice heightening an octave.

"I mean - no." I spat.

She reacted so fast I had no time to defend myself. She whipped her wand through the air like she had before, cutting into the flesh in the middle of the right side of my forehead, all the way down to my right cheekbone. I screeched out in pain.

"Naughty children deserve to be punished, Lacerta." she spat at me before chuckling. She turned away from me and sat on her desk, looking like she was enjoying the view of a child in mortal danger from her doing.

As much as I tried to keep eye contact with her to show her I wasn't afraid of her, my eyes drooped and I passed out to the sound of her laughter....