I stared up at her and my eyes widened at those words, my heart beating faster than before, if that was even possible.

For a second I thought she was talking about Regulus Black, and I couldn't understand how she could've possibly known about him. But the next moment when she talked again, I realized how wrong I was.

"And I bet you're just as annoying, traitorous, and disgusting as he is," Bellatrix hissed, standing before me as I was still kneeling on the floor with my hands tight behind my back by what felt like invisible ropes.

And by that, I knew she was talking about Sirius.

But the only person whom I had told falsely about Sirius being my father was Draco. But he couldn't have told them my secret. He just couldn't. Or better say, I didn't want to believe that he would do that to me.

So then I glanced up at Draco, only to catch him sending me an apologetic look, mouthing, 'I'm sorry'.

So with that, I turned my cold gaze up on Bellatrix, mustering all the courage I had left in me. "You might call Sirius annoying and traitorous, but at least it's better than being a murderous psychopathic bitch like you."

       Bellatrix let out a high pitched laughter. "I always despised Gryffindors. So courageous and so stupid, never knowing when's the right time to say something."

     "If you're going to kill me, then I won't be getting any better time than this," I said back, even though I was at the verge of falling into tears from the fear.

      "Oh, little baby Black..." Bellatrix pouted down at me before smirking. "You wish I was planning on killing you. No... I've got something better in my mind."

      And then, before I could react, before I could even grab a hold of what was going on around me, Bellatrix suddenly raised her wand at me and yelled,

     "Crucio!"

The next moment, I felt a burning pain run all over my body, more painful than I could ever imagine as I drew my legs up to my chest, writhed on the ground, and screamed my lungs out.

But then, the pain suddenly stopped when she pulled back her wand away from me, yet I still laid on the ground before her feet, sobbing.

"Tell me where he is," Bellatrix hissed in a hushed yet dangerous voice, sitting on the floor in front of me. "Tell me where Sirius is!"

"I — I don't — know," I muttered between sobs, but then, mustering all that was left in me, I said firmly, "and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you!"

"Little miss Black wants to play, does she?" Bellatrix laughed. "Well, you're in luck, because I love the game! Crucio!"

I screamed out again, feeling the pain burning me alive, inside out.

"Stop! Stop it!" I heard Draco yell and the next moment, the pain stopped again and I panted for air, crying audibly.

Bellatrix took a step away from me as she turned to face Draco, the edge of her lips curled up into a nasty grin.

"Take out your wand," she told him. "Go on..."

Draco stood there, frozen on the spot as he glanced between me and Bellatrix. He knew what she was asking him. He knew that he had no choice but to torture me.

But he weakly shook his head, looking down, as if scared to even look back at me.

Bellatrix quickly raised her wand at him, but Narcissa stepped in front of her son, her eyes fixed on her sister as she told him, "Go to your room, Draco."

He still didn't move as he watched me, still sobbing on the ground. But at last, he finally gave up and left the hall.

"Coward," Bellatrix whispered. But then her smirk widened once more as she turned to face me again. "Now, where were we?"

       And she did it again. And once more after that, and then another. The pain was beyond anything I could imagine.

       "He killed one of us! He has to pay! And if he doesn't, you will pay for him!" She shouted. "TELL ME WHERE HE IS!"

       I screamed again as she cursed me once more, this time longer and more painful than ever before. When she had finally pulled away, I knew I was conscious, but I felt unaware of the world around me.

       I didn't even notice Bellatrix had bent down onto my level until she snarled in my ear, "I'm not done with you." And then she left the hall.

      I couldn't move a finger. I could barely breathe. The world had gone blurry to my eyes as I laid there on the cold floor motionlessly.

     I knew Luna was now probably somewhere in a cellar nearby along with Ollivander, although Harry, Ron, and Hermione wouldn't arrive here for another few months.

     I don't how long I was there, writhing and trembling on the ground. Maybe an hour. Maybe two. It felt like more. Perhaps the reason they had left the hall unwatched and hadn't got me down to the cellar was because they knew I couldn't move.

     But just then, I was dragged back to consciousness when I felt a presence beside me once more.

      I got myself ready for the pain which I knew was about to come any moment now. I closed my eyes shut with all that was left it me, the tears streaming down my eyes.

      But the pain never came.

     "Lexi, get up. Please get up," someone was whispering in my ear urgently.

      I opened my eyes and saw a blond boy sitting on the floor right before me, but he was a blur. I couldn't recognize him. My mind was blank. I couldn't think.

      He called out my name once more, but I was forced to close my eyes shut again. And so finally giving up, the boy then wrapped his arms around me and picked me up from the floor, and I felt him carry me away hurriedly run out of the hall with me in his arms.

      I opened my eyes only once in a while, getting glimpses of what was going on around me.

      When I looked again, I saw that we were at the gates of the Malfoy Manor, now outside the house.

      The boy put me back on my feet with one arm still around me for support and when I finally got more conscious of my surroundings, I saw that it was Draco, glancing back at the house anxiously.

      He then looked back at me, his pale eyes filled with worry. "Lexi, can you Dissaparate?"

      But he got his answer when I nearly fell and he had to get a tighter hold on me before my knees could fully give in.

      "Tell me where I can get you," he said in a rushed yet quiet tone. But I couldn't speak. "At least can you think about where it is? The thought of the destination would be enough and I'll guide you for the rest."

      Mustering all I had left in me, I nodded weakly and so with one last glance back at the house, Draco took a hold on my arm and we Dissaparated as I thought of Muriel's house in my head.