𝘋𝘈𝘕𝘊𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘞𝘐𝘛𝘏 𝘖𝘜𝘙 𝘏𝘈𝘕𝘋𝘚 𝘛𝘐𝘌𝘋/𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 (English version)

Chapter 38

The wand slowly descended on Sarah's face, and she felt her heart pounding faster and faster in her chest.
Around her, her friends looked at her with smiles on their faces. They had betrayed her.

"Little Black, did you really think they would be so sweet and kind to you? STUPID GIRL!" Bellatrix yelled, yanking her hair.
The girl cried out in pain. Her hands were tied behind her back, and she was on her knees, unable to escape.
She felt humiliated, hot tears streaming down her injured face.
"You don't deserve this name, YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE PART OF OUR FAMILY!"
The wand was pointed at the girl's neck, and Bellatrix sneered, delighted to see her in such distress.
Sarah's eyes fell on those in front of her—on the ones she had considered not just friends but a true family.
Draco had a satisfied expression as he watched her in this state, and the others were no different.
But the most painful sight was Tom's smile. The boy wasn't helping her.

"Why... why did you do this to me?" Sarah asked in a faint voice, her throat burning.
"SILENCE! SILENCE, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR VOICE!" Bellatrix shouted.
The woman turned to the boys and pointed at Tom, ordering him to step closer. He didn't hesitate and was immediately at her side.
"I leave this to you, Riddle. Have fun."
Sarah's eyes widened when she saw him take out his wand and point it at her. She began to tremble, her heart pounding harder than before, her breathing faltering.
"Tom...Tom, what are you doing?" she said in panic, struggling to free herself but failing.
The boy took a few steps forward, never lowering his wand. His eyes were expressionless, cold, and empty.
"I'm doing what I should have done a long time ago, Black."
Sarah was speechless at his behavior. She couldn't believe it.
"You made me so many promises, you lied to me!" she tried to sound confident but failed miserably. Her whole body hurt.
Tom smirked.
"Do you really think I care about a pathetic girl? Wake up. We're not who we pretend to be."
Sarah didn't even hear the spell being cast against her. She closed her eyes for the last time.

"Sarah! Sarah, wake up!"
The girl's eyes snapped open, and she sat up so abruptly that she nearly bumped into Hermione's head as the latter was trying to help her.
She looked around and noticed Ginny standing at the foot of the bed. The clock on the wall read 7:00.
Hermione's hand gently stroked Sarah's arm, still covered by her pajama sleeve.
"It was just a nightmare. You're here with us now."
Sarah nodded, still trying to steady her racing heartbeat.
She got out of bed to get ready for the first day of school after the Christmas holidays, but she was far from calm.
Even though she tried to appear as natural as possible, her face betrayed her uncertainty and exhaustion after a difficult night.
She had dreamed of Bellatrix before, but never had the Slytherins appeared in those dreams.
Splashing her face with cold water to wake herself up, she got ready in her house uniform.

The Great Hall was buzzing with noise after the students returned to school. Everyone was talking about their holidays, the gifts they had received, and how much fun they had had.
Sarah walked with her head down behind Hermione and Ginny, who occasionally glanced back to check if she was still with them.
She paid no attention to who was there, nor did she notice the seven pairs of eyes fixed on her from the table next to Gryffindor's.
Taking a seat, she placed her bag of books on the floor, rested her elbows on the table, and buried her face in her hands.
She was exhausted. She had barely slept, and when she finally had, she was haunted by the nightmare.
Harry passed her a plate of eggs and toast. Sarah smiled at the gesture and took the plate, placing it in front of her.
She ate in silence, listening to what the others were discussing.
Unsurprisingly, the attack on the Burrow was the main topic.
"Harry, nowhere is safe for you anymore,or for us," Hermione said, reading the Daily Prophet, which reported several disappearances at the Ministry.
Harry nodded nervously. He wasn't having an easy time either, and his suspicions about certain people were growing stronger.
Ron was devouring his breakfast under the watchful eyes of his friends.
Sarah pushed her plate away after eating only a small portion of her breakfast, immediately catching Hermione's attention.
"Sarah, you need to eat. You already slept so little, and you need energy."
The girl shook her head. "I'm not hungry, 'Mione. I'll eat at lunch, I promise."
Hermione nodded, though unconvinced. Her eyes shifted to the table behind Ron, directly in front of her.
Tom was watching Hermione, as if silently asking for information, but she shrugged and turned her attention back to her friends.

Sarah hadn't had the chance to greet Tom or the others the day before when they returned. She hoped to see them that day, but she wasn't in the best condition to face the flood of questions they would inevitably ask her.
Tom couldn't stand there watching her any longer. Her pale face, marked by dark circles under her eyes, made his chest tighten.
He stood up, attracting the attention of his friends and a few others at the table, and walked over to her.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, he startled her, making her turn abruptly.
At first, he was struck by the fear in her eyes upon seeing him, but then he watched her calm down as she stood, picking up her bag from the floor.
"Hey," she said simply, a weak smile forming on her face.
Tom took her hand, leading her away from the crowded hall filled with students.
He stopped in an empty corridor and turned her to face him.
"What's going on, Sarah?" he asked bluntly.
She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes darting quickly to the school's garden.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
Tom shook his head, running a hand through his neatly combed hair, as he always did when frustrated.
"Nothing? Should I list all the strange things I've noticed so far, or are you going to talk?"
Sarah's gaze shifted to him. "What things?"
"You're exhausted, you didn't sleep, you didn't eat, and you haven't greeted anyone,not even me. Your letters made it seem like you were so happy to come back to school. So why do you look so..."
He trailed off, unable to find the right words, but she interrupted him.
"There's no need to scrutinize me, Tom."
"I thought you'd talk to me," he said, a hint of hurt visible on his face as he took in how distant she seemed.
Sarah brought her hands to her face, trying to calm herself before speaking.
"You know what happened. Everyone knows."
Tom immediately understood what she was referring to and nodded.
"But you're here now. She hasn't hurt anyone, has she?"
"Yes, but she was there, Tom! She was there, and I feel like the little happiness I was regaining has vanished! She's everywhere I go. She's ruining my life!"
Tom couldn't meet her eyes.
The shame he felt was indescribable.
He felt tainted, wrong,but above all, scared. He hadn't wanted the Mark, hadn't wanted to be on her side, but now he bore a brand that tied him to the Dark Lord forever.
Pulling Sarah into his arms, he savored her closeness. The scent of her vanilla shampoo reached his nose, and he couldn't help but smile at the familiarity.
"And why are you like this this morning? What did you dream?"
"It's complicated, Tom," she replied, fear creeping into her voice. How could she tell him the truth? How would he react?
But Tom didn't accept her answer and repeated the question.
Sarah pulled away slightly, enough to look at him properly.
"She was there... but she wasn't alone."
Tom looked at her, confused, encouraging her to continue.
"You were there, Tom. Draco was there. Everyone was there!"
She didn't dare meet his eyes, and it was a blessing for the Slytherin. He was stunned by her confession.
"You came closer, pointed your wand at me, and tried to kill me. You told me you weren't who you seemed to be. I don't even know what my mind created."
Tom moved his hand from her shoulder to her chin, gently tilting her face to make her look at him.
Sarah's eyes were filled with tears, and a hollow sensation grew in Tom's stomach as he saw her like that.
"You know I'd never hurt you, right?" he asked, his voice trembling with fear of what her answer might be.
"Of course, Tom. I don't know why I dreamed such things. I've never doubted you or the others."
A void,a growing sense of guilt spread inside him.
"I could never be the cause of your pain," he began. "I don't know why you had those dreams, but I assure you they're false."
Sarah nodded, resting her forehead against his.
They stayed like that until a faint murmur reached them, prompting them to part slowly. Breakfast was over, and the students were heading to their classes.
Their hands intertwined, and Tom planted a quick kiss on her lips before walking with her to Potions.
One walked with a lighter heart; the other carried the weight of guilt gnawing at him from within.
How long could he hide the truth from the one person who deserved his honesty and respect?