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

Chapter 51

Malfoy Manor

The main hall of Malfoy Manor was shrouded in a palpable darkness, thick as a poisonous veil that seemed to seep into the lungs. The tall windows were concealed behind heavy black velvet drapes, while tarnished silver candelabras cast flickering shadows across the walls. The long mahogany table at the center of the room was surrounded by figures cloaked in dark robes, their faces tense and expressionless.

He sat at the head of the table, as still as a marble statue.
Lord Voldemort observed his followers with the air of an impatient king, his skeletal fingers drumming idly against the armrest of his chair. At his feet, Nagini slithered in slow, fluid movements, her narrow, icy eyes gliding over the gathered figures, alert to every detail.
The atmosphere was suffocating; the Death Eaters waited, holding their breath, as if they already knew the fate that would mark the evening.

The door opened without a sound.
Severus Snape entered the room with a purposeful stride, his cloak brushing the floor in a fluid, controlled motion. He had requested this meeting himself. And to do so, he had to have a valid reason.
Behind him, Alecto and Amycus Carrow followed with their heads bowed, their shoulders rigid in tense submission. They took their seats in silence, carefully avoiding the piercing red gaze of their master.
Snape stopped before Voldemort and bowed deeply, his gesture one of measured respect.

"My Lord..." he began, his usual low and monotonous voice unwavering. "During a lesson at Hogwarts, Alecto Carrow took it upon herself to conduct an attack."
A faint glimmer crossed the Dark Lord's eyes. Snape continued, unperturbed:
"Specifically, I am referring to the use of the Cruciatus Curse."
A barely perceptible murmur rippled through the Death Eaters but died instantly under Voldemort's merciless gaze.
"That is what we teach, is it not, Severus?" he murmured. "Pain. Control. Fear. The use of any curse to bend and break. I fail to see the issue."

Snape's cold, unwavering stare did not falter.
"The issue lies in who was subjected to this curse."
The Dark Lord's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Who, Severus?"

Snape did not hesitate.
"Sarah Black, my Lord."

Voldemort did not move, did not so much as blink, but something in his eyes shifted. A primal fury, cold and lethal, flashed within their depths. Slowly, his fingers resumed their rhythmic drumming against the chair's armrest.
"Sarah Black..." he whispered, savoring the name as he spoke it.

But in the next moment, his voice erupted, sharp and furious
"I told you NOT to touch her."
He rose to his feet, his tall, slender figure towering over everyone in the room.
Alecto had gone pale, terror flickering across her face like a looming shadow.
"My Lord... I... I..." she stammered, desperately searching for an excuse. "She was... she was defying our ideals, defending the Muggle-borns..."

"SILENCE!"
Voldemort's voice thundered against the walls. Even his most loyal Death Eaters flinched, their gazes instantly dropping.

"I do not care about the provocations of a mere girl. She must remain alive—ALIVE!"
Alecto's frantic eyes darted around the room, searching for help, but none would be offered.
Nagini slithered aside, giving her master the space to move freely through the dimly lit chamber.
"I will decide when and how Sarah Black will suffer. I will decide how to bend her to my will. I will decide when it is time to break her. I want her to crawl at my feet. I will destroy her, piece by piece, until there is nothing left—nothing but an empty shell."

He stopped beside Alecto, his lips curling into a cruel, thin smile.
"And only then... will she willingly help me find Potter."

The woman opened her mouth to plead, to swear it would never happen again, but Voldemort had no interest in her words.
A low, chilling sound rumbled from his throat—he laughed.
A sharp, ice-cold laugh "No, Alecto... it will never happen again."
With a barely perceptible flick of his wand, he uttered the curse:
"CRUCIO."