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I stared at Tom for a long moment, not really sure whether he was joking or not. It was insane for him to think we could practice an unforgivable curse right here in the middle of Hogwarts! Yet again, Tom did seem slightly insane. For all I knew, he really might expect us to practice the Cruciatus curse. However, if he did expect us to practice it, what exactly did he expect us to practice it on? He surely wouldn't force us to use the spell on each other. Right?

Just as I was thinking all this, Tom cleared his throat and said, "I thought we could practice on this for now. It'll make a good target for our practice." Turning towards the corner of the room, Tom pointed his wand at something in the corner and said, "Accio owl!" Immediately, a wired cage with an owl in it that I hadn't noticed before whizzed across the room and into Tom's hand.

Tom studied the owl for a few minutes before smiling, nodding his head in approval, and then setting the owl's cage down on the table in the middle of the room. Turning back to us, Tom explained, "This owl will be our target for the curse. It would be much better if we could use a mud-blood instead, but unfortunately, I think that's too risky at the moment. So instead, we will use the owl. Why don't I start this off by showing you how the curse is down?"

A murmur of approval sounded from the cluster of students sitting around Tom and the table with the owl on it. I think I was the only one who didn't murmur approval. Seriously, what the hell were these people thinking? Did they really want to watch an owl being tortured? It was such a cruel thing to do! Surely nobody could be so evil that they could enjoy that kind of cruelty.

Nevertheless, before my very eyes, Tom pointed his wand directly at the owl and said in a loud, clear voice, "Crucio!" A jet of red light erupted from Tom's wand and hit the owl directly in the chest. Immediately, the owl started screeching and twisting and turning in its cage. The poor creature's eyes went huge and it shook and trembled as agony ripped through its body. I wanted to scream, but I was so horrified that no sound came out of my mouth. All I could do was sit and stare.

Finally, Tom made the spell stop. He moved his wand away from the owl and turned back to us. The owl's eyes glazed over and he fell from his perch to the bottom of the cage with a loud smack. I stared at it in horror as Tom said calmly, "This is how the Cruciatus curse is done. To be successful to it, you're going to have to really want to cause the animal pain. The stronger your will is, the more successful the curse will be. All of you line up. Who wants to go first?"

Four or five hands shot up in the air. One of those hands came from next to me. I turned and stared at Bella in shock. She actually was going to torture the poor owl? I couldn't believe her! Bella wasn't always the kindest of sisters, but I had never thought of her as cruel before. I decided that she didn't want to be cruel. She was just trying to show off for Tom. At least, I hoped that's what her motive was. If it wasn't, then I didn't really know my sister after all.

Tom's eyes glanced over the room and he smiled when he saw Bellatrix waving her hand eagerly in the air. Their eyes met and I saw a small smile flicker across Tom's face as he waved Bellatrix over to him, saying, "You're the perfect one to go first, Bella. Something tells me that you'll be good at this curse. Come on and show everyone how it's done."

Bella wasted no time in getting up from her chair to dash across the room to Tom. When she reached him, she slid her hand slowly across his cheek in a slightly suggestive manner and replied, "Aw, thanks for your support. You're much too kind." Bellatrix's gaze stayed on Tom a little too long, so Tom backed off and pointed at the owl.

Returning back to the task at hand, Bella looked across the room and narrowed her eyes at the owl. I stared at her open-mouthed. Was she really going to do this dark deed after all? It sure looked like it. Bella withdrew her wand from the pocket of her robe and pointed it directly at the owl's chest. Abruptly, Bella's face contorted with anger and she suddenly screamed, "Crucio!"

Just like Tom, Bellatrix send red light straight into the owl's chest. As before, the owl immediately started screeching and writhing around in agony. I stared at the poor thing with pity in my eyes. I wanted to go over and save it, but how could I do that? There was no way I could without getting into big trouble with Tom. And by this point, I knew way better than to mess with Tom.

I felt like the spell was going to last forever, but finally, Bellatrix brought her wand down at looked up at Tom to see his verdict. A slim smile was on his thin lips and he gave Bellatrix a look of approval as he told her, "Perfect, Bella. That was absolutely stunning for your first try at the Cruciatus curse. I know I've said this before, but you're my best student."

Bellatrix's lips broke out into a big grin and I swear she practically glowed at Tom's praise. As Bellatrix strutted back over to where I was sitting, I heard call out Walden's name. Oh god, was Walden seriously going to do this Cruciatus curse as well? I glanced over to where Walden was sitting. He had a grim but determined look on his face as he stood up from the couch and came over to where Bella had been standing only moments before. I saw him raise his wand and knew instantly that he was going to do the horrible thing as well. This time, I couldn't watch. Watching the guy you just accepted as a partner to the annual dance cause pain to an innocent little creature was something I couldn't handle right now.

I pulled my gaze away from the gruesome sight and looked at my feet instead. Unfortunately, I could still her the owl's mournful shrieks of pain despite the fact that I was no longer looking at it. I flinched at the terrible noise that cut straigh to my heart. I just didn't get it. How could these people be so cruel? What was the wizarding world coming to?

Sadly, this terrible procedure continued on and on. Once Walden was done with the curse, Tom ordered Avery up to perform it and then Nott. The room emptied as time went on. Tom dismissed those who had already completed the spell successful. Bella and Walden left the room together. Walden gave me a thumbs up sign before he left to wish me luck. I couldn't even bear to smile at him. Walden couldn't expect me to perform the Cruciatus curse!

It seemed like I sat in the room for hours and hours just listening to the bloodcurdling cries of the owl who was being tortured into insanity. It was all so sad and horrible that I couldn't even manage to wrape my mind around the crime I was witnessing. As I sat in silence looking at my feet, I suddenly heard Tom's voice speak my name, "Narcissa."

My heart slowed and time seemed to stand still as I slowly raised my eyes up to meet Tom's. I didn't think I wanted to know what I was going to find there. Deep in my heart, I knew now was the time I was going to have to stand up for myself. I was going to have to face Tom and tell him that I wouldn't perform the Cruciatus curse.

"Come here, Narcissa," Tom said in his powerful, demanding voice. Not really having a choice, I stood up and crossed the room so I was standing in front of Tom. Once I was there, I just kind of stood there and looked at him with fear in my eyes. By now, everyone else had already performed the curse and had left the room. It was only Tom and me.

"Go ahead," Tom said, nodding towards the owl. Oh my god, he really did want me to use the Cruciatus curse! There was just no way I could do that though. So instead of grabbing my wand, I stood still. Tom, not used to being disobeyed, frowned at me deeply and added, "Well? What are you waiting for? Have at it! I'm not going to sit around here all fucking night."

Before my courage could leave me, I blurted out one word. It was simple, but it somehow managed to come out strong, "No." The word seemed to hang in the air a long time. Tom's face turned a deadly white color and his eyes glinted dangerously as he took a step towards me and murmured, "What was that you just said, Miss Black?"

With Tom standing only centimeters away from me, I was no longer feeling nearly as brave. In fact, my hands were shaking and my words came out in a stammer, "I said 'no'. I won't torture the poor owl. He's been through enough for tonight. Besides, this is just plain cruel. I refuse to cause pain to an innocent creature."

For a long moment, nobody spoke. My words seemed to hang in the air for a long time. Tom was looking at me with such an intense stare that I felt his eyes were going to rip my body apart. Finally, he nodded and said, "Very well then, Narcissa. You're about to see what happens when you choose to disobey the Dark Lord."

My mind started spinning. What the hell did Tom's last sentence mean? Was he going to punish me? I didn't have long to think because Tom was already pulling his wand out of his pocket. My mouth dropped and I stumbled backwards in an attempt to get away. Of course, there was no escaping Tom though. Slashing his wand through the air, Tom commanded, "Crucio!"

Red sparks flew across the room and hit me hard in the chest. I was knocked off my feet and to the floor instantaneously. The worst pain I had ever felt in my life suddenly consumed me. There was a hard, intense pressure on my heart. It felt like bony hands were squeezing the blood out from it and away from my body. Something was crushing my lungs so I couldn't breath. Every single bone in my body felt like it had been broken. I longed to scream, but had no air. All I could do was lie on the ground, writhing and twisting just like the owl had done earlier. I was in so much pain that I wished someone would just kill me now.

Finally, just when I thought I really was going to die, the spell stopped. Lying on the floor completely breathless, I looked up at Tom with suspicious, untrusting eyes. I couldn't believe he had just used the Cruciatus curse on me! Without any mercy in his eyes, Tom asked, "Now will you do what I tell you and practice the Cruciatus curse? Or am I going to have to punish you again?"

No fucking way was I going through that pain again. I didn't want to hurt the owl. Of course I didn't! But did I want to go insane from the agony of the Cruciatus curse? Not really. I didn't have a choice anymore in this situation. I was going to have to do the Cruciatus curse whether I liked it or not.

Glaring at Tom with loathing eyes, I said in a quivering voice, "Fine. I'll do it now." Before Tom could reply, I snatched my wand from my pocket, pointed it at the owl lying motionless at the bottom of its cage and murmured, "Crucio!" The effects of my curse were immediate. The owl's eyes went wild and its body tremored from waves of pain. As I watched it, tears began to flow from my eyes and I couldn't believe what I was doing. Was I now a horrible, evil person?

"Good enough," Tom commented after a good thirty seconds. At his words, I immediately let my wand fall to my side. Nonetheless, I couldn't help but continue to glare at Tom. I was so angry at him that I thought I could kill him. My irrational thoughts were what let to my next rash statement, "I hate you."

By now I should have realized that saying something like that to Tom was a totally whacked thing to do. After all, what purpose was a comment like that going to serve? Unfortunately, I didn't realize this until after those damned words were out of my mouth and Tom was looking at me like he wanted to squeeze the life out of my body.

Eyes narrowing at me, Tom proceeded forward and pointed his wand at me once more. In a deadly tone, he said, "Never insult me, Narcissa. For that...crucio!" The red light whipped out from his wand and sent me crashing to the floor again. Just as before, the life seemed to be squeezing out of my body. My lungs were tight, my heart was being stretched into two pieces, and my whole body started trembling uncontrollably. It was just like last time, but oh so much worse because Tom didn't stop the curse.

I started screaming as the blood stopped flowing through my veins and as my lungs refused to take in anymore air. I wanted someone to kill me so bad. Nothing was worth this kind of pain. I looked up at Tom through agonized eyes and begged with what little air I had, "Please...please just end it all."

Tom scrutinized me through cold eyes for several long, painful moment before he finally said, "I suppose you've had enough for one night. But I hope you've learned your lesson, Narcissa. Never ever insult me or refuse me again. Next time, the consequences will be even worse. Remember that. You're a smart girl, but you have a hell of a lot to learn."

With that said, Tom brought his wand down and ended the spell. Giving me one last disgusted look, he stepped over my limp body lying on the floor and away to the Slytherin boys' dormitories. I stared after him in shock. My mind had stopped working. My body had stopped working. I was just stuck lying on the floor. I wanted to get up and go to my bed, but I had no strength left. All I could do was sink to the floor in a hysteric puddle of tears.