Chapter 1: Father's Wrath

Zentheya Melanie Black stood in the centre of her Father's dark and dusty study, knowing all too well what was coming. It was never a good thing when she was summoned into his study as it only ever had one outcome. Orion Black was a cruel and ruthless Pure-blood wizard who lived by the old traditions regarding relations and status. He believed in discipline and fear, and did not tolerate disappointments.

"You got expelled!" His voice boomed angrily throughout his study, ricocheting off the dark green walls. Zentheya felt her insides jump as her father viciously slammed his clenched fist down upon the surface of his dark mahogany desk. The Beauxbaton's expulsions crumbled and crinkled in his death grip. Zentheya didn't dare speak, she barely dared to take a breath in fear of agitating him further. "Well? Explain yourself!" Orion's head snapped up to glare ate his only daughter with his ice-cold dark eyes as he slowly began to rise from behind his desk and walk towards her.

"Father, please! It was not my fau…" Zentheya began to plead her innocence when she was abruptly cut short by as he struck her hard across her pale face with the back of his hand. The force of the impact caused her head to jerk violently to the side. It was a force strong enough to knock the victim off their feet, however Zentheya stumbled backwards, preventing her from falling on to the ground.
"Enough!" Orion barked loudly within her ear. "I've had enough of your pathetic excuses Zentheya! You ungrateful child! I get you into one of the best magic schools in the world and how do you repay me! By getting kicked out!"

Zentheya winced at the sheer volume of her father's voice. She was sure that one of these days, he was going to deafen her! Her right cheek burned and she was sure that there was going to be an obvious red mark, which would inevitably stand out due to the paleness of her skin, not to mention the bruise that would be forming due to the giant round ring that Orion wore. Zentheya believed that he only wore that hideous ring to inflict pain on his two eldest children. It didn't matter how many times Orion hit her, Zentheya was always left surprised that her own father had hurt her. You would think that after seventeen years of abuse that she would be used to it by now…but he was her father. Wasn't he meant to protect her rather than hurt her.
"It wasn't my fault!" Zentheya repeated bravely, standing her ground like the stubborn girl she was.

Orion's stone cold eyes glared at his only daughter, signalling for her to stop talking. She obeyed. "Amuse me then. If it wasn't you, then who set fire to the headmistress' office?" He asked her, acting as though he actually cared if she didn't or not.

Zentheya knew that her father wouldn't believe her, and yet she didn't care. "Darla Angelus…" She told him. Despite what he thought, it was true. Darla Angelus was a snobby Pure-blood witch from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, who believed that she was better than anyone else. She never liked Zentheya from the moment they first met during their first year at the school, simply because Zentheya refused to allow Darla to bully and torment other witches because they were either a different blood status than her or not as rich as her. Zentheya was also much better at magic than Darla and rejected her offer to allow Zentheya into her clique.

"Darla Angelus! What a lie!" Orion scoffed. "That girl is a much better lady than you will ever be! Not to mention a much better witch!" He proceeded to hiss is usual insults in her ear as he continued to show just how little he cared for his only daughter. In his eyes she was a mistake that never should have been born.

Zentheya felt her anger beginning to boil as she clenched her fists, digging her nails into the palms of her hands in an attempt to control the strange power that she had inside. She knew she couldn't let a single sizzle of smoke appear (which had always proven rather difficult with her temper). She knew that he was only trying to lower her self-esteem even more than it already was, however due to the fact that she had inherited the famous Black Family stubbornness, she refused to provide him with the satisfaction.

"That is your opinion!" She hissed back, glaring at him. Everyone has that little, irritating voice inside their heads, the voice of reason, the sensible voice in your head that tells you when not to do something, when to stay quiet and not speak out against your violent, abusive father. Well at this very moment, that particular voice was screaming inside Zentheya's head and maybe she should have listened, just this once…

Orion's eyes darkened so they looked black and gave you that feeling that if he stared at you any longer the sooner you would become stone. He glared at Zentheya with a mix of complete disgust, disappointment and anger before smacking her violently with his dragon claw cane. The tips of the claw sliced her face as they dug into her cheek. The force of the impact sent her to the wooden floor of his study.

"Don't you ever speak to me like that again, you worthless brat!" He snarled at her. "Get out of my sight, until I have decided where to send you and what punishment you shall receive!"

Sharply picking herself up off the dustless, wooden floor, Zentheya refused to stay in his vial presence a second longer and hurried from his office. She could feel the blood beginning to leak from the fresh slice on her pale face and no doubt the bruising would only worsen over night. She was fuming, so angry that she didn't even notice her beloved twin brother, Sirius Orion Black III, who was waiting for her outside their father's study.

"Hey Ze! Ze, wait up!" His sudden voice pulled his sister from her thoughts as she angrily walked towards the old Victorian staircase. She could feel the tears of anger beginning to rise as she stopped on the third stair.

"What happened Ze?" Sirius inquired, the worry was evident within his voice. He was one of the few people that Zentheya knew she would be able to find comfort in since their little brother was never allowed out of his room whenever Orion was yelling at them. Zentheya felt one of her brother's pale hands close over hers. He never liked it when she stayed quiet for too long. It scared him. "Ze, talk to me! Please?" He pleaded.

Zentheya sighed heavily and turned to face her twin. "I got expelled form Beauxbatons for a prank that I didn't even commit!" That was all she had to say before the tears escaped her eyes and began mixing with the blood on her face as her mind began racing over what would happen now. 'What if he separated me from my brothers! What if I never saw daylight or food again! What if he kept me locked up inside my tiny room for the rest of my life with only my insane cousin to visit me!?' These single thoughts sent her into the strong, slightly-muscles arms of Sirius. "I-I don't know what's going to happen to me now! O-or where he'll send me, that is if he let's me out of the house!" She confessed to him, tightening her grip on his shirt just in case she was sent away. She didn't want to forget him.

"Hey wow! Ze sh! It's okay!" Sirius hushed her fears as he gently lifted his sister's chin so that he could assess the extent of the cut.

Zentheya watched as he frowned, his grey eyes darkening with anger as he gently dabbed away the blood. "That git! I won't let him hurt you again!" He promised her as he engulfed her in his arms, tucking her head under his head protectively. Despite being twins, Sirius was slightly taller than Zentheya, standing around six feet tall while she stood around five feet and five inches. They both knew that Sirius would never be able to keep that promise, but it still made her feel safe and loved.

"But Siri, what if he separates us?" She asked him worriedly, as she looked up at him. "I don't want to be separated from you Sirius!"

Sirius chuckled and pulled her back into the hug. "Oh please Ze! Mother would never let him do that! Merlin forbids that she would ever have to a lift a finger to look after even just one of us!" He smirked, taking his thumb and gently wiping away her tears, while trying to avoid the fresh cut.

Zentheya couldn't help but laugh as well. "Yeah, the only one she even slightly cares about is Reg…" She sighed thinking about the amount of pressure that their parents unfairly placed upon their little brother's shoulders. He was only twelve years old for Merlin's sake!

"We'll get out of here one day sis, I promise." Sirius promised, giving her a tight but gently squeeze.

She bit her lip, thinking about little Regulus Arcturus Black. Despite how differently the twins were treated compared to him, he was still their baby brother and Zentheya couldn't bare the thought of abandoning him here with their cruel and cold parents! "Siri, I don't want to leave Reg here, alone with them!" She told him.

Sirius sighed. "I know but…he doesn't get hit…" He reminded her, but he couldn't deny that he felt the same way. It hurt him every year when his brother didn't speak to him during school all because their father's spy Bellatrix was constantly breathing down his neck.

"They might start if we leave him here!" Zentheya added. With those simple words she could see Sirius' mind working over all the horrible scenarios that could happen if they left him.

"Alright! We'll take him with us then!" He said.

It made Zentheya smile as Sirius pulled her closer once more. The three of them would be okay…some day. It wasn't long before their sibling moment was ruined as two dark shadows cast over them. Bellatrix smirked cruelly at the twins as she knew that they were in for it big time. Orion never liked seeing the two of them comforting each other. As soon as they noticed him, they broke apart and Sirius automatically stepped in front of Zentheya ready to take the hit that was inevitably going to come.

"No! Sirius don't!" She pleaded with him, grasping hold of his forearm. She hated it whenever he got hurt because of her!

Orion's eyes narrowed at them. "What are you two doing?" He barked at them. His hand was ready strike when Sirius took the hit. It wasn't like it mattered to their father which one of them he hit, just as long as he hit one of them then he was satisfied. The force of the smack sent Sirius' face jerking to the side.

Zentheya's heart shot into her mouth as she seen the blood trickle from the corner of his mouth. "Bellatrix, take Zentheya to her room!" Orion ordered as he stepped towards us.

"Certainly uncle!" Bellatrix smirked as she began towards them. Sirius stood in front of Zentheya, refusing to let their crazed cousin past.

"Move Sirius!" Orion snarled, grasping hold of his shirt collar and shoved him against the wall.

Zentheya's grey eyes widened as she heard the awful thud that his head made as it hit the wall. "Siri!" She cried as she was about to go and help him when she felt one of Bellatrix's long nailed hands entangle in her black hair, yanking her backwards. She screamed in pain and surprise.

"Come on Zenthey, let's go and play!" Bellatrix hissed in her little cousin's ear as she apparated from the hallway just as Orion pressed his cane against Sirius' throat, holding him against the wall so that he couldn't help his sister.

Bellatrix reappeared milliseconds later inside Zentheya's cupboard sized bedroom, with her little cousin. The bedroom was only big enough to fit a bed and a wardrobe, however with her trunk and the rest of her school things, it made the room even smaller. "Let go of me Bella!" Zentheya cried as she was shoved into one of the bare wooden walls.

"Colloportus!" Taking out her curved twelve and three quarter inch wand with a dragon heartstring core, Bellatrix moved her hand graciously in an 'n' formation before violently flicking it down again as though to make an 'm', enabling her to lock the door of the bedroom. "Now it's just you and me Zenthey!" She cackled excitedly as she slowly and sinisterly began stalking towards her cousin with her wand pointed at her. "You've been a very naughty girl, Theya, I heard about your expulsion!"

Zentheya could feel her heart pounding violently within her chest as she began to back away from her unpredictable cousin, trying to find some way of escaping. She could feel her claustrophobia beginning to set in. "Accio wand!" Just as Zentheya made a grab for her wand that lay on her bed, Bellatrix summoned it to her.

"Sirius! Help me!" She yelled, as she knew that she was officially screwed.

"Carpe Retractum!" Bellatrix chanted, smirking while pointing her wand at Zentheya. As soon as the incantation had left her lips, a bright orange light shot from her wand and wrapped around Zentheya's arms, binding them to her sides before yanking her towards her cousin.

She fell to the dusty wooden floor of her small room unable to move. "Leave me alone you crazy fre– " Mocking Bellatrix was never a good idea. She knew a great deal of Dark Magic and wasn't afraid to break the rules…

Bellatrix' eyes darkened. "Don't be rude Zenthey!" She snarled. "Crucio!" A bright red light shot from her wand and hit the target.

She shrieked in agony as unimaginable pain surged through her small body. She really should have been used to this curse by now and yet no matter how many times it was inflicted upon her, the pain got worse. It felt like a million little white-hot knives were stabbing into every inch of her body. She was shrieking so much she was sure to rupture a blood vessel. Bellatrix smirked, satisfied with the screams that came from her cousin's convulsing form, it only grew as she seen tears streaming down her face. Bellatrix would never hold this curse on her target for any longer than a few minutes so that she wouldn't drive her cousin insane. Where was the fun in that?

"How about another scar, Zenthey!" She giggled excited as she bent down to Zentheya's gasping and twitching form as it lay weak on the ground, withering in pain. From the very first day that their cousin had been able to perform magic, Sirius and Zentheya had been her favourite practice dummies. She used every hex, jinx and curse that she knew how to cast. These had lasting effects on both targets. Sirius and Zentheya had developed tics, various muscle twitches that worsened with every hex or curse, especially the Cruciatus Curse. It was one of the three Unforgivable Curses.

Zentheya felt tears streaming down her face. She was in far too much pain to try and move away. She felt her vision becoming clouded as her claustrophobia started setting in and the pain starting to consume her along with panic as Bellatrix pinned her on the floor and began taking out her knife…

Meanwhile Orion dragged a struggling Sirius to his office by the collar of his shirt. He could hear his sister's screams of pain and it killed him. "Let me go! Leave her alone!" Sirius hissed and snarled as he squirmed against his father's grip. It was during times like this that he thought about his three best friends. They never knew what went on inside Grimmuald Place. He had never told them, partially due to the fear of the consequences not only for him, but also because he was ashamed. It was embarrassing! He believed they would think differently of him if they ever found out.

"Shut up!" Orion snarled at his first born as he threw him against his wooden desk.

Sirius gasped in pain as he whacked his head off the corner of the desk. "Stop it! She didn't do anything wrong!" He bravely defended his sister against his merciless father as he pushed himself up from the desk. His choice of words may not have been the best.

"What did you say?" Orion spoke through clenched teeth. His words were slow and his tone threatening.

Sirius swallowed and foolishly repeated his words. "She doesn't deserve to be punished! She didn't do anything wrong! It wasn't her fault!" He soon regretted his rebellious words as he felt the handle of his father's cane make contact with his right cheek, sending him to the wooden floor as a crack echoed through the room. He winced in pain as his cheekbone cracked.

"You ungrateful little mistake!" His father snarled as he pressed his foot into the back of Sirius' head, holding him on the ground. "How dare you speak to me like that, you should have been drowned at birth!"

Sirius could feel blood beginning to trickle from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to breathe. He was well aware that his own father didn't like him, but frankly he didn't care. In fact, for Sirius the feeling was mutual. Everything about his father he prayed that he would never become and hoped everyday that Regulus would never grow up like Orion.

Eventually Sirius felt the pressure being removed from the back of his head, but just as he was about to push himself up off the floor, Orion's cold hand closed over the collar of his shirt once more and roughly yanked him on to his feet before dragging him to his desk once more.

Slamming him down on the surface of the desk, Orion held him there with his hand on his throat, tightening his grip if his son so much as twitched. "Your useless sister got herself expelled and now I have to decided where to send her!" He hissed.

"Send her to Hogwarts," Sirius choked. "I'll keep an eye on her!" He couldn't bare to be separated from her for another year. Orion scoffed as he released his son, shoving him into the wall before walking back to sit behind his desk.

"You? Ha! You don't have the guts to raise your hand against her!" Sirius glared at him as he stayed by the wall. "However, if I send her to Hogwarts then she does have the chance of being sorted into Slytherin and then people can watch her…" Orion concluded, smirking villainously.

Sirius clenched his fists as he felt such hatred towards his father. It suddenly dawned on him that he could no longer hear his sister's screams, only the cruel amused cackles of Bellatrix. "Now, go and get your dinner! I have to speak with your mother and Bellatrix!" Orion's voice snapped him from his thoughts as he rose from his chair and started shoving his son from his office.

"What about Zentheya?" Sirius asked him. He could hear the creaking of his sister's bedroom door opening as Bellatrix was starting to leave. 'Now is my chance!' He thought to himself.

"Your sister doesn't deserve food!" Orion scoffed.

"Well then if Zentheya starves, so do I!" With those words said, Sirius wasted no time twisting out of his father's grip and racing up the staircase, dodging past his cousin before jumping over the threshold of the smallest room in the house. He could hear his father yelling abuse at him angrily, but he didn't care in the slightest. He was only concerned for Zentheya and he needed to look after her. "Ze?" Sirius called throughout the small room. Nothing. Until suddenly he heard the sounds of shaking sobs, turning sharply, he seen his dear sister huddled in the corner. His grey eyes widened at the state that she was in. Her arms were shaking with fear, her head was bleeding and he could see blood streaming down her twitching arms. "Ze! What did she do to you?" He quickly bent down beside her and tried his best to clean the blood up.

"No Bellatrix! Please, leave me alone!" Zentheya pleaded, still traumatised from the torture that she had endured.

Hearing her terrified voice made Sirius' heart ache as he took out his handkerchief and gently placed it against her bleeding head, carefully wrapping one of his arms around her trembling shoulders. "Sshh, Ze, she's gone! It's just me and you, okay?" He told her gently, speaking softly to her so that she knew that it was him.

Zentheya timidly looked up and a small smile spread across her blood stained face as she threw herself forwards into the comfort of her brother. "Oh Siri! I-I don't like it in here! I-I didn't mean to anger her!" She managed through her panicked gasps.

Sirius sighed as he pulled her closer and rubbed her back, soothing her gasps. "I know sis, Bellatrix is insane!" He reminded her, "Slow breaths Ze, let's leave yeah? Go and get some fresh air?" Sirius had learnt from experience that after all her panic attacks, the thing that Zentheya needed the most when she was in this state was fresh air. She hadn't always been like this, ever since Bellatrix first started torturing her inside this small room she had developed terrible claustrophobia. It broke his heart every time she had a panic attack.

Zentheya smiled at him as they stood up. She nodded, wiping away her tears and the blood. "We might as well, we'll get in trouble anyway!" She giggled smirking.

Sirius smirked. There was the mischievous and adventurous sister that he loved. "Alright, let's get you cleaned up first"

Once Zentheya was cleaned up, the twins crept quietly across the landing and over to an open window where they slid down the pipe like they had done a million times before. No one would believe that these two were from a proper family, let alone one with such riches as they raced through the busy streets, occasionally bumping into other witches and wizards as they made their way to Diagon Alley.

Diagon Alley had dozens of shops, some sold robes such as Madame Malkin's Robe Shop, while others sold telescopes and strange silver instruments. There shops selling quills like Amanuensis Quills, shops selling broomsticks like Broomstix, bookstores like Flourish and Botts, and even shops that sold pets like Magical Menagerie. This place as you can imagine had a shop for every magical needs, Ollivanders was defiantly one of the most popular shops as it was the place where every witch or wizard went to buy their wands, but it may not have been as popular as Quality Quidditch, the shop that sold all kinds of Quidditch supplies.

When they reached Diagon Alley, Sirius and Zentheya headed towards the South Side of Diagon Alley to visit their favourite sop, Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop. It was run by a man with a white beard and moustache and sold a wide variety of joke items and other items that had the sole purpose of entertainment. Zentheya and Sirius visited this shop every year to purchase their usual pranking items.

"Come off it Sirius! You did not win!" Zentheya laughed as they walked to Sugarplum's Sweet Shop. "You know that I bought more than you did and I beat you in our last contest!"

"You so didn't!" Sirius laughed in denial, nudging his sister playfully.

"I so did!"

This particular conversation carried on until they reached Sugarplum's Sweet Shop were they spent 1000 Sickles together purchasing their favourite sweets. Just in case their father decided to send Zentheya to Hogwarts, they decided to purchase some items that she would need for the new year. By the time they had finished it was coming near night time and they were just coming out of Madame Malkin's Robe Shop when Orion suddenly apparated in front of them. Zentheya gasped in surprise while Sirius swore when he seen how angry their father was.

"Where the hell have you two been?" He hissed at them with false care as the streets were busy and people were looking at them.

"Getting some fresh air and school stuff…" Sirius told him grumbling and not looking at him.

"Get home now! I thought I told you to stay in your room Zentheya," Orion snarled at her, ignoring Sirius.

"I needed to get some fresh air! It isn't like you ca – " Zentheya began but stopped as Orion discreetly grabbed her damaged wrist in anger, glaring at her threateningly. She whimpered in pain as a faint cracking sound echoed.

"Get home now!" Orion released Zentheya and apparated back to the house, knowing that his children wouldn't disobey him.

"Ze, are you alright?" Sirius asked her as he took up her wrist to examine it. Brilliant. It was bruised and starting to swell. He sighed knowing that he would have to bandage that for her later.

"I'm fine…let's just get home before he gets even more annoyed!" She suggested. Sirius nodded. He knew how much she hated being around their father, he felt the same way. There were times that he envied Regulus as he was treated like a king in comparison to them.

Orion waited patiently for the two disappointing attempts at Pureblood children. Zentheya had really pushed him to his limits this time. He had no other choice but to send her to Hogwarts! She better hope that she gets into Slytherin or she would be in for a world of pain when she came back for the Christmas Holidays.

Orion was suddenly pulled from his thoughts by the sound of the front door opening and closing. "Get in here you two!" He ordered them.

Sirius grumbled something inaudible while his sister sighed heavily as they stood before him. "I have had it with you Zentheya! You have tried my patience for the last time!" He snapped at her, beginning another one of his lectures. "You're lucky there was an opening at Hogwarts. You better not mess this up or you'll be receiving a very unpleasant visit from me. Do I make myself clear?"

Zentheya stayed quiet, not answering her father. He glared at her. "I said do I make myself clear?" He snapped loudly. The sheer volume caused her to jump and flinch. He smirked. She was always a bit more obedient after her time with Bellatrix.

"Y-Yes father…" She mumbled.

"And you Boy!" Orion turned his attention to the glaring boy at the other end of the room. "You better make sure you don't lead your brother astray or so help me Sirius! You have already been a major disappointment to this family! Both you and your sister have, the only hope left for us is Regulus!"

"Whatever!" Sirius mumbled under his breath. He had reached the point where he no longer cared what his father did to him.

Orion chuckled lowly under his breath as he rose from his seat and stalked over to him. Sirius thought that just because school started tomorrow that he was safe, he was so very wrong. Orion was swift to put him in his place with a vicious punch to his stomach, making him fall to his knees. "Don't you dare speak to me like that again!"

"Leave him alone!" Zentheya snarled as she went to help her brother who was holding his stomach on the ground, only to feel her father's hand snake up into her hair and grasp a handful of it, gripping tightly at the roots and yanked her back towards him. She cried out in pain.

"And you! Do not disappoint me or you will be so very sorry!" He threatened her as he tightened her grip. "Do you understand?" Zentheya screwed her eyes shot as he hissed in her ear before whimpering in pain as he yanked her head back roughly when she didn't answer.

"Ow!" She cried out making Sirius jump up. "Yes Father! I understand!"

Sirius soon forgot his own pain as he heard his sister's. "Stop it! Just leave her alone!" He snarled protectively as Orion released his beloved sister from his grip and threw her forwards. Sirius wasted no time in steadying her as she stumbled.

"Get out of my sight!" Orion dismissed them as he went back to his seat, going back to his work. "Make sure you cover your bruises, I don't want any questions!"