Narcissa knocked tentatively on the door, quietly calling "Bella?"
There was no reply. She took a breath, then entered her sisters room.
Though Narcissa was barely five, she knew what was happening was wrong. Yes, punishments must be given to learn from ones mistakes, but the punishments needed to match the crime.
Breaking a century old vase did not merit the cruciatus.
She stepped over all of the broken toys scattered around the room to reach her big sister. Bellatrixs' normally curly hair was drenched in sweat, her lip bitten through. "Bella? Are you okay?"
Bellatrix laughed, and Narcissa stepped back in fright. That wasn't her sisters laugh. Bellatrix had a laugh that made everyone smile; this was broken. Hysterical.
Mad.
Bellatrix looked up, and her once shining eyes were empty.
Narcissa fought back tears. "I'm so sorry, Bella," she said quietly. "I broke it, not you. Why did you say you did? You knew what Father would do."
Bellatrix stopped laughing, and stared at her little sister. "You're so little," she said in a sing-song voice, rough from screaming. "You would break. I'm bigger, so I wont break!" She laughed again, and Narcissa let the tears fall.
Her sister took her punishment to protect her.
Her big sister went mad for her.
"Don't worry, Bella," Narcissa said quietly, with determination. "This will never happen again." She resolved to learn every cleaning and repairing spell she could. To make sure her father never found another excuse to hurt her or her sisters.
It was time for her to step up, and be the big sister.