Disclaimer for entire fic: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does and I am merely playing in her world.

Author's Note: This first chapter contains some abuse. If you do not like it, then do not read.

Theo did not say a word as his father silently grabbed his arm and Apparated them out of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Once in their house, a house-elf was ordered to bring Theo's trunk upstairs to his room. Mr. Nott then dragged his son to the study, where he snapped, "I am most displeased with you, and so is the Dark Lord. Who was that girl you were kissing on the platform, Theodore?"

"That was Mandy Brocklehurst, my girlfriend," answered Theo defiantly. "Her parents are Muggleborn."

His father's face turned red and he shouted angrily, "You will end all contact with her at once! Now, for your behavior at Hogwarts! Even the Dark Lord is aware of this so-called group called Unity, which stresses inter-house cooperation. Half of the group is composed of halfbloods and filthy mudbloods, and of those that are pureblood, half of them are considered blood traitors. You will have nothing more to do with the group! But all will be forgiven if you tell me everything about it and all secrets it has, Theodore. Other than the one that James Lydell-Black is really Harry Potter, as the Dark Lord already knows about that due to the information one of his loyal Death Eaters and spy told him."

"I'm not telling you anything," retorted Theo. "I took a vow to be loyal to Unity and not reveal any secrets it has, and I'm not about to break it."

Mr. Nott struck him hard on the face. "You will pay for your defiance! Now go to your room and tomorrow I will further deal with you. You will tell me everything!"

Theo spat at his father. "Nothing you can do will ever induce me to betray my friends."

"How dare you!" roared Mr. Nott. He magically removed the spit from his robes and then pointed his wand at his son. "CRUCIO!"

Theo was instantly enveloped in pain beyond anything he had ever felt before. He bit his lip to keep from screaming, but didn't have much success and after two seconds gave in. When the curse was removed, he found himself on the floor, his body twitching and tears of pain streaming down on his face. "Pathetic idiot," muttered Mr. Nott. Then in a louder tone, he snapped, "Now get up and go to your room, Theodore, and think upon this. Perhaps this has convinced you of your futility to resist me, and you will tell me everything tomorrow."

Theo got to his feet, wincing slightly from the pain he was still feeling, and leveled a glare at his father before turning and heading upstairs to his room. Once there, he locked the door and threw himself upon his bed. Nothing, short of perhaps Veritaserum and a powerful Imperius Curse, would induce him to betray Unity in any shape or form. Even if he were tortured into insanity like Neville's parents he still wouldn't say anything.

There was a movement in the painting above the mantle of the small fireplace in the room. "Theo, what has happened?" asked the portrait of his mother.

Theo sat up and told her everything. She gave a sigh when he was done. "I am so sorry that I am no longer here to protect you, Theo. Though I doubt that even alive I could do anything of use. As you know, ours was an arranged marriage, and we had no real love for each other. And I lacked the courage to elope with someone else like my friend Andi did. He paid enough attention to me to ensure that I got him an heir, and after that ignored me other than to make sure that I presented the perfect picture of a proper pureblood wife."

"It's all right, Mother," responded Theo. "You loved me and cared for me, like Father never did, and raised me to be good and kind and to not look down at Muggleborns and all. Yes, Father did corrupt me somewhat after your death when I was ten, but going to Hogwarts and joining Unity undid all that and I was reminded of everything you'd taught me."

"Be careful, though," warned Mrs. Nott. "He is a Death Eater, and is not above hurting his own son in order to get information. He will stop short of killing you or permanently injuring you beyond magical help, since you are his heir and he has no real desire to remarry and have another child at the moment, but that's all."

"I will, Mother. But I'm still not going to obey him."

"I would be very disappointed if you did. Now, tell me how your school year went. Besides the fact that You-Know-Who returned and three of your friends witnessed it."

For the next hour, Theo did as asked. Halfway through, the family house-elf appeared with a tray of dinner. Theo thanked her, and she timidly told him that his father was still in a bad mood and was planning to do his best to get his son to talk. Despite his brave front, Theo couldn't help a shiver of fear, and though he wasn't religious, sent a prayer to every deity in existance for strength and guidance. He went from God that Christians, Muslims, and Jews worshiped, to the Goddess Selene, to the gods and goddesses of Hinduism that Padma and Parvati believed in, to the ones in Greek, Roman, Norse, Celtic, and Egyptian mythology that he knew of, and even Buddha.

The next morning, about an hour after breakfast, Mr. Nott appeared in Theo's room. "So, have you decided to behave?"

"I'm not leaving Unity, and I'm not telling you any of the member's secrets!" snapped Theo.

"Pity," said Mr. Nott. "It appears my Cruciatus Curse yesterday had no affect on you. Well, I will break you!"

"Leave Theodore alone!" cried Mrs. Nott from the painting over the fireplace. "He's a perfectly fine young man."

"Shut up, Crysanthea, and stay out of this, or I'll burn your portrait," retorted Mr. Nott. "Theodore, lie face down on your bed at once."

Theo did so and a second later, his father hit him on the back, hard, with a cane. He clenched his fists and bit his lip to keep from crying out in pain. A stifled sob came from the painting. More blows rained down. He stuffed a corner of his pillow in his mouth to stifle his cries of pain and just focused on getting through it.

When the caning finally ended, Mr. Nott snapped, "Well, has that convinced you to talk?"

Despite the pain, Theo managed to glare up at his father and, after removing the pillow, said through gritted teeth, "I am not betraying Unity." He then shifted his gaze to the painting and saw his mother mouth, "Be strong, Theo. I love you."

"You will talk!" snapped Mr. Nott, raising the cane againe. He proceeded to give Theo another beating. After it was over, he still refused to say anything. Losing all patience, Mr. Nott pulled out his wand and did the Cruciatus Curse. Combined with the two hangings, this hurt worse than the one yesterday, but Theo still stubbornly kept his mouth shut. After two more, Mr. Theo finally gave up in frustration. "Maybe the Dark Lord will loosen your tongue. I will take you to him tomorrow. He will be pleased to have someone who has information on Harry Potter and his two friends. You will get the Dark Mark and serve the Dark Lord." With that, he left the room.

Theo gazed up at his mother's painting. "I can't do this! It's one thing to stand up against my father and another to stand up to You-Know-Who. He'll get everything out of me eventually. Mother, maybe I should just run away like Sirius Black did to escape all this."

"That is an excellent idea," said Mrs. Nott. "Peridot!" When the house-elf appeared, Mrs. Nott continued, "Would you please heal my son from what just happened? And when you're done, could you please fetch the small portrait frame from the attic? The one with the blank canvas, Peridot."

Peridot did as asked. Once Theo felt well enough to get up, Mrs. Nott moved into the small frame. "Pack me in your trunk, Theo, along with anything else in this room that you want." Once he had done so, he grabbed the handle of his trunk and Flooed to Mari's house. Mrs. Hirashi looked horrified when she heard what had happened to Theo.

"Well, you are certainly not going to go back there. However, you cannot stay here, for if your father gets wind of the fact that you are here, he could demand your return, and as ambassadors of Japan, I would have to give in. You may stay here tonight, though, and I will make arrangements for you to stay at Sirius's house."

"Why can't I go there now?" asked Theo.

"Well, Sirius offered the use of his house as headquarters for a group dedicated to fighting against You-Know-Who, and the location is under the Fidelius Charm. Professor Dumbledore is the Secret-Keeper, so I will have to ask him to give you the location so that you may stay there for the summer. With all the protections on the house, it should keep you safe enough from your father. Now, let us get you to the guest room."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hirashi." Theo got up and followed Mrs. Hirashi upstairs.