The room was cold, shadows clinging to the corners, the air heavy with dark magic. Harry stood in the center, his heart pounding, his wand gripped tightly in his hand. The walls of the Burrow seemed to fade around him, twisting into darkness, a void that swallowed all light.

He wasn't really here. Not in the physical sense. Hermione's spell had drawn him into his own mind, to face the curse lurking within. Ron and Ginny were nearby, their hands on his shoulders, anchoring him, their presence a faint warmth at the edge of his consciousness.

But here, in this place, he was alone.

And she was waiting.

Bellatrix emerged from the shadows, her figure hazy, unreal, yet her smile was sharp, cruel. Her eyes gleamed with dark delight as she circled him, her voice soft, taunting.

"You came to play, Potter... How brave." Her laughter echoed, cold and hollow, sending a chill down his spine. "Do you really think you can defeat me? I'm in your mind... your fears, your doubts... they feed me."

Harry swallowed, his jaw tightening. "You're just a shadow. You're not real."

Bellatrix's smile widened, her eyes gleaming with madness. "Real enough to break you.

Real enough to watch you fall... over and over again." She waved her hand, and the darkness shifted, swirling around them.

Images burst forth, vivid and cruel-Ron and Hermione lying motionless on the floor, their eyes empty, lifeless. Ginny's scream echoing as she was pulled into the shadows, her face twisted in pain. Hogwarts burning, ruins collapsing, his friends buried beneath the rubble.

Harry's heart seized, his breath catching as the scenes played out, brutal and unrelenting. His fears, his nightmares, brought to life.

Bellatrix's laughter echoed, circling him. "You can't save them, Harry... You never could." Her voice lowered, dripping with malice.

"Everyone who loves you dies... because of you."

His chest tightened, her words striking deep, twisting the knife of his guilt. He saw Sirius falling through the veil, Dumbledore plummeting from the Astronomy Tower, Fred's lifeless form in the Great Hall... All because of him.

"No..." His voice was hoarse, shaking. "That's not... It's not my fault..."

Bellatrix's smile widened, her eyes flashing.

"Isn't it? You were there, Potter... You led them to their deaths. You brought them into this war." Her laughter curled around him, suffocating, relentless. "You were too weak to save them... Just like you're too weak to save yourself."

The darkness pressed in, cold and heavy, her words sinking into his mind, into his soul.

Despair coiled around him, thick and suffocating, dragging him down. He could feel her presence, growing stronger, feeding on his pain, his fear.

The darkness pressed in, cold and heavy, her words sinking into his mind, into his soul.

Despair coiled around him, thick and suffocating, dragging him down. He could feel her presence, growing stronger, feeding on his pain, his fear.

He was losing.

"No!" A voice cut through the shadows, fierce and bright. Ginny's voice. Her warmth flooded through him, chasing away the cold.

"Don't listen to her, Harry! She's lying!"

His heart jolted, the spell anchoring him to his friends, their strength flowing into him. He felt Ron's steady resolve, Hermione's fierce determination, Ginny's unwavering love. They were with him, even here. He wasn't alone.

Bellatrix's face twisted, her form flickering, the shadows rippling. "No... I am your fear, Potter. Your weakness."

Harry straightened, his grip tightening on his wand, his courage igniting. "You're nothing.

Just a ghost, feeding on my guilt. But I'm done blaming myself." His voice grew stronger, steady. "I'm done being afraid of you."

The shadows shuddered, Bellatrix's smile faltering. Her eyes blazed with fury. "You can't defeat me!"

Harry's gaze was fierce, unwavering. "Watch me."

Light erupted from his wand, brilliant and blinding, flooding the darkness. It surged forward, crashing into Bellatrix, her form dissolving, her screams echoing as she was consumed by the light.

The shadows shattered, the cold receded, warmth rushing in. The images faded, the darkness melting away, leaving only light.

Harry stood alone, his breath ragged, his heart pounding, the curse broken. The weight lifted, the echo of Bellatrix's voice fading, powerless.

He opened his eyes to find himself back in the Burrow, Ginny's hands on his shoulders, her eyes wet with tears. Ron and Hermione were beside him, their faces pale, anxious.

"It's over," he whispered, his voice raw. "She's gone."

Relief flooded their faces, their arms wrapping around him, holding him close. He felt their warmth, their love, and for the first time since the torture, he felt truly free.

The shadows were gone.

Bellatrix was gone.

And he was finally home.