Pain.
That was the first thing Harry felt as consciousness clawed its way back into him.
It wasn't just pain it was agony. A deep, bone-deep throbbing that pulsed through every nerve, every inch of his body. His head pounded like he had been hit by a Bludger, his limbs felt wrong, stiff and sluggish like they weren't fully under his control.
He tried to move, but his body refused. Something rough and unyielding dug into his wrists ropes, tight and enchanted. His arms were wrenched back, forced into a position that made his shoulders scream in protest. His legs, too, were bound at the ankles, the circulation slowly being cut off.
He was trapped.
A wave of cold dread crashed over him. His heartbeat quickened.
Where was he?
His vision swam as his eyelids fluttered open, only to be met with flickering torchlight. The dim, dancing glow barely illuminated the stone walls that surrounded him a dungeon.
The musty air was thick with dampness, the faint metallic scent of blood lingering beneath it. Somewhere nearby, water dripped in a slow, rhythmic pattern, the sound echoing in the oppressive silence.
Memories hit him all at once.
The alley. The ambush. Bellatrix's twisted smile. The unbearable, blinding pain of the Cruciatus Curse.
A shiver crawled down his spine. How long had he been here?
Footsteps.
Harry stilled, forcing himself to breathe through the ache in his ribs. The footsteps were light, slow, deliberate not many people, just one.
And then, a voice.
"Awake already?"
Bellatrix.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.
She stepped into the light, a smirk curling her lips, her wand twirling idly between her fingers. The firelight made her eyes gleam with an almost feverish delight.
"You lasted longer than I expected," she mused, tilting her head. "I was beginning to think I'd have to be more creative."
Harry forced himself to stay silent, to not give her anything.
Bellatrix sighed dramatically. "No witty comeback? No defiant little quip? How disappointing."
She crouched in front of him, so close he could smell the faint traces of fire and something metallic blood.
Her wand trailed along his jawline, the touch featherlight but filled with unspoken malice.
"Let's try this again," she purred. "Where does the Order meet?"
Harry let out a breath through his nose, leveling her with a glare. "Go to hell."
The slap came fast.
A sharp crack echoed through the stone walls as her palm collided with his cheek. His head snapped to the side, a sharp sting blooming where her rings had cut into his skin.
Bellatrix's breath hitched, her grin widening. "Oh, I do love your spirit, Potter. It makes breaking you so much more fun."
She stood abruptly, her wand flicking toward him.
"Crucio."
The world shattered.
Fire ripped through his body, scorching every nerve ending, twisting and writhing inside him like living things trying to claw their way out. His back arched involuntarily, muscles spasming, his throat burning with the effort of not screaming.
Bellatrix laughed.
"You can't hold out forever, little boy," she cooed, lifting the curse just long enough for him to gasp in a ragged breath. "Sooner or later, you'll be begging to tell me everything."
Harry clenched his teeth, forcing himself to focus on anything other than the lingering pain. He tried to summon anger, tried to let the heat of defiance burn away the weakness, but it was hard so hard when his body felt like it was falling apart.
Bellatrix circled him like a vulture, her voice a cruel whisper in the dim light.
"Tell me, do your friends even know you're missing? Do you think they'll come for you?"
Harry didn't respond.
She tsked. "Maybe they will. Maybe they won't. But I wouldn't count on it. The Dark Lord has eyes everywhere, Potter. Your precious little Order? They're losing. And when they fall, I wonder" she leaned in close, her breath warm against his ear "will they scream as sweetly as you?"
His stomach turned, bile rising in his throat.
"You're lying," he rasped.
She only smiled.
"Let's see how long you can last," she said simply, lifting her wand once more.
Pain.
Over and over again.
The curses came in waves, sometimes sudden and brutal, sometimes drawn out and meticulous.
Bellatrix played with him. Sometimes she'd stop just long enough for his breathing to even out, for the pain to dull only to strike again when he least expected it.
Bellatrix exhaled, almost disappointed. "No answers yet? A shame."
She turned to leave, pausing at the door. "I'll give you some time to think, darling. But don't worry I'll be back soon."
And with that, she disappeared, leaving him alone in the suffocating silence.
Harry slumped forward, chest heaving. His body was wrecked, his mind fraying at the edges. But he was still here.
Still fighting.
And no matter what Bellatrix did, she would never take that from him.