The safe house was quiet, but the silence felt unnatural forced, as though the house itself knew danger lurked just beyond its walls. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows against the stone, and the air was thick with unspoken tension. Everyone knew they were running out of time.

Harry lay still in his bed, his body heavy with exhaustion, but his mind restless. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her Bellatrix her wild grin, the glint of her wand, the pain she inflicted. His breathing hitched as he pushed the memories away. He couldn't afford to be weak. Not now.

Sirius had barely left his side since he woke. He sat now in the chair beside Harry's bed, arms crossed, gaze sharp and alert. He had been waiting for this waiting for the moment Bellatrix made her next move. She always did.

Across the room, Frank Longbottom stood near the window, watching the darkness outside. His presence was still strange to Harry. To see him awake, moving, speaking after so many years… it felt surreal. But Frank wasn't the man he had once been. There was something haunted in his eyes, something that told Harry he understood the weight of what was coming.

Neville sat nearby, watching his father with a mixture of awe and uncertainty. The past few days had been overwhelming, and yet, he had stepped into the fight without hesitation.

Remus entered the room, his expression grim. "We need to move tonight," he said without preamble.

Sirius straightened. "Already?"

"There's no choice," Remus replied. "We intercepted a message. Bellatrix knows Harry's here."

Harry forced himself upright, ignoring the way his body protested. "How?"

"Doesn't matter," Sirius said darkly. "We leave now."

Stevan entered, carrying a small bag of medical supplies. "Harry, I need to check your condition before we move. The last thing we need is you collapsing mid-Apparition."

Harry nodded, letting Stevan work while the rest of them prepared for departure. His thoughts spun wildly. Bellatrix was close. Too close. And she wouldn't come alone.

Bellatrix Lestrange stood at the edge of the forest, her dark eyes gleaming with anticipation. Behind her, a group of masked Death Eaters waited in silence, their wands at the ready.

"He's weak," she murmured, tilting her head as though listening to something only she could hear. "But still defiant. We'll break that soon enough."

Amycus Carrow shifted beside her. "The wards around the house"

"Will fall," Bellatrix interrupted smoothly. "We have ways." She turned, her smirk widening. "Our dear Harry won't escape this time."

She raised her wand, and the darkness seemed to pulse around her. The hunt had begun.

Stevan finished his check and stepped back. "He's weak, but he can move. Just don't push him too hard."

Sirius gave a sharp nod. "Then we go. Now."

Neville and Frank helped gather their things, while Remus reinforced the wards one last time. But even as they prepared, Harry felt it that cold prickle down his spine.

Then it happened.

The wards flared.

A shudder ran through the house as the protective spells trembled under an outside force.

"They're here," Sirius snarled.

Remus grabbed Harry's arm. "No time. We have to go!"

Bellatrix's laughter echoed from outside.

Harry clenched his jaw. The hunt had begun but this time, he wasn't going down without a fight.

The wards shimmered again, pulsing with magic as they resisted the outside attack. Harry felt the pressure in the air shift, the telltale sign of dark spells being hurled at the house. Bellatrix was out there waiting, taunting, savoring the fear she knew she caused.

Sirius had his wand out before anyone else, his stance tense. "They're not getting in." His voice was a growl, a promise.

Frank Longbottom moved beside him, years of lost time forgotten in the face of danger. He had only just come back to himself, but there was no hesitation in his movements. "They're testing the wards," he murmured. "Looking for a weak spot."

Neville swallowed hard, standing close to his father, but his grip on his wand was steady. "We should go before they break through."

Harry pushed himself upright, his breath coming too fast. His body screamed in protest, but he ignored it. He wouldn't let them take him again.

Stevan placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "You need to conserve your strength. We're moving, but not until we know it's safe."

A powerful crack split the night, and the house trembled. The wards were buckling.

"Damn it," Remus muttered. "They're getting through faster than expected."

Then, Bellatrix's voice sliced through the air, gleeful and mocking. "Harry, darling! You've been hiding for too long! Come out and play!"

Sirius tensed at the sound of her voice. His grip tightened on his wand. "I'll kill her."

"No," Remus said sharply. "We don't engage unless we have no other choice. Our priority is getting Harry out."

The wards trembled one last time then shattered.

A deafening blast rocked the house as the front door burst open, sending shards of wood flying. The Order moved instantly Remus casting defensive spells, Sirius and Frank taking position, Neville standing firm at his father's side.

Harry barely had time to react before Sirius grabbed his arm. "We're leaving. Now."

Stevan pressed a vial into Harry's hand. "Drink it. It'll help keep you steady."

Harry swallowed the potion without question. The moment it hit his system, a faint clarity pushed through the exhaustion clouding his mind. He forced himself to stand, gripping Sirius's arm for support.

From outside, Bellatrix laughed again. "Oh, are we running already?"

She stepped into the house, flanked by Amycus Carrow and two other masked Death Eaters. Her eyes gleamed as she spotted Harry. "I've missed you, little hero."

Before she could raise her wand, a jet of blue light shot toward her Sirius's spell. Bellatrix barely dodged, her grin widening. "Now, now, cousin, that's no way to greet family."

Sirius lunged, but Remus pulled him back. "We don't have time for this!"

Frank stepped forward, his voice even. "We're not letting you take him."

Bellatrix tilted her head. "Ah, Frank. Didn't expect to see you up and about." Her smile turned cruel. "Pity. You should've stayed broken."

Neville fired the first curse, rage flashing in his eyes. Bellatrix deflected it lazily, laughing.

Then the fight truly began.

Sirius and Frank engaged Bellatrix, while Remus and Neville took on the other Death Eaters. Spells flew, the room exploding with flashes of light and the sharp scent of burning wood.

Stevan gripped Harry's arm. "We're leaving now."

"I can fight"

"No." Stevan's voice was firm. "You're not strong enough, and if they get their hands on you again"

Harry didn't need him to finish the sentence. He knew.

Sirius caught his eye across the chaos and nodded. "Go!"

Harry hesitated but only for a second. Then, with Stevan's help, he turned and moved toward the back of the house.

Bellatrix noticed. "Oh no, you don't!" She flicked her wand, a curse flying toward them.

Sirius intercepted it with a shield charm. "Not this time, Bella."

Bellatrix's face twisted in frustration. "This isn't over."

With one last flick of her wand, she Disapparated, her remaining followers following suit. The fight ended as suddenly as it had begun.

Silence filled the ruined house.

Sirius swore under his breath. "She'll be back."

Remus exhaled. "Then we need to be ready."

Frank nodded, glancing at his son. "We'll protect him."

Sirius turned toward the back of the house, where Stevan was already helping Harry prepare for another relocation. He clenched his fists.

This wasn't over. Not even close.