The tension in the safe house had reached a boiling point. Every hour that passed felt like another second stolen before the inevitable attack. The Order had reinforced the wards, doubled the watch rotations, and even considered moving Harry again, but they all knew one thing Bellatrix would not stop hunting him.

Sirius stood near the window, his wand gripped tightly in his hand. He hated feeling like this trapped, waiting for the enemy to make the first move. Harry was still recovering, but that didn't mean he was safe. If anything, it made him more of a target.

Frank Longbottom sat beside Neville, his fingers drumming against the armrest of the worn-out chair. He was still adjusting to being awake again to being part of this world after so long but he wasn't about to sit idly by while the woman who destroyed his life tried to do the same to Harry.

"She's not after anyone else," Frank finally said, breaking the silence.

Sirius turned to him. "What do you mean?"

Frank exhaled, his expression grim. "She's not after the Order. She's not after revenge for her fallen allies. This isn't about the war." He looked at Sirius, then at Harry, who was listening quietly.

"She wants him."

Neville frowned. "But why?"

Frank's jaw tightened. "Because she failed to break him completely before. She did everything she could, but Harry still survived. To someone like Bellatrix, that's unacceptable."

Harry's hands clenched into fists in his lap. He already knew that. He had felt it the way Bellatrix had spoken to him the last time they faced each other. It wasn't just hatred. It was fixation.

Sirius let out a sharp breath. "So what? She's obsessed with finishing the job?"

Frank nodded. "She won't stop until she does."

The weight of his words settled over them all.

Doctor Stevan, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, finally stepped forward. "Then we need to be smarter. Bellatrix thrives on chaos, on fear. If she thinks she has the upper hand, she'll press forward without hesitation."

Remus leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "And if we take that from her?"

Stevan's expression hardened. "We turn the trap on her."

Bellatrix stood in the shadows of an abandoned alleyway, watching, waiting. She could feel it the moment drawing closer.

The wards were stronger now, but that didn't matter. They had their weaknesses. And Harry Potter? He was still just a boy.

A boy she was going to break.

Rodolphus stepped up behind her. "Everything is in place. We just need the opening."

Bellatrix's lips curled into a slow, wicked smile. "Oh, we'll have it."

She turned, her dark eyes alight with something feral.

"Let's make them believe they've won."

Alecto Carrow leaned against the damp brick wall, arms crossed. "The wards are strong. If we force our way in, the Order will be ready."

Bellatrix turned her head slightly, her dark eyes gleaming. "Who said anything about forcing?"

Amycus let out a low chuckle. "You have something else in mind?"

Bellatrix exhaled, her fingers trailing along the rough surface of the wall. "Fear makes people weak. Makes them sloppy." She turned to face them fully. "And our dear Harry Potter? He's weak. He's vulnerable. He's waiting for us."

She took a slow step forward, her voice barely above a whisper. "We let them believe they've won. Let them think they've outmaneuvered us. And when their guard slips when they believe they've found true safety that's when we strike."

A wicked grin stretched across her face.

Amycus' brow furrowed. "And how do we make them think that?"

Bellatrix let out a soft, delighted laugh. "We give them something to believe in. A whisper of misinformation. A staged retreat. A deliberate mistake."

Rodolphus nodded, catching on. "Make them think we've given up."

Bellatrix tilted her head. "Let them breathe. Let them relax. Let them run." Her smile sharpened. "And when they finally stop running when they finally believe the danger has passed…" She flicked her wand, and a nearby crate exploded into splinters.

"We will be there."

A moment of silence stretched between them before Alecto let out a low, impressed hum. "Devious."

Bellatrix's eyes gleamed. "Always."

She stepped forward, her wand twirling between her fingers. "I want watchers on every possible safe house. Every possible retreat. We track their patterns, learn their weaknesses. If we can't break Potter's body, we'll break his spirit."

Her gaze darkened, voice dripping with malice.

"This time, there will be no escape."