Sirius's pulse raced as he stepped outside into the night air, the chill doing nothing to dampen the fire building inside him. His hands trembled with the need to act, to find Harry before Bellatrix could do anything else. He couldn't, wouldn't let his godson suffer anymore.
As he moved swiftly down the path outside the Burrow, Frank and Stevan fell into step behind him, their faces grim. There was no time to waste. No room for hesitation.
"We need to get to the safe house. That's where she'll take him," Frank said, his voice steady but heavy with dread.
Sirius nodded sharply, the weight of Frank's words sinking in. Bellatrix would want to make Harry pay. She'd take him somewhere.
Sirius turned back to Frank and Stevan, his thoughts swirling. The room felt suffocating, the air thick with the aftermath of Bellatrix's attack. The portal was gone now, leaving only a lingering sense of dark magic that twisted in the air. His heart still hammered in his chest, but his focus sharpened. He had failed. Again.
But he couldn't afford to dwell on it. Not now.
Frank, still reeling from the curse that knocked him down, was already pushing himself to his feet. His face was pale, sweat beading on his brow, but his expression was firm. He knew what needed to be done.
"We can't waste time," Frank said, his voice hoarse but determined. "We need to move. Now." He glanced at Stevan, who nodded in agreement, his own resolve hardening.
Sirius clenched his fists. His thoughts turned to Harry where had Bellatrix taken him? He couldn't afford to hesitate, to second-guess. Harry was out there, and Bellatrix wasn't going to stop. She never did.
"We need to regroup," Stevan added, wiping his brow as he looked around, ensuring there were no other hidden threats in the cabin. "Find out where she's taken him and make sure we're ready to go after her."
Sirius's jaw tightened. "We don't have the luxury of regrouping. We go now. I'm not going to let her get away with this." His tone was sharp, final. He knew the risks. They all did. But Harry's life was hanging in the balance, and he wasn't about to stand by and let Bellatrix slip through his fingers.
Frank gave a short nod, agreeing without words. They had no time to waste.
"Let's get to the Floo Network," Frank suggested, already moving toward the door. "It's our best bet to get to the nearest safe house."
Sirius followed closely behind, but his thoughts remained focused on one thing: Harry. He had to find him. He would find him. No matter what it took.
As they made their way to the Floo connection, Stevan's voice broke the tense silence. "Bellatrix didn't come alone," he said, his tone low. "She's had help. It's likely that others are still out there. We need to be prepared for anything."
Sirius nodded, his mind working through the possibilities. Bellatrix was dangerous enough on her own, but if she had reinforcements, they were in for a hell of a fight.
"We'll deal with whatever comes," Sirius muttered, determined. "But we don't waste time. Harry's already been through enough."
The thought of his godson being held captive, the suffering he had endured under Bellatrix's hands it gnawed at Sirius's insides like a poison. He wanted to rush headlong into the fight, to storm whatever dark place Bellatrix had taken Harry, but he knew better. Rushing in blindly wouldn't help Harry. Not now.
They reached the Floo Network, and Stevan immediately began the incantation to connect them to the closest safe house. The green flames flared brightly, casting strange, distorted shadows across the room.
Sirius took one last look around, making sure they weren't being followed before stepping into the flames, followed closely by Frank and Stevan.
The world spun in a dizzying blur as the Floo connection whisked them away. A split second later, they emerged into the familiar, welcoming warmth of the safe house. It was a small, secluded building, hidden deep within the countryside. The moment they stepped into the room, the smell of wood and warmth filled Sirius's nostrils.
But there was no comfort here not yet. Not until Harry was safe.
Stevan immediately went to the fireplace, throwing a pinch of Floo powder into the flames and speaking in low, urgent tones to make contact with other members of the Order. Frank and Sirius stood nearby, their eyes locked in silent agreement there would be no rest until Harry was found.
Sirius couldn't sit still. He paced back and forth, every movement laced with barely contained frustration. His mind replayed Bellatrix's face her sick, twisted grin, the cruel way she'd taken Harry away from them. It was as if everything that had happened before had led to this moment.
Frank stepped up beside him, his voice quieter now. "We'll find him, Sirius. We'll bring him back."
Sirius nodded sharply, but the weight in his chest felt like it would suffocate him. "I'll kill her if I have to. I won't let her hurt him again."
Frank placed a hand on Sirius's shoulder, his grip steady but firm. "We'll stop her before it comes to that."
Sirius opened his mouth to respond, but just then, Stevan turned away from the fireplace, his face grim. "They're gathering forces. The Death Eaters are moving more than I expected."
Sirius's heart skipped a beat. "What does that mean?"
"It means," Stevan said carefully, "they're planning something bigger. And we need to move quickly if we're going to stop it."
The tension in the room deepened. Sirius could feel the weight of the decision bearing down on them. They could sit here and plan, but time was slipping away. They had to find Bellatrix before she disappeared into the shadows for good.
"We need to move. Now," Sirius said again, his voice colder now, the fire of determination burning brighter in his chest. "I'm not losing him again. We find Harry, and we end this."
Frank nodded, as did Stevan. There was no more discussion needed.
They had a job to do.
And Sirius would stop at nothing to make sure Harry didn't become a casualty in this endless war.
Harry's head was spinning, the world around him a blurred haze of dark shapes and muffled sounds. His body ached, every muscle and joint screaming in protest as he struggled to regain full consciousness. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming or worse, trapped in another memory. But the sharp sting of pain that ran through him reminded him that this was no dream.
His eyes slowly opened, and the dim light of a cold, stone room greeted him. He was lying on the floor, the rough surface scraping against his skin. His hands were bound tightly to his sides, and his heart raced as his mind started to catch up with the terrifying reality of his situation.
Bellatrix.
The name echoed in his mind like a curse, the memory of her twisted, sadistic smile flashing before his eyes. He could feel the remnants of her magic surrounding him, a heavy, oppressive force that seemed to pulse with her malevolent intent.
"Awake at last," a voice purred from the shadows, and Harry's heart stuttered. It was her.
Bellatrix Lestrange stepped into his line of sight, her wild hair a dark halo around her face. She looked almost serene deliriously calm as if she had all the time in the world. Her robes were dark and flowing, and the gleam in her eyes was unmistakable she was enjoying this.
Harry tried to lift his head, but the effort was too much. His body felt like it was made of lead, and his strength was draining away by the second.
"Feeling weak, Potter?" Bellatrix asked, stepping closer. Her voice was venomous, every word dripping with malice. "You should. You don't deserve to be strong not after what you've done."
Harry grit his teeth. She was toying with him, dragging out his suffering, just like she always did. He tried to speak, but his throat was dry, the words catching before they could leave his lips.
Bellatrix chuckled softly, as though she found his struggle amusing. "Don't try to speak, boy. You're in no condition to argue. Not this time."
She knelt down beside him, her face only inches from his, her eyes gleaming with madness. "You should know, Potter, that I don't intend to leave you alive for long. The Dark Lord has given me the freedom to finish what I started... and I intend to enjoy every moment of it."
Harry's breath hitched. He knew she wouldn't kill him quickly. No, she would make sure that every second of his pain was prolonged, that every moment he spent in agony would feel like a lifetime. She had always been like that.
She leaned closer, her lips brushing against his ear. "The thing is, Potter," she whispered, "you're not as important to me as you think. You're not the one I'm truly after. I'm just... the appetizer."
Harry's mind raced, trying to make sense of her words. Who could she be referring to? He wanted to ask, to press her for answers, but his mind was still sluggish, and his body was too weak to make any move against her.
But Bellatrix was already gone, her laughter lingering in the air like a haunting melody. She disappeared into the shadows again, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts and the growing, gnawing dread that something much worse was coming.
Sirius and the others were already halfway to the safe house when Stevan's voice had interrupted the quiet tension of the journey.
"They've taken him somewhere," Stevan had said, his face grim as he spoke. "I don't know where yet, but the magic they've used it's strong. They're trying to hide him."
Frank, who had been unusually quiet up until that point, clenched his fists, his jaw working as he processed the information. "Bellatrix won't stop," he muttered, his voice low. "She'll drag this out as long as she can. She won't leave him alone."
Sirius's stomach churned. His thoughts went back to Harry his godson was still out there, alone, trapped with one of the most dangerous witches in the world. There was no time to waste. They needed to find him before Bellatrix could do whatever she was planning.
But even as they made their plans, something gnawed at the back of Sirius's mind something he couldn't quite put his finger on. It wasn't just Bellatrix's cruelty that worried him, it was something darker, more insidious.
He knew they couldn't waste time. But he also knew that rushing in without a plan was exactly what Bellatrix wanted.
Back in the dark, cold chamber, Harry's head was spinning as he struggled to stay awake. He could feel the distant thrum of magic, though it was faint—it was almost like Bellatrix had been feeding off his fear. But what did she really want? What was she planning to do with him this time?
His thoughts were interrupted when the door creaked open again, and he braced himself for more of Bellatrix's torment. But this time, it wasn't her who entered the room.
It was a figure cloaked in black, their face hidden beneath the hood of their cloak. They stepped forward, and Harry's pulse quickened, his instincts telling him that something was different about this visitor.
The figure knelt beside him, and he felt a cool touch on his forehead, a brief moment of comfort. "Harry," a soft voice said, barely a whisper.
Harry's heart skipped a beat. He knew that voice. It wasn't Bellatrix. It was someone... familiar.
"Sirius," he rasped, his voice barely a whisper.
A soft chuckle escaped the figure's lips, but it wasn't cruel. It was warm, full of emotion. The figure leaned closer, and Harry felt the familiar comforting warmth that he so desperately needed.
"I've got you," the figure said, their voice filled with both love and relief. "Hang on, Harry. We're coming for you."
Harry's breath caught in his chest. He couldn't be sure if it was a dream or reality, but for a brief moment, he felt hope. A flicker of it, at least. He wasn't alone.
But that hope was short-lived. Bellatrix's footsteps echoed in the corridor outside the room. Harry's heart skipped, the fear returning as quickly as it had left.
The door swung open, and there she was—Bellatrix, her dark eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction.
"Did you think you could escape, Potter?" she hissed, her voice dripping with venom.
Sirius's voice, low and fierce, cut through the tension. "Not if I have anything to say about it."
The door slammed shut as the room plunged into darkness again, the sound of approaching footsteps growing louder.
This was only just beginning.