Meanwhile, blissfully unaware of the danger approaching, the Gryffindor students were making their way back from the feast. Charles walked with Ron and Hermione, while Neville trailed slightly behind, listening to Seamus recount a particularly funny moment from the feast.
"Did you see Nearly Headless Nick's reenactment of his botched beheading?" Seamus laughed, his Irish accent thick with mirth. "Brilliant stuff, that."
They stepped off their moving staircase onto their floor, but before they could move to the corridor, figures emerged from the shadows ahead. The laughter died in their throats as they realized who stood before them.
Bellatrix Lestrange stood in the center, her wild hair framing a face twisted with malice. Flanking her were Rodolphus and Rabastan, their wands already drawn and pointed at the group of students.
"Well, well," Bellatrix cackled, her voice echoing in the suddenly silent corridor. "If it isn't the Boy-Who-Lived, little Longbottom, and some cute little Gryffindors. How convenient."
The students froze, terror etched on their faces. Neville, in particular, paled at the sight of the woman who had tortured his parents into near insanity.
"Now, now, no need to look so frightened," Bellatrix cooed, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "We're just here to... finish an unfinished job." Her eyes fixed on Charles and Neville, a predatory gleam in their depths.
Charles, to his credit, stepped forward, placing himself between the Death Eaters and his friends. Following his lead, Neville stepped forward too, though his legs were visibly shaking. The others remained frozen in fear, their wands forgotten in their pockets.
"I won't let you hurt anyone else, monster," Neville said, his voice trembling but determined.
'Longbottom?' repeated Bellatrix, and a truly evil smile lit her gaunt face. 'Why, I have had the pleasure of meeting your parents, boy.'
Neville was visibly shaking now, a mix of anger and terror battling across his face. Bellatrix's aura of insanity was overwhelming, seeming to fill the corridor with a palpable sense of dread.
Bellatrix raised her wand, aiming at Neville. "I don't have much time, but who says you can't have some fun on the job? I'll let you experience what your parents felt that night. Crucio!"
The curse flew towards Neville, who stood frozen in terror. But before it could connect, a massive slab of concrete materialized in its path, absorbing the spell and crumbling to dust.
Harry Potter stood before the students, his wand raised and a look of grim determination on his face. He had not arrived at the nick of time, as stories often portray. He had been there for a minute or two, using the time to cast protective wards and traps in the area to ensure that the missing Pettigrew could not meddle in his fight with the Lestranges.
Now, although Harry had not completed his preparations, seeing Neville in danger, he had jumped in to save him.
"That's the end of the road for you, Lestranges," Harry said, his voice cold and confident. "It's back to Azkaban for you."
Bellatrix's eyes widened in surprise before narrowing dangerously. "The elder brother is here to save the day. It looks like the rat failed in one of his objectives. No worries, I can finish his job too."
Harry's lip curled in a smirk. "If you were Voldemort, I might be worried. But just you three with second-hand wands? It's better if you surrender. It can help avoid the embarrassment of getting your butts kicked by a 16-year-old boy."
'You dare speak his name?' whispered Bellatrix, her voice filled with a mixture of awe and rage. It seemed she had not heard Harry's mocking words, fixated instead on his casual use of Voldemort's name.
'Yeah,' said Harry, maintaining his confident demeanor. 'Yeah, I've got no problem with saying Vol—'
'Shut your mouth!' Bellatrix shrieked, her face contorted with fury. 'You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-blood's tongue, you dare -'
The enraged Bellatrix cast the first spell, a jet of red light shooting from her wand. The two Lestrange brothers, equally furious, followed her lead, their own curses flying towards Harry.
What followed was a duel unlike anything the Hogwarts students had ever witnessed. Spells flew thick and fast, the air crackling with magical energy. The corridor lit up with flashes of various colors as curses, hexes, and charms collided in midair.
The Lestranges, true to their reputation, fought with a savage intensity. Their spells were designed to maim and kill, dark magic that left scorch marks on the walls and floor where they missed their target.
But Harry was more than a match for them. His wand was a blur as he cast shield charms, conjured objects to absorb deadly curses, and returned fire with his own barrage of spells. He was constantly moving, placing himself between the Death Eaters and the students, ensuring no stray curse could reach the terrified onlookers.
Despite facing three opponents, Harry held his ground. All the while, he hoped the professors would arrive soon. With these students around, he couldn't go all out and take out the three Death Eaters. He had to spend some of his strength to protect these bystanders from the Unforgivables. Any mistake could lead to death.
"Run!" Harry shouted over his shoulder, deflecting a Killing Curse with a conjured mirror. "Get to safety!"
But the Gryffindors, true to their house's nature, didn't flee. Instead, they began to fight back, casting whatever spells they knew at the Death Eaters.
"Stay back!" Harry shouted, frustration evident in his voice. "I don't need your help. Get to safety! That way I can go all out without worry."
Their help was hurting him instead of helping. Now he had to be careful of any stray spells from these inexperienced students hitting him or inadvertently shielding the Death Eaters from his attacks.
From the expression of anger on Harry's face, the Gryffindors finally got the message and stopped helping. They decided to run to safety, though Charles and Neville hesitated, clearly torn between fleeing and staying to help.
Rodolphus, seeing the students attempting to escape, snarled, "That won't do."
He was about to cast a large-scale spell to block the fleeing students, but Harry, anticipating this, quickly said, "You're too late. The professors are just a floor below. In a few moments, it's back to Azkaban for you three."
Truth be told, Harry didn't know if the professors were nearby. It was a bluff, a desperate attempt to buy time and protect the escaping students.
But the bluff worked. The Lestranges, aware that Harry had a special map that could see everyone's location in the castle, believed he was telling the truth. They exchanged quick glances, silently communicating their next move. Then, Rabastan made a sharp gesture with his wand.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, an explosion rocked the corridor behind them, sending debris flying and filling the air with dust.
Harry, having learned from the earlier explosion, didn't fall for this distraction. He trusted his wards and traps to slow down Pettigrew, who he suspected was behind him and had caused the explosion.
The Lestranges had turned to run, but Harry wasn't about to let them escape so easily. He sent a barrage of bone-breakers and blasting curses at their retreating forms. The Lestranges blocked some spells, but others found their mark. Despite the pain, the three didn't stop, disappearing around a corner in their desperate bid for freedom.
Harry didn't follow. He could have pursued the Lestranges, but he was worried about the explosion and Pettigrew. If he left here, Pettigrew might go after the students. For their safety, Harry had to stay put.
"Is everyone alright?" he asked, his eyes scanning the group for injuries. The Gryffindors looked shaken but unharmed, staring at Harry with a mixture of awe and gratitude.
Before anyone could answer, the sound of running footsteps announced the arrival of the professors. Dumbledore was in the lead, his usually twinkling eyes now sharp with concern. They came from the Gryffindor tower side and not from downstairs, which struck Harry as odd.
From the other side, more professors arrived at the same time. It looked like Harry's bluff had been true after all. Had the Lestranges waited a minute longer, they could not have escaped. Harry quickly removed the traps he had set earlier.
"Mr. Potter," the Headmaster said, taking in the scene of destruction. "What happened here?"
As Harry explained the situation, he learned why help had been so long in coming. Not only had there been the explosion in the dungeons, but the portrait of the Fat Lady had also been attacked.
"It seems Pettigrew attempted to enter Gryffindor Tower," Lupin explained, his lips pressed into a thin line. "When the Fat Lady refused him entry, he slashed her portrait in a rage."
The realization dawned on Harry. The attack had been carefully planned, with multiple distractions to keep the professors occupied while the Lestranges went after their real targets.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he regarded Harry. "Good job protecting these students, Mr. Potter. It looks like your study under Filius is going well. You will be a force to be reckoned with in the wizarding world."
Harry replied modestly, "I'm not there yet, Professor. My aim is to be strong enough to be in control of my destiny. There's still a long way to reach that goal."
That was a veiled message for Dumbledore, but Harry didn't see any reaction to indicate whether the Headmaster had understood the subtext.
After a visit to the hospital wing to check for injuries, the students were escorted back to their dormitories, including Harry. The corridors were eerily quiet, the usual Halloween cheer replaced by a tense silence as the reality of what had transpired began to sink in.
With a heavy sigh, Harry entered the Ravenclaw tower. He assumed there wouldn't be another direct confrontation with the Death Eaters in the near future because he had hurt them quite badly. They would need a healer to take care of their injuries, which would likely force them into hiding for some time.
As the common room came into view, Harry saw it was full of students, all eyes turning to him as he entered. He knew the night for him was not over yet. With another sigh, he stepped towards them, bracing himself for another round of interrogations. It was moments like these that made him miss the days when he acted in secret. He wouldn't have had to deal with things like this and the aftermath.