The battle in the Death Chamber was frantic. Spells flew through the air, bursting into sparks and light. Harry, focused on his own duel, caught a glimpse of Sirius fighting a Death Eater, his wand moving quickly, dodging and counterattacking.
But in a moment, everything changed. A green flash lit up the air, and before Sirius could react, the Killing Curse struck him directly. The impact was immediate, and his body was hurled backward. Instead of falling to the ground, the mist rising from the stone arch at the center of the room began to pull him slowly into the darkness.
Before disappearing completely, Sirius turned his head toward Harry. Though clearly wounded, a small smile lit up his face.
Harry stood there, watching as his godfather, still smiling, was dragged by the mist into the void, until his figure vanished completely.
The battle continued around him, but for a moment, Harry remained still, processing what had just happened. Without another word, everything returned to action, but something in the air had changed.
Without thinking, he raised his wand and pointed it directly at Bellatrix.
"Expelliarmus!" he shouted in fury, but she dodged the spell with agile movement.
Bellatrix looked at him, amused, as if she'd been waiting for his reaction.
"Do you really think you can take me on, Potter?"
Harry's fury grew even more. He could think of nothing else but her, his godfather's smile, and what had just happened. Without a second thought, he advanced, ignoring the battle around him, casting curses with greater precision and speed. Each spell seemed powered by a blind rage.
"Confringo!" he yelled, and the spell exploded at Bellatrix's feet, forcing her to leap back from the flames.
She fired a spell at him, but Harry blocked it with a Protego and kept attacking.
Bellatrix, realizing Harry wasn't going to stop, began retreating, trying to distance herself from him. But Harry didn't let up. He followed her across the room, his footsteps echoing on the stone floor as spells continued flying through the air.
"Careful, Harry!" Hermione shouted, but he didn't hear her. He was entirely focused on Bellatrix.
The woman turned and, with a cruel smile, cast a Cruciatus Curse at Harry. The spell missed by inches, but its closeness only fueled his rage.
"Damn it!" Harry muttered, dodging quickly, then casting another spell — this time a direct Stupefy.
Bellatrix dodged with a laugh, but couldn't avoid being knocked back. Seeing that she could no longer avoid confrontation, the Death Eater turned and ran from the Death Chamber.
Harry didn't hesitate. With a cry of fury, he chased after her, leaving behind his friends and the battle. Every time Bellatrix advanced down the hallway, he gained on her, his steps fast and determined.
"You won't get away!" he shouted, his voice hoarse with rage.
Bellatrix turned a corner, and Harry followed immediately, not thinking of the risks. They entered a wide, dark hallway.
After a sharp turn, Bellatrix stopped in a small clearing in the corridor. With a cruel smile, she raised her wand and fired a glowing Cruciatus Curse at Harry. He reacted at once, raising his wand and casting Protego, blocking the spell, though the impact pushed him back.
"You're faster than I expected," Bellatrix said with a note of satisfaction, though the fury in her eyes remained.
Harry gave her no time to recover. With a shout of anger, he cast Expelliarmus with such force that Bellatrix barely managed to deflect her wand. The spell hit her squarely, disarming her and knocking her hard to the ground.
Breathing heavily, Bellatrix tried to get up, but Harry closed in quickly. He wasn't going to let her escape. He pointed his wand at her, unwavering.
"Wait, Potter!" Bellatrix shouted, trying to stand again, but Harry stared at her, his eyes full of fury and resolve.
Before he could fire the spell that would defeat her, a cold, sinister laugh echoed through the hallway. The atmosphere changed instantly, and a shadow detached from the walls, approaching with an oppressive presence. Harry felt pressure in his chest, like something dark was about to consume him.
From the shadow emerged Voldemort, gliding toward them with his wand raised and his red eyes gleaming with malice. The laughter faded, and the tension grew as he approached.
"Harry…" he said in his soft, serpentine voice, "you had the chance to avenge your godfather. Bellatrix killed someone important to you. Justice can't be done without consequences, can it?"
Harry clenched his teeth, wand steady in his hand. The temptation was strong. The hatred he felt for Bellatrix, for what she'd done, pushed him to finish it. But something held him back. He didn't want to be like them. He couldn't let himself be consumed by the same darkness as the Death Eaters.
Voldemort went on, his voice full of promise.
"Kill her, Potter! Avenge your godfather! The darkness will allow it. You're so close to victory. Just take the next step. The power will be yours."
Harry felt the urge, but Sirius's voice echoed in his mind: "Do it for yourself, Harry, not for revenge…"
His godfather's words brought clarity to the chaos in his mind. He wasn't going to give in to the temptation. He wasn't going to let anger control him.
With effort, Harry lowered his wand and pointed it at the floor.
"No. I won't do it," he said quietly, his face firm and resolved.
Voldemort let out a low laugh, dripping with contempt.
"You have more control than I thought, Potter. But it won't change anything."
And before Harry could react, Voldemort raised his wand toward him. A red flash lit up the corridor, and a deadly spell flew at Harry.
Just as Harry thought it would hit him, a golden glow surged between them. A beam of light intercepted the curse in midair, stopping it. Time seemed to freeze for a moment as the light faded.
Suddenly, Albus Dumbledore appeared in front of Harry, wand raised, a shimmering shield of protection surrounding him. With absolute calm, Dumbledore looked at Voldemort, who frowned, clearly annoyed by the interruption.
"That is enough, Tom," Dumbledore said, his voice calm but full of authority. Voldemort stared at him with disdain but cast no more spells.
"This game ends for today."
Dumbledore lifted his wand in a smooth motion, and Voldemort, realizing he couldn't win this time, decided to retreat.
He raised his wand and muttered a low spell, a spatial enchantment meant to take him away in an instant, fleeing the duel and Dumbledore.
But something strange happened. The spell had no effect. Voldemort frowned and repeated it, but again, nothing happened. He looked around, searching for an explanation, and then he realized something: the space itself seemed… sealed. It was as if an invisible barrier was restraining him, preventing him from leaving.
"What… what have you done?" Voldemort growled, glaring at Dumbledore in fury. He thought the old wizard was responsible for the interference.
Dumbledore, who had been watching silently, showed no surprise.
"It wasn't me," he said, eyes fixed on Voldemort but showing no tension.
"Someone else is blocking your spell."
Voldemort, enraged by the answer, wasted no time. He raised his wand and fired a Cruciatus Curse at Dumbledore, fury clearly written across his face. The spell lit the air, but Dumbledore blocked it with a simple Protego. The curse's energy rebounded against the corridor walls, making them tremble.
"Don't waste my time!" Voldemort shouted in anger. He fired a barrage of rapid curses at Dumbledore, each more destructive than the last, but the headmaster responded calmly, deflecting every spell with astonishing precision.
The battle between them intensified. Voldemort moved with speed, looking for any chance to overwhelm Dumbledore, but the elder wizard was always one step ahead, showing no sign of exhaustion.
Still, Voldemort wasn't ready to surrender. With a swift movement, he raised his wand and conjured Fiendfyre — a serpent of fire slithering rapidly toward Dumbledore. The infernal flames began devouring the air around them with terrifying heat.
Dumbledore raised his wand in an elegant motion, creating a barrier of air that momentarily halted the flames. Amid the chaos of the battle, Voldemort couldn't help but cast a frustrated glance at Dumbledore.
"I won't let you go, Tom!" said Dumbledore, as he blocked an Avada Kedavra with a Protego.