Chapter 194: "The Fugitives' Dilemma"

In a hidden cave on the outskirts of Hogsmeade, four figures huddled around a flickering fire. The dancing flames cast eerie shadows on the rough stone walls, creating an atmosphere of tension and foreboding. If Harry had seen the place, he would have found it familiar, as this was the very cave Sirius had used to hide when he stayed at Hogsmeade in another timeline.

The escaped Azkaban prisoners - Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan Lestrange - looked up as Peter Pettigrew scurried in, transforming from his rat form with a soft pop. They were in much better condition now, having made a pit stop at Lestrange Manor and changed into new, more presentable robes. However, the haunting effects of their long imprisonment in Azkaban were still evident in their gaunt faces and the hollow look in their eyes.

"Well?" Bellatrix demanded, her wild eyes glinting with a manic energy that seemed to crackle in the air around her. "What news from the castle, Wormtail?"

Pettigrew's face was pale, his hands trembling slightly as he spoke. Sweat beaded on his forehead, a testament to the fear that gripped him. "We... we may need to reconsider our plan to attack Potter and Longbottom at Hogwarts. It's not going to be as easy as we thought."

Before he could continue, Bellatrix leapt to her feet, wand in hand. Her sudden movement sent sparks flying from the tip of her wand, illuminating her crazed expression. "Reconsider? RECONSIDER? We don't have time for caution! I want to finish the Dark Lord's mission NOW!"

Rodolphus grabbed her arm, forcing her to lower her wand. His touch seemed to calm her slightly, though the wild light in her eyes remained. "Bella, calm yourself. Let's hear what the rat has to say."

Pettigrew swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously. "It's... it's Harry Potter, the elder Potter. He's using the Marauder's Map."

The Lestranges exchanged confused glances, but Pettigrew pressed on, his words tumbling out in a rush. "It's a magical map we created back in school. It shows everyone's location in Hogwarts. He nearly caught me with it tonight."

"And why didn't he?" Rabastan asked, frowning. His voice was calmer than his brother's or Bellatrix's, but no less intense.

"I was in the walls," Pettigrew explained, wringing his hands. "The map doesn't show those. But if I'd been in the open, he'd have found me for sure. Also, the locket you gave me hid me from the boy's detection spells."

Bellatrix's eyes narrowed dangerously. "So what? We get rid of the boy first, get the map, and then we can easily use it to get our hands on the younger Potter and Longbottom."

Pettigrew hesitated, visibly wilting under Bellatrix's fierce gaze. "There's more. I've heard rumors in Hogwarts... apparently, he's the Under-17 Dueling Champion. He is also an apprentice of Professor Flitwick, the Duelling master. I don't have the confidence to take him on."

As he finished, Bellatrix's face contorted with a mixture of rage and excitement. "So what if he can duel? He's just a kid. We're the Dark Lord's most faithful! We'll storm the castle, take what we need, and kill anyone who stands in our way!"

Rabastan shook his head, exchanging a worried glance with his brother. "Bella, think. Our wands are temporary and unreliable. We cannot use our full strength with these. If we rush in and this Harry Potter or the Professors interfere-"

"THEN WE'LL KILL THEM TOO!" Bellatrix shrieked, her eyes bulging. Her voice echoed off the cave walls, making them all wince. "We'll kill them all! For the Dark Lord!"

Rodolphus stood, placing himself between Bellatrix and the cave entrance. "No, Bella. We can't risk it. Not yet."

Bellatrix turned on him, her wand raised. The air crackled with tension as magic sparked at the tip of her wand. "You dare stand in the way of our Lord's mission? You coward!"

"It's not cowardice, it's strategy," Rabastan interjected calmly, though his hand moved subtly towards his own wand. "If we fail, we're no use to the Dark Lord. We need to be smart about this."

For a moment, it seemed Bellatrix might curse them all. The cave fell silent, save for the crackling of the fire and Bellatrix's heavy breathing. But slowly, the wild light in her eyes dimmed slightly. She lowered her wand, though her body still trembled with barely contained energy.

"Fine," she spat, her voice dripping with venom. "What do you propose?"

Rodolphus turned to Pettigrew, who flinched under his gaze. "You'll go back. Watch Harry Potter. Learn his routines and his weaknesses. But be careful - if he has the map, one wrong move and you're caught."

Pettigrew nodded, looking terrified at the prospect. His eyes darted towards the cave entrance as if contemplating fleeing then and there.

"We'll wait," Rabastan added, his voice steady and calculated. "Gather more information. When the time is right, we'll strike. Fast and hard, before Potter or anyone else can interfere."

Bellatrix snarled, pacing the small cave like a caged animal. Her movements were jerky and unpredictable, a physical manifestation of her unstable mental state. "The Dark Lord won't be pleased with this delay."

"The Dark Lord will be less pleased if we fail," Rodolphus countered firmly, standing his ground despite Bellatrix's intimidating presence.

As they began to refine their plans, the tension in the cave was palpable. Bellatrix's barely contained madness, the brothers' cautious plotting, and Pettigrew's obvious fear created a volatile mix that threatened to explode at any moment.

Meanwhile, back in his dormitory at Hogwarts, Harry was blissfully unaware of the plans being made against him. He had no idea that the fugitives knew about him and were plotting to deal with him. Even if he had known, it's unlikely his actions would have changed. In fact, he would have welcomed their attack with open arms, seeing it as an opportunity to lure them out of hiding and into his trap.

Harry's more immediate concern was how Pettigrew had vanished from the Marauder's Map. There was no way he could have missed him, which meant the map wasn't as foolproof as he had believed. This realization unsettled him, forcing him to acknowledge that he couldn't put his complete trust in the magical parchment. He would have to be even more cautious, even within the supposedly safe walls of Hogwarts, to avoid being caught off guard.

With no new names appearing on the map, Harry gave it one last glance before deactivating it and preparing for bed. He knew Pettigrew would return, and next time, he was determined to be quicker.

The next few days passed without incident. There were no Pettigrew sightings, and Harry found himself at a loss for how to proceed. The idea of waiting for the fugitives to act and hoping to reach them in time when they were exposed wasn't ideal, but it seemed to be his only option at the moment.

The presence of Dementors patrolling the castle grounds further restricted his movements. He couldn't freely search for the fugitives in his spare time because of them. While he was capable of fighting them off, doing so would cause a commotion that would undoubtedly alert the fugitives and cause them to flee.

Despite the looming threat, Hogwarts was far from quiet during this time. The Quidditch season had begun, driving out some of the gloomy atmosphere that had settled over the castle. Harry observed that the Dementors seemed agitated by the sudden surge of positive emotions emanating from the excited students.

Although Harry himself wasn't particularly interested in this year's Quidditch season, he couldn't help but notice the fervor with which the teams were preparing. The Gryffindor team, in particular, was pushing themselves to the limit. This was their captain Oliver Wood's last season, and he was determined to secure the Quidditch Cup before graduating. However, they faced stiff competition. All the house teams were exceptionally strong this year, with Marcus Flint, the Slytherin captain, also in his final year and equally desperate for a victorious send-off.

As the drama of the Quidditch season unfolded, the presence of the Dementors began to fade into the background of most students' minds. Days flew by in a flurry of classes, homework, and Quidditch practice, and before anyone realized it, Halloween had arrived.

Harry felt a sense of foreboding as the holiday approached. He knew something was going to happen on Halloween. Sirius attacks the Fat Lady's portrait in the books to get to Pettigrew. But in this altered world, where the target of the fugitives was likely Charles, rather than the rat Animagus, Harry couldn't be sure what to expect.

As the Halloween feast approached, Harry found himself on high alert. Harry was determined to be ready for whatever was going to happen.