Chapter 363

When Harry quietly returned to school from the sky, he found the roof of the Room of Requirement still open, where members of Dumbledore's Army—those who had struggled to find brooms and truly wanted to go out—sat gathered, gazing expectantly at the heavens.

So much had happened tonight; the children began joking and preparing for a celebration, some asking about Gringotts, others about the battle in the forest. Harry sat among them, smiling, but thoughts of the mishap involving Sirius made him restless.

"Harry," Hermione whispered, "come with us."

In a quiet, empty corridor, Harry, Ron, and Hermione gathered together. Hermione pulled a black velvet bag from her robe and said softly, "What should we do with this cup?"

"What?" Harry frowned. "Didn't Donald ask you to get the cup?"

"Yes, he told me to get it and find a way to destroy it," Hermione said, troubled. "But he also said Voldemort turned the cup into something deeply evil—I'm afraid I can't destroy it easily."

"Then let's go to the Chamber of Secrets?" Ron suggested.

"No need," Harry realized vaguely that Donald didn't want the cup—it had become a hot potato, like Bella. "Destroying it would only escalate things. Whether the cup exists or not, Voldemort cannot be resurrected."

"If you don't want to destroy it," Hermione opened the bag and glanced inside, "how do we store it?"

Harry was about to say they could keep it with the diadem, but he quickly noticed the Room of Requirement was currently in use by other students.

Just as they fell silent, Snape emerged from the Headmaster's office. His expression was calm, but Harry sensed it wasn't truly so.

"What are you doing here?" Snape said coldly. "Why are you still awake at this hour?"

"Professor, I must tell you something," Harry said, his voice tight. "Donald asked Hermione and Elina to retrieve the cup."

Snape narrowed his eyes and immediately noticed the bag in Hermione's hand. "Is it here?"

"Could you perhaps hold it for us?" Harry sensed Snape's caution and replied with equal subtlety.

"Fine. Then you must come to my office, Potter," Snape glanced at the door behind Harry. "Explain why there's such commotion in the Room of Requirement right now."

Ron said nothing, only cast a cautious glance at Snape. Hermione hesitated, then handed the bag to Harry. They watched as Snape led Harry

"Before criticizing your foolish actions, we must first deal with the mess your godfather caused." Snape waved his wand and closed the office door. "Rodolphus is preparing a rescue by force—he may breach Northern Ireland at any moment."

"It wasn't intentional—he told me the traitor turned on him—" Harry tried to defend himself.

"So you've already met him, and heard his excuse." Snape sneered. "Didn't he think to assign a trusted subordinate to handle this?"

"Now, take my hand." Snape glanced at him. "We're going there first."

"Alright, but—I need to know if you succeeded?" Harry couldn't help asking before grabbing Snape's sleeve.

"I succeeded, and no one noticed me. I returned late because—" Snape's voice carried a hint of anger—"the Minister rushed over the moment he heard Bellatrix was captured, and he assumed I came to discuss it too. I was forced to attend their stupid meeting—the Ministry had no ideas, only suggested sending Bellatrix to Azkaban, perhaps because they themselves feel it's become a public lounge where anyone can come and go."

Harry had just grasped a fleeting insight when he felt a wave of dizziness—and suddenly found himself and Snape standing in Sirius's parlor, where Sirius immediately rose from the sofa and led them out.

"I just thought of a plan," Sirius said as they walked. "We can strike a deal with Bellatrix—take her ransom as the reason to release her."

"Then when she goes to Gringotts for the ransom, she'll discover the cup is gone!" Snape objected.

"Gringotts already knows—Donald's people caused a scene there," Harry explained, sounding guilty.

"Idiots." Snape dismissed them without hesitation. "I shouldn't have expected anything better from you."

"At least Harry caught a big fish," Sirius said.

"Yes, and my order to him was to stay in his dormitory and not give the enemy any opening."

"We need to go down," Sirius opened a metal door, changing the subject.

"I just thought—we release Bellatrix but keep Delphini behind," Harry had an idea. "We must send word to Rodolphus that both are alive. Nothing is more credible than Bellatrix herself. That gives us our excuse to let her go."

"Keeping Delphini also serves as leverage over Bellatrix," Sirius mused. "And Delphini is still a child—we can teach her proper values."

"I don't think you're capable of teaching her anything proper," Snape snorted. "Once this is settled, I plan to send her to a Muggle family. When she comes of age in the Muggle world, we'll bring her to Hogwarts."

Harry thought the idea wasn't bad—he'd grown up in the Muggle world himself. It had helped him shed prejudice, broadened his perspective, and even aided his magical studies with Muggle knowledge.

"It's terrifying—he wants to send Delphini to the Muggle world? How cruel! A vile scheme, ultimate humiliation, chilling. If the boss associates with this man, won't it be dangerous?"

Sirius ignored the murmurs of the gang members entirely, striding swiftly through several storage rooms until they reached Bellatrix's prison.

It was a room like a bedroom: on a large bed lay a delicate little girl, while once-proud Bellatrix sat dazed on a chair beside it, bound tightly with ropes.

"Release her," Sirius whispered.

Suddenly, Bellatrix's eyes snapped clear. Upon seeing Harry, she immediately twisted into a furious expression.

"I knew it! I knew it!" she shrieked. "You bastards, you vile creatures—you want to humiliate me with this whore's bastard? Never! Avada—"

"Sectumsempra." A calm voice came from the corner. Bellatrix instantly returned to her vacant stare.

"You'd better use that spell less, Gordon," Sirius said. "It only makes her more agitated. Free her first. If she still causes trouble, switch to Petrificus Totalus."

Harry finally turned his gaze to the guard watching Bellatrix—a broad-shouldered man with square-rimmed glasses, looking stern and unsmiling.

Gordon nodded steadily, then released the Imperius Curse again.

Bellatrix gasped for air, glaring wide-eyed at Sirius, her face full of defiance.

"We're letting you go," Sirius said. "But Delphini stays."

"I take her with me, or I don't go," Bellatrix sneered.

"The Ministry's position is they're willing to re-imprison Bellatrix in Azkaban," Snape said. "At least that confirms she's still alive."

"We won't harm Delphini," Harry suddenly added—perhaps moved by the child's sleeping face. "She's… in a way, my sister."

"I don't believe three men can care for her properly," Bellatrix seized this as leverage. "Only I can—only I, her mother. If the Dark Lord returns and finds her suffering—"

"We have women who can care for her," Harry countered, instantly thinking of Tonks.

"If the Dark Lord returns and finds his daughter living with an ordinary family, he'll punish you all," Bellatrix pleaded urgently.

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Snape gently stopped him—and uttered a name both familiar and strange: "Cassandra."

Bellatrix froze, mouth half-open, silent for a long moment.

"Now that we've found her, we won't let you—a mistress—taint the Dark Lord's bloodline. Give up your delusions," Snape perfectly embodied a power-hungry Death Eater. "I advise you to cooperate with us. At least then you'll avoid Azkaban."

"No, I don't believe it. How could you find her?" Bellatrix shook her head, refusing to accept it. "Narcissa and I searched for so long—we couldn't find her. It's impossible."

"She lived in Tianchao," Snape said confidently. "Now, Regulus has secretly brought her to Gilneas. We've been watching her for a long time."

Harry was speechless—he guessed Snape's "Cassandra" was still Tonks. The familiar plot: last time, he'd invented a fleeting affair for Albus; now, he'd invented a childhood sweetheart for Voldemort. Coincidentally, the fool in both stories was the Lestrange.

"No, no—he loved me most. He loved me most…" Bellatrix's eyes glazed over, her body slumped, as if all spirit had been drained.

"Make your choice: cooperate with our plan willingly, or endure Azkaban first—and then cooperate anyway?"