HARRY POTTER :Rebirth in Time.

The halls of Hogwarts were alive with whispers, students sensing the rising tension between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Harry could feel it in the air—something was coming. Malfoy wasn't going to stay quiet for long.

Sitting in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione poured over a thick, leather-bound tome on magical relics, the firelight reflecting off her furrowed brow. Ron fidgeted beside her, tapping his wand against his knee in a steady rhythm of nervous energy. Daphne stood near the window, gazing out over the castle grounds as if expecting an ambush at any moment.

Harry paced, his hands clenched into fists. "We have the amulet locked up, but Malfoy's going to try something. He's not going to let this go."

Daphne snorted. "Of course not. He's too arrogant to admit he lost. He'll come for it—he always does."

Hermione sighed, rubbing her temples. "We need more than just waiting. If Snape's right, destroying the amulet requires a sacrifice, but… there has to be another way. We just haven't found it yet."

Ron groaned. "Brilliant. So we sit here and hope Malfoy doesn't hex us in our sleep?"

Harry shook his head. "No. We take the fight to him. Find out what he's planning before he acts."

Daphne turned from the window, her smirk sharp. "You want to lure him out."

Harry nodded. "Exactly. We make him think the amulet is still with us. If we keep moving, he'll have no choice but to follow."

Hermione bit her lip. "That's risky, Harry."

Ron looked doubtful. "And what if he calls in those 'reinforcements' you mentioned?"

Daphne shrugged. "Then we deal with them. Slytherins don't like direct confrontations. We just have to make it messy enough, and they'll scatter."

Harry's determination solidified. "We'll move tonight. Hermione, you and Ron will watch the common room and act like nothing's changed. Daphne and I will take the amulet's decoy and see if we can draw Malfoy out."

Ron frowned. "Are you sure about this, mate?"

Harry nodded. "We don't have a choice. We need to end this before it goes any further."

That Night – The Castle Corridors

The castle was bathed in darkness, the flickering torchlight casting eerie shadows across the ancient stone walls. Harry and Daphne moved quietly through the corridors, the fake amulet tucked safely in Harry's pocket.

"Where exactly are we leading them?" Daphne whispered as they crept down a deserted passageway.

Harry's eyes scanned the shadows. "The Astronomy Tower. It's isolated, and we can control the space better."

Daphne arched an eyebrow. "You do realize Malfoy might have already figured that out?"

"Let's hope he takes the bait."

They turned a corner, their footsteps echoing off the stone. Suddenly, a whisper of movement caught Harry's ear. He froze, holding out a hand to stop Daphne.

"Potter," a voice drawled from the shadows.

Draco Malfoy stepped into view, his wand raised, his silver eyes glinting with malice. Behind him, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson followed, flanking him like a well-rehearsed formation.

"I was wondering when you'd show," Harry said, his grip tightening on his wand.

Malfoy smirked. "Did you really think you could just waltz off with what's mine, Potter? Hand it over, and maybe I won't hex you into next week."

Daphne stepped forward, her own wand at the ready. "Hate to break it to you, Malfoy, but possession is nine-tenths of the law."

Blaise sneered. "You're awfully brave, Greengrass. But we both know you can't keep up this act forever."

Harry ignored the banter, focusing on Malfoy. "You want it? Come and get it."

Without warning, Malfoy cast Expelliarmus! Harry deflected it just in time, sending a retaliatory Stupefy toward him. The duel erupted in a flash of light, curses flying back and forth across the narrow corridor.

Daphne fired a stunning spell at Pansy, who yelped and ducked behind Blaise, countering with a slicing hex that just missed Daphne's shoulder.

Harry pressed forward, dodging Malfoy's curses and striking back with practiced precision. "You'll never get your hands on it, Malfoy," he taunted, blocking another hex.

Malfoy gritted his teeth. "We'll see about that."

Just as the fight intensified, a deafening explosion rocked the corridor. The walls trembled, and a thick cloud of dust filled the air. Harry staggered back, coughing.

"Harry!" Daphne shouted, grabbing his arm. "We need to move—now!"

They sprinted through the haze, darting through a hidden passage as shouts echoed behind them.

"Get them!" Malfoy's voice roared, but Harry and Daphne were already gone, disappearing into the winding corridors.

Back in the Gryffindor Tower

Hermione and Ron stood anxiously by the fireplace when Harry and Daphne burst through the portrait hole, breathless and covered in dust.

"Did it work?" Hermione asked urgently.

Harry nodded, collapsing onto the couch. "Yeah. They took the bait. But they're more determined than I thought."

Ron sighed in relief. "Well, at least we know they're still after it."

Daphne dusted herself off and shot Harry a smirk. "You know, for a guy with no Slytherin in him, you're not bad at deception."

Harry grinned. "I learn from the best."

Hermione cut in, frowning. "We can't keep doing this, Harry. It's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt."

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "I know. That's why we need to finish this. If we find out where Malfoy's getting his information from, we can cut him off completely."

Daphne tilted her head thoughtfully. "You think he's working with someone outside Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded. "Snape mentioned that dark magic like this doesn't work alone. Malfoy's being fed information—and I intend to find out from who."

Hermione sighed, closing her book. "Then tomorrow, we'll start digging deeper into Malfoy's connections. If there's an outside source, we'll find it."

Ron groaned. "Brilliant. More sneaking around."

Daphne smirked. "Welcome to the dark side, Weasley."

Harry leaned back in his chair, his eyes on the amulet's decoy still resting in his pocket. He had bought them some time—but it wasn't enough.

Something told him that the real battle was only just beginning.

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