Peter hated everything about this cave.
He hated the cold that seeped up from the stone and crawled beneath his skin.
He hated the damp stink of moss and rotting leaves.
He hated the rats—Merlin, did he hate the rats.
He chewed one now, tearing into the stringy meat with bitter resentment.
Previously he'd spent an entire decade getting spoiled rotten by the Weasley family, getting fed all manner of home cooking, being able to steal sweets and the like all he wanted.
But now... now he was nothing more than an escaped convict, living on the lam.
Across the cave, Carrow brother and sister bickered as they tried to light a fire with damp wood, their stolen wands sputtering uselessly.
Bellatrix didn't bother helping—she sat on a jagged rock, knees drawn to her chest, rocking slightly with manic irritation she wanted to be the one to go to their lords side, but she lost the lottery and Barty was the one selected to return first.
Peter swallowed his rancid mouthful.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
The plan had been simple.
Elegant, even.
Slip into Hogwarts under the cover of the forest… seize the Potter boy…
kill the Snape whelp…
leave a message…
vanish.
He wrung his hands so hard his nails dug small crescents into his palms.
Except…
Except for one thing.
One massive, impossible, absolutely insufferable thing.
A sound echoed in his mind.
A roar.
A bone-shaking, mountain-splitting roar that still rang in his ears.
Peter shuddered violently.
Alecto muttered, "Bloody hell… I'm not goin' near that castle again. Not with that thing prowling the grounds."
Amycus spat into the dirt. "Who in their right mind keeps a dragon outside a school?"
Bellatrix's laugh was sharp and brittle. "Oh, little pet… that wasn't just a dragon."
Her grin twitched violently. "That was a guardian. A ward in flesh. Fully grown and battle ready no less."
Peter curled inward.
He remembered flames—white-green and unnatural—licking the treeline as the creature descended.
Wings capable of clapping the air like thunder.
Eyes like living furnaces.
Its roar along made his legs give out, preventing him from running away as fast as he could.
"We lost the element of surprise," Bellatrix hissed. "We lost our cover."
Peter felt his stomach twist.
The Dark Lord would not forgive failure.
"We regroup," he insisted quickly. "We… we watch. We wait. We look for openings. There must be a time when the beast sleeps or—"
"Or we get another way into the castle," Amycus snapped. "Your the animagus, just go rat already and slip inside, find a way to get the brats outside where we can freely target them!"
Bellatrix's eyes flickered with something… dangerous.
"But we do not abandon the mission. Oh no. If Hogwarts has a dragon…" Her lips curled. "…that only makes victory sweeter. Just think if we can bring that bestie home with us for the dark lord!"
Peter wished, desperately, to be anywhere else.
But he was trapped.
Cornered.
Again.
And this time, the enemy wasn't just Dumbledore.
It was a monster guarding the walls.
A beast forged to tear intruders limb from limb.
Peter swallowed hard.
But the Dark Lord would not accept excuses.
So the four of them remained there—cold, hungry, terrified—plotting their next move in the gloom of the cave.
Shadows whispered around them.
The hunt wasn't over.
Not yet.
~
Cassius POV
The castle corridors echoed with the sound of muffled snickers.
Cassius stepped around the corner into the vacant stairwell landing, where Fred and George were waiting, both looking like Christmas had come early.
"Targets acquired," Fred whispered.
"Sirius currently in the Transfiguration office," George added. "Feet up on McGonagall's desk. Eating biscuits. Absolutely begging to be pranked."
Cassius folded his arms. "He said last week he was 'unprankable.' while at the school"
Fred scoffed. "Unprankable?"
George laughed. "Please. If anything he's over-prankable."
Cassius smirked faintly. "Good. Then let's begin."
The twins exchanged identical wicked grins.
Moments later—
A soft pop echoed through the corridor as Cassius finished the chant on the enchanted slip of parchment.
Fred slid a vial across the floor. "Slimeburst mixture is ready."
George held up a shimmering net. "And the Howling Wardrobe Hex—primed."
Cassius raised a brow. "You two do realize this is borderline sadistic?"
"Yes."
"Absolutely."
He placed the final trigger charm.
"Perfect," Cassius murmured. "He deserves it."
Five Minutes Later
A scream—no, a manly yell (as Sirius would later insist)—shook the entire Transfiguration wing.
Then an explosion of pink feathers gusted out from beneath the office door.
Followed by slime.
Followed by the distinct, echoing shriek of enchanted drawers snapping open and closed, howling like banshees as Sirius bolted from the room covered head to toe in neon plumage.
"WHICH ONE OF YOU DID THIS?!" he bellowed, slipping on his own slime trail and crashing into a suit of armor.
Fred and George collapsed into each other laughing.
Cassius only raised a hand and offered a polite, "Good afternoon, Professor Black."
Sirius sputtered, feathers sticking to his hair.
"You—WH—YOU—Lil Pup!—WHAT DID YOU—"
Cassius tilted his head. "You said you wanted more practical experience during free periods."
Fred: "We provided it!"
George: "You're welcome!"
Sirius pointed accusingly at all three of them. "Mark my words, it doesnt end here!"
"Yes," Cassius replied calmly, accepting his challenge "I've won the offseason, now begins... Total War."
Sirius groaned, muttering about "little demons" and how he wished he hadnt encouraged Cassius in this way, storming away in a trail of feathers like he was a big fluffy Flamingo wandering the hallowed castle halls.
Fred wiped a tear from his eye. "Mate… you're officially a menace."
George grinned widely. "We're proud."
Cassius glanced between them thoughtfully.
"Speaking of pranks… do you have the Marauders Map?"
Both twins froze.
Fred squinted. "How—how did you know about that?"
George questioned. "We havent shown it to anyone mate."
Cassius scoffed softly. "Please. Pranksters who never get caught at Hogwarts? There's only one explanation."
Fred blinked.
George blinked.
Cassius continued, "You're the next generation Marauders. And there's only one way to avoid being caught—using the original Marauders' masterpiece. As for how i know... well i've been in a prankwar for over two years now with Padfoot afterall."
At the end of his words he tilted his head nodding in the direction Sirius black had just wandered off.
Slowly… slowly…
Twin grins spread across the Weasley brothers' faces.
"Oh," Fred breathed.
"…we like him," George whispered.
Fred reached into his robes.
George mirrored the motion.
Together, they pulled out a folded, worn parchment.
"Welcome to the family, Cassius," they said in unison.
Cassius smirked, eyes gleaming.
"Good. Because I have a few ideas."
And the twins leaned in eagerly—
Completely unaware that, somewhere beyond the forest line, a dragon's distant roar echoed…
…and four Death Eaters shivered deeper into the shadows.