"Where did he go?" Serena asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Harry said.
"Right, so what do we do now?" Ron asked.
"We go home," Hermione said. "What if something goes wrong, it's happened before," Ron said.
"I think we'll be all right," Hermione said.
"Well, let's go then," Harry said holding out the bell. Ron and Hermione placed their hands on it as well, and as Serena went to join them she felt a surging pain in her arm.
"Traitor!" a voiced hissed in her mind, and she knew it was Voldemort. He knew what she was doing; she was taking Harry away, breaking her promise.
"Serena, are you all right?" Harry asked. Serena held her arm instinctively and felt to her knees. Harry was about to help her up but Ron ran forward and pulled back the sleeve of her arm, revealing the dark mark.
"I knew it, she's one of them!" Ron cried.
"Now Ron, calm down, she's helping us," Hermione said.
"What if this is all a trap so she can take Harry away?" Ron said.
"It's not!" Serena shouted.
"It is a bit strange, you appear out of no where to help us when you didn't have to," Harry said.
"But you've got to believe me, yes it is true that I am a Death Eater, but I made a terrible mistake!" she said.
"You're just like Snape; we can't trust him either, so why should we trust you?" Harry said. The pain subsided and Serena stood to her feet.
"You should just go then, if you don't trust me than what's the point in going back. My father hates me, my friends don't trust me, so just go," she said. Harry looked at her for a moment then returned to the bell.
"Harry we can't just leave her…" Hermione started. Serena looked up at Harry, and he reached out a hand.
"You're right, get up Serena, we're going home," he said. Serena took his hand and stood up.
"Thanks," she said, putting her hand on the bell as well.
"Everyone, concentrate on our destination," she said closing her eyes. She thought of all the people she knew in her time, the places, the things that went on, and suddenly she felt her whole body become light as a feather. It was much different than the last time they had used it, instead of darkness a warm light surrounded them.
Before she knew it, she could hear the wind rushing through the trees and the sounds of cricket's chirping. Serena opened her eyes to see that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were looking around.
"I don't get it? If time had gone on, why is everything the same? The weather hasn't changed at all," Hermione said.
"Maybe Dumbledore was wrong," Serena said.
"But, he's never wrong, is he?" Ron said.
"Serena, you're back to normal," Harry said. He was right, she was completely solid, and when she rolled up the sleeve of her robes, the dark mark was gone.
"So it was like it never happened," she muttered.
"Looks like it," Ron said.
"I guess we should head back up to the castle," Harry said.
It seemed like everything that had happened was all a dream, joining the death eaters, getting to know her father, and finding the Talisman of Chronos. As they walked back up to Hogwarts she wondered if things would go back to the way they were. Would she still fight for Ron's attention? Would she still feel left out of everything? Why did she even bother going back, if she would have known that nothing had changed then she wouldn't have come back at all.
"Wait, I just thought of something," Harry said, stopping a few feet ahead.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
"Wormtail and Avery, they're still back in the past, right?" he said.
"They should be," Serena said.
"Then that's two Death Eater's we don't have to worry about," Harry laughed. Hermione forced a smile and Ron glared at Serena.
"Are we still on about that?" She asked.
"You did run off on us," he said.
"But now I'm back, and besides, it's like I was never one of them," she said.
"I guess you're right, but how do we know you won't do it again?" Harry said.
"Because she'll die before she gets the chance to," a voice said from behind them.
Serena turned to see the Wormtail and Avery from their own time, standing behind them and drawing their wands.
"How did you get here?" Serena asked.
"You really thought we'd stay behind? The Talisman will bring everyone back who went through time, didn't you know that? No matter where we are, or what were doing," Avery said.
"Even if the Dark Mark is gone from your arm, you're still a traitor to us," Wormtail hissed.
"The Dark Lord should have known it would take Harry with me," she said.
"Of course he knew, that's why he asked us to do him a little favor," Avery said.
"And what favor is that," Harry asked.
"He wants us to bring you back to him, in this time of course," Avery said, inching towards them.
"No way am I going willingly," Harry said drawing his wand. Harry, Ron and Serena followed suit.
"It's four against two," Serena said.
"Yes, but we've got the upper hand," Wormtail said, pointing his wand straight at Harry. A string of ropes flew from the tip of wand and twisted themselves around him.
"Harry!" Hermione cried. Ron was about to cut the ropes when Avery blocked the attack.
"You're not leaving with him! Petrificus Totalus!" but Hermione's spell missed as Avery ducked at the last second.
"Crucio!" he shouted, and soon Hermione was on her knees and screaming.
"Stop it!" Ron cried, casting the stunning spell on him to stop him. Serena took the opportunity to strike Wormtail.
"Expelliarmus!" she cried, and Wormtails wand flew from his hand. Harry was immediately released and Wormtail dropped to the ground reaching for his wand. Serena was about to summon his wand to her when she felt something slice through her robes.
For a moment she was surprised, then looked down at her wand arm to see blood running down to her fingers.
"Serena? Are you all right?" Harry asked, and suddenly his wand flew from his hand as well as Hermione and Ron's. Serena turned to see where they had gone and found herself looking at her father.
"What's going on, you know you shouldn't be out of bed this late," he said.
"We're being attacked!" Serena cried and turned to see Wormtail and gotten hold of his wand.
"I can see that," he said.
"What? You aren't going to do anything? Why are you just standing there!" she shouted. He ignored her and walked over towards Wormtail.
"Ennervate," he muttered, and Avery sat up, shaking his head.
"Thank you, Severus," he said, standing to his feet and picking up his wand.
"You're helping him! What do you think you're playing at?" Serena shouted.
"Can I shut her up?" Wormtail said, inching towards her.
"No," her father said.
"Come here," he said, and Serena obeyed, of course she wasn't all too sure why. She didn't know if he was on Voldemort's side or theirs, of course no one was ever sure of that, but now she had a bad feeling she was going to find out. Stepping up to her father she stared into his eyes, unable to tell what he was thinking at all.
"Bring Potter with you," Severus said to Avery, and then suddenly grabbed hold of her. Before she could even attempt to get away she felt like she was being pressed against something. She had never done a side-along apparition before, and it was probably the most uncomfortable feeling in the world.
As she opened her eyes she noticed they were standing in the middle of a field. Realizing they had stopped she jumped back and pointed her wand at her father.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Taking you to see the Dark Lord of course," he said.
"Why? I thought you were on our side?" she said.
"Your side is my side, at least it was, I know all about your little adventure in the past, and I must say, Serena, it was very interesting," he said.
"How do you know about that?" she asked.
"Don't be so naïve, you know as well as I do that Legilimency is a very handy gift to have," he said.
"So all this time you were with the Dark Lord?" she asked.
"I don't think you need to ask me that, Serena," he said.
"I trusted you! You're my father!" she shouted. How could her own father turn her into Voldemort? He would know that she had betrayed him and would possible kill her for doing so, and he didn't care.
"HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!" he shouted, grabbing hold of her robes, ready to strike her. She had never seen him so angry; his eyes seemed empty and full of hate at the same time. Did he truly care nothing for her?
Suddenly there was a pop and Severus let go of her. Avery and Wormtail had returned with Harry.
"The other two gave us problems, but they've been taken care of," Avery said.
"What do you mean by that?" Serena asked.
"Don't worry, Serena, they were just stunned," Harry said.
"Shut up, you!" Avery said, shoving Harry to the ground.
"Just stunned? Loosing your nerve, Avery?" Severus said. Avery growled as Wormtail reached into his robes, taking out a slip of paper.
"Hurry up," Avery said. Suddenly out of nowhere a small shack appeared. Apparently even now Voldemort found that using the fidelius charm worked best when trying to hide. Avery pulled Harry to his feet and pushing him towards the door with his wand at the ready. Serena was forced to follow behind him, as Harry opened the door a great snake slithered past them, causing Harry and Serena to jump back.
"Better be glad she's not hungry," Wormtail whispered.
As they entered the shack Serena noticed a large chair in the center of the room; it was just like the one Voldemort used in the past. Instead of a full head of black hair, Voldemort had none, and his eyes were as red as blood.
"Harry Potter, so good to see you again," Voldemort said. Harry said nothing; instead he reached for his wand. Wormtail went to disarm him but Voldemort told him to stop.
"And Serena, Severus has told me that you used the Talisman and are a Death Eater now," he said.
"Not anymore," she said.
"Even if time makes it seem like it never happened, it did. Even if the dark mark has disappeared, you will always be one of us," he said.
"I will never join you again," she said.
"Then I'm sorry to say your fate is the same as Harry's here," he said.
"Let's get this over with," Harry said, raising his wand. Before he could get a curse in, Voldemort had him on his knees.
"You have no chance, Potter, there's no use in fighting!" he said. Serena took her chance and shouted,
"Diffindo!" but she missed, ripping Voldemort's cloak.
"Get her!" Voldemort shouted, and her father knocked the wand from her hand and grabbed hold of her again.
"Let me go!" she shouted, but he just laughed.
"Stop struggling, you're not getting away," he said.
"Get rid of her," Avery said. Severus pulled open the door and dragged her outside, kicking and screaming.
"You wouldn't kill me! Your own flesh and blood!" she said.
"I would, there's no need for you now since you aren't going to join us," he said.
"Please, just let me go! I won't get in the way," she said.
"I have orders," he said, drawing his wand.
"NO, PLEASE!" she shouted, but he pointed it at her anyway. She tried to run, but Avery had placed a spell on her, making her immobile. He was really going to kill her; she could see it in his eyes.
"Avada…" This was it, she was going to die. Never having a real kiss, never graduating, never getting married or having children. How could this already be the end?
"Stupefy!" Suddenly a red bolt of light shot from the house, hitting Severus in the back. He collapsed in a heap on the ground, and Avery turned to see Harry running from the shack.
"Stop!" Avery shouted, shooting various spells at him, but Harry avoided them.
"Don't kill him!" Voldemort emerged from the shack, and stunned Avery himself. Serena was released, and Harry ran towards her.
"Are you all right?" he asked. She simply nodded, turning towards Voldemort.
"I've had just about enough of this, always running away, but this time there's no where to run! I'll kill you this time, Potter," he said.
"Just try it," Harry said raising his wand.
It was the strangest thing Serena had ever seen, they had both done the killing curse, and there seemed to be a line of green light connecting them.
"Ring any bells, Potter? Last time you failed!" he said. It was like watching a fierce battle without any movement; they were both concentrating so hard that it looked like their minds would explode.
"Harry, you can do this! Just remember all the horrible things he's done to you, to your friends, to your family!" she said. They were equally matched, it would take forever for it to end and she knew she had to do something to help Harry.
Trying not to be overheard, Serena whispered,
"Accio wand," and her wand flew from the shack into her hands. Serena then concentrated all her hate on Voldemort, lifted her wand and shouted,
"AVADA KEDAVRA!". Green light exploded from the end of her wand, and hurled towards Voldemort. Before he could do anything to stop it, it hit him.
Serena was blinded by green light, and fell backwards as she tried to shield her eyes. She heard distant screams of thousands of people, witches and wizards names she didn't know and the screams still echoed in her head as she felt herself falling into darkness.