Uff, finally an other chapter ready. I hardly have free time and writing doesn't go as smoothly as it did in the beginning. Thankfully the plot is slowly reaching its end and there aren't many more chapters to go. I will finish this fic but I suppose that it will take some time. Thanks to my lonely reviewer.

Star and Lightning

32nd Chapter – Escape

Lucius Maslfoy stood behind a muggle advdertising poster and watched the girl they were supposed to bring their Lord. She seemed broken and easy to capture. How the Dark Lord could choose her as his Heiress when he had so many loyal followers was beyond Lucius. True, she was powerful and would have been a great assett for their side if she had fought for them but she turned out to be a traitor. What else could you expect from a Potter? She should have died when they had captured her for the first time.

A self-satisfied smirk crossed his smug features. Yes, if he brought her to the Dark Lord, he would certainely be rewarded greatly… Maybe there was even a chance that he, or his son, could become the new heir… Suddenly his face hardened. That muggle woman, her name was Zaza he remembered, had spotted the girl and brought her out of her daze. He winked to his fellow Death Eaters that now was the time to act. He saw Bellatrix aiming at the woman and killing her at once. Too bad, the girl was alarmed now.

Lucius, Bellatrix and eight other high-ranking Death Eaters circled her while the middle-class duellers arranged behind them and the lowest-ranking Death Eaters were supposed to kill as many muggles as possible. Lucius shouted and all ten of them fired stunners simulatenously. Miraculously, the girl managed to block them all. She reacted with a quick sequence of Dark curses that managed to knock one of the ten out. Lucius had no time to swear since he had to react quickly. Curses and hexes flew from side to side in a blur and he had to admit that she had improved immensly since their last encounter. The Death Eaters were in a vast majority but still the girl was fighting! Damn the Dark Lord who had trained her so well! Lucius knew that they had to be quick before Aurors appeared and they would be outnumbered. They plastered the girl with nasty hexes and dark curses but she either managed to avoid or block them ignoring her wounds while Death Eaters were falling one by one. Her shields and curses were more powerful than anything that Lucius had ever seen. He didn't even try to block her curses, the only rescue was dodging them since they had penetrated every shield so far.

Lucius gritted his teeth in frustration and looked for an other way to get her. She was just too powerful, they couldn't end this fight quickly and they had not enough time to tire her. He realized that she relied on the house behind her to save her back. She was only concentrating on the wizards in front of her. If he could get into that house through a backdoor and attack her from a window…

He quickly checked wether Bellatrix was still fighting and made his way towards the house's backyard when he suddenly heard the shrill scream of one of the newest members in the ranks of the Death Eaters. He turned around ready to curse the man for his stupidy but what he saw muted him: A blue snake had bitten the man and obviously she was poisonous. Damn it, his son had warned him of the girl's snake… Before he could think any more the snake was right in front of him and glared at him with her piercing, orange eyes. Lucius staggered back and raised his wand but he never uttered a spell because the snake shot foreward and he felt sharp teeth penetrating the flesh around his ankle. He yelled sharply and then the world around him became black…

Serena's head shot up and her tongue darted out when she heard the black-clothed men attacking. She stayed with her Mastress some time but then decided that she would be much more of a help if she bit those who the Dark Lord had sent to hurt them. Her Mastress had forbidden her to bite, but this was an exception, this was a question of life or death. So she glided away from her and in between the Death Eaters. One bite in the ankle was enough to send them sprawled on the ground. Several Death Eaters tried to aim curses at her, but Serena was fast so no one hit her. For quite some time, she dashed between them and bit, but slowly she felt her reservoir of poison emptying, she didn't have many bites left. Then she saw one of the leaders, the one with the white hair, hurrying towards a backdoor of the house behind her Mastress. Assuming what his plan was, Serena quickly blocked his way and dug her teeth into his ankle.

Now that she was suddenly very drained, she returned to her Mastress' side and saw that she was holding up only with difficulty. She curled around her waist and hissed urgently: "Let's get away from here. There are just too many. You can apparate, can't you?"

In a swish of colour they disappeared. But they didn't immediately re-appear. They were caught in a magical whirlwind and her Mastress didn't even seem to realise. Serena became worried and hissed: "Mastress! Do something!"

And she caught herself and forced them to materialize. The landed in a cosy, little room that was stuffed with cuddly toys and CDs. Serena untangled herself from Elisha's robes and darted her tongue in and out smelling the scent of the room while her Mastress dragged herself onto the small bed that stood underneath the window. There was only a faint smell of muggles in this house, they had probably left. Considering that the young witch was at the edge of breakdown, this place was as good as any other.

The only thing in this room that worried: her was the huge, black box at the other end of the room. Serena glided towards it and tapped it carefully with her nose. Suddenly, the box jumped to life and music began filling the room. It was a sad melody, full of grief and despair.

Sound the bugle now – play it just for me

As the seasons change – remember how I used to be

Now I can't go on – I can't even start

I've got nothing left – just an empty heart

She saw her Mastress staring into space feeling how much the words fit her right now.

I'm a soldier – wounded so I must give up the fight

There's nothing more for me – lead me away…

Or leave me lying here

Serena watched helplessly as she closed her eyes and let herself fall backwards.

Sound the bugle now – tell them I don't care

There's not a road I don't know – that leads to anywhere

Without a light I fear that I will - stumble in the dark

Lay right now – decide not to go on

This wasn't the sort of music her Mastress should be hearing right now. Serena already headed towards the CD-player intenting to turn it off when the rhythm and beat of the music changed slightly. It beame more hopeful.

Then from on high – somewhere in the distance

There's a voice that calls – remember who you are

If you loose yourself - your courage soon will follow

So be strong tonight – remember who you are

Ya you're a solder now – fighting in a battle

To be free once more…

Ya that's worth fighting for

A serpentine smile wound its way up her face when she saw the expression on her young Mastress' face. She would have betted her tongue that the witch was hearing her brother's voice in her head right now. The battle wasn't lost yet.