A/N: Hi! Here is the next chapter :) I also edited the first chapter so if you haven't re-read it you might want to before reading this one... anyway for now: on with the story :D

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and some of my ideas have come from other fanfictions out there which gave me the inspiration to write my own story.

Again a huge THANK YOU to LaraLumos for all her help editing this chapter :)

Chapter 2

Holly regained consciousness with a pain filled scream. Her body was being held under the Cruciatus Curse. White-hot knives were piercing every inch of her skin, her head felt like it was going to burst from the pain, her eyes were rolling madly into her head... The pain was so intense, it was on par with what she had suffered at the hands of Voldemort and she knew that whoever was casting the spell must be very powerful.

Suddenly the pain was cut off and Holly breathed in a sigh of relief, finally being able to open her eyes only to find herself in completely unfamiliar surroundings. She was laying on the ground somewhere in the middle of a forest. She could see thick trees all around her and what seemed to be a small cottage in the distance. The more prominent detail, however, were the wizards surrounding her. As she lay, panting on the grass, she could see at least ten people: some dead, three alive.

Nearest to her was a witch, her neck was torn open, a dagger sticking out of her chest: she was drenched in blood, obviously dead. Around her were a few more dead bodies dressed in blue cloaks. More worryingly, however, were the two men, in those same blue cloaks, flanking the wizard that had been casting the Cruciatus on her. And Holly immediately recognised who the wizard was. He was older now, but she could clearly see that he had once been the handsome, golden haired boy, roaring in silent amusement alongside Dumbledore in that old picture published in Skeeter's 'The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore'.

Why in Merlin's name was she in the middle of a confrontation with Gellert Grindelwald?

Holly groaned as she felt her whole body trembling and aching. How did she always get into these situations? She was sure there was someone out there who hated her. Actually, after talking to Thanatos, she now had a pretty good idea of exactly who it was that hated her. Holly was snapped out of her musings when she saw the familiar green light of the Avada Kedavra curse heading towards her. She rolled away out of reflex and jumped to her feet, ignoring the stabs of pain that shot through her at this action. She dodged another Cruciatus and ducked behind the nearest tree.

"You're going to have to do better than that Grindelwald" she called as she looked around for a wand. Surely it had to be there somewhere...

"How dare you? I gave you a chance to join my noble cause and you spat it back in my face! You will die for your defiance!" Grindelwald shouted in obvious rage. Meanwhile Holly had been trying to find anything that could be of use to her since a wand appeared to be a lost cause. Her eyes had landed on the bloodied dagger that was stuck in the woman. It was just close enough that she might be able to get it without too much injury.

Holly took a deep breath and rolled out of her hiding place. Grabbing the knife, feeling it slide wetly from the dead women's chest, Holly asked silently for forgiveness as she hid behind a tree, barely missing the bright red jet of a blood boiling curse. However, whilst she had been distracted, the two blue robed wizards had crept up behind her. Following her instincts, that had always gotten her through life threatening situations, Holly ducked and weaved through the new barrage of curses. Just as one of the wizards was about grab her, Holly's body started to move on its own and, without any conscious thought on her part, she delivered a perfect kick to the nearest wizard while, at the same, turning and stabbing another in the throat, effectively killing him instantly. Turning back to the wizard she had just kicked, she pulled him against her and spun, allowing his body to shield her from yet another killing curse that had been sent her way by Grindelwald. Coming back to her senses Holly realised what she had just done and dropped the dead body as if burned, horrified by her actions. Suppressing the thoughts of guilt that were already starting to assault her, she grabbed one of the fallen wizards' wand and turned back to Grindelwald.

"Only us two left" Holly smiled charmingly at him, twirling her wand.

"Avada Kedavra!" Grindelwald growled. Holly evaporated into white smoke and reappeared behind him.

"Expelliarmus"

Grindelwald whirled around, but he was too slow and his wand flew from his fingers into Holly's waiting hand. As soon as Holly grasped the wand she realised exactly what wand she was holding. She smirked as she felt her magic purr happily as it reconnected with the core of the Elder wand.

Grindelwald snarled angrily. "This is not over" he shouted, activated a Portkey and was whisked away to Merlin knows where.

Holly felt the adrenaline leaving her and she sunk to the ground in exhaustion. She could feel her muscles spasming and her limbs trembling in residual pain from the Cruciatus. She really hated that curse. Leaning her head back against the nearest tree she inspected the dead bodies surrounding her. She looked over at the two men that she had killed and the horror she had been trying to suppress resurfaced. How could she have just killed them in cold blood?

They were trying to kill you. They would have killed you. A voice whispered in the back of her mind.

Holly shook her head. That didn't justify it. She could have restrained them. There was no need to kill them.

And how would you have done that? You had no wand.

Holly shook her head again. It shouldn't have been so easy to take a life. It shouldn't have felt so good to get revenge on her assailants. How had she even been able to kill them? Holly had never studied any kinds of martial arts, she was no good in physical confrontations. What had changed?

Her eyes were suddenly drawn to the woman who seemed to have been tortured before she was killed. Judging from her black robes she wasn't one of Grindelwald's followers so she had probably also been fighting against Grindelwald. Holly wondered how they had managed to attract Grindelwald's attention in the first place. She also wondered who the woman was... Suddenly a memory that wasn't hers flew to the front of her mind...

A woman was standing in front of a building. Orphelinat was written in big letters over the door. 'Orphanage' Holly's mind supplied. It seemed that she could now understand french. The woman was very beautiful. Dark red curls cascaded down her back and striking purple eyes were framed by thick eyelashes. She was olive skinned and it was clear that she was not of English descent. She was looking down at a little girl.

The girl, rather doll-like, looked somewhat similar to an eleven year old Holly. In fact, Holly could clearly see the trademark trades of both the Potter and the Black families: from the high cheek bones, to the pouty mouth. From the hazel coloured eyes, strikingly similar to her father's, to the dark hair remarkably like Bellatrix's.

"What's your name, honey?" the woman asked the girl. With a jolt Holly realised that she was speaking french and that again she could understand her.

"My name is Lilian" the girl, Lilian, said in a quiet, sweet voice.

"Hello Lilian" the woman smiled "My name is Camilla Purlet, can you try and repeat what you just did?"

Lilian seemed to look worriedly around her. "The matron doesn't like it when I do that" she said, biting her lip.

"Please? I promise I won't tell anyone" Camilla insisted.

Lilian looked nervously around her again before nodding hesitantly. She lifted her hand and the small doll she had been holding started twirling in the air, dancing to a soundless tune. Camilla smiled softly.

"Would you like to come home with me Lilian?"

Holly could see the hope shining in the eyes of the little girl. "Do you mean that?" she asked shyly.

"Of course"

The memory faded and Holly was left staring at Camilla's dead body again. She was wondering what had happened to the little girl, when suspicion entered her mind. She waved the Elder wand and a simple mirror appeared before her. Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked upon her reflection. Holly looked like an older version of Lilian, except for her eyes. They were their usual Avada Kedavra green colour. How strange that the eyes would change but nothing else would. Perhaps the old adage was true? That the eyes were the windows to the soul? If so, then it would make sense for a different soul to change the colour of the eyes but Holly could only guess. Regardless, she was glad they were still green as they were the only thing that linked her to her mother.

Lifting her hair out of her face, Holly traced her now bare forehead. Her scar! It was gone! Holly didn't know how she felt about it... There had been a time, before Hogwarts that she had loved that scar, it had been the only thing to make her feel special, different from the Dursleys. But then, when she found out all the fame that came with it, she had hated it, often wishing that it could just disappear. But now that it was actually gone, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. In the end it had become a part of her. Maybe… She mused. Maybe it was better this way. A completely fresh start. She thought, smiling.

Recalling the memory she just watched, it seemed that she was now called Lilian and that she had been saved by Camilla Purlet at the age of eleven. A jolt of grief went through her at the loss of yet another parental figure before she could even get to know her. Suddenly an influx of memories from a life that she never had hit her, causing her to flinch in surprise.

She saw snippets of her life at the orphanage, feared and avoided by everyone, made to have an exorcism, beaten by the matron. It was amazing how similar Lilian's life had been to her own. She then saw flashes of happy memories: learning magic with Camilla, running around the cottage, learning the Dark Arts, blowing out candles for every birthday. Then came the request to join Grindelwald, their refusal, a surprise attack from Grindelwald's followers, driving said followers away, a year spent in hiding, being found by Grindelwald himself, watching Camilla die...

Tears streamed down Holly's face. She moved forward and softly stroked Camilla's hair. "I'm sorry" she whispered hollowly. "I'm so sorry". Holly then transfigured herself a shovel and, just like she had done for Dobby, started manually digging a grave near the biggest looking tree. Holly dug on and on into the blood soaked earth, not noticing as the hours went by, as the light was replaced by a melancholy darkness. When it seemed that the hole was big enough, Holly gently lowered Camilla inside it, settling her down in a way that looked like she could be merely sleeping, most of her wounds hidden from view. She stood back, observing the body of this woman who was at the same time her closest friend but also a complete stranger, she covered her with dirt and carved out her initials in the tree trunk behind her makeshift grave.

Holly then stumbled to the cottage that had been Lilian's most recent home and collapsed on her bed. Exhaustion finally making itself known, she sunk into blissful unconsciousness. She would sort everything else out tomorrow.

The last thought she had was that the hole was almost gone, she didn't feel so empty anymore.

The next morning Holly searched the apartment for anything that could be of use. She managed to find some money and a trunk full of books in what seemed to be Russian. She guessed that she was currently somewhere in Russia and, not wanting to risk splinching by apparating the long distance to England, she again used what she had learned of the Vim Amoris and disappeared in a puff of white smoke. It was much more comfortable than apparating anyway.

She reappeared just outside Gringotts startling a few passersby. She knew she must have looked a right sight, wearing her bloodied robes. She had never learned how to get stains out of clothes though at least they weren't torn anymore. Now that would be sight to see. Ignoring the weird looks she was receiving, she made her way into the bank. As she walked down the aisle she was hit with a sense of deja vu as she remembered the day she had found out about soul-bonds. She wondered what she would discover today.

She waited patiently in line for her turn and, when she finally reached a free Goblin, she elegantly bowed and greeted him just like Camilla had taught her.

"Merry meet..." she trailed off not knowing the name of the Goblin she was addressing. She still needed to get the hang of the Pureblood etiquette, she thought. As Holly she had never bothered learning any of it, but from Lilian's memories she could see that it was actually quite interesting.

"Botgrod" the goblin supplied with a menacing grin, that Holly assumed meant he was amused. She could never really tell with goblins.

"Merry meet Botgrod, I'm in need of a blood test" she said politely.

"Merry meet. If you will follow me" he said getting up from his chair and motioning for Holly to keep up as he led her to the same room where she had taken her test in the past... err future... whatever.

Holly went through the same process of pricking her finger allowing five drops to fall on the parchment which as before glowed slightly. She waited as Botgrod grabbed the vial filled with the clear liquid that Holly was still not sure what it was, and covered the parchment with it. She watched with bated breath as words started to appear.

Lilian Violetta Black

Blood-status: Pureblood

Father: Arcturus Marius Black (Pureblood)

Mother: Violetta Sofia Potter (Pureblood - deceased)

Magical Heiress to the House of Slytherin (through soulbond)

Magical Heiress to the House of Le Fay (through soulbond)

Soulbond status: Platonic soulbond to Tom Marvolo Riddle

Magical binds: none

Total funds: ?

Holly looked at the parchment and reminded herself that her name was now Lilian. Lilian Black. Lilian Violetta Black. She would have to remember that. She also had to admit that Thanatos was good. She had the exact same ancestry as she did in her timeline.

Holly looked back up to the Goblin that was now staring at her in awe. She assumed that it wasn't every day that ha came across a soul-bonded witch. "Do you by any chance know if the Potters and Blacks are aware of my existence? I was raised in an orphanage you see..." she trailed off. Holly couldn't help but be hopeful that they hadn't known and that now that she was back in England they might get to know her. Her deepest desire had always been to have a family... now it might finally come true.

"No, I don't believe they were aware of your existence" the goblin said extracting a parchment. "Your mother went missing in 1927, the same year that your father married" Holly wondered what had happened between the two, why they couldn't be together...

"Thank you. Will they be alerted to my addition into the family now?" she asked.

"Of course. As a matter of fact, the letters should have already been sent by now" Botgrod said smugly.

"Thank you" Holly said sincerely.

Holly sat in a room in the Leaky Couldron, clutching the two letters she had received. Her father had written her a very formal letter telling her that he wished to meet her as soon as possible and if she was available for lunch the next day. Her grandparents on her mother's side had written a more friendly letter insisting that she join them for dinner that very evening.

Holly had immediately agreed to both and had gone to buy some wizarding robes since she didn't want to show up in bloodied clothes. What a great first impression that would make. She thought with a smirk.

She had chosen an emerald dress for the evening that matched her eyes and had tied her hair back in a semblance of order. Her wand was strapped in an invisible holster on her wrist and the dagger she had used to kill Grindelwald's follower was strapped in another invisible holster on her thigh. She didn't think she would need them, but if nothing else, those long years of war had taught her that it was better to be prepared than sorry. As Mad-Eye Moody would have said, in his usual gravelly voice, CONSTANT VIGILANCE!

Holly made her way to the fireplace and grabbed some Floo powder.

"Potter Manor" she intoned clearly.

The usual whirlwind of fireplaces flashed past her and she was spat out, landing in a heap of dust in front of her new grandparents.

So much for first impressions.

A/N: Hope you liked it :) Please keep reviewing and I'll see you next time :D