Prologue
Prologue
Screams of joy and mirth had quickly turned into screams of terror overnight. She’d awoken with a jolt, and fumbling around in the dark for her wand, she could tell that something wasn’t right. Climbing out of her bed, and casting ‘Lumos’, she could see that the tent was empty - except for her younger brother who was still sleeping soundly. Poking her head outside, she could see nothing but people running - from what was still uncertain, however she knew it would be foolish to stay put. She shook her brother awake, and after getting her shoes on and a jacket, she joined the running crowds, making sure that her brother's hand was tightly grasped in hers. Hoping she was going in the right direction, she kept an eye out for her older brother and her dad, but they were nowhere to be found.
It was then she saw what- no who- she was running from. There were about two dozen wizards in black cloaks and white masks all cursing anyone that managed to cross their path. She saw women being thrown around in the air, and men stunned on the ground. She gripped her wand in her coat pocket and urged her brother to run faster. Moving towards the forests, with her brother asking question after question, she ignored him, needing to find the Portkey point to take them back home. Hopefully the rest of her family would follow.
She set off through the trees, and when they had lost sight of the clearing she finally let go of her brother’s hand. Lighting ‘lumos’ once again, she moved quickly through the thick cover of trees, only to come face to face with some shocking red hair.
“Hey are you alright?” The red haired boy asked her instinctively, but when he saw her his eyes narrowed. “Oh. It’s you. Surely you’ve got no reason to be afraid, Nott.”
She was confused. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Weasley.” She nudged her younger brother behind her, and heard a noise of protestation.
“Sure you don’t. You Slytherins’ are all the same. Don’t try anything funny. Stay away from us and our family. That includes Harry.”
That only served to make her more confused. “What would I want with your family - or Harry Potter for that matter?” There could only be one Harry the Weasley boy (She couldn’t tell which one) was referring to.
“Don’t play dumb. Get out of here.” Serena didn’t have time for this. Rolling her eyes, she did what she was told. The screams were getting louder now, they were coming through the forest, getting closer. She turned back and the Weasley boy disappeared. Bright green light illuminated the sky above her and Theodore. She looked up to see an image of a skull with a snake escaping its mouth, and suddenly knew exactly why the Weasley boy did not seem happy to see her. As soon as she reached the Portkey point, she and her brother grabbed a hold of the chipped teacup, making their way to safety. All she could hope was that her older brother was not caught up in this too. It was definitely too late for her dad.