Serenity

Hey guys!

This story is yet another addition to my 'Severus Snape Series', my seventh installment to be precise. However, it won't have much of a connection to the other stories I've written so far, though there is a little bit of a connection that will be explained later. I originally never intended to do this story. In fact, it was never planned, until now.

I got the idea to write this from a fanfic story called 'Twist of Fate' (written by Valardoheris). However, this story isn't on 'fanfiction . net'. It's actually on 'Archive of Our Own'. I highly recommend reading it if you get the chance. Anyway, a lot of the inspiration is coming from this story. After reading it, I wanted to give my own take on the premise.

Hope you like it.

Oh, almost forgot, DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'Harry Potter'!

Please enjoy the seventh installment to my 'Severus Snape Series': 'Serenity'!

Chapter One:

Prologue

There was a time when Severus Tobias Snape believed that no one could truly change. That deep down, everyone would remain who they were, no matter what transpired in their lives. And it was a belief that kept him strong through the pain and hardships he endured from the moment he was born. It satisfied him in ways that nothing else could. For him, it like knowing a simple truth that everyone else refused to believe in.

But his faith in that belief was crushed through a series of events within a single year. A year that brought him to his knees and finally broke him. Leaving him to question everything in his life.

Through that single year, he came to a realization of what true change really was, one that became the worst experience he had ever felt.

Now he couldn't help but wonder about the person he used to be a full year ago. A stranger who once made sense him now seemed like a distant memory that only faded with time. And though he felt a little bittersweet over the fact, he was more relieved with each passing day.

"Severus, can you hear me?"

Shaking his head to focus, Severus Snape searched his surroundings and retreated to a corner of the giant ballroom to get out of sight, bringing the right sleeve of his luxurious wizard robes up to his lips and applying pressure with his fingers as he whispered, "Loud and clear."

He readjusted the earpiece in his right ear to make it more comfortable as the voice replied back to him, "Gotta admit, these muggles know how to make some pretty cool toys. Gives us a nice advantage over the enemy."

"I'm more curious about how you managed to get your hands on these things, Sev," said a second voice, this time one of a female child.

Severus sneered, "Now is not the time to chit-chat! Only contact me if you have anything important!"

"Aw!" the girl whined. "But you're always like that!"

"Just do what he says, Liz!" ordered the first voice. "Have you made contact with Black yet?"

"No," Severus looked around for the former fifth-year student, feeling worried as each second passed. For the sixteen-year-old Slytherin, standing in the middle of a ballroom that was filled with Death Eaters only made him more concerned about the success of the mission.

After a few minutes of alone time, he raised his right sleeve to his lips again, "Anything from Grimworth?"

"He still hasn't arrived yet," the male voice replied.

"What if he can't get us in?" the girl known as Liz asked, her voice full of worry.

"You mean if he'll get 'me' in. Not us."

"But I want to come with!"

"No!"

Severus felt irritated at the two, struggling to control himself as he whispered with a firm, serious voice, "Liz, you are not to abandon your post! Black and I need someone to keep in contact with, especially Selena!"

"I was wondering when you guys would remember me," came a newcomer, her voice playful. "Alright, I'm almost close to the shack now. Wish me luck!"

"Good luck!" Liz cheered, making Severus roll his eyes and sneer.

As the ballroom of the Malfoy Manor filled up with more guests, Severus knew it was a matter of time before the ceremony would begin. His worry grew as Regulus Black was still nowhere to be found.

"Snape!" a voice brought him out from his thoughts, turning to see Jacob Mulciber and Hector Avery walking towards him, smiling with delight.

"What are you doing here by yourself?" Avery threw an arm around his shoulder, laughing as he removed his arm with a gentle push. "Oh, don't be like that! Today is a day that even the brooding Severus Snape must smile for!"

Mulciber nodded, "Those Dark Marks are as good as ours! My only regret is how long it has taken us to finally get them."

Forcing himself, Severus offered a small smirk, "I see you two are enjoying yourselves."

"Ugh!" Liz spat with disgust. "Is that Avery and Mulciber? I still owe those bastards for what they did last month!"

Severus withheld the urge to rant at her.

"Glad to see the three of you here!"

The three boys turned to find Lucius Malfoy in front of them, wearing his finest wizard robes with a smile on his face.

"Malfoy!" Mucliber and Avery declared at once, doing a small bow in respect.

"We are honored by your invitation," said Mulciber.

"The real honor is from the Dark Lord," Lucius's smile grew. "You'll be able to thank him in a few moments. He's waiting to present himself to everyone here."

"This is going to be great!" Avery's face lit red with excitement.

Lucius met Severus's eyes and walked up to him, resting his hand on his shoulder, offering a small smile, "I'm happy you reconsidered your decision to withdraw from us, Severus. I know we parted on... dissatisfying words..."

"Yeah, because 'threatening' someone for making their own choices that don't agree with you is just such a 'dissatisfying' way to put it!"

"Liz! Just stop!"

Severus ignored them as he nodded to Malfoy, "Just needed time to get... myself in order, I guess you could say."

"Glad to hear it. I was worried that I would be the one to inform the Dark Lord that we lost our Potions Master."

Severus could hear Liz chuckling from his earpiece, making him struggle to withhold his sneer.

"Lucius!" a woman's voice called out.

All four of them turned to see Narcissa waving in their direction.

"Ah, well then, I leave you three to catch up," Lucius nodded to them before making way towards his newlywed wife.

Seeing his chance, Severus looked at the two teens next to him, "Have you seen Regulus?"

Avery shrugged.

"Trust me, you don't want to find him right now," Mulciber smiled, raising his eyebrows in a suggestive matter. "Saw him snogging that MacDougal witch. And from the looks of it, they seemed to have moved their..." he coughed,"... activity into Lucius's office."

Severus raised an eyebrow, which made the two laugh at his expression but misunderstood the action's meaning.

"Ah, I see what Regulus did there!" Liz giggled. "Smart!"

Deciding to wait for Regulus's arrival and to trust in his plan, Severus forced himself to remain with his fellow housemates, despite how much he wished to be as far away from them as possible.

Inside a small abandoned wizard shop in Diagon Alley, a boy and a small girl sat in old, wooden chairs on the second floor. The entire room they occupied was filled with papers all over the walls and a list of five items at the center of the main wall in front of them. Aside from a large desk, five chairs, two small beds and files that laid on the floor, it was rather just a small room.

Ever since the first day of summer, the entire shop had been home to the two of them, especially since they were now considered 'runaways' by the wizard papers.

The boy was Gideon Nott, a sixteen-year-old Slytherin and son of the Nott pureblood family.

The small girl was Elizabeth Nott, Gideon's sister, Hufflepuff student and fourteen-year-old daughter of the Nott family. However, due to her hatred of the name her mother and father gave her, she always preferred to be called Liz instead.

The two sat next to each other, looking out the window towards the stars in the sky.

"Do you think they're going to be fine?" Liz rested her head on her arms, staring at the wood of the table with worried eyes.

Gideon looked at her with sadness in his eyes, not knowing how to respond, "I don't know."

Liz sighed, feeling her heart grow heavy, "I hope we succeed. I hope that tonight is the night we stop them."

Her brother nodded, "I hope so too."

Suddenly, a low ring echoed through the shop, making the two jump up from their seats, wands drawn. As a second ring reached their ears, Gideon looked out the window and sighed, nodding to his sister to reassure her, "It's Grimworth."

Liz lowered her wand, smiling with relief as her heart calmed down.

Hearing the footsteps of their visitor, they met the eyes of a goblin as he walked into the room, holding a wooden staff for support.

"Good evening," the goblin bowed. "I am Grimworth, Mister Prince's personal overseeing goblin of Gringotts, at your service."

Liz smiled and bowed in return, "Honor to meet you, Mister Grimworth."

"Are we ready?" asked Gideon.

Grimworth nodded, "I've gotten access to the Lestrange vault that you seek. And after much investigation for myself, I can confirm that the cup is there... and is indeed influenced by dark magic."

"So, we'll help us?" Liz asked, her voice full of hope.

"I will help you in order to serve Mister Prince's wishes. As a goblin, I cannot condone such an evil thing being sheltered by the bank I care so deeply for. The cursed thing will ruin our reputation if word got out about this."

"Then let us be rid of it," Gideon stepped forward. "Are you certain you can get me in without trouble?"

"Oh, most certainly," the goblin nodded, turning towards the door. "Now, let us be off. The sooner this is over, the better."

Gideon turned to his sister, "Remember, do not leave under any circumstances. If we fail, Selena will come for you. Severus made sure to have a backup plan in case of emergencies." He reached under the table and grabbed a black briefcase, setting it on top of the surface. "And make sure never to open this. Protect it, but never open it."

"Bro!" Liz took his hand, smiling. "I know what I need to do. I'm not a kid anymore."

He raised an eyebrow, "You most certainly act like one."

"And it really does take one to know one," she teased, giggling at his glare.

"Just... don't get into trouble... alright?"

Liz nodded, "I promise. And you better be careful! I won't forgive you if you don't come back!"

Gideon laughed, "Don't worry... I'll come back."

Liz threw her arms around him and the two embraced.

Hearing a cough, they turned to Grimworth, who was becoming impatient, "Sorry to interrupt, but this is something we all agreed must be dealt with at the earliest opportunity, correct?"

Glaring at the goblin, Gideon let go of his sister and removed the earpiece from his ear, setting it on the table as he followed Grimworth out of the room and down the stairs.

From the window, Liz watched them leave, disappearing down the street of Diagon Alley as they headed for the Wizarding Bank of Gringotts.

"Sev," she talked into the right sleeve of her robes. "I know you can't respond right now, but Grimworth just left with my brother. They're on their way to the Lestrange vault."

From the other side of the earpiece, she could hear him hum in reply.

The wind blew against the trees of the forest, whispering through the night as a strange mix of peace and darkness filled the atmosphere. The branches brushed against each other at the force of the wind, echoing throughout the woods. And deep within, an old shack sat amongst the trees, slowly falling apart from years of being left to be conquered by nature.

Following a path that was hard to see, a hooded figure made its way through the woods, having come from the village of Little Hangleton.

"Ah, there you are!" declared the figure as it came within sight of the shack. Removing the hood, a smile formed on the face of a female witch as she carefully moved through the weeds and tall grass.

The girl's name was Selena Mills, a sixteen-year-old muggleborn witch and Ravenclaw student of Hogwarts.

Thankfully dressed in a set of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, instead of her usual wear of a small skirt and a tight blouse, the journey hadn't been unpleasant.

Reaching the door that hung open like a wound of a dying animal, she entered the dark shack and lit her wand in order to see. Beginning her search of the place, it took almost half an hour before she began to feel a presence that made the hair on her skin stand up. Forcing herself to move in the direction it was coming from, the presence only grew.

Reaching a corner of what used to be a living room, Selena let out a gasp at the sound of a whisper and covered her mouth. Looking around, she saw that no one else was in the room, but could still feel the eerie presence that surrounded the area she was occupying. Using her wand to light the floor, she searched for the object she was sent to retrieve.

Finally, she found a series of torn holes through the floor, revealing the ground beneath. Searching each one, she discovered nothing that matched what she sought. And just as she was about to leave for the bedroom, she heard another whisper that made her heart begin to pound with wild abandon, freezing where she stood. Turning to the direction she thought it came from, Selena saw another hole in the floor, this time covered up by broken pieces of wood, barely visible.

Moving towards it, she removed the wood and looked down into the hole, lighting up the darkness with her wand in order to see. Just a little out of sight, the reflection of the light from her wand bounced off an object, catching her eye. Reaching for it, she grabbed ahold of a golden box and pulled it out.

Sitting on her knees, Selena held the box gently with her hands. Opening the box, her eyes grew wide as she recognized the description of the object to be that of a ring, the very same that she sent for. Smiling, she set the box on the ground and stepped back, bringing the right sleeve of her shirt up to her lips.

Pressuring into the fabric, which she felt something within click, Selena whispered, "Severus, you there?"

After a minute, she heard a voice responded from the earpiece in her right ear, "What is it?!"

"What took you so long?" she muttered.

"I was standing right next to unwelcomed guests at the moment! I bought us a few seconds while I go get myself a 'drink', so I recommend telling me what you have to say!"

The young witch rolled her eyes, "I've found the ring."

There was a pause for a few seconds, "You're sure?"

"Yes!"

"Wahoo! Way to go, Selena!" Liz cheered.

"We can't afford mistakes! Are you sure it's the ring we're looking for?"

"Well, it has the mark of the Deathly Hallows, so it has to be it."

She could hear him sighing with relief, "Wait for Regulus's elf to arrive. When he does, order him to use Fiendfyre on it."

Selena frowned, "Why can't I just do it?"

"Yeah, why can't she?" Liz asked.

"Because you can't perform that kind of magic, and even if you could, you won't be able to control it-"

"Alright, understood!" she muttered.

"I've got to go. Only contact me if you have anything important."

"Got it!" she hissed.

Liz chuckled, "It's funny when he makes you mad."

"Shut up, Liz!" her face lit red as she yelled.

Following Grimworth, Gideon entered the building of the Gringotts Wizarding Bank by a side door that was meant for goblins. The two managed to avoid running into anyone as they traveled down a series of hallways, eventually boarding a cart that took them directly to the Lestrange vault. Once bypassing a dragon that was stationed to guard the vaults in its care, they arrived at the entrance of the vault they sought.

Grimworth used a sacred goblin key to open the large, magical door, "Only take the cup!"

Gideon nodded as he stepped on inside, lighting up his wand in order to see. His eyes widened at the large amount of gold, Galleons and treasure that lied before him.

"Careful," the goblin warned from behind. "I may have used the sacred key to get us in, but the curses installed here have not been deactivated. If you touch anything, it will burn hot and multiple."

Gideon sighed in frustration, "Good to know!"

Looking around, he searched for the Hufflepuff Cup, finally finding it on top of a mountain of Galleons and treasures. Taking his wand, he casted the Levitation Charm and carefully removed the cup from the pile, slowly moving it in his direction. Sweat rolled down his face as he focused on the charm, trying not to let it fall. Walking backwards, he exited the vault and waited until the cup was out too, grabbing hold of it as the goblin close the vault.

"Now that we've cleared that business up, let's get you out of here before someone notices."

Gideon nodded as he held the cup with his gloved hands, reaching into his backpack for a briefcase. Setting the cup on the ground, he opened the case and placed the cup inside, closing it with a taut.

"Alright, let's go!" he stood up with the case in hand.

Once they had made it past the dragon, the two made their way back to surface, exiting the bank without anyone noticing.

"Thank you, Mister Grimworth!" he extended his hand towards the goblin.

Shaking it with a firm grip, Grimworth nodded, "Thank Mister Prince. He's the reason why I'm helping at all."

"All the same, you've helped in such a big way. The Wizarding World may not know of your bravery, but we will," he bowed. "Good evening, Mister Grimworth."

The goblin bowed in return, "Good evening to you as well, Mister Nott. I hope you succeed."

Taking his leave, Gideon began his walk back to the hideout, a smile forming on his face as he held the case in his right hand.

Back at the Malfoy Manor, Severus found himself growing more worried as Regulus still hadn't shown up. The thought that he may have been discovered in his attempt created a hole in his chest, sucking all hope away. It took everything to keep himself calm and look neutral.

"You've been way too quiet than usual," said Mulciber. "I know that look in your eyes enough to know that something is off."

"Please tell me it isn't because of that Mudblood bitch!" Avery whined. "It's been a year, Snape! Just let her go! She was never worth it."

Thanks to his skills in Occlumency, Severus was able to control himself, even refusing to show his anger for the boy. Instead, he answered in silence, which seemed to only add more fire to the conversation.

"Avery's right, mate," Mulciber patted him on the shoulder. "You're better off without her."

Turning away, he set his drink on a nearby table, "I'll go see what's taking Black so long."

The two boys watched him leave, shaking their heads the moment he disappeared into the crowd of Death Eaters.

Once he was out of the ballroom, Severus quickened his pace for Lucius's office, making sure not to attract any attention. The moment he was in front of the double doors, he listened carefully for anything that confirmed Regulus was in there, hearing laughter and moaning that made him roll his eyes.

Cracking the door slightly open, he slipped inside and found Regulus on top of a large desk that belonged to Lucius Malfoy, laying on his back while an unnamed witch straddled him, her dress covering their lower halves as she rode him, crying out his name in ecstasy. The two were so lost in their moment of pleasure that they failed to notice the intruder.

Regulus cried out, his hands gripping the witch's hips as they both came at the same time. Riding out their orgasms, the witch fell on top of him, her hair covering his face as the two began to get their breathing under control. Moving his hands lower, he cupped both sides of her bum, giving it a squeeze that earned a small squeal from her. She cupped his face and kissed him passionately, managing to smile as they snogged each other senseless.

Remaining concealed by the darkness of the room, Severus watched the scene play out from a corner he quietly moved towards, holding back the urge to rant at Regulus for being so careless. But he willed himself not to fall back into his old habits, going as far as to bite his lip and dig his nails into his skin, nearly drawing blood. He needed to be faithful to his own promise.

"You never fail to impress a lady, Mister Black," the witch whispered seductively next to his earlobe, slightly biting it.

Regulus moaned as his hands roamed her body, "You know, we should talk to your parents about making you my betrothed. Having this as my property would be the greatest present ever."

The witch laughed, "I know you would love that. I'll see what I can do to get my father to agree. The best way to get what you want is to make the other believe they're either getting something in return or getting the satisfaction of thinking they thought of something before someone else did."

"You evil witch," he kissed her again.

Severus sneered.

Getting off the desk, the girl grabbed her knickers from the floor and put them back on, while Regulus pulled his pants from his ankles to his waist, tightening the belt.

"Will Mister Malfoy be upset about this?" she asked, leaning against his chest with one foot lifting up behind her.

Regulus raised an eyebrow, "Don't tell me you didn't enjoy getting shagged on a desk in a room that we aren't supposed to be in!"

"Oh, on the contrary," she leaned in closer. "I loved it! Exciting in all the right ways."

The Slytherin boy growled, "Keep talking like that and you'll find yourself against the bookshelf again for another round."

'For Merlin's sake, just get it over with, Black!' Severus mentally shouted.

The girl giggled, moving her arms around his neck and kissed him once more, which he responded by kissing her back and moving his arms around her waist. After what felt like an eternity to everyone, they parted. Walking to the double doors with her hips swaying side to side, the witch turned and blew a kiss to him before disappearing outside of the office, the door closing behind her.

As Regulus drew a breath, he turned to the bookshelf and walked towards it, stepping over the fallen books that were on the floor. Bending down, he picked up one.

"I see you've taken a liking to the heir of the MacDougal family," said Severus as he walked forward from his hiding spot.

"Bloody hell!" Regulus jumped, nearly falling down from as he stumbled backwards. "Severus! How long were you there?"

"Longer than I should have been!" he muttered. "The more important question is why are you shagging Isabella MacDougal when you're supposed to be finding the diary?!"

Regulus threw up his arms, holding a book in his left hand, "Whoa! Before you start lecturing me, Isabella was part of the plan-"

"Sure she was," he rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm serious, Snape!" he presented the book in his hand towards him. "Finding the diary was hard enough, but getting it was harder. It was lying on the sixth shelf, protected by a protection charm. In order to get it, I needed to borrow some magical energy in order to temporary bring down the charm and let the book fall with all the others. I'm just happy that Malfoy forgot to renew the charm, or else it would never have worked."

Severus took in the information, staring at the diary in his hands before nodding, "Alright, fine. But there's still a mess to worry about."

"Not really," Regulus walked up to him. "If things go according to plan, the mess will be overlooked."

Sneering, Severus snatched the diary from him and looked it over, studying the texture of it, "All the same, I don't want to take any unnecessary chances." He took out his wand and casted a spell that sent all of the books back to their place on the shelf, one of his new inventions.

"Whoa! What kind of spell was that?"

Severus put his wand away and walked right past him, touching the knob of the door, "One of my newest creations."

"So you can just clean up a mess without any problem?" Regulus had to run after him as he exited the office, shutting the door as he followed.

"Not entirely. The spell recognizes a pattern of sorts. Knowing Malfoy, he never changed the position of those books, so the spell was able to know precisely where they should go. But it can't work if it can't remember a pattern."

The Slytherin boy nodded, "So what's the plan?"

"Summon Kreacher and order him to take the diary to Liz and Gideon, and help them in any way that he can. The sooner Gideon retrieves the final one, the sooner Voldemort will be mortal once more."

"Got it!"

Exiting the manor through one of the backdoor entrances, the two stepped outside, pretending to get some fresh air.

Once they were far enough through the garden and out of sight, Regulus whispered, "Kreacher! I summon you to me!"

A few seconds later, a popping noise came from behind them, the two turning to find an old elf with a bulbous, snout-like nose and white hair growing out of his bat-like ears.

"Master Regulus summoned?" Kreacher bowed to his master.

"Kreacher," Regulus knelt down before him. "I need your help. I need you to deliver a diary to Mister and Mistress Nott. You remember the old shop in Diagon Alley?"

"Kreacher remembers, Master Regulus," the elf nodded. "Kreacher will help Master. Kreacher will not fail."

Nodding to the elf he had considered his companion since the day he was born, the Slytherin turned to Severus, who handed him the diary. Taking it, he presented it to the elf, "You must take this to them. No one else, just them. And if they need your help in any way, I command you to listen to them."

"Yes, Master Regulus!" Kreacher took the diary into his arms, holding onto it like a prized possession. A second later, he Disapparated in front of them.

The two sighed, standing there a little longer to stare up at the sky of stars above them.

"I hope this works," Regulus whispered.

Severus nodded, "I hope so too."

"You're sure that... he was right about there only being five? Because if there are more, then our mission was doomed to fail."

The brooding Slytherin remained quiet, thinking long and hard about the question, "I honestly don't know. But he was right so far about everything he told me. The diary, the cup, the locket, the ring and the diadem are all real and right where he said they would be."

Turning to the lighted windows of the Malfoy Manor, Severus sighed, closing his eyes to allow a moment of vulnerability escape from his mind. Feeling a hand grip his shoulder, he met the eyes of his fellow Slytherin companion, who was smiling at him.

"This is it, I suppose," he looked towards the manor with him, removing his hand. "The moment we do this, we will be traitors to our own House. Hated by them even."

"Most likely killed, if not tortured first," he added, making Regulus shudder. "But if we don't, they'll kill us anyway for refusing to join them. As long as he lives and they are left in power, we will never be free. This has to be done."

"Then let's get this over with!" Black declared, discovering a new sense of courage within himself.

Together, they walked back to the manor, entering the ballroom that was filled with Death Eaters who they were trying to bring down.

"Oi, Severus! Regulus!"

Hearing the voice of Mulciber, they found him and Avery by a table, apparently deep in conversation with some witches. Heading towards them, they prepared themselves for what was to come. An uncertain fate of whether their mission would succeed or fail.

"I see you found our friend," Avery raised his eyebrows as he threw an arm over the heir of the Black family. "Tell me, who was the lucky witch you scored with earlier?"

Playing along, Regulus took a seat with him at the table, while Mulciber went back to his own conversation with the two witches he was with.

Severus remained standing where he was, turning his attention to the front of the ballroom, his eyes set on Lucius and Narcissa.

Tapping her foot against the floor, Liz grew impatient as she waited for either the return of her brother with the cup in hand or a response from Severus, the latter being most unlikely.

Groaning, she tossed her head back and forth, trying to keep herself busy in any way possible.

'What the hell is taking them so long?'

Suddenly, a figure popped out of nowhere, appearing at the center of the room.

Drawing her wand, Liz leaped up from her chair, aiming at the intruder. Her eyes widened at the sight of an old house-elf that she instantly remembered, "Kreacher?"

The elf fell back against the ground, fearful of her reaction, "Kreacher means no harm to Mistress!"

Realizing she still had her wand pointed at him, she put it away in her robes and went to her knees in front of him, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" Her eyes widened again as she saw the diary in his arms. "Is that it? The diary we've been looking for?"

Kreacher nodded, "Yes, Mistress. Master Regulus ordered Kreacher to give it to you and Master Gideon. Master has ordered Kreacher to listen and obey you."

Reaching for the diary, the elf placed it in her arms and she quickly rushed to the table, grabbing one of the last two remaining briefcases from under it. Setting it on the surface, she opened it and placed the diary inside, closing the case with a taut.

"Thank you, Kreacher," she smiled at him.

The elf bowed to her, "Kreacher is not worthy of Mistress's thanks."

Liz shook her head, "No, Kreacher... you are-"

Without warning, the alarm to the safe house went off like last time, making her grab her wand again. Aiming at the doorway, she stood in front of the elf, shielding him.

"It's me," came the voice of her brother as he appeared in the doorway, briefcase in hand.

"Gideon!" she exclaimed happily, throwing herself at him in an embrace. "Thank Merlin, you're alright!" She pulled away from him. "Wait, did you get it?!"

Nodding, he held up the briefcase, "Locked and sealed."

Snatching it from him, she placed it next to the other one like it on the table.

"Has Selena found the ring?" he asked.

Liz nodded, turning to face him, "And the diary has been found too. Kreacher here just brought it to us."

Finally noticing the elf, Gideon nodded to him, "Thank you for helping us, Kreacher. There's no way we could have done it without you."

Though uneasy about being thanked, Kreacher bowed to him in respect.

Picking up the earpiece and putting it back into her right ear, she brought the sleeve of her robes to her lips, "Severus! Gideon made it back with the cup and Kreacher just arrived with the diary. We're all set!"

"Really?!" Selena squealed. "Oh, that sounds so good to hear right now!"

Though there was silence from him, Liz knew he was most likely trying to reach an area where he could reply without suspicion.

After a few minutes of unease, Severus finally responded, "Then it's time to initiate the final phase of the plan. Order Kreacher to take the items to the shack, place them with the ring and cast the Fiendfyre curse when I give the command. The Dark Lord needs to be in the same room with us when it happens."

"But what about you and Regulus?" Liz asked, realizing that they never went over one little part of the plan of how they would be able to kill the Dark Lord in front of everyone. "Won't the Dark Lord have followers all around him?"

"Regulus has already taken care of that problem."

"But that still leaves the two of you to fight him... alone," said Selena, her voice full of worry.

Severus was silent for a moment too long for their liking before he responded, "Killing him should be the 'easy' part once you destroy the-"

"I would like to hear more!" Selena demanded.

"Me too!" Liz yelled, frightening her brother and Kreacher in her moment of anger.

"Just do as I say!" he hissed at them. "I don't have time to argue! If those 'things' aren't destroyed, then our chances of killing him will be impossible!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Grabbing a third briefcase from under the table, Liz stacked all three of them on top of each other and carried them over to the elf, "Kreacher, I need you to deliver these to a place called the Gaunt Shack. It's located near a village called Little Hangleton."

"Yes, Mistress!" Kreacher nodded as he took the cases from her, Apparating from the room.

Standing next to her brother, the two stared at where the elf has stood, letting the silence sink in.

"I hope this works," she whispered, feeling his hand slide into her's.

Looking up at him, he offered a small smile, which she returned before the two embraced.

Sitting on the wooden floor of the shack, Selena waited patiently for the arrival of Kreacher, while her heart ran wild with excitement at the fact that all five items they were looking for had been discovered. Just the thought that the threat of the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters would be brought to an end on that very night made her hopeful for the future. A future of peace for those like her, who had suffered at the hands of pureblood extremists for being born to muggles. She was so happy that she wanted to scream out loud and cheer. The thought of getting drunk and laid entered her mind, becoming more desirable by the second.

But her moment of excitement was quickly replaced with fear for Severus and Regulus. She questioned how they would be able to face off against the Dark Lord and his army of followers, without dying in the process to add on top of that. No matter how she tried to think of a solution, she couldn't find one that felt promising.

And even worse, she thought she could hear something coming from the ring that lied in the golden box just a few feet away from her. If anything, she swore she heard her own voice and name being whispered from it.

Her head shot up the moment she heard a popping noise from outside. Getting to her feet, she rushed to the door and looked outside, using her wand to light the darkness. Seeing a small figure within the darkness, she called out, "Kreacher?"

"Kreacher is me," a voice replied, making her sigh in relief.

"Come on in," she smiled at him once the elf came into the light of her wand.

Walking into the torn up living room of the shack, Selena took the three cases from the elf and opened them, taking each item out and placing them in alongside the ring. Taking a step back, she sat back down against the wall.

Talking into the sleeve of her shirt, she said, "All the Horcruxes are in place, Severus. Just the give the order when you are ready."

Sighing, she rested her head against the wall and closed her eyes, while Kreacher watched in silence and worry.

Severus couldn't help but smile the moment he got Selena's message, happy that the plan was going well. He stood in the corner of the ballroom, leaning against the wall with his arms folded against his chest. Watching everyone around him as he waited for the ceremony to begin.

"My fellow wizards and witches! May I have your attention, please!" came the voice of Lucius Malfoy.

Everyone in the ballroom stopped talking, turning their full attention to the host of the event in front of them.

Realizing that the moment had come, Regulus excused himself from the table he was sharing with Mulciber and Avery, walking right over to Severus to stand right next to him.

"Did you make sure the wine was taken care of?" Severus asked him.

Regulus nodded as he smiled, mischievously, "Double checked that every barrel was from my family's wine collection. Lucius was more than accepting to take such a gift from me."

Standing before the large audience of Death Eaters, Malfoy smiled as he continued with his speech, "It brings great joy to my heart to see so many purebloods under one roof. To see such greatness is a sign that it is not too late for us to save our world from a disease that threatens our very society."

The crowd applauded.

"But I haven't gathered all of you here to discuss something we already know. I gathered you here to celebrate the introduction of new members to the Death Eaters. With permission from our Lord himself, four new members will be joining us tonight." He turned his attention to Avery and Mulciber. "Slytherin members Jacob Mulciber, Hector Avery, Regulus Black and Severus Snape have agreed to take the Dark Mark and become part of the Death Eaters."

Turning to the two, everyone clapped and smiled at them. Some even found Severus and Regulus in their little corner and offered them the same.

"But more importantly," Lucius continued, with his wife by his side. "I wanted to remind every one of you of the wizard we serve. To remind you that he is still as strong as ever and that he will ensure our victory over the corrupt Ministry that has decided to side with the views of those who dare to argue that muggleborns should be treated as equals!" He paused, allowing the audience to clap. "Wizards and witches, I give you our Lord and Leader! I give you... the Dark Lord!"

From behind him, a dark figured appeared from the darkness of the ballroom that wasn't lit, approaching the large audience as they praised his arrival.

Regulus felt fear pierce his heart at the sight of the dark wizard. Just the sight of his red eyes and black cloak that concealed his face was enough to make him want to run. But with the presence of Severus right next to him, he found the will to stand firm and strong.

Standing between Lucius and the audience before him, the Dark Lord studied each one of them, his voice was low but deadly, "My followers. We celebrate the new blood that shall be added to our order tonight. Let this be a reminder of the rewards one shall achieve by obeying me." He turned his attention to Avery and Mulciber, reaching out his hand towards them. "Come to me, my disciples, and present yourselves to me. I wish to look upon you."

As Mulciber, Avery and Regulus began to walk to the front of the crowd, Severus brought the sleeve of his robes to his lips and whispered, "Do it, now!"

The moment Selena heard Severus's voice, she jumped to her feet and turned to Kreacher, approaching him.

"Kreacher, can you perform the Fiendfyre curse?"

The elf nodded, "Yes, Mistress!"

"Good, because I need you to cast one."

Kreacher's eyes widened, "But... Mistress... not with you currently present... Kreacher fears he cannot control such power..."

Selena sighed, "Alright, then take me back to the shop that Gideon and Liz are at. Will that satisfy you?"

He nodded, offering his hand, "Yes, Mistress, that would make Kreacher happy, indeed."

Taking his small hand into hers, the little elf Apparated them to the hideout where the Nott Siblings were, startling them in the process.

"Bloody hell!" Liz cursed. "Stop scaring me like that!"

"Liz, language!" her brother scowled. "Did you destroy the Horcruxes yet?"

Selena shook her head, "Kreacher wanted to make sure I was safe before doing so." She then turned to the elf. "Kreacher, when you perform the Fiendfyre curse, make sure to aim at the items you shall me pile on the floor. It is extremely important that those are destroyed by the fire."

Kreacher nodded before Disapparating away, "Yes, Mistress!"

"You sure it's a good idea to leave the job to him?" Liz raised an eyebrow.

"Let's hope so," she replied.

A few minutes later, Kreacher reappeared, his body and rags covered in smoke and ashes.

Selena knelt in front of him, "Kreacher, did you do it?"

The elf looked up into her eyes and she saw terror deep within his, a look that screamed that he had witnessed something horrific. He slowly nodded before replying, "Kreacher performed the Fiendfyre like Mistress asked... the items were destroyed. Kreacher heard them screaming."

Selena and Gideon frowned, while Liz appeared shocked by the revelation.

"Screaming?"

Kreacher nodded as he buried his face into his arms, sitting down on the floor to silently sob.

Turning to the siblings behind her, she stood up, "I'm going to the Malfoy Manor. I don't know what Severus has planned, but I want to help him in any way that I can." She turned back to Kreacher. "Can you get me to the Malfoy Estate?"

Looking up at her, the elf nodded, "Kreacher can get you there."

"We're going too!" Liz declared.

Gideon's eyes widened, "No, you're not! Me and Selena are going!"

"Oh, stop being such a parent and just accept the fact that I'm going! Last I checked, you don't have the right to tell me what to do!"

"I'm your brother!"

"Doesn't matter! I'm still going!"

Selena shook her head, "We don't no time for this! Severus and Regulus are in danger and the longer we spend arguing, the less likely we'll find them alive when we get there!"

"Master Regulus is in trouble?" Kreacher's head shot up, his eyes full of worry. "Kreacher and friends must save Master Regulus!" He got to his feet and ran to the three of them, pushing the two girls into Gideon.

"Kreacher, wait-"

The moment all four of them were connected through physical contact, Kreacher Disapparated them from the abandoned shop.

Following them from behind, he prepared himself for the fight that was about to begin, hoping that their plan could see itself to the very end. And once they stood before the Dark Lord, all four got to their knees, heads hanging low.

It took everything for Regulus to remain in control of himself, to push all emotions and thoughts to the back of his mind. If he hadn't gotten any training from Severus in the ways of Occlumency, he would never have been able to come within a mile of the Dark Lord.

"Rise, my followers," Lord Voldemort declared, excitement in his eyes as he looked at Severus.

Obeying him, they kept their eyes averted, something he took notice of.

"You are right to fear me. But I wish to see your eyes with my own."

Looking up into his red eyes, each one of them felt their minds being invaded, a painful experience that almost made them want to faint from.

With everything he could muster, Regulus kept his fear in control and focused purely on the Dark Lord himself, hoping it would be enough to satisfy him.

Once the Dark Lord was through, he clapped his hands together and announced, "True wizards, these four are. I will accept them and grant them the Dark Mark."

The applause echoed off the ceiling of the ballroom.

"My Lord, with your permission, shall we make a toast to each of our new members as you mark them?" asked Lucius.

Voldemort turned to him and answered, "You shall."

Turning to the servants in the background, he signaled for them to begin handing out the wine that had been prepared. After a few moments, everyone in the room had their own glass of wine, ready to begin the toast. Shooing the servants away, Lucius lifted his cup into the air and announced, "To Jacob Avery!"

"TO JACOB AVERY!" they all cried out, taking a sip of their drinks.

"Approach, Avery!" Voldemort ordered, taking out his wand.

As the young sixth-year Slytherin eagerly walked forward and knelt before him, with his left arm stretched out, the Dark Lord took it and pressed his wand into the inner forearm. He began chanting words that no one could understand and the mark began to take form, almost making the boy moan in pain from the experience.

After a few moments, the mark settled and the Dark Lord let go of his arm, dismissing him.

"Approach, Mulciber!"

Obeying, Mulciber knelt before him and did the same as Avery did, beginning to feel his Lord's power in creating the mark on his arm.

"To Hector Mulciber!" Lucius declared as the crowd did the same, taking another drink from their cups.

However, just as the mark had settled on Mulciber's hand, the Dark Lord paused in his attempts to move on to Regulus next. He stood frozen where he was, almost as if something had stopped him.

"My Lord?" Lucius looked at him with worry. "Are you alright?"

Suddenly, the Dark Lord began to moan, coughing hard as he appeared to struggle to stand on his own two feet.

"My Lord?" he asked again, approaching slowly with caution, only to be distracted by the sound of a body falling to the ground, making everyone turn to see who it was.

Soon, more people began to collapse as well, overturning tables and chairs as they did. The sound of glass cups breaking against the cold ground echoed off the walls.

"What's happening?" Avery asked to no one in particular as both he and Mulciber got to their feet.

Suddenly, Voldemort began to scream in agony, crying out towards the ceiling as his hood fell back, revealing his disfigured face for all to see. His eyes grew heavy with rage.

"No!" he cried out in pain, a realization slowly filling his eyes. "It cannot be!"

"My lord-" Lucius found himself unable to speak, stumbling in his steps to remain standing as his body became weak. But like everyone else in the room, he collapsed as well, alongside his wife.

Within seconds, only Avery, Mulciber, Regulus, Severus and Voldemort remained standing in the ballroom, surrounded by a large number of unconscious Death Eaters.

Seeing their chance, both Regulus and Severus pulled out his wands and casted a Stupefy at Avery and Mulciber, knocking the two unsuspecting Death Eaters unconscious.

"WHAT IS THIS?!" Voldemort demanded as the two wizards turned their wands onto him, beginning to spread out to flank him. Slowly, his expression slightly changed. "So, all of this was your doing."

Taking a shot, Severus tried to cast a binding spell at him, only for the Dark Lord to deflect it with his wand. Before he could react, a Killing Curse was casted towards him, forcing him to jump out of the way as it hit the wall behind him. Rolling against the ground, he saw a second Killing Curse being casted, forcing him to jump once more, feeling body react to the sudden movements with pain throughout. Ignoring it, he got to his feet and turned towards his enemy.

Regulus had thought he had the advantage to attack but was mistaken the moment he casted a Stupefy at the Dark Lord, watching as he deflected it with ease. And just a second later, he saw a Killing Curse coming towards him. Unable to move out of the way in time, he literally started to see his own life flash before his eyes, feeling as if time itself was slowing down.

"MASTER!" a voice cried out.

Feeling something collide against him, Regulus flew into the air, just missing the curse by inches as it passed him and hit the wall. Crashing against the hard ground, he felt the world spin and heard a distant voice in the background.

"Master?!" he recognized the voice of his house-elf next to him and felt a pair of hands shaking his shoulder. "Is Master Regulus harmed?"

As his version came into focus, he turned his head and met the eyes of Kreacher, who was sobbing.

"Kreacher?" he shook his head, leaning up to see what was happening.

"You mustn't get up, Master Regulus!" the elf pleaded, trying to keep him from rising to his feet. However, he failed to do so the moment Regulus saw Severus combating the Dark Lord by himself, barely holding his own as he deflected each attack and dodged each Killing Curse sent his way.

"Kreacher, I need you to go to the Auror Department and inform them that the Dark Lord is here at the Malfoy Manor! Tell them to get here as fast as they can! But do not tell them of me, Severus or anyone else! Got it?!"

The elf stared at him with worried eyes, tears running down his face as he managed to nod before Apparating away, "Yes, Master!"

Just as he forced himself up from the ground, he saw Selena rushing towards the battle, wand drawn. Right behind her, Gideon and Liz appeared, though they seemed to be arguing about something that he couldn't hear. Turning his attention to the battle at hand, his eyes widened as Severus was struck by a curse of some kind, sending him bouncing off the wall and onto the ground.

Realizing that the next attack would be a Killing Curse, both Selena and Regulus raised their wands at the same time and casted offensive spells against the Dark Lord. Turning around at such amazing speed, he deflected their attacks. Not wanting to give him a chance to retaliate, they performed more spells to keep him busy. In fact, they were beginning to force him back, allowing Gideon and Liz to approach Severus.

Awakening from the attack, Severus managed to get to his feet with the help of the Nott siblings, feeling his senses coming back as everything came into focus again.

"Are you alright?" Liz asked him.

Ignoring her question, he looked at Voldemort and said, "Retreat!"

"What?!" the two siblings cried a the same time, dumbstruck.

"We'll take this fight outside," he explained. "I'll get him to focus his attacks on me, while the rest of you go in for the kill."

"And how do you intend to give us time to make a run for outside?!" Regulus shouted at him, sweat rolling off his face as he put his all into his spells and charms.

Thinking hard about it and quick, he looked up towards the ceiling and pulled himself away from the support of the siblings, grabbed his wand from the ground and shot a spell upwards, striking the roof above. Debris fell and struck the Dark Lord, distracting him.

"GO!" he shouted, making a run for the exit of the ballroom, being followed by the others. They all heard a heart-piercing-rage-filled scream echo from behind them as they ran down the hallway for the exit at the end, motivating them to move as fast as they could.

"What's the plan?" Regulus asked.

"Like I said, I'll draw his attention and you four attack when you get the chance!"

"But we've never taken a life before!" Liz panted.

"First time for everything!" Selena replied.

Suddenly, they heard something coming right towards them at incredible speed. Almost as if something was flying right towards them down the hallway. And despite their need to know what it was, they refused to turn around and take a look. Like a strong arm, a force sent Regulus, Selena, Liz and Gideon falling to the ground, while Severus was grabbed by the shoulders and sent flying through the windows of the large doors that led to the garden outside. Feeling the glass pierce his skin, he prepared himself for the crash landing ahead. He felt himself collide with the dirt of the ground and slide a couple of yards, coming to a complete stop on his back.

Forcing himself up, he was surprised to find that nothing was broken, except for a few sharp glasses stuck in his arms. Before he had the time to pick them out, he quickly realized that a Killing Curse was heading towards him and he dodged, recovering himself just in time to deflect a second attack. He fell to knees, exhausted.

"I had such high hopes for you, Snape!" Voldemort yelled as he floated to the ground just a couple of feet away. "You could have been so much more under my command!"

"And that's the problem!" he yelled back, dodging another Killing Curse. "Under you!"

"Then who would you rather be under then?! The Ministry? Dumbledore? That redhead I've heard so much about? At least with me, you would have had it all!"

"Shut up!" Severus casted a series of spells and charms, which Voldemort deflected with. He began to laugh at the sight of him, smiling with delight.

"Look at you! Barely holding on against the Dark Lord himself!" he casted another Killing Curse, which Severus barely managed to avoid.

As their battle continued amongst the Malfoy garden, their fighting began to destroy the flowers and bushes around them, leaving nothing but ruin in their wake.

"If you think killing me will make them accept you, you're sadly mistaken!" he taunted. "As long as you're a Slytherin, they'll never give you a chance!" Hoping to weaken and tire him, he began casting offensive spells directly at Severus, purposely allowing for him to easily deflect each one. "This is where it ends for you, Snape! Once I've killed you and your friends, I'll create more Horcruxes to replace the ones you've destroyed!"

Raising his wand to go in for the kill, he suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowing at the Slytherin, "But I am curious... how did you find out about them in the first place?"

Refusing to answer, Severus got into a defensive position, ready for an attack.

Realizing he would never tell him, Voldemort shook his head, "It's a shame. We almost had you."

Quickening his movements, he began to send curse after curse at him, which Severus was finding difficulty in dodging. He moved left and right with as much speed as he could muster, but he knew it was only a matter of time before he would become too tired to keep up with him. Attempting to flank him on the right, he ran in a circular motion around his enemy, just inches away from being hit by his attacks. But then he was met with a surprise when Voldemort changed his direction, sending a curse ahead to the position where he would arrive at. Seeing this, he jumped to the left, but the curse hit the ground next to him, sending him flying over a bush, which at least provided cover for him.

Hearing a series of battle cries from multiple people, he rolled his eyes at the sight of Regulus, Selena, Liz and Gideon charging the Dark Lord from behind, catching him off guard as they attacked.

Knowing they wouldn't stand a chance, Severus's eyes were suddenly captured by the sight of a wizard statue not far from him. In the hands of the statue were a wand and a knife, which was made out of stone. Getting an idea, he approached it.

Meanwhile, Regulus, Liz, Selena and Gideon struggled in their attack against Voldemort, unable to wound him because of his speed. He deflected every attack and was regaining the strength he had lost from feeling the destruction of his Horcruxes, which made Regulus realize that they were lucky the whole time because of that fact.

Managing to knock Liz down from the force of his attacks, they all watched in horror as he prepared to cast a Killing Curse at her, feeling as if time was standing still. But as he was about to shout the word, he felt the presence of someone running towards him from behind and heard the casting of a spell. Spinning around, he deflected it with ease but was met with shock as a knife came forward and struck the left side of his chest, breaking through the skin and bone. His eyes widened as he realized what had just happened.

Driving the stone knife deep into his heart, Severus brought up his fist to the side and knocked Voldemort's wand out of his hand, taking away his power to perform magic.

The two fell to their knees, breathing heavily.

"No!" Voldemort whispered, almost as if he was pleading with Death itself. "I cannot die! Only I... can live... forever..."

Severus felt as if he could faint right at that very moment, but willed himself to stay focused, managing to look up into the eyes of the Dark Lord.

The two held eye contact for a moment, staring deep into the other.

Voldemort started to laugh, making Severus frown as he said, "Ironic... how similar we are...but yet... so different..." He began to cough up blood from his mouth, which dripped onto Severus's robes. "You may think... that this will change everything... but you will find... that they will never... accept you..."

He watched as his eyes closed for the final time and fell to the ground, with the stone knife still in his chest. It took a few moments for the action itself to sink in, watching as the body of Voldemort never once moved from where it laid. Breathing heavily, Severus fell to the palms of his hands and stared down at the blood that was beginning to soak the dirt beneath him. His breathing became heavy, struggling to control his emotions that ran free.

The other four looked on with wide eyes, unable to believe what they had witnessed. It took them a few moments before Regulus approached Severus and took him by the shoulder, helping him to his feet.

"Holy shit!" Gideon shook his head, moving his hands through his hair. "We did it- Severus did it!"

"He's... dead?" Selena asked, unable to believe it herself.

Liz remained sitting on the ground, her eyes wide with shock.

Suddenly, a popping noise caught their attention, making them turn around to find Kreacher behind them.

"Kreacher informed Auror Mad-Eye of the Dark Lord's whereabouts," the elf exclaimed. "They told Kreacher they will be here within the three hours."

Though they felt surprised by the information, they still were trying to process the fact that Voldemort was dead to be able to express any kind of emotion about it.

"How long will the sleeping potion last?" Severus asked, managing to support himself on his own.

"I made it to last ten hours at the most," Relugus answered.

"Good," he nodded. "Because with the Dark Lord dead and his followers incapacitated, the Aurors will be able to fully put an end to the Death Eater campaign."

"Then it's probably best that we shouldn't be here when they arrive," Selena added, coming to her senses.

"Agreed," Regulus nodded. "Kreacher!"

The elf looked up at his master.

"Take us home."

"Yes, Master!"

Grouping together, the elf Apparated them away, leaving the body of the Dark Lord, Voldemort behind.

Three hours later, the Malfoy Manor was raided by Aurors who had come with a warrant, discovering Lucius Malfoy, his wife and all of his guests incapacitated. But it was the discovery of the Dark Lord's body that truly shocked them, immediately sending the whole Department in a crazy house as they called everyone in. And the moment they had begun to find the Dark Mark on several of the people in the ballroom, arrests officially started to be being made, as they were able to place the greatest Dark Wizard of their time at the scene. The whole manor became a crime screen, with the Minister of Magic getting involved before morning came.

And by the next newspaper that awaited the sleeping wizards and witches, the death of Voldemort was officially made public and the announcement of several high-level Death Eater arrests had been carried out.

But one question remained that no one seemed to be able to answer... who had slain the Dark Lord and saved the Wizarding World from a devastating war?

So, what did you think? Please leave a review in the review section below. I want to read what you think of the first chapter.

I know that the first chapter skips over a ton of details as to how everything came to this moment, but I promise that everything will be explained later.

Before you ask (that is if you're thinking about it), I want to confirm that the title was inspired by the movie, Serenity. I'm a fan of the tv show Firefly, and I really love the movie. So I decided to use the name for the purpose of the story.

Oh, and the ceremony scene was inspired by the most awesome opening to any tv show in the entire freaking universe! Game of Thrones, Season 7, Episode 1! If you've seen that opening, then you know precisely what I'm talking about.

Once more, I apologize for any grammar issues.

Nothing much else to talk about in this Author's Note, so I'll go ahead and end it here.

See you guys in Chapter 2! :)