Warning. Okay, so there is implied torture. IT'S NOTHING MORE than implied. No rape or anything. Yes, I alluded to something but nothing happened. This is merely a precaution if you don't want to read anything like that. There is also going to be mentions of abuse and the aftermath in the next several chapters but nothing graphic.

Nick

Finally. She had finally found out why Dumbledore had insisted on throwing her into all of the yearly encounters with Voldemort over the past couple of years at Hogwarts. No matter what the others had always told her. Her job had never been to survive… The former headmaster expected her to calmly walk into Death's welcoming arms and – while she was at is – she was supposed to take Voldemort along. Selene wasn't worried about herself… Not at all. The thing she was scared about the most was the fact that she would never meet her mates, that she would leave them alone in the world. Actually, she had almost made peace with the thought of never meeting them in person but… for their sakes, she had really hoped that she was wrong.

Her heart was pounding fiercely. How strange that she didn't fear death… She feared what it would do to the people she left behind. Ever since she was a young child, lying in the cupboard under the stairs… As much as she hated Dumbledore for ruining her life there was one thing he told her that never really left her. He had once told Selene that death was but the next great adventure. One of the few things that she had taken seriously when he said it.

Selene got up from the ground of the headmaster's office, dusting off her clothes. They were ripped and burnt from the fighting she had done earlier. Her thoughts continued to cycle around her looming death. Would it hurt? All those times she thought that it was about to happen over the years, she escaped. The Philosopher's Stone, Uncle Vernon, the Basilisk, Uncle Vernon, Sirius Black, Uncle Vernon, the Tournament, Voldemort… Did she mention Uncle Vernon? The list went on and on but for the most part, it consisted of two people, two men who had continuously made her hurt throughout her life. Both Uncle Vernon and Voldemort had attempted to kill her on more than one occasion. Had anyone asked her who she thought was worse… She wouldn't have been able to answer. While Voldemort was a monster and had terrorized a lot of people, murdering even more, Uncle Vernon was her own personal nightmare, her own personal hell.

If only she could have died that summer's night when she left Privet Drive – or even sometime before. If only she could die like Hedwig had, so quickly that she wouldn't have known it happened. Or if she had known that it would come to this, she would have had a noble death that actually meant something to her. Now, she would just walk to her death, leaving everyone to fend for themselves. Something in her opinion, they should have done years ago.

Dumbledore's betrayal would literally follow her to her grave. She hated him. She hated him so much that it hurt. Even with the prophecy, she didn't have to grow up with Petunia and Vernon. She could have had a normal childhood without all of the abuse. He could have actually taught her to fight instead of just throwing her in front of the bus every single year. She hated him so much. Dumbledore had known that she wouldn't be able to just duck out now that she knew that a piece of the Dark Lord's soul resided in her scar. She would keep going until the end, even though it was her end specifically. Dumbledore knew all this and even the Dark Lord knew that she wouldn't let anyone else die for her, not if she could stop it. The images of Fred, Remus and Tonks lying dead in the Great Hall made her shiver. She had already lost some of the most important people in her life, why would she even want to go on if there was no hope?

The only problem was that Nagini, another one of Voldemort's Horcruxes was still alive. Even if Selene died, the man would still be immortal. True, it would make the job to kill him easier but it wasn't enough. If she died and took the Horcrux with her, someone else had to deal with the snake and Voldemort. The only question was who could do it. Ron and Hermione were too cowardly. She had never really trusted them, no matter how much time she was forced to spend around them. George had just lost his twin brother and even the others weren't up to the task. There was only one person she might trust with the task…

Hogwarts was empty, eerily so. She felt almost ghostly striding through the abandoned halls by herself. All of the portraits were empty, the inhabitants having taken shelter in a safe place. Everything was eerily silent as if all its remaining lifeblood was concentrated in the Great Hall where the dead and mourners were crammed together.

Selene pulled her Invisibility Cloak over her shoulders and descended through the floors, walking down the marble staircase into the entrance hall at last. Perhaps a part of her hoped to be seen, to be stopped but the Cloak was and will always be impenetrable now that Dumbledore and Moody were both gone.

It was only outside, that her silent plea came true. She collided with the same person she trusted to end Voldemort, Neville. He was only half of a pair that was carrying a body in from the grounds. Colin Creevey, though underage, must have snuck back outside to fight just as Malfoy and the other students had done.

"You know what? I can manage him alone, Neville," Oliver Wood murmured, heaving Colin over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. The former Quidditch captain knew about Selene's cloak and had realised what had happened just now.

As soon as he was out of sight, Neville leaned against the door frame, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand "Selene?"

"It's me, Nev," Selene murmured, pulling the Cloak off her head for a moment.

Neville swallowed "So, you're really going to do this, huh?"

"I have to," she pointed out quietly "Listen, Neville. I'm going to die and… I think I'm alright with it – as alright as I can be, at least. I need you to promise me something."

"Anything," Neville vowed.

Selene thrust the sword of Gryffindor at him "Take this. Kill Nagini once I'm dead. She's the only thing left that makes Voldemort immortal. Once she's dead, kill that bastard for me, would you?"

"I – Why me?" Neville asked.

"Because I think I was never meant to be the prophecy child," Selene admitted "Yes, he marked me but that's not the point in my opinion… I was always meant to leave in one way or another. I'm not anchored to this world as much as people think…" She leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to his grimy cheek "Take care of yourself and Luna for me? I love you guys."

"You can count on me, Selene," Neville told her solemnly, drawing her still invisible body into a tight hug "I'm sorry."

Selene smiled a tiny smile that he couldn't see "Don't be. You're finally showing who you really are. I always knew that you would make an amazing Gryffindor, Nev. This is what you were always capable of, you only had to believe in yourself. Never let anyone tell you that you weren't meant for something great. Listen to your heart."

"Thank you," Neville breathed out, leaning his head against the wall as tears entered his eyes "I'll never forget you, Sel. Never."

Selene slipped away from him, moving down the steps and further out into the darkness. A glance at her watch caused her to let out a shaky breath. It was almost four in the morning and the deathly stillness of the ground felt as though they were holding their breath, waiting.

A small part of her wanted to be stopped, to be dragged back… To be with her mates. God, it still sounded so weird to say it. Mates. As in more than one. They had been in her life for years already – even if she only met three of her four mates, she already loved them. They had helped her so much and were always there when she needed them. While they couldn't be with her in person, they always had their dreams.

Hagrid's hut loomed out of the darkness. There were no lights, no sound of Fang scrabbling at the door to greet her. All those visits to Hagrid over the years and the gleam of the copper kettle on the fire, the rock cakes and giant grubs. It all felt so faint as if she had almost forgotten how her life used to be.

Selene stopped at the edge of the forest, staring at the swarm of Dementors that was gliding amongst the trees. Even from a distance, she could feel the chill in the air and she was unsure whether she would be able to pass them safely. She had no strength left to cast a Patronus. It wasn't easy to walk to your own death. With every second she breathed in the smell of grass and the cool air on her face, it felt like her strength was being zapped out of her.

She savoured the feeling, though… To think that so many people had years and years, time to waste. So much time and here she was, clinging to each second as if it were her last. At the same time, she thought that she wouldn't be able to go on anyway. The game was over and the Snitch had been caught. It was time to leave the air…

The Snitch.

With shaking hands, Selene reached into the pouch around her neck, pulling out the small golden ball. I open at the close. She pressed her lips to the golden metal, her voice barely a whisper compared to the noises of the forest "I am about to die."

The metal shell broke open. Selene lowered her shaking hand, raising Draco's wand with her other "Lumos." The black stone with its jagged crack running down the very centre sat in the bottom half of the Snitch. The Resurrection Stone had cracked down in a vertical line that almost looked like the symbol for the Elder Wand.

She was about to die… It didn't matter whether she brought them back now, right? After all, they were fetching me. She was going to die regardless… Whether she used the stone or not. She just wanted to talk to her family one last time. If she couldn't see her mates, she at least wanted to have the comfort of her family. Selene closed her eyes tightly and turned the stone over three times. Tears were filling her eyes and she was practically shaking when soft hands touched her face "You've been so brave," Lily breathed, smoothing her hands over her daughter's forehead, her cheeks and her hair. Selene's eyes flew open, looking up at her mother hovering close to her.

"I'm scared," she whispered tearfully, looking at her mother and the three men crowding around her "I don't want to leave them, mum."

James came forward, smiling a sad smile "You're nearly there, Selene. We are… so proud of you, baby girl."

"I don't want to leave them," she repeated, this time more to herself than to anyone else as her thoughts wandered.

"Don't give up hope," Remus murmured, looking down at his honorary goddaughter with mournful eyes "Maybe you'll be able to see them again."

Selene frowned "How? How can I when I'm dead?"

"We can't tell you that, Bambi," Sirius sighed, wishing for the first time that Death hadn't made them take the vow "I'm sorry."

"I didn't want you to die," Selene sniffled, staring at her godfather and the werewolf with tears running down her face "Any of you. I'm sorry…" Those words were more directed at Remus than any of the others "I'm sorry, Remy. Your son…"

Remus closed his eyes for a moment, hating that she was blaming herself. Both him and Tonks had chosen to fight… They knew the risks and took them which caused their death in the end "I am sorry, too. Sorry that I will never know him… but he will know why I died and I hope he will understand when the time comes. I was trying to make the world in which he would live a better place."

A chilly breeze lifted the hair from Selene's shoulders, blowing it around her face messily. It seemed to emanate from deep within the heart of the forest, the place where she would meet her end. She knew that none of them would ever tell her to go. It was her decision and hers alone "You'll stay?"

"Until the very end," James promised.

Selene nodded and took a deep breath "Stay close to me, please?" she begged quietly. The Dementors' chill didn't overcome her, instead, she passed through it with her companions by her side. While she wasn't totally safe from it, the only thing that happened were flashes of green light and faint voices at the back of her head.

Together they marched through the old trees that grew closer and closer together, their branches tangles, their roots gnarled and twisted underfoot. Selene clutched her Cloak tightly around her, the stone practically cutting into the soft flesh of her palm as she travelled deeper and deeper into the forest. She had no idea where Voldemort was but she was sure that it wouldn't be too hard to find him.

By now, her body and mind were feeling oddly disconnected, her limbs working without conscious instruction as if she was merely a passenger, not the driver of her own body. The dead who walked beside her were much more real than the living back at the castle. The living were the ones who started to feel like ghosts as she stumbled and slipped towards the end of her life… towards Voldemort.

A thud and a whisper sounded from the darkness close by. She froze under the Cloak, peering around and listening intently "Someone there?" A rough whisper sounded from a couple of feet away "She's got an Invisibility Cloak. Could it be?"

Two figures emerged from behind a nearby tree, their wands at ready. Selene recognised Yaxley and Dolohov immediately "Definitely heard something," Yaxley grunted "Animal, d'you reckon?"

Dolohov shrugged "That headcase Hagrid kept a whole bunch of stuff in here."

Yaxley glanced down at his watch "Time's nearly up. Potter's had her hour. She's not coming."

"And he was sure she'd come. He won't be happy."

"Better go back," Yaxley sighed "Find out what the plan is now." He and Dolohov turned to walk deeper into the forest as Selene followed them, knowing that they would lead her to where she wanted to go. She glanced sideways to see her mother smiling at her, her father nodding in encouragement. That turned out to be her mistake, though as she stepped on a branch, causing it to break under her lightweight. She froze when the two men whirled around, searching the darkness once again.

Dolohov narrowed his eyes "Come out, come out, wherever you are." Selene pressed her hand to her mouth, trying to quiet down her racing heart as she backed away carefully "Come now, little Potter. We won't hurt you." A sly smirk spread across his face "Much."

Yaxley exchanged a look with Dolohov before flicking his wand in an arch. He smiled when he heard something not ten feet in front of them, the leaves shuffling as Potter fell. A couple of steps and he was right in front of her, close enough to hear a couple of quiet gasps coming from the girl. He reached out, grabbing the cloak to pull it off her completely "Hello, Potter."

"Hm," Dolohov mumbled, prowling around the girl. He grabbed her hair, bending her head back until she was glaring into his eyes "It seems you are more stupid than we thought… Coming here…"

Yaxley jerked his head to the clearing not too far behind them "Come on. We should bring her to the Lord."

"Just a moment," Dolohov grinned evilly "I do not plan on having her have an easy death. The Dark Lord will only throw a Killing Curse at the bitch… That's not enough."

"On your head," Yaxley shook his head. While he did feel like the girl deserved everything Dolohov had planned for her, he didn't want to get onto the Dark Lord's bad side. He had demanded her not to be touched… "Just – Bring her once you finish. I'll go ahead."

Once he was out of sight, Dolohov turned to his little catch. She was even more beautiful than he thought, just the right balance between petite and curvy. If he had more time, he would have gladly had his fun with her but now, he would have to content himself with making her hurt "It's just us now, Potter."

"I'm sorry, pup," Sirius breathed, closing his eyes. Oh, how he wished he could do something to Dolohov. Remus and Lily turned their eyes away, trying not to listen to Selene's quiet cries as Dolohov worked.

A fire burned in the middle of the clearing and its flickering light fell over a crowd of completely silent, watchful Death Eaters. Some of them were still masked and hooded, others showed their faces. Two giants sat on the outskirts of the group, casting massive shadows over the scene, their faces cruel, rough-hewn like rock. Not too far away from them Fenrir was skulking, chewing his long nails anxiously. Rowle, dabbed at his bleeding lip, while the two Malfoys stood in the background, hoping against hope that Potter would defeat the Dark Lord and that their son was alright.

Every eye was fixed on Voldemort who stood with his head bowed and his white hands folded over the Elder Wand in front of him. He might have been praying or else counting the seconds silently in his head. Behind his head, Nagini floated in her glittering, charmed cage like a monstrous halo.

When Yaxley rejoined the circle, Voldemort looked up "Dolohov has her," he reported "He'll be here soon."

Voldemort's expression did not change apart from the small flash of anger. His red eyes seemed to burn in the firelight. Slowly, he drew the Elder Wand between his long fingers.

"My Lord…" Bellatrix spoke up. She was sitting closest to Voldemort, dishevelled, her face a little bloody but otherwise unharmed.

Voldemort raised his hand to silence her and she did not speak another word "I said she is not to be harmed," he announced, narrowing his eyes on Yaxley. When the man was about to protest, he shook his head "In what sense of those words does that mean that Dolohov is in his right? Don't even deny it." Nobody spoke against him as the leaves rustled, footsteps nearing the clearing once again.

Dolohov appeared out of the darkness, dragging a barely conscious girl with him "My Lord," he bowed, throwing Selene onto the ground harshly.

"Dolohov," Voldemort greeted coldly, raising his wand before the man could open his mouth or even look at him "I told you to look out for the girl, not kill her."

The Death Eater swallowed at the silent rage in his Lord's eyes and bowed his head "I apologise, my Lord. I –"

"Silence," Voldemort hissed, gliding towards where Potter was lying. She hadn't moved but he could see her struggling with her shaking body, willing herself to get up "Selene Potter. The Girl Who Lived." None of the Death Eater moved. They were waiting. Everything was waiting. Hagrid was struggling, yelling through the gad they had put on him.

Selene closed her eyes for a moment, her body feeling as if it were on fire. She was still losing blood from the wound Yaxley had given her and the aftereffects from the Cruciatus didn't make her feel any better either.

Voldemort raised his wand, his head tilted to one side, wondering what would happen if he proceeded "Look at me, girl and face your end at my hands." Selene struggled to turn her head, looking back into the red eyes. The fear she was feeling along with the memories of her mates gave her enough courage to see this to the end. She saw the lipless mouth move and a flash of green light before everything was gone.