Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Harry Potter. This is part 3 of the Sailor Witches Saga. Please read Sailor Witches and Harry Potter and the Moon Crystal before reading this. It might be a good idea to skim over the stories if you've already have read them. It has been a long while!
Shifts in Destiny
Chapter 1
Serena the Teenage Witch
As soon as Voldemort had Sailor Saturn back at his lair, he worked on getting her to change to his side. She was defiant from the beginning. He used the Imperious Curse a few times, but she was able to fight against it. As much as the Cruciatus Curse hurt, she would not give in. He tried other ways. Gifts, talk of her achieving great power—but it was not enough.
"Why do you resist me so much, Sailor Saturn?" Voldemort demanded. "I can give you a chance to prove your worth. Look at all these gifts. I have given you."
"It's going to take more than nice things for me to join you," said Sailor Saturn. She was standing in the nicest of rooms. There was a wardrobe full of fashionable gowns and robes. "I am a Sailor Scout. My job is to destroy evil."
Voldemort shook his head. "No my dear. Your purpose is to simply destroy. Evil and good does nto exist. There is only power and those too weak to seek it."
"Hmph," Sailor Saturn muttered. "That sounds like something Mistress9 would say. You can't make me join you, Voldemort. I have been used as a tool for darkness and I won't be used again." She tightened her hands around her glaive and rotated it so that the blade was pointed to her belly. "Even if I have to sacrifice myself!"
"No!" Voldemort yelled. "Stop!"
Sailor Saturn ran herself with her own weapon. She heard Voldemort curse under his breath. He called out to other Death Eaters and they began healing her wounds in a matter of seconds. Of course, some Death Eaters did not understand why Voldemort wanted this girl so much. It was clear she was powerful but weren't they enough for him? They only obeyed his commands of healing her out of fear of dying at his hands.
Because she attempted to take her own life, Voldemort confiscated Sailor Saturn's glaive. She lost the ability to transform—temporarily—until she got her strength back. He promised her a new transformation if she would join him. She resisted again and again. Hotaru told him time and time again to just get it over with and kill her already. The foolish Death Eaters who told him the same suffered the Cruciatus curse.
"I do not take any pleasure in torturing you, my dear sailor scout," Voldemort said after torturing Hotaru for the millionth time. She sat in a corner of her room, gasping for breath and holding her sides. "Well, at least not like I do when I torture Muggles." He added as an after thought. "But there is no need for you to suffer the Cruciatus Curse. I don't want you to loose that beautiful, strong mind of yours. You won't be any use to me when you are insane. I don't want the strongest of all sailor scouts to live out the rest of her life in St. Mungos."
"If it will get me away from you," Hotaru muttered, "I really don't care."
Voldemort sighed and took a seat beside her. "That power of yours is just going to waste with the sailor scouts. When have they given you an opportunity to prove yourself? I don't want to hurt you, my dear. I want to help you."
Hotaru laughed. "Help me? By making me a Death Eater?"
"You have great potential, don't you understand?" said Voldemort. "The things you can do? The sailor soldiers are jealous. You know this."
Hotaru bit her lip. She had said such things to the other Outers when she trashed Knocturn Alley. But even if it were true, how could she just turn her back on everything she learned, what she stood for and join Voldemort? She lowered her head to the ground.
"People will fall down before you. You can change the world. I just want to get you started. You won't be like the other Death Eaters, I assure you. You will be an equal, like me. Why, you can give them orders if you want to."
He pushed up her chin with his pale, spider-fingered like hand to meet her eyes. Though there were circles under her eyes, they still held a fierce determination. They began glowing purple, followed by the rest of her body.
"You can't," murmured Hotaru. "You can't make me. You. Cannot. Control. DEATH!"
A jet of purple light shot at Voldemort, making him fly across the room. It took him a while to get back. He should have been livid but on the contrary, he only was more excited.
"That is it," said Voldemort. "That raw power. Think of it would do to an entire city. You can start taking your seat next to me. Perhaps when you see what feels like when you are sitting on a throne and you have servants at your command, you may thing differently. Good day to you."
He smiled at her and she returned his gaze with a scowl. He left the room and Hotaru began to cry.
"Please," she whispered. "Someone, please find me."
Uranus and Neptune were helping Dumbledore find Horcruxes. After looking at selected memories, he came to the conclusion that one of them must be in the ruins of the Gaunt house. It was no doubt booby trapped and they entered with caution. The Gaunt house had so much dust it made them feel as though they were walking into the desert. Neptune ran her finger over the dust-covered table.
"If Voldemort placed a Horcurx here," she said. "It was a long time ago."
"Be careful," advised Uranus. "I don't like this. Professor, do you know what this Horcrux might look like?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "No, but I believe I know it when I see it."
Uranus nodded to Neptune and she nodded back, taking out her mirror. "If I may, Professor. My mirror can show things that are hidden."
"Please," said Dumbledore.
"Submarine Reflection!" said Neptune and an aquamarine light shined around the room like a searchlight. There was something that flickered underneath a chair.
"There," said Neptune.
Dumbledore approached, his right arm out stretched.
"Wait!" said Uranus. "If that is it, I wouldn't touch it if I were you."
Dumbledore laughed. "I get forgetful in my old age. You are quite right."
He flicked his wand and made the chair topple over, revealing a small silver ring with a black stone. The headmaster and two sailor scouts circled around the small ring. Uranus scrunched up her face.
"That's it?" she questioned. "An ugly old ring?"
"Ah, but not just any ring," said Dumbledore. "This has been in the Gaunt family for generations, according to the words of Marvolo Gaunt. Tom's maternal grandfather."
"My mirror is finding a presence or soul inside," said Neptune. "This must be it."
"Then let's destroy it," said Sailor Uranus, taking out the Space Sword. "I'll do it. Neptune, Dumbledore, let me do it. I will need some room."
"Uranus," said Neptune. "Let me help you."
"I can do it," offered Dumbledore.
"No, Professor," said Uranus. "You need to give those lessons to Harry. I'm a Sailor Scout. I think I can take on a little ring. Don't worry, Neptune. You've found it. I can do the rest."
"Some of Riddle's soul is inside," said Dumbledore. "He will try to keep you from doing the task."
Uranus nodded. "I understand."
Dumbledore and Neptune stepped out of the old shack of a house so Uranus could perform the task. She waited until they were a good distance before bringing her sword down on the small ring. The ring did have a power and she felt as if she was fighting an armed opponent. Black and green streaks of light came from the ring, preventing her from cutting the ring. Gritting her teeth, Sailor Uranus pushed the Space Sword down harder.
"Cut it!" she ordered her sword. "Just cut the damn ring already!"
She heard laughter inside the ring. "You cannot win, you pathetic Sailor Soldier. Your naïve princess gave up her power and I have your sailor scout of ruin. You do not stand a chance."
Sailor Uranus' hand shook. She began to wish that she had killed Hotaru when she had the chance. They would not be in this situation if Hotaru had already been dead.
"Don't underestimate us," Sailor Uranus muttered. "We will destroy you, one piece at a time. Space Sword Blaster!"
Bright blue light shined from her sword, cutting the silver ring in half. Black smoke escaped with a hiss and Sailor Uranus covered her face. Sailor Neptune called out for her.
Sailor Uranus jumped out of the house just before it collapsed. Her gloves had burned away from the blast and she was slightly shaken but she was fine.
"Sailor Uranus," said Sailor Neptune, rushing to her side.
"I'm all right," Sailor Uranus grumbled. "It's done. You were right, Professor. It gave a bit of a fight but I was able to carry it through."
"Well done," said Dumbledore. "Return to Headquarters and see what you can do there. I shall call on you again when I need you."
"Yes, sir," said Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune nodded.
Serena's healers wanted Serena to remain in the hospital for a few more days until she got all of her strength back. The silver crystal potion did not bring her back to full strength and she had to have a teaspoon of "medicine" twice a day until her healers saw that she could be let out. After using the remains of the imperium silver crystal, the healers made a compound of crystallized silver mixed with other healing ingredients. She was sleeping a lot and was not allowed to get out of bed, except for a bathroom break. Knowing that her parents were going crazy not knowing where she was and that she couldn't get away to do it herself, she had asked her friends to tell them the truth. Tonks, Harry, Raye, Lydia, Lita, Raye, Mina, Ami and Ami's dad came to deliver the news.
The door opened two seconds after Harry knocked on it. He found himself looking at Mr. Tsukino.
"Harry!" Mr. Tsukino exclaimed. "Where's Serena. Dora's told me that she's been hurt." He looked at Tonks and Tonks nodded.
"Yes, Serena won't be let out of St. Mungos for at least another week," said Tonks. "She asked us to come tell you the truth of what happened.
"Please come in," said Mr. Tsukino and he called his family into the living room.
"What happened to our Serena?" said Mrs. Tsukino shakily.
"It was my fault," said Harry suddenly.
"No it wasn't," hissed Raye.
"What do you mean?" inquired Mr. Tsukinio. "Did you hurt my daughter?"
"No, I would never!" Harry exclaimed. "She just…put herself in harms way because of me."
"Does this have anything to do with Serena being Sailor Moon?" asked Sammy and the girls stared at him.
"H-how do you know about that, Sammy?" Ami inquired softly.
"Well, it was weird that you were at headquarters for the Order," said Harry. "Serena would never tell me why you were there, acting as part of the order, sitting in on that conversation when Ginny and I had to leave. You guys are still under age too, so there had to be a reason why the Order would need you. I've seen Sailor Moon and I've noticed that she has the same cat as Serena." He held up Luna, who looked slightly disgruntled. "You guys talk to her like she can talk back…not to mention…well…I kind of saw you transform at Hogwarts once."
"Oh man," said Lita.
"Sammy don't make up wild stories," said Mr. Tsukino. "We all know how bad Serena is at physical education."
"But when she becomes Sailor Moon, that all changes!" exclaimed Sammy. "I know Serena is Sailor Moon, and these girls are the sailor scouts!" he gestured at them. "They look just like them!"
"Sammy's telling the truth," said Lydia. "We're the sailor scouts. Serena's sent us here to tell you about it."
"So the Sailor Moon that was fighting all those weirdoes," her dad said slowly, "was Serena? The whole time?"
"Yeah," said Mina.
"What about you girls?" asked Mrs. Tsukino. "Do your parents know about this?"
"When I joined the Order of the Pheonix," explained Ami's dad, "Ami told me about her super heroine self."
"My grandpa knows about me too," admitted Raye, "but like Ami's dad, he didn't know that I was Sailor Mars until joining the order."
"My parents don't really know that I'm a sailor scout," said Lydia, "but my mom is the one that is treating Serena. I guess he made the connection that I must be a sailor scout too."
"My parents have no idea," said Mina.
"And you already know that mine died in a plane crash," said Lita.
"Well, I understand that heroes like to keep their identities a secret," Mrs. Tsukino said. "But I wish Serena could have told us. All those times when Tokyo was being attacked by some…thing, I thought she was with friends."
"She was with friends," said Lita. "She was with us."
"Why are you telling us this now?" asked Mr. Tsukino. "Is it because Serena got hurt?"
"Yeah," Tonks answered. "It was very bad. She almost didn't make it."
"Are you telling me that our daughter almost died and you couldn't even take us to the hospital to see her?" Mr. Tsukino demanded.
"There was no time!" insisted Tonks. "And certain measures have to be taken for Muggles to come to St. Mungos. The only Muggles I know that been to St. Mungos were Muggles that got hurt due to magical causes."
The Tsukinos were quiet for a moment and Sammy decided to break the silence. "Did a Death Eater get her with some sort of dark spell?"
"No," groaned Harry and he started he explained his closeness to his godfather. He told them about the vision he had of Voldemort hurting Sirius so Harry left Hogwarts with some friends to save Sirius. "Only Sirius was not there. It was all a hoax to get me to come to the Ministry of Magic. They needed me to get something for them. The Death Eaters were waiting for us and we were forced to defend ourselves. Eventually the sailor scouts and the Order of the Phoenix came, including Sirius. Bellatrix LeStrange knocked Sirius through a curtain that took him to some other spiritual plane. It killed him and Serena…Sailor Moon…went after him."
"How?" asked Mr. Tsukino. "How was she able to survive if it killed him?"
"It was the power of the moon crystal," explained Mina. "It's what gives Sailor Moon her energy and allows her to withstand such things. She used the crystal to return Sirius to life and bring them out of…wherever it was they went to. However, when Sailor Moon uses the moon crystal, it wipes her out of her strength and it can kill her."
"So Serena…was sacrificing herself for this Sirius?" Mrs. Tsukino said softly, tears streaking down her cheeks. "Did she know…it might kill her?"
"Yes," said Mina. "She knew how important Harry's godfather was to him and she couldn't let him die."
Mrs. Tsukino smiled behind her tears. "That sounds so much like our Serena…sacrificing herself for her friends."
"That is why it is my fault," Harry told them. "I should've known it was all a trick. I almost led Serena to her death. I'm so sorry."
"I don't blame you, Harry," said Mr. Tsukino. "It isn't your fault. It's this…wizard. Shame on him for tricking a child in such a way."
Harry nodded sadly and wiped the tears from his eyes. It made him feel better to know that.
"Anyway, I hope that some of these 'Death Eaters' were caught, weren't they?" inquired Mr. Tsukino.
"Yes," answered Tonks. "All those that came to the Ministry of Magic are in prison now…except for Bellatrix LeStrange, who is dead. Voldemort managed to escape however."
"Serena is going to be all right, though?" asked Mrs. Tsukino. "Won't she?"
"Yes, that is the good news," said Tonks brightly. "We've managed to keep her alive. She is still weak though and the healers say she should be out in a week or so."
"A week," said Mrs. Tsukino. "But that is her birthday! Oh, she can't spend her birthday in the hospital!"
"If she has to stay," said Tonks, "maybe we can talk the hospital staff into letting her have her birthday party there."
"Well, when she gets back home," Mr. Tsukino said "she's grounded from being Sailor Moon for the rest of her life!"
"Dear!" Mrs. Tsukino scolded.
"That won't be a problem," said Lydia, "because the crystal has lost all of its power. Serena can't transform into Sailor Moon even if she wanted to and she doesn't. She wants to be a normal teenager."
"Will that stop you girls?" inquired Mrs. Tsukino.
"No," answered Mina. "We're still Sailor Scouts and we have jobs to do. I'll be leading the team now in Sailor Moon's place."
"I hope all this saving the world stuff isn't taking you away from your studies," said Mrs. Tsukino.
"Um, well," mumbled Lita. "Yeah, it is kind of tough to balance the two."
"I don't know," said Ami. "I seem to manage."
"They will just be helping where they can," said Tonks. "By giving the school better protection. The other aurors will be doing the more difficult tasks."
"Will it still be safe for our children to go to school?" inquired Mrs. Tsukino.
"Trust me, they will be safer there than here," insisted Tonks.
After telling the Tsukinos measures for their safety and that they would keep in touch, Tonks and the others left.
Though she hoped to get out of St. Mungos by her sixteenth birthday, Serena stayed to recover. She was not allowed to get of bed but the healers allowed her to have a party in her room with her family and a few friends. But by a few friends, that included almost all of them. Serena remained in bed to open her presents. Her parents scolded her for keeping her super-heroine activities secret, yet praised her for doing what she felt was right to protect her friends. Her parents brought some changes of clothes and familiar things from home. They promised her anything she would like as a second gift when she left the hospital. From her friends she got magazines and comics to keep her from getting bored. Harry gave her chocolate and a plush white bunny. When she spotted it with the cute pink ribbon around its neck she squealed with delight.
"It is so cute!" she exclaimed. "Thank you, Harry!" she hugged it.
"I remember you told me you'd like to own a rabbit," he said. "I hope you don't mind it being fake. There's no way the hospital will allow be to bring in a live rabbit."
"No, no, it's fine!" Serena said. "I love it! I don't have to worry about feeding it and cleaning up after it."
"I'm glad you like it, Serena," said Harry and Serena pecked him on the cheek. Serena leaned back and yawned.
Healer MacGreggor walked over to her. "Tired Serena? I think it is time for a rest."
Serena's face fell. "No! I haven't even blown my candles out yet!"
Healer MacGreggor folded her arms and looked at her. "You do look pale."
"At least let my guests stay for cake and ice cream and then I'll go to sleep. I promise. I've been cooped up in here for weeks."
"I'll see that she gets to sleep, Mum," said Lydia.
Healer MacGreggor eyed her daughter. "All right, one half hour. I have other patients to check on and when I come back, I suspect all of you to be gone and Serena to be asleep. Until then…" Healer MacGreggor reached into her robes and pulled out a small vial of silver liquid. "Your medicine."
"Yes ma'am," said Serena and she swigged the potion. Though she should have been used to the taste by now, she shivered. It didn't taste bitter like most medicines but it did not taste like ice cream either. She couldn't compare it to anything before. Yet still, it made her feel stronger, full of light.
"Good girl," said Healer MacGreggor and she left the room
"All right, Serena," said Mrs. Tsukino, bringing her candle lit pink and white cake to her. "Make a wish!"
Serena looked at Harry and thought very hard: I hope I get released in time for Harry's birthday. She closed her eyes and managed to blow out all the candles in one breath. Mrs. Tsukino promptly cut the cake into pieces and handed it out with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
"The healers don't tell me about what's going on," said Serena, "but I know they're getting more patients. I hear them moving around from room to room and talking about accidents and illnesses. What is…Voldemort up to?"
The girls paused. "Well, Dumbledore has been keeping the Order busy," said Raye. "Trista, Amara and Michelle are helping Dumbledore find the horcruxes."
"We've managed to save Emmeline Vance from a group of Death Eaters," added Ami, "however, Amelia Bones was killed a week ago. We suspect Voldemort was the one who killed her. A bridge collapsed and a lot of Muggles died."
Serena choked on her cake. Harry gave her a glass of water to wash down the cake.
"That's horrible!" she exclaimed. "We've got to do something!"
"No, you're still in the hospital and you haven't got your powers anymore," said Harry gently. "Dumbledore knows what he is doing."
Serena groaned and sat back, dropping her fork onto her saucer. "Oh I feel so helpless stuck in here!"
"Maybe talking about the war right now is not a good idea," suggested Mr. Tsukino. "Harry, do your uncle and aunt still treat you the same? Do I have to golfing with him again to teach him a lesson?"
Harry grinned. "I don't think that will be necessary, sir. I don't live with them anymore."
"What?" Serena demanded. "What did you do; just pack up and leave?"
"No," said Harry. "After what happened to you at the Ministry of Magic, I spoke to Dumbledore. He told me the reason why he took me to my aunt and uncle's was because my mother's blood—the blood that protected me from Voldemort—is in my Aunt Petunia. Dumbledore knew that even though my Aunt Petunia is a Muggle, because she is the closet living blood relative of my mother, I would be protected from Voldemort still. That would only protect me until I reach seventeen but…now that I'm stronger than I was then, Dumbledore saw fit to have me leave my Aunt and Uncle's permanently."
"Did you ever go back?" Serena asked. "To get your stuff and explain things?"
"Well, most of my stuff was already still in my trunk," admitted Harry. "But yes, Dumbledore went with me to explain the story to my Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. At first, they acted like they didn't care I was leaving. They were relieved; until Dudley said he'd rather have me stay."
Serena stared at Harry in shock. Mr. Tsukino, who was about to take a bite of cake, dropped it. "Is the same Dudley that was your uncle's caddy?"
Harry nodded.
"But he…was so rude! How…?"
"I was surprised too," Harry admitted. "But after the dementor attack last year, Dudley's humbled a bit. He wanted me to stay because he's afraid if the dementors come when I'm not around, he will be defenseless. He wants me to stay so I can protect them, and he tried to get his parents to see that. Then Aunt Petunia started crying about how 'grown up' Dudley got." Harry smirked. "She said I was welcome to stay if I wanted and Vernon said I could stay too…but I think he only said it because of the look Aunt Petunia was giving him."
"But you just left anyway?" Serena asked.
Harry nodded. "I told them it was time for me to move in with my godfather. We have been apart too long and I had almost lost him. So instead, I just promised them I would visit them when I could. I told Dudley what to do in case the dementors come. He knows to keep his mouth shut and go straight to Mrs. Figg. Even though she's a squib, she'll be able to get a hold of an auror for help."
"That's good," said Serena. "Are you staying at Headquarters then?"
"Yeah," Harry said. "The place looks a hundred times better than it used to. All of the dark stuff is gone and Kreacher is still taking his punishment."
Hermione groaned. "He really should take that hex off of him. He can't keep Kreacher as a rubbish bin forever!"
"I like him better this way," said Ron.
Serena giggled and finished her cake. She yawned and her friends took that as their cue to leave.
"No, wait," Serena insisted. "Stay a little longer!"
"I've already promised my mom I'd make sure you'd get to sleep," said Lydia.
They all said their goodbyes and wished Serena a happy birthday before leaving.
After Serena's birthday, she was determined to leave the hospital as soon as possible. She was allowed to get up and walk around for a short amount of time every day. When she wasn't being monitored, she would stretch and do some light exercise in her room. Harry's birthday was coming up and she wanted to be part of it. While doing some stretches in her room, she got an unexpected visitor.
"Excuse me, Miss Tsukino?"
"Uh oh!" Serena spun around and almost tripped. "Sorry…I was just stretching, you know! I know I should be in bed but people get bed sores you know!" Serena bowed forward repeatedly as she apologized. When she brought her head back up, she noticed her visitor was not a healer. Instead, it a man with brown hair and amber eyes, making him look lion-like.
Serena paused and straightened up. "Wait…who are you?"
"I am Rufus Scrimgeour," the man answered. "Minister of Magic."
"The Minister...of Magic?" Serena said softly. "Oh no, am I in trouble?"
"No, no," said the minister kindly. "I would just like to speak with you."
He came into the room and sat down on a chair.
"I didn't know Fudge wasn't minster anymore," Serena said. "No one tells me anything!" she muttered to herself.
"He lost his position as Minster of Magic two weeks after the incident at the Minstry," said Scrimgeour. "I found out that you were the sailor scout who saved Sirius Black, and thus lost your powers."
"How…?" Serena asked.
"I arrived at the Ministry of Magic shortly after the incident," Scrimgeour said. "The aurors there explained to me you were. I've come here to thank you for your assistance and sacrifice. How are you feeling?"
Serena shrugged. "Okay. I'm a little antsy to get out of here."
"I'm sure you are," said Scrimgeour.
"So if you're the new minister of Magic," said Serena, "did you believe that Harry was telling the truth?"
"I had my suspicions after reading his article in The Quibbler," Scrimgeour admitted. "I have been Head of the Auror department for a decade, and an Auror for even longer. I've learned that you cannot underestimate dark magic and the ones who use it."
"You didn't do anything to help him though," Serena pointed out. "Why?"
"There wasn't much I could do," said Scrimgeour. "There was really no way to prove He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was still here, even though Harry's testimony did seem believable. I couldn't go to past Death Eaters homes and arrest them. All I could do was keep my eyes open for dangerous activity. Now that I am minister, I have the power and authority to take actions necessary to stop He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers."
"How is this going to affect Hogwarts?" Serena asked. "You know, Umbridge came last year to take over everything there. Is she still working for the Ministry?"
"Yes, still at her post as Undersecretary," he replied.
"You've got to let her go!" Serena said. "She's the one that sent those dementors after Harry, and she even attacked him at school! She did horrible things!"
"I have planned to replace her with Amelia Bones," said the Minister. "But she was killed recently as I'm sure you know."
"Yeah," Serena frowned. "My friends told me."
"But if you have any idea who can replace her," said Scrimgeour, "I am open to suggestions."
Serena thought for a moment and her face lit up. "Trista Meioh—she's a sailor scout too. You're going to need the extra back up."
"I'll send her an owl then," said Scrimgeour. "Thank you, Serena. Now is there anything I can do for you?"
"Mm-hmm," hummed Serena. "If isn't too much trouble, can you arrange for me to get out of here ASAP? I am going stir crazy here!"
The Minister smiled at her. "Of course. Good day to you, Serena. I trust we shall meet again."
The Minister of Magic was able to get Serena out of the hospital the next day. Serena wanted to surprise her family, so she asked for Tonks to come get her. They were standing in the underground station waiting for their tube when a girl pointed at Serena and pulled on her mother's hand.
"Mummy, Mummy, look at that girls' hair!" the young girl said excitedly. "It's so long; she looks like a princess!"
"Don't point, Jessica," scolded the mother, pulling her away. "It's rude."
"But I was just saying she looks like a princess!"
As the girl and her mother disappeared around the corner, Serena picked up her long tress of hair. "Hey, Tonks, is it all right if we make a stop before going to my home?"
"Sure," said Tonks. "Are you hungry for some real food?"
"No," said Serena. "This stop isn't for food, more like…a project."
They went to a wig store, where Serena had planned to sell her hair. "You sure you want to do this?" Tonks asked as they were waiting in line.
"I'm sure," Serena said. "I'm not the Princess of the Moon and I'm not Sailor Moon anymore. I don't need this hair…besides, if this really was princess hair, then it should go to someone that really needs it."
Serena approached the counter when it was her turn and she pulled her hair out of their meatballs. "Hi, how much can I get for all this?" her hair fell onto the counter and the clerk stared at her hair in shock. In all her years of working in the wig and hair selling business, never has she seen someone with such long blond hair.
"T-ten pounds per ten inches," she stammered.
"Take it all," Serena said. "Let's make some wigs!"
The hair cutter was very careful cutting Serena's long hair. Serena allowed her to cut her hair so short that she could feel the scissors next to her scalp. It took almost two whole hours to cut it. Once the hair cutter was done, Serena only had an inch of hair left on her head.
"You must be a student," said the hair cutter as the clerk opened her till to pay Serena.
"Why you say that?" Serena asked.
"Because we've never given away this much money before…you must really need it."
"No, not really," said Serena. "I mean…my er—boyfriend's birthday is coming up and I need to get him a present. But I mainly just got rid of my hair because I needed a change."
The clerk looked at her, surprised at Serena's reaction. Some women would bawl after selling their precious hair, no matter how bad they needed the money.
"And think of all the cancer patients I'll be helping," Serena said brightly. "After all, my hair will grow back but theirs won't."
After collecting her money, nearly two-hundred pounds, Serena and Tonks left the shop. "Did you want to do anything else with your look before we go?"
"No," Serena said, shaking her head. "I'm ready."
"All right then," said Tonks. "Best that I apparate with you. Now hang on and hold your breath."
Serena put her arm around Tonks and she felt pressure from all sides. She wanted to scream and then she found herself in her front lawn. "Hey—we made it!" she gasped.
"Sorry about that," said Tonks. "Maybe you experienced apparition a bit too soon."
"No, no, it's okay!" Serena exclaimed. "It was faster this way."
Serena went her front door and opened it. "Hey everyone, I'm home!" she shouted into the house.
Sammy rushed to Serena and hugged his sister, something he had never done before. Serena laughed and hugged her little brother back.
"Surprise!" she said.
"Serena, you're back!" he cried. "So good to see you—hey—what did you do to your hair?"
"I sold it," said Serena simply. "Thought it was time for a change."
"Thanks for seeing her home, Tonks," said Mrs. Tsukino. "Please why, don't you come in?"
"Thank you," said Tonks. "But I had better be going. Now be careful…"
"We will," said Serena.
Tonks down the pathway and when she stepped out of the gate, she disappeared. Mrs. Tsukino shut the door.
"I don't think I can get used to seeing that," she admitted. "Oh, I'd better go call your father and tell him to come home early!" Mrs. Tsukino bounced to the kitchen to make the call. Sammy looked at Serena.
"Speaking of new hairstyles," he said, "didn't Tonk's hair used to be pink?"
"Yeah," answered Serena. "But she can change her appearance at will you know. I guess her hair is naturally brown."
"I see," said Sammy. "Hey, Serena…I'm so glad you're here…I've been trying to get through this level and I know you've beat this game already."
Sammy pulled his older sister into the living room and made her sit down, asking her for techniques how to beat the level bosses and where all the secrets were. Serena sat against the couch and sighed. It was so good to be home and to feel like a normal teenager again.
TO BE CONTINUED