Willow Song

IV. Welcome to Gryffindor

That night Serena moved her trunk from McGonagall's faculty apartment to Gryffindor tower--to a new bed added to the sixth year girls' dorm. She spent the next morning, a Sunday, with her parents (the last time she would see them until Christmas), and then hurried back to the castle to see the Hogwarts Express arrive. She put on her robe and uniform and headed for the Great Hall. The Great Hall was no longer the home to one intimate dining table as it had been all summer. Now it had four long rows of tables with a teachers' table at the head. Students were swarming in excitedly. She clumsily sat down at the Gryffindor table near some red-headed boys who were obviously twins.

"Hello. Hello. Who are you?" asked one surprised twin, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm Serena Willowsong, new sixth year," she replied, avoiding eye contact.

"We're Fred and George Weasley, seventh years, and proprietors of Weasley's Wizarding Whiz bags. We will gladly supply you will all your prank needs for just a few galleons."

"Uh, thanks. I'll let you know if I need anything." She smiled hesitantly.

"So, you're a transfer student or something?"

"Something like that," she mumbled, looking at the table.

Just then McGonagall brought the hat in, and it began singing. The song seemed to take the other students by surprise, but Serena liked its warning about division and its plea for unity in this dark time. She privately resolved to make friends with whomever was interested, without regard for house colors. She sat back and listened to the comments people made, taking in every comment and offering none of her own. Then she watched the sorting. Looking at the little first years, she was glad she had been sorted privately. Supper was a remarkable feast that was only marred by Professor Umbridge's monotonous screed that followed it. So this was the one the ministry had sent to watch Potter and Dumbledore, she thought, quietly marking her mentally as a potential enemy.

After dinner she trudged along with the other Gryffindors to Gryffindor tower. Professor McGonagall was waiting in the common room. She welcomed the new first years, then called Serena to her side. "Gryffindors, this is my ward, Serena Willowsong. She's here to join us at Hogwarts for the next two years. Please make her feel welcomed and give her a chance to get comfortable here before you pepper her with questions." McGonagall smiled at Serena then the other Gryffindors thinly, and left, while Serena stood there looking down awkwardly, a rush of nervous heat flooding her face. Her hands turned ice cold and began going numb. She finally nodded nervously to the puzzled welcomes surrounding her and rushed out of the common room. She headed to her dorm room amid whispers of, "Not very friendly, is she?" And "I reckon she's shy," or "Maybe she thinks she's too good for us," followed by giggles.

Serena silently cursed herself. "Damn it!" she said aloud. This wasn't the way it was supposed to go. Why hadn't she planned for this? Why did she have no skills for socializing with her own peers, yet she could easily speak to adults? She'd read the studies. It wasn't uncommon for privately tutored children to socialize better with adults. "I guess this is the price I pay for being a home-schooled only child and never staying in one place long enough to make friends," she muttered, but she knew that her habit of avoiding eye contact was her bigger hindrance socially. Unfortunately, she didn't know how to fix that one without infringing and spying on people's private thoughts.

She sat by herself at breakfast the next morning, far away from the clusters of chatty Gryffindors down the table. Professor McGonagall's eyebrows rose concernedly as she handed Serena her class schedule. Serena read the schedule: NEWT Divination, NEWT Potions followed by private Charms on Monday and Wednesday; NEWT Herbology and private Transfiguration followed by evening NEWT Astronomy on Tuesday and Thursday; Study time and double 4^th year Care of Magical Creatures on Fridays; and private Defense against the Dark Arts on Saturday mornings with Flitwick. McGonagall seemed to anticipate her question, because when Serena looked up, puzzled, pointing at her Saturday defense class with Flitwick, McGonagall whispered in her ear, "It's best we keep you under Umbridge's radar, as the Muggles say. Don't say anything to anybody about your private lessons in the wand classes, or not having Umbridge for Defense." Serena nodded, and headed off to Trelawny's classroom.

Her first impression of Trelawny's tower wasn't positive--she noticed all the trappings of parlor game seeing and sighed heavily. "I see we have a new student," Trelawny said airily. "This is a NEWT level class. I didn't sign you into it, my dear."

"Professor McGonagall put me in this class after giving me a placement test this past summer."

"I see," she paused.

"Yes, you do see. Really See," said Serena, looking at Trelawny and realizing that Sybil did have the gift, but not in the way Trelawny thought she did. "But with all of these absurd trappings around here, it's a wonder you do."

Serena heard several gasps followed by a chorus of whispers around her.

"What do you mean?" Trelawny hissed slowly.

"I just mean that I See better without all the heat and incense and the gadgets--the teacups and crystals and cards and what-nots."

"Are you claiming to have the inner eye?"

"Well, yes. Only I don't have any control of it. It happens when the Light needs it, not when I do."

"Perhaps that's where I'll be able to help you then, as a far more experienced and learned Seer than you." Trelawny smiled almost maliciously.

"Perhaps." Serena then kept her mouth shut and observed. Most of what was going on seemed like foolishness to her, but she noticed the whispering and the skeptical looks that her little dialogue with the professor had fostered.

Potions was scarcely better. Professor Snape was certainly intimidating, but Serena followed the instructions precisely and had no problem concocting the potion. She was just finishing up when Professor Snape stood by her and scrutinized her. "You're the new student I've heard about; Willowsong is it?"

"Yes Professor," Serena replied, looking at her cauldron.

"I expect you to give me your full attention when I speak to you," he said sternly, his anger rising.

Serena looked Snape in the eyes. "Pardon me, Sir." Snape's eyes widened with awareness, and he raised an eyebrow as he and Serena held eye contact. Serena had the uneasy feeling of not only looking into Snape's thoughts, but also being aware of him looking into hers. So this is what it feels like, she thought. They stared at each other intently for what seemed like an eternity, but was in reality only a minute.

Snape was the first to break eye contact. She was aware of the rest of the class staring at them, gaping. They knew something had happened, but only Serena and Snape knew what it was. "I'll see you in my office immediately following class, Willowsong."

"Yes, Professor."

Serena followed Snape to his office after class and took a chair opposite him. " I didn't meet you this summer because of my other duties. That was unfortunate. Tell me, where did you learn Legilimency?" he asked.

"I didn't, Professor. I've always had the ability. That's why I avoid making eye contact with people. Where did you learn it?"

"That is none of your concern. You are the one whose trustworthiness is in question."

"I told you, I can't help doing this. It's why I don't look people in the eye very often. You can search me again and see for yourself if I'm trustworthy." Serena's anger was growing.

"I see." Snape grimaced menacingly. "You need to get over your reticence to legilimens what people are thinking. Look at people and pretend you can't see into their thoughts. It's a very useful tool. Still until you get bold enough to do that, you might try looking at people's faces, without looking in the eyes, so that they won't feel insulted by thinking you aren't paying attention. Why weren't you put into my house? I could have trained your abilities so easily with you in Slytherin House. A pity your talents will be wasted in Gryffindor."

Still looking Snape in the eyes, Serena blurted out, "I very nearly was put in Slytherin. And my father was in Slytherin," not knowing how she knew this, but knowing it was true. "But Professor McGonagall is my guardian, so it's probably best that I'm in Gryffindor."

They heard a movement outside the door. When they got up to see who it was, all Serena found was a pale blonde-headed boy hurrying back down the hall. She turned back to Professor Snape, who had raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"Watch yourself, Willowsong. Now get to class."