Willow Song

IX. Summer Seventeen, Seer

Before the adult members of the Order adjourned, Serena was introduced to the members of the Order she hadn't met, then the adults left Ron, Ginny and Serena alone in the parlor. Ginny and Serena quickly started a game of wizard's chess, with Ron coaching both sides. Serena was mid-sentence in discussing her next move when she suddenly slumped over in her chair. Ron tried shaking her awake, but she was unresponsive, and Ginny, panicked, ran off to get Professor McGonagall. She returned trailing not only McGonagall, but also Snape and Charlie. Snape pointed his wand at Serena and commanded, "Enervate!" Nothing happened. Charlie looked for some reviving tincture, while Minerva checked her for doxie bites.

Then, just as suddenly, Serena sat up and began speaking--staring off into space at no one in particular. "The Dark Lord and Harry Potter will meet for the final time in two years less one moon. Only one will remain to see the next moon. Great sacrifices will be made by the Order both before the time of this final meeting and during the great battle. Some will cross the veil. Harry Potter will live only if he lets go of hate. If his heart is filled with the Light, the Light will have the victory. Many sacrifices are required of those who fight for the Light. A great sacrifice is required of this Seer."

Serena shook her head to clear it and looked at the anxious faces around her. "Do you know what just happened? Do you remember it?" asked Ginny.

"Yes. I had a vision and a prophecy come to me. Great sacrifices . . . ." she broke off and looked at Charlie, worried.

Snape interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "Weasley, go get Dumbledore and tell him what just happened." Ron and Ginny both hurried off, uncertain who he was commanding. He scrutinized Serena carefully. "Did you see who the sacrifices would be; what they would be?"

Serena shook her head, but didn't let Snape look into her eyes. She didn't want him to see the pain and loss she had just witnessed. "No, just that they will be great and some will die and no member of the Order will be untouched by them. All will feel sacrifices--all will suffer loss."

Dumbledore hurried in. McGonagall, Charlie, Snape, Ron, and Ginny all began to tell him about the prophecy at the same time. Overwhelmed, Dumbledore raised his open hands; the mere gesture brought them all to silence. He looked directly at Serena, "Did you see it or merely hear it?"

"I saw it first, and then the words came. Professor, tell Mr. Weasley it's time. Tell Mr. Weasley--"

"Tell me what?" asked Mr. Weasley as he walked into the room.

"Mr. Weasley, it's time to make up with your third son, now, before it's too late. Give him another chance to prove he's a true Gryffindor and loyal son. Please."

Arthur bristled, squaring his shoulders, then thought again. "All right Serena, I'll approach him."

Charlie reached over to Serena's hands, clasping them both in his one. She shivered involuntarily at the warm touch. "The bit about all being affected, and the bit for my dad about Percy--was that part of the prophecy too?"

"No, it was part of the vision."

"Great Merlin! What did you see?" Serena only shook her head in response, cold tears of fright welling in her eyes, her chest filling with iciness. She could still see bodies and feel the pain and anguish. She wasn't sharing this with anyone.

Serena stood shakily, "Excuse me, I need to go...." Snape reentered the room carrying a flagon of amber liquid. He handed it to Serena.

"Professor Dumbledore wants you to drink this down. It will calm you." Serena looked around the room, and seeing nods from Minerva, Charlie, and Arthur, took the flagon. The drink was warm and sweet. It tasted of butter and rum and something else she couldn't quite place. She felt things going fuzzy and soft and radiant, the ice in her chest dissipating as her head filled with a foggy warmth. Before she realized what happened, Charlie was carrying her upstairs and tucking her into a bed. He bent down and kissed her forehead and whispered his farewell.

When she awakened the next morning, Remus Lupin and Professor McGonagall were making breakfast. The rest of the Order, and the Weasleys, had left. "Where is everyone?" Serena asked.

"The Weasleys had to get to the opening of the joke shop--everyone else is gone on Order business."

"When did they leave? Why didn't they say goodbye?"

"The Weasleys left last night. Charlie did say goodbye, but you were too sleepy to remember. The rest of the Order left early this morning. I assume you would like to attend the grand opening before we go back to Hogwarts?"

Serena nodded, still retaining some of her wide-eyed worry from last night. Remus left the kitchen.

McGonagall placed her hands on Serena's shoulders soothingly. "You're still thinking about the prophecy. It's the part about the great sacrifice, isn't it? That's what's bothering you."

"I don't know what my great sacrifice is, but the only great sacrifices I can think of are losing the people close to me, or dying myself. Given the choice of losing you or my parents or Charlie or Ginny, or giving my own life, I'll take death. I'll do whatever is needed of me."

"I know you will, Serena. As will I. But we don't know yet what the sacrifice will be. Just do your best, like you've been doing, and make each day count. We'll face things when we come to them. Are you ready to go?"

Serena nodded, and together with Lupin, they apparated to Diagon Alley. The joke shop grand opening was in full swing. Most of the Gryffindors were there, even Harry Potter, escorted by Moody. While they were there, a flock of ministry owls arrived with mail for all those who had just completed fifth and seventh years, plus Serena: the testing results. Serena looked at her scores: Herbology-Outstanding, Potions-Outstanding, Divination-Exceeds Expectations, Astronomy-Outstanding, Charms-Acceptable, Transfiguration-Acceptable, Defense Against the Dark Arts-Acceptable, Care of Magical Creatures- Acceptable, and History of Magic- Dreadful.

Ginny approached her. "How'd you do?"

"Three O's, one E, four A's and one D."

"Wow, eight OWLs--brilliant! What did you get the D in?"

"History of Magic," Serena said, rolling her eyes.

Hermione was proudly flaunting her ten outstanding OWLs to anyone who seemed even slightly interested. Serena was just going to ask Ron, Harry, and Neville how they did, when Charlie grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into the stock room.

"I'm going back to Romania in a couple days. I'll write to you often. Will you write to me?" Serena nodded and smiled happily. "I'll try to come home for Christmas, and we can see each other then. I want you to be very careful. Don't invite danger just because of the prophecy. You know how much I care for you." Then Charlie reached down and kissed Serena's lips, the first more-than-friends kiss between them. Serena gave herself to the kiss, enjoying the sweet, warm rush of butterflies that swarmed inside her.

"I have something for you." Serena reached into her pocket and pulled out a bottle of muggle sunscreen.

He laughed as she placed it in his hand. "Thank you. I'll look forward to putting it to good use. I have something for you too." He pulled a small leather case out of his pocket. Opening it, he extracted a tiny silver compass on a long silver ball chain, and placed it around her neck. "Serena, whenever you need me, whenever you are in trouble, rub the back of this compass, and I will immediately apparate to wherever you are. It has a Protean charm on it that will activate my compass," he explained, pulling out a similar, but larger, compass from under his own shirt.

Serena whispered a thank you and then hugged him warmly. He kissed her again. They were holding on to that moment of being in each other's arms just a bit longer when Ron burst in. "Hey, what's going on back here?" He looked at Serena and teased, "I think we've done this before. This isn't going to be a habit with you, is it? You'll be getting a bit of a reputation as a scarlet woman if you're not careful."

Serena's face drained of color as she rushed out of the storeroom. Charlie cuffed Ron on the side of the head, saying, "I can't believe what an insufferable prat you are!"

Ron stood there gaping and asked, "Ow! What? What did I do? What did I say that was wrong?"

"Ask Ginny to explain it to you if you're too thick!" Charlie shouted, rushing off after Serena. Unwilling to explain her embarrassment at that moment, Serena ducked behind a door and heard Charlie yell at Ginny, "Bugger! Look--will you go and talk to our thick-headed brother Ron before I cuff him again?" Ginny hurried off to see what Ron had done to make Charlie so angry. Serena sneaked out after Charlie had moved on in his search for her, found Minerva, and told her she was ready to go home.