For His Protection

6. Arrangements

"And while you were here at Hogwarts, if I recall correctly, you used to be good friends with Severus Snape," Dumbledore declared.

She gulped.  The mention of his name still sent involuntary shivers through her.  "Yes, I was."

He smiled.  "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you, Serena.  I try to remember all of my students.  Alas, there are so many and some tend to slip through the cracks."

"It's okay.  I'm not that memorable.  I was a good girl."

Sirius huffed.  "Like hell you were."

"I was," she insisted.  His grin was playful.  She rolled her eyes.  He was such a child sometimes.  She glanced at Dumbledore.  "Anyway, may I call you Albus?"

"Of course," he said.

"Albus, it's hard to remember someone you hardly see," Serena told him.  "I was never one for getting in trouble."

"A good girl," Minerva said.  "Well done."

"Only because I kept my mouth shut," Sirius revealed.

Serena turned on him, a smirk on her face.  "You deserved everything you got."

Remus grinned.  "I couldn't agree more."

Sirius rounded on him.  "Whose side are you on anyway?"

He grinned even wider.  "Yours, but I will never protect you from the truth."  He glanced at Serena as if seeing her for the first time.  It hadn't registered until now.  His brain was a little slow, presumably because he was so tired, but she was the one.  She was the one who had hexed James and Sirius repeatedly for picking on Severus.  She was the one Lily had hoped would bring Severus back from the dark path he was headed toward (she had confided in him multiple times about the subject), but it seemed she had failed.  Probably not at any fault of her own though.  He had always believed Severus to be a very stubborn man.

"Besides," Serena continued, "you deserved to be hexed."

Sirius laughed at her.  "I agree.  I was a completely different person then.  It seems like so long ago."

Dumbledore was amused by this conversation, but it was time to get down to business.  He cleared his throat loudly, grabbing their attention.  "As much as I enjoy a trip down memory lane, I think it's time for the conversation to take a more serious turn.  It's getting late and I'm sure young Harry, as well as the rest of you, are very tired.  There has been a lot of excitement tonight."

Minerva raised an eyebrow.  "And what exactly are we discussing?" 

He smiled.  She had been silent so long he had almost forgotten she was in the room.  "Why, where to place Harry, of course.  He'll need protection."

She nodded, understanding.  They had spoken previously about Voldemort and the Prophecy he believed was refering to the Potters.  It was the reason they were dead and that the attempt was made on Harry's life as well.

Remus frowned.  "But why will he need protection?  Voldemort is dead."

"Because," Serena spoke up, "Voldemort wants to kill him."

"He's dead."

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed, "but I'm afraid his followers are not."

"And you heard her when we got to her," Sirius reminded him.  "She said that they had already tried."

Dumbledore and McGonagall's eyes widened in alarm.  "What?" they said in unison.  No one had informed them of this latest development.

Serena squeezed Harry tightly and began to lightly bounce him up and down.  He had gotten bored playing with her hair.  Now he was starting to move around a bit.  He was getting restless.  She glanced around at all of them.  "The Death Eaters already tried to take him."