Nova was a Gypsy. Not a Muggle imitation of a Gypsy, Nova was an actual fortune-telling Gypsy. Nova's whole family was Gypsies, her parents and grandparents, cousins, and aunts and uncles. It was a kind of tradition in her family to be a wanderer. Nova relocated to Hogsmeade after her parents' deaths where she walked through the day, advertising accurate palm readings and special herbs, and sat in Dionysus' Brew, a local pub, during the night, doing readings and selling bottles of potions, brewed and stored in her room, where she kept a permanent residence. Unlike other Gypsies, Nova did not sleep outside or perform free readings in exchange for a piece of floor near a fire.

Nova sat at the back of Dionysus' Brew with the hood of her dark purple cloak pulled up. She was taking the evening off and enjoying a cheap bottle of red wine. A few gold Galleons fell to the table in front of her. She looked up at a wiry-haired man who demanded a reading and sat down in a chair.

Another Death Eater…Nova thought as she took his hand and started examining the palm. She glanced back up at the man's face after seeing the unusual lines. He was filthy and unshaven, with crooked stained teeth and uncut fingernails. Looking back at his palm she gasped.

"What?" he barked.

"Nothing…It's just…Never mind." Nova traced lines on his palm for several minutes before sharing her discoveries. "You do not remember what it was to be human; you have yielded completely to your animalistic side. Your hunger is unquenchable and you will always seek more, but this will eventually be your downfall. You will die serving a master who will not suffer from the loss. With difficulty and determination you may overcome this failing and become your own master and serve better purposes."

The man angrily wrenched his hand away and barked, "Do you know who I am?"

Nova nodded and said, "Yes, you are Fenrir Greyback, the werewolf." Nova regretted the last bit.

"That's right, and do you know who this master is you're telling me to abandon?"

"No, I do not."She secretly knew he served He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but would not admit it. If she feigned ignorance she may escape the encounter with her life intact.

"Well, then I'll tell you: the Dark Lord. And right now he is the most powerful force in England. He has servants everywhere and those who refuse to follow him will be exterminated. Do you want to want to wake up dead?"

"No, really, I did not know…"

"Then you must not be much of a Gypsy." growled Greyback. "I will let you go this time simply because you did not know, but don't make the mistake again. I'll be sure to inform the Dark Lord we have incompetent Gypsies round Hogwarts." Greyback snatched the coins off the table and stormed away.

Nova gave a little sigh, relieved he was gone. Of all the fortunes she had told, that one went the worst. If Greyback kept his promise to inform He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named about the incident, she could have a blood-thirsty Muggle-Born killer after her.

Nova had made the decision long ago to stay on the sidelines of this war. As long as it did not directly affect her, she would remain silent. Sometimes Nova felt like a coward for this decision, but she did not regret it now that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was behind the controls of Wizarding England. Naturally, she was terrified of him and neither wanted to be on the side against him, the side being pulverized, nor his own side, a servant to a murderer. The best she could do was hope not to be noticed.

It was Christmas Eve and snowflakes were spiraling gracefully to the frozen ground. Nova was sitting on a bench along the icy sidewalk alone, her Gypsy costume hid by a thick dark cloak wrapped tightly about her. Dumbledore sat down next to her and gave her his hand, the one that was not blackened. Nova accepted it and just held it between her hands for a while, warming it.

"Dumbledore…" she trailed off, looking at his palm.

He interrupted. "Tell me what the end of my life looks like. Yes, Nova, the end. Tell me what it will be like."

"You will accomplish something, but not what you had set out to accomplish. You will relive memories you just want to forget. Your greatest friend will prove his value by making the ultimate sacrifice a good friend could make. I can tell you no more. Dumbledore, be careful." Nova's breath condensed before her face and she shivered, but still did not move.

Dumbledore rose to his feet on weary arthritic bones. "Take care of yourself, Nova. Who knows when the next time we will meet is?"

" Farewell, Professor."

"Farewell, Gypsy."

Severus and Lord Voldemort sat at the Malfoy's dining room table alone. Voldemort was reading notes taken by Severus, while Severus waited impatiently, nibbling on the stale bread so prized by the fashionable Malfoys. Voldemort finished reading the report and laid it on the table.

"Very good, Severus, these are excellent notes. I did not mean for you to trouble yourself so much with it." Voldemort complimented him. He looked Severus up and down thoughtfully.

"No trouble, My Lord, you asked for a report on the school and I delivered it."

"All that is important is that the professors are following my directions and the students are not rebelling. You have your school, Severus, now revel in it."

"Yes, My Lord."

"I have a mind to bestow you with another gift. I already have something in mind, in fact."

"Thank you, My Lord; I am already deeply in your debt." Severus bowed his head in reverence.

Snow was building up in the window panes of Dumbledore's office, where Severus waited anxiously for the Headmaster to return. He was pacing, thinking of all the horrific things that could have happened to Dumbledore during his trip to the Ministry. Nowhere was safe now, especially for someone like Dumbledore. Severus started as the door opened and Dumbledore greeted him, unsurprised to see Severus in his office.

"Dumbledore, I can't do it…"

He raised a hand to stop Severus. "Just sit down, Severus; we can talk about this some more. Candy cockroach?"

Severus shook his head and waved the proffered crystal bowl away. He sat down and tried to look relaxed. "So where have you been? I expected you sooner."

"I was having my fortune told by a Gypsy." Dumbledore answered like it was quite ordinary. He brushed the melting snowflakes off his shoulders.

Severus scrutinized him closely. "Dumbledore, are you okay? You don't believe in that nonsense, do you? If you wanted to play a silly little game Trelawney is much more accessible."

"Professor Trelawney has only produced two real prophecies that I know of. Anyway, I ran into an old student who's a Gypsy now."

"Who?" Severus asked curiously. He considered which of his students would be a Gypsy now.

"Nova Romanov, but you would not remember her; she came to Hogwarts the year you graduated. Very bright student and I even offered a teaching position to her, but she was all for the life of a Gypsy."

"Who aspires to be a Gypsy?" Severus sneered.

"Nova did. Gypsying is in her blood."

"Never mind, Dumbledore, what I came to talk about is the plan. I cannot go through with it."