Author's Note: This idea came to me in a dream, so if it sounds surreal, you'll know why.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series, but most of the characters in this fanfic are my own, including Byrd.

Summary: Byrd had never known her parents. She grew up in Rockwell's Orphanage in the English countryside, far away from anyone else, so she didn't see very many people. She had always loved snow, and the wintertime, but the other kids thought she was weird and mostly stayed away from her. So her life wasn't very interesting. But when she turns 11, strange things start happening to her. Could it be…magic? And who is this mysterious stranger she keeps finding in the pine thicket? Will she be able to find her parents? Or will her life turn back into the normal, boring way it's always been?

Snowbyrd

Ch. 1

Byrd woke with a start. Outside it was pitch black. Her bright green eyes widened. How could she have dozed off! Glancing at her watch, she jumped off of her bed. 1 o' clock! Hurriedly Byrd pulled on snow boots and a heavy jacket over her nightgown, pulled out a flashlight from the back of her sock drawer, and silently crept down the hall, making absolutely no noise lest Mrs. Pinwagon, the sour old orphanage caretaker, woke up.

Once she reached the back door, Byrd relaxed a bit. She fingered the silver bird that hung around her neck. When she had been a baby, she was brought to the orphanage and left on the front stoop amid a pile of snow with only some blankets and that bird with her. Since she had had no name, they had started to call her Byrd.

Slipping out the back door, Byrd breathed in the crisp winter air. Snow covered everything. She made her way to the pine glade, careful to step only in the footprints the children had made earlier. When she got to her favorite pine, Byrd climbed to the very top with a practiced ease. Sitting on the topmost branch, she glanced at her watch again. 1:27. Byrd smiled and took a tiny cupcake out of her pocket. "Happy Birthday!"

Byrd nearly fell out of her tree. Quickly she regained her balance and looked around to see who had wished her a happy birthday. She saw a woman down at the bottom of the pine. Byrd gasped when she saw the woman had the same long red hair as her own. "Who are you?" she asked, struggling not to fall into hysterics. Who was this woman? Why does she have the same hair as me? How does she know it's my birthday?

The woman made a small, sad smile. She shook her head and sighed. "I can't tell you that. If I did, that would put you in danger as well as me." Noting the confused look on Byrd's face, she said, "It's all very complicated. But I had to see you, at least once before…" her voice shook and trailed off.

"Before what?" prompted Byrd.

The woman shook her head again. "Never mind. I just need to tell to be on your guard. Some, er, strange people might come to see but whatever you do, DO NOT go with them. Except if their names are Ron, Hermione or Hagrid. Remember that, okay? If you go with anyone else, then you are in grave danger. If you need to go anywhere, to escape or anything, then go here." She placed a small scrap of paper in the snow.

Sadly she looked up and whispered, "Goodbye. I don't know if I'll be seeing you again." With that she pulled out a long stick and tapped herself. With a loud crack, she disappeared. Byrd gaped at the place for a moment, then scrambled down to retrieve the scrap of paper. On it was directions to a place not to far from the orphanage. Byrd looked at the place where the woman had disappeared and whispered one word. "Mom?"