Disclaimer: OK, you really should know by now that nothing but Bryn belongs to me.

Chapter 4 - Familiar Stranger: So they Apparated to Paris. And this time it was Bryn who got information. She didn't speak French, but she knew a very good spell that would translate her words. So she entered Pierre's and went straight to the counter.

"Bonjour, Mademoiselle," said the clerk, Bryn smiled politely.

"Sorry, I don't speak French," she said, before casting the translation spell. The man nodded.

"I have seen that before. You do it well. Now, how may I help you?" he said.

"I'm looking for a locket that was sold to your shop several months ago. It's a family heirloom and it was stolen." She described the locket. The man's face fell.

"I am sorry, but we have sold it already." Bryn was afraid of that.

"I see. May I have the name and location of the person you sold it to?"

"Her name is Solange de Morigny. She lives here, in Paris." He gave her an address and Bryn nodded.

"Thank you." She left, walking over to where her friends stood. She told them what had happened.

"So, how do we get the locket away from her? Do we buy it, or steal it?" Ron wanted to know.

"Ronald! We can't go stealing things!" Hermione cried.

"Not unless we have to," Harry amended. Hermione looked vaguely scandalized. Bryn found that amusing. But there was something else.

"Once we get it, how do we destroy it? We know that we have to get at the bit of soul, but how?" she said.

Harry frowned. "Well," he said slowly, "we couldn't open it when we found it, so maybe the key is - "

"To open it?" said a light male voice. They spun around to find the source. The man was leaning casually against a lamppost. He had jet-black hair that was just a little too long and fell into his ice-blue eyes. Bryn and Harry both had the same thought, though neither of them knew it: He looks so familiar.

"Who are you?" Harry demanded. The man smiled wryly.

"Well, at least you're cautious. I'm Aiden. Aiden Blakely. I'm here to help you with the Horcruxes."

"How can we trust you?" Hermione wanted to know. Aiden sighed.

"I had a feeling someone would ask that. I'll make the Unbreakable Vow. I'll swear to help you destroy the Dark Lord's Horcruxes."

"You called him the Dark Lord," Bryn said coolly. "Only Death Eaters do that."

Aiden grimaced. "I know that. I'm a deserter. Force of habit."

Harry cut in. "Fine. If you make the Vow, we'll trust you. You make it with me."

"Fine. Which of you will be our Bonder?"

"I'll do it," Hermione said immediately.

"OK." Aiden and Harry clasped hands. "Do you swear to help us find and destroy the Horcruxes?"

"Yes."

"And do you swear to never tell anyone about what we are doing, to be loyal to us?"

"Yes." Fire wrapped around their clasped hands. Bryn had cast a spell to prevent the Muggles from noticing, which was why they were not bothered. Bryn wasn't sure Harry had made the right choice in doing this, but she knew why he did it. This Aiden knew too much already, and Harry didn't want to risk the problems that occasionally arose with Memory Charms. Also, Aiden was an adult, with - hopefully - experience that they didn't have.

There was another reason why Harry did as he did. There was something about Aiden, something extremely familiar. He was certain he had never met the man, but still... And, even more interesting, it was the same sort of almost-recognition he'd felt when he'd first set eyes on Bryn. Which was very interesting indeed.

Aiden wished it hadn't come to a Vow, but he'd been expecting it. He wanted to make up for his past mistakes, and this was the best way to do it. He'd started it over a decade and a half ago, and now he was finishing it. "You always let them control you!" The remembered voice rang in his head. Not anymore. Now I'm controlling myself.

A/N: Now, before you all start shouting about how could you have guessed who was following the teens when he was an OC, well, who says he is? After all, it wouldn't be the first time someone has used an alias. ;)