Disclaimer: Bryn's mine, but most of the other stuff in this belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 7 – Plans: The next morning, Bryn was up early. The first thing she did was grab a quill, ink, and two pieces of parchment. She scribbled the same message twice; We need to talk. All three of us. In person, somehow. She signed her name on both and put each into an envelope. One she addressed to Sarai Medina at Salem Academy, and the other went to Ailin Chen at Kao-liang Institute. Then, she headed for the Owlery. She gave Ash Sarai's letter and tied Ailin's to the leg of one of the school screech owls. She watched the birds glide away, hoping she got replies soon.

To everyone who knew her, Bryn seemed to change over the next few weeks, as September became October and the weather cooled. She became more intent in class, soon competing with Hermione over answering questions. In Quidditch, she flew with a concentrated ferocity that startled everyone. But, though everyone saw the changes, no one could explain them. The truth was that Bryn was pouring herself into school and Quidditch so as not to have to think about anything else.

The fact was, Bryn was slowly being overcome with a terrible desire to know the truth about her past, brought on by the flashbacks and the knowledge of her mother's betrayal. But she was scared too. What if her father was a mass murderer or something? If so, and she learned of that, it would haunt her forever. And there were the continuing dreams of a man in fog. She had a feeling she knew where the man was trapped, and she didn't like it. Not one bit.

So she worked and waited for replies from Ailin and Sarai. Finally, she got a reply from Ailin. It read:

Bryn,

I've written to Sarai and she agrees with me on this idea. When you were reading Hogwarts; A History, you mentioned a village, Hogsmeade, I think it was called. You also said students visited the village now and then. Send us the date of a visit and we'll pop in to see you.

See you then,

Ailin

Bryn smiled as she read the letter. The idea was perfect. And getting to Hogsmeade would be easy for them; they could Apparate. Rules in America were different, and you were allowed to Apparate at 16. All three were licensed, but in Bryn's case, she had to wait until she was 17, and then apply for a British license. Ailin was luckier; the Chinese government wasn't that strict and she had already gotten her new license. Sarai, of course, was still in America.

Bryn quickly turned the parchment over, fished out a quill, and wrote a response:

Ailin,

Great idea! The next Hogsmeade visit is the day after my birthday. You can make it, right? I know Sarai can, but I don't know the rules at Kao-liang. Write me back ASAP.

See you soon,

Bryn

Bryn tied the letter to the leg of Ailin's owl, Jyssa, and watched as the bird flew away. Then she set off for class, feeling much happier. She knew Ailin would know that 'the day after my birthday' meant Halloween. Bryn had been born on October 30, Mischief Night in America, and Sarai had often pointed out that the date suited her. Bryn's taste for pranks had gotten her into a sizable amount of trouble over the years.

The week leading up to Halloween was quiet. Bryn got a reply from Ailin; they would meet at the village pub, called The Hog's Head, at 12 o'clock. They were going there so Hogwarts students wouldn't notice them. The plan was a good one.

On Bryn's birthday, she woke to find gifts from her friends at the foot of her bed. Although she was seeing Ailin and Sarai tomorrow, they had sent her gifts today so nothing seemed suspicious the next day. Sarai had given her the new Nightwish CD and Ailin had sent the latest book by Tamora Pierce, an author all three girls loved. The surprise came from Ailin's Aunt Ziaojun. Aunt Ziao had been friends with Bryn's mom, which explained the gift. It was a silver necklace with a pendant in the shape of a Celtic knot. There was a note as well.

Ambryn,

This belonged to your mother. Apparently, it was a gift from your father. I don't know if there is any magical attributes to it, but Julia wanted you to have it when you turned 17.

Sincerely,

Ziao

Bryn stared at the necklace in her hand, a large lump in her throat. She remembered her mother wearing this, and despite her anger at what her mother had done, she still missed her. With trembling hands, she put the necklace on. Then she got dressed and went to the Great Hall for breakfast.

At the Gryffindor table, Ginny noticed the necklace. "Where'd you get that?" she asked. Bryn shrugged. "It's a birthday gift."

"Oh, it's your birthday?" Bryn nodded. "Happy Birthday." Just then, they were joined by Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Whose birthday is it?" said Ron. "Bryn's," Ginny said. "Why didn't you say anything?" Harry wanted to know. Bryn was saved from answering by Hermione. "Oh, my! Bryn, come on! We'll be late for Ancient Runes!" And she scurried off. Bryn followed.

The rest of the day was absolutely dull. They went to lessons and that was it. At dinner, she talked to Harry and Ron about Hogsmeade and what it was like there. She went to bed that night feeling much better. Soon, she would be with her closest friends again, and maybe together they could figure something out.

A/N: Hoped you liked that!