Snowbyrd

Ch. 3

It was Byrd's third day at the Burrow. Mostly she spent her time outside. At the orphanage, you really don't get much time alone. She reveled in the hours spent exploring the area around the Burrow. But today, a storm raged on outside. Byrd was curled up like a cat in a comfortable armchair, watching the fire. Her eyes traveled up to the mantel, where several pictures sat. Her breath sucked in when she saw the lady. She was younger, but it was definitely her. Byrd gently lifted it off the shelf and went into the kitchen, where Hermione was making lunch. "Who is this?" asked Byrd, holding out the picture. Hermione looked at it sadly.

"That was your mom. She was a wonderful woman, cheerful and happy and bright… But not anymore."

Byrd looked at her, confused. "What do you mean, not anymore?"

Hermione looked at the picture, her eyes filling up. "Ginny, that was her name, disappeared. No one knows what happened to her. We suspect the worst. We found not a single clue about where she went or if she did it or the enemy."

"But, but I saw her!: stammered Byrd, trying to stop asking every question in her head.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Where? When? Tell me everything!" Byrd told her about meeting the mysterious woman in the woods.

"That's how I knew to not come here when that rat man came for me!"

Hermione looked puzzled. "Rat man? Oh! Was his name Peter Pettigrew?"

Byrd nodded. "He said his name was Peter. He said he was my dad!" At that, Hermione's jaw dropped. She sat down abruptly in a chair.

"If Peter wanted you, then, he must know! But how? And Ginny!" she was muttering very fast to herself. "Oh no, they'll come here! We need to go to HQ, and now!"

"Um, Hermione?" Byrd was starting to get very confused. Hermione must have noticed, because she stood up again and addressed her.

"I'm sorry dear, I can't answer your questions, at least not now. We need to get going, before it's too late. I'll answer everything at the HQ. Right now, I need you to get your coat and meet me outside in the garden immediately. You must understand, we are in danger! Go quickly!"

Byrd rushed upstairs and grabbed her coat and shoes, running outside to go into the vegetable patch. A moment later Ron and Hermione joined her, both with their sticks (Byrd had discovered that they were called 'wands') and clutching brooms. Ron handed one to Byrd. "Get on!" he said.

Byrd gaped at him. "What?!" Hermione showed her how to mount her broomstick.

"Why do we have to get on a broom? Why can't we use a ca…Aaurgh!" Byrd nearly fell off when her broom lifted several feet of the ground.

"W-what's happening?" she screamed.

"You're too young to apparate, so we're flying!"

Byrd really wanted to just scream a halt and have someone, PLEASE, answer all her questions. In the space of a couple of months, her world had been turned into a frantic run with no rules. Including gravity.

"Fly?!"

"Just follow me!" yelled Ron from above her.

After a couple minutes, Byrd found that flying a broomstick wasn't so hard. In fact, she was enjoying it. It was really easy and fun! A sparrow flew after them, chattering angrily, when they upset the branch its nest was in. Byrd twirled around and caught the very surprised sparrow without even thinking about. She gaped at the sparrow and it gaped back at her. Ron wheeled around and pulled up beside her. A huge grin was plastered in his face, but his eyes were sad. "You'll be great at Quidditch, you know. Just like Harry and Ginny."

Byrd wanted to ask what Quidditch was and who was Harry when Hermione yelled for them to hurry up. Releasing the sparrow, Ron and Byrd obliged.

After a while, Byrd began to recognize parts of London from the yearly trips the orphanage took. But soon the houses grew smaller and gloomier, until they landed in a derelict street. Ron pointed his wand-stick at a place between two houses and murmured something. Byrd gasped as a house seemed to grow out of nowhere. They walked inside. Byrd was about to say something when Hermione clapped a hand over Byrd's mouth. Putting a finger over her lips, she ushered her into a cozy-looking kitchen. An old lady was stirring a pot of something. Hearing them come in, she turned around and ran to hug Ron and Hermione. Then she turned to Byrd. "Merlin's Beard! Its, it's…"

Ron smiled. "Mum, meet Byrd. Byrd, this is the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. This is your grandmother."