AUTHOR'S NOTE This chapter might be a little confusing, but if you have any questions, leave them for me and I'll try to answer them next chapter. Thanks as always to my wonderful beta Lauren.

DISCLAIMER Don't own anyone, but I did make up the idea of Liza.

The group halted in the Entry Hall. Hermione looked worried. "Are you sure about this, Harry? Rushing off to America? Cho's most likely still here in Britain. How do we know – "

"Dumbledore said so," Ron said.

Hermione's face fell. "Dumbledore's dead, Ron," she said quietly.

"Do you have a better idea?" Harry snapped.

She was silent for a moment, fighting back tears. "Someone should at least let Remus know what's going on," she finally said.

Harry pushed past her and headed outside. "We don't have time."

"But Harry – "

Bill laid a firm hand on her shoulder. "You heard what Dumbledore said. Any moment wasted could lead to Cho's death." He, Ron, and Gabrielle hurried to catch up with Harry, leaving Hermione and Luna trudging after them.

Soon they'd reached the sadly dilapidated main street of Hogsmeade. "You go ahead," Hermione said. "I'm going to tell Remus what's going on. Someone should."

Harry looked at her guiltily, about to protest, but Luna spoke up first. "No Hermione, go with them. I'll go talk to Remus." Her voice dropped just a bit. "They have skinwalkers in America."

A look passed through the group. "What is a skinwalker?" Gabrielle asked.

"A person who can change into a wolf," she replied.

Ron hid a smirk. "So an animagus."

Luna shook her head. "Skinwalkers are muggles. Like to kill people, too."

"Right," Ron muttered under his breath. Hermione suppressed a smile. "Well, good luck with that," he said. Luna smiled dreamily and, with a snap, Disapparated. Ron laughed. "Muggle animagi. Come on! Does she really believe this stuff?"

Hermione sent him a glare. "Ron, be nice." Ron shrugged. Hermione turned to Harry hesitantly. "Ready?"

Harry looked at her, a trace of anger still in his eyes, but it quickly melted. "Yeah," he said with a sad smile. "Let's go." Seconds later, they were gone.

…

Salem Witches' Institute had much more complex spells to hide it than Hogwarts. Salem itself was a populated area, as well as a huge tourist attraction for muggles all over New England and especially Boston. The school itself was just outside the town near the ocean. Whereas Hogwarts looked like ruins to the muggle eye, Salem Institute was actually invisible. Any muggle who ventured close was overcome by an undeniable urge to buy New England muggle sports apparel and hurried away.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Gabrielle, and Bill appeared with a crack on the edge of a quiet marshland. The sun had recently set and the evening fog glowed softly gray in the deepening dusk. "It's beautiful!" Hermione breathed. Ron smiled and took her hand.

Bill looked around. "Where's the school?"

Everyone peered through the mist. "I think I see a light," Ron said and started off. The others followed.

They were met with a magnificent sight. A huge grand Victorian mansion rose out of the sand dunes, surrounded by nearly a hundred smaller cottages, all lit with brightly glowing windows. "Wow," Ron said.

"It's so pretty!" Gabrielle added.

"And so big," said Bill. "What do you suppose all those cottages are for?"

"Some are our classrooms," came a voice from beside them. "Others are offices or storage."

The group turned to see a smiling woman emerge from the shadows. She approached Harry. "You're Harry Potter, right? We were told you were coming."

Harry smiled and said, "Yes," as he shook her hand. "And this is Ron Weasley, Bill Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Gabrielle Delacour."

"I'm Elizabeth Mather," she said. "History of Magic Professor." Upon seeing Hermione's face, she laughed. "I know what you're going to say. Yes, I'm a descendent of Increase and Cotton. I'm also descended from one of the founders of Salem Institute. Grandfather Increase and Grandfather Cotton were both squibs and rather bitter about it." She grinned. "They took the bitterness just a bit too far." She waved a hand. "But I talk to much. Please follow me."

They followed Elizabeth toward the mansion. "Is Salem the only school in America?" Gabrielle asked.

Elizabeth nodded. "There's been talk of founding another somewhere in California, but that won't happen until Salem can no longer handle the number of students."

"Is there a high magical population in California?" Bill asked.

Elizabeth laughed. "Of course! How else do you think films like Glitter get made?" Harry and Hermione chuckled and nodded. Ron, Bill, and Gabrielle just looked at each other and shrugged.

Elizabeth pushed open the heavy door and led them into the foyer. Everyone stared open-mouthed at the ornate décor lit by flickering candlelight. Where Hogwarts was mysterious stone and passageways, Salem Institute was picturesque turn-of-the-century New England grandeur. She let them gawk for a moment before leading them to the grand staircase. "I've got to warn you, Headmaster Hawthorne's office is on the fifth floor. It's quite a climb."

Harry grinned. "Everything at Hogwarts is in towers and turrets. We're used to climbing."

Laughing, she replied, "Then follow me."

Up they climbed, passing students and other teachers alike. Many stared at Harry and Ron and Hermione as well, as they were well known as being close to the famous Boy Who Lived. It has been four years since Voldemort's defeat, however, and Harry had long since gotten used to the stares.

They were expecting something akin to the revolving stone gargoyle at Hogwarts, but the door to the Salem Headmaster's office was just a richly carved oak door with a large brass handle. "Professor Hawthorne is waiting for you," Elizabeth said. "You can go right in."

"Thank you," Harry said. He pulled the door open and held it as the others hesitantly entered.

Silas Hawthorne stood up behind his desk as they came in. He was very old, but retained a sense of physical strength, as though his body had refused to age properly. His presence was different than Dumbledore's had been, but no less powerful. He wore no glasses and had only a short gray beard and long curly gray hair. He smiled and crossed to Harry, his hand outstretched. "Harry Potter! I'm very glad to meet you, sir."

"It's an honor to meet you too, sir," Harry replied as they shook hands. "Thank you very much for seeing us."

"Of course!" He smiled at the others. "And I recognize you all as well. Tell me, what has happened to earn me a visit from such an assembly?" he asked and, with a wave of his wand, conjured chairs for each of them.

"One of our friends is missing," Gabrielle said. "Perhaps you can help us find her."

Professor Hawthorne sat down at his desk thoughtfully. "I'll certainly try my best. What is your friend's name?"

"Cho Chang," Ron said.

"I'm sorry," Hawthorne said apologetically. "I've never heard of her. What makes you think I can help you?"

"Dumbledore. He sent us," Hermione said. "Or, his portrait did."

"Curious," the American headmaster said. "I can never claim to be as wise as Albus Dumbledore. Why send you all the way here?"

They all glanced at Harry. "I don't know," he admitted. "We went to Hogwarts to look at the book to make sure that Cho was still alive." After a pause, he added, "And she wasn't in it. There wasn't even an empty space for her name."

Professor Hawthorne now looked troubled. "Well that at least makes sense."

"How?" asked Hermione.

"One of our most treasured students disappeared from our book when she was a small child," he said sadly. "The first witch after many generations of squibs descended from a very powerful sorceress."

Hermione looked at the floor. "I'm sorry."

Hawthorne smiled, still sad. "But when we lost Liza, the line in our book remained empty. That's strange that yours did not."

Harry reached into his pocket and withdrew the vial of silvery liquid. "Dumbledore left this in case of this situation, he said." Hawthorne looked interested. "He asked me to share it with you," Harry continued. "Do you have a penseive?"

"I do," said Hawthorne, standing up. He retrieved a large stone basin from a cupboard and placed it on his desk. Harry uncorked the bottle and poured the memory into the bowl. After getting a nod from Professor Hawthorne, he took a deep breath and leaned down.

He felt himself pitch forward and fall through the darkness before he landed hard on a wooden floor. The world around him was slightly off-color as it always was in the penseive. Seconds later, Professor Hawthorne landed beside him.

They were in an old house. It actually resembled 12 Grimmauld Place when the Order had first moved in. The door behind them flew open and Harry turned to see Dumbledore and a slightly less beat-up Mad-Eye Moody in the doorway. "Search the second floor," Dumbledore said.

"And what about them?" Mad-Eye grumbled. "These Death Eaters aren't like the others."

"Most have been taken into custody, Alastor. Any others, I'm sure you can deal with them. Just find her."

Moody nodded and stomped off up the stairs. Harry watched him go curiously, but they followed Dumbledore as he began searching room to room.

"Harry," Professor Hawthorne asked. "What is this all about?"

Harry shrugged, but they were startled by an unfamiliar voice. "I don't care what you do! You'll never have her!"

They ran up behind Dumbledore, who was facing off with a wild and crazy looking man. "I assure you," Dumbledore said calmly, his wand outstretched. "I will."

"She is ours!" he snarled. "And one day, she will face the Boy Who Lived and she will defeat him in the name of our Dark Lord!"

A chill crept down Harry's spine. "To face me," he whispered. "There's a girl out there waiting to face me."

"She will never reach that point," Dumbledore continued. "I'm taking her."

"I will die to protect her!"

"Stupefy!" Mad-Eye Moody roared. The man dropped.

Dumbledore stepped over the man's unconscious form. "That won't be necessary. Thank you, Alastor."

"No problem. She's upstairs."

Dumbledore smiled and Harry and Hawthorne followed them up the stairs. They turned down several hallways before they finally stopped. Dumbledore threw the door open. Past him, Harry saw a small girl, no more than six or seven, sitting alone on a bed in a bare room.

Beside him, Professor Hawthorne gasped and whispered, "Liza!"

"Hello Liza," Dumbledore said kindly.

"Who are you?" she snapped.

"I'm a friend. I'm going to take you away from here."

The child looked at him distrustfully. Suddenly the room around them began swirling and they were swept up only to land again in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts. A lump formed in Harry's throat, for it was how he remembered it. Several strange-looking metal instruments whirled quietly on tables, Godric Gryffindor's sword rested on its stand, and Fawkes the Phoenix sat serenely on his perch.

Professor McGonagall, Mad-Eye Moody, and a young couple joined Dumbledore in the office. Liza sat silently in the corner. "Mr. and Mrs. Chang, I thank you very much for agreeing to this. It is just too dangerous to send Liza back to her parents. I do not know what the shower will do to her."

Mrs. Chang smiled. "Of course."

Dumbledore looked sad. "You understand of course why the charm is so imperative." They both nodded. "And that it will extend to not only all of you, but anyone you happen to come in contact with."

Everyone nodded again. Dumbledore walked to Liza's side. She looked up at him as he pointed his wand at her and said softly, "Obliviate."

The others in the room seemed to stagger a bit before blinking and straightening again. Mr. Chang looked at Liza. "Come on, Cho honey. We don't want to take up Professor Dumbledore's time."

Liza ('Or Cho?' Harry thought, confused) got up from the table and took Mr. Chang's hand. "Okay Daddy."

Dumbledore smiled. "Goodbye Cho. I shall see you again soon."

She smiled shyly. "Okay."

Everyone left the office and Dumbledore headed for the room in the corner that held the book. The door opened to his touch, just as it had for Sinistra. Over Dumbledore's shoulder, Harry saw that the name "Cho Chang" had been squeezed into the page. "It is done," Dumbledore whispered.

There was a split second of darkness before Harry and Professor Hawthorne soared backward through the air and stood shakily in the Salem Head's office. Ron, Hermione, Bill, and Gabrielle all looked at them nervously. "Are you okay?" Gabrielle asked, going to Harry's side. He nodded weakly.

"What'd you find?" Bill asked.

Professor Hawthorne sank down at his desk. "I think first I had better tell you about Liza Lang." Everyone sat down and listened raptly. Hawthorne sighed. "Have any of you ever heard of Isabelle Theroux?"

"Of course," Gabrielle said. "She was one of the most powerful French sorceresses in the last thousand years. She was one of Beauxbaton's most famous students."

He smiled wryly. "Right on both counts. Unfortunately, Countess Theroux was consumed by greed and desire for three legendary crystals that, once joined, would unlock the secrets of the universe. In 1604, an angry mob caught her and her two followers and burned them at the stake. She left behind one child, a squib. Wizards all over Europe and America have watched her bloodline for centuries hoping for the return of magic. In September of 1979, we discovered that it had finally happened and the family lived in America. Liza Lang was put down for the Salem Institute the day she was born. We were thrilled."

"What happened to her?" Ron asked.

"She was kidnapped on the night before her seventh birthday. Not long after, she disappeared from our book. We never figured out why."

"Couldn't you do anything?" asked Hermione. "I mean, how could she just disappear?"

"Cho just disappeared," Bill pointed out. Harry watched Professor Hawthorne, waiting for him to continue, as Hermione quieted again.

"Her mother was pregnant when she was kidnapped and we had high hopes that the second child would be magical as well. She wasn't," he clarified before anyone could ask. "And then when the second daughter, Lana, was almost three, a meteor shower nearly destroyed the town. The Lang parents were killed."

"That's awful," Hermione whispered.

They were all quiet for a minute. Harry figured it was his turn to pick up the story. "Dumbledore found Liza," he said quietly. "She'd been kidnapped by a bunch of crazy Death Eaters who wanted to make her into some kind of anti-hero to face me. That's what the memory was."

"Oh Harry!" Gabrielle cried. "That's horrible!"

He nodded. "And it gets better. After he rescued her, he didn't return her to her parents. He knew the meteor shower was coming and was afraid of what it would do to her, I guess because of her heritage."

Hermione glanced between Harry and Professor Hawthorne, both of whom were visible upset. "What did he do with her?"

Harry took a deep breath, steeling himself for their reaction. "He put a memory charm on her. An Obliviate." He paused. "And then he gave her to Mr. and Mrs. Chang to raise as their daughter."

"Bloody Hell," Bill whispered. "That's impossible."

Shaking his head, Harry answered, "No. I saw the Hogwarts book. After the charm, Cho's name was squeezed in between two others. It was never supposed to be there."

Professor Hawthorne looked dazed. "Liza Lang has been alive all these years."

"That's why there was no empty line," Hermione said. "But that still doesn't explain why her name disappeared. What happened to her?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know."

Gabrielle looked troubled. "What did Dumbledore think this meteor shower was going to do to her?"

"The rocks left behind by the meteors have altered the Muggles living in the area," Hawthorne explained. "Gave them different powers. Dumbledore must not have wanted to risk Countess Theroux's only magically-inclined heir." Suddenly a strange, frenzied look came over his face and he pushed himself up from his desk. "I wonder…"

Ron and Hermione shared a look. "Wonder what?" Ron asked.

"Come with me."

He led them to a spiral staircase along one wall that led to a balcony-like second level. One at a time, they climbed up to see another ancient leather book lying on a pedestal. "That's Salem's book," Harry said.

"Yes," Hawthorne said as he began turning the pages furiously. Then, just as suddenly, he stopped. Slowly, he turned to the group. "It's here."

Harry asked, "What's there, Professor?"

"Liza Lang. Her name is back."

…

The sun was beginning to set in Smallville. Cornfields stood golden green, waving in the light breeze. Cho wandered down the middle of the street. There were no cars. In fact, there were no people anywhere.

The billboard that Cho remembered was still there, but it was different. Instead of being the Creamed Corn Capitol of the World, Smallville was now heralded as the Meteor Capitol of the World. Cho looked at it for a minute, then shrugged and headed for town.