Briar Montgomery

**Briar Montgomery** (b. 14 July, 1961), was an English half-blood wizard, and the only daughter of Melissa (née McCall) and Edmund Montgomery and older sister to Tyler Montgomery. She attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1972-1979 and was sorted into Ravenclaw. When Briar started at Hogwarts, she met and became best friends with three fellow students: Roommate and fellow Ravenclaw, Inala Kokomikeis, Slytherin's Ayumi Deokha, and Gryffindor's Virginia Fawley. She also became close with James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew (a.k.a The Marauders).

One of the founders of the Sanguine Sisters, Briar suffers from blood maledictus, passed down from her father, Edmund Montgomery. Throughout her years at Hogwarts, her blood malediction worsened. Along with the other members of the Sanguine Sisters, Briar dove into old magic to find a cure, as well as a possible end to the war. Unfortunately, Briar's research was cut short due to her pregnancy and the subsequent birth of her sole child, Emiline.

## Biography

### Early Life (1961-1972)

Briar Jones Montgomery was born on 14 July 1981, to Edmund and Melissa Montgomery (née McCall), during the beginnings of the First Wizarding War.

Though Edmund's health was waning, he refused to seek magical treatment, wanting to shield his wife, and now daughter, from the Wizarding world and rising war. Prior to Melissa's pregnancy, he had planned to flee, as to not cause her so much pain. However, he did not want to leave his wife alone and pregnant, so he decided to stay despite his impending death.

For two years, Briar was raised in a small cottage in the countryside of Manchester, allowing Melissa to maintain her nursing job in the city, whilst Edmund remained in hiding. Unfortunately, the blood maledictus got significantly worse after Edmund's thirtieth birthday, and on December 10th, 1963, he passed away peacefully in his sleep. The autopsy noted cause of death as untreated Leukemia.

Three days after Edmund's death, Melissa discovers she's pregnant. She packs her daughter up and move them into a small apartment in the city- selling the scenic cottage to provide savings for her children. On 29 August, 1964, Melissa gave birth to Briar's younger brother Tyler Edmund Montgomery.

## Physical Appearance

**Eyes**: Briar’s eyes are a deep green, quite large, and framed with long dark lashes. They are often quite intense in expression but sparkle with laughter when she is happy.

**Hair**: Her thick black hair is naturally wavy, and more often than not, a bit messy. Often worn in a haphazard half-up, half down, style.

**Height**: 5'8"

**General Appearance**

At first glance, Briar might appear to be slightly sickly, with her dark hair strikingly juxtaposed against her pale complexion and dark under-eye. Her posture seems to be turned slightly in on herself, as to not take up too much space; and, if one were to look closely, she seems to tremble slightly. Although Briar has a gentle frame, thin, and delicate features, her sparkling eyes and brilliant smile reveal her determination and charm, she won’t be broken easily. She's generally quiet among people she doesn't know, letting others speak before she shares. However, among friends, she is quite relaxed and can become quite bouncy and animated. Often, her appearance will reflect her physical health; eye-bags becoming more prominent, high cheekbones seemingly more gaunt, etc. But her green eyes never fail to bring life to her face.

**Dressing Style**: Having spent most of her life in the lower class, Briar takes advantage of her new wardrobe. Slightly grunge, dark academia, dark ethereal. Often seen in a neat white button dark, navy blazer, with matching plaid skirt. Rather than a tie, she often opts for a thin bow, similar to the one she ties her hair up with. Heeled boots are year rounders, making the usual appearance with black or white knee high socks. When the occasion calls for robes, they’re usually plain black with a small silver brooch of three stars. Additionally, Briar is quite fond of showing House Pride- and can be seen wearing the Ravenclaw colors in daily wear- especially her House scarf.

**Jewelry:** Briar only wears one necklace- which she never takes off. A small silver star with a tiny diamond placed in the middle. It usually hangs under her shirt, albeit the occasional v-neck. She doesn’t wear bracelets as she can’t stand the feeling of things on her wrists. (The same reason why her shirt sleeves are pushed up, as well as any hoodie or sweatshirt sleeve) She has two earring holes per ear, but only wears earrings on special occasions.

## Personality and Traits

**General Character Traits:**

Upon a first meeting, Briar is usually rather quiet. Although she likes the company of people, she doesn't typically approach others unless she's pretty sure they'll welcome it. Once acquainted with someone, though, she can be quite animated and talkative, more lighthearted and teasing the closer she is to someone. She is fiercely loyal to the people she cares for, helping them at all costs, and is generally kind. Her friends can always rely on her for level-headed advice, a listening ear, or help with classwork--regarding the latter, she's a hard worker that usually enjoys the work she does, and is prone to trying to focus people back on the main subject or task at hand. If she doesn't know someone, however, she can be judgmental at times if someone seems ignorant or shallow; Briar is fairly quick to form opinions of people and sticks to her first impression, unless enough contrasting evidence is set before her. She tries to assume the best in people, but it’s hard to change her mind once she’s seen the bad in someone.

Briar is naturally soft spoken, but don’t mistake her soft demeanor for that of a push over. She rarely hides her true self, and despite seeming quiet polite- is quick to destroy someone with quick wit and well placed words. She rarely masks her own opinions, though she knows how to keep quiet when she has recognized that caution and prudence are necessary. While Briar is opinionated, especially regarding feminist ideas as well as stigma surrounding deemed ‘liberal ideals’, which contributes to activity in classes and discussions with her friends, she will never intentionally hurt someone’s feelings. She will doggedly uphold her beliefs, but won’t argue unless provoked. Briar has an acute sense of right and wrong. She believes in always doing what she believes is the right thing, no matter what other people say and think. She has a high sense of honor and returns assistance and kindness to anyone who has done her a good turn, no matter how much she may dislike them. That being said, her social anxiety/fear of men often lead her to stay away from situations where she may need help. Unless someone truly pisses her off, she is more than happy to avoid conflict.

Although highly intelligent, and with a natural curiosity for the magical world, Briar is a major procrastinator. Finding it hard to focus on things she is uninterested in, she often has to find different approaches in order to stay interested in school work and make sure it gets done. Briar is also extremely motivated by the fear of disappointment, especially from her teachers, despite acting as though she doesn’t care all that much. Because of this drive, she will always make sure her work is done, and often produces her best quality work while under pressure.

Briar is skilled in controlling her temper, often taking the high road, or simply de-escalating the situation. She is often too tired or busy to waste time caught up in unnecessary drama. She would rather everyone be at ease, but understands that isn’t always possible. An enemy of Lilly will usually be faced with stone walling. She is extremely good at ignoring someone, and won’t speak or acknowledge them. It works rather well. One thing that does set her off, is her loyalty to her friends. While quick to let any insult or threat thrown her way roll off her back, Briar is fiercely defensive regarding the people she cares about, and won’t hesitate to put a threat back in its place. Her sharp tongue and natural talent for charms are quite a dangerous combination, especially when supported by the rest of the S. Sisters. With her friends, Lilly is extremely honest and open, and can’t understand why people don’t just communicate better- or try to find a compromise.

Although Briar does love a good adventure, especially exploring the castle, she likes her routine. She’s not afraid to try things once, but would much prefer to stick to what she likes. As an introvert, she’d much rather sit with her friends in the Great Hall, chatting away over a cup of tea, than to go to a Quidditch game- although she’s more than happy to support Jinya if Nala requests it. She needs time to herself, and will frequently disappear to her dorm. That being said, if she’s with a close friend, she can turn anything into a good time.