Chapter 1
Life isn't like the stories, even those really sad ones. Where some people get everything without trying, and others who try don't get anything for those efforts. And everyone lives happily ever after. In life they are up and down, and struggle, and sometimes you want to give up but you can’t; you have to keep on going. Some people may have it harder and some people may have it easier than others. For example me and my twin brother the "infamous" Harry Potter. No one knows the true story: Harry didn't defeat the dark lord, aka Voldemort aka Tom Riddle, but I defeated him. Also, Harry gets a family (not a very good one), food, and a roof over his head, while I'm a homeless orphan who has to fight to stay alive.
On the bright side, I'm pretty crafty. I'm 9 minutes older than Harry, and I was blessed with a perfect memory and can see the likeliness of something. Also, I can talk to ghosts and snakes. I don't think Harry knows what magic is or that he even has a twin. Anyway, I was born around July. I have a couple of friends around my age, Peter and Newt, and we like to play by a hill with an old tree. We also like to study together.
I like going to the library (the magical one) in my spare time. I also like going to the Muggle one. Nonetheless, the magical one is more useful in gathering information about today's society. Specifically when I want to learn about spells or potions. A couple of old ladies work at the library and are super kind to me. I also like sweets; my favorite is lollipops, but a close second is chocolate frogs.
While I live independently (I keep running away from the foster people), I like my tiny home, if you can call it that. I have made some fantastic memories here, and I would like to say that I've also made some incredible meals. One of my favorite meals is Mac and cheese or some ramen. I appreciate any warm meal, but my favorites are soups. There are many types, and one of my goals is to try all of them. I have many goals.
While I am homeschooled, I do self-study. I am not lazy when it comes to my education. While technically in primary, I learned all the core subjects for middle school and even some of the more straightforward high school courses. I also know Spanish. I'm trying to learn French, Italian, and German. I like having a goal of reading a book per week because I read a couple of classics from Shakespeare, but I like fantasy and romance more. I also enjoy reading about my brother. Also, SPELL BOOKS don't get me started. I can't wait to get my letter from Hogwarts so I can get my wand, practice magic, and meet my twin(I'm kinda nervous about meeting him).
Talking about family, my godfather is Regulus Black. He comes around from time to time. He teaches me some fundamental magical theories. But he has to go since he is in hiding. Regulus is one of the few if not the only family member who is alive and that I talk to. Why did I say alive well because I talk to dead people/ghosts/spirits I can talk to my parents but it’s not easy. I don’t know how this power works or even how but every once in a while I can talk with them.
One of my first memories was being woken by screaming and then a green flash. I was a baby, so I didn't know what was happening. I started to cry, and then this figure crept up to me. He said a couple words, but I couldn't hear him, but as soon as he said it, I was somewhere else. I don't know what happened after that, but I was in a white room when I woke up. Later, this old lady picked me up, mumbled a few words, and again, I was teleported to an orphanage. There, I was happy, fed, and had a roof over my head, but I was lonely, but that all changed when the person in charge left and got replaced. One good thing happened: I met Peter and Newt, my best friends. We are inseparable. But other than that, the new head of the orphanage, Dolores Umbridge, was a disaster. She wore all pink, which was my favorite color, but now it is green, and I was so ignorant about our stories. But the ones who had it the worst were the older kids. She gave them no freedom; before they were allowed to leave and return before midnight, they had to be back by 8 p.m. She added so many absurd rules that no one could keep up with them. And when you broke one, she had some ridiculous punishment. For example, if you were not back by the curfew, you weren't served food the next day. But the worst punishment was if you lied. I didn't know what happened, but everyone, even the big kids, came out crying. I found out one day when I was 5 I made a dumb decision. She asked me if I ate all my food (I hadn't; they had cold porridge, and I hated it and didn't want to get in trouble). I said I did. I mean, I ate about half cause I was hungry. Well, she didn't like that. She said that kids shouldn't lie and to meet her in her room in about an hour. Peter and Newt asked what happened, and I explained it to them. They wished me good luck and told me to be careful. When I entered her room, I saw a pen and some paper. She told me to sit down. She asked me why I didn't eat all my food and why I lied, and I told her that I didn't like the porridge, but I didn't want to get in trouble. She said I shouldn't be picky about the food being served. She told me that since it was my first time, I would only write 1 line: "I shall not lie." After I wrote the letter, I felt a sharp pain in my hand and to my surprise it appeared on my hand. After that, she said I was free to leave, and I left with a tear in my eye. Peter and Newt looked at me with worry.
After that, none of us broke any of the many rules. Honestly, we weren't around the orphanage. We would wake up, eat breakfast, and then go to the park until lunch. We would go back to the orphanage to eat. Then, we would go to the library and study introductory courses like math, reading, and writing. We did this for about a month until one day we lost track of time and we were late and, well, Dolores did not like that. As a punishment, we were "grounded" (locked up in separate rooms without food for the entire day). After that, we realized that we had to run away. We spent the next couple of months making plans and backup plans to escape and where to meet up if we got separated. On the night before summer started, we started the plan. The plan was simple. We had secretly been packing our things in our book bags so that when the clock struck 12, we would climb out of the window, climb the fence, and meet by the library. In our bags, we had snacks for a week, pillows, essential things like self-defense devices, and personal stuff like letters or blankets our parents left us with.
After we finished escaping, we found a nice little spot, and we fell asleep. I don't know if anyone ever looked for us, but it didn't matter. We had the best sleep we ever had and probably would have.
When we all woke up the following day, I woke up before the boys. We wondered what we should do now. Flora, what now? Peter asked. Newt looked at me with the same question in his eyes. Let's go explore the city. I said. Both the boys had an excitement in their eyes. We went to the library to find some maps, but instead, we saw something weird, almost magical. As we were walking out of the library, we saw a man walk through a walk. We went up to the wall and saw it was solid, but as we touched it, our hands went through.
I exclaimed "Stop" to Peter and Newt. But before I could stop them, they disappeared. As I went through the wall, I saw a board and a Newt and Peter next to it. As I was walking to the board. I saw a poster for some sports; some I knew, others didn't. For example, I knew what ballets were, but I had never heard of quidditch, but whatever they were, there were free lessons for kids under 15. An old lady walked up to us. She was one of those people that you can tell that she was wise and probably strict. She asked. What were we doing here, and where were our parents?
Who are you? I half demanded and asked. She gave me a look and said, "I'm the ballet teacher. Now, it's your turn". We don't have any parents, I said. I looked confused for a second, and then she pieced it together. I thought she would kick us out, but instead, she asked if we wanted to attend her beginner ballet class. We looked at each other, nodded our heads, and said yes.
We followed her into a room with a handrail, and one of the walls was a mirror. She told us to sign up, so we wrote our names on paper. Then she told us to go to the changing room and get into proper uniform. After that, a couple more kids entered, and then we warmed up, practiced some basic moves like first, second, and third stands, and then we cooled down. She told us that they gave out lunch in about an hour and gave out 3 meals per day for free if you practiced a sport or went to one of the tutoring per day. She also told us that she did tutoring for a couple of magical classes since she was a teacher at Hogwarts.
"Flora! Magic is real," Newt said. And we can use it. Peter finished the sentence. Yeah, I wonder if there is a magical library to study in. Let's look at what other things they have in here I said. We returned and agreed to do ballet on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Also, we would do some tutoring on the weekend, and on Tuesday and Thursday, we would try Quidditch. We would only do one thing daily for now, so we had time to explore the magical world.
After we finished that, we went to grab our lunch and ate it. We headed to the library to learn more about this world. As we were walking to the library, I saw a black cat. As I go to pet it, the cat runs away, so I follow on till I'm in some allies, and the cat turns to Uncle Regulus.
What are you doing here he said a little harsher than he meant. I'm going to the library, I say. The more important question is how did you turn into a cat. He sighed. You know what I mean? What are you doing in the magical world? Why aren't you in the muggle world? He asked. In the muggle world, I asked, "What's a muggle?". A muggle is a non-magical human, he said, sounding tired. So how did you find this, he wondered. We saw someone walk through a wall, and we followed, and well, yeah, that's about it. I answered.
As I finished answering, I heard Peter and Newt calling for me. I turned around for a second, and when I turned back around, Uncle Regulus had disappeared.
Peter and Newt found me and asked, "Where did you go?". I answered, "I followed the cat." Where was the cat? They wondered. It disappeared, I said. Let's go to the library. I said.
When we got to the library, we saw books flying around, people in robes with sticks, and various creatures. We went and looked around until I found a book called "The History of the Potter Family" and another one about the history of Hogwarts. We all sat down. I saw Peter had a book about fundamental magical theories and Newt a book about magical creatures. We read for a while, and I learned much about my family, especially the twins. I also learned that my family is wealthy, so after we read a couple of books and learned how this side of the world works, we went to Gringotts and got some money from my personal account, which my parents apparently made the moment I was born. After, we went and rented a room for the summer.
The next day, we woke up and headed towards the sports center to try and see what Quidditch was all about. When we got there, I saw a bunch of brooms and a field. I looked at Peter and Newt, and they looked back at me confused. What are you going to do with brooms asked Newt. Peter said, "Maybe we fly on them," with a confused tone. Someone walked out. He had bright red hair like Peter but green eyes like Newt. He was an older gentleman, but he looked rough. He explained what Quidditch was about and all the rules. After we had practiced for about an hour, we went to grab some lunch. They had fish and chips and a piece of apple pie for dessert.
After that, we went to the library, and while looking at some books, I found a book about windless magic. I walked around and found more books about windless magic, some for beginners and some for experts. After I picked up some books, I went and sat down. As I started reading, I found that all recommend starting by learning the spell with a wand as it would be easier. The differences began when the books for beginners said that after learning the spell with the wand to try it chantless, I went around the library and found some books about chantless spells. I read the books until I realized they were useless since I needed a wand, so I gave myself a new goal: "find a wand."
After I finished what I was doing, I went to find Peter and Newt and asked them what they were doing. They both were read about Quidditch. Peter was reading about the players, and Newt was reading about the rules and strategies. They told me that they were finishing up, so I waited for them, and after that, we searched for a wand. We looked around for a while and realized we had no clue where to buy a wand. So we went back to our home to form a plan to find where to buy the wand, but when we went back home, we found something unexpected.
Three letters. We each pick up the letter with our name, and that said it's from Hogwarts. Hogwarts Peter asked. I think it's a wizarding school said Newt as I opened the letter and started to read:
"HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Miss. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July. Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress"
And under that, they wrote what we needed for our school year as first years.
Uniform
"First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for daywear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore and Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
wand cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) set
glass or crystal vials
telescope set
brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad."
As I finish reading, I think, "Where are we going to get all of this." While I knew some of these things, I needed to figure out where to get them. As I was thinking this, Newt asked where and how we would get everything. We need to figure out where to get a wand. As Newt said that, I looked at Peter and saw that he was reading something on the back. What are you looking at, Peter I asked. Oh, on the back it's telling us to meet at the sports center on August 1 with our letter in response and that they will meet us there. I turned the letter around and saw it. That's in two days, Newt said.
After we finished reading, we unpacked something and made a list of the things we thought the cost would be; when we finished that, I took a nap but was awakened at 12:00 am with both Peter and Newt singing Happy Birthday with a small cake. I was shocked but the excellent type of shocked and after they finished singing I said thank you to both of them we ate some cake and then went to sleep.
The following day, as we dressed, they focused me on a badge that said, "It's my birthday." We went to the library, and we studied for a couple hours, and we were leaving. I saw a black cat. I told them I would return as I ran off to the black cat. When I turned the corner, I saw Uncle Regulus. He gave me a gift, but since it was wrapped, I didn't know what it was. I told him that I got a letter from Hogwarts and that I would go shopping tomorrow. As I said, I saw a lightbulb turn on in his eyes. He said since I had to bring in an animal, I should bring him since he could turn into a cat and protect me if needed. I jumped with happiness at the idea. I get to spend time with my uncle.
When I returned to Newt and Peter, I had a black cat in my hands. They didn't ask about it. As we went to the sports center, Newt and Peter kept whispering, but I couldn't hear anything. When we got there, we had ballet practice and sang me Happy Birthday. It was an excellent practice, but Regulus wanted to wait outside. When we finished, we walked around a bit, and we ended up at home, and I opened the gift. As I saw the gift I got a tear in my eye, it was a photo of my parents.
Newt and Peter asked if I was okay, and I told them that was more than okay. As I went to sleep, I remembered we were shopping tomorrow.
As we wake up and get ready, I ensure the bag has our money and the list. As we get to the sports center, we see Ms. McGonagall, and we wave at her, and then she smiles, and McGonagall says, "But we gotta get your money first."
I said we bought money, but she gave me a look; I didn't know what it was, but it looked like pity. She said, "No we going to Gringotts. I want you to see what each of your family has left you. Especially you, Flora you will see that your family has left you a small fortune."
"Welcome," said McGonagall, "to Diagon Alley." She grinned at our amazement. We stepped through the archway. Peter and Newt glanced over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into a solid wall.
The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons --All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver --Self-Stirring
--Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.
They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was "Yeah, that's a goblin," said McGonagall quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Newt. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard, and, Peter noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:
Enter, stranger, but take heed.
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So, if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
Once we walk all the way in behind McGonagall, she hands them 4 keys, and one of the goblins asks, "which one first?". She says, "Peter." We get into a small cart that barely fits all of us. The carriage started moving at an incredible pace, and as fast as it started in, it stopped, and we stopped in front of a giant safe. McGonagall looks at Peter and says, "well this is yours," as Peter walks into a small room filled with gold coins and trinkets. After we went to Newts and the same thing happened. Once everyone got back into the carriage, McGonagall said to me that I had two safes, one that was mine and one that was my family safe. We go into both and collect a couple things, then leave the Magical Bank.
As we walked outside, McGonagall asked which shop we wanted to enter first. We all looked at each other, and in unison, we said that we wanted to go and get our wand.