The Silent Life of Flora Jain Potter.

By Novum Arkilum.

AN:

Please note that this story does not follow the canon timeline nor canon events to the letter, even diverging when the writer deems it necessary.

I am sorry to say this chapter is much shorter than others and acts as more of a set-up for the next chapter.

Hope you enjoy the story.

© Copyright disclaimer:

I (Novum Arkilum) do not claim any right to the Harry Potter franchise or anything connected to it. All rights belong to the original writer JK Rowling.

Thank you for your time.

Chapter 03: A new life, and the Mysterious Moor.

Almost a year had passed since Flora Potter had been left at the Zoo, she never returned to Privet Drive. Instead, after a long-lasting stay in hospital she had been sent north to Yorkshire and (*1,2) Saint Hallan's Children's home. Spending the majority of her time in solitude, quickly gaining a strong appetite for reading and learning… something she never had enough time (or any at all) for with the Dursleys. Nor did she ever learn of their fate.

It had not taken her but a few days to learn that her new (though temporary) home was founded by Mari De-Hallan during the Industrial Revolution to look after and teach orphaned children who had lost their families. The home is still being managed and owned by the Hallan family… though Flora had never seen anyone from the family.

The home was largely standing out in the town, being built into an old mill. It has several small dorms featuring no more than four people per dorm. There was a dining hall, a classroom that Flora would spend her weekdays listening to lectures. There was also a small infirmary to look after children with minor injuries and illnesses.

Flora quickly came to enjoy was walking along the edge of the nearby moor, with a tall wrought iron fence with a high brick base keeping people out. When she walked, she liked to listen to the wind blowing over the moor, rusting the blooming heather, bathing the moor in a seemingly endless sea of purple. She sometimes stopped to wonder if the ocean would sound like that, as it was a place Flora had never been to, only ever view as depictions on Dudley's old discarded picture books.

Once she thought she had seen a unicorn upon the moor… though she quickly let any such thoughts go, unicorns are not real… she must have imagined the howl encounter she supposed… it had been at a distance… Do horses even live on moors?

Though the most mysterious thing was at the end of her walk upon a large hill. Where she could see a very large building in the distance… there was never any sign of activity… All she could make out beyond the ornate roof were a few windows along the facing wall, with glass seemingly broken away some time ago.

There were always several people who stopped on the hill as well. Indeed some of the older people seemed to speak in a different language entirely with only the odd word Flora was able to understand.

But the people who she could understand as she listened never mentioned the large building… as if they couldn't see it at all. When she had managed to build up the courage, she had asked her caretaker, Mrs Medlock, about the old building. She had replied that there is no such building upon the moor and never have been. Despite Mrs Medlock's words, the building was always there, as if calling out to her.

Mrs Medlock was a very tall and stern woman who never was one for nonsense. Flora couldn't help but admire the woman a little. Mrs Medlock had not wasted any time putting down Marcus, another resident three years younger, who had taken to belittling and generally making fun of Flora (similar to Dudley). And one of the reasons why she spent so much of her time alone. Mrs Medlock also seemingly took Flora's Freakishness in strides. Refusing to allow Flora to call herself a freak, though to Flora it was the only term that she had ever been associated with the strange things that happened around her, seemingly caused by her.

Flora had fallen into a steady routine during the week, waking and making her bed, looking after her hygiene, getting dressed, and having breakfast and helping the little ones when she could. Before attending the mandatory lectures Mrs Medlock held in the classroom during the week. After the lecture, she would head out and walk along the edge of the moor up the hill and gaze upon the building that wasn't supposed to be.

She looked forward to Fridays not due to it being the last day of lectures for the weekend, but rather the weekly letters she would receive from Martha. That she would read alone up in her room. She had originally shared the room with two others when she first arrived. However, both had been taken in by families about a month after when she had been walking along the moor for the first time. Leaving Flora to remain the sole occupant in the room where she could read her letters from Martha in peace.

Though much to her surprise… when she returned to her room to read her letter that Friday. She found an Owl waiting for her, in its beak, a letter, placing it down on the desk Flora used. The owl gave a berk, before hopping out the open window (which Flora was very sure had been closed) and flying away towards the north.

Walking up to a desk Flora gazed at the sealed letter, addressed to her in emerald green ink, gingerly picking it up. The texture wasn't that of paper, but rather of skin.

Ms F. Potter.

Dorm 13.

Saint Hallan Children's home.

(*3) Potter-Moore.

Yorkshire.

After reading the front, the seal broke, letting her thumb off the middle the letter folded open.

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 Ms Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term beings of 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress.

Taking the letter and the unread list in hand, Flora made her way back downstairs, towards the office of Mrs Medlock, though when she arrived into the midsize office she found two elderly adults already inside.

The eldest of two, a man with a long silver beard and half-moon spectacles sitting upon a crooked nose that seemed to have been broken several times., turned his eyes twinkling. "Ah, Ms Potter, your timing is impeccable. "

1: Saint Hallan's Children's home is Fictional.

2: The Hallan Family is also Fictional and family of my invention.

3: Pottermoor, inspired by the name coming from the Harry Potter website is also fictional