Flora Rose Potter, the girl who lived. She hated this title she had. Why did she have to be the “chosen one?” She felt angry, alone, isolated sitting at home in her room. It had been a month since the Tri wizard tournament – since Cedrics death. She could not live it down, could not forget. There have been many sleepless nights where she has snuck out just to walk wherever she could under the moonlight. The only good thing about that night was seeing her parents, even if they were just their spirits. Flora could see her resemblance with her mum. It made her happy seeing how much of Lily was in her. A little spitting image of her, but with long locks of brown hair. It was sleek, straight and shined a beautiful copper in the sun. She has always been told she resembled her mum, and seen only a few pictures, but now she could see her in person. Even if it wasn’t a physical form, it was still something more to her. Flora had a pile of letters in her room she has yet to open from friends. She cannot bring herself to read them, she would rather avoid the pain they bring back. It was getting late, and all she could bring herself to do is stare out at the rain coming down near the streetlight. She could hear the Dursleys downstairs playing their favorite game together. Flora wished she could have had that life, full of joy, making memories with her family. Instead, she has her aunt who never stops Uncle Vernon from hurting her. Maybe this year will be better, she thought cynically, to herself.

Flora Rose Potter has had an interesting four years at Hogwarts. She expected her fifth year to be no different. That was until the appointment of Umbridge as her Dark Arts professor. She has spent the first few months of school in detentions for speaking out against her teacher, suffering with the abuse of the blood quill. It was December now, and Flora was feeling more alone than she ever has. She can’t write to Sirius, with too many risks of the ministry intercepting those letters. There are still many classmates who refuse to believe her about the dark lord once again rising. She had her closest friends on her side at least. But even they didn’t understand what she was going through.

It had been a long day full of class and detention. All Flora wanted to do is fall onto her bed and sleep through the weekend. She had a headache, a bad headache. She made it back to the common room from detention to see Ron and Hermione waiting for her.

“How was it, how’s your hand?” Hermione reached out to grab Floras hand, but she pulled away.

“Its fine…I’m fine. I just need to sleep. Please.” Flora sounded bitter and defeated. She felt bad for being so rude to her friends who only want to help but went up to bed without looking back. Ron and Hermione only exchanged concerning glances.

Flora managed to get some sleep when she was awoken from a nightmare. The dark lord was attacking Mr. Weasley at the ministry. It all looked like Flora herself was the assailant. Flora could not breathe, her eyes full of tears and panic.

“Flora! Flora, are you alright? You look horrible!” Hermione was freaking out and called for McGonagall.

“I… Mr. Weasley…The Ministry… He’s in Danger!” Flora panted trying to express what happened.

“Miss potter, you need to breathe. C’mon were going to see the headmaster.”

Flora had two occlumency lessons with Professor Snape since that night. It has been a week of pretending she has remedial potions. Flora was not arrogant, but she certainly did not like pretending she was terrible at a subject where she had one of the highest grades.

Dinner time rolled around, and Flora was sitting alone, hiding, near the hall exit to Hagrid’s hut. She was feeling so isolated this year, she knew she was no longer living a somewhat normal life with the dark lord being capable to enter her mind. She loved being alone anyway when she was upset or stressed. Being a good student, she usually worked on schoolwork to keep her mind off things.

Flora made her way to the great hall and spotted Ron and Hermoine.

“Where have you been? Ron and I have been looking for you!” – Hermoine said with a still of worry in her voice.

“Nowhere, I just wanted some time alone.” Flora looked up to the head table and saw Snape looking her way. They had made eye contact before flora quickly looked away.

“You have a lesson, tonight don’t you?” Hermoine expressed like it now made sense why Flora was so aloof today.  

“Yeah, I have to be at his office right after dinner. He said not to be late, or it will result in detention.” Flora wasn’t excited for this at all, she had been practicing clearing her mind, but her stress and anxiety wouldn’t let that happen.

“Aye mate, that’s rough. He doesn’t have to be such a bloke about it, detention for being late seems harsh when he could just take house points.” Ron said just before shoving his face full of mashed potatoes.

Flora just sad there sullen. Stirring her food around her plate.

“Hey, I have good news from mum about dad! They found the death eaters who were responsible for the attack, who set the snake on dad.”

“It was the dark lord, Ron. Whoever they have found are only to help the ministry cover up the fact that it was him.” Flora stated with a cynical tone.

“No... um, well yeah, I guess.” Ron leaned in close to Flora and in a hushed tone said, “But they arrested Pansy’s parents.”

“Really? That must why she glared at me each time she’s seen me in class today. “

“I think she thinks you’re responsible… they had to arrest someone for the attack since you seen it happen. They couldn’t just cover it up with too many of us knowing about it.” Hermoine sounded apprehensive to say such a thing, but Flora knew she was probably right.

The trio was just outside of the great hall, about to approach the Grande staircase when Flora heard someone shouting after her. They stopped to notice it was Pansy, with her group, Crabbe and Malfoy.

“POTTER!”

Flora turned around and Pansy was right in her face. “What do you wan-..” Just like that, Pansy pushed her to the ground and started to beat her. Flora lost her breath hitting the ground as hard as she did and could barely hold Pansy back as she was swinging. A crowd began to form around the fight and any actions Ron and Hermione made to get pansy off of Flora were impeded by Malfoy and Crabbe.

Flora could feel herself blacking out as she was now inhaling her own blood. Luckily, by this time Snape, McGonagall, and Umbridge intervened. The crowd went silent as McGonagall pulled pansy off of her.

“What happened here! All of you to your common rooms, NOW!” McGonagall shouted at the crowd. Flora could barely hear what was happening, she had rolled over to cough the blood out of her lungs. Her vision was blurred and she was in no state to comprehend what just happened. Mcgonagall was lightly holding onto flora

“Pansy attacked her, we were heading upstairs when she just attacked!” Hermione exclaimed to McGonagall.  

“That’s not true, professor! Potter hexed me first and it was only self defense!”

“Youre lying!” Ron bellowed.

“ENOUGH” Umbridge shouted. “Pansy, clearly you would never fight another student unprovoked, would you?”

No, madame, I certainly would not. I think Draco could vouge for me too…” Pansy said confidently.

“They’re lying, look at Flora, does she look like she really attacked first.” Hermione tried her best to convince everyone. Flora was laying there, still coughing out blood and holding her nose, trying to stop the bleeding, all while being barely conscious.

“That will be enough out of you, miss granger, you have earned yourself detention Monday night, for your lies. And as for miss potter, she can join you”

McGonagall was in shock of the blatant corruption just occurred. “Now wait a minute, as their head of houses, it is up for myself and professor snape to be handing out punishments for what had happened. Professor Snape, I am assured you can find an appropriate punishment for miss Parkinson, yes?”

Snape nodded toward McGonagall. “You three, my office, now.” Snape pointed at his Slytherins.

“And as for Miss granger and potter, I will speak to them and punish if need be. Miss granger, please get miss potter to the hospital wing.   

Flora departed with Hermione, with McGonagall and Umbridge arguing in the background.

Professor Snape was not looking forward to his next lesson with that potter girl. She may have had part of his intelligence, but she could not pick up occlumency. She was weak in that regard. He sat at dinner next to Albus, who was conversing with Flitwick about his favorite pair of socks. Kill me, he thought to himself, just wanting the night to be over with. He looked around the hall and noticed Potter glancing at him. He could see she was not eating like usual. If she doesn’t die by some unforeseen circumstance at this school, she will die from exhaustion. He remembered lily would be the same way sometimes before a test or flying lesson. It was always her stress. Clearly potter inherited that too.

Snape and the rest of the teachers heard shouting coming just outside of the great hall.

Oh my god, is that…potter? He could see this helpless girl roll over in pain. He hid his emotions well of being angered with his saintly Slytherins.

“You three, my office, now.” He kept his eyes on them as they began walking down to the dungeons.

In his office, he had to think quickly, he was angered with these students, but he could not just punish them for avenge Potter. He worked with their parents; he couldn’t give them any excuse to bring doubt to the dark lord.

“I commend your work, Miss Parkinson, but you have to be careful. You are fortunate I can protect you all from expulsion this one time. Any fighting further, the headmaster will have a case to expel all of you. You will have detention this Saturday night, am I understood?”

They nodded in agreement. As comfortable as they all were with Professor Snape, they would never talk back to him.

Flora was sitting on the end of a bed in the hospital wing with a blood drenched rag up to her nose. She could feel her face swelling, especially around her eyes.

“Let me see, miss Potter. Your nose won’t fix itself!” With a flick of her wand, Madame Pomfrey popped Floras nose back into place. There was slight stinging in her face that felt better once she was given a pain potion. I have to be at my lesson, I’m going to be in trouble.

Hermione could she the worry in her face. “You know, I think Professor Snape won’t be expecting you to be at your lesson tonight. He, I’m sure, has a lot on his plate right now.”

Flora sighed and followed Hermione back to the common room.

The next morning, Flora woke up swollen underneath her eyes and bruised from the altercation with Pansy. Embarrassed about her looks, she trotted off to potions with Ron and Hermione.

They arrived on time and took their seats. Pansy and Malfoy sat across the aisle from them of course.

“Nice face, Potter!” Pansy and Malfoy laughed to each other.

“Well done, Pansy. For such a pureblood, you fight like a true muggle.” Flora snidely remarked.

Snape was at his teaching podium seemingly not paying attention waiting for the stragglers to file in so he can start class.

“You’re just a mudblood, like your mother -…” Pansy retorted back ostensibly growing more and more upset.

“Quiet!” Snape interjected before another fight ensued. “Potter, see me after class.”

Of course, he singles me out, they started it! This will be another detention I’m sure of it.

Class went by quickly with Snape using his time to lecture the class on all the way’s aconite fluid can affect potions. Flora made her way up to snape at the front of the class once they all were dismissed.

“You missed your lesson last night; I shall see you tonight instead. Do try and keep yourself intact until then.”

“Yes professor, thank you.” Flora was relieved he didn’t give her detention. Still, being in occlumency lessons with his is close enough to one.

Severus went on with his day of teaching these little fiends. It’s Thursday, he was looking forward to the weekend. He and Minerva planned a small lunch together on Saturday to have tea and discuss the house cup. He and Minerva have a close friendship, as close as he can have playing double agent. She is like a mother to him, which he feels slight embarrassment from. She brings him dinner on those late nights he is stuck in the dungeons brewing potions, they have friendly competitions over quidditch and the house cup. They enjoy getting together just to vent about their students and classes.

It was approaching time for potter’s lesson. Severus emptied out all of his memories that may give away his positioning with the dark lord when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.” Severus held the door open just long enough for potter to squeeze by.

“Have you been practicing, or can I expect subpar results again?”

“I HAVE been practicing, its just hard! Let’s just begin” Flora hissed at him, not in the mood to deal with his sarcastic remarks. After her altercation with Pansy, memories of abuse from the Dursleys was all on her mind.

“Legillimens” Severus began searching through potters’ memories.

Dudley stop! Please! Dudley was on top of Flora trying to feed her worms from the garden.

Flora tried to push snape out of her mind but failed as he viewed three more memories before she finally stopped him.

Flora fell to the floor holding her stomach, trying hold back her anger. Breathing heavily, she stood back up. Snape was looking unamused.

“Legillimens” Snape began again. Sweeping through memory upon memory, until curiosity stopped him to watch one.

What did you do, girl? You freak, you monster, girl! If you’re aunt wasn’t forced to keep you here you’d be on the streets! Vernon was holding little Flora by her throat against the wall. She was screaming, gasping for air. Petunia grabbed Dudley and pushed him into the other room because he was crying watching his father get violent. Vernon threw little flora to the ground and started kicking her as she tried to crawl away.  

“NO!” Flora was so enraged by snape viewing this memory she kicked him out of her mind, raised her wand to him. Next thing she knew she was viewing one of Snape’s memories.

Stunned, Flora stumbled backwards hitting a table. Snape was recovering from the invasion into his mind. Flora was panting, with tears running down her face. Scared to see what Snape was going to do to her, she ran out of the room, accidentally dropping her wand in snapes office.

“Potter!” Snape called after Flora, but she kept going.

Severus was shaking with how furious he was about what he saw. Dumbledore promised him the girl would be safe outside of Hogwarts. The blood wards mean nothing if she is at risk of death from the Dursleys. Snape had to speak to Dumbledore now.

“Ahh, Severus, my boy, how are things?”

“Did you know about Potter being abused at home?”

Albus was taken back by what Severus just asked. “So, you saw something during occlumency, did you?”

“You KNEW about this, Albus? You promised me she would be safe!”

“The blood wards, my boy -” Severus cut him off, “No Albus, I could have created wards in a safer place for her! She’s my daughter! She was supposed to stay safe!”

Albus felt a twinge of guilt up his spine. “Then what do you suggest we do?” Albus was genuinely curious for an answer from Severus. 

“Send her to Black, she will be safe at order headquarters.”

“You want to send her to the man that almost killed you?” Dumbledore replied.

“Black is a bad person, but he won’t hurt her. Please, Albus.” Severus was pleading, forgetting how angered he was to have Potter view his worst memory.

“Very well, my boy. I will speak to Sirius about taking Miss. Potter this summer.”

Flora didn’t stop running until she was safe in her common room. Still crying and grasping for air, she ran up to her bed after noticing Ron and Hermione waiting for her. She was in no state to speak, let alone relive what just happened with Snape.

Flora woke up the next morning refusing to go down to breakfast. The last thing she wanted to do was run into Snape. She contemplated even drawing the curtains on her bed to reveal to Hermione she was awake. After a half hour of hearing girls walking in and out of the room, it was finally quiet. Everyone must be at breakfast now. I can stay in here for a few hours and skip potions. Flora worked on her assignments for Mr. Binns in that time. She made her way down to her second class of the day, transfiguration in due time and took a seat.

“Flora! You skipped class; you’re going to be huge trouble!” She heard Hermione shout from behind her which startled her. “What happened last night…in your remedial potions lesson? Hermione was trying to be discreet, but it just made Flora even more upset.

“Nothing, not anything I can tell you here, anyway. We can go somewhere private at lunch to talk.” Flora whispered at Hermione giving her looks that they were being listened to.

“You attacked a teacher! Again!” Hermione yelled at Flora like she was being punished. She exchanged looks with Ron, rolling their eyes.

“Serves him right, that bloody bloke. He knew he was seeing something he shouldn’t have.” Ron stated plainly.

“Im sorry, I really don’t know how it happened! I just raised my wand, and it happened. I didn’t even say any sort of spell. Just kind of thought of one, you know?” Flora went on, “And the worst part is, I saw a horrible memory of his. I cannot tell you what I saw, but it involved my father and Sirius. I know I shouldn’t have missed class, but I don’t know what he was going to say or use my past against me.”

“But why would he when you have dirt on him too? I really would have loved to see you two go at it, humiliate him.” Ron jokingly spoke.

Stop it, Ronald! Look, Flora, you can’t avoid him forever. Why don’t you go speak to him tomorrow and get your wand back?”

Flora turned away, knowing Hermione was right.

Severus was waiting outside of the great hall at dinner watching for Potter to show up. How dare she miss class and her meals... she better come down to eat something today. Watching the students pass by he spotted Potter.

“Well well, Miss Potter. You’re still here I see. I wasn’t sure as you missed class today.” Snape looked down at the girl who was refusing to make eye contact. “That will be detention, Potter, after dinner.” Trying to figure her out, he walked away into the hall.

“Great, just great. Detention with the person I never want to see again.” Flora complained as the trio walked to their spot at the table.

“At least you have a chance to get your wand back tonight, before our Hogsmeade trip tomorrow.” Hermione expressed to Flora, nudging her arm. The trio went about their dinner, Flora hardly looking up from her plate.

This is ridiculous, just knock on the door. Its not that hard. Flora feeling hesitant about this detention. Before she could bring herself to knock, the door swung open. Snape moved aside and said nothing. Once inside Flora just stood there, in a mild panic, before Snape had to tell her to sit. He sat across from her at his desk and stared her down with those black eyes.

“Potter, do you want to explain to me what happened last night. What it was that I saw?” Snape asked in his suspecting tone.

“Nothing, sir.” She couldn’t look him in the eye, she knew he could tell she was lying.

“Are there more memories like what I saw?” He asked in a sullen tone.

Flora paused, not sure what to say. Giving in, she replied in a conceding tone, “yes.”

“Then why not tell the headmaster about your relatives?” Snape tried his best not to sound too harsh.

“Because, he’s done enough for me, and I don’t need pity!” She regained some power in her speech. “And if you’re wondering why I wasn’t in class it's because I was afraid you would use what you now know to bully me. Your Slytherins would have loved every bit of it.”

Snape looked at her with an unreadable expression. “Why would I do that?”

“You seem to bully a lot of students, its not above you to target Gryffindors’.” Flora sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, still unable to hold eye contact.

“Why would I expose you like that when you know a dark memory of mine?” Snape countered back.

“Because you know I wouldn’t share that, I’m NOT you.” Flora said that with such disgust she had to look up and see Snapes reaction. But he didn’t react. He sat there a moment, just looking at her, like he was trying to read her.

“It was a commendable job of you breaking into my mind. You even used a nonverbal spell to do it. Those aren’t learned until 7th year.”

Flora was puzzled. He just complimented her, and explained how she broke into his mind. She had no idea she held that kind of power to use a nonverbal spell without ever being taught – let alone knowing what they were. “I – I did? I mean, I don’t know how I did it. Probably couldn’t do it again if you asked me.”

“You need not learn more now about nonverbal spells, Potter.” Snape got up from his desk, walked over to a drawer and pulled out a small box. He opened the box, my wand, she thought to herself.

Without saying a word, he held out the wand for Flora to take. She took the wand from him and put it in her cloak. “I shall see you in class Monday, Potter, or you will really have a detention.” Snape dismissed Flora from his office. She left with a feeling of relief.