Florence O'Brian and the Boy Who Lived
Dear Ms. O'Brian
The next month went a little something as follows:
Florence awoke to a bowl of oatmeal, which she despised, for breakfast without a single word from either of her parents. She got dressed in her work clothes, and would march over to the Dursley's and weed their backyard, take out the trash, clean their windows, and even trimmed their hedge once, though they only looked worse after she'd finished.
She wasn't sure exactly how much more she could take. In all her life, Florence had never done so much work. Her parents seemed more upset than usual.
On the upside, Florence was not alone in her excruciating punishment; she had Harry. Apparently, the day she'd been grounded for hurting the fat boy, Dudley, was the same day Harry had been grounded for 'setting' a Brazilian boa constrictor on Dudley, which sounded absolutely ridiculous.
The two were almost nothing alike, but it hadn't taken them long to become friends. Besides, Dudley didn't bother Harry when Florence was around.
At school, they were only friends the other had. Florence, who would have been extremely popular had she not stuck up for Harry a second time, was now teased for being such a tomboy and of course, Harry's only friend.
Florence couldn't have been more happy when the summer holidays came. July had finally arrived; Florence had been eleven for five months now.
"Flo, your mom and I are going out tonight." Florence had been lying in bed reading her extremely worn out copy of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn when her father's voice sounded from the other side of her door for the first time since she'd been grounded. When she stood up to open the door, her father looked more calm than he had in the last few weeks.
"We've hired a babysitter to come watch you, think you'll be able to manage?"
"Are you kidding me? If I can survive a week in the Amazon Rain Forest with nothing but a pocket knife and my keen survival skills, I can survive a babysitter." Of course, Florence had never actually been to the rain forest. She'd never even been camping. Mr. O'Brian rolled his eyes and tousled Florence's hair.
"Right, what was I thinking?" He gave a half-smile before heading back downstairs. All was forgiven. Even so, it had taken a lot longer than she'd hoped and though she was very happy to have her parents talking to her again, all Florence could think of were the bacon and eggs she'd be getting for breakfast the next morning.
Saturday had arrived, though as it was summer, the days of the week didn't seem to matter much and Harry and Florence lay on the floor in Florence's room playing a game of chess. Their break was going by too quickly and they dreaded the thought of having to go to separate schools next year.
"We could always go to Africa." Florence suggested, moving her rook in a diagonal motion. "See a lion up close!" Harry looked a little worried at the thought, moving Florence's piece in the right direction before moving his own.
"Or," Harry moved a pawn. "We could just go to New Jersey?" It was very true that Harry did not like staying with the Dursley's, yet Florence's idea of excitement would likely result in one of them, and Harry strongly believed it to be himself, getting eaten alive.
Florence gave him a raspberry, spitting all over the board as she did so. "Don't be such a chicken. You know I'd have your back." She gave one of her signature, toothy and overly broad smiles before moving a piece and stating, "Check mate."
"That's my piece!" Harry laughed, snatching Florence's Queen. She's barely gone to give him a wet willy when her mother's voice rang up the stairs.
"Harry!" The two froze, exchanging exaggerated frowns. "Your uncle Vernon says it's time to go home!" Harry's face fell and Florence just sat back, Indian style, on the floor. She'd heard stories about Harry's life with the Dursley's, though she was certain Harry refused to tell her everything, and Florence was right.
"Africa, me and you!" She called after him as Harry gave a last wave and left the room. "Yeah, Africa." Florence picked up one of her chess pieces and traced random lines on the game board.
Florence soon found herself wandering downstairs. Her mother was in the kitchen making lunch, and her father was in his study. Making her way into the living room, she saw what was to be her uniform for next year, a horrible mustard yellow and green jacket with a gray skirt. Florence stuck her tongue out disgusted by the outfit, mostly the colors when there was a click from the mail slot.
"Florence, honey would you get that?" Florence looked up to see her mother standing in the doorway of the kitchen. She'd originally gone to get it herself, however when she spotted Florence of course she changed her mind. With a sigh, Florence went to grab the mail.
"Dad, dad, mom, dad," Florence had a terrible habit of looking through every letter whenever she did check the mail. Since she'd left New Jersey, none of her friends had bothered to write. However, Florence in fact did have a letter, only it was not from any of her friends. The address alone surprised Florence quite a bit:
Florence Marie O'Brian
The Bedroom at the End of the Hall Upstairs
6 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey
Florence stared unbelievable at the letter. It was heavy paper, like something a Queen would write on, and sealed with red wax which bore some strange crest. The only thing she could think of was her grandparents sent her a late, very late birthday card.
Tossing the rest of the mail onto the coffee table, Florence carefully tore open her letter.
At the top, in fancy writing read Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore. "School of witchcraft and wizardry?" Florence repeated raising an eyebrow and continuing, "Dear Ms. O'Brian, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"
"Florence, sweetie what's taking so-" Florence looked up at her mother who had stopped. Florence held up the letter in confusion.
"Is this a joke?"
Florence awoke to a bowl of oatmeal, which she despised, for breakfast without a single word from either of her parents. She got dressed in her work clothes, and would march over to the Dursley's and weed their backyard, take out the trash, clean their windows, and even trimmed their hedge once, though they only looked worse after she'd finished.
She wasn't sure exactly how much more she could take. In all her life, Florence had never done so much work. Her parents seemed more upset than usual.
On the upside, Florence was not alone in her excruciating punishment; she had Harry. Apparently, the day she'd been grounded for hurting the fat boy, Dudley, was the same day Harry had been grounded for 'setting' a Brazilian boa constrictor on Dudley, which sounded absolutely ridiculous.
The two were almost nothing alike, but it hadn't taken them long to become friends. Besides, Dudley didn't bother Harry when Florence was around.
At school, they were only friends the other had. Florence, who would have been extremely popular had she not stuck up for Harry a second time, was now teased for being such a tomboy and of course, Harry's only friend.
Florence couldn't have been more happy when the summer holidays came. July had finally arrived; Florence had been eleven for five months now.
"Flo, your mom and I are going out tonight." Florence had been lying in bed reading her extremely worn out copy of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn when her father's voice sounded from the other side of her door for the first time since she'd been grounded. When she stood up to open the door, her father looked more calm than he had in the last few weeks.
"We've hired a babysitter to come watch you, think you'll be able to manage?"
"Are you kidding me? If I can survive a week in the Amazon Rain Forest with nothing but a pocket knife and my keen survival skills, I can survive a babysitter." Of course, Florence had never actually been to the rain forest. She'd never even been camping. Mr. O'Brian rolled his eyes and tousled Florence's hair.
"Right, what was I thinking?" He gave a half-smile before heading back downstairs. All was forgiven. Even so, it had taken a lot longer than she'd hoped and though she was very happy to have her parents talking to her again, all Florence could think of were the bacon and eggs she'd be getting for breakfast the next morning.
* * *
Saturday had arrived, though as it was summer, the days of the week didn't seem to matter much and Harry and Florence lay on the floor in Florence's room playing a game of chess. Their break was going by too quickly and they dreaded the thought of having to go to separate schools next year.
"We could always go to Africa." Florence suggested, moving her rook in a diagonal motion. "See a lion up close!" Harry looked a little worried at the thought, moving Florence's piece in the right direction before moving his own.
"Or," Harry moved a pawn. "We could just go to New Jersey?" It was very true that Harry did not like staying with the Dursley's, yet Florence's idea of excitement would likely result in one of them, and Harry strongly believed it to be himself, getting eaten alive.
Florence gave him a raspberry, spitting all over the board as she did so. "Don't be such a chicken. You know I'd have your back." She gave one of her signature, toothy and overly broad smiles before moving a piece and stating, "Check mate."
"That's my piece!" Harry laughed, snatching Florence's Queen. She's barely gone to give him a wet willy when her mother's voice rang up the stairs.
"Harry!" The two froze, exchanging exaggerated frowns. "Your uncle Vernon says it's time to go home!" Harry's face fell and Florence just sat back, Indian style, on the floor. She'd heard stories about Harry's life with the Dursley's, though she was certain Harry refused to tell her everything, and Florence was right.
"Africa, me and you!" She called after him as Harry gave a last wave and left the room. "Yeah, Africa." Florence picked up one of her chess pieces and traced random lines on the game board.
Florence soon found herself wandering downstairs. Her mother was in the kitchen making lunch, and her father was in his study. Making her way into the living room, she saw what was to be her uniform for next year, a horrible mustard yellow and green jacket with a gray skirt. Florence stuck her tongue out disgusted by the outfit, mostly the colors when there was a click from the mail slot.
"Florence, honey would you get that?" Florence looked up to see her mother standing in the doorway of the kitchen. She'd originally gone to get it herself, however when she spotted Florence of course she changed her mind. With a sigh, Florence went to grab the mail.
"Dad, dad, mom, dad," Florence had a terrible habit of looking through every letter whenever she did check the mail. Since she'd left New Jersey, none of her friends had bothered to write. However, Florence in fact did have a letter, only it was not from any of her friends. The address alone surprised Florence quite a bit:
Florence Marie O'Brian
The Bedroom at the End of the Hall Upstairs
6 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey
Florence stared unbelievable at the letter. It was heavy paper, like something a Queen would write on, and sealed with red wax which bore some strange crest. The only thing she could think of was her grandparents sent her a late, very late birthday card.
Tossing the rest of the mail onto the coffee table, Florence carefully tore open her letter.
At the top, in fancy writing read Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore. "School of witchcraft and wizardry?" Florence repeated raising an eyebrow and continuing, "Dear Ms. O'Brian, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"
"Florence, sweetie what's taking so-" Florence looked up at her mother who had stopped. Florence held up the letter in confusion.
"Is this a joke?"
♠ ♠ ♠
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