This fic tells the Flora Riddle's,story. Flora, Bellatrix's and Voldemort's daughter, is a powerful witch that was brought up by Muggles without her parents' knowledge. Lucius Malfoy finds her whereabouts and sees in it the possibility of the darkness returning what has always fascinated him. What he ignores is that she's not Voldemort. And the battle that is established is not the one he had in mind.

Chapter list:

1. The coldest day of the year
2. Mr Malfoy
3. The trip
4. At last the true
5. Meeting Draco
6. Neville and Hannah
7. Bringing the Army together
8. The Ambush
9. The Malfoy Manor
10. A wizarding Family

"This story was based on the Harry Potter series, created by JK Rowling, on which I have no property right and is not my intention to infringe any copyright.
It's a fan fiction story That Incorporate characters she created."


1. THE COLDEST DAY OF THE YEAR


It would be a day like any other one in Flora’s life – a psychologist, married with three children –, if it were not for the sudden cold that had came to town during the night, and along with this, the news that her friend and co-worker had died from unexplained causes (not even the medical examiner had been able to ascertain them.).

Getting out of bed and picking up an outfit for the funeral seemed impossible. That off-season cold and the fog that covered the city, made her feel as if she would never be happy in life again. "It must have been the bad news I received this morning."

She went to the funeral with her husband, Felipe, a tall and handsome man with dark hair and very pale skin - she loved him very much, but never commented on how handsome he looked to her just for him not to put on airs. Despite she was a very good-humoured person, her good mood had gone. Even before she received the sad news, she was devastated and feeling awkward.

The foggy day made her feel quite upset. "No, it wasn’t it”, she reasoned, “but the situation". She leaned against her husband and forced herself to move on. During the funeral in the old cemetery in downtown, while the cold bit her lightly on the cheek, she idled away looking at the sculptures on the graves that had always fascinated her, especially the one of the young bride leaning over the grave of her beloved one. Her attention also floated from one ancient tree to another. Then, she noticed two men looking at her with an unusual interest. At first, she thought she was ill-dressed or something of the sort, because no matter how hard she tried, her way of dressing always disagreed to her peers’. Then, she pretended her attention was in something else while examined the men, and realized she had never seen them before. One of them was tall, blond, had a very pale skin, and looked about 50. He watched her with a certain reverence and was accompanied by another one, much younger. This one was stoutly built, looked evil, and had black hair cut very short. They dressed as if they were not from the city. Actually, they seemed foreigners. They neither spoke, among themselves, nor greeted the relatives of the deceased woman. They seemed to be there just because of Flora. "No, I'm imagining things again."

For a moment she had the feeling that a strange force was trying to control her actions and make her follow those men. She shook her head as if to wave these thoughts aside. The feeling passed. However, she saw a tall, hooded figure in a dark cloak seemly slipping between the graves. Then, she glimpsed a brightness that seemed to come from under the blond man’s cloak, and the figure moved away. What was that? Certainly she was imagining things. Those men should be relatives or friends of the deceased woman and she, Flora, was too shaken, bordering on madness, perhaps, and had seen death in person; or rather thought so. Anyway, she needed a holiday. It was certainly that, she concluded.

She left the cemetery leaning even more heavily against her husband, nearly being carried by him. In the street, she saw those sinister figures again. Then, she decided to face them with a stare - knowing it might put people off sometimes. She looked in the eyes of the blond man so strongly that she believed his legs would collapse. He staggered and whispered satisfied to the other: “It’s her”. This makes her even scarier.

In their way back to the car, she realized her husband hadn’t noticed anything, which left her with the feeling that everything was just fruit of her imagination. Even though, she thought that she’d better walk faster, and justified it by telling him that she needed a rest. And what if she was really imagining things? Would her mind be wavering? She shook her black hair that fell down her back in curls, and saw her reflection in the window of the car: She looked even paler than normal. Even her blue eyes seemed to have faded a bit in the last hour. She snuggled up onto her husband’s arms while they drove home in silence.

Hello and Welcome to the Epic and Adventure section! I would say to be sure to read the rules, post often and most importantly have fun, but it seems you've finished. I hope you continue posting about Flora in here.

Hey! I'm so sorry I didn't post earlier! I'm on Chapter 3 right now I think! I just wanted you to know that I'm reading!
I would like to make a suggestion tho. Maybe, I don't want to be rude (so please don't hate me for saying this), but I think that maybe you shouldn't have put out all of the chapters out at once. Maybe you should've like saved the chapters you wrote and then put out a new one each week. So then people aren't looking at this liek Too much reading! Too much reading!
But i'm really enjoying it! And I'll continue on and post more soon! Promise!

I'm glad you're enjoying my Flora.

Thank you very much for the suggestion to put out a chapter each week. I'll do it with Flora 2. Actually I didn't know how it worked here (the post of FF).

The continuation of this story is ready (Flora 2 and 3), but it's not translated yet (I write in Portuguese, a friend of mine has translated into English for me), but I think I'll have to post Flora 2 on "The High Security Vaults". I could not classify the stories and I still have not found a Beta-reader yet....

...And I hope you have patience to read my response to your comment because my English is terrible (which is a totally unnecessary comment, because you just get to the end of it!) ... and I hope you understand what I tried to write.

Don't worry about it! YOu have very fine Engish! I could never type in Portuguese (believe me).
But I have a friend from Brazil, and she sometimes speaks Portuguese to her family and her dog. It's rather funny, becuase usually what she says to it in Portuguese is "Shut up!" o really, that's the only phrase I know in Portuguese.

Portuguese it's really a complicated language. I had made more revisions in portuguese than I made in English for Flora to be ok... But I can teach you Portuguese, if you want, and then you can train with your friend ... If I am writing in English, everything is possible in this world! Believe me!


and poor dog! it's must bark a lot... I have 2 females dogs, but my "girls" are so quiet that I need not say 'shut up' (cala a boca!)... Cesar Millan (Animal Planet) would be poor if it depended on them...

I love that show! i watch it all the time!
Oh, and that would be fun. It's kind of like Spanish, right? (except different)

Yes, Portuguese is very similar to Spanish... so often foreigners speaks Spanish think it is Portuguese ... or they mix the two languages ​​and speak a kind of "portunhol", or how you would speak there, spaniguese or portanish...
Ask me anything you want and I'll teach you ...

do you finished the Flora? enjoy it till the end?

No. i haven't finished yet, but i most certainly will! Thanks.
So, here's the first question: How do you say hello?

Hello: oi ( it is pronounced like this: 'O' like the 'o' from ThOse and 'I' like 'ee' from frEE) = oee.
do you understand? You can say 'oi' or 'olá', it's the same. "olá" sounds like "olah", 'o' like 'thOse', again and 'a' like the 'a' from 'stAff'...

Try talking for your friend and see if my teaching was successful ...
Good luck! (Boa sorte!)

Okay. Thank you! Who ever knew that your fanfiction would end up being a Portuguese class!
Boa Sorte!!!

hahahhahahahaha

could you help me? I'm seeing how to post the flora 2 and I would include links to the next chapters, but I did not understand how can I do it ... any hints?
(it is already full, but I will follow your hint to post a chapter a week)

até logo! (see you!)

Oh. Well, when you are posting a reply or editing a post, you will see above a picture of an earth. You click on it, and put in the permalink of the post, and hit OK. Hope it helps!
Ate logo!

I think I'd understood it...
shall we see...

do you said 'olá' or 'oi' to your friend? it works?

Até logo! Vou dormir. (I'm going to sleep)

Wait, so are you in the same time zone as me? Right now it's 3:02 pm. What is it for you?

I live nearby São Paulo - Brazil. Here is GMT-3, but nowadays is GMT-2 (daylight saving time)
I usually sleep late, so depending on where you live in the U.S. the hours can match...

I think it was 2:02 pm

Okay. Ilive like on New York time zones. So we are probably only an hour apart. Okay. It makes sense. Just curious.

isn't it fantastic? we're just neighbors in time zone, but we live too much distant from each other.... at least Harry Potter does exist and we can be friends thanks to him and the www.

I hope it's not scare you, isn't my intention... just make friends.

I have already sent the first chapter of my other ff (Flora 2) to the SS ... I am now waiting for authorization. I hope you enjoy it.

Unfortunately, Flora 3 I think will not be possible post it here because this is a little bit heavy story. Harry is deeply depressed in this part of history of Flora.


you don't say me if you get to learn to speak "olá" or "oi"...

até logo!

OKay! Can't wait to read it! Making friends is fun.

Next morning seemed as if nothing had happened; even the tropical sun came out in its total strength. Flora forced herself into going to work, as some of her patients were going through a crisis and couldn’t miss a week of their treatment – or maybe she needed something else to occupy her thoughts for her to be able to resume her normal life. She had a simple office, in the backroom of a nice clinic. It was good enough for her, as the success of her work didn’t rest in the furniture.

She worked the whole day, but took small breaks to take the children to school or to fetch them from it, have lunch, or go to the supermarket. The intense routine made her forget the gloomy experience she’d had in the cemetery.

Although she was feeling well, during the coffee break, she remembered her co-worker showed a permanent smile, and always suggested that she drank water instead of coffee since it was healthier. Thoughtfully, she poured herself a large glass of water, and realized she would still miss her friend for a long time.

Time passed, but she didn’t notice its movement. Well after the end of the working day, she was alone at her office once her last patient had already left. Then suddenly, she felt a gust of icy wind blow into the office. Immediately after that the doorbell rung – she thought this was weird since she wasn’t waiting for anyone. Perhaps it was the night guard checking why the lights were on. To her surprise, when she opened the door she found the blonde man of the previous day. He gave her his hand, half smiled, and said: “Dr Flora? I am Lucius Malfoy.”

Flora reacted by looking back at him with the same fixed stare of the previous day – that stare that could have a devastating effect on people, and that she used sometimes to get into her patients’ minds to help them whenever the normal procedures didn’t work. It was the way through which she could access their most hidden thoughts and forgotten memories. It disturbed Mr. Malfoy for a few seconds, but he didn’t seem to want to avoid it. Flora saw in his remembrances that he had come from far away to meet her. He had learnt about her through a document, and she understood, he wouldn’t do her any harm. When she tried to access his memories a bit further, she saw a woman with her hair as black as Flora’s, and also a very awkward looking man with a snake-like face. But then, Lucius deflected her gaze. Flora believed that words of her successful work had reached him and that’s why he was there. She concluded that it was because of the strange looking persons wearing unusual costumes she had seen in that gentleman’s memories. They seemed to have some kind of madness or dementia.

She invited Lucius in and took him to her office. She called her husband from the mobile to tell him that a last minute appointment had just turned up. If she didn’t arrive home in an hour, he should come and look for her, but otherwise he shouldn’t worry, as all was well.

She fetched them coffee and asked what had brought Mr. Malfoy there. He believed she was Tom Riddle and his sister-in-law Bellatrix Lestrange’s daughter that had been adopted soon after her birth by a Brazilian family visiting England.

Flora knew she had been adopted and brought from Europe when she was still a baby, so she paid great attention to the story. She had her heart in her throat, but took a deep breath to collect herself as she didn’t want him to note how moved she was. He went on saying that she had been put up for adoption on Mr. Lestrange’s order, the betrayed husband that, in spite of his rage for the baby girl – that was a live proof of his wife’s betrayal – couldn’t kill her because he both feared and admired her father. It had been easy to tell the baby’s mother that her daughter had been born dead instead of prematurely. Moreover, he also said that the baby’s birth mother didn’t want the little girl, as she thought it was her husband’s.

As far as she understood, the Lestranges worked for this Mr. Riddle, a Lord. And after years serving and blindly admiring him, Bellatrix’s husband looked more and more uninteresting to her.

The years had passed so that no one in the family knew Flora existed. Then, one day, Bellatrix’s sister and Mr. Malfoy’s wife, Narcissa, read a document written by an old family servant that had been found by her grandson, Scorpius,. Flora had the impression Mr. Malfoy had implied this servant was a home elf, but imagined she had miss-understood him. It was certainly owing to her difficulty with English. To better understand that, he let her peer into his mind again. Actually, he seemed to even wish she did that. Then, in a large and stylish living-room, she saw a blonde and tall woman showing old and stained papers to her husband.

By seeing how Narcissa told her husband the history that, in turn, her grandson had told her, Flora noted that this servant, Dobby, was greatly despised, although again he was referred to as an elf. “Would ‘elf’ be just a derogatory term?”

“Dobby, that useless and traitor elf, hid a stack of old papers made of newspapers and bread wrappers tied up by a magic knot that probably went loose after his death. In these papers — see, I didn’t even know the bloody elf could write —, he wrote, in an awful writing, things he saw in our home, and some others he did on our orders. If the Ministry just got hold of these papers…”

“How did you find them?”

“Scorpius was playing in the cellar when, without any particular purpose, he did a magic spell that revealed a path in the wall. He followed that path and got to Dobby’s dirty room. I didn’t even know there was such a filthy place in our house. It had a tiny bed, and horrible flowers were drawn in its walls. Scorpius’ intent was to use it as his secret hiding place to meditate ant try his magic powers away from us. He’s so brave!!! However he made the wrong magic and instead of enlarging the piece of pie he had in his pocket, he made the paper wrapping appear. What a disgusting habit of registering his memories the bloody elf had – as if they were worth anything... Anyway, Scorpius found them very interesting. So, he ended up getting late for lunch and I went to look for him... But that’s not the worst. Have a look for yourself”.

Disgusted, Mr. Malfoy started reading the papers, but something called his attention and soon he went on reading them carefully sat in an arm-chair by the window to be helped by the light that came from outside. The revelation about a niece he’d never heard about excited him, so that he muttered now and then:

“Bellatrix and Lord Voldemort... Taken by elves to a Brazilian family bewitched to believe their holiday trip was meant for them to take home the daughter they would adopt. Mmm... Interesting..”.

He smiled. Narcissa noted a glint in her husband’s eyes. It was as if he had just won the best present in his life. She got weary when he announced:

“I’m going to Brazil. We must know if she’s still alive...”

After some calls Mr. Malfoy went packing. He knew he couldn’t count on his son that preferred living in the past as if nothing had ever happened; so, since Lord Valdemort’s death he wouldn’t approve of anything like that. However, Mr. Malfoy also knew he could count on an old friend’s son. Goyle was stupid and strong enough to accompany him in any mission. Flora could still see him in the trip. He wasn’t coming to Brazil, though; instead he was going up north. At this moment he turned his eyes away from her as not to let her see anything anymore.

Flora focused back the office and startled, she could hardly hide her shock. But nothing was compared to what Mr. Malfoy was about to tell her: He first asked her in a paused voice whether she had ever done anything strange in her life; something the other persons couldn’t do. She didn’t reply anything, but she knew she had. In fact, she had always done strange things, although she had never mentioned that to anybody except to her husband, to her deceased friend, and to two of her girl friends that also had something different.

Then, the man took a wooden wand from his stick, pointed it to a picture in the wall, and the image in it started to move. Flora took a deep breath. She knew it couldn’t be a trick, since that picture had hung from that wall since long, and he couldn’t have had anytime to set the scene. At that, she nodded with her head: yes, she had already done many strange things. He asked her what had been that, and she replied that strangest thing she had ever done was during a family camp, when she prevented a coral snake from leaping at them by simply talking to it. The man’s eyes glinted again, as if he’d just met Santa Claus himself. Then he asked her whether she had felt anything strange in the cemetery. She replied that she had felt as if something wanted to command her, but she had managed to regain control over herself and deflect that sensation.

He clapped and said:

“It was me! I tried to cast the Imperius Curse on you, and you resisted! You’re a witch, and like your father, one of the most powerful ones I’ve ever met. You have the same, let’s say, penetrating look he had” – and the admiring and venerating way Lucius looked at her deeply annoyed her.

To be called a witch was not a compliment, but she already knew that she was a witch. She had always known that, but had never dared use the word “witch” to justify her powers; even why for her witches were just the evil characters of children’s tales. She also knew that, in a certain way, there was evil inside her. Evil drives had always haunted her. However, she had learned to control them and didn’t have any unethical behaviour since she blew up a frog that had frightened her when she was a child (“who did she think she was to ill-treat the animal?”). She smiled to the man and agreed: “ok, you got me”.

She couldn’t take her eyes off his wand-stick as she’d never had seen anything like that. For her, magic wands were only found in fairy tale. She went to touch it, but Lucius dodged her movement. He said it was a personal object and that she could buy one in London. (Flora naturally didn’t know that, but since he was compelled to lend his wand to another wizard – Lord Valdemort, Flora’s father –, and it had been broken, he never ever let anybody else touch his new wand as if it was a very sensitive part of his body.

“Magic wands in London? How nice? Can you find them on any corner?”

“No, there’s a particular place to buy it. It’s not in Google maps. It’s the Ollivander in Diagon Alley. Muggles are not allowed there, unless they’re accompanied by a wizarding folk. By Muggles I mean, ordinary persons without magic powers. Over there you can also buy books to help you deal with your magic and better use it.” Answered Mr. Malfoy forcing himself into being friendly, which wasn’t much like him.

This immediately fascinated her, as she had never seen a serious spell book before. The closest she’d got to it were old books of herbal medicine. She noted then that whenever she tried their prescriptions she usually achieved a much better result than her friends, even if they had followed the same instructions.

“Do my parents live in London? I’ve wanted to meet them since I was a little girl, and learned I had been adopted.”

Mr. Malfoy sorrowfully said:

“I’m afraid your parents have already passed away, but whenever you like, I can show you our world. I go back tomorrow, but I’ll leave you my address. Your aunt, my wife, would love to meet her niece. So would my son.”

In these last words, Flora noticed again the forced amiability. However, she was curious, and deep down she knew she’d accept his invitation. They said goodbye, and she thanked her “uncle’s” visit.

Numb and lost in her own thoughts, Flora drifted home. When she got there, she met her husband at the door-step, holding the car key. She hugged him. As he knew her very well, he soon realized by the change in her attitude that she was excited and euphoric.

“Who was the last-minute patient?”

“Did you notice that blonde gentleman in Sophia’s burial?”

“I can’t remember very well ... Who was he? What did he want? You were late; I was already worried.”

She took the keys from his hands, sighed, and said:

“My uncle! Well, actually he’s married to my birth mother’s sister... And what would you say if I told you there’re others like us, and that there’s even a kind of shopping mall for ‘witches’ and ‘wizards’?”

She smiled when she said the words ‘witches’ and ‘wizards’. Her husband was one of the few to understand her nature, as he was somewhat strange, or a wizard himself, once he, as a computing teacher, had power over broken down electronic devices that always started to work again with his ‘magic’ touch. These things were not normally mentioned, not even to her witch friends. Nevertheless, either as witches or wizards, none of them had ever heard of any true instruction books made to help them tame their power, and every spell book they had read till then had been but a fraud.

“Well, he told me there’s a true magic world... And said I’m his sister-in-law’s daughter, born from an off-the-wedding love affair, a mess that her husband found out. So, he told her I had been born dead, and ordered a servant to put me for adoption. As far as I could understand, my father was a kind of Lord and my mother worked for him. Both were wizarding people. Ah! Do you know those magic wands found in fairy tales? They’re real. I’ve see one of’em!”

Her husband put a hand on her forehead to check her temperature... Normal. He looked his wife deep in the eyes and asked:

“Have you drunk anything? Is this all true indeed?”

She smiled:

“Of course not. Why would we be the only ones? Nevertheless, my uncle’s a bit sinister... What do you think about all of this, honey?” And she went on telling him everything in details.

Felipe was also curious about Mr. Malfoy talk, and both agreed it’d be interesting to check it. However, his spite for Dobby and the natural way he talked about killing a baby made them believe he may not be a good person. Therefore, she could go to London by herself, this way they would spare their kids from being seen by those people until both of them were sure they wouldn’t offer them any danger. Besides, she hadn’t mentioned anything about her daughter and sons to Mr. Malfoy, Therefore, her travel would move these people’s focus from their family, and keep it just on her.

Flora rang up to her uncle in the following week, and asked him whether his invitation was still standing. Unable to hide his excitement, he replied that yes, he was waiting for her.

Her feelings were as confused as they could be: one the one hand she was very excited with the possibility of getting to know the magical world, a world that also belonged to her family and herself, although they had been totally unaware of it till then. But on the other hand, she was also scared because there was something very sinister involving Mr. Malfoy. She felt that what she had grasped in his recollections about the elf meant little compared to the potential evil in him. But she was sure she could stand to whatever he would present her. She felt as if she could fight it, although this might be pure naivety.

*

The trip to London was all right, such as the flight that was as smooth and fluid as her thoughts. At the airport her uncle and aunt, who made a smartly dressed couple, were already waiting for her. For a moment she felt she could be ill-clothed, but tried to compensate it with a very upward posture through which she tried to show she was very self-assured. This seemed to work, because they did not express any displeasure at seeing her, quite the contrary; her aunt hugged her and said:

“You have my sister’s build. You don’t look quite look like her, though, as you’re much prettier. However, if I had looked at your shadow, I would’ve said it was Bella who had arrived. Nice to meet you, I’m Narcissa Malfoy.”

Her apparently cordial and friendly speech hid fears that Flora couldn’t understand at the moment. Flora had the impression that Narcissa had feared her sister.

Mr. Malfoy came forth and took her luggage; a serving behaviour that was not compatible with his way of being. Flora noticed it, but didn’t say anything.

In the parking lot, they got in a posh car. In their way, her hosts, just like tour guides, explained whatever they’d pass through in their way. They looked kind of awkward, as if they did not know about what to talk with her. An hour later, they arrived at the Malfoy Manor, ‘a place of much fanfare and little joy,’ noticed Flora without commenting anything.

Mrs. Malfoy said she had invited over her son Draco, his wife and son to dine with them. Her purpose was to introduce Flora to Draco and his family. Flora rested in the guest room until dinner. Breathless, and trying to absorb all the information gathered up to the moment, Flora rang up her husband to tell him where she was. She also did it to activate the GPS of the mobile phone just as a precaution. While in her room, she heard a discussion that was coming from the other side of the house. Draco Malfoy had arrived. The conversation attracted her like a magnet.

“Why did you bring her here, Dad? Hadn’t we already given up old habits? Why put the family at risk? Do you really know who she is? My mark is tingling, father, it can’t be good.”

Then, Draco showed his father his black mark now visible again. It was kind of a magic tattoo with a skull and a snake going through it. Draco’s father also showed his son his own mark and said:

“Isn’t it wonderful? My mark has also come back! She’s got the power, son! And as we‘ve found her, we will be rewarded. Listen to what I'm telling you.”

Flora, who couldn’t contain her curiosity to see the marks, caught both of them by surprise when she got silently in the living-room saying:

“I hope not to be disturbing you both.”

Draco took a deep breath, lowered his eyes and resigned, introduced himself. She noted that when she tried to look at him in the eyes, he looked away. After a short while, he excused himself, and said he’d have to leave because he’d got an urgent call from work. Nevertheless, he promised her they’d meet another time. He had come alone, having left his family at home. She noticed that and considered it very interesting.

The dining-room was somewhat oppressive with its huge table and dark furniture. It seemed that there was a sinister vibe in the wood, as if there had occurred rather more than family dinners in that room. The table set for six persons was quickly rearranged by magic to accommodate the remaining three. While Flora closely watched her aunt do agile movements with her wand, she repeated them mentally.

“Sorry, I forgot that you are not used to using the wand. We need to take you to Diagon Alley for you to purchase one. Mr. Ollivander passed all his knowledge on to his nephew that seems to have even more dexterity than him in making magic wands. I wonder how it’s like to be an adult witch without any basic knowledge of magic. It's almost like being a Muggle!”

Flora was uncomfortable with this comment. Her aunt realized it and tried to fix her remark.

“You surely don’t know what is to be a Muggle ... They’re the people without magic powers. But of course, being the daughter of who you are, you’d never be like a Muggle, ain’t it so? You must have developed a natural technique to let out the magic that flows within you.”

Flora agreed and told her aunt a little about how she used it to get into the mind of her patients to help them better understand their own problems. Her aunt was delighted and exclaimed:

“Legilimens!”

“Just as her father.” Added Malfoy.

Her aunt's eyes couldn’t disguise the horror that her husband's comment caused on her. However, her tone of voice didn’t change, as if they were just chattering away

Flora asked them about her mother. She wondered how and who she was.

“Your mother was beautiful, though one could say that she was not impressive in comparison to you. She wasn’t a very kind person, but she was very dedicated and very loyal ... However, not to her husband, as we now know.” Narcissa giggled.

“And my father?”

“Your father was a great man. Very dedicated and committed to defend our world from any threat. He was a great wizard, very intelligent and powerful.” Lucius excitedly said.

“Did they ever suspect of my existence?”

“We don’t think so. He was too absorbed in fighting for our cause, so fatherhood was the last thing he would dream of... And my sister believed her husband’s lie that you had been born dead ... Don’t think about it dear. The important thing is that you are here and that tomorrow we’ll take you to Diagon Alley to show you a little more about our world; and to do some shopping as well. I believe you want to get some magical objects, don’t you?

“Oh, yes. Nevertheless, I haven’t brought much money with me this time...”

“Don’t worry about it, honey. Your mother left a good inheritance for you in Gringotts, the wizarding bank. Nobody could access it because the bank vaults only allow withdrawals from their owners. We found it strange in the beginning, because if Lestrange had no heirs as we thought he didn’t, Draco should have access to the money. As it didn’t happen, we started to believe that my brother -in -law might have a ******* child. We’d never imagined it was Bellatrix instead.”

So, that was it, Flora thought. The fear that had rounded her went away, since now she believed that the Malfoys sought her in order to access her mother’s legacy. For that matter, she had no intention of keeping any money she hadn’t helped anybody to win. She’d give everything to her aunt and would have nothing else to do with these people. However, she immediately got sorry about having had this thought: her aunt was being so kind. She didn’t seem as nearly as sinister as Mr. Malfoy. With half a smile on her face, Flora excused herself:

“I’m going to sleep. I’m tired.”

Flora left the room and went to her bedroom.

In her room, Flora couldn’t sleep because of her great excitement. She looked through the window at the beautiful garden outside. Nothing moved in the breezeless night. She started to seek for something in the room that could amuse her. Perhaps a book to read. In a small trunk she found, some old school books with Draco’s name on the back cover. Her eyes twinkled when to she saw they were witchcraft books. She got The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Gosawk and started reading it. She mentally imagined the wand movements described there, trying to get everything. At first, she didn’t see much use for some the spells found in it: spell to levitate objects; to give a shoe lace; to enlarge an object, and so on. Still, she had fun imitating the gestures described there with the imaginary wand in her hand. Still holding the book, she fell asleep when the sun was almost rising.

Next morning was calm and it took Flora some time to remember that everything that had happened in the recent days was true. In fact, she really was in her aunt and uncle’s house in a London suburb. Through the window, she admired the size of the garden. It seemed odd to her that those wealthy persons could be interested in more money. Then, it occurred to her that they could have lost everything, and that the wealthy world they lived in was a fake one.

While sending ‘so far, so good’ messages to her husband, somebody knocked on the door. It was her aunt calling her for breakfast.

They went downstairs to a room closer to the kitchen than the dinning-room. It also looked lighter than the dinning-room, since its furniture was painted in clearer colours. Therefore, it was better suited for a breakfast. She laughed at herself for noticing that.

Her aunt told that her uncle had left early because of business matters. Then, the ladies would go to Diagon Alley, to the bank, and to the shops by themselves. They’d go by car, since Flora was not used to the means of transport wizarding people always used.

After a little trip in which they chattered away, they got to the Leaky Caldron in London. It was an uncared and dark pub. A metal plate hung in its facade. The image of a witch stirring something in a leaked caldron was engraved in it. Flora marvelled at the plate. She would like to have one in her house, perhaps in the kitchen. The barman nodded his head greeting Mrs. Malfoy and looked at Flora with a curious look. Flora nodded in return before going with her aunt to the back of the bar. Once in there, her aunt opened a portal in the wall with her wand by lightly touching the bricks with it. Startled, Flora understood she was in the famous Diagon Alley, a sinuous and narrow street, with shops on both sides, and packed with persons dressed as... as her! She was astonished at seeing that wizarding people don’t adopt Muggles’ fashion. She must’ve inherited it genetically as she never understood all those different looks or the purpose of matching so many colors. So, she always opted for something more sensible.

It would be an ordinary business street if the shops didn’t sell the oddest goods, as one could see from the signs in front of them. Flora, wondered at all that, said to her aunt that she didn’t know what to do first. Her aunt smiled and suggested that they should start in the bank to enjoy the shopping later on with money in their purses.

The Gringotts bank stood majestically at the end of the street. It was a mighty building that didn’t look at all like the other ones. Flora’s aunt warned her niece not to feel unease in the presence of the bank workers, since they were goblins.

“Try to behave naturally and all will be well.”

After walking all the way through the alley, certainly, nothing else would astonish her. Flora thought, and she wouldn’t be at all surprised at seeing the goblins in the bank.

At the entrance a goblin come to meet them, and gave her a mistrustful look; he then asked Mrs. Malfoy whether she would do any withdrawal.

“No, thanks I’m only helping Mrs. Flora, my niece. She is the one that is going to do a withdrawal from my sister’s vault.”

He examined Flora from top to toe and replied:

“Naturally. Please ladies, follow me.”

The three of them followed in a little wagon trough a kind of crazy underground roller coaster until they got to a vault. Flora was urged to climb down, get in the vault and pick as much money as she wanted. Although admired with the fortune lying over there, she got only five golden coins. With a smile of kindness and amusement, her aunt told her to fill up her bag: “we’re women and we’re going shopping”.

Flora realized she had passed a sort of test, because if she weren’t the true heir of the fortune, she wouldn’t have been able to do that withdrawal. After leaving the bank, the ladies seemed old friends laughing and chatting in high-spirit.

They got in just about every shop, while her aunt excitedly told her the innumerous possibilities of each strange object they saw, or repeated all the time that she didn’t believe how her niece had survived without all that. At her aunt’s unusual happiness, Flora was sure that the English lady had never had a day like that before.

Finally, they got in the wand shop. Flora felt as if she was a child about to live a dream come true. A young, tall, and lanky man, with very clear eyes, black and long hair tied in a ponytail, and wearing on top of his clothes a long cloak and a working apron that had an only pocket full of things, came to serve them. He introduced himself as Ollivander, and like everyone in the Alley, he already knew Narcissa. Flora introduced herself by her first name and he started to show her wands. He noticed she had never bought a wand before, so he gave her explanations about the material they were made of, their magic core and everything else that might interest her. Flora tested the wands by trying to reproduce in her mind some of the spells she had learned from reading the book the night before. She was not very successful until she found her very wand.

“Willow with a core made of unicorn hairs, swishy, 9 inches long. A great wand for casting spells.”

Flora picked it in her hand, and then it flashed silver sparks. Excited, she immediately tested a spell to make the wand box float in the air. She used non-verbal command to do that, as she would be ashamed if she said the words wingardium leviosa and no actual effect was produced.

“It works!!!!”

Then, it was true, thought Flora, they’re not just tricks of illusionism, it was real magic... She was caught in her thoughts, admiring the wand in her hand, and its box floating in the air, when in came a very old man with silver eyes and little hair from among the shelves. He smiled and said:

“Of course it works, my dear...Mrs?”

“Mrs. Flora... Riddle, sir...”

Flora was so excited with the wand that she didn’t even notice she had used for the first time her birth surname. It came out very naturally, probably due to the thrill of that moment when she finally was experiencing the sense of being a real witch.

However, the man went uneasy just with the reference to that name. Narcissa came forward and said to him that Flora was foreigner. He seemed to relax, but just a bit. His silver eyes examined Flora that looked back at him with kindness to dissolve that uneasiness.

“The same eyes...” remarked old Ollivander. Then, he looked at Narcissa and asked her:

“Is she your niece?”

Narcissa nodded. They paid for the wand and left the shop almost hurriedly.

Away from the shop, Narcissa said:

“Although everyone knew your parents, our people didn’t understand them well. Many a time your father made use of...how will I put it? Unethical means to get his aims.”

Flora understood everything. She shouldn’t be proud of her origin as her parents had not been good people, but criminals, perhaps. Disgusted, she looked at all the shopping bags and money she was carrying. She didn’t want any dirty money. She regretted having said the name Riddle. But it was too late. Apparently someone at the bank, perhaps that witch dressed in green-blue talking to a goblin…someone she hadn’t paid much attention to, but that had stopped a moment her conversation when Narcissa mentioned the word "niece" ... Yes, it was her! She went from shop to shop gossiping. And right now she was leaving Ollivander with a look of amazement. Within minutes everyone on the street looked at Flora showing a variety of emotions: shock, horror; some of them revered her, or winked and smiled at her. A woman prevented her little child from getting near Flora by crossing the street to the opposite footpath.

Her aunt caught her by the hand, saying:

“Come, baby.”

She felt her stomach tugged, and the world spun in turmoil. In the blink of an eye she was back to her aunt’s manor. Her aunt ordered an employee to fetch the car that was in London.

For a moment, Flora was out of control, and started screaming at her aunt. Then sorry about her attitude, she collected herself and added:

“Please aunt, we need to talk.”.

Instinctively, Flora, afraid of what her aunt would say, touched the wand that was still in its box. However, she knew that it would have little or no use, since she only had memorized some basic spells that were taught to children.

Her aunt took her to a small but very beautiful winter garden. There, she invited her nice to sit in a purple iron swing. Flora couldn’t disguise her anxiety, and she was panting again. It was as if she had rushed to get to that room.

She sat down, and apologized.

“It is me that have to apologize to you”, her aunt answered. “You shouldn’t have come. Nevertheless, my husband was too excited when he learned that Voldemort had left a daughter. He was curious ... Tom Riddle, better known as Lord Voldemort, had a great aversion to Muggles, the ordinary persons. He saw them as inferior beings that had no reason to exist. What if he knew his daughter was raised like a Muggle? He was very powerful, and put off of his way all those that were against him. My sister, her husband, my husband, and many others stood to him and followed him. I’ve always stood aloof, since I thought I shouldn’t poke about these matters.”

“However, Lord Voldemort met a wizard that was his match. When this wizard was still a baby, he weakened Voldemort to the point that everyone thought he was dead. His name was Harry Potter. Potter grew up just like you, away from our world. He learnt magic when he was 11at school, Hogwarts, and soon he was persecuted for his fame and his fate. Over there, he studied with my son.”

“Meawhile, Voldermort returned even stronger; formed an army obsessed with the idea of destroying whoever had defeated him, so that he could reassert his power. Our people were divided. People were very afraid, as a few of them that had openly opposed Lord Voldemort vanished or went crazy. Even so, a group of people who believed they could live peacefully with the Muggles joined Harry Potter. I was already involved in all this, since my husband was a death eater, as the followers of Lord Voldemort were called. Besides, Voldemort didn’t forgive defectors, and I also feared for my family. Then, I had no choice.”

“Times were hard. There was a battle at “Hogwarts School, many died on both sides. Finally, Harry Potter and his supporters won. Harry saved Draco’s life. I am very grateful to him. My sister and Voldemort, her lover and your father, died in that battle. After the Dark Lord’s fall, we were all jailed in Azcaban. My brother-in-law died there. I got a shorter sentence because I didn’t participate directly of it all. Draco also had his sentence reduced, thanks to the testimony of Harry Potter, who made it clear that my son had had no choice, since he had been forced to take part in it because of Lucius’ involvement. Lucius, though, got the longest sentence: fifteen years. He just didn’t get a longer sentence for having been accused of cowardice by the other death eaters – that said he didn’t use to kill, but only to injure or torture his opponents. Lucius showed repentance, and we all believed those times would never return, but now ...”

Flora was shocked, and for the first time in her life she had nothing to say. Her aunt took her breath and went on:

“It’s been many years ago, but we’ve lived in peace ever since. Lucius became a quiet, simple, and home loving man. He retired and has avoided going out. But since he learned of you, he got interested in doing “business” again, and started going out every day, as when he was working. Before going to Brazil, he spent a long time traveling, although we don’t know where to. He doesn’t seem to be sane. I'm terrified.”

“Draco is right to be angry with his father. My son owes much to Potter, including his employment in the ministry. He didn’t want to accept it at first, because he can’t bear being in anybody’s debt. But Potter persuaded him into accepting it by saying that someone who’s grown up watching his father tinker with the dark arts is better able to identify them than anybody else. Therefore, he took the job at the ministry. Nevertheless, Draco thinks Potter placed him there to watch him closely, which wouldn’t be necessary, as we want to live in peace with everyone else.”

Flora swallowed. The words she wanted to say wouldn’t come out. She took a deep breath and tears began to streak down her face. Her shock was too great. She took the hand of her aunt who also got emotional, looked deep in her eyes and said:

“On my part, nothing will disturb your peace.”

She reasoned that perhaps the best way of preventing such a disaster was to forget it altogether: "I’ll renounce the magical world, to protect it from all the evil power latent in me."

They heard Lucius arrive at home. Excitedly, he told them he had called some friends for dinner. The two women exchanged glances. Flora soothed her aunt:

“Quiet down, I know what to do.”

They had lunch in silence. Flora’s uncle went out just after it. Narcissa proposed a walk in the garden:

“Let's see what your wand can do. I noticed in Ollivander that you fooled me when you said that you’d never had any training ...”

“Well, actually I spent the night reading old books I found in Draco's room. I just tested some of them in the shop. They only worked with my wand.”

“Did you learn and perform non-verbal spells?” Her aunt laughed. “You’ve really taken after your father. I’ve never seen anyone learn so fast. Your father was mean, but he was brilliant. You’ve certainly inherited that from him.”

Flora tried to ignore the reference to her father, as she wanted to forget her origin; at least while she was having such a good time.

“Don’t people usually imagine out their spells? Do they need to speak them aloud?”

“Yes, they do that when they’re learning; and some go through life without being able of doing anything when their mouths are shut. It’s really impressive.”

“Aunt, Can I call you like that, can’t It?” Narcissa nodded. “Could you teach me some "adult” spells? I only found things apparently useless in that book.”

Her aunt suggested she could teach Flora basic defense, and told her about the unforgivable curses, disarming and stunning spells. Flora smiled and asked her if she could also learn how to tidy up, clean the house, do the dishes, sew and cook through magic …

“You, see; I don’t intend to fight other battles, but those of everyday life, such as cleaning the house.”

Her aunt smiled and said she could teach Flora all of that, although she thought her niece could have a servant to do these things:

“Or even hire an elf. Despite they’re now free; they haven’t lost their taste for housework.”

Her niece replied that she preferred doing these household chores alone to make sure they were well done. She believed her aunt would look her down if she knew about her niece’s rather modest life.

So they spent the afternoon, having fun, and trying to forget a bit who they were and what was expect from them. Flora’s aunt didn’t forget to teach her the protective spells, defense and attack. “To know how to disarm someone has never hurt,” she explained.

Night came and they didn’t even realize it, since they were very excited: Flora in learning and testing herself, and her aunt in teaching so bright a student. They got surprised when the night lights were turned on.

“Wow! I love magic!”

Her aunt laughed:

“Well, actually they are light sensors and electric lights. Draco installed them to show Scorpius the respect he developed for the Muggles and their inventions. It’s very useful indeed. This was a spell that we often forgot to keep on casting, and that as necessary because it became weaker or lasted very little. Dinner! We're late!”

The two went into the house to get ready for dinner. Flora chose some clothes she had bought that morning; an almost black green dress skintight to the waist, long sleeved, and with buttons in its front. She also wore an iridescent green cloak that had a great fit. It was made of a very thin fabric, and had blue sparkles. Wizarding clothes. She looked in the mirror and approved what she saw: at last she had found a look that matched her inner self. Witchcraft suited her. She smiled.

Mr. Malfoy’s friends didn’t take long to arrive. They looked at Flora with the same reverence and interest of their host. Some walked around the table looking for their seats as if they had been assigned. Mr. Malfoy seemed to introduce her like she was a trophy. Knowing his past history, Flora forgave her uncle, now that she understood him.

Flora greeted everyone and heard one by one of their stories. After dinner, she got up, rested her hands on the table, and started talking. They all fell silent.

“Gentlemen, I understand the admiration you all had for my father, and how much you miss him. However, I am afraid I’m going to disappoint you, since I don’t intend to take his vacant place.”

At the end of her speech, she barely had time to notice the smile fading on the face of her uncle when Draco got into the room and saw that scene: the long known Death Eaters around the table; Flora at the center of it, standing up as if she had just talked or was about to do it. Her very pale face reflected in the dark table, and she was wearing a green cloak. It seemed a déjà vu to him. She was Lord Voldemort himself, or his continuity. In an attempt to nip it in the bud, Draco pulled his wand. Flora saw his movement and disarmed him.

Some Death Eaters got paralyzed at such a demonstration, some others, pointed their wands at Draco. Flora walked slowly towards her cousin, never taking her eyes off him, grabbed his wand from the floor, as if bowing to him, gave it back to him, and apologized. Then, she excused herself to everyone and left.

She went to her room intending to pack, while her aunt rushed after her, followed by Draco that without understanding anything, demanded explanations.

Flora sent a last message to her husband, asking him to be careful and hide the children until she was back.

Her aunt got in the room and tried to stop her from packing. Flora said she was going back home, but wanted to talk to Draco before.

“I am here.”

Draco got in the room, still weary.

“I have no intention of taking my father’s place. Your mother has told me briefly of the horrors he promoted, and she didn’t have to detail them for me to know I don’t approve of them. I was raised among Muggles and they are not any different from me. I'm just weirder. I just wanted to learn a little more about our people to teach my children. I want to live in peace.

“Sorry, Flora. Now it's too late. My father’s friends won’t let you go in peace, not after your demonstration. You are very agile and they all know that what they saw was the result of one-day training. They have realized your potential, and are talking about it very excitedly. They believe it's only a matter of time and of right words before you accept what they believe to be your fate. My mother has explained me everything, and I saw I had got it all wrong.”

“Don’t worry. What can I do now?”

“I see no other option but to hide you for a while in a friend’s house: or perhaps even better, in a former rival’ house.”

Draco’s friends or acquaintances were all related to the former Death Eaters. He would have to ask for others to help him. The holidays at Hogwarts came in handy, Draco thought. He decided to take her to Neville Longbottom’s home, the professor of Herbology from the school of magic. He believed that if he went to look for Ron Wesley there would be a great argument, because Ron had never forgiven him for his wrongs deeds of the past. Harry Potter, he knew, as both of them worked in the ministry, was out of town and his wife, Ginny, wouldn’t receive him.

Neville lived with his wife Hannah in the small inn upstairs the Leaky Cauldron. Draco took her there by Apparition, which nauseated Flora. When they arrived, Hannah went to the balcony to receive them, as she had noticed the noise of someone coming. Neville followed behind her dragging his slippers and fastening a tattered red robe that had a golden lion embroidered in the front.

“What are you doing here, Draco?”

Although neither Draco nor Flora were wielding their wands, they didn’t have a very friendly reception. Hannah, though, signaled her husband to lower his guard, because she felt there was nothing to fear.

“I need your help, Longbottom.”

“Let them come in, dear. They look tired.”

Neville signaled them to come up to his apartment. When they got in, he told them to take a seat. Hannah and Neville’s house was very different from the Malfoys’s as it was decorated with bright and cheerful colors and was full of little souvenirs-like things. There were also many strange plants and curious objects around. Flora felt at easy in there. She took a seat and thanked Hannah for the tea she had offered them.

“This is my cousin, Flora.”

“Cousin? Whose daughter is she?”

Draco knew that lying was not an option.”

“Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange’s.”

A stunned silence took over the house. The noise of the wind and the humming of insects were the only sounds that could be heard. Flora reached for Hannah’ hands, and asked for forgiveness. She was not sure why she did it, but she sensed those two were some of the persons that suffered horrible things in her parents’ hands.

Draco told them how they found out about their cousin, as well as his father’s intentions and other Death Eater’s. Flora said:

“Mr. Longbottom, I have spent all my life as a Muggle in Brazil. In that country I have a job and a modest house, besides being married and having three beautiful children. So you see, I'm no longer a child. I came to England with the intention of learning more about our people, That’s why because up to some days ago I didn’t even know such a people existed, so that my husband and I believed we were the only wizarding people on Earth. No wonder! We’ve never attended special schools as the ones you have here, and the magic books to which we had access were only pseudo-magic ones by Muggles that could do tricks.”

Neville gave her a disapproving look. Flora continued:

“But don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved and have had fun with these tricks and all that the Muggle world has offered me. I’ve lived very well in it. Then, although everything I’ve experienced here is very exciting to me, I want to go home. Nevertheless, I don’t want to forget any of the things I learnt over here because they’re not pretended. Actually, they’re all very real and I want to take part of them back with me. For instance, I want to tell my kids about everything I’ve seen and heard over here; just as I want to bring them to attend school here, if this is what they wish, of course. (I don’t really know if they want to develop this facet, since sometimes my daughter, for instance, is embarrassed for being different from the other children. Studying at Hogwarts and living as wizarding people would reinforce this difference). But now I fear that if I go back to Brazil at once as I wish, I will put my family at risk. Sorry for my being so straightforward, Draco, but your father and his friends are crazy. They are blindly in pursuit of someone to play the leader and guide them. However, I'm not this one. I'm not who they think I am, and I won't ever be!

“How do I know you’re speaking the truth?”

“Honey, she’s speaking the truth. Look at her”

Flora rummaged in her things for her mobile. As she had her family’s pictures in it, she wanted to show them to Neville. She believed that if he saw them, he wouldn’t be suspicious anymore. Unfortunately, though, she had forgotten it in her aunt's house. Then, she remembered her husband hadn’t replied her messages yet, which was very odd, and made her fearing for them. Worried, she mentioned that to Draco.

“Okay, then,” Neville spoke. “, let's see what I can do. I won’t be able to hide you for long, because soon my holiday ends, and I will have to go back to work and to my classes.”

“Thank you very much,” Flora said, bowing her head.

Draco also thanked Neville and took the opportunity to say goodbye. He instructed them to get in touch with him if they need to.

“Draco, please. Contact my husband. You’d better use e-mail, since wizarding people don’t habitually make use of the internet; so your mother told me. I need to know if they are fine, and please tell my husband not to worry about me. Here you are his email address.”

She conjured up a piece of paper and a pen and quickly wrote her husband’s email address.

“Okay, I'll do it.”

Seeing Hannah and Neville’s surprise, Draco explained:

“She learns very fast, it's scary. Well, I gotta go.”

Draco disappeared into the darkness. Hannah went to the window and made a number of protection spells "the night is too dark." While watching Mrs. Longbottom, Flora realized that she was in the very beginning of a pregnancy. Flora was sad at the thought of being possibly putting another family and another innocent life in danger. All Flora wanted was to go home, and nothing of this to happen. She missed her family; her young children’s smiles, their plays ... Tears ran down her face once more. She just sat in the couch sunk in despair.

Hannah went back inside and tried to calm her down.

“You are tired. The inn is full for the holidays, but I have a room for you up here in my house, we just need to make some arrangements. Are you hungry? I can pick up something for you to eat at the bar and I also made pumpkin pudding today.”

Flora accepted the pudding as she needed some sugar to feel less miserable. The two women went to a small room close to the main bedroom. It was crammed full of objects, books and papers that gave it the appearance of a place where unused things were kept. With agile movements of her wand Hannah drove the scattered objects to various chests that floated in the air. Then, she finished off by fixing golden name tags in them with information of the chest owner and of what was inside them. She looked like a conductor with a baton. Flora was thrilled:

“I need to train these spells at home, my children’s room needs a good tiding up ... You're so good at that!”

“I learned from Madam Pince, the school librarian. I don’t often tide things up this way, but it helps a lot sometimes. I spend a lot of time out taking care of business, and Neville spends his time in the school. Yet, every summer we come back here, for it’s here that we keep our dreams ... Apparently a lot of mess has piled up along many summers ...”

And while saying that, she finished driving the last objects to the chests, and finally a small single bed came up on the floor and below the floating chests:

“Thank you, Mrs. Longbottom. Pardon me for my making you tide everything up unexpectedly.”

“Call me Hannah. Don’t worry, but we're moving; so, I would have to do this any time, actually. Do you need anything else? Would you like to go to bed straight away?”

“I don’t need anything, thank you, just a little company. To be honest, I'm a little scared with this story. Until last week I was just an ordinary woman with something special that I shared just with my family and some few friends. Now all this fuss...”

Flora started to cry again.

Hannah hugged and comforted her. She told Flora to calm down, as she was among friends.

“Hannah, do just you and your husband live here?” Flora asked that as she was worried about involving anyone else in this story.

“My father also lives here. He is overseeing the Leaky Cauldron for me because I need a rest now.” Hannah said that gently stroking her own belly. “My daughter is going to be born in four months from now. We are considering moving to Hogsmeade, a wizarding community next to the school. Over there, she’ll be able to grow close to her father. He spends much time in the school, and it’s too far from here, 7 hours away up north. I’ll help my father remotely from there, as I’ve done since the start of Neville’s holidays.”

“Are you the owner of the Leaky Cauldron? It’s a fantastic place!

Hannah smiled and nodded.

Flora calmed down a bit and thanked Hannah again for what her husband and her were doing. Hannah asked Flora if she wanted to go to bed. As she replied that she didn’t want to do it yet, the two women went on talking. Flora, then, asked Hannah how it was like to be a witch since childhood, and later on go to a wizarding school.”

Hannah detailed to Flora as her life had been up to then. Flora got thrilled and also told Hannah about her life. Then it was Hannah’s turn to get thrilled.

Time flew, and just when the dawn came and the two of them went to bed. In the morning Neville was friendlier. Flora had a hint that his wife should have calmed him down.

Encouraged by Hannah, Flora used magic to prepared breakfast. While they were eating, there came a flash that took an animal form and spoke with Draco’s voice:

“Flora, you were right. My dad's gone crazy. I don’t know how, but he is counting on the help of dementors and other Death Eaters to look for you. Your family is in danger, I’m going to Brazil to protect them; there are dementors there. Look for Harry Potter. Beware of mail. Nothing more is safe.”

The cookie that she was eating got stuck in her throat. Her body went limp and she began to slip from her chair. It had been too much for her. Flora fainted and was helped by the Longbottoms.