florence cartwright

Name: Florence "Flo" Ann Cartwright
Age: 16 (born Feb. 16, 1869)
House and Year: Gryffindor, 6th year
Bloodline: Muggleborn
Political Affiliation: Clueless, but pro-Muggleborn, naturally

Physical Description
Florence, 16, is a few inches shorter than average height and a scrawny (malnourished) build. She would be difficult to pick out of a crowd, with light brown hair, brown eyes, mature but very ordinary curves, and plain face. She’s never spent much time on her looks, and they’ve never been of much importance before – usually her pale freckled face was dirtied, her clothes wrinkled, and her light brown hair tied back. On Sundays she would put in something of an effort, and always managed to get everything a little more clean than seemed possible, and she liked feeling fresh, but it hardly compares to the lives of most. When her mother scrubs her up and invests in new clothes for her Hogwarts interview, Florence realizes that she looks rather nice and enjoys it that way. And now, starting a real school with well-to-do wizards, she knows she’ll have to put in double the effort to not look like a ragamuffin. She’s caught between the need to pay attention and clean up to gain the tiniest bit of respect, and the knowledge that nothing she does will put her on par with her classmates. She’s told herself she’ll let any remarks about her looks or wardrobe slide. Secretly, though, she would love to wear the glimmering robes the elite wizards parade about in. Florence is blatantly embarrassed, though, by her teeth, and tries not to show them when she smiles, for fear of shaming herself in the company of all the witches’ and wizards’ gleaming smiles.

Character History
Florence was born in 1869 to the struggling Cartwright family in Manchester, as the middle child of five living siblings: George Junior, Victoria, Florence, William, and Louise. Other brothers and sisters were born and died, and Florence learned quickly not to grow attached. Her mother, Lizzy, was often busy at work and exhausted upon returning home. Her father, George, was in and out of work throughout Florence’s childhood, but was much more of a presence in Florence’s very early years than her mother, and would often work night shifts after Lizzy had returned home. George was close with other workers involved in combinations, and wasted no chance to teach his children about the importance of standing up for themselves and forcing justice into the most unjust parts of life.

Thanks to Reform measures, she and her siblings led better lives than their parents had, attending a primary school and working slightly limited hours. Until the age of ten, Florence attended a state-run school on weekdays and a Sunday school on Sundays, often followed by a shorter shift at the mill, and after 10, began full time work. With fortune and help from her cleverer older siblings, Florence learned basic maths, reading, and writing, and became fond of using this knowledge to read bits of newspapers or the Bible to her parents and seeing how proud they were. George Junior also made sure to teach his younger siblings how to defend themselves, as the streets of Manchester could be dangerous. Though there was never much time for gossip or play, she always had a few friends, in the schoolhouse and at the mill, and often found herself sticking up for them.

Florence does not remember when she first decided she was somehow special. As a child, she often felt sure that she had dreamed things that came to pass, but she also felt embarrassed to say as much, because that was such a childish thing to think. On a few occasions, the other girls at the mill swore that Florence had popped out of the way of a falling or swinging piece of machinery, but she figured she was just a very lucky, and maybe a bit blessed. Little came of these observations, though. Even when she would confide in Victoria about things that would happen, her sister would laugh and humor her as if it were a game.

Nevertheless, she gradually became more and more convinced that she was not simply pretending. When she left school, she put a much more sensible head on her shoulders, and told herself that games were over. And yet, little miracles kept occurring around her. Near-misses with machinery continued to happen; projects at home would take half the time as they should; people always seemed to look another way when she did not wish to be seen. At eleven, she became convinced that she had a guardian angel, and became as devout as she could be, always fearful that the angel would leave her side.

When she and a friend were sneaking a whisper during work and were certainly about to be caught for it and the foreman had suddenly gone deaf, she began to question whether it was an angel or just herself, for deafness seemed a high punishment for a foreman just doing his job. At work, at home, and in church, she began to try to will things to happen – for a candle to blow out without a wind, or for a cool air to surround her in the hot and muggy mill, or for her ripped dresses to repair themselves. Sometimes it did not work, but sometimes it did, and every time that it worked, she redoubled her efforts. Something had given her the ability to do the impossible, and if she could figure out how to make it work, maybe she could use it to help her family, or the workers, live a little better. Besides, it made the day past faster.

Little changed in her life. More cotton was spun, a little more money was earned for a small amount of food. Friends would get sick: some would get better, many would not. Shortly after her fifteenth birthday, her father died of consumption. He had been popular among their neighbors, and no one missed a chance to remind Florence of how he had always been strong for them, always done the right thing. In her darker thoughts, Florence would kick the ground and ask why her father had died and not her mother, but she knew the family would be shattered without Lizzy’s hard work. A year later, William lost an arm to the cause of progress and industry. Florence tried all she could to find any way to help him, but mending a person was much more to ask for than mending a skirt. When she learned of this, Victoria turned on Florence and accused her of failing to save him. The rest of the family became aware of what Florence had known for years – that she had a miraculous gift – and it was only days later when they learned of Hogwarts.

It was not too hard of a decision for Florence to make: there is little brightness in her future at the mill, which would continue the same work, or worse, improve its machines or lose market for cotton. Perhaps she could marry and have children of her own, and leave them as her mother had done, and perhaps they would be better off than her, but it was not much of a dream. She has a gift and she feels it must have been given for a reason, and this would be her only chance to figure out how to use it. The gamble was steep: she had to quit working for the month and devote her time to learning enough to gain admission. She knew that even if accepted, she will be behind the other students, and entering a society in the midst of a crisis. Still, a castle to house her for two years, food provided in front of her, and a chance to marry someone who could take care of her family could not be overlooked. Her mother seems supportive, though Florence thinks she may be relieved to lessen the household burden. Georgie wishes her well, and comes by to check on her progress, relishing the excitement and secretiveness that breaks up his routine. William is still hoping that Florence will bring him back a new magical arm. Young Louise thinks it all part of a game, and hopes Florence will take her along, or that she will turn out to be a witch as well. Only Victoria has hesitated. A mere year older, she does not manage to hide her envy, and slips in snide remarks about Flo abandoning the family, though Florence thinks she is just worried about losing another member of the family. But Florence is committed to making this opportunity worth every penny lost.

Character Personality
Florence is very optimistic. Life hasn’t beat her this far, and she’s not start letting it now. That isn’t to say she’ll sit back and take whatever is thrown without throwing back. When insulted in the right area, Florence has always been quick to stand up and give back a retort, or, if necessary, a good punch. Her anger is quick to flare, and quick to subside. Usually her good-naturedness outweighs any temper, and these outbursts end up making strengthening her friendships more than offending her opponents.

While Florence is very much an extrovert and thrives off of being in groups, she does enjoy taking time to withdraw mentally – though not physically – and process what is going on around her and her relationship to her surroundings. Being physically alone is jarring to Florence, and primary makes her feel unsafe, so she will avoid it in most circumstances. At school, she is often in the common room, where at least one other student is bound to be. She has always made friends quickly, but has learned to not grow too attached.

Florence understands the world around her, but she is committed to her values and thrives on the realm of possibility and imagination. It is not hard for her to believe new things, as long as it feels right. She is not a skeptic. She also is willing to give anyone a chance, though once someone proves themselves disagreeable by habit she will require some clear sign of change or apology before forgiving them.

From her father, she learned the importance of standing up for herself and for what is right, and most importantly, of inspiring others to do so as well. With any new opponent, she quickly learns to pick her battles, but usually through a process of battling too often instead of laying low and sizing up. She refuses to accept that might makes right, and has a great deal of faith in what people can do if only they tune out or fight the voices that convince them they are worthless.

She is relatively bright and can learn quickly (or she would never get into Hogwarts), but has not had much of an academic life to know this about herself. Even with the chance, she would tire quickly of theory and abstract questions. She would rather use her mind for dreaming, and her hands for doing.

[[enfp]] [[Sun in Aquarius, Aries Rising, Moon in Sagittarius]]

Note: This journal is a character journal for all_fall_down. The wizarding world belongs to J.K. Rowling and Scholastic. Florence's image is played by Elizabeth Rice, who is owned by herself.