Disclaimer:

Sadly, I do not own the amusement park that is Hogwarts, or the colorful characters J.K. Rowling has created for us. I've considered writing a transgender story for awhile now and have decided to try my hand at it. Like any story using this as a premise, Harry will be OoC but that can't really be helped considering her outlook and the things that happen to her. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language#, *parseltongue*, "spoken", 'thoughts'

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The Marauders' Daughter

Prologue

Harry Potter is a Girl?

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(Saturday, June 19th, 1993, Mid-Afternoon)

A bespectacled, raven-haired twelve year old boy named Harry Potter was sitting by the window of the Hogwarts Express lost in thought as he stared at the scenery on their way to King's Cross. Sitting beside him was his very best friend, a bushy haired brunette named Hermione Granger. On the girl's other side sat a red-haired boy named Ronald Weasley. Sitting across from him and seemingly lost in her own thoughts was a first year red-haired girl named Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister. Sitting beside her was another first year, a dirty-blond haired girl named Luna Lovegood and Ginny's best friend. Rounding out their cabin and sitting across from Ron was a slightly pudgy, dark haired boy named Neville Longbottom.

Despite the fact nearly everyone would be heading their separate ways in a matter of hours; there was very little conversation to be had. Harry and Ginny were too preoccupied thinking about the recent school year and their roles in the Heir of Slytherin/Chamber of Secrets fiasco to pay much attention to their classmates. Hermione kept herself occupied with a book while glancing at Harry every now and then, worried about her best friend and what he might be thinking about so intently. Luna was busy trying to comfort her best friend, not really understanding what the redhead had gone through with the cursed diary. Ron seemed only interested in playing games and talking, but the only one paying him the slightest bit of attention was Neville.

Harry knew he would have the entire summer to ponder his perplexing situation and the implications thereof but couldn't quiet his mind enough to enjoy the ride home or socialize with his companions. He had far too many things he needed to think about before they arrived in London; things that were going to have a rather profound and dramatic effect on his life in the near and far reaching future. Whether those changes ultimately proved to be a good thing remained to be seen.

The main things on his mind had to do with the sequence of events that had begun in early November. It had all started simply enough, at least by his standards. Once the Chamber of Secrets/Heir of Slytherin fiasco had begun Halloween night, Hermione managed to find an advanced potion recipe within the library's restricted section called Polyjuice. The potion in question would allow the drinker to take on the physical form of another for an hour. After stealing the necessary ingredients from Professor Snape, she had then begun the month long brewing process in an abandoned second floor girl's bathroom. The idea being that the three of them: Ron, Hermione and he, would take on the guise of Slytherin students who were close to Draco Malfoy in order to learn what the blond aristocrat knew about the Heir of Slytherin.

No, trust Harry to have an even more complicated year than simply trying to brew a semi-illegal and highly regulated potion in secret, discover who was responsible for petrifying muggle-born students and locate the Chamber of Secrets. It had been far too much for a twelve year old child to deal with along with simply tying to survive yet another crazy year in the madhouse otherwise known as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

It had all started in early December when Draco Malfoy made a snide comment about how girlish he looked compared with the beginning of the year. Naturally, such a comment had elicited raucous laughter from most of the Slytherins within earshot and Harry couldn't help but blush in embarrassment, which had set them off even more. Because it had been Malfoy who'd said it, most of the other Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws hadn't paid much attention as they were used to the ongoing animosity between the two boys.

A small part of him had wanted to run away and hide so he could cry without the whole school knowing Malfoy had gotten to him. He couldn't let that happed though or else he'd never hear the end of it. The more stubborn part had tried his best to ignore the barb despite knowing it was true. He did look more feminine than he had at the beginning of the year, not that he understood how or why that was the case. No one seemed to have been able to explain what was happening to him, not Madam Pomfrey, not Minerva McGonagall, not even the vaunted Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. His own exhaustive research over the last several months hadn't unearthed any definitive answers either.

"Hey mate?" Ron asked hesitantly as he reached through Hermione's personal space in order to tap him on the shoulder.

Harry couldn't help but cringe at the address. It wasn't because it was familiar, as the address was fairly common between male friends in England, Australia and other commonwealth countries; it was the word itself applied in that context that had always bothered him. Perhaps it was because the only time he had heard the term before attending Hogwarts involved animals being intimate with one another. Maybe it was because some part of him knew deep down he was really a girl and wanted nothing to do with male bonding rituals. It could also be simply because Ron was a somewhat abrasive young man who was often rude and lacked general manners. Whatever the reasons, all he knew is it made him uncomfortable and because of that, he had chosen to never address anyone in such a fashion.

"Ronald," Hermione snapped waspishly as she batted the redhead's arm out of her face. Turning towards her best friend, she noticed a tear running down the sullen boy's cheek and gently laid a hand on his arm as she asked softly, "Harry? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the boy in question whispered as he wiped the tear running down his cheek.

"Harry," the brunette prodded gently.

"Really Hermione, it's nothing. Please don't ask," the bespectacled young man pleaded without turning to face his friend.

"It's not nothing Harry, something is obviously bothering you," Hermione insisted quietly as she squeezed her friend's arm.

"Just leave it, now is not the time," Harry growled softly as he shrugged off her hand and went back to watching the scenery outside their window. He knew Hermione was worried about him and just wanted to help. Honestly, it was one of the things he loved most about her and if they were alone, he would've considered telling her what had been on his mind pretty much since they had boarded the train that morning. With four others in the compartment, particularly with Ron being one of them, there was no way he was going to talk about what the two of them had discussed Christmas morning.

"Alright," the brunette whispered, letting the matter drop as she studied her best friend's illusionary form for several seconds. While she hadn't seen Harry's true form for several months, she knew beneath the glamour he looked a lot different than what he showed the rest of the world. Since they were forbidden from using magic outside school, she wondered when her friend's glamour would disappear and reveal who he had become over the last six months. Was that what he was thinking about so much, their conversation and subsequent experiment Christmas morning before they had used the Polyjuice potion in order to infiltrate the Slytherin common room?

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"Hermione, I need to talk to you in private," Harry said quietly before glancing at Ron, hoping the redhead wouldn't take being excluded too badly. The three friends were sitting in the Gryffindor common room in front of the fireplace following breakfast Christmas morning. Harry and Hermione were sharing the couch while Ron occupied one of the over-stuffed chairs nearby. They had decided to wait until after dinner for their attempt at infiltrating the Slytherin common room. The idea being the three of them would drink the Polyjuice potion Hermione had been secretly brewing for the last month in order to physically turn themselves into Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle and Millicent Bulstrode so they could interrogate Draco Malfoy about the Heir of Slytherin and Chamber of Secrets.

Hermione studied her best friend for several seconds before finally nodding and putting her book away as she asked, "Where?"

"Not here," Harry replied softly. He turned towards their other friend and continued, "Sorry Ron, but this is something strictly between Hermione and me."

The brunette stared at Harry in shock as dozens of possibilities passed through her mind in a matter of seconds. What could he possibly want to talk to her about that was so secret it couldn't include his best friend?

"Fine, we'll catch up later mate," Ron sneered in an irritated tone as he stormed up the stairs towards the second year boys' dormitory.

Harry just shrugged at the redhead's petulant behavior and motioned for Hermione to follow him outside the Common Room. The two walked in comfortable silence for several minutes before finally arriving at the second floor girl's lavatory where they were secretly brewing the Polyjuice potion. He knew their upcoming discussion was going to be incredibly awkward, he just hoped he wouldn't lose his best friend's friendship over it.

"Harry? Why are we here?" Hermione asked in confusion while absently checking to make sure their preparations hadn't been disturbed.

"Hermione, what I wanted to talk to you about will probably sound really strange," Harry replied quietly as he sat on the tiled floor near the back of the room. Patting the ground beside him, he steeled his Gryffindor courage and continued, "Do you remember that comment Malfoy made a few weeks ago, the one about how I look more girlish than I did at the beginning of the term?"

"Oh Harry," Hermione said gently as she sat beside her best friend and took the slightly taller boy's hands in her own. "You're not still upset about that are you? I mean it's Malfoy; he doesn't know what he's talking about most of the time and you really shouldn't let him get to you."

"It's not that," the bespectacled boy countered with a shake of his head. "I think he might actually be right for once. I never thought Malfoy was particularly perceptive, but lately, whenever I have seen my reflection in the mirror I've noticed I do seem a bit more girlish looking than at the beginning of the year. I know it's a really weird question to ask Hermione, but please, what is it like to be a girl?"

The brunette gasped, her eyes widening in shock as she stared at her best friend. Of all the questions she could've conceived him asking her, including the unlikely one of whether or not she'd be interested in being his girlfriend, this hadn't been anywhere remotely on the radar. How was she supposed to answer him? Being a girl was all she'd known for her entire life and it wasn't as though she had any other experiences to compare it with.

"I know that was probably not what you were expecting," Harry said with a chuckle as he gently squeezed her hand.

"Understatement of the millennium," Hermione muttered as she tried to wrap her mind around what her friend had asked and how she could possibly answer him. After several minutes of careful thought, she sighed heavily and said, "I'm sorry Harry, I honestly have no idea how to answer that question. I don't think it's something I can really explain."

"I suppose that's fair," the raven haired boy whispered as his shoulders slumped in disappointment. "I doubt I'd know how to answer if you were to ask me what it's like to be a boy. Except perhaps that it's horridly uncomfortable, but then that's probably just me and not boys in general."

"You're uncomfortable as a boy?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. At her friend's nod, she continued in a soft and caring tone, "Can you articulate what it is about being a boy you find uncomfortable?"

"Everything feels wrong, like I'm not really who I am supposed to be," Harry replied in a soft but frustrated tone. When Hermione gently squeezed his hand in support, he smiled for a moment before continuing, "I hate the way I feel most of the time and it's almost as though I'm trapped within someone else's body, someone else's life. I hate having this disgusting piece of flesh dangling between my legs and the way most people treat me, though I suspect that may have more to do with the whole Heir of Slytherin/Boy-Who-Lived thing than being male in general. I don't know; I just wish it would end…"

Hermione pulled her friend into a comforting embrace and gently rubbed his back as she soothed, "It's alright Harry. We'll figure this out together, I promise. I'm not about to abandon you simply because you feel like you might be a girl inside. Boy or girl, you're still you and my best friend. I'll always stand by your side, for as long as you want me. I'm curious though, how long have you felt this way?"

"I'm not sure honestly," the last Potter said as he slowly relaxed within his companion's arms. "I think it may have started sometime during primary, long before Hagrid showed up and told me I was a wizard. I would see the girls looking pretty in their flowery dresses and often wished I could be like them. Whether that was because I really felt like a girl inside or just wanted a life away from the Durselys, I don't know. Do you remember me telling you about the Mirror of Erised and what I had seen?"

"The Mirror of Erised…" the bookworm repeated as she mulled over what she could remember about the strange artifact. Drawing a blank, she shook her head and said, "No, I don't. I'm sorry Harry."

"It's alright, I didn't really expect you to remember with everything that's been going on the last year," Harry said as he pulled back and flashed his friend a soft smile. "The first time I looked in the mirror I saw my parents, you, and a red-haired girl I didn't recognize. You were a little older, perhaps mid-teens or so and the two of you looked very happy together. At first, I didn't really understand what I was seeing, I mean, where was I? It wasn't until I'd had a chance to think about it afterward that I realized who the red-haired girl really was."

"Why didn't you tell me?" the bushy haired girl asked quietly as she reached for her best friend's hands again.

"I did, at least the part where I had seen my parents," the raven haired boy countered softly. "As for why I never told you the rest, several reasons. For starters, what was I supposed to say? That I had found a mirror showing me not only as a girl, but the two of us involved in a romantic relationship with one another? I didn't want you looking at me like I was a freak. At that point we hadn't been friends for very long and I didn't want to do or say anything that might jeopardize that friendship. You're my best friend Hermione, you have been since Halloween first year. When I heard what Ron was saying about you, I decided he couldn't be my best friend anymore. In that moment, he reminded me too much of Malfoy and my cousin Dudley.

"Secondly, I had no idea how to handle what the mirror was revealing as my heart's true desire, that I might really be a girl deep inside, and just sort of suppressed the whole experience and tried to forget about it. Seeing as how I'm bringing it up now, a year later, and have been thinking about it pretty much non-stop since the beginning of the year, I guess I haven't been very successful."

Hermione couldn't help but blush when her best friend admitted he had seen them together as a romantic couple and wondered whether he still harbored deeper feelings for her as the mirror had suggested. Granted, they were a bit young to start dating, at least anything more serious than the friendly hand holding and hugs they'd been sharing in secret since first year. It was also something she had never given much thought about, figuring no one would be interested in her that way and preferring to focus on her schoolwork instead.

The question was if Harry really felt like a girl inside, and somehow actually became one, what would that mean for their relationship? Would he still feel the same way about her or would they become something more akin to sisters? What about her, would she be able to see pass her best friend's body and love a female Harry the same way? Could they become a lesbian couple and if so, how would magical society treat them? How would her parents react if they found out she was in love with another girl?

"What did you look like as a girl?" the brunette asked shyly as she looked down and studied their joined hands, hoping her blush would fade before her companion noticed.

Harry stared at the sinks on the far side of the room for several moments as he mentally reviewed his memories. Once he had a clear picture of his other self within his mind, he turned towards his best friend and smiled before answering in a soft, dream-like voice. "Girl-me had silky, fiery red hair long enough to reach the middle of her back along with a fringe that hid my scar. Her emerald green eyes seemed to shine brighter than mine and her face looked soft and delicate. I'm no expert, but I'd have to say her gentle smile was her most beautiful feature. I felt warm and comforted every time she smiled at me in the mirror. Unfortunately, boy or girl, I can't seem to catch a break in the height department because she was pretty short for her age."

"She sounds really pretty," Hermione said softly as she tried to picture her friend's girl form in her mind. "You know Harry, if you want to experience what it's like to be a girl for yourself, at least physically, we have more than enough Polyjuice potion for our plans. I can't really explain what it's like without something to compare it with, but if you were to use some now, you'd be able to see how it feels and decide whether it's something you think you may want. If it is, we can research the possibilities and find a way to turn you into a girl permanently."

"A-Are you sure?" the raven haired boy stammered as he stared at his friend in shock. "I wouldn't want to do anything to disrespect you."

"As long as you keep your clothes on and don't touch yourself too much or inappropriately, it'll be fine," the brunette replied anxiously.

"T-Touch myself?" Harry stuttered as his cheeks turned crimson. He was blushing so hard he wondered if his hair might catch fire.

"Harry, you'll only have an hour to figure out whether being a girl is something you think you might want," Hermione said quietly even as her own cheeks started burning. "I'm willing to allow you this chance to experiment so you'd have a better idea of what it means to be physically female. Since you would be turning into me, rather than some random girl, I'd prefer it if you didn't see me naked or touch certain areas."

"I-If, i-if you're sure…"

"I'll admit the idea makes me somewhat uncomfortable, but you're my best friend and I'm willing to go through with it if it'll help you," the bookworm said in a solemn tone as she gently squeezed their joined hands again. "We have no idea when we might have another opportunity like this, probably never. Don't you think you would feel better about the whole thing if you knew how you really felt rather than if you were left wondering for the rest of your life?"

Harry nodded his head slowly as the two of them separated before climbing to their feet and walking towards the cauldron that contained the Polyjuice potion. He watched anxiously as Hermione used a ladle to pour some of the foul looking liquid into a glass mug before adding one of her hairs to the mixture. Once the hair had completely dissolved, the brunette turned towards her companion and smiled as she handed him the mug.

The last Potter gingerly took the steaming glass mug from his friend's hand and sighed. Steeling his Gryffindor courage, Harry raised the mug towards his reflection and said "Cheers!" before downing the foul smelling mixture. Never having taken Polyjuice before, he had no idea what to expect and was glad they were in a bathroom. A sudden wave of nausea nearly overwhelmed him and he leaned into the sink to stabilize himself while pain wracked his body as his skin started bubbling like boiling wax.

Several moments passed before the pain abated and he watched in morbid fascination as his raven colored hair lightened to a honey brown color. His face became even more feminine looking and his emerald eyes darkened until they had become a cinnamon brown color. He could feel his body shifting beneath his robes and frowned as he lost a couple of centimeters in height. Seconds later the process was complete and staring back at him from within the mirror was a twin of his best friend.

"Oh my…" Harry started as she raised her hands to her face only to freeze when she heard her new voice.

"Harry? Are you alright?" Hermione asked in concern as she carefully examined the other girl.

"I'm… I'm not sure," the neo-girl whispered anxiously as she lightly brushed her hands along her new body. Hermione had given her permission to touch, but she didn't want to exhaust that permission too quickly or in inappropriate ways. Running her fingers along her bare arms, she was amazed at how much softer her skin felt and couldn't help but smile. She could also feel the absence of little Harry and marveled at how much better she felt without that disgusting piece of flesh hanging between her legs.

"Try walking around for a bit and get a feel for how a female body moves differently than a male one," the brunette suggested with a smile. She could tell her friend felt better simply from how relaxed the girl was despite the fact Harry had never been female before. Gone was the ever-present tension that was always just beneath the surface and seemed to plague the ex-boy on a regular basis. Whether it was problems with certain students, biased teachers, or the wizarding world in general, it was nice to see her friend relax even if it was only for a little while.

Harry nodded and started pacing around the bathroom only to be interrupted after several seconds when Hermione gently chastised her for walking like a boy. She looked at the other girl in confusion and watched as her twin demonstrated how females tended to walk. Rather than the heavy plodding and long strides of a boy, Hermione suggested she walk lightly with her feet closer together. The neo-girl absorbed the information and after several tries she finally managed to duplicate what her friend was showing her. Granted, when she returned to her male form it wouldn't be a good idea to continue walking like a girl. No telling what the other students would do with that, particularly Malfoy and his lot.

Towards the end of the hour, Hermione was finally able to gather her Gryffindor courage and said, "Harry, I know what I said before about seeing me naked or touching my body inappropriately. There's one last thing I think you should experience while you still have the chance. Go into one of the stalls and sit on the toilet as though you need to use it. If you really do need to, go ahead as that will only help you. Once you're finished, even if you only pee, make sure you wipe front to back. Although you won't be my twin for much longer, it's something you'll need to keep in mind should you become a girl for real."

The polyjuiced boy just stared at her companion in shock, scarcely believing what her friend had said. That's when she felt a familiar pressure in her abdomen and groaned. At Hermione's pointed look, her cheeks turned scarlet and she bowed to the older girl's 'suggestion' before walking into a nearby stall.

Several minutes later, a mortified Harry stumbled out of the stall and headed towards the sinks, unable to face her best friend. While she had been in the stall, she couldn't resist looking at her twin's lower anatomy. She'd been far too curious not to see how girls differed from what she was already familiar with.

"Harry, are you okay?"

"I'm so sorry Hermione," the neo-girl whispered as she turned to look at her best friend, tears shimmering in the corners of her cinnamon brown eyes. "I know I shouldn't have, but I just couldn't seem to help myself. I was too curious…"

"Harry stop," Hermione admonished gently as she walked up to her twin and folded the other girl in her arms. "I told you it was alright and if it helped you figure out if this is what you really want, then it has served its purpose. I don't want you beating yourself up over it and think you've dishonored me or anything like that, alright?"

"A-Are you sure?"

"Yes, now please stop crying and let me look at you," the brunette commanded gently.

"Alright," Harry replied softly and stepped back when she felt her skin bubbling as her transformation started to wear off. "Thank you Hermione, thank you so much for everything. You've given me the chance to explore something I never would've believed possible a few years ago."

"You're welcome Harry," Hermione said with a warm smile as she took her best friend's hands in her own again. "I'm just glad I could help. You've been through so much; you deserve a chance at happiness. If becoming a girl is what you feel you need to be happy, then I want to help you achieve that."

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Since that fateful day, Harry's body had slowly become more and more feminine as the year progressed despite the fact he was still male. Not only had his hair softened and become silkier as it grew out, it had started changing color to match that of his mother's, leaving him with shoulder-length fiery red hair. In addition to the changes in his hair, his face had started taking on a more elfin appearance and had become much softer and delicate looking. His fingers and toes narrowed slightly as his hands and feet had become smaller. Even more disconcerting was the fact he had actually shrunk several centimeters and was now slightly shorter than Hermione. It seemed as though his body was trying to prepare him for the big switch by slowly altering some of his superficial characteristics before he completely crossed over and became a girl for real.

He had spent countless hours in the library, much to Hermione's delight and Ron's displeasure, trying to research not only the Heir of Slytherin and the Chamber of Secrets, but his own gender identity as well. He needed to understand not only how, but why his body was feminizing itself without his consent. It was during this time he had found a glamour that would allow him to return to his previous appearance, if only to everyone else. Because he was the caster, he was immune to the glamour's effects and all he could do was watch helplessly as his body became more and more feminine as the year wore on.

With a newfound sense of purpose, Harry had decided to stop wasting his time playing games with Ron and devoted most of his spare time to his studies. He was determined to do the best he could, not for his teachers, but for himself now that he wouldn't be punished for outperforming his cousin Dudley. He needed to learn how to defend himself. With that in mind, he had spent the other half of his countless hours in the library researching more advanced magic. If Lockhart wasn't going to teach him anything useful in his classes, he would simply teach himself and his friends. He'd already faced an incarnation of Voldemort during first year when the Dark Lord had possessed Professor Quirrell. He knew it was only a matter of time before he'd have to face the megalomaniac again and wanted to be as prepared for the inevitable confrontation as he could possibly be.

Hermione had been delighted when he had informed her he planned to take Ancient Runes, Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures with her. Ron had protested and said he didn't need to take so many difficult classes, that he should take Divination with him. He'd just scoffed at that and said he was tired of settling for mediocrity and wasn't going to waste his time on useless activities when there were far more important things he needed to deal with. Ron hadn't been particularly happy with that response as it had sounded like he had called him stupid. He had, the raven haired boy just hadn't thought the redhead was perceptive enough to actually pick up on the fact that he had been insulted. Harry figured it was a small measure of retribution for the numerous times he had insulted his best friend.

In that vein, he had briefly considered informing his Housemates he wouldn't be playing Quidditch the following year and that they would need to find a new Seeker. Ultimately, he had decided to shelve that idea in case he changed his mind. If he was being honest, he had never particularly cared for the game all that much, especially considering how he'd nearly been killed on several occasions over the last two years. In first year, Quirrell had tried to jinx his broom during a match and had nearly succeeded in throwing him off and to an early death. In the beginning of second year, Dobby had cursed a bludger in a misguided attempt to persuade him to leave Hogwarts. No, what Harry loved most was flying and he didn't need to subject himself to Woods' insane training sessions or play Quidditch for that.

It wasn't like he couldn't afford his own broom. He would simply buy one the next time he was in Diagon Alley, provided he had sufficient funds in his vault. He was tired of the adults in his life always trying to dictate his future. Before first year, he hadn't been happy when Hagrid had prevented him from buying more than the minimum required. The half-giant had just kept hurrying him along and hadn't allowed him to explore the strange new world he'd suddenly found himself in. Second year had been the same when Molly Weasley had taken it upon herself to do his shopping for him, once again denying him the chance to see what else was available and then tried to monitor what he did with his money. How presumptuous of them! No, it was long pass time to take his fate in his own hands.

Harry sighed heavily as he continued to stare out the window. It had been a long and harrowing school year and now he was on his way to Durzakan Prison for two and a half months of mistreatment, starvation and slavery. Hogwarts was supposed to be a refuge from the revulsion of narrow minded people and tortures of his so-called 'home' life. Between the rampant bullying and useless teachers, the Heir of Slytherin/Chamber of Secrets nonsense and his own changes, it had been anything but.

In fact, in some ways it had been even worse. At least at the Dursleys he was only reviled by three permanent eyesores and one occasional horror. At Hogwarts, thanks to the crazy events of the year, he had been nearly universally hated and feared once his parseltongue abilities became public knowledge during the dueling club fiasco Lockhart had set up.

'Screw Dumbledore's orders, I'm not returning to that hellhole,' the last Potter thought bitterly as he clenched his fists in anger. 'That bastard has no authority over me during the summer and has no right to demand I return to the Dursleys. It shouldn't be too difficult to avoid Vernon and make my way to the Leaky Cauldron. There's no way that stupid, fat tub of hippogriff dung would recognize me without the glamour. Petunia might though, since I look Mum. In either case, I hope the glamour lasts long enough for me to make it through the barrier. I'd rather not have to try to explain to everyone why I look so different, not that I'd be able to.'

"What's wrong Harry?" Hermione asked in concern as she looked up from her book.

"Nothing," the glamoured redhead growled quietly through gritted teeth as he tried to calm himself down. After several seconds of silence, he plastered a fake smile on his face before turning towards his companions and continued in a gentler tone, "I was just thinking about the year and my latest encounter with that idiot Tom Riddle."

"Tom Riddle? Who's that mate?" Ron asked in confusion.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the address and sighed as he pulled his wand from within his robe. Copying Voldemort's fiery writing trick, he used his wand like a conductor's baton and spelled out using a feminine flowery script, 'Tom Marvolo Riddle.'

"Harry James Potter!" Hermione screeched as she glared at her best friend, only for her eyes to widen in horror when she noticed the flowery script. "What are you thinking? You know we're not allowed to use magic outside school."

"Relax Hermione, its fine," Harry replied softly as he rolled his eyes at his friend's rule stickler attitude. They were surrounded by magic, it would be impossible for the Ministry to determine he had cast the spell. Besides, his glamour had been running non-stop since that morning so he was already using magic and nothing had happened so far.

"Anyways, watch the letters and I'll show you the significance of this arsehole's name," the last Potter instructed. Waving his wand, Harry continued to conduct one letter at a time until 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' spelled 'I am Lord Voldemort'.

The carriage went deathly silent as everyone else stared at the flaming letters in shock.

"The interesting thing," Harry continued conversationally as he twirled his wand in his hand like a miniature baton, "is just how much of a hypocrite the man is, just like a certain muggle German dictator back in the late 1930's and early 40's named Adolf Hitler."

"Harry, you had better have a good reason for mentioning that monster's name," Hermione growled angrily as she glared at her best friend. While she and her parents weren't Jewish, her grandmother and grandfather were along with a few of her cousins.

The boy in question started at the sudden change in his best friend's tone and said apologetically, "I'm sorry Hermione; I didn't realize someone close to you was Jewish. I'll refrain from mentioning this again, but I do have a point I want to make to our magically raised schoolmates."

"Alright Harry. I'll forgive you, this time," the brunette said as she glowered at her best friend and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Brief muggle history lesson," Harry said as he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief Mount Hermione was only simmering and not erupting. "Adolf Hitler was a man born in Austria who would later go on to rule Germany and start World War II. The fact that he was Austrian is important, but not nearly as important as some of his other traits that parallel Voldemort."

Harry just rolled his eyes when Ron, Ginny, and Neville winced at the name. Luna didn't seem to care and Hermione would never wince at a made up name.

"You see," the glamoured redhead continued, "Hitler believed in the philosophy of a 'master race' called Aryans and thought everyone who was not German, blonde haired and blue eyed didn't deserve a chance to live. He viewed Jewish people as little more than insects to be squashed. Sound familiar? Replace German with pureblood and Jewish with muggle-born and you have Voldemort. When you consider the fact the man grew up in a muggle orphanage and would've studied history during primary, it's really not all that surprising.

"Now I'll talk about their hypocrisy," Harry continued as he shook his head in disgust. "Like I said before, Hitler believed the master race was blonde haired and blue eyed. Well, he himself was neither and so by his own definition, was not a member of the so-called master race. Voldemort is the same in that he's actually a half-blood, with a squib for a mother and a muggle for a father, despite the fact he seeks to eliminate everyone who isn't pureblood from magical society. It would be interesting to know just how many of his followers are actually aware of their leader's true origins."

"Not only that, Voldemort isn't even a real name," Hermione interjected as her eyes flashed in anger. "It's French, and really bad French at that, for 'Flight of Death'."

"So you see, there's really nothing to fear saying that idiot's made up name though I'm sure you'll have a difficult time convincing others that," the last Potter said as he waved his wand and dispelled the fiery anagram before putting it back in his robe.

"Harry, why do you keep calling him an idiot?" Luna asked in an amused and airy tone.

"Easy, the man has tried to kill me three times and has failed laughably each and every time," Harry replied with a smirk before glancing at Ginny and frowning at the pensive look on the girl's face. "Oh Ginny, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean…"

"It's okay Harry, it was my fault," Ginny replied quietly as she gazed longingly at her hero, wishing for the umpteenth time he had kissed her while they were in the Chamber once he had rescued her from the diary. "I should have known better than to keep writing in a diary that wrote back."

"You weren't the only one," the glamoured redhead admitted quietly before turning to stare out the window again.

.

A couple of hours later, the Hogwarts Express finally arrived in London and pulled into King's Cross. Once the train had stopped, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna all said their goodbyes as they gathered their possessions while Harry continued to stare out the window lost in thought.

"Harry?" Hermione asked once they were alone as she gently tapped her best friend on the shoulder.

The boy in question sighed before turning to face the older girl. Giving his companion one of his softer smiles, he turned back towards the window and said in an airy tone, "You know Hermione, I'd bet a million galleons Vernon would blow a gasket if he saw what I really looked like these days. He hates anything and everything that doesn't conform to his narrow definition of 'normal' and I'm about as far from normal as you can get."

"Forget him, I want to see what you really look like these days," the brunette said crossly while folding her arms over her chest as she half-heartedly glared at her best friend. "I haven't seen your true form in months! Not since January when you found that glamour spell you've been using."

"I know," Harry replied softly as he turned back towards his companion before climbing to his feet so he could gather his trunk and Hedwig's empty cage. While they were in Hogsmeade and waiting for the train to depart, he had asked Hedwig to meet him at King's Cross, figuring the snowy owl would prefer to fly than remain in her cage for the trip. Hedwig had readily agreed.

"When we walk through the barrier I'll cancel the glamour," the disguised redhead said. "I can't afford to let anyone from the magical world see me as I truly am, at least not yet, but I also don't want anyone from the non-magical world seeing 'Harry Potter' either."

"I understand," Hermione acknowledged in a much softer tone as she laid a gentle hand on her best friend's arm. "Harry, I know you don't want to go back to your relatives' place. Would you like to stay with me for a few weeks instead? It would give you a chance to be the real you and I would love to have my best friend stay over."

"I'd like that. Do you think your parents will mind?" Harry asked with a brilliant smile on his face. His smile faltered a few moments later and he continued in a dark tone, "Assuming, of course, The Walrus doesn't recognize Dudley's cast-offs and tries to force me to go with him…"

"Wonder if we could get him arrested for attempted kidnapping," the brunette mused aloud before returning to their original line of discussion. "As for my parents, yes, I believe they would let you, at least until it was time for us to leave for France. I'm not sure whether they would allow you come along though, sorry Harry."

"Its fine Hermione," Harry replied as the two of them started heading for the barrier separating platform nine and three-quarters from the non-magical world. "They're your parents and you haven't seen them in nearly a year. You need time to reconnect with them and I wouldn't want to stand in the way of that. I'll just rent a room at the Leaky Cauldron or something for the rest of the summer."

A few minutes later, Harry and Hermione walked through the barrier and stepped to the side. The bookworm turned to look at her best friend and gasped, her eyes widening in shock when she noticed the red-haired 'girl' standing beside her.

"Oh my… Harry?" the brunette whispered in awe as she examined her companion's true form for the first time in several months. Gone was the ever present raven colored rat's nest that had sat upon her best friend's head. Instead, shoulder-length, silky, fiery red tresses cascaded down his back and his face looked far more feminine than it had the last time she'd seen it. She noticed Harry was actually slightly shorter than her and the clothing he was wearing looked like a circus tent on his petite frame. If she hadn't known the truth, she never would've believed the person standing beside her wasn't a girl.

"It's me Hermione," Harry muttered with a sigh as he looked down at the ground.

"Hey, it's okay," Hermione soothed quietly as she pulled her best friend into a gentle hug and started rubbing his back. "Remember what I told you, regardless of what you are going through, I'll always be by your side and try to help you any way I can. I may not understand how or why you are changing, but I will help you figure it out, I promise."

"Thank you, that really means a lot to me," the redhead whispered as he basked in the warmth of the older girl's hug. He was just glad she hadn't hugged him with her typical bone-crushing ferocity. He wasn't sure his ribs could withstand the strain.

"You're welcome Harry. Now, let's find my parents," the bookworm said as she stepped back and started looking around the platform for her parents. Spotting them several seconds later, the brunette smiled as she grabbed her best friend's hand and lead the redhead towards a friendly looking couple.

"Mum! Dad!" Hermione called as she and Harry walked towards them with their trunks in tow.

Emma and Dan Granger turned at the familiar voice and smiled when they saw Hermione walking towards them. Their smiles widened when they noticed their daughter was accompanied by a shorter red-haired girl. It warmed their hearts to see their little girl happy and with a female friend her age. They had always thought it strange Hermione had two male friends but no female ones.

"Hermione! Welcome home sweetheart!" Emma gushed as she folded her daughter in her arms.

"Welcome home Hermione. Who's your friend?" Dan asked in confusion as he studied the semi-familiar looking girl wearing old boy's clothes several times too large for her slight frame.

"Mum, Dad, this is Harry Potter. You met him at the beginning of the year," Hermione replied happily as she disengaged from her mother. At her parents' raised eyebrows and confused facial expressions, she continued, "I know he looks a bit different, but I promise, this is Harry."

The elder Grangers frowned as they tried to reconcile the girlish-looking redhead in front of them with the messy raven haired boy they had met in Diagon Alley just before the beginning of the year. There were definite similarities, particularly the lightning bolt scar trying to peak out from beneath his fringe and the glasses, but everything else about the boy seemed much too feminine to be the same person.

"Doctors Granger, it's a pleasure to see you again," Harry greeted politely as he offered his hand.

Dan nodded and shook the boy's hand as he said somewhat begrudgingly, "It's nice to see you too, Harry."

"Be nice dear," Emma admonished with a half-hearted glare before gently pulling the smaller redhead into a hug. "I'm glad to see you again Harry. You should see some of Hermione's letters, it's almost always Harry this and Harry that."

Hermione looked down at the ground and tried to hide as her cheeks turned bright red. Harry was marginally better only because his face was buried in Emma's abdomen where no one could see it. Emma and Dan laughed at their daughter's reaction and glanced at one another, both of them thinking their little girl had a crush on her best friend. Despite the fact Harry looked like a girl, it was cute seeing their daughter finally going through a normal teen phase.

Once everyone had separated, Harry started looking around nervously only to spot his uncle standing off to the side searching for him. He quickly turned back to the Grangers and said anxiously, "Um, I should probably be going. My uncle is waiting and he already looks angry."

"Oh, right. Mum, Dad, may Harry stay with us for a few weeks?" Hermione pleaded as she gave her parents the best puppy-dog look she could muster. Even if he wasn't her best friend, even if she didn't want to be alone over the summer, she really didn't want Harry floundering in his explorations of his gender identity. Now that they had returned to the non-magical world, they had an opportunity to research muggle ideas and come up with a strategy before returning to Hogwarts in September.

"Harry just said his uncle is waiting for him. It would be awfully rude for us to leave without a word after he had come all this way," Emma chastised her daughter gently before glancing at the oversized man she'd seen Harry glance at earlier.

"I know, but Harry's relatives aren't the nicest people in the world and they would prefer he wasn't around," the brunette pressed while shooting her friend an apologetic look. She knew Harry didn't like talking about what he endured at the hands of his relatives nor did he really want anyone to know. As it is, they'd known one another for almost two years and she barely knew anything about his home life.

"It's true," Harry admitted quietly, as though he was afraid his uncle would recognize his voice and drag him back to Privet Drive.

"So may he, please?" Hermione begged.

The elder Grangers studied their daughter and their daughter's best friend for several moments before looking at one another. After coming to a mutual decision without speaking, Emma smiled softly and nodded.

"But," the brown haired woman interjected sternly before the children could celebrate, "we still need to inform your uncle that you're staying with us for a few weeks. Even if you believe he won't care, he's still your legal guardian and therefore has a right to know you have made other arrangements. If we don't, and if he were so inclined, he might be able to claim we kidnapped you."

"I understand where you're coming from Dr. Granger, but that's not how Uncle Vernon's mind works," Harry said quietly as he shook his head in disagreement. "You see, he hates everything and anything associated with magic, me most of all. If we go over there, he'll turn his vitriol on you simply because Hermione is a witch and my friend. He'll assume you're both magicals, even if you tell him differently, and he'll start ranting about how 'your kind' are freaks and shouldn't be seen with 'decent' folk."

The bespectacled young man sighed before continuing, "Trust me, when I don't show up he'll be happy. Maybe not about the drive out here, but he'll assume I was killed or some other horrific fate befell me and laugh, saying it served me right for being a freak. He'll think he won't have to deal with me ever again and nothing would make him happier than to be rid of me for good. I'm sorry Drs. Granger, but it would be better for everyone if we left without saying anything."

Emma studied her daughter's best friend for several seconds as she weighed the young man's troublesome words. She found it inconceivable the boy's uncle could be so callous, but the expressions on the children's faces told her everything Harry had said was true. That he really would be better off if he never had to deal with his uncle again.

How was it that such a wonderful young man, if her daughter's exuberant letters were to be believed, could turn out so well despite being raised in such a hostile environment? Worse, she knew Harry hadn't told them everything. She may not be a psychologist, but as the mother of a bullied daughter she knew what signs to look for.

After trading glances with her husband again, Emma nodded slowly and said, "Alright Harry, we'll go. I won't make you face your uncle."

"Besides, I'm likely to punch him in the face if we go over there and that's a complication we don't need," Dan growled as he clenched his fists in anger.

"Thank you!" Harry gushed in a feminine manner as he clasped his hands over his heart, his bright emerald green eyes sparkling with happiness.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at her best friend's behavior and thought, 'Oh Harry, you're already more of a girl than you know…'

.

An hour and a half later, the Grangers pulled into the driveway of an upscale home within a suburban neighborhood in Crawley. The two story house was a powder blue color with dark blue shutters and looked at least twice the size of the Dursley's. Surrounding the structure was a well maintained lawn with trimmed hedges bordering the property on three sides. While he couldn't see the backyard, he'd been told there was a back deck, swimming pool and multiple gardens filled with flowers, creating a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere.

"Wow," Harry whispered as he looked around after climbing out of the car.

The Grangers just smiled at their guest's reaction. Dan popped the boot and said, "Hermione, why don't you show Harry around? I'll bring your trunks in."

"Okay, thank you Daddy," Hermione said happily before grabbing her friend's hand and started dragging the poor boy towards the house.

The elder Grangers look at one another and shrugged. Neither of them could fault their daughter for being excited about having a friend stay over. Throughout primary, Hermione had never had any friends and because of their busy work schedule, she had spent most of her time alone. While they'd had more than a few misgivings about sending their daughter to a magical boarding school in Scotland, it was obvious the experience had been good for the socially awkward girl.

Once the children were out of earshot, Emma turned to her husband and said, "Dan, I'm worried about Harry. I think we need to set up an appointment with a therapist while he's here. I doubt he would be willing to talk to us about his home life, but something needs to be done. We should set up a doctor's appointment for him as well, I don't like how small and skinny he looks. I mean, he's shorter than Hermione!"

"Isn't that normal though? Aren't girls generally taller than similarly aged males during puberty? That's not even taking in account Hermione is nearly a year older than Harry," the tall, brown haired elder Granger asked in confusion.

"Maybe, but there's something else," the petite brown haired woman said as she stared at the door leading towards the interior of the house where their daughter and her friend had gone. "I don't think you remember, but when we met Harry at the beginning of the year he was taller than Hermione by several centimeters. Now, she's taller than him and he looks like a girl."

"Do you suppose something happened to him while they were at Hogwarts?"

"Possibly, but I'm not sure he'd be willing to talk about it. I imagine it would be a sensitive topic for him," Emma replied uncertainly.

"I'll call Dr. Stephens and ask if he can squeeze Harry in next week," Dan said as he unloaded both of the children's trunks.

"I'll talk to Allison about recommending a therapist for abused adolescents," the brown-eyed younger Granger said. "I'm also going to take him shopping tomorrow. He needs clothing that fits and to feel like someone cares for him. If his relatives truly don't care enough to take care of him properly, he's probably never experienced what it means to be part of a loving family. I'd like to give him that while he's here."

"Good idea. I honestly wasn't sure what to think of him the first time we met," Dan said as he slowly shook his head. "I know Hermione thinks the world of him, but I'll admit I wasn't particularly impressed. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt now that I know more about him."

"Thank you Dan, I know Hermione will appreciate that," Emma said warmly as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed her husband.

"What about France?" the elder Granger asked in concern. "We've already made our reservations and it was supposed to be family time with our only daughter, who we haven't seen in nearly a year."

"I don't know. Let's see how the next few days pan out and we can talk about it then."

.

Author's Notes:

I hope you all have enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone who has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome, I just ask you to be nice about it.

Publish Date: January 1st, 2020