Harry walked up the small staircase that lead to a raised platform at the front of the Great Hall. He looked at where the professors table sat and at that moment he noticed a simple wooden stool facing all of Hogwarts' students. Professor Mcgonagall, who had lead the first years from the docks up to the castle, stood next to the stool holding a long scroll. She had just called his name and, the instant it happened, Harry's anxiety settled in the pit of his stomach. Harry was so used to not being seen or heard that the moment he became the literal center of attention, he wanted to run and hide. But becoming a wizard was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to him. He continued up to Professor Mcgonagall holding an old wizard hat that had been sitting atop the stool, she then gestured for Harry to sit. He sat facing the Great Hall which was filled with an all encompassing silence. It was a bit jarring to see so many students looking up at him.

Suddenly, he was engulfed in darkness as the two- sizes- too- big wizard hat was placed over his head. For a long moment, there was nothing but more silence and with the added darkness, the moment felt longer. Oddly and slowly Harry could feel a voice fill his head, coming from everywhere and nowhere all at the same time. It was an old but strong voice. 'Hmmmm…very interesting...hmmm'.

Ron and Hermione had told Harry about the four different houses at Hogwarts and with the reputation of Slytherin in mind, he started repeating in his head 'not Slytherin, not Slytherin.'

'Not Slytherin eh?' this seemed to take it by surprise 'you could be great in slytherin Miss Potter.'

Harry's heart seemed to stop. 'Did the sorting hat just say Miss Potter?' his thoughts were so overwhelmed by this one question that he forgot to continue his mantra of 'not Slytherin'. 'Yes you would be great in Slytherin…..yes'. Harry immediately began to think again 'not Slytherin, not Slytherin.' The voice continued 'It's all here you would be a great witch if guided by such a noble house'. Harry ignored everything the sorting hat was saying and just kept repeating 'Not Slytherin'. 'Ok Miss Potter not Slytherin...you could be great in any house….maybe Ravenclaw….Yes you are a purely unique individual, while you are scared of your individuality Ravenclaw could push you to greater self acceptance. You also have such great potential for knowledge….or….Hufflepuff, yes you have loyalty almost to a fault; the students of this great house could help you embrace your individuality and possess the passion for deep love…' Harry just kept thinking 'not Slytherin, anything but Slytherin.'

'Very well Miss Potter' Suddenly, instead of hearing the voice in his head, he heard the voice ring throughout the great hall. "Gryffindor!"

Harry sighed slightly as the hat was lifted from his head. It took him a moment to adjust to all the light and colors of the great hall. His ears were then hit with a concussion of cheers and yells from the Gryffindor table. Harry quickly hopped off the platform and went to sit next to Hermione. He shyly eyed the Weasley twins as they were shouting across the Great Hall at the other tables "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

The whole hall fell back into its usual ramblings as McGonagall continued to work through her list of first year Witches and Wizards. Finally, towards the bottom of Mcgonagall's list Ron was called forward and, unlike Harry, the large wizard hat didn't even have a chance to touch Ron's head before calling out "Gryffindor!".

After the last first years were sorted into their respective houses, Dumbledore stood up touching his wand to his throat. To Harry's surprise, as Dumbledore spoke his voice was projected throughout the hall. "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" He then sat back down and the tables began to fill with food.

Harry looked to Ron. "Was that a spell or something?"

Ron while shoveling food into his mouth said, "I don't think so, I'm pretty sure he's just a bit crazy."

Once the feast ended Dumbledore stood once again. "I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce. The first years please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch" he slightly nodded his head and idecating with his eyes a tall ragged man towards the end of the hall by the big entranceway doors. "has asked me to remind you that the 3rd floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you."

With that the prefect each stood and started guiding the students out of the Great Hall and to their respective houses.

Percy Weasley lead the first years up through the winding staircases of Hogwarts. They all seemed to have a mind of their own and would randomly move as they walked.

Finally, they reached the top of the tallest tower. Percy stopped in front of a portrait of a large lady.

Percy was about to introduce the portrait when Oliver Wood, of the same year, cut in with a dramatic sweep of his arm and a charming irish low, "This is the Fat Lady!"

As if on cue, the lady opened her arms in an over embellished greeting.

Wood continued in this fashion, "and to gain access you will just need to say the word 'Blossom'." Instantly, the painting slid to the side, revealing a short hallway.

Once inside they were presented with the giant room that made up Gryffindor common room. The first years were split into two groups, boys and girls. They were then pointed to one of two staircase on opposite sides of the room. Harry and Ron made their way to the boy's staircase as they joked about how lucky they both were to be sorted into Gryffindor. As Harry lifted his foot to start ascending the stairs, he was shot back across the room with a loud cracking noise.

For a moment, Harry just sat stunned. "Are you ok, Harry?" Hermione said as she rushed to help him up, Ron right behind her.

"What happened?" Harry said, still in shock as Ron and Hermione were looking him over to make sure he wasn't hurt.

"I don't know! You were right behind me and then BOOM, you were thrown across the room." said Ron.

"That usually only happens when someone tries to go up the wrong staircase." Oliver Wood said as he approached the women's staircase. His foot had barely touched the first step when, suddenly, there was a loud crack and Wood was thrown across the room. He instantly stood up. "See?"

"But Harry is a boy?" Ron mused

"Of course Harry is a boy" Hermione said matter of factly.

"Wood," Percy said exasperated, "Why? Why did you have to demonstrate? We just saw Harry Potter do the same thing!"

"It must have been some sort of miss fire. I've never heard of it happening before though." Wood said thinking 'no matter, no harm done.'

Percy continued, "I'll tell Professor Mcgonagall in the morning. Time for bed."

Harry shook Ron and Hermione off "I'm fine." They all turned and started towards the stairs again. This time, Wood went first and then Ron gestured for Harry to go next. Harry took a step and again there was a loud crack and Harry was thrown across the room. This time he stood up instantly.

"I guess we'll tell Professor Mcgonagall now." Percy sighed. Wood and Ron crossed the room to Harry, "Wood take Potter to Mcgonagall. The rest of you head off to bed" directing the rest of the 1st years to their staircases. As Ron and Hermione turned to follow Wood and Harry Percy said sternly, "that includes the two of you".

Harry gave both Ron and Hermione a weak smile, hesitating.

Wood already in the entrance way of the gryffindor tower, called back, "Come on, Potter."

Harry and Wood headed further up into an adjacent tower, stopping in front of a painting of a Cat cleaning itself. "She's already getting ready for bed, ." The Cat said in a royally smooth voice not even bothering to pause as she licked her paw.

"Can you tell her I apologize but we have a problem with the stairs to the boy's dormitories." He paused for a second turning slightly to Potter. " Harry Potter isn't able to climb up them."

The Cat stopped mid-lick and looked up, fixing her blue eyes on Wood and then to Harry who was standing right behind him. "Very well," the Cat turned and walked off frame. A moment later, the painting moved to reveal a small hallway.

"Come in," Professor Mcgonagall called from somewhere down the hall.

The hall lead to a small study with a staircase leading both up and down in the far wall. The study was simple but comfortable, clearly not arranged to receive company. The walls were covered in pictures and paintings. Most seemed to be of past students, especially past Gryffindor Quidditch players. McGonagall was sitting in a small brown high back chair next to a roaring fireplace.

"Now, what seems to be the issue that would have you knocking so late, Mr. Wood?"

Wood shifted slightly, clearly choosing his words carefully. Harry noticed that the Cat from the entrance painting was now sitting above the fireplace. "Professor, I can't really explain it but the stairs to the boys dormitories won't let Potter ascend them."

McGonagall stood up, she was wearing a simple night robe in a deep blue and her hair fell over her shoulders. To Harry, she actually seemed quite a bit younger and more innocent somehow. He felt an odd longing, but for what he could not quite figure out.

"I see, must be some sort of misfire of the spell on the stairs."

Wood moved forward a step. "That's what I thought too but we tried it again and Potter was yet again shot back from the stairs. No other student seems to be having an issue."

She picked up her wand from a small table next to the small brown high backed chair. Stepping towards Harry while waving her wand near his head.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention. You may go back to the dormitories. I will look after Potter and into the stairs."

Wood gave a tiny bow which was both awkward and charming. He nodded to each in turn, giving a small smile, "Good night Professor, Potter."

McGonagall stepped forward towards Harry. "Goodnight, Mr. Wood."

Harry instantly got nervous "maybe everyone is wrong and I'm not a wizard' he thought. McGonagall waved her wand once more over Harry's head.

"No need to be nervous, you did nothing wrong. The stairs were charmed to prevent any students of the opposite gender from fraternizing when they shouldn't."

Harry shifted his weight from one foot to another. "Yes Professor, to keep boys and girls from going into the wrong dormitories. But I'm a boy and the boys stairs pushed me back."

She lowered her wand and turned to set it back in her chair. Her back was now to Potter as she looked into the fireplace. "Has anything else peculiar happened while interacting with magic?" Her shoulders were rigid conveying no emotion.

Harry got even more nervous and started panicking a little, 'I'm not a wizard,' his thoughts going back to the sorting hat.

"It's okay Potter, you can tell me, it will help solve this problem with the stairs."

"The...the sorting hat called me Miss Potter." Harry said in a very small voice. He realized he was shaking a little. She turned to him and the Cat above the fireplace was now looking straight at Harry.

"I see, the sorting hat sees your true self and your potential." She paused for a second. "Are you a girl, Potter?"

Harry instantly started shaking more and his panic was rising. He was filled with thought about how his body had always felt wrong and the way he would feel an odd longing when he saw a pretty girl. 'but that was because I liked them, boys like girls.' he thought as his panic was reaching attack level.

"Professor ho…." he could barely speak between the confusion and the shaking.

"Potter do you feel like a girl on the inside?"

Harry looked at his feet. All of the times he was jealous of girls wasn't because he liked them, it was because he wanted to be them. The odd look Hagrid had given him when he was robe shopping and picked out some girl robes because he liked them. He had said muggles don't wear robes so he was confused when Hagrid explained the difference. But in truth, he knew, he just wanted them because he liked them. He just wanted to be pretty like all the other girls...like all the "other" girls.

McGonagall's words snapped Harry back. "It's okay, you're not in trouble. I can't help you Potter if you can't be honest with me."

What was she implying? That the reason for the stairs holding him back, that the fact the sorting hat called him Miss Potter was that he actually was a girl and not just wanting to be one. He couldn't be a girl he clearly had a boy's body. Can you have a boy's body and be a girl on the inside?

The silence continued to stretch on and it was becoming more awkward.

"Yes" Harry lowered his voice and shoulders even more. "Yes I'm a girl trapped in a boy's body." Harry fell to her knees and started crying. She knew for the first time what she had refused to let herself understand her whole life.

She is a girl.

She awoke in a bed near a window. For a moment, Harry forgot where she was. After confessing her biggest secret that she had been hiding, even from herself, she must have cried herself to sleep or passed out. Either way she didn't remember anything after saying she was a girl-

That's right, she's a girl. Suddenly she started hyperventilating, as a deeply repressed sense of self, of locked away emotions that had been trapped in a bleak emotionless shell of her own making, started breaking through, of how everything is wrong with her, her body, and with the world.

With no warning, she was being held. After a moment, letting the embrace calm her, she looked up to see professor Mcgonagall looking down at her with a warm smile.

"Professor! I'm- I'm sorry; where am I?"

McGonagall moved a bit to the foot of the bed letting Harry have some space."You're in my personal library." She looked away to a clock on the wall, recovering her professional distance. "You collapsed after our little conversation and I thought about taking you to the medical wing but thought better of it assuming you would like to wake up with someone that knows."

Harry sat up grabbing her glasses from the windowsill…'her' glasses, she realized she was naturally already thinking of herself as a girl. She felt shame and confusion rising again, wanting to take it back, take back the truth she had told last night. "I don't.."

McGonagall looked at Harry, "Potter, magic never lies."

NOTES

I want to thank 0sirensinger0 Meowtryx without their knowledge of the Wizarding World and their work editing this story wouldn't exist.