Danny wondered why the restricted section wasn't better protected from students. There were dangerous spells written in those books, and dangerous potions as well. Every student knew that. So why didn't they hex the door? Any kid with wand could open it with a whispered "Alohamora." One would think they wanted students to create mischief at Hogwarts, for while being found in the restricted section would surely end in detention, it was all about weighing the price against the prize.
This prize was worth it.
Danny's hand paused as it landed on Moste Potente Potions. The contents of those potions were already known, and the only one that created even nearly the right effect was the polyjuice potion. But Danny didn't want to always be drinking that nasty draught. No, only something permanent would do. Something lasting.
There was the book: Permanent and Irreversible Transformations. Soon, all the yearnings of years would be rewarded. Soon all the frustration of a teenager's short lifetime would be made right. Danny had only one thought after receiving The Letter from Hogwarts, and it was, "Thank God, my prayers have been answered." But it took a while to find out how to answer those prayers with the gifts God had given. It took two years of study, and never mind that the Bible said, "Never suffer a witch to live," because Danny's prayers had been answered and come hell or high-water, nothing would stop this wish from coming true. Danny's palm was slippery from the sweat of anticipation as it grasped the book and it slipped it's grip and fell off the bookshelf with an unbearably loud clatter. Should have wiped the sweat off first.
Within seconds it seemed that the sounds of Mrs. Norris's pawsteps were clicking on the stone floor. Danny shrunk the book in a hurry and palmed it up the robes. In a flash of cleverness, Danny grabbed "Foulest Curses," knowing that Filch would assume that Danny wanted it to take revenge against an enemy. That was just whatthe old caretackerdid assume when he entered the room on the heels of Mrs. Norris. He didn't look for a second book, tucked safely in a pocket.
The next night, Danny smiled. It would be a changed Danny that spent detention cleaning the Owlry on Tuesday afternoon. The ingredients had been easy- snatched from Snape's private stash when a cauldron overturned. The potion had to be completed on a night with no moon in the hour between three and four and drunk immediately. As luck would have it the moon would be gone tomorrow. Danny fell asleep with the big tome on the table beside the bed. Dreams would be fulfilled tomorrow night. Danny's dreams.
Dumbledore looked morosely at the mewling baby boy cradled in Madam Pomphrey's careful hands. It had been found crying fiercely, nearly drowning in clothes and a cloak that were much too big, when a Hufflepuff boy stumbled out of bed for a piss and nearly stepped on it in the Common Room. On the table, where Danny, the foolish girl, had set up her cauldron and fire, was a book, with it's guilty pages lying open for anyone to see the potion that had made Danielle Furthing into a baby boy.
The page had its title, Genisis Gendre: For Changing Sex, then the list of ingredients and how to mix them. Last, and Professor Dumbledoor considered it the editor's blunder that this important information was listed last, was the history of the potion, and its exact effects.
History: The only potion ever created that has successfully changed the sex of a person permanently, the potion was discovered by Chevalier d'Eon, a French soldier, ambassador, and wizard.
And on the next page (If Danny had only turned the page she would have seen it:)
(Cont. Genisis Gendre) He never used the potion on a human, but experimented with it on cats. It did its proper function of changing the sex of the cat, but also had the unintended side effect of turning the cat into a newborn kitten. There is no known cure and giving the kittens a second dose of the potion had no effect. That line of research was eventually dropped as a sex changing method, although his work contributed greatly to rejuvenating skin charms. Chevalier D'Eon did eventually create the first Hermaphroditus Medallion, and lived out the rest of her life as a woman. Hermaphroditus Medallions are popular marital aides for couples looking for adventure, and for Wizards and Witches who wish to change their sex.
Danny must not have read that next page, or she would not have chanced the potions unintended side effects. It was a waste; really, the wizarding world was quite equipped to deal with those poor souls born into gendersnotof their liking. Why, Dumbldore even had a Hermaphroditus Medallion in his closet.
A/N: This story is an experiment in writing third person POV without disclosing the gender of the character. This is basically a parable about what happens when information about transexuality does not get out to the people who need it.