Reincarnation Crystallized

Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter rightfully is copyrighted towards its publisher and creator J.K. Rowling, and also owned by Bloomsbury Books, Warner Bros., and any other publishers that gave us the books and produced the movie adaptations. The thirteenth installment in the Final Fantasy main series – Final Fantasy XIII – belongs solely to the owners of Square Enix.

Author's Note: This popped into my mind while trying to finish the next chapter for Lightning Always Strikes, my other FF13/HP xover I got going. Unlike my other FF13/HP story this one will have more humor in it. And considering that this falls under my shipping for Harry and Hermione, it is also a shipping of Lightning and Hope... so... enjoy~

My name is Lightning Farron. I'm a former l'Cie, a former servant to the Goddess Etro, and I saved the world from dying in thirteen days when I awakened from my crystal sleep when Gran Pulse and Valhalla were swallowed up in the sea of chaos.

Sometimes, humans wonder about life and death. I can tell you they are unpleasant things to handle... mostly death. However, I am not alone. Another person from my previous life is also here with me. His name is Hope Estheim. He too is also a former l'Cie.

Sometimes, reincarnation sucks...

This is a story detailing events that occurred in our reincarnated lives.

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The local hospital in London was our location. In the Children's Ward were two kids who were in the same room. They were hooked to machines that monitored their life forces. Three months ago, these two children suddenly collapsed at school and it caused quite a commotion. Their families were called when it was determined the children have entered some sort of coma after some sort of altercation on the school playground. Now here's where things change. The children that are lying in those beds are Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, both the age of eleven.

The Grangers had the proper health insurances and whatnot to get their daughter whatever treatment to hopefully wake her up. The Dursleys on the other hand had poor insurance and Vernon was arrested when he tried to rip the life support off Harry screaming for all to hear, "I wouldn't pay for the freak to get better!" The Dursleys lost all custody of not only their nephew Harry, but lost their son Dudley because if Vernon Dursley was willing to rip the life support off his nephew (or rather tried before he was stopped by doctors and buff hospital security when alerted), what kind of parents were they?

The Grangers readily had Harry adopted after some family court visits; feeling a sense of parental protection for Harry and also not wanting to allow the poor boy disappear into the orphanage records. Then today on June 30th, 1991, Gary and Jenny Granger received a phone call at work from the doctor who watched over the two kids. They were waking up from their coma.

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Hope held her hands up, unable to understand their new identities. "So... wait... in our past lives, you were a girl, and I a boy. And now in this life, I'm the chick and you're the dude? What the heck?" Hope couldn't stop squirming. "This feels so weird without my boys..."

It was apparent that while reborn/reincarnated, their memories of their past lives were unlocked by a random burst of accidental magic. They were still Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, but now the memories of their past lives pretty much fused and override their minds. They can recall their adventures from Cocoon and Gran Pulse when they were turned into l'Cie. They could also recall their adventures from when they each had their own thing to do regarding time paradoxes. And they can recall teaming up to save souls of everyone before the world ended, fighting against those wanting to go against fate, fighting against former enemies and former friends, as well as solving a complex mystery all in the span of a mere thirteen days.

"Feels weird? I got a penis dangling down here in my hospital gown... I'm the one that's supposed to feel awkward, Hope," Lightning informed his friend. He groaned, face palming. "I feel like a tranny here..."

"So, now what do we do, Lightning?"

"Well, apparently we've been reincarnated. That much is a given. We're both opposite genders so... we get used to that fact and live with it. You have parents who love you, Hope, and my relatives are apparently unfit to raise kids after my uncle," Lightning grimaced at this, "My uncle who I refuse to call as such wanted to kill me by ripping me off life support."

"This Vernon dude sounds like a real asshole."

Lightning looks to Hope. While normally one should be in shock that an eleven year old knows such a dirty swear, for Lightning he was not overly stunned. Hope cussed a lot during their adventure traveling around Cocoon and Gran Pulse saving the world and whatnot...

"And in this new life of ours... we have magic. We have l'Cie magic flowing in our new bodies."

"Like Serah and Noel?"

Lightning nods, wincing at the mention of two names that brought ache in his heart. Hope realized what he did and gave Lightning an apologetic look.

"Yeah... I know Lightning. It feels weird... without them around... or our other friends like Snow, Sazh, Fang, and Vanille..."

The former pinkette sighed. "We just... make do with this supposed blessing..."

The two stopped talking when they heard talking coming up to their doors, then the sound of the door handle twisting. It opens and in walks a doctor, a nurse, and Hope's parents.

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The next morning when the two children woke up, they discovered a surprise when looking into the bathroom mirror. Lightning's formerly dark hair had grown out longer and had become feminine in length, and also a familiar shade of pink. Hope's long bushy brunette mess had straightened a bit and the top most area of the hair was now silver-blonde. During breakfast and a shock of discovery for the parents, an owl is heard tapping on the kitchen window bearing a strange letter written on parchment tied to its leg.

... Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...?

This world has magic?

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Apparently Lightning, reincarnated as Harry Potter, is a supposed famous wizarding celebrity, known for the defeat of some Dark Lord person. They keep calling this evil wizard You-Know-Who. Of course, Lightning and Hope don't know who. Who is this You-Know-Who? When Hope asked Professor McGonagall about this a week after the letter was sent, she tried to explain but managed to bite out the name Voldemort, then promptly stirred conversation to safer waters. Gary and Jenny did not like that their adopted son was famous for something he can't even remember, let alone figure out why so many (magical) people would want to place a child on such a high pedestal. The Grangers believed these magic folks were expecting some sort of valiant person like one of those perfect characters in children's fairy tales or a Gary Stu/Mary Su of fanfiction. If yes, they were setting themselves up for a HUGE disappointment.

Lightning and Hope did not let this faze them. They were really interested about this world having magic, and Hope got a lot of books to explain everything about magic. Lightning helped with the book finding of specified topics. Throughout this trek into Diagon Alley and being introduced with the other muggleborns and their gathered families being brought into the Wizarding World for the first time, Lightning was stared at because of his feminine-looking pink hair. Lightning tamed his now tamable hair, having the extra lengths trimmed at home before the trip to Diagon Alley and it was now at the length suitable for Lightning to accept. His hair almost resembled his old hair style but just two or three inches shorter. As for Hope, she had the lengths of hair that remained her mother's shade cut off completely, and then trimmed so that it resembled her old life's hair style but with two extra inches in length left in, looking very boyish for her age (until puberty kicks in years down the line).

"Hey Lightning?"

"Yeah, Hope?"

Hope looked around the wand shop as another muggleborn just got his selected wand.

"What do you think of all of this?" she asked in a whisper.

"Completely strange," he answered with a whisper. "Considering when we became l'Cie in a past life, and having the power to use magic in a sense... well the excitement of magic existing in this world wore off rather fast. Now... it seems boring..."

"Well, yeah, but you have to admit their magic seems vastly different than l'Cie magic."

Lightning nods softly.

Hope eventually got her wand. It was at twelve inches in length and made of Crystallized Vinewood, and the core was dragon heartstring. Lightning was the very last person to get a wand. At one point the wand maker was very excited in believing Lightning would claim a wand made of Holly with the feather of a phoenix and was nice and supple, but only a few very pitiful sparks was created and then refused to respond after another flick. In the end, Lightning gained a wand that was made of Crystallized Red Pine with the core of a feather of an unknown type at thirteen and 3/4 inches in length. It was the core that even the wand maker, Ollivander, had no clue as to what it was because his great grandfather made that wand many years ago after waking up one day to find a feather on his bed stand that "shined an otherworldly aura".

As for the woods being "crystallized", Ollivander then remarked that they were wands not made by him but by his same great grandfather who wanted to experiment with two wands he found of the normal stock of wand woods that had been completely crystallized. And well, the apparent result is the two of them, Lightning and Hope, having two exceptionally rare and yet likely powerful wands. Ollivander gave the former l'Cie parting words that he hoped to see what kind of adventures they would have with two wands of his great grandfathers, and did so with a rather odd smile on his face as the entire muggleborn entourage was escorted from the shop after the wands were paid for.

Soon the adventure in Diagon Alley ended and all muggleborns with their families were allowed to return home, all of them given tickets to the train station and explicit instructions of how to access their magically-hidden train station downtown on September 1st. McGonagall's eyes were on Harry Potter and the girl Hermione Granger and family as they left the Leaky Cauldron first. The old woman still recalled how the goblins were not happy that Harry had been left "ignorant" of his inheritance and sought to have made a new vault key to replace the "missing/stolen key" as quoted by the goblins, rendering the one that Dumbledore held in trust invalid.

And the boy proved to be "smarter", asking such questions regarding his apparent unknown heritage from the Wizarding World. The goblins answered their client to the best of their ability, showing respect to a boy who gave them respect in return, something sadly most other wizards and witches today never give to the creatures that run their economy.

This was going to be one long tale to tell Albus once she returned to the castle.

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The rest of August was spent reading the books they got from Diagon Alley. Lightning very much enjoyed living with Hope's family now. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were touched that Lightning would call them mum and dad now. They also got used to the nicknames that their daughter and adopted son gave one another, finding it rather cute. For Lightning, he looked into the news regarding his former caretakers. Petunia disappeared from the neighborhood after she and her imprisoned husband were plastered all over news not just in Britain, but also across Europe.

Vernon's rather inhuman act of attempting to rip life support from his comatose nephew had many families outraged such an "evil man" could live in Surrey, England. But it was those same families that also believed the vicious lies spread by Vernon and Petunia about their nephew being a bad child (which were proven false after countless police investigations prior to the arrest and imprisonment of Vernon). Needless to say, Lightning knew real love from a family that cared for him and took him in despite not being related to them by blood. And unbeknownst to him, the wards that "sheltered" him from evil's touch had broke a long time ago.

When September 1st arrived, they left early to beat the morning traffic. With this act, they were the few early risers to get to the train station and find the hidden Platform Nine and Three Quarters. They also would never encounter the Weasleys whom would like every school year be late arriving to the station. Hey, a family of seven kids? That's a lot, really.

Now, taking a moment for a cutaway, we turn our focus upon an owl named Hedwig. She was white in color, like that of snow. A beautiful owl in comparison to the other few other plain-looking dark-colored owls spotted on the train when the train finally left the station, packed with students off to Hogwarts. The very short story about Hedwig was that she escaped the pet shop in Diagon Alley during the muggleborn introduction tour, only to fly right towards Lightning, settle down on his shoulder, and refused to budge afterward. Lightning purchased her after that.

Lightning and Hope sat in the very back of the train. Considering the caboose was not accessible because it was apparently off-limits to students, the train car before it was the last area of the train they stayed. Apparently, everybody on the train was searching for Harry Potter. But apparently the Harry Potter they expected could not be found. Nobody ever connected the dots that the child with pink feminine hair was Harry Potter. And Lightning was fine with keeping anonymity until he was forced to answer. It also helped that he and Hope stuck to calling each other by their past lives' names rather than the names they were born with in this lifetime of theirs, and that his hair was long enough to cover the stupid scar on his forehead. Using make up to cover it up that matched his skin tone also helped.

"So, what should we do when my name is finally mentioned?"

"Just don't let them get to you. Obviously these people expect you to be something you're not."

Lightning frowned, recalling all those apparent story telling books for wizarding children that used his name as a book character in rather outrageous stories of fiction. And those same authors made lots of money using his name when he never knew of their world's existence. Nor did he ever allow his name to be used as a means of others to make money. The Potter Dolls for little witches was also another thing that irked him. No doubt when he proved he was not like in those story books he'll be scrutinized and looked at very differently. Worst case scenario: those same peers react with aggressive hostility because he's not what they want him to be.

"I just wish I could do something about those damn books. I wonder if this world has any lawyers so I can sue the bastards that used my name to make money."

"Well if I had a book store I can look," answered Hope.

"Considering what we've learned so far, this magic world has rarely interacted with the mundane world. Remember that one book you found, Hope?"

Hope nodded. It spoke of how the Wizarding World hardly interacted with what they referred the non-magicals as the muggle world. Of course, the word muggle was used often by Professor McGonagall during the outing to Diagon Alley with the other muggleborns and their families. Muggles were those who cannot use magic. The underlining Lightning saw was that the wizards and witches labeled the non-magicals as not human, because muggles who can't use magic aren't "special". And further looks into the book detailed that the wizarding world ran on a type of hierarchical society based on blood.

Muggleborns were those from the muggle world who were gifted with the rare trait of magic. Half-bloods were people like Lightning whose parents were a muggleborn and a pureblood. Purebloods were magical families that lived exclusively within the Wizarding World with the book detailing a Pureblood Family can trace their roots back several generations. These same families hardly marry outside the family line. The Potters when Lightning asked about his family at the bank were a pureblood family that was the richest in Wizarding Britain. They sometimes marry outside to induce "fresh blood" unlike other pureblood families, something that was largely frowned upon by the other purebloods because his dead family's clan would "willingly sully their blood".

Still, Hope and Lightning was willing to give this school a chance. They could always leave if they weren't satisfied.

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Ghosts... They had ghosts in this school. Ghosts that don't violently attack at first sight... Lightning and Hope had almost cast a small bit of fire magic when the ghosts jovially chat with the little kids, surprising many of them with their existence and such, before they were led into the Great Hall by Professor McGonagall.

Thus far the couple was in awe of how the castle looked when the Groundskeeper of the school, a guy named Hagrid, led them to the lake's shore to sail across the waters to the castle. Overhearing some kid with red hair, mention to other boys that his brothers said all First Years take a boat ride to the castle over the lake. The castle was completely medieval in style; something described in fairytale books, as opposed to the modern buildings of the future of their old lives. It WAS an impressive sight to see...

Now the Great Hall was packed with four large tables, and a fifth table overlooking the first four where all the teachers sat. In the center on his own chair was an old man with long white hair and a beard. Likely the school's Headmaster. Candles floated high above giving a surreal lighting in the room. The ceiling of the room was swirling with mist and it showed a starry night sky.

One song sung by a ratted old pointed animated hat later, and Professor McGonagall was listing off the names of each First Year alphabetically by last name. Each student got sorted into Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. When Hope's name was called up, the silver-haired girl strolls up to the hat and calmly waited until the hat would call out the name of the house she would reside at.

Huh, now this is interesting... you seem to have memories of a life of another person.

What the fuck?

My, my! Such language for a young lady such as yourself... Or should I say young man? Reincarnation is topics most wizards never discuss as most don't believe in it. And yet here you are, a fine example of a person being reincarnated into a different life. Your name... Hope... odd name...

It was a name I knew for as long as I lived. Lightning and I have been together through the strangest shit you'd never comprehend to understand, hat.

Ah yes... l'Cie, Cie'th, fal'Cie, words that have an alien concept in this universe. I won't even begin to understand and it would likely take a long time to explain. That and we have a sorting to do. So... considering that I sort by your traits, you're perfect for any of the four houses. Your reincarnation is suited best for either Ravenclaw of Gryffindor, but the person you used to be before reincarnation is best for Slytherin or Hufflepuff. Hm, what to do, what to do...?

The hat finally said, "GRYFFINDOR!" just as Professor McGonagall was about to take the hat off Hope's head. Lightning gave Hope a strange look and she gave him a look back, heading towards the table decorated in the gold and maroon colors and the banner of a lion hanging over it. The applause was a bit subdued because of how long it took to sort a muggleborn; something most purebloods noted Hope as because there was no pureblood with the name Granger.

Finally, the P's came, and Professor McGonagall reached the one name everyone has been waiting to hear.

"Potter, Harry."

All eyes immediately turn to the group of First Years, actively seeking out the Boy-Who-Lived. The gaggle of remaining First Years also looked amongst their number for the Boy-Who-Lived. Lightning stayed silent, and didn't move.

"Potter, Harry," McGonagall spoke up again.

Lightning finally stopped hiding in plain sight and his feet started to move. All eyes focused on the first year who answered to the name, and whispers started to spring up. Lightning ignored them all, their voices and their veiled scrutiny. So he has pink hair. The Japanese have wilder-colored hair in their otaku society. His movement automatically drifted back to his time as a soldier in the military of his previous life. This was something the old man on his high throne chair noted, as Lightning finally sat down at the stool, and the hat was placed onto his head.

Ah, so I finally meet the person Miss Granger speaks highly of. Harry Potter... or should I call you by that nickname she gives you, Lightning?

And you are the Sorting Hat?

Yes, sir, I am. I've been on the heads of thousands of children before you and your unique friend and never have I come across a wizard or witch whom has been reincarnated. You and Hope are going to be very interesting...

Then you understand the perils I have suffered through and fought against? You understand I am not what these fools would desire me to be? You know I will be scrutinized by my peers, or in the worst case scenario shown aggressive hostility because I am not what their lying books painted me to be?

Yes... that will come to as an absolute shock to many. I dare say you and your friend will likely cause heads to spin with the knowledge of magic everyone will either label as dark or foreign. So... considering that I'm factoring your reincarnation, you're much like your friend Hope. You're good for all four of the houses.

Why don't you just keep me with Hope, then? We're together in this school or we don't return at all. I'd like to see how these fools react to how their perfect idea of me being what they want isn't how they imagined when I don't return.

Now, now, let's not be so hasty. I imagine you wouldn't try anything drastic like summon a Norse God of Legend to attack. Now, Lightning, I believe that for the safety of everyone involved here, you should be with your friend in-

The hat was taken off his head, and Lightning took a moment to acknowledge the hat's voice that echoed within his subconscious was abruptly cut off.

"Please don't do that, I was about to sort Mister Potter," said the hat, wiggling a bit in McGonagall's hands.

"Just tell me where to go, hat," Lightning out loud demanded in a polite-enough voice.

The hat visibly sagged, before shouting out, "GRYFFINDOR! There, now go sit with your friend."

Lightning stood up and walks to the red and gold table, taking a seat next to Hope. The applause that followed was as subdued as Hope's, although there was some voices of approval from the students of the maroon and gold table. After all, Gryffindor got Harry Potter! So that's something to be proud of. Err... right? Although, Harry Potter did not look or act like how those books detailing his "magical adventures" said he did. This Harry Potter has pink hair. His pink hair was very feminine. He looks like a girl.

You understand how the wizards feel, yes?

"Lightning?"

"Yes, Hope?"

"You remembered to pocket that novel I was reading, right?"

Lightning smirked, reaching into his inner pocket and pulls out a small book. Hope smiles and accepts it and opens it up at the last page she was reading.

"You really enjoy that novel, Hope."

"So? It's one of my favorites to read," she answers.

LOVELESS was the title written in an elegant script on the red hardcover. A book that was discovered in one of the old libraries in Kensington before it was closed and moved to London.

Up in his throne chair at the Staff Table was Albus Dumbledore. The old man was told of how Harry Potter was discovered in the company of a muggle family during her excursion to the muggle world, inviting the muggleborns discovered this year when taking them to see the Wizarding World for the first time. Now he understood why Minerva stated Harry Potter not only looked drastically different, but was not living with the Dursleys. He had to figure out what was going on here. But, after the sorting, he said to himself. When Professor McGonagall finished sorting the last child (who went into Slytherin) he said a choice few words, and "magically" food appears across all the tables (summoned up by House Elves working the kitchens).

Lightning ignored the children who kept glancing at him and talking about his weird hair color, as he ate his dinner silently (some turkey, mashed potatoes, and some vegetables with dinner rolls). Hope had a similar plate of food, although she ate whilst reading her novel. The two only conversed with one another. Lightning and Hope became concerned when after the dinner feast, the old wizard on his high chair declared some third corridor in the school off-limits to those who don't wish to quote/unquote experience a rather painful death.

Was the old man insane? That only declared something was being hidden and curious idiots will now want to see it for themselves...

One horribly annoying (and badly tuned) song later, the children were sent off to bed.

The reincarnated duo would find a tough time sleeping that night because of the old man's warning about this corridor on the third floor...

More humor, some action, almost like that one Harry Potter/Bleach story with Ulquiorra reincarnated as Harry Potter. Only in this alternative story, Hope joins Lightning in the reincarnated adventure throughout the Magical World and Hogwarts.

Published for all to read and wonder how crazy THIS plotline will be, in order to rid the bunny bites until it returns again. Got more things to work on first...