Miss Granger,
I am pleased to announce that you are this years Head Girl. Congratulations on your accomplishment. Normally I wouldn't disclose who Head Boy is, but alas, this year I must. I fear if the students at Hogwarts do not start getting along, there will never be a change in our world, and soon we will open the door to another, more dangerous wizard than Voldermort. I believe that if the students see the polar opposites getting along, and working together, that it will change people's perceptions. Saying this, I am pleased to announce that Mister Draco Malfoy is Head Boy.
The only way that your professors and I could think of to get the two of you to stop fighting completely is for the two of you to better understand the other's life. We thought the best way for you to truly understand the other's life, would be to switch bodies for the summer. After the two months have gone by, you will switch back to your original bodies, hopefully with a better understanding of the other person. Although, if you haven't found what makes Draco Malfoy tick and why, this exercise will have been for not, and we can't have fighting Heads. I will have to find a replacement for Head Girl if you do not truly understand Draco Malfoy by the end of summer. I am deeply sorry about that, but you must understand that you and Draco set the example for our school, you lead them without realizing it, and if someone leads them down the wrong path, risks will occur. We can't risk Hogwarts again, not after everything.
Congratulations on becoming Head Girl, Hermione, you have earned this position, and hopefully you chose to understand Draco, if not, we will all understand. I will need your reply in twenty-four hours. I am sorry that this is the only way, but I am sure you can handle this.
Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Hermione stared at the letter, reread the letter and still couldn't believe it. She made Head Girl, the position she'd spent six years trying to obtain, and now, because she had a feud with Draco Malfoy, jerk extraordinaire, she was going to have to switch bodies with him. This can't be right. There has to be another way for them to "better understand" each other. She couldn't think of one right now, but there had to be another way. Hermione sighed and dropped into the chair beside her window. She was Head Girl. Head Girl. It was everything she'd ever wanted, and everything she'd worked for since she entered Hogwarts and Dumbledore told her the position was open to anyone and everyone that qualified. She'd worked so hard to show everyone, mostly herself and Draco Malfoy, that muggleborns could be just as good, or better, than purebloods. Hermione felt the tears prick her eyes but blinked them away. She wasn't going to cry over something so petty. She wasn't going to give into that weakness.
She looked back down at the letter, and then back out the window. If she really wanted the position, she was going to have to become Malfoy to understand him. Understand him, so they could lead the school down the path of no evil leaders. Hasn't the wizarding world ever heard of Hitler? Germany made it without another dictator. Sure, someone had to go and lead them, but that wasn't dictatorship, the was leading in the right direction. She supposed that's what this was, to prevent another dictator, another war, and more deaths.
Hermione thought back to the war, to almost losing her best friend, to the destruction of the school, losing her beloved Headmaster, and getting rid of Tom Riddle. The war was everywhere you turned. People were hiding and running, someone was always screaming, there was always the smell of blood. Most of the war took place on Hogwarts grounds after Snape killed Dumbledore. Voldermort figured we were weakest then, and attacked while school was still going on. Harry almost died on the battlefield. Voldermort being the coward he was tried to kill Harry while Harry was turned away. Someone struck him with a spell that had him calling out in pain, causing Harry to look up and see him. Then the spells started flying and Harry struck Voldermort with Avada Kadvera, killing him, but not before he sent the same spell back at Harry. Everyone thought they had killed each other, but once again, Harry was stronger than Voldermort's spell. When the fighting stopped, and the Death Eaters taken away, we looked around at where the castle should have been, and only saw rubble. Some of the towers still stood, but mostly, it was just rocks, and foundation. It took the rest of the year to rebuild the school to what it once was.
She was going to be Head Girl. She wasn't going to let Draco Malfoy get in the way of her being the one thing in the wizarding world she'd earned. He wasn't going to take that away from her. Not when she finally got it, and she'd worked so hard. She was going to be Head Girl. Hermione sent those thoughts in a note, and sent it back to McGonagall. Now all she had to do was wait.
Mister Draco Malfoy,
I am pleased to announce that you are Head Boy. Congratulations for earning the position, and having the highest marks of all the boys in your year. It is an accomplishment that you should be proud of. On behalf of Hogwarts, I would like to thank you for everything you have done for this school. You should be proud of that too. Normally, I wouldn't disclose who Head Girl is until the Feast, but these aren't normal circumstances. We cannot have the school divided anymore, and we can't risk someone else coming to power. Not again. Not after everything we all worked so hard to do. This years Head Girl is Hermione Granger.
The only way that your professors and I could think of to get the two of you to better understand one another was to have the two of you switch bodies for the summer. At the end of the summer you would switch back, hopefully with a better understanding of the other person's life.
The two of you control what the student body does, as you know. What the two of you do affects the future of our world. Our world is a fragile thing now, and we can't risk it in the hands of someone that means to do us harm.
Your professors and I will completely understand if you do not wish to go through with this, but understand that if you do not, we will be forced to choose a replacement. I hope you consider this matter before deciding what you wish to do. There is a lot at stake.
Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Draco looked down at the letter before cursing and sat down in a chair by the window. He couldn't believe what they were asking him to do. Switch bodies? They were mad. Draco sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, one of the only signs that he was frustrated, mad, or upset. He'd made Head Boy. He was told by his new Potions professor and Head of House that he'd made Quidditch Captain. The two things he'd worked hardest to get, and now he had to give one up or switch bodies with Granger. The only mudblood he could respect, which was part of the reason he hated her. He hated feeling like he was boxed in, or that he didn't have a choice in that matter.
Draco got up and paced, another sign that he was not happy with what was going on. Of course, he only allowed himself these luxuries when he was alone, or with someone he was comfortable with. These were signs of weakness. By allowing others to see these signs were a weakness, then again, no one was here to see him, so no one would know. How could they ask him to do this? Of course McGonagall would mention what he had done for the school; she knew that would goad him into this.
Before the war, no one knew who he truly was. Then after he got his Dark Mark, something his father thought was an excellent decision, and one he fought, he went to Dumbledore. First he went only to tell the old man that he hadn't wanted the Dark Mark, but was forced. He didn't know why he told Dumbledore this, but the late Headmaster told him that any time he just wanted to talk his door was always open. Draco scoffed at him and left. Not long after that he received word that there was going to be an attack. Draco contemplated for almost a week before taking up Dumbledore's offer. After that Draco went regularly to Dumbledore's office to discuss upcoming attacks, past offenses, politics, the weather, girls, rumors, anything that came to mind he went once a week to Dumbledore's office. It was almost a sacred ritual that he didn't want to end. Still couldn't believe he didn't have that anymore. Then one night, he got an owl saying Dumbledore was to die. Draco didn't think, he just went to find the old man, he found him, but Snape was there, along with fellow classmates. Snape killed Dumbledore, but everyone thought he was the one that was supposed to do it, the one that chickened out and couldn't do it. He grieved, in his own way, like the rest of the school. Many Slytherins wouldn't admit it, but they liked had like Dumbledore. He, unlike so many other people, didn't judge them before he knew them. Even after they had done something horrible, if they asked for forgiveness, he pardoned them without bating an eyelash. It was amazing.
Draco looked back down at the letter. If the only way to avenge Dumbledore was for him to switch bodies with the mudblood, and ensure that no one like Voldermort came to power so be it. He would switch bodies with her, and he'd do it, because Dumbledore wanted House Unity, and because Dumbledore deserved it.
Draco wrote the note, and sent it out. He'd be Head Boy. He's earned it, and deserved it. He wasn't going to let the Golden Trio ruin that for him. Not when he worked so hard to get it.
Minerva received Draco's letter of acceptance and summoned the professors into her office. Neither one had waited long to write back, but she knew that each one had put a lot of thought into the answer they gave. Minerva saw that everyone was there and sat down behind the large desk that she inherited from Albus Dumbledore. So many schemes she'd been a part of. So many years they had spent together. No more though. No longer were they a team, and working together to cook up some plan. She sighed and informed the teacher of the student's decisions.
"They have both accepted." There were murmurs of approval, and there were some that thought they were going to kill the other's body. Of course, that could very well happen, but she doubted they had thought of that, yet. "The switch will take place in twenty-five hours. I must inform that if they wish to tell the other anything they had twenty-four hours to do so."
"Minerva, do you think this is the only way?"
"This is the only thing we came up with. There is no longer any time to think of new ways. We must give them time to fully understand the other. If things are rushed they will never unite."
"What if something happens to one, while in the other body?" Minerva looked at Madame Hooch.
"You mean death or dismemberment?" At Madame Hooch's nod Minerva continued. "That will be dealt with when the time comes. There are precautions being taken to prevent that, but some things can slip under the radar. The point of this is not to wonder if they die, or kill each other, but to see if they can call on each other when one is needed." The professors nodded and seeing as that answered everyone's questions they dispersed. This didn't do to help her confidence. All the professors thought they would die or kill each other, and the two students in question couldn't say hello without fighting. Too late to just let things be. Besides that, this is what Dumbledore wanted. He had written up this plan, and when Minerva had brought the teachers together and asked what they thought needed to be done, and no one had an answer, she suggested Dumbledore's plan. It was the only one they had. It had to work.
Miss Hermione Granger,
This is to let you know that within twenty-four hours the switch will occur. If there is anything you wish to tell Mister Draco Malfoy, now would be the time. Thank you again for accepting such an endeavor.
Minerva McGonagall
Mister Draco Malfoy,
This is to let you know that within twenty-four hours the switch will occur. IF there is anything you wish to tell Miss Hermione Granger, now would be the time. Thank you again for accepting such an endeavor.
Minerva McGonagall
Minerva sighed and wondered if either one of them would take the chance to tell the other something. She sent the owls, and went back to the desk that Dumbledore had used for so many years and put her face in her hands. She knew this would work, but right now it was so nerve-wracking. She knew neither of them would tell the other anything personal. They were too stubborn for that. She just wished that they would disclose something that was useful to the other.
Hermione read the note that she just got from the owl and almost laughed out loud. There wasn't anything she wanted to tell Malfoy. There was plenty she needed to tell him, but she wasn't going to. Let him find out what everything in the muggle world was himself. She wasn't going to hold his hand and lead him through it when he was just going to make fun of it anyway.
Then a thought occurred to Hermione. She had her period. He was going to have to deal with her period. First, Hermione groaned. It truly was embarrassing to think of a male having to deal with your bodily functions, but to have Draco Malfoy, who thought that muggleborns had dirty blood, was worse. Somehow he was going to use her period against her, and the rest of the muggleborns. Hermione sighed, this was going to be worse than she thought. Then another thought struck her, Draco was going to have to learn how to become a girl. Hermione smirked a smirk that would have Malfoy applauding and began to get ready to go to sleep. He may use it against her and all muggleborns, but he was going to have to deal with it. For two months she was going to have a vacation.
Draco went to the window to let in the owl tapping at his window. He had been dressing for bed when he was interrupted by the owl, and now he was reading the note. Draco scoffed and tossed the note on his bedside table. There was nothing he was going to tell the mudblood. Draco took off his slacks, folded them on the crease, and hung them over the back of the chair. The house elves would collect sometime tonight.
He wasn't going to tell Granger that she was going to drown in his life. There was no way she was going to survive. Even with Lucius gone, she wasn't going to make it to the end of the summer. Draco almost laughed, would have, but he was a Malfoy, and Malfoy's don't show emotion. Any emotion, ever, for any reason. She couldn't handle being a pureblood, not when she herself was so dirty. Draco shook his head and looked around his room. She was going to be in his room, polluting his air, contaminating his belongings, and ruining his milieu.
A house elf popped into his bedroom bringing Draco back to reality.
"Sorry, Master. Inky no mean to interrupt. Inky go, sir." Inky went to snap his fingers when Draco stopped him with a single motion. Inky was his house elf, had been since Draco was born. Lucius trained all house elves, and Inky was brainwashed like the rest of them, but Inky was his. Inky knew everything and Draco could trust Inky with anything. If he was going to do this "transaction" with the mudblood, Inky had to know.
"Inky, I'm not going to be myself for a while. I'm going to act strange and almost like someone else. During these months, I want you to look out for me. Help me through things that I've been doing all my life." Inky nodded, and then looked down.
"Inky bad, Master." Draco raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Why is that, Inky?"
"Inky read Master's letter. Inky bad house elf. What Master wish Inky do? Inky do anything." Draco wanted to comfort his house elf, but that wasn't allowed, or tolerated.
"Inky, it's alright. I'm glad you understand the situation. I don't agree with the means in which you understand the situation, but things can't be changed. I don't want you to do anything to harm yourself. I need you to help in these up coming months." Inky nodded and ran over to kiss Draco's feet. "Now get out of my sight before I give you a beating!" Inky's head bobbed up and down before he answered in his usual response.
"Have a good night, Master." Inky disappeared, and Draco realized he was going to miss his house elf. He had said the same thing to Inky every night since he was five, and Inky always said the same thing back. Draco wrote a quick note and put it in his bedside table. This was the only thing he was going to leave for Granger in way of instruction.
Granger,
Every night you have to tell Inky, my house elf, to get out of your sight before you give him a beating.
Malfoy
Malfoy got into bed and decided he didn't know if he wanted to go to sleep. The sooner he went to sleep, the sooner he was going to be trapped in a mudblood's body. Malfoy's don't prolong the inevitable, nor do they run from a situation. It wasn't there way.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I don't even really own the idea. If you wanted to, you could probably find a hundred body switching ideas. This is just my take on the idea. I hope you like it, because this idea was bugging me when I was trying to read Hamlet.
I really don't know if I'm going to update this story often. The idea was just rolling around in my head when I was trying to do my summer reading, so I wrote it. Again I hope you enjoy the story.