Fan-Fiction Story: Hermione the Chosen One
"Go Hermione, take Ron. Here's the map."
Harry tossed Hermione the Marauder's Map.
"And—And take the cup too, destroy it if you can and get an extra one of the fangs."
"Okay Harry, I will."
"Be quick. I'm going to start looking for the Diadem in Ravenclaw Tower."
Ron and Hermione nodded, and Harry hesitantly handed Hermione the Hufflepuff Cup. They both touched it and suddenly an inscription on the cup glowed light blue. Harry couldn't read it. Then he looked Hermione in the eye and they both raised their eyebrows nervously. Then everything went black. Harry was asleep.
What had happened? Had Voldemort cursed the cup, or had it been Hufflepuff? Harry knew it had something to do with the fact that he and Hermione were both touching it, but how had it happened? And what had happened? Harry realized that he had never touched the Cup at the same time as anyone else before. It had been his property when they found it, because he was the Chosen One. And it wasn't like anyone wanted to touch it after what had happened with the Locket. So what did it do? Harry's eyes fluttered open. His eyelashes felt heavier and longer. His chest felt heavy, too. He looked around a little and saw a chandelier above him, a blue couch under his tired body. He was in the Ravenclaw Common Room. Ron was coming over to him. He rushed to the couch. Harry couldn't see anything but Ron's huge mass in front of him.
"Hermione, are you okay? I had thought you…" Ron trailed off and shook his head.
"Ron, I'm not Hermi—"
Harry stopped. His voice wasn't his. It was Hermione Granger's. He looked down and saw a denim jean-jacket covered up a tattered pink t-shirt. And the tickling at his shoulders…it was a braid.
"Ron! I'm Harry! The cup must've done something to Hermione and me, we switched bodies!"
Ron looked bewildered.
"Hermione, I see you right here. You're you. Harry's over there."
Ron turned his head toward a second couch and Harry gasped. Right in front of him was him. He was asleep on the couch, possibly unconscious, and his arms were folded like Hermione's always were when she was resting. Harry opened his mouth to speak…and then closed it again.
"Okay—err—what happened? How long was I asleep?"
"We've managed to destroy all of the Horcruxes except the Snake."
Harry gasped a high gasp and smiled.
"How?"
"The basilisk fangs work well. We found the Diadem in the Room of Requirement."
"How long was I out?" Harry repeated. Hermione's voice was so high and pretty.
"Four hours. Snape is dead. Luna and I found him in the boathouse right after Voldemort murdered him."
Harry gasped again.
"He's dead?"
"Snape gave me his memories to put in the pensive for Harry."
Harry was about to remind Ron that he was him, but then remembered he wasn't. Should he try to tell him again? Ron would never believe it. Harry sat up and looked back over at him.
"Well, I'm going to go. Try to get better."
Ron knelt down and before Harry could stop him, he kissed his cheek hard. Ron stepped backward after a few seconds and wandered away, smiling. Harry wiped his entire face. That had been strange. He got up and walked to his body on the other couch. Harry hesitated…What would happen when Hermioine woke up? Then he tapped his shoulder. Seconds later his body's eyes fluttered open.
"Harr—"
Hermione stopped and her eyes widened. Harry had never seen himself look so feminine.
"What—"
Hermione stopped again.
"My voice…It's…"
She looked down at Harry's body that was really her own and gasped…Once again.
"I'm Harry."
Hermione must be talking to herself, or she didn't know Harry was her.
"Hermione, I'm you. I'm the real Harry."
"Hermione stared him in the eyes.
"You—You are! That little twitch you have when you try to make a point…It's there."
"It was the Cup. The Cup switched us."
"That's it! A horcrux has something inside it to do with souls! It switched ours. I don't know why none of the others did it, but this is different."
Hermione was still gulping and trying to figure out Harry's voice.
"How do we get back?! Ron destroyed the Cup!"
Hermione's face went pale.
"Then we can't change back. As far as I know, when you're under a shapeshifting curse Polyjuice Potion doesn't affect you. We're stuck."
They looked into each other's eyes, eyes that used to be the other's, and widened them. It was terrible. Then Hermione realized something worse.
"Harry! The prophecy about how Neither Can Live While the Other Survives is about you. You are the one who has to kill Voldermort. And I'm you."
A pit rose in Harry's stomach. Or was it Hermione's stomach? He was in Hermione's body, but did it belong to him? If they were never going to be able to change back, then it was his. Or hers. It was all so confusing. He decided to call his body his own.
"But that means you have to fight Voldemort."
Hermione's face didn't change. She was scared.
"But—I can't fight him!"
"I'll help you. There isn't another way, Hermione."
It felt weird hearing Hermione's voice inside him.
There was silence. Harry realized that he might be stuck as Hermione forever.
"Okay."
Harry smiled at himself, wondering how Hermione was making his body look so feminine.
"What now?" Hermione asked finally.
"Snape is dead. Ron gave me his memories to put in the Pensive."
"Ron?! What does he—"
"He thinks I'm you." Harry said. "And I tried to tell him about this but he thought I was crazy and just kissed me."
"Well then…" Hermione didn't know what to do. For once, she didn't know.
"You find Ron, I'll go to the Pensive." Harry said. The words sounded strange coming out of Hermione's mouth. Usually she spoke in longer sentences.
Harry left the Ravenclaw Common-Room and put his braid behind his shoulder. How did Hermione live with that thing? The Pensive was in Dumbledore's office…He made it there quickly and poured the memories in. He was looking forward to this. It would be a chance to finally make fun of Snape.
When Harry lifted his head out of the murky water, he yelped. Snape hadn't been evil, he'd been Dumbledore's friend. Harry had been wrong about him. Everything about him. He had known Lily. Harry almost cried. But then he remembered the end. He remembered Snape's conversation with Dumbledore. He would have to die. The Boy-who –lived would be killed.
But then Harry realized the worst part. The reason he had to die was that the Horcrux was in his body. And he wasn't in it. Hermione was. Hermione Granger, who had done nothing wrong, would have to die. Harry shed a tear. Hermione would have to die. It was all his fault. He shouldn't have touched the Cup at the same time. Harry left the Pensive sitting in the office and slowly walked down the stairs. Voldemort was waiting for Harry Potter in the woods. And he wasn't Harry Potter. Hermione would have to go. He'd have to tell her. Ron and 'Harry' were waiting on the steps that led outside. The real Harry walked over to Ron and sat down.
"Hermione! I mean…Harry…"
"You told him?" asked Harry in Hermione's voice.
"Yes." Hermione nodded.
"Harry, we have to figure out a way to switch you two back!" Ron said.
"I know, Ron."
For once, Harry sounded like Hermione when he was in her body. She told people she knew things already frequently. Because Hermione knew everything.
"Ron, Hermione, I went and saw Snape's memories."
Hermione egged him on, and Harry went on to tell the story of Snape and Lily, of Snape's spying, of his parent's deaths. And then came the hard part. Finally he told Hermione what she had to do. There was nothing but quiet. Hermione began to shake harder than he'd ever seen his body shake. She was scared. Hermione buried her face in Ron's shirt, and Ron brushed her hair back (or rather, Harry's hair.)
"I can't do it, Ron! I can't!"
Ron was speechless.
"Ye—Yes you c—an."
His voice cracked. Harry saw a reflection of himself in the cracked mirror and realized he looked terrible. He put his braid behind him and then patted Hermione's back. Suddenly she stood straight up. Hermione grabbed her old wand from Harry's back pocket and handed Harry Draco's. Then, without looking back, she strode down the stairs, out of the castle, and into the woods.