Back at Hogwarts, Hermione and Harry were sitting reading some of their school books. It had been Hermione's idea so they would not be too far behind when they returned to their lessons on Monday. Harry, who was reading the DADA textbook, looked up and saw that it was nearly lunchtime. This made him nervous as it would only be a few hours before the second part of the potion was ready and he would have to make his final decision. While he had already made it in his head, actually carrying it out would be another thing altogether. Poppy and Andromeda had been keeping their distance for the most part, only coming up to them when they needed to run tests. The two teens had appreciated this, even though they had not been doing anything that was particularly private.

Just before 12, the doors to the infirmary opened and Minerva entered followed by a petite girl with long silver blonde hair and large eyes. The pair of them came over to the bed and the girl looked at Harry to see if she could see what the matter was.

"Are you alright Harry?" The girl asked.

"That's a bit of a loaded question Luna." Harry replied. "I'm not in any pain at the moment and I don't appear to be suffering any effects of the attack. Have you been told what happened?"

"Not really." Luna replied. "It was announced at dinner last night that you had been attacked and were in here." She added. "Though I was not sure if the Headmaster knew what he was saying as he was suffering from a particularly nasty Wrackspurt infestation at the time. I was hoping you would be at breakfast, but you weren't. I was worried you were suffering from a Wrackspurt infestation too and had forgotten about me. Then Professor McGonagall told me that you wanted to see me and she would take me to see you after class. And she did." Luna said, almost bouncing.

Hermione looked at Harry and mouthed 'Wrackspurts?' at him. Harry saw it and gave his head a gentle shake in her direction and mouthed 'later' back.

"Yes Luna I did want to see you. Do you know my friend Hermione?" He asked.

Luna looked at Hermione and nodded serenely.

"Oh yes." She replied. "She has helped me several times in the library when I can't reach or find the book I need."

Hermione looked rather surprised at this as she had no memory of meeting the decidedly strange Ravenclaw. However she gave the younger girl a smile and a nod in greeting.

"Good." Harry continued, wondering how he was going to explain this. "Well I was attacked by Malfoy and a four others. I was stunned and put in a body bind. He then forced me to drink a potion before knocking me out again. I woke up here and I was told what the potion I was forced to take does. Have you heard of Binary Potions?" He asked.

"Oh yes." Luna replied. "Those are the two part potions that are usually dangerous and very hard to brew. My Mummy used to be very good at making them." She added.

Harry nodded and took a sip of water from the cup on the cabinet next to his bed.

"Well I was force fed the first part of one of those." He said.

Luna looked shocked at that. Her eyes, that were usually rather dreamy, took on a clear and sharp focus.

"Which one?" She asked, her usual sing-song tone replaced with a one that was as hard and as sharp as a knife.

"The Mutatio autem genus." Replied Hermione, amazed at the transformation of the girl in front of her.

"Blast!" Luna muttered. "It would have to be that one! Have they called someone in from St Mungo's?" She asked.

"Andromeda Tonks." Harry replied, not particularly surprised at Luna's response as he knew her to be very protective of her friends.

"Good." Luna said. "She's the best. If you'll excuse me, I need to speak to her." With that she almost ran off towards Poppy's office.

Hermione looked at Harry and Minerva, clearly at a loss.

"I know her Mum worked in research before she died. From what little Luna has said, I suspect she at least worked with, if not for, the Department of Mysteries." Harry said in way of explanation. "And Luna seems to have been taught a lot, even though she was only 9 when her Mum died."

"That makes a great deal of sense Mr Potter." Minerva said. "Miss Lovegood is right at the top of her year and she has a breadth of knowledge that I have never seen in one of her age."

Luna returned towing Andromeda who was asking the girl questions that made no sense to either Harry or Hermione. Andromeda performed a few new scans before shaking her head.

"While Mr Potter is not in any pain yet, the 1st part of the potion has already begun working. I suspect he has less than 6 hours before he has to take the second part or take the risk of consequences." The Master Healer said to Luna.

"Where did Malfoy find the instructions anyway?" She asked. "I thought the Ministry had gotten all the copies and locked them away or destroyed them?"

"He had an old potions book in his trunk. Where he got the book from we don't know as he has not told us." Minerva replied.

Luna then turned to Harry, her eyes awash with tears.

"I'm sorry Harry, there is nothing I can do." She said, before starting to walk away.

Harry was stunned for a minute before coming to his senses.

"Wait Luna." He called. Luna turned and, still with tear filled eyes, looked at him.

"Thank you for trying to help, but that isn't why I asked Professor McGonagall to bring you to see me." He said.

Luna looked astonished at that, but came back over and perched on the side of his bed. She tilted her head and waited for Harry to explain it to her.

"I have already decided that, unless I can be presented with a solution that will prevent any damage, I will take the second part of the potion as soon as it is ready." He paused and looked at Luna. She was sitting there, not judging him as normal. "Once I have taken it and, presuming there are no complications, I will be taking a few days away from the castle and staying with Hermione and her Parents. Then when I return on Sunday night, I have asked to be moved into separate quarters. I was told that I was not permitted to sleep alone so I would only get permission to do so if others joined me. Hermione of course, and then I thought of you. Would you like to leave Ravenclaw tower and join Hermione and me, as well as a couple of other girls?" He asked nervously.

Luna looked like she could not believe her luck. She spent as little time in the Ravenclaw common room and dormitories as possible, but it was still too much. When Harry had said he was leaving, she almost missed the bit about it being only for a few days as her heart plummeted at the thought of her only friend leaving her. When she heard that he wanted her to move out of her house dormitory and into separate quarters, she could not believe her luck.

"Are you sure this is allowed Harry?" She asked.

"I assure you it is Miss Lovegood." Minerva replied. "After Mr Potter made the request, I spoke to the Headmaster and he agreed at once. As I expect you can imagine, Mr Potter will have a great deal of adapting to do and privacy will be essential. To that end four girls were chosen. He clearly trusts you and Miss Granger as those were the names he immediately put forward. Two other names were suggested and they have both agreed. So far, they are the only students, apart from the three of you, who know the full story." She paused before turning to Harry. "By the way Mr Potter. Miss Greengrass has offered you and Miss Granger copies of her class notes for this week. She will owl them to you on Friday so you can at least read them over before you return to school."

Harry smiled and Hermione looked relieved.

"Can you please thank her for me?" He replied. "I will tell her myself when I see her next, but that probably won't be before Sunday."

"Of course Mr Potter." Minerva replied. "Now I must get to the Great Hall to keep an eye on the students during lunch."

With another nod and smile from Harry, she turned to leave. Luna was about to do the same when Harry put a hand on her arm.

"Would you like to join Hermione and me for lunch?" He asked.

Luna nodded and Harry called Dobby. The elf appeared, carrying Harry's trunk, He put it at the end of his bed.

"Thank you Dobby." Harry said. "Can we have lunch for three please? And make sure there is some pudding for Luna." He added.

"Yes Master Harry." Dobby said and popped away.

Less than a minute later the elf was back with two large trays. The table they had used for breakfast was again laid out and a large selection of lunch food, including the requested pudding, was transferred to the table. Luna and Hermione pulled up chairs and Harry, now wearing his Quidditch jersey on top of his pyjamas, sat on his bed. The three of them dug in as the two healers kept an eye on them from the other side of the Infirmary.


Amelia stepped into the elevator from the Ministry Atrium, followed by Fudge and a few staffers. The elevator shot off, causing Amelia to sigh. The press conference had gone just as suspected. The various reporters had asked for many details that, thankfully, Amelia had been able to provide. She could tell that they had smelled blood and was thankful that Cornelius had not tried to defend the Malfoy family and that he had managed to leave Umbridge behind. Now that she thought about it, it was more than a little curious that the toad like woman had not been there, so she turned to the Minister.

"How did you persuade Delores not to attend the press conference Cornelius?" She asked.

Fudge went a bit red, but he did manage to look at her before replying.

"I managed to find her another job to do." He replied. "Since I sent Crouch to Hogwarts, I needed someone to meet the ICW sport representatives along with Bagman to discuss next summer's World Cup."

Amelia nodded at that. While she would not have chosen Umbridge for such a sensitive task, it did make sure the woman was out of the way. She just hoped it didn't cause any problems in the future. After all, Delores could offend anyone and usually did.

The lift stopped at her floor and she got out, leaving Fudge and his staff to go on to his office. She walked into the DMLE and found Rufus in his office.

"Have the Dursley's been interviewed yet?" She asked.

"Not yet." The Head Auror replied, shaking his head. "From what Proudfoot and Jones said, they were pretty confrontational and had to be subdued. The son is apparently away in school, but Petunia was arrested at her home and Vernon was located and detained in his place of work." He added, looking at the report that was on his desk.

"Get the Uncle into the interview room and make sure he is restrained. Then find the duty solicitor so we can interview him. I want to speak to them both before I head up to Hogwarts and speak to Mr Potter." Amelia instructed.

Rufus nodded and headed off to the cells to fetch Vernon while Amelia went to her office to ask her Secretary to get her a sandwich for lunch.

About half an hour later, Amelia walked into the interview room to find a heavily restrained and silenced Vernon Dursley sitting in one of the chairs. Auror Jonas Proudfoot, who sported a black eye, stood behind Vernon, ready to act if the large man was to manage to escape. His partner, Senior Auror Hestia Jones, stood by the door. Her wand out and ready to back him up.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Piggy here." Proudfoot said with a grimace, indicating Vernon. "Decided that as we were all Freaks, we had no right to hold him and he tried to back up his claim with violence. He caught me out." He added.

Amelia glared at Vernon in disgust.

"As soon as Rufus and Dawlish arrive, get that checked out by the duty Healer. It's probably nothing, but I need you both ready to go if needed."

"You got it Boss." Proudfoot replied while Hestia nodded.

The door opened and Rufus and Dawlish entered. Once they were seated, Proudfoot went to leave but Hestia hesitated.

"Do you want me to stay Boss?" She asked.

Amelia thought for a moment before nodding.

"Please. I'm sure Jonas can find his way to the healer without you holding his hand." She replied, trying not to smile.

Hestia chuckled and resumed her post by the door. Once Proudfoot had left and closed the door behind him, they got the interview started.

After naming all the parties present in addition to Vernon, Amelia proceeded with the interview.

"Mr Dursley, you are here to answer accusations about how you treated Mr Harry Potter while he was living with you at Number 4 Privet Drive." She said formally. She then turned to the duty solicitor. "Does Mr Dursley wish to make a statement?"

"Elias Gedge, the duty solicitor, tried to move further away from his 'client', while still remain at the table. He cleared his throat.

"Mr Dursley has refused to speak with me." He said. "He has labelled me a Freak and would have got violent if he were not restrained. I will do my best to assist him, but there is not much I can do if he does not listen."

Amelia nodded. She had expected this, but making sure he at least had representation made sure that she was covered. She turned back to Vernon.

"I will remove the silencing charm from you in a moment Mr Dursley." She said. "However, should you continue to rant and rave, I will reapply it and you will not have the opportunity to speak. Do you understand?" She asked.

Vernon managed to control his temper enough to nod. Then Rufus flicked his wand and the silencing charm was dispelled.

"By what right am I here?" He demanded, still barely keeping his temper. "I am not a Freak and I know enough that you only have power over your own kind!"

Amelia sighed, at least he wasn't screaming.

"Mr Dursley." She began. "As soon as Harry Potter, a magical child, was placed in your care, you became subject to the laws of the magical world as well as the muggle one. Surely that was explained to you?" She asked.

"Explained!" Vernon snapped. "You Freaks told us nothing. "He was left on our doorstep back in 81, wrapped in a blanket and with just a note telling us who he was!"

Amelia paled at this, her day was getting worse.

"Who was the letter from?" She asked.

"Albus bloody Dumbledore." Vernon replied, calming a bit as they were at least listening to him. "It told us that my Wife's Sister was dead and we had to take care of the Boy. I wanted to take him to social services but Petunia told me it was better if we kept him. I wanted to make sure that he showed no freakiness, so he had to be punished regularly."

"What sort of punishments?" Amelia asked, her eyes narrowed with her own anger.

Vernon, for once in his life displayed some common sense and looked at Gedge. The solicitor shook his head slightly and Vernon clammed up.

"We have healer reports that say Mr Potter suffered from numerous broken bones, malnutrition and, from the scars on his back, was often beaten. Would you say that is a fair assessment of those punishments?" Amelia asked, struggling to keep her own anger in check.

Vernon again said nothing, knowing to answer would only incriminate himself.

Amelia nodded again.

"Very well. I will end the interview there. You will have time to discuss things with Mr Gedge before you are returned to your cell. Once I have spoken to your wife, I will make sure you are both charged for the abuse and neglect you heaped upon your Nephew. Harry Potter is hereby removed from your custody and is placed as a ward of the Ministry until are more permanent guardian can be appointed." She declared formally.

Vernon began to rant again so the silencing charm was reapplied and Amelia ended the interview.

After taking a short break to eat the sandwich her secretary had fetched for her, Amelia went to interview Petunia. As she expected, the interview went almost identically to that of Vernon's. After sending the woman back to her cell, Amelia went in search of Fudge and found him waiting for her outside her office.

"Ah Amelia." Fudge said as soon as he saw her. "I understand you have been speaking to Mr Potter's muggle relatives. How did it go?"

"As expected Cornelius." Amelia replied. "Though they did have the sense to not incriminate themselves regarding their treatment of Mr Potter. Between Mr Potter's testimony and the healers report, they will be convicted. I will push for questioning under Veritasirum so we can wrap this case up. I have already formally removed Mr Potter from their custody and will look for a suitable guardian once I have spoken to him. While I have no doubt that many families would like the honour, Mr Potter should have a say too."

Fudge nodded.

"I take it you are off to Hogwarts then?" He asked.

"Yes. While Proudfoot and Jones continue their investigation, I'll have Tonks and Shacklebolt accompany me. I probably won't be back until after Mr Potter has either taken the second part of the potion or not and suffered the consequences."

"Do you think he will not take the potion?" Fudge asked, concerned that the boy would die.

"From what I've gathered, I expect him to take it but until he has done so there are no guarantees." She paused. "Anyway, you know where I'll be if you need me for anything."

Fudge nodded and the pair of them left Amelia's office to their separate destinations.


Harry, Hermione and Luna had finished their lunch and were chatting quietly. Dobby had cleared away the remains and moved the table out of the way before the door to the Infirmary opened and Minerva entered, followed by Amelia, Tonks and Shacklebolt. The four of them headed directly towards Harry, but stopped at the end of his bed.

"It's nearly time for afternoon classes Miss Lovegood." Minerva said gently.

Luna nodded and turned to Harry.

"Thank you for inviting me for lunch Harry." She said with a smile.

"You're welcome Luna." Harry replied. "Why don't you come by after classes this afternoon, say about 4:30? That way you can join us for dinner." He said with a smile.

If possible, Luna's already broad smile widened and she gave a nod.

"I'll see you later." She replied as she almost skipped out of the Infirmary.

As soon as Luna had left, Amelia spoke up.

"There are some things I need to speak to you about Mr Potter." She said. "Can we discuss them now or would you prefer to do it later?" She asked.

"I think now would be better." Harry replied. "I have no idea what state I'll be in later and I have a few hours until the potion will be ready." He added.

"So you are definitely taking the potion?" Amelia asked.

"I am." Harry nodded in reply. "Unless someone can come to me before then and tell me that they can reverse what has already been done, I see it as little option."

"Very well." Amelia said as the four adults all pulled up chairs and sat down. "Now there are two matters I need to speak to you about. The first is your relatives. They have been arrested and questioned. They were loud and your Uncle was rather violent, but neither voluntarily gave any information. We will be using Veritasirum later, but for now you have been removed from their custody and made a temporary ward of the Ministry until a suitable guardian can be found. Do you have any preference?" She asked.

Harry, who been temporarily struck dumb when his relatives were mentioned, thought about that for a few seconds.

"No-one in particular comes to mind." He replied slowly. "But I know I don't want to live completely in the magic world and have no access to the non-magical one." He continued.

While he was speaking, Hermione had an idea. It was all she could do to keep silent on it, but she needed to speak to her Parents first before mentioning it to Harry.

"So does that mean I will never have to go back to Privet Drive again?" Harry asked, doing his best not to bounce in his bed with joy.

"It does." Amelia replied. "If there are any personal possessions you have there, I will send someone to retrieve them."

"No, there is nothing there I want." Harry replied. "Unless they have anything that belonged to either of my Parents, all of my things are in my trunk." He added.

Amelia nodded and made a note to have the house checked. She then cleared her throat.

"The next matter is more sensitive." She said clearly, but not loudly. "It is in regards to the attack on you. I have spoken to the five boys and four of them have given consistent stories as to what happened, the fifth refused to make a statement."

"Let me guess, that one was Malfoy?" Harry asked, his expression darkened.

"Correct Mr Potter." Amelia replied. "Now, as the victim, you have the right to be kept apprised of the case and be informed if we are looking to make deals with any or all of the aggressors."

"Deal? What kind of deal?" Harry asked, panic rising.

Hermione moved off her chair to sit next to Harry on the bed and put her arm around his shoulders. She then looked at Amelia.

"I hope that none of them are returning to Hogwarts?" She asked, her expression icy.

Amelia made a note not to antagonise the young witch as she was clearly very protective of her friend.

"Please relax Mr Potter." She said soothingly. "And no Miss Granger, all five boys have been expelled in addition to whatever punishments my department offers them.

Both Harry and Hermione calmed visibly at this, but they stayed focussed on Amelia and waited for the details.

"With regards to Mr Crabbe and Mr Goyle, since neither of them did anything more than stand back and look threatening, I am inclined to be somewhat lenient with them." She continued. "Their families will both receive substantial fines, 50% of which will be paid to you in compensation and they will be placed on full probation for the next 25 years. That means, while they are not permitted to return to Hogwarts, they will be able to attend another school if their Parents wish. Should either boy put a foot wrong during their probation, they will immediately have their wands snapped and magic bound in addition to any punishments for that crime." Amelia paused and waited for Harry to respond.

Harry looked at Hermione, who nodded and gave him an encouraging smile.

"I think I can agree with that." Harry replied. "It's not like they ever do anything, they simply follow Malfoy around." He added. "What about the older two?" He asked.

"Patrick Selwyn and Marcus Rosier." Amelia replied. "They are in the year above you and as such, cannot be treated as leniently as Messer's Crabbe and Goyle. On top of that, they both played an active part in the attack so that in itself warrants harsher punishments." She paused again. "Both their families will also be fined, though the fines will be heavier than Crabbe and Goyle's and you again will receive 50% in compensation. As well as being placed on probation for 25 years, they will both have their wands snapped and their magic bound, effectively making them Squibs. If their families keep them, then there will be no need for further action. If not, they will have their memories modified and placed in a muggle hospital as victims of memory loss." Amelia paused once more to await Harry's response.

"I think that is appropriate." Harry replied after exchanging another look with Hermione. "And fitting, they will have to learn to live without magic and I am sure it will come as something of a culture shock to them!"

Amelia nodded her agreement. This was going far better than she had expected. He had not even asked about the money.

"What about Malfoy?" Hermione asked.

"Well, since he has refused to make a statement, we will have to question him under Veritasirum so he can explain the details. But if he is as at fully at fault as the others have indicated, then nothing but the harshest punishment will suffice. Even larger fines, a term in Azkaban of not less than 5 years, probation after that for a further 20 years and then his wand snapped and magic bound." Amelia stopped as she could see Harry looking uncomfortable.

"What is it Mr Potter? Surely you don't want Mr Malfoy to be given the Dementors' kiss?" She asked in some horror.

"No." Harry shook his head. "While I agree with most of it, I would not wish anyone be sent to that prison surrounded by Dementors. Surely there has to be another way?" He asked.

Amelia was more than a little shocked at this. She had not expected him to be uncomfortable about Malfoy going to prison.

"I'm not sure what to suggest Mr Potter." She managed to reply. "Since young Mr Malfoy has nothing of value of his own we cannot take that as punishment and there is nothing on the books that we can use." She added.

"When is this likely to come to trial?" Harry asked. "Because I would like to think about it before making any decision."

"The four boys who have already made statements will be formally questioned under Veritasirum and if what they have said is true and they agree to the deals, they will be dealt with by the end of the week. Mr Malfoy on the other hand, unless anything changes, will need a full trial and that will take a week or two to arrange." Amelia replied.

That seemed to cheer Harry up.

"I will think on this over the weekend and get back to you by this time next week." He said. "I'm not sure if you have been notified but I have invited your Niece as well as several other girls to join me in semi-private accommodation as of next week. I can't cope with the Gryffindor dorms at the moment and we came up with this as an answer."

"Professor McGonagall did tell me and I think it's an excellent idea. She also mentioned that you have almost no knowledge of your heritage. I will arrange for several volumes from the Bones' family library to be brought here as they have information that I think you will need." Amelia replied with a smile.

"Thank you Madame Bones." Harry replied, while Hermione's eyes glowed at the thought of more books to read.

"You are welcome Mr Potter." Amelia replied. "Myself and my two Aurors will be in the castle for the next few hours she should you need anything else." She added.

"Before you go." Harry spoke up before turning to Minerva. "Who will be taking Hermione and me to Diagon Alley tomorrow?" He asked.

"It has not been decided yet." She replied. "Did you have someone in mind?"

"Well I was hoping that Tonks would come." Harry said rather shyly. "After all, she is pretty much family if what you read in that book is right." He added, turning to Hermione.

Both Amelia and Tonks looked rather surprised at this request, but they nodded.

"If that is what you want, I'll send Tonks and Shacklebolt here first thing tomorrow." Amelia said, looking at her Aurors who both nodded.

"I'll come as well." Came Andromeda's voice from behind her Daughter. "I want to keep an eye on you for a while and I'm sure you will need someone with parental experience when it comes to clothes shopping." She paused. "If you were to take Nymphadora's advice on clothes, you will end up looking like a punk band reject." She said with an eyebrow raised at her Daughter, daring her to disagree.

Harry was surprised at this but quickly realised it was a good idea and a glance at Hermione showed him that she thought so too. He looked at the haler and gave her a smile and a nod.

"Thank you Mrs Tonks." He replied with a hint of a blush at the thought of clothes shopping in areas of a shop he had ever been in before. Harry then had another thought and turned back to Minerva.

"What has the rest of the school been told about what has happened?" He asked.

"Only that you were attacked and are currently in here. I believe that tonight at dinner, once your change is complete, the Headmaster will make an announcement to let the school know the basics of what happened and that you will be out of school until Sunday." Minerva paused before continuing. "All four of the girls you have invited to share your new quarters with have already been informed and they have all promised not to reveal the situation until the Headmaster makes his announcement. They have all asked to meet you after the change if at all possible."

Harry nodded at this, his brow furrowed in thought.

"As long as I am up to it Professor, I would like to see them before dinner." He replied. "Also, though I'm not sure how he will take it, I need to see Ron too." He added, almost as an afterthought.

"I agree Mr Potter." Minerva replied, pleased that the third member of the trio had not been forgotten. Though with both the others effectively moving out of Gryffindor, it will make things harder.

"Thank you Professor." Harry replied. Then another thought struck him, a not particularly pleasant one. "Will I still be able to play Quidditch?" He asked.

"I don't see why not Mr Potter." Minerva replied. "Though you may need to practice flying some more to get used to your new body. I will speak to Mr Wood and the rest of the team to see if they can help you." She paused before turning to Andromeda. "Unless you have any objection Healer Tonks?" She asked.

"None that I can foresee." Andromeda replied. "I will check you over after the change and again sometime on Monday. If everything is as expected, then you will be able to resume Quidditch as normal."

Harry sighed in relief as Quidditch was his one hobby and he did not want to give it up.

"Well if there is nothing else, we will leave you in peace." Amelia spoke up. "I will return around 4pm or earlier if summoned." She added and she led the two Aurors out of the Infirmary.

Minerva got up too.

"And I have classes to teach. I will return afterwards Mr Potter." She replied, and with a nod at both Harry and Hermione, she followed the others out of the Infirmary.

"I just need to perform some more tests and then we too will leave you in peace." Healer Tonks said, giving Harry a smile as she waved her wand over him in a complicated pattern. "There all done." She said a few moments later before turning and heading back to the office at the far end.

Now, apart from Harry and Hermione, the Infirmary was deserted. At a loss for what to do and wanting to keep her friend's mind off what was to come in a few hours, Hermione took out their DADA textbooks and began to read and discuss some of the upcoming theory. It was weak, but Harry managed to focus most of the time.


Harry had been feeling more and more uncomfortable as the afternoon wore on. Though, as per usual, he had not said anything about it. It was only Hermione who, by knowing Harry as well as she did, recognised that he was not feeling himself. After several 'I'm fine's', she eventually gave up, but kept an eye on him.

At just before 3:30pm, Healer Tonks, followed by Madame Pomfry, came over to them.

"How are you feeling Mr Potter?" Andromeda asked.

"I'm fine." Harry replied through gritted teeth as the pain he had been experiencing most of the afternoon had gotten worse in the last hour.

Andromeda was prevented from calling him a liar, as not only could she see the signs of pain, but her detection charms had picked it up as well, by Hermione.

"Harry you're NOT fine!" She groused. "You are not supposed to hide pain, especially if it is bad enough to go against your ridiculously high tolerance!"

"What do you want me to say?" Harry snapped back. "That I've never felt pain like this before, not even when I got bitten by the Basilisk last year!"

Hermione gasped at that while both Healers began casting charms on her friend.

"Can't you give him something for it?" She asked desperately.

Poppy looked at Andromeda who shook her head.

"There are no pain relief potions that don't run a risk of interfering with the binary potion." She replied. "Hopefully Professor Snape will be here shortly with the second part. I can give you a cheering charm if you like? It won't take away the pain, but it may help you to cope with it."

Harry nodded, the pain now preventing him speaking at all. Andromeda cast the charm and Harry felt lighter. He could still feel the pain, but it mattered less.

Hermione sat there holding his hand while the Healers drew curtains round the bed. She smiled at them and gave them a nod in thanks. All they could do was wait.

About a quarter of an hour later, the doors opened and the sounds of several people came in. The curtains were pushed aside to reveal Snape and Dumbledore. Snape had a vial of glowing purple potion in one hand. He held it out for Harry to take.

"There you go Mr Potter. You should drink it right away." He said in an oddly gentle tone.

Harry nodded and took the vial. He then looked at the healers.

"Can I have a few minutes privacy please?" He asked.

Andromeda and Poppy looked at each other before nodding.

"Very well." Andromeda replied. "But I want to cast some more detection charms on you and at least one of us should be present when you take the potion in case something unexpected happens."

Harry nodded and after casting the charms, both healers, Snape and Dumbledore stepped outside the curtains. Hermione left to go too when she was stopped by Harry, who was holding onto her hand.

"Not you Mya." He said. "The reason I asked for privacy, is that I have a favour to ask."

"Of course Harry." Hermione replied, sitting back on the edge of Harry's bed. "What do you need?" She asked, her chocolate brown eyes fixed on his green ones.

"I want to do something before I take the potion in case I don't have the opportunity afterwards. I know if I don't ask, I'll regret it." He said.

Hermione just sat there, waiting for him to ask as she knew that she could not rush him.

"Mya." He said slowly as if he were working up the nerve to ask something important. "May I please kiss you?"

Hermione did not know what she expected, but it was not that. Her eyes widened and she gasped.

"You want to kiss me?" She gaped, not believing her ears.

"Just once." Harry nodded. "Who knows how this change will affect me and I may not want to afterwards."

"Why me?" Hermione asked. She understood that he might want to kiss a girl, but choosing her was baffling.

"Because you are amazing Mya." Harry replied simply. "You have stuck by me for almost the last two years and you are, to put it simply, the most important person in my life."

Hermione's cheeks reddened as she blushed like she never had before. Harry's complement made her hope that the boy she had been crushing on since he rescued her from a troll, might return her feelings.

"Thank you Harry." She managed to reply, unsure of what else to say. "How do you want to do it?" She asked, still groping in the dark.

Harry had not really thought that far ahead as he had not really expected Hermione to say yes. However, holding the potion in his right hand, he reached out with his left and pulled Hermione onto his lap. Then cupping her cheek, he leaned over and pressed his lips onto hers.

Hermione managed not to squeak with surprise as Harry pulled her onto the bed. She was caught by his mesmerizing gaze as he leaned forward before fireworks went off in her head as he kissed her.

The kiss itself did not last long as Harry pulled back with the pain getting worse. But to Hermione it was all she had imagined and she found herself hoping that afterwards, they could do it again. Seeing the flashes of pain go over Harry's face, she called for help and the two healers, as well as Minerva and Dumbledore rushed in.

"You must take the potion now Mr Potter." Andromeda ordered. "If you delay, it may not work at all!" She added.

Hermione who was now sitting in the chair gave him an encouraging smile. Harry nodded and throwing back his head, poured the thick potion down his throat. He then dropped the vial and reached out his right hand towards Hermione, who took it gratefully. More pain overtook him and he fell back against the pillows. Then the pain began to subside and was replaced by a feeling that reminded him of when he had taken polyjuice the previous year.

Then suddenly pain hit again, centred around his scar. The pain became so intense that he sat up and screamed. Then, unknown to Harry, though obvious to the watchers, his famous scar split open and a black tar like substance began to leak out followed by a greenish mist. This mist seemed to scream as well but soon faded. Dumbledore's face was, rather surprisingly, the picture of relief. Waving his wand, her collected the black substance and sealed it in a glass container. Once it was all gone, the scar began to fade as Harry's whole body began to change.

With the pain now gone, Harry closed his eyes lay back down and took comfort in Hermione's hand as the strange feeling continued to wash over him. He did not know how long he lay there, but eventually the feeling began to subside and he opened his eyes. He turned to Hermione and saw her staring at him with a mixture of compassion, concern and something he did not recognise.

"Did it work?" He managed to croak out, his voice sounding quite different than before.

Hermione could only nod in response.

"Would you like a mirror?" Poppy asked. She was also looking at him, almost as if she had seen a ghost.

"Yes please." He replied, his voice, now clearer than before, was clearly softer and of a subtler tone.

Poppy, who had clearly been prepared for this, lifted a large framed mirror up and placed it on his lap. Taking a deep breath, Harry looked into the mirror and gasped in shock.

He had expected to still resemble his Father with his Mother's eyes, but he was mistaken. While the eyes were still the same shade of green as they had been, the rest was very different. Gone was the coal black wavy mess of hair. It was replaced by long, slightly wavy hair in a deep, dark red that looked like fire or a rich wine. The face itself was slender, with prominent cheekbones and a small nose above a wide mouth and a delicate chin.

"Wow!" Was the only response made that came out of the very feminine lips.

"Wow indeed Miss Potter." Minerva said, recovering her voice. "It seems that now, instead of looking like your Father, you are now practically a mirror image of your Mother. If I didn't know any better, I would swear I was actually looking at her."

The new girl could only nod as she took in her new reflection. Hermione however, had questions.

"What was that, that came out of the scar?" She asked, looking at Dumbledore.

"I'm not sure Miss Granger." Dumbledore replied. "I have a theory, but nothing more. I promise I will explain it when I know more. But I assure you, that it can be nothing but good news." He added.

Hermione nodded, not entirely satisfied with the answer. It was not urgent however and there more important things to do. She turned to the girl on the bed, formerly her very male best friend, who was still staring at their reflection.

"Do you want your glasses?" She asked, picking them up from the table where she had put them when they had fallen off.

"I'm not wearing them?" The girl asked. "Because I can see perfectly." She added, still engrossed in her inspection of her new self.

"No." Hermione replied. "Maybe this potion had other benefits too, and improving your eyesight is only one of them?" She wondered out loud, hoping that there wold be more as it would make things easier.

"Right, if everyone will leave, we need to do a full examination and this young lady will need privacy." Andromeda ordered, looking pointedly at Dumbledore.

"Not Mya." The girl announced with the same steel in her voice that Hermione recognised as when Harry had made his mind up about something and was not about to budge.

Andromeda, clearly knowing that this was an argument she was going to lose, gave a brisk nod.

"Very well, Miss Granger can stay. But the rest of you, out!" She ordered.

Minerva and Dumbledore slipped out of sight, leaving the two healers and Hermione with the still mesmerised girl. Poppy put the Mirror down, causing the girl to groan.

"Don't worry." Poppy said soothingly. "Once we are done you can look as much as you want. By the way, have you thought about a name yet?" She asked.

The girl looked at Hermione who gave her friend another smile. She then turned back to Poppy.

"Not really. Mya and I discussed it, but no decision was made." The girl replied. "I do want to follow my Mother's family's tradition of floral names, but other than that, I haven't decided yet."

"Well you need to make a decision." Poppy said as she began her tests. "You will need to inform Gringotts of it when you go there tomorrow. Hogwarts will also need it so we can update our records."

Both girls nodded as the girl, showing much more restraint than she ever had, lay back and let the healers do their work.

The tests were soon done and Poppy looked at the results with some surprise. Then she made a decision.

"We'll give you two some privacy while I discuss these results with Madame Bones and the Headmaster. I will of course let you know everything, but I need to make sense of it myself first."

Both girls nodded and the two healers stepped through the curtains, leaving the two girls alone.

"We need to find you a name." Hermione stated, let's see what we can think of." She added and the two girls began to discuss names.