Magical Metamorphosis
Chapter 10: Reintroductions
TW: transphobia, medical discussions
Also, I made an edit to Chapter 9, just where Holly is composing her letter to Sirius. She now tells him about her name change.
Despite his words, Mr Weasley agreed to let them stay up, and share a last cup of cocoa before bed. He didn't really want to ruin the good mood the game had created. They sat by the warm fire, talking about the game, and Holly managed to put aside her anger at the Minister to enjoy herself with her friends. Eventually, they went to bed, the buzz of excitement fading to a warm tiredness. Holly slipped from imagining playing Quidditch like that into dreams of flying.
Suddenly, Mr Weasley was shouting urgently for them to get up. Blearily she climbed from her bunk, noticing the distant singing had been replaced by the sounds of screams and running. Adrenaline shot through her and she reached for her clothes, only to be stopped by Mr Weasley. She quickly grabbed her bag and coat before hurrying out. Outside the tent, she saw swarms of people fleeing into the forest from a tightly packed crowd of masked wizard. They were drunkenly laughing and jeering as they floated Mr Roberts and his wife and children over their heads, treating them like puppets. She could only stare in horror as more and more wizards joined them, cheering and pointing.
Mr Weasley and his adult sons joined the Ministry in trying to stop them, while ordering Holly and the others to hide in the woods. Despite their best efforts, between the crowds and the dark, Holly, Ron and Hermione were quickly separated from Fred, George and Ginny. In the woods, they encountered Draco Malfoy, who gloated smugly about the Muggles being tortured and threatening that Hermione could be targeted too. Then his eyes fell on Holly and his smirk faltered into an expression of disgust. "You even wear women's sleepwear now, Potter?" he asked incredulously, looking Holly up and down.
She pulled her coat closed over her nightdress, glaring back at him. "I am a woman," she snapped before striding away, beyond sick of dealing with his bigotry. Ron and Hermione hurried to follow, as Malfoy called snide comments at their backs.
After encountering a group of French teenagers, who probably attended Beauxbatons, Holly realised her wand wasn't in her bag. The trio looked around, but were unable find it. She hoped it was still in the tent, but being trapped without it made her feel incredibly vulnerable. At a loud rustling, they turned to see Winky fighting through the bushes to get away, moving as if being pulled back by some invisible force. As the sounds of fighting became louder, they moved deeper into the woods, passing some goblins, and even a few veela, who caused Ron's eyes to glaze over.
Once they found a quiet clearing to wait in, Bagman stumbled across them, looking pale and strained, yet he hadn't heard about the riot. Swearing he Apparated away. They sat, waiting and talking quietly, listening to the distant sounds fading. Suddenly, the sound of staggering footsteps approaching brought them to their feet. As they peered into the trees, calling to see who was there, a voice yelled, "MORSEMORDRE!" and a huge green shape erupted into the sky. Holly squinted up at it, taking in the sight of an ethereal skull, with a snake protruding from its mouth. Returning her gaze to the forest, she demanded the hidden person reveal themselves.
At that moment, Ron and Hermione started dragging her away, looking horrified as they told her the shape – the Dark Mark – was Voldemort's sign. Then, with a crack, twenty wizards appeared around them, wand ready, and Holly barely pulled her friends to the ground in time to avoid the wave of Stunning Spells from all directions. They only held their fire as Mr Weasley yelled for them to stop, recognising Ron. As he frantically checked on them, Crouch began accusing them of casting the Dark Mark. Even as they explained where the spell had come from, and the other Ministry wizards clearly dismissed them as suspects, Crouch continued to eye them suspiciously. Amos Diggory searched through the trees where they pointed, finding an unconscious Winky with a wand in her hand. Crouch checked the bushes himself, muttering denials, as Mr Diggory revealed Winky belonged to Crouch. The Ministry wizards seemed convinced that Winky had been the one to cast the Dark Mark.
Waking her, they began interrogating her, demanding answers as she gasped and stammered her innocence. When they waved the incriminating wand in her face, Holly recognised it.
"Hey – that's mine!"
Everyone turned to stare at her, as Mr Diggory asked, "Excuse me?"
"That's my wand! I dropped it!"
"You dropped it? Is this a confession? You threw it aside after you conjured the Mark?" Mr Diggory demanded.
"Amos, think who you're talking to!" Mr Weasley snapped. "Is Harry- I mean, Holly Potter likely to conjure the Dark Mark?" He shot her an apologetic look at his slip.
As Mr Diggory looked chastened, Holly could hear the other Ministry wizards muttering in confusion. Scowling, she snapped, "I'm changing my name to Holly Potter. Could we please move on?!" As the Ministry wizards stared at her in shock, she continued, "Anyway, I didn't drop my wand here. I lost it just after we got into the woods."
As Mr Diggory turned back to interrogating Winky, Hermine pointed out that Winky couldn't have cast the spell. The voice speaking the incantation was far deeper than hers, clearly human. Then, Mr Diggory cast a spell on Holly's wand, to reveal that it had indeed been used to cast the Mark. As he declared her guilt, Crouch stepped in, sounding offended at the implication that his servant would be associated with Dark Arts. He looked almost manic as he ranted on his hatred of the Dark Arts.
Finally, Mr Weasley determined that Winky had picked up the wand after the culprit had fled. Despite being nearby, she had not seen the caster, to the wizards' disappointment. Then, Crouch coldly dismissed Winky, freeing her, despite her crying please, for failing to obey and besmirching his reputation, much to Hermione's fury. Mr Weasley chose that moment to claim them, once Holly had reclaimed her wand, leading the trio back to their tent. A crowd of terrified witches and wizards were waiting at the edge of the forest, demanding answers from Mr Weasley, who gave them general reassurances.
Tiredly, they explained what had happened to the rest of the Weasleys, who were waiting for them. Percy immediately took Crouch's side, earning him Hermione's ire as she protested Winky's mistreatment. Then, at Ron's questions, Mr Weasley explained how the Dark Mark, not seen for thirteen years, had been used to mark where Voldemort and his followers had killed someone.
Bill told them that the sight of the Mark had scared away the group of Death Eaters who had been torturing the Muggles. At Holly's confusion, he explained that Death Eater was the name of Voldemort's followers. They had been frightened of the Mark, because they had denied the Dark Lord to avoid Azkaban, and feared his wrath for their betrayal. After some more discussion on the events of the night, Mr Weasley sent them to bed, to get some sleep before they returned to the Burrow as early as possible.
Early in the morning, they quickly packed with magic, returning to the Portkey area. Mr Roberts waved them off with a dazed, "Merry Christmas!" Holly gave Mr Weasley a pointed look, but he assured her that Mr Roberts would recover. They joined the queue and took a Portkey, then walked back to the Burrow. Mrs Weasley rushed out to greet them, calling out in relief. The early newspaper she was holding detailed attack on the World Cup, painting the Ministry in the worst light possible and practically inciting panic.
Mr Weasley and Percy insisted on going in to help, despite being on holiday, to Mrs Weasley's displeasure. As she tried to convince them not to go, Holly pulled her friends up to Ron's room. "What's up, Holly?" Ron asked, once the door was closed behind them.
"Remember the dream I told you about, a few days ago? Where Wormtail and Voldemort were plotting to kill me?" She hated putting it so bluntly, but it was better to face the truth.
"Don't – say – his – name!" Ron hissed through clenched teeth, as Hermione nodded looking troubled.
"It'd be a weird coincidence, for me to have that dream and my scar hurts, and three days later the Death Eaters are on the march, and Voldemort's sign's up I the sky again."
Ron flinched violently again, before a look of horror crossed his face. "Wait. Remember at the end of last year? When Professor Trelawney had that fit, and talked about the Dark Lord returning 'greater and more terrible than ever before'…"
Hermione gave a derisive snort, looking sceptical as she said, "Oh, Ron, you aren't got to pay any attention to anything that old fraud says? We all left her class, she's that useless."
"You didn't see her," Ron replied, jaw set stubbornly.
"I told Dumbledore about that at the end of last year," Holly interrupted quickly, before they could start arguing. "He thought it was a real prediction."
Hermione's mouth hung open in astonishment, while Ron looked smug. "Surely Dumbledore can't believe Trelawney's nonsense?" she asked, aghast.
"I don't think he believes everything she says," Holly said carefully. "When I asked him about it, he said something about it being her second real prediction. He even said he should give her a pay rise," she said with a small smile. There was a moment of silence, Hermione shaking her head in disbelief.
"I just hope I get a response to my letters soon," said Holly at last. "I know Sirius might take a while to reply, since he's who-knows-where, but I'd thought Dumbledore would have sent me something by now…"
"Maybe he's just busy," Ron offered with a shrug. When she still looked worried he said, "Come and have a game of Quidditch in the orchard, Holly. Come on – three on three, Bill and Charlie and Fred and George will play… you can try out the Wronski Feint…"
Hermione gave him a disapproving look. "Ron, Holly doesn't want to play Quidditch right now… she's worried and, she's tired… we all need to go to bed…"
"Yeah, I want to play Quidditch," Holly said. "Hang on, let me get my Firebolt."
Hermione left the room, shaking her head and muttering about Quidditch fanatics under her breath.
The following week, leading up to their return to Hogwarts, Holly and Ron spent a large amount of their time, studying for their exams, to place into their desired electives. Hermione looked on proudly as they revised, offering advice and clarifications when they needed it. They barely saw Mr Weasley or Percy during that time, as they were almost always at the Ministry, taking care of the chaos spawned by the World Cup attack.
The night before they were to catch the train, the residents of the Burrow relaxed in the living room, each engaged in some quiet activity or conversation. When Mr Weasley arrived home, looking thoroughly exhausted, he told them that Rita Skeeter had uncovered the disappearance of Bertha Jorkins, and was having a field day as she continued to smear the Ministry. When a comment from Percy brought up Mr Crouch and Winky, Hermione snapped at him that Crouch treated house-elves poorly, and that they were basically slaves. Before they could begin arguing in earnest, Mrs Weasley sent them all up to check they were packed for tomorrow.
Up in Ron's room, Holly wondered if the reason Sirius hadn't responded was because he had been caught. Ron reassured her, pointing out that it would definitely be in the papers, to make up for all the current bad press the Ministry was facing.
They turned to sort through the school shopping Mrs Weasley had bought for them, until Ron made a horrified sound, lifting up a horrifying maroon and lace dress. At that point, Mrs Weasley arrived with fresh laundry. Ron asked what the dress was and she told him it was his dress robes for formal events, which were required that year. In response to Ron's vehement protests, she had Holly pull hers out. Holly's were much more elegant, looking mostly like her old Hogwarts robes, but bottle green, instead of black. When Ron expressed his preference for those, Mrs Weasley embarrassedly admitted Ron's were second-hand. Ron adamantly refused to wear them.
Once Mrs Weasley left, and Ron was moping about everything he owned being second-hand, Holly looked over her dress robes again, feeling an unsettling suspicion. "I'll be back in a minute," she muttered to Ron, slipping out of the room and down the stairs, robes in hand. Reaching Ginny's room, she knocked on the open door. Ginny and Hermione looked up from their packing and waved her in.
"What is it, Holly," Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow as Holly carefully closed the door.
"Um… Hermione, could I please see your dress robe?" she asked tentatively, eyes downcast in thought.
Hermione shot her a confused look, but nodded. "Sure, give me a minute to get it out." Holly stood awkwardly with her dress robe clutched to her chest, fingers nervously toying with her hair, hoping that her growing suspicion was wrong.
When Hermione pulled out her dress robe, a beautiful thing of floaty, periwinkle-blue material, Holly almost burst into tears. "Dammit," she muttered. "I was right."
"Right about what?" Hermione asked with concern, putting aside her robes, while Ginny quickly took Holly's hand, rubbing it comfortingly. Wordlessly, Holly held out the robes, letting Hermione unfold them to see. After a moment of looking between them and Holly, Hermione gave an "Oh!" of realisation, and gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Holly."
"What? What's going on?" Ginny asked, sounding slightly put out, as she glanced between them.
"Mrs Weasley bought Holly men's dress robes," Hermione said grimly. Holly choked back a sob, covering her face with her free hand. She gritted her teeth, stubbornly refusing to cry over this.
"Oh dammit," Ginny said in a frustrated voice. "This is getting ridiculous. How many times do we have to tell her before she gets it? In fact," she nodded decisively, "I think I'm going to go yell at her about this."
Holly quickly grabbed her hand as she made to leave. "No wait. Please don't," she asked beseechingly. "I don't want to start an argument over this. It's not worth it." She gave a small smile as Hermione put the robes over her bed and came over to take her other hand. "At least they're better than Ron's, they're absolutely hideous."
The girls shared a guilty giggle, before Holly's trailed off. "Wait…" she breathed. "I've got an idea." Reclaiming her hands and dress robe, she darted out of the room with a call of "Thanks, Hermione, Ginny!" She arrived at the attic room to find Ron muttering angrily under his breath as he threw clothes into his trunk.
Hiding the robe behind her back, she called brightly, "Hey Ron." He shot her a dark look, which she promptly ignored. "I have something for you." As his expression turned curious, she presented the robe to him. He blinked at it in confusion for several seconds, before his expression twisted bitterly.
"I don't want your charity, Holly," he snapped at her. She sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
"It's not charity, Ron," she told him firmly, dropping the robe onto his bed. "These are men's dress robes."
"Yeah, unlike mine," Ron said bitterly, glaring at them.
Holly planted her hands on her hips. "They're men's robes, and I'm a girl, Ron. I'm not wearing them. Never," she said, echoing his words to his mother. As her words sank in, Ron's mulish expression wavered. He was considering it. "If you don't take them, I'll just burn them or something."
Snorting in amusement, Ron stood, shaking his head. "Well fine, no need to waste them. And it'll be a damn sight better than those horrible ones," he nodded to the maroon monstrosity. "Thanks, Holly," he added with a smile.
The next morning, Holly witnessed the unnerving sight of Amos Diggory using the Floo to speak to Mr Weasley. His head sat in the flames, completely unharmed, as he told Mr Weasley about an incident with someone named Mad-Eye, asking to keep him from getting in too much trouble for some Muggles seeing magic. Once Mr Weasley left, the others told Holly how Mad-Eye was a retired Auror – a Dark Wizard catcher – who had been one of the best, but fallen into paranoia and retired.
After breakfast, the Hogwarts students, escorted by Bill, Charlie and Mrs Weasley, caught cramped Muggle taxis to King's Cross and then easily slipped through the barrier to Platform Nine and Three Quarters. After placing their luggage on the train, they said their goodbyes to the adult Weasleys, who teasingly made cryptic references to something happening at Hogwarts that year. Finally, the students returned to their carriages, and the train pulled away.
Holly, Ron and Hermione had barely gotten comfortable before Malfoy's drawling voice drifted into the compartment, gloating about his parents considering sending him to Durmstrang – a foreign school with a reputation for the Dark Arts and blood purity – instead of Hogwarts. They closed the door to block him out, wishing he had gone there, so they wouldn't have to put up with him.
Several of their friends and acquaintances looked in on them throughout the ride. Almost every person who came in used her old name. She repressed a sigh each time she asked them to call her Holly instead. 'The one time I want people to know something, the vaunted Hogwarts rumour mill falls apart,' she thought bitterly.
When Sean, Seamus and Neville Longbottom joined them, conversation turned to the Quidditch World Cup, much to Hermione's displeasure. Ron excitedly told Neville about their experience, and his awe at seeing Krum. "We saw him right up close, as well. We were in the Top Box-"
He was interrupted by Malfoy appearing in the doorway, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. "For the first and last time in your life, Weasley," Malfoy drawled.
"Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy," Holly said coldly.
Malfoy wasn't listening to her, however, as he spotted Ron's second-hand dress robes, which Ron had hung over Pigwidgeon's cage to muffle the excitable bird. "Weasley… what is that?" Malfoy snatched it up with a look a cruel delight. "Look at this! Weasley, you weren't thinking of wearing these, were you? I mean – they were very fashionable in about 1890…"
"Eat dung, Malfoy!" Ron snarled, red-faced as he snatched back the robes.
As Malfoy, Crab and Goyle laughed, Holly snorted derisively. "Ron has perfectly good new robes to wear," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Those are just some old things to cover his owl's cage"
Malfoy shot her a glare. "And why wouldn't he just use a blanket?" he demanded. Holly shrugged.
"Why waste a good blanket?" she said, rolling her eyes. Malfoy's cheeks tinged pink as she shared a look with her friends, who laughed at her dramatics.
"Whatever," he sneered. "So… going to enter, Weasley? Going to try and bring a bit of glory to the family name? There's money involved as well, you know… you could even cut a decade off saving to see the Top Box again if you won…"
"What are you talking about?" Ron snapped.
When Malfoy realised they didn't know what was happening at Hogwarts, he proceeded to gloat about his father telling him ages ago. After a parting shot about Ron's father probably not being important enough to know, he left. Ron slammed the door behind him, rattling the glass violently.
As they arrived at the station, the rain was absolutely bucketing down. After calling a quick greeting to Hagrid, the trio and Neville rushed to a horseless carriage, which carried them up to Hogwarts. They hurried into the castle, to be greeted by Peeves the Poltergeist pelting them with water bombs. He only stopped when Professor McGonagall stormed over and threatened him with the Headmaster. Once he fled, blowing raspberries all the while, McGonagall ordered the watching students into the Hall. Then her eyes fell on the trio and she said, "Except you, Potter, Weasley. I need to speak with you."
"I'll save you some seats," Hermione told them, moving into the Great Hall with Neville. Holly glanced at Ron, who shrugged, and they followed Professor McGonagall into a side room, off the Entrance Hall. As she turned to face them, the Professor waved her wand over them, leaving them warm and dry.
"Don't look so worried, you're not in trouble," she said, to their relief. "I wished to discuss your electives. Are you still determined to drop Divination?"
"Well, I'm not going to let all the study I did this summer go to waste," Ron said with a grimace, before casting a nervous look at her. "Uh, not that I mean studying is bad or anything, Professor."
The corners of Professor McGonagall's mouth twitched as she said, "Quite." She looked to Holly, who quickly nodded her agreement. "Very well, you will be excused from your first classes tomorrow, so you may take your exams after breakfast. They will be graded before lunch is finished. I hope you appreciate the Professors sacrificing quite a bit of their time for this," she said archly, looking over her glasses at them.
"Yes Professor," they chorused. "We'll make sure to convey our gratitude," Holly added, earning a small smile.
"That's all sorted then," Professor McGonagall said, gesturing to the door. "We should get to the Feast, I need to start the Sorting."
As Ron hurried to the door with an eager expression, Holly hesitated. "Umm, actually Professor," Holly said quietly, "there's something else I'd like to ask about." She hesitated, until her Head of House gestured for her to continue, looking slightly impatient. "I've decided to change my name. I'd like to be called Holly Jasmine Potter, now."
Holly's eyes refused to stop looking at her hand, clenched in her lap. 'Why am I so damn nervous? I've been telling people to call me Holly for over a week now!'
"Ah," Professor McGonagall said, voice sounding odd. Holly looked up, to see a slightly wistful expression on her face. "Yes, I suppose you would want to. I will change your records with Hogwarts, and see to it that the rest of the staff are informed. You will need to contact the Ministry, if you wish to change any other documentation, I'm afraid."
"That's fine, for now," Holly nodded happily. "Thank you Professor."
"You're welcome, Holly," Professor McGonagall replied, smiling at her warmly. "It is a lovely name. I'm sure Lily would be quite proud of your choice."
Holly beamed.
As promised, Hermione had saved them seats. Ron and Holly received many jealous looks, as those around them continued wringing out their soaked robes, which they ignored with aplomb. They had barely settled before Colin Creevey, her Third Year fanboy, called from up the table. "Hiya, Harry!"
"Hi, Colin," she replied warily.
"Harry, guess what? Guess what, Harry? My brother's staring! My brother Dennis!"
Holly closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath, before speaking. "That's nice," she replied politely, careful to keep her voice level as she avoided looking at Colin.
"He's really excited!" Colin continued oblivious to Holly's annoyance. "I just hope he's in Gryffindor! Keep your fingers crossed, eh, Harry?"
"Sure, Colin," Holly said through gritted teeth. Then, she took a deep breath, unclenching her hands under the table. "I have something I need to say," she said, speaking up slightly to draw attention from along the table. As heads turned, she resisted the urge to fidget under the attention. Ron shot her a questioning look, while Hermione gave her an understanding smile. She had been planning to do this in the Common Room, but she honestly didn't think she could deal with it throughout the Feast. Speaking clearly and carefully, she said, "I've changed my name, to Holly Jasmine Potter. Use that from now on, please."
There were incredibly mixed reactions to her announcement from those around her. Most of her friends and acquaintances in Gryffindor already knew, having been told at the World Cup or on the Express. The Gryffindor Chasers and Holly's roommates offered compliments on her choice, in varying volumes and pitches.
Other Gryffindors looked utterly shocked. Holly was rather disturbed as she looked around at their expressions. They were acting as if she had cursed someone. A Second Year girl, named Romilda Vane, Holly thought, looked almost in tears, as she said, "But… but you're Harry Potter! The Boy Who Lived!"
Holly couldn't keep a grimace from her face. Merlin she hated that title. "Well, now I'm Holly Potter, The Girl Who Lived."
As the news rippled along the table, and across the aisle to the Hufflepuffs, some shocked faces turned to anger. "Seriously?" a Fifth Year snarled at her. "I thought this rubbish was just to throw Sirius Black off or something, but you're actually still pretending to be a girl?!"
"Shut the hell up, McLaggen," Katie Bell snapped angrily, as Holly curled in on herself, away from the glares and her friends moved closer protectively.
"Just ignore them, Holly," Hermione told her firmly, shooting McLaggen a venomous look. "It doesn't matter what they think."
Before Holly could reply, Professor McGonagall entered with the First Years, bringing silence to the Great Hall. They gathered at the front as the Sorting Hat was brought out and sung its song. Holly was surprised to hear a different one from her own Sorting. Apparently it changed every year. Then the Sorting began, Professor McGonagall slowly working her way down the list of names as the Hat placed the new students into their Houses. Dennis Creevey was sorted into Gryffindor, to the delight of Colin, who immediately pointed Holly out to him. Finally the last student was Sorted and Dumbledore bade them to "Tuck in."
Ron immediately fell upon the food like a starving animal, but Holly found her appetite lacking at the moment. Picking at her food, she wondered why it was so hard for people to just let her be herself. She was distracted by the sound of Hermione's indignation upon learning that Hogwarts used house-elves to prepare the meals, after which she refused to eat. Ron tried to tempt her throughout dinner and dessert, but she refused to budge even an inch.
When the food vanished, Dumbledore gave the start of term announcements. Shockingly, he declared the inter-house Quidditch Cup for the year was cancelled, to the dismay of the House Teams. 'He's lucky Wood graduated last year,' Holly thought numbly. 'I wouldn't put it past him to hex Dumbledore over this.' As Dumbledore made to explain why, he was interrupted by someone dramatically entering the hall. He was the most frightening looking person Holly had ever seen – excepting Voldemort. His face was horrifically scared and twisted, and one of his eyes was obscenely large and vivid, electric blue. It rolled endlessly in its socket, spinning around dizzyingly. He stomped across the Hall to shake hands with Dumbledore, before taking a seat at the High Table. Dumbledore introduced him as Professor Moody, the new teacher for Defence Against the Dark Arts. The students were too shocked by his appearance to applaud.
As they stared at the new Professor, who was sniffing his food before eating and drinking only from a hip-flask, Dumbledore continued, informing them that Hogwarts was to host the newly revived Triwizard Tournament. It was, he explained, a sporting competition between Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, where each school entered a Champion to face magical tasks. It had been discontinued over a century ago due to the huge death toll. Despite that morbid fact, only Hermione seemed perturbed, with many students whispering excitedly. Delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang would be arriving in October, and the Champions would be selected on Halloween, by an impartial judge. The winner would earn eternal glory and a thousand galleons in prize money. However, only those aged seventeen were permitted to enter, to the outrage of many younger students. With that, Dumbledore sent them to bed.
The Weasley Twins spent the journey to the Common Room mutinously planning to enter regardless of the age restriction. Once they passed the Fat Lady, the girls split off to their Dormitory, where Holly collapsed on her bed, feeling incredibly drained. Hermione stormed around the room, muttering furiously about slave labour and only stopping when Parvati threw a pillow at her.
Feeling grateful for the silence, Holly drew her curtains and quickly changed into her nightdress. As she lay down, she forced her mind to run through her Occlumency exercises, putting aside her emotions and clearing her thoughts. As the sense of meditative peace began to wash over her, she began to feel the creeping sensation of dysphoria growing more intense. Remembering Sarah's advice on meditation, she considered what to use for her focus. Since the meditation felt similar to flying, she decided to try that.
Allowing her mind to latch onto the feeling of floating freedom, she remembered the sensation of flight. Immediately, her mind was filled with a rush of memories, of flying, of Quidditch, of conversations, jumping from one association to the next at a dizzying pace. Desperately she ran through another exercise, slowly regaining control of the while of thoughts, allowing her mind to clear once more. When she no longer felt completely overwhelmed, she shook her head, and pulled herself of the meditation. 'Well that didn't work,' she thought glumly. Shaking her head, she decided to leave it for tonight and get some sleep.
The next day, Holly and Ron saw Hermione off to Herbology, before hurrying to the room Professor McGonagall had informed them their exams would be held in. It was an unused classroom, with all the desks and chairs stacked in the corner, bar two in the centre of the room.
They were met by Professors Vector and Burbage. Professor Vector, the Arithmancy teacher, was tall and severe looking, with long, dark hair and piercing eyes. In contrast, Professor Burbage, who taught Muggle Studies, had a kindly, almost cherubic face which was framed by gorgeous white ringlets of hair. At the sight of her, Holly immediately felt an intense surge of dislike. She was shocked and disturbed at how intense the feeling was, and she quickly focused her attention on Professor Vector instead.
"Good, you're both here," Professor Vector said in clipped dones, waving them towards the desks. "Hurry and sit down so we may begin."
Holly and Ron obeyed, and their respective Professor's placed several sheets of parchment face down before them. As they got out their quills and ink, Professor Burbage hovered nearby with a bright smile. "Now don't worry dears, I'm sure you'll both do excellently." Ron returned a nervous smile, while Holly simply nodded, keeping her eyes fixed on the wall to avoid looking at the cheerful Professor.
Professor Vector pulled out a pocket watch and checked the time. "Do not touch your exam until I give you permission," she said in clipped tones without looking up, as Ron made to move his parchment aside. "Once the exam begins, you will have an hour to complete it. There will be no talking during the exam. Do not look at another student's exam paper."
With a tinkling laugh, Professor Burbage said, "Come now Septima, they're not even doing the same subject!"
Professor Vector shot her a dark look. "It is the principle of the matter," she sniffed. Looking back to her watch, she paused for several seconds, before calling out, "Begin!"
Holly and Ron quickly flipped their exams. Ron immediately began scribbling an answer to the first question, while Holly flipped through the pages, reading over each question before starting. It was a challenging exam and Holly found herself mentally thanking Hermione several times for working them so hard. She quickly lost track of time, as she worked through question after question, page after page of equations. Finally, she completed the final question, and looked up. Professor Vector was alternating between looking at her watch and staring hawklike at the students. Professor Burbage wandered the room, occasionally pausing to glance at Ron's exam and smile proudly. Noticing Holly's gave, she smiled even more brightly. "About ten minutes left, Miss Potter."
Ron paused his writing and quickly checked how many question remained, before resuming at slightly faster pace. Holly nodded stiffly, returning to her exam and looking over her calculations. She was glad she did, as she spotted an error where she forgot to carry a seven, and quickly fixed the mistake.
"Quills down," Professor Vector said sharply, snapping her watch closed. Ron dropped his quill and sat back with a groan. He rubbed at his wrist, grimacing. Holly placed her quill down, and watched the Professor Vector, trying to ignore the Muggle Studies Professor in the corner of her vision.
"Well done," Professor Burbage bubbled, clapping cheerfully. "We should have these marked before lunch is over, right Septima?"
Professor Vector inclined her head. "Barring unforeseen factors. You may go," she told Holly and Ron, who quickly collected their things and left.
"Blimey," Ron said, shaking his hand, "I thought my wrist was going to snap by the end of that." Holly smiled fondly at his dramatics as they headed to lunch. "I've gotta say, I'm glad I chose Muggle Studies now. Professor Burbage seems rather nice, doesn't she?"
Holly felt the smile fall off her face. "Yeah, sure," she said. 'If you don't mind blond airheads,' she added sullenly in her mind.
Ron glanced at her hesitantly. "Alright here, Holly?"
She huffed in irritation. "I'm fine. Just hungry, is all. Let's get down to lunch already."
"Can't argue with that!"
Over lunch, Hermione grilled them on how their exams went, only calming down after many reassurances. Then she told them about Herbology, which had been shared with the Hufflepuffs, collecting Bubotuber pus, and then Care of Magical Creatures, where Hagrid introduced them to horrifying monstrosities called Blast-Ended Skrewts. Holly and Ron gave longsuffering groans at the news. After eating quickly, Hermione rushed off to the library to research something, to their exasperation.
As they were finishing their lunch, Professor McGonagall approached, them, handing each of them a sealed envelope with a neutral expression. Holly barely refrained from rolling her eyes at the theatrics of it all. 'It's just the results of one exam…' Still she felt a thrill of nervousness as she took it and broke the seal. Pulling out the parchment inside, the read it with bated breath.
THIRD YEAR EXAM RESULTS
HOLLY JASMINE POTTER HAS ACHIEVED:
Arithmancy: E
A relieved sigh exploded out of her, and she looked over at Ron with a grin. He was staring at his results in shock. "What's wrong?" she asked, looking over his shoulder in alarm. Her eyes widened at what she saw.
THIRD YEAR EXAM RESULTS
RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY HAS ACHIEVED:
Muggle Studies: O
"W-what," Ron stammered, eyes wide.
"Congratulations, Ron!' Holly said, grinning and slapping him on the back. He blinked at her for several seconds, before a disbelieving smile bloomed on his face.
"Thanks," he said, looking back at his results in awe.
"Yes, well done to both of you," said Professor McGonagall, startling them both. They had actually forgotten she was standing there in the excitement. She was looking down at them with an eyebrow raised, though Holly noticed her lips twitching slightly. "Here are your new schedules," their Head of House said, handing over their timetables. "It just so happens that your next classes are your new electives. Do try not to be late. Oh, and Miss Potter, Madam Pomfrey requires you in the Hospital Wing after dinner."
Immediately Holly's excitement returns full force. She desperately hoped Madam Pomfrey had good news for her transition. Well, she'd find out tonight. Shaking her head, she grabbed bag, before poking Ron in the shoulder to do the same. They hurried out of the Great Hall and up the staircase.
Once they were out of sight down a corridor, Holly pulled out and activated the Marauder's Map, glancing around to make sure no one saw. She looked down at it, trying to trace place where their classrooms were, when Ron made a strange sound and pointed at something on the Map. Following his finger, she saw two dots, labelled Ronald Weasley and…
She stared, a sense of rising joy bubbling inside her, at the sight of her dot, labelled Holly Potter. Glancing up, she saw Ron grinning at her. "I guess that makes it official then, yeah?" All she could do was grin in return, eyes drawn back to her dot, and the absolute confirmation that her new name was real, and no one could take it away from her. After almost a minute, Ron poked her. "C'mon, we haven't got all day. Honestly, girls," he muttered, rolling his eyes.
Poking him sharply in the ribs, Holly returned to locating the quickest routes to their classrooms, quickly finding them thanks to the Map. "Have fun with all that math," Ron said, poking his tongue before hurrying to a nearby secret passage that would take him halfway to his destination. Shaking her head, Holly nearly skipped away, still beaming.
Thanks to the shortcuts on the Map, Holly managed to reach the Arithmancy classroom early. She was there before anyone else. Shrugging, she leant against the wall, pulling out her Arithmancy textbook. As she read, she hummed a happy tune. After seeing Professor Vector at her exam, she definitely didn't want to fall behind.
After a few minutes she was joined by several others, who she assumed must be her classmates. A quick glance showed the majority were Ravenclaws, unsurprisingly. Holly recognised Padma Patil simply for her resemblance with her twin, but she couldn't remember any of the others' names. There were several Hufflepuffs, though she only recognised Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott. Worryingly, there was also a relatively large group of Slytherins, though she couldn't name any of them.
The Arithmancy students eyed her with looks of varied curiousity and suspicion. After a long moment of tense silence, a tall, black Slytherin boy asked, "What in Merlin's name are you doing here, Potter?"
Holly looked up from her book with a raised eyebrow. "Waiting for Arithmancy," she replied evenly.
One of the Ravenclaws called out, "Since when do you do Arithmancy?"
"Since now," she told them, as if it were obvious. Honestly she didn't get why they were having trouble with this.
One of the Slytherins, a pretty girl with cold blue eyes and blonde hair gave her a condescending look. "You can't just join any class you want because you're famous, Potter. You have to prove you're competent enough." The Slytherins and even some Ravenclaws chuckled at that.
"You'd think he'd be satisfied making everyone pretend he's a girl, but I guess he has to make a scene here too," the other Slytherin boy said, a small, weedy looking, who's eyes glinted with malice.
Holly clenched her fists, resisting the urge to hex him. Looking at the blonde girl, she spoke in a carefully controlled voice, "I have already proven my competence, since I just received and Exceeds Expectations on my exam." Feeling a surge of annoyance at how shocked everyone looked, she looked at the weedy boy, saying, "And if you are too stupid to understand the fact that I am a girl, I'm afraid there's nothing that can be done for you."
As the Slytherins muttered angrily amongst themselves, a few of the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuffs approached her. There was a moment of shuffling, before a nervous looking Susan Bones was pushed to the front. After a moment, she blurted, "Is it really true that you're changing your name?"
Looking around at the curious faces, Holly gave a small sigh. At least they weren't yelling at her. "Yes, my new name is Holly Jasmine Potter. Please use it."
"I don't get it though," one of the Ravenclaw boys piped up. "Why not stay as Harry Potter?"
Holly opened her mouth and then paused, taking a moment to find the right words to explain it. "Being called Harry just feels wrong. I know it's the name my parents chose for me, but it's clearly a boy name. Harry Potter is a name for the Boy Who Lived, and I refuse to pretend I'm not a girl anymore."
The boy nodded with a contemplative expression. "Fair enough," he said at last. "Terry Boot, by the way," he added, thrusting his hand out. As she tentatively took it, he smiled. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Holly Potter," he said, leaning over her hand and brushing it with his lips.
Holly snatched her hand back and clutched it to her chest, feeling her cheeks heating up. "Stop it," she said, past the sudden lump in her throat.
"Stop what?" Boot asked, head tilted curiously.
"Stop making fun of me. This is real. It's not a game." She stopped, turning away slightly to control her breathing. The sound of snickering from the Slytherin group wasn't helping matters.
Boot's expression became horrified. "I'm not making fun of you," he protested, holding his hands out earnestly.
"It's true, he's not," a Ravenclaw girl said, stepping forward. "He's an overdramatic prat to every girl he meets." Ignoring Boot's indignant squawk of protest, she extended her hand. "Lisa Turpin. Can I ask, why did you pick Holly?"
Holly carefully shook her hand, searching her eyes for any hint of lies or mockery. Finding none, she said, "I was looking through names and it felt right. And I wanted one that would honour my mum's flower name tradition." She felt her blush deepen as many of the girls awwed at that.
After that, the floodgates seemed to open, as all the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs who had approached her introduced themselves. Holly wasn't sure she'd be able to remember all the names, but she did her best to keep track. It didn't help that many of them kept complimenting her choice of name, or her hair or her lipstick, and she found quickly herself incredibly flustered.
She was rescued by the arrival of Hermione, who approached with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. With her friend there to shield her, and help answer the insatiable Ravenclaws' questions, Holly breathed a sigh of relief. Then she jumped as the bell rang and the classroom door opened, at the exact same moment. No one else seemed fazed by it, already filing into the classroom, so she figured it was a regular occurrence.
Professor Vector didn't bother introducing Holly or explaining her presence, instead immediately launching into a lecture. Holly scrambled to grab her quill and take notes. She quickly saw that the Arithmancy teacher's reputation as a hard ass was well earned, tolerating no chatter or distractions. Despite her strictness, she paused at specific points to allow questions, and provided clearer and more detailed explanations. It was easy to see why Hermione enjoyed it so much, despite the contingent of Slytherins glaring at them from across the room. As the lesson drew to a close, Professor Vector checked through their work, then declared that they would not receive homework for the week, to sighs - of relief from most; of disappointment from Hermione.
After class, Holly excitedly showed Hermione her new name on the Map, receiving a delighted hug of congratulations. As they began walking down to the Great Hall, Hermione mused, "I wonder how the Map identifies who people are? It must be incredibly advanced magic to be able to locate every single person in the castle and be able to recognise them regardless of obscuration."
"Obscuration?" Holly asked blankly.
"Oh, you know," Hermione flapped her hands at her, "like how it can see past your invisibility cloak."
"Or Animagus forms?" Holly said, remembering seeing Pettigrew on the Map the previous year.
"Yes, exactly. I wonder if it can bypass other magical disguises? Polyjuice Potion is meant to be nearly undetectable, but if the Map sees past it…"
"Professor Lupin said the Map never lies, so it probably can," Holly pointed out. "We could write and ask him though."
Hermione nodded enthusiastically at that idea. "He might even be willing to tell us how they made it!"
"Or I could ask Sirius, if he ever gets back to me," Holly added, voice growing worried.
"I'm sure he's alright, Holly," Hermione reassured her. "And just think, you'll be able to tell him your new name shows up on the Map," she added with a smile.
Holly continued to look worried as they continued through the corridors, only cracking a smile when Ron joined them, excitedly talking about Muggle Studies and how interesting it was. In a teasing tone she asked, "Why don't you tell Hermione about your exam results? I didn't have time at Arithmancy."
Hermione's eyes widened. "I completely forgot you did them today! You got your results back already? You both must have passed to get your electives, but what did you get?"
"Well I managed an Exceeds Expectations, thanks to all your help this summer," Holly told her, drawing an excited squeal and a hug from her bushy haired friend. Then the girls looked expectantly at Ron.
He shuffled his feet, not looking at them and ears glowing red as he mumbled something. When Holly poked him in the side, he sighed. "I got an O."
Hermione stopped in her tracks, her mouth falling open. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Ron. "O?" she asked faintly. "As in Outstanding?" Ron nodded nervously.
Holly slammed her hands over her ears as Hermione screeched painfully. Ron would have joined her, but his arms were trapped by their bushy haired friend's tight embrace. He winced and glared at Holly, who simply poked her tongue at him.
When they reached the Entrance Hall, they joined the crowd queuing to enter the Great Hall for dinner. As they waited, Malfoy called out to get their attention, before overdramatically reading out the latest Rita Skeeter article about Ron's father covering for Mad-Eye earlier in the week. It portrayed him in the worst way possible, and even got his name wrong, to Malfoy's delight. The article was accompanied by a picture of the Weasley parents outside the Burrow, prompting Malfoy to insult Mrs Weasley as well. Holly insulted his mother in turn, as she and Hermione pulled Ron away. The moment her back was turned, Malfoy launched a spell at her, just barely missing. Before she could even touch her wand to retaliate, there was a roar and a bang and Moody was there, wand pointed at a ferret sitting where Malfoy had been. After checking she was unharmed, Moody began launching the ferret into the air and slamming it painfully into the ground. The spectacle continued until Professor McGonagall arrived and intervened, furiously chastising Moody for using Transfiguration as a punishment and reminding him of Hogwarts procedures. Seeming unrepentant, Moody proceeded to drag Malfoy into the dungeons to discuss further punishment with Snape.
A rather stunned trio entered the Great Hall, sitting to eat. Hermione practically shovelled food into her mouth, planning to return to the library to research her secret project, and Holly ate almost as quickly. Ron raised his eyebrows, as he realised he was the slowest eater of their group for once. In short order, Hermione and Holly finished their plates and hurried out, separating at the top of the marble staircase.
Holly hurried through the corridors, almost jogging in her eagerness. When she reached the Hospital Wing doors, she paused, forcing herself to take several deep breaths. 'Don't get your hopes up so much,' she chided herself, 'she might need to talk to me about anything.' It did nothing to temper her excitement as she pushed open the doors.
She barely had a chance to look around before Madam Pomfrey strode out from her office. "Ah Miss Potter, good. Sit on this bed, if you would." When Holly did so, the matron waved her wand over her, humming in thought at her readings. Just as Holly began to fidget with impatience, Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Well, you won't need to take nutrient potions any longer. The damage done by malnutrition is well on the way to repair. Maintaining a healthy diet will suffice for the future. Unless you feel you may need them in the future?" she asked, giving Holly a piercing look. Shifting uncomfortably, Holly avoided the matron's gaze, shaking her head. She had the Dursleys well enough under control, she wouldn't need to worry about that anymore.
After a long moment, Madam Pomfrey nodded, writing something down on a clipboard before walking away. Holly remained sitting on the bed, unsure if she was done. Luckily Madam Pomfrey returned quickly, now carrying a flask filled with a bubbling magenta liquid. She gave a small smile of repressed amusement as Holly straightened. "Is that…?" Holly breathed, eyes locked onto the flask.
"Yes, we managed to finish developing it just before summer ended," Madam Pomfrey told her. "This is the Feminising Philter, which will let you develop female features."
Holly leapt to her feet, barely managing to hold herself back from reaching for the flask. "I suppose you have to warn me about side effects first," she said, pouting impatiently.
"As always Miss Potter," Madam Pomfrey said, with a smile that bordered on a smirk. "This potion should give you the effects of a normal female puberty. You should experience fat redistribution into female patterns – away from the waist and stomach, more to the hips, thighs and chest. That will also make your face appear more feminine. You will develop breast tissue, and are likely to experience widening of the hips. Your skin should soften and become clearer, with less acne. You should also find any body hair you currently have becomes thinner and less dense."
Holly continued to stare at the Feminising Philter as if it were the Holy Grail. With a small sigh, Madam Pomfrey continued in a clinical tone, "Possible side effects include: loss of muscle mass, mood swings, shrinkage of genitals, decrease of sex drive and loss of fertility."
Cheeks burning, Holly finally looked away, meeting Madam Pomfrey's gaze. Swallowing, she asked, "Is that all?" The matron nodded, holding the potion out to her. She took it almost reverently and immediately drank it, finding it tasted like sugar and strawberries. Handing the flask back, she couldn't stop herself from beaming. "How long will it take to work?" she asked.
"Since we want the effects to be permanent, they will need to build up over time. You will likely begin to see physical changes within three to four months, but it will take several years before the full transformation is complete."
"So, I'll need to take it every day, for a few years?" Holly asked.
After a small hesitation, Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "Unfortunately, you still have male sexual organs, which are producing testosterone. If you stop taking your potions, it will reverse the effects of the potion. You will need to take the potions for the foreseeable future, until we find a way to permanently stop your body from producing the testosterone."
Holly gave a grimace at the idea of taking potions every day for the rest of her life. Then she stopped and considered what she was getting out of them. "Worth it," she said defiantly.
With an indulgent smile, Madam Pomfrey added, "I will see to it that you receive your dose each night at dinner, alongside your Masculinity Muffling Mixture." Then she stumbled as Holly launched forward, almost tackling her with a hug. Patting her on the back, she laughed softly. "You're welcome, Miss Potter."
Holly practically bounced all the way back to the Gryffindor Common Room. She was also tempted to dance, but she drew the line at twirling in the corridors, no matter how much she was bursting with joy.
The Fat Lady raised an eyebrow at her, but swung open obligingly as Holly spoke the password. A glance around the Common Room showed Ron in the corner, demolishing Neville at chess. It seemed Hermione was still in the library. As she sat down beside the game, Neville glanced up with a welcoming smile. Ron was too absorbed to notice her.
"Did something good happen at dinner, Holly?" Neville asked her, and she realised that she was still grinning like a lunatic. She nodded, waiting for Ron to finish his move so she could tell them both. When nearly a minute passed with no change, she kicked him in the shin.
"Ow! What the bloody hell- oh, hi Holly. What's going on?" Ron asked.
Almost vibrating with excitement, Holly told them, "Madam Pomfrey finally found a potion to help me fix my body! I've just starting taking it now!"
"That's great, Holly," Neville said, giving her a warm smile.
"Yeah, that's brilliant," Ron nodded in agreement. "Uh, how long before you start getting…" he trailed off, but made a gesture with his hand over his chest. Holly stared at him for a moment, wondering what exactly he was talking about before it clicked. "Ow! I'm sorry! Dammit, stop hitting me already!"
Once she was satisfied that he was properly punished, Holly stopped slapping him and sat back down. "Madam Pomfrey said I should start seeing visible changes within a few months, but it will take years for all the changes to happen."
"Blimey," Ron said, shaking his head. "I can't imagine waiting that long."
Holly stared at him for a long moment. "Ron, you do know what puberty is, don't you?" she asked cautiously.
"Of course I bloody know!" he exclaimed, ear burning red. Neville sat deliberately not watching them, cheeks glowing with embarrassment.
"Okay, good," Holly said with relief. "I really didn't want to explain it to you." She quickly continued over Ron's sputtering protests, "But my point is, I'm basically having puberty, like any other girl. I just need to take potions to make mine go properly."
There was a long, uncomfortable silence, before Neville cleared his throat. "Well, congratulations Holly."
"Thanks," she said, then stood and retreated up to her dormitory. She called a greeting to the other girls, who returned it warmly. Before she could even think about getting ready for bed she was cornered by Parvati and Lavender. They wanted to tell her about what happened in their Divination class that day.
"Professor Trelawney started the class by pointing out another of her predictions came true!" Lavender said excitedly.
"She told us 'It was just as I foresaw. As predicted, Harry Potter has died, to allow Holly Potter to exist.' Isn't it amazing? She knew!"
'Of course, that's why she said I'd die, rather than just that I'd change my name,' Holly thought to herself, barely managing not to roll her eyes. Merlin, these girls were sweet but sometimes they could be a bit much. "That's… nice," Holly replied politely. "Have you seen Hermione, by the way?" she quickly asked, before they could keep going on.
They shook their heads. "She hasn't been back yet," Lavender told her.
"Alright, thanks," she said, before retreating behind her curtains to change into nightclothes. She had dressed and completed her nightly ablutions before Hermione arrived. With a distracted greeting to Holly, she carefully put away her books and prepared those she would need the next day.
Holly waited patiently bed for her to finish with her book, before asking, "Did I tell you I had to see Madam Pomfrey today, Hermione?"
Looking around, blinking, her bushy haired friend said, "No. Why? Did something happen? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, Madam Pomfrey just wanted to give me a check-up, to take me off my nutrient potions."
"Oh, that's good then." Hermione turned back to her trunk, collecting her nightclothes.
"She also gave me my first dose of the potion that will let me have a female puberty." Holly repressed a grin, as Hermione nodded distractedly before freezing.
Then there was a blur of motion as Hermione leapt across the room to grab her. "Oh my God! Holly that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!"
Holly laughed and hugged her back. The other girls looked over curiously. "What's going on?" Lavender asked, clearly eager for gossip. Holly quickly explained the basic effects of the potion she was now taking, receiving congratulatory squeals and hugs from Parvati and Lavender, while Fay congratulated her less exuberantly.
"I'm really glad for you," Sally-Anne told her quietly. "Tyler will be excited to hear." Holly smiled and nodded, mentally adding a letter to the Queer Group to her To Do list.
With final wishes goodnight, Holly retreated behind her curtains again as the other girls began to change for bed. She lay down and attempted her Occlumency exercises, but her excitement wouldn't fade, so she gave it up for the night. Instead she simply lay, hugging herself and grinning with delight, until she finally managed to sleep.
Classes continued without much change. Even Holly's new name didn't shake things up, since the Professors usually called her Potter. Snape was in a foul mood over the hiring of Moody, who he seemed afraid of. When Thursday rolled around, the Gryffindors were so eager for Defence that they all arrived early. Except Hermione, who was still researching her mysterious project.
Moody's first lesson was on the Unforgivable curses – the Imperius, the Cruciatus and the Killing Curse. He demonstrated each to them in turn, using spiders as the victims. With Imperio he danced the spider around the room which the class found amusing until Moody pointed out the horror of utter loss of control. Then he used Crucio, causing the spider to curl up, shuddering and jerking, until Hermione stopped him. Neville was horribly shaken by the sight. Finally, he cast Avada Kedavra, snuffing out the spider's life with a blast of green light and a loud rushing sound. Unblockable and uncounterable, the only person ever to survive it was Holly. Using any of those curses on another person carried the penalty of life in Azkaban.
After the lesson, an incredibly shaken Neville was pulled aside by Moody, while the other students spoke in awed whispers. At dinner, Hermione once more ate quickly, before vanishing to the library. Holly and Ron ate at a more reasonable pace before returning to the Common Room. They went up to the boys' dormitory to collect Ron's Muggle Studies homework, finding Neville reading a book on rare plants, gifted to him by Professor Moody.
They spent over an hour working on Ron's homework, with Holly helping occasionally, before Hermione returned, looking smug. Once Ron finished, she showed them a box, containing badges labelled S.P.E.W. Hermione had created a group called the Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare, to campaign for house-elf freedom and rights. Despite their lack of enthusiasm, she conscripted them to help her collect donations and raise awareness.
Just as Holly and Ron were preparing to attempt to convince her against the whole thing, they were interrupted by Hedwig at the Common Room window, returning with an answer from Sirius. With a mix of excitement and trepidation, Holly read it out.
Holly –
I'm flying north immediately. This news about your dream and scar is the latest in a series of strange rumours that have reached me here. Dumbledore agrees with me, which is why he's got Mad-Eye out of retirement. If you have any more dreams like that one, or your scar hurts again, tell Dumbledore at once. He would have told you this himself, but he's been very busy with the Tournament.
I'll be in touch. My best to Ron and Hermione. Keep your eyes open Holly.
Sirius
P.S. Lily would be delighted by your choice of name.
Holly was treated to the strange duality of feeling warm pleasure at Sirius' acceptance of her name and horror that he was returning to danger in Britain. Her fingers tangled in her hair and pulled in nervous frustration.
"I shouldn't have told him!" she said exclaimed.
"What are you on about?" Ron asked.
"It's made him think he's got to come back! Coming back because he thinks I'm in trouble! And there's nothing wrong with me!" Hedwig clicked her beak expectantly at her. As she turned to snap at the owl, she paused, knowing it would be awful to take her fears out on Hedwig. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she tried to clear her mind, putting aside her emotions to sit in tranquillity.
Once she felt less panicked, she opened her eyes. "I don't have any food right now Hedwig, I'm sorry. If you want to wait I can fetch you some treats soon, or you can go to the Owlery now if you're too hungry." With a hoot almost like a sigh, Hedwig gave her an affectionate nip on the finger and soared out the window.
Holly looked back to her friends, who had worried expressions. "Holly," Hermione said soothingly, "From what Sirius wrote, it's more than just your scar bringing him back. Dumbledore wrote to him as well, he likely would have asked him to come back soon anyway, with these signs they both noticed."
"Besides," Ron added, "Sirius managed to avoid the Ministry for an entire year while they were doing nothing but looking for him. Right now, they don't have Dementors here to look for him, and they've probably got their hand full with the Tournament going on."
Holly nodded, conceding to their logic. "I know," she said quietly, "but it doesn't stop me from worrying about him." She smiled as Hermione took her hand, and Ron braced her shoulder supportively. With a shake of her head, Holly turned to Hermione. "Could you look over Ron's Muggle Studies essay? I think it's all right, but I'd like to have a second set of eyes look it over." Hermione didn't look fooled for a second by Holly's attempt to change topics, but she acquiesced anyway, pulling Ron's essay closer.