Disclaimer:

I do not own the amusement park that is Hogwarts or the colorful characters J.K. Rowling has created for us. I've considered writing a transgender story for awhile now and have decided to try it. Like any story utilizing this premise, Harry will be different from canon but that can't really be helped considering her outlook on life and the things that happen to her. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language#, *parseltongue*, "spoken", 'thoughts', [telepathic messages]

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The Marauders' Daughter

Prologue

Harry Potter is a Girl?

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(Saturday, June 19th, 1993, Mid-Afternoon)

A bespectacled, raven-haired twelve year old boy named Harry Potter was sitting beside the window of the Hogwarts Express lost in thought as he stared at the scenery on their way to King's Cross. Sitting beside him was his very best friend, a bushy-haired thirteen year old brunette named Hermione Granger. On the girl's other side sat a thirteen year old red-haired boy named Ronald Weasley. Sitting across from him and seemingly lost in her own thoughts was a red-haired eleven year old girl named Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister. Sitting beside her was another first year, a dirty blonde-haired twelve year old girl named Luna Lovegood and Ginny's best friend. Rounding out their cabin and sitting across from Ron was a slightly pudgy, dark-haired twelve year old boy named Neville Longbottom.

Despite the fact everyone would be heading their separate ways in a matter of hours, there was very little conversation to be had. Harry and Ginny were too preoccupied thinking about the recent school year and their roles in the Heir of Slytherin/Chamber of Secrets fiasco to pay much attention to their classmates. Hermione kept herself occupied with a book while glancing at Harry every now and then, concerned for her best friend and curious about what he might be pondering so intently. Luna was busy trying to comfort her best friend, not really understanding what the redhead had gone through with the cursed diary and the girl's feelings of guilt for what Voldemort had done through her. Ron seemed to be interested in playing games and talking, but the only one paying him the slightest bit of attention was Neville.

Harry knew he would have the entire summer to ponder his perplexing situation and the implications thereof but he couldn't quiet his mind enough to enjoy the ride home or socialize with his companions. He had too many things he needed to think about before they arrived in London; things that were going to have a profound and dramatic effect on his life in the near and far reaching future. Whether those changes ultimately proved to be a good thing remained to be seen.

His primary concerns revolved around a sequence of events that had begun in early November. It had started simply enough, at least by his standards. Once the Chamber of Secrets/Heir of Slytherin fiasco had begun Halloween night, Hermione had managed to find an advanced potion recipe within the library's restricted section known as Polyjuice. The potion in question allowed the drinker to take on the physical form of another for an hour. After stealing the necessary ingredients from Professor Snape, the brunette had then begun the month long brewing process in an abandoned second floor girl's lavatory. The plan was for the three of them, Ron, Hermione and he, would drink the potion and take on the guise of Slytherin students close to Draco Malfoy before questioning the blond aristocrat about the Heir of Slytherin and Chamber of Secrets.

No, trust Harry to have an even more complicated year than simply trying to brew a semi-illegal and highly regulated potion in secret, discover who was responsible for petrifying muggleborn students and locate the Chamber of Secrets. It would've been too much for a normal, well-adjusted twelve year old child to deal with, let alone someone as emotionally and socially stunted as him. He was just glad to have somehow survived yet another harrowing year with his sanity mostly intact within the madhouse otherwise known as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

It had started in early December when Malfoy made a snide comment regarding how girlish he looked compared with earlier in the year. Naturally, such a comment had elicited raucous laughter from most of the Slytherins within earshot and he couldn't help but blush in embarrassment, which had set them off even more. Because it was Malfoy who had said it, most of the other Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws hadn't paid much attention as they were used to the ongoing animosity between the two boys.

A small part of him had wanted to run away and hide so he could cry without the whole school knowing Malfoy had gotten to him. He knew he couldn't let that happen or else he'd never hear the end of it. The more stubborn part of him had tried his best to ignore the barb despite knowing deep within his heart it was true. He did look a bit more feminine than he had earlier in the year, not that he understood how or why that was the case. Unwilling to trust any of the adults in his life with his secret, not even Madam Pomfrey, he had spent many hours in the library trying to research what had been happening to him. Unfortunately, none of his efforts had unearthed any definitive answers and only seemed to raise more questions.

"Hey mate?" Ron asked hesitantly as he reached through Hermione's personal space in order to tap him on the shoulder.

Harry couldn't help but cringe at the address. It wasn't because it was familiar, as the address was fairly common between male friends in England, Australia and other commonwealth countries; it was the word itself applied in that context that had always bothered him. Perhaps it was because the only time he had heard the term before attending Hogwarts involved animals being intimate with one another. Maybe it was because some part of him knew deep down he was really a girl and wanted nothing to do with male bonding rituals. It could also be simply because Ron was a somewhat abrasive young man who was often rude and lacked general manners. Whatever the reason, all he knew is it made him uncomfortable and so he chose to never address anyone in the same manner.

"Ronald," Hermione snapped waspishly as she batted the redhead's arm out of her face. Turning toward her best friend, she noticed the boy's sullen demeanor and gently laid a hand on his arm as she asked quietly, "Harry? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the boy in question whispered as he continued to stare unseeing out the window at the passing scenery.

"Harry," the bushy-haired brunette prodded softly.

"Really Hermione, it's nothing. Please don't ask," the bespectacled young man pleaded without turning to face his best friend.

"It's not nothing Harry; something is obviously bothering you," Hermione insisted quietly as she gently squeezed her friend's arm.

"Just leave it, now is not the time," Harry growled softly as he shrugged off her hand. He knew the girl was worried about him and just wanted to help. Honestly, it was one of the things he loved most about her and if they were alone, he would've considered telling her what had been on his mind since they boarded the train that morning. With four others in the compartment there was no way he was going to talk about what the two of them had discussed Christmas morning.

"Alright," the bookworm whispered, allowing the matter to drop as she studied her best friend's illusionary form for several seconds. While she hadn't seen Harry's true form since January, she knew beneath the glamour he looked significantly different than what he showed the rest of the world. Since they were forbidden from using magic outside school, she wondered when her friend's glamour would disappear and reveal who he had become over the last six months. Was that what he was thinking about so much, their conversation and subsequent experiment Christmas morning before they had used the Polyjuice potion to infiltrate the Slytherin common room?

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"Hermione, I need to speak with you in private," Harry said quietly before glancing at Ron, hoping the redhead wouldn't be upset for being excluded. The three friends were sitting in front of the fireplace within the Gryffindor common room following breakfast Christmas morning. Harry and Hermione were sharing the couch while Ron occupied one of the over-stuffed chairs nearby. The trio had decided to wait until after dinner for their infiltration mission. The idea being the three of them would drink the Polyjuice potion Hermione had been brewing for the last month in order to physically turn themselves into Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle and Millicent Bulstrode so they could interrogate Malfoy about the Heir of Slytherin and Chamber of Secrets.

Hermione nodded as she put her book away and asked, "Where?"

"Not here," the raven-haired boy replied softly. He turned to their other friend and continued, "Sorry Ron, but this is something strictly between Hermione and me."

"Fine, we'll catch up later mate," Ron sneered irritably as he stormed up the stairs toward the second year boys' dormitory.

The last Potter shrugged off the redhead's petulant behavior and motioned for Hermione to follow him. The two walked in comfortable silence for several minutes before finally arriving at the abandoned second floor girl's lavatory where they were secretly brewing the Polyjuice potion. He knew their upcoming discussion was going to be awkward, he just hoped he wouldn't lose his best friend's friendship because of it.

"Harry? Why are we here?" Hermione asked in confusion as she absently checked to make sure their preparations hadn't been disturbed.

"Hermione, what I wanted to talk to you about will probably sound really strange," Harry replied quietly as he sat on the tiled floor near the back of the room. Patting the space beside him, he steeled his Gryffindor courage and continued, "Do you remember the comment Malfoy made a few weeks ago, the one about how I look more girlish than I did earlier in the year?"

"Oh Harry," Hermione said gently as she sat beside her best friend and took the slightly taller boy's hands in her own. "You're not still upset about that are you? I mean it's Malfoy; he doesn't know what he's talking about most of the time and you shouldn't let him get to you."

"It's not that," the bespectacled boy countered with a shake of his head. "I think he might actually be right for once. I never thought Malfoy was particularly perceptive, but lately, whenever I have seen my reflection in the mirror I've noticed I do appear more girlish than I did before. I know it's a really weird question to ask Hermione, but please, what's it like to be a girl?"

The brunette gasped, her eyes widening in shock as she stared at her best friend. Of all the questions she could've conceived him asking her, including the unlikely one of whether or not she would be interested in being his girlfriend, this hadn't been anywhere remotely on the radar. How was she supposed to answer him? Being a girl was all she'd known for her entire life and it wasn't as though she had any other experiences to compare it with.

"I know that was probably not what you were expecting," Harry said with a chuckle as he gently squeezed her hand.

"Understatement of the millennium," Hermione muttered as she tried to wrap her mind around what her friend had asked and how she could possibly answer him. After several minutes of careful thought, she sighed heavily and said, "I'm sorry Harry, I honestly have no idea how to answer that question. I don't think it's something I can really explain."

"I suppose that's fair," the raven-haired boy whispered as his shoulders slumped in disappointment. "I doubt I would know how to answer if you were to ask me what it's like to be a boy. Except perhaps that it's horridly uncomfortable, but then that's probably just me and not boys in general."

"You're uncomfortable as a boy?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. At her friend's nod, she continued in a soft and caring tone, "Can you articulate what it is about being a boy you find uncomfortable?"

"Everything feels wrong, like I'm not really who I am supposed to be," Harry replied in a soft but frustrated tone. When Hermione gently squeezed his hand in support, he smiled for a moment before continuing, "I hate the way I feel most of the time and it's almost as though I'm trapped within someone else's body, someone else's life. I hate having this disgusting piece of flesh dangling between my legs and the way most people treat me, though I suspect the latter may have more to do with the whole Heir of Slytherin/Boy-Who-Lived thing than being male in general. I don't know; I just wish it would end…"

Hermione pulled her friend into a comforting embrace and gently rubbed his back as she soothed, "It's alright Harry. We'll figure this out together, I promise. I'm not about to abandon you simply because you feel like you might be a girl inside. Boy or girl, male or female, you're still you and my best friend. I'll always stand by your side, for as long as you want me. How long have you felt this way?"

"I'm not sure honestly," the last Potter confessed as he slowly relaxed within his companion's arms. "I think it may have started sometime during primary, long before I knew I was a wizard. I would see the girls in their flowery outfits and wish I could be like them. Whether that was because I felt like a girl inside or just wanted the freedom to express myself, I'm not sure. Do you remember me telling you about the Mirror of Erised and what I had seen?"

"The Mirror of Erised…" the bookworm repeated as she mulled over what she could remember about the strange artifact. Drawing a blank, she shook her head and said, "No, I don't. I'm sorry Harry."

"It's alright. I didn't expect you to remember with everything that's happened since then," Harry said as he pulled back and flashed his friend a soft smile. "The first time I looked in the mirror I saw my parents, you, and a red-haired girl I didn't recognize. You were both a little older, perhaps mid-teens or so and the two of you looked very happy together. At first, I didn't understand what I was seeing, I mean, where was I? It wasn't until I'd had a chance to think about it afterward that I realized who the redhead really was."

"Why didn't you tell me?" the bushy haired girl asked quietly as she reached for her best friend's hands again.

"I did, at least the part where I had seen my parents," the raven-haired boy countered gently. "As for why I've never mentioned the rest, several reasons. For starters, we hadn't been friends for very long at that point. Certainly not long enough to warrant such an intimate disclosure about the innermost workings of my soul. Not that I had been ready to admit it to myself back then, let alone anyone else. Besides, how do you think you would've reacted if I'd told you I found a mirror in an abandoned classroom that not only showed me as a girl, but the two of us involved in a romantic relationship with one another?"

Hermione couldn't help but blush at the mental image of the two of them together, let alone as a pair of girls. Harry was right; she would've reacted very poorly and may have even terminated their fledgling friendship if he had told her everything. She found it interesting he'd apparently had feelings for her even then and wondered whether he still harbored the deeper feelings for her the mirror had suggested. Granted, they were a little young to start dating, at least anything more serious than the friendly hand holding and hugs they had been sharing in secret since the end of first year.

The question was if Harry really felt like a girl deep inside, and somehow actually became one, what would that mean for their relationship? Would he feel the same way about her or would his feelings change and become more sisterly in nature? What about her, would she be able to see pass her best friend's body and love a female Harry in the same manner or would her feelings change as well? If neither of their romantic feelings for one another changed, could they become a lesbian couple and if so, how would magical society treat them? How would her parents react if they discovered she was in love with another girl?

"I didn't want you to think of me as a freak," the last Potter continued a few moments later, oblivious to his best friend's musings as he stared unseeing at the collection of sinks on the far side of the room. "You're my best friend Hermione; you have been since Halloween first year and I didn't want to do or say anything that might jeopardize that friendship."

"You're my best friend Harry; I would never think you were a freak," the brunette said sternly as she studied their joined hands, hoping her blush would fade before her companion noticed. Continuing in a much softer tone, she asked shyly, "What did you look like as a girl?"

Harry continued to stare at the sinks for several moments as he mentally reviewed his memories. Once he had a clear picture of his other self within his mind, he turned towards his best friend and smiled before answering in a soft, dream-like voice. "Girl-me had silky, fiery-red hair long enough to reach the middle of her back along with a fringe that hid my scar. Her emerald green eyes seemed to shine brighter than mine and her face looked soft and delicate. I'm no expert, but I would have to say her gentle smile was her most beautiful feature. I felt warm and comforted every time she smiled at me in the mirror. Unfortunately, boy or girl, I can't seem to catch a break in the height department because she was pretty short for her age."

"She sounds really pretty," Hermione said softly as she tried to picture her friend's girl form in her mind. "You know Harry, if you want to experience what it's like to be a girl for yourself, at least physically, we have more than enough Polyjuice potion for our plans. I can't really explain what it's like without something to compare it with, but if you were to use some now, you would be able to see how it feels and decide whether it's something you think you may want. If it is, we can research the possibilities and find a way to turn you into a girl permanently."

"A-Are you sure?" the raven-haired boy stammered as he stared at his friend in shock. "I wouldn't want to do anything to disrespect you."

"As long as you keep your clothes on and don't touch yourself too much or inappropriately, it'll be fine," the brunette replied anxiously.

"T-Touch myself?" Harry stuttered as his cheeks turned crimson. He was blushing so hard he wondered if his hair might catch fire.

"Harry, you'll only have an hour to figure out whether being a girl is something you think you might want," Hermione said quietly even as her own cheeks started burning. "I'm willing to allow you this chance to experiment so you'll have a better idea of what it means to be physically female. Since you would be turning into me, rather than some random girl, I'd prefer it if you didn't see me naked or touch certain areas."

"I-If, i-if you're sure…"

"I'll admit the idea makes me somewhat uncomfortable, but you're my best friend and I'm willing to go through with it if it'll help you," the bookworm said in a solemn tone as she gently squeezed their joined hands again. "We have no idea when we might have another opportunity like this, probably never. Don't you think you would feel better about the whole thing if you knew how you really felt rather than if you were left wondering for the rest of your life?"

Harry nodded his head slowly as the two of them separated before climbing to their feet and walking towards the cauldron that contained the Polyjuice potion. He watched anxiously as Hermione used a ladle to pour some of the foul looking liquid into a glass mug before adding two of her hairs to the mixture. Once the hair had completely dissolved, the brunette turned towards her companion and smiled as she handed him the mug.

The last Potter gingerly took the steaming glass mug from his friend's hand and sighed. Steeling his Gryffindor courage, Harry raised the mug towards his reflection and said "Cheers!" before downing the foul smelling mixture. Never having taken Polyjuice before, he had no idea what to expect and was glad they were in a bathroom. A sudden wave of nausea nearly overwhelmed him and he leaned into the sink to stabilize himself, pain wracking his body as his skin started bubbling like boiling wax.

Several moments passed before the pain abated and he watched in morbid fascination as his raven colored hair lightened to a honey-brown color. His face became even more feminine looking and his emerald eyes darkened until they had become a cinnamon-brown color. He could feel his body shifting beneath his robes and frowned as he lost a couple of centimeters in height. Seconds later the process was complete and staring back at him from within the mirror was a twin of his best friend.

"Oh my…" Harry started as she raised her hands to her face only to freeze when she heard her new voice.

"Harry? Are you alright?" Hermione asked in concern as she carefully examined the other girl.

"I'm… I'm not sure," the neo-girl whispered anxiously as she lightly brushed her hands along her new body. Hermione had given her permission to touch, but she didn't want to exhaust that permission too quickly or in inappropriate ways. Running her fingers along her bare arms, she was amazed at how much softer her skin felt and couldn't help but smile. She could also feel the absence of little Harry and marveled at how much better she felt without that disgusting piece of flesh hanging between her legs.

"Try walking around for a bit to get a feel for how a female body moves differently than a male one," the brunette suggested with a warm smile. Already she could tell Harry was feeling better simply from how relaxed the boy turned girl looked compared with earlier in the day. Gone was the ever-present tension that always seemed to lurk just beneath the surface. Whether it was problems with certain students, biased teachers or the impossible expectations everyone seemed to have for the Boy-Who-Lived, it was refreshing to see her friend relax even for a little while.

Harry nodded and started pacing around the lavatory only to be interrupted several seconds later when Hermione gently chastised her for walking like a boy. She looked at the other girl in confusion and watched as her twin demonstrated how females tended to walk. Rather than the heavy plodding and long strides of a boy, Hermione suggested she walk lightly with her feet closer together. She absorbed the information and managed to duplicate what her friend had shown her after several minutes. Physical movements had always come easily to her and she was happy to know that even though she looked like Hermione, she was still herself. Granted, once she returned to her male form she knew she would need to revert to her previous mannerisms in order to preserve her secret.

For the remaining forty-five minutes, the girls engaged in a practice spar using relatively harmless jinxes, charms and curses. Neither of them wanted to harm her best friend but both knew they'd need to be able to fight should the junior Death Eaters decide to start something. While Gilderoy Lockhart had proven useless as a Defense teacher and the dueling club a joke, the girls had realized the value in preparing themselves as best they could for the inevitable war with Voldemort and his Death Eaters that would likely occur in the future. Despite her unfamiliarity with Hermione's body, Harry managed to score a similar number of hits as her best friend, leaving the two girls winded and a touch sore.

At the end of the hour, a soft alarm chimed on Hermione's watch and the girls stood up. Knowing there was less than a minute left in her Polyjuice potion, Harry pulled her best friend into her arms and said, "Thank you Hermione, thank you so much for everything. You've given me the chance to explore something I never would've believed possible a few years ago."

"You're welcome Harry," Hermione said as she returned her twin's hug. When she felt the younger girl's skin start to bubble, the bookworm stepped back and said with a soft smile, "I'm just glad I was able to help. You've been through so much; you deserve a chance at happiness. If becoming a girl is what you feel you need to be happy, then I want to help you achieve that."

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Author's Notes:

I hope you all have enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone who has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome, I just ask you to be nice about it.

Publish Date: January 1st, 2021