Chapter Ten:
Affirmation
Author's Note: To avoid confusion, all 'Dear diary' entries are written by the person who was born as Harry Potter. All 'Dear journal' entries are written by the one who was born as Daphne Greengrass.
A thank you to WolfgangNH, who has acted as beta-reader for this chapter – and who has also written several good Harry Potter stories for Fanfiction, including 'By The Moon Light'! Feel free to check out his author's page.
As luck would have it, there's actually some scenes in this chapter that take place during Hallowe'en...
Written 17 November 1998:
Dear diary,
Let's talk about what's been happening during September and October.
Everyone amongst the New Marauders who moved houses have been getting used to their new house colleagues and new dormitory mates. Representing Ravenclaw, Hermione and Michael have reached out to the other Houses, to form study groups – and the Patil sisters have been looking after the first year Ravenclaws. Likewise, Ron, Neville, Hannah, and Susan-as-Theodore have been doing the same for the Hufflepuffs. Dean Thomas and Justin Finch-Fletchley got Fay Dunbar and some younger girls to do the outreach work for Gryffindor. Whilst in Slytherin, Luna and Ana were allocated to look after the 'asps', and Ernie and Tracey were the 'buddies' for anyone else in our house who needed assistance that the Prefects couldn't give.
As Head Boy and Head Girl, Daphne and I were firm, but fair, when it came to any troublemakers. Though more often than not, we were harsh against anyone who dared to utter the term 'Mudblood' or indulged in any form of bullying.
Getting back into NEWT-level classwork and homework was demanding at times – but I was glad to focus on it. I would rather have that, than being on the run and hunting Horcruxes.
My scar, hidden by the smooth skin of Daphne's forehead, never hurt me again.
Now and then, I got together to spend girly-nights in the Room of Requirement with Hermione, the new Susan, Tracey, Luna, and my new sister, Astoria, as we played board games or talk about various topics – ranging from our lessons and homework, our experiences with make-up and hair charms, and how our families were recovering from the war. those of us who still had families, anyway. After some hesitation and blushing faces, we even ventured to talk about to our self-experiments when alone in the showers or in bed, learning the different ways us ladies could pleasure ourselves. We also compared the length and cycle of our periods.
Theodore-as-Susan was taking to life as a witch just as well as I had. Although her first period had been hard, she still took it on the chin, accepting it as the price for her to be a young woman. Both she and I were physically and emotionally happy with our femininity. In my case, although I wore most of Daphne's former clothes, I had bought new ones during the summer. I now had her liking for silk, perfumes, and refined elegance – though I also still was drawn to Muggle clothing, which is why I bought Harry-as-me a blue denim shirt for his new birthday.
Well, it had been my birthday as well, so our friends bought items for me too – though that was another thing that I hid from my new parents, the Greengrasses. In January, the two of us would share another birthday, at Hogwarts. After that, Daphne and I had agreed that the transition phase would end. The thirty-first of July would be Daphne-as-me's birthday, whilst mine would henceforth be on the twelfth of January.
Of course, there were also nights that the real Daphne and the real Susan would spend in the Room of Requirement, along with Ernie, Ron and Neville. Their boy nights in. I didn't want to know what they discussed, although as a former boy I could guess. But I was happy to learn that Susan too, was settling in and enjoying his new life as Theodore. He too was now a happy wizard, just like my Daphne.
More recently, there was a night when I returned from my evening rounds as Head Girl, one evening. I actually shared the duty with Hermione, who was my unofficial deputy. That evening we had to mediate between some unruly younger pupils who had got themselves into a silly argument. More serious was a bullying incident involving the Pritchards, who were trying to stalk and rattle Luna. Luna had summoned for assistance, using her DA coin.
Thanks to our intervention, the three of us girls were able to resolve the situation. I had learnt certain spells from the original Ice Queen, and Luna had learnt from me – so whilst Hermione immobilised the gits, I cast a low-level freezing spell onto the groin of Graeme Pritchard, making him squeal. Meanwhile, Luna used the Levicorpus spell to dangle Gertrude from the high-vaunted ceiling of the passageway.
Her scream was piercing, and it felt most satisfactory to Hermione, Luna, and I.
"That's a total of fifty points deducted from Slytherin, for your disgraceful actions!" I snarled. "You were warned. There is NO tolerance for bullying in this school anymore."
The Pritchards were shocked. "But… you've been one of us since you came here, Miss Greengrass. Unlike Loony! You wouldn't take points off from Slytherin!" Gertrude protested.
"Unlike Professor Snape, I WILL take points away from my own House, if I catch anyone engaging in bad behaviour. As for Miss Lovegood, who has proven herself to be a capable witch fighting Death Eaters… Calling her by a stupid nickname…"
"Thank you," Luna whispered, nodding to me.
"…another ten points lost?" Hermione suggested.
"…another ten points deducted from Slytherin," I agreed. "Now let's levitate you pair of idiots to Professor Slughorn."
The three of us had delivered the Pritchards to Slughorn, who angrily reprimanded the pair and gave them detention. Later on, when Luna headed back to the dungeons, and Hermione and I were certain we were alone, under the cover of a Muffliato spell, my Ravenclaw friend again took the time to check that I was happy continuing to live my life as a Slytherin witch.
I smiled. "Honestly, Hermione. I am. I don't regret my decision. Despite having parents who aren't in the know, I'm happier being Daphne than I was as Harry," I explained.
Hermione squeezed my hand as she nodded. "I'm happy for you, Harry. I'm glad it's working out for all of you four Switched! It seems to be a long-term effect of that transference device. The longer you stay in a form of the opposite gender…"
"…the more of a mental transformation there is in the Switched person, to enable us to feel fully at home in our new forms. The new boys become attracted to girls, and the new girls become attracted to boys – regardless of whichever way we swung before the change. That's just the way the device seems to work," I concluded, smirking. "Still thinking things through, now that you're a Ravenclaw, Hermione? How are you settling in as an Eagle?"
Hermione smiled widely. "It's going very well, Harry! Nobody thinks that I'm pushing myself too hard or being overbearing. Possibly because I'm trying to relax more this academic year, after all the horrible things we went through during the last one. I'm getting on well with my new housemates. I finally feel that my life is going exactly the way I wanted it to. I…I guess I should've asked the Sorting Hat to place me in Ravenclaw in the first place!"
"And if Malfoy had been placed in Gryffindor, as the Hat apparently wanted to, maybe I could've prospered in Slytherin. Ron probably would have been better off in Hufflepuff, with a stronger push to work harder from Sprout and the Badgers," I chuckled.
"I like to think that, too. But I wonder what would've happened to Gryffindor with Draco Malfoy, without us to defend its honour?" The ends of Hermione's lips curled upwards. "Still, what has happened has happened. We're content with what we now have today."
"Yes, we are. How's it going with Michael?" I asked, as we exited one wing and stepped out onto one end of the elevated wooden bridge that connected two out flung parts of the school. We looked out over the Black Lake. The autumn night had already fallen and there was just an afterglow from the sunset behind the hills to the west, but the lights from Hogwarts lit up everything around us. The air was crisp, but not too cold. The school looked lovely – and I wanted to soak up as many happy memories of my last year here as possible, to make up for the bad ones I had endured, when I had less friends, when I had been treated as a liar or an outcast, when I had been Harry Potter.
"Oh…" I noticed with amusement that a flush of colour appeared in Hermione's cheeks as she replied to my question. "Michael's been very good to me. He's even been encouraging me to be an archivist for Madam Pince in the library."
"Okay… But tell me what Michael is actually like," I urged Hermione.
"Well… He works hard – although he's not as good as I am when it comes to multi-tasking of homework. He always listens to what I have to say, before he tells me if he agrees or not. And I've comforted him when he talks about the loss of some of his friends and relatives in the war. And…" Hermione looked around, to check that we were still alone – which we were. "…he's a good kisser, Harry. He tells me I am, too… He…"
"…makes you feel nice and gooey inside?" I arched an eyebrow, holding back a grin.
"Harry!" Hermione protested. But her blush answered my question, and I giggled.
"Michael does have a tendency to clam up when I urge him to tell me what happened to him during the reign of the Carrows, though. Rather like you were more reticent when you were a wizard, Harry…" Hermione looked at me. "Perhaps you could… Er…"
"…give you some tips on boys. From someone who used to be one?" I put to her.
"Well… Yes."
I grinned. It was my turn to go into lecture mode to Hermione - instead of the other way round. "I'll be glad to, Hermione. Well, as I understand it, boys and men in general have been conditioned by our society – although some of it may be down to innate masculinity. They think they must be seen as being emotionally stronger and more independent than us ladies, and they can be instinctively less comfortable talking about how they feel. As for the multi-tasking, girls tend to be better at that than boys…"
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
When I got back to the set of rooms that were mine and Daphne's, I sniffed the air, smelling something that reminded me of a certain dank classroom – and a girls' haunted toilet.
Slipping off my coat jacket, I hung it up in our shared lounge – then knocked on the door leading to the rooms that belonged to Daphne-as-me. Daphne answered and let me in.
Just in time to me to see Tracey, wrapped in a boy's dressing gown that belonged to Daphne-as-me, taking off her spectacles.
"Evening, Tracey." I raised an eyebrow. It had become one of my new habits as Daphne, and it was now an automatic reaction when I was surprised. "What's going on?"
"Hi Harry. I was just about to get changed," Tracey grinned back at me. She then sat down in one of the nearby chairs and took the flask of bubbling liquid offered to her by Daphne-as-me. I could now see the small cauldron in the corner of the room, still steaming. The ladle was slowly sinking back down. I sniffed the contents, and they confirmed my suspicions.
"Polyjuice potion…" I looked at the others. "Who are you about to turn into, Tracey?"
"Guess!" She giggled. She then gulped down all of her drink, and then winced. "Ugh! Daffy! I was hoping you would have some good taste…"
Daphne-as-me cringed. "Tracey!"
My partner and I watched as Tracey's features began to morph. Her dark brown hair receded to the short locks of a boy, and they turned to black – with the parting line shifting to Tracey's left. She grew a few inches taller, her frame turned into that of a teenage boy - and I watched with interest as her face and jaw shifted, becoming firmer.
I felt a thrill of excitement as I realised who Tracey was becoming…
"Yikes!" Tracey clutched at her groin, hidden underneath the dressing gown. She cried out again, moments later. This time her voice was deeper, as his larger Adam's apple formed. Then the transformation was done, Tracey panted and got his breath back.
"You forgot to tell me to change my panties into boxer shorts!" Tracey accused Daphne.
Daphne-as-me smirked. "You forgot that! I just wanted to see your reaction, Trace."
"You…rotter!"
"Put it this way. You won't make that mistake again!"
I chuckled at their interplay. "Now then, boys… Stop fighting!" I teased them.
Daphne grinned at me. "You seemed to enjoy watching that, Harry," he pointed out.
I gave a smile that I hoped was sultry enough for Daphne. "What can I say? Tracey's more handsome, now that he's turned into another Harry Potter!"
"But I'm the only Harry who you really want," Daphne fired back at me, still grinning.
"Hey! Help me out here, you guys!" Tracey wined.
Between the three of us, we managed to transfigure Tracey's underwear into a pair of boxer shorts. Then we worked on his glasses, so that they resembled those of Harry Potter. After getting dressed into some spare casual clothes that Daphne had ready, Tracey used his wand to help adjust his voice, so that it was the same as Daphne-as-me.
"Thanks!" Tracey turned away from the mirror on the wall and hugged us both.
"Welcome to boyhood, Trace! For the next hour, that is." Daphne patted Tracey's back.
"This is for Theo's benefit, isn't it?" I asked Tracey, smiling. "She'll be pleased to see you as you are now!"
There was a twinkle in his eye. "I hope so! But this is just a trial run. I want to grow up as a lady – but in private, once in a while…"
"…you'll want more hairs from me, so that you and the new Susan can have some intimate time together," Daphne-as-me sighed. "I hope you don't make me go bald, Trace!"
Tracey was still grinning at us, as he went out on a walk around Hogwarts, 'To test out this new form'. He would be back within the hour, he told us.
Daphne-as-me shook his head as the outer door to our quarters was closed. "Watch out, world. Here comes Tracey – like you've never seen him before!"
Laughing, I wrapped my arm around my partner, and lay my head on his shoulder, as he kissed my forehead. Remembering the lessons Tracey had taught me on seduction, I turned and gave Daphne a lingering, intense, blue-eyed gaze as my fingers stroked his Slytherin tie. There had been an uproar in the Daily Prophet over the fact that Harry Potter was now a Slytherin. But the more astute commentators had pointed out that, strategically, it was a good move for the Man-Who-Won to win over the house of the Snakes, now that the Death Eaters were almost all dead or behind bars.
Daphne's gorgeous green eyes stared back into mine.
After some moments, we moved as one. Angling our heads, our lips met – softly at first, then again, with a fierce passion. Our hands stroked each other's clothes. It didn't take long for my nipples to stiffen – or for Daphne-as-me to form a bulge at the groin part of his trousers.
Sweeping me up and carrying me to the nearby sofa, Daphne-as-me laid me down as we continued to kiss. His fingers slowly played with my hair, as he untied my French braid and lovingly stroked my shoulder-length blonde tresses. Likewise, I rubbed his chest and shoulders – liking the muscle that I was finding there.
Daphne-as-me broke lip-contact and panted. "How far do you…?"
"Not yet…," I whispered. "I'm still afraid of going all the way, physically. I want it…"
"…to be perfect," Daphne completed my line of thinking. "That's natural, Harry. So is being afraid. Don't worry. I'm a gentleman now. I'll treat you as the lady you now are."
And on that happy thought, we re-engaged with our smooching, practicing for the day when we would both willingly surrender our virginity to each other.
If Tracey learnt from Daphne-as-me, Theodore would be a very lucky lady…
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
A couple of weeks later, on a Monday morning, Daphne-as-me, Ernie, Tracey, Luna, Ana, and I came out of the Charms class with Michael, Hermione, and Theodore-as-Susan. As part of the special arrangements for our year, my cohort – the honorary seventh years - shared all of our NEWT classes with the actual seventh years, such as Luna and Ana.
Whilst the Patil twins branched off, along with the other pupils, the nine New Marauders left present – just Slytherins and Ravenclaws for this class – were chatting amicably to each other, on our way to find a corridor to eat our mid-morning snacks for the breaktime. Then I noticed that Luna was looking intently at Theodore, who was walking in front of her.
Seeing Luna's tilted head, I stopped to follow her gaze. I was under no illusions about how perceptive Luna was, so I watched and asked myself what she had noticed…
Theodore-as-Susan was walking stiffly. Maybe she had twisted something, or…
"I see…" Daphne-as-me stopped besides us. He too had picked up on what we'd seen. But then, like Luna, he had the advantage of being taught about this when he had been a girl.
Theodore stopped, turned round, and saw the three of us watching her with concern. Tracey spun round too, whilst Michael and Hermione froze and looked over to us.
"Um, guys…?" Tracey queried.
"They've…sussed me out, Trace," Theodore-as-Susan declared with an embarrassed smile. She reached out and held Tracey's hand.
"Drrrrat…" Tracey's emphasised remark made me chuckle. "We're busted!"
Thinking quickly, I cast a privacy spell around us.
"I didn't think it would take you long, Trace," Daphne-as-me mock-chastised our fellow Slytherin, as he folded his arms together over his chest. "I hope that you didn't get her p-"
"Daph…! Of course I didn't. We took precautions!" Tracey's cheeks turned scarlet.
"Should I even ask what's going on?" Michael spoke up, his eyes narrowed.
Daphne-as-me dropped his arms and walked over to him. "Let's keep walking, Michael and Ernie. The ladies will catch up with us later. Right?"
"Yes, we will," Luna answered serenely for us.
Then, as the three boys disappeared around a corner, leaving us girls by ourselves, I cried out and ran forward to hug my fellow wizard-turned-witch. Luna and Ana followed suit.
Ana tittered as she ruffled Theodore-as-Susan's hair. "Well done! You must both tell us the best parts!" she said in her slightly-accented voice. She still spoke Spanish at home with her pureblood mother and Muggle father, I had learned.
We congratulated Theodore and Tracey. Hermione watched us in wonder. Then she twigged the situation and she rushed over to squeeze Tracey and Theodore-as-Susan.
"Right…" Tracey blushed. "You guys saw that Theo was walking funny. I confess. I made a woman out of this girl here, last night." Her gaze turned wistful. "It was wonderful."
"Should we ask how it was for you, Theodore? Or would you prefer to answer that when Tracey's not here?" Luna asked in her signature dreamy voice.
Theodore-as-Susan blushed and had trouble looking in our eyes. "Well… First of all, Tracey proved himself to be a wonderful man after taking the Polyjuice. And it was great! It hurt to start with, of course. But… Well, I'll still have something to tell you all tonight, during our New Marauders meeting…"
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
Written 18 November 1998:
Dear journal,
Well… Where to begin?
First there was our discovery that Tracey and Theodore – or rather Susan, as she wanted to be known now – had done the deed. Then, during our scheduled meeting in the Room of Requirement the following evening, with the rest of our closest allies, Susan-as-Theodore rose from his chair and told us he had something to say. Theodore-as-Susan stood up to stand next to him too. Now all of us were focussed on just them. I felt a lump in my throat, wondering what was going on.
"Erm… You all now know that Theo wants to be called Susan, now that she's lost her virginity… Well, we've decided between ourselves, after conferring with Tracey, Ernie and Hannah…" Susan-as-Theodore trailed off, blushing. He looked to Theodore-as-Susan, who nodded and took up the reins.
"We've decided that we will both make things easier for everyone. So, from this night on, I would like to be permanently known by my new identity. I am now Susan Bones. And I am proud to be a witch!" Theodore-as-Susan declared.
"Yay!" Tracey raised her arms and gave her lover a double thumbs up.
"My name is now Theodore Nott. And I am proud to be a wizard!" Susan-as-Theodore held his head up high as he made his own affirmation. "But as for being a Nott… We've got a plan for that!"
Ernie and Hannah led the clapping, before they rose from their seats. Hannah hugged the new Theodore – whilst the two boys clapped shoulders and shook hands, happy to be two points of their own triangle, with Hannah as their shared girlfriend.
Then Harry-as-me and I exchanged a meaningful glance across the room. We both knew what the other was thinking. When it came to our turn at losing our virginities in our Switched forms, should we too fully embrace our assumed names, like we had embraced our new gender identities…?
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
As to other business…
The first piece of good news is that we've played our last card against Ginny. And it has worked.
Not long after the start of term, Justin Finch-Fletchley found Ginny in one of the girls' toilets. She had been sobbing after seeing me holding hands with the new Daphne, around the school. Only this time my smile came completely from my heart, not aided by any love potion.
Tough luck, Weaslette. As the new Harry, I refuse to be manipulated anymore…
But we're not heartless. Back during the summer, my friends and I found out that Justin genuinely fancied Ginny – and so we left it to him to offer her a lifeline. To offer the possibility of having a boyfriend who would accept Ginny for all that she was, including her known faults.
He was offering her redemption. A break from her controlling mother.
Justin reported back to us that Ginny had accepted him willingly. After all, Justin had bravely stood up to the elder Carrows and Malfoy when he could, during the reign of the Death Eaters at Hogwarts. Justin had also fought in the Battle of Hogwarts, and had defended Ginny at one stage from the invading spiders.
Both Harry-as-me and I were pleased to see Ginny and Justin hanging around the grounds from time to time, hand-in-hand and kissing.
As for my own girlfriend, it was on Hallowe'en that my plans came to fruition.
I chose that day because I was all too aware that Harry would need cheering up. Hallowe'en had been the day that he had lost his parents at the age of one. It had been Hallowe'en when the troll had been on the rampage and nearly killed Hermione during our first year. In the next year, Riddle caused the Chamber of Secrets to be opened, thus releasing the Basilisk. And in our fourth year, Harry's name had come out of that blasted Goblet of Fire, thanks to Dumbledore and the other officials failing to take adequate measures to prevent an adult from using advanced magic on the cup. Someone who had wanted to produce Harry as a champion of a fourth school for the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
I told Harry, a few days in advance, that I would make it a special weekend for her, if she was all right with that. Harry looked at me, her cute snub nose twitching as she thought it over.
"What do you have in mind?" she asked me.
"Well… Perhaps we could…," I began.
As I finished my list of suggestions, Harry hugged me. She admitted that she was scared by the first step. She swallowed hard.
"We don't have to, if you don't…," I added.
"No. Let's do this. I shouldn't put it off any longer." Harry pulled back to look me in the eye. "Let's find that Resurrection Stone!"
And so, after telling our closest friends what we were searching for, Luna insisted on helping Harry and me look for the Resurrection Stone in the Forbidden Forest. At Harry's suggestion, we got Hagrid and Remus to assist us too, during that Saturday morning. After a while, we found the stone where Harry had dropped it during that break in the fighting, during the night when Voldemort and his army tried to storm Hogwarts. Harry picked it up, and taking a deep breath, activated the stone.
At first three shades appeared to us five witnesses. Harry's parents and Sirius Black. Harry spoke to them, afraid of their reaction that she had decided to remain as a witch. But they all reassured her.
"You are still our child, Harry! If you are happy with your decision – then it is the right one for you," James Potter told his daughter.
Luna and I were on either side of Harry, squeezing her hand to offer our emotional support. Harry looked to both of us. Whilst Hagrid and Remus stood to one side, smiling at Harry's parents.
"I am happy, dad. I'm the happiest and most content I've ever been in my life!" she told them.
"Then we are happy for you, Harry," Lily Potter beamed at us all, her not-quite solid image flickering a little in the dim light of the early October morning, underneath the huge trees. "And I'm glad to see that you too have been appointed Head Girl. Like I was!" she added with a grin.
"We're also chuffed to see that you are changing Slytherin house for the better, from the inside," James Potter added.
Surprise spread across Harry's face. "You already knew? All of this?"
"We do take it in turns to watch over you when we can, Harry," Sirius added, his eyes twinkling. "Your father and I approve of the New Marauders, by the way!"
"And you have a handsome and remarkable young man who will support you all the way, Harry," James Potter declared. "Each of us approves of your choice."
I blushed. "Thank you, sir," I replied meekly. Then I raised my head and grinned. "I'm only handsome because of you and Harry."
Everyone laughed at that remark. I noticed that the spirits then seemed to give Luna a knowing look, which made her sit up. She blushed too, as they nodded a silent…approval?
Curious…, I noted to myself.
Remus stepped forward to engage in a happy, reassuring conversation with his lost friends for a few minutes. Amongst other things it was confirmed by the spirits that Peter Pettigrew was in a different part of the afterlife, being punished for his poor decisions in life. Meanwhile, Voldemort was, to no one's surprise, now trapped in a hell made from his own nightmares. Unable to re-join the splinters of his shattered soul, until he was truly sorry for all of his lies and monstrous acts whilst alive. Which meant that he was probably never going to be free from his punishment, ever again.
"Keep our daughter safe, Remus and Rubeus. Help keep all of them safe and happy," James Potter told them.
Remus Lupin and Hagrid looked surprised – but then our DADA professor smiled as he turned his gaze towards Harry. "I will do my part," he promised his old friend.
Then Professor Snape appeared besides Sirius and Harry's parents, surprising us. He gave us all a faint smile as he thanked us five living mortals for the roles we had played in bringing Voldemort and his forces down. Then we saw Snape being hugged and shoulder slapped by Sirius and the Potters. No doubt to show us that Snape had finally let go of his hatred and jealousies in death, in exchange for peace and acceptance from Harry's parents and Sirius. Soon the four spirits bade us goodbye as they faded away.
Harry cried for a few moments afterwards. Remus, Luna, and I wept silently as we consoled her in turn. Hagrid blew his nose loudly on his handkerchief. Then, having honoured the dead on Halloween, the five of us got up and walked back to the school, to tackle the rest of the day.
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
I had informed the sixth year Slytherin Prefects that we weren't to be disturbed, unless it was an emergency. Luckily, although they smirked – suspecting that 'Daphne' and I were dating - I knew that I could trust them to keep quiet.
And so, having bought us some privacy, Harry and I enjoyed a candlelit dinner for two in our shared lounge, with the gramophone playing quietly in the background. I had only told Harry during that lunchtime that I was arranging a special evening for her, to give her a Halloween to remember for the right reasons. Despite the limited time between lunch and dinner, Harry had managed to squeeze in her homework and Head Girl duties, before rushing off to seek the assistance of Tracey and Luna. And so, whilst I was dressed smartly in a newly purchased set of clothes – namely a white shirt, dark trousers, and polished black shoes, with a green tie that matched my eye colour – Harry put on her best new clothes, a full-length green dress with short sleeves. The material shimmered when she moved, due to a charm. Having had her ears pierced in order to maintain her disguise as me, a year and a half ago, Harry now wore a pair of emerald earrings that I had given her as a secret birthday present at the end of July. Harry's slightly-curly hair hung over her shoulders, having been charmed - she admitted – with the assistance of Tracey and Luna. She now looked radiant, like a golden-haired angel – and once she saw how blown away I was by her, Harry got over her anxiety and relaxed, gaining confidence.
"Honestly – you look wonderful, Harry," I told her. "I can see why the boys in my third year onwards wanted to kiss and court me. Not that I let them. I could tell that they weren't wishing to date me for the right reasons."
"Thanks for the compliment." Harry blushed and smiled back. "You look gorgeous yourself, Daphne. Now I don't blame those girls for swooning over me when I was growing up, when I was a boy."
Laughing between ourselves, I pulled out Harry's seat for her to sit at the table, playing my role as the gentleman that I now was. Once we were both sat, I called out for Winky – and she appeared, smartly dressed herself as befitting for a servant of Hogwarts who had led the House elves into battle against the Death Eaters. She presented us with the menus that I had arranged with her. We chose our starters and mains – and soon started eating after Winky reappeared with our plates, minutes later. We drank low alcoholic Elf wine as we talked more about our families and our lives.
After finishing our desserts, I turned up the gramophone as I placed an old vinyl record of Muggle musicians. It was a compilation of ballads that I had sought out, drawing upon Harry's knowledge of the Muggle world.
Harry smiled. "You remembered the artists that I like."
"And I'm willing to bet that you like softer songs now than when you were a teenage boy," I replied.
She nodded. "Another effect of my mental transformation, now that I'm a lady, I guess."
"And if I was still a witch myself, I would want to be romanced and wooed. So…" I trailed off, holding out my hand. "…may I have this dance, my lady?"
"Gladly, my lord." Harry beamed, referring to my status as Heir Potter-Black as she rose to take my hand. We stepped into the middle of the lounge floor and took our promenade positions.
Luckily, we had practiced during the summer. Whilst Harry had been stuck as me, after the war, it occurred to me that she needed to be taught how to dance, ballroom style, as befitting an heiress. Even in private, it had been embarrassing for both of us to take up the wrong promenade positions, as though we were still the same as our genders at birth…
And after the two of us danced our way through several songs of different tempos and beats on that Halloween evening (including something seasonal called 'The Monster Mash'), Harry and I kissed as the music ended. I saw to the Gramophone. Then, grinning, I bent down and carefully lifted Harry off her feet – making her shriek with surprise. But she did not fight me as I asked her which bedroom she wanted me to take her to…
Harry's face blushed again. I could feel her trembling.
"I tried to work it out in my head," I confessed. "I think it is a suitable day in the month for this. But if you are not ready, I don't mind. Just let me kn-"
"It's alright. Thanks for your consideration, Daphne. It…it is a good day for us to…do it," Harry breathed. I saw her Adam's Apple bob up and down in her nervousness. She nodded and tightened her grip on my arms. "My bedroom, please."
And so, with my heart beginning to pound, I carried Harry into her room and gently laid her down on her bed. I kissed her again – starting with her forehead. Then I slowly lowed my head down to touch my lips to her nose, her cheeks, and then to each side of her neck. Harry sucked in her breath and squirmed beneath me. Her blue eyes flashing, she reached up with her arms and tried to push me to one side, so that she could flip us over and be on top.
"No. Not yet, Harry. Let me tease you the way I wanted to be teased, when I was a girl." I smirked at her. "Then you can have your way with me."
Harry paused, and then nodded. After that, I reached down and untied the cord around Harry's slim waist that held her dress in place. At the same time, she began to pull my tie away from my collar before unbuttoning my shirt. Her delicate hand began to caress my bare chest, giving me goosebumps…
Before long, Harry had stripped me down to my black boxer shorts. I looked down and blushed at the fact that my manhood was already making itself evident as it tried to stand to attention underneath the fabric. Harry gave a cute giggling noise – then she recovered and reached up to undo her emerald earrings. With those placed on her nightstand, the only things Harry was still wearing was her lingerie – a matching set of black lycra bra and knickers, which had me transfixed.
"These… These must be new…," I managed to say.
"They are. Do you like them, Daphne?" Harry purred as she slowly lowered her eyelids at me. Her blue eyes shone with love for me.
"I…I do."
She smiled in relief. "Then let's finish unwrapping each other."
I needed no further prompting by Harry. She removed my shorts and my glasses – and I nearly tore off her bra and knickers in my growing eagerness. We moved onto stroking and kissing each other all over – along with the tips Tracey had given me from her experience of making love as a young man to the new Susan, I used my knowledge as a former girl to treat Harry as the lady that she was. Whilst she relied on what the new Susan had taught her, as well as her experience as a former boy, to test what I now liked…
Now I allowed Harry to flip us over so that she was on top of me. Grinning, she nipped and licked at my nipples, making me moan. Well, fair's fair. I had just done the same to her.
After we both rolled back and forth a bit in the wide bed, we found ourselves facing each other, on our sides. I reached down again, and slowly stroked the tip of my finger upwards on the inside of her thigh. Then I circled around her labia, gradually working my way closer and closer to her most sensitive spot. By now Harry was panting for breath. She was already wet…
"Daphne…" Harry moaned. Grabbing my hand, she re-directed my fingertips so that I was stroking her clitoris. At the same time, Harry's other hand shot out and began to gently caress my throbbing penis.
Oh… That feels good…, I thought to myself – half spaced out already.
When we both got our breaths back, I carefully eased myself against Harry, as she rolled onto her back. Once again, I lovingly caressed her slender, but firm, breasts.
"Harry? Are you ready for the next stage? I don't want to hurt you any more than necessary…"
"I know, Daphne." Harry took a deep breath and smiled encouragingly at me. "Let's do this. I can't wait to tell the other girls about us!"
"So long as I get to brag to Ron, Neville, and the new Theo. And Tracey too!" I retorted,
"Deal," she agreed.
Pressing our naked bodies together, I held Harry firmly but lovingly, as my manhood entered her folds and slid into her warm chamber. I paused as I encountered the point of resistance. Her hands gripped my shoulders tightly.
Then I pushed myself forward and broke my lover's hymen.
Harry gasped in pain. I waited for her to recover. When she did, our hips rocked in tandem and we gradually increased the pace – both of us totally losing ourselves to each other in our shared passion, as we fought each other to be on top, even as our tongues collided and battled for entry to the other's mouth. Harry's vagina held me tightly, her body determined to milk me as much as possible for my seed. Gasping, I tried to slow myself down. As a result, we almost managed to climax at the same time.
Well, we would get better with practice, I silently told myself as we both rested on the bed, our fingers entwined in each other's.
We had finally done it. Harry had made a man out of me – and I had turned my girl into a woman. After that night, I had no desire at all to return to being Daphne Greengrass – not even for an hour with Polyjuice potion. Likewise, Harry had no inclination to be Harry Potter ever again.
The next day, we followed in the footsteps of our Switched friends, as I told our closest pals that my name was now Harry James Potter, and that I was proud to be a wizard.
Luna hummed and nodded. "I thought the new Daphne was walking stran-"
"Luna!" My girlfriend – and now, my lover - shrieked as she ran forward. Her hand shot out and clamped itself over Luna's mouth.
"Hrry! Plmm relemm mee!" our petite Slytherin friend protested. The rest of the gang laughed at Luna's wide-eyed face.
Releasing Luna, Harry smiled as she stepped forward and made her affirmation.
"My name is now Daphne Catherine Greengrass. And I am proud to be a witch!" she declared; her head held high.
Our friends took it in turns to shake hands, slap shoulders, hug, and congratulate us.
"Good for you, mate." Ron smiled at me. "I'm happy for both of you."
"How was it, H-I mean, Daphne?" Hermione asked, stepping forward.
"It was wonderful, Hermione," the new Daphne answered, as she hugged our Ravenclaw friend. "My boyfriend's definitely worthy to be the new Harry, as I already knew…"
I did catch the glint of something in Luna's eye. But I didn't think anything of it at the time.
I wasn't too long before I realised what had been on her mind, though.
It was then that I found myself in hot water, so to speak. And not just me, either…