Most of these characters belong to Joanne Kathleen Rowling.
This book is both written as a way to honour and as a way to add what I would think would make the original Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone better, and more in the wonderful accepting image that so many original fans saw in Hogwarts.
This book was not my original idea, instead, it's a vessel accepting my changes and altercations
Dedicated to Alex Adams, who wasn't allowed to read the originals,but could have used a magical world to escape to.
Dumbledore had convinced Harry not to go looking for the Mirror of Erised again and for the rest of the Christmas holidays, the Invisibility Cloak stayed folded at the bottom of her -- his trunk. Harry was getting frustrated with himself because kept doing that. He was not a girl, he did not want to be a girl, and that stupid mirror was wrong. But the mirror can't be wrong, it's magic.
"Could you tell me again why you want to go to the GLBT club after the Christmas holiday?" Ron said when Harry had finally worked up the courage to talk to him about it.
"It's LGBT now, and I just said it. I saw more than I told you about in the mirror," said Harry
"You mean the one you claim shows us our deepest desires?"
"Yes."
"And you think they can explain the other thing you saw?"
"Yes."
"You still haven't told me what you saw."
Harry simply sank deeper into the armchair he was sitting in. The two of them were alone in the common room, sitting in the good armchairs by the fire. Harry could smell the marshmallow he had left to roast.
"Harry, if it's something weird like . . ." Ron said, waving his hand, "whatever that club does, I won't stop being your friend."
Harry couldn't meet Ron's eyes.
"Harry, I mean it. What you want won't change who you are."
Harry mumbled something that sounded like "Mimblewimble."
"What?"
"I -- I do want to change who I am -- I think -- or maybe just be a different me."
"What?"
"I saw a girl me in the mirror."
"What!?"
"I think George was calling, It's nothing, it was just my family in the mirror," Harry said, starting to get up.
"No, Harry, wait! It's fine, Charlie told us about that stuff. I think they called it being trans."
Harry slowly sat down again, pulled his legs up to his chest, and hugged them. "Trans?"
Ron sat back and rubbed the back of his head, sticking it up. "I don't really know much about it, I guess if you want to know write him -- them. I still slip up sometimes."
Harry didn't move, he just sat there, head ducked behind his legs.
"Do -- do you want me to use she and stuff?"
Harry still didn't move, he didn't know what to say. Lucky for him, he was saved by one of the older students who came back the day before, climbing through the portrait hole.
Hermione had come back the day before term started. She was currently sitting at the corner table in the common room, looking at a curled-up Harry, and Ron, who was comforting Harry. Apparently, Harry had been in a similar state for about half the holiday. Ron pulled Hermione up here as soon as he learned she was back.
"Are you going to explain or are you just going to comfort Harry?" asked Hermione.
"I'm not sure I can explain it, or if I should. Harry?"
Harry mumbled something too quiet for Hermione to hear. Ron then told all that he knew, up until Harry told what actually happened, "Then the next part is up to Harry."
"So, you couldn't find Flamel," Hermione stated. "And you saw your family in the Mirror, is that really the problem?"
Harry shook his head. "I hadn't told Ron about something . . . the Mirror flickers for me, it only shows my family sometimes."
"What else does it show you?"
Harry took a deep breath, sat in the chair properly, and looked Hermione in the eyes. "Me as a girl."
Hermione just sat the for a few moments, then --
"EEEEE!" Hermione jumped up and let out a screech that hurt Ron and Harry's ears, then began pacing behind her chair. "Harry! That's wonderful! I read all about trans people, do you want me to start calling you 'she?' Do you have a new name? Are you going to start hormones? Have you already started them? What blockers are you going to use? Have you talked to McGonagall about this yet? Will you be moving into the girls' dormitory? We must go shopping! My best girlfriend can't be wearing old baggy boy's clothes." Hermione let out a gasp. "Are you going to join the LGBT club?"
Harry didn't know what to say. Hermione had used terms she hadn't heard before and asked questions she hadn't had an answer to. Hermione hadn't seemed to notice Harry's shock yet, though, because she was now leaning over the back of the newly vacant chair and beaming at Harry expectantly.
"Can you repeat about all of that? You were talking so fast a Gilded Zaperjay couldn't keep up." Ron said, saving Harry from the trouble.
"Oh, sorry, right, one question at a time," Hermione said, sinking back into the chair. "Harry, do you want to change your pronouns?"
Harry found herself pulling her legs back up to her chest. She didn't know if she wanted that, it was new and scary and not what she was used to. She'd just have to tell -- wait, she was already thinking about herself as a girl! Is that weird? Is that too fast? Is that --
"Harry?"
Harry wasn't sure which one had said that.
"I'm sorry, what did you ask?" Harry said, looking between the two. They were both next to her now. When did that happen?
"Are you alright? You were curling up again." Hermione said.
"If you're overwhelmed by all this, we can wait 'till you see the club people."
Harry just nodded. The two of them hugged her tightly.
A week. A full week passed before Harry had the free time to go to the LGBT club. They only met every other day, and Wood had Harry practicing for Quidditch every single one of them so far. Wood wasn't the only one getting on Harry's nerves; Ron had started blushing and hiding every morning when they were getting dressed, and every time they had to be in the toilet together. Hermione wasn't much better, every morning she'd rush up to her and give her a tight hug -- Harry didn't know how Hermione could hug so tight. It was time she talked to someone who actually knew how to help.
Standing in front of the door to the old classroom the LGBT club met at, Harry was determined to get some answers. However, she was also terrified that they'd tell her "You're not really trans, you're just a perverted little boy," or "Hah! Do you think we'd believe someone who supposedly needed a mirror to tell them?" She just had to open the door and walk into the room.
"Hello?" Harry called, peeking her head into the room.
No one seemed to be inside. The room was certainly bigger than a normal classroom. The neighboring classrooms seemed to have been merged into one big room. But that couldn't be the case, Harry knew the next class over was separate, it was the charms classroom. Two staircases curved up to a balcony at the back of the room. In one corner were a few short bookshelves making a reading nook, complete with a comfortable-looking rocking chair. In another corner was a half-played game of wizards chess; the two queens were having a pleasant conversation. In the centre of the room was a circle of mostly armchairs, each looking very different from the others. Was the fuzzy armchair breathing?
"Hello?" Harry said again, coming more into the room.
"Hello, sweetie, you're a bit early for club activities, I'm afraid," said White Queen.
"Or maybe the others are late, they are still getting used to being back at Hogwarts again," said Black Queen
"Er -- thanks," Harry said. Harry began to look more closely around the room, the chairs all had names on them: Jex, Flix, Lacy, Hannah, Albus. Albus' was the simplest most eye-catching of the bunch, being a normal chair, but shifting hues through the rainbow. It couldn't be Albus as in Albus Dumbledore, could it? The teachers who manage the clubs aren't that involved as to join in the silly games and use first names, right?
One of the staircases had a closet hidden underneath it. It reminded Harry a lot of the cupboard she used to sleep in. This closet was actually full of clothes, costumes even, certainly more costumes than should've fit under the stairs. Harry could also see a handle from the other side, a secret door? Harry's curiosity got the better of her, she reached across and flung the door open.
Inside was more space, it was incredible, like the back of a stage, there were makeup stations along the far wall and even more costumes along the back wall, and a balcony with two sets of stairs curling away to the room below. Wait -- that's the room Harry just was in! She ran down the stairs, the same chairs, the same chess game, the same conversation between the queens, and the same magic closet. Harry couldn't stop herself, she kept going in and out of the closet. She even tried shutting both doors while she was standing in the closet, spinning around, then opening a door at random.
"Am I the first one here again!?" someone shouted as they walked in. Harry's heart stopped. Were the chess pieces going to mention her? How was this person going to react to her being there? Harry shut the upstairs closet door and hoped they didn't open either one.
"Yes, you are the first club member to arrive," Harry heard Black Queen say.
"Weird way to put it, but okay," said the person.
Harry was terrified, her legs pulled up close to her chest and some of her hair covering her face.
"Finally, you're here, Hannah! I was starting to get bored," said the first person.
"It's not my fault you come early every time, Flix," said who Harry assumed was Hannah.
"I'm here too!" said a third voice.
"Jex!" said Flix, and Harry heard a thump.
"Yes, wonderful, now where are Lacy and Professor Dumbledore? I'm super excited for the showcase today," Hannah said.
"First of all, how many times has Albus asked us to call him Albus? Second, I'm right here," Lacy said, sounding rather bored.
"Whoo!" Jex yelled. "And Albus asked me to tell you he got swamped by paperwork, Lacy's in charge, we are to carry on without him."
"Why is Lacy in charge? I'm the oldest." Hannah complained.
"Why would Albus put a Slytherin in charge? I'm the responsible Ravenclaw." Lacy retorted.
"I'm a Ravenclaw too! Why aren't I in charge?" Flix complained.
"You're a first-year, Flix, you're too young," Lacy stated.
"I'm a Hufflepuff, no one's more trustworthy, and I'm a second-year, so I'm not too young. I should be in charge." Jex retorted.
"You're too all over Flix, you'd favor them." Hannah taunted.
"No, I wouldn't!" Jex shouted.
"You're literally cuddling them on the floor!" Lacy shouted. Lacy sounded like they were coming closer to Harry. "Anyway, let's get on with the --"
Lacy opened the closet. Lacy was a really pretty girl, with long, braided, blond hair.
"Hey, Jex, the muggle term for pulling the rabbit out of the hat, what was it again?" Lacy said, looking at Harry.
"Coming out of the closet!" Jex said.
"I didn't realize it was so literal," Lacy said, gesturing at Harry. The others all rushed over and looked at Harry. She wasn't sure she liked all the eyes on her like that.
"Isn't that --" the Hufflepuff Harry figured was Jex started.
"Harry Potter!" all the others finished, big smiles splitting their faces.
Harry was whisked out of the closet and placed in Dumbledore's chair. Lacy sat in the armchair covered in fur; Jex sat in an armchair that at first looked like it was just blue, but then Jex literally sank onto it, the chair slightly compressing around him; Flix sat in a chair that wobbled around and didn't have legs, it just extended down until it curved out on the bottom; Hannah sat in practically a throne, however, instead of properly sitting in it, she threw her legs over one of the arms and leaned against the other.
"What are you doing here?" Flix asked.
"Why were you in the closet?" Lacy asked.
"Was that intentional or accidental symbolism?" Jex asked.
"Does your pretty, long hair have something to do with it?" Hannah asked.
"Are you gay!?" someone asked.
"Wouldn't it be lesbian, since the books were wrong?"
"Harry's a boy."
"Unless that's why you're here!"
Someone gasped "Was it something we said?"
"What's wrong?"
"Why are you curled up?"
"Guys! Stop!" Lacy yelled. "Harry's clearly overwhelmed, and you're not helping."
"Sorry," three voices said.
Harry felt a comforting hand on her back, she looked up to see Lacy smiling softly.
"Can we ask you a few questions?" Lacy asked.
"That's a question, Lacy."
"Shut up, Jex. Harry?" Lacy said in a soothing voice. Harry softly nodded.
"Can you tell us why you were in our closet?"
"I was too afraid to come out."
Jex failed to stifle a laugh.
"Why were you in there to begin with?"
"It's a cool closet, I got carried away playing with the doors."
"You're dodging the question, you know what I'm asking."
Harry didn't respond, she did slowly look at the others; Harry recognized Jex from platform nine and three quarters, she hadn't been able to tell if they were a girl or a boy, just that their dirty-blonde hair slightly covered their hazel eyes and that they were very pale; Flix had short black hair, black eyes, and rather tanned skin; Hannah had frizzy black hair, pretty brown skin, and dark eyes.
"Harry, we're not going to be mad. I'm sure you had a good reason." Lacy said.
"Al -- alright" Harry finally said. "Do you know about the Mirror of Erised?"
"No," three voices said.
"Yes," Hannah said. All eyes turned to her. "What? I'm studying enchanted objects; it's a powerful enchanted object. It shows you your deepest desire, even if you don't know it." Hannah's eyes lit up. "You found it, didn't you!? What did it show you!? Can I use you as a source for my research paper!?"
"Er -- Yes, I'm getting there, maybe," Harry said. She was starting to get used to these people's fast-paced conversations. "The mirror flickered for me. I don't feel like sharing one of the things it shows me, but the other -- that's why I'm here. I see myself as a girl."
Chaos followed. Jex and Flix tackled each other in a hug, Hannah screeched similarly to what Hermione had the week before, and Lacy fell off the arm of the chair, where she had been sitting.
Jex and Flix, who ended up tangled on the floor, asked at the same time, "Do you want us to use she/her pronouns?"
"I don't know," said Harry, who's starting to get confused about Jex and Flix's relationship, because the two made no effort to untangle themselves.
"Want to try them?" Hannah asked.
"Er -- I guess," said Harry.
"Harry Potter, The Girl Who Lived!" shouted Flix.
"She's the youngest seeker in a century!" shouted Jax.
"I can't think of a cooler witch than her!" shouted Flix.
"And she's finally coming out of her shell!" shouted Jax.
Harry had indeed found herself uncurled, and smiling. She stood and gave the two of them a hug. "Thank you," she said.
"Thank us?" said Jex.
"We weren't saying anything untrue," said Flix.
"Okay, okay, this got us really off track," said Lacy. "Hannah, please, start our showcase. Harry, welcome to womanhood, good luck. Are you going to become a regular member?"
"I don't know."
"Are you ready to pull the rabbit out of the hat to the whole school yet, or should we minimize the rumors?"
Harry only had to think for a second about all the extra eyes that would follow her everywhere she went to say, "Keep that rabbit right where it is, please."
Harry learned a lot about the LGBT that night and also got to see some pretty neat performances.