Chapter 2: Concientus Cogito

Why does my body ache like I just ran the 100-meter run? Harry thought to himself as he woke up that fateful morning. And why do I feel my brain was put into a blender? He groaned, and turned around slightly. He suddenly felt strange. He took off the covers and looked down at his body. Breasts? When did I grow breasts? He ran his hand through his hair as he usually does when panicked. I have long curly brown hair? Oh-my-God. Now the picture was beginning to get clearer in his head as his growing panic made his groggy head alert. He got up to look in the mirror. Where is the mirror? He thought to himself, as he soon realized that he wasn't in his own room. Out of curiosity he went to check one of the other beds. Maybe I'm going crazy. He thought. Maybe it's all a dream. Sure enough, when he silently pulled away one of the curtains of the other beds he found Parvati Patil, dreaming away with a smile on her face. Oh my God! Harry thought as he finally located a mirror on Hermione's dresser. He picked up the mirror and sure enough, he didn't find his face. I need to lay down. He decided. All of a sudden he heard a silent voice.

*Harry* 

He looked around the room, but he saw everything was normal.

*Harry!*

Hermione! He thought! Where are you?

*In your body!* He heard her say.

*You can hear me?*  He thought back to her. *Did the Concientus Cogito Potion really work?*

*Apparently it did!* Hermione yelled at him. *But it worked twice as good. Where in the text did it say something like this would happen?*

Harry thought back to the previous days affairs. It was at the tip of his head, he just couldn't seem to…"Its my fault!" He heard a voice say. "I accidentally mixed some of my unfinished potion with yours. I'm sorry."

*Ron*  Harry thought to her.

*Ron? What does he have…* Then it clicked in her head. *The Polyjuice Potion. The…*

*…one he accidentally mixed with ours.* Harry finished.

*But why didn't we turn into…*

*It was unfinished remember? He hadn't added the last ingredient, then we added our blood and…*

*…it changed us into each other.*  Hermione sighed. *What are we gonna do?*  Hermione asked. *I could kill Ron!*

*We are not telling Ron!* Harry yelled.

*What? Why? We never keep sec…*

*I said we are not!*

*But WHY?*

*Don't you get it? If we tell him about him messing up our potion he'll be crushed! He'll blame himself and I don't want him to feel worse than he already does. Besides, the more people we tell the more chances we have of it leaking out. Nope, I won't have it.*

Harry didn't want to tell her the real reason. Ron had a crush on Hermione. Ron wouldn't react to thrilled to hear this.

Hermione resigned herself. *All right. But you do know he'll be able to tell something is off. He's Ron, you are his best friend, he knows you like he knows his brothers. He'll know, jut the way he can tell apart Fred and George.*

 *Hermione, the Polyjuice Potion only lasts an hour. It will wear off soon enough. *

*All right, best we get ready for class. See you in the Great Hall!*  

But just as they were about to change the reality of them struck them.

*Har…*  *Herm*  they called each other at the same time.

*How are we gonna do this?* Hermione asked. 

She was referring to the fact that she had to change clothes. And in order to that she had to undress herself. Only that herself wasn't herself. Harry was Herself. Even worse was the fact that Harry had to change to, and she didn't relish the thought of Harry seeing her in the buff. 

*Ok…what if we clothe each other?* Harry suggested.

*Excuse me?*

*You heard me. It'll be like clothing ourselves, only, different. You know what I mean. And the person being clothed keeps their eyes closed so as not to see anything.*

Harry thought his plan was a great plan, but Hermione thought otherwise.

*And where do you suppose this plan will take action? If we do it in any of each others' dormitories, or their bathrooms, we'll risk getting caught by people, and you know what people would think if they saw us doing that.* Hermione thought to him, the thought making her ears turn slightly pink.

*Hermione.*

*What?*

*We're prefects!*

*So?*

*We'll do it in the prefects' bathroom!*

*But what if another prefect happens to …*

*We'll do it while the prefects are on duty in the Great Hall during breakfast.*

*Ohh…Ok. Which one, yours or mine?*

*Yours. You'll use my Invisibility Cloak to sneak in. What is your password?*

* Treacle Tart. People are starting to wake up. We have to hurry up. What excuse should we give Ron as to why we are going late to breakfast?*

*Stomach ache because of the weird potion.*

*Way to not make him feel guilty.*

*All right Miss Brainy, you think of something.*

Hermione was silent.

*Ok, we'll go with that.*

Harry grinned. *Look, I'll tell you when to go ok? Just wait there and feign stomachache until I tell you. I'll be in here doing the same thing. Then I'll tell Parvati to tell Ron all right? *

*Ok*

*Polyjuice Potion wears off quickly, just keep telling yourself that. *

*Ok. Shut up Harry, Ron is waking up*

Harry heard their whole conversation.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Harry get up! We're gonna be…"

"Ohhhhhhhhh…owww…can't get up…can't get…"

"Harry are you ok?" Ron asked with a concern look.

"I think I have a stomach ache."

"I'll go tell Madame P…"

"NO!"

"Why not?"

"My stomach hurts because of yesterday's thing." She said, discretion abound because of the gathering crowd that was Dean, Seamus, and Neville. 

Ron, catching the drift…."Ohhh, yesterday's thing…look Harr, I'm sorry I…"

"Ron, its ok! I'll just miss breakfast, no big. I'll be there for Transfiguration, don't worry about me."

"Do you want me to stay with…"

"NO! I mean…no…I'm not a pretty site, especially when I begin barfing and…"

"Oh well Harry! I'll take your word…I'll just get ready and go now ok bye!"

Harry had to stifle laughter to not rouse the sleeping girls.

*Very good Harry.*

Hermione beamed.

*Why thank you Hermione.*

Parvati and Lavender accepted Harry's excuses without incident. Ron, having heard enough about barfing, left without complaint.

*~*~*~*~*~*

*Ok, they all left now, since the prefects are usually there before breakfast, they should all be there now, and the bathrooms empty. Your password is Treacle Tart, right?*

*Right*

*Ok, I'll go first, stay a couple of feet behind me in my Invisibility Cloak. It's in the bottom of my trunk along with my clothes, and my books for Transfiguration.*

The plan went as expected. Harry, as Hermione, stepped out of the dormitory and into the empty Gryffindor common rooms and waited to hear from Hermione.  

*I'm here.* He heard her say, and they went off.

They reached the Girls' Prefects' Bathroom and were allowed in.

Hermione took off the cloak.

"Ok" she said. "I have your clothes and books."

"Oh no." Thought Harry. "I was so busy planning it all that I forgot to bring your clothes! I did bring your books, however and…"

"This is fresh!" Hermione yelled. "You have to go back and get them in. Merlin knows I don't want myself to be running around in a bathrobe all day!" 

So Harry stumbled out of the bathroom and ran all the way back to the tower up the spiraled staircase into the girls dormitory.

*Where are your clothes?* He asked her.

*In the dresser in front of my bed.*

Harry began pulling the drawers out and found things that didn't resemble clothing.

*What is this?*  He asked her.

She blushed bright pink because she knew what he was referring to.

*It's called a bra Harry. They support girls' umm…*

*Breasts?*  

*Right. Honestly Harry you don't know these things?*

*Well, who was I to talk too? Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon hated me and no girl would go near Dudley.*

*You mean to tell me you don't have any girl, friends or any girlfriends waiting for you at home?*

Hermione never felt anything more than friendship towards Harry, so why did her heart speed up in expectation of his answer?

*No one at school would go near me in fear of Dudley.*

Hermione finally understood the harsh reality that was his life. She knew that his family didn't love him, but to live without friends? I may be an insufferable, bossy, know it all, but at least I have a family who loves me and friends who care about me.

*I have friends and a family who loves me now too Hermione. You, Ron, the rest of the Weasleys, Sirius, Lupin, and Dumbledor are all the friends and family I need.*

Hermione felt shocked. Then she remembered. He can hear my thoughts. We have no privacy. We share everything. 

*Exactly. So can you hush up now and tell me what I should bring?*

Hermione told him and he quickly got everything and ran back to the bathroom. Hermione was sitting on the floor when he finally arrived.

"We have half an hour. We have to hurry." Hermione said.

"Who should go first?"

"I'll dress you…I mean me…." Hermione stammered. "If we take too long, I don't want myself to be late."

Hermione walked up to herself…to Harry and was about to take off her pink bathrobe when she remembered. "Close your eyes!"

Harry closed his eyes. "Sorry." He mumbled.

Hermione resumed her position; she reached for the belt of the bathrobe and untied the knot. She was vaguely aware of the speed of her heart…and of his…

The bathrobe fell to the floor.

"I can't do this." Hermione told him.

"Why not? Its you, you're undressing yourself."

"I know its me but its not, you know? No matter whose body it is you inhabit it…so it's like undressing you."

"Jesus Hermione…here…" At this Harry took of the remaining clothing.

"There! I'm naked…you're naked…oh my God!" 

Harry had finally realized that the wall on the opposite side was made of mirrors. He closed his eyes immediately…. "I'm sorry Herm-"

"Harry you big prat!" Hermione yelled as she began to rip off Harry's close as well.

"Ha! Now we're both naked!" Hermione exclaimed as she turned around and looked at Harry…at herself…in the mirrors.

"Oh boy!" Hermione gushed…as Harry blushed a scarlet so deep you'd think that they pulled a Carrie on him.

"Ok, enough of this turn around." Harry said as he whirled her around and threw his clothes at her. "We've both seen each other naked, happy?Kinda took the point out of the plan didn't it?" 

Hermione couldn't stop the giggles from emerging.

"Wow Harry!" She screamed in delight! "I never knew you were SO…"

"Well endowed?" Harry finished for her "Well you aren't so bad yourself."

At this Hermione sobered, realizing that he also had seen her naked.

"I'm gonna kill you Potter!"

"Not until after breakfast. I'm starving." He told her as they finished dressing. "Come on, let's go to the Great Hall and grab a quick breakfast before Double Transfiguration."

When they finally finished, he grabbed her hand and escorted her to the Great Hall.