Title: Double Life

Rated: R content, eventually

Summary: Harry wake up one morning after fifth year with an unpleasant surprise. He may not be a Metamorphmagus, but he will be able to spy in Slytherin without them knowing who he is.

Notes: Update when I can, meaning not often for the whole year. I should finish my thesis in June and be able to write more often in the summer.

azereath : It is possible that Malfoy will continue to flirt with Fortuna. I'm just not saying.

kokaina : I've thought the same about others stories before, so I'm not letting it stop me. As for the chapter length, I will continue trying to make then longer, but I find it hard.

Chapter 7 – Problems of Time-Turner and of Gender

It was already Halloween day. At least, that's what Ron and Hermione seemed to think. Harry was far more of the opinion that it was 'finally' Halloween. While two month had passed for his friends, four had passed for him. He was tired of school, so tired. He wanted it to be already Christmas time. Moreover, he felt strange, a little bit spread too thinly, as strange as it sound. In other words, he really was due for some vacation and he was feeling like his life energy was going away at a double rate. That exact idea stopped him in his track. He remembers reading something that summer about it in a book about Time-Turner. Professor Dumbledore had made him read it so that he would know what he was signing up for.

It was going to have to wait, since he was now suppose to get in class. He had Transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs that morning. He ended up sitting with Justin Finch-Fletchley because Ron and Hermione were too busy bickering to do anything else. He had already exploded at them, but that just made them concerned about him. For the first time in his life, he surprised himself by thinking something about those "bleeding Gryffindors".

That was another part of another problem. He called it the Gender Problem, but it was mostly a wrong name. It was about the mixing of his two lives. He was a boy, that much was clear to him, even when he posed as Fortuna. He was still comfortable in his other live despite this, because he was half Slytherin. He had ambition as much as Percy, yet he was not ready to do absolutely anything to accomplish what he wanted. He wanted to win or be the best without cheating. If not, it would have no value. This made him part Gryffindor, even more so with what Hermione called his 'saving people thing'.

When he was in the Slytherin Common Room, people did not keep asking him if he was fine ten times a day. They did not get overly offended if he told them he wanted a little bit of alone time. But here, in the Gryffindor's Common Room, he could not get a second of peace. If he told Hermione to leave him alone in a half-decent way, she would throw a fit about him being 'rude'. If Ron came to him and he was distracted, he got asked each ten minutes if he was well.

He was so distracted that he got a frustrated look from Hermione with a not so quiet sigh from Justin, so he concentrated on what they were learning. With chance, he would be able to analyse it in a more organized fashion during lunchtime, if he went to the kitchen alone.

Finally able to think, Harry was sitting in the kitchen with a far too big meal. He had assured Dobby and the other House-Elves that he only wanted a small lunch and time alone. He began listing the problems.

First, he needed to read about that tiredness thing. That was the Time-Turner problem. Then, he had problem separating Fortuna and Harry's live. After that, he still was not really comfortable being a girl. Over all that, he was now forced to admit that he was as much a Slytherin than a Gryffindor. Finally, Ron and Hermione were being annoying beyond believe. Those seemed to be all of his problems. After that, life could be good.

The first problem could not be resolved like that. He would need to do the Ravenclaw thing and research.

As for the last problem, the solution seemed evident pretty quickly. He only had to fix them up. Then, at least they would stop bickering long enough to snog. Plus, they would want time alone with each other. Harry was not afraid that they would forget him, since he knew things had to change. They needed to begin looking for love to fund a family one day or the other. If that would not happen, he would simply become crazy under so much attention from his friends.

After that, if he accept that he is as much of a Slytherin than he is a Gryffindor, it would be easier for him to be himself. If his character were more equal, it would not look strange to his friends. What was the problem now was that they were used to him trying to be the best Gryffindor possible. Now he was trying to be an equilibrated mix between the two Houses, since he truly had qualities of both Houses. Having tried to be a good Gryffindor for so long had debalanced his character. The proof was how much Fortuna was known for her sarcasm. It was not something he was known for as Harry, but he always had used it. After all, most of the comments he had said to his cousin were mocking. His cousin was just too stupid to understand them. So the solution here was accepting his own dual nature and letting people get used to him with time.

As for the being a girl problem, Harry could not find any solution. Merlin, he was male! He hated most of his girl-self clothes that were all so girly and better fashioned than his boy's one. He hated being referred to as 'she'. He hated how boys suddenly treated him so differently. He was not made of porcelain, yet they treated him as such. He hated that many object were too heavy for him to lift, even if he had more flexibility. He hated having to be more 'lady like', more 'proper'. He hated even more that he was marked as to much of a girl to even talk about Quidditch. After all, he was just a girl. He hated having to sit down to pee. He hated using ten thousand different hair care products each morning so that his hair behaved. But over it all, he loathed periods. He could escape them by staying male during it; if it was not that he needed to be there in the donjons. That thing hurt and was messy. He never, never wanted to live it again.

Still, there was one last problem, about separating his two lives. That one was simple. He simply had to continue turning around to tell something to Draco during Care of Magical Creature, only to find Ron there, instead. He would carry on turning to tell something to Hermione in Runes, but finding that she was on the other side of the room, ignoring the Slytherins.

There was no course during the afternoon because people wanted to prepare for the fest. The younger years could care less, but the sixth and seventh years girls seem to find the occasion perfect to impress boyfriends and crushes. It was the perfect moment to research about Gendermagi. Since he did not want to be found looking at those books, so he went to the Room of Requirement. He found there a small room with a desk covered with books. All were on Gendermagi or Magi in general.

He discovered that Magi were a lot more than just Animagi, Metamorphmagi and Gendermagi. It was possible to be only one of those. The only one that could be learned and that was not an inborn ability was the Animagi. Were-creatures like the werewolf were considered Weremagi and could not become Animagi, even if theirs was not really inborn because it was a genetic illness. There even was Morphmagi, who could change only one of their features, like Tonks could do if she wanted.

Another book explained a lot more about Gendermagi themselves. It showed that all human have a body of one or the other gender, while their spirit gender could be more easily described as a percentage. Most people were about 80 their own gender. Sometime, people had the contrary. Those were transsexuals. That particular problem was impossible with Gendermagi, since they could already change gender while a foetus. Hence, they would become the right gender before birth. Also, Gendermagi was hereditary, but it developed only in body whose spirit was less than 75 of a gender. The others were only carrier of the gene, and they were not Gendermagi.

There was even a section on the families that had carried the gene. The Rosiers had some, but none of the living one was a Gendermagi. The McKinnon frequently had, but Voldemort had exterminated the line. The Bones had outbreed the gene back in the 14th century, while the Potter had outbreed it in the 17th century. Some family acquired the gene from marrying into family that carried it, but it was difficult to follow the exact apparition of it, because it was often kept secret. Sometime, families that were thought to have outbreed the gene produced a Gendermagi. The explanation in easy, since those who are 80 and more of the right gender cannot become Gendermagi, even if they carry the gene.

That last book had explained more about what he was than Harry even wanted to know. Still, it made him want to look further into the Potters' family history. That was something that he could do later, when he felt like it. It also contained an easy spell to determinate the gender percentage of the spirit. Just for fun, or so Harry tried to tell himself, he did the spell. It showed that his spirit was 75 male. All in all, from what he read, it made him a normal average boy. He would never be completely at ease as a girl, because he will always think like a boy.

Satisfied to be confirmed in his rightful gender, he got out of the room. He wanted to research that Time-Turner thing and he had a library that did the research for the book itself. Plus, it would look really strange if he was in the library doing something that was not homework without being nagged by Hermione.

Entering the room again, he found the same small room with the same desk; only it now had a sole book already opened on it. Harry read the long chapter that began on the page where the tome was open.

It was explaining the highly complex system of the Time-Turner. Apparently, the strain of doing every day twice was mostly due to the energy pull being twice as strong on his aura. The aura did not go back in time, ever. Without aura, you die. That meant that each time someone used a Time-Turner, one aura was used for the 'two' persons. The drain of the aura was something that was harder one some then on other.

From all the examples and explanations in the text, Harry understood that this was exactly what had driven Hermione completely crazy back in third year. She had the will to study night and day, but her aura could not sustain two bodies, even part time. His own aura could, but breaks would be necessary, probably each two month at least. With the addition of Christmas and summer vacations, it would be enough for him.

Looking at the time, Harry found that he was actually late for the fest. Deciding not to go, he went back to the Common Room where he settled to brainstorm about how to fix Ron and Hermione up. All his ideas were pretty cliché, but entertaining. Imagining what would happens if someone locked his friends in a room, he felt asleep.

He woke up later, after dreaming of a locked bickering couple. He woke up so suddenly that he looked quickly around; just to be sure they did not see him. Instead, he was confronted to a flock of crying girls. When they saw him, they all began crying harder. Lavender broke with the group, clasping the boy in her arms as tight as she could.

"It's so horrible, Merlin, poor Ron," she whimpered in his ears.

Feeling dread filling him, Harry began to question Lavender, but nothing she said was understandable anymore, since she was back to howling, sobbing and blubbering with the other girls.

"Ron's in the infirmary. He suddenly felt in his plate. They let Hermione follow, so maybe they would tell you more," said a solemn voice. Turning around, Harry discovered that it was Dean, with a ghostlike Ginny beside him. She had no apparent reaction, not even when her boyfriend began to direct her to a sofa.

Unfreezing, Harry took of for the infirmary. He got there in a record time, only to find the door closed and Hermione sitting beside it, crying softly.

Still dreading the state Ron could be in, Harry knew it was not the time to ask. His time as a girl had showed him that sometime diplomacy was necessary. It also showed him when physical comfort was required and how to do so. Trying to concentrate on the girl he could help, he sat down next to her and embraced her. With her head on his shoulder, Harry began to talk steadily to her. He knew that she had not recognized him nor she was not listening to him, but his voice would help her to calm down.

Time passed slowly before she felt asleep in his arms. He tried to go to sleep too, but was far too nervous and without Hermione exhaustion.

Finally, after far too long, the door opened. Through it came Snape and Dumbledore.

"Professor? Can I ask what happened? How is Ron?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at him while he answered the question. "The important, my boy, is that no one is in danger anymore. However, I think it would be time for you to take a shower."

Snape appeared completely bewildered by the change of subject. For a man that usually hid his emotion so well, it was easy to read his thought on his face. He was clearly convinced that the Headmaster had finally lost it. But when Harry looked at the time, he understood the subtle message: he now needed to be Fortuna, or his other friends would be looking for him. Then, and only then, he would be able to see Ron. For now, he could only trust Dumbledore that his friend was not in danger. Getting up, he quickly took his leaves and ran to his shower.

The day as Fortuna was harder than he thought was possible. They had a lot of homework that needed to be done, because their Head of House had drilled them all in Potions during the week. Apparently, the Slytherins were better because professor Snape actually taught them when they were not to a level that was deemed acceptable by him. As Harry could have guessed after the DADA courses, Snape was awfully demanding of his little snakes, even if he always indulged them in public. House problems were to be kept inside the House, after all.

Yet, it was difficult for Harry to concentrate on his work when a friend condition was unknown. He did not even know what had happened, only that it looked like a poisoning. After an eternity, it was finally time for the fest. His friends had not questioned him, but it was apparent that Daphne and Draco were dying to.

They were eating in the hall, sneering at the absence of the Parkinson girl. Harry did not know when it would happens, but he could not stop himself from spying on Ron from his place. He could see his friend eating his own pumpkin soup eagerly. Knowing that if he looked too much at Ron, it would be suspicious, he decided to tell the others about his own absence. It would explain why he was looking that was.

"Look who's not there. Potter is as absent as that bitch. Maybe they are together somewhere doing Merlin know what."

Draco snorted, "Dear, Potter may be a twit, but even he would not get close to someone like Parkinson."

Harry smirked. Sometimes, it was just too easy. "Is that why 'you' befriended her?"

Looking back at the Gryffindor's table, he saw Ron finishing his own sausages and eying those in the plate of his absent friend. Harry could not help snickering at how Ron verified that Hermione was otherwise occupied before steeling the sausages. It left an empty spot in the plate, which would fool no one. He ate one of them before Hermione saw what had happened and began berating him until he put the sausages back on their original plate.

While the Gryffindors were busy laughing at Ron's misfortune, Harry and his Slytherins friends were sneering at how piggish Ron was acting and at how be was being treated like a small child by Hermione.

"Granger have no style, but you have to admit that there is nothing as entertaining as her berating the poor Weasel." Draco comment attired the attention of other housemates sitting close to them. In no time, the whole Slytherin table was observing the floorshow. While Hermione appeared to sign before returning to her previous conversation with Ginny, Ron pouted and played with his food for a while before eating again. This time, he ate only the steamed vegetables already on his own plate and added only from the serving dishes in the middle of the table. There was a lot of vegetables, probably to balance the many sweets the students would eat after dinner Ron seem to greatly regret not being allowed to eat the sausages.

After making sure that Hermione was again otherwise occupied, Ron stole a single sausage, which left a less apparent empty spot. All the Slytherins were watching, waiting for the girl to berate Ron again. The Ravenclaws remarked their attention to the Gryffindor's table and both tables were riveted. Only, Hermione never saw the thief. Ron ate the sausage and was extending himself to steal another one when he felt face first in his plate.

At first, nothing happened. Then, panic began to roll over all the students while Dumbledore already was calling for calmness. Sending everyone to their common room, he then joined Madam Pomfrey who was already taking care of Ron.

Fortuna followed Draco, Millicent and Daphne out. The ambiance in the common room was very strange that night. Everybody was doing as if what happened was nor good nor bad, because reacting to what seem like an attempt poisoning on Ronald Weasley was reacting to the poisoning of a prominent figure of the light side. Harry paid particular attention to the group surrounding Pansy Parkinson, since it was unusual to see her with someone. The group was composed in majority with children of Death Eater and they all seem to be trying to hide their joy. On the other side of the room, there was a seventh year girl doing homework with a slight sniffing problem. All was noted for future reference, including the fifteen minutes Draco went to join the Death Eater Junior group, as Harry named them. It also included the small conversation he overheard between Daphne and Millicent about how horrible it was. Before sleep, he even made a complete list of the three upper years students and what they did that night.

After all, he was here to spy, not have fun or be able to follow more courses.

To be continued…