Amelia opened the letter from her niece over dinner at her desk and scanned it. Paused, scanned it again, then read it closely. Then read it again before standing up and walking out of her office to the floor.
"Moody with me!" She shouts before walking over to the women's toilets and ensuring that it's clear. Moody enters the toilet without even pausing.
"What do you need?"
"You as a witness, as you won't trust anyone else. And most anyone else will trust you."
"A witness for what?"
"This." And she focuses on the mirror and selects 'change sim', then changes her gender to male. Finally, he changes his hair style and colour and confirms the change.
"Well?" he says and then coughs as the deepness of his voice surprises him.
Moody swallows, "Well, it certainly beats Polyjuice. How does it feel?"
"Natural."
"This will be my verification method in the future then."
"Understood, what do you need for it to happen?"
"Mirror, wall or freestanding; Dresser or wardrobe apparently."
"That's simple enough to conjure then, and also easy enough to arrange privacy for."
Amelia changes herself back before walking out to catcalls and whistles. Her hand sparks with magic and only one person is unlucky enough to not shut up quickly enough. As such they get a Deleriate to the face.
═══════ ೋღ ღೋ ═══════
Over the next week Harry doesn't change his gender once, and nobody comments on it. So as Friday comes to a close he's desperately hoping that they've all passed it off as a thing he did once and isn't going to do again. However, those hopes are dashed when Professor Sprout calls a first year meeting that evening just before curfew.
"Good evening everyone. I've already spoken to some of you about this, so I will get straight to the point.
"Mr Potter displayed an ability with the interface that we hadn't actually realised was possible until he did it towards the end of the Christmas Holidays. I'm sure that you all noticed the results of that on Sunday. Until he used the ability for the Feast, I was willing to let it slide as a harmless way to get away from the people that he'd been teaching about the interface. However, now the ability is public so to speak, it is a different story.
"Harry, please answer me honestly. Do you think you will ever change your sex again voluntarily?"
Harry opens his mouth to say no, and then stops and really thinks about it when the interface gives him the 'Lie about it' option. The silence continues on for a while as the option stares at him accusingly. He looks around at the faces of his friends and sighs.
"Would any of you honestly be able to say no?"
Daphne shakes her head, "I am probably the best qualified one to speak of it here when I say, I would probably be greatly pressured to change permanently if I didn't. We used to consider ourselves more progressive than muggles because women in our society have been able to work, get education, and even inherit in many cases. Look at Susan's Aunt, Professor's Sprout, McGonagall, and the other female professors here. This has been true for hundreds of years. However, there is also immense pressure to continue family names. Something which can only be done with a son, or failing that, having a 3rd or 4th son marry into the family. Out of all the girls here that were raised in the magical world, I think Tracy is the only one that is likely to have a completely free choice in who she marries. Unless of course she catches the eye of a highly influential family, but that's unlikely."
Justin interrupts, "Sounds very much like the muggle nobility. My father is already moaning about the fact that I'm unlikely to find a good match for a wife here. Though I disagree, but then Prince Andrew has already laid the groundwork for that, though, even Fergie has lineage ."
"Indeed, if all we needed was a good education, then we could have been sent to one of the other two schools in the country. However, pretty much every magic born person here is from a noble or influential family. The interface is going to shake our level of society up massively, as it's changing the meaning of Gender from the point of view of society. At the moment, most of the school thinks you got hold of a Polyjuice potion and used it to prank us. We know better, and I know that Susan has already sent a letter to her aunt. Don't worry Sue, I'm not going to tell anyone else, and if my parents were Aurors I'd have done the same. It's just too useful an ability to have, and could save their lives one day.
"So, you see. It's not about honesty for us, it's about practicality. If I said yes, I would almost certainly be pressured to become my fathers Heir as a man rather than being the Heir, and needing to find a good marriage prospect. Someone like Pansy or Millicent in Slytherin? Their life wouldn't be worth living if they didn't, even if they hated it. This is part of why you're being asked now in a year meeting, there's things that you need to know before you're 15 and on the market so to speak, and they're things that the rest of us have grown up learning. These things could cost you your freedom, both to choose your sex, and also to choose who you marry."
Harry sulks, "All I wanted to do was have a way to be just another face in the crowd."
Professor Sprout reaches over to take his hand, "I know, and I can appreciate that. I can't imagine what it must be like to be accosted by random strangers, or treated like a mythical messiah that can solve all the ills of the world. The reason that we're here now is that we're not going to take advantage of it and we're not going to let you flounder alone in a world where you can be trapped in an unfavourable situation if you're not aware of the ways that can be done.
"Those same situations can also occur as a man, but they are far less likely. Then, even if they did happen, you'd still have far more freedom than you would as a woman. Look at Professor Tonks sister, Mrs Malfoy. She had a bright career ahead of her, one that she was very talented at. However, her family arranged a marriage with the Malfoy house, and since then she's had to be a lady of the manor.
"So, please, answer the question honestly."
Harry hesitantly nods, his mouth dry. "I can't say I wouldn't do it again. I didn't show it at the time, but The Hopping Pot scared me badly enough that I got a moodlet for it."
Hermione walks around behind Harry and hugs him gently from behind, "It was scary for us too, and we weren't the focus of it."
Justin looks puzzled, "Just how popular is Harry?"
Hermione looks over Harry's head, "In The Hopping Pot, it just kept filling up, and there was an empty circle around us. All of these witches and wizards were just standing there respectfully in silence watching Harry eat with Sunbeam on his shoulder. Have you see the TV footage of Mother Theresa tending the poor? Or Princess Diana visiting a school? It was like that."
Justin whistles, "Christ, you'd probably have ended up somewhere like Eton, where I was supposed to go, if you were a muggle with fame like that. Just for your protection if nothing else. They're well known for being very strict on the privacy of their students."
Pomona took control of the conversation again, "Harry, would you please go and get changed and join us out here again once you have. We have some arrangements that need to be made."
═══════ ೋღ ღೋ ═══════
Harry came back wearing Hermione's dress again, her long red hair covering her scar once more.
Pomona nodded, "Thank you Harry. We, that is Professor Tonks and I, would like you to spend 2 days and 2 nights a week as a girl while you're staying here. Professor Tonks has agreed to teach Deportment and Etiquette for 3 hours on both Saturday and Sunday starting at 8am. Saturday's lessons will focus on female Deportment and Etiquette, while Sunday's will focus on the male side.
"I would like all of you to attend both lessons, not only to support Harry. But also, because we think that you will be the first people that develop the Interface organically due to your close proximity to both Harry and Myself. We're already seeing an increase in the value of goods that can be bought in build mode in this dorm.
"As such, you will all be getting the talks for both sides of the society. We will also be ensuring that you all have the necessary deportment skills if you choose to change your gender in the future. I would like part of this to involve changing everyone's body type to the appropriate type for that day's lesson. I understand that it can be disconcerting to have it happen to you, and can also leave you feeling uncomfortable in your own body. I have been told that this is normal, and something the muggles call gender dysphoria.
"Oh, and Harry. We have reversed the change on the twins, as they were getting very distressed during their period. Please don't use this as a form of revenge in future, as is it genuinely distressing to people."
Harry hangs her head, "I'm sorry, I didn't know it could cause problems like that."
"Neither did I, it was only once we were forced into the interface that Madam Hooch approached Andromeda as a qualified Healer. However, now we do. So next time you do it, you will need to be punished with detentions and points loss."
"Yes Miss."
"As a side note, Madam Hooch did try to get L to undo it. However, she just laughed and thought it was a perfect reminder about mean-spirited pranks.
"Back to the subject at hand. The reason that we're asking you to do this, is that male and female bodies move slightly differently as you get more developed. Now, Fiona, Brett, Professor Tonks, and myself have all tried the changing gender completely action, and it feels completely different to changing the gender options. Harry, would you be able to describe the difference between the two?"
Harry leans her head back and thinks, "Natural, if I had to pick one word it would be that one. When you change the gender options for body type and pregnancy it feels weird. But when you just change the gender completely it feels natural. On the other side, changing whether you pee sitting down or not, or clothing preferences doesn't actually feel odd in any way. You just suddenly feel like that's the way it should be done."
"So, now comes the question, and this is a question that you need to answer honestly and not out of a sense of loyalty to your friends. Do any of you feel so uncomfortable with the idea of learning the other side of things that you are unwilling to go through the changes? Before you answer, we'd still like you to come to the classes to learn the etiquette, however you wouldn't take part in the deportment lessons. I will be asking the same question again on Sunday evening."
Ernest puts his hand up, "I don't think I can."
"Thank you for your honesty. 1 point to Hufflepuff. Would one of the boys please volunteer to join Harry and Neville in their dorm please?"
Justin immediately responds, "I will Miss."
"Thank you, the rest of you can decide who will form the other three bed boys dorm. Harry, we now come to the hard part of what we would like from you. We would like you to spend 2 days a week as a girl, Friday night to Saturday night, and we were thinking Wednesday night to Thursday night, as it's an astronomy night so you'll have time to get changed in the evening. This is so that you can experience life as a girl, and in the future as a woman. If you agree, Sally-Anne and Megan have both agreed to have you room with them. Though, there was an argument for allowing a quad dorm."
Hermione had the grace to look sheepish.
"Does anyone have any questions?"
Daphne raises her hand, "Will we all be getting clothes to match our appearance for the Deportment lessons?"
"No, Andromeda said that she was going to go to somewhere called BHS and buy track suits and t shirts for the lot of you. I'm sure that we'll all find out what they are tomorrow. Anyone else?"
Megan puts her hand up, "Will we be expected to keep these changes outside the lessons?"
"We would like you to keep them for the entire day, only changing back when it's time for bed."
Sophie Roper, probably the quietest Hufflepuff in their year, puts her hand up nervously, "Will we be getting Etiquette lessons from the Realm of Magic?"
"We hadn't considered that no. So for the moment assume not, however I will be looking to make some discrete enquiries there to find out of there are any major cultural differences that are likely to become important here."
Nobody else raises their hands, so she asks, "Boys?"
The boys all look amongst themselves and shake their heads.
"Very well. Professor Tonks not so kindly pointed out that there is a potion in the reward store called a potion of youth. Despite it's name, it's actually a form of immortality and will return me to some where in my mid-50's. For the muggle raised, that's around mid-30's. I was going to try to get someone to make me some ambrosia, which would do the same thing without the immortality part. But I suppose I can live with that in the future. At the moment though, it will allow me to provide an excuse to the rest of the school for the way things are going to be changing in this house, with the introduction of muggle equipment. I'll be drinking it in the main hall tomorrow at breakfast, so be aware of that. If nobody has anything else, Harry go with Sally-Anne and Megan to sort out your new bed. I'm going to sort out the boys room."
It was a highly embarrassed Harry that used the interface to go to sleep that night. It had started fine, she'd gone into the girls room and offered to change the beds from the Cozy Bundled Sleeper that everyone was currently using to the Double Mission Single Bed, which was slightly better for sleeping in, but slightly worse for stress and discomfort relief. As they didn't tend to relax in their own dorm rooms, only using them for private correspondence, they agreed. He also replaced the chair at the desk with one with a comfort rating of 8. Then it was time for her ablutions, and for the first time in years she wasn't allowed to do it alone. Both Sally-Anne and Megan went to the loos with her and talked her through the correct way of cleaning up after herself to avoid painful and embarrassing infections. That extended to washing yourself in the bath or shower as well. Once she got ready for bed and her sleep wear didn't fit properly, her embarrassment just increased.
═══════ ೋღ ღೋ ═══════
Waking up a couple of hours earlier just as refreshed as she'd be in the other beds was good, the fact that her roommates woke up at similar times due to using the same bed, not so. However, after they'd all used the loo without a commentary, the embarrassment from the night before slowly faded as Sally-Anne and Megan both included her in their conversation. Shenjing came in a couple of hours later to help Sally-Anne with her bath and getting her leg on, and she got to see her first naked girl. Not that it mattered much to her as she's too young for it to be an issue just yet. She did note the differences between what she was used to and what girls of her age had. Which, really wasn't much.
Once they were all in their underwear, Megan showed Harry how to brush Sally-Anne's hair. Once it was done, Sally-Anne showed him how to do Megan's hair. Finally, Megan brushed Harry's hair and she almost melted in the chair due to getting something that, even when things had been doing better, had been denied her during her formative years. Close familial contact, not intimate just comforting and friendly. Once their hair was done they showed her how to apply a slight amount of makeup, not a lot just enough to cover up their perceived flaws.
"Why are we putting on makeup? As I can't see that it's made any difference."
"That's the point of how much we're using. It's not supposed to look like we're wearing any. If you look at my face, I've got a small spot here, and my eyelids are a little darker than I'd like. So I use a touch of concealer on the spot, and some eye shadow to bring out the colour of my eyes. A touch of blusher and then some lip gloss, and I'm done."
"I can see it, but wow. If I didn't know that you'd put it on I."
Sally-Anne looks at Megan with Harry, "If you look at Brown and Patil in Gryffindor, they use a lot more makeup. So does Parkingson in Slytherin, though she's a lot better at concealing how much she's using. My Mother has always warned me about using too much makeup, as if you don't have a good skincare routine it can cause you to break out in black heads and spots. Some girls will also pluck their eyebrows, though neither of us do. Painting our nails at the weekend is fun though, especially with the Scruberoo spell that allows us to remove the nail polish easily."
"It must have been nice being able to grow up like that." Harry can't help the wistful note in her voice.
Shenjing smiles from the bed she's lounging on, "You've not actually missed much. If humans are much like Dragonets, then these two have really only had a couple of years where they could have enjoyed their friendships. It's the years between childhood and adulthood where you get to try all the fun things and find out what you like. Of course, I'm probably slightly biased, as I'm not yet an adult myself, but I'm old enough to understand the stuff they have to deal with."
Sally-Anne looks at her familiar, "What do you mean?"
"At this age, everything looks fairly simple. You go to school, you eat, study, socialise, do chores. But, apart from socialising, you know you need to do them because an adult has told you what you need to do. If you forget something, or do something wrong, there's an adult there to help you, and show you what you did wrong. But Adults, they don't have anyone to do that. They also have to do things like ensure that there's enough food, that your clothes are in good repair and fit you, that you're safe in your own home. Those sorts of things, only they can't rely on someone else saying that it needs doing, they need to do it themselves. They call it responsibility, and it can pull you down harder than you can imagine."
"It sounds like you have bad experiences with it."
"Yeah, well, Mum never really did the growing up thing, and she spent a lot of effort attacking the Red Dragons to prove that Blue Dragons were superior. I went to bed cold and hungry a lot back then. But because she was so strong, nobody else would challenge her leadership of our clan. I'm not proud to admit that I went on raids myself, but sometimes it was the only way to get a decent meal."
All three of the girls crowded onto the bed to hug her until someone knocked on the door to let them know that breakfast was soon. Harry was surprised at how nice it was to comfort someone like that, as she'd only joined in reluctantly because the other two had already done so.
═══════ ೋღ ღೋ ═══════
Andromeda watched with a Healers eye as the first year Hufflepuffs came into the hall for breakfast. Harry didn't seem to be any more or less confident as a girl than she was as a boy. However, the other girls were more comfortable giving the slight touches and holds that were part of the social dynamic of women. Every time they did he'd flinch slightly, however, once they were sitting down and Hermione put her hand on his arm to say something he smiled broadly. Same as when Sally-Anne touched her shoulder from the other side. Throughout breakfast a pattern emerged, where if someone touched him from behind, or unexpectedly, she'd flinch. But if they were in view and didn't do it quickly he looked happy and confident. It was looking like he might be touch starved, and given how different the social dynamics of boys and girls are. Combined with how natural switching gender feels when done using the interface, there was a real danger that they'd lose him over the next few years leaving only her. By which she means that when she changed her own gender, she couldn't imagine not being male despite the years of memories saying that she was.
A commotion a few seats down drew her attention from Ms Potter and to further down the table where Minerva has just stood up from her seat next to Pomona and backed away. Pomona seems to be getting younger by the second, and she can see a potion bottle on the table in front of her. Damn it, how did she get a potion of youth already? Did she get caught monologing the other day and Pomona just humoured her? Damn it.
═══════ ೋღ ღೋ ═══════
Quirrell clutches his head as his master brings his attention to the fore and his vision goes blurry as he becomes a passenger in his own body. He feels his neck turn to watch what's happening with Pomona, and watch intently. He can already feel the pain starting to build where his master has turned the head further than it can comfortably go, but there's only so much he can do.
═══════ ೋღ ღೋ ═══════
Albus watches wide-eyed as Pomona gets younger before his very eyes, not even Nicolas' fabled elixir can do that, if it could they wouldn't be in the state they currently are. Maybe if he could find a source for whatever potion they've taken, he could give his mentor a new lease on life and persuade him not to end it. The concerns he has with Harry can wait, as the boy will still be here in a few years while his mentor won't be.
He remembers when he asked Nicolas why they didn't take the potion before it finished working. That's when he found out about his forgotten partner, who died a few years after they invented the stone. He'd been older than Nicolas when they started, so the delay between the end of the one dose and the next dose made more difference to him. It turns out that while one dose halts the progression of time on the body, a second accelerates it. So over 600 years a day here and there to make sure that the previous dose was finished has added up. And the two of them now live pretty much exclusively in their home in Devon along with their house elf and phoenix.
═══════ ೋღ ღೋ ═══════
Pomona sighed happily as she rolled her neck and shoulders. Aches and pains that she'd forgotten she never used to have, have disappeared and she can feel her spine has straightened again. She looks around at all the staring people.
"What, a contact traded this to me in exchange for some rare plants they'd never heard of. What do you expect me to do? Let someone else investigate the potion and lose my only chance to drink it?"
There's dead silence at the teachers table, as all of them consider what they'd have done with such a potion.
"Besides, now you've all seen it happen you know I'm still me. Anyway, I'm going to get a new wardrobe. See you all this afternoon."