AN: I know i am not the most prolific of writers. getting ready to post this I realized when I started writing. The dry spells and inconsistent stories. Which made me realize how amazing you all are for following and reviewing and reading. So i just wanted to say thank you all for reading and being part of this great adventure.
It had been three weeks since Harry had been given the book. A week of stress filled waiting for school to let out. As well as waiting on his friends to heal. The stress of watching Dumbledore flit in and out of school, trying to undo all the damage Fudge and the unrepentant Death Eaters had caused over the last year.
In the end though it had all been worth it. Which was how he found himself standing in his room at Grimmauld Place in front of a mirror, in just his boxers and an A shirt. He heard a knock at his door. Calling out lightly, "Come in."
He turned enough to see Hermione slip in and close the door. He gave her a warm smile before he turned back to the mirror. Watching his best friend in reverse as she closed the door.
"Hey, You and your parents all settled in?"
Hermione nodded slowly as she moved to sit down on his bed. "Yeah. Who knew this place was so large. Mum and dad still don't see the point but they appreciate it. The wizard bodyguard may get on their nerves though. Sirius really didn't have to go this far."
Harry's emerald eyes flicked over to his friend in the mirror. "Yeah but now that Sirius is free and Lord Black officially, he is on a vengeance and protecting everything he can. I'd tell him to stop being so serious but I'm reckless, not an idiot." he shot his friend a cheesy grin as he turned back to the mirror.
Hermione snorted and laughed for a moment. "Yes please do not help him with such a bad pun. Do you really think it's necessary?"
Watching as Hermione started to fidget and nibble cutely on her lower lip, he shook his head. "Not really. We are on the front foot for once it seams. Dumbledore and Sirius are running the Light train at full blast for as long as the good will they have lasts. The pendulum will swing back eventually. Just hopefully to a more balanced position this time."
"That's rather insightful of you Harry"
Said boy just shrugged as he continued to stare at himself in the mirror.
The resident brainiac of Gryffindor finally huffed in irritation after several long minutes. "You can't just avoid the subject forever. You are going to have to talk about it to someone. Even if it's just the practicalities of the future. Sirius and, Merlin this feels weird, Bellatrix are worried about you Harry. However, They won't tell me what's going on. Harry, Why is a Death Eater here and running free? Why don't you like open doors any more? Why are you obsessed with mirrors now? Help me understand. Harry, please, Tell me what's going on?"
Listening to his friend both break all the questions in his head down so succinctly and hearing the mirrored sense of confusion had him sighing heavily. Closing emerald eyes he focused on the lessons Sirius had taught him. "Please don't panic…"
It was hard pushing his magic back to the other side, but he finally managed it with the lightest of pops. Harry opened now amethyst colored eyes matching the now feminine form where a masculine one once was.
Hair still black but now wavy now instead of messy. Well proportioned and toned from years of Quidditch. The high cheek bones so common amongst the Blacks and an aquiline nose.
"Apparently mum and dad, James and Lily. Did something. I don't really get the Arithmancy. But they somehow made me a human Animagus. This was my form at birth and I was born to Bellatrix and Rodulphus LeStrange. Somehow Professor Dumbledore was finally able to ram through a pardon for Sirius and apparently one for Bellatrix as well. Something about a Hades contract. Sirius cast the Animagus reversal spell and has been teaching me how to deal with being stuck in an Animagus form for too long. Those are the hard facts I know. Bellatrix is being weird. Sirius is just being Sirius. And I haven't told anyone else."
Hermione gasped lightly in understanding. Trust her to understand the obscure little things that have been going on. Which made little sense to Harry. Which was quickly followed by another soft pop. Masculine form resumed with another heavy sigh. "And I can't hold it for very long.
"You ok Mione. You're not freaking. Please don't freak?" Harry trailed off and Hermione was reminded of everything she had pieced together over the years. Reminded why Harry didn't open up and why social situations could still be awkward. And then the implications of what happened hit her like an avalanche of books from a toppled shelf in the library.
"Wait human Animagus is supposed to be impossi…But what about the mental merger of long term anima…Have you talked to Sirius about this? Why can't you hold it if it's your natural form?" Hermione rambled for a moment before her eyes got even wider and her voice dropped. "Do you even want to?"
A small part of her felt the crushing sensation of her crush on Harry Potter. What girl didn't have a small one?
"I mean not that it's wrong to want to stay in the form you're used to. Oh I'd love to see the Arithmancy. Maybe I could help you figure it out and solve the problem of your form?" The bushy bookworm concluded with a note of hopefulness as she fidgeted with her fingers.
Looking up at the sudden sound of Harry's laughter she frowned at him. Only for Harry to walk over to the bed and take her hands. Emerald eyes sparkling up at her. "Mione never ever change. I can't imagine any situation that would come about, that I couldn't handle as long as you are there with me."
She felt him squeeze her hands and she looked up with a smile. It didn't seem her Harry had changed either. Wrapping her thumbs around his fingers she gave a squeeze back. She would always support and watch out for her friend.
Harry let go of one hand and ran it through his messy black hair. Hermione couldn't help an affectionate giggle and eye roll as he made it more messy. Harry for his part just gave a lopsided grin before rolling his eyes as well.
"Any particular question you want me to answer first, Milady of rapid fire questions?" The raven haired boy teased his friend slightly.
For her part a lightest of blushes graced her cheeks but she reached out and swatted his arm. Although they both knew they both enjoyed the teasing. "Prat, Let's start with the practical and easy one. Can I see the Arithmancy?"
Harry flopped back on his bed and stretched out. Grabbing his wand off the bedside table. sitting back up he aimed his wand at the only two books on his desk. "Accio"
The two books came flying at him. Quickly shifting his grip on his wand he deftly plucked both books out of the air in rapid succession with his off hand. He presented the books to The brainiac lion.
"Show off" She quipped. "Point casting isn't even taught until seventh year, and an untargeted Accio is an adult level skill." Hermione huffed lightly. Although she now enjoyed Harry's casual bending or breaking of the various bell curves in regards to magic. Ever since the end of second year, when she was forced to reexamine her faith in books and teachers. She was no longer a zealot about books. Her skills in the library were still scary. She still revealed whenever Ron called her 'Brilliant but Bloody scary.' or when Malfoy recoiled from her wand tip. But there was just something about Harry's casual use of power and knowledge that excited her deep down.
Opening both books she quickly paged through them. One was entirely blank and the others had the beginnings of what looked like a carefully copied formula. Snapping her eyes to a pair of emerald gemstones. "Harry…?"
"Sorry Mione. Mum did something and only I can read the one book. So I am having to copy it page for page. Sirius says mum was Moody levels of paranoid by the end but has no idea why. I am trying but i don't want to mess anything up in case its important." He watched as she began to open her mouth. "And yes I know I really wish I would have taken Arithmancy now instead of Div."
With an audible click of teeth she was sure her parents would scold her for, she closed her mouth. She wondered if she was just that easy of a rad or if it was just Harry. Said boy just grinned. "Next question?"
"Sometimes Harry James Potter…" She trailed off with her scary but brilliant act. Unfortunately it was against the one person it just did not seem to work on. So she huffed instead. "Fine. Does anyone have any ideas about Why you are having issues with your form." She trailed off, not trying to think about what it meant. "I mean all the books say all you need to do is cast the Animagus reversal spell. Then the person just needs to work on separating the human instincts from the animal instincts."
Harry just smiled at everything. Trust his friend to quote a book. "And that's the issue, Mione. My magic doesn't see an issue with the physical form. It's still human. So my magic isn't seeing it as something that could potentially be harmful and hurt me. The instincts trapping my mind and all."
Hermione nodded along following the reasoning. She did think Hary sounded a little like he was regurgitating information and hadn't totally internalized and understood everything yet. His skills always did lay in the practical. Hers were theoretical. It's why they made such a good team. She listened to him as he continued on.
"Which is kind of the second problem. When the Animagus spell is cast it's supposed to help show a line between human and animal instincts. Make it easier for the mage to push the instincts back to where they are supposed to be for a normal Animagus. For me there isn't a line. It's why we think i cant hold one form or the other. And I sometimes randomly pop between forms. It's why I have been kind of hiding lately. Sorry"
Hermione listened to her friend start off confidently but devolve into a ramble. She frowned ever so slightly as she gave Harry's hand another squeeze. She actually couldn't remember when they had ever held hands this long.
"Harry, Thank you. For explaining why you have been reclusive. However it's not something to be upset over. We all understand sometimes you need time. As long as you are eventually talking to those of us who can talk back." She shot her own smirk to harry. His penchant for talking to both Hedwig and Buckbeak was well known. She softened her features into a small smile but she hesitated just a little. "Now the last question. Do you want to stay in one form or the other?"
She watched as Harry just shrugged before starting to talk again. A little more of his usual confidence. "Neither one feels right or wrong when I do manage to shift. I can't feel this barrier that Sirius or Remus has ever spoken of. And I haven't even tried to process the idea that I have a living parent who killed the other one. But still the idea of family." Watching as he shook his head to get back on track and started to ramble again. "When I close my eyes and look inward then shift, I'm told I am supposed to sense or feel or see…Something! But I'm not." Harry concluded with an exasperated huff and then defeat.
Still holding his hand she gave another comforting squeeze. She would really have to address this hand holding at a later date. Harry recognized her 'I'm thinking don't disturb me' face. Wisely he just sat there. After a long moment he watched his friend nod once and turn to Harry.
"While I completely believe your mum did something to make you a one of a kind human Animagus, too much time has passed and the two forms mentally have become one. Since they were so close to begin with. Probably not something considered in her initial calculations. But never mind." Mirroring Harry's own head shake earlier to get back on track, "I don't think you are an Animagus any more. Per say. I think now it's more like you are a metamorph. Something Tonks said when I asked her about it. No matter her external form she is always herself when she closes her eyes. She said she was always amused how non metamorphs tied so much to their current forms even when they slowly change over time. Grow up, grow old. Or… 'Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.'" she pitched her voice just a little lower as she spoke the last bit.
Harry just laughed and flopped back on the bed. "Oh you did not just Yoda me!" another brief laugh before he looked up. Emerald meeting cinnamon. "Do you really think it's that simple? I'm not stuck and struggling. I'm just me?"
Nodding at her best friend. "I do. Think about it like this. You're the star seeker of the school. But you're not always the star seeker. You push that bit back when you need to be a serious student. And you push that back as well when we have our home work done and we are all just being friends. The Kurlans of the 3rd dynasty were known for the philosophy of the many voices within making up the whole."
Harry just groaned. "Ugh Star Wars'd and Star Trek'd in the same day. What did I do to deserve you Mione?"
Said girl just grinned triumphantly. She knew she had made her point. Even if she had made it in a silly fashion. "Yup, I really do think it's that simple."
Finally feeling Harry let go, she watched as he stood up and head back to the mirror. She watched as he studied himself in the mirror.
Making a decision she was about to prove to the world why she was most certainly a Gryffindor for all her Ravenclaw tendencies. Even if the world consisted of just her Harry and the unseen watchers of the universe. Standing up she moved behind her best friend and wrapped her arms around his middle. "No matter what, you are my best friend. No matter the outside. No matter what crazy situation we find ourselves in."
She leaned in and kissed his cheek. Which was swiftly followed by a small pop and squeak. The female form was back. Hermione twisted her eyes around to the mirror. "Hmm, Even Tonks says she still has issues when her emotions run high. Something to think about. Although I think you are still going to be told you have your mother's eyes. I am rather happy you got to keep your gemstone like eyes."
The girl sometimes known as Harry just stood there in shock. The girl always known as Hermione withdrew and moved towards the door. "I actually just came up to tell you lunch was ready…"
"Oi.."
"And you really should wear at least a sports bra just in case." Hermione was rewarded with another loud squeak of embarrassment. She thoroughly enjoyed teasing her best friend. Her steps were much lighter as she descended to the kitchen for lunch.
AN: ~runs away from the pitchfork and torches app to go work on Loki's Daughter~
