Petunia woke with Karen again, and gently shook her awake. She then waited until she was coherent until talking.

"What time do you finish today?"

"1pm this week, why?"

"Would you like… No. Would you be… I would like it if you came to pick up Harry and Hermione this afternoon, as the train is supposed to arrive at around three."

"I would love to."

"We've only got Hermione for the evening as Dan and Emma have been pulling late shifts all week to catch up since they got most of a hold on their magic. And Lisa, the muggleborn I met in Diagon, seems to be able to blunt the impact of the mistakes they make. So their yearly skiing holiday is back on, and they've bought a portkey to leave tomorrow morning."

"Sure, it would be nice."

"Would you like company while you work?"

"Depends on the company."

"Me?"

"Absolutely."

"I was thinking that as I was going to leave Dudley and Ginny in Diagon with Ceeley, I could do the same this morning with the High Street. That way Dudley gets to be the one showing off, and they can meet us in the Library when they're done, or before you finish work."

Karen resisted the urge to kiss Petunia on the cheek for being so thoughtful, as she didn't think that Petunia was ready for that yet, instead she said "That's a really sweet thing to do, and this is nice."

She then cuddled back down against Petunia.

As Ron put Harry in check for the second time that day, Harry reflected that he'd actually found a friend in Ron since Hermione bought him those books. He still wished he'd had a camera when his brothers came down the next morning and Ron was reading a book next to Hermione and him. A Chessboard in front of him with a position laid out. He just about fell of the chair laughing when they went back twice, and the second time they brought Percy down because they couldn't believe their eyes. He didn't even begrudge the fact that he'd needed to learn to play chess properly in order to keep up with the way that Hermione was relating things to chess based on but it was fun practicing on the bed while chatting. That wasn't to say that there weren't still problems, but he'd managed to get the freak out moments in the common room down to once a week, usually when Ron was too excited and forgot that grabbing him was a problem.

Malfoy was still a problem if Hermione wasn't around, though it was pretty funny when he forgot that Hermione was a muggleborn and asked her why she was hanging out with these mudbloods, half-bloods and blood traitors. It had only happened a couple of times, but it was still funny. The evening chatting circle seems to have become a fixture, though getting Hermione to join in again without a book to hand had taken the best part of the last two months. And wasn't that an interesting role reversal, him being the one to provide comfort and reassurance to her rather than the other way around. Thinking about changes that happened since then, Potions had become bearable. Though they'd both had to lend out their copies of "Sliver, Slice, and Dice, a home potioneers guide to ingredients and their preparations", which were now gracing a brand new bookcase in the common room that they'd got Professor McGonagall to put up when it became clear just how many books were becoming common property through constant lending. He wasn't sure what had happened to Professor Snape, but he'd stopped screaming insults at everyone and taking points off for stupid reasons. Though apparently it was only for their class, instead he'd look at Hermione and flinch before moving the leg he favoured. Even Neville was managing to produce workable potions.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Ron said, "That's checkmate, good game though you're not yet good enough to not pay attention."

Harry checked the board and realised that he'd made a couple of critical mistakes while he was thinking which cut the game short, "Damn, I thought I'd stopped making those mistakes."

"You're doing better, another game?"

"Na, I want to try to get my Potions homework done while I've got the books available than trying to do it while I'm at home for Christmas."

Ron started setting up a problem from one of his books, "At least you're going home. I'm stuck here while Mum and Dad go and see Charlie in Romania."

"Didn't you say that Ginny was spending the week with your Aunt Muriel? I'm sure they'd have let you do the same."

Ron blanched briefly, "Na, pretty much anywhere else is better than that. Enjoy your holiday."

Harry moved over to what had become the homework table, and went to pull out his stuff when he realised that his magic had done it for him already, sitting down next to Hermione he muttered, "I really need to get a better handle on that."

Hermione looked up from her parchment, "Handle on what?"

"My magic doing stuff for me."

"Oh, yeah. Mine does that too, it's as annoying as it is convenient. I think it's affecting everyone that's been meditating with us, but not quite as strongly. I mean, have you noticed that Lav's hair restyles itself when she's agitated now."

"Oh, is that what it is, I thought she was just using one of her charms."

"Yeah, Pav and I had a long chat with her about it a week or so ago while you were playing with Ron and Neville. Apparently, they've both been noticing that things happen for them, but only when they're worked up. Whether that's really excited, irritated, or some other emotion that's really strong. Do you remember when Pav came in crying a couple of weeks ago after Corner had made some unflattering comments about her intelligence compared to her twin, and the curtains on her bed snapped closed as she threw herself on her bed? That was another one."

"I remember that, so that's what caused it. We really need to get a handle on it, as we won't be able to navigate the muggle world without it."

"I know, but as they none of the others live in the muggle world they don't really see why it's a problem."

"Maybe we should get a catalogue from Selfridges and Harrods for them, and point out that they could never visit those stores if they didn't."

"That might work for Lavender and Parvati, but I'm not sure about the others. How's your sessions with Tonks going?"

"They're going well, look." Harry concentrates and switches into a girl.

"She doesn't thing this is a metamorph change, but thinks I might still have some metamorphic abilities as my hair hasn't changed since the year started, I've probably just got some sort of mental block preventing me from using them. She also explained, and I guess I finally understood too, that I will only ever have limited control over these changes, as my body will still react without conscious thought even once I can change effortlessly."

"Why's that?"

"She said that it's like blushing, or a nervous twitch. When I'm feeling aggressive I'll probably switch to a boy simply because I associate aggression with boys, and same with softer feelings and changing to a girl. She also pointed out that if I get over my mental block on standard metamorphic abilities, I'll probably see my hair colour changing in response to my emotions, and once I get more control, strong emotions will still cause them to change, I don't know if you've ever seen her hair flash pink or red, but it does that when she'd embarrassed or angry."

With that the conversation petered out and they turned to their work.

The next morning Harry and Hermione had everything packed in their book bags ready for the holiday when they went down to breakfast. So they were left sitting at the table as other students, Hermione was reading on of her books, while Harry was flitting between boy and girl while concentrating hard on something.

Suddenly she let out a triumphant cry of "Got it!".

Hermione looked up from her book across at harry as her eyes captivated her, she watched as a ring of jade appeared around her pupils and then the rest of her iris changed to a true emerald green complete with gem like reflections while a Verdigris ring formed around the outside of the iris. The changes seemed to ripple out from there as her face changed to take on a perfect heart shaped face with slightly aristocratic features and pale nearly translucent skin, a wave of deep blood red hair fell around her face, looking so close to vein blood that she almost thought it was going to drip at the ends. Hints of ruby sparkles shimmered as it fell down in waves. Her ears gained a slight point, only visible for a moment before she brushed her hair back and it fell down more evenly. The hair falling down to mid back. She let out a tinkling laugh before she concentrated for a moment and changed to a boy.

The change again started with his eyes, as the inner ring change to the colour of a freshly plowed field. The middle ring changed to a the brilliant green of fresh growth in spring, and the outer ring looked like a sun rise on a fresh spring morning. His features shifted becoming more aristocratic and regal, with well defined cheekbones and sun kissed skin. His hair turns a midnight blue with stars seemingly sparkling from within, pulling up to be shoulder length.

To the teachers that remembered his parents it looked like someone had taken his parents and smoothed out all of the imperfections that were present before making him look otherworldly.

Tonks rushes over and crouches down beside him looking at him critically. "Good you've found your base forms, now while you still remember what you looked like, close your eyes and imagine you're looking in the mirror this morning and try to step into that image."

Harry closes his eyes in concentration and does that, his features seeming to ripple and slowly change into the familiar form that Hermione was used to.

"Hermione, I want you to make sure that he changes to his base form for 5 minutes and back for 15 on the way home, this way he'll fix the form everyone knows into his mind. It's something I never had the opportunity to do, as I grew up with the ability, but I've read that it's possible. Once he gets it down to the point he can sleep in this form again it will be like a third, and in his case fourth base form."

Tonks then stands up and addresses the hall "Harry has just unlocked his metamorphic abilities, he's got to practice something on the journey home, so can everyone please try to avoid letting him use a mirror please?"

Harry opens his eyes and gasps, "That was hard."

Crouching down next to him, Tonks replied, "I know, it's like a muscle and you've just let it relax for the first time in a long time. Then I asked you to use it again straight afterwards. You'll sleep well tonight."

Tonk's request left Hermione itching to ask questions about Harry's appearance and what magical creatures could produce that. An itching that got worse over the journey because she couldn't ask without also describing what they looked like.

Finally they got off the train and were met by Petunia and Karen, and after a brief greeting Hermione exploded at them.

"Harry found his base form just before we left this morning! Go on Harry, show them."

Chuckling Harry obliged.

"Have you ever seen eyes like that? Something's tickling at the back of my…" She trailed off as Karen breathed an answer in awe.

"Fae, specifically one of the higher fae maybe a Nymph or the leaders of the courts."

Embarrassed by the way Karen was talking Harry forced herself back into her normal form.

Petunia nudged Karen before she addressed the two.

"Hermione, your parents asked me to pick you up as they've managed to get to the stage where they can do your yearly skiing trip." She paused as Hermione fair bounced on the spot in excitement. "So we're going to walk over to Diagon and meet up with Dudley and Ginny. Harry I'd like you to be patient with him as he got bullied at school, and we're getting a handle on his temperament, I know you're much more mature than he is. Unfortunately that puts the onus on you to leave the situation, whether that's calling for Ceeley or retreating to a room he can't get to.

"We've got a booking at Imperial China for dinner at 8, and your parents will meet you there Hermione."

"Aunt Petunia, who's Ginny?"

Petunia sighed, she should have expected a mention of Dudley would have Harry backslide. "Ginny is Arthur Weasleys daughter. Can I give you a hug? Just because Dudley's back doesn't mean I'm going to stop paying you attention. It's just that it was pointed out just how badly I've failed him, and that we've got an uphill struggle to undo the years where I didn't discipline him or call him to task. So he has to learn the stuff that you've known since you were 8. I still love you as if you were my own, and that's not going to change. Yes, I can say that now. Are you ok for now?"

Harry nodded.

"Some good news, tomorrow we need to go to the Ministry to pick up your parents effects. Hopefully that will include your mothers journal."

With that they all left for the walk to Diagon Alley.