This one has been sitting for a few months. With the general busy life and the lack of a muse for the last few months, I thought I would put this out there. For now it is relegated to my Rambling and Dribbles, but hopefully someday it will be more. Enjoy...
A/N: Partially inspired by Pranking the Tournament by Gardevoir687
Chapter 1
-oOo-
October 27, 1994
Hogwarts, Scotland
"Harry. Harry. Harry," George said, sitting on the couch next to him.
Harry gave the redhead a dubious look. "I am not being a tester tonight."
Fred chuckled as he sat on the other side of the couch. "Would we ask you to do something like that?"
"Without your permission."
"True, Gred. We would never ask anyone to be a test subject..." Fred said.
"...without thier permission. Now, if you are willing," George said, taking out some candies.
"You could help us for an evening," Fred remarked.
"Just one evening, and we won't ask you again," George said.
"This month."
"This month," George agreed.
Harry laughed at them. "And what are those?" Harry asked apprehensively.
George winked at him. "A little creation of our own. We have verified it works."
"It works very well," Fred said with a grin.
"Yes, it was most fun," George added.
"Will you two stop it! What do they do?" Harry intterupted them.
"Well, you see..." Fred said.
"Cormac Macmillan has been..." George commented.
"... a rather large git and insulted Ginny..." Fred.
"...about her flying. And you see..."George.
"...we want to get him back..." Fred.
"...but we don't own a Firebolt..." George.
"Now, you dear Harriette, do own a Firebolt," Fred.
Harry's eyes narrowed.
"Are you sure he is a Harriette? Would that give the game away?"
"Erica?"
Fred made a face. "That is as bad as Marcy."
"What is wrong with Marcy?"
"She was rather hairy, if you know what I mean," Fred said.
George rose and eyebrow. "How do you know?"
"Will you two just get to the point? I was going to bed soon," Harry told them.
"Well, we know McLaggen will be at the pitch tomorrow to play with some friends," said George.
"And we were going to go down and figured a girl might be able to show him up," Fred suggested.
"And shut him up for a while," George said hopefully.
"NO! There is no way you are going to get me to go along with that! I prefer to be a boy," Harry told them.
"Who said we were going to make you a girl?" George asked innocently.
"You tellme those are not some sweets that make you a girl and I'll give you ten galleons right now," Harry challenged.
Neither twin said a word.
"No," Harry said adamantly...
-oOo-
November 2, 1994
Hogwarts, Scotland
Harry sat in the bed of the hospital wing, his hands in his lap as he looked at them. They were smaller, more delicate. Closing them, he doubted his fists were half the size they used to be, and he wasn't a large boy to begin with. Well, he had been given atleast one part of him that was above average, but now he didn't even have that.
Taking his shirt, he pulled the collar out. His lips pursed to see two rounded and decent sized breasts. He had let the twins convince him to pull the prank off. Harry remembered pain, and then waking up in the hospital wing this morning.
"Potter?" Madam Ponfrey asked from just outside the curtains.
"You can come in," a very feminine and melodic voice came out of his mouth. He grimaced.
She pushed a curtain aside and stepped in. "Is the calming draught working?"
He looked down his shirt again and them looked up. "I'm not freaking out. Does that mean its working?"
"Most likely," she said, pulling a chair up and sitting in the bed.
"Can you reverse this?"
She gave him a sympathetic look. "Professor Snape is trying to find an antidote, but there is a complication that seems to be very unexpected."
Harry snorted. "Figures," he said. "What is so unexpected?"
"Have you taken any polyjuice or other form altering potions in the last few weeks?" she questioned.
Harry blinked. "No," he told her. Hermione, Ron and him had done that second year, but that was almost two years ago now.
"This is very important. Think back? Have you been maybe around anyone brewing such potions?"
"No," he said a little more indignantly.
She frowned. "Well, there are signs you have. We were able to find trace amounts of polyjuice. When that is combines with a gender altering potion, the effects have been know to be somewhat permanent."
Harry's mouth dropped open. It worked a time or two, "It was just a prank," he said.
"Yes. Professor Dumbledore has talked very extensively with the Weasleys. As ingenious as they are, they had no idea that something like this would happen," she told him softly.
Looking at his hands again, he had to ask, "Are you saying I am a girl? Permanently?"
"Most likely, you are," she replied an soft voice. "Out of the twenty-seven cases that St. Mungo's has treated for something like this, none of the ones were polyjuice was involved have ever been reversed."
"Bloody hell," he said angrily. Or was it she now?
"I am sorry to tell you this. Professor McGonagall is working on a housing arrangement for you since it is felt you should not return to the boys dorm and we are not as sure the girls will feel comfortable with you in the same room," she added.
That made him feel good and bad. Good to know he wouldn't be in a room full of boys, bad because it meant he would be locked away somewhere away from others. At least he doubted it would be a cupboard this time.
When Harry didn't say anything for a moment, she patted his arm. "I'll let you be for a bit. A little later we need to go over the changes to your body and Professor McGonagall has said she will take you down into Hogsmeade after her last class and help you with new clothes. Perhaps you would like Ms. Granger to go with you? She has been in here every day after classes this week."
He nodded.
"There is more, but it can wait until later," she said, as though preparing him for the worst.
"What more could their be?" Harry asked her.
She looked to think seriously for a moment. "I think you should concentrate on what is going on now."
"I need to know," he told her.
"Poppy," the voice of Dumbledore came to them.
"Wait here," she ordered.
He looked back down his body, the obvious swells of his breast visible. "For once I don't think I want to go anywhere else," he whispered.
After a reassuring pat, she walked out, making sure the screen was closed behind her.
"Ah, good morning, Poppy. Is Harry up yet?" Dumbledore asked.
"Potter is up, but I think it better to wait a while to talk with him. He didn't take his condition well and I have only been able to inform him of his condition after a calming drought," she replied.
"I understand he may be a little distraught as you find a cure, but I really must speak with him. Barty and Bagman will be here later with the other Champions and the Headmasters..."
"Absolutely not," Madam Pomfrey cut the Headmaster off. "He is still getting used to his new body and what this means. If you want to talk with him, give him any information he needs, that is fine. The only others allowed in here right now are his friends, Minerva and Severus."
Or should she say she? Harry didn't like that thought. He was a boy... had been a boy.
"Poppy, there is a tradition about this..."
"Damn tradition, Albus. Have you been able to find the polyjuice that got into his system? Potter says he has not taken any lately, which means he would have have to be exposed to the vapors while brewing," she demanded. "That might be the only way to reverse what had happened."
The Headmaster sighed. "Alastor is searching for it. Last night he had to leave to get some detector he had at home."
Harry got up as they argued. He needed to move and felt a little unsteady on his feet. His body felt different. He felt like he still had the strength of his old body, but he was sure he was a little shorter. Hair fell into his face and he blew it out. His hair was shoulder length now and it annoyed him that it kept falling into his face. He...
Harry took a few steps, the material moving in different ways. He was happy he was in the hospital night clothes and nor a nightgown. That would be just too odd. As he opened the curtain, he caught sight of the Headmaster. The man looked tired, as though he hadn't slept for a few days. His usual grandfatherly face was long. "Poppy, I know you want to protect h... Harry, but the Tournament judges should be allowed in here later."
"Minerva will be taking him out to Hogsmeade this afternoon. Potter will need enough clothes to last at least the next month, if not a whole new wardrobe," Madam Pomfrey told the old man.
"What is going on?"
"Ah, Mister Potter...ah... it is Mr. Potter still?" the Headmaster asked.
"Ah, sure," Harry replied, unsure what to think still.
"You are supposed be in bed," he was scolded.
"I want to know what is going on," Harry said. Merlin, his voice felt so high pitch now, but it seemed like a pleasant girl voice.
"You will go back into bed and we will talk about this tomorrow," Madam Pomfrey told him.
Harry really didn't want to be treated like little child at the moment. He had been treated that way too many times in his life. His anger peaked, he felt a flush of energy and then a glass vial on a shelf he was looking at behind the adults suddenly burst. Madam Pomfrey jumped, her wand coming out. Dumbledore just looked at him. "This is what I mean, Albus. Her magic is still unstable with the change."
Harry suddenly realized that had been his magic. He looked at the red potion dripping from the shelf. "Are you going to tell me what is going on with my?" He forced the flow of energy down before it lashed out again.
The Headmaster frowned. "As unstable Harry's magic may be, he needs to know about his entry into the tournament and that the first task is on November twenty-sixth."
Whatever colour Harry had, drained out of his face. "I'm what?"
Madam Pomfrey looked livid at the Headmaster. "I have told you that Harry is not healthy enough at the moment and he was in this hospital wing since last Friday. How could his name have come out of the cup?"
"Alastor is still looking into it, but the fact is, someone put his name in and the contract requires him to participate," Dumbledore said. "This is why the other judges and event organizers need to be here this afternoon. We have withheld the task clue and when we will announce the Weighing of the Wand Ceremony based upon Harry's condition."
"I... what! Who put my name in?" he asked.
"We do not know, but it has been recognized that you would have had no way to put your name in, or to know how the names would have been chosen. No one thinks you entered willingly," Dumbledore informed him.
"I don't understand. Put my name into what? Hermione has said the tournament is usually challenging for those in their last year of school and in almost every tournament there was atleast one person maimed or killed," Harry said, his voice sounding slightly panicky. Why didn't he feel as numb as he usually did.
"Calm down, Potter or I will have to give you another calming draught. Albus, can we talk about this later? I haven't even finished going over all the changes with him," said Pomfrey.
"I need know. What is the first task and what day is it?" Harry looked between them.
"Will Harry be good enough after dinner? All the Champions need the clue and we really can't wait anymore. I would like to have a talk with Harry after that," Dumbledore asked.
Harry's magic boiled up again and another vial broke. "Bloody hell! Just tell me!"
Dumbledore took on the more grandfatherly face. "Harry, I think Madam Pomfrey is correct. You need to rest for the rest of the day. We can talk more of this later tonight. Perhaps he should stay here and you can arrange for clothes," Dumbledore said.
The matron did not looked pleased. "I agree that he should stay here today. Maybe a few days more. Potter is not leaving here until he can better control of his magic."
He felt tears bight at the corner of his eyes. He hadn't cried in years. Why would he want to shed tears in his frustration? "I want to talk now. Professor Dumbledore, you never explained what was with the tournament this time. You said you would explain it when the other schools got here. What do you mean by having to participate in the task?"
Madam Pomfrey threw her hands up. "By all means, tell him now. I told you later. If it takes more time for him to steady I put this all on your head. When you are done, I want you out of my hospital until tomorrow at the earliest." The woman turned and muttered as she walked into her office.
Dumbledore frowned. "I apologize for not giving you all the details until all the schools were here. The Triwizard Tournament uses one of two methods to decide who is the champion for Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. The organizers can use the Goblet of Fire, which is a powerful magical object that is is similar to the sorting hat, choosing the best competitor. The other method is to have a dueling and knowledge competition. This year we chose to use the Goblet of Fire. Either method requires that a binding contract is signed once the champion is chosen. Once chosen, the champion must participate to the best of their abilities for three tasks. You have to start the task and then you have to attempt to win the task. If you do anything less then you will pay a price."
Harry swallowed, his eyes still watering. Why was he being so weak? What is because he was a girl now? "What happens if I don't compete?"
"For each task you do not compete in, a third of your magic will be bound. The length of that binding depends on what you do. If you enter the task and don't do anything, it will be a few months. Long enough that the tournament will be over before the binding is lifted. If you refuse, it will be a year for each binding," Dumbledore said.
Harry let out a breath. He was afraid it would be a death sentence. "So, does that mean I would be a squib for a year?"
"It would be a year from each binding. I would not suggest it. You would not be allowed back to Hogwarts while all your magic is bound."
Harry nodded. That still wasn't that bad. Harry would hate to have to live at his relatives for the extra time, but it wouldn't be permanent. "So, I am the Hogwarts Champion?"
Dumbledore nodded. "You are. There is something else."
"Of course there is," Harry muttered. His... her?... life was never easy.
Dumbledore gave him a grandfatherly smile. "This one is not all bad." Harry looked at the man, waiting for him to expand on the statement. After a moment, Dumbledore said, "To be entered, you have to be considered an adult in your world. Only those of-age can sign such contracts without a guardian."
Harry twerked an eye brow. "Are you saying I am not considered an adult? I'm only fourteen."
"I am afraid so. As such, I must tell you that all the years you spent at your relatives was to protect you with wards. With you being declared a legally emancipated, the wards fell two days ago. It will no longer be safe for you to return to your relatives. Not with what we know is out there," Dumbledore said.
"You mean Voldemort," Harry replied.
Dumbledore nodded.
Harry shrugged, actually feeling happy at that prospect. "Okay. So, what does that mean for the summer?"
"We can figure that out when it happens. Until then, I would ask you to notify me when you want to leave the school and were you want to go for any breaks. I can find some places that will be safe," Dumbledore told him. Next he reached into his robes. "I also have some communications to give you. I am no longer your magical guardian and cannot handle your affairs anymore unless you let me."
Harry looked at the envelopes. He noticed a few with green wax and the Gringotts' seal. There were a few other letters as well. "What do you mean handle my affairs?"
"I mean that since your parents death I have been handling their estate and you inheritance. Now that you are considered emancipated, you will need to talk to the goblins. I admit, I am not an expert in these things, but I have tried to be a good caretaker and with Gringotts' help there has been a nice sum added to your accounts," Dumbledore told him.
Harry blinked. "You mean my vault?"
"That is your trust vault. If you would like, I can find time over Christmas break to accompany you to Gringotts, or I can find someone before then. For now, you should focus on the tournament and your new situation," the Headmaster said, taking a few steps and handing him the envelopes.
Harry nodded, taking the nine envelopes.
"If you are feeling up to it, I really think you should join us for the first clue. If not, I will have Ludo Bagman, the Head of Magical Sports, and Bartemius Crouch, Head of Magical Cooperation, come up here with me. We can not, in good conscience, hold off the start of the tournament anymore," Dumbledore said before taking his leave.
Feeling a little overwhelmed, Harry went gently to the floor and sat crosslegged.
Madam Pomfrey came over, crouching down. "Are you alright?"
He... she snorted. "Why wouldn't I be? It's not like I have ever lived a normal life," he said a little darkly, looking down at the enveloped. One was from the Weasley's. He was pretty sure another was from Sirius. Dumbledore must have gotten hold of him somehow.
The older woman frowned. "I did not want all this thrown on you like this. I hate to heap on more, but when you are ready, I want a talk about your new body."
"I am really a girl, aren't I?" he enquired.
"All my testing shows a complete gender change," Madam Pomfrey said gently.
Harry nodded.
"We need to talk about what that means," Madam Pomfrey said.
"Sure," Harry replied. He looked up, a few tears running down his cheeks. "Why do I feel so emotional?"
"That is very common in teenage girls. Hormones are a little more wild than in boys when it comes to emotions. You may also find yourself even more so when it comes to your bleeding every month."
Harry paled again. There was a look of horror on his face.
"Most girls have already started by the time you are fourteen and have had time to adjust. I can't promise that you won't feel it harder than most the next few months, but you will adjust," the matron told her.
Harry was going to have to start thinking of himself as a girl. "You are sure you can't turn me back?"
The matron's lips pursed. "I won't say we can't, but I don't want to give you any false hope. It is highly doubtful. I think you should get used to the idea that you may be in this body for a long time, if not the rest of your life."
He nodded. It figures, he said to himself.
"Harry, I also want to warn you, that in your changed form it is possible to become pregnant. I will teach you what I do all witches to protect yourself," she informed him.
"Oh," was all he said.
She patted his leg. "Do you have any questions or do you want to be left alone for a while?"
"I think I am just going to sit here for a while," he said, motioning towards the floor.
"That is fine dear. While you sit here, I would just ask you to ponder if you would like us to treat you like a boy or girl?"
"Aren't I girl now?" he asked confused.
"I mean would you like Mr. or Miss Potter. He or she. That type of thing. Also, if you would like to change your name, we can talk about that," she said softly.
"You really don't think I will be able to become a boy again?"
"As I said, any such case when polyjuice has been involved there has been no antidote to date."
He just nodded. She wiped another tear off Harry's cheek.
"Would you like a warming charm on the floor?" Madam Pomfrey asked.
He shook his head.
It was a while later that the doors opened a little before lunch. Harry was still sitting on the floor just outside the curtains of her bed.
"Harry!" Hermione called out, rushing over to her side. Harry didn't like it, but maybe it was better to think of himself as a she.
Harry looked up and gave Hermione a watery smile as one of his best mates came over to him. "Hey Hermione," she replied.
Hermione dropped her bag in her rush. Dropping to her side, Hermione wrapped Harry into a hug. Harry, surprising them both, grabbed Hermione's arm in with both of hers, holding onto her arm like it was a line line. A few days ago she would have felt a little heat to feel Hermione's body press against hers. She did a little, but it wasn't the same.
"Fred and George told us what happened. They had no clue you would react like you did. How are you feeling? They said you screamed like you were being torn apart and your scar burst open. Oh, Harry, they thought they had killed you," she said, pulling back and looking Harry up and down. "When is Madam Pomfrey changing you back? Oh, then your name came out of Goblet of Fire. No one believes you did it. I mean how could you? You were in here. I heard Madam Pomfrey say she wasn't sure if you would wake, and she couldn't tell if she could reverse your change until you did wake. Tell me Madam Pomfrey can change you back."
She chuckled a little darkly. Hermione was speaking a million miles and hour and not letting him get a word in. "You are looking at the new me," Harry said when she went to breathe.
Hermione blinked. "What?"
"You are looking at the new me. Madam Pomfrey said this is the way I will probably be for now on. She said I had polyjuice in my system. You don't think...?" she asked Hermione.
Hermione looked concerned. "I don't think so. Madam Pomfrey says it takes about three days for all traces to be gone when, you know..." she said. It had been almost two years ago they had taken some.
Harry nodded. "I thought you said that before," she said. "So, I'm a girl now," he said, as though it had always been that way.
"There is nothing that can be done?"
"Madam Pomfrey has said there have been cases before when a gender swaping potion combine with polyjuice making it permanent. We were only trying to get Mclaggen back for making fun of Ginny," he told her.
Hermione didn't look pleased. "Yes. Fred and George told me how they convinced you."
"Once they told me why, I was all in," Harry said. Ginny was like a little sister to him with how close he was to Ron and the twins. Besides the fact he couldn't stand McLaggen. Unfortunately, the joke had been turned on him... her.
"I don't understand where you were exposed to polyjuice potion. It is not easy or cheap to make," she told him.
Harry frowned. "Hermione, how not cheap? We stole half the ingredients from Snape," Harry said in a low voice.
"I didn't know and we had to find out if Malfoy was involved or not," Hermione answered. Under Harry's green eyed stare, she said, "The boomslang skin is almost a hundred galleons for how much we had to use and the moon dew was worth at least fifteen..."
"Merlin. No wonder Snape was so upset at us," Harry said equally as lowly. "We did need to know, though."
She nodded. "So, you are a girl now?"
"Yeah."
They sat for a few.
"Dumbledore told me I am in the tournament and I have to compete or my magic will be bound for a while," Harry casually said. One of the envelopes contain a copy of the contract and he had read it. He hadn't opened the letters from Sirius or Mrs. Weasley yet.
"Everyone is talking about it and the Daily Prophet has torn into the Ministry and Dumbledore about it. Beauxbatons and Durmstrang want to cancel the tournament and either rechoose the champions or go home. Is there no way to get you out of this?" Hermione said hopefully. "Professor Dumbledore must have something he can do?"
"I don't think he can," Harry replied before handing her the contract. "He also told me I am emancipated."
"Because you have to be of-age to compete?"
Harry nodded his head before she started to read.
Harry looked at the top letter from Gringotts. This one acknowledged that he was recognized at being an adult in the eyes of the goblins. The one under that was statement for his two vaults. His trust vault had had almost forty-thousand galleons that first day he had visited. It now help a little over thirty-one thousand, with about two-thousand galleons being withdrawn each year for Hogwarts and then what he had taken out.
The vault left by his parents help a little under four-hundred thousand and artefacts. Dumbledore hadn't been wrong. The vault had groan by about twenty-four thousand since his parents had died. He wondered a little why he hadn't been told about all this, but then thought Dumbledore may not have been able to tell him because of his relatives. Harry was certain they would have tried to get their hands on all this if they could.
"Harry?" Hermione asked after a few minutes.
"Yeah, Hermione," he sighed.
"Do you want me to call you a girl?"
He let out a huff. "Mind as well. I won't ever be a boy again."
"Alright," said Hermione, reaching out a hand and holding his for a moment. Harry felt comfort in the touch. It was odd that she - he kept trying to identify himself the proper way- liked it and didn't shy away.
Feeling very nervous and self-conscious, he whispered, "Are having your period that bad?"
Hermione's head shot up from the letter again. As he wide-eyed, incredulous look, his face reddened. She searched his eyes for a moment, and instead of questioning her, Hermione said, "Mine aren't that bad. Some cramping and I may snap at you and Ron a little more at that time of the month. Poor Padma needs pain relief potions and gets really snippy at Parvati. It's different for all of us."
Harry nodded. He could only hope hers weren't that bad.
"Madam Pomfrey asked if I wanted to change my name," Harry told her.
"Do you?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. My parents called me Harry. I like my name. It's one of the few things I have from my parents."
"Then don't change it," she soothed.
"Have you ever heard of a girl called Harry?"
"I have heard of a girl named Harriette, and her friends called her Harri in elementary school," Hermione offered.
He nodded. "Maybe. Where is Ron?"
"We weren't sure if you would be up yet. He was going to the lunch and then was going to get the divination work done before class. He really should do his homework the night its assigned," she told him. "He was going to come after class."
"It's a dream journal and a sketch of your palm this week," Harry told her.
"It's all rubbish, but he should still do his work before class," she said snarkily.
Harry chuckled. "I really wish I hadn't done Divination. Maybe I should drop it with the tournament this year."
"I told you last year you should drop it. Though it will be a little late to pick up another class," Hermione replied.
"Excuse me, girls," the matron said. "It is lunch time. Ms. Granger would you like to join..." She looked to Harry... "Ms. Potter for lunch?"
Harry frowned, but it was probably the right thing to be called 'miss', wasn't it? Harry looked pleadingly at Hermione. As embarrassed as he was, he needed to ask Hermione more questions about being a girl... besides the fact he wanted her around.