No, don't! I already told you!” a familiar voice shrieked. “Told me? And I'm suppose to believe that? I'm supposed to believe anything?” The man was clearly irate. “Please! At least let me..” But the begging was cut short. “NO! I'm not letting him touch MY CHILD! He's not taking anything else! After everything he's done! After everything YOU'VE done! I cannot...” roared the other voice. “Don't do this! Can't we talk... No! At least... Listen!”

Harry awoke with a start. Her head felt heavy and her vision was cloudy. She crawled out from under the bed with a grunt. To her surprise she had not overslept today. Ron was still fast asleep on his bed but Neville was already up and about. The pudgy boy sent Harry a sympathetic look as she emerged from underneath the bed but he for some reason didn't question it and merely greeted her and wished her a good morning.

She smiled weakly at the boy and tried to shake of the feelings of unease the nightmares always left her with. She grabbed her clothes and robes and made for the dorm bathroom to change. When she emerged Seamus Finnegan was also awake and she decided to go and wake up Ron. However that turned out to be easier said than done since the boy managed to kick her twice as soon as she started to shake him awake. It wasn't until she panicked and asked Neville whether they would be late for breakfast that the redhead stirred.

At the table in the great hall everyone was whispering quietly when they arrived. Harry noticed that the strange atmosphere seemed to be worst at the Slytherin table where all the students were eating their meal in near total silence.

“What's going on?” Harry asked Percy as she grabbed onto him.

“I'm not sure but I intend to find out,” the older Weasley replied sternly before he made his way over to the Ravenclaw table to discuss with one of their prefects.

Harry looked up at the head table where the reaction to whatever was going on seemed to be a lot more mixed. In fact Professor Flitwick and the Headmaster looked positively amused! Professor McGonagall looked anything but pleased in fact Harry found the frown on her face rather scary and Professor Sprout seemed to be oblivious to whatever was happening or at least the pretended to be. Two witches whom Harry had yet to learn the names of were whispering together. Harry noticed that Professor Snape was absent this morning and she couldn't help but feel relieved. Ron was already eating and the twins had sat down on either side of him and were telling him something that clearly annoyed him. Harry looked around for an available seat and ended up sitting down next to Hermione Granger.

“Hi,” Harry smiled at her and much to her own mortification, automatically waved.

“Hello,” the other girl replied as she lowered her book with a puzzled look on her face.

“What are you reading?” Harry tried.

“It's Hogwarts: A history. It's very fascinating. There's...”

Hermione didn't get to finish that for suddenly the whispering died down as the Headmaster rose from his seat and looked out at the many faces waiting for him to say something.

“Good morning all! This will just be a short notice! Those of you who have potions class today will be saddened to hear that classes have been canceled!”

Despite the word 'saddened' the headmaster was smiling and it was hardly sorrowful sounds emanating from the students in question.

“If any of you had... other appointments with Professor Snape, they will be rescheduled as he will be busy today cleaning up the dungeons. Speaking of which, those of you who found it amusing to release a smaller colony of bats into the dungeons – I will of course expect you to do the honorable thing and admit to it!”

Suddenly a large part of the great hall erupted in laughter and Harry didn't fail to notice that the Headmaster's eyes hadn't stopped twinkling.

“Bats? Bats!” Ron suddenly said and left his mouth open – treating Harry to a view of the bun Ron had been chewing.

“Who would do such a thing? No wonder the Slytherins are upset!” Hermione added with disgust.

“They must be hard to get out,” Harry said. With yesterday's conversations in mind she had a pretty good idea who would have done this – at least who might do this kind of thing.

“I'm sure it wasn't easy getting them in either,” said one of the twins with a wide grin on his face as he nudged his brother and confirmed Harry's suspicion.

“Will it take the whole day to chase them out?” Harry asked.

“They appear to have left quite a.... mess everywhere,” said Percy who had now returned and he looked positively furious.

Harry turned back around to see Ron still sitting with his mouth open and Hermione rolling her eyes as the twins practically fell off the bench laughing. She suddenly didn't feel too well. Yes, a part her felt absolutely no sympathy for her potions professor yet a small voice in the back of her mind insisted it was very wrong of the twins to do something like this – however what she really wanted to know was whether or not the twins had done it for her or whether this had been planned in advance. If they were caught she didn't want it to be for her sake.

“I can't believe he can really eat that much sugar!” Hermione suddenly said and nodded towards Ron.

Harry smiled and put a sandwich and a couple of fruits on her plate. She then looked around. Nothing. She exhaled and felt a strange calm before she began to eat.

---

About a week after the 'bat incident' anyone had yet to come forward though the majority of the school suspected the Weasley twins – against whom there was no evidence of course. Harry was almost running down the hallway – heading for the stairs leading up from the dungeons. She wasn't quite sure where she was going and it was quite a miracle that she didn't miss a step on the stairs seeing as she was fighting back tears. She knew Ron was bound to be somewhere behind her – hoping to catch up with her but she couldn't face him right now. She couldn't face anyone.

Harry didn't know where she was going. This time she wouldn't be able to keep it together in front of Ron or the twins. No, she needed to find herself a quiet place to hide. She slipped through the entrance hall and went up the stairs to the first floor as fast she could, getting a few looks from other students in the process. When the hallway became empty and she could no longer hear the chatter of her fellow students she slipped through the nearest door and found herself in a bathroom. She had no idea whether this was a girl or a boy bathroom and she didn't care. What mattered was that it was completely empty. She dumped her bag on the floor after closing the door and ran to the nearest corner where she curled up. Soon followed a stream of tears and the saltwater and excessive rubbing of her eyes began to irritate her skin. She rocked herself slightly and seemed to remain like this for ages until her sobbing died down and her form became still. She was lost in her own thoughts and didn't notice when another figure entered the room.

---

He knew it!

Severus Snape was pacing in his office. His face was a mask hiding the fury, disgust and above all disappointment that he felt. Certain members of the staff had assured him the likely culprits of the 'incident' in the dungeons were most likely the Weasley twins. Severus wouldn't admit it but under normal circumstances he would have agreed that it reeked of Weasley mischief though they were usually not this bold but now there was nothing anyone could say to dissuade him of his convictions. He had suspected Potter from the moment he realized what had happened. After all had he not given the boy a rather stern – but certainly well deserved lecture only the day before?

Of course it was only a suspicion and there was no evidence. Had Severus Snape in actuality attempted to solve this mystery logically he would have been the first to agree that there was no way one little first year could pull such a prank – especially not a muggleraised one! But this amount of disrespect he could only remember having witnessed once before – the marauders. Yes, this was definitely not something he would put past James Potter! And surely now his son was following in his footsteps and terrorizing Snape and the Slytherins!

Still there had been a tiny voice in the back of his mind that had begged him to rethink this and not condemn the brat without evidence but another much more powerful voice decided to confront the boy with his suspicions and let the little menace know he was on to him even if he couldn't convince the headmaster.

He had kept a close eye on Potter at every meal. Even though the boy laughed with the Weasley lot on occasion or spoke quietly with Longbottom, Severus sensed a tenseness in the child. Yes, the brat was clearly hiding something. The way the boy often glanced apprehensively at the teachers' table only confirmed this. And then the day had arrived where Potter would be back in his classroom.

The boy was completely unwilling to look up at him during his introduction to the simple potion they would be attempting to prepare. Once the little dunderheads had actually begun their work Snape didn't need to make up excuses to call out the boy on an error for though he did not instantly ruin his potion like the Longbottom boy, he certainly didn't consider it worth his while to pay attention to what he was doing. The boy kept starring at his hands in a most irritating manner and when Severus noticed a slight trembling of the boy's shoulders as he called out Longbottom for the second time he saw red. Was the boy laughing?

“It would seem that some of you find this amusing! Foolish mistakes that may easily cost you or your classmates your lives one day!” he sneered and glared briefly at Longbottom who was squirming in his seat. “Potter! If you find this subject so entertaining perhaps you would like a detention to further acquaint yourself with the preparation process? No? I can assure you – all of you that I will not tolerate idiocy or disrespect in this class! You will find there will be consequences for your stupidity – much like there will be for that bit of vandalism last week!”

There! It was brief but he had seen it! Potter's eyes had momentarily flashed with something! Fear? Certainly. Guilt? Naturally.

“Mr Longbottom, that's a zero for the day and Mr Potter, I suggest you cease your attempts to ruin that potion.”

“But P..Professor, I...” the boy had begun.

“It's worthless, Potter. Though I'm sure you are very surprised that not everything you do is impressive, I urge you to consider that fame does not make that excuse for a potion passable. Now, I expect your samples on my desk in twenty minutes.”

---

“Harry? Harry! Are you okay?”

Harry opened her eyes at the sound of the familiar voice. So, that answered the question of which bathroom this is. She looked up at the girl standing in front of her with a concerned expression and realized that it would still be obvious from her face that she had been crying. Harry promptly hid her face in her arms.

“I'm fine,” she lied.

Harry heard Hermione move closer and put her bag down on the floor.

“You don't look fine. Harry, is this about what happened in potions?”

Harry shook her head. Of course it was – but it was more than that. It was everything.

“You're going to miss dinner, you know,” Hermione tried, remembering that Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom both enjoyed meals above many other things and reasoned that it might be a general thing with boys. However, when Harry didn't react at all, she discarded that idea.

“Harry?” whispered Hermione as she sat down on the floor next to the other child. “Do you need me to go and get Ron for you? Would you like him to talk to you?”

“No,” said Harry in a weak voice. “He wouldn't understand. No one would. Just... Just leave me.”
Hermione paused. She didn't know the boy in front of her well. They'd met briefly on the train but still this boy had been the most welcoming face she had met so far. The other children didn't bother her but they didn't speak to her unnecessarily either. She fondly remembered that Harry had greeted her at breakfast. She had been surprised. Hermione didn't make friends easily and she couldn't just walk away.

“I wouldn't. I'm sure of it! Harry whatever it is, you can talk to me!” said Hermione and reached out to touch Harry, but before she could the other looked up at her.

“I can't. It's a secret. I promised.”

“Promised who? Ron?” Hermione replied. She found herself both confused and intrigued.

“No,” mumbled Harry.

“Harry, if it's making you this upset – maybe you should share it with someone. It clearly isn't good.”

“You couldn't understand...” Harry began and shook her head at the other girl.

Hermione tried very hard indeed not to take offense to that. Her? Not understand? She hadn't come across a subject she couldn't at least learn to understand but then she reminded herself that this wasn't what Harry meant.

“How do you know? Have you ever told anyone?” Hermione began and continued when Harry's head shook in reply. “See? So how can you be sure? Harry? I promise you, even if you're right and I don't understand it, that I will never ever tell anyone else unless you tell me to!”

There. This could turn out to be a big mistake and she knew it. What if Harry had done something? What if she now had to lie to her professors about knowing of it? Hermione shuddered at the thought. She looked at Harry to find two wide green eyes starring at her.

“You mean it? You really promise? No matter what?”

Hermione smiled.

“I promise. I swear it,” she said holding up her hands to show that there were no crossed fingers.

“I...” Harry began and quickly looked back into her own lap.

What was she doing? Why would she even consider this? The Dursleys would kill her! But Hermione seemed so kind. Was it possible...? Suddenly she felt a hand upon hers and realized that Hermione had reached for her. Hermione gently squeezed her hand and Harry felt weirdly reassured. But she couldn't look at Hermione. Not as she said it.

“I'm a girl.”

Silence.

“What? What do you mean?” Hermione's voice sounded strange. Harry took at deep breath.

“I'm not really a boy. I just pretend to be.”

“What? Why?”

Hermione was still holding Harry's hand as she starred at the other person in front of her. Was Harry saying he is a girl or does Harry want to be girl? Was this a joke? No, it couldn't be. Harry's tears and distress had been real. In fact tears were beginning to flow from Harry's eyes once again.

“Promise me you won't tell! They will get really mad at me! And everyone will know!”

Hermione was so confused but she decided to take a deep breath and attempt to make some sense of it.

“Harry slow down. Who will be mad?”

“My relatives,” Harry sobbed and Hermione pressed further demanding to know why.

“They told me I'm too u...ugly to be a girl and so I must pretend to be a boy. A..And if anyone finds out, they will know I'm a freak and I can't stay here.”

“Harry? I... That makes no sense...” Hermione replied. “What do you mean you're too ugly to be a girl?”

“I used to be a girl. When I was small, but my aunt said I couldn't be a girl anymore. Because I'm too ugly,” Harry sniffed and Hermione moved a little closer and put her arm around the other.

“You used to be a girl?” she repeated and Harry nodded in reply. “But... But Harry... You can't be too ugly to be either a boy or a girl. It doesn't work that way.”

Harry looked at her with an expression of confusion and shifted slightly on the cold bathroom floor.

“But.. My aunt said..”

“Harry, if this is true you should really speak to someone about it. At the very least go to Professor McGonagall!”

“NO! They will know I was lying! They'll send me home! I almost thought that the hat... But...”

“Harry! Tell me this... Are you too ugly to be a boy?” Hermione tried. She really wasn't sure what she was doing at this point.

“No.. I don't think so.”

“Are boys uglier than girls?” Hermione continued.

“No,” Harry mumbled.

“Then you can't be too ugly to be either. And Harry, you're not ugly,” the bushy haired girl said reassuringly.

“I thought the hat would know that I'm a girl,” Harry mumbled with a weak smile.

Hermione smiled back, glad to see that Harry was beginning to feel better.

“Harry? When your aunt said you had to be a boy, did she change your name too?”

“She used to call me Harriet? Why?”

“Oh, nothing. Harry, I promise you I'll help you figure this out! In fact, I'll start searching the library for information tonight!”

“You.. You'd do that? But you won't tell?”

“Not until you say I can. I promised didn't I?”

Harry smiled. She had taken a big risk in telling the other girl but she felt so much better knowing that someone else knew. She still wasn't sure how she felt about the things Hermione was saying but she trusted the the girl. Hermione on the other hand didn't feel well at all. She was worried. Could this really be or was Harry's mind playing tricks on him – erh.. her? Was Harry's relatives playing some sick game? And if Harry really was a girl then why didn't anyone know? Wasn't Harry famous? Should she break her promise and tell McGonagall? No, not yet at least. First, she'd do some research.

“Will you come to dinner now? Though I think we may be late,” Hermione asked.

“Okay,” Harry mumbled and slowly got up from the floor.

Hermione followed and they picked up their bags along the way. Some minutes later the two walked into the great hall where the food had already been served and everyone was at their seats. Especially at the Gryffindor table people watched with curiosity as Harry and Hermione walked to their seats – arm in arm.