Pranking The Tournament

By: Gardevoir687

Fandom: harry potter

Summary: When Harry learns something that could prove he didn't enter himself into the Triwizard Tournament, he decides to take it once step further and prank everyone in retaliation. However, his prank may have some unforeseen side effects. COMPLETE! Edited as of 11/13/19!

Status: Completed

Fic type: Books/Harry Potter

Pairings/Main char.: Harry P., Hermione G., Luna L.

Published: 2018-11-27

Last updated: 2019-11-14

Words count: 59,256

Chapters count: 14

Converted using www.FF2EBOOK.com
Date: 2020-10-23

1. Chapter 1

Hello everybody! Here is my newest story. It's already fully completed and I'll be uploading it once a week so you won't have to worry about that. With that said, enjoy Pranking The Tournament!

Chapter 1

Harry James Potter was not a happy wizard.

Two days ago, the Goblet of Fire had spit out his name as the fourth champion. In hindsight, he should've seen it coming. Something bad always happened to him on Halloween. And although he was innocent, the rest of the school didn't believe him. They thought he was a cheater and a glory hound, trying to steal Cedric's thunder. Idiots and fools, the lot of them! He hated being famous, the last thing he wanted was more attention. All anyone saw when they looked at him was the lightning bolt scar on his forehead- he hated that bloody scar! For everyone else, it was a reminder that Voldemort had been defeated; for him, it was a reminder that his parents were dead.

Even his so-called 'best mate,' Ron Weasley, thought Harry was scum-of-the-Earth. Of course, that was due more to the fact that the bloody pillock was jealous of The-Boy-Who-Lived, but Ron- of all people!- should know how much Harry despised the spotlight. The only person he could count on, the only one who stood by him and believed in him, was Hermoine. Good ol' Hermione! She was always there for him. Even during the Firebolt Fiasco (yes, it deserved to be capitalized) last year, she'd still been looking out for him. Come to think of it, he'd never apologized for that. He would do so soon. Hermione deserved better.

As Harry shuffled into the Great Hall for breakfast, he spied Headmaster Dumbledore sitting calmly at the staff table as Professor McGonagall ranted to him about something. Suddenly, a thought occurred and he smiled at its potential. He walked over to the headmaster and waited to be acknowledged.

Dumbledore held up a hand to silence his deputy. His eyes twinkled as he turned to his favorite student. "Good morning, Harry, my boy!" he said jovially. "What can I do for you?"

Harry smiled pleasantly. "Good morning, Professor Dumbledore. Have you discovered who put my name into the goblet?"

The ever-present sparkle in the headmaster's eyes dimmed. "I'm afraid not, my boy," he said solemnly. "Alastor is still checking, but I fear it will be a fruitless endeavor."

Harry frowned, but shook it off. Honestly, he hadn't been expecting anything positive. "That's alright, Headmaster, although I do have one more question."

"What is it, my boy?" the headmaster asked, the twinkle once more returning at the thought of being able to help the young wizard.

"Well, I was just wondering… Professor Moody said my name was entered under a fourth school. What school was it?"

Dumbledore coughed and looked around discreetly. The students weren't listening, but several professors were paying avid attention while pretending to eat. Professor Sinistra's eggs slipped off her fork and onto her lap- not that she noticed. "It's- er- unimportant, Harry, my boy. Why don't you run along and have some breakfast? The pancakes are simply exquisite today."

Harry frowned. Was the headmaster blushing? "I already ate, sir, and I'd like to know," he insisted, crossing his arms.

Dumbledore stroked his beard. "I assure you, my boy, I-"

"Honestly Albus, just tell the boy!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, her mouth twitching slightly. Harry nodded at her appreciatively.

The headmaster's cheeks pinked slightly. "Very well." He sighed then looked Harry directly in the eye. "Salem Witches' Academy."

Harry blinked. Twice. "What?"

"Salem Witches' Academy," Dumbledore repeated, a little more strongly. "That's the school you were entered under."

Harry blinked again before snorting loudly. He grinned, the beginnings of a plan forming in his mind. "One last question. What are the tournament rules about school uniforms?" Professor McGonagall's lips did that twitching thing again.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the defeater of the Dark Lord Grindelwald and the only man Voldemort ever feared, actually stammered. "W-Well, technically you're supposed to wear your school's robes at all times, but I think we can make an exception in this case, Mister Potter."

Harry smiled at the venerable old man, who was squirming infinitesimally in his seat. "Thank you, Headmaster." He turned to face the Deputy Headmistress. "Professor McGonagall," he said, inclining his head slightly. The Scotswoman gave him a nod in return and another one of her lip twitches, eyes shining with mirth. Harry turned around and walked to the Gryffindor table. He spotted Hermione reading a book next to a huge pile of pancakes and sat down next to her.

"Good morning, Harry," she said, not lifting her eyes from her book. She tried to take a bite of her pancakes, but missed her mouth. Syrup dribbled down her chin.

"Good morning, Hermione," he said cheerfully. Hermione looked up, but then went back to her book. If Harry wasn't brooding like he'd been the past few days she wasn't going to question it.

The Weasley Twins then plopped down across from them, impish grins on their faces. "Hello Harrikins, Miss Granger," they said as one.

"Gred, Forge," Harry greeted the two pranksters with an overly dramatic bow. "What can I do for you, gentlemen?"

The twins adopted offended looks. "How could you insult us so, Ickle Harrikins?"

"After all this time-?"

"You should well know we are no gentlemen-"

"We are dashing rogues!"

Harry held up his hands placatingly. Their twinspeak was as entertaining as always. "My apologies. What can I do for you two miscreants?"

The twins grinned. "Well, we couldn't help but notice-"

"While you were speaking with our esteemed headmaster-"

"He of the magnanimous, long beard-"

"That Ol' McGonagall cracked a smile."

"Thrice!"

"And we couldn't help but wonder-"

"What wondrous topic of conversation-"

"Brought about such a miracle?"

Harry checked to make sure nobody was listening then smiled innocently. "Apparently, I'm a witch," he explained.

Hermione choked on her pancakes. Harry clapped her on the back several times to help clear her throat. "I'm sorry, I think I misheard you, what did you just say?" she asked incredulously.

"Apparently, I'm a witch," Harry repeated. "Professor Dumbledore just told me I was entered into the Tri-wiz as a student of Salem Witches' Academy. Since SWA is a witches only school, I must be a witch, right? After all, according to the castle, I entered myself. Why else would I have entered as a student in an all witches school if I wasn't a witch?"

The twins cracked evil grins. "Too true, young Harrikins-"

"That is quite the damning piece of evidence."

Harry grinned conspiratorially. "Indeed! And gentlemen- sorry- and miscreants, you have arrived at a most opportune moment! I require your assistance."

The twins steepled their hands and put on a solemn look in a comedic imitation of their headmaster. "And what can we do for you-"

"Young miss?"

Harry leaned in closer. "Well, according to 'our esteemed headmaster, he of the magnanimous, long beard' all champions must wear the uniform of their respective schools at all times..."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Surely you're not saying what I think you are?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, my dear Hermione. And don't call me Shirley!" Harry said, grinning. Hermione snorted and the twins exchanged looks. Harry waved his hand dismissively. "Inside joke," he explained. "Anyways, I was hoping you two might be able to assist me."

The twins shared a look. "What exactly are you asking of us-"

"Harriet?"

Harry grimaced. "Yeah, don't call me that. Feels wrong somehow." He held up two fingers. "It's quite simple, really. First, I need you to disseminate this information in a way that makes the rest of the school feel like bloody idiots for thinking I entered myself. Second, I've heard there was a potion that can change your gender temporarily; I was hoping you could procure it for me."

The twins exchanged concerned looks. "Harry, mate-"

"We can easily do the first."

"We'd be honored, in fact."

"Quite. However-"

"We have some reservations about the second."

"What in Merlin's name-"

"Would you want to switch genders for?"

Hermione coughed then arched an eyebrow. "Is there a problem with being a girl?" she asked icily.

The twins paled and immediately backpedaled, waving their arms in front of them. "No, ma'am!"

"Nothing wrong with being of the female gender-"

"Right bit smarter than us blokes, you are-"

"A good sight better looking too-"

"Too true. However, young Harrikins here-"

"Was born male."

"We were merely wondering-"

"Why he wishes-"

"To bat for the other side-"

"As it were."

Harry cleared his throat. "Well Misters Weasley," he said pompously. "The rules clearly state that I must wear my school uniform at all times, and I would hate to bring shame to my prestigious academy. As SWA is an all witches school, I feel that I might better be able to fit into said uniform if I was of the female persuasion." He smiled mischievously then dropped the pontificating. "Plus it's a fun way to mess with the tournament. Imagine the next headline in the Daily Prophet: 'Ministry Of Magic Forces Boy-Who-Lived Into Sex Change'!"

Fred and George let out hearty guffaws before nodding understandingly. "We'd be honored to help-"

"With such a noble goal,"

"Young Harrikins."

"We'll get back to you later-

"See what we can find."

Harry winked. "I'll spot any costs," he promised. "This is my prank after all." The twins grinned one last time then swept out of the hall. Harry immediately turned to his bushy haired friend.

"Yes Harry, I'll help you learn how to be a girl," Hermione preempted, going back to her book, no longer interested in the conversation. Harry blinked then opened his mouth. "And I'll go clothes shopping with you after your change," Hermione added.

Harry blinked again. His lips parted in a wide smile. "Brilliant, thanks Hermione!" He gave her a quick hug then rushed up to Gryffindor Tower, leaving the brunette feeling quite bemused. Harry was not usually so physically expressive.

The last Potter didn't notice the look on his friend's face however. He was too busy plotting.

Early morning a few days later, Harry took advantage of the empty common room to get a head start on his Potions essay. He knew he still had five days left to finish it, but Snape took any excuse not to accept his work so he wanted to make sure he was finished early, just to be safe. A voice interrupted his work.

"Harrikins!"

The-Boy-Who-Lived looked up and saw the twins waving him over excitedly. Harry put down his quill then walked over to them. The twins smirked as Fred- at least, he thought it was Fred- pulled out a small vial filled with a pink, fluffy-looking liquid. Harry's eyes widened. "Is that-" He looked up questioningly.

The twins grinned and probably-Fred wiggled the vial. "This little beaut-"

"Is called the Gender Swap Potion."

Harry rubbed his hands together. "Excellent work, miscreants. Anything important I should know?"

The twins nodded. "Yes, actually."

"First off-"

"The potion will last for a full year-"

"So you may want to get some knickers if you don't have any yet."

Harry snorted.

"Second-"

"You won't just look-"

"Like a female version-"

"Of your current self."

"Somehow, the potion knows-"

"What you would have looked like-"

"Had you actually been born-"

"Harriet."

Harry grimaced. "I told you not to call me that," he mumbled. The twins grinned and shook their heads. Harry sighed exasperatedly.

"On the plus side-" they continued.

"No monthlies."

"And you can't get pregnant."

"So, y'know…"

They waggled their eyebrows and Harry glared at the terrible twosome. "No," he said flatly. The twins giggled like little girls and Harry rolled his eyes. "Anything else?" he asked impatiently.

The gingers shared a look. "Well, we're not sure-"

"If there actually are-"

"Any other side effects-"

"You'll probably start acting more feminine-"

"However-"

"You should go back to normal-"

"Once you change back."

"... Probably."

"But there's no antidote."

"So if you take it-"

"You'll be stuck as a girl-"

"For the full year."

Harry flinched slightly. "Ah well, in for a knut, in for a galleon," he muttered under his breath. "I had a feeling that would be the case." He handed a few galleons over to George. "Keep the change," he told them. George pocketed the money with a wink while Fred bowed and placed the potion in Harry's palm. The vial was hot, but not painfully so. Harry glanced furtively around the room. "I probably shouldn't do this in public," he realized. "Don't want anyone watching me. Then I could claim it was a prank or something. Maybe even get Malfoy in trouble for it, if I'm lucky. Also need Hermione to be there so she'll know it's me."

"Smart lad," probably-Fred said.

"Or should we say lass?" most-likely-George asked, winking.

Harry shrugged. "Either's fine. I gotta go find Hermione."

"She's up in her room."

"You're better off waiting until she comes down, Harrikins."

"Wouldn't want to get caught in that jinx on the stairs."

"Unless you're in the mood for a good slide."

Harry waved his hand dismissively. "I figured out how to get past that a few days ago. Professor Moody gave me the idea. Watch." He pulled out his wand and aimed it at the entrance to the girls' dormitory. "Confundo!" he cried, and a powerful jet of periwinkle light struck the stairs. Harry went up two of them then stopped. When nothing happened, he turned to the gaping twins and smirked, then continued up.

Stopping a terrified first year, he found directions to Hermione's dorm. He opened the door slowly, in case one of the girls were changing (he didn't want to get hexed, after all) then walked in after seeing the coast was clear. He went over to Hermione's bed and found her fast asleep, mouth slightly ajar, with a bit of drool hanging from her lips and pooling onto her pillow. Her hair looked no different from its usual style though. An idea struck him and he grinned mischievously. Getting as close to Hermione's ear as he possibly could, he took in a deep breath then screamed, "HERMIONE, WAKE UP! WE HAVE A CHARMS EXAM IN FIVE MINUTES, AND YOU'RE STILL SLEEPING!"

Hermione jolted upright, eyes wide with panic. "Oh Merlin, I'm not ready yet!" She tripped over her sheets and fell to the floor. Harry laughed as Hermione untangled herself. When she escaped, she gave him her most disapproving glare, but that only made him laugh harder. "That wasn't very nice, Harry," she admonished.

"No, but it was funny," he countered. Hermione huffed and crossed her arms. "Sorry, 'Mione." Holding out a hand, he helped her to her feet. Reality then caught up to the young witch. She flushed scarlet and took a step back.

"Harry! What are you doing here? This is the girls' dorm! How did you even get up here?" she shrieked, covering herself with her sheets.

The green-eyed boy laughed again. "Overpowered confundus charm. Sorry, I couldn't resist. Plus I wanted to get started on my prank, and you need to be there for that." He held up the potion and wiggled it.

Hermione quickly connected the dots then pursed her lips. "It's pink," she stated tersely, narrowing her eyes.

Looking at the potion, Harry scratched his head. "Yeah, it is. Why?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's just so sexist. Not all girls even like pink, you know!"

Harry shrugged. "I don't really care what color it is as long as it works. And while I usually wouldn't put anything in my mouth that was once in Gred and Forge's hands, I paid them for this, so I think it's safe."

"Alright, but why don't you take it later? Tonight, perhaps?" Hermione asked with a meaningful look.

Harry frowned. "But I wanted to take it now! Come on, 'Mione, I thought you'd be more excited about this!"

Hermione crossed her arms and pursed her lips. "You just woke me up by screaming into my ears," she pointed out. "I'm not exactly feeling it right now. At the very least, let me change. Besides, you should wait until classes are over anyways. Who knows how long the potion will take to work?"

Harry sighed, acknowledging the point. "Fine, but not a minute past dinner!"

"Fine." Hermione put her hands on her hips. "Now get out!" she ordered.

"What? Why?" Harry complained, as she started physically pushing him towards the door.

"Because I don't want you watching me change, that's why! Now leave!"

Harry frowned, but his eyes twinkled Dumbledore-esque. "But that's so mean!" he whined. "You've seen me change before, you should return the favor. Isn't feminism supposed to be about equality?"

Hermione's face turned crimson. "OUT!" she screeched, slamming the door shut behind him. Harry snickered before heading down the stairs. Unfortunately for him, his earlier spell had worn off; as soon as his foot touched the first marble step, the stairs disappeared and were replaced with a polished slide. However, Harry wasn't the youngest seeker in a century for nothing. By the time the stairs finished changing, he'd already jumped back. Deciding to just have fun with it instead of reapplying the Confundus Charm, he sat down, whooped, and enjoyed the ride.

About forty five minutes later, Hermione came down into the common room. Harry shot out of his chair and was by her side in an instant. "You're going to teach me that first, right?" he asked expectantly.

Hermione's brow furrowed. "Teach you what?"

Harry waved his arms around. "Y'know! How to take forever to get ready in the morning; I swear you girls do it just for kicks." He gasped. "Is that the secret? You girls don't actually take so long, but pretend just to mess with us guys' heads? Or are you trying to teach us patience? Training us like dogs? I'm onto you, Hermione!" He pointed an accusatory finger at her, but was grinning like mad.

Hermione gaped. Two days ago, Harry was brooding like an emo, but now he was positively chipper! "What is with you, Harry?" she asked incredulously. "Don't get me wrong, I'm pleased to see you happy again, but what changed?"

Harry's smile faltered slightly. He sighed, dragging a hand through his perpetually messy hair. "Listen 'Mione, I just got shafted into what essentially equates to a gladiatorial blood sport. If I don't laugh, I'm going to cry." His grin returned. "So, I'm just going to focus on my prank and have fun this year. Now, answer my question!"

Hermione searched her friend's face as her 183 IQ (her parents had her tested when she was seven) quickly assimilated this new data. A warm smile spread onto her face. She scoffed then threw back her hair. "Obviously. I can't believe it took you this long to realize. Now sit, boy!"

Harry barked and lolled his tongue and the two dissolved into laughter. They made their way down to breakfast, chatting and acting like the teens they were.

The place looked exactly as Harry remembered. Dozens of stalls made from chipped, wooden planks lined both sides of the room. A circle of sinks lay in the center, and above them was a large window that allowed a surprising amount of light to shine through. Through the sinks, he knew, lay the entrance to the fabled Chamber of Secrets.

"Myrtle's bathroom, huh? Very fitting," Harry commented. He smiled as memories of Second Year resurfaced.

Hermione's lips twitched upwards. "Thought you'd appreciate it," she said smugly. "Now take your potion!"

Harry grinned. "Someone's eager. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were actually looking forward to my prank."

"I have a sense of humor," she grumbled, swatting his arm. "Besides this is exactly what those imbeciles running the tournament deserve. Let them have the headache!"

Harry laughed and pulled her into a hug. "You're the best, Hermione! I'm so glad you're my friend. I don't know how I'd have survived this long without you."

The brunette blushed. "I'm sure you'd have been fine, Harry. You're much smarter than you think."

"Even still..." He pulled out the Gender Swap Potion and eyed it contemplatively.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

Snapping his head up, he smiled sadly at her. "I owe you an apology, Hermione."

She arched her eyebrows. "Whatever for?"

"The Firebolt Fiasco," Harry replied. "I was an arse about the whole thing. I never should've listened to Ron- in fact, that's some sound general advice moving forward: don't listen to Ron- but regardless, I'm sorry for the way I treated you. You didn't deserve it, and I hope you can forgive me."

Hermione enveloped Harry in a tight hug as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Oh Harry, you don't need to apologize, I've already forgiven you. The whole thing was Ron's fault anyways."

"Maybe so," Harry agreed, hugging her back. "But I still needed to say it. You're my best friend, Hermione."

A few minutes passed by before a whiny voice interrupted them. "Do you two mind? I'd like to flood that toilet, thank you very much."

The two teens sprung apart and turned to see the pale, grey, teenaged glare of the ghost, Moaning Myrtle, greeting them. She looked mightily annoyed her access to her favorite toilet was being blocked.

However, upon seeing their faces- well, one of them anyway- her entire demeanor shifted. "Oh, hello Harry," she said shyly, twirling a strand of her ethereal hair around a finger. "I didn't realize it was you; what brings you here?"

"Hello, Myrtle! I'm about to take a potion that'll turn me into a girl for the rest of the year then blame Draco Malfoy for it," he answered cheerfully.

"Oh, do you need any help? I can claim I saw him spike your food, if you'd like?"

"Thanks Myrtle, that'd be really helpful." He smiled at her.

Myrtle giggled. "Anything for you, Harry."

Hermione checked her watch then swatted his arm. "Flirt later, Harry! Take your potion now! Dinner just ended and we still need to buy you clothes and talk to Professor McGonagall before curfew. Unless you want to spend your first night as a girl in the boys' dorm?"

Harry shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself. "Definitely not! I've heard Seamus and Dean say some things about girls that made me feel unclean. I don't want to be anywhere near them once this hits. And don't even get me started on Ron!" He put his hand on his chin. "Neville's cool though," he added as an afterthought.

Hermione grinned then gestured at the vial in his hand. "Well then, get to it!" she ordered.

Harry gave her a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am!" He uncorked the vial and held it up in the air. "Here's to hoping it tastes better than Polyjuice," he toasted. He tilted his head back and drank. In a mere three gulps, he was finished. He only had time to smile at Hermione before his entire body rippled and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

And that's chapter 1! Like I said earlier, this story is already complete and I'll be uploading a new chapter once a week. Please leave a review, I'd love to hear what you all think. See ya next week!

Edited: 11/13/19

2. Chapter 2

Hello all! I'm back a week later with a new chapter, just like I promised! A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, hearing your feedback was wonderful. It sounds like a lot of you like this story so I shan't keep you waiting any further. Enjoy chapter 2!

Chapter 2

When Harry woke, the first thing he noticed was Hermione reading a book. This act of normalcy helped offset his confusion at the second thing he noticed- his blinding headache. "Ow, my head," he grumbled. His voice sounded higher-pitched than usual.

Hermione closed her book with an audible snap. "And how are we feeling?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

"Like my head was used for Beater target practice," Harry replied. "Where are we?"

"Still in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," Hermione told him. "You've only been unconscious for fourteen minutes."

"Really? Wow, that potion works fast!"

"Yes, would you like to see the results?"

Harry nodded eagerly and stood up as Hermione transfigured a stall door into a full length mirror. A girl who felt very familiar, yet at the same time completely unknown, stared back at him. She was very, very pretty. Soft features, a cute button nose, pouty lips, deep green eyes, and silky, crimson hair that fell down to her waist. Her body showed the beginnings of a developing hourglass figure, and she was very well endowed for her age. Harry noticed none of that however, as he was focused on one particular trait.

"I'm so short!" he complained. "Look at me, I'm probably not even five feet tall!" Hermione tried not to laugh, she really did, but she just couldn't help it. She clutched her stomach as her whole body shook with mirth. "It's not funny, Hermione! How would you like being confused for a first year at our age?"

Hermione wiped some moisture from her eyes. "No one would confuse you for a first year with that chest, Harry." Both teens immediately froze and blushed as they registered what she'd just said.

Harry took another look. He ran his fingers through his hair and the girl in the mirror did the same. He marveled at how silky soft his hair felt. "Bloody hell," he breathed. "Well, at least I don't have a rat's-nest up there anymore."

Hermione swatted his arm. "Lesson one of being a girl: girls don't swear."

Harry glared at her. "That's a big fat lie and you know it!" Hermione rolled her eyes as Harry turned his attention back to his reflection and traced his fingers over the mirror. His eyes widened as he realized something he hadn't noticed before. "Mum," he whispered reverently.

"Excuse me?"

"Mum, I-I look just like my Mum." His voice was trembling now. "I've seen pictures in Hagrid's book. I look just like her, only with bigger, y'know." He gestured vaguely to his chest. "I wonder what Sirius would say, if he could see me now…"

"I don't know, Harry, but I do know that we still need to go buy you clothes and talk to Professor McGonagall," Hermione reminded him.

Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah, and I'm not going to be able to blame Malfoy for this if I want a private dorm. I'd need to tell McGonagall the truth. The sacrifices I make, I swear…" He shook his head theatrically and sighed. "Let's go shopping first. I don't fancy wearing these clothes longer than I have to, they're really uncomfortable right now." He tugged at his shirt, which now went down to his ankles. "And I thought they were big on me before," he muttered. Shaking his head, he took out the Marauder's Map and activated it. After making sure the path was clear, he pulled out his invisibility cloak. "Come on, let's go." Draping the cloak over them, the two disappeared from the naked eye as they snuck out of the castle.

Several hours and a shopping trip in both the magical and muggle worlds later, Harry and Hermione stood outside Professor McGonagall's office with several shrunken bags full of clothing in their pockets. Harry was dressed in the official uniform for Salem Witches' Academy. A checkered bowtie rested at the collar of his white, button-down blouse, which was tucked neatly into a navy, knee-length, pleated skirt. A pair of black penny loafers were worn over white crew socks. An open, sky blue robe with the SWA insignia sewn on the upper right hand side completed the ensemble.

"You know, I'm impressed," Hermione commented. "You didn't complain even once while we were shopping; you even looked like you were having fun! Most boys your age would have been whining the whole time."

Harry smiled ruefully. "I was having fun. Lots of fun! The Dursleys' only ever gave me Dudley's cast-offs, and after I started Hogwarts I didn't want them to know I had money. I still don't to be honest, but needs must. So yeah, I've never gone shopping for myself before, let alone with a friend. I had a blast! Although, the fact that I have more girl clothes than I do boys' is a little sad."

Hermione squeezed his hand. "Don't worry, Harry, we'll think of something. And I'd love to go shopping with you again some time; I've never gone with a friend before either. We'll definitely go again once you change back. Now, are you ready?"

Harry squeezed her hand back. "Thanks 'Mione. Yeah, I'm ready." He took a deep breath then knocked sharply on the door.

"Come in," came McGonagall's muffled reply. The two teens entered the room. The professor looked up from the parchment on her desk and gave another one of her lip twitches at the sight of one of her favorite students. "Ah, hello Miss Granger," she said warmly. "How may I help you and Miss…" Her voice tapered off. She frowned and narrowed her eyes before they widened as recognition came to her. "L-L-Lily?!"

Harry gave her an apologetic smile. "Not quite Professor, you're off by one generation."

She clutched her heart. "H-Harry?!" The now-redhead nodded. "My word, what happened to you, dear boy?"

"I hardly think 'boy' is appropriate right now, Professor. As you can see, I'm clearly not one." He gestured to his body and his eyes sparkled playfully. "And can't you tell? You were there yesterday when I spoke to Headmaster Dumbledore, after all."

"I thought you were just trying to make Albus squirm!" McGonagall exclaimed.

Harry laughed. "Well, that too," he admitted. "However, this is- well, think of it as a prank on the tournament, and a way to make everyone feel stupid for thinking I entered myself."

McGonagall sighed and rubbed her temple. "Of course it's a prank, you are your father's son, after all- well, daughter now, I suppose- but how will this accomplish the latter?"

Harry waved his hand dismissively. "That's the Weasley Twins' job, I'm sure they'll manage."

The Professor pinched the bridge of her nose and glanced wistfully at the drawer she hid her stash of brandy in. "I suppose I should get used to calling you Miss Potter now. Thank you for informing me beforehand instead of springing it on me, but would I be correct in assuming there was a reason for that… besides sparing me the heart attack?"

Harry fidgeted and glanced at Hermione, who smiled reassuringly. "Yes, ma'am. I was hoping you could do something about my sleeping arrangements. I wouldn't feel comfortable staying in the boys' dorm anymore, looking like this, since- with the exception of Neville- they're all perverts. However, I don't think I should move into the girls' dorms either since this-" he gestured to his new body again- "is only temporary. If I absolutely have to, I'll sleep in the boys' dorms, but I was very much hoping you could come up with something different."

Harry's lower lip quivered as he looked up at her with wide, pleading eyes. Minerva had thought that after decades of teaching she was immune to puppy-dog eyes, but apparently there was still an exception. She pursed her lips and tried to look severe, but she eventually gave in and sighed as her features softened. "The rules say that the hosting school must provide accommodations for the other schools' champions, if the champion so desires. Since the current Head Girl is not a Gryffindor, I will allow you to reside in the dormitory set aside for when the Head Girl is a Gryffindor- on two conditions."

"What are they, Professor?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Firstly, your grades must not drop the whole year. In fact, I want to see some improvement. You are a very gifted wit-wizard, Harry, and it is frustrating seeing you hamper your full potential. I'm sure you've heard this before, but if you just applied yourself a little more you could be doing as well as Miss Granger here."

Harry's eyebrows disappeared into his bangs. "Wait, s-seriously? Me, as good as Hermione?" he repeated incredulously. He alternated his gaze between the professor and his best friend.

Hermione sighed and shook her head sadly. "Oh Harry, I keep telling you you're a brilliant wit-wiz-er, magical?- Merlin, we've got to figure this out- but you never believe me!"

"Miss Granger is correct on both accounts," McGonagall told them. "In terms of raw magical power and reserves you have the most out of all the fourth years and most of the years above, and your magical core will only grow larger as you age. You're already academically in the top ten of your year group as it is. If you put in just a little more effort into your classes, you could very easily be in the top three, if not competing for Miss Granger's position at the top."

Harry put his hand on his chin as he mulled over the information. Nodding to himself, he set his face in determination. "I will, Professor, I promise!"

Minerva's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "Excellent! Now, as for the second condition…" Her lips twitched minutely. "Get used to being referred to as a 'she.'"

Harry blinked then let out a quick laugh. "Deal," she agreed, grinning widely.

The Professor's lips twitched again before she stood up. "I will show you to your new quarters. I assume you wish for Miss Granger to join us?" Harry nodded. "Very well." McGonagall led the teens to the portrait of the Fat Lady then took a right. She followed the corridor for a bit before reaching a dead end. Covering nearly the entire wall was a massive painting of a lioness playing with her cubs.

The lioness growled something at her children before turning her attention to her visitors. "Hello Professor McGonagall, how may I help you?" she asked in a surprisingly soft and gentle voice.

"Hello Shiva, the young lady with the red hair will be staying with you for the remainder of the year," McGonagall replied.

The lioness smiled warmly at said young lady. "Hello young cub, what's your name?" she asked.

"I'm Harry Potter," Harry answered, three bizzare years in the magical world allowing her to take the talking lioness in stride. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's lovely to meet you too, dear. And what would you like your password to be?"

"Hmm…" Harry glanced at Hermione, but her best friend didn't offer any ideas.

"It's your room, Harry. You decide," Hermione told her.

Harry nodded hesitantly and chewed her lip in thought. She then remembered her reflection in the mirror and Professor McGonagall's initial reaction to seeing her. "Lily," she said softly. "That's what I want my password to be- Lily."

Everyone present smiled. "Let me know if you wish to change it," Shiva told her. "Now, in you get, young cub." The lioness swung her portrait open, revealing an ornate door without a handle.

Unlike the Gryffindor common room, there was no need to clamber through a hole to enter. Professor McGonagall simply pushed the door and it opened. The entranceway was wide and easily big enough for a single person to walk through. The room was circular, nearly impossible to tell when the walls ended and the ceiling began. It was colored the same red and gold as the common room, although it was much more tastefully done and far less gaudy. To the left, a fancy, but comfortable looking couch and a single plush chair faced an empty fireplace. A large Gryffindor crest rested on the mantelpiece. To the right, a large, wooden desk lay flat against the wall, where a large window was obscured by scarlet curtains. A single bookshelf rested on each side of the desk, both filled with many tomes of various sizes and colors. In the middle of the room sat an ornate table and several chairs, a bouquet of white lilies and yellow roses resting on a doily in the center. At the front wall hung the Hogwarts crest between two polished wooden doors- the left labeled CR, the right SC.

McGonagall allowed the two girls several moments to observe the decor before speaking. "The bookshelves are filled with copies of the most common books seventh years check out to study for their NEWTs with. You are free to read them, however, they will not be much use to you. They are well above your current level- even yours, Miss Granger. The door to the left leads to the common room, but it is a one-way trip. Shiva guards the only entrance. The door to the right leads to your sleeping chambers, with an attached bathroom.

"The chamber is completely soundproof by default, although you have the ability to change that should you wish to do so. You also have full control over the temperature. The Hogwarts and Gryffindor crests are linked to the Headmaster's and my own office respectively, in case of emergencies. If you wish to add anything to the decor, feel free to do so. It will be reset at the end of the year. You are allowed to invite friends over, but bear in mind that curfew still applies. Now, do you have any questions?"

Harry shook her head. "No ma'am."

Minerva pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. "Remember Miss Potter, I am placing a lot of trust in you by allowing this. Do not make me regret it," she warned.

Harry gulped. "No ma'am, I promise I won't disappoint you!"

Professor McGonagall nodded. "Tippy!' she called, and a doe-eyed house elf popped into the room. Hermione's eyes flashed from anger, to confusion, to contemplation.

"Yes, Professor Kitty, ma'am?" the elf squeaked in a voice that was decidedly female.

"Tippy, please transfer all of Harry Potter's belongings into this room," Minerva ordered, glaring at Harry when a snicker passed through the new girl's lips.

The female elf frowned. "Tippy is sorry, ma'am, Tippy can't bes doing that. Dobby is being promiseded all jobs for Harry Potter."

Harry's face brightened. "Dobby's at Hogwarts?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am," the elf replied before narrowing her eyes. "Whos is yous? Tippy is not recognizing yous."

"I'm Harry Potter. I had a Potions accident," she explained succinctly.

Tippy's eyes widened. "Tippy goes and tells Dobby."

"Thank you, Tippy. Tell him I said hi."

The elf nodded and popped away. Professor McGonagall frowned. "Mist-Miss Potter, please explain what that was all about."

"I have no idea, Professor, but Dobby is the house elf I tricked Lucius Malfoy into setting free," Harry told her.

Professor McGonagall blanched. "You tricked Lucius Malfoy into freeing his elf?"

"The Great and Kind Harry Potter, did so, yes ma'am," said a new, slightly deeper but still squeaky, voice. The room's occupants turned to find the most strangely dressed house elf they'd ever seen. He was wearing a tea cozy for a hat, a horseshoe patterned tie over his bare chest, a pair of black spats, and two socks- the left was red with purple swirls, while the right was aquamarine with orange bricks.

Harry snickered at the elf's odd attire. "Hi Dobby!"

Dobby beamed at her, his large ears flopping about. "Hello Missy Harry, ma'am." He snapped his fingers. "All of yous things is now being in that room," he announced, pointing at the bedroom.

Harry grinned. "Awesome! Thanks Dobby! I didn't know you were at Hogwarts..."

The elf nodded. "Dobby bes working for Headmaster Dumbles now," he explained. "Dobby is even getting paid!" The house-elf's eyes sparkled.

"That's great Dobby!" Harry said brightly. "I'll come visit you later, okay? Right now I need to get settled in."

Dobby gave her a salute. "Yes, ma'am." He hesitated before adding quietly, "Dobby is happy to see yous again, Missy Harry."

"I'm happy to see you too, Dobby."

Dobby popped away, not wanting to cry in front of his hero.

Professor McGonagall shook her head. "You shall have to tell me this story another time, Miss Potter. For now, it is getting rather late and I have classes to teach in the morning."

Harry nodded then bowed deeply. "Thank you for allowing this, Professor McGonagall. It means a lot to me."

"You are very welcome, Miss Potter. I will deny having said this of course, but I wish you the best of luck with your prank." Harry's jaw dropped. McGonagall gave her another one of her lip twitches before exiting the room. She stopped at the doorway however, to drop one last bombshell on the new witch. "You should know, Miss Potter, your mother lived in this room when she was Head Girl." She then left, not noticing the reverential look that appeared on Harry's face as she swept her eyes around the room again.

"We should unpack your new clothes before we go to bed," Hermione advised. However, the new redhead was still lost in her own little world, so Hermione snapped in her face to break her from her reverie.

Harry blinked as she came back to reality, and frowned. "What?"

"We should unpack your new clothes before we go to bed," Hermione repeated.

Nodding her head, Harry opened the door to the bedroom. A soft, dark red carpet lined the floor. The room itself was as big as the whole boys' dorm, but there was only a single four-poster bed, nightstand, and dresser, instead of five. To the right was an open doorway leading to a walk-in closet and another door that led to the bathroom.

At the foot of the bed lay Harry's trunk. Dobby had apparently folded and packed all of her male apparel neatly inside. Harry panicked for a moment, not seeing the photo album Hagrid had given her at the end of First Year, but quickly found it in the drawer of her nightstand after some frantic searching. She then gleefully shoved her trunk under her bed, happy to finally be rid of Dudley's cast-offs, making a mental note to burn them and owl the ashes to her loving family at a later time.

Unshrinking the shopping bags one by one, the two witches sorted and unpacked Harry's new clothes, making as much use of the walk-in closet as the dresser. Much to Harry's embarrassment, Hermione adamantly refused to touch her unmentionables, despite being the one to pick them out. She reasoned that having Harry deal with them would help her get used to them faster. Privately, Harry agreed with her best friend, but she still complained about it. Eventually, the last bag was emptied and their job was finally finished. The two girls yawned, feeling incredibly exhausted. A quick Tempus spell showed them why, it was already past midnight.

"Good night, Harry," Hermione said, giving her best friend a hug. "I'll stop by in the morning. There's still a lot you need to know about being a girl."

Harry smiled and returned the hug. "Thanks 'Mione, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Fail all your classes," Hermione deadpanned.

Harry laughed. "Probably. Good night."

"Good night, Harry. Sweet dreams." The bushy haired girl staggered out via Shiva's portrait, not wanting to enter the common room through Harry's new chambers in case somebody saw her and started asking questions.

Once she was alone, Harry changed into a pair of pajamas with little golden snitches flitting about. The snitches moved just like in a magical portrait, and she marveled once more at the wonder of magic. She then flopped down heavily on her new, plush, four-poster bed- which was bigger and more comfortable than her old one- exhausted from the day's events.

Tomorrow was going to be very eventful- the official start of her prank. She smiled and turned on her side, finding the position much more comfortable. She'd send Sirius a letter in the morning. Her godfather would probably love to hear about her prank, and the old Marauder might even have some ideas on how to improve it. Also, he should probably be informed that his godson was now his goddaughter.

And that's the chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it. Please review and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you, whether you love it, hate it, or see ways I can make it better. Anyways, just a reminder that this is story is already finished, so I'll be posting chapter 3 around the same time next week. Take care everybody, and ta ta for now! :)

Edited: 11/13/19

3. Chapter 3

Hello everyone! I am back once more with another new chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.

Chapter 3

The next day at breakfast, the denizens of Hogwarts gawked at the unfamiliar witch with bright red hair wearing an unfamiliar uniform, who plopped down at the Gryffindor table and begin piling eggs and kippers onto her plate. The staff- aside from Minerva- were frowning, confused. The students' reactions fell into several different categories. Most of the Slytherins paid her no mind; she sat with the Gryffs and was therefore unworthy of their attention. The majority of the girls were sizing her up, taking note of her 'assets' and frowning in displeasure. The majority of the boys were drooling- the girl's uniform was tighter and showed more skin than any of the others. The rest didn't really care all that much; they were focused more on their food.

That all changed when Hermione Granger plopped down next to the girl and started up a conversation. When the bushy haired Gryff sat down, the new girl flicked her hair out of her face. For a moment, a familiar lightning bolt scar was clearly visible on her forehead. The students then recalled a rumor they'd heard the other day. A rumor that was cemented as fact when the Weasley Twins walked over to the new girl and opened their mouths.

"Greetings young Harriet!"

"How does it feel to finally let your true self out?"

The witch laughed and tossed her hair back saucily. "It feels great! I can finally stop hiding who I am!" Most of the Great Hall's occupants felt her sweet, melodic voice fit her appearance like a glove. The witch then glared at the twins. "And I told you not to call me that!"

The twins grinned unrepentantly and the witch sighed, running a hand through her hair, revealing once more the unmistakable scar on her forehead. That was the impetus that pushed several Gryffindors to deduce the girl's identity.

"HARRY?" screamed Seamus Finnigan.

The girl smiled sweetly at him. "Yes Seamus?"

Seamus gaped, and it was up to Dean Thomas to ask what they were all thinking. "What the hell happened to you, mate?" Many students leaned closer.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, looking over her new body.

Seamus waved his hands around erratically. "You're a girl!" he exclaimed.

Harry inspected her nails. "So?"

That brought the Irish boy up short. "I- er- what?"

"What's the problem?" Harry asked innocently, biting the inside of her lip to prevent her laughter from escaping.

"Er- but, you weren't yesterday!"

"I wasn't? Are you sure?" Harry frowned and raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Er- no?" Seamus said, though it sounded more like a question.

Harry rested her cheek on her hand and smiled condescendingly. "What are you talking about, Seamus? Don't you remember? I entered myself into the Tri-Wiz under Salem Witches' Academy, right? That's what everyone keeps telling me. If I wasn't a girl, why would I do that?" It was then that understanding passed through the crowd, and most of them looked down in shame. Harry allowed a small, vindictive smirk to creep onto her face.

"OK, I get it, mate. I'm sorry for being a bloody pillock," Seamus whispered, but loud enough for Harry to hear.

Harry smiled. "Apology accepted."

Seamus nodded. "Now will you tell me what the bloody hell is going on?" he demanded. He slammed his hand on the table, causing several cups of liquid to wobble unsteadily.

Hermione looked up from her book, eye twitching. "Do you mind?" she asked curtly.

Seamus rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry," he apologized sheepishly. He then turned back to Harry. "Well?"

Harry rolled her eyes. "It's just a prank, Seamus."

The Irish boy blinked. "What?"

"I'm pranking the tournament. That's all there is to it." Harry then turned to her best friend. "What've we got for today, 'Mione?"

"Charms and Transfiguration in the morning, Double Potions in the afternoon."

Harry rubbed her hands together. "Brilliant, I can't wait to see Snape's reaction. According to Snuffles, he used to be best friends with my mother."

"Professor Snape, Harry," Hermione replied absentmindedly, turning a page.

"I'll call him that once he teaches me something."

The morning passed by far too slowly for Harry's liking. For the first time ever, she was actually looking forward to Potions class. When the bell announcing the moment of truth finally arrived, she eagerly grabbed her things and headed down to the dungeons, Hermione lagging behind her.

"Slow down, Harry!" Hermione cried. "We're not going to be late."

"That's not why I'm running! I just can't wait to see Snape's face once he gets a good look at me!" Harry frowned. "That came out wrong, but you know what I meant!"

Hermione shook her head, but continued after her friend. When they made it to the dungeons, she leaned up against a wall to try and catch her breath, while Harry took deep breaths to try and control her excitement. Something distracted her from her plotting in the form of glittering badges and Draco Malfoy. Surreptitiously, she read the words on a badge pinned to a Slytherin girl, and another brilliant plan sprung to mind.

"Stay back and watch this," she whispered in Hermione's ear, before sneaking behind Malfoy. "'Support Cedric Diggory, The Real Hogwarts Champion,'" she read aloud. "That's brilliant!"

Malfoy jumped at the sound- shout, really- of an unfamiliar girl's voice. His eyes widened at the pretty redhead, but he quickly recovered and gave her his most charming smile. "Oh, but that's not all they do! Watch!" He tapped the badge and the message changed.

"'Potter Stinks,'" Harry read slowly. She gasped. "Ooh! That's devastating, and not at all childish! Potter's going to be furious when he finds out!"

"I know, right?" Malfoy said gleefully. He grasped Harry's hand and kissed her knuckles. It took all her willpower not to run away screaming, but she managed not to blow her cover. "I am Draco Malfoy, heir to the House of Malfoy. And who might you be, my dear?"

Harry brought her hands up to cover her mouth. "You mean you don't recognize me, after all we've been through together?" she asked mournfully. She sniffled then pretended to wipe a tear from her eye.

Malfoy frowned as his brow furrowed. "I'm sorry, my dear, I don't believe we've met. I'm certain I would have remembered someone as beautiful as you."

Harry clasped her hands in front of her and made her eyes look as wide and innocent as possible. "Really, Draco darling? You think I'm beautiful? You mean it?"

Malfoy gave her what he thought was a winning smile. "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen!"

Harry pretended to swoon. "Ooh, that means so much to me coming from you, Draco darling!"

At this point, Hermione could no longer control herself. She collapsed to the floor in a fit of giggles, and Draco finally noticed that the Gryffindors had shown up, several of whom were laughing too. He sneered at Hermione. "What's so funny, mudblood?"

Hermione pointed at him then at Harry. "You- flirting- Harry- can't breathe!"

"What? Potter?!" Draco turned around to see the redheaded angel lifting her bangs, exposing a very familiar lightning bolt scar. "Y-You- I- I- er…" His complexion turned sickly green as a wave of nausea swept over him.

Harry fluttered her eyelashes and smiled contently. "I'm so happy to hear what you really think of me, Draco darling. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!"

"P-Potter?" he rasped.

"The one and only," she replied smugly, crossing her arms.

Malfoy clutched his stomach, dry heaved, then sprinted towards the bathroom as fast as he could. The sound of laughter from the Gryffindors- and even a few Slytherins- echoed all around him. Hermione shakily got to her feet and made her way over to her best friend. "Harry, that was- that was brilliant! I can't believe you just did that!"

Harry buffed her nails on her robes. "I am pretty awesome, aren't I?" Hermione grinned and playfully swatted her arm.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Everyone turned to see Professor Snape at the entrance to the potions classroom looking absolutely livid. His lip was curled, and several veins throbbed on his forehead. The greasy haired professor swept his angry glare over Hermione and then Harry. He focused on the unfamiliar girl. "I don't know who you are, but I…" he trailed off as he got a better look at her face. Immediately, he paled and stumbled backwards, falling on his rear. He scrambled to the wall and gulped when he realized he was trapped in a sea of students. He'd scraped his palm on the cold stone, but didn't seem to notice the blood dripping from his hand and pooling on the floor. "L-Lily?" he whispered. The temperature in the corridor seemed to inexplicably drop to the level of a dementor attack.

Harry smiled tautly at him. "Hello Severus. It's been a while, hasn't it?" she said, changing her voice to sound airy and ethereal.

Snape's face lost what little color it had left. "Th-This is impossible. You- you're dead. I know you are! I f-felt your body. There was no pulse. Y-You were cold. Ice cold! This can't be real!" His voice dripped with existential terror. The students gaped at him, but he paid them no mind, too focused on the young girl in front of him- the one who was supposed to be deaddeaddead!

Harry crossed her arms over her chest and flicked her finger to cast a nonverbal charm to make her hair wave around as if it were blowing in the wind. She'd learned that little trick from a book of cantrips the Weasley Twins had given her for her birthday over the summer. "Things are not always quite the way they appear. You of all people should know that, Severus. Besides, I can't just allow you to continue with your appalling behavior towards my son, now can I?" She walked over to him and looked the man straight in the eye. She narrowed her eyes, giving him her most disappointed look. "Your behavior towards my little Harry has been absolutely despicable. I don't know what happened to you Severus, but you are not the friend I remember. The person I see here is a petty fool who takes his grudge towards a man who's been dead for over a decade out on children. You disgust me!"

"B-But James-"

"Is not Harry. My son has spent even less time with his father than you have."

Harry continued to glare at the cowering man, but Snape refused to meet her gaze. Eventually, he raised his head to stare into Harry's glowing, emerald eyes. The redhead sneered at him then pushed her bangs aside.

Snape's eyes widened. "H-Harry," he whimpered.

"Have a good day, Professor," she said coolly, before turning on her heel and walking away. The crowd parted for her like Moses at the Red Sea, all of them too in awe to stop her. All except for Hermione that is, who chased after her.

"C-Class d-dismissed," Snape stammered. Leaning on the wall for support, he shakily got to his feet. He'd spent all his adult life perfecting the art of Occlumency, enabling him to always keep his emotions under flawless control. Decades of hard work had just been shattered in mere minutes, displaying his naked emotions for all to see. At the moment though, he was indifferent towards the students witnessing his blatant weakness as he furiously tried to rub away the nascent tears forming in his eyes. All he cared about now was getting back to his quarters as quickly as possible. He desperately hoped he had enough firewhisky stashed away to get drunk enough to forget.

Hermione found her best friend sitting on her bed, legs curled up to her chest. Her blanket was draped over her head like a coat. The photo album Hagrid had given her at the end of First Year was open in front of her to a magical picture of her parents laughing and smiling on their wedding day. The shadows the blanket cast over Harry prevented Hermione from reading her best friend's face. Gently, the brunette knocked on the doorpost to get the redhead's attention.

Harry's head snapped up. Her eyes were downcast and she looked thoroughly miserable, but they weren't red and puffy like Hermione had feared. "'Ello 'Mione," Harry said softly.

"Are you alright, Harry?"

"I will be," Harry replied, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. Hermione pursed her lips, but accepted the answer. "How many points did Snape take?" Harry asked, returning her attention to the photograph.

"None."

The redhead looked back up. "Seriously?"

Hermione nodded. "After you left, he just said 'class dismissed' and staggered down the corridor. I heard him muttering something about firewhiskey too. You really shook him up."

Harry's musical laughter rang through the air. "Wow, I didn't think it would get to him so much. I really do hope he takes my words to heart though; my mother would be furious with the way he's treated me."

Hermione smiled, but before she could say anything more, Shiva's soft, disembodied voice echoed through the room. "Pardon me, young cub, but there is someone waiting at the door for you."

"Is it Snape?" Harry asked, biting her lip.

"No, dear. It's a student. He says his name is Colin Creevey."

"Colin? I wonder what he wants?" Harry muttered. Hermione shrugged. "Thank you, Shiva. Tell him I'll be out shortly." Harry shrugged off her blanket and climbed out of bed.

Hermione grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving the room. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"Er- to see Colin?"

Hermione gave her a stern look. "Not like that, you're not. You look horrible right now. I'm sure you don't want Colin- or anyone really- to see you like that. Go to the bathroom and clean yourself up."

Harry caught her reflection in the mirror on her nightstand and winced. "Yeah, you're right. Can you…?"

Hermione nodded and Harry sent her a grateful look before slipping to the side. Hermione walked back to the main room and swung the door open. "Hello Colin," she said politely.

The mousy-haired boy stopped pacing and blinked at her. "Oh, er- hello Hermione. Is Harry there?"

"Yes. Is there something you need?"

Colin bobbed his head. "There's this thing with the champions happening now, and I'm supposed to take Harry there."

Hermione pursed her lips. "What 'thing' will the champions be doing?"

"Photographs, I think. I was told there's a reporter!" Colin explained excitedly. "Maybe they're doing an article for the Daily Prophet?" His eyes sparkled at the thought.

"The Daily Prophet? Greeeeat," drawled a sarcastic voice from inside. "Give me a minute, Colin." The sound of shuffling footsteps was heard before Harry stepped out of her suite. "Come on, let's get this over with," she said glumly. She turned to her best friend and gave her a weak grin. "I'll see you later, 'Mione."

Hermione winked. "Have fun," she teased.

Harry scowled playfully then turned to the third year. "Where are we headed, Colin?" It was then she noticed that the boy wasn't moving. Instead, he was staring at her, mouth agape. "Colin? You alright?" She snapped in his face and he broke out of his trance.

Colin blushed and turned away. "Er- Harry?" he asked incredulously.

Harry frowned. "Yeah, who else would I be?"

"I think this is the first time he's seen you as a girl, Harry," Hermione reasoned.

Harry blinked. She turned back to Colin and pointed at him. "You weren't at breakfast this morning, were you?"

Colin shook his head. "No. I tripped on a trick stair on my way down and sprained my ankle. Madam Pomfrey fixed me up in a jiffy, but I missed the meal."

"Okay. Basically, I was entered into the Tri-Wiz under Salem Witches' Academy so I decided to just roll with it. Think of it as a prank on the ministry," she explained. Colin still wouldn't look at her. She tilted her head to the side and frowned. "Are you sure you're alright, Colin? You're looking awfully red."

The boy waved his arms around frantically in front of her. "Y-yeah, I'm fine! It's just, y-you're very pretty, and er- oh, what am I saying? I'm sorry!"

Now it was Harry's turn to blush. "Oh, well, thank you?" Colin smiled shyly. Hermione's shoulders shook from trying to suppress her mirth. Despite her efforts, a snicker still broke through. "Anyways, you said something about photographs for the tournament?" Harry reminded him.

That broke Colin from his funk. "That's right! Come on, we've got to go! Mr. Bagman is waiting for you!"

Harry rolled her eyes then followed after the hyperactive boy in silence, a plan to handle the reporter percolating through her brain. After a few minutes, they reached the room. Harry took a deep breath and put on her game face. She thanked the fidgeting Colin before entering the room. It seemed she was the last to arrive. Ludo Bagman sat hunched over on a stool, chatting animatedly with a blonde witch wearing magenta robes. Viktor Krum was huddled in a corner by himself while Fleur flirted unsuccessfully with Cedric. The Hufflepuff was too kind to tell her he just wasn't interested.

Everyone stopped when she entered the room. The champions looked puzzled, and Bagman frowned. "I'm sorry Miss, but this room is reserved for the Triwizard Tournament," Bagman told her.

Harry arched an eyebrow. "That's exactly why I'm here," she drawled. "Don't you remember? I was entered under Salem Witches' Academy." She pulled aside her bangs to expose her scar.

"H-Harry Potter?" Bagman spluttered, jumping to his feet. Harry nodded once, amused by the man's reaction. "What- what the bloody hell happened to you?"

Harry smiled sweetly, but her eyes gleamed with mischief. "Well, you see, sir… as you know, my name was entered under Salem Witches' Academy. Since everyone seems to believe I entered myself- despite being chosen as the fourth champion in a tournament meant for three- and since SWA is an all witches school, I must be a witch!" She smirked at the reporter- who appeared to be salivating at this point- and looked her right in the eye. "It's quite sad really- Ministry of Magic forces the Boy-Who-Lived into a sex change."

The reporter looked like Christmas, Easter, and her birthday had all come at once, while Ludo Bagman scratched his head and frowned. Viktor Krum appeared to be smiling, while Fleur Delacour was desperately trying to hold in her laughter. Cedric, on the other hand, was staring at the floor in shame. He hadn't encouraged his house to shun Potter, but he hadn't done anything to stop them either.

"'Eet suits you, Miss Potter," Fleur told her. She winked at the youngest champion. "You make a very beautiful witch."

Harry blushed lightly, but curtsied and said, "Thank you, Miss Delacour."

"Mist-Miss Potter, would you mind if I asked you a few questions before we start?" asked the reporter.

Harry smiled warmly. "Not at all, Miss…"

"Skeeter. Rita Skeeter. Reporter for the Daily Prophet."

"A most noble profession." The reporter puffed out her chest at the compliment. Harry opened the door then turned to Bagman. "We'll return shortly. After you, Miss Skeeter."

Harry led Rita to an unused classroom, and the woman led her interview down a much different path than the one she'd been planning. The end result was the outline for a nice juicy scandal on how the Ministry of Magic had strong-armed the underaged Harry Potter into competing in the tournament, and forced her to change genders. The best part of it all was that there wasn't a single lie in the whole thing. Rita wasn't quite sure how to feel about that.

Dumbledore barged into the classroom, fearing he'd need to rescue Harry from Skeeter's merciless clutches. He was pleasantly surprised to find Rita chatting amicably with Harry, recommending some potions to the younger girl that would help keep her long hair sleek and silky soft.

The three made their way back to the ceremony room where Ludo Bagman was waiting impatiently for them. When Bagman introduced Mr. Ollivander to the champions, the old wandmaker took Harry being a girl in stride- nothing fazed that man. After Ollivander declared the four champions' wands to be in perfect working order, Rita's photographer took several pictures- both individual and group shots- before they were all free to go.

And that's a wrap! Chapter 3 is complete. Please leave a review, I love hearing your feedback. I'll see you all next week. Ttfn!

Edited: 11/13/19

4. Chapter 4

Hello everyone! Here's chapter 4, hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 4

Harry slumped heavily against the door to her suite, wiping the sweat from her brow. She'd just returned from shadowing Hagrid's probably-a-date with Madame Maxime for the past hour. Apparently, the 'geniuses' who designed the tournament felt a dragon would be an excellent obstacle for the First Task. And not just any old dragons. No, they decided to go full-retard and bring in bloody nesting mothers! Reworked to make the tournament safer, her perfect arse! Harry was sure there was a way to succeed, but she couldn't think of a plan at the moment as her thoughts were currently stuck in a cycle of 'shitfuckshitfuckI'mgonnageteaten!' Fortunately, she wasn't too distracted to miss the deep, male voice frantically whispering her name.

"HARRY!"

She snapped her neck to the fireplace and had the oddest sensation of seeing her godfather's head engulfed in flames. "SIRIUS?"

"SHHH!" Sirius… shushed her. "Someone might hear you!"

"Who? I live alone in the Gryffindor Head Girl suite now," Harry reasoned.

Sirius blinked. "Oh," he said eloquently. "Well then, pardon me." His head vanished from the flames, but before Harry could register what just happened, the rest of him stepped through the floo. Her Godfather looked much better than the last time she'd seen him, but then again the last time she'd seen him he'd nearly been executed so that was a pretty low bar. Sirius still had the same haunted look in his eyes, but his robes were newer, he'd groomed his hair, and he'd even gotten a bit of a tan.

Once he regained his sense of balance, Sirius immediately swept Harry up in a massive hug. "Hey there, pup! Gotta say, you're looking much prettier than the last time I saw you. Absolutely gorgeous!"

Harry blushed and lightly smacked his chest. "Shut up, Padfoot," she grumbled. Sirius laughed. "Anyways, what are you doing here?"

"To help my goddaughter of course!" Sirius said proudly, puffing out his chest.

Harry averted her gaze and bit her lip. "Goddaughter," she muttered. "Y-You're not mad, are you?" she asked hesitantly.

Sirius scratched his forehead. "For what?"

"Y'know…" Harry gestured to her feminine body.

"Oh, your prank!" Sirius said enthusiastically. "Merlin, no! Why would I be mad? I'm proud of you, pup! So damn proud! Pranking all of Hogwarts, Durmstrang, Beauxbatons, and the Ministry all at once?" He wiped some dust from his eyes. "James would've been thrilled to bits, let me tell you!"

Harry felt her cheeks heat up again, but she was okay with it this time. She smiled happily. "Thanks Sirius."

Her godfather dragged his fingers through his matted hair as he took a closer look at her. "Merlin, you look so much like your mother right now, pup! I swear, it's like looking at Lily at 14 again. Although…" He waggled his eyebrows and grinned. "Your jubblies are much bigger than your mother's were at that age. Something you wanna tell me?"

Harry's face flushed as red as her hair and she punched her dogfather in the arm- hard. "It's just the potion, you dirty old mutt!" she shrieked.

"I'm sure," he said skeptically, rubbing the bruise.

"If you're gonna be like that, then I won't tell you what Snape's reaction was when he saw me like this for the first time," she huffed, crossing her arms.

Sirius' eyes widened. "You pranked ol' Snivellus? Tell me! Tell me!"

Harry put a finger on her chin. "I dunno…" Sirius morphed into Padfoot and started wagging his tail. Harry laughed. "Down boy!" she quipped. Sirius barked then licked her face, which just made her laugh even harder. "Fine, fine, I'll tell you! Just stop!" Sirius morphed back into his human form, grinning victoriously. Harry rolled her eyes, a smirk tugging at her lips, then began her story.

Her tale had the old dog in stitches. He then reciprocated with fond recollections of the Marauders' greatest pranks. Harry took in everything Sirius said as if his words were the first drops of water she'd had to drink after being trapped in a desert for days. Eventually, the conversation shifted to Harry's more recent problems. She told her godfather about her reasons for her prank, how she felt about Ron still not talking to her, and the big one- her worries about the First Task.

Surprisingly, Sirius was a great listener, and throughout ltheir whole conversation he was very… serious. He praised her for her actions, reassured her worries when needed, and advised her as best he could. The two came up with a plan to handle the dragon, and Harry felt much more confident about the task than she had mere hours ago. Sirius repeatedly mentioned how proud of her he was, and how proud James and Lily would've been. He told her what was most important was for her to enjoy herself and to have fun. The two stayed up late into the night, talking and spending time getting to know each other better.

When the morning sun started to rise, Sirius decided it was finally time for him to leave. With one last hug and a promise to see each other again as soon as possible, Sirius stepped back into the floo and returned to his safe house.

The next day after breakfast, Harry approached the Hufflepuff table. "Diggory, can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked, biting her lip. A few of Cedric's friends scowled at her, but she paid them no mind. The dark haired champion shrugged and swung his bag over his shoulders.

"Lead on, MacDuff- or, Lady MacDuff, as it were," Cedric joked, motioning forward.

Harry grinned, then led him to an empty classroom. She checked to make sure they were alone before closing the door and casting a privacy spell.

Cedric raised an eyebrow. "You know I have a girlfriend, right?" he teased.

Harry ignored him. "The First Task is dragons."

Cedric's amused grin instantly shifted to laser-sharp focus. "You're serious?"

"No, that's my godfa- never mind." Harry shook her head. "I swear, only one night and he's already corrupted me," she muttered. She turned back to the confused teen. "Anyways, I saw the dragons last night. Four nesting mothers- one for each of us. I'm pretty sure we'll just have to get past them though."

Cedric raked his fingers through his tousled hair and murmured something under his breath. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked, eyeing her warily.

Harry blinked. "Maxime and Karkaroff saw them last night too, so Krum and Delacour probably know by now. That leaves you the odd man out."

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Cedric smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Potter."

The redhead shrugged. "It's only fair." She grinned mischievously. "Besides, I'm not sharing any of my ideas. You're on your own for getting past it."

Cedric smirked back, but a lance of guilt pierced his heart when he met her eyes. "I'm sorry," he blurted out. Harry tilted her head to the side inquisitively. "About the tournament," he clarified. "I didn't believe you were innocent at first, and even after your 'accident' I haven't really done anything to stop the others from shunning you. I swear that'll change now, but still- I'm sorry."

"Oh." Harry bit her lip again and stared at the floor, subconsciously twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.

Cedric smiled sadly. "But you warned me about the dragons anyways. That's very Hufflepuff of you. Thank you. You're a good gu-gir-person. You're a good person, Potter."

"I'm a girl, Diggory," she snickered. "And please, call me Harry." She held out her hand.

Her fellow champion shook it. "Call me Cedric."

Harry grinned. "Good luck, Cedric."

He grinned back. "Same to you, Harry." Smiling widely, the youngest champion cancelled her privacy charm and left the room, feeling quite pleased with herself.

Cedric shook his head at her retreating back, vowing to somehow return the favor and atone for his mistakes. It wouldn't fully make up for it, but he would start by getting the students to stop shunning Harry. Should be simple enough. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws would listen to him when he spoke. Once he berated them all for treating Harry like a pariah, and after they see him treat her like a friend (which his honor insisted on regardless), they would stop... eventually.

He'd call for a house meeting after dinner. That way he could get all the Hufflepuffs together in one fell swoop. The Ravenclaws would be a bit trickier, but if there was one thing he'd learned in his time at Hogwarts, it was that the Rumor Mill was as terrifying as it was fast. There was nothing he could really do about the Slytherins, since they more more anti-Harry than pro-him, but judging by the latest rumors he'd heard, Harry seemed to have that well in hand.

Plan fully formed, Cedric whistled a jaunty tune as he made his way to the owlery to write a letter to his dad. The man worked at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures; he was sure to have an idea or two on how to deal with a pesky dragon.

The day of the First Task, Harry felt much less nervous than she'd been expecting to. She supposed it had something to do with the fact that- for once- she wasn't going into the danger blind and actually had a plan- a pretty good one, at that. Hermione had meticulously combed through the strategy she and Sirius had devised until it was flawless. In fact, Harry even felt- dare she say it?- optimistic!

After lunch, McGonagall lead her down to the champions' tent. The professor wasn't acting like her usual unflappable self, but Harry's confidence seemed to lift her spirits. After wishing her luck and telling her to do her best, McGonagall ushered her through.

The tent's decor was surprisingly pleasant, with two soft beds on both sides and a table full of snacks and refreshments in the middle. However, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive. Fleur Delacour was sitting in a corner, murmuring in French, knees huddled close to her chest. Viktor Krum seemed to be meditating, his eyes were shut and a look of utmost concentration adorned his face. Cedric was pacing, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. Every once in a while he would glance at the drinks- probably wishing they were offering something stronger than pumpkin juice. In contrast, Ludo Bagman was nearly vibrating with excitement, although he glared impatiently at his pocket watch before hearing the tent flap open.

"Harry! Come on in, make yourself at home!" Bagman said brightly, looking exceedingly ridiculous in his old Wimbourne Wasps robes. They were much too small on him, and his pot belly strained against the fabric. Had the man never heard of auto-sizing charms? Or Transfiguration?

The youngest champion pursed her lips. "That's Miss Potter to you, Mr. Bagman," she said frigidly. The man-child laughed nervously. Harry turned to her fellow champions and her expression did a complete one-eighty. "Why so glum everyone? You're acting like we're about to fight a dragon or something!" She plopped down on one of the beds, as if she hadn't a care in the world, helping herself to a crumpet. "The tournament was vetted this year to make it safer, remember? I'm sure the 'esteemed' organizers wouldn't assign such an insanely dangerous task like that!" Harry punctuated the end of her sentence with an angelic smile towards Bagman, who winced.

Viktor opened one eye and shot her an amused look, while Fleur whimpered and hugged herself tighter. Cedric on the other hand, barked out a laugh then gave her a shaky grin. "Yeah, there's no way the Ministry would be that stupid," he said, playing along. He winked discreetly at the other champions.

"Dragon von of most dangerous creatures in vorld," Viktor said gruffly, a wry smile on his lips. "Not safe at all."

"Non," Fleur agreed, voice trembling slightly. "Zey 'ould 'ave to be les imbéciles to make us fight a dragon."

Gulping heavily, Bagman awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, er- funny you should say that…" The four champions turned as one to glare at him, and he flinched. If he didn't know any better, he'd have sworn they already knew what the task was. "Er, you see, the First Task is to, collect the, ah… well, to collect the golden egg."

"The what?" Harry deadpanned. The other champions nodded in agreement as Bagman fidgeted some more.

"Well, er, there's a golden egg… and you need to collect it," he explained lamely. The four champions continued to glare and Bagman gulped heavily. For a group of teenagers, they were remarkably intimidating. "Well, you see, it's, er-" The four took perverse pleasure from his squirming. "The egg is, well, it's er- it's protected by a dragon," he admitted bluntly. "Nesting mothers, to be specific." Suddenly, he found the dirt to be extraordinarily fascinating.

"You are un imbécile," Harry said blithely. Fleur giggled, Cedric snorted, and Viktor smirked. Bagman grit his teeth as Harry sighed condescendingly. "Well, let's get this over with, Bagmoron."

The champions grinned as the man's complexion quickly turned as purple as the silk bag he pulled from his robes. "Ladies first, Miss Potter," he snarled, shoving the bag in Harry's face.

Smiling serenely, the youngest champion dipped her hand inside and pulled out a moving model of a Hungarian Horntail with a number four around its neck. The miniature dragon spread its wings and snapped at her fingers, but Harry grabbed it by the neck so it couldn't reach. Internally, she winced- just her luck she'd pick the most dangerous one. Externally, all she did was continue to smile as Bagman shook the bag at Fleur.

One by one, the others pulled their dragons out of the bag. Fleur drew the Welsh Green and the number two. Viktor, the Chinese Fireball and number three. After Cedric picked the remaining dragon, the Swedish Short-Snout, and the number one, Bagman stuffed the sack back in his pocket before striding out of the tent. "Good luck," he muttered, as the tent flap closed behind him. Once he was out of sight, the champions finally gave in to their mirth.

Cedric laughed loudly and clapped Harry on the shoulder. "That was brilliant!" he praised, grinning madly.

"Da. Thank you, Miss Potter," rumbled Viktor, his gruff voice sounding highly amused. A small, vicious smile danced on his lips.

"Oui," Fleur concurred, stifling another giggle. "I needed zat. Merci, Mademoiselle."

"Call me 'Harry' you two, and there's no need to thank me," the redhead replied. "Believe me, it was my pleasure." Cedric snorted and the two foreigners smiled.

"Fleur zen, s'il vous plaît."

"And I am Viktor, da?"

"Nice to meet you, Fleur and Viktor!" Harry said cheerfully, holding out her hand.

"This is long overdue, but 'Welcome to Hogwarts!'" Cedric added, offering his own. "Cedric Diggory."

The four champions shook hands and shared conspiratory smiles. Bagman's magically enhanced, exuberant voice declaring the start of the First Task- a little too exuberantly, in their opinion- brought them back to reality. As if a switch had been flipped- or, more likely, a charm cancelled- the roar of the crowd was now audible. A whistle was heard, and Cedric gulped as the crowd began chanting his name. The Hufflepuff drew his wand and gripped it tightly.

"Hey, when this is over, you wanna get dinner together? Just the four of us?" Cedric asked calmly, his whitening knuckles the only indication of the terror he felt.

"Oui," Fleur told him softly. Viktor nodded in agreement.

"We could use my suite," Harry offered. "It should be big enough, and I know an elf who'd be thrilled to help out."

Cedric smiled wryly. "Brilliant." He took a deep breath then squared his shoulders and set his face in determination. "Well… here goes nothing." The Hufflepuff champion marched out the tent, looking much more confident than he felt.

As the three older champions followed one after the other to face their respective dragons, Harry was left to sit on a bed, her legs curled into her chest the way Fleur had done earlier. She'd been so sure of her plan in the beginning, but waiting for her new friends to get past one of the most dangerous creatures in the magical world, knowing it would soon be her turn, was completely nerve wracking. She wished she'd been the one to go first.

Worse still, was the crowd. Being unable to watch, but forced to listen, as they gasped and shrieked, sent her imagination into overdrive. Her confidence started to slip as various 'what if' scenarios besieged her mind.

All too soon, it was finally time. Desperately clinging to her godfather's reassurances that the plan would work, Harry gulped and drew her wand. She entered the arena, trying to look as confident as she could. A glint of gold immediately caught her attention, and she located her target. The egg was vastly overshadowed though by the beast who protected it. Harry looked up at the snarling Hungarian Horntail, taking extra notice of the nesting mother's immense bulk, razor-sharp talons, and spiked tail. Every inch of the dragon seemed to be a weapon of some sort, and she couldn't locate even a single weak point.

Dimly, she heard the whistle being blown, signaling the start of the task. The dragon roared, and the sound snapped Harry from her daze. The Gryffindor's eyes hardened. She may have been forced into the tournament, but she'd be damned before she'd let herself get taken out in the opening act! She'd killed a basilisk, fended off a hundred dementors simultaneously, and fought Voldemort thrice- a dragon was nothing in comparison. Shoving down her fear, she raised her wand to initiate Phase 1 of her plan.

"Accio Firebolt!" she cried, and her conveniently placed broom came zooming out from under Hermione's seat, and into her waiting hands. The dragon opened her mouth to rain down a storm of fire, but Harry jinked to the side and took cover behind a boulder to avoid it. When the dragon paused to breathe, she mounted her beloved broomstick and shot up high into the sky.

Being in the air eased all the tension from Harry's body. She could no longer hear the clamor of the crowd, and the pressure she'd been under simply faded away. The familiar rush of flying enveloped her, reassured her, and filled her with confidence. She'd always been more comfortable in the skies than on land. Here, in her element, she was safe. Here, she could do anything.

Narrowing her eyes at the furious Horntail chained to the ground, Harry was struck by a sudden brainwave. Figuring at worst it wouldn't work and she'd resume her original plan, she pointed her wand at her throat and cast the Sonorous Charm. Picturing a snake in her mind's eye, she hissed out the magical language of Parseltongue, her voice echoing through the arena.

"Sssstop, I mean you no harm!" Amazingly, the dragon quieted down. The nesting mother also no longer seemed blindingly furious, only mildly irritated now. She looked curious too, and Harry took that as a sign to continue. "I mean you no harm," she repeated. "One of your eggssss issss a fake, I ssssimply wish to collect it."

The dragon's eyes widened and she swiveled to look at her eggs. Noticing the golden counterfeit, she howled her fury to the heavens and breathed an inferno skywards. She then turned to glare at Harry questioningly, and somehow, Harry understood what she was asking.

"I ssssswear I will not harm your eggssss, and I will leave in peace after retrieving the fake." The dragon glowered, but Harry met her gaze unflinchingly. She had a gut feeling showing any weakness right now would be the last thing she ever did. Slowly, the Horntail dipped her head, but Harry refused to sigh in relief- not until it was over. She floated down under the nesting mother's watchful gaze. She picked up the golden egg then flew over to the exit. "Thank you."

As Harry exited the arena, she could have sworn she heard a voice saying, "You're welcome." By the time she looked back however, the dragon's attention had returned to her brood.

Madam Pomfrey was unsure how to handle the fact that Harry was completely unscathed, and settled for shoving a Pepper-Up Potion and a Calming Draught into her hands and ordering her to drink them both before stalking away, grumbling under her breath. Harry grinned at her Healer's retreating back and did as ordered. She felt her adrenaline start to fade away as the Calming Draught did its job.

"Harry!" a familiar voice cried out. The redhead had just enough time to turn around before she was tackled by a bushy-haired missile. "You were amazing, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "Scared me half to death when you stopped in midair though! Why did you abandon the plan? Why didn't you use Parseltongue from the start? How did you know it would work?"

Harry laughed nervously. "Honestly Hermione, it didn't even occur to me until then. And it was just a hunch too. I am soooo glad it actually worked!"

Hermione punched her in the shoulder- hard. "You prat!" she screeched. "You mean you tried talking to the dragon on a whim? Of all the stupid, idiotic, hairbrained-"

"Hey, it worked, didn't it? It's only stupid if it fails, otherwise it's genius," Harry interrupted, grinning cheekily and rubbing her bruised arm.

Hermione glared at her best friend, then sighed and slumped her shoulders. "Clearly switching genders did nothing to curb your recklessness," was her verdict. She rolled her eyes at Harry's unrepentant grin.

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused the two girls to turn around. Standing there, fidgeting, and looking thoroughly uncomfortable, was Ron Weasley. Harry's cheerful expression morphed into an impassive mask. Hermione's eyes narrowed and she took a step back, knowing this was something the two redheads needed to work out on their own.

Ron clasped his hands behind his back and kicked at the dirt. He stayed silent for a moment, occasionally flicking his gaze to Harry's chest, before finally meeting her eyes. "Harry, mate, I- well, I don't think you put your name in the Goblet of Fire," he told her. He smiled as though he'd gotten past the dragon for her.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "And?" she drawled.

Ron frowned. "And?" he parroted.

"Yes, and!" Harry confirmed. She crossed her arms under her chest, unintentionally drawing Ron's gaze again. "My name came out of the goblet on Halloween, but you haven't said a word since you accused me of entering myself and being a cheating glory-hound!" Ron winced. "Everyone else realized I was innocent weeks ago," Harry continued. "You, my supposed 'best mate', are just realizing this now. Not to mention the fact that you won't stop staring at my breasts! So, with that in mind… and?"

Ron's eyes immediately snapped away from her chest, and a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. "W-Well, er, it's not my fault that they're so bloody huge, Harry!" The redheaded girl scowled darkly, and if looks could kill, Ron would be dead a hundred times over from the force of Hermione's glare. Realizing he misspoke- though he had no idea why! After all, he'd only said the truth- Ron tried again. "I-I mean, I reckon whoever entered you into the tournament is trying to do you in," he said quickly.

Harry scoffed and rolled her eyes, electing to ignore his faux pas. "Brilliant deduction there, Ron. I never would have figured that out all on my own."

"Well, what do you want from me?" Ron screamed, ears flushing darkly.

Harry's lip curled. "Oh, I don't know, an apology maybe?" she suggested, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Ron blinked. "Oh, er, right," he said awkwardly. He fidgeted a bit more before glancing back to her chest then settling his gaze at her feet. "Er, I'm sorry?" Hermione couldn't help the snort that escaped her lips. Harry gave him a look that made him feel two inches tall, despite him being a full head taller than her now. He gulped, then kicked at the ground again.

"You don't even have the guts, or the decency, to look me in the eyes when you apologize, do you?" she sneered. Ron continued to count the number of grains in the dirt. "Well, at least you aren't staring at my chest anymore." The boy's gaze flicked upwards at the reminder before quickly returning to the dirt. Harry sighed deeply. "This is the best I'm going to get with you, isn't it?" she asked rhetorically. Glancing at Hermione, the older witch shrugged her shoulders. Turning back to Ron, Harry closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine," she decided, and Ron perked up, smiling hopefully. "I'll accept your apology, but there are three things you need to bear in mind." Ron nodded like a puppy, and listened eagerly.

Harry held up three fingers. "One, you are not my best friend anymore. That honorable distinction goes to Hermione; she was there for me when I needed her most- you weren't." Ron's face darkened for a moment before his expression turned sad, and he nodded in acceptance.

"Two, I'm not wasting all my free time with you anymore. I will be studying a lot more now. Partly because I had to promise Professor McGonagall I'd do better in school to get her to sign off on my prank, but mostly because I want to."

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered under his breath, shaking his head slightly. "Only a month and she's already turned you into another bloody bookworm."

Harry pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. "I've always liked learning, Ronald," she said tersely. "But Vernon would punish me every time I did better than his precious Duddikins in primary school. I quickly learned to just not try. It was only recently I realized I was free to do as I pleased." Hermione smiled sadly for her friend and wiped away the gathering moisture in her eyes. Ron merely frowned, confused. "Hermione and I will be spending much more time in the library. You don't have to join us, but that won't be changing. Understand?" Ron's eyes flashed angrily for a moment, but the look was gone as soon as it came and he nodded again.

"Lastly, I'm sure you've noticed by now that I'm no longer sleeping in the boys' dorm. Professor McGonagall provided me with alternative accommodations, as is my right as a champion. I might invite you over from time to time, but I am not giving you the password to my new suite."

Ron bristled. "What? Why?!"

Harry gave him a cold look and put a hand on her hip. "Let me ask you something: If you walked in on Ginny changing, what would she would do to you?" Ron paled rapidly. He opened his mouth to answer, but Harry cut him off. "I'd be worse," she promised, and Ron flinched at the fire in her eyes. "Make sense now?" she asked. Ron gulped then nodded a third time.

Instantly, Harry's fierce expression morphed into a bright smile and she clapped her hands behind her back. "Great! Glad to have you back then, Ron. I'll see you later!" She gave the boy a quick hug and a condescending pat on the head then turned to Hermione in what was unmistakably a dismissal. Ron stumbled away from the tent in a daze, desperately trying to process what the bloody hell had just happened.

"You know, you're taking to being a girl really well," Hermione commented. Harry tilted her head to the side, and Hermione smirked. "You've already got a handle on the spontaneous mood swings," she elaborated.

To her surprise, Harry laughed. "It was mostly an act. I just wanted to mess with Ron; make him squirm a bit for being such a prat," she admitted.

"Mostly?" Hermione asked, sounding highly amused.

Harry twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. "Well, it was fun too," she defended. Hermione blinked then started to laugh. Harry grinned. "Shall we go see my scores?" Hermione nodded and the two girls left the tent smiling.

Harry was delighted to receive full marks from four of the judges. She had recovered her egg the fastest, and without any injury to herself, the dragon, or the real eggs, after all. She pouted though, when Karkaroff only gave her a six for 'not using any magic'. She'd used the Summoning Charm- that totally counted! And Parseltongue was a magical language! Regardless, she was still comfortably in first place so she didn't let Karkaroff's blatant cheating bother her much. After the scores were given, Ludo Bagman told the champions that the Second Task would be on February 24th, and that their golden eggs were the only clues they'd be getting for what it was. The four champions agreed to have their little pow wow at dinner the following night, then headed their separate ways.

Rita Skeeter caught Harry as she and Hermione made their way up to the castle. Harry- remembering fondly the spectacular article the woman had written after the Weighing of the Wands ceremony, in which she'd eviscerated the Ministry's reputation and made them look like fools for forcing her into the tournament- happily gave the reporter a few quick statements on how she felt going into, during, and after the task, before continuing to the Gryffindor Common Room to celebrate.

During the party, the Gryffindors convinced Harry to open her egg, but quickly discovered what a horrible idea that was when the egg immediately started wailing like a banshee. Harry elected to leave solving the clue for after the holidays, and went back to enjoying the party- and the fact that she was still alive. Hermione seemed a tad exasperated, but couldn't fault the redhead for her decision, so adopted the philosophy of 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em' and indulged in the revelry with her.

And that's a wrap! I'll see you all next week with chapter 5. In the meantime, please leave a review and let me know what you think; I love hearing from you guys. Ttfn!

Edited: 11/13/19

5. Chapter 5

Hello everyone! Here's Chapter 5! I quite like this one. Well, I like all my chapters but this one more so than most. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy it!

Chapter 5

It was the Thursday after the First Task, and things had finally started settling back to normal- well, normal for Hogwarts anyways. The dinner with her fellow champions had been a huge success. The four teens had spent the night swapping stories and comparing tactics. Viktor in particular, had lamented the fact that he hadn't even considered flying, while the others had congratulated Harry on her quick thinking. As an aside, the majority of the students and staff hadn't cared she'd used Parseltongue to get past the Horntail, and instead were simply impressed that the youngest champion was in the lead.

Unfortunately, Ron still wasn't speaking to her much, but not because he was being a jealous prat. The boy just couldn't seem to get over the fact that she wasn't. Every time they talked, he ogled her chest. Every. Single. Time. He wasn't even subtle about it either! Once, he'd even leered at her and waggled his eyebrows after he'd been caught. Gross! Ron seemed to think that since they were friends again, it was completely acceptable for him to drool over her bits. To him, the fact that Harry used to be a guy trumped any and all objections she had. The fact that Hermione would've castrated him with a soup spoon and a rusty nail if he'd tried to do the same to her also didn't seem to be a factor to the ginger.

So Ron was still being a prat, just not a jealous one.

But that was a problem for another day. There was a more important crisis Harry was dealing with at the moment; one that had her seriously considering ending her prank for the very first time.

A few minutes before the end of Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall gave the class a stern look to get their attention. Once they'd sufficiently quieted down, she started to speak. "The Yule Ball is approaching- a traditional part of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and a wonderful opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above- although you may invite a younger student if you wish." Lavender Brown giggled, and Parvati Patil elbowed her in the ribs while muffling her own. McGonagall ignored them.

"Dress robes will be worn," she continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock Christmas Day in the Great Hall. Now, the Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to- er- let our hair down-" Lavender giggled again, and this time Parvati and several other girls joined in. Parvati elbowed Lavender in the ribs again anyways though, because friendship. McGonagall- whose hair was always drawn immaculately into a tight bun- ignored them again. "But that does not mean that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from our students. I will be extremely displeased if any student embarrasses themselves, or Hogwarts, in any way." She swept her gaze over the group of teens to impress upon them the importance of proper decorum. The bell then rang and the students grabbed their stuff and shuffled out.

"Miss Potter- a word, if you please," McGonagall called out above the chatter.

Sparing a glance at Hermione, who shrugged, Harry made her way over to her Head of House. "How can I help you, Professor?" she asked cheerfully.

McGonagall waited until everyone else had left before answering. "Miss Potter, the champions and their partners will be opening the ball, and as such-"

"Partners?" Harry interrupted, frowning in confusion.

The professor's lips twitched. "Yes, partners- dance partners," she clarified. Harry paled drastically. "Traditionally, the champions and their partners open the dancing at the Yule Ball. Do make sure you are suitably accompanied."

Harry blanched. "But- but I can't dance! I don't know how!" she fretted, biting her lower lip.

"I shall be providing lessons for those who wish to learn," McGonagall reassured her. "But bear in mind Miss Potter, your partner must be a member of the opposite sex."

"WHAT?!" Harry cried, eyes widening in pure, existential terror. "Y-You mean, I have to- to the ball- I have to ask a-" she gulped before finishing her sentence in a whisper, "a boy?"

"That is correct," McGonagall confirmed, smiling thinly. "Although, you could wait for someone to pluck up the courage to ask you instead, if you cannot do so yourself."

"D-Do I have to, Professor?" Harry asked pitifully, her lower lip trembling. Her eyes misted over, but she refused to allow the water vapor to coalesce into tears.

McGonagall nodded. "As much as I enjoy this little prank of yours, Miss Potter, if you insist on continuing it, then yes." If Harry hadn't been on the verge of a nervous breakdown, she would have heard the obvious mirth in her professor's voice, and been highly offended. "As a champion, you will still be required to lead the dancing regardless of your gender." Harry's shoulders slumped and the professor's expression softened. "I suggest speaking to Miss Granger," she advised.

Harry nodded mutely before swinging her book bag over her shoulder and scurrying out the classroom, slouching forward despondently. Minerva waited until her student had left before closing the door, erecting a privacy ward, and bursting into raucous laughter.

Harry burst into the Gryffindor common room, eyes darting around like a cornered animal, eyeing every boy suspiciously. She locked onto her best friend reading a book by the fireplace and scuttled over to her. "Hermione, we need to talk. I need your help, like, yesterday!" she whispered urgently, biting her lower lip.

Hermione cocked an eyebrow at the desperation in Harry's voice before marking her place and closing her book. Quickly, she got up and followed her best friend into the girl's private suite. "Alright Harry, what's got you all worked up?" she asked once the door was closed.

"Ihavetogototheballwithaboy!"

Hermione blinked, trying and failing to process the gibberish. "Come again?"

Harry took a deep breath then spoke with exaggerated slowness, but just as frantically as before. "I. Have to go. To the Yule Ball. With. A. Boy!" Hermione blinked again, then immediately started giggling. Her giggles quickly evolved into full blown laughter, and she soon collapsed onto Harry's bed, clutching her stomach. "It's not funny, Hermione!" Harry screeched, throwing her hands into the air. "I have to go to the Yule Ball, with a boy- and what's worse, as a champion, I have to lead the dancing. And I don't know how to dance!"

Hermione saw Harry was one step away from a panic attack, so she ruthlessly suppressed her laughter and sat up. "Sorry, sorry," she said, not sounding apologetic in the slightest. She muffled one last giggle then grinned. "So, you have to go to the Yule Ball with a boy?" she repeated, unable to keep the amusement from her voice. Harry nodded and moaned, burying her face into her hands in despair. "What's the problem then?" Hermione asked.

Harry bristled and clenched her fists. "THE PROBLEM IS, I AM A BOY!" she shrieked.

"Not right now, you're not," Hermione countered quickly.

Harry glared at her. "I am a boy, despite how I look right now, and I need to ask another boy to the ball! I'll have to put on makeup and some stupid, frilly dress and dance with him. In front of the whole school too! Never mind the fact that- to reiterate- I can't dance!"

"Do you even have a 'stupid, frilly dress'?" Hermione asked. Harry scowled at her. "Gonna take that as a no," she mumbled. "Why don't you end your prank and turn back into a boy?"

Harry shook her head. "No point. Either way, I'd still need a partner for the ball. Besides, the twins said there's no antidote, I have to wait the full year for it to wear off."

Hermione frowned, knowing that wasn't true. She had looked up the potion herself the day after Harry had taken it. The twins were clearly pulling a long-con on the redhead, but Hermione kept quiet. Honestly, she wanted Harry to go through this. Partly because she felt Harry had made her bed and deserved to lie in it, and partly because she thought it was absolutely hysterical! She did possess a sense of humor after all, despite what some people thought.

Meanwhile, Harry started to pace. "I don't have a choice. I need to ask a boy to the ball, like a- a date!" She spat out the d-word like it was the foulest thing in existence. She plopped down miserably next to Hermione and lay there, an arm draped over her eyes. "I'm doomed!"

Hermione positioned Harry so that the redhead lay in her lap. "It doesn't need to be a date, you know." Harry looked up, equal parts hope and confusion shining in her eyes- or were those unshed tears? Wow, she was really taking this poorly. "You can go to the ball with someone just as friends," Hermione explained, raking her hand through the redhead's long locks the same way her mother had done for her when she was a little girl and had a bad day. Harry seemed to approve of her ministrations, as she started visibly relaxing. "Explain to someone you know what the situation is, and ask them if they'd be willing to do you a favor and go to the ball with you- just as friends."

Harry bit her lower lip. "I- well, I guess I could ask Neville," she mused. "He's the only boy I know that I'd feel even remotely comfortable going with. Seamus would just let his hands wander, and Dean would be trying to get into my knickers all night. Ron… just no. Neville's the only decent one of the bunch. I just hope he doesn't mind going with me instead of getting himself an actual date."

Hermione grinned. "See? Not the end of the world, now is it?"

Harry frowned. "I haven't even asked him yet; it's entirely possible he'll say no and I'll be back to square one. Besides, I still don't know how to dance."

"You don't have a 'stupid, frilly dress' yet either," Hermione replied cheerfully, completely ignoring the death glare Harry sent her as she continued raking her nails through the redhead's surprisingly soft and silky hair. Those potions Skeeter had recommended were incredible! "But both those problems are easily fixed. There's still a month before the ball, Harry, plenty of time for me to train you to be a competent dancer. I'm positive your Quidditch skills will transfer quite nicely. Don't worry so much, Harry; the ball is going to be so much fun!"

Hermione pinched Harry's cheek, eliciting a scowl from the redhead. She giggled, and Harry moaned in defeat, knowing deep down in her soul that this ball was going to suck.

A full week had passed since the ball had been announced, but Harry still procrastinated in asking Neville. Finally fed up, Hermione had warned her that if she didn't ask him by the end of the day, she'd do it for her, but would neglect to mention Harry wanted to go as friends. With that threat hanging over her, Harry gathered her courage, and grabbed Neville for a quick word after dinner. It was amazing what the right motivation could do for you.

"Neville, can I talk to you for a moment, in private?"

Neville Longbottom looked up from the desk he was writing his Charms essay on and saw Harry Potter fidgeting, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. Curious, he put down his quill. "Sure thing, Harry. What do you need?"

"Follow me?"

Neville nodded then stood up and cast a spell his Gran had taught him to make sure nobody touched his things while he was gone. Harry turned on her heel and power walked towards her suite. She whispered the password too quietly for Neville to hear and closed the door behind them. She turned and opened her mouth, but the words just wouldn't come out. Several more times she tried and failed to talk, and eventually Neville took pity on her.

"So, this is where you've been staying, eh? I can see why you left us, it's much nicer here than the boys' dorms," he commented, observing the cozy room and finding inexplicable amusement from the bouquet of flowers in the middle of the table.

Harry blinked and her mouth moved on autopilot. "Yeah, and no offense, but I didn't really trust you guys not to do something to me when I'm asleep, looking like this, so…"

Neville snorted. "Can't say I blame you." He watched as Harry nervously chewed her lower lip and twirled a strand of her hair around her finger again. She looked seriously adorable, but he didn't dare say that outloud. It was weird enough just thinking it. "So, how can I help you, Harry?" he asked kindly.

Taking three deep breaths to calm herself, Harry shyly looked up at the boy, who she suddenly realized was now much taller than her. "Okay, so you know about the Yule Ball, right?"

Neville nodded. "I have heard of such an event, yes."

Harry winced. Great start, Potter. "Right, of course you have. Well, what you probably haven't heard of is that, as a champion, I need to open up the dancing. Obviously, to do that though I need… someone to dance with." She looked at him expectantly, eyes wide and pleading.

"I see," Neville said slowly.

The redhead perked up. "So… you understand?" she asked desperately, eyes shining with hope.

Neville scratched his head. "Understand what?"

Harry's shoulders slumped. "I see what 'Mione meant; boys are dumb," she mumbled, too quietly for him to hear. She looked back at Neville and started playing with her hair again. "Well you see, due to my 'potion accident' McGonagall says I, er- she says I- Merlin, this is difficult! I, er, I-I have to go to the ball… with a boy."

Neville's eyes widened as comprehension flooded him. "You want to go to the Yule Ball- with me?" he asked incredulously.

"Just as friends!" Harry clarified quickly, her cheeks reddening slightly. "Honestly, I'd rather not go to the ball altogether, but apparently that's not an option! McGonagall says I need to go with someone," she muttered darkly.

Neville's brow furrowed. "But why me?" he repeated. "Why not Ron? Or Seamus? Or Dean? Or, well, anyone else?"

Harry cringed. "Ron ogles my breasts every time he sees them and he doesn't even think it's wrong for him to do so. If I were to go with him, the night would likely end with him being slapped. Possibly- probably- more than once. Our friendship is on enough thin ice as it is- that would push it over the brink." She shook her head before continuing. "As for Seamus and Dean, you know what they're like! Those two hit on anything in a skirt. Regular day-to-day interaction with them is difficult enough, going to the ball would be a nightmare! And Seamus has asked me already, did you know? Yesterday, after lunch. Although I'm not sure if he was serious about it." She put a finger on her chin and mused for a moment before snapping back to attention.

"As for you, well you're not a pervert like the others, for starters." Neville snorted and Harry smiled sheepishly. "Okay, as much of a perv."

"Oi!" Neville cried indignantly, but the large grin on his face gave him away.

Harry smiled innocently before continuing. "I figured I'd be least uncomfortable around you, and Hermione did make me promise to at least try and enjoy the ball. I'm sorry for springing this on you, Neville, and I know it's really awkward, but you're the only boy I can trust with this, and… " She took a deep breath then locked eyes with him, a light blush coating her cheeks. "Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?" she asked timidly. "Please? I'll owe you, like, twenty," she added.

Neville crossed his arms and closed his eyes as he considered her request. Harry had always been nice to him, so despite the strangeness of the situation he was happy to help her out. He inclined his head slightly. "Miss Potter, I would be honored to go to the Yule Ball with you," he intoned.

Face quickly turning as red as her hair, Harry waved her arms in front of her face. "Woah Neville! We're just going as friends! No need to be so formal," she complained.

Neville rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry, Gran's pureblood training kicked in," he explained. "She's obsessed with this rubbish, and spent hours making me memorize all the proper forms."

"There are rules?" Harry exclaimed, horrified. She started biting her lip again.

"Don't worry, they're meant for pureblood high society events. This is a school dance, nobody's gonna care," Neville assured her. He chuckled at the redhead as she sighed in relief.

"Thank Merlin! It's hard enough learning to be a girl as it is!"

Neville laughed. "I'll take your word for it. Glad I could help." The two smiled hesitantly at each other. There was an awkward pause. "So…" Neville said. "I'll see you at Christmas?"

"I'll probably see you around a few times before then, but yeah!" Harry replied cheekily, feeling much better now that she didn't have to worry anymore. Neville barked out a laugh then headed for the door. "Hey, Nev?" Harry called just before he left. He turned back around and saw her smiling brightly, pearly white teeth and cute little dimples on full display. "Thanks for agreeing to go with me."

Neville grinned back. "Don't mention it," he said, before closing the door behind him.

And that's a wrap! I hope you all liked it. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you guys. Anyways, see you next week! :)

Edited: 11/13/19

6. Chapter 6

Hello everyone! I'm so sorry this is late. I meant to get it out yesterday, but well, life got in the way. I'll try and do better next week, but here's the new chapter. Enjoy! And happy belated New Years everyone!

Chapter 6

The next day, Harry happily informed Hermione that the mission was a success. Hermione giggled at the sheer relief that emanated from her best friend's voice. A few days later, she reciprocated by telling her she was going with Viktor Krum. Harry was surprised, but happy for her. Hermione explained how Viktor had asked her on her way back from the library, and Harry admitted it was a brilliant move on the Bulgarian's part.

The next Hogsmeade weekend, a few days before the ball, Harry and Hermione flooed from The Three Broomsticks to The Leaky Cauldron while under Harry's invisibility cloak. From there, they took a taxi to Harrods. They spent the day shopping for 'stupid, frilly dresses' and picked up a few more necessary items for Harry they weren't able to get the last time they went shopping. Hermione had great fun dragging her best friend to the lingerie section and attempting to convince her to buy something to match her dress for the ball. Harry was as red as a tomato the whole time, but she didn't say no, opting to trust Hermione despite her embarrassment.

When they snuck back into Hogsmeade, the two immediately headed for Gladrags Wizardwear to have their dresses modified to fit perfectly and given a few comfort charms. On their way out, they encountered Lavender and Parvati, who were surprised and delighted to see Harry there. They dragged Harry and Hermione back into the store and the four witches kept up a steady stream of conversation while they shopped. At one point, Lavender and Parvati convinced Harry to buy a very chic, feminine handbag, complete with weightless and bottomless expansion charms. The usefulness of the purse outweighed any objections Harry had with its appearance. Not to mention the fact that she'd just spent the day shopping for a dress, so by comparison the handbag wasn't all that much. The other three girls spent so much time hyping up the ball that, despite her misgivings, Harry was actually starting to look forward to it herself- just a little.

Neville was helping Harry with her Herbology essay in the common room while Hermione read cross-legged in a chair next to them. Suddenly, Ron stumbled through the entrance, being supported by his little sister, Ginny. The youngest Weasley led her brother over to a couch where he sat down heavily, sagging into the cushions.

"What happened to him?" Neville asked, taking in Ron's forlorn expression and pale appearance.

"He- er- he just asked Fleur Delacour to the ball," Ginny answered. She looked sympathetic, but sounded on the verge of bursting into giggles.

"Why did I do it?" Ron moaned, dragging his hands over his face. "What was I thinking? There were so many people around- they were all watching! I saw her talking to Diggory, and she laughed at something he said. Then she smiled, and it just sort of came out." Ron shook his head and sunk deeper into the couch. "She looked at me like I was a flobberworm on her shoe- didn't even answer- and I just sort of, I dunno, came to my senses and ran."

"Well, Fleur is part veela," Harry mused, putting a finger on her chin. "She was probably turning up the allure on Diggory, and you got caught in the splash zone."

Ron slumped, not understanding the muggle metaphor, but getting the idea. "Two days left," he lamented. "Who's even left to go with anymore?"

"All the good-looking girls taken, Ron?" Hermione asked snidely. "Such a shame. Still, it's your own fault, you know!"

Ron hadn't listened to her though. Instead, he stared at her as if he were seeing her for the very first time. "Hey, Hermione… you're a girl," he said slowly.

"Oh, well spotted!" she spat acidly.

Ron ignored her tone and beamed at her. "Well then, you can go with me!" he said brightly. "That way we both have a date!" A vein pulsed on Hermione's forehead and she clenched her fists. Harry and Ginny winced, sensing an imminent eruption of Mt. Granger.

"For your information, Ronald," Hermione snarled, "I already have a date to the ball."

Ron's jaw dropped. "WHAT?"

Hermione sniffed imperiously. "Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ronald, doesn't mean no one else has spotted I'm a girl!"

Ron's eyes widened in shock. Then he grinned and raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I know you're a girl," he said placatingly. "That do? Will you go with me now?"

Hermione's eyes flashed dangerously, and her hand twitched for where she usually kept her wand. "I told you I already have a date! He asked me weeks ago in the library, and I said yes!"

Ron stared at her in disbelief, and Harry decided to intervene before things got out of hand. "She's telling the truth, Ron."

Far from solving the problem however, Ron simply switched his focus to Harry, and that same look of revelation appeared on his face. "Harry, you're a girl now! You can go with me!"

Harry's eye twitched as she grit her teeth. Merlin, why was she friends with this prat? Oh right, he was the first person she'd ever met who hadn't been chased off by Dudley, then they'd bonded over candy. "I have someone I'm going with too," she said tersely.

Ron frowned and spread his arms. "Come on, mate. Help me out! I'd look right stupid if I was the only bloke at the ball without a date. Just go with me!"

"She said no," Neville told him firmly, clenching his fists. "She's already going with someone else. Let it go, Ron." Ginny's eyes widened and she turned to Harry, who gave her a subtle nod. The younger redhead grinned, but her brother interrupted before she could say anything.

"I see how it is," Ron snarled. His ears flushed red and his expression darkened. "I'm just not good enough for you, am I, Potter? You and Hermione don't even want to go with me, do you?"

"We both have dates already, Ron," Harry repeated. "You really shouldn't have waited until the last second."

"Who are you going with then?" Ron demanded.

"None of your business," Hermione snapped.

"We're not going to tell you. You'd just make fun of us," Harry agreed.

Ron clenched his fists and was about to yell again when Ginny tapped his arm. He turned to glare at her, but she just slowly shook her head. He scowled then grunted before storming up the stairs to the boys' dorm.

Ginny sighed and rubbed her arm. "I'm sorry, you three."

Hermione took a deep breath then waved her off. "It's not your fault your brother has the emotional range of a teaspoon, Ginny." Neville and Harry laughed while Ginny giggled.

"So Neville, you and Harry, hmm? When did this happen?" Ginny asked sweetly.

Neville blanched. "Wha- but- how did you?"

Ginny winked. "It wasn't hard to figure out, what with how alpha male you were getting just now."

Harry took that as her cue. "My hero!" she proclaimed, wrapping herself around Neville's arm and batting her eyelashes. The girls- even Harry, though she later denied it- all giggled at Neville's poleaxed expression. After Harry disentangled from Neville's arm, the boy huffed, imitating Ron, which caused the girls to laugh again. But this time, he grinned and laughed along with them.

Harry was dismayed when Hermione took her to get ready for the Yule Ball five hours before it was due to start. When she complained, Hermione simply pointed out that it usually took Harry half an hour at minimum to get ready on an average day, and that it would take much longer to get ready for the ball. Harry pouted, but relented. Surprisingly, Hermione led her, not to her suite, but to the fourth year girls' dorm. There, the bushy haired brunette enlisted Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil- who didn't seem to mind Harry's presence there in the slightest- to help get the redhead ready for the ball. The girls giggled and agreed after Hermione promised they could use Harry's suite.

Harry wasn't sure what to think about that. On the one hand, she wasn't very thrilled with Hermione using her suite as a bargaining chip. On the other hand, she knew she needed their help. Sighing, she decided to let it go and allowed the three witches to go inside.

Lavender and Parvati were in awe of Harry and Hermione's dresses- having never seen muggle fashion before- and vowed to make the two of them into the undisputed Belles of the Ball, in exchange for a promise of a group shopping trip in muggle London over the summer. Harry's protest that she didn't want to stick out too much was summarily ignored. After several hours, and far too many embarrassing moments to count- for Harry anyways- the girls were almost ready.

"Stay still," Lavender chided, adding the finishing touches to Harry's makeup.

"It's a lot harder to work if you move around," Parvati said, exasperated. She'd clearly had to repeat herself multiple times.

"I've never worn makeup before," Harry complained. "It feels weird!"

Lavender rolled her eyes. "Just stay still, honey, I'm almost finished." With a final flourish, she stepped back and admired her handiwork. "Done!" she announced proudly. Parvati whistled appreciatively.

Hermione gasped, cupping her hands to her mouth. "Oh my! Harry, you look beautiful!" she exclaimed.

Harry blushed, both pleased at the compliment, and confused for that very same reason. She turned to check her reflection in the mirror, and what she saw took her breath away. Initially, she'd been against wearing any makeup at all, afraid she would end up looking like a clown in addition to simply not wanting to take her 'prank' that far. It was Hermione who finally convinced her to get 'dolled up' and now Harry was very glad she'd listened. The small amount of makeup Lavender had used on her only seemed to accentuate her natural beauty. She could barely even tell it was there. All that stood out was the blood red lipstick and her black nail polish. The best part though was that they'd managed to cover up her scar so it looked like nothing but smooth skin.

Eagerly, Harry roamed her eyes over her reflection and greedily took in her appearance. The sleeveless, satin, royal blue dress hugged her body tightly, accentuating her developing curves and bust in very flattering, but still modest ways. A slit on the right side of the dress went up to her mid-thigh, exposing newly shaved legs, which- thanks to magic and Lavender- had been a completely painless process. She wore a matching pair of one inch heels that she'd spent countless hours with Hermione practicing to walk and dance in until she could do so flawlessly. Her gorgeous red hair was done up in an elegant knot at the back of her head that allowed the rest to flow gracefully down her back.

As for jewelry, one of the Christmas presents Sirius had given her was a 24-carat diamond necklace, which had come with a lovely note calling her a sissy and claiming her mother had worn it at her wedding. A quick check in her photo album had confirmed that. Hermione had surprised her with a pair of lightning bolt earrings she'd apparently bought at Harrods without her noticing. Lavender had pierced and cleaned her ears with a few quick spells before showing her how to put them in. Lastly, also at Harrods the other day, Harry herself had bought a gorgeous platinum ring affixed with a small emerald the same color as her eyes. She still wasn't quite sure why she'd bought it, and the closest thing to a reason she'd been able to come up with was 'it was pretty and I wanted it'. For some reason, Hermione found that to be incredibly funny and had teased her relentlessly for it. Regardless, that ring now fit snugly- thanks to an auto-sizing charm- on the ring finger of her left hand.

"That's me?" Harry breathed, tracing a hand over her face in the mirror. She was in complete awe of what Lavender and Parvati had wrought. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined she would ever think of herself like this, but as bizarre as it sounded, she honestly thought she looked downright sexy.

"Sounds like one satisfied customer," Parvati chirped. Lavender giggled and Hermione smiled.

The Indian girl was right, of course. Harry looked and felt absolutely gorgeous. And that dredged up a whole plethora of confusing feelings inside of her. Despite her looks, she was still a boy, wasn't she? Should she really be feeling as happy about her appearance as she did? As content? Why, despite how amazing she looked, and the three other beautiful girls standing next to her, was she not feeling even a sliver of arousal? Why was she referring to herself as 'she' now, even in her own mind?!

Moisture started gathering in her eyes, but she refused to let the tears fall, not wanting to mess up her appearance or ruin the girls' hard work. Shaking her head, she resolved not to think about it until the ball was over. At the very least though, she was absolutely certain of one thing- Lavender and Parvati had done a phenomenal job. "Thank you both so much," she said sincerely, smiling widely.

The girls were a bit surprised by the level of gratitude in Harry's voice, but pushed it aside. It was Lavender who replied first. "Aww! You're welcome, sweetie. We were happy to help!" She shared a look with Parvati and the two makeup artists giggled.

Parvati nodded eagerly. "Yeah, it was a lot of fun!" she agreed. "And one thing's for sure…" She winked at Harry. "You're definitely going to take Neville's breath away!"

Harry blushed, but before she could reply, Hermione scoffed. "Neville? More like the whole school! Look at her! She's gorgeous!" she exclaimed, gesturing at the redhead.

Said girl flushed scarlet, then surprised the others again by letting out a small giggle. They eyed her curiously, but she waved her hand dismissively. "It's just- I was imagining what I would have said in August if someone had told me this is what my Christmas was going to be like. And how I would've acted back then if I'd seen a girl looking like I do now." The others joined her in giggling. Harry grinned then checked the clock. 7:30 pm. "Hey, shouldn't we head out now? The ball starts in half an hour, doesn't it?"

This time, Parvati answered her. "Yes, but we need to show you off to Neville first."

Harry groaned. "Is that really necessary?" she begged. "We're just going to the ball as friends!"

Lavender smiled pityingly. "Honey, nobody gets dolled up like this-" She gestured to Harry. "Unless they're trying to impress someone."

Harry puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms under her chest. "I only did it because you three wouldn't leave me alone!"

Parvati smiled innocently. "I thought you were happy with how we made you look?"

Harry blushed. "Well, yes, I am," she admitted. "But I didn't do it for Neville!" she protested, putting a hand on her hip.

Hermione patted Harry's cheek. "Don't worry, Harry, we're mostly showing you off just for our own egos."

"Mostly?"

"Well, getting you all flustered is a plus too," Hermione admitted. Harry huffed and crossed her arms under her chest.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Lavender promised, rubbing her hands together gleefully. "Just don't forget to smile!"

Harry bit her bottom lip, consciously reminding herself not to play with her hair as well. "In for a knut, in for a galleon," she muttered. Shaking her head, she glared at the three of them. "Fine, but I will get you back for this somehow." The three girls grinned as one. The way Harry looked now, her glare was more adorable than threatening.

Neville had been pacing outside Shiva's portrait for just over ten minutes now. He wore a dark blue pair of Acromantula silk dress robes that had once belonged to his father, along with a pair of matching dress shoes. His hair was slicked back and he'd even borrowed some of Dean's cologne on a whim. Eaux de something or other, he hadn't really been listening. Suddenly, the portrait swung open and Lavender Brown stepped out, followed by Parvati Patil and Hermione Granger. All three witches were dressed up to the nines.

Before he could say anything, Parvati winked at him and said, "Come on out, Harry!" A dainty hand with pitch black nails wrapped around the doorframe before the rest of her body followed. Neville promptly forgot how to breathe as his eyes slowly drifted south.

Lavender giggled then sauntered over to him and gently closed his mouth. "Her eyes are a few inches up, Nev!" she teased.

The boy blushed. With a supreme effort of will, he wrenched his gaze from Harry's chest and his face flushed as red as his date's hair. "Oh Merlin, Harry, I'm so sorry! Ah, and you asked me because I wouldn't make it weird, and then… but I mean- have you even seen what you look like? You're bloody gorgeous!" Neville's eyes widened and he let out a high-pitched squeak before hastily clamping his hand over his mouth. "Sorry," he repeated, voice cracking slightly.

Harry's cheeks flushed scarlet while the other three girls caught a bad case of the giggles. Hermione playfully swatted Neville's arm. "Real smooth, Casanova." Neville didn't know what 'Casanova' meant, but he got the message. Hermione turned to Harry, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "I'm going to go meet Viktor now. You kids have fun! Don't do anything I wouldn't!"

"We're heading out too," Parvati said, speaking for both her and her best friend.

Lavender nodded then winked at Harry. "Don't forget to smile, sweetie!" Harry's blush grew worse as the two slipped away, still giggling.

An awkward silence persisted before Harry broke it with a quip. "Girls, am I right?"

Neville snorted loudly. He shook his head then offered her his arm, grinning. "Shall we go then, m'lady? We may be going just as friends, but it is still a ball. Gran would have my head if I wasn't a complete gentleman."

Harry- who had been frowning at his arm- winced, then looped her arm into his and smiled nervously. "This is going to be so awkward," she said matter-of-factly.

Neville grimaced. "Yeah," he agreed. "Still, might as well enjoy it. This is your first ball, right?" Harry nodded and Neville smirked. "Well, you won't have to worry about me stepping on your feet at least. Gran spent so much time teaching me to dance I could do the waltz in my sleep!" Harry laughed, and the two made idle chatter on their way to the Great Hall- slowly at first, but once they got past the awkwardness and remembered that they'd been friends and roommates for over three years, the conversation picked up and they began bantering back and forth.

Harry met with the other champions outside the entrance to the Great Hall, where they all introduced their dates to one another. She wasn't surprised to see Hermione on Krum's arm, but Neville was, since neither girl had told him. Seeing Roger Davies stare in unabashed wonder at his date, Fleur Delacour, made Harry wince and feel ashamed for the boy, and sorry for Fleur. She walked over to the French witch.

"We should have gone together, Fleur," Harry told her. "That way you wouldn't have had to deal with a fanboy, and I wouldn't have had to deal with any boys."

Fleur laughed and her eyes sparkled with mischief. "But you look très magnifique, 'Arry!" the quarter vela complimented. "It would 'ave been most selfish of me to keep you all to myself. Your date eez very lucky." Harry flushed, but McGonagall showed up before she could respond.

The Head of Gryffindor's lips did their special twitching thing. "Miss Potter, I'm glad to see you made it."

Harry huffed and put a hand on her hip. "It's not like you gave me a choice, Professor," she complained.

"True," Minerva agreed amicably. Her eyes misted over slightly and she wiped away the nascent tears. Harry looked at her, concerned, but McGonagall waved her off. "Forgive me. You look so much like your mother right now, it simply brought back some old memories."

Harry inhaled sharply. McGonagall smiled understandingly then turned to address the other champions. She told them to line up and follow her into the Great Hall. Neville tapped Harry's shoulder to break her from her reverie. He asked with his eyes if she was okay, brow furrowing slightly. Harry smiled reassuringly and looped their arms again as they took their positions behind the others.

As they made their way down, Harry noticed Draco Malfoy gaping at her in stunned disbelief, his eyes following her every movement. When she passed him by, she waved her fingers then cooed as sultrily as she could, "Hello, Draco darling!" The Malfoy heir's face flushed; not scarlet, or even crimson, but vermillion- the color of carnal shame. He let out a high pitched squeak of terror before bolting away, leaving his date, Pansy Parkinson, confused and chasing after him. Harry's shoulders shook as she tried to hold in her laughter. She told a confused Neville she'd explain it later. Fleur had seen it though, and the older witch gave her a wink.

After dinner, Harry and Neville were called to the dance floor with the other champions. She was surprised when Neville put his hand on her waist once the music started and lead them confidently around the dance floor, but then she remembered what he'd told her about his grandmother's training. The first dance was too stiff, too formal, and had too many people watching for her to truly enjoy it. There was also the fact that it felt weird being in Neville's arms like that. She would soon discover that the weird feeling was not unique to Neville- dancing with any boy caused it to appear.

The next few songs were much more modern and fast-paced, and as more and more couples joined the champions on the dance floor, Harry allowed herself to get lost in the music and to just have fun. Some songs had Neville leading her around, others had them just shaking to the beat, and others still were somewhere in between. There was a little something for everyone.

After an indeterminable amount of time, Harry felt her feet start to cramp. She looked amazing in her heels, but they were very painful to wear for an extended period of time, even with the cushioning charms. "Hey Neville, can we please sit down for a bit?" she asked.

Neville smirked- he'd been doing that a lot since they'd started dancing. "Sure thing," he replied. "And thanks for asking, usually the girl just tells the guy what to do and he follows her command like a trained krup."

Harry's cheeks reddened again, but she immediately berated herself for doing so. She was the daughter of a Marauder, and the goddaughter of another, damn it! This demure, blushing rubbish had to stop! She grinned mischievously instead. "In that case, we're going to sit down!" she decreed. "Then you're going to get me some drinks, mutt!" Neville barked and lolled his tongue, and Harry laughed as they weaved their way out of the throng of bodies.

While looking for a table to rest at, Harry noticed Hermione sitting down. Viktor kissed her best friend's knuckles then murmured something she couldn't hear before turning around, leaving the beaming witch all by her lonesome. Harry dragged Neville over to her.

"Hi Harry! Hi Neville! Viktor's just gone to get some drinks," Hermione told them, sounding quite winded.

"I'll go join him," Neville decided. "I'm feeling a bit parched myself. Water or punch, Harry?"

"Water please, and thanks, Nev." Harry smiled gratefully at him and Neville grinned before heading after Krum.

"So, are you having fun?" Hermione prompted.

Harry stretched her arms over her head, sighing in relief as she worked out several kinks in her back. "I really am, actually," she replied. "I'm honestly having a blast- but don't tell Neville! He promised he'd make sure I'd enjoy my first ball, and I want him to keep his drive to make me happy!"

Hermione laughed loudly and pretended to wipe a tear from her eye. "They grow up so fast! You're already manipulating boys so well. I'm so proud of you!" she teased. Harry surprised her by letting out a soft giggle- and she didn't even seem to care! Hermione smiled and hugged her best friend. "Seriously though, I'm glad you're having fun!"

Harry hugged her back. "I'm glad I'm having fun too!" she said cheekily. Hermione giggled and the two separated. "So, how's Viktor?" Harry asked.

The brunette's eyes sparkled. "Viktor's amazing! He's such a good dancer! And he's such a gentleman too!"

"I saw that kiss he gave you," Harry said slyly.

Hermione blushed lightly. "It was just a peck on the cheek," she said primly.

"Oh?" Harry waggled her eyebrows and grinned salaciously. "I only saw him kiss your hand. When was this?"

Hermione's blush darkened. "Right before that," she admitted.

"Well, I'm glad you're having fun," Harry teased, letting out another small giggle. The two girls grinned at each other. Unfortunately, a familiar voice interrupted them and brought their good moods crashing back down to Earth.

"I can't believe it!" snarled Ron. The two girls looked up to see him seething, his ears flushed dark red. "The Squib and The Foreigner?" he cried indignantly.

Hermione pursed her lips. "Do you have a problem with our dates, Ronald?"

Ron grit his teeth. "Of course I bloody well have a problem!" He gestured at the two of them. "If you bothered to look like this all the time then I would have asked you both out earlier, but nooooo! You only put in the effort for The Squib and The Foreigner! And Harry, you're supposed to be a bloke! The hell do you think you're playing at, dressing up like some kind of scarlet woman? Thinking of getting into Longbottom's trousers tonight, is that it?"

Something inside of Harry snapped as she stood up to face her ex-best friend. Her pearly white teeth were grinding together so hard they nearly drew blood. Veins throbbed on her forehead, and her knuckles clenched together so tightly they'd turned white. Without a word, she pulled back her arm and slapped him in the face as hard as she could. Considering her height and muscle mass compared to Ron's, her best was surprisingly strong. The ginger's head snapped to the side, and she heard something of his crack from the impact. "Leave!" Harry hissed, so mad she almost slipped into Parseltongue. "Leave, Ronald Weasley! We are no longer friends!"

Ron felt his dislocated jaw and winced in pain. He narrowed his eyes, seeing his own blood on his fingers. "'Oo bitch!" he cried. He curled his other hand into a fist, but someone grabbed his wrist in a vice-like grip. He turned around furiously to see who it was. The much-bigger-and-more-muscled-than-him, professional athlete, Viktor Krum, was the one holding him back. Neville Longbottom stood behind Viktor, carrying a tray of drinks. Both boys were frowning heavily.

"Vat is problem?" Viktor rumbled in his thick accent. "Hermy-owny, is dis boy hurting you?"

Hermione smiled sweetly, but her eyes burned with malice. "No, he was just leaving. Isn't that right, Ronald?"

Ron glared at the brunette, but between the pain in his jaw and the physical intimidation of the world's greatest professional seeker, he decided to simply cut his losses. Wrenching his arm free, he turned on his heel, and angrily stomped to the hospital wing. He tried to shove Neville as he passed, but the younger boy simply sidestepped the attack, leaving the ginger stumbling before he managed to regain his balance.

"Is everything alright?" Neville asked, eyes darting between Harry's furious scowl and Ron's retreating back.

Hermione glanced at her best friend. Harry seemed to be calming down the further away Ron got, but her anger was quickly replacing itself with panic. Making her decision, she turned to Viktor and Neville. "Could you please give us a minute, boys? I need to talk to Harry alone for a bit. We'll be back soon, I promise."

Viktor nodded then turned to Neville. "Give her drink. It vill help," he said. Neville held out a glass of water, and Hermione took it from him, since Harry's fists were clenched too tightly to hold anything. "Go help your friend, Hermy-owny, ve shall vait," the Bulgarian told her. Neville spared one last concerned look towards Harry before nodding his consent.

Hermione smiled gratefully. "Thank you. Come on, Harry, let's get some fresh air." She grabbed Harry's hand and the redhead quietly followed behind her. After leading her to an outdoor garden, she parked her best friend down on a bench, then sat next to her and cast a privacy charm. She shoved the glass of water into Harry's hands. "Drink!" she ordered gently and Harry mutely complied.

"You know, I was probably a few seconds away from doing that myself," Hermione said conversationally, after a few minutes had passed in silence. Harry's lips twitched and Hermione continued. "Are you really that bothered about slapping Ronald, or is it something else?"

Harry stared at the bottom of the now-empty glass. "Hermione, am I a boy or a girl?"

Hermione blinked at the non-sequitur. "Well judging by that dress you're rocking, I'd say it's fairly obvious, wouldn't you?"

"That's not what I meant," Harry said, shaking her head sadly.

"Then what did you mean?" Hermione asked, brow furrowing in confusion.

Harry set the glass down on the floor then reached for her hair. She hesitated, then decided comfort was more important than fashion at the moment, and began to twirl a strand around her fingers. "When I started my prank, I knew the potion would alter my physical appearance, but I thought my personality would stay the same. Now though? Now I'm not so sure."

Hermione frowned. "Why do you think that?"

"Just before we left for the ball, I was… happy. Like, really happy. I was- am- thrilled about how beautiful I look right now, but, am I supposed to feel like that? Am I even allowed to feel like that?"

"Of course you are! There's nothing wrong with feeling beautiful, Harry. Nor is there anything wrong with enjoying that feeling. It's perfectly normal," Hermione insisted.

"Normal for a girl, perhaps, but I haven't always been one, have I?" Harry pointed out.

Hermione's eyes widened as she finally understood. "I see, you're worried the potion is changing your personality into one more suited for a girl, aren't you?"

"More or less," Harry replied. "I mean, think about what just happened. A few months ago, I'd have punched Ron- if I'd even resorted to violence at all. Ordinarily, I'd have just yelled back at him. But just now, my temper flared, and I slapped him. It even felt… natural, I suppose. But that's not a bloke's reaction. Not at all."

A contemplative silence passed. "I think," Hermione said slowly before shaking her head. "You know what hormones are, right?" she asked quickly.

Harry nodded. "Had to do Dudley's biology homework every summer," she explained bitterly.

"Good, so you know that men and women are built differently," Hermione pointed out, ignoring her tone. "The hormone imbalance is most likely the cause of all these changes so you'll probably revert back to normal once the potion wears off." Harry perked up at the thought, but Hermione wasn't finished yet. "Tell me, Harry, why do you even care?" Harry frowned, but Hermione elaborated before the redhead could reply.

"At the end of the day, you're still Harry Potter, regardless of what gender you are. You're still the same person who jumped on the back of a mountain troll to rescue a stupid, little girl. You're still the same person who killed a basilisk to save another little girl's life. You're still the same person who drove off a hundred dementors to rescue the godfather you'd just met that day. You're still the same person who regularly kicks the arse of the greatest Dark Lord who ever lived!" Harry blushed at the praise, not really understanding where the brunette was going with this.

Hermione continued her speech in a much softer tone. "You're still the same person who will always be my best friend. The same kind, selfless, brave, reckless, noble, wonderful person. That's who you are, and at your core, it's who you'll always be. If you find yourself acting more feminine, does it really matter? After all, you're only 14! It's okay to change a little. In fact, it's expected! Puberty is all about change!"

Harry leaned back into the bench and stared up at the stars. A few minutes passed in silence as Harry mulled over her words. Eventually, she shook her head and smiled. "You're the best, Hermione."

The brunette let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding in. "I know," she replied primly. Harry giggled and hugged her.

"Come on," Harry said. "Let's go dance some more, we've kept the boys waiting long enough."

Hermione wagged her finger playfully. "Ah-ah-ah! You know the rules. Go freshen up and fix your makeup and hair first. Just this once, I'll even help." Harry grinned then gave her a mock salute. The two girls giggled before heading to the lavatory.

Once they returned to the Great Hall, they immediately found their dates standing by the doorway. After assuring Neville she was fine now and that he had nothing to worry about, the four returned to the dancefloor. After several more songs, The Weird Sisters switched to a slower, more formal tempo. Hermione whispered something into Viktor's ear and he grinned before making his way over to Harry.

"May I haff dis dance?" Viktor asked, holding out his hand.

Harry arched an amused eyebrow. "Hermione's okay with it?" Viktor nodded. "Alright then," she agreed. She took his arm while Hermione danced with Neville. Her best friend hadn't lied- Viktor was a phenomenal dancer. However, he didn't say a word the entire time. He just looked at her with that amused half-smirk of his, which made her feel very self-conscious for some reason.

After the song was over, Viktor thanked her and went back to his date. She saw Viktor tell Hermione something, and the witch looked at her before giggling. Getting the sinking feeling she'd just been pranked, but unsure how, Harry shook her head, internally promising to get them back. Before she could return to Neville though, she was confronted by another champion.

"May I have this dance, Harry?" asked Cedric Diggory.

"Er- sure, Cedric."

Grinning, Cedric held out his arm. Harry took it and Cedric placed his other hand on her waist and led her confidently around the dancefloor. He too, was a phenomenal dancer, although Harry felt Viktor was slightly better.

"You look very beautiful, you know," Cedric remarked casually, midway through the song. "I was quite surprised; I didn't think you were into this sort of thing."

Harry started to blush, but forced it away with an effort of will. "Thanks!" she said cheerfully as Cedric twirled her around. "Honestly though, neither did I. Hermione, Lavender, and Parvati more or less forced me into it and I figured I might as well play along. After all, when else am I going to get the chance to dress up like this? Besides…" She grinned and spun around. "I look fantastic!"

Cedric laughed. "That you do," he agreed. "Have you made any progress on your egg?"

Harry blinked at the non-sequitur. "Haven't even thought about it since the Weasley Twins threw their 'Harry didn't get eaten by a dragon' party the night after the first task," she admitted. Cedric snickered and Harry smacked his arm half-heartedly. "Hey, don't laugh!" she chided him. "That was the official party title!"

Cedric grinned as he twirled her around again. "Sorry, sorry," he said placatingly. "Anyway, if you want to figure out the clue, take a bath with your egg. In fact, why don't you use the prefects bathroom? Password is 'pine fresh'." Harry smirked and arched an eyebrow. The music then reached its crescendo and Cedric dipped her down as the song ended. "Consider it payment for the heads-up about the dragons." He pulled her back up then bowed. "Thank you for the dance, m'lady!" Amused, she watched as Cedric made his way back to his date, Cho Chang, who immediately started questioning him incessantly. Following her fellow champion's lead, she rejoined Neville.

"Trading me in for older models already?" Neville asked, grinning.

Harry scoffed and swatted his arm. "Don't be a prat!" she chided. Neville's grin only grew wider, and Harry rolled her eyes. "Come on, I want to dance some more."

About an hour past midnight, the music started to shift to a more romantic tempo, and people finally started tottering out of the Great Hall. Harry decided to call it a night since she had no desire for any romance. She elected not to say goodbye to Hermione, as her best friend was currently swaying in Viktor's arms. Harry and Neville made their way up to the portrait of the Fat Lady and entered the common room.

"Thanks for agreeing to go with me, Neville," Harry told him at the foot of the stairs. "I had a wonderful time tonight. Much better than I was expecting. And you didn't even make it weird!"

Neville laughed. "You're welcome, Miss Potter!" He bowed low, making the motion as pompous and dramatic as possible. "Thanks for asking me out. I had fun too!" Harry grinned and gave him a friendly hug, which he reciprocated.

"Good night, Nev."

"G'night, Harry."

Neville trudged up one set of stairs while Harry headed up the other. She planned on waiting for Hermione to show up, but found Lavender and Parvati awake in their beds, talking animatedly about the ball in their nightgowns.

Harry told them she remembered them telling her sleeping with her makeup on was a bad idea. The girls were quite pleased that she remembered. Harry confessed she had no idea how to remove her makeup, or even her dress, and the girls offered to help her out back at her suite in exchange for stories of how her night had been. After removing her makeup and changing into a nightgown of her own, she spent the next hour and a half swapping stories with Lavender and Parvati. Harry took the 'I told you so' and good-natured ribbing in stride, even if it did cause her to blush quite a bit. She even spent some time gossiping with them about Hermione and Viktor. Surprisingly, Harry found the experience to be a lot of fun, and made a mental note to do it again sometime. Eventually, the two girls left her suite, and Harry got some much needed shut-eye.

And that's a wrap! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to leave a review. I love hearing from you guys; it's part of what makes writing so enjoyable for me, is hearing what you guys think. Once again, happy belated New Years everyone, and I'll see you all next week! Ttfn!

Edited: 11/13/19

7. Chapter 7

Hello everyone! Here's another chapter, hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 7

Harry was unable to tell Hermione about the advice Cedric gave her until after New Years, as no girl- not even Hermione (and to be perfectly honest, not even herself)- had wanted to talk about anything other than the ball the rest of the week. On the plus side, Harry had been teased so often about how beautiful she'd looked that night that she no longer blushed when someone brought it up. She also found she quite liked the way the black nail polish looked on her, and had 'borrowed' Lavender's until she could buy her own the next Hogsmeade weekend.

Two days after New Years, Harry finally managed to sit down with Hermione and plan out her little nighttime dip. The invisibility cloak would be a must, as would the Marauder's Map. In addition, Harry decided to take the handbag Lavender had convinced her to buy, for storage. In it she packed her golden egg, a towel, a pair of warm, fuzzy pajamas, and a pen and a piece of parchment spelled to be waterproof, at Hermione's insistence, in case she needed to take notes.

The next Saturday night, an hour before midnight, Harry snuck out of her suite and made her way down to the fifth floor. Her immediate thought upon entering the Prefects' Bathroom was that it was worth becoming a prefect just to use the bathtub. Bathtub was a misnomer though; it was more like a pool. The room itself was incredible too, gorgeous paintings and beautiful buttresses, but she quickly shook off her awe. She didn't have all night, after all.

After shrugging off her invisibility cloak, Harry packed it, and the Marauder's Map, in her handbag. Taking out the egg, she stripped then made her way over to the massive tub. She fiddled around with the various knobs and dials until the water was at the perfect temperature and filled to the brim with bubbles and foam. The relief she felt as she sunk into the hot water was heavenly. She could feel the water easing out tension in her muscles she didn't even know was there. Deciding she might as well take a bath- she was in a bathtub, after all- she tested out the various soaps. Harry lathered herself in a neon green colored, vanilla-scented one, and washed her hair with shampoo and conditioner that smelled of lily flowers. Yes, they were rather girly, but she felt like pampering herself.

Once she was fully clean, she lay in the water and spent several minutes simply relaxing. "I have got to come back here again someday," she muttered to herself.

"Can you do it as a boy next time? It's no fun watching a girl bathe," drawled an ethereal voice. Harry shrieked and crossed her arms over her chest before turning around. In an open stall, half-buried in the toilet with her arms propped up on the lid, was Moaning Myrtle.

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Myrtle!" she hissed.

The ghost girl raised an amused eyebrow. "That potion really is something, isn't it? You squealed just like a proper girl, and you're even covering your chest!"

Harry flushed, but ignored the teasing. "What are you doing here, Myrtle?" she asked darkly, ducking down into the water and glaring at the ghost.

Myrtle giggled then floated over to sit cross-legged on top of a sink. "I come here all the time, Harry," the ghost informed her. "It gets rather boring spending all your time crying in a toilet, you know."

"So you're spying on me?!" Harry yelled in outrage.

"Oh look at you, getting so angry over someone peeping on you!" Myrtle grinned and waved her hand dismissively. "No need to get so upset Harry, it's not like you have anything I don't right now. Besides, I can help you with that egg, if you'd like."

Reluctantly, Harry pushed aside her rage at the voyeuristic ghost. "What kind of help?" she asked skeptically.

"Well for starters, try putting the egg in the water," Myrtle advised. "That's what Diggory did anyway."

Harry gasped. "You were spying on him too?"

Myrtle nodded then giggled again. "He's such a handsome boy too!" she swooned.

Harry blushed as red as her hair and violently pushed that image from her mind as well. Grabbing her egg, she put it under the water and opened it. Unlike the high-pitched screeching it usually produced, a beautiful, haunting melody started to play. At Myrtle's encouraging nod, she sucked in a breath and ducked her head under.

When she came back up, she mentally thanked Hermione for her foresight. After ordering Myrtle to close her eyes- and making damn sure the ghost girl had listened!- she got out of the tub and took the waterproof pen and parchment out of her handbag. She listened to the clue again and wrote down the poem.

"'Come seek us where our voices sound, we cannot sing above the ground…' Okay, that has to be water- obviously. Which means the second task must take place underwater- the Black Lake, maybe? It's the only body of water large enough at Hogwarts, so it would make sense. Hmm… Myrtle, you've been to the Black Lake before, right? Are there Merpeople there?"

"Oh, well done!" Myrtle cheered. "Yes, there are! It took Diggory ages to work that out, and that was with her awake the whole time, tittering and flashing her fins." She jabbed her thumb at a picture of a pretty mermaid sleeping on a rock.

Harry wasn't really listening though; she bit her lower lip as her mind raced through the possibilities. "The rest of the poem seems pretty straightforward," she mused. "'We've taken what you'll sorely miss, an hour long you'll have to look, and to recover what we took…' Clearly, they're taking something important to me to hold hostage and I have an hour to retrieve it. My firebolt, maybe? Besides me, only the twins, Hermione, Padfoot, Moony, and him know about the map so that can't be it. I'll ask Hermione what she thinks later. As for spending an hour breathing underwater, there's got to be a magical way to do it, I just need to find it. They wouldn't assign an impossible task. I'll research with Hermione; maybe Neville knows a plant that could help. Worst comes to worse, I could always buy scuba gear and use that."

Nodding at her plan, Harry lay the egg and parchment to the side. "Alright Myrtle, close your eyes! I'm coming out again." As the ghost did so, pouting all the while, Harry stepped out of the tub and dried herself off with the towel and a quick charm. She then slipped on the fuzzy pajamas, and sighed contently as the warm fabric immediately replaced the chilly night air. Packing up her things, she checked the time and saw it was only a quarter past midnight. Harry turned to the ghost girl and smiled. "Thanks for your help, Myrtle. I really appreciate it," she said sincerely.

Myrtle blushed- Harry idly noted that when a ghost blushes their cheeks turn a darker shade of silver instead of red- and started playing with a strand of her ethereal hair. "No problem, Harry, I was happy to help," Myrtle replied coyly. "Just come visit me more often, will you? It gets rather lonely in my toilet."

Harry nodded. "I will," she promised. "Good night!"

"Good night, Harry! And good luck!" Myrtle called as the redhead left the bathroom.

On her way back, Harry checked the map and noticed something strange. There was a student's name she didn't recognize all alone in an abandoned classroom on the sixth floor. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she decided to go check out this 'Luna Lovegood' and see what she was doing.

Surprisingly, the door was locked, but a quick Alohomora fixed that. She opened it slowly and heard the sound of muffled crying. Even more curious now, she opened the door further and was outraged by what she saw. A little blonde girl- third year at most- clad only in her undergarments was huddled in a ball in the corner, shivering.

The sound of the door being opened brought the girl snapping to attention. "Who's there?" she asked wearily, her soft voice sounding a little raspy. "Is that you, Marietta? Su? Mandy? Whoever it is, go away! Why can't you just leave me alone?" The sheer anguish in the girl's voice cemented Harry's decision to help. Checking the map once more just to be sure no one else was around, she closed the door and shrugged off the invisibility cloak before using a more advanced version of the Lumos Charm to keep a ball of light floating overhead. The girl's eyes squinted as they adjusted to the brightness, but her cautious expression didn't drop. "Who are you?" she asked. She tried to make the question sound casual, but Harry was far too experienced not to recognize the fear in her voice.

"I'm Harry Potter," Harry said soothingly. "I'm here to help." With a few more waves of her wand and muttered incantations, she transfigured a section of the wall into a thick woolly blanket that she draped over the girl's shoulders. Trusting that her gut was telling her the right things to say and do, Harry smiled kindly at her. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

The girl's lips twitched upwards at the endearment. "Luna Lovegood," she said timidly, averting her gaze and clutching at the folds of the blanket as if they might disappear at any moment.

"Luna… that's a very pretty name," Harry told her. The little waif smiled hesitantly. "How old are you, Luna?"

"Thirteen."

"And what house are you in?" Harry asked.

"Ravenclaw, third year." She answered in a very small voice, wrapping herself tighter in the blanket.

Harry continued to smile. "You must be a very clever witch then, Luna. The Sorting Hat didn't even consider Ravenclaw for me." The blonde waif giggled softly. "Tell me Luna, why is such a pretty and clever young witch like yourself out here all by your lonesome so late at night?"

Luna curled a strand of her hair around her finger. "The Nargles made the knocker confused so I couldn't get into Ravenclaw Tower," she explained airily. "Then they took my clothes and locked me in here."

Harry's brow furrowed. "Nargles?" she asked.

Luna nodded. "They're invisible creatures that float inside your head and make your brain go all fuzzy," she explained. "But don't worry, they'll be back before morning. They always are." The blonde's words sounded confident, but her tone seemed like she was trying to convince herself.

Harry frowned. "The… Nargles, you said? They did this?" Luna nodded again. "And they've done this before? For how long?" Harry asked, playing along. She recognized a defense mechanism when she saw one.

"As long as I've been in Hogwarts," Luna told her.

Harry's eyes darkened in outrage, but she quickly hid it, not wanting the younger girl to get the wrong idea. She instead smiled warmly and put a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Well Luna, would you like to come back with me to my suite? I have a warm, comfortable bed you could sleep in, and you can borrow some of my clothes, if you'd like."

Luna's lower lip trembled. "Y-You mean it?" she asked. Harry met her eyes and nodded. "Th-Thank you," Luna sniffed.

Instinctively, Harry hugged the girl tightly. "There, there, it'll be alright," she cooed.

It was like the floodgates had opened and Luna started sobbing on Harry's shoulder. The redhead whispered reassurances in the girl's ear while stroking her hair the way Hermione had done for her. Eventually, Luna's tears ran dry. She sniffled and let Harry go. "Sorry about your shirt," she mumbled.

"It's alright, sweetheart. I can always wash it; nothing to worry about."

Luna's eyes glazed out of focus and she tilted her head to the side. "Your magic burns like the sun, Harry Potter," she proclaimed ethereally. "But the heat doesn't hurt one bit; it feels warm, and safe- protective even. How odd." She smiled sadly. "I haven't seen anyone's magic act like this since mum passed away."

Harry's heart started beating furiously in her chest, but she shook off the feeling, deciding it was more important to make sure Luna was taken care of than to ponder the implications of her words. "Thank you, Luna. That's very kind of you to say." The little blonde smiled happily. "Come on, I'll show you to my suite."

Helping Luna to her feet, she transfigured the blanket into a warm, woolen dress that fit the blonde girl comfortably, then pulled the map back out of her handbag and activated it. "My father and his friends made this when they were at Hogwarts," she explained to the awestruck girl. "It's a complete map of the school, along with all the secret corridors and hidden rooms. The most useful thing about it though is that it shows the location of everyone in the school." She pointed to the classroom they were in and the two dots labeled there. "See? That's us!"

Luna's jaw dropped. "This is amazing!" she exclaimed. "The charmswork needed to make this function, and to keep track of everyone… does it tap into the school's ward structure?"

Harry chuckled. "I don't know, but I do know who can tell me. I'll let you study the map more in the morning, alright?" Luna nodded, her troubles momentarily forgotten in the euphoria of discovery and the anticipation of learning something new and exciting. Harry chuckled then pulled out her invisibility cloak. "This was also my father's. I've been told it's a secret family heirloom that's been passed down for generations, so don't tell anyone, okay?"

Luna's eyes widened at the level of trust Harry was showing her and she bobbed her head frantically. Harry smiled and draped the cloak over the two of them. Holding the map in her left hand since Luna wouldn't let go of her right, she led the blonde to her suite. She pronounced the password for Shiva clearly so Luna could hear it and the girl gaped at her.

"I mean it. Anytime you want, you can come and use my room, alright? The door will always be open for you," Harry said warmly.

Luna hugged her tightly. "Thank you," she whispered.

Harry patted her head. "You're welcome, sweetheart."

Leading Luna into her bedroom, Harry opened a drawer and picked out the smallest pair of pajamas she owned. For once, being short worked in Harry's favor since Luna was able to fit into her clothes reasonably well, even if the shirt was a little loose around the blonde's chest.

"Sorry Luna, that's the best I have," Harry told her.

"It's alright," Luna told her. "I like it this way; it feels like you're still hugging me." She wrapped her arms around herself and smiled contently.

Harry gave her a quick dose of the real thing. Luna yawned loudly, and Harry let her go, amused. Luna blushed lightly and Harry motioned to her bed. "Time to get some sleep, sweetheart."

"But- but this is your bed!" Luna protested.

"None of that! You need it more. I've got too much to think about to fall asleep now anyways." Luna frowned. "About the tournament," Harry amended quickly. "Before I found you I'd just cracked the clue to the Second Task, and I won't be able to sleep until I've come up with a basic plan. So just lay your head down and rest, alright?"

Luna frowned, but obeyed. "Alright," she said reluctantly. With one last hesitant glance at Harry, who gave her another reassuring smile, Luna crawled under the covers and lay down. "Good night, Harry Potter, and thank you."

Following her instincts, Harry brushed a strand of Luna's hair out of the girl's face. "You're welcome, Luna Lovegood. Sweet dreams."

With a thought, Harry turned off the lights in the bedroom. She closed the door behind her then sat down heavily on the couch, the flickering flames in the fireplace a mere matchstick compared to the inferno she'd been suppressing within. Harry vowed to help Luna as much as she could. The little waif reminded her so much of herself- of how she used to be, before Hogwarts.

Unless Luna asked her to though, Harry wouldn't bring the matter up to any of the teachers. This systematic bullying had been going on for over two years now. That meant one of three things: Luna hadn't told the teachers yet, she had told them but they didn't do anything about it, or she'd told them and they'd done something about it but it hadn't helped. None of those would surprise her, the staff was honestly pretty useless when it came to bullying. They let Malfoy and his ilk roam free after all. Regardless, it would be Luna's choice.

Similarly, she wouldn't go after the bullies themselves unless Luna specifically asked her to. However, if she ever caught them trying to start something with the little blonde again, she'd make damn sure they'd bloody regret it. She despised bullies!

Eventually, her train of thought switched from happily imagining ways to maim and torture Luna's tormentors to what the girl had told her earlier. As crazy as it sounded, Harry was certain Luna could see magic- or at the very least, the magic inside of people. What was the word? Oh right- auras! That was probably one of the reasons she was being bullied. Luna had a gift. Her gift made her special. For normal people, 'special' meant 'different', and 'different' was something that could not be tolerated. In their eyes, she was a freak. It was a lesson that had been drilled into her many times by the Dursleys.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed it from her thoughts. There was nothing more she could do about it at the moment. However, since she still felt the need to do something, she pulled some of the higher level books from the shelves and started flipping through them to see if any of them mentioned a method to breathe underwater. She hadn't lied about needing a plan for the Second Task after all.

After an hour or so of fruitless research, she heard an odd noise coming from her bedroom. Knowing the sound could only have one source, she marked her place and slowly opened the door to her room. "Luna, are you alright?" she whispered. Mumbling, too quiet for her to discern, was her only answer. Frowning slightly, she crept closer to the bed. Luna's eyes were screwed shut and she was thrashing about wildly, clearly in the throes of a night terror.

"No! Mummy! Don't try that spell! You'll die! Please Mommy, don't die!" Luna whimpered. She was clutching the sheets so tightly her knuckles were turning white.

Harry was already moving before her mind had caught on to what she was seeing. Slipping under the sheets, she pulled the blonde close to her chest. "Shh, shh… it isn't real, Luna," Harry whispered into the girl's ear, slowly running her fingers through Luna's dirty-blonde tresses.

"Mummy," Luna whimpered again. "Don't leave me alone!"

Harry's heart broke for the poor girl. "It's alright, sweetheart, it's going to be alright," she cooed, hugging Luna even tighter. She constantly whispered reassurances into the little waif's ear, the way she'd wished had been done for her when she was younger, hoping it would chase the girl's demons away at least a little.

After several minutes, Luna finally started to calm down. However, the blonde's arms were wrapped much too tightly around Harry for her to get out without waking Luna up, which she was loath to do. Suddenly, a wave of overwhelming exhaustion hit her. She yawned, realizing she'd been awake for over twenty hours in a row- and they'd been physically and emotionally taxing hours too. Before Harry could decide what to do next, her mind and body were already asleep.

And that's a wrap! Yay, we're halfway there! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review, I love hearing from you guys. See you all next week. Ciao!

Edited: 11/13/19

8. Chapter 8

Hello everyone! Happy to see you all here again- metaphorically, of course! Enjoy the chapter! :)

Chapter 8

The next day, Harry woke to the feeling of something soft tickling her nose. Wrinkling it, she opened her eyes to find a vast expanse of bright yellow. Blinking the crust away from her eyelids, she looked down to see Luna cuddling into her breasts, a serene smile on the blonde's angelic face. Not wanting to wake the girl up, Harry held herself back from giving in to her instinct to shriek and push Luna away. She tried to quietly untangle herself, but was met with unexpected resistance.

"Quit moving," Luna whined, nestling her head in further, causing Harry to flush in embarrassment.

"Luna!" Harry gasped. "You're awake?" The blonde nodded and Harry tried her best to ignore the sensations that movement elicited. "I'm sorry," she said quickly.

Luna rubbed her eyes. "What for?"

"Well… you know," Harry said, flustered. "You were thrashing about last night, so I tried to calm you down, but I ended up sleeping with you instead."

"So?" Luna said, frowning. "I've never woken up this well rested in Hogwarts before. If anything, I should be thanking you. And I will! Thank you, Harry Potter!"

"No, it's just…" Harry bit her lip. "Look Luna, I'm really a boy, you know?"

"Hmm…" The blonde tilted her head to the side then grabbed both of Harry's breasts firmly and squeezed.

"Luna!" Harry cried, quickly pushing the younger girl away and covering her chest.

"That certainly didn't feel male," Luna observed airily.

Harry's cheeks flushed crimson. "No, I- I mean I was born one. I only look like this because of a potion. It'll wear off at the end of the year, and then I'll go back to how I was."

Luna's eyes glazed out of focus and Harry recognized the look from last night. Suddenly, Luna snapped out of her trance and smiled suspiciously, as if she knew something Harry didn't. "I don't care! Your gender doesn't matter to me. You're still my big sister!" the blonde declared.

Harry's eyes widened. "B-Big sister?" she stuttered.

"As long as you keep calling me sweetheart!" Luna confirmed, nodding happily. She then frowned and looked down, clenching the sheets in her hands. "Do you- do you mind?"

A volcano of emotion erupted in Harry's heart. Most of them were confusing and unidentifiable, but several stood out clearly above the rest. Foremost, was an immense feeling of happiness. Growing up as a neglected orphan and an only child- Dudley didn't count for so many reasons- the one thing she valued above all else, her greatest wish for the future, was having a family of her own. Here was this sweet little girl she'd known for less than a day, who wanted her as family. Right then, Harry didn't care about her gender. She didn't care about the tournament, her prank, all the rubbish she was dealing with. All that mattered was that Luna Lovegood wanted to be her little sister, so Harry did what she did best- she listened to her gut, and acted.

Wrapping her arms around Luna, Harry hugged her as tightly as she could, trying to convey her feelings in a way words just couldn't encapsulate. When she finally let her go, she wiped away her nascent tears. "I'd like that a lot… little sister."

Something about the way Harry said those last two words was special. It was like she was making an oath to Luna. Harry knew something had irrevocably changed. The magic coursing through her veins hummed in approval, and she knew, deep within her soul, that Luna Lovegood would forever be a part of her family. She beamed at her new little sister. The returning smile Luna gave her could have lit up the world.

An idea came to Harry. "Dobby?" she called questioningly. A moment later, the oddly dressed house-elf popped into the room.

"Missy Harry calls for Dobby?" the elf asked, his squeaky voice filled with hope.

"Morning, Dobby!" Harry said brightly. "Could you do me a favor please?"

Dobby's large bat-like eyes widened before his face set in determination. "For you, Missy Harry, Dobby always stands ready!" he declared, straightening his back. "What can Dobby bes doing for miss?"

"Can you please get some breakfast for me and… my little sister?" Harry glanced at Luna, whose smile stretched even wider.

Dobby nodded resolutely. "Yes, ma'am!" he promised. He snapped his fingers and vanished with a pop.

"What was that about?" Luna asked.

"Dobby's a good friend of mine; I figured he'd be willing to help me out. And well, doesn't breakfast-in-bed sound like a great way for me to get to know my new little sister?" Luna's eyes widened and she nodded eagerly. "That's what I thought," Harry teased, and Luna giggled.

Suddenly, Dobby popped back in, several huge platters of food levitating behind him. The trays were littered with mountains of pancakes and waffles, running thick with rivers of syrup and whipped cream, valleys filled with scrambled eggs and kippers, along with what must have been at least a dozen rows of various side dishes. The girls' mouths watered just from the smell alone. "Dobby is bringing the food," he announced redundantly. With another snap, the trays lay in front of the girls along with accompanying utensils.

"Dobby, this is brilliant!" Harry gushed.

The quirky elf blushed. "Dobby bes happy Missy Harry likes it. Will Missy Harry bes needing anything else?"

Harry shook her head. "Not right now, but I'll let you know if I do. Thank you so much!" Dobby nodded and popped away before he started crying in front of his idol. Harry turned to Luna. "Well, dig in!" she exclaimed, taking her own advice.

The two girls kept up a steady flow of conversation throughout the meal, sticking to simple topics by unspoken agreement, like hobbies and their favorite charms. Harry found Luna to be a delightful little ray of sunshine, and Luna was thrilled that Harry never once mocked her when she spoke about her creatures.

When they were both full, Harry called for Dobby again and thanked him for the wonderful meal. Dobby was ecstatic, and quickly cleared the mess- putting the unsurprisingly large amount of leftovers in stasis for later use- before popping back to the kitchens.

Harry and Luna then cuddled against the bedpost and started discussing more personal topics. Luna went more in-depth about the nargles' bullying, and asked her not to get involved. Harry reluctantly agreed, on the condition that she could hex them repeatedly if she ever caught them trying to start something. Luna cheerfully agreed, the miniscule, vengeful side of her secretly hoping it would happen. Harry then spent some time telling her about her life as a house-elf in Durzkaban, and the woes of a freak growing up with 'normal' people.

The girls spent several more hours swapping stories, their conversations growing heavier and more personal as time dragged on. What they bonded over the most was sharing how their mothers' died. Luna told Harry how hers had been a Spell-Inventor, whose experiments had backfired one day when Luna was nine, causing her to die in her daughter's arms. Luna was an emotional mess by the end of her tale, and Harry had hugged her and whispered reassurances into her ear until she regained her composure.

Harry then reciprocated by telling Luna all she knew about Voldemort's attack on Halloween of '81 thanks to the dementors the previous year- going into far more detail and sharing more of her feelings about the matter than she had with anyone else- even to Hermione (she hadn't even talked to Sirius about it yet, as the wound was still too fresh for him). When Luna asked why she was willing to go that far, Harry simply said that her little sister deserved to know. When Harry was done with her story, it was Luna's turn to hug her tight. Unlike her new little sister though, Harry refused to let her tears fall, although she did squeeze tighter than she normally would have.

Half past noon, having had their fill of emotionally charged topics for the moment, Harry called Dobby again and asked for some lunch, specifically requesting much less food than breakfast. Dobby eagerly complied, but still brought far too much in the girls' opinion. They had their second meal in bed for the day, and Harry and Luna both thanked Dobby afterwards. They talked about more pleasant topics once he'd cleaned up and left.

About an hour later, Harry and Luna were in the midst of an intellectual debate on the practical applications, or lack thereof, of McGonagall's beetles-to-buttons lesson. Harry said there were none since neither of them could think of any, and Luna tentatively conceded the point, but insisted the lesson was still important as it was the basis for all future living-to-nonliving Transfiguration. Harry agreed, but maintained her position that it was still extremely boring. The two then heard the door to Harry's suite creak open.

"Harry? Are you in there?" asked a familiar voice.

Harry grinned. "Let me introduce you to my best friend, ok sweetheart?" The blonde nodded and her face set in determination. Harry thought she looked absolutely adorable. "I'm in my room, Hermione!" she called out.

"Where have you been? We were supposed to meet at breakfast! I've been looking for you all day!" Hermione complained as she entered the room. The bushy-haired girl was not expecting what greeted her. Ignoring the blonde girl on Harry's bed, wearing Harry's pajamas- which was a whole quagmire of questions on its own- she'd never seen her best friend looking so happy before, so… at peace.

"Sorry Hermione, my plans kind of changed a bit last night," Harry told her, glancing at the blonde slyly. The blonde beamed and rested her head on Harry's shoulder.

Hermione frowned, displeased with her inability to read the emotion on her best friend's face since the girl was usually like an open book to her. She scowled as a likely scenario occurred to her. "Harry James Potter, what did you do?!" she shrieked, putting her hands on her hips.

Harry frowned, not understanding Hermione's sudden anger. Luna understood though, and she quickly derailed that train of thought. "Hello Hermione Jean Granger, my name is Luna Selene Lovegood," she said cheerfully. "It's so nice to meet you! My big sister's told me so much about you!" Harry's eyes filled with that same emotion she couldn't identify.

"Wait, 'big sister'?" Hermione asked, brow furrowing in confusion.

"Yup!" Luna and Harry exchanged a look.

Hermione gasped as she pointed at Luna. "Wait, Harry's your sister?"

"That's right," Harry said blissfully, giving the brunette a dopey smile. "This sweetheart is my new little sister!"

A sense of vertigo swept over Hermione, and she had to clutch the bedpost as her legs wobbled beneath her. Channeling her inner Professor McGonagall, she adopted her most severe look and crossed her arms, lips pursed into a very thin line. "Harry, I have no idea what's going on right now, and you know how much I hate that. Explain. Now!" she barked.

Harry giggled- which made Hermione even more confused, since the redhead didn't seem to even care about the girly sound she'd just made- before giving her the 411 on what had happened after she'd left the prefects bathroom, minus the more personal details that were between her and Luna.

When she finished speaking, Hermione shook her head exasperatedly. "Nothing you do is ever simple, is it Harry?"

"Nope!" Harry agreed, popping the 'p'.

"Simple is boring," Luna opined.

Hermione sighed. "What about the egg, then? You said you figured out the clue?"

Flashing her best friend the peace sign, Harry grinned. "I'm gonna have an hour to retrieve something from the Black Lake; I'll give you more details tomorrow." She jerked her head towards Luna in lieu of verbally explaining why.

Hermione sighed again. "Alright then. In the meantime, I'll go to the library and see if I can find a magical way to breath underwater," Hermione promised. "I'll let you know what I find later. It was nice meeting you, Luna!"

"Bye Hermione!" the two said as one. Hermione shivered as she was reminded viscerally of the Weasley Twins, and the new sisters burst into giggles. She was honestly happy for her friend, but she swore that if the two started copying Fred and George's twinspeak, Harry would feel her Wrath. She shook her head- fondly this time- then smiled and headed for the library.

The two sisters started a new debate on the merits of charmed pumpkins once Hermione had left. Several hours later, they had their third meal of the day via Dobby's wonderful catering service. Afterwards, Harry came up with a plan Luna was thrilled with. She lent her little sister some clothes- transfiguring them to make them fit better- and the two chatted as they made their way to Ravenclaw Tower while the rest of the school was still nomming on their dinner in the Great Hall. The curse to prevent the knocker from hearing Luna was unfortunately still in effect, so Harry was the one who supplied the answer to the knocker's question. As the door swung open, the redhead took a deep, fortifying breath before going inside.

The first thing Harry did was cast a summoning charm on Luna's wand. It zoomed down the stairs, and she caught it effortlessly. She returned it to its rightful owner, who seemed to glow as she took hold of it. The two of them then headed up the stairs to Luna's dorm. Harry was dismayed to find her little sister had so few possessions, but Luna assured her this was normal, and that the majority would show up at the end of the year.

Far from being comforted, Harry was outraged that her little sister was being bullied so horribly. She summoned Dobby and recruited him for the task of finding all of Luna's belongings, requesting he bring everything to her suite, explaining that Luna would be living with her for the remainder of the year. Overwhelmed, Luna tackled her in a bear hug and squeezed her as tightly as she could. For such a small girl, the young blonde had quite the grip.

The two made their way back to Harry's suite, Luna skipping all the while. They were pleasantly surprised to discover Dobby had already gone above and beyond the call of duty. A second four-poster bed, dresser, and nightstand had been set up in the bedroom, with Luna's school trunk opened next to it, filled to the brim with everything she'd kept in her dorm. Additionally, the little elf had clearly made phenomenal progress on his mission already, as many of Luna's missing belongings were organized in neat piles on her new bed.

The one possession Luna was happiest to see again was the magical photograph of her mother smiling at her, which had gone missing after her first month at Hogwarts. With the utmost care, Luna set the picture down on her new nightstand, then called for Dobby. She gave the wonderful elf one of her deceivingly strong hugs, thanking him profusely. The little guy nearly broke down in tears.

Over the next few days- with the exceptions of classes- Luna followed Harry around like a lost puppy. Not that her new big sister minded, of course. Harry was still riding the high of having a sister- having family. Harry had introduced Luna to her other friends and her fellow champions. The diverse group of people happily accepted the quirky little blonde into their mix.

February 13th was Luna's birthday. The two sisters had agreed to celebrate it on Valentine's Day since there was a Hogsmeade trip scheduled then, but Harry still gave Luna a present the day of. It was a simple gold bangle, part of an identical two-piece set that were engraved with the word 'sisters' on them. Luna loved it, and eagerly put it on, insisting Harry did the same. The redhead was only too happy to comply.

The next day, Harry, Hermione, and Luna took a carriage together to Hogsmeade. The two veteran escape artists snuck the younger girl into the muggle world via the floo in The Three Broomsticks, where they celebrated her birthday. They first went to see a movie. It was a novel experience for both Luna and Harry- the former had been isolated in Bubble Britain, while the latter had never been allowed to go to the theater before. The two older witches than introduced the young blonde to the heaven-on-Earth known as pizza.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Luna's favorite slice was one she created herself by piling all the assorted toppings on top of each other, then drowning the concoction in ketchup. Hermione was disgusted, but Harry laughed and took a bite. It honestly wasn't that bad, though she decided to stick with plain pepperoni herself.

Afterwards, they migrated to Harrods for some good, old-fashioned shopping! Harry footed the bill for all her little sister's new clothes, shoes, and accessories- it was the girl's birthday, after all. Much to Hermione's surprise and amusement, Harry also picked out several items for herself, all on her own, and without any prompting. The girls also took a detour to buy Harry a skin-tight wetsuit for the Second Task.

Luna was completely awed by her first foray into the muggle world, and the way she gushed over the experience had the two older girls giggling. They took the Knight Bus back to Hogsmeade under Harry's invisibility cloak, giggling like the schoolgirls they were at the stupefied expression on Stan Shunpike's face as he mechanically accepted the money that, from his perspective, had appeared out of thin air. By the time they returned to the village, the carriages had ceased ferrying people back. Fortunately, Harry had a plan.

Calling for Dobby, she asked him to take all their new things to their respective rooms. She waved off Hermione's protests of slave labor by claiming she had asked, not ordered, and pointed out that the quirky elf was overjoyed to help them. Using the Marauder's Map and the invisibility cloak, Harry smuggled the three of them into the castle through the cellar in Honeydukes without detection. They entered the Great Hall just as the feast was about to begin. The three shared conspiratory smirks then sat down to enjoy the food.

And that's a wrap! 8 down, 6 more to go! With this chapter, we're now more than halfway done with Pranking The Tournament. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please leave a review, reading the feedback from all you wonderful people is what sustains me! Ttfn and see you all next week! Ciao!

Edited: 11/13/19

9. Chapter 9

Hello everyone, here's chapter 9! Enjoy!

Chapter 9

The morning of the Second Task, Harry was extremely worried. She couldn't find Hermione anywhere! She had a feeling in her gut that something was terribly wrong, and not even Luna's reassurances were able to get her to relax.

An hour before the task, she reluctantly abandoned her search in favor of getting ready. After donning her skin-tight wetsuit, she stowed her wand in her arm holster and attached the pocketknife that was another of Sirius' Christmas gifts onto her suit. Her wetsuit had been charmed to protect against the cold, and made thinner and more form-fitting for extra maneuverability. Somewhat paradoxically, despite being even tighter now, the suit was easier to breathe in than it was before.

She stuffed a small, waterproofed bag filled with tiny balls of Gillyweed- each specially cut to allow for 10 minutes of use- in a pouch on her waist. Dobby had bought quite a lot of the plant for her from the Apothecary in Diagon Alley after Neville had told her about the magical herb that would enable her to breathe underwater. He had warned her that the effects were slightly disorienting at first, so she had practiced and experimented with the Gillyweed in the prefects' bathroom. No sense in letting such an awesome resource go to waste.

As they trudged down to the lake, Luna kept up a steady stream of distracting chatter in an ultimately fruitless effort to keep her big sister's mind off their missing friend. Before Harry entered the champions' tent, Luna pulled her into a needy hug. "Be careful, big sister," she pleaded, lower lip trembling slightly.

Harry brushed some hair out of the girl's face. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll be fine," she promised, smiling reassuringly.

Luna's throat made a noise that was half-sniffle, half-snort, then locked eyes with her. "I love you, Harry," she admitted softly.

Harry felt like the world had completely frozen. The cool winter breeze stopped blowing, the distant waves lay motionless, and even the birds flying overhead paused mid-flap. Her heart skipped a beat then started roaring loudly in her chest as a goofy grin spread over her face. That was the first time she'd heard Luna say that to her. Merlin, it was the first time she could remember anyone saying that to her!

"I love you too, Luna," she replied, a little surprised when she realized she really meant it too. Her little sister had grown so close to her so quickly, but she truly did love her. The two squeezed each other tightly in a deeply emotional hug. Harry felt tears prickling at her eyes, but knew she couldn't afford to break down now. Unfortunately, that also meant she had to send Luna away before she became overwhelmed. "Sweetheart, why don't you go sit with Neville and the twins?" she suggested shakily. "I'll be back as soon as possible." Luna nodded obediently, understanding what Harry wasn't saying, and gave her sister one last fleeting hug before making her way to their friends.

Harry took a deep, calming breath as she stared at the entrance. She was way too emotional right now, and she needed a clear head for the Second Task. She was over the moon from the small, but intimate, conversation she'd just had, but she had to admit her little sister's timing was… less than ideal. Shaking her head, she straightened her spine then pushed open the flaps of the tent.

Cedric and Viktor's eyebrows disappeared into their hairline when they saw what she was wearing, but neither commented, electing instead to concentrate on the upcoming task.

Fleur on the other hand, walked over to her. "What iz zat you are wearing?" she asked.

"Muggle swimsuit designed for deep sea diving," Harry replied absently, biting on her lower lip as she clenched and unclenched her fists. Fleur muttered something under her breath in French then noticed the state the younger girl was in. She put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed reassuringly.

"Do not worry so," Fleur advised. "Zis hardly compares to a dragon, non?" Harry's lips twitched, and the quarter veela smirked. "Worry more how ze boys will react to you an' your 'swimsuit' 'Arry," she teased, a playful smirk dancing on her lips.

Harry shuddered. "I'd prefer they stare at you, to be honest. I'm still not comfortable with guys ogling my bits, and I don't think I ever will be," she confessed. Fleur's musical laughter filled the room and Harry grinned nervously.

Bagman then walked into the tent and led them to the docks with minimal interaction. He clearly didn't want a repeat of the First Task. Harry smiled at the pleasant feeling that left in her heart. Ignoring the cacophony of noise from the roaring crowd, she searched for Luna and her friends. Locating them, she waved, and they waved back at her.

"ON THE COUNT OF THREE!"

Bagman's magically amplified voice forced Harry to return her attention to the Task at hand. She removed a single ball of gillyweed from her pouch.

"ONE!"

She stuffed the blob of slimy plant down her throat, suppressing her gag reflex at the horrible taste.

"TWO!"

She gulped in one last breath of fresh air as the plant quickly altered her body to be more amphibious.

"THREE!"

As the sound of a cannon blast burst from Bagman's wand, the four champions dove into the frigid water as one. Harry immediately swam downwards and slightly to the left, ignoring the discomforting sensations the gillyweed had on her body with practiced ease.

Avoiding a pack of grindylows, Harry sped in the direction she believed the mervillage lay. After nearly fifteen minutes of swimming, popping another patch of Gillyweed when needed, she came across the shimmering form of a familiar ghost.

"Head that way," Moaning Myrtle told her, pointing to the left. "They're over there. I'm not going with you though; they always chase me away whenever I get too close."

Harry gave her two enthusiastic thumbs up and a bright smile to show her thanks. She adjusted her course and continued swimming. After several more minutes of aquatic travel- the new watch she'd bought at Harrods was uninhibited by the water thanks to the Impervious Charm she'd cast on it- beautiful singing echoed around her. She'd finally arrived at the mervillage. The merpeople observed her warily as she slowly swam forward, feeling mildly unnerved by their yellow-eyed gazes.

In the center of the village, Harry found four figures bound tightly by seaweed to a statue of a giant merman weilding a trident. She only noticed the one on the far left though; it was the same girl she'd been searching for all day.

"Hermione!" she cried, and swam over to her best friend. A merman grabbed her wrist and barked something at her, but she was too worked up to hear him. Wrenching her arm free, she pulled out her wand and waved it threateningly. He glared, but backed away, snarling. She fired off several Cutting Curses at the seaweed, but all that aided in was draining her magical core. Pulling out her pocket knife, she hacked at the plant and it split apart like hot butter. Now freed from her vegetative shackles, Hermione started floating upwards. Harry sheathed her knife and used her free arm to grab Hermione. Several mermen brandished their tridents threateningly at her, shouting incoherently. In no mood to figure out what their problem was, Harry quickly disarmed several of them and fired off a few warning shots. They left her alone after one of her Piercing Hexes missed a Merman's head by mere inches and drilled a hole into the limestone behind him.

Sparing them a backwards glance to make sure they wouldn't follow her, Harry sped upwards as fast as she could. On her way, she got caught in a water current that made her veer closer to the grindylow packs than she was comfortable with. However, she spotted Fleur being swarmed by the water demons, so she fired off several spells to give the French witch some breathing room. Once the grindylows retreated, Harry pointed in the direction of the mervillage, then continued swimming towards the shore before Fleur could do more than smile and nod gratefully.

Right as the stands came into sight, Harry felt her gills disappearing. Not wanting to waste another ten minutes in the water, she pointed her wand at the crowd and yelled out an incantation that forcefully propelled her upwards. Just as the plant's magic expired, she broke free from the lake's surface.

Hermione spluttered as the crisp, midwinter air broke her enchanted sleep. "Harry?" she asked, darting her head from side to side. "Where are we? Is this the Black Lake? Wait, the Second Task! I was your hostage?"

"Treading water currently, yes, and yes!" Harry replied. She grinned and helped the brunette stay afloat. "Did you have a nice nap? It sure seemed like it; you slept like the dead!" she teased.

Hermione rolled her eyes, but a smirk still tugged at her lips. "It was wonderful! Now I'm all recharged and ready for more studying."

Harry laughed, and the two girls started swimming towards the docks. Once they were safely on shore, Madam Pomfrey bustled over and dragged them into the medical tent. After confirming neither girl was physically injured, merely dangerously cold, she handed them both a change of warm, woolen clothing, as well as Pepper-up Potions and mugs of steaming hot cocoa with marshmallows.

Harry frowned. The clothes she'd been given were designed for men. With a lazy wave of her wand and a muttered incantation, she transfigured them into something more feminine.

"You Transfigured those clothes rather quickly," Hermione noted. "You've really embraced being a girl, haven't you Harry?"

Harry swatted her friend's arm, but couldn't help the grin that tugged at her lips. "It's more comfortable like this," she claimed. Hermione pretended to look skeptical, and Harry rolled her eyes as she slipped out of her wetsuit.

Once the two girls had drunk their potions and finished changing, they grabbed their hot cocoa and left the tent to go and watch the remainder of the task. They were confronted at the entrance however, by two of the judges. Albus Dumbledore's serene smile seemed slightly strained, and the usual twinkle was absent from his eyes. Igor Karkaroff was gritting his teeth as several veins throbbed on his temple.

"Harry, m'boy," Dumbledore said jovially. "Congratulations on-"

"I'm not a boy," Harry interrupted, pursing her lips.

Dumbledore coughed into his fist. "Quite. Regardless, congratulations on completing the Second Task so expeditiously. We do however, have a slight issue we were hoping you could help us resolve." Hermione narrowed her eyes suspiciously as Harry motioned for him to continue. "Why did you not take your own hostage?" the ancient wizard asked.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked brusquely. "Hermione was my hostage."

Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm afraid not, dear child. Your hostage was young Mr. Weasley."

"Ron?" Harry asked, jaw dropping slightly. Dumbledore nodded.

Karkaroff sneered, unable to continue holding back his rage. "You are nothing more than a nasty, little cheat, boy! How dare you steal my champion's hostage!"

"I'm not a boy," Harry repeated, lip curling at the Durmstrang headmaster. She turned back to her own and sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Let me see if I got this right… you put both my best friend, and the only Weasley in this school I don't like, at the bottom of the Black Lake together, and expected me to rescue him?"

"'We've taken what you'll sorely miss,' indeed!" Hermione scoffed.

Harry grinned at the back-up then returned her attention to the two old men. "Look, I'm sorry for the mix-up, but you can hardly blame me for it! You never told us whose hostage was whose, and I still don't understand why you thought it was a good idea to pick, out of everyone I know, the only Gryffindor in my year I have an actively adversarial relationship with as my hostage. Honestly, you should've expected this."

Dumbledore frowned. "Harry, can't you see Mr. Weasley regrets his actions? Surely, he deserves a second chance," he reprimanded.

Harry bristled. "That's hardly the point of this discussion, Sir! And for your information, Ronald already had his second chance. The boy wasted it away- and destroyed any possibility of us ever being friends again- when he insulted me and Hermione at the Yule Ball, and tried to punch me just because I didn't go to the ball with him! He would have succeeded too, had Viktor not stopped him." Harry huffed and crossed her arms. "And did you really think this was the best way to 'fix' our friendship? Forcing me to rescue him from the bottom of a freezing lake in February? Clearly you've forgotten what it's like to be a teenager, Headmaster, or you would have known that would never work!"

Suddenly, Cedric broke through the surface of the water with his girlfriend, Cho Chang, followed moments later by Fleur, desperately holding onto a flailing little girl who looked just like her, only younger.

"Come on," Harry muttered, grabbing Hermione's hand. "Let's go help them out." Hermione glanced back at the two headmasters before following the redhead. By the time they reached the docks though, Cedric and Fleur had already hauled themselves and their hostages up. Cedric and Cho seemed alright, but the mini-Fleur refused to leave the real one's side.

"Need a hand?" Harry asked her.

"Oui," Fleur said distractedly, as she attempted to gently pry her sister off her leg. She turned to see who had offered the help and smiled widely. "'Arry!" she exclaimed. Grabbing the redhead's face, she kissed her once on each cheek. "Merci beaucoup! You saved moi from ze grindylows! Wizzout your 'elp, I would not 'ave been able to rescue Gabrielle! Merci! Merci!"

Harry flushed red as her hair from the quarter veela's kisses and praise. "Er- je vous en prie, Fleur," she said slowly, making sure to enunciate every syllable properly. The quarter veela beamed at her, and Hermione raised an eyebrow, impressed. "I study," the redhead grumbled.

Hermione smiled sweetly and patted Harry's cheek. "I'm sure."

The youngest champion pouted, and the two French girls giggled. With one last thank you, they made their way over to the medical tent. That was when Viktor finally surfaced, clutching a mop of red hair. He tossed Ron onto the docks and pulled himself up in one fluid motion. The spluttering ginger landed at Harry's feet and coughed, expelling the water that had built up in his lungs.

"Fitting," Harry muttered absently. She then turned to the Bulgarian and looked at him pleadingly. "Viktor, listen, I am so, so sorry! If I had known-"

Viktor cut her off by raising a hand then gesturing to the still-coughing Weasley. "Is dis boy who tried to hit you at ball?"

Harry blinked. "Er- yes, actually," she replied, surprised he remembered.

Viktor grunted. "Den I understand. It is no problem."

"Thank you," Harry sighed, her shoulders slumping in relief.

The Bulgarian nodded and turned to the brunette next to her. "You are unharmed, Hermy-owny?"

"Not a scratch," she assured him.

"Good." Viktor smiled at her and she blushed, looking down shyly.

"Er, Viktor? Could you please talk to your Headmaster?" Hermione implored. "He thinks Harry purposely sabotaged you."

Viktor snorted and shook his head in disgust. "I vill explain, but Karkaroff is fool." Hermione blinked and Harry let out a small giggle. Viktor's lips twitched. "I go change," he announced. He smirked at Hermione. "Vould you like to vatch?"

The brunette flushed deeply. "N-No, thank you," she squeaked. "That's not to say I don't find you attractive- I do, you're very handsome- I just- oh, what am I saying?" She ceased her rambling and buried her face in her hands.

Viktor barked out a short laugh then put a strong hand on the girl's shoulder. "You are very attractive too, Hermy-owny." The girl's blush grew worse. "I vill see you later," he promised, before striding over to the medical tent.

Hermione stood rooted in place until the sound of muffled giggles broke her from her reverie. The brunette crossed her arms. "Oh, be quiet, Harry!" she huffed, but the redhead only laughed harder.

The scores were tallied, and the judges gave Harry the exact same marks as the First Task. Karkaroff refused to budge from his stance on Harry being a cheat, despite Viktor's entreaties. Harry didn't let it bother her though, she was still solidly in first place. The other three champions congratulated her, but claimed they'd be victorious in the end. They all agreed to share another meal together once things had settled down.

As Harry exited the tent, she was attacked by a ballistic blonde hug-missile. Her little sister started babbling about how awesome Harry had been- apparently, the judges had set up a useful little charm that enabled the crowd to track the champions' progress. It would have been very boring for all involved if they'd been forced to stare at the lake for an hour, wondering what was happening. Sharing a look with Hermione, the two older witches giggled at Luna's exuberance before making their way up to the Gryffindor common room, where the Weasley Twins were hosting a 'Harry didn't get eaten by the giant squid or impaled by mermen' party.

There was an initial kerfuffle caused by Luna's appearance. Ron- riding the high of people believing he was who Viktor Krum would miss the most- had loudly protested against a Ravenclaw being at a Gryffindor party. Harry and Hermione shut him down quickly though. The two girls cleared up the misunderstanding over the hostages, and explained why it happened.

Hermione took great pleasure in ending Ron's fifteen minutes of fame by revealing to all and sundry that Viktor had told her he despised Ron for insulting her and Harry at the Yule Ball, and for trying to physically assault a girl. She wisely kept silent on who that girl had been, and Ron neglected to mention it to the crowd, much to said girl's relief.

Harry hammered the final nail in Ron's coffin by pointing out that the party was in her honor. Therefore, she could invite her own bloody sister if she damn well pleased! Ron slinked away, the sound of everyone laughing at him feeling like salt poured on an open wound.

Nobody else protested Luna being there after that, and the rest of the party was smooth sailing and loads of fun- although Luna did stay by Harry's side the entire night.

And that's a wrap! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please leave a review down below, your feedback fuels my soul. Until next week, ciao!

Edited: 11/13/19

10. Chapter 10

Hello all! New chapter once more! Hope you all enjoy! I had a lot of fun writing this one! :D

Chapter 10

A few days after the Second Task, Rita Skeeter published an article on the events, accurately explaining the mistakes of Headmasters Dumbledore and Karkaroff in assigning hostages. The article also described- in meticulous detail- the falling out between Harry and Ron, and how it happened. Unfortunately for Harry, the remainder of the article was then devoted towards reminding everyone how beautiful she'd looked at the Yule Ball.

The story made the front page, and the cover photo shuffled between two different shots. One was of Harry dancing with Neville at the Yule Ball- something Skeeter had thankfully neglected to comment on- her eyes sparkling as she laughed at something he'd said. The other, was of her doing stretches in her skin-tight wetsuit at the start of the Second Task, which made her hyper-aware of how little that wetsuit had left to the imagination.

The pictures were absolutely mortifying, and caused a problem Harry had not anticipated when starting her prank. People- boys, to be specific- had started drooling over her body. There was a popular theory amongst the girls on what the boys were using her pictures for in their alone time, but Harry tried desperately not to think about it. She didn't want to wander anywhere near that rabbit hole! In addition, Harry was constantly inundated with 'suitors' attempting to flirt with her. Usually, all it took to get them to stop were a few insults, but several handsy individuals didn't seem to know the meaning of the word 'no'.

Fending them off was simply exhausting! She had no idea how other girls put up with this rubbish. Hermione had been no help; her best friend broke down laughing every time the topic came up. Luna tried her best, but she didn't know what to say since she (thankfully) didn't know what it was like. Sirius told her to cast Reductor Curses at their wedding tackles, but she felt that was a bit too much.

The youngest champion wondered how Rita gathered her information; she was certain she hadn't seen the reporter at the Yule Ball or the Second Task. Even more concerning were the pictures; she'd never even noticed them being taken.

Ultimately though, she decided to let it go. While the boy troubles were extremely irritating, she couldn't exactly fault Rita for it. Plus, the article had painted her in a very good light, and had finally managed to get Ron- who'd been glaring at her ever since the party- to back off. Although why he'd opted to stay cooped up in his bed with his curtains shut and Silenced- according to Neville- was not a question she wanted answered. Ignorance was bliss, after all.

On the other side of the House spectrum, Draco Malfoy had finally gotten over his shock at Harry's spontaneous case of 'becoming-a-girl-itis' five months after the fact. He'd gone over to the Gryffindor table to taunt her a week after the Second Task.

"Hey, scarheadette! Trouble in paradise with the Weasel?" Malfoy said gleefully as he swaggered over, waving the Skeeter article about like a flag. Harry rolled her eyes, and the people around her stopped their conversations to enjoy the upcoming show.

"'Scarheadette'?" Harry repeated blandly. "Five months, and that's the best you could come up with, Draco darling?" She sighed theatrically. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't expect creative genius from the boy who decided on 'Potter Stinks'."

People snickered, and Malfoy glared at her. "Shut up, Potter!" he screamed.

Harry smiled indulgently, like a parent humoring their child. "Are you going to complain to 'Daddy dearest' about me, Draco darling? You're also quite behind the times, you know. The Weasel and I haven't spoken since Yuletide." She shook her head sadly. "I'm worried for you, Draco darling, I really am. I think you should get some help. Your complete lack of observational skills might be indicative of something more problematic, and you really can't afford to lose any more brain cells."

The boy glared at her. "Stop calling me that!" he hissed.

"Stop calling you what?" Harry asked, tilting her head to the side innocently.

"You know what!" he seethed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Draco darling!" Harry said dramatically. "You should really work on your communication skills more. Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were mad at me! Isn't that just ridiculous? We both know you can't stay away from me, Draco darling!" She fluttered her eyelashes and winked at him playfully.

Draco gaped. What in Merlin's name was happening? This was not going according to plan! Why was Potter not yelling at him like usual? Since when could Potter snark as well as Greengrass? Why was Potter… flirting with him? He narrowed his eyes. "You've changed, Potter! What happened to you?"

Harry observed her body with exaggerated slowness. She stared at several of her more feminine attributes before turning back to Malfoy. "Nothing comes to mind," she replied drolly.

Her friends laughed, and Draco grit his teeth. "You filthy, little half-blood, how dare you mock me!" he spat, donning his signature sneer.

Harry clutched her heart. "Oh, Draco darling! I can't believe you would call me something so horrible… I'm not little, I'm fun-sized!" Draco squirmed in his place, unable to come up with a clever retort. He eventually stomped out of the Great Hall, grumbling under his breath. "Take care, Draco darling!" Harry called to his retreating back.

Once the boy was out of sight, Harry turned to her best friend and grinned. "That was fun!" she decided. "Why haven't I done that before?"

"Because before you were a stupid boy," Hermione answered promptly. Luna nodded sagely at the brunette's logic.

The redhead snickered. "Fair enough!" Neville gave her a betrayed look, but the girls grinned, and everyone returned to their meals now that the morning entertainment was over.

After breakfast, Harry said goodbye to Luna and headed off to History of Magic with Hermione. As class ended, Harry felt nature calling. Sending Hermione to lunch at the Great Hall without her, she took a detour to use the loo. As she left the bathroom, she saw several boys at the end of the corridor leering at her photos. Scowling, she slipped into a side corridor to avoid them, but ran into something equally unpleasant.

Draco Malfoy was sneering at Hannah Abbott, twirling the girl's wand tauntingly in his hand. Clearly, the boy hadn't given up earlier as she'd hoped- he'd simply moved on to an easier target. Poor Hannah was on the verge of tears, and Harry bristled as the sight compounded her already high levels of frustration. Smirking sadistically, she decided to teach the ponce a very special lesson- one he'd never forget.

The sound of someone clearing their throat had Malfoy glance over his shoulder to investigate. He gulped, finding himself on the business end of Harry Potter's wand. Hannah gasped and clasped her hands together, eyes shining with hope.

"What are you doing here, Scarheadette?" Draco snarled. His hands twitched for his wand while his eyes flitted about in search of an escape route.

Harry frowned and her eyes narrowed as she placed her other hand on her hip. "What are you doing here, Draco darling?" She glanced suspiciously at Hannah. "And why is she here? Were you-" She gasped dramatically. "No! You weren't cheating on me, were you?"

Draco's eyes widened and Harry grit her teeth, deliberately misinterpreting his reaction. "I can't believe you!" she screeched indignantly. "I thought we had something special- a real connection- but here I find you with another half-blood girl!" She cocked her head to the side. "Were you overwhelmed earlier? Did I make you feel inferior? Is that why you're trying to replace me, Draco darling?" she questioned delicately.

"Wha- I- you- WHAT?" Malfoy spluttered. "What are you on about, Potter?"

"It's okay," Harry said softly, her lower lip quivering. "You can tell me the truth, Draco darling. I know I'm a bit too much for a little boy to handle, let alone… you." She looked away furtively. "If you want to… b-break up with me- just say so! I'm a big girl; I can take it!" She feigned wiping a tear from her eye. "I won't say it wouldn't hurt. We've been through so much together these past few years, but I'd understand. Boys have very fragile egos, after all." She shook her head then narrowed her eyes again. "But if you want to stay together, this is not okay! I put up with a lot from you, Draco darling, but cheating on me is where I draw the line!" She crossed her arms and observed him expectantly. "So… which is it, Draco darling? Will you stay with me or not?"

Something seemed to snap in the back of Malfoy's mind. Thick, red blood thundered through his veins, and his vision narrowed to the person in front of him. "POTTER!" he roared. He fumbled with his wand, hands shaking from the force of his rage. But before he could cast a single curse, Harry had him disarmed and in a full-body bind. She then levitated his body so he was leaning against the wall.

"You'll stay with me? You mean it? Oh, Draco darling, that makes me so happy!" Harry swooned. She then frowned, wrinkling her nose. "But… you did cheat on me, Draco darling, and I can't just let that go unpunished! But how do I make sure the lesson… sticks?" Cupping his cheek, she smiled provocatively, and Draco let out a small whimper. "I need to make sure you never even think about another girl ever again. You're mine, after all!"

Even to his dying breath Draco would deny it, but in that moment Potter scared him. The way she acted reminded him viscerally of the stories his parents told him about his crazy Aunt Bellatrix, and that set his Slytherin survival instincts screaming in terror.

On the flip side, Harry was in heaven. The tangible fear radiating from the boy who'd tried his best to make her first three years at Hogwarts hell was like a balm for her soul. The rush from letting her Inner-Black out to play was simply incredible. Frankly, she was a little disturbed by how much she was enjoying this, but a little indulgence every now and again never hurt anyone. Well, other than 'Draco darling' but that was the whole point of the endeavor so she didn't count it.

Harry squealed softly, placing her hands on her face as she shook her head from side to side. "Oh, I know just what to do now, Draco darling!" She brought up her wand and pointed it directly at him, smiling at the look of absolute terror that appeared in his eyes. Twin flashes of magenta light lanced out and struck him right in the chest. Immediately, a pair of fluffy, blonde ferret ears sprouted from the boy's head and a ferret's tail tore through his robes and started flicking behind him.

"Oh Merlin, you look so cute, Draco darling!" Harry swooned, petting the boy's fluffy new ears. The boy tried to immolate her with the power of his mind. Noticing the glare, Harry pouted. "Aww, you don't like it? But I was so sure you would," she said despondently. Draco grit his teeth, but didn't reply. Harry frowned and tilted her head to the side. "Are you mad at me, Draco darling? Is it because you can't move?" she asked rhetorically. Much to Draco's dismay, Harry's spell was insanely powerful and- unlike the average person's Full-Body Bind- prevented him from even moving his lips. As such, he couldn't even answer, and was reduced to internal screaming.

"It's your own fault, Draco darling," Harry told him, jabbing a finger playfully in his chest. "If you hadn't cheated on me, I wouldn't have had to punish you. But you won't dare do it again now, would you?" She smiled sultrily and dragged a fingernail down his chest. Draco shuddered- even through the spell.

"I think I've made my point," Harry admitted reluctantly. "I do hope you've learned your lesson, Draco darling." She narrowed her eyes warningly. "I won't be so… lenient, if there's a next time." Cancelling her spells, Harry hopped to the side and smiled serenely as Malfoy's knees buckled and he struggled to stay upright. "Oh, and Draco darling!" she said, waving his wand at him. "You can get this back from Miss Greengrass at dinner, okay?"

For once, the hatred was absent from Draco's face when he looked at her. He instead seemed contemplative, wary even. He nodded then took a step back. "You're completely insane," he blurted out. He immediately slapped his hands over his mouth and took another step back, eyes widening.

Harry blinked, then giggled as if he'd just told her an amusing joke. "Oh, but Draco darling…" she cooed. "That's what makes it so much fun!" She sashayed towards him and reached up to pat his head. Instinctively, he flinched and tried to take another step back, but encountered solid stone. "Now run along, Draco darling. I'm sure you have other places to be." She smiled indulgently, and waved her fingers slowly.

Draco did not run- he walked, very quickly. As far away from the psycho witch as possible. Draco wiped a bead of sweat from his brow as a plan entered in his mind. First, he would go to the hospital wing to remove the damn ferret parts. Then, he'd head to the dungeons and beg his godfather for some firewhiskey. If there was ever a right time for alcohol, this was it! Ever since the tournament started, the dour man always seemed to have some on hand. He was certain his godfather would indulge him once he told him what happened. Bloody Potter!

Once Malfoy was out of sight, Harry dialed her crazy-meter back down to zero, then turned to the gawking Hufflepuff. "Are you alright, Hannah?" she inquired gently, handing the girl her wand. The Hufflepuff nodded stiffly as she took her wand back and caressed it apologetically. "Malfoy didn't do anything to you, did he?" Harry asked, biting her lip. Hannah shook her head and Harry sighed in relief.

"Er-" Hannah opened her mouth, but stopped and averted her gaze.

"What is it?" Harry asked, smiling warmly. Hannah glanced around furtively and Harry's smile dropped. "I'm not going to do anything to you, Hannah," she said, sounding oddly hurt.

Hannah's eyes widened. "No! That's not- I didn't think you would!" she protested, waving her arms in front of her. "Honestly, thank you! It's just…" She trailed off and rubbed her arm.

"Just what?" Harry asked, confused.

"I- er- I didn't know you and Malfoy were, well- together," Hannah said hesitantly.

Harry's face contorted in horror as comprehension dawned on her. "We're not!" she squeaked. "Merlin, no! I'm not with anyone! Definitely not Malfoy!" she clarified quickly.

"Oh!" Hannah blushed. "Then, er- why did you, y'know?"

"To mess with him!" Harry explained desperately, her face now a curious shade of puce. "I've been dealing with a lot of rubbish lately, and my friends have been no help, whatsoever. Tormenting Malfoy is a great stress reliever!"

"Oh!" Hannah said, sounding very relieved. "What kind of rubbish?"

Harry winced. "It's kind of embarrassing," she hedged.

"Maybe I can help?" Hannah offered. "I promise I won't tell anyone. It's the least I can do."

"You promise?" Harry asked. Hannah nodded. Harry bit her lip and looked around warily. Seeing no one around, she caved. "Well… okay. You see, ever since that Skeeter article came out, boys won't leave me alone!"

Hannah blinked. "Boys?"

Harry nodded, then continued. "They won't stop hitting on me, and several keep trying to cop a feel!" she complained indignantly. It was like a switch had been triggered as she started to rant. "Those stupid pictures are the bane of my existence! If I'd known how little that bloody wetsuit covered, I'd have never worn the damn thing! Now, boys are constantly pestering me to see what's underneath it. As if I'd ever let them! It's just- gah!"

"Wait, but I thought you're only a girl temporarily?" Hannah interjected, frowning slightly.

"I know, right?" Harry said emphatically, gesticulating wildly. "The potion I took only lasts for a year, but the boys don't seem to care! For some reason I can't even begin to comprehend, it only makes them even more determined! And my friends are no help at all! Hermione just laughs at me every time it happens. Luna- bless her innocent, little heart- she tries her best, really, but she just doesn't get it."

"That sucks," Hannah summed up.

Harry slumped against the wall and buried her face in her hands. "Tell me about it!" she moaned. She looked down at her breasts and scowled. "I wish these things weren't so bloody huge! Maybe then they'd leave me alone!"

"Doubtful!" chirped a new voice. Harry and Hannah turned to see a busty redhead emerge from behind a suit of armor.

"Susan!" Hannah cried. "How long have you been standing there?" she asked accusingly.

"A little after Harry started punishing her 'Draco darling'," Susan answered, grinning unrepentantly. "I've got mad stealth chops thanks to Auntie's private lessons." She buffed her nails on her robes then turned to her fellow redhead and flashed her the peace sign. "Gotta say Harry, that was quite the show you put on! You go, girl!"

Harry groaned then bit her lip. "You're not going to tell anyone about this, are you?" she asked worriedly.

"Of course not!" Susan replied, looking highly affronted. "I know how to keep my mouth shut! And I wouldn't have broken my cover, but I figured you could use some advice."

Harry looked up hopefully. "Advice?"

"Yep!" Susan said, popping the 'p'. She crossed her arms, purposefully calling attention to her chest. "Mine may not be as big as yours, but boys have been lusting after me since these puppies started growing back in First Year."

"F-First Year?" Harry repeated. Susan nodded, and Harry gaped in awe. "But that's- how do you deal with it?" she asked desperately.

Susan grinned. "With the stares… well, there's not really much you can do about that. Boys will be pigs, and your body is the way it is; you can't change that. What you can change is how you react. Personally, I view all the attention as a compliment. I see someone ogling my bits as them calling me beautiful, so it boosts my confidence. You know Daphne Greengrass, from Slytherin? She sees them all as not worth her time, so she ignores them. It's your choice how you respond. You get it?" Harry nodded slowly.

"As for those trying to feel you up," Susan continued, shrugging her shoulders. "Well, it depends."

"Er- depends on what?" Harry asked, brow furrowing.

"On whether or not you like him, of course!" Susan grinned, clasping her hands behind her head. "If a boy you hate tries pawing your arse, hex his bits off. But if it's a boy you like who's copping a feel, it's a whole 'nother story!"

Harry shuddered at the thought, and Hannah glared at her friend. "Susan!" she admonished, putting her hands on her hips.

"What?" Susan protested. "It's a valid point!"

"It's not really something Harry has to worry about though," Hannah pointed out.

"Hey, you never know," Susan defended, waggling her eyebrows. Hannah rolled her eyes and swatted Susan's arm.

Harry tried to get things back on track. "So if I don't like him, hex his bits off?" she asked uncertainly.

"Yep!" Susan confirmed, popping the 'p' again.

"Isn't that a bit… harsh?" Harry asked.

"Of course not!" Susan denied. "No boy has the right to touch you if you don't want them to. And anyone who thinks otherwise doesn't deserve to keep their bits!" She said this very passionately, and Harry worried for whichever poor fool inevitably tried to mess with this girl.

"My godfather's been telling me to do the same thing," Harry mused.

Susan grinned slyly. "Your godfather sounds like a smart man."

Harry scoffed and shook her head. "More like he's just been on the receiving end of a witch's wand one too many times." The two Hufflepuffs giggled. "Anyways, thanks for the advice, Susan. And thanks for listening to me, Hannah," Harry told them, smiling widely.

Susan grinned back. "Anytime!"

"And thanks for keeping your 'Draco darling' away from me," Hannah told her. Harry and Susan giggled and a comfortable silence enveloped the three of them.

"Let's go to lunch," Harry suggested. "Hopefully, there's still something left to snag." Her stomach chose that exact moment to rumble loudly, and she flushed from her body betraying her like that.

Susan laughed. "Sounds like another dragon for you to beat!" she teased. Harry grinned sheepishly. Hannah giggled and the three witches walked to the Great Hall, chattering away.

And that's a wrap! Hope you all enjoyed this one! Please leave a review- love is not a strong enough word for how I feel about reading your feedback! :)

Anyways, that's all for now. See you again next week! Ttfn!

Edited: 11/13/19

11. Chapter 11

Hello everyone, welcome back! Here's the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it; I know I enjoyed writing it! :)

Chapter 11

A few weeks later, Harry was pacing in her suite, biting her lip. It was twenty minutes past curfew, but Luna still hadn't shown up yet! Her little sister didn't have to sleep in her suite, but she'd stayed with her every night since they'd first met.

Getting a sinking feeling in her gut, Harry summoned the Marauder's Map. Quickly, she located Luna in an abandoned classroom on the sixth floor. Her blood ran cold seeing several more names there. Grabbing her invisibility cloak- which Dobby had cleaned and left hanging on a rack for her- she bounded out the door and raced along the corridors, praying she'd get there in time. When she arrived, the room was locked, but a muttered Alohomora took care of that. She quietly opened the door and bristled as righteous fury thundered through her veins like molten lava.

Just like when she'd first found her, Luna had been stripped down to her underwear and was huddled in a corner. This time though, there were three girls circling her like a pack of vultures. One of them twirled Luna's wand in her hand. The young blonde was glaring defiantly at her tormentors, a lone tear trickling down her face, as they casually debated which spells they should hex her with.

"How about the Balding Hex?" the Asian girl suggested.

"It's a good start, but not enough, Su," said the brunette next to her. "A simple one-off isn't going to teach her her place."

"How about we add a Pimple Curse or three to the mix then, Marietta? Oh, and a Wedgie Jinx too!" piped up the girl twirling Luna's wand.

Marietta shook her head exasperatedly. "You really love those Wedgie Jinxes, Mandy. Do you have a fetish for them or something?"

Mandy scoffed, but Luna interjected before she could respond. "You're all going to regret this once my big sister shows up!" Harry was proud of Luna; her voice didn't even tremble.

Marietta sneered. "You don't have a sister, Loony!" she spat acidly. "That freak isn't a real girl, and either way Potter won't be able to find you!"

And that was her cue. "Is that so?" Harry snarled, stepping out from under her Invisibility Cloak. The three bullies heads' whipped around so fast it nearly gave them whiplash. Their eyes widened, and Harry was pleased to see the Asian girl- Su Li- gulp. Softening her gaze, she turned to her little sister. "You alright, sweetheart?"

Luna's shoulders sagged in relief. "I am now."

Harry's eyes twinkled Dumbledore-esque. "Come here then. I can't take out the rubbish with you in the splash zone." Luna grinned and skipped over to her side, entirely uncaring of the three glares aimed her way, basking in the protective feeling of her sister's presence. Harry smiled reassuringly before snapping around to face her sister's bullies. Her emerald eyes glowed as she pierced them with a withering glare. The difference between the two looks caused Su Li to subconsciously take a step back.

Her cohort's reaction snapped Marietta from her shock. "Potter!" the brunette sneered. "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't you hear me tell my little sister? I'm here to take out the rubbish," Harry said calmly, as if they were merely discussing the weather.

"You don't have a sister, freak!" Mandy screeched. "You two are just a couple of worthless orphans!" Harry's eye twitched as unwanted memories from her childhood resurfaced.

"Yeah! And Loony doesn't even have her wand. There's three of us and only one of you!" Marietta added.

"Oh?" Harry drawled, raising an eyebrow in grim amusement. Before they could react, a silent Expelliarmus caused Luna's wand to sail into her outstretched hand. She tossed it to its rightful owner, who snatched it gracefully from the air. "Still think you can take me?" Harry taunted.

Su Li shivered. If there was one thing her father's martial arts training had taught her, it was knowing when she was outclassed. Not even with her trained eyes had she been able to track Harry's movements, let alone stop them. The redhead was too quick- she was just a blur. She winced, already knowing she would lose; she prayed it would be over quickly.

Marietta grit her teeth. "Scalpere Capillum!" she cried.

Mandy was only a split second behind her. "Densaugeo!"

Smirking, Harry cast a silent Protego that effortlessly repelled the Scalping Hex and Teeth Growing Hex and sent them careening harmlessly into the wall. "Luna sweetheart, why don't you head back to the suite?" she suggested, still in the same calm tone. She handed her the invisibility cloak to cover herself with. "I'll catch up with you once I've dealt with the rubbish, alright?"

Luna nodded slowly, eyes wide and mouth hanging open slightly. She knew from experience how powerful the girls' hexes were. Blinking twice, Luna turned to give her would-be tormentors a pitying frown, then tilted her head to the side. "They seem to be a fan of wedgie hexes," Luna commented. "I wonder why."

"I'm not sure, but I'll let you know once I find out." Luna giggled, pecked her big sister on the cheek, then skipped out of the room, closing the door behind her. Harry cracked her neck and smiled sadistically, baring her teeth eerily similar to a goblin. "Well ladies, you've had your fun. Now it's my turn!"

Ten minutes later, Harry took a deep breath as she entered her suite. Once again she was tackled by a ballistic blonde hug-missile as Luna barreled into her. Since the blonde refused to move, Harry began to fear the worst. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" she asked gently. However, the response she received was so not what she was expecting, but so typically… Luna, she later wondered why she even bothered worrying in the first place.

The young blonde lifted her head and beamed at her. "I'm great, big sister!" Luna chirped. "Thank you so much! You were even cooler than a Crumple-Horned Snorkack!"

Harry grimaced. "You- are you sure you're alright, sweetheart?" she asked again, more hesitantly this time. "You're not sad? Or upset?"

A look of honest confusion settled onto Luna's face as she frowned. "Why would I be? The nargles didn't really do anything to me. Besides, I knew you would come for me, Harry!" Luna's smile was positively luminous as she squeezed her tighter.

Harry's brow furrowed. "But how did you know that?"

Luna released her to look directly into her eyes. "Because I believe in you," she told her, as if she were stating a simple fact of life. "You're my big sister; I know you'll always be there for me."

A warm glow filled Harry's chest. Shaking herself, she patted Luna's head. "Never change, Luna." The young girl giggled happily and Harry grinned. "Come on, time for bed, sweetheart." Nodding obediently, Luna let out a big yawn then grabbed Harry's hand and followed her to their bedroom. Too tired to shower, Harry simply cast a Scourgify on both of them before climbing into bed and cuddling with Luna as they fell asleep.

Two days before the third task, Harry, Hermione, and Luna were lounging about in Harry's bed, reviewing all the useful spells Harry had learned for the tournament. As they studied, Harry thought back to a month ago when Bagman had ordered the champions to the quidditch pitch for a briefing on the third task.

The pitch had been completely unrecognizable, with huge hedges growing all over it. Bagman had them guess what the hedges were there for, but being intelligent people, they all deduced the Third Task would be a maze rather quickly, much to Bagman's consternation. After realizing the man-child had nothing important left to tell them other than that there'd be obstacles- which was ridiculously obvious, in both senses of the word- the four champions had then spent the rest of the meeting giving the retired Beater grief for the heinous crimes he'd committed against the Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch. Even Fleur, who wasn't a Quidditch fanatic like the other three, had gotten in on the fun. The Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports had grown redder and redder in the face as the barbs just kept on coming, each more creative and insulting than the last. Finally, he'd reached his limit and stalked away in a huff. The four champions had sniggered at his tantrum before heading back to the castle together, laughing and chatting away.

Her little sister's voice snapped her out of her reverie. "You're going to win the whole tournament, I just know it," Luna said proudly.

The blonde's confidence made Harry beam at first, but soon a tendril of doubt wormed its way inside her mind. How could Luna possibly think that? The tournament was designed for fully grown witches and wizards, and she was only in her fourth year, for Merlin's sake! Her heart beat erratically as fear plagued her thoughts. Her eyes shifted around the room furtively as she bit her lip and twirled a strand of her hair around her finger.

Luna frowned. "Are you alright, big sister?"

Harry- not wanting Luna to worry- did her best to push her fear aside, and plastered a cheerful grin on her face. "I'm fine, sweetheart. Just want the tournament to be over. Come on, quiz me on the Impediment Jinx!" She turned around to grab another book.

Luna saw right through her fake smile. "You're allowed to be afraid," she said sympathetically. "I'm not going to think less of you for it."

Harry froze in place. "Thank you, Luna, but I'm fine," she said, her voice hitching almost imperceptibly.

"Harry, I've been your best friend for almost four years now, do you really think I can't tell when you're lying through your teeth?" Hermione pointed out, shaking her head sadly.

"I-I'm fine," Harry insisted, clearly not. "No need to worry."

"Big sister," Luna muttered pleadingly. Harry slowly swiveled her head and the other two girls were stunned to see her eyes glistening with nascent tears. "'People cry, not because they are weak. It is because they've been strong for too long'," Luna quoted wisely. She did not speak in her usual airy tone, but in a solemn one, filled with compassion. "Since the first time we met, you've always been there for me, Harry. This time, let me be there for you."

It took all of Harry's willpower to continue keeping her tears at bay. "I'm scared, Luna," she admitted in a very small voice. "Every year, I go through one life threatening situation after another. First the stone, then the basilisk, then Pettigrew, and now this. I've only managed to survive by the skin of my teeth thanks to stupid amounts of luck, but luck doesn't last forever. I don't-" A warbled gurgle rose from the back of her throat. "I don't want to die!" she croaked.

Luna raced forward to wrap her arms around her big sister in a loving embrace as Hermione surreptitiously cast a privacy charm at the door just to be absolutely sure nobody could listen in on them. "It's ok to be afraid, Harry," Hermione told her. "You don't have to be a tough guy anymore. You're not one right now, after all."

For some reason, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Harry finally gave in and allowed the tears to cascade down her cheeks like a waterfall. "That's it, let it all out," Luna whispered encouragingly.

"I'm so scared! I-I don't want to die! I'm too young! There's so much I still want to do!" Harry blubbered. "But I haven't even finished my fourth year yet! How can I possibly survive this? That maze is meant to be challenging for fully grown witches and wizards! Something is going to happen to me and I'm going to die. I don't want to die!" she repeated hysterically. Luna just squeezed her tighter.

"Harry James Potter, that is a load of rubbish!" Hermione admonished furiously, putting her hands on her hips. "You are better trained and better prepared for the Third Task than you've ever been for any of our previous adventures!"

Harry whimpered. "But- But, Hermione, I-"

Hermione raised a hand to cut her off and looked her right in the eye. "You. Are. Not. Going. To. Die!" she growled fiercely. "You hear me, Potter? You're not! You are going to go out there and you are going to do what you always do- win!" Harry's eyes widened. Hermione had never yelled at her before- not like that.

Luna ran her small fingers through Harry's long hair comfortingly. "Hermione's right, big sister. You're going to be fine."

Harry switched her gaze between the two of them. Meeting their eyes, she sniffled then nodded mutely. Hermione conjured a handkerchief and handed it to her. "Thanks," Harry said quietly before blowing her nose. Hermione nodded, a proud smile replacing her stern look. Harry turned to her sister. "Sorry I got your shirt wet, Luna."

The little blonde smiled brightly. "It's fine; I can always wash it later." She winked and Harry chuckled weakly. Suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of exhaustion, Harry lay down, and Luna quickly shifted her big sister's head so it rested in her lap.

"Sleepy, g'night," Harry mumbled, before passing out with a small smile. Hermione stared at her best friend sadly while Luna brushed some of Harry's hair out of the girl's mouth.

"I can't wait until this tournament is over," Luna said softly.

Hermione rubbed her forehead tiredly. "I know," she agreed. "Harry's under so much pressure right now. She hasn't cracked a single joke all week. It'll be good to hear her laughing again."

Luna smiled wryly. "I don't think she'll be waking up anytime soon. We should probably go to sleep too."

Hermione nodded and slid off the bed. "Good night, Luna."

"Good night, Hermione." The brunette quietly left the suite and headed for her dorm room. Luna lay down, carefully adjusting her position so that Harry's head was comfortably nestled between her breasts. Harry's always made the best pillow for her; she was hoping hers would do the same.

At breakfast the day of the task, Luna was quizzing Harry and Hermione on the Goblin Rebellions of the 18th Century as the three witches piled pancakes and eggs onto their plates. Well, Harry and Luna did at any rate, Hermione was too busy fretting over their upcoming exam to care about trivial things like food and her health.

It had caused a bit of a kerfuffle when Harry had shown up to take the first exam with her yearmates. Being a Triwizard champion, she was technically exempt, but she'd decided to take them anyways to show Professor McGonagall that the faith she'd shown in her at the start of her prank had not been misplaced. Ron had protested loudly over Harry's presence, but McGonagall had read him the riot act. She'd said Harry was to be commended for taking her studies so seriously before giving the youngest champion a real smile. What further cemented in Harry's mind that she had made the right choice was the way Hermione had beamed at her and told her how proud of her she was.

As they ate and studied, Professor McGonagall walked over to them. Her lips twitched when Harry attempted to get Hermione to put down her book and have a slice of toast. She cleared her throat to get their attention. "Miss Potter, the champions are congregating in the chamber off the hall after breakfast."

Harry's brow furrowed. "But the task's not until tonight, isn't it?"

The professor nodded. "It is, Miss Potter, but the champions' families have been invited to watch the final task. This is a chance for you to greet them." McGonagall was surprised to see Harry purse her lips and cross her arms.

"I have no family who would be there," Harry pointed out icily, and the professor flinched at her own callousness. She gave the young redhead a solemn look.

"My apologies, Miss Potter, I had not realized how my words could be misconstrued. You do have visitors waiting for you, although you are correct that they are not blood related. Nevertheless, I'm sure they'd be delighted to see you. I'd tell you who they are, but I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise." With one last apologetic look, the professor turned on her heel and left the Great Hall. Harry's eyes tracked her until she was out of sight. Eventually, the redhead turned to face her best friend and little sister.

"Who do you think it is?" Harry wondered.

"The Weasleys," Hermione replied promptly, finally taking a bite to eat, sensing an unavoidable lull in the studying.

Harry snorted very unladylike. "Probably, I don't exactly know any other wizarding families, do I?"

"Maybe it's Daddy?" Luna theorized, putting a finger on her chin thoughtfully. "I have told him quite a bit about you, after all, and he's very interested in meeting you."

Harry eyed her warily. "Is he now?"

Luna beamed, not noticing- or more likely, purposely ignoring- Harry's obvious reluctance. "Oh yes!" she said brightly. "Daddy wants to thank you for looking after me, and to invite you to Sweden this summer, to hunt for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks with us."

The tension visibly drained from Harry's shoulders. She gave her little sister a kiss on her forehead. "I'd love to, sweetheart! Come on, let's go see who it is." The redhead held out her hand, and Luna immediately intertwined hers with her sister's, giggling softly.

Hermione's lips twitched upwards. "We'll need to talk summer plans later; my mother has ordered me to invite you two over some time this summer." The sisters grinned. They then noticed Fleur and Cedric heading for the hall, with Viktor following not too far behind them. "I'll see you at the exam, Harry!" Hermione said. She threw her book bag over her shoulder, snatched up the History textbook in one hand and her half-finished piece of toast in the other, eating and studying as she left the Great Hall.

Harry and Luna followed after the champions, still holding hands. They entered the chamber and saw a door a little to the left. Opening it, they entered the room.

Off to the side, stood the Diggorys. Cedric rolled his eyes at something his father said before he noticed the two girls and waved at them. Cedric's father scowled at Harry as she waved back while Cedric's mother stifled an amused giggle at her husband's reaction. Huddled in a corner were Viktor Krum and his parents, conversing in rapid Bulgarian. Whatever they were talking about seemed to make Viktor very happy; Harry had only ever seen him smile that brightly when he'd been dancing with Hermione. On the other side of the room were Fleur and her parents, with little Gabrielle holding her sister's hand as she jabbered away in French. Lurking by the fireplace, Molly Weasley observed the foreigners suspiciously, while her eldest, Bill, kept sneaking glances at the French competitor.

"Oh poo! Hermione was right," Luna complained. Harry giggled as her sister pouted. The mention of the muggleborn caused Mrs. Weasley to turn their way. She frowned at them before recognition seemed to click in her mind. She pursed her lips, and Harry felt an eerie sense of foreboding as the two Weasleys walked over to them.

"Hey there Harry! Have to say, you're looking much sexier than the last time I saw you," Bill greeted her, waggling his eyebrows. Harry blushed, but recovered quickly. She smirked then flipped her long hair over her shoulder saucily, but was interrupted before she could say anything by an irate Weasley matriarch intent on delivering a personal Howler, face-to-face.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Molly's shrill voice grated on the ears of everyone in the room and silenced all conversations taking place. Mrs. Weasley put her hands on her hips and began her tirade.

"I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT WHEN I READ ABOUT IT IN THE DAILY PROPHET! I WAS CERTAIN THERE WAS NO WAY SUCH A SMART YOUNG MAN WOULD DO SOMETHING SO DISGRACEFUL! TO CHANGE YOUR GENDER LIKE THAT IS- IS JUST- I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD BE SO SHAMELESS! YOUR PARENTS WOULD BE DISGUSTED BY YOUR BEHAVIOR, YOUNG MAN, AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THEY WOULD BE JUST AS DISAPPOINTED IN YOU AS I AM! NOW, YOU ARE GOING TO STOP THIS FOOLISHNESS AND TAKE THE ANTIDOTE TO THAT HORRID POTION IMMEDIATELY, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?" Mrs. Weasley inhaled deeply to catch her breath before continuing.

"AND ANOTHER THING! RONALD HAS TOLD ME ALL ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE BEEN UP TO LATELY! I AM APPALLED THAT YOU WOULD TREAT YOUR BEST FRIEND LIKE THAT! THE SECOND THAT ANTIDOTE PUTS YOU RIGHT, YOU ARE GOING TO GO STRAIGHT TO HIM AND APOLOGIZE FOR YOUR INEXCUSABLE BEHAVIOR! YOU BEST HOPE HE FORGIVES YOU, YOUNG MAN!"

When the woman finally finished shouting, Harry's lips were pursed thinner than McGonagall's. Her eyes blazed with an emerald fury that had Bill take a step back. He was a professional Curse-Breaker; he recognized danger when he saw it. Luna squeezed her sister's hand tighter to give her as much non-verbal support as she could.

Harry replied to Molly's diatribe with a single word, her tone frigid and unyielding. "No."

Mt. Molly erupted once more. "WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME, YOUNG MAN?"

Harry glared at the woman she once respected. "I said no!" she repeated indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest. "And I'm not a man, I'm a girl! Or are your eyes as faulty as your information? I'm not changing back and I'm not apologizing to Ronniekins. He's the one who should be apologizing to me! Do you even know why I took the potion to begin with? Why I've been giving Ron the cold shoulder? Do you have even an inkling of why I've done what I have? NO. YOU. DON'T!" A visible aura of Harry's magic formed around her, reacting to its master's anger.

"And how dare you claim to know what my parents would think of me!" Harry hissed, so mad she almost slipped into Parseltongue. She caught herself though, and took a deep breath to try and calm down a little. It didn't help much. "Your precious Ronniekins made his bed when he decided being a jealous git was more important than our three years of friendship, and now he has to lie in it! He's the one who wronged me, not the other way around. Instead of yelling at me for the choices I've made- which is something you have no right to do since you are not my mother!- go and teach your son to be a decent human being!"

Molly bristled, but before she could launch into another tirade, Bill put a hand on her shoulder to cut her off. He shook his head at her questioning glare then turned to Harry. "What did Ron do?" he asked. Harry took another deep breath, but it was Viktor Krum who answered him.

"He insulted her at Yule Ball. If I had not stopped him, he would haff punched her in face too," the Bulgarian replied in his usual gruff accent.

Bill nodded. "Thank you," he said solemnly.

Molly blanched. "Bill! How could you believe this… boy, over your own brother!" she exclaimed, eyeing the foreigner suspiciously.

"Because I know Ron, and this sounds exactly like the type of jealous shite he'd pull!" Bill spat, glaring at his mother. "And even if Ron was telling the truth, that's still no excuse to air this out in public! Harry's right- you are not her mother! You do not have the right to berate her and tell her what to do!" He bowed low to Harry, hands clasped firmly at his sides, staring down at the floor. "Miss Potter, as the Heir to the House of Weasley, I would like to apologize to you for the actions of our own," he intoned gravelly.

Harry blushed at the formality, and Luna- knowing her big sister was not well versed in pureblood etiquette- quickly whispered in her ear what she should say if she wished to accept the apology or not. "As… heir- heiress?" She turned to Luna, who shrugged, before turning back to Bill. "As the last scion of the House of Potter, I accept the apologies of the Heir to the House of Weasley."

Bill straightened and smiled at her warmly. "Thank you, Harry." Her cheeks tinged pink and she averted her gaze, shyly biting her lip. Merlin-damned hormones! Bill turned back to his mother. "Come on, Mum, we need to have a chat with Ickle Ronniekins. Sorry for disturbing your conversations everyone." With that, the professional Curse-Breaker thundered out of the room, Molly following in his wake after glowering at Harry one more time.

Once the door closed, Harry felt the full weight of Molly's invective press down on her, compounded with all the negative emotions associated with Ron's betrayal that the woman had reawakened. If it wasn't for the strangers in the room, she'd have already broken down. Luna hugged her tightly, trying to convey all of her feelings for her through that one action.

"I love you, big sister," Luna reminded her, and Harry took a deep, calming breath as she attempted to regain control over her haywire emotions.

She felt a calloused hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Viktor Krum frowning. "Do not listen to harpy," he advised, his lips twitching upwards. "She is bitch."

"I take offense to zat!" Fleur chimed in from behind them. The quarter veela wrinkled her nose. "My 'arpy form iz not nearly as 'orrible as zat woman's voice! Iz she always zat loud?"

"Molly Weasley is famous for her howlers," Cedric contributed, winking conspiratorially at the youngest champion. He scrunched his brow and stroked the stubble on his chin that passed for a beard at his age. "She's much louder in person though…"

Harry smiled at their support. "Thank you."

The champions and Luna shared a look. "Avec plaisir, mon amie," Fleur said warmly, speaking for the group.

The bell rang and Luna gasped. "Harry, we need to head to class or we'll miss our exams!"

Harry chuckled. "Well, we can't have that! Hermione would kill me."

"Don't you mean 'us'?" Cedric asked, scratching his head.

Harry snickered and shook her head. "No, she'd blame me for 'corrupting' Luna."

Viktor grinned. "She does get bit obsessed, no?"

Harry held her thumb and index finger half an inch apart. "Just a bit."

Cedric grinned. "This is why I'm not taking the exams," he teased.

"Oui," Fleur agreed, nodding her head. Harry maturely stuck her tongue out at them before grabbing Luna's hand and sprinting out the door.

And that's a wrap! I hope you all enjoyed it! Don't forget to leave a review; they're what keep me alive and writing! See you all next week!

Edited: 11/13/19

12. Chapter 12

Hello everyone! This story is winding down; only two more chapters to go after this. Thank you all for your support this whole time. You guys are great! Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 12

"Sweetheart, please," Harry begged. She attempted to pry her little sister off for the fifth time in as many minutes, but Luna only squeezed her tighter. She fully understood how Fleur must have felt at the end of the Second Task. Exasperated, but also quite touched, Harry turned to give her best friend a pleading look, but Hermione only averted her gaze and clenched her fists.

"Come on, Luna, let Harry go," Hannah Abbott said gently, placing a hand on Luna's shoulder.

"Yeah! She can't kick arse in the tournament if she's not there," Susan Bones chimed in. Hannah rolled her eyes.

"Promise me you'll be okay, big sister," Luna sniffled, her lower lip trembling. "I can't lose you too," she added in a whisper.

"I'll be alright, sweetheart," Harry promised, smiling reassuringly. "Be back before you know it. I'll even pick you up a big, shiny trophy while I'm gone!"

Luna giggled weakly. She finally released her hold on Harry and took a step back. This though was apparently Hermione's cue to wrap her own arms around the redhead. "Be careful, Harry," Hermione warned her. "And you better win!"

Harry hugged her back and grinned. "Of course!"

"I'm still rooting for Cedric!" Susan reminded them, grinning unashamedly. Hermione gave her the gimlet eye, but Harry laughed and headed down to the Quidditch pitch.

The mood was grim for the champions as they braced themselves for their toughest challenge yet. Once the stands had finally filled up, Bagman got the ball rolling. Say what you want about the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, but he knew how to pump up a crowd.

Suddenly feeling very nervous, Harry noticed her friends and little sister waving at her. She grinned then waved back, her confidence reasserting itself. Bagman blew a whistle and called Harry forward, and the redhead strode into the maze. The hedges quickly closed behind her, blocking all noise from the crowd.

Taking a deep breath, Harry used the Point Me spell Hermione had discovered. Her wand spun on her palm like a top before pointing to the right. Knowing that way was north, and that the cup lay to the northwest, Harry continued straight down the path, taking a left at the first fork she encountered. She continued down the path, using the Point Me spell at every intersection. A few minutes after she entered, Harry heard Bagman's whistle blow. About thirty seconds later, she heard it blow again. A few more minutes and she heard it blow one more time, which meant that all the champions were now in the maze. She increased her pace.

As Harry moved forward, she started getting suspicious. She had yet to encounter even a single obstacle. Casting the Point Me spell again, she adjusted her course and continued down the path. At the next bend, she stopped abruptly in her tracks and cursed herself for tempting fate. One of Hagrid's two remaining Blast-Ended-Skrewts was scuttling towards her far quicker than a beast that size had any right to move.

Thinking quickly, she raised her wand and fired a Stunner, but the red spell just splashed off the Skrewt's thick skull. Another Stunner to the flank produced similar results, and Harry was forced to dive to the side to avoid being impaled. As the Skrewt reared around to attack her again, she noticed that unlike its carapace, its underbelly was unprotected by armor. She dodged the part of the Skrewt the monster was named for, and fired an Impedimenta at its momentarily exposed, fleshy underbelly. The spell took effect and kept the creature in place long enough for her to follow up with several more Stunners to its weak point, which finally knocked the monster unconscious. Harry took a moment to catch her breath, then got the hell out of there before the monster had time to wake up.

Taking another left turn followed by a middle fork, she found her path obscured by a pulsating purple mist. A simple Finite failed to produce any effects, so she tried overpowering a Fan Charm. A strong gust of wind blew from her wand and scattered the mist, dissipating it harmlessly into the air. Smiling, she continued onwards until an ear-splitting screech rent the night sky. Without another thought, she fired off a Reducto at the hedges and scrambled through the opening in the direction of the cry. She repeated this tactic several more times.

On her fifth blast, she followed it up with a brace of Stunners before leaping through the vines, doing a somersault, standing up, and taking a defensive stance all in a single fluid motion. The thumping sound of a body hitting the ground told her at least one of her Stunners had hit its mark. A pained wheezing caught her attention and she turned to see a familiar body twitching on the ground.

"Fleur!"

Harry ran towards the French champion and marveled that the quarter-veela still looked unearthly beautiful even after being tortured.

"'Arry P-Potter," Fleur stuttered sadly. "Eet w-would seem I am n-no longer fit to continue, n-non?"

"What happened?" Harry asked as she knelt down and mentally reviewed the scarce few healing spells in her repertoire.

"C-Cruciatus C-Curse." Fleur winced as a fresh wave of pain racked her body. "Viktor, 'e wuz Imperiused." She motioned with her eyes towards the body Harry had stunned.

Harry's eyes widened. "Viktor did this?"

"'E wuz Imperiused," Fleur repeated firmly. "I saw it in eez eyes, zey were b-blank and unseeing. Eet wuz not 'is fault. But 'Arry, could you 'elp me, s'il vous plaît? I am 'aving trouble lifting my wand to fire zee sparks." She looked down sadly at her hand that refused to obey her command.

Harry smiled kindly. "Of course!" Taking the older girl's hand, she lifted it gently towards the sky. A muttered incantation later and a jet of red sparks burst into the air.

"'Arry, you must go b-before zey collect me," Fleur warned. "B-Be careful, and win. B-Bonne chance, mon amie!" Harry looked at her worriedly for a moment before nodding. Casting a cushioning charm underneath the witch to ease her pain as much as possible, she grinned reassuringly before continuing down the path. She Stunned Viktor again as she passed him by, just to be safe. Constant Vigilance, and all that.

Fed up with the winding paths, Harry cast another Point Me spell before blasting through the hedges again in the direction of the cup. She continued to repeat this strategy as she walked quickly, but cautiously towards the cup. After passing by a Sphynx unmolested- the noble creature had found great humor in her approach to the maze- she made it to the center of the labyrinth a mere two hedges later.

The Triwizard Cup gleamed like silver in the moonlight, and Harry grinned at her apparent victory. As she reached for it though, a flash of spellfire in her peripherals caught her attention. She turned around to see Cedric Diggory firing a Stunner at an Acromantula, a vicious snarl marring his face. His spell was ineffective and the giant spider grabbed him by the arm with its pincers, lifting him into the air. With no time to think, Harry acted.

"Arania Exumai!" she cried, rushing forward, and a lance of blue energy struck the spider in its mandibles, launching it far away. Cedric dropped to the ground with a sickening crunch and groaned. The spider observed its new challenger, but decided it wasn't worth the risk and scuttled away.

"Cedric! Are you alright?" Harry asked, kneeling next to him and casting a diagnostic spell to check the extent of his injuries.

The Hufflepuff cradled his arm as he sat up, hissing in pain. "Well, I won't be punching anything anytime soon, that's for sure. Thanks for the save, Harry. Would've been toast if you hadn't shown up. Damn spiders!"

Harry grinned. "Don't mention it. Acromantulas suck, be glad it was just the one. I had to deal with the entire bloody colony in the Forbidden Forest chasing me at one point Second Year. Let me tell you, that was not fun. Now hold still, this may hurt a bit." She waved her wand over the boy's broken arm. "Ferula!" Bandages appeared out of thin air and wrapped themselves around his arm to form a splint. Cedric winced for a moment while Harry nodded at her handiwork. "Try not to move that too much until you get out of here," she told him. "It's a clean break, but I still can't heal broken bones yet. This is the best I can do for you, but it should be enough until you get to Madam Pomfrey."

Cedric let out a low whistle. "Damn, Harry! That was N.E.W.T. level spellwork. I can't even do that, and you're just a fourth year! You're going to be scarily powerful once your core stops growing."

"I just practiced a lot," Harry said humbly, cheeks pinking from the praise. "I figured with all the trouble that seems to find me, it'd be a good idea to know some basic first aid."

"If even half the rumors of what you get up to are true, probably," Cedric agreed.

Harry grinned. "Anyway, if you want to get out of here, I found this old cup over yonder." She jabbed her thumb behind her. "We could take it together, make it a joint victory?"

Cedric allowed himself a moment to consider it, but ultimately shook his head. "No, it wouldn't be right. I'm only still in the running because you saved my life- twice now, if we count the dragons. Besides, if you already know where the cup is you'd clearly have won by now if you hadn't stopped to rescue my sorry arse. Take it, Harry. I'll find another way out of this madhouse."

"You sure?" Harry asked, biting her lip.

Cedric nodded firmly. "I'm sure."

Harry smiled warmly. "Thanks Cedric."

"No, thank you," he insisted. "Now go on, little lady, claim your prize!"

Harry rolled her eyes, but grinned and ran back to the cup. Stretching out her hand, she felt the cup pulse ominously. Hesitating, she turned back to look at Cedric. The Hufflepuff gave her a reassuring smile and a thumbs up with his good hand. Returning the gesture, Harry grasped the handle and felt a jerk behind her navel as the secret portkey whisked her far away.

Like with all forms of magical travel that didn't involve flying, Harry immediately lost her balance upon arrival. She squeaked as her knees buckled on contact with the ground and she fell hard on her butt. Getting back up quickly, she darted her eyes from side to side then let out a sigh of relief when she realized nobody had seen her embarrassing fall. Grabbing her wand from a pile of leaves, she observed her surroundings more thoroughly.

The grassy fields were littered with dead leaves and tombstones that shined ominously under the moonlight. In the distance, a crow cawed, and Harry snapped her wand around before lowering it slowly. This place gave her the creeps. Something was wrong here, she could feel it. Her whole body tensed, her instincts screaming at her to stay on guard.

A ruffling from behind had her turn around. A cloaked figure steadily walked forward from behind a towering marble figurehead, face obstructed by a hood. He had a bundle of robes clutched in his left arm. Harry looked at the bundle and her scar immediately erupted in pain. She yelped, clutching her forehead, and fell to her knees, mind numbly analyzing the situation.

Only one thing ever caused her scar to hurt like that, the man who gave it to her in the first place- Voldemort. But he didn't have a body at the moment, so the cloaked figure couldn't be him. The only other person it could be was…

"Wormtail!" Harry snarled. The cloaked figure flinched, confirming her guess.

"Stun him! Quickly!" hissed a high-pitched voice from inside the bundle.

"I'm a girl now, you bastard," Harry muttered under her breath.

Pettigrew brought his wand up and took aim. "S-Stupefy!" A jet of red light came spiraling towards her. Summoning all of her considerable willpower, Harry rolled out of the way. Her all-consuming hate for the things in front of her allowed her to ignore the agony in her scar and focus on the task at hand.

"Reducto!" she cried. A jet of blue light lanced at Pettigrew and only his hastily erected shield prevented him from being splattered into jelly. The attack did knock him back a step though, and caused his hood to fly off. Harry saw the surprise and minute amount of fear in his expression at her unexpected viciousness. She was pleased by this reaction. He should be afraid of her.

An angry admonishment from the bundle caused Wormtail to cast another Stunner. She sidestepped it this time and fired off an Impediment Hex and a Banishing Charm. Pettigrew's shield held true again, but it wavered heavily. Scowling, she cast a spell chain. Petrificus Totalus was followed by Confringo, another Reducto, and a Piercing Hex. The first two splashed across Wormtail's shield, but the third one shattered it, allowing her last spell to slip through and pierce him through his left arm, causing him to drop the bundle.

Voldemort screeched in pain and angrily berated Wormtail for his failure. The rat animagus actually ignored his master's ranting for once as he turned to glare at the child of his former friend, clutching the small, newly-made hole in his shoulder. Harry grinned mockingly, and Pettigrew finally started taking her seriously.

Wormtail fired off a Reducto of his own, immediately followed by a Bone-Breaker Curse. Harry ducked under the first spell and dodged the second by mere inches, surprised at the man's unexpected viciousness. She however, took it better than he did, and merely narrowed her eyes before slipping into an offensive stance. The two continued to trade debilitating, and some outright lethal, spells at a quickening pace. Pettigrew was not a very powerful wizard, but Harry was still just a fourth year, so the two were more or less evenly matched.

After several minutes however, Wormtail started to tire. He had never been much of a dueller, or very physically fit, and the years spent living as a rat certainly hadn't done him any favors. On the other hand, Harry was young and had been training for the Triwizard Tournament all year. She took full advantage of Wormtail's exhaustion and fired a Reducto at the ground in front of him. He shielded, but realized too late the attack wasn't meant for him. The dirt blew up in his face and Harry quickly launched a Tripping Jinx followed by a Stupefy. Unable to see properly, the nearly-transparent light of the Tripping Jinx hit true, and Pettigrew stumbled right into the path of Harry's bright red Stunner. He fell to the ground with a heavy thump, unconscious.

Quickly, Harry summoned Wormtail's wand then Stunned him again for good measure, and added an Incarcerous to the mix. Leaning against a marble statue of the reaper- which was missing its head, its stomach, and the top of its scythe thanks to the explosive spells the two of them had been flinging about like rice at a wedding- she tried to catch her breath. After a minute or two, she lazily cast another Stupefy at Peter before making her way over to the bundle of robes.

She unraveled the sheets with a spell then immediately covered her mouth to prevent the bile from spilling out. The most grotesque creature she had ever seen sneered back at her. It had the basic shape of a human child, but that was where the similarities ended. The creature was hairless and scaly, with reddish-black skin. Its arms and legs were unnaturally thin and feeble, its face was flat and snake-like, and its red eyes thrummed with eerie malevolence. Harry cast an Expelliarmus at it just in case, but nothing happened.

"Nagini! Defend me!" The creature commanded in Parseltongue, but Harry understood the order.

Casting a Silencio to prevent the creature from issuing more commands, she turned around and saw a long green snake slithering towards her, baring its fangs. Tensing her muscles, she flitted to the side just as the snake lunged. She grabbed the snake tightly around the neck, keeping its jaw well away from her. Aiming carefully, she fired a point-blank Confringo that blew the snake's head clean off its shoulders. A pitch-black mist, shimmering in the moonlight, rose from the snake's corpse. It let out an agonizing wail that rent the night sky before dissipating into nothingness.

Harry shuddered as the mist vanished. Whatever that was had not been simply dark, but evil- pure, condensed evil- and it left her feeling thoroughly unclean. Shaking it off as best she could, Harry turned back to face the thing that killed her parents. "Voldemort," she growled. The creature's eyes flicked towards his dead familiar and downed servant, and Harry casually tossed another Stunner at Wormtail. Voldemort's lip curled as he observed his mortal enemy.

"This means nothing, Potter! I am immortal! You cannot hold me forever! I will escape, and when I do, I will kill you and all you hold dear! The very world will crumble to ashes beneath my feet!" he mouthed, clearly forgetting he had been Silenced earlier.

"What was that? I can't hear you, Tom. Must be because I Silenced that annoying, high-pitched squealing you try to pass off as speech!" she taunted, eyes alight with savage glee. Voldemort tried to immolate Harry with the power of his mind, but he only succeeded in giving her a minor headache, which she ignored. "Your ambush failed, Tom. I hope you're ready for your 'Next Great Adventure' because it'll be coming for you real soon. Although for now, I think I'll just take you back with me. Maybe I'll let Dumbledore study you, see if he can figure out how you survived." Seeing no more point in taunting him, Harry cast three Stunners, two Incarcerous spells, and transfigured some scattered debris into heavy metal chains that wrapped themselves tightly around Babymort. Chalk another one up for Constant Vigilance.

With a muttered Wingardium Leviosa, she levitated Voldemort and dropped him down hard on Wormtail's gut. She kicked Pettigrew in the nuts just because she could, then Stunned him twice more when he groaned in pain. For a moment, she wondered if being Stunned so often in such a short space of time would cause Wormtail any health problems, then decided she didn't care. Grinning like a madwoman, she stomped down hard on Babymort and summoned the Triwizard Cup. As she grabbed the handle, she felt the familiar sensation of a jerk behind her navel as the portkey took her back to Hogwarts.

The first thing Harry heard as her feet hit the ground was people screaming. Bringing her wand up, she eyed her surroundings warily, making sure to cover her two prisoners. She was back at Hogwarts, at the start of the maze. A group of people walked over to her, and Harry was relieved to see Dumbledore at the head of the procession, followed by Professors McGonagall and Snape, Cornelius Fudge, and an unknown woman wearing a monocle. She didn't let her guard down though; she wouldn't until she was absolutely certain her prisoners would be brought to justice.

"Harry, it is good to see you unharmed," Dumbledore said, looking unusually somber compared to his usual jovial Grandfather persona. "What happened, my dear?"

"I got him!" Harry exclaimed, eyes shining with triumph. "Call Amelia Bones, Professor. Susan told me she'd be here."

"I am Amelia Bones," said the unknown woman. Harry turned to see her looking sharply at her through her monocle. Although her strawberry-red hair was starting to grey and she was barely taller than Harry, the woman gave off a presence of power and authority. Harry's first thought was that she was not someone you wanted to cross.

Her second thought was to grin victoriously. "Madam Bones," she said respectfully, then motioned to her prisoners. "These two were involved in an attempt to kidnap me. They turned the Triwizard Cup into a portkey which brought me to a graveyard somewhere. The man- if you could even call the snivelling coward that- is Peter Pettigrew, and the ugly baby thing is Voldemort."

The reactions to her announcement were varied, but none of them questioned her words. Snape looked as though he had simultaneously swallowed both a lemon and a raw potato whole, and appeared to be going through a crisis of faith. Professor McGonagall let out a sharp gasp and covered her mouth while Professor Dumbledore frowned thoughtfully as he stroked his beard and stared at her two unconscious- and in Wormtail's case, bleeding- prisoners. Amelia Bones' eyes widened and she adjusted her monocle to take a closer look, after which she mirrored Harry's vicious grin. Fudge was the sole dissenter.

"You're lying! That has to be a lie!" the Minister of Magic blustered, keeping a tight grip on his green bowler hat. "Peter Pettigrew is dead; Sirius Black killed him years ago! And that can't be Lord… Thingy; you killed him when you were a baby!"

Harry's lips parted in disbelief as she stared at the- nominally- most powerful man in the country. "They are literally right in front of you!" she said incredulously, gesturing at her prisoners.

"It's Black! It has to be Black! He must have used a Confundus Charm on you again; that's the only thing that makes sense!" Fudge insisted.

"Cornelius, surely you must be joking?" Amelia asked, adjusting her monocle again.

"The boy is Confunded, I tell you! Confunded!"

"I'm a girl!" Harry protested. "And I'm not lying! Just look at them!"

Fudge snarled at her, several veins throbbing on his temple. His face was puffed red, whether from anger or embarrassment she couldn't tell- possibly both. "ENOUGH! YOU ARE LYING! PETER PETTIGREW AND HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED ARE DEAD! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER WORD ABOUT THIS NONSENSE OR I'LL HAVE YOU ARRESTED FOR TREASON!"

The others said nothing. The Minister of Magic was denying evidence staring him in the face and none of them knew how to convince him not to be an idiot. The answer came in the form of two words that everybody in the stands heard and witnessed as they echoed through the stadium.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Harry turned around just as a sickly green spell struck her in the chest. The last thing she saw was a cackling Alastor Moody pointing his smoking wand at her before she heard the sound of rushing wind approaching. She immediately toppled to the ground like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

That's a wrap! You'll all have to deal with that cliffhanger for a whole week! Mwahahaha! I am eeeeevil! Don't forget to leave a review; they're what sustain my existence. I'll see you all next week!

Edited: 11/13/19

13. Chapter 13

Hello everyone! Welcome back; hope you didn't mind the wait (evil snicker). Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 13

Ironically, the peaceful silence was what roused Harry's attention. She did not know how long she had been lying in place for, but the unnatural lack of sound made her highly suspicious. There had never been a moment in her life where it had been so quiet before. Even at night there was always noise being made, be it nothing more than the soft breeze of the wind against the window, or the creaks in the wooden planks that made up her bed. It disturbed her, this noiseless tranquility, so she opened her eyes.

Surrounding her was a white mist of some sort. Unlike normal mist which formed around the objects it hid from view, this mist was itself the objects that had yet to be formed. Marveling at the sight, Harry slowly stood up. She noticed she was naked, but since she believed herself to be alone it did not bother her, having long since gotten used to being nude as a girl.

A path formed itself in front of her. Biting her lip, she followed it cautiously. Some time later, or perhaps no time at all, she heard a pained moan. Suddenly, there was a bench, and underneath it came the wailing, louder than before. Bending down to get a look, she yelped and recoiled. The source was the most repugnant thing she had ever seen- the shriveling husk of a human child, hairless, with fraying skin. It shuddered in pain, moaning again, as it held itself tighter. Despite being completely repulsed, Harry wanted to relieve its pain. She reached out hesitantly, for once unsure what to do.

"You can't help," came a woman's gentle voice from behind her.

Harry whipped her head around and saw a man and a woman holding hands, beaming at her as if she were the greatest treasure they'd ever laid eyes on. Never very comfortable with stares, Harry looked down. She immediately shrieked, remembering she was still in her birthday suit. Squatting down, she covered her chest. The man roared with laughter and the woman slapped him on the arm, an exasperated smile tugging at her lips. They turned around to give her some privacy. Desperately wishing she were clothed, a pair of satin panties, a bra, a pure white sundress, and a light blue jumper instantly appeared by her feet. She hastily shoved the garments on then eyed the two people suspiciously.

"Who are you?" she asked. "And what do you mean I can't help?" The two turned around and walked towards her. She narrowed her eyes, trying to decipher why they looked so familiar. The man had dark hair and wore glasses while the woman's hair and eyes were the same color as her own.

The man clutched his heart theatrically. "Oh how you wound me, Prongslet!" He pretended to wipe a tear from his eye then turned to the woman. "How could our beautiful little angel not recognize us, Lily-flower? Oh, the shame! The humanity!"

Rolling her eyes, the woman slapped his arm again. "Honestly James! Harry was a year and a half old the last time we saw her. What did you expect?" Grinning, the man slipped his arm around the woman's waist as they came to a stop in front of her. "Hello Harry dear, it's wonderful to see you again!" the woman said cheerfully.

Harry's breath hitched in her throat. Her heart skipped several beats before it started pounding overtime to make up for the losses. A sense of vertigo overtook her, and she struggled to stay upright. She recognized the two of them now. How could she not, given the innumerable hours she'd spent staring at their pictures? But, this was impossible. They were dead! "Mum? Dad?" she asked weakly.

The two smiled. "It's us, pumpkin," Lily confirmed.

"And we're so, so proud of you, Prongslet!" James told her.

All Harry's composure immediately flew right out the window. She tackled her parents, and threw her arms around them in a tight, needy embrace. The two elder Potters hugged their child back just as fiercely, and for a while, the family of three were lost in their reunion. Harry reveled in the feeling of being in her parents' arms, unashamed of the tears cascading down her cheeks.

After an interminable amount of time, Lily finally spoke up. "Pumpkin, I love you, but I need you to let go," she said gently. "We have a lot to talk about."

"Not to mention, if we still needed to breath we'd have suffocated by now," James joked.

Harry sniffled, but did as her mother requested. A large, plush couch formed from the mist. Lily and James sat down and pulled their daughter in the middle. Harry wiggled around, nestling snugly between her parents. She basked in the feeling of complete safety they provided.

"Where are we?" Harry asked.

"The afterlife, pumpkin. We're at the gates," Lily answered.

"The last thing I remember is Professor Moody hitting me with a Killing Curse. Am I dead?" James and Lily both winced at the longing in her tone.

"Not quite, Prongslet," her father told her. "You're in a… unique position; your status is currently in flux. And that wasn't the real Alastor Moody, that was a Polyjuiced Death Eater."

Harry's brow furrowed. "What do you mean 'in flux'?"

James- like all good parents- answered her question with another question. "Do you know what a horcrux is, Prongslet?" Harry shook her head. "Didn't think so. I never knew while I was alive either. A horcrux is one of the darkest magics imaginable. By committing cold blooded murder as part of a dark ritual, you can split your soul apart and store the fragment in an object. That 'soul container' is called a horcrux." Harry wrinkled her nose and grimaced. James chuckled. "Yeah, it's pretty evil stuff, but if you do it correctly you can't die unless the horcrux is destroyed."

"So that's why Voldemort survived," Harry realized. She shuddered. "That's disgusting! I can't believe he did that!"

"He didn't do it just once. He did it seven times," James clarified.

"Oh Merlin!" Harry's face turned green, and she covered her mouth to stop herself from throwing up. Her mother quickly wrapped her arms around her and she leaned into the protective embrace.

Her father ruffled her hair. She scowled at him and swatted his hand away. "You look adorable when you're angry, Prongslet," James teased. "Just like your mother." Harry instantly blushed as red as her hair while Lily half-heartedly smacked his shoulder. James smirked before his face turned somber. "On that Halloween night, when your brilliant mother caused Voldemort's curse to rebound, a part of his fractured soul latched itself onto the only living being still in the house."

Harry gulped heavily. "A part of Voldemort's soul, is in m-me?" she whispered, terrified.

"Was, pumpkin," Lily assured her. "It was in you- or more accurately, in your scar. The Killing Curse strips the soul from the body, and with nowhere else to go, the soul comes here. When the Curse hit you just now, it was confused because there were two souls in your body, so it brought you both here. However, only one of you has to stay."

Harry's eyes widened in awe. "Really?"

"Really," Lily confirmed. She then winced. "The curse also had an… unintended side effect."

"Side effect?"

James grinned. "Let's just say your 'prank' is a little more permanent now."

Harry's eyebrows disappeared into her bangs. "So I'm…" She glanced down at her body, specifically her chest. "F-Forever?"

"Why else would you be a girl in the afterlife, Prongslet?"

"Honestly, I didn't even think about it. I feel much more comfortable as a girl than I ever did as a boy," Harry admitted, surprised by her own honesty.

Lily caressed her daughter's cheek. "There's nothing wrong with that, pumpkin." Harry averted her eyes and bit her lip. "What is it?" Lily asked.

"It's nothing," Harry mumbled.

Lily squeezed her daughter's hand. "That line might work on everyone else, pumpkin, but I'm your mother," she said gently. "Tell me what's wrong."

Cheeks pinking at being caught, Harry bit her lip. "Y-You're not mad at me, a-are you? For my 'prank'?"

James scoffed. "Are you kidding me, Prongslet?" He spread his arms out wide. "I'm thrilled! It was brilliant! So Marauder-like!"

Harry blushed. "B-But I was born a boy, a-and now…"

Lily hugged her daughter tightly. "Oh Harry, it doesn't matter to me or your father what gender you are, you'll always be our child and we will always love you."

"Always," James echoed, ruffling Harry's hair again.

Harry felt the happy tears making a comeback, and she once more gave them free reign to fall. "I love you too, Mum, and you, Dad." Her parents wrapped their arms around her and she basked in their love. Sniffling, she smiled shyly. "What happens now?" she asked.

Lily caressed her daughter's cheek. "There's plenty of time to talk about it later, pumpkin. Time moves much slower here so there's no rush. For now, why don't we go for a walk?" She stood and held out her hand.

Harry jumped up and took it eagerly. "Okay Mum!" she agreed blissfully, savoring the taste of the word on her tongue.

Her father took her other hand and the family of three walked aimlessly through the formless mist as the path constantly shaped itself in front of them as needed. They talked for a very long time, and Harry eagerly shared everything she'd ever been through in her short life. She even spoke of things she'd never told to anyone else before, such as how badly the Dursleys had really abused her and how she truly felt about them. Her parents never interrupted her and they never judged her; they simply held her hand as she vented. Then, once she'd run out of steam, they told her how much they loved her and how proud of her they were for persevering and becoming such a wonderful person.

Her parents then told her everything she'd ever wanted to know about them, and more. Stories of the first time they'd met, funny moments they'd shared in school, how they finally got together, and the immeasurable sense of joy they'd felt when she'd been born. Harry felt lighter than air as she finally got to know Lily and James Potter.

Gradually, as their conversation progressed, Harry felt all her anxiety, all her fears and self-doubts, and all her insecurities, just… fade away. Spending time with her parents was a balm for her soul. It was exactly what she needed to exorcise the numerous demons she'd acquired in her short life.

Towards the end, the topic switched to Harry's more recent exploits. Her parents commended her for the way she'd adopted Luna as a little sister, and said they eagerly looked forward to meeting her one day… just not anytime soon. Eventually though, as all good things must, Lily and James felt their time with their daughter reaching its end.

The elder Potters shared a solemn look. "Harry," James said gravelly, interrupting her rant on how she pitied Moaning Myrtle, but was still very creeped out by her.

Harry tilted her head to the side. "What is it, Dad?"

"You have to make a choice now, pumpkin," Lily said.

"You can either stay here and pass on, or you can head back to the real world and live," James elaborated.

Harry bit her lip. "I-I think I want to go back," she decided hesitantly. "I-I'm really happy I got to meet you, Mum and Dad, but…"

"You have people waiting for you," her father finished for her. Harry nodded sadly. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see her parents' proud smiles.

"We loved spending time with you too, pumpkin, but it's far too early for you to stay here for good," Lily told her. "You're far too young; you still have your whole life ahead of you. Graduate Hogwarts, get out and see the world, meet a nice young man- or woman, if you want- and give us lots of grandchildren."

"MUM!" Harry's entire face flushed crimson at the idea of her giving birth.

"Lily-flower! Harry's not allowed to date anyone until she's at least 30!" James argued. Lily elbowed him in the ribs and Harry giggled, still blushing.

"Don't listen to your father, pumpkin. Just be careful who you give your heart to, alright?"

Harry nodded then grinned. "No worries, Dad! I'm not going to be able to even think about dating for a loooong time now, what with my 'prank' pranking me back." James laughed and Lily rolled her eyes fondly. Harry's lower lip started to tremble and she wrapped her parents in another tight embrace. "Thank you both," she told them softly, voice thick with emotion. "You sacrificed yourselves so that I would live, thank you both so much. I love you!" Lily's breath hitched in her throat and James surreptitiously wiped some dirt out of his eyes.

"That's what parents do, pumpkin," Lily told her.

"It's a parent's job to protect their kid," James said proudly, ruffling Harry's hair. Harry scrunched her brow, but didn't swat his hand away this time.

Wiping her eyes, Harry pulled back from the hug. A scarlet train that looked remarkably similar to the Hogwarts Express formed from the mist and blew its whistle. "I have to go," she said sadly. "I'm going to miss you, Mum! And you, Dad!"

"We'll see you again, pumpkin, once you've lived a long, full life," Lily assured her.

"Make sure you have lots more stories to tell us when we do, alright?" James asked.

"I will!" Harry vowed, nodding determinedly. She gave her parents one last hug and boarded the train to the sight of them smiling at her and waving goodbye.

"WE LOVE YOU!" they cried.

Her cheeks stretching so wide it hurt, Harry smiled as brightly as she could. "I LOVE YOU TOO! I'LL SEE YOU LATER!" The train started to move and quickly picked up speed. A minute later, it vanished into the formless mist.

The elder Potters stared after the train for a bit before James finally broke the silence. "Well, we got to see her off at the Hogwarts' Express at least once. That's gotta count for something, right?" Lily bit her lip, her eyes remaining locked onto where the train disappeared. James wrapped an arm around his wife and kissed her softly. "She'll be fine, Lils. Our little girl's a strong one! Feisty and beautiful, just like her mother. Besides, Padfoot's still there to look after her."

Lily sighed and leaned into her husband. "I know, James, but I'm her mother. It's my job to worry."

"And it's my job to tell you not to."

"Ow, my head!" Harry complained. She sat up slowly, massaging her temple, as she tried to stem the feeling of bludgers pounding in her skull. Blinking rapidly, she noticed every single person in the stadium was gawking at her. "Er, hi?" she said meekly, waving at the crowd. Pandemonium ensued. People started screaming themselves hoarse or bawling their eyes out- oftentimes, both.

A strangled gurgling noise from behind her caught her attention. The Minister of Magic's complexion greatly resembled his hideous sickly-green bowler hat. Harry smiled angelically at him. "Perhaps you'll believe me now, Minister?" she asked innocently.

Amelia Bones snorted loudly then offered her hand to help the girl to her feet. "You alright, Harry?" she asked gently.

"Never better!" Harry replied, and she meant it too. With her migraine quickly receding, her body felt light as a feather. It felt like all of the baggage she'd been forced to shoulder her whole life was simply… not there anymore. There was no pain anywhere. Feeling suspicious, she glanced down at her arm where the Basilisk had bitten her second year. She gasped, not seeing the scar anymore.

Amelia nodded. "Kingsley! Robards!" she barked. Two aurors- one dark skinned and bald, one with glasses and greying hair- marched down next to her, levitating a Stunned sandy-haired man in baggy clothes behind them. The unconscious man had a disgustingly goofy grin on his face.

"This is the scumbag who cast the Killing Curse, ma'am," said the dark skinned auror. His voice was smooth and well-cultured. "He was Polyjuicing as Mad-Eye."

Amelia nodded. "Thank you, Kingsley. Glad to hear Moody hasn't been compromised. Do you know who he is, or where the real Moody is being held?"

"No ma'am. We Stunned him as soon as he fired the curse," Kingsley replied.

"He looks familiar though, I just can't place it," the other auror- Robards- commented.

"That, is Barty Crouch Jr.," Dumbledore informed them gravely.

Amelia frowned. "I thought he was dead?"

"So did I," Dumbledore admitted.

"Er- excuse me, Madam Bones? How long was I out for?" Harry asked, putting her hand in the air.

"Only a few minutes," Amelia replied kindly. "And this isn't class, Miss Potter, no need to raise your hand." Harry blushed and lowered her arm. Amelia grinned. She turned to Severus Snape- who was slouching behind Dumbledore in a poor attempt at hiding- and her professional demeanor returned. "Potions Master Snape, is it safe to assume you have Veritaserum in your possession?" Severus nodded infinitesimally. "Fetch it for me," Amelia ordered. Nodding again, he spun on his heel and headed for the castle, robes billowing behind him. With a jerk of her head, Kingsley followed after him.

The mention of the truth serum finally snapped Fudge from his daze. "Now see here, Amelia!" he cried, jabbing a pudgy finger at her. "You can't just use Veritaserum on pureblood citizens willy nilly!"

Amelia smiled sweetly, but her eyes burned with righteous fury. "Why Cornelius, Barty Crouch Jr. is legally dead. So is Peter Pettigrew here. Dead men don't have any rights. I can pour Veritaserum down their throats until it leaks out of their ears."

Fudge stammered, but no discernible words came out. Getting a burst of inspiration, Harry spoke up. "Minister, you and everyone in this stadium just saw me survive the Killing Curse for the second time in my life. If you try and stop this now, I'll have you kicked out of office faster than you can say 'Lucius Malfoy is my sugar daddy'!"

Fudge blanched while auror Robards roared with laughter. Amelia and- much to Harry's surprise- Professor McGonagall, snickered, while Dumbledore frowned and stroked his beard. Grumbling under his breath, the minister backed down and tried to make himself look as small as possible. The size of his ridiculous hat made that a rather difficult feat.

When Snape and Kingsley finally returned, the Potions Master handed a small vial of clear liquid over to Madam Bones. "The Veritaserum," he drawled. Kingsley nodded to Amelia discreetly.

"I believe we should relocate to somewhere more private. My office, perhaps?" Dumbledore suggested.

Amelia glared at him. "I think not, Dumbledore!" she said angrily. "I will not allow this to be swept under the rug! We'll interrogate them in a holding cell back at the Ministry!"

"Then perhaps Mr. Potter should be brought to the hospital wing?" he tried.

Harry rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Oh, so now you care," she said sarcastically. "You didn't seem to think it was so important when I was a baby, dumping me off on the Dursleys' doorstep without so much as a 'by your leave'. And it's Miss Potter- permanently now."

Those present frowned to varying degrees. "I'll follow up on that dumping comment later," Amelia promised, glaring at Dumbledore. "But what do you mean 'permanently'? It was my understanding that this-" she gestured to Harry's body- "was the result of a Gender Swap Potion."

Harry nodded. "It was. Until that arsehole hit me with an AK." She narrowed her eyes at the unconscious Barty Crouch Jr. At Amelia's inquisitive look, Harry shook her head. "I'll explain more later, when we're away from any interfering old men- no offense, Auror Robards."

The greying auror grinned. "None taken, little lady."

Amelia cleared her throat then pulled out a badge and tapped it with her wand. "Shack, Robards, take Pettigrew and Junior to holding cells 4 and 5," she ordered.

"Don't forget Pettigrew is an animagus," Harry chimed in helpfully.

"Cell 6 for Pettigrew then, I'll use cell 4 for Babymort," Amelia amended. The two aurors nodded and Kingsley took the badge from his superior. He placed it on Pettigrew and Robards grabbed his fellow auror's shoulder. The three of them vanished into thin air. Amelia Bones eyed Harry contemplatively. "You've got good instincts, Miss Potter. We could use more people like you in the corps."

Harry blushed at the praise. "I'll keep that in mind," she said neutrally. "Will Sirius be getting a trial?" she asked, biting her lower lip.

Amelia smirked. "If this goes the way I expect, he should be a free man by the end of the week." Harry whooped and pumped her arm into the air. "Now, you really should head to the hospital wing, Miss Potter," Amelia told her. "I'll stop by later to get your descriptions of what happened."

"Thank you, Madam Bones. And please, call me Harry."

The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement winked. "Call me Amelia- when I'm off duty, of course!" Harry giggled and Madam Bones pulled out another badge. She tapped it with her wand and slapped it on Voldemort's homunculus. "Activate!" she cried, and the two disappeared with a crack of displaced air.

Harry turned to the others and had to cover her mouth to muffle another giggle after seeing their faces. Fudge was still as green as his hat as he murmured unintelligibly under his breath. Snape sneered at her but with far less heat than usual, and he kept averting his gaze whenever she met his eyes. McGonagall was clutching her heart and seemed to be in desperate need of some liquor. Dumbledore's eyes had lost their usual twinkle and he didn't seem to notice he was pulling off several strands of hair as he stroked his beard repeatedly.

With a cheeky salute, Harry skipped towards the hospital wing. However, she had barely gotten out of the stadium when she was intercepted by a ballistic blonde hug missile.

Stroking the sobbing girl's hair, Harry smiled. "Hello, sweetheart!"

Pulling back, Luna Lovegood glared at her big sister, but the effect was ruined by her pouty lips and the thick tears running down her cheeks. "Dummy! Dummy! Dummy!" she cried, punctuating each word with a flailing fist.

"Ow! Luna, did you just punch my boob?" Harry asked, half pained, half amused. She caught the girl's wrists so she couldn't hit her any more.

"You deserve it Harry," Hermione said, voice trembling. Her bushy hair looked even more disheveled than usual and her hands were clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. "We thought you'd died!" Luna choked at the word 'died' and Harry hugged her tighter with one arm. She opened the other out wide and the brunette took the offered invitation, joining the little blonde in hugging the stuffing out of the redhead.

"I'm sorry," Harry said sincerely. "But you can hardly blame me for it."

Luna sniffled. "You promised you'd be okay," she reminded her in a very small voice.

"And I am!" Harry protested. "In fact, I haven't felt this good in forever! Look!" Baring her arm, she pointed to where the basilisk bit her.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "I don't see what's so special about your arm, Harry," she said impatiently, crossing her arms.

"My scar is gone!" Harry enthusiastically explained. "From the basilisk, remember? It didn't disappear when I took the potion, but now it's gone!"

Luna's eyes widened. "That's not your only scar that's gone! There's no mark on your forehead!"

"WHAT?" Harry shrieked, seperating from the hug. "I NEED A MIRROR!" Hermione fumbled with her bag until she pulled one out. Harry quickly flipped it open and pulled back her bangs. Instead of the usual red and puffy lightning bolt mark that always looked newly cut, smooth, creamy skin covered the surface of her forehead. Harry rubbed her fingers over where it had been and didn't feel a bump get in the way. "It-It's gone," she stammered, voice numb from shock. "It's really gone!" She dabbed at her eyes to stop her tears from falling then grinned so wide her cheeks hurt. "Hermione, I will never say this again, but I need to go to the hospital wing! Now!"

With a newfound burst of energy, Harry sprinted towards the castle, ignoring the two witches behind her telling her to slow down. When she burst through the doors of the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey was already rolling up her sleeves. "I was told to expect you, Miss Potter. How have you been injured this time?" the matron asked.

"Myscarsaregone!"

Madam Pomfrey blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

Hermione and Luna finally caught up and leaned on the doorposts to catch their breath. "Slow… down," Luna panted.

Harry gave the healer a goofy grin. "Two of my scars are gone! The bite mark from the basilisk and the lightning bolt on my forehead!" she said euphorically. "Can you see if the others are gone too?"

Madam Pomfrey narrowed her eyes. "Miss Potter, scars born from Dark Magic do not just disappear like that!"

"I know that! It probably had something to do with me getting hit with another Killing Curse!" Harry said cheerfully.

The matron dropped her wand. "Th-The K-Killing Curse?" She turned to the other two girls, who both nodded sadly. Staggering backwards, she steadied herself on a nearby bedpost. "H-How?"

"I'll tell you later, can you please check me first? A full scan!" Harry insisted.

Shaking her head, Madam Pomfrey's professionalism reasserted itself. "You will have to strip down to your undergarments for a full scan, Miss Potter."

"I know, you've done it before," Harry said impatiently, slipping off her robe.

"Miss Potter, you cannot undress in here!" Madam Pomfrey snapped, cheeks pinking slightly.

Harry tilted her head to the side. "Why not? You're my healer, and these two have seen me in less." She jabbed her thumb at the girls behind her.

"Add 'why Harry seems so much more comfortable with her body' to the list of things to figure out," Hermione muttered quietly under her breath. Not quietly enough though.

"Well, this body is permanent now," Harry explained brightly.

"WHAT?"

"I didn't mention that yet?"

"We got sidetracked before you could explain anything, Harry!" Luna snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and narrowing her eyes.

Harry winced and twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. "Yeah, I'm a girl for life now. I'll explain how I know that later, but can we please get on with the scan first?"

"Very well, but I insist you undress behind those curtains, Miss Potter," Madam Pomfrey said. "You may not mind if the three of us see you, but what if the headmaster were to walk through those doors at this very moment?"

Harry flinched. "Point." Her smile instantly reasserted itself though and she skipped behind the curtains.

Hermione's jaw dropped. "Did Harry just skip? What the bloody hell did that Killing Curse do to her?"

"Language, Hermione!" Harry singsonged from behind the curtains.

"About that, could you please explain how Miss Potter was hit with a Killing Curse and is still alive?" Madam Pomfrey asked brusquely.

"We don't know, she hasn't told us yet," Luna grumbled.

"I'm ready!" Harry called out.

Shaking her head again, Madam Pomfrey led the other two behind the curtains. Harry stood there in just her sports bra and knickers, twisting and turning to peer at every inch of her body, grinning wider and wider the longer she looked. "I can't find a single scar!" she squealed.

Madam Pomfrey waved her wand over the girl's head and muttered several lengthy incantations. She moved her wand down Harry's body as the girl continued to beam at them, then took a step back to examine the readings. Her eyes widened at what the spells reported. "It's not just your scars that are gone, Miss Potter, there's not a single mark on you of any kind! You have the healthiest body I've ever seen! There are no signs to indicate you had to regrow your bones two years ago, and the slight malnourishment you've had ever since you first arrived at Hogwarts is gone as well. It's like you were reborn! You've even grown a full inch!"

Harry's eyes sparkled as she turned to her best friend and little sister. "I know it worried you two, and I'm sorry about that, but getting hit by that Killing Curse was the best thing to ever happen to me!" She then stepped in front of a nearby mirror and examined her now-flawless skin, the wide grin on her face never leaving her.

"Okay, now you're preening!" Hermione screamed, throwing her hands up into the air. "Who are you, and what have you done with my best friend?!"

Harry's smile slipped for just a moment. "Madam Pomfrey, could you please give us a moment?" she asked, putting her clothes back on. The matron looked between the three witches then nodded once and closed the curtains behind her. Once fully dressed, Harry plopped down in the middle of a bed, and patted the spaces next to her. "Sit down, you two. This is a bit of a crazy story, even for me."

When they were all sitting comfortably, Harry cast a silencing ward then told them everything that had happened from the moment she entered the maze until the present. The two girls were a stellar audience. They gasped and gripped the sheets at all the right places and hugged her tightly when she cried recounting her meeting with her parents. When she finished her story, the three girls held each other in contemplative silence. Suddenly, Harry was struck with an immense wave of exhaustion, the day's events finally catching up to her. Yawning loudly, she collapsed backwards. "Sleepy, g'night," was all she said before passing out.

Hermione and Luna shared an amused look before standing up. Hermione transfigured Harry's clothes into pajamas while Luna adjusted her big sister so she was lying down more comfortably before tucking her in and kissing her where the scar on her forehead used to be.

The next day, Harry stayed in the hospital wing while Madam Pomfrey performed a battery of tests just to confirm beyond all doubt that there really was nothing wrong with her. The last Potter pouted, but didn't argue, too euphoric to get truly annoyed about it. Just as Madam Pomfrey finished her last test, Amelia Bones strode into the hospital wing. The Director of the DMLE led Harry into an abandoned classroom, closed the door, then cast a plethora of privacy charms. She then sat down across from Harry and asked her to explain what had happened the night of the Third Task. Harry recounted for her the same tale she'd told Hermione and Luna, minus the more personal details like her chat with her parents.

Amelia thanked Harry for her help then asked her to let Sirius Black know his trial was scheduled for the Friday after next. Harry was stunned that the ministry was actually taking care of this so quickly, and said so. Amelia smirked then told her that the DMLE was the only department in the ministry where things ran relatively smoothly, though she said the reason was a secret for aurors' ears only. Harry giggled at the woman's not-so-subtle attempt to get her interested in joining the Auror Corps. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Amelia headed back to the ministry, claiming there was still much work for her to do, and Harry left to go find Hermione and Luna.

And that's a wrap! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Wow, we're almost finished! Only one last chapter to go to wrap up all the loose ends. I can't believe it's almost over. Thank you all so much for all your support! And speaking of support, don't forget to leave a review!

...Well that's all for now; see all you wonderful people next week for the final chapter. Ciao! :)

Edited: 11/13/19

14. Chapter 14

Hello everyone! Welcome to the final chapter of Pranking The Tournament! There is a time for speeches and this is not it; enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 14

"Come on, Harry, get up! You're going to be late to the feast if you don't get out of bed!"

Harry groaned as the light hit her eyes. "Five more minutes, Luna!" she whined, pulling the blanket back over her head.

The blonde frowned. "You've been napping for three hours already! If you don't get up right now, the nargles are going to get you!" Harry merely rolled over. Luna grinned impishly before levitating some water over Harry's head. She stifled a giggle then cancel the spell, drenching the bed and the girl in it. Harry shrieked and jolted upright, the cold water forcibly dragging her away from dreamland and into the real world.

"LUNA!"

"I warned you, big sister," Luna said innocently. "The nargles are not to be trifled with! You should go take a shower before you catch a cold."

Harry glared at her. "You little brat!" She lunged forward to try and grab her little sister, but got tangled up in her sheets instead.

Luna laughed as she raced towards the door. "See you at your victory feast!" she teased. She closed the door behind her and skipped her way to the Great Hall.

Scowling, Harry sneezed before heading inside the bathroom, shrugging off her drenched nightgown on her way, trusting Dobby to clean it for her and pack it with the rest of her things. "Grr, if I actually catch a cold, I am going to be so mad at her!" Harry fumed as she turned on the hot water. "I'll pick up a Pepper-Up Potion from Madam Pomfrey on my way to the feast, just to be safe," she decided.

After drying herself off, Harry brushed her hair then used a cute sky blue headband to hold her bangs back (ever since the madness of the third task, she'd been proudly displaying her unblemished forehead for the world to see). She then applied a little makeup the way Lavender had taught her before before putting on her deliciously ironic lightning bolt earrings and slipping into her Salem uniform. While she normally wouldn't go through the trouble, she wanted to look her best for her victory party.

Once Harry was fully satisfied with her appearance, she smiled and took one last look around the suite that had been her home for nearly the entire school year. Come next September, she'd be living in the girls' dorm with Hermione and the other Gryffindor girls. Professor McGonagall had spoken to the others a few days ago and they all said they were perfectly okay with it. Unfortunately, Luna would have to go back to living in Ravenclaw tower, but Harry wasn't too worried. Her little sister wasn't the same timid waif she'd been when they'd first met anymore. Plus, she was fairly certain 'the nargles' were far too terrified of her nowadays to even think about messing with her little sister anymore. The depth of her fellow students' knowledge regarding her trip to the graveyard was a mystery to her, but she knew they were all at least aware that she'd fought and captured both the Dark Lord and one of his Death Eaters before surviving the Killing Curse again. As a side note, her status as a 'real' girl had spread throughout the entire school within a day of the Third Task. The Hogwarts' rumor mill never failed to amaze and terrify.

On her way down to the feast, Harry thought back on the fates of Voldemort, Crouch Jr., and Pettigrew. Three days after the third task, Rita Skeeter had released a very detailed article on the culmination of the Triwizard Tournament. Due to public outrage, Pettigrew and Crouch Jr. had both been given the Dementor's Kiss, despite Dumbledore's protests. As for Voldemort himself, the public story was that he was being kept under surveillance 24/7 in an undisclosed location while the Ministry's best and brightest tried to figure out how he'd survived that night in Godric's Hollow. Harry had come out of the article smelling of sunshine and rainbows, while Fudge, Dumbledore, and everyone else in charge of the Triwizard Tournament were in the public's metaphorical doghouse.

The truth about Voldemort, Harry knew, was that Amelia Bones had immediately ordered her most trusted aurors to hunt down the Dark Lord's horcruxes after Harry had told her all about them during their meeting after the third task. Amelia had offered to let Harry be the one to toss the tosser through the veil once all his soul containers were destroyed, but Harry had declined and told Amelia she could have that honor instead. Rita Skeeter had somehow managed to learn the truth about Voldemort's horcruxes and Amelia's literal witch hunt for them, despite the ironclad secrecy protecting the truth. However, the scandalmonger had been suitably intimidated into staying silent for once by the Iron Lady of Magical Britain when she threatened to hang the reporter by her infamous Quick-Quotes-Quill if so much as a single word about the vile soul magic made its way into the Daily Prophet.

The sight of the Great Hall drew Harry back into the present. As she stepped inside, all noise immediately died off as everyone turned to stare at her. Harry blushed at the attention, still not used to it despite the past four years, and scurried over to the Gryffindor table where she plopped down next to Hermione.

Once Harry was seated, Dumbledore stood up to speak before conversation could pick back up again. "The end of another year," he said wistfully. "And what a year it has been! I would like to inform you all, before we present our young victor with their due rewards and become befuddled by the rather excellent feast, that every guest here tonight is welcome back at Hogwarts at any time." His eye twinkle was running on overdrive as he swept his gaze over the foreign students. "The Triwizard Tournament was formed to create unity and understanding between the witches and wizards of our magical schools three. I sincerely urge you all to hold fast to the bonds of friendship you have made this year. Love, after all, is the greatest magic there is."

Dumbledore paused to smile serenely at his audience. "This year's tournament has, admittedly, been most unusual. However, our four champions all competed valiantly, and I would like to propose a toast. To the Triwizard Champions!" He lifted his goblet into the air.

"TO THE TRIWIZARD CHAMPIONS!" the Great Hall echoed.

"Of course," Dumbledore continued. "There can be but one winner in any competition. Only one champion rose above the rest and claimed victory, one thousand galleons, and eternal glory from inside the depths of the maze!" With a theatrical flick of his wand, the Triwizard cup and a sack of gold came zooming out from behind the Staff table to hover at his side. "I would like to invite… the winner… of this year's Triwizard Tournament… to claim their prize!" The headmaster paused for dramatic effect then gestured to the Gryffindor table. "Harry James Potter!"

The Great Hall erupted into chaos as people began screaming themselves hoarse. However, after a few minutes, they all quieted down as they realized there was a problem. Harry wasn't moving; she remained firmly planted in her seat as a playful smile danced across her lips.

"Harry?" Dumbledore prompted.

The youngest champion waited until the noise level had died down completely before responding. "Oh, I'm sorry Headmaster, you haven't heard yet?" she asked innocently. At Dumbledore's bewildered frown, she giggled, eyes sparkling with mischief. "I thought you'd have known by now, Madam Bones told me about it two days ago. Apparently, the name on my magical birth registration was changed." A wave of confused murmurs rang through the hall, but they quieted quickly as she continued. "Nobody quite understands how it happened, since both my parents' magical signatures are recorded as the last ones to change it and it's still dated back before their passing, but regardless it's all very official. I am not Harry James Potter anymore; legally and magically speaking, I never was. My name… is Harriet Jane Potter."

Stunned silence filled the air. After a few moments, Dumbledore coughed awkwardly into his fist. "Er- yes, well… in that case, I would like to invite Harriet Jane Potter to come up and claim her prize," he said hurriedly, and with far less showboating.

Harry grinned and rested her head on her palm. "Honestly Headmaster, 'Harriet' is such a mouthful. I insist you just call me Harry."

Dumbledore gave her a tired look. "Very well then. Harry, please come up and take the cup."

Harry giggled and smiled sweetly at him as she made her way up the stage, the majority of the Great Hall still trying to process what she'd just said. However, something caught her eye midway that caused her to stop. Her victory banners were displaying the Hogwarts' crest. Huffing her cheeks, she drew her wand and Transfigured them into the emblem for Salem Witches' Academy. Smiling again, she put her wand away and primly continued her walk towards the dias.

This was finally too much for a certain pair of twins to handle. Fred and George burst into hearty guffaws, and were soon joined by the uncontrollable giggling of Luna Lovegood. Next was Hermione Granger, whose deep, full-belly laughter surprised all who knew her. Like a chain of dominos, students started joining in the laughter one after the other. Pretty soon, the entire hall sounded like a madhouse, with all of the students- and the majority of the professors- cackling and pounding on the tables. Dumbledore looked extraordinarily put out though.

It took several minutes for the laughter to finally die down, and by that point Harry had already reached the platform and was smiling amusedly at the headmaster, who in turn was frowning at her while stroking his beard. Once it was quiet enough, the ancient wizard gestured towards the cup. Harry smiled angelically before swiping it and the sack of gold from the air. She then put the sack of gold in the cup, turned to the crowd, and lifted the trophy high above her head.

A chant- started by the Weasleys Twins, no doubt- echoed through the chamber, steadily rising in volume as it carried on. "HARR-I-ET! HARR-I-ET! HARR-I-ET!" Harry grinned as, for once, she enjoyed the attention. She had never been comfortable with her fame from being the Boy-Who-Lived, or rather the Girl-Who-Lived now. But this? She'd been pitted against three of-age witches and wizards, the best that Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang had to offer, people who'd lived and breathed the magical world their entire lives, while she'd only learned about the existence of magic a scant four years ago. And yet, despite all that working against her, she'd won. Nobody could say she was just a famous name anymore. She'd damn well earned her Triwizard win, and she was proud of it.

Locating Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor from the throng of people, Harry grinned at each of them and they smiled back. Making her way back to her seat, Harry placed the cup on the table in front of her.

After casting several Cannon Blast Charms to regain order, Dumbledore told them all to tuck in and enjoy the feast. The noise level quickly returned to its previous state as people started chatting and following his suggestion with gusto.

Two helpings of treacle tart later, Harry looked up from her plate to see the Weasley Twins imitating Dumbledore's nonplussed expression for the crowd's amusement. "Oi! Gred, Forge, c'mere!" she called out. The twins grinned when they saw her waving them over. They bowed comedically low.

"You rang-"

"Harriet Jane?"

"Love the new name, by the way."

"Although I seem to recall-"

"You telling us earlier-"

"To never call you that."

"What changed-"

"Harriet?" they finished as one.

Harry laughed, brushing her hair out of her face. "What are you talking about, you miscreants? I've always been Harriet, and I challenge you to find any legal proof otherwise!"

The twins broke out into mirror grins. "Of course-"

"Our mistake."

"Old age, you know?"

"Memory's not quite what it used to be, I'm afraid."

The twins adopted confused looks.

"At least, we don't think it is…"

"We can't quite remember anymore."

Harry giggled.

"So!" the twins continued.

"How can we help you-"

"Harriet?"

Resting her chin in her palm, Harry observed the twins for a moment before cutting straight to the chase. "You two want to open a joke shop one day, right? Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes, was it?"

The twins sighed wistfully. "Yeah-"

"It's our dream-"

"But we don't have the money for it."

"Bagmoron won't give us what he owes us-"

"From our bet at The World Cup."

"He won't even return what we gave him-"

"The bloody wanker!"

"Hmm…" Harry reached inside the Triwizard cup, pulled out the sack of gold, and tossed it to them. "A thousand galleons, miscreants. It's all yours! Just give me a third of the shares once you boys hit it big. Deal?" She grinned at their poleaxed expressions. "Close your mouths before you let in wrackspurts," she teased.

"Harry, a-are you serious?" George asked, voice trembling slightly.

"A thousand galleons is a lot of money," Fred pointed out, sounding equally overwhelmed.

Harry waved her hand dismissively. "I've got enough in Gringotts to get me through; I'll be fine. Plus, once WWW really gets going, I'll probably make it all back- and more- in a couple of months, at most. Besides, you two deserve a shot at your dream."

Fred and George had a quick non-verbal conversation that ended with them nodding simultaneously. They immediately fell to their knees and began bowing down to her while singing her increasingly elaborate praises.

"She's an angel!"

"Nay! A goddess!"

"We're not worthy!"

"Hear ye! Hear ye! Let all present know of her greatness!"

"Her wisdom and kindness are beyond mortal comprehension!"

"We are but worms basking in the glow of a glorious sunrise!"

"The sun itself is a mere candle compared to the radiant glow of her beauty!"

"I think I'm in love!"

"Okay, that's enough!" Harry shrieked, putting her hands over their mouths. Her entire face was coated scarlet, and the sound of people busting a gut all around her didn't help. "Knock it off or I'm taking my money back!" she hissed. She could feel their unrepentant smirks on her hands. Pulling back, the twins slowly got back to their feet.

"Seriously, Harry-"

"Thank you!"

Harry smiled hesitantly. "Hey, you guys gave me my dad's map back last year, and I don't have much to remember him by. It's the least I can do."

It took a full two minutes and forty three seconds for the twins' brains to process that information and reboot. When they finally did, they lifted Harry onto their shoulders and spun around in circles.

"O' joyous day!"

"The prodigal daughter has returned!"

"Praise be unto the Marauders!"

"I think I really am in love!"

"Put me down, you prats!" Harry squealed, slapping them on the heads. The twins ignored her and continued dancing, singing their mother's favorite Celestina Warbeck love song horribly off-tune.

It was at that moment, Sirius Black strode into the Great Hall. He still looked skinny and underfed, but he no longer held the mangy demeanor or the crazed look in his eyes that had haunted him since he broke out of Azkaban. With impeccable clothes, a styled beard, and slicked back hair, he looked every bit the Pureblood Lord he was. As a result, nobody in the hall recognized him as the man who'd been the most wanted criminal in Magical Britain less than a week ago.

Scanning the room for his goddaughter, he identified her as the blushing girl hoisted on a pair of dancing redheaded boys' shoulders, screaming bloody murder at them. He chuckled as memories from his own school days of a near identical redhead doing something very similar came to mind. "Pup!" he called out, waving a hand. The three teens snapped their necks around to see who had called.

Harry's face lit up at the sight of her godfather. "Padfoot!" she cried. Taking advantage of the twins' momentary distraction, she wiggled free and sprinted towards the man. Sirius caught her as she jumped at him and spun her around, the sound of her delighted laughter putting him more at ease then all the potions they'd given him at St. Mungo's after his trial.

"Hey there, pup! Having fun?" he asked.

Harry nodded eagerly. "Of course! But what are you doing here?"

Sirius quirked an eyebrow. "You didn't think I was gonna miss my goddaughter's 'I-kicked-arse' party now that I'm a free man, did you?"

Harry blushed, then beamed at him and hugged him tighter. "I'm so glad you're here! Come on, I need to introduce you to my friends!" Grabbing his hand, she dragged him over to the Gryffindor table. Introducing 'Sirius Black' as her godfather- especially when the man had only been declared innocent a few days ago, and most of the country still thought he was a deranged, psychotic murderer- caused a bit of a panic attack for the surrounding students, but they got over it quickly. Seeing Harry Potter- the person he was supposedly after- clearly overjoyed to see him, put most of their fears to rest. He was also really funny, which definitely helped his case.

Over the course of dinner, Sirius explained how he had been cleared of all charges after testifying under Veritaserum, and had been given compensation by the ministry for wrongful imprisonment. He had then applied for guardianship rights over Harry, and the ministry had practically bent over backwards to sign off on it. Sirius spent dessert explaining to Harry, in great detail, all the places he had planned for them to travel to over the summer. Their vacation was scheduled to overlap with some of the Lovegoods' expeditions, so they'd be spending time with Luna and her father for a good three weeks. Both Harry and Luna hugged him after hearing that.

The last two weeks of summer were set aside for them to get settled into their new home. Coincidentally, the place Sirius had bought was only a few blocks away from Hermione's. This time it was Hermione who joined Harry in hugging him, and Harry even gave her dogfather a shy kiss on the cheek to go along with her thank you. The beaming smile that put on Sirius' face remained there for the rest of the night.

The feast carried on long past curfew. When Dumbledore finally declared it to be over, the multitude of youngsters trodged on up to their respective dormitories. As Harry's head hit her pillow that night, her last thought before falling asleep was that her 'prank' was the best idea she'd ever come up with.

"Who's sending you a letter now of all times?"

Looking up from the regal owl she'd been petting- who'd just flown in through an open window in their compartment on the Hogwarts Express to deliver a very official looking letter mere moments ago- Harry grinned at her friend. "I don't know, Susan. I haven't opened it yet," she teased, holding up the sealed envelope.

Susan huffed as Hannah giggled. "Well open it, then!" she demanded.

With a lazy grin, Harry peeled the envelope open, deliberately moving as slowly as possible just to rile Susan up, before finally taking out the letter. The missive was written on actual paper, not parchment, which instantly piqued Harry's curiosity. Unfolding it, she began to read.

Dear Harriet Jane Potter,

My name is Anastasia Meadows and I am the Principal- what you would call Headmaster- of Salem Witches' Academy.

On behalf of Salem Witches' Academy, I would like to thank you, Miss Potter. I am well aware of the 'selection malfunction' that occured at the start of the Triwizard Tournament. While I have no doubt that the man who entered your name under our school intended for it to be an insult, and that your reaction was not decided on for altruistic purposes, your actions have brought much notice to SWA this past year. Therefore, regardless of intent, we deeply thank you.

I would like to offer you an official place in our school, Miss Potter. I am aware that you have lived in Britain your whole life, and have been enrolled in Hogwarts for the last several years. However, given what has been imposed upon you, should you wish to try something new- a change in scenery, as it were- we would be honored to have you here at Salem, for however long you desire. If you would like to know more about SWA, I would be more than happy to answer any questions you have.

I would like to invite you for an all-expenses-paid trip to Salem Witches' Academy so that you can be shown around the campus, introduced to our current students, and meet our faculty. I'm sure you'd enjoy opportunities to make new friends, and experience the magical community we have to offer. I myself would like to meet the skilled young lady who won the prestigious Triwizard Tournament for our school at the tender age of 14.

The semester begins- like Hogwarts- on September 1st, so there's no need for you to rush a decision. Any letter addressed to either 'Anastasia Meadows' or 'Principal Meadows' will always find me. I wish you a lovely summer, dear, and I do hope to hear from you soon.

Yours Sincerely,

Anastasia Meadows

Principal of Salem Witches' Academy

Harry had to read the letter again, just to make sure it was real. She then proceeded to read it a third time. By that point, her friends were growing impatient.

"Well, Harry? What does it say?" Susan asked before she could get started on round four.

With a shaky grin, Harry pointed at the letter. "I've just been invited to Salem Witches' Academy next year," she said weakly.

"WHAT?!"

Harry rubbed her ears. "Oww! No need to shout, you four!"

"You've been invited to Salem Witches' Academy?" Hermione asked, scrutinizing her best friend's face for any hint of deception.

Harry held out the letter. "Here, read it yourself," she offered. "It's from Principal Meadows. She also wants to meet me in person to thank me for the positive publicity I've apparently generated for SWA this year, regardless of my decision." Hermione snatched up the letter and her eyes immediately began roaming over the text.

"Are you gonna go?" Susan pressed.

Harry twirled her hair around her finger. "I don't know. I think I'll at least check it out. Be rude not to."

"But why would you want to leave Hogwarts?" Hannah asked incredulously.

Harry looked at her pityingly. "Hannah, I love you dearly, but you live in a bubble. I've told you what my life in Hogwarts has been like, haven't I? And Magical Britain is so insulated from the rest of the world. I want to try new things, explore a little! I might go to Salem, I might not, but it won't hurt to see what it's like."

Hermione eyed her best friend approvingly, having already finished reading the letter twice. "That's very mature of you, Harry."

Harry pouted. "Why do you sound so surprised by that?"

"Well it is you," Hermione reasoned, smiling innocently. Harry rolled her eyes and gave her best friend a playful shove, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Hey big sister, do you think it'll be cold in Salem? Should we pack jackets?" Luna asked, putting a finger on her chin.

Harry shrugged. "Maybe, we'll ask Padfoot when we get off the train."

"Bet you never expected all this to happen when you first took that potion, did you Harry?" Susan asked, grinning widely.

Harry giggled. "Most definitely not! But I'm really glad I did." She smiled brightly. Harriet Jane Potter was a very happy witch.

And that's a wrap! Whew, can't believe this story is finally over. I'm so grateful to all of you wonderful readers out there who've supported me along the way. Thank you all so much, you all are the best!

When I first started this story I had meant for it to just be a one-shot. That's how I planned out the plot line. Then I actually started writing it and it kind of just wrote itself. This story is my first completed, multi chaptered story and I can't even begin to describe just how awesome that makes me feel! If you enjoyed Pranking The Tournament though please leave me a review, they're what keep me alive. If you didn't enjoy Pranking The Tournament then why the hell are you still reading it after all this time?

I know a lot of you want me to continue this on to fifth year, but I don't have any plans to. Like I said, this was originally meant to be a one-shot so I don't have any plot outlined to continue it with. I've also got other stories I'm writing that I'd rather focus on then thinking up another plot line for a story that's already finished. Maybe one day way into the future after I've finished writing all the other stories I have planned I'll think of something, maybe a quick little blurb of Harry visiting Salem, but for now I won't be continuing it as I want to focus on newer ideas.

Once again, please don't forget to leave a review. This is Gardevoir687 saying ciao one last time!

:)

Edited: 11/13/19