Girls’ Changing Room by Maeryn Lamonte
	It took me a while to rewrite the conversation between Lori and Lysander. I’m still not sure I’m totally happy with it, but here goes. I won’t give a preamble here as the previous chapter is somewhere around here for you to read if you haven’t got to it yet. Without further ado, here’s chapter two.

-oOo-

He woke into a pleasant drowse. The room around him was filled with golden light and as his eyes swam into focus he found a pretty face smiling down at him. He jerked upright, pulling the bedclothes in front of him, staring back with a panicked expression.

"Morning sleepyhead. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shock you. I was a little disappointed when they put me in here on my own last night. Then your clothes turned up and I did hope I might have a room-mate after all, and here you are."

She jumped off the bed. Her own nightdress wasn't so different from his, he noticed.

"You do know I'm a boy, don't you?" He said, resolving to be honest from the start.

"You don't look much like one." Anneka presented him with a hand mirror which he took eagerly, hoping for some additional evidence of change.

There wasn't any, just himself wearing a frilly white nightdress. He had to admit with his hair down to his shoulders and his youngish features he did look quite a lot like a girl, but from his perspective, it was just the usual him in unusual clothes.

"We met at the feast," he said, hoping to jog her memory.

"Of course we did, silly. You're Lorcan Scamander, the boy who didn't want to be in Hufflepuff." He let out a sigh, relieved that she hadn’t just assumed he was a girl. "May I brush your hair?"

"I beg your pardon?" It was such an unusual request under the circumstances.

"My mother gave me this brush," she said holding up a hairbrush that matched the style of the hand mirror. "'A hundred strokes a day,' she always told me. 'Fifty in the morning and fifty before bed and you'll always have beautiful hair on your head.' It sounds kind of silly, I know, but would you let me?"

Lorcan shrugged and swung his legs out of bed, turning his back to his room mate. She was being friendly and it seemed right to show willing in return.

The brush caressed his head, and he drifted into a dreamlike state. The worries of the morning which had been trying to crowd into his mind dissolved into nothingness and he allowed the sensation to fill him.

"Now look."

It took him a while to realise that Anneka had stopped her ministrations. He took the mirror from her hands and looked into it. It was still him, still wearing the nightdress, still with his usual dirty blonde hair, except it was longer now, and fuller, and shinier.

"How?"

"My mother's a hair witch. She enchants hairbrushes like this for a living. Of course the enchantments on the ones she sells fade after a while. She made this one especially for me and she says it should last forever."

"Perhaps I could brush yours for you?" Lorcan asked.

"Would you? That would be very kind."

She handed the brush across and turned her back to him. He set about his task, finding it almost as relaxing to do as to be done for. "Do I need to count?" he asked.

"No, it'll let you know when you're done."

"So, what made you think this was a good thing to do to a boy?"

"It is though, isn't it? I mean you seem to be all into girl clothes, and I figured you'd look better if your hair matched."

"This wasn't really my idea," Lorcan said. "The clothes, you know?"

"What do you mean."

So Lorcan told her of the previous night's events. He had nearly finished his story when he had a sense that there was no need to continue brushing. He stopped and handed her the brush, then the mirror. His efforts had a lesser effect on her hair, but it had noticeably more shine and bounce.

She put the mirror and brush to one side and looked Into his eyes. Then she put her arms around his neck and held him close. "It's going to be okay," she said.

"How can you know?"

She pulled back from him, but he wouldn't meet her eyes. She didn't give him a choice, cupping his chin and lifted his face till he was looking at her.

"I don't know, not for sure. What I do is I choose to believe. It's not magic; my Muggle dad says it's something else. Faith he says. When you believe good things can happen, you find ways to make them happen. I'm choosing to believe you'll get what you want, whatever some nasty Mrs Muggle in a mirror has to say on the matter."

"But the Room of Requirement should have given me what I needed. Why didn't it turn me into a girl? That's what I need?"

"Is it though? Maybe what you needed was to leave your old life behind. Maybe what you needed was to be pushed into living in a way that's right for you. Maybe what you needed was to find a friend who likes you no matter what."

“You mean you?”

“Yeah.”

"Why would you? You don't know me."

"I know you didn't say something hurtful about Hufflepuff last night even though you wanted to. I know you were polite even when you were hurting. I know you offered to brush my hair when you didn't have to, and you trusted me enough to tell me your story. I think that’s enough to know I want to be your friend."

"Even dressed like this?"

"Well actually now you mention it, we ought to get into our uniforms if we don't want to miss breakfast or be late for our first lesson. The dorms all have one bathroom to share between occupants. We're lucky getting to share ours between two instead of five. You go first. If you need any help, just give me a yell."

Lorcan's stomach growled at the mention of breakfast. Having not eaten the previous evening, he was truly ravenous. He needed no persuasion and ran into the bathroom.

He felt the need for a shower but, aware of the time and that Anneka had to get ready too, he kept it short. The soap in the girl's bathroom was scented, which he decided he rather liked, and the towels were soft and oh so fluffy, and that he definitely did like.

He switched places with his room-mate and dressed quickly while she took considerably longer to bathe. It was as well. He encountered a few complications with his new underwear and needed the extra time to untangle unfamiliar straps and figure out where everything was supposed to go. He had everything on except the tights and shoes by the time his room mate emerged. Anneka paused long enough to give him some tips on how to pull on the nylons without damaging them, then set about dressing herself. They were both ready at the same time and made their exit from the dormitory together.

-oOo-

Professor Sprout was waiting for them along with a number of other Hufflepuffs. She'd apparently said something to those waiting because they all looked at him, none of them unkindly, and all welcomed him.

One of them — a boy named Toby — asked what they should call him because Lorcan didn't really fit with how he was dressed.

He bit his lip. "I hadn't really thought about it," he said.

"Well, as soon as you decide, let us know," Toby said. The rest nodded. They seemed a little wary of him, the way most people are wary of something new they didn't understand, but they seemed friendly enough.

They exited the common room with Lorcan and Anneka bringing up the rear.

"One of the good things about being in Hufflepuff," she murmured in his ear. "They'll back you up no matter what, even if they don't get what you're about."

"I did tell you this isn't my idea, didn’t I?" Lorcan said indicating his skirt and tights.

"Yes, I remember. And you told me the whole story. They haven't heard it yet, so they don't know where you’re coming from, but they're still ready to stand up for you. Be prepared when we get to the Great Hall. You probably won't get the same response from the rest of the school. Slytherin especially might be unkind,"

"Maybe you should stay away from me then. I mean if they're going to pick on me, I'd hate for the same to happen to you just because you're with me."

"Nope, not going to happen." She tucked her arm through his and held it tight. "We're friends now. We share whatever happens, good or bad."

And that was how they entered the hall, which was probably just as well.

The rumour mill had been working, and whether the stories came from half overheard conversations between teachers or ghosts, or any of a number of less likely sources, everyone seemed to have heard of the new Hufflepuff boy in a dress. Lorcan's arrival at the entrance was heralded by a great jeer with most of the noise coming from the Slytherin table.

All he wanted was to turn and leave, but Anneka held him firmly where he stood.

"What are you doing?" he hissed.

"Helping," she replied through a substantially forced relaxed grin.

"How is this helping?"

"Because this was going to happen sooner or later. We wanted to make sure it happened when you were surrounded by friends."

"That's what this is? Friendship?"

"Look around you."

He did just that. The entire Slytherin table was predictably crowing with visceral delight. The Gryffindor table showed a range of reactions from disbelief to disapproval. Ravenclaw sat silent and tight lipped, somehow focusing their collective response on one individual in their midst. One diminutive first year.

The Hufflepuff table remained empty though and Lorcan looked around him to see every member of his house, from youngest to oldest, boys and girls alike, standing beside him, their own expressions grim and determined.

"Hey Lysander," a large and brutish looking Slytherin shouted across the room. "Looks like they found your identical twin sister."

A wave of dutiful laughter swept across the Slytherin table.

"Yeah, what gives?" Encouraged by his audience, the thug pressed on. "I thought identical twins were supposed to be the same. Does that make you a girl too?"

More laughter, then a very abrupt silence.

Lorcan looked behind him where the severe figure of Professor McGonagall stood in the entrance.

"Goyle. My office, now." She snapped and stared at Slytherin's spokesman until he stood and slunk out of the hall. "The rest of you, eat your breakfast and get to your classes. There will be no leniency given to late arrivals this morning." She spun on her heels and vanished.

Lorcan approached the Ravenclaw table. When he noticed that the entire Hufflepuff contingent were following him, he smiled his appreciation and waved them away. He didn't need them for this next bit and it seemed apparent that they'd all waited for him and Anneka before coming into the hall, all to show solidarity.

Anneka stayed by his side. He was grateful for her company.

"Hey Lye," he said

"Lor."

"Sorry about all this. I never meant for any of it to happen."

"Don't sweat it. Maybe we can meet up later and you can tell me about it."

"Sure. How about after lunch, where we met Professor McGonagall with Mum yesterday?"

"Maybe a little quieter. How about where Hagrid took us yesterday?"

"Yeah. Maybe that would be better."

"See you later then."

"Yeah, see you."

Lorcan turned away, trying not to lean on Anneka.

"Hey, Lori." Lysander had never called him that before. Lorcan's twin sense told him it was a way of saying his brother was okay with this. He paused and turned his head a little. Lysander smiled. "You look good. I like the hair."

Lorcan smiled back and allowed his newest friend to guide him to the Hufflepuff table, where he sat and reached for a steaming bowl of porridge. He wasn't that fond of the stuff, especially not the way the Scots made it, but he didn't have much time and he needed something to get him through the morning.

"Your brother seems nice," Anneka said, making conversation.

"He is. Would you like me to say something to him? I'm sure he'd like you."

"I hope he won't mind, but I think I like his brother better, " She replied nonchalantly. "Does he always call you that?"

"Hang on, what? You like me?"

"Of course I do, silly. You're very likeable. You should try it sometime."

"What?"

"Liking yourself. It's not that hard."

"You don't know me."

"We already did this, and like I said last time, I know enough to know that I like you. I'm pretty sure that if you gave it a try and focused on the good bits, you might manage it too."

"What good bits?"

"My favourite is the way you think about others before you think about yourself. That's kind of rare, even in a Hufflepuff."

"What makes you think…"

"You want more than the things I already mentioned earlier this morning? Okay, how about the way you chose the bed furthest from mine so I wouldn't be too freaked out when I woke up to find some strange boy sharing my bedroom? How about the way you suggested we all stay away from you so we wouldn't be tainted by association with you? How about how, when most of the school was laughing at you or being freaked out by you, the only thing that was on your mind was how it affected your brother? Face it Lori, you're a really kind person."

"What did you call me."

"Lori. It's what your brother called you, and it kind of fits. Do you mind it?"

"No, I guess not. He usually calls me Lor."

"Yeah, I heard that too. Maybe he thinks Lori works better."

"It was his way of saying he's okay with all this, I think."

"So maybe if you adopt it, it can be your way of acknowledging his acceptance, don't you think?"

"Okay, sure."

"You hear that Toby? She goes by Lori."

Toby nodded his approval. "Nice to meet you Lori," he said, "but please excuse me, I need to get to class."

It began a mass exodus. Last mouthfuls of cereal were eaten, last bites of toast, last gulps of orange juice. Even Anneka stood.

"So, are you coming? You missed the briefing yesterday, but all first years in a particular house have the same schedule. We're sharing a potions class with Gryffindor first thing."

"Professor McGonagall told me to come to her office after breakfast, so I suppose I'll catch up with you when I'm done."

"Do you know where she is?"

"I haven't the first idea."

"It's kind of on the way. I'll take you there first."

"Won't that make you late?"

"I think we've got time, but we should go now."

-oOo-

Professor McGonagall's office wasn’t even remotely on the way. Being at the top of a tall tower while the potions classroom was down in the dungeons somewhere, and they didn’t have time. The two arrived outside the entrance to the head’s office a couple of minutes after the potions lesson started.

Unlike her predecessor, Minerva chose not to hide her office behind a statue. It was still there, but permanently retracted leaving the tight spiral staircase in permanent view. The wizarding world was at peace after all, and she felt the school could only be run effectively with an open door policy. It had its inconveniences to be sure, but the benefits outweighed them overall.

The staircase rose through the floor of a small landing facing a large pair of double doors. These swung open as the pair reached them, leading them into an office the size of a classroom with a large oak desk sitting on a raised platform. Behind this sat Professor McGonagall. She lifted her eyes and pierced Anneka with a withering look.

"You place me in an awkward position Miss Peasbottom. You heard me say there would be no leniency given to anyone late to first lesson today did you not?"

"Yes but…"

"I am well aware that you were helping your friend find my office, but I did say there would be no exceptions, if you recall. And how can I maintain respect if I do not maintain consistency?

"You will return here after you have eaten your lunch, at which time you will be told the consequences of your actions."

"Yes professor." For the first time since he'd woken Lorcan saw Anneka's cheerful, carefree calmness slip. He couldn't let it pass.

"Professor..."

"I'll thank you to keep your peace, young Scamander."

Lorcan felt like defying the head even so, but Anneka caught his eye and shook her head ever so slightly. Not worth it.

"Yes professor," he said, as defeated as his friend.

"Now, I believe you should be in class, Anneka. Running is not sanctioned within the castle, but you might hurry a little nonetheless."

Lorcan and Anneka shared brief rueful smiles as she made her way through the doors, closing them as she went.

Professor McGonagall pointed at a seat opposite her, which Lorcan settled into before turning his full attention on the severe expression looking back at him. It softened a little even as he watched.

"First, I should like to apologise for your reception at breakfast this morning. Generally Hogwarts students are better mannered, but today they let themselves down badly."

"Not all of them, professor. Everyone in Hufflepuff stood by me, especially Anneka."

"That is true. Perhaps you're beginning to see why the Sorting Hat put you where it did?"

"I suppose so. They were all very accepting when I turned up looking like this. Especially…"

"Anneka, yes. I suppose you think I should let her off for being late to class just now."

"It does seem a little unfair. She was only late because she was helping me."

"Well, if fairness is what you’re looking for, perhaps the fairest thing to do would be for you to share the consequences of her rashness. Would that suit you Lorcan?”

“I’d rather do that than let her face it alone, professor.”

“Very well then. I believe I overheard you arranging to meet your brother at lunchtime, so I'll tell you now what I'll be telling Anneka later. Come to the Clock-tower Courtyard immediately after dinner. I trust you’ll at least be able to find your way there without assistance."

"Yes professor." Maybe it wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was better than nothing.

"Next we have to decide what we're going to do about all this." The professor indicated Lorcan's clothes. "I received an owl from your father this morning to say that your trunks are on today's train and will arrive this afternoon. I imagine Lysander will be delighted to have his own clothes again after today, but what about you?”

“I’m sorry professor?”

"Lorcan, I know none of this was your idea and under almost any other circumstances you would not have put on that dress. Between the Sorting Hat putting you in Hufflepuff against your wishes, the staircase taking us on a long detour, and all that happened in the Room of Requirement, you didn’t have a lot of choice. I know you’re upset and worried about the consequences of appearing in public dressed as you are, but if I might make an observation, you seem considerably happier and more outgoing today compared to when you arrived yesterday. Would you not agree?”

Lorcan pondered the professor’s words for a moment. “I suppose so, but that doesn’t take into account how it will affect my parents and my brother, or my friends.”

“No it doesn’t, but exactly what does that mean? Exactly what effect would your continuing as you currently are have on them?”

“Well, you saw this morning how they picked on Lye…”

“Lorcan, you’ll encounter that sort of behaviour in any school. Whilst it’s true that your manner of dress gave both opportunity and target to the perpetrators, it’s quite likely that they would have manufactured their own had it not been forthcoming. What’s important is not so much that they attempted to pick on your brother but how he reacted. Lysander will be all right, and when you meet him at lunchtime, I suspect he’ll tell you the same. I imagine he’ll have a few questions to ask, but if you’re honest with him… Well, you’ll see.”

“It’ll be a good standard against which to measure the reaction of your parents and friends too. Lorcan, it’s good that you’re concerned about how your actions affect others, but you need to be aware that anyone who cares for you is going to worry about your happiness far more than their own.

“I’ve already mentioned how it’s best to follow the castle’s lead when it chooses to act. I believe it has found a solution to your melancholy. I don’t imagine the path ahead is going to be straightforward, but I am certain that as it leads to you being more contented in your life, those who care for you — your family and friends — will be more than willing to go through a considerable amount of unpleasantness in order to see you happier.”

“But it wouldn’t be fair on them.”

“Do you think it’s any fairer asking them to worry about you while you wallow in your despondency? Especially if there may be a way of making things better that you won’t allow them to take?”

“But…”

“If Lysander were ill and the only way to find the cure meant walking across burning coals to get it, would you do it?”

“Of course, but…”

“Even if he told you not to?”

“…”

“Allow those who love you to make the sacrifices they’re prepared to make for you. It’s unkind not to.

“What I’m suggesting is more than a little unorthodox, I know, but let this decision be about what’s best for you. Your loved ones are going to have to cope with a little unpleasantness whatever you choose, and I am certain they would rather do so in a way that makes your life better.

“Having said that, I have no wish to influence your decision. The choice has to be yours and yours alone. However, before you make it, you should be fully aware of the consequences regardless of your decision.

"I hope I made it clear last night that your current sleeping arrangements are temporary while we sort out an appropriate course of action. Circumstances are somewhat unprecedented since the Sorting Hat has never before left us with a situation like yours and Anneka’s. I take it as another indication of the castle enchantments taking an interest in you, Lorcan, but you don’t have to take that into consideration.

“What you do have to realise is that if you choose to return to your old self, we will have to find alternate sleeping arrangements for you. Again, this is unprecedented. The Sorting Hat knows how many beds there are available in each dormitory, and it takes this into account when making its decisions. The fact it gave us this unusual situation, where our best option was to allow you and Anneka to share, suggests it had an inkling of what was coming.

"If you choose to remain as you are, it may be possible to keep sleeping arrangements as they are, however this will require you to make a full time commitment to your current circumstances, and I will expect your behaviour to be above reproach at all times."

"What about the lady in the mirror? She was in the Room of Requirement, so isn't what she said to me part of all this?"

"That's very astute, and you're most likely correct. I'm not at all sure what she meant by her words, but in the meantime I don't see they preclude you from dressing, behaving and living as a young lady, even if she would say that doesn't make you one. My first instinct puts me somewhat in agreement with her, that there's more to being a woman than simply wanting it, but it may be that you'll discover what that is in a way that you wouldn't have been able to if you'd just been changed as you wished.

"Don't decide straight away. You should take time to think about it and talk it through with those people who matter most to you. Should you choose to remain as you are, I’m afraid that this morning’s incident is unlikely to be the last of the unpleasantness you’ll have to endure. I shall also have to inform your parents and arrange a meeting with them and Anneka’s in order to discuss your accommodation.

"Perhaps you'd let me have your decision after your, er, detention with Miss Peasbottom this evening."

"Yes professor."

"All right, that'll be all for now. If you go quickly you might learn something from what's left of your potions class. Give this to your professor." She handed him a small, blank piece of paper.

She reached for the uppermost letter in a very tall stack and started reading.

Lorcan stood uncertainly. "Erm…"

"What is it now," the professor sighed.

"It's just that I don't know the way."

The professor let out a huff of frustration and reached into one of her desk drawers. "If you'd stayed at the feast and gone to your common room with your prefect, you'd have been given one of these." She handed over a welcome pack, complete with a map of the castle. "But then none of this would have happened, or at least not in the same way. Just tell the map where you want to go and follow the directions."

-oOo-

Lorcan reached the potions classroom to find everyone giving their cauldron a thorough scrubbing.

He approached Professor Mugglewump and handed him the slip of paper. It immediately folded itself into the shape of a mouth and spoke.

"My apologies for Lorcan Scamander's tardiness," it said in McGonagall's voice. "I asked him to come to my office after breakfast."

"So you're the wizard who would be witch, are you?" Professor Mugglewump wore a permanent sneer and spoke through his nose, which would have filled Lorcan with an immediate dislike even without the snide comment. It was a first impression apparently shared with most, if not all, of the class as every person present paused what they were doing to give their teacher a stony stare. Lorcan might have expected the show of support from his fellow Hufflepuffs, but in this matter, every first year Gryffindor in the room stood with them.

Mugglewump cleared his throat. "Your classmates have been cleaning their equipment today. There's a coating they put on modern cauldrons that makes potion making just a little too easy, so they've been scrubbing it off. I was going to invite you back to do yours at lunchtime along with Miss Peasbottom, but since you have a note, I suppose you'll have to do it in your own time."

"Anneka has to see Professor McGonagall at lunchtime, sir." Lorcan did his best to sound respectful, but it was difficult.

"Does she now? Rest assured Mr Scamander — or do you prefer miss?" He didn't wait for a response, either from Lorcan or the class. "Rest assured, I will check with Professor McGonagall, and if you're lying to me, I shall expect both of you at lunchtime. In the meantime you can join her in the store room, putting things back on their proper shelves. Perhaps it'll teach you the benefits of a well ordered stock cupboard."

Lorcan was curious why the store should be disorganised in the first lesson of the year, but he had the sense not to ask. He joined his friend in the rather cramped space.

"Thanks," she whispered. "I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen."

"Quiet in there!"

"Sorry sir. Anneka's just showing me what she's already sorted." Lorcan's father had told him and Lysander enough stories about Mugglewump's predecessor to encourage them to developed a method for dealing with difficult teachers. For all that Snape had turned out to be a hero in the end, he had apparently been an unpleasant teacher to learn from.

Anneka pointed at the shelves she'd already sorted — about half of them — and they divided the remainder between them, just about finishing as the lesson drew to an end.

"Herbology next," Anneka said a little more cheerfully as they walked away from the dungeons. "Plants are kind of a Hufflepuff thing, I think. Certainly I like them."

The general lifting of mood amongst their fellow classmates seemed to suggest there might be some truth to it, although simply leaving the dungeon was enough to put a smile on anyone's face. Even the Gryffindors had cheered up, but then they were about to meet one of the heroes of their house."

"Good morning Gryffindor, good morning Hufflepuff." Professor Longbottom was tall and good looking. Lorcan remembered his father describing him as an awkward and timid youngster, but he also recalled the look in his mother's eyes when she'd spoken of Neville, and he could understand why her memories painted the herbology professor in a kinder light. His father had left Hogwarts a few years earlier than his mum though, so he hadn't been present to see the shy boy grow into the courageous young man Luna remembered.

"I thought we'd start off the term by looking at something special. These are snapdragons. Now, as I understand it, the Muggles also have a plant they called snapdragon, so it may be that they knew of this particular bloom at one time. Those of you from Muggle families, you should know that this is an entirely different plant." He approached the flower on the nearest of the plants cautiously holding the green stem of another plant until it suddenly lurched forward, petals transforming into jaws, and snapped down on it.

A chorus of "wows" and one or two frightened yelps greeted the demonstration.

"Now you have to be careful not to use anything too big or hard or you can damage the flowers. The plants use them for biting down on small insects like flies and moths, which are easily crunch-able. I could put my finger in there and it would damage the plant far more than it would me, so please, for the well-being of my plants, I don't want to see any of you trying it.

"I have some green shoots for you to use here, and there should be enough plants for everyone. Once you've had a go, I'll show you how you can put the plant into a dormant state so you can handle it without risking harm to the plant or to yourself."

"I thought you said it wouldn't hurt you," one of the Gryffindors said.

"What I said was it would hurt the plant more than it would hurt me. These won't take your fingers off or anything, but it's a little like getting your fingers caught in a Muggle mousetrap. I have one or two of those if any of you are curious to know what it feels like.”

The lesson went on in similar vein, and even Lorcan, who had never shown much interest in plants before, found himself captivated by Professor Longbottom's enthusiasm.

When it came to an end, they were dismissed to lunch, all except Lorcan. Neville placed one gentle hand on his shoulder and indicated with the other that he should stay, all the while smiling to reassure him he wasn’t in trouble.

Anneka held back to the last, standing at the door to Greenhouse One and biting her lip.

“I’ll catch you up,” Lorcan called after her.

“It’s all right,” Neville said, “I won’t keep him long.”

Reassured, she left, but her silhouette remained outside the glass.

"I really won't," Neville continued. "You are Lorcan though, aren't you? I was friends with your mother when we were students here."

Lorcan nodded, both in answer to the first and in response to the last. "Mum and Dad told Lysander and me a few things about their time at Hogwarts before we came. Mum always had this sort of dreamy smile when she spoke about you. I think I understand why."

Neville blushed bright red. "You look such a lot like her," he said. "Your hair’s about the same colour, and there’s something familiar around your eyes and mouth. Of course your being dressed like that helps with the impression."

And then it was Lorcan's turn to blush.

"I'm sorry," Neville said. "I didn't mean anything by it. I think you're very brave doing this, much more than I ever was in my first year. Look, all I wanted was to introduce myself. Go and be with your friend, and if you talk to your mother any time soon, please tell her hello from me."

"Thank you, Professor Longbottom. I really liked your lesson. I didn't think I was going to enjoy herbology, but that was really interesting."

And that passed the blush back to Neville. "Don't expect them all to be like that," he said. "There's quite a bit that's less interesting, only I like to start off the year with something that grabs your attention."

"It definitely did that, professor. Thanks."

And Lorcan was through the door, grabbing Anneka's hand and pulling her towards the castle and the Great Hall.

Neither of them said much as they ate. Anneka was distraught at being in trouble on her first day, and Lorcan couldn't think of any way to make things better. He considered telling her that he'd be joining her for whatever it was, but he wasn't sure if that would improve matters. He hoped just being there would help as they munched their way through a couple of turkey sandwiches each.

Both finished at the same time, and both stood together.

"Would you like me to come with you?" he asked.

"No, I'll be okay. You have to go meet with your brother. We have a flying lesson after lunch which we're sharing with Ravenclaw, so I'll see both of you then."

"I could still tell him you fancy him if you want."

She managed a laugh of sorts. "I told you, I'm more interested in his brother, so maybe you could let him know. He seems a bit dense about things like that." She managed a brave smile.

"It'll be all right," Lorcan said. "I'm choosing to believe that." He reached in and gave her a kiss on the cheek, something which surprised him almost as much as it did her. On the plus side, she left the hall with more of a spring in her step than she'd had all morning.

-oOo-

Lorcan made his way out of the Great Hall, down the stairs and out into a small courtyard that led to a viaduct that provided one of the main entrances into the castle. To his right a long flight of steps descended back and forth down a steep incline to the boat house. It was the way all the first years had come in after their trip across the lake and a lot easier going down than up. He spotted Lysander descending the steps some way ahead of him and increased his pace, catching him up at the bottom.

"Lye," he said as he approached.

"Lor," came the reply, "or would you prefer Lori?"

"I like Lori," Lorcan replied, "at least when I'm dressed like this it seems to fit better, and my friends in my house seem to have adopted it."

"Do you want to tell me what this is about? I mean I figured something was up, but I'd never have guessed this. Do Mum and Dad know? How long have you been doing this sort of thing, and what made you start?"

"Give me a second to answer and I will. No, Mum and Dad don't know unless someone told them after this morning. I never did anything like this before last night because I figured you'd pick up on it and I didn't want to freak you out, or Mum and Dad."

"So, what happened last night?"

It was the opening that Lorcan had been hoping for. He started off with how he'd felt after being sorted into Hufflepuff — "Yeah, that was a surprise" — and how he'd left the banquette early without eating anything — "I saw that, but you were giving off leave me alone vibes" — and the rest of the story flowed, from being found by Professor McGonagall to the two encounters with the Room of Requirement, to the woman in the mirror, to his eventually being taken to the Hufflepuff common room wearing the yellow dress, and everything that followed.

"I left the clothes I was wearing in the Room of Requirement. The rack of clothes appeared in my dorm, but everything else stayed in the room which has hidden itself away again. This was pretty much my only option this morning, not that I'm complaining, but I'd have worn yesterday's clothes if I'd had them, just so as not to mess with anyone’s head."

"Okay. So, what happens now?"

"I'm not sure, that's what I'm trying to figure out. I'd like to hear what you think."

"I think you need to do what's best for you.

"You have to remember Lor, we’ve been together for the whole of our lives. I remember when you started putting up the barriers. I could feel something was wrong, but I never knew what ‘cos you shut me out.

“No, I’m not getting at you — just letting you know what it’s been like for me. I mean I could feel it was tough on you, but you have to realise it was hard for me too. I wanted to help, but I could never figure out how, ‘cos I could never get past those barriers.

"In the end, I couldn't keep going. I figured you'd let me know when you were ready to let me in, which I’m guessing you just did. If this gets me my old brother back, or my new sister or whatever; if this is what it takes for you to be happy, then do it."

"And if someone comes after you like they did this morning?"

"Then I'll handle it. Lor, Lori, this is the first time in years I’ve felt you open up. If I need to take some flack in order to keep that happening, then I'm up for it."

"What about Mum and Dad? What will they make of it, do you think?"

"I reckon they'll be cool with it. You know I've heard them talking in the night when they think we're asleep. They talk about you mostly, about how worried they are. So if this is a cure for what's troubling you, I think they'd go with it.

"So is this you now? Do I have an identical twin sister?"

"I don't know. I still have a lot of things to think through."

"Like what?"

“Like… I don’t know. I mean this is kind of new to me too. It’s… I don’t know, it’s something I’ve needed for such a long time, but now I have it I have to figure out how much I want it.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Lori scrunched her face up with frustration. “I… Look, have you ever wanted anything so badly you couldn’t think of anything else?”

“You mean like a couple of Christmases ago when I really wanted those new Chudley Cannon’s robes?”

“Well… kind of, I suppose. Do you remember what it felt like on Christmas morning when you opened the parcel?”

“Yeah, it felt brilliant!”

“Okay, but afterwards. Did you ever find yourself looking at them and wondering why you wanted them so badly?”

“Well…”

“That’s kind of what this is like.”

“Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet, Lor. I mean everyone’s already seen you in a skirt. It’s not as if they’d stop giving you a hard time now whatever you do.”

“No, that’s not it. It’s just that, I don’t know, it’s kind of… before all of this, my mind was filled up with all the things I couldn’t have, and now that I can…”

“You’re not sure you want them?”

"No. More like I don’t want them as much. Now my mind is filled with all the ways this is affecting other people.”

“Like me?”

“Yeah, and like Mum and Dad, and Anneka…”

“Was that who was with you at breakfast?”

“Yeah, the girl I’m sharing a room with.”

“Sounds kind of fun.”

“It’s actually kind of complicated. Then there’s the woman in the mirror…”

“The one who said you couldn’t be a girl.”

“Yeah. I’m beginning to wonder if I should be doing this.”

“And what happens if you go back to the way things were?”

“Huh?”

“What are the chances you’ll end up the same saddo I’ve been living with for the past I don’t know how many years? Lori, I like you like this. It’s a bit weird, sure, but at least it’s like having my brother back, or sister or whatever. You're a person again, not a… a… I don’t know what you were, but now is better than that.”

“But the woman in the mirror…”

“Doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

“She was in the Room of Requirement. It has to mean something.”

“It means she’s wrong and maybe you need to figure out why.”

“And what about Anneka? The Sorting Hat put us together, and it’s going to be all sorts of complicated if we need to figure out different sleeping arrangements.”

“Which you’d have to do anyway if you went back to being your old self. Look, I get that it’s all a bit of a mess at the moment, but you can’t let that be a reason for throwing away the first good thing that’s happened to you in years. I can’t be the only person telling you this!”

“I suppose Professor McGonagall did too. She said the enchantments in this castle never go wrong. Sometimes they do stuff differently from the way you’d expect, but…”

“But what? The only reason any of this happened was because of the castle’s enchantments. This is definitely different from what I’d expect, but if they never go wrong, maybe you should trust them.”

"Maybe, but the sleeping arrangements affect Anneka too. I need to make sure she's okay with them, then our parents need to agree."

"I don't see Anneka having a problem with it. I mean she's into you. As for our parents and hers, that’s a bridge you’ve still got to cross, and you won’t know if you can unless you try."

“Okay, but there’s still the Room of Requirement.”

“What about it?”

“The first time I went in it showed me something called the Mirror of Erised. It shows your deepest desire, and when I looked into it I saw myself as a girl. Not just me in a skirt like now, but me as an actual girl. My face was more girly, I was smaller."

"And that means?"

"That my deepest desire is to be a girl, not just to look a bit like one, not just to pretend to be one. Also that the Room of Requirement intended for me to know that.

"Then the second time I went into the room, it had changed its outside."

"Yeah, you said. To Girls' Changing Room."

"Well, I didn’t want to go in, mainly because I still saw myself as a boy. I guess I still do. And despite everything that happened that time, there was the woman in the mirror who told me the same thing."

"But you still went in, because Prof M persuaded you that the door really was there for you. You still put on that dress. It’s like you said, you really want to be a girl, but you don’t feel like one."

“So why didn’t the room change me into one? I mean it would solve all the problems. No issue with me sharing a room with Anneka, no reason for people to make fun of me, no feeling of being stuck in this awful in-between place.”

“I’m beginning to wonder how you’d have felt if the room had given you what you wanted.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean how much would having all the right bits change the way you felt on the inside? You didn’t want to go in the second time because you didn’t believe you were a girl. You’re having all these doubts now for the same reason.”

“Because I’m not a girl!”

“So what are you? I know you’re talking about what’s on the outside, but you’ve been stuck with that so long, you’ve started believing the lies your body’s telling you. What are you? Really, what are you on the inside?”

“I…”

“Need to figure it out. You were never going to the way you were, which is why the Room of Requirement trapped you in that dress and marooned you in a girls’ dormitory with a rack full of girls’ clothes. You have to figure out what you really believe. Maybe then you’ll find a way to become who you really are.”

"But the room's gone."

"For now. Maybe it'll come back when you understand yourself better. Maybe you’ll meet the woman in the mirror again when you're ready to help her understand."

Lorcan pulled at his lip and nodded.

"You know how much you look like Mum when you do that?" Lysander chuckled.

"I'll take that as a compliment, shall I? Besides, if it's true for me…"

"I've missed you Lor."

"Yeah, I'm sorry."

"Just promise you won't go away again. However you sort this out, you keep me in the loop. I'm here for you, Lori."

"You sound like you should be in Hufflepuff. Maybe we should talk to the Sorting Hat."

"Nah. I mean where would I sleep? They'd hardly let me share with a couple of girls, even if one of them was my sister."

Lorcan felt a warm softness spread through him. Having his brother recognise him as a girl felt good, even if he wasn’t all the way there yet.

"We should probably be getting back," Lysander said. "I don't know how long ago the clock rang the half hour, but I'd guess lunch time's nearly over, and we don't want to be late for Madam Hooch."

-oOo-

Lorcan followed his brother back up the stairs. The skirt limited his stride a little, so Lysander kept getting ahead of him. It was odd, but the inconvenience didn't bother him so much as help the warm glow spread through him.

The bell calling them to class rang just as they reached the top of the stairs, and they had to hurry to get to the training ground. Not quite running, which was just as well as they ran into the ghost of Argus Filch on the way.

The old caretaker and his hideous cat had both passed away in their sleep some years before, but seemed unable or unwilling to leave the castle. Filch had spent all his life resenting being a Squib. Now as a ghost he took a perverse pleasure in being able to walk through walls to surprise any student who might be up to no good. An additional quirk of fate had turned him into a more powerful poltergeist than Peeves had ever been, which meant he spent a fair amount of his time exacting his revenge on the older ghost, a process that ironically resulted in far more mayhem than Peeves had ever managed. Filch's successor was, by necessity, a quite capable wizard named Amberton Mulch, who dealt with both student and poltergeist mischief with a cheerful equanimity.

The twins carried on down the corridor as fast as they dared with Filch's dire warnings of shackles and torture following them. They were the last to arrive on the training field. Not quite late enough to earn themselves a reprimand, but the stern look Madam Hooch sent their way was enough of a warning for them not to try their luck.

The lesson passed without incident — unusual for a first year introduction to flying — with neither Lysander nor Lorcan excelling in their capacity to control a broom.

Lorcan had no opportunity to talk to Anneka until the lesson ended. When he finally caught up with her, she was back to her earlier subdued mood.

"McGonagall wouldn't tell me what the detention would be, only I have to be in the Clock-tower Courtyard after dinner."

"I'll come with you," Lorcan said.

"You don't have to."

"Actually, I do. Professor McGonagall seemed to think it appropriate we share the punishment. I wanted to tell you earlier but the time never seemed right."

"That's okay. I've been a bit moody today so I probably didn't make it easy for you. I'm glad that we'll be together, but not that you're in trouble too."

-oOo-

Their last lesson was a mind numbingly tedious introduction to the history of magic in which Professor Binns managed to spend the entire lesson telling them about the things they would be learning that term without actually managing to teach them anything. Lorcan's head was buzzing by the end of it, and not in the good way Neville had managed.

"Well at least I know where to come any time I have trouble sleeping," Anneka whispered to him as they left.

"This must be what it feels like to be hit by a stupify charm," he replied.

"At least we don't have any homework. We have an hour before dinner. Any ideas on what we could do?"

"I think I've lost the ability to think after that last lesson. How about you?"

"You know we don't have to wear our uniforms after school hours? I wouldn't mind getting changed."

"Would you like to try something off my rack of clothes?"

"Could I?" It was almost the old enthusiastic Anneka, from all the way back at the beginning of the morning. "There's this dress I saw this morning while I was waiting for you to wake up. I think it'll go really well with my eyes."

"One condition. You help me find something to wear too."

"Deal!" She ran off towards the kitchens and their dormitory. Fortunately Filch had found something else to keep him occupied because they made it back without incident.

It took them half an hour to get changed. Not Anneka's fault since she'd found the dress she'd had her eyes on and all but changed into it by the time a rather out of breath Lorcan caught up with her. It looked perfect on her with green swirls that did almost exactly matched the colour of her eyes.

The rest of the time consisted of sorting Lorcan out, and that involved him trying on at least half the clothes on the rack. He was tempted by the princess dress again, but Anneka rightly told him that it was a little dressy for an ordinary dinner and, with all the delicate decoration. it would most likely wouldn’t survive their detention unscathed.

Besides, it was still Lori's first day out in the open and it would probably be as well to give the haters a chance to get used to him before going uber-girly on them.

In the end he settled on a simple brown tiered skirt that reached to knee length and a knitted yellow top. Warm and comfortable while being girly enough to make a statement without ramming it in people's faces.

They endured a few angry scowls through dinner, the worst of them being from Goyle. That was the worst of it though. Everyone had learnt from McGonagall's intervention at breakfast that overt aggression would not be tolerated.

Anneka and Lorcan ate a little more swiftly than would be considered ladylike and left as soon as they could. They made their way directly to the courtyard and sat by the old fountain to talk, the main topic being speculation on what was to come.