Girls’ Changing Room - 3 - A New Cloak by Maeryn Lamonte - Copyright © 2021
	And as a thank you for your patience (and because it didn’t take so much editing in review) here’s chapter 3 as well. It’ll probably mean I won’t get as many comments on chapter 2, but I hope that won’t be the case.

-oOo-

"Good evening ladies." It was difficult to see them as anything but, though Minerva was gratified to see the way Lorcan sat up straighter and almost preened at being so called. "I'm glad to see you here in good time this time. Lori, I believe that's what people are calling you now?" Lorcan nodded. "I trust you made it to Professor Mugglewump's class in time to learn something this morning?"

"Well, he had most people in the class scrubbing the EazyKleen linings off their cauldrons when I arrived. Because Anneka and I were late, he had us sort out the store room. He was planning on having us back for detention to do our cauldrons, but I suppose we still have that to come."

Minerva's mood darkened momentarily. She made a note to drop in on Mugglewump's class the following morning.

"And how was the rest of the day?"

"Really good thank you. I really enjoyed Professor Longbottom's lesson, and flying was quite fun, even if it was hard. Professor Binns…"

"You needn't worry about him. We've all endured Professor Binns' lectures, which I'll tell you were no more stimulating when he was alive. The trick to them is to make sure you have your history of magic textbook with you and take notes from the relevant chapter while he's talking. You'll learn more that way and find the experience less tedious."

"Why do you let him teach if he's so bad?" Anneka asked rather brazenly. Perhaps she felt she had less to lose now she was in trouble.

"I'll allow you that one discourtesy, Miss Peasbottom. To answer your question, firstly it's not so easy to stop a ghost from doing what it sets its mind to. I presume you met Peeves and Mr Filch?"

Anneka nodded.

"Secondly, since we have no need to pay Professor Binns for his efforts it leaves us a little more in the coffers to spend on other potentially more important things. And lastly, in all the years that Binns has been in the school, we haven't noticed the mark's for history of magic being much different from the rest of the subjects, which shows that those who are interested in the history of magic will find a way to learn it just as well with him teaching as anyone else."

"Yes, professor. Sorry."

"The question was a valid one Anneka, though you could have found a more tactful way to ask it."

"Yes professor."

"All right, I believe this will be Hagrid coming to take you to your evening's task." There was no mistaking the lumbering presence crossing the bridge behind them. "I must stress that it is important you do it to the best of your ability. Hagrid, I'll leave these two in your care. I have an appointment with Mr Goyle, supervising his cleaning of the owlery floor."

Anneka and Lorcan shared a look of horror. If that's how Goyle was being punished, what did they have in store.

"All right you two, come along," Hagrid said trying not to sound particularly friendly. "And bring yer wits with yer. We're going to th' Forbidden Forrest."

"Is that allowed?" Anneka sounded rather scared. "I mean we're first years and the forest is out of bounds to us this year."

"It's all right as long as it's sanctioned by th' headmaster — mistress — whatever — and as long as I stay with you. I took Harry Potter for a detention to th' Forbidden Forest in his first year. In fact it's in relation to that what we're doing tonight."

"What are we doing tonight, Hagrid?" Lorcan decided to try friendliness. The half-giant grounds keeper had already shown some kindness towards him and his brother.

"You'll see when we get there."

"Can't you give us a clue?"

"Well, what do you know about Harry Potter's first year?"

"Was that the year of the philosopher's stone," Anneka asked, trying to distract herself from her fear.

"That's right. I figured you youngun's'd be reading about young Harry. So what else do you know?"

"Wasn't it the defence against the dark arts teacher…"

"Professor Quirrel, that's 'im."

"Professor Quirrel. Volde…."

"Shshsh!" Hagrid hushed her.

"What's the matter Hagrid?" Lorcan asked. "I know Professor McGonagall doesn't like saying his name, but he is dead you know."

"I know, and maybe I am a little superstitious, but we're getting close to th' forest now, and there's things live in there don't take kindly to folk bandying that name about."

"All right," Anneka picked up the thread. “He-who-will-not-be-named attached himself to Quirrel somehow and snuck into Hogwarts."

"And do you know how He-who-must-whatever managed to keep alive?" They'd reached the edge of the forest and Hagrid unslung his crossbow.

"No, I don't remember reading about that anywhere."

"You'd probably 'ave found it to be a bit disturbing if you 'ad. He drank unicorn blood."

"Oh! That's horrible!" Anneka gasped. Lorcan was just as shocked, but without any voice to express it.

"Yep, two unicorns died that year and th' rest learnt to be wary of ‘umans an’ them of us with ‘uman blood. I've been trying to rebuild th' trust since, and th' times now come to extend that circle of trust."

They'd been making their way deeper into the forest as Hagrid spoke. On his last words they'd stepped into a clearing where two magnificent horned horses stood proudly, their coats shining in the moonlight.

"Here's a brush each. Let them choose which of you they wants to be with, and once you've been chosen, you're to give 'em a thorough brushing down, head to hoof as it were. Be gentle and take special care to untangle their manes and their tails.

"You can talk to 'em while you work, of course, but pay mind to 'em. If they seem not to like it, you'd best shut your mouth."

They were a similar size and both mares as far as Lorcan could tell. One was pure silver and the other a more golden colour. It was the golden one that moved first, approaching Anneka and nudging her shoulder gently with its nose. She was entranced and it took a second nudge before she remembered her brush and set about her assigned task.

With that taken care of, the silver one nodded at Lorcan. He approached cautiously until it nodded a second time. Lorcan started brushing, then paused when the creature's skin quivered where he'd brushed it. The great head turned his way again, showing large, liquid, questioning eyes, he set to with a will.

It took them an hour to do a proper job. They wanted to do more, but both animals shone from their efforts. As they stood back, the two unicorns settled down on their front knees.

"I knew you was the right two for th' job," Hagrid said, delighted. "Now give me them brushes and climb up on their backs."

"Wha'?" Anneka said in a dreamy voice.

"They're inviting you to ride. This hasn't happened since before tha' nasty business when Harry was here. Go on, this is quite an honour, and you wouldn't want to upset 'em by refusing."

"Hagrid, do they know about me? Not being a girl and everything?" For once the Muggle legends matched those of the magic world.

"They're magic creatures, Lorcan. They wouldn't be up to much if they couldn't see through a bit of clothing. In fact they wouldn't know how pure you was if they couldn't see through to the innermost part of you."

"Then what is this?"

"Well what do you think? If that one's seen into th' centre of your being and it's still kneeling, what d'you think it's seen?"

Lori still couldn't believe it was happening. Anneka had already mounted and her golden steed risen beneath her. Lori walked up to the front of his own and gazed into its liquid eyes. "Are you sure?" he asked. By way of answer the great head nuzzled him gently and turned slightly in invitation.

She needed no more encouragement. She swung up onto the great back, grateful for the free flowing skirt that allowed her to straddle the beast. She could feel the part of herself that was wrong, but for the first time in her life she knew that it had nothing to do with who she was. All these years believing she was a boy, trying to be a boy, and here was confirmation beyond her capacity to deny it of what she was and always had been.

Muscles bunched under her bare legs and the creature lifted her impossibly high. The two creatures spun on the spot, gold and silver moving almost as one, and they launched themselves deeper into the forest.

Lori could hear Anneka's laughter, as well as her own. She hunkered down close to her steed's neck and clung tight. Branches flashed out of the night ahead of her and somehow, defying possibility, flew past without touching her. The ride was breathtaking, exciting, exhilarating, terrifying, enthralling. It seemed to last forever and no time at all. When the two creatures drew to a halt, they were so deep into the forest they knew they would never be able to find their way out, and yet neither of them was frightened.

They found themselves in a vast clearing, filled with unicorns. Two, perhaps three, dozen of them from tiny foals to elderly mares, and standing proud in the very middle of the herd stood one brilliant white stallion, a full head taller than any of the others.

Lorcan's and Anneka's mounts approached cautiously and bowed before him, turning their heads, which the two friends took to mean they should also dismount. Once they were standing on their own feet, it felt right that they should kneel alongside and bow their heads. After that they were unsure what to do, so they waited.

Time stretched out into an eternity, but neither Lori nor Anneka cared. Here was a piece of heaven which neither of them wanted to end. When it did it was almost too magical for words.

Lori felt something hard touch her forehead and apply a gentle upward pressure. She allowed whatever it was to lift her until she found herself gazing into the unicorn stallion's face. Eyes like pools of oil, fine felt hairs shining as though they made their own light. The creature stood back and tossed its head, which Lori took to mean she should stand. She did and waited while the great creature did the same to Anneka. The gigantic beast stepped between them and stood still.

Lori figured it out first. It was unfortunate Hagrid had taken back the brushes, but a quick search of the clearing revealed a bush with closely grouped, green branches that didn't feel too dissimilar to the stiff bristles. She pulled off two handfuls and passed one across to her friend.

"We're sorry," she explained to the enormous beast. "We gave our brushes back to Hagrid. I hope these will serve in their stead." She set about brushing down her side of the immense creature, untangling its mane which fell on her side. Anneka did her bit and dealt with the tail. It took the best part of another hour to complete the task, after which the magnificent animal truly shone.

It bowed its thanks and turned back to the same two mares that had brought them. After Anneka and Lori bowed their own response to the stallion, they turned to the mares who were kneeling much as they had before. Anneka and Lori climbed back onto their steeds' backs and before they had time to breathe they were chasing back through the forest at the same breakneck speed.

Fortunately, no necks were broken and they arrived back in the clearing to find Hagrid pacing back and forth, his giant brows furrowed.

"Oh, yer back," he called out with a false cheer that didn't do much to cover his concern. "And how was that then?"

"Oh Hagrid, it was magical," Anneka gushed as she climbed down from her mount.

Lori climbed down from hers and hugged it around the neck. It remained still until she backed away.

"I'm sorry if that wasn't appropriate," she addressed the silver mare. "It's how humans say thank you when words aren't enough. She bowed and Anneka remembered her manners enough to bow to her own.

It was apparently what the two unicorns had been waiting for because they tossed their heads briefly, turned and disappeared back into the forest.

"So," Hagrid said. "Which of you is going to tell me what happened. You were gone quite a while you know. It's rather later than I'd intended staying out."

"They took us right into the heart of the forest," Lori started.

"I have never ridden so fast," Anneka chipped in.

"Trees whizzing past…"

"But not one branch hit us."

"It was terrifying…"

"And so exciting at the same time."

"Then we came to a vast clearing."

"There must have been, what?"

"Maybe thirty unicorns…?"

"About that. Babies with their mothers…"

"Older dames on their own, and right in the middle of them all…"

"There was this one giant stallion," they both finished together, then stared at each other and burst out laughing.

"Wait, you're telling me they took you to see th' herd?"

Anneka indicated that Lori should speak.

"Yes. They presented us to the stallion. He was so much bigger than the rest."

"I hope you showed him th' proper respect."

"Well, our mounts were kneeling, so we climbed down and knelt as well. It seemed like the right thing to do."

"Then the stallion touched Lori and me on the forehead with his horn and told us to stand up," Anneka said.

"What, he actually spoke to you? I didn't think even he had speech."

"No, not in words. He pushed us upwards with his horn until we were looking at him, then he tossed his head to get us onto our feet."

"When we were standing he moved between us and just stopped. Lori figured out what he wanted and fetched some branches from a bush which we used to brush him down as best we could."

"Oh, I should have let you keep th' brushes!" Hagrid scolded himself.

"To be honest Hagrid, if you had, I think I might have dropped mine on the way," Lori said, with Anneka nodding her agreement. "He seemed happy enough with the result. He bowed to us and called back the two who'd carried us before and they brought us straight back. Have we really been gone that long?"

"About two hours which, with th' hour you spent grooming those two, means it's well past time you were in your beds. But, oh you've done famously. To have been invited into the herd, to have met the stallion, I never would have imagined you could do all that."

"Hagrid, this wasn't an ordinary detention was it?" Lori asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hagrid was renowned for not being able to lie.

"Who's idea was it? Yours or Professor McGonagall's?"

"Well, er, I suggested it, but the professor approved it, so…"

"Thank you Hagrid, it was perfect."

"And exactly where have you been all this time?" Professor McGonagall did a much better job of sounding stern, but when Lori ran to her and threw her arms around the old woman's waist, even she couldn't maintain her composure. "I was worried."

"They let us ride them," Anneka explained. "Both of us. They took us to the centre of the forest and introduced us to their herd. We had to brush down the stallion."

"My stars!" McGonagall breathed. "I was not expecting that. Well you have had an adventure, haven't you. Thank you Hagrid, I'll take it from here. We'd best get you to your beds."

-oOo-

It was past midnight by the time Minerva delivered Lori and Anneka to their dorm with a strict warning not to brag about what they'd been through. "It wouldn't do for students to think detentions were fun," she said. "I'm sure Goyle's experiences will go a long way to persuading people otherwise, but if your adventures were to become generally known I might be accused of favouritism, and that would never do."

"It wasn't, was it professor? Favouritism, I mean?" Anneka asked.

"Good heavens no. Under the circumstances it was simply appropriate given the reasons for your being detained."

"But you let us think it was going to be bad for the whole day."

"Hopefully so you'll think twice before breaking a rule in the future, even if it's in a good cause. Be warned, the next time you choose to disregard my instructions, no matter your reasoning, I doubt I shall be so lenient." She tried to sound severe, but managed to spoil it by not quite hiding a look of smug satisfaction.

"Lorcan. Lori," she continued. "I asked you to have an answer for me at this time, and I suspect you have one in mind. However, given the lateness of the hour, I will ask you to sleep on it tonight and come and see me after breakfast tomorrow. Try not to bring your friend when you do." She gave Anneka a scowl, which may or may not have been genuine. It was, after all, a good thing to keep students guessing about you.

Past midnight. The witching hour the Muggles called it for some reason. Well it was time this witch went looking for answers, she thought. She hunted out the corridor where she and Lori had last found the Room of Requirement and there she spoke to a blank wall — by far not the strangest thing she'd done since taking on the Hogwarts headship.

"I require the Mirror of Erised," she said, "in my office, now."

Albus had once confided in her that the trick to getting things done at Hogwarts was to employ what he referred to as 'assumed authority'. If you believed you were in charge and acted as such, then everything seemed to fall into place. Of course Minerva couldn't tell whether or not Dumbledore was being serious, but then that was in the nature of the man — he liked to keep everyone guessing.

She turned and strode away down the corridor. It may have been her imagination, but she thought she heard stone sliding against stone behind her.

Back at her office she learnt first hand why Dumbledore had retained such a large suite of rooms as his own work place. Of course he had tended to entertain large groups of people up there from time to time, but he'd also managed to fill it with a great many things without it seeming cluttered..

The mirror would have dominated a smaller room, but it fit well in the larger part of the circular office. The occupants of most of the portraits behind the mirror had crowded into the few frames that had a view of the reflective side. The only one that still contained its subject was Dumbledore’s. Minerva shared a nod and a smile with the image of her old mentor and turned to the mirror itself.

For once she wasn't worried about what she might see. What she wanted more than anything else right now was to confront the red haired woman who'd so upset Lorcan the previous night, and there she was looking back out of the glass at her, much as Lorcan had described her.

"Is this a dream?" she asked.

"Not for me it isn't," Professor McGonagall replied shortly. "Given the hour, I'd very much prefer to be in my bed, but I have some decisions to make regarding a student in my care, and in order to do so I need some answers from you."

"I don't know why you think I can help."

"Yesterday you encountered a young man wearing a yellow dress."

"Not something I'm going forget in a hurry. That felt like a dream too."

"You told him it wasn't possible for him to be a girl. I would like you to explain that to me."

"I'd have thought it was obvious. He's a young man — a boy — you just said so yourself. In order to be a girl, you have to be born a girl."

Minerva pursed her lips together. "I'll agree that such is the normal way of things, but in my experience real life is rarely so distinctly black and white. Can you not accept that there might be exceptions sometimes?"

"No! He's a boy! That's the way he was born and that's an end to it."

"I don't understand why you're so adamant. Why is it so important to you that things have to be this way?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"I believe I already said I didn't, but perhaps if you tried to explain…"

The woman in the mirror let out a deep sigh and settled into silent thought. Minerva sat quietly in her chair and waited.

"My first husband was abusive," the woman said eventually. "He used to hit me and he never once showed any remorse."

"That must have been terrible, but I don't see how it has any relevance…"

"It was his way of showing me he was in charge. He hit me because he was a man, because he was stronger than me, because he knew I couldn't fight back.

"I feel for this boy, I really do. I've been sympathetic to trans people — that is people like him — for most of my life. I know they often experience abuse not so different from my own, and that it has the same effect in the long run. It saps your confidence, your will. It leaves you without any sense of self-worth.

"But to accept that a boy can be a girl undermines the whole concept of gender — the physical differences between the sexes that are at the heart of what I experienced. It leaves me, and thousands of women like me, with no way of expressing what we've been through, don't you see?"

"So does this mean you think all men are the same?"

"Of course not. I would never have remarried otherwise."

"And your current husband, does he hit you?"

"No! He would never…"

"So why is it that you have to see your abuse as needing this context of a man being cruel to a woman? Are there no instances of women abusing their husbands in the Muggle world?"

"Well yes, but…"

"Don't get me wrong, I do understand the way you feel. In the years since the defeat of a particularly unpleasant individual in our world, I've heard no end of cries against those who supported him. 'Once a Death Eater always a Death Eater!'; 'The only good Death Eater is a dead one!;, 'Death's too good for them; bring back the Dementors!'

"All the while a part of me has agreed with them. I've lived through a time when good wizards and witches were forced to act against their will and against their friends through the waving of a Death Eater wand, where they've screamed in agony until they lost their minds, where their lives were erased in a green flash and the utterance of a couple of words. I think of the deranged evil of Bellatrix Le Strange, of Barty Crouch Junior and at times I have wondered if there's a single one worth saving.

"But then I think of Severus Snape. He lived most of his life allowing those who knew him best to think the worst of him so he could remain alongside the enemy and report back on their plans and who they were. It's because of him that we know the difference between the truly evil ones like Bellatrix, the opportunists who really had no idea what they were getting into like Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, and those who were too scared to stand against the darkness like their son Draco. Are they all so bad as each other? Do they all deserve the same punishment, the same hatred?

"When you've suffered at the hands of members of a group, the easiest thing to do is react to the whole group, to brand them with the same mark and judge them all the same. We're all human though, all individuals. In a fairer world, we'd judge as we would wish to be judged, according to our own strengths and weaknesses, and perhaps most of all by those things that set us apart from those around us."

"That's all very well. I mean, I didn’t understand much of what you were talking about, but I think I followed the gist of it, and I don't see how it relates to what I've been through."

"You say the only way you can make sense of your experiences is by considering your sex in relation to that of your abuser, despite admitting that not all men abuse, that not all abuse is instigated by men on women. I don't mean to belittle in any way the trauma you've suffered, but by expressing it in the context of sex you're imposing an absolute that I would say does not exist, simply to make it easier to understand your own experiences.

"I won't deny that history in both the Muggle and magical worlds has seen an awful lot of men impose their will on the world largely to the detriment of women's lives. I am a woman after all, and I've lived long enough to have experienced a considerable deal of such behaviour, but I will not pretend that it happened as a result of all men being misogynistic.

"There have undeniably been times when the majority of men joined in with the subjugation and oppression of women, but it doesn't take a lot of searching to see that this was due more to opportunism than true voluntary intent, and who's to say we wouldn't have acted in the same way had the roles been reversed?

"You've been hurt, and that means you want some degree of retribution or recognition, I understand; I sympathise, but to insist on this black and white thinking for no other reason than to make it easier for you to feel justified, puts you in danger of causing abuse to others, and for not much better a reason."

"Absolutely not! I do not agree…"

"You say your first husband abused you, possibly to give him a sense of being in control. He probably did so because he felt insecure. It doesn't justify his actions, but it may help to explain them.

"In the same way, you insist that men and women are such because to do otherwise undermines your ability to express and understand your own experiences. In insisting on this you are undermining a young person's ability to cope with a burden he — or rather she — has been carrying for possibly all of her life. I understand why you're doing it, but it still doesn't justify your doing so."

"All right, give me some proof that I'm wrong then. Tell me something that will convince me that a young boy like the one I met yesterday could in fact be a girl."

"She rode a unicorn tonight."

"What?"

"The legend is the same in your world as mine. A unicorn will only allow a maiden to ride."

"That's not proof!"

"It is in my world. I had hoped you'd believe it enough to accept it. Since you don't, we need someone from your world who can give you evidence you'll understand and accept."

"What on Earth?" The new voice came from a white coated individual who'd just appeared next to the red headed woman. It had an antipodean twang.

"Hello," Professor McGonagall said. "Would I be correct in believing you know a thing or two about, what was it she called them, trans-people?"

"Well yes, I'm a doctor, and I’ve been conducting research into possible genetic causes for trans behaviour, but where am I? Am I dreaming?"

"I couldn't say for sure, doctor, and I feel any explanation I might give would confuse the matter, so let's say for now that you are. Perhaps you'd be so good as to give a short explanation of your research to the lady beside you?"

"All right, but the reports are freely available on the Internet. We published in September 2018 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism under the title, 'Genetic Link Between Gender Dysphoria and Sex Hormone Signalling.'

"I suppose a short synopsis of our findings would be that we took samples from about three to four hundred trans women and a similar number of cis-gendered men and found that the trans-women had a significant over-representation of four genes that we know are involved in the processing of sex hormones. We are continuing our research, but at present it seems highly likely that these genes may result in the formation of a brain structure that is inherently more feminine than masculine.

"In essence, despite being born genetically and physically male, these individuals naturally think and, to some degree, feel like women. They have a strong sense that they should be women, and it is ultimately psychologically damaging for them to continue living as men."

"Thank you doctor." Professor McGonagall smiled at him then turned her attention to the woman beside him, whose face had turned somewhat stony. "I hope you understood what he was talking about, because it made little enough sense to me."

"Oh, I followed it well enough, thank you. But if this is a dream and you are controlling it somehow, you could have him saying anything at all to support your views."

"So look it up yourself on this inter-thingy of yours when you wake up. That was more for your benefit than mine in any case. I've satisfied myself that your opinions aren't well founded, and the evidence I have holds more weight, and that helps me know how to deal with young Lori tomorrow. For yourself, you can choose to stay safe in your own prejudice or step out of your comfort zone a little and challenge your beliefs. I rather hope you choose the latter course, but either way I doubt it will have any further impact here.

"Thank you both for your time, although I appreciate you neither had much of a choice, and goodnight."

Minerva stood stiffly and walked out of her office, wincing slightly at the aches the night time cold had brought to her limbs.

Despite the lateness of the hour, she detoured via the blank wall she'd visited earlier, pausing there long enough to say, "Thank you, I've done with it now." Then remembering how dangerous magic could be with any degree of ambiguity, "Please return the Mirror of Erised to the Room of Requirement until such time as it is needed again."

The stones rippled in response and Minerva continued on her way.

-oOo-

The next day dawned bright and clear. Anneka was evidently a morning person who didn't need much sleep, as when Lori roused it was to see her friend sitting up in bed on the other side of the room, reading a rather heavy looking book.

"Morning sleepyhead," she beamed. "I've been doing some reading and I think I've found something useful."

"Murkh?" Lori asked.

Anneka bounced off her bed and onto Lori's offering the book. "Page three," she said.

Lori pushed her mass of hair out of the way and tried to focus on the title of the book. "Book of potions?" she managed to say with some marginal degree of clarity.

"Page three," Anneka insisted.

"Beautification potion?" Lori read.

"Yeah, personally I think you look pretty amazing as you are, but I have a feeling you won't agree."

"Won't this just end up making me look like a good looking guy?"

"Not if we do it right. Look here."

Lori looked where her friend pointed and started reading. "Originally, two different potions existed, one for men and one for women. This, however, meant that the potions were open to abuse by pranksters.

"In 1446, Randolph the Rash, jester to King and Queen Laramy of the Magical Kingdom of Fareway, switched his lord and lady's potions as a jape. The potions used by the king and queen were especially potent, with effects designed to last for a whole year. Once drunk, the two ended up looking so much like each other that they were obliged to switch places until the potions wore off. No-one other than the king, the queen and the jester knew that anything untoward had happened, and in order to teach him a lesson, the royal couple ordered their potioneer to brew an extra potion, which they then gave to Randolph, after which he spent a troublesome year living under the guise of the queen's niece, and being chased by every eligible young man in their court.

"Nothing more was said on the matter. Randolph never spoke of his jest, but he did write about it in his memoirs, which were only published after the king and queen's death. Some historians say that the jester's journal entry is actually the joke, and that the events described never took place, however records show that Randolph was absent from the court in the year that Princess Arabella visited, and in the same year the potioneer was commanded to alter the recipe for the beautification potion. Ginger was substituted for certain ingredients, resulting in a new potion that was marginally less effective, but a little more palatable and not so open to abuse.

"The royal potioneer's records report that the original recipes were destroyed in accordance with a royal decree, however some mention is made of Randolph scrawling the potion ingredients into the margins of his journal. Since Randolph disappeared from Fareway shortly after these events, apparently taking the journal with him, none of it can be corroborated.

"I don't see how this helps."

"Really not? A potion once existed that could make a man look like a woman, and the only ingredient that's been added is the ginger. If we can figure out what was taken out of the original, we could make you look the way you want."

"Without going into how we do that when no-one has managed it in five hundred and fifty years, it isn't just about the way I look, Anneka. I mean, yes I look like a girl right now, and I feel more like one than I ever have because of what you did to my hair and because of these clothes and because of the way you and the other Hufflepuffs treat me, but I know I'm not. I have this thing that makes me a boy, and even if I have it hidden under my skirt, I can feel it's there. No amount of beautification potion is going to change that."

"I don't understand why that's so important. I mean there are a bunch of things about being a girl that aren't so great. On average we're shorter and weaker than boys, which is annoying, we have to sit to go to the loo, and one day soon I'm going to have to deal with something happening every month for most of the rest of my life which is frankly disgusting. Smelly, uncomfortable, icky. I wouldn't wish that on my best friend, and I don't Lori."

"But for all that, it'll mean you can have babies, which is something I'll never be able to do."

"Do you want to?"

"I don't know. I mean I don't really care right now, but I think it will matter to me one day.

"Besides, about the same time all that happens for you, I'll start growing and getting all muscley and smelly, with hair all over my face and body. How will I look in a dress then?"

"Well that's what I was working on. It's when we'll need the original version of this potion…"

"Which no-one has seen for hundreds of years, which most people don't even think exists any more. What do you suggest? Should we go into the library and ask Madame Pince if we can borrow a copy of Randolph the Rash's memoirs?"

"Well, no. I mean even if there is such a thing, it won't have the annotations, and most likely it'll be in the restricted section if it's anywhere."

"So?"

"Look, I didn't say it was going to be easy. At least this is a start of something we can try." Gloomy clouds had replaced most of Anneka's cheerful expression.

"I'm sorry Anneka. You're right, it is a start. If nothing else, it shows there's likely to be a solution out there somewhere. Thank you for looking, and sorry for pooping all over your enthusiasm."

"Pooping?" Anneka giggled. "You're such a girl, you know that?"

Lori smiled too. "You say the kindest things."

"What are BFFs for?" She grabbed back the book. "We should get washed and dressed. Breakfast is in half an hour. Dibs on the bathroom!"

She bounced off Lori's bed and ran off to shower.

-oOo-

One of the advantages of Hogwarts is you didn't need many uniforms. The rules called for three, but since the house elves picked up all the uniforms once everyone was asleep, made any necessary repairs, laundered and ironed them and returned them to their owners before they woke up the reason for the three was unclear.

Lori's uniform from the previous day was hanging on the end of the rail looking as fresh and new as it had when she’d first worn it. She suspected that there were two others to be found somewhere on the rack, but hanging beside her girl’s uniform were three additional uniforms with trousers and shirts that buttoned up the right way. Lori stared at them for a full minute, then noticed her trunk from home sitting at the end of the bed. It must have been delivered as Professor McGonagall had promised the previous day, only she'd been too tired to notice last night.

Lori took her boy's uniforms off the rack, folded them carefully and placed them in the trunk. She'd made her decision. Whatever else the future might bring, she knew what she was inside where it mattered, and she wasn't going to go back to the misery of her old life. It would take a ton and a half of misery in this new one to make it worse, and so far she hadn't noticed that much, certainly not more than she could cope with.

In the end, Anneka didn't take much longer than Lori had the previous day, so they were both ready and waiting in the common room with time to spare. A few of the other Hufflepuffs were sitting around, trying hard not to look at Lori, but not doing a great job.

She decided to be proactive for once. "Hey everyone," she announced. "I haven't had a chance to thank all of you for standing by me yesterday. I imagine there'll be more of the same today and for some time to come. If you feel like it's too much, putting yourself in the firing line all the time, I'll understand. I'm beginning to see the advantages of being in this house, and I know that you'll all be kind of okay when we're in here, which means I'll always have a refuge.

"For now, I'm guessing you'll have a few questions. Don't feel shy about asking. I want to be real with you guys, which means if you're honest with me and say when you're uncomfortable or uncertain, then I'll be as honest with you as I can. I don't pretend to know everything about what's going on, but I'll happily share what I do know."

It turned out to be the right thing to do. As the rest of Hufflepuff turned up, Lori fielded a barrage of questions, mainly about what had happened to her in the previous two days. When asked about their detention, Anneka said something vague about Hagrid getting them to clean some animals. It had taken longer than expected, but probably hadn't been as disgusting as Goyle's experiences in the owlery.

Arrival at breakfast involved a collection of ugly stares from the Slytherin table, one or two matching ones from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, but mainly indifference from both houses. Lysander gave Lori a smile and a nod of approval, and team Hufflepuff descended on their table and the waiting breakfast.

Lori had an improved appetite compared to the previous morning, but she still limited her intake.

"Charms first," Anneka said as she buttered her second slice of toast.

"I have to see McGonagall after breakfast, remember?"

"Of course. You won't be too far away though. East staircase, third floor, classroom two-E. I'll save you a seat."

"Thanks. If I go now I probably won't miss as much." Lori stood and popped the last of her toast in her mouth. She circumnavigated a couple of casually placed feet as she passed the Slytherin table and endured a pat on the back from one who stood to congratulate her on her bravery. Lori didn't recognise the student in question, but he wasn't able to hide the smug expression as he rested his hand gently between her shoulder blades. The table erupted into laughter as the student sat back down.

Away from the hall, she slipped off her cloak and found not the note she'd been expecting sticking to it, but rather a crude image of her in a skirt with her male genitalia hanging down. Flushing with embarrassment, she folded the cloak to hide the picture and carried on to Professor McGonagall's office.

"Good morning Lori," the professor's mild brogue greeted her. Kind eyes turned steely. "May I have a look at your cloak?"

"It's nothing professor, I snagged it on the way here."

"If it was just a snag you'd still be wearing it. It's a cold day, Miss Scamander, I'd like to see for myself why you feel the need to carry it."

There wasn't much else to do but hand it over. With the image uncovered and Lori blushing a deep Gryffindor red, Professor McGonagall lay the cloak to one side. "I understand you don't want a reputation as a tattle-tale, young lady, but this is truly unacceptable behaviour."

She pulled a crystal ball out from a lower drawer in her desk and tapped it. A top down view of the Great Hall appeared and Lori saw herself walk out, avoiding legs and receiving the fateful pat on the back that had resulted in the marking of her cloak.

McGonagall pointed her wand at her neck. "Sonorus distributio," she said, then in a voice that spread throughout the school, "Raphael Maledicta, come to my office immediately. As for the rest of you Slytherin, if you can't keep your feet under your table during meal times, I may have to ask Mr Filch where he left his shackles before he died.

"Take this as a warning, I will be keeping a close eye on any students I suspect are being bullied for any reason, and any future occurrences will result in dire consequences indeed. One hundred points taken from Slytherin for this and yesterday's unacceptable behaviour, which I believe puts you at minus sixty-five. For the rest of this term, all members of any house that ends the day with negative house points will spend the following lunchtime scrubbing pans in the kitchen."

"Finite incantatem," she finished, then pointed at a chair.

Lori sat and remained in an uncomfortable silence for a couple of minutes until the sound of footsteps approaching roused the professor from her musing.

"So, Miss Scamander," she said in a voice loud enough to be heard all the way down the corridor, "whilst I sympathise with your desire not to be seen as a squealer, if I find you attempting to withhold information about your being victimised again, you will receive the same punishment as the individual who did you harm, am I clear?"

"Yes Professor McGonagall."

"Maledicta, come in." The pale and out of breath face of Lori's recent assailant appeared in the doorway. "I believe you owe Miss Scamander a new cloak. Give her the one you're wearing."

"But professor…"

"I haven't yet decided how to proceed with your punishment young man. At this moment I am leaning towards contacting your parents, and any further insubordination on your part may persuade me that a temporary expulsion might be in order. I doubt that would look very good on your school record when you leave."

The boy's shoulders slumped and he unbuckled his cloak. then handed it across with a scowl.

"Now I think I'll let you wear this one for the rest of the day," she indicated Lori's marked one. "If anyone asks you about the image on it, you are to answer them, saying, 'I drew it because I have a filthy mind.' Now let's see how you do. Maledicta, what's that graffiti on the back of your cloak?"

"I drew it because I have a filthy mind," the boy incanted in a defeated voice.

"Good enough. Do you believe me when I tell you I will know if you haven't done this to everyone who asks?"

The boy nodded.

"The house elves will be informed of the change of ownership of these two cloaks. If it reaches me that you have attempted to reclaim this one, I will be informed and there will be further consequences. "

Maledicta fumed, but held his tongue.

"If you care to tell your father, that is entirely your affair. If he asks, I will of course have no choice but to tell him of the entire incident that resulted in the exchange, as well as reminding him of school policy, which both you and he signed your names to, that all pupils will be provided with the standard issue uniform available at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. This incident illustrates at least one reason for this rule — that if it becomes necessary to switch any part of a uniform, neither party will have lost out."

"Yes, professor." The words came out through clenched teeth.

"Lastly, you will report to me here at the end of the day for your detention. If you thought Goyle was unfortunate in what he had to endure, you will find there are far worse things to do around here than cleaning up after owls.

"Let this be a clear warning to you and anyone who cares to listen to you after this, I will not tolerate the victimisation of others in my school."

The look Maledicta gave before storming out of the office said it all. 'It's not your school, which you will find out if I have anything to do with the matter.'

"I don't understand, professor. What was all that about the cloak."

"Unless I miss my guess, the lining of that cloak is woven from demiguise hair. Not at all standard issue. When you return to your dormitory later, you may like to try wearing it inside out. If I'm right, you have just come into possession of a very rare and very valuable article of clothing, something I feel a lot happier with you owning rather than that miscreant.

"In any case, this is taking far longer than intended. Would I be correct in assuming your choice of clothing today reflects your choice of how you wish to proceed?"

Lori nodded.

"Then I should say I believe you have made a wise and brave decision. As mentioned previously, I will have to contact your parents over the matter, as well as Anneka's, if there is any hope of maintaining your current sleeping arrangements. I imagine they will take time out to come to the school and discuss the matter. I will inform you when they arrive.

"I believe you have a charms lesson now. You know the way?"

"East wing, third floor, classroom two-E."

"You have a good friend in Anneka. One last thing before you go. What I said to you as Raphael was approaching my office, do you believe the words were for his benefit or for yours as well?"

Lori swallowed. "I believe you mean everything you say, Professor McGonagall."

"Very good, at least you're learning something in all this time you're spending outside of the classroom. Let's not make a habit of these early morning meetings Lori, but I will expect to hear from you if something is amiss."

"Yes professor."

"Now go, I believe I owe Professor Mugglewump a visit."

Lori turned and hurried away, not quite running, but still as fast as she dared. The cloak was certainly lighter and warmer than her previous one, and the lining felt silky smooth, but what was that the professor had said about wearing it inside out?

-oOo-

Charms class was halfway through when she arrived. She realised she didn't have a note from McGonagall, but Professor Flitwick didn't seem to need one. He waved Lori into the seat next to Anneka and asked her to catch her friend up.

Everyone was attempting to levitate an owl feather, and most were failing badly. Anneka explained as best she could then then two of them started working in unison. Something clicked in Lori's mind, the motion of the wand needed to be just so and the pronunciation needed a little more emphasis on the second, seventh and last syllables. On her second try, her feather rose above all the others.

"Oh, well done, well done," Professor Flitwick had been keeping enough of an eye on the class that he'd noticed Lori's success almost immediately. "It's Scamander isn't it?. Your brother was here yesterday, so unusual to have you two in different houses. He got it quickly too, but not quite this quickly. So you must be…"

"It's Lori, sir." She didn't want to be referred to by her full name. That was something of the past.

"Lori, of course. That's Miss Scamander then?" Lori nodded. "Perhaps you could help those around you. Ten points to Hufflepuff for the quickest piece of learning I've ever encountered. Identical twin brother and sister, well I never."

The rest of the lesson passed swiftly during which time she demonstrated that she was as gifted at teaching as learning. She suspected her twin connection as being the reason things had clicked so swiftly. Lye's charms lesson had been the previous afternoon. She was pleased to sense their connection remained, despite their divergent paths. If anything it was stronger now than before.

Transfiguration followed Charms. Professor McGonagall taught when she could, but this was apparently one of her busy days, so a rather nervous young witch who introduced herself as Miss Mitchell took them through the rudiments. There was no magic in the first lesson, but a fair amount of complicated terminology and a few formulae which didn't make a lot of sense. It wasn't maths exactly. There were rules, but they seemed to be a little more fluid than anything Lori had encountered before. Her head was throbbing gently as the class ended. An owl flew in just as they were packing away.

"Lori? Anneka? Professor McGonagall would like to see you in her office before you go to lunch. I'm sure it's nothing bad."

"Thank you Miss," Lori smiled, then to Anneka she said, "I'll tell you on the way."