Finding Heather

Year 4 Chapter 6

Author's Notes: This chapter will involve a bit of a jump, which I've separated using stars. Also, I'm adding a warning for strong and derogatory language in this chapter. I'm not trying to write Ron as an asshole, like some author's do, but as a character he does have his head up his butt, especially in this book. Also, I'm not sure if skinny jeans were popular in England during the 90's, but for the sake of this story, they at least exist.

I've run out of creative ways to write this. Harry Potter and everything magical in his world belongs to JK Rowling, not me.

Chapter Six

Life at the castle was as close to normal as it ever was at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The classes continued to be more challenging, particularly Defense Against the Dark Arts. Moody was casting the Imperius curse on each student in turn, trying to teach them to resist the effects. Though, Harry was having more luck with that than most of his classmates, it still wasn't easy. About the only thing missing was Quidditch practice. Harry was using the free time to study and keep up on homework. With their heavier workload, Hermione was having trouble finding time to meet up with Harry in what they'd taken to call 'their clubhouse,' After several weeks had passed since their last girl time, Harry quietly asked Ginny if she was willing to meet up, just the two of them. "I'd love too!" she whispered at him over the breakfast table one Friday in late September. So, the next morning he loaded up his bag, this time with one of the other outfits, his make up kit, and his invisibility cloak. There had been a near miss last time leaving the bathroom, when a prefect had walked past just as they'd left, and it was only by sheer luck Harry hadn't been caught. Pulling the cloak on before emerging from his hidden passageway, it was a simple matter to enter the bathroom undetected. According to the map Ginny was still in her dormitory, so Harry decided to start getting ready without her. On to the bench he laid out his choice of clothes for the day, a grey v neck t shirt with a purple zip up jumper, and for bottoms a pair of jeans with the word "skinny" on the tag. Before he got dressed he cast the hair growth spell, letting his hair grow almost down to his waist before lifting his wand. He watched the map continuously as Ginny started moving around her dormitory, working on getting his make up and nails perfect. She was just leaving the tower when Harry stepped into the stall to get dressed. He stuffed two folded socks into each bra, adjusting them until they looked as natural as possible, then pulled the rest of his outfit on. When he bent down to slide the jeans on his legs, he thought for a moment they were too small. He was glad he was alone during this first attempt to put them on, as he ended up having to do a sort of bouncing dance to pull them up to his waist. "Skinny is right" he exclaimed as he buttoned them up. They had become almost another layer of skin over his legs. He tried to lean over to slide his shoes on, but the jeans prevented it. Not wanting to sit down on one of the toilets, Harry returned to the bench, lacing up the trainers just as Ginny walked in."Hey, pretty girl." She said, walking over to him. She was wearing jeans as well, with a Weasley jumper over it, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Reaching up to touch his hair she said "I see you let it grow out longer this time."Harry moved over to look in the mirror and fell in love instantly with these jeans. They hugged his legs as tightly as they felt, and that didn't stop when they reached his bottom. In the front there was a definite bulge, but the t shirt did a lot to cover it. Ginny giggled over the attention Harry gave to staring at his own bum."Do I need to leave you alone for a minute?" she laughed, running her fingers through Harry's hair."What?" Harry asked coming out of a reverie. Thinking she had said something about his hair, he said"Oh, yeah. I wanted to see what it looked like?""It's cute, and there's so many things you can do when it's long like that. When you have it that long all the time though it can become quite a chore to deal with." She replied, passing over the fact that Harry had clearly not been listening to her."Can you show me what to do?" he asked her, excitedly."Absolutely! If you ever decide to keep it long, you'll need to know how to manage it." Together they moved a bench over to in front of one of the mirrors and Ginny sat Harry in front of her and started showing her the basics of hair braiding. They started talking, about Harry mostly. Ginny wanted to know what he liked about being a girl, what he and Hermione had talked about, and what they had done together. Ginny laughed very hard at the story of how he'd been caught last year by Snape. Harry wasn't quite sure how it was funny, but he went along with the laughter. "I was bright red, and you know what that looks like now." He said, trying to see what she was doing with his hair in the mirror."Well, I can certainly confirm what Hermione has been telling you since last year. You are a very pretty girl, Harry." Ginny replied, still recovering from laughing."You're really pretty too, Ginny." Harry said, looking at her reflection. He had to admit he was jealous off her hair, both because it actually laid down flat and for its shade. From the photo album Hagrid had given him he knew that his mother had had fiery red hair as well. He was wondering if he'd look like her if he dyed it when he caught her staring."Sorry" he said, looking away, "I was just admiring your hair.""Thanks" she said, but Harry could feel an awkward silence fall over them."Did I say something wrong" he asked, hoping he hadn't upset her somehow."It's just, you make such a beautiful girl, Harry, and as much as I'm liking this side of you, I...I still like you." She replied, continuing to braid and not meeting his gaze."This can't have been an easy thing to really accept about me, is it?" he asked, his voice dropping."In a way, yes, but also no. I mean, I've always known you don't like me the way I like you. And last year everyone was wondering if you liked boys instead of girls. Seeing you dressed like this means that's true I guess." She said, her words spilling out."I don't know what I like, Ginny. That's the truth. I think I like girls," at this he thought about Cho Chang, "and I don't know if I like boys, I still don't really know. All of this is still so new." He answered, trying to meet her eyes. This was the most real talk they'd ever shared and he really liked opening up to her."I think you do like boys Harry. I mean you already admitted that you think Diggory is cute, and I saw the way you kept staring at my brother." She met his eyes, and he saw the smallest tear in the corner of her eye. It disappeared as she started giggling at his face. As usual, the mention of Charlie had caused it to go bright pink again."Oh yeah, you've got it bad for him. Trust me, Harry, I know that face." She laughed."And you don't mind or think that's weird?" he asked."Maybe a little, I mean he is much older than you. But then again, one day that might not matter as much.""Are you sure you're ok helping me with this?" asked Harry."Absolutely. Part of me still wants boy Harry to like me back the way I like him, but more of me wants to see girl Harry grow and be her friend.""You and Hermione are both really good friends." He answered, reaching back to hold her hand."Thanks, Harry." They lapsed into silence again as Ginny finished up the braid. "Can I ask you something?""Sure, it's not like I have many secrets from you anymore." He replied"Are you going to tell Ron about this?"Harry paused for a moment, thinking back to that night in Ron's bedroom a few weeks ago. "Honestly, I don't know. I doubt he'd be cool with his best mate wearing knickers.""I hate to say it but you're probably right. I love my brother but he's not always the best at accepting different things." She answered evenly."No, he isn't. He's already told me he's noticed that I'm different and he didn't seem to be taking that well at all.""Well, people change as they get older." Said Ginny, sounding almost like her mother for a moment. "And sometimes friends grow apart.""I know, I just don't what that to happen to Ron and I." Harry replied. Now it was Harry's turn to braid Ginny's hair to practice what she had shown him. It wasn't easy but after a white he started making progress. It was nice to just sit here and talk with Ginny. They gossiped about other girls, and even boys. Ginny admitted that after Harry, her other crush was Neville, and Harry told her about his crush on Cho. It was different talking with Ginny than Hermione. While Hermione enjoyed some girlish chatter, she didn't enjoy it quite as much as Ginny did. Outwardly Ginny wasn't a overly girly girl, having grown up around so many brothers. But under that exterior, she came alive. Hours passed while they say there gossiping and swapping rumors, reminding Harry strongly of Lavender and Pavarti. Before they knew it, it was lunch and time to pack up. Harry transformed himself back and shrunk his hair with the counter spell Hermione had taught him, and they left the bathroom under the cloak. September gave way to October, and the date of the arrival of the delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang was soon approaching. Harry and Ginny had several more hang out sessions in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, both with and without Hermione, and soon Harry was finally able to braid his own hair behind his head without help. On the evening of the thirtieth, the entire school assembled in front of the oak front doors on the lawn to welcome their guests. Some students expected them to arrive on brooms or apparate, which was impossible inside Hogwarts, but no one was expecting a giant flying carriage to come tearing over the grounds, or a ship to rise from the surface of the lake. Slowly the students from the other school trooped up the grounds and entered the Hall. The students from Durmstrang sat at the Slytherin Table, to Ron's disgust. He had been quick to spy Victor Krum, Bulgaria's seeker from the world cup, among them and had wanted him to sit with the Gryffindors. The group, mostly girls, from Beauxbatons sat with the Ravenclaws. Among them was an incredibly pretty girl who almost made Ron forget about Victor Krum. She had long blonde hair and startling pretty eyes. After the welcoming feast had been eaten, Dumbledore rose from his seat, and approached a casket that had been laid in front of the Staff table. "Eternal Glory" was what he said awaited the champion who won the tournament. Harry and Ron had spent hours in the last week discussing who would be the Hogwarts Champion, and what they would have to face. Ron had been disgusted by the idea of Cedric, but Harry didn't agree. He thought Cedric would make a good champion. Dumbledore opened the casket and removed a Goblet, which lit with blue flames when he touched it. Holding it out he said it would be placed in the entrance hall tonight. There he said anyone who was of age could enter their name to be chosen for their school. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the names would be selected, and the tournament would begin. That night Ron went on and on about what he'd do with the prize money. Harry didn't have much input. He was reading his latest copy of Witch Weekly behind the curtains of his four poster, glad that Ron couldn't see him. The next day both of them stood in the Entrance Hall, watching the cup to see who would put their name in. They weren't alone however, it seemed like most of the school was there, watching and waiting. Before lunch the entire party from Durmstrang marched into the hall, Krum in the lead, and dropped their names into the goblet. While they were eating, they overheard Ernie MacMillan of Hufflepuff tell Hannah Abbot that Cedric had put his name in last night. Ron was disgusted at the idea of "That pretty boy" being Hogwarts Champion. After lunch they resumed their vigil, homework forgotten in the excitement of the day. Fred and George turned up after a while, having just taken their aging potion. Whatever result Harry was expecting from this, he wasn't ready for them to be thrown across the hall, beards sprouting from their faces. It seemed like the Halloween Feast that night would never come. Hours dragged on, and eventually people started filtering out of the hall, figuring that anyone who was going to enter their name would have already. Ron and Harry tried to make a start on their pile of homework, but eventually gave it up as a bad job and went to go visit Hagrid's with Hermione. At last it was time for dinner. Walking back up the grounds with Hagrid, the three took their places at the Gryffindor Table. It was odd, perhaps it had to do with two feasts back-to-back, but no one was quite as excited for the food as usual. Almost the entire hall finished eating quickly, looking expectantly at the Goblet of Fire, which had been moved to the top of the hall near Dumbledore's seat. After what felt like an hour, he rose and stepped towards it."I will ask that once a name comes out of the cup, for the champion to please exit the hall to my right, and wait in the chamber beyond." He said, gazing out at the waiting crowd.The Goblet turned a fiery red, and a piece of parchment flew out. Dumbledore caught it, and read the name loudly. "The champion for Durmstrang is Victor Krum!"The hall erupted in applause, but moments later the fire had gone red again and another name flew out."The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"More applause, once again brought short by the third name shooting from the Goblet.Dumbledore paused, almost enjoying the tension filling the hall, "The champion for Hogwarts is Cedric Diggory!"Cheers broke out all over the hall, mostly from the Hufflepuff Table, and Cedric, grinning ear to ear rose and walked towards the door the other two had just left through.Dumbledore was just starting to wrap the evening up when one last name erupted from the Goblet of Fire. He caught it, looked at it, and said in a calm, but serious voice, "Harry Potter."***** When he got back to his dormitory that night, Harry was exhausted. Everything that had happened since the Feast, his name coming out of the Goblet of Fire, the cries and jeers from his fellow students as he crossed the hall, no one believing that he didn't put his own name in, and the party that Gryffindor had thrown in his honor upon his return to the tower, filled his head. He was hoping to see Hermione, Ron, or Ginny and talk to them, hoping they'd at least believe him. He found Ron sitting on his bed, and he didn't say anything as Harry walked in and sank onto his four poster bed."Hello" Ron said finally, with a not quite convincing smile."Where we you? Harry asked, "I've been looking all over for you.""Oh? I was just up here, congratulations by the way." Ron answered, the grin slipping."Look, I didn't put my name the Goblet, you've got to believe me." Harry said, trying to get him to see it."It's ok, you don't need to lie to me. It's fine if you don't want to tell anyone else, but I'm your best mate." "I didn't put my name in, Ron!" Harry was almost shouting, all of his emotions coming out."Yeah, sure you didn't." Ron retorted, the color rising in his face. "Just like you haven't been different since last year. You've changed Harry, you aren't the friend I used to know."Harry sat back stunned, Ron rose to his feet and continued loudly, "You're hanging out with the girls, and smelling like them, and acting like one. I'm surprised you haven't started wearing dresses."Harry's face had gone pale, he didn't have a response to Ron's tirade. Ron stood there staring at him, then turned on his heel. "You'd better get some rest Harry; queers need their beauty sleep after all. I suspect you'll be doing a photo shoot or something soon." With that he stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him. Changing clothes Harry didn't wear knickers that night. Ron's words had stung him deeply. He laid in his bed in his pajamas, curtains closed, angry and crying. He heard the other boys come in and cast a silencing charm on his curtains so they couldn't hear him. It wasn't until after midnight he finally was able to fall asleep.