Finding Heather

Year 6 Chapter 18

Author's notes: I want to give another shout out to you, the readers who have made it this far into my story without giving it up or passing it off as a bad job. I really appreciate each and every one of you. Year 6 is winding down, and I'm already well into the planning stages for Deathly Hallows, which I'm very much looking forward to writing.

Harry potter and everything else in his magical world belongs to JK Rowling.

Chapter Eighteen

 Heather awoke feeling very warm and comfortable, though with a strange buzzing in her head. Opening her eyes, she found that she was lying in a large room that she distantly recognized, but couldn't place at the moment. Her senses beginning to register, she found herself wearing a pair of her pajamas, but somehow that didn't seem right. She hadn't been wearing them when she had...well when whatever had happened to her happened, right? A small part of her mind wondered at not wearing a bra, but she didn't yet have the brain power to understand why that was an issue. It took her several minutes to remember where she was, and what had happened. Looking over to her right, she saw the blurry outline of Ron staring back at her. She gently pulled on her glasses and saw he was grinning.

"Nice of you to drop by."

"What happened?"

"You took a bludger to the head, mate. It was a doozy." Ron said

Heather reached up and felt the tender spot on the side of her head where the bludger must have it. It didn't hurt, but it didn't feel right either.

 Hearing voices, Madam Pomfrey stuck her head out of her office door and bustled over to Heather's bed. "Ah, you're awake, Potter. Very good." She checked his temperature and pulse before pouring him a dose of potion into a flask and pressed it firmly into her hands. "Drink." Heather having had several potions forced on her in this room, drank it down in one shot, retching loudly with the aftertaste. While Heather was distracted trying not to empty her stomach onto her bed, Madam Pomfrey flicked her wand, conjuring privacy screens around them and charming them to block any noise from escaping.

"Potter," she began sternly, looking down at Heather, "While I was examining you earlier, I noticed that you seem to be experiencing several...abnormal body changes. You also were wearing girl's undergarments. I'm afraid I have to ask for an explanation."

Cursing her luck at being caught once again, Heather sighed. Well, at the very least she knew she could trust Madam Pomfrey's discretion. After all, Hermione had turned herself into half a cat during their second year and the matron had cured her without comment.

"I'm taking potions to become a girl." She answered.

"I see." Madam Pomfrey said briskly, then considered Heather for a moment. "And where preciesly are you getting these potions? I take it you aren't making them yourself"

"Hermione Granger has been brewing them for me."

"Of all the-" she exlaimed, shaking her head, "Why didn't you think to come to me about this?"

"What?" the thought had truly never occurred to her.

"Potter," Madam Pomfrey sighed wearily, "I am the matron of this school. It's my job to ensure that each and every student here is healthy. That means making sure that they aren't taking potions that could be potentially harmful."

"Harmful?" asked Heather.

"Yes. I know about the potion you're taking of course, though I've never met anyone who actually took it. If brewed incorrectly, it can have some very unpleasant, and potentially harmful side effects. How long have you been taking it?"

"Every two weeks for six months." Heather answered, not sure if she should be worried or not.

"Well," Madam Pomfrey said after giving Heather a firm stare, "I must admit that I didn't find anything that worries me in my exam of you, Potter. So let us be grateful for small miracles. Who knows about this?"