Finding Heather

Year 5 Chapter 7

 Great, he thought to himself, the mirror's showing me my deepest desire is to be a girl, but that's not possible. He stood there taking in every inch of the girl staring back at him, a sense of longing and desire to be her filling his chest. He was just about to tear his eyes away from the mirror, remembering in that instance of its power over him, when the image moved. A hand had dropped out of nowhere onto the girl's arm and it was followed by a man who stood on her right side. It was Sirius, looking less lined and happier than he had when Heather had seen him last. Sirius looked down at the girl standing there, and then at out Heather, an expression of complete approval on his face. After him walked in Hermione, then Ginny and Ron who took up positions around the girl, all of them smiling at Heather. Next came Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who stood to the girl's left, leaving a gap just behind her. Finally, appearing as if out of the fog, walked the two people Heather had been both hopeful and terrified of seeing. His mother and father stood there, smiling at him from the depths of the mirror, each with a hand on the girl's shoulder. His entire family, the one he knew and loved, stood there facing him, surrounding a girl that used to be him, all of them accepting her for who she was.

 Without meaning to Heather stepped back and tripped over her own feet and fell. Landing hard on his rear, he felt tears roll down his cheek. The image had faded the moment he fell, and he didn't get back up for fear of it returning. What he's seen had been so vivid, so clear. For a moment he wanted to break the mirror, in anger for showing him a desire that could never come true, and partly for not wanting to believe that what it had showed him was actually his deepest desire.

It doesn't work that way. Dumbledore himself told you that what it shows you is what you truly want came the now familiar voice from the back of his head. It sounded different this time though. Whenever it had spoken to him before it had been indistinct, barely more than a whisper. Now however it came through strongly, and was obviously a girl's voice.

That's who you want to be. You want to be Heather.

"But I am Heather," he said aloud

But at the same time, you're also still trying to be Harry replied the voice.

It was a long time before Heather could stand. Calming himself he walked back to stand in front of the mirror. Again, his male reflection looked back at him and transformed into a girl, and one by one his family walked in and showed their acceptance of him. Heather stared long into the eyes of each of them, finally coming to rest on the girl's face.

"I do want to be her" he whispered, not daring himself to say the words any louder than that.

Say it louder replied the voice

"I want to be her." Heather repeated, voice cracking with emotion.

Then become her.

 Feeling drained, Heather moved back to the chair and collapsed into it. The image of what he had just seen swam in front of his eyes and filled his mind. The warmth of the fire flowed over him, and without even realizing his eyes closed. It was late, midnight having passed hours ago. At first Harry, in his male form, walked down the now familiar dark corridor, willing himself to reach the door at the end of it. He wanted to see what was beyond. But then, as though someone had changed the channel on a television, the dream shifted.

He stood in a hallway, except now it was bright and welcoming. In front of him was a door, much like the one to the Room of Requirement. Upon opening Harry was face to face with a mirror, and it in Heather stood looking back at him. For a moment she just stood there, staring at him, as if waiting. Tentatively Harry reached out his hand and touched the mirror, Heather doing the same until their fingers seemed to meet. The moment they touched Harry felt everything change. He was pulled out of his body into Heather's and was now on the other side of the glass, looking back at Harry. She, for that was how she thought of herself suddenly, tried to make sense of what had just happened when the voice spoke clearer than it ever had before.