Harry Potter and the Curse of Jusenkyo

The next morning was, to put it lightly, a living hell.

Ron, in Harry's opinion got the better end of the deal. While Ron might've been bombarded with questions, Harry had to dodge up to six splash attacks. He could swear that his dexterity was improving, speed and all. Subsequently, as all the other houses were ready, McGonagall stepped into the large, condominium-like hut. When she saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione (who had also just stepped out), her face turned white then a funny shade of purple and red. She, with a very strained voice, asked that they should follow her around to the back of the hut. THEN she burst.

Harry and Ron, plus Hermione, were all very weary when McGonagall yelled her voice hoarse at them, telling them off for running away. They let their professor rant for almost ten minutes, until Harry got impatient and started his story, cutting her ranting short.

She didn't believe them.

"This is the most ridiculous story that I have ever heard. You know very well that nobody has found Jusenkyo for almost a century! I would like to hear the REAL explanation for this, PLEASE." McGonagall crossed her arms and looked down at them severely. "If you were planning a joke it was in very poor taste." Ron and Hermione (for the first time) looked at their Professor with exasperated expressions. Harry, on the other hand, had had his nerves stretched to snapping point for the last time. He stomped past McGonagall ("What do you think you are doing Mr. Potter!?"), grabbed a nearby bucket (which was filled with cold water) and overturned it onto his head.

NOW she believed them.

"H-how did y- I mean, how did that h-happen!?" she exclaimed shakily. McGonagall was stunned, for the first time in her life. Harry, now soaking wet (again), shook her head, getting the water out of her hair.

"Just like we explained," she said defiantly. Hermione shook her head. She couldn't get over that weird feeling whenever she heard Harry's voice. She HAD known HIM for five years. Ron had the same feeling except that it was worse by a few degrees. He had known Harry as a GUY for five years (not that Hermione hadn't, but she was a girl and could get used to it), and was really hard to imagine him as a girl. Harry noticed their strange expressions and lifted her head curiously. "What?" Both Hermione and Ron started at her voice and blushed, embarrassed. McGonagall, still in slight shock, decided to speak.

"Well, since it definitely appears that you visited Jusenkyo, you won't be getting detention." She paused, and then asked curiously, "How do you change back?" Harry looked up and smiled.

"With hot water, the guide told us so," she explained. The transfiguration teacher sighed with what sounded like relief. She then did a double take.

"The GUIDE!?" The three students jumped. Ron decided to explain.

"Yes, professor, there was a guide there. He said that his family has been guarding the springs from intruders for generations. They had put out signs as to which spring was which," he shrugged, "but since nobody's visited the place for ages they never to put them back up." McGonagall nodded her head in understanding. It was during the nodding of head, that she noticed the time.

"We had better get going. The rest of the houses were all ready to go before I found you." She turned to look at Harry, who was ringing out her robes, "And here's your hot water." She then proceeded to spray Harry with warm water with her wand. HE was spluttering and trying to wipe off HIS glasses when they walked back outside to meet the other houses. Snape seemed furious that Harry had returned. Harry suspected that Snape probably would've loved to see him lost in the jungle, being chased by rabid, rampaging boars. ...Scratch that, he KNEW Snape thought so. The rest of the professors, including Madame Pomfrey, fussed over him until he yelled at them ('GO AWAY I'M FINE!') to go away. Hermione got her arm cured by Madame Pomfrey and she also pointed out to Harry that Professor Dumbledore was being informed by Professor McGonagall about his *ahem* condition. Seamus, Dean, Neville, and Lavender, spotted the trio and yelled at them to come over so that they could get going. However...the Gryffindors weren't the only ones to notice Harry and Co.'s reappearance.

Malfoy looked over at his archenemy with disgust. He had hoped, pleaded, and even prayed to all the gods that the over-pampered brat would be maimed and yet the-Boy-Who-Should-Have-Died had actually come back in one piece. Weasley and Granger, to his utter dismay, still had all their limbs. The thing that really puzzled Malfoy was that there was something different about scar-boy. He couldn't see it, but he was sure that he could feel it; radiating off the prat like heat...it was strange. But not as strange as the feeling of worry, maybe anxiety, that something had changed. It wasn't right and Malfoy felt something resembling impending doom. That wasn't good. He looked over at Potter and felt the alien presence again. He shivered slightly, pushing aside the fact that he was starting to get worried for his worst enemy. No, not good at all.

"Hermione," whispered Lavender in an undertone. They had been walking for about three hours now; taking the quick route, (an Amazon was leading them). Hermione turned to look at Lavender with curiosity.

"Yes?" Lavender looked around nervously.

"Do you ever wonder...I mean...what if the whole school found out?" Hermione winced involuntarily and then shrugged.

"Well...then they find out," she watched as Lavender waited for the rest.

"...And...?" Hermione sighed heavily.

"Then chaos ensues."

Harry could swear that someone was watching him the entire time, ever since he entered Phoenix Mountain. It was rather unnerving. 'Just like turning into a girl every time you get splashed with cold water is unnerving', he thought sadly. His thoughts, however, dispersed the minute he saw the immaculate carvings of battles and the paintings of the royal phoenix family. He knew there were such creatures as Phoenixes...but not creatures that were half-phoenix half-HUMAN. It was very interesting though. The way Hermione was going on about it would make you think that you had given her 5,000 galleons and a free trip to every library in the world. She asked the Phoenix Mountain guide (who already had the Translation Charm administered) every possible question she could think of. When the guide talked about how the people of Phoenix Mountain had guarded a sacred and terrifying monument for over 10,000 years, she was up in front instantly.

"Mr. Guide," she asked in her most persuading voice, "do you mean that you are guardians of Ju-..." she was cut off by Harry, who was slicing his forefinger across his throat in a panicky sort of way. She gave him an odd glance, and the guide (he was looking slightly uncomfortable) saw Harry out of the corner of his eye. A knowing smile came upon his face.

He turned to Professor Dumbledore and asked quietly, "Do you mind if I borrow the boy for a moment?"

Dumbledore looked bemused as Harry glared at Hermione, who just gave Harry an innocent look that said innocently 'Who, me?' He turned his head back to the guide and nodded his head. As a new guide was summoned, the original guide walked over to Harry and asked him to come with him. Ron gave Hermione a glare and Hermione glared right back. Ron, after glaring at Hermione, asked the guide a rather silly question.

"We will get him back though...right?" and an embarrassed Hermione thwacked him upside the head. The guide, surprising nearly everyone, laughed heartily and promised they would get him back.

"So," the guide started, "which spring did you fall into?" Not expecting this question, Harry let out a small squeak of surprise and stumbled slightly. The guide laughed again and Harry decided to get annoyed.

"I didn't fall into a spring." The guide gave him a skeptical look.

"Oh really? Then why did you act completely astonished at my question? That kind of sticks out you know." Harry blushed, completely forgetting about the fact that he was trying to keep his curse a secret.

"The Spring of Drowned Girl." The guide's next response caught Harry completely off guard and he couldn't keep his jaw up.

"Yeah," sighed the said guide, "that's the one I fell in too." Harry practically tripped over his own jaw in surprise.
"Y--you fell in it too?" The guide looked at Harry and laughed at his ignorance.

"I guess I better introduce myself huh," the guide held out his hand, "the name's Ranma Saotome." Harry took Ranma's hand.

"Pleasure," they dropped their hands and continued walking, "So...how long have you had the curse?" Ranma gave a long sigh and answered,

"For about 17 years." Harry gasped.

"So, there really is no cure." His sentence virtually drowned with self-pity. Ranma gave Harry a questionable glance.

"What's your excuse?"

"...Pardon?" Ranma gave Harry a small glare.

"My excuse for not accepting the curse was that I thought myself as half the man I originally was. Those, with all my father's teachings of 'women are weak,' made me feel horrible." Harry abruptly felt calmed. He didn't think either of those things and he certainly didn't think women were weak. Look at Hermione! Ranma looked at the relief that spread slowly across Harry's face and smiled as well.

"See? I didn't think you were the kind of guy who was taught by a stupid father. It's really not that bad, I mean, try to think about the positive attributes of the curse," he started laughing, "you can get food a lot cheaper!" At this, both boys laughed and Harry felt a lot lighter inside.

"You sure we're going to get him back?"

"Of course Ron! Blimey you are so paranoid!" Hermione wasn't done thwacking Ron upside the head. As she just did it again.

"OW! Stop it Hermione!" and with those so-called 'magic words', Harry and Ranma walked around the corner startling the two. Hermione noticed that Harry looked happier than he had been ever since the 'incident'. Looking at Ron, she noticed that he too had caught Harry's lifted expression. They both smiled and ran over to where he was standing.

"I see that you're in one piece," said Hermione triumphantly and Ron huffed.
"Well, don't I have a right to be worried? After all, this is Harry we're talking about. If he disappears, who knows what will happen?" It was Harry's turn to thwack Ron. "Oi!" Ranma stole a glance at Professor Dumbledore and nodded. This didn't pass by the trio and Harry looked at Dumbledore, who in return, smiled knowingly. Ranma then regained their attention and turned to the three.

"I hope that you have fun with this. Life always throws curveballs, especially at you, from what you've told me," Ron gave him a weird look and Ranma waved his hands to ward off any not-so-good-emotions coming from the boy, "It's not as bad as it sounds. Really, Harry'll tell you all about it!" And with that, Ranma left the three standing with Prof. Dumbledore in the middle of a soon-to-be-filled hallway. Dumbledore smiled.

"I suppose you want to finish the tour?" he asked pleasantly. Harry gave a heart-filled grin and walked with Ron and Hermione back to the tour.

Harry's few weeks at school had been almost abnormally normal. The weather was nice, the birds were singing, nobody had found out about his curse except for the fair few (Neville, Seamus, Dean, and Lavender) that already knew, Malfoy was avoiding him...he felt like singing. Everything had gone right back to normal (in the broadest sense of term). Today was the first day of the Quidditch season; Slytherin versus Gryffindor.

And it was raining.

When he woke up that fateful morning, Harry almost started crying. The weather had been holding onto summer for a little bit to long and now it was time for payback. Rain was pouring down in buckets; it looked like it wasn't going to stop until next week. First, Harry was forlorn; then, he started panicking. What was he going to do? If he went out there, he would change into a girl and if he didn't, Gryffindor would be one player short. In other words...screwed. After slowly putting on his robes (he was still in a state of shock), he walked down to the common room.

Ron had been watching Harry since he woke up and (since he was not a complete dunderhead) had noticed the rain pouring outside. Realising that the first game of the season (Gryffindor versus Slytherin) was today, his tactical mind sprung into motion. As soon as an idea popped into his head, he rushed down the stairwell to the empty common room tripping over his robes as he went, calling out Harry's name.

"Harry! Wait up!" Ron yelled and Harry, who was already by the fire, looked up with despair written all across his face.

"What am I to do? I can't go out there as a girl!" wailed Harry. Just as Ron was about to give him the answer, Hermione materialized beside him, and he gave a startled yell, ("Ah!").

"You have to Harry," she nodded apologetically to Ron, who looked rather miffed, "I've got a plan but we've got to talk to McGonagall. Then she will be able to back us up," as Hermione said this the three were already striding out of the common room and up to Great Hall for breakfast.

"What do you mean I have to?" asked Harry in an undertone. Hermione and Ron both turned to him at the same time and said intensely in unison, just above a whisper,

"You're going to have to pretend you're someone else!" Both friends looked at each other and said again (in unison), "You thought of that too?!" Harry rolled his eyes and dragged them both to the Gryffindor table. As they got their food, Ron spoke to Harry, between bites.

"We have to give you a name and a new background," Ron said conspiringly. Harry shook his head.

"It doesn't matter if I get new wings," he frowned as he pointed at his forehead, "I'll still have my scar." At this moment, Hermione butted into the discussion.

"I have makeup that will cover it up; I bought some from a Muggle pharmacy when I was back home," she spoke proudly. Ron looked Hermione curiously.

"What do you need make-up for? You look fine as it is!" and it took a whole five seconds before he realized what he had said. He blushed like a true Weasley. Hermione noticed this too, and a pink tinge appeared on her cheeks. Harry just looked annoyed.

"Professor?" Hermione nervously approached the Transfiguration teacher's desk with great caution. McGonagall looked up at Hermione from her desk and raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" replied the strict Deputy Headmistress. Looking at their guilty faces she was afraid for the moment that they had yet again found out some weird secret about the school or some nefarious plot by You-Know-Who. She frowned involuntarily. Harry cleared his throat.

"As you might have noticed, Professor, it is raining today," he prompted, trying to be as politically correct as possible. He needn't have tried. McGonagall, who had NOT, under any circumstances forgotten about Potter's new "condition," had already prepared for this.

"Right," Minerva abruptly stood up from her seat, "Since this will require extreme promptness, I'll need all of you to cooperate without hassle or question understood?" All three children nodded dumbly. McGonagall looked at Hermione, who was startled by her Professor's sudden change in stance. "Miss Granger, go to Madame Pomfrey and ask for a new girl's Gryffindor uniform, and gather other necessary items from the girl's dorm."

Hermione took off without question, racing toward the Infirmary.

The Professor then turned her sharp gaze toward Ron, who then straightened immediately.

"Mr. Weasley, go ask Wood for a new girl's Seeker uniform." Both Harry and Ron's expressions turned to ones of amazement. Harry couldn't conceal his happiness.

"You're still letting me onto the Pitch?" he asked his Head of House tentatively.

"Yes, Potter," McGonagall's mouth twitched upward in an almost smile. "You will still be playing, just under a different name." She turned back towards Ron, who was grinning as wide as it was possible to grin. "Mr. Weasley?"

His attention snapped back to hers. "Yes Professor?"

"Tell Spinnet that Harry has fallen ill, and will not be able to play for a few weeks," she smiled inwardly. "Tell him that his replacement is just as good, if not better, than he is." Ron nodded to her and started to head out the door when McGonagall called him once more.

"And also, don't forget," she explained as she guided Harry towards another door in her office, "the replacement's name is--"

"NOT Hannah, nor Harriet--"

"I KNOW Mr. Potter," she interrupted Harry. "Your name will be Honora," and with that Ron left, and McGonagall started on what would be the worst afternoon of her life.

Three hours later....

"AIIIEE!!!"

"Harry, if you would just hold still, it wouldn't take as long!" managed an irritated Hermione, as she was trying to hold down one of Harry's, or she should say, Honora's, arms. The guy-turned-girl was trying to escape the clutches of evil madwomen, whom he had thought three hours before, were good, honest people. He knew their secret now.

Even Ron tried to help.

"RON! Gerroff me!"

"Hold STILL!" Ron yelled at his friend, who was currently being afraid of a brush.

Harry's voice seemed too high, even by female standards.

"I DON'T WANT TO!!!" she cried, pulling her arms away from her "friends". Professor McGonagall, whose hair was usually up in a tightly wound bun, had strands of hair completely in disarray. She screwed up the last of her remaining voice, and decided to use it to its full potential.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!!!"

Crickets chirped. It was almost as if the entire school had ground to a halt. Even the Slytherins had stopped moving.

Harry stared blankly in the direction of what was supposed to be her Professor, though now she wasn't very sure. The woman was looking terribly stressed out, and she wasn't even angry. She was totally, utterly, Touched. Something far, far worse than just "angry."

Ron and Hermione (who was at the moment trying to apply the make-up to Harry's forehead) had taken the moment of shock, and grabbed Harry by the arms, hoisting her into a chair.

Harry had never heard anyone use his full name before. It must have caused him temporary shock.

After she had been dressed in her new uniform, Hermione whipped out her wand and put a temporary Sight Charm on Harry's eyes (teaching him how in the process), to try to not look totally suspicious with her glasses. McGonagall had specially ordered colored Muggle eye contacts to cover up her eye color. Harry's eyes were now silver, an odd choice, but she was wary to contradict Professor McGonagall again.

The Professor, Hermione, and Ron, stood back from Harry and admired their work.

"You don't look too bad," admired Hermione from behind Ron, who was trying his very best to hold in his laughter. Harry just scowled in their general direction. She couldn't believe that she was really decked out in a female school uniform...that included the bra and below (she was still blushing). Prof. McGonagall coughed quietly and ushered the three to their next class, handing them a note from her, excusing Harry and them from being late.

It still didn't save Harry from the pit of doom that was Potions.

As Ron pushed open the dungeon door, they saw Snape whip his head up from his work. The rest of the class followed, in unison. Ron sidled over to his seat with Harry, who was nervously pushing down her skirt, while Hermione nervously handed Snape Professor McGonagall's note. He scowled at the paper before waving away Hermione with his hand. After the girl was seated, he stood up stiffly and proceeded to the front of the class.

"Class," he said forcefully, "I would like to introduce a new student, Honora, who will be taking Mr. Potter's," he spat out the words," place." All eyes turned to Harry, who was unaware of her new popularity. And many admiring glances also went unnoticed. The Gryffindors looked both curious and suspicious, whilst the Slytherins looked on with raised eyebrows. Snape, needing the short attention spans back on track, coughed loudly and all eyes came back to him.

The subject today, ironically, was the study of Love Potions. Snape decided to split everyone into pairs (keeping an annoyingly close watch on Longbottom). He looked at Honora (he didn't know her last name), and saw her glancing in Granger's direction. Smiling wickedly, Snape did what he did best.

"Miss Honora, if you don't mind pairing up with Mr. Malfoy over here..." he trailed off at the sudden look of despair on the young girl's face, grinning evilly.

Giving one last miserable look to Ron and Hermione, Harry gathered her things and trudged over to Malfoy, who, at the moment, was giving her an analyzing look. She dropped her stuff onto the table, and tried to remind herself that Honora had nothing to hate Malfoy about, maybe a little resentment for being in Slytherin, but nothing too hateful. Harry almost snorted, "Hateful"...right.

Malfoy looked up into eyes that were similar to his own. Except that these were trying to decide whether to be spiteful, or neutral. Whichever, Malfoy decided to be polite.

"Sit, if you want. It would make it easier if you did," Malfoy implied the girl to sit, so that they could be done with the stupid Love Potion and get on their lives. The girl stopped breathing, and sat down hard onto the stool. She had a very surprised look on her face. Malfoy frowned impatiently.

"Have you never encountered a human being before?" he asked sarcastically, his smirk settling back into place. Honora seemed to snap out of her trance and they started to add ingredients in silence. A few minutes later, and Honora decided to strike up a conversation.

"So, Malfoy," she started out, almost as if she was unsure of her own tongue, "Isn't there a Slytherin versus Gryffindor game this afternoon?" Malfoy looked up from his crushed Beetle Roots, and cocked his head to the side lazily. Her voice reminded him of autumn leaves. His eye twitched slightly. Where the HELL had THAT come from...?

He nodded in assent and Honora's lip twitched upward.

"Wait till you see who's playing Gryffindor Seeker."

As Potions ended, Harry nodded to Malfoy and raced out the door. Ron and Hermione met up with her in the hall. Ron was first to speak.

"Did he treat you well?" was the first question out of Ron's mouth. Hermione sighed.

"Of course he didn't, this is Malfoy we're talking about." She turned to face a smiling Harry. Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Is there something I'm missing?" Harry shook her head, as if to wake herself from a dream.

"He wasn't...mean," she spoke quietly, as if trying to convince herself otherwise. Ron and Hermione both looked incredulous. She looked back at them. "No, really!" Hermione glanced at Harry from the corners of her eyes.

"Maybe he's trying to lull you into a false sense of security," she suggested as the three of them walked to the Great Hall. She was so engrossed in her mind; Harry didn't notice the suspicious glance coming from a certain Draco Malfoy.

God she seemed familiar, and not in a good way. Honora reminded Malfoy of someone; he just couldn't put his finger on it.