Switching Sides

Switching Sides

*

Seeking Answers

*

"So you're going to trade one monthly hell to another?" Lily asked with a little smile.

Remus snorted. "I don't honestly think anything could be as hellish as the transformation," he pointed out dryly.

"You'd be surprised," the girl replied. "Okay, enough about that already. But are you really sure about what you're doing?"

"Of course I'm not," Remus sighed. "How could I be? This is a hell of decision to make! But I don't think being a girl could be worse than being a werewolf, considering that half of the society seems to handle it rather well."

"What do your other friends say, then? And your family, what about them?" Lily continued her questioning.

"Sirius says he doesn't really mind, since he's bi," Remus replied with a dry smile. "James says he thinks I should accept, and Peter is yet to state his opinion. My parents will go with whatever decision I make. They say that it's my body, after all, so I should have a say in whatever is done to it."

"Well, I think you should do it," Lily said after a moment of thinking. "After all, you are right about us girls surviving being girls... And while there are restrictions for werewolves, I can hardly think of any that would only concern witches." Then she flashed him a bright smile, and added, "Besides, if you now get mad, the Ministry won't take it easily. But, if you are a girl, nobody wonders if you're mad - at least once a month."

"Thank you, Lily," Remus said, rolling his eyes towards the ceiling. "You always know how to cheer me up, just like a true friend."

"Hey, that's my job," she grinned. "Anyway, if you do decide to do it, I'm more than willing to help you settling into a girl's life. I'm sure my friends will gladly help you, too."

"Just what I need," groaned the werewolf, but his eyes were glinting with both gratefulness and amusement.

*

All their classmates looked curious as the three Marauders walked in the class.

"Where's Lupin?" Charlotte Thomas asked curiously. "He usually never misses classes - besides when he's sick."

"That's one of the things I'd tell you, should you only shut up for a while," Professor McGonagall said dryly.

Charlotte blushed a bit and snapped her mouth closed. Then she fixed her eyes on the professor, as did all the others.

"I see that you have already noticed the absence of one of your classmates," the professor began as they had all become quiet. "I've been asked to inform you that Mr. Lupin won't come back to us."

"What?" Random shocked cries bursted out among the students.

"Why he won't return?" asked Melissa Dragon, one of the most sensitive girls, swallowing back tears.

"As you have surely noticed, Remus was sick more often than just an average student," McGonagall went on without caring about their reactions. "Now we've found out that he had a rare hereditary sickness."

Sirius, James and Peter sat stone-faced staring in front of them. Nothing could be read from their expressions by the concerned gazes of the other students. They had heard this cover-story before, noticed the possiblities of the situation it was told in, and decided to take all the possible fun out of it.

"This sickness has been transferred in his mother's family, for there hasn't been sons for over a century," the professor continued the big, dirty lie. "Unfortunately for him, Remus is the first son in this line, and therefore has herited the sickness."

She was quiet for a moment. Nobody dared to say anything. They just stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

"However, it's also known that there's no way to change the gene that causes this sickness. The only way to get rid of it is death." She made again a little pause before continuing, "I'm here to tell you that Remus doesn't have to suffer of his sickness anymore."

Now some of the girls screamed in surprise and shock, and many had tears in their eyes. Remus hadn't maybe been very social person, but everyone had known him and he had been well-liked. Most of the students glanced carefully at the Marauders and especially Sirius, who had bent his head down, letting his long black hair cover his face. Everyone thought he was trying to cover his tears, and they'd been most surprised if they had seen the bright smile on his face.

"Calm down!" McGonagall commanded. "Young Lupin is currently doing very well, there are no reasons for such a fuss."

"But you said -" someone started, but got interrupted.

"I said that he doesn't suffer of the illness anymore," she said and rolled her eyes. "The defective gene can't be changed, but it can be made ineffective. As I also said, the female ones in his family don't suffer of this."

"You don't mean -" Charlotte started, but didn't finish the sentence. It was too bizarre to even think about!

"Indeed," McGonagall said. She even smiled a bit. "Young Mr. Lupin won't come back, but I'm sure that you'll soon meet a very nice new girl. Remus has accepted to take a gender change charm."

This made most of them at first sigh in relief. Then they had more time to think about it. Most of the girls giggled like crazys, and the boys laughed from the top of their lungs at the thought of Remus as a girl.

"At last you get an official girlfriend, Black!" Marc Smith exclaimed.

"Can't say I'm complaining," Sirius shrugged, then grinned broadly. "Although when I have sometimes troubles understanding Moony when he's a boy, I'll never understand anything when she's a girl..." At this, many girls shrieked their protests, throwing quills towards him. Soon, the relief, excitement, and dissolving of their former fears made the whole class start throwing things around like a bunch of five-year-olds.

"Oh, Merlin," muttered McGonagall under her breath. "Why didn't I take my mother's advice and become a dragon tamer like my sister? It'd be so much easier..."