Year Two
By their second year at Hogwarts, Pandora, Evan, and Barty had all become close friends. After that day on the common grounds, Barty kept coming back to talk to them both. As he started hanging around more, Pandora found herself enjoying his company more, much to her dismay. She did like it just being her and Evan, but the new addition wasn’t the worst thing. Her and Barty got along great, he always found a way to bring her bones and dead animals, even listening to her go on about experiments she had begun attempting. And she would listen as Barty ranted about his father, and about how he sneaks out to the forbidden forest at night sometimes. Barty didn’t even find it weird when she told him not to call her a girl. Talking to Barty felt as easy as breathing to Pandora, almost as easy as talking to Evan. Pandora knew she was in too deep by that point, acknowledging her crush on Barty because there was no point in denying it. Yet, she kept that knowledge to herself, not ready to let anyone else besides herself know. Not when she still felt so wrong in her own body.
But Evan wasn’t an idiot. He had a feeling every time he saw his sibling look and talk to Barty. It was clear as day to him, but then again, he was attuned to seeing past his sibling’s stoic exterior. He wasn’t sure why Pandora hadn’t told him yet, but leaving her be.
One night, Pandora and Evan were sitting on the floor of the Slytherin common room, Pandora coming to visit her brother. Evan looked to Pandora, deciding whether to bring it up or not, when Pandora speaks.
“Evan, I’m not a girl.” She said plainly, staring off in the distance. Evan looked at her with wide eyes, not because he was surprised, but because he thought she was going to tell him about Barty. Nevertheless, Evan focused on the matter at hand. “You've told me that already?” His statement came out more of a question, as if asking if there was more. Pandora nodded. “I did. But I'm not a girl. Because I'm a boy.” Her— his voice was low as he said it. “You're a boy?” Evan parroted, making sure he understood Pandora right. He wasn't judging, just double checking.
Pandora nodded again. “Yeah. But I'm in a girl's body.” Evan nodded at that, that part being obvious. Pandora stared at Evan, seeing the gears turning in his head.
“You're a girl.” Pandora stated, not asking, but telling Evan. His eyes widened, but he nodded.
“How did you figure it out before I did?!” Evan laughed softly, smiling brightly at her brother. Pandora cracked a smile as well. “You're easy for me to read, Ev. You don't think I see you when you stare?” Evan rolled her eyes, knowing he was right.
“It's ironic,” Pandora continued, “You have the body I want, and look exactly how I look if I were to be born a boy…”
“...and you have the body I want, and look just like me if I were a girl!” Evan finished Pandora's sentence. Pandora nodded, a small smile dancing on his lips. Evan pulls his brother into a hug, Pandora's arms wrapping around Evan as she does. “Well, we'll figure something out! We can't let these bodies go to waste, now can we?” She hummed happily.
Pandora nodded once more.
***
Barty looked between the twins with wide eyes, trying to absorb the information he just heard.
“So let me get this straight,” He motioned between them, “Pandora is a boy, and Evan is a girl.”
They both nod in unison.
Barty looked at them again before starting to laugh loudly. “There's no fucking way—” He cackled, “You two are in the other's body!” Evan joined Barty in the laughter, Pandora just smiling.
“You don't think it's weird?” Pandora asked Barty. He shook his head, wiping his tears from laughing with his hand. “Nah dude, it's not weird. Why would it be?” Pandora raised an eyebrow at him, but just accepted the answer. He knew had it been anyone else besides Barty, they would have gotten weird looks and called freaks. Their mother would have just tried to feminize Pandora more, while their father would force Evan into being a “boy”. But Barty was Barty, as always. Pandora just shook his head at Barty, “You're weird.”
“So are you.” Barty poked back. Evan laughed, rolling her eyes at them both, “We're all weird.”
***
Next on their agenda was Regulus Black. The twins and Barty had met them earlier in the year, Pandora having gotten paired with him in Potions. Evan and Barty had been sitting right behind them. Regulus got along well with Pandora, they were both the quiet methodological type. It was Evan and Barty that were the pain in Regulus' ass. They were loud and boisterous, always waving to regulus outside of class, or striking up conversations while he was reading. But that was Barty more so than Evan.
Now, Evan and Pandora were to tell them the exact same thing they told Barty. Pandora walked up to Regulus, who was sitting at a table in the library, Evan following behind him. Only once they were both standing in front of him, did Regulus look up. “Yes?” He asked them, his face his usual deadpan. “We have something to tell you.” Pandora plainly stated. Regulus put his book down, turning to them fully now.
“What is it?”
“I'm a boy.” Pandora said first.
“And I'm a girl.” Evan goes after.
Regulus stared at the twins, “You're trans?” He questions. Evan and Pandora look at each other confused, before looking back at Regulus. Neither Evan nor Pandora had heard of being trans before that moment.
“What's that?” Evan asked.
“It means you're a different gender than the sex you were born with.” Regulus stared incredulously between the two of them, shocked they had never heard of it before between the two of them reading so much. Evan and Pandora let the information sink in. It was nice to know that they weren't weird, that this was something other people experienced as well. Pandora mainly wondered how he didn't find something on it sooner, while Evan was just happy there was a name for it. Then Pandora raised an eyebrow at Regulus.
“How did you know that?”
Regulus seems to contemplate something, then sighing, he said “I know because I am too.” Evan gasped, hope sparking within her, hoping she had found someone else like her.
“You're a girl too?” She asked with a light voice.
Regulus shook his head, “No, I'm in the same position as Pandora. I'm a boy that was born in a female body.” Pandora's eyes widened, energy thrumming through his veins at the knowledge. Regulus. Regulus was like him. Pandora never would've known, had he not told them. Pandora had to ask, he needed to know how Regulus was able to look so… guy like. Regulus snickered, seeing the expression on Pandora's face. “You want to know how, don't you? How I'm able to look like a boy?” Pandora nodded, needing to know if it was possible for him to look like himself. Regulus sighed, running his hands through his hair. “It's a potion. It changes my body to make it seem more masculine looking, but it doesn't change my actual physique. My body doesn't actually look like this, unfortunately.” Pandora could feel himself deflate, resigning himself to being stuck in this body forever. Sighing again, Regulus stood up, looking at Pandora. “I can share some with you. If you want.” Just as Pandora was about to refuse— seeing no point if it didn't actually change anything— when Evan interjected. “Yeah, he would like that. I know he's too stubborn to admit that though.” Evan said cheerfully, shooting a wink to her brother. Regulus just shook his head at them, stalking off towards their dorm. He knew they would follow, no need for him to tell them to.
When they reached the dorm, Regulus made sure to lock the door behind them. No need for anyone accidentally walking in. Going into his trunk, Regulus pulled out a small vial of a black liquid, handing it to Pandora as he stood back up. “It tastes revolting, but it works, as you can see.” Pandora stared at the black liquid, equally excited and nervous. What if it didn’t work? What if he still looked the same? He sighed, knowing he shouldn’t doubt Regulus–his potions grade spoke louder than words when it came to his ability to make a good potion. Pandora downed the vial in one shot, grimacing as the taste of the potion hit the back of his throat. He looked down at himself, not really seeing any change until Evan went–
“Woah! You look just like me!” Evan said, hopping over to Pandora excitedly, looking at him in awe. Regulus motioned to a mirror for Pandora to look in, and holy gods, Evan was right– He looked just like Evan. Pandora’s formerly long hair looked shorter, and his face had a more masculine look to it. He looked like a boy. And for once in his life, Pandora felt a little more comfortable in his body.
Evan smiled as she saw her brother, knowing he was elated, even if his face didn’t show it. A part of Evan wished they had just switched bodies at birth, would’ve made things so much more convenient. She giggled to herself, looking over to Regulus. “Do you think you could make one to make me look like a girl?” Regulus nodded, “It shouldn’t be that hard to. But while I make it, I’d advise you two to look into a switching spell.” Evan’s heart swelled at Regulus’ words, hoping the words “switching spell” meant exactly what she thought. Regulus rolled his eyes, sighing, “Yes, it means exactly what it sounds like. It allows two people to switch bodies. And…” He shrugged but a small smirk danced on his lips, “If you don’t have the antidote, you stay in the bodies forever. Do what you will with that information, you didn’t hear it from me.” He went to unlock the door, allowing them to leave.
As Pandora and Evan walk back to the Ravenclaw common room to meet up with Barty, they’re both thinking the same thing. “We have to find that spell.” Evan spoke what they were both thinking aloud. Pandora nodded, knowing this would mean a trip to the library. “Let’s go get Barty first and then head to the library!” Evan said, once again speaking Pandora’s thoughts aloud.
***
The day that Evan was to get her potion from Regulus, she was bouncing off the walls. The anticipation had her moving from activity to activity, Pandora watching from a distance the whole time. Finally, there was a knock on the door to Evan’s room.
Her head whipped up from a book she had settled on reading for a while, discarding it to the floor so she could answer the door. Regulus stood out front, holding up a small vial. “There.” Is all he said as he handed it to Evan. “Thank you thank you thank you!” She exclaimed, holding the vial up to examine it. Not being able to contain herself, Evan downs the vial right then and there. “You couldn’t have just waited until I was inside?” Regulus chided as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Evan had rushed over to the shared mirror in the dorm, wanting to see the effects of the potion as soon as it occurred.
Evan watched in awe as her features softened, and her build seemed to look more feminine. “I can’t believe how similar we looked.” She awed at the way she looked just how Pandora used to. Pandora nodded, “Me neither. You look amazing Ev.” Evan beamed at her brother, running over and hugging him. “I can’t wait until we find that spell! It’ll be even better than this!” Evan’s body thrummed in anticipation of finding the switching spell. Once they did, everything would be as it should.