Blackest Nights

Harry took a deep breath, both scared and hopeful as to what he would see in the mirror when he opened his eyes, but…but he had to know, the thoughts wouldn’t leave him alone, especially after he went back to the mirror so many times before Dumbledore moved it. He…he had to know if he-if he could-he just had to know. Harry took another deep breath, and opened his eyes.

A soft gasp escaped his lips as he saw the girl in the mirror, the girl's uniform that the elves had accidentally left in his trunk fit perfectly . He twisted side to side and giggled as the skirt flared with each movement, framing the stockings cutely, and the blouse was absolutely adorable! The red and gold was still a bit garish, but Harry had learned to deal with that over the last few months.

He couldn’t help but giggle and spin, looking down at the skirt as it flared around his hips, and soon broke out into full on joyous laughter.

Laughter that cut off suddenly when he heard the door behind him open.

Harry whirled around (still internally celebrating the flare of the skirt) and yelped as he caught sight of the last person he’d ever want to see.

“Malfoy!”

Malfoy was looking at Harry, his face rapidly lighting up with glee as he kicked the door to the abandoned classroom shut.

Harry took a step back, “Malfoy I’ll-if you tell anyone I’ll-I-”

“You're like me!”

“I’ll make you regre-what?”

Malfoy was bouncing up and down excitedly, “You’re like me! A witch in the body of a wizard! This is perfect, we can do the ritual this summer!”

Harry looked panicked, “What? N-no, no I’m not, this is…this is a-a one time thing, I was just curious and the house elves messed up my laundry! Anyway, you hate me, why-why do you look so happy, why would I do any ritual or anything with you, I bet it’s some kind of evil dark magic!”

“I mean, yeah, it’s feminine magic, that's what actual dark magic is. It’s not evil though, at all, and you can’t really expect me to believe that this was a one time thing, I heard you laughing and dancing through the door for like…five minutes before I came in. And I’ve seen the expression that was on your face before you heard me often enough in the mirror, I know that you’re a girl Potter.”

“No! No! I can’t be a girl! You don’t understand, and like I said, you hate me anyway, you’re probably just trying to make me trust you or something so you can turn around and tell everyone what a freak I am!”

Malfoy rolled her eyes, “I don’t hate you Potter, I’ve been keeping up appearances, you insulted me at the beginning of the year, I’m expected to hate you. And I’m not exactly in a place to act outside of expectations right now. Also, I noticed you said “can’t” Potter, not “I’m not”, you know I’m right don’t you.”

Harry blinked, “I-that’s-I’m not-I can’t…you have to prove that you're telling me the truth!”

“And how am I supposed to do that, take a vow on my magic?”

“Yes! Yes, I read about that, do that! Then I’ll know you're telling the truth!”

“You read…whatever. Ok, fine, just…fine. I, Aquarius Narcissa Black, swear on my magic that I am a girl, and I do not hate the person I know as Harry Potter, so mote it be.”

“I thought your name was-”

“Magic doesn’t recognize my birth name anymore. Mum and I did the Black naming ritual when I came out to her, and now as far as magic is concerned my name is Aquarius Narcissa Black. Call me by my birth name and I’ll hex you.”

Harry blinked, "Oh. Well...alright then..."

Aquarius pulled grabbed a chair and sat down, looking Harry up and down, "So...I swore an oath on my magic, you know I'm telling the truth so?"

Harry sighed and sat down on a chair, instinctively taking the same position she had seen other girls take all her life, "Yes Malfoy-"

"Call me Aquarius, I hate being called Malfoy, and I'd rather we start over as...hopefully friends at this point."

"Fine, Aquarius. But yeah, I'm a girl, or I wish I was one. It's not like there's anything I can do about it though."

"I told you there's a ritual-"

"And that's not an option for me!"

Aquarius scoffed, "Come off it, dark magic isn't evil. Do I need to prove-"

Harry rolled her eyes, "Oh please, I couldn't give a toss to if the magic is dark or not. Goddesses know I've been learning some dark spells over the past few weeks. Honestly the security on the restricted section is a joke."

"But, earlier you said-"

"You're not the only one who has to wear a mask Aquarius, or did you really think that I'd be so uninterested in magic that I'd actually laze around like an idiot? I mean, come on, it's magic! How could anyone be introduced to this world and not want to learn everything they could?"

"But...you and Weasley-wait, what do you mean introduced?"

"Ron's honestly a bit of a lazy prat, but given that the only other person from the magical world I really talked to on the train insulted the first two people to be nice to me in my life, I wound up sticking by him. And yes, introduced, you can't actually tell me it's not common knowledge that I grew up with muggles? I mean, everything else about me seems to be everyone else's bloody business."

Aquarius blanched, "MUGGLES?! You were raised by muggles?! Morrigan and Morgana, no wonder you insulted me so bad on the train!"

Harry gave Aquarius a flat look, "Oh, like you didn't start it? So far I knew a grand total of two people our age, and you insulted both of them based on their blood status!"

"Well yes, the Weasley's and the Malfoy's famously hate each other and I'm expected to hate muggleborns. I mean, you rejected me in probably the worst possible way. I wasn't expecting you to like me after that, but I really didn't have a choice but to be a complete git to you after that. Oh, speaking of, remind me to apologize to Granger at some point when it's safe to do so, she really doesn't deserve the hate I've spewed at her."

"And Ron?"

Aquarius returned Harry's flat look, "I'll apologize to him when he proves he deserves it. Granger hasn't actually done anything to deserve any of the abuse she's been heaped with, Weasley has."

Harry chewed on her lip for a moment, before reluctantly nodding, "Ok, I can accept that."

"Good, so...the ritual-"

Harry sighed, "I can't Aquarius. I literally can't. There's no chance I'll be able to escape in the summer, and if we did it before hand I'd be dead as soon as I went back to the Dursleys. They've made it very clear what they think about "poofs" like us."

Aquarius looked Harry up and down with a frown, "When you say they made it clear..."

"I mean-never mind. It doesn't matter."

"Do they-do they hurt you?"

Harry looked away, ashamed, "I said it doesn't matter. I can't do the ritual, I can't do anything. I shouldn't even be doing this."

"Do you need me to make another vow?"

Harry's head shot up, "You'd make another vow? That you won't tell? Why?"

Aquarius nodded, "If that's what you need, yes. Because I actually do want to be your friend, I think I've already proved that, but also because I really do need you to do the ritual, and if I can help make it so you are safe enough to do it with me, well..." She shrugs.

"...you don't have to make a vow. Do you really think you can get me out?"

"I do."

Harry took a deep breath, "Ok. Ok, I'll…I'll tell you everything so you can understand, just…give me a minute ok?"

She looked off into the middle distance for a few minutes, and just as Aquarius was going to ask if she was ok, she spoke.

She spoke, and Aquarius wept.