“Ana?” Isacc mumbles, fidgeting with his thumb. He’s curled tight in the chair, staring at the flames as if they hold the secrets of the universe
“Yes, sweetie?” His sister hums, looking up from the book she's reading.
“What if I'm not in the right body?” He questions, slowly diverting his attention from the flames to her eyes. Ana sits up straight, setting her book on the table and leaning forward.
“What do you mean? She questions, smiling slightly and tilting her head.
“What if when I was in mammas stomach, something went wrong or someone cursed me to be in this body when really I'm meant to be like you?” He asks, frowning. He’s curled up now, his arms wrapping around himself like a shield.
“Like me?”
“Yeah like you,” He sighs, “What if I’m meant to be in a woman's body, not this piece of junk! I feel like I'm trapped like everything is not how it's meant to be, like I'm just a mind, inhabiting the wrong body. Like in that music video with Lil Dicky and Chris Brown where they swap bodies but I'm like Lil Dicky at the start of the video wishing I could be somebody else. Or like in Stargate when Samantha is taken over by that Tok'ra symbiote and she knows she shouldn't be in that body and she tries anything she can to get out of Sam’s body? I feel like that, except I was born into this body and every time I look into the mirror I see the image of somebody I don't know, somebody who doesn't match what I think of myself.”
Isaac’s crying now, big sobs racking his body as he tries to control his breathing. Ana stands, rushing over to kneel next to her sibling. She slowly pulls his hands from his face, revealing the mess of snot and tears. She smiles slightly.
“Hey, it’s okay, I understand. You feel like you’re supposed to be a girl, it happens, according to muggles there are 500 thousand people like you in the UK alone. You are not alone. But did you know that we wizards have a test, to see if you're a real girl?” She asks, squeezing his hands gently. He perks up in surprise, his sorrow all but forgotten in lue of curiosity and excitement.
“You do? What is it?” He asks, uncurling from the ball he was previously in and staring at Ana with wonder.
“Well, you know how girls can't go up the boy's stairs or it’ll turn into a slide and vice versa? Well, the test is to see if you can walk up the girl's stairs!”
“But if I was a real girl, then I wouldn’t have been able to walk up the boy's stairs in the first place!” Isaac cries, his lip wobbling slightly.
“No, that is not how magic works. You see, when you went up those stairs you had always thought of yourself as male because of your body, you've just had doubts and have questioned yourself, but if you know that you are female, if you truly believe that you were born into the wrong body, then you will be able to walk up those stairs and you won't ever be able to enter the male dorm again without a struggle.”
Isaac smiles at that, jumping up from their chair and tugging Ana’s arm.
“I am, I am a girl!” She says with absolute confidence. Ana smiles wholeheartedly, glad that her sister finally had the confidence to tell her what she was feeling.
“Well then, go try.”
Isaac doesn't need to be told twice, she quickly jumps up and rushes to the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the girl's dormitory. She hesitates when she reaches it and glances back at her sister nervously. Ana gives her a thumbs up and Isaac turns back to the steps, taking a deep breath.
I am a girl she tells herself, feeling relief wash over her in waves.
She closes her eyes and takes the first step, bracing herself for the worst. After a few seconds, she takes another step and another until she is at the top of the staircase, still holding onto the railing for dear life.
She opens her eyes then, grinning with her whole heart. She feels alive for the first time as if for once she's not just a nobody who hates their body, but as if she is finally normal. Whole.
“I knew I was a real girl!” she beams, jumping with excitement and racing back down the stairs, barreling into her sisters awaiting arms. They stay entangled for minutes, which feel like lifetimes in Isaacs's eyes. When they finally detangle, Ana squats down coming face to face with her younger sister.
“You see, I told you it would work. Now, what's your real name?” She asks, wiping the tears of joy from her sister's cheeks. She contemplates it for a second before smiling wide.
“My name is Samantha.” She states, beaming. Ana matches her smile, her heart light.
“Well Samantha,” She smiles “Why don’t I go get one of the guys to grab your stuff whilst you go up to our dorm and pick out your new bed? How does that sound?”
“That sounds amazing.” Samantha grins, feeling a flower of hope begin to bloom in her chest. She would survive this.