The next morning, Hermione strained to open her eyes. The sunlight poured in from the windowsâ”much brighter than usual. Before sitting up, she stretched her arms out to her side and collapsed them to the sides of the bed. She didnât want to get up yet. It was the weekend, why should she have to? As soon as her eyes adjusted to the light, she glanced around the room to see if anyone else was awakeâ”but something was different. This didnât look like her room. It looked soâŚboyish. Hermione immediately turned to the bed next to her to see who was asleep. She hoped to see Lavender, but to her horror, there slept her best friend. Harry? she thought. Whatâs he doing in the girlsâ dormitories? She looked around at the other beds to find Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom, and Seamus Finnegan sound asleep. Whereâs Ron? WaitâŚif Iâm in the boysâ dormitory that means⌠She looked down to see herself wearing white and maroon striped pyjamasâ”not her usual blue ones. She studied her hands and noticed there were much tougherâ”like a blokes, far from dainty. She glanced at her shoulders where her hair usually hung, but all that was there was air. She strained to see the colour of herâ”nowâ”short hair. Ginger. Every aspect Hermione saw only led to one conclusion. Iâm Ron, she thought as she whimpered.
âNo,â she cried silently in a deep tone. âNo, no, no. NO!â
âRon, whatâs the matter?â Harry asked, turning over from his side. âDid another lot of spiders attack you?â Hermione jolted her head towards Harry with the most shocking expression. Her wide eyes and her mouth dropped showed as if she had seen a ghost.
âRon? Whatâs wrong?â Harry asked, now sitting up, because he was worried about his friend.
Hermione couldnât speak. She knew if she did her voice would tremble and at the same time sound like Ronâs voiceâ”because she was Ron!
âRon? Ron, are you okay?â Harry continued to ask.
When words finally reached Hermioneâs mouth she screeched, âExcuse me.â
Standing up straight, she charged out of the boysâ dormitories and down to the common room. Just before opening the door, she heard a familiar scream. It was her scream. Ron must be awake, she thought. Opening the door, a few younger students had their heads turned to the girlsâ dormitory door. Shortly after the scream, the girlsâ door flew open, slamming against the wall with a petrified Hermione standing in the doorway.
âHERMIONE, WHAT IS GOING ON?â Ron shouted in Hermioneâs delicate voice, not taking a good look at whom he was yelling at.
Hermione eyed the students that stared nervously at them and answered, âWhat are you talking about, Hermione?â
âHERMIONE? Iâm not bloody you! Youâreâ”â Ron cut himself off as he eyed his body. âYouâre bloody me! WHO ARE YOU?â
Hermione rushed over to Ron and cupped her hand over his mouth.
âSh!â she hissed. âLets go down to Moaning Myrtleâs bathroom. We can talk there.â
âIâm not going anywhere until you tell me who the bloody hell you are!â
âItâs meâŚHermione,â she whispered. Ron stared terrified at her in disbelief. âRonâŚitâs me. I swear. Lets go before someone stops us.â Hermione looked over at the students staring at them in confusion, and said aloud, âSorry, weâreâ”uhâ”rehearsing a play.â
Hermione tugged at Ron, who looked down at hisâ”Hermione'sâ”body in disgust and ran out of the common room. Harry just walked out of the boysâ dormitories to see their backs exit past the portrait, and he wondered where they were off to.
When they reached the second floor, Ron grabbed Hermioneâs shoulder and stopped her in her tracks and asked, âHermione, what is going on?â
She turned around to stare into her own brown eyes. It was very awkward. She hesitated at first, but answered, âIâŚdonât know.â
âWhat do you mean you donât know? I didnât do this to myself!â
âOh, and so youâre accusing me?â
âWell if the wand matchesâŚâ
âWhat?â Hermione asked, not knowing at all what he was talking about.
âI donât know. It just sounded right in my headâ”your head. THIS HEAD!â
Hermione let out a large groan, and pulled Ron into the girlsâ lavatory. As soon as they went inside, Ron knelt down on the floor and pleaded, âMerlinâs beard, please donât keep me like this.â
âOh, hush!â Hermione demanded as she pulled him up onto his feet. âYou think I like the fact that Iâm in your body?â
âIt should be an honourâŚâ
âRon, shut up. Now we have to figure out what weâre going to do.â
âWeâre not going out in public like this!â he shouted.
âWeâre not in the nude, Ron,â Hermione informed, rolling her eyes. âWe just look like each other.â
âThatâs a bit blunt, Hermione. We donât just look like each other, we are each other.â
As much as Hermione hated to admit it, Ron was right. She had no idea what to do. She looked over at Ron, who was smelling his hairâ”her hair and examining his new body.
âHow the bloody hell am I supposed toâŚyou knowâŚgo?â
âYou sit, Ronald.â
âSit?â he asked with a miffed expression.
âYeah, you know the other thing you do in class besides sleep. The more important question isâŚhow am I supposed toâŚgo?â
Ron looked at her, his eyes widening, and persistently answered, âYouâre not going to go.â
âExcuse me? What do you mean Iâm ânot going to goâ? I have to go. Not now of course, but eventually.â
âDonât eat.â
âYou want me to starve your own body?â she asked him with a stunned expression.
âYes.â
Hermione sighed as she walked over to the mirrors. âUghâŚhow am I going to live through this?â
âYou?â he asked. Hermione looked over to see him staring at himself in the mirror. âWhat the bloody hell are these?â
âThose are called breasts, Ron,â she answered as he looked menacingly at his upper region. âThings girls have. DONâT POKE THEM!â
Ron moved his hand away and looked over at Hermione. Her face was turning bright pink. She realised every little incident she felt embarrassed by would turn her face the slightest shade of red since she was now in Ronâs body.
âSo what are we going to do? Tell Professor McGonagall?â
âNo! That would lead us to a weekend in the infirmary, and Madam Pomfrey hounding us with questions every five seconds. No, weâre not telling anyone. Weâll just have to go about our day as if nothing is wrong.â
âAnd then?â Ron asked staring at himself in the mirror again.
âAnd thenâŚâ
âWhat are we going to do if weâre still like this tomorrow?â Ron asked slowly as he began to reach up by his newly found upper region.
Hermione slapped his hand and answered, âWeâll just have to figure out why we are like this. Now, can you please last one day without being fascinated byâŚyourself?â Ron looked up from his new body and nodded his head. Hermione watched her messy curls bounce, wishing she could have her own body back. âOkay, now lets go back up to Gryffindor Tower and get dressed.â
âOkay,â Ron agreed and began walking out of the lavatory. âHey you know what?â
âWhat?â Hermione asked, searching down the corridor for passers-by.
âI can look at myself nakedâŚâ he said with the most devilish grin on his face.
Hermione punched him in the arm and remarked, âDonât even think about it,â and continued down the corridor.
âAh,â he sniggered. âAbuse.â
Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled. Ron went silent and followed her up the Grand Staircase. She may have seemed calm on the outside, but on the inside she trembled about what heâd do as her. She suddenly felt her face turn pink again. What she didnât know was Ron was worried about the exact same thing.