[Like I said before, since we can't just magically turn them into potion prodigies overnight, we have to work on the exterior. Turning Harry and Ron into Harriet and Rona is the simplest and most effective solution.]
Tom explained, a mischievous grin curling the corners of his mouth.
"B-but... is this really going to work?"
Hermione looked at her two transformed friends, her voice dripping with skepticism.
Snape? Going soft on a little witch? Letting her off the hook? That sounded like a fairy tale.
[If it were anyone else, probably not. But for Harry... cough, for 'Harriet,' that's a different story~]
Tom looked at Harriet, who now bore an uncanny resemblance to Lily, and then at the newly minted 'female Harry,' Rona. His inner prankster was thriving.
'Harriet Evans and Rona Potter... I would kill to see the look on Snape's face when he sees this duo!'
To be fair, Tom still had a conscience—at least he changed Ron's gender, too.
If he had just altered Ron's appearance to look like James but left him as a boy... well, the scene would have been even more "explosive."
The whole castle would probably hear Snape's roar. It might even cause a "teaching accident," like Snape hexing a student in the middle of class.
Just imagining the scene made Tom feel like he was floating on air.
Hermione didn't understand exactly what Tom was snickering about, but the wave of pure malice radiating from him sent a chill down her spine.
---
"He... no, wait, they aren't going to get in trouble, right?" She looked worriedly at the two figures sprawled on the floor.
[Of course not!]
Tom said with absolute certainty.
'Though Gryffindor's house points are probably about to go on a rollercoaster ride.'
Naturally, Tom kept that last part to himself.
"Ugh... what happened?"
Just then, 'Harriet' and 'Rona' groaned and woke up. Immediately, they locked eyes with the 'girls' standing in front of them.
"Whoa! What the heck? Why is there a female version of 'me' standing right there?" x2
They shouted in unison.
Even though Harriet and Rona looked nothing alike, kids share certain soft features. Plus, with the red hair, Rona immediately assumed the redhead was her.
As for Harriet, it was even more obvious. Although Rona's features were slightly different, she could still see traces of herself—it was practically a female version of Harry.
Hearing the familiar yet strange voices and recalling the chaos from moments ago, it clicked.
"Wait... you're Harry?"
"You're Ron? Why do you look like that?"
"I should be asking you that!"
Watching their confused chaos, Tom stifled a laugh and dragged over a full-length mirror so they could see the damage for themselves.
"AHHH!!"
The next second, two high-pitched screams filled the room.
"Why are we like this? Why are we girls?!"
"Yeah, and why does my face look so much like Harry's?!"
The two humiliated wizards glared at the culprit.
[Isn't this what you wanted?]
Tom spread his paws, holding back his laughter while spouting nonsense with a straight face.
[This is the most direct and effective way to change Snape's attitude toward you.]
"But there was absolutely no need to turn us into..."
[Relax, it won't last long. You should be back to normal by tonight. As for right now—]
Tom pulled two girls' uniforms out of nowhere.
[Here, put these on!]
"Do we really have to?"
They looked like they were about to cry.
[Of course. And it's not like you have a better option, right?]
Tom smiled benevolently.
[Until the potion wears off, this is how you have to face the world. Of course, if you have the guts to skip Snape's class, I won't stop you.]
Harry and Ron exchanged glances and reluctantly put on the uniforms Tom handed them. They didn't have a death wish, so skipping Snape's class was off the table.
[Well then, good luck.]
Seeing them accept their fate, Tom waved a paw and vanished.
Honestly, if he didn't have flying lessons, he would've loved to skip just to watch Snape's reaction live.
Once Tom left, Harriet and Rona slumped, looking like the world was ending.
"Hey everyone," Ariana poked her head through the door. "If we don't want to be late, we need to hurry... wait? Harry? Ron?"
Seeing three young witches in the room, the ghost girl felt her CPU fry. Her eyes practically turned into swirls.
"Tom did it," Hermione explained quickly.
"Ah? Oh, okay then."
Ariana nodded, pretending to understand. She had no clue why this happened, but time was tight, and she couldn't dwell on it.
"Alright, well, whoever you are, let's go. We're going to be late."
"Sigh..."
Harriet and Rona let out a long, synchronized sigh. The thought of skipping class flashed through their minds again, but they lacked the courage. They could only hang their heads and follow.
---
Potions Classroom
"I bet you anything Potter and Weasley are getting points deducted," Draco sneered to his goons, glancing at Snape's gloomy face at the front of the room.
Despite softening toward Tom in private, he still hated Harry and Ron with a passion.
He ignored his henchmen's agreement, his eyes glued to the door, ready to 'welcome' Harry and Ron when they inevitably walked in late.
However, when four girls rushed into the classroom, Draco's brain short-circuited.
'Who are they? Why are they with that Muggle-born? Where are Potter and Weasley? ...Wait, those two girls are actually really pretty...'
His fantasy died before it began. Snape didn't even look at the door as his cold voice cut through the air.
"Oh, it seems our precious Potter still knows how to show respect to a professor! Walking in one second before the bell rings—how is this any different from being late? You dare cut it this close today, will you dare skip my class entirely next time?!"
"I didn't, Professor!"
Harriet argued instinctively.
But the moment the words left her mouth, Snape froze. That voice... he had heard it somewhere before.
Slowly, he turned his head toward the door. What greeted him was a face identical to Lily's.
The air in the classroom seemed to solidify. His lips pressed into a tight, stiff line, and his fingers curled slightly.
He stared at Harriet for several long seconds before squeezing words through his gritted teeth.
"It seems Mr. Potter... Miss Potter thinks changing her gender is amusing? Sit down. And do not do something this foolish again."
Although his voice was still cold, Harriet felt a surge of joy: Snape didn't take any points?!
Tom was right! The potion worked!
"Thank you, Professor!"
She quickly responded, grabbing her friends to scurry toward their seats. Just then, Rona, who had been hiding behind her, was finally exposed to Snape's line of sight.
That face—a blend of James's features and soft feminine lines, framed by long black hair...
Snape's pupils contracted violently.
Gryffindor + Lily's face + James's face...
The combination instantly detonated memories buried deep within him. His face darkened at a visible speed.
"Weasley. For your tardiness, ten points from Gryffindor."
Rona: ?
She opened her mouth, completely bewildered. They walked in at the exact same time!