Silversong was nervous, while she rode a moving spiral staircase up to what was presumably Dumbledore’s office.
Sometime during the Quidditch match, though she wasn’t sure exactly when, she’d managed to start thinking of herself as a herself, while in form as Silversong, at least. Before the match, she’d figured that playing the part she’d picked for her female form became a lot easier when she became the part. After the match, she knew she had been completely correct… and had found Snape rather quickly.
So, worried that she’ll mess up in front of Dumbledore but fairly confident it won’t be because she forgot she wasn’t Draco, she followed Snape this far.
They reached the top of the stairs.
She took a deep breath as Snape reached out to open the door. This was it- where she would meet Dumbledore.
Snape opened the door… and there was no one there.
Snape paused, looking around the room for a few seconds, before he sighed. “We will wait here,” he stated, sounding tired. “The Headmaster is… on his way.”
So, she stood, in the middle of the room, and waited.
There was a large bird, sitting on a perch in the corner of the room. It had red and gold plumage.
The bird spoke. It was just an amused trill, but he understood it anyways- much like the owl at breakfast. And now we’re all waiting for him. He really does like making people wait for him, doesn’t he?
“I guess,” she muttered.
The bird tilted its head, and chirped inquisitively. You can understand me?
She nodded. “I think so. I’m pretty sure all the Equestrians can.”
Perhaps I should ask Dumbledore to go become an Equestrian. It laughed. As if.
She chuckled with it. “Actually… that is possible, with some of Lyra’s spells.”
It is? Whatever. What’re you here for?
“I- I don’t know,” she answered. “He just… summoned me.” She looked at the floor. “Two weeks ago.”
“Two weeks ago?” Snape asked suddenly, making her jump; she’d forgotten he was there.
“Uhh- yeah,” she muttered. “According to the owl, at least. It couldn’t find me until this morning, for some reason.”
Then the door opened.
Silver turned.
Dumbledore entered the office.
“Ahh, Silversong,” he began, walking around to his desk. “About time.” He sat down.
“You might like to know,” Snape muttered, noticing Silver’s wince. “The owl apparently couldn’t find her until this morning.”
Dumbledore froze. “Pardon?”
Silver nodded. “It told me,” she said. “It couldn’t find me until today.”
The bird in the corner trilled softly. Was it a he or a she?
She looked back towards it. “I didn’t ask.”
It flew over to a perch on Dumbledore’s desk. Shame.
She winced… then looked at Dumbledore, and winced again, barely stopping herself from taking a step back. He was studying her. “Um…” She felt something poking at her, from him, but she could also feel something else- she couldn’t tell where from- blocking it. “What…?”
Dumbledore blinked suddenly, and sighed. “Sorry. Now then, miss Silversong. Do you know why you’re here?”
She blinked, and decided to succumb to the urge to make a smart-alec response. Draco never would have, but she wasn’t Draco. “I climbed the stairs.” She shrugged. “You asked me to come.”
Dumbledore sighed. Silver recognized the twitch from restraining the urge to headdesk. “Do you know why I called you?” he asked, sounding distinctly irritated.
She shook her head. “I was hoping you’d tell me that.”
Dumbledore sighed. “Any reason you can think of that I might need to talk to you?”
She shook her head again. “Nope.” That my name doesn’t show up on the attendance rolls, probably.
He sighed. “You didn’t think anything was off when you never got sorted?”
She blinked. “I could swear I was sorted into Slytherin.”
Dumbledore scowled. “Really…? With the Sorting Hat and everything?”
“Yeah. I distinctly remember her saying something was unusual, when I put her on.”
Dumbledore blinked. “Her?”
She nodded. “Sounded like a ‘she’ to me.”
“Huh… whatever. Something must have… but…” He sighed. “I mean, you’ve got a class schedule, and grades- the Castle magic tells us that much. Which shouldn’t have been possible without being sorted, yet…” He took a deep breath, and let it out. “Whatever. Something or another must have caused you to become un-sorted at some point.”
She blinked. “... Okay. So, do we just say ‘Slytherin’ and be done with it?”
Dumbledore shook his head. “Unfortunately, there is only one way to get you sorted- and that’s with the Sorting Hat. Which means we’re going to have to hold a Late Sorting Ceremony at breakfast tomorrow… and your House assignment could change.”
“How would that affect my schedule?”
He shrugged. “You would have to ask Princess Twilight and her people. I heard they optimized class schedules at some point, based on individual qualities, so it might not change at all. In any case, you can be certain that we’ll make sure you’re aware of any changes before classes start on Monday.”
“And… you said at breakfast tomorrow. Wasn’t the original Sorting Ceremony at dinner?”
Dumbledore nodded. “Yes. The main Sorting Ceremony is only at dinner because that’s when the students reach the castle, and you have to be sorted to have an assigned bed.” He sighed. “Speaking of which, where have you been sleeping?”
“In the Slytherin dormitories,” she supplied. “I… wasn’t aware anything was wrong.”
Dumbledore sighed. “Very well. Go ahead and sleep there tonight, then we’ll make sure you have a permanent place to sleep tomorrow.” He waved her off. “You may go.”
She bowed, and left the room. Snape went with her, as far as the gargoyle at the bottom, where he parted ways once the door had closed.
She glanced back once she made it around the corner.
So, her name- Silversong- showed up on the attendance roll… but hadn’t been sorted?
How did that work?
She found Harry, Hermione, and Diamond in the castle courtyard. The latter two were practicing standing on their hooves, while Harry watched them amusedly.
“Hi,” she greeted, walking over.
Hermione looked up, waved- and promptly fell over.
Diamond looked up, and smiled. “There you-Aaah!” She’d tried to take a step, tripped, and fallen as well.
“S-Sorry,” Silver muttered.
“Not your fault,” Diamond grumbled, scrambling back to her hooves and carefully lifting herself back into a standing position.
Hermione grunted her agreement, also getting back up again, though not nearly as fast.
“Hello again,” Harry greeted. “How’d the visit with Dumbledore go?”
“About as well as it could have,” she grumbled, sitting down next to him. “I was apparently un-sorted at some point, so I’ll have to get re-sorted tomorrow morning.” She sighed. “It’s going to be a pain.”
Hermione nodded. “Yeah, that would be a pain.”
“Look at the bright side,” Diamond muttered. “You won’t be stuck with Slytherin anymore. You can go where you will.”
She closed her eyes, looking away. “But what would my father say?”
Diamond scoffed at that. “Really, Silver? Is that something that you would ask, or something he would ask?”
She winced. “I… He would, certainly. But, can I afford to not ask it? He’ll still be writing me letters regularly, and if he hears I got moved to another house-!”
Diamond cut her off. “Then don’t tell him. This is your life, Silver- not his, and not your father’s. Your life.”
Harry tilted his head. “Who is ‘he’?”
“Um,” Diamond muttered, looking at Silver.
Silver blinked, looking at Hermione. “Uhh…”
Harry looked at Hermione.
“Not mine to tell,” Hermione declared.
Harry scowled.
“I mean,” Silver muttered. “If he can keep the secret, I don’t see a problem.” She looked around. “Oy! Crabbe! Goyle! Where’s Draco?”
The two boys, who happened to be the only two other students in earshot, looked around, and scrambled off towards the castle.
Hermione blinked. “What…?”
“They’ll be trying to climb the stairs to the girl’s dorms,” Silver answered. “Gets them out of earshot.”
Harry blinked. “Why the girl’s dorms?”
“Because they’re too stupid to figure out which one a boy can actually enter. Anyways.”
Hermione stumbled over, and sat next to Harry. “So… you want me to tell him?” Hermione asked.
Silver shrugged. “So long as he can keep the secret, why not?”
Diamond fell down again, and sat up where she fell. “Well, he’s a student instructor as well, so I daresay he can.”
She blinked. “You are? Which subject?”
“Defense Against the Dark Arts,” Harry answered. “Anyways…?” He looked between Silver and Hermione.
“Well… She gave her permission, so…” Hermione shrugged. “Remember how I said she’s from a high-born family?”
Harry nodded.
“Well… that’s both true, and not true. Thing is, she’s actually a British student- specifically, the one Lyra tested her ‘Papa Tango’ on.”
Harry blinked. “What’s that?”
“Uh… something with which she hoped to make a British witch or wizard capable of Equestrian magic, and passing through the Gate into Equestria, if I remember right. Anyways, one of its side effects gave her the ability to transform into Silversong, the girl you see, at will.” She looked up at Silver. “Probably through your Animagus magic, I want to guess.”
She shrugged. “That’s what I think too.”
Hermione nodded. “Anyways, her original identity, the one she despises… was from a high-born family, and would be what they’re referring to as ‘him’.”
Harry’s eyebrows rose. “You mean she was originally a boy?”
Silver nodded.
“Said original identity…” Hermione looked over at Silver, who smiled, and nodded again. She took a deep breath. “Is Draco Malfoy.”
“Lucius- my father- likes to control everything I do. I think he’s trying to set me up to be a successful noble prick, but I don’t want it.”
“You know,” Hermione muttered. “Considering how thorough your transformation is, I’d wager to guess he isn’t Silversong’s parent at all.”
Silver looked at her. “Really?”
Hermione nodded. “I’d have to go through Madam Pomfrey to be sure, but…” She shrugged. “I mean, a wizard’s animagus form is almost never biologically related, in any way, to their human form.”
“So… Little problem. Technically, he is my animagus form, and this is my natural form.” She gestured down at herself.
She shrugged. “Well, you don’t look in any way related to him, so I’d wager to guess it’s something similar. Again, I’d have to ask Madam Pomfrey to be sure.”
“If…” Harry began. “If you’re worried about problems with the sorting… Try asking the Hat. She would have put me in Slytherin, had I not asked for Gryffindor.”
Hermione blinked. “Why did you ask…?”
He looked at her. “Because that’s where you were, and I valued our existing friendship way more than the possibility of more. Still do, as a matter of fact.”
Hermione blushed, and looked away. “Oh please, Harry. Don’t worry about me.”
“Why not?”
She turned to face him again. “Because…” She paused, scowling.
Silver grinned. “Because he cares about you, of course.”
“Oh come on!” Hermione complained, blushing redder than before and turning away again.
“What?” Harry asked, tapping Hermione’s shoulder with one hand. “Am I not allowed to care about my friends?”
“You know,” Diamond mused. “You three would make a great herd.”
“A what?” Silver asked.
Diamond blushed. “Er… Appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone. That usage of the word is still an Equestrian National Secret.” She took a deep breath. “It’s… an Equestrian term for a marriage involving more than two parties.”
Harry raised an eyebrow. “And did you really need to say that? We already get enough people saying we’d make a great couple.”
Diamond shrugged. “I guess. And if it’s real, Silver ought to feel it- there’s a reason divorce is almost unheard of in Equestria, and it’s because we really feel it when we encounter the one- or ones- we’re destined to marry. Given how new Silver is to her Equestrian magic, and how young that same magic is, I wouldn’t be surprised if that part isn’t active yet, or if she just hasn’t noticed it.” Then she tilted her head. “Well, and how young she is. It wakes in most Equestrians at around twelve years of age.”
“Would us not being Equestrians interfere with it?” Hermione asked.
“No idea. I want to say probably not, but it could. You almost certainly wouldn’t feel the bond the way she would, but…” She shrugged. “Who knows?”
Funnily enough though, they're dead on the money as to where their erstwhile charge actually is. It's a thick-headed sort of loyalty, but it is loyalty.
With all this scrutiny being given to all the wacky cartoon bullsht that's throwing everything off, I feel like this story is going to be incredibly long. Like, well over one million words long.
So Draco is getting fully invested in the Silversong persona. The Papa Tango changed a lot when it changed the core. I can see some people in-universe having issues with that.
Diamond, did you forget these three are younger than you and probably should not hear about this subject?
So, Silversong could just disown herself by never becoming Draco again? You can't force animagus forms right? (Never read books or watched past 4th movie. Osmosed general plot thereafter.)
10320894
We can only hope.
10320901
Did it actually change anything, or is this just Draco finding an escape from a life he hated (and the first few Draco POV sections showed that he DID hate it before the Papa Tango, he just didn't see any way out), and grabbing it with both hands? True, it's a bit of an extreme escape, but given all the traditions he'd been fed all his life, he wasn't going to see/accept much less than this. It's a little like those heavily repressed people who get to college, taste freedom, and jump in with both feet. It can end up causing them a lot of problems while they try to settle into things.
10320894
10320935
This is my plan.
... however, I'm not sure if I'll have enough plot ideas to last that long.
10320929
Yes. Especially considering that, unbeknownst to them, she is not an animagus, and so could not be forced between any of those forms she has.
10320901
Yes, she is... and no, that's not something the PT did.
10320936
About like that- it turned out to be a convenient escape, and she's grabbing it with both hands. Do note, though, that she's still only eleven...
10320974
Right, though all that that really means is that the problems related to rebelling against one's parents are different in kind than those a college age person might choose. The concept is the same, just its expression is different.
Though I suppose it will also mean that it will be easier to make it her real life, because she likes it, rather than it JUST being an escape.
10320997
Yeah...
And as an eleven-year-old, no matter which two ways she looks at it, she's still very much dependent on her parents. Which could be an issue...
10321004
True, true.
Another great chapter, nice to see Silversong bonding with Harry and Hermoine and coming clean to them about how he's really Draco
Nice
Silversong and Draco are kinda like twins that just can't exist at the same time. When in Silversong "disguise" he becomes the "disguise" and Draco is alright with that.
The solution is keep it up. The Draco personality remains in Slytherin and Silversong, gets sorted to the House she is comfortable with. Dual grades one for each personality will cancel out the fact he/she earns double points for doing good in class etc. When interacting with his parents he can "play" Draco but in his heart, he knows that that is all it is: 'playing' until he is old enough to be independent.
Even if Draco makes a contract, shifting to Silversong nullifies that contract until she changes back to him because she is different from him. If the contract is horrible enough... remain Silversong until the threat is over.
All this is well and good, though, until puberty hits. That's going to suuuck and might throw a large monkey wrench in the above scenario.
mlpforums.com/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-31415-0-52359500-1421032287.gif
Since Lyra was the one who made Silversong possible with her Papa Tango, does that make her the mommy?
10321441
Oh shit, that reminds me that Discord is a "student" at Hogwarts during all of this.
That's huge. Discord is in Wizarding Britain. The repercussions of that alone is huge.
10321421
...
Possibly worth note: Silversong is 11. Girls usually hit puberty sometime between 10 and 14. And since I've never been through a girl's puberty, and don't understand most of the 'girl problems' that come of it, I'm probably going to gloss over/skip it, or otherwise pretend it was over in a few minutes or something.
That said, I do have a plan for it, but I'm not going to reveal it yet.
10321717
... Biologically? Silversong has no parents.
Magically? Silversong's parents are Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy.
... Yeah, it doesn't make Lyra a mommy, any more than discovering your Animagus form makes your animagus instructor a mommy... But yes, that's certainly an interesting thing to think about.
10321894
Pony puberty happens differently anyway.
10321908
Well, horse puberty happens differently, and pony puberty has no part in canon...
Meaning, pony puberty is basically whatever the hay I want it to be. It'll still be timed similar to human puberty at the very least, just so there isn't unnecessary confusion on that front.
10320901
or more accurately Draco is embracing the change because he sees it as a way out of a bad situation? not much has actually changed he/she just has better options now and is running with it.
Great, now my shipping side is going nuts.
Funny how just about every HP/MLP crossover assumes herds are a thing. I mean, I'm not complaining since I love a good poly, but still.
10323112
Not just HP crossovers... there does seem to be a disproportionately large number of mares in Equestria, after all.
10323207
Their gender ratio is somewhat ridiculous. Been wondering why that is.
10323334
Oh, that is easy: It’s a show for little girls, so most of the characters are girls.
Narratively? No idea.
10324310
You don't understand. This isn't because of "wizard logic" (an oxymoron, I know). Some of the brightest minds have come through these halls (and promptly turned to idiots). Hogwarts herself opens the doors for medical staff.
10324319
She hadn't yet actually stepped towards the door... Silver just assumed she'd need the password, and spoke the password as soon as they arrived. Madam Pomfrey may have been amused...
10324322
Thanks for including our madness on who won the competition btw.
10324328
You're quite welcome.
10323341
Well, we already know that their genetics are messed up, considering that any race can be born from any other race with only a distant relationship. Their odd gender ratio could be related to that.
10325117
I didn't even bring out the big guns. And, no, I don't mean Umbridge.
10325122
Yeah, she was fairly explicitly not a criminal... though she was one of the worst, wasn't she?
My point still stands: Wizards don't seem to have a lot of common sense, do they?
... I'm mildly curious what the 'big guns' are...
10325134
Huh, would've expected a request for the REALLY BIG GUNS (hint hint, nudge nudge, wink wink)
10325137
Alright then, bring 'em out.
I mean, it's not like I disagree with you, but I can't deny I'm rather morbidly curious now.
10325140
Lucius Malfoy was a member of the board of directors. His name literally means bad faith. Filch (a Squib which is apparently a criminal offense punishable by death by defenestration in Britain) sends Harry and the others into the FORBIDDEN FOREST. He literally says he is gonna kill Harry for killing Mrs. Norris and everyone (including/especially Dumbledore) either ignores this because this is his normal behavior (considering his preferred method of punishment I wouldn't be surprised) or because it was Harry and noone really cares if he dies. He hates this place. The only reason he works here is because it is the only job he can get. Criminal past most likely.
10325146
... Yeah. That's what happens when Lucius Malfoy ("King" "Bad Faith") bribes Cornelius FudgingIt... though I don't know if that's canon, per se. Certainly seems like it would be, though. And if it is, that means Cornelius Fudge ("Horn" "People/Army", make of that what you will) is also a criminal, for accepting bribes...
At least Draco Malfoy isn't so bad- "Dragon" "Bad Faith".
10325149
Please note the defenestration thing is referring to the time Uncle Augie (don't quote me on that name) held Neville out a window to draw any sleeping magic out of him. He even dropped him (got distracted and forgot apparently) and never got punished for it cause Neville bounced. Neville is the sole living heir to the Longbottom family line. Being a Squib is not a good idea in that world (despite the fact 9/10 of their pureblood population is).
10325156
... Huh, Google search is turning up "Algie Longbottom" as his great-uncle...
And yeah, that's pretty ignorant. As I recall, Neville said his "gran was crying"... he never said she was crying with joy. It might have been relief that he'd survived his uncle's efforts, regardless of the results.
Yeah, that uncle should have served some time or been fined- not sure which, possibly both- for his negligence... but at least he needn't worry about negligent homicide, because nobody died. But... hmm... Yeah, "Reckless Endangerment" would right about describe that crime... Hmm...
... that's the law where I live. I wasn't able to find British law with a quick search, but the law for a few other locations (read: US states) I saw took the prison sentence as high as 7 years.
10325190
Yeah, that's the one. He doesn't come up in the movies and it's been awhile since I read Philosopher's Stone. It is how they confirmed Neville had magic though.
10320929
You can force reverse it (Shrieking Shack end of POA) but other than the initial transformation technically being forced by the wizard/witch, no, it shouldn't be possible to force it.
Ive read several stories where Draco's father put a gender bending curse on his daughter because he wanted a male heir. Equestrian animagus forms is not that far of from the truth.
10321901
Re-reading the story and it's amusing to get back to this little conversation given the events in the newest chapters. Lyra may not be Silver's mom biologically or magically, but it seems pretty certain she's going to end up Silver's mom legally someday, hehehe.
10379951
Yes, it certainly does seem like there's going to be an in-law relationship, isn't there?
10321421
Draco/Silversong ending up in different Houses could carry a fic all on its own, just with how Silv and her co-conspirators keep up the illusion that they're different people. Extra crackfic points for faking a scandalous romance between the two!
This has become so unfocused that I understood why it was cancelled...