Rose Dursley: The Girl Who Lived

33. Seeing the Real Person

The next afternoon, Dumbledore summoned Rob to his office. Rob wasn't sure what the headmaster wanted him for. He assumed it was something to do with the events of the final task.

Rob made his way up the stairs and into Dumbledore's office. He saw the headmaster standing beside a large stone basin. He was staring into it and muttering to himself.

When Dumbledore realised that Rob was watching him, he stepped away from the basin. "Ahhh, Dursley. Come sit down," he said.

Rob sat down, and Dumbledore picked up a small bowl of sweets from the table. "Would you care for a lemon sherbet?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you," said Rob, as he took a sweet.

Dumbledore took a sweet himself as he sat down opposite Rob. He sat quietly sucking on the sweet for a few minutes. The silence felt quite uncomfortable for Rob.

Dumbledore had decided to reverse the transfiguration, if that was what Rob chose. But he had decided against telling him the whole truth. Dumbledore felt that to discover your whole existence was a lie would be too much to handle. It was the kind of thing you would need to talk to a therapist about. But that was not something they had access to in Hogwarts.

Eventually, Dumbledore finished sucking his sweet, and he realised he couldn't delay speaking any longer.

"I have been speaking to Professors McGonagall and Snape about you," he said. "And about your, err, situation."

"Okay," said Rob.

"Your, err, body not matching your emotions, or something," said Dumbledore.

Rob felt a pang of anger inside him. He was about to snap at Dumbledore, but he stopped himself. He got the feeling that the old man was trying to be understanding. He mentally counted to ten before replying.

"Yeah, something like that," said Rob.

"Well, err, I could help you with that," said Dumbledore. "I mean, if you wanted me to?"

Rob was uncertain what Dumbledore meant by that, and felt nervous about what he might be agreeing to. "What kind of help?" he asked.

"There are human transfiguration spells that can change a person's gender," said Dumbledore. "Rare and powerful spells, the most powerful of these can transform a person's biology completely."

"Their gender? Do you mean I would be physically male?" Rob asked.

"Yes, if that was what you wanted?" Dumbledore said. "Your body would match, err, your gender."

Rob was quiet as he thought about what Dumbledore had said. Part of him wanted to just say yes. He wanted to be physically male, but he wasn't sure how that would feel. His body was the only one he had ever known, for it to change so dramatically was hard to comprehend. Was that what Rob wanted?

But then Rob thought about it from the other direction. He was definitely sure that he didn't want his body to become more feminine in appearance. He had been taking the potion from Snape to stop him from changing to look more feminine. So maybe that meant he did want to be changed.

"So, what do you think?" Dumbledore asked. "Would you want me to make the change?"

"I think so," said Rob.

"I can give you more time to decide," said Dumbledore. "If you want to talk to your friends first?"

Rob thought about it for a moment, but then had a rush of decisiveness. "No. Do it now," he said. "Make the change."

Dumbledore stood up and solemnly pulled out his wand. "Stand up, and close your eyes," he said.

Rob stood up nervously. He had been certain a moment ago, but now doubts began to appear. What would people think if he suddenly looked different? How would they react towards him?