AN: Okay. This is a merging of a couple ideas that popped into my head. I have to get it out before I go crazy. That being said...
DISCLAIMER: Must I really post this? Honestly, if I were J.K. Rowling, I'd be off spending my millions of pounds on books.
SUMMARY: What if the compartment that held Professor Lupin in PoA wasn't empty save for him? What if it also contained his goddaughter? What if her past was irrevocably intertwined with Harry's? What would happen then? H/Hr, N/OC. I don't like Ron, Ginny, and their parents, so those four'll get a lot of bashing. Dumbledore might, too. Based in their third year.
"C'mon, Jynx. In here." The girl in question turned her bright green eyes onto the door and opened it. Her long, messy, black and red hair swung as she slipped into the compartment on the Hogwarts Express. She turned and wordlessly shoved her trunk up into the luggage rack before opening the cage that she'd sat on the seat. Her long, delicate fingers reached in and coaxed out the beautiful, fierce looking Peregrine Falcon within. The large bird hopped out and assumed her perch on Jynx's arm.
"There now, Melanor. You must enjoy being out of that tiny cage." Professor Remus Lupin watched his goddaughter as she spoke quietly to her falcon in a quiet voice. He rolled over on his side and proceeded to fall asleep. A few minutes later, when Melanor was flying around the compartment, the door opened. The falcon immediately flew back to Jynx's shoulder as the girl looked down at the heavy history book open on her lap.
"Excuse me. Is it alright if we sit here?" Jynx looked up and nodded wordlessly. A relieved boy with messy raven hair, glasses and the same shockingly green eyes as Jynx swiftly filed in, followed by another boy with bright, flame red hair and bright blue eyes. Behind them followed a girl with bushy brown hair and dark brown eyes, clutching a basket and pulling her trunk behind her. The first boy sat next to Jynx and held out his hand.
"I'm Harry." Jynx shook his hand without looking up. The second boy sat down next to Harry and held out his hand, too.
"I'm Ron Weasley." Jynx also shook his hand without looking up. The girl then sat down opposite of Ron, next to the professor. She also held her hand out.
"I'm Hermione Granger. Who are you?" Jynx then looked up grudgingly and shook Hermione's outstretched hand. She looked at Hermione's basket and narrowed her bright eyes.
"Why did you bring a cat into a compartment with two birds and a rat?" Hermione's cheeks went a little pink and she looked next to her. Jynx answered her question before she asked it. "That's Professor Remus Lupin, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I'm Jynx. Jynx Loupe." She then looked very pointedly at Harry. "Don't you have a last name, Harry? Or are you supposed to be so famous that I automatically know who you are despite the fact that I have no clue what the bloody hell your last name is?" Harry, along with the other occupants of the compartment, save the original two, one of which was asleep, looked surprised. Hermione then spoke up timidly.
"But... He's Harry Potter. He defeated You-Know-Who back when he was a baby. Everyone knows who he is, even muggle borns!" Jynx looked bored and let out a long breath.
"You mean Voldemort? Oh get a grip! Fear of name only increases fear of the thing itself! There's nothing frightening about the name Harry Potter, is there? So why is everyone so afraid of the name Lord Voldemort? It's just a name! The thing you need to be fearing is the wizard! Nobody was afraid to say Grindewalds name, were they? And he was one of the worst Dark wizards of our time! Sheesh!" She finished her rant and sat back. "And by the way, I've never even heard of Harry Potter before. I was raised in England, yes, but I was home schooled and had almost no connection to the outside world. I got a Hogwarts letter but was in no position to attend." Her attention was then diverted by the book she held in her lap.
The compartment was silent for about five seconds before Ron, the bloody idiot, decided to put in his five knuts worth.
"That's stupid. My family doesn't even have two knuts to rub together and we still manage to be able to go to Hogwarts. Just how poor are you? Ouch!" He started rubbing his head where Harry had hit him.
"Sorry. Um, which year are you gonna be in?" Her eyes never looked up from her book as she fished in her bag and found her letter. She handed it to Harry just as the lights went out and the train stopped. In the darkness, near chaos ensued.
"Ouch, Ron! That was my foot!" Ron started to come up with a comeback, but Jynx quickly slapped her hand over his mouth.
"Shut up, you idiot!" She reached over to Professor Lupin and shook his arm roughly. Nobody heard what she said to wake him up because they were flipping out. "Uncle Remus, I think there's Dementors on the train." This simple statement woke him up fully and completely. He went out into the corridor. A few minutes later, when the lights came back on, he also came back into the room. It was then that everyone noticed Harry was passed out on the floor. Jynx swiftly went over to Harry and prodded him with her finger. He groaned and slapped her hand away.
"G'way, Dudley, before I hex you into next week." Jynx grinned. She stood up, lightly kicked Harry's ribs, and walked back to her seat.
"He's alive, in case you were wondering." She then re-opened her book and promptly buried her nose in it, indicating that this discussion was over.