Disclaimer: No, no, no! I won't say it! Huh? Sue? Okay, okay, you've convinced me – Everything...Belongs...To...J. K. Rowling! Noooooooooooooo!
Authors Note: I'm pretty sure that Regulus would have been at Hogwarts when Tonks was, but if anybody disagrees, I don't really care – poetic license, you know?
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Tonks walked along the carriage corridor, often peeping into compartments to see if there was anybody occupying them. The entire train was packed, so, several compartments later, she decided she'd just have to try to find one with as least people as possible in. Unfortunately for her, the next compartment she tried was full of Slytherins – and not just any Slytherins. Regulus Black, Tonks' cousin, noticed her peering in and nudged his cronies.
"Well, if it isn't my dear second cousin Nymphadora. I haven't seen you in a while, my dear."
Tonks swallowed nervously, but answered her cousin nevertheless. "Oh, shut up Regulus. Just because I'm your cousin – " She ducked as a volley of hexes came flying at her, then fled. She could hear feet pounding behind, gaining on her with every step.
"I'll get you for that, half-blood! Nobody but another Black tells a Black to shut up and gets away with it!"
Tonks turned at that, her fear forgotten. "I am a Black, actually! And if I'm not, then you're not either, because you're my cousin! I'm as pure-blood as you are, Regulus!"
Regulus sneered at her. "What about your father? Your dear old mudblood dad?"
"SHUT UP ABOUT MY DAD! STUPEFY!" Regulus dodged, then started after Tonks again.
In desperation, Tonks ran into the nearest compartment, changing her appearance as she did so. Her hair, instead of being its natural black, was now a mousy brown, she had freckles and a snub nose, and looked considerably shorter than she had been a few moments before. The occupants of the carriage stared at her as she collapsed into a seat, panting. After a few moments, Tonks noticed the looks. She grinned in an embarrassed way.
"Sorry about that. My cousin – he's not exactly, well, fond of me. I am really sorry."
The other students were still staring at her.
"What?" Then she groaned. "I haven't got anything on my face, have I?"
They shook their heads mutely.
"Oh, no, Regulus didn't hit me with one of those hexes, did he?"
They shook their heads again.
"Well, what then?!" Tonks thought she was quite a patient person, as Blacks went, but the relentless staring was beginning to get on her nerves.
One of the boys summoned up the courage to speak. "Y – You just ch – changed your f – face!"
Tonks was puzzled for a second, then it dawned on her, and she pulled a face. "Oh, that. I'm sorry about that as well. Mum warned me about not changing in front of people unless I've told them about – about what I can do. I can change back if you want – I've been tutored this summer, so I can control it better."
This time a girl, after nudges from her friends, spoke up. "Um...control what, exactly?"
"Oh...I'm a Metamorphmagi." Tonks said matter-of-factly. "Still, I don't think I did too badly, you should have seen me when I was little – I was a right mess."
Some of the students, the muggle-born ones, just looked confused, but the ones coming from wizarding backgrounds started staring at her again, this time in awe. After a few minutes, Tonks began feeling uncomfortable. "Um, I really ought to be going. Do any of you know where a free compartment is?"
A girl stood up. "I don't know where an empty one is, but my sister's got one a few compartments down." She gave Tonks a friendly smile as they walked down the train. "I'm in the fourth year. My sister's starting this year, like you – unless you've come from another school?"
Tonks shook her head gratefully. "No, I'm in the first year. Thanks...most people think I'm some kind of freak, just because I can shapeshift."
"I know what you mean. Well, not about the shapeshifting, but about people thinking I'm a freak. When I started Hogwarts, this girl was spreading loads of rumours about me, because I'm a muggle-born. Some of them were really cruel, but quite a lot of people believed them." She shrugged. "She gave up after a while, when she saw that I didn't care."
"Did you?" asked Tonks interestedly. "Care, I mean?"
The girl smiled. "Yeah, course I did. It's not exactly fun, everyone talking about you behind your back and sniggering when you walk into classrooms. The trick is not to let the hurt show. Don't let them beat you and hold your head high. I'd be proud if I was a Metamorphmagus. They're really rare – it must be brilliant, being so special." She smiled again. "Anyway, here's the compartment. I wish you luck with my sister – she drives me round the bend!" Before Tonks could thank her, she was gone.
Still thinking about what the fourth year had said, Tonks pushed open the compartment door. There were two people sitting in there – a boy and a girl. The girl looked up almost immediately, but the boy just carried on reading.
Hold your head high. Tonks grinned at them. "Hi. Do you mind if I sit here? It's just everywhere else was full, and your sister said I should come to you."
The girl grinned back. "Trust her. Yeah, course you can sit with us – it's not like he's any company."
The boy looked up. "I heard that! I am full of witty, sparkling conversational gems, I'll have you know! I can dazzle and amaze with my wonderful speech! I can – Oh hi! Please forgive my friend; I'm still training her to behave in public." (This to Tonks.)
The girl elbowed him with a glare, then turned back to Tonks. "He's not potty-trained yet. I'm Liz Blake, by the way, and this is Alex Green."
"I'm Tonks." Liz raised an eyebrow, and Tonks blushed. "Well, my real name's Nymphadora Tonks but..."
Alex interrupted her. "Say no more." He shuddered. "Nymphadora?"
"Alex!" hissed Liz.
"What? It's an awful name!" protested Alex.
"Alex! Shut up!"
Alex retreated behind his magazine with an injured air. The rest of the journey passed uneventfully and in what seemed like no time at all, the train was pulling into the station.
"Firs' years! Firs' years to me!" Liz, Tonks, and Alex followed the booming voice – there was too much of the person's body to follow without cricking your neck – to a fleet of small boats. Liz, Tonks, and a nervous looking boy with fair hair were in one, while Alex and three girls were in another. The look on Alex's face gave Tonk's something to laugh about for weeks to come.
*
"Arlett, Robert!"
The nervous looking boy Liz and Tonks had shared a boat with on the way to the castle stepped forward. Squeezing his eyes tightly shut, he gingerly placed the Sorting Hat on his head.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Atcombes, Charlize!" A girl who seemed to have a permanent sneer stuck on her face lowered the hat onto her head. The answer came back almost immediately.
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Blake, Elizabeth!" Liz squeezed Tonks' hand then hurried forward.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
And so it went on – "Green, Alexander!". Alex wore the Hat for a surprisingly long time until it yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Tonks was towards the end of the list, and the crowd of first-years around her was thinning alarmingly.
"Tonks, Nymphadora!" Quite a few of the teachers, sitting at the High Table, turned in their seats – Tonks supposed they had been told she was a Metamorphmagus. None of the students seemed to notice though, and Tonks thanked her lucky stars that Andromeda had put her foot down about publicity when she was 'discovered'.
She walked towards the stool, which seemed to have moved a lot further away than it was a few seconds ago, and balanced the old hat on her head.
Oh, what have we here? A shapeshifter, I see...that's a great responsibility, you know...but where to put you? You've got brains, but oh dear...laziness is a reprehensible fault, my dear, remember that...Ah well, I think I'll say..."GRYFFINDOR!"
Tonks stumbled towards the table hung with red and gold, still blushing from what the Hat had said. 'Laziness is a fault to be reprehended', indeed!
The feast was excellent, and Tonks found herself yawning before it was over. On either side of her, Liz and Alex looked sleepy as well. As they followed a prefect to their dormitories, Tonks found herself thinking about what else the hat had said...a great responsibility...