AN: And thus, the last of my editing is done. After this chapter, I can start working on the rest of the plot line, which I'm super excited for~ Hope you all are too~

Disclaimer: Hogwarts and Harry's world are own by the wondrous J.K. Rowling, but anything Lynx changes is my own doing.

Dumbledore's Daughter

04 | Hogwarts Express

Lynx spent the remainder of the summer locked up in Mrs. Figg's small house, debating whether to off herself or not.

She never would, of course, but she'd be lying if she said the thought hadn't crossed her mind more than once.

It wasn't necessarily Mrs. Figg's fault either. She couldn't help that Lynx had a hard time adjusting to other felines (ones that she didn't know) in her personal space, or that the other felines didn't like Lynx or Nolan in their space either. Cats were territorial creatures; house cats weren't any exception. Plus, when people describe Mrs. Figg's house as small, they're not exaggerating. Her house is small, leaving both wildcats left with nowhere to stretch out, and the neighbors would die if they saw a snow leopard wrestling with a teenager girl able move things without touching them, so Lynx spent most of her time sleeping during the day and sneaking out with Nolan at night.

She didn't receive any information about the Order's plans. Honestly, she didn't receive any information about anything other than the result of Harry's trial, which he had thankfully been proven innocent. Without any news from Dumbledore, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. Was she supposed to board the Hogwarts Express like the other students, or was she supposed to hang out longer, pretend to transfer a few weeks into the year? When September came around, though, Mrs. Figg told her that Dumbledore said to board to the train, so that was what she did.

Now, sitting in a compartment with Nolan, who was spread out along the seat, massive paws and fluffy head lazily on her lap, snoring almost silently, she stared out the window, waiting for the students to pile in.

None of them had even peaked in (whether it was because of Nolan or the obvious agitation on her face, she didn't know nor care), so she figured she was going to be on her own the entire trip.

Until she heard it slide open, her head turning to a redhead girl.

She was pretty, Lynx noticed, with a delicate, feminine physique. Her red hair flowed a little past her shoulders and shaped her face, showing bright brown eyes, fair skin, and small lips.

This girl was Ginevra Weasley, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's youngest.

"Is it okay if we take these seats?" she asked, smiling.

Her eyes immediately moved from the young Weasley to the people behind her, eyes widening slightly. Harry Potter tilted his head, eyes locking with hers. She wasn't sure why she was surprised—it was obvious she'd run into him at some point, being in the same house as him and all—but it might've had something to do with the fact that he himself was studying her as well.

Could he know she was the lynx who had saved him?

Casting the thought aside, she nodded, looking at Nolan. "Make room, Nol," she said, scratching his ears.

He yawned, opening his mouth wide enough to bare his teeth, tongue curling, and jumped off of the seat, rumbling the compartment. His back in between her legs, he sat at her feet and watched the guests with calculating eyes.

She scratched his ears reassuringly, causing him to let out a growl-like purr.

Ginny, Harry, and the boy behind him made their way in, watching Nolan with guarded eyes. Even Harry, who had met him before (though he probably didn't recognize him) was guarded as he placed his luggage and owl cage in the luggage rack before sitting down. Surprisingly, Harry sat himself in front of Lynx, who refused to meet his eye, focusing instead on scratching Nolan's broad back.

"I'm Ginny," the girl said, smiling at Lynx. "I don't think we've met before."

She studied her. "Lynx."

"Are you new to Hogwarts?" she asked.

"Yes," Lynx answered instantly, trying to soften her sharp gaze. Dumbledore had told her that any friend of Harry's wouldn't be a threat, and she seriously doubted any child of Mrs. Weasley could cause her problems, but she wasn't used to conversing with people who didn't want to attack her in some way, so she was still tense and uneasy despite her best efforts.

"Really?" Ginny asked, surprised. "You don't like a first year."

"I'm not," she said, sitting back in her seat to let Nolan turn around and put his front paws on the edge of the seat, looking at her expectantly. "I'm a fifth year."

Ginny tilted her head. "They let you enroll in Hogwarts after you turn eleven?"

"Apparently," Lynx muttered dryly. She was uncomfortable under the stares from the three, feeling a little claustrophobic.

Why was this girl asking her so many questions? Shouldn't she be shying away from her? Lynx was a stranger after all—was it normal to start a conversation with people you didn't know?

"You've got a gorgeous leopard," Ginny said, another smile on her face. "I love her coat."

Nolan grunted, shooting her a sharp look.

Lynx chuckled. "She's actually a he," she corrected, returning the smile with a small one of her own. "But you're right: he's quite remarkable."

A familiar rumble emitted from the back of his throat, something that Lynx had learned was the same as purring for a leopard.

"I'm sorry!" she apologized. "Is he friendly?"

Lynx looked up at her, eyes shining mischieviously. "Would you like to find out?"

Before Ginny could answer, Lynx ruffled the fur on Nolan's head. "How about telling Ginny thank you for the compliment?"

Nolan nodded and moved off the seat, turning to face Ginny, who was staring at him with uncertainty. He barely had to take a step before he was right in front of her, eyes scanning her as if he was evaluating her soul.

It made Ginny uncomfortable.

Just when it was getting unbearable, the giant carnivore rubbed the side of his head along her knee, growling impatiently.

Nolan trusted her, a sign Lynx could as well.

"He wants you to pet him," Lynx explained, the smile on her face more genuine than before.

Hesitantly, as if she was still unsure of Lynx's motives, Ginny reached out and lightly touched Nolan's head. In response, Nolan laid his head on her lap, the familiar deep purr filling the compartment. Before long, Nolan plopped down on her feet, resting his head on her lap.

"So he's yours?" Harry asked, suddenly making himself known.

Lynx paused, unwilling to look away from Nolan, but met Harry's green eyes nonetheless, nodding. "His name's Nolan."

"Nolan?" the boy next to her repeated. "Where'd you get that name from?"

"He was named by the orphanage when they found us," she lied. Not even Dumbledore didn't even know the answer to that one.

"Oh," the boy mumbled lamely, "I'm sorry."

"That's Neville Longbottom, by the way." Ginny beamed, still rubbing Nolan's head. "He's in your grade."

"Don't worry about it," Lynx said absently.

"Do you—er—know any other leopards?" Harry asked, pulling her from her unpleasant memories.

Lynx blinked slowly, gathering her thoughts. "No. Nolan's the only one I know."

Harry nodded, head turning to the window.

He could have sworn that the leopard resembled the one at the park, but they could all look alike for all he knew. Of course, this one had a black splotch on his nose, just like the other one…

The train ride was agonizingly slow in Lynx's opinion. You'd think that someone who spent most of her life locked up in a one bedroom shack with nothing to do but draw in the dust would be more patient than most, but at least in her shack she was able to wrestle with Nolan or hunt. She enjoyed the outdoors, craved it even, and with the majority of summer spent watching over the boy who was now two feet from her, she was starting to feel restless. Her eyes trailed longingly out the window, watching as the outside passed by in a steady blur, taunting her with open fields and vast forests.

What she would give to be able to run.

Sometime during her zoning out, two of Harry's friends, Ron and Hermione if Lynx remembered correctly, had joined them, both taking their seats next to her, forcing Neville to move next to Ginny and Nolan to return to Lynx's feet. She was fairly uninterested in anything the students had to say, so she barely moved as they talked about the other prefects, eyes lingering outside.

However, when the door slid open again, the person at it had the hairs on Lynx's arms standing on end. She could smell the choking scent of dark magic, feel her instincts start to coil. Nolan, too, stiffened at the unwanted presence, going rigid under Lynx's fingers.

She turned to another student, one she had heard the Order talking about: Draco Malfoy. She had said that the Dursleys were the second worst family she had met; the Malfoys were the worst.

"What?" Harry demanded aggressively, surprising Lynx.

"Manners, Potter, or I'll have you put in detention," the sleek blond said smugly, obviously proud of himself. "You see I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."

"Yeah," Harry retorted, "but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone."

Everyone but Harry and Lynx laughed.

Malfoy's lips curled malevolently, making Lynx's eyes darkened. "Tell me. How does it feel to be second best to Weasley, Potter?"

"Shut up," Hermione said sharply.

"I seemed to have touched a nerve." He smirked. "Well, just watch out, Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of—"

Nolan let out a low growl, baring his teeth menacingly at the boy. "Out," Lynx hissed, finally tired of the edgy feeling she had. "Now."

"And who's this?" Malfoy continued, eyeing her. "New freak added into the mix?"

She could see the gold sparks in her vision, feel the threatening heat flitting through her body, but what bother her the most was the uncomfortable coolness in his voice, the sharp way his mouth curled when he was trying to be sneaky; it reminded her of his father, which wasn't good.

"Get out," she repeated, this time in more control. As if to emphasize the threat, Nolan glared at him, eyes narrowing as his growl became more pronounced.

Malfoy, showing some size of self-preservation, hurried away, two idiots following after him.

"Woah," said Ron, pulling her from her anger. "That was wicked."

Lynx blinked, entirely forgetting that she was amidst people, and relaxed her coiled muscles, reaching out to pet Nolan.

"Bloody hell. Did you see how the cat went from loving to death?" he continued, looking fascinated with Nolan. "It was like you two were sharing one mind or something."

Lynx smiled, the gesture softening her face so much, Ron actually blinked. "Nolan and I don't like the same types of people, that's all," she said lightly.

"Is he like your guard dog or something?"

Nolan shot him a glare, growling a little, and Ron jumped back, causing Ginny to suppress a giggle.

"He doesn't like dogs either," she informed him, still smiling. "But no. He's closer to what his owl is to him," she said, nodding towards Harry.

"I see," Ron said unsteadily, watching Nolan with more caution. "He won't attack me, will he?"

She chuckled. "No," she said. "He was simply warning you that he's better than any dog."

"Right," he said, making a mental note to remember that.