Chapter 1: Train ride to Hogwarts

Arriving at Kings Cross, we parked and made our way to platform 9 and 10 in the Muggle section of the train station. We strolled into the pillar dividing the two platforms, like this wasn't my first-time walking into a solid looking pillar or anything. It was a strange experience, knowing I wasn't going to smash my face on to the brick as we entered, my mind fought the lack of logic behind the movement. Once on the platform 9¾ mother guided us to a less dense space so she can bid us farewell.

"Now Nymphadora, I want you to keep an eye on your sister for me while you two are in Hogwarts." She said looking at the 17-year-old girl with the traffic cone orange hair, "She may be book smart, but you know the upperclassmen and how they treat first years that aren't from their own houses."

"I'll be fine, besides She has to focus on keeping her grades up for her N.E.W.T.s" I say scratching the back of my head awkwardly, as I never really needed someone else to aid me in defending myself against others.

Mother nodded then said, "well at least sit in the same compartment on the train, maybe meet some of Nymphadora's friends." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Back in my world, I had a younger sister whom my mother made me shepherd around when we both were in high school. It wasn't any fun especially when my friends would tease my sister behind her back. She had a harder time with he confidence due to it all.

"Come on Quinn, let's get on the train before mom bursts into tears," N. Tonks said as we pulled the older woman into a small group hug. I could hear Mother whisper soft 'I Love you's into each of our hair before the pair of us made our way towards the train and down the corridors of the train cars to find either her friends or an empty room.

"You know you don't need to drag me into your friend group, actually I think it's kinda a good idea I set off to maybe make my own friends before the stigmatism of being sorted into a house." I say to her as we dodged people going to opposite way. "I just want to know the spell to unshrink my trunk if I end up in a different house than you do…" I added

"Yeah sure, let's just find a compartment before you go running off to meet newer students…" Tonks said messing with my overly fluffy mane of hair. We eventually ended up in an empty Compartment and She explained to me the spell that she used to shrink the trunk before telling me how to unshrink it. She had used the Reducio Spell and countered with the Engorgio spell, I made sure to practice by enlarging my trunk on the opposite seat she sat in. It wasn't that hard really and it was quite the useful spell. Shrinking it once more I thanked her before heading out of the compartment.

As I passed other students in muggle clothing, I picked up tidbits of conversations and a small rumor about THE Harry Potter being aboard the train, allowing me to deduce that this was the events of the first books ie. Harry is about the same age as the current body I was inhabiting… throughout my childhood I was a big fan of the Harry Potter series and so had Amanda been. It was one of the few reasons I called Amanda Tonks and why she called me Padfoot on the rare occasion. We had a few other friends that we gave the other Marauders nicknames but Amanda and I were like sisters. She would probably kill to be standing next to me now.

So, knowing the current time-line I was currently in, I made my way down to find a compartment with students I recognized from the movies or books… Not that I didn't want to be friends with the Golden trio but I'd rather they become friends before they even got to know me. Personally, I'd rather make mischief with the Weasley twins than actually dealing with Ron… if he found out I was Draco's Cousin the there was no way of ever getting near the trio all together.

"WOW That's a large spider!"

"Where'd you get it Lee?"

"Did you name it?"

"Do you really think the professors would let you keep the Spider?"

I stopped by a compartment with a group of kids surrounding a 13-year-old with an oversized Tarantula sitting on his hand. A familiar pair of redheads stood on either side of the boy known as Lee whom I recalled having the last name Jordan. He once announced a quidditch match in the books and was a little more biased to the Gryffindor team than the opposite team.

"I've seen bigger spiders," I say leaning against the door of the compartment, "My sister even told me she saw a spider the size of a hog in the forbidden forest once. Though that could be her telling a tall tale," I say with a shrug, I knew for a fact there was a clan of Acromantula under Aragog, who was the size of an entire house. And it was true that I've seen a bigger spider. My uncle has a lab filled with Goliath bird eaters and Giant Huntsman spiders as he was trying to make a bigger spider like you find in videogames or fantasy stories… yeah, my mother's brother wasn't the most liked person in the lab but his love for spiders encouraged me to enjoy the creepy crawly world of spiders and other insects.

"Really?" One of the twins ask, "How big was it?" the other directed his question towards the spider I've seen.

"Well, it had been a mix between two different spiders, it was about the size of a house cat and, weighed about the weight of a medium size puppy." I say with a shrug, "Can I hold your Tarantula?" I added to Lee as I held out my hand. The boy nodded and those around him mostly guys were surprised a first-year girl was willing to even get near the oversized arachnid. Most girls probably was squeamish about such creatures.

Lee and I watched as the spider crawled from his arm over to mine. "Spiders have always been quite the interesting creatures… I'm Quinn Tonks by the way, you probably know my sister Nymphadora Tonks, she's in her 7th year." I say holding out my free hand to the boy.

"Lee Jordan, and those two are my greatest pals, Fred and George Weasley." He introduced. I let the spider crawl up my arm and onto my shoulder ignoring the fuzzy feelers on its legs as it tickled my skin. I nodded to the twins before collecting the spider and handing it back to Lee whom put it back into its cage. The group surrounding us walked past me and to their respective compartments.

"Mind if I sit with you lot? I'm sure by now everyone else is filled with others already." I asked and the three boys shrugged and nodded, I sat down next to Lee and his spider cage went up on the rack so not to get in the way. "So what year are you guys?" I say, "It's kind of obvious that you aren't first years like me…"

"We're in our 3rd year, all of us are in the Gryffindor house." Lee answered.

"Yeah, we have a younger brother about your age," One twin said, the other added, "He's not as fun as we are, but you can't be too picky about your family" they both shrug.

So, the 4 of us chatted about the upcoming year and we talked about all the different pranks we've pulled on various people. Personally, I just replaced the pranks on Amanda to be on Tonks so it would be more believable. When the snack trolley rolled by Lee and I bought a couple things and we shared with the twins so they didn't feel left out.

"Have any of you seen a toad? A boy named Nevil lost one and we're looking for it." A girl with just as wild hair as I do, asked from our compartment door.

"No, I haven't seen one, have you tried the bathrooms, I'm sure he just found a nice damp place to moisten his skin up." I asked her, "If I see a toad, I'll find you… Names Quinn Tonks." I added holding out my hand to shake hers.

"Hermione Granger, and thanks, I'll try looking in the bathrooms…" She said shaking my outstretched hand, "I'll see you around. The train conductor said we'll be arriving soon so you lot best get your uniforms on" With that she was off.

"Strange girl…" one of the Weasley's said, "Acted like a proper prefect" the other joked.

"Well, I think she's a rule keeper not the type to ever bend the rules," I say with a shrug, "I'll be back I guess, I'd rather be in my uniform than not when we arrive."

With that I exited the compartment and made my way to the restroom at the end of the train car. There was just enough space to resize my trunk in it and grab my unmarked uniform from the trunk. With no toad in sight I put my muggle cloths into my trunk before reshrinking it. I really wasn't a fan of the skirt but I left it be for now. Maybe I can change it out for the dark grey or black jeans I have in my common cloths for a later day. When I rejoined the boys, they were in their uniforms all sporting the Gryffindor emblem upon their left shoulder.

"So, you excited to get sorted into a house?" Lee asked me as I sat down.

"I guess, who wouldn't want a ratty old hat that sang and that has been atop every single head in Hogwarts history to put me in a house?" I joked, "I just hope I get into a house I find myself actually fitting into. I don't think I'd fit in Slytherin like my mother, or Hufflepuff like my sister and father… Maybe I'll end up in Ravenclaw for my love of learning new and interesting things or maybe Gryffindor for my willingness to try new things and face things head on." I shrugged.

"Your mother was in Slytherin?" One of the Twins asked, "and she married a Hufflepuff?" added the other red head.

"Yeah, it's rather rare for a Black to end up in any other house than Slytherin, but my father, the goof that he is captured her heart and they got married after Hogwarts. My Grandaunt disowned my mother for getting with a Muggle born, but hey love is love." I explained. I totally guessed Ted Tonks was a Hufflepuff… there wasn't much info on him other than he was friends with Arthur Weasley and had a similar fascination with muggle products.

The boys just blinked at me and I rolled my eyes, "Guys My father is one of your father's best friends, I'm surprised you didn't link Ted Tonks with my own name." I said to the twins, who looked like they just realized the words that left my mouth.

"OH! I remember now, you're the girl who tripped Ron down the stairs when he made fun of Ginny's outfit!" they say in unison, "Yeah and the time you turned Percy's hair bright blue by putting dye in his shampoo." One added then the other laughed, "It took him almost a month to get all the dye out."

The four of us laughed at the stories of my mischief, "well he shouldn't have been such a snob when I asked him if I could read his old school books." I say before we burst into tears laughing so hard.

It wasn't long before we found ourselves in Hogsmeade the town closest to Hogwarts. Personally, I was half tempted to join the boys in their Thestral drawn carriages but instead I joined the other first years with a promise from the twins that they'd save me a seat if I ended up in Gryffindor. Among the mass of students after getting off the little boat ride towards the most magical place I've ever seen. I head a snobbish voice "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." The voice was snobbish and I knew exactly who it came from. As Harry told him he could figure out who he'd rather hang out with, I made my way over to them.

"Lay off Draco, no one likes a snob that thinks too highly of themselves. No wonder you can't make any friends outside of your buffoon lackeys." I say nodding my head towards the larger boys behind the blonde kid. I earned myself a glare from his Icey grey eyes.

"And Who are you to tell me what to do?" He hissed.

"Quintessence Evangeline Tonks, A.K.A. your cousin" I say proudly. I was about a head taller than him. I just realized that if my hair was out of its low ponytail I'd look like Bellatrix, "and I find that the Weasleys are quite the nice sort of friends to be around. Stubborn, loyal, and crazy fun to hang out with. I highly doubt you could compete with the likes of them due to your empty upbringing."

The boy's face was red with fury as he listened to me talk about how much better the Weasley family was, though I knew Andromeda was disowned for marrying a muggle born. I'm quite sure that Narcissa wasn't allowed to be seen around her sister because of her new status as a blood traitor. But from experience as a sibling, one could never really not love their family. Draco never grew up with his mother's extended family and I highly doubt that Lucious had any to speak of as I believe he was a single child.

Before Draco could make a comeback, Professor McGonagall entered the area and guided us down the long walk past all 4 house tables towards a stool with a singing hat in front of the staff table, I didn't pay much attention to the singing but I glanced up at the ceiling… I wonder if I could get that effect to occur in my room? I wondered as the sorting ceremony started. I was likely to be one of the last students to be called up due to having a T at the beginning of my last name, but when I finally sat in front of the entire school, I allowed my nerves to calm down.

'This is it;' I think to myself.

"Interesting, another Tonks, line of Black… where to put you. Sly and cunning like a Slytherin, a thirst for Knowledge like a Ravenclaw, but far far more daring and braver like a Gryffindor." The hat told me as he read my personality.

'I'd rather be in Gryffindor where I can make a difference in this world.' I think to myself but it seems that this hat knew my thoughts and chuckled. I didn't need some cryptic foretelling from the hat or a strange conversation about how I was actually 10 years older than what I currently looked like, he just did his job.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat announced and I hopped off the seat and handed the hat back to the professor before making my way towards the Twins who saved me a seat between them.

"Welcome to your new home Quinn," The one to my right said messing with my hair. I grinned and looked across the table to see Harry and Ron opposite of me while Hermione was chatting with Percy.

This was a start to an awesome adventure, but how can I get back home…

AN: Hope you guys enjoyed, this is basically Quinn falling into more of her 11-year-old self accepting the events going on. She does plan on making the best of her experience and also making some changes she deems need to happen.

I don't plan on attaching Quinn to Harry's hip like his trio but she will eventually become good friends with the group. She'd more be around the twins causing mischief than anything.

I don't own the Harry Potter Series; I only own my own characters: Quintessence and Amanda

Any questions or just your thoughts feel free to review. This story spontaneously came to me while in the shower so I hope you guys find it as interesting as I do.

PS: 01/04/2023

Another edit to this chapter. I am currently working on the next chapter. I hope I made it more clear and less rushed feeling. Any words of encouragement and ideas would do great. I lost all my notes on this story so I wonder where I can take this to fulfill its destined path.