Crookshanks | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 38

     Ron threw something down onto Hermione's rune translation. Hermione and Harry leaned forward to have a better look. Lying on top of the weird, spiky shapes were several long, ginger cat hairs.

     Jenna's heart sank in her chest as she looked up at the mess in disbelief. Pettigrew had once again managed to escape by faking his death, but this time laying the blame on Crookshanks.

     Although now Jenna was facing a bigger worry, other than Pettigrew escaping.

     Sirius was soon going to break into the Gryffindor common room to try and kill Pettigrew, oblivious to the fact that the filthy rat had ran for it again.

***

Jenna felt more anxious than ever before as the days passed by. She wanted to run out and warn Sirius, so he wouldn't burst into the Gryffindor common room in search for Pettigrew.

But after Ron had accused Crookshanks of killing his pet rat, Hermione once again kept the cat locked up, not letting her out of sight.

     The day of the Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor had finally arrived. Jenna thought that she could use this to her advantage and leave the Gryffindor tower now that everyone was going down to the Quidditch pitch to watch the game.

But to her dismay, one of the girls had decided to remain in the dorm that day, writing in her little diary as always.

Jenna thought about using the Confundus Charm on her. But the trouble was that her transformation from a cat to human always took several seconds, and the girl could easily defend herself in the meantime. So turning to her human form was out of question.

So Crookshanks kept scratching at the door as she meowed, looking back at the blonde girl pleadingly.

"I'm sorry, Crookshanks," the girl said pitifully, "but Hermione asked me to keep you in here."

Crookshanks growled under her breath, but kept meowing in hopes of getting on the girl's nerve so she would finally let her go, but she was unsuccessful.

Even after the match, once the Gryffindors returned to the common room with victory and threw a loud party, Jenna still had no hopes of escaping the dormitory.

For obvious reasons, Jenna couldn't sleep that night even after all the girls had returned to their dorm and were in their beds. Hermione and the blonde girl had already fallen asleep, but Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown kept awake, whispering and giggling to themselves through the night as they gossiped.

Although suddenly, against the silence of the late night came a loud shriek, causing everyone to shoot awake.

"AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"What on earth was that?" Lavender gasped as the girls all left their beds in shock and made their way out of the dorm, leaving the door open.

Crookshanks took the chance and immediately ran out after them, following them all toward the common room. That was when they saw that a sweaty-faced and a windswept Ron, scrambling down the staircase with others following after him. Everyone had now walked into the common room, sleepy and confused.

"Who shouted?"

"What're you doing?"

"Are you sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?" asked Dean.

"I'm telling you, I saw him!" Ron said in horror.

Crookshanks was looking around her in confusion as her heart pounded in her chest, without anyone even noticing her presence.

A few other girls had now come down their staircase as well, pulling on dressing gowns and yawning. Boys, too, were reappearing.

"Excellent, are we carrying on with the party?" said Fred Weasley brightly.

"Everyone back upstairs!" said Percy, hurrying into the common room and pinning his Head Boy badge to his pajamas as he spoke.

"You had too much to eat, Ron — had a nightmare —" Seamus was saying.

"I'm telling you —"

"Now, really, enough's enough!"
Professor McGonagall strode forward. She slammed the portrait behind her as she entered the common room and stared furiously around. "I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!"

"I certainly didn't authorize this, Professor!" said Percy, puffing himself up indignantly. "I was just telling them all to get back to bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare —"

"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron yelled. "PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!"