Chapter 10

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Around a week passed, but Jenna had no luck yet. The students who visited the shop for a pet usually wanted an owl. And those who came for a cat, were either old witches or kids who weren't eleven yet.

Although Jenna leaped up in excitement each time she spotted the same boy she had seen in Privet Drive pass the shop by, with jet black hair, round glasses, and shockingly to Jenna, a scar in the shape of a lightening bolt on his forehead.

She wanted to smile to herself each time she saw him, seeing as he reminded her so much of James. Harry had surely taken after his father, this much Jenna was sure of.

"Look, Daddy! This one looks pretty," a young girl squealed as she pointed at Crookshanks.

"How old are you, little one?" the shop owner asked the little girl sweetly.

"She's just turning nine," her father answered with a smile while his daughter was too busy looking at the ginger cat to answer. "How much for the cat?"

"I'm sorry, but that cat's not for sale," said the witch, exactly as Jenna had ordered her not to give her away to someone who wasn't going to attend Hogwarts.

Jenna was growing frustrated at having to stay day and night at a stinky pet shop and to sleep in a dirty cage.

But at last, when she was just about to lose hope, one day the door to a shop open and a girl with bushy brown hair walked inside along with two other boys.

When the last costumer in line left, the three teenagers walked up to the counter. Jenna's heart lurched in excitement when she spotted her nephew, and she wondered that the other two were probably his friends.

      "How can I hep you?" the owner asked when they reached her.

"It's my rat," said one of the boys who had red hair and freckles all over his face. "He's been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Egypt."

"Bang him on the counter," said the witch, pulling a pair of heavy black spectacles out of her pocket.

Just then, the ginger boy put his hand in his pocket and took an ill looking rat out of it.

Jenna didn't even have time to look twice at her nephew when her eyes finally landed on the rat. She had immediately recognized the ginger boy from the picture Sirius had showed her.

      Jenna used to think that she had to wait until she got to Hogwarts to find Pettigrew? What were the chances that he would show up at the same pet shop that she was? But she needed to make sure before trying to attack him.

The ginger boy then lifted the rat out of his inside pocket and placed him next to the cage of his fellow rats, who stopped their skipping tricks and scuffled to the wire for a better look.

"Hm," said the witch, picking him up. "How old is this rat?"

"Dunno," said the boy. "Quite old. He used to belong to my brother, Percy."

"What powers does he have?" said the witch, examining the rat closely.

"Er —"

      The witch's eyes moved from the rat's tattered left ear to his front paw, and tutted loudly, shaking her head.

Jenna still couldn't be sure of the rat, even though she had recognized his owner. She just wanted to be completely positive before taking her chance.

"He's been through the mill, this one," said the shop owner after examining him.

"He was like that when Percy gave him to me," said the boy defensively.

"An ordinary common or garden rat like this can't be expected to live longer than three years or so," said the witch. "Now, if you were looking for something a bit more hard-wearing, you might like one of these —"

She indicated the black rats, who promptly started skipping again. The boy muttered, "Show-offs."

And just then, as Jenna looked even more closely, she came to a halt when she realized that the rat was missing a toe. She then remembered how Sirius had told her that Wormtail had cut off one of his fingers before running away.

And by that she finally knew certainty that this was an Animagus with the name of Peter Pettigrew.

      Jenna growled in hatred. This was the man who had betrayed Lily and James. He was the reason her brother was dead. He was the traitor. She could murder him on the spot and not think twice about it.

"Well, if you don't want a replacement, you can try this rat tonic," said the witch, reaching under the counter and bringing out a small red bottle.

"Okay," said Ron. "How much — OUCH!"

The boy buckled as Jenna came soaring from the top of the highest cage, landed on his head, and then propelled herself, spitting madly at Scabbers as she tried to reach out for him.

"NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!" cried the witch, but the rat shot from between her hands like a bar of soap, landed splay-legged on the floor, and then scampered for the door.

"Scabbers!" the red-haired shouted, racing out of the shop after him and Harry followed him.

But the girl with bushy brown hair stayed behind, looking curiously at the cat as the owner caught her in her hands, picking Jenna up.

"That's a beautiful cat," said the girl as the owner held Crookshanks up.

"You go to Hogwarts, deary?"

"Yes," she nodded, "I'm starting third year. I was actually hoping to buy an owl."

"Well, if you get this cat, I'll give you a good discount," said the witch, smiling. "Crookshanks has been here for ages now. No one wanted her."

"Oh, how can no one want her?" the girl gasped lightly, looking at the cat with pity. "She seems really nice."

"Yes, very."

"Would you like to come with me to Hogwarts?" she said, patting Crookshanks on the head and so Jenna meowed, bucking her head up sweetly into her hand.

With that, the girl didn't hesitate to buy the cat and so payed the witch for it, walking out of the shop and going to where Harry and his red-haired friend were awaiting her.

"You bought that monster?" said the ginger boy, his mouth hanging open at the cat's sight.

For a moment Jenna had the urge turn back to human and smack him on the back of his head, but held herself back.

"She's gorgeous, isn't she?" she said, glowing.

"Hermione, that thing nearly scalped me!" said the ginger boy.

"She didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?" said Hermione.

"And what about Scabbers?" he went on, pointing at the lump in his chest pocket. "He needs rest and relaxation! How's he going to get it with that thing around?"

"That reminds me, you forgot your rat tonic, Ron," said Hermione, slapping the small red bottle into his hand. "And stop worrying, Crookshanks will be sleeping in my dormitory and Scabbers in yours, what's the problem? Poor Crookshanks, that witch said she'd been in there for ages; no one wanted her."

"I wonder why," said Ron sarcastically and scoffed as they set off toward the Leaky Cauldron.

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