Crookshanks | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 31

As Jenna snuck past the dementors after transforming back to Crookshanks, she forgot completely about the Firebolt. The events of that day seemed like a haze, as if they had happened ages away.

Once she got to the Gryffindor common room, she waited until someone opened the portrait so she slipped inside, curling up on an armchair and staring into the fireplace.

It pained her to think of how everyone thought of Sirius, but even worse than that was that Harry had heard it all.

The next day, Jenna was sitting in the common room as always. The room was empty except for Ron and Hermione. The rest of the students had gone back home for Christmas break. But just then, Jenna's head snapped up when the boys' dormitory door swung open and she saw Harry walking down the staircase and into the common room. His jet-black hair was as messy as ever, just like James.

"Harry, you — you look terrible," said Ron, watching him carefully.

"Where is everyone?" said Harry, ignoring his remark.

"Gone! It's the first day of the holidays, remember?" said Ron, watching Harry closely. "It's nearly lunchtime; I was going to come and wake you up in a minute."

Harry slumped into a chair next to the fire. Snow was still falling outside the windows and Crookshanks was spread out in front of the fire like a large, ginger rug.

"You really don't look well, you know," Hermione said, peering anxiously into his face.

"I'm fine," said Harry, shrugging carelessly.

"Harry, listen," said Hermione, exchanging a look with Ron, "you must be really upset about what we heard yesterday. But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything stupid."

"Like what?" Harry raised a brow at her.

"Like trying to go after Black," said Ron sharply. Jenna was now listening carefully at this point, her heart beating rapidly.

"You won't, will you, Harry?" said Hermione.

"Because Black's not worth dying for," said Ron.

"D'you know what I see and hear every time a dementor gets too near me?" Harry said blankly. "I can hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And if you'd heard your mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry."

The room went silent. Jenna suddenly felt sick in her stomach at those words. She didn't want to listen anymore, but she had nowhere else to go. Images of that horrible night came floating back through her head and it made her heart ache to know that Harry had to hear Lily screaming each time a dementor approached him.

But thankfully the three finally decided to leave the common room and to pay Hagrid a visit, despite Hermione telling them how it wasn't a good idea. And so, Jenna was left alone in the common room with her thoughts.

***

On Christmas morning, Crookshanks who had woken up as early as ever, kept meowing to wake Hermione up and she scratched on the door to get her to open it. Jenna wanted to go see the look on Harry's face after receiving his Christmas present which her and Sirius had sent him.

"Oh, all right. I'm up, I'm up," Hermione yawned as she got up to her feet. "Merry Christmas, Crookshanks."

But Jenna was suddenly caught off guard when Hermione took something from her nightstand's drawer and walked toward her. She then bent down and wrapped a string of tinsel around Crookshanks's neck.

"You look adorable!" Hermione chuckled, picking Crookshanks up who was extremely irritated at it.

But Jenna became really glad when Hermione opened the dormitory door and walked toward the boys' dorm with Crookshanks still in her arms.

"What're you two laughing about?"
Hermione went inside, wearing her dressing gown and carrying Crookshanks, who was still looking very grumpy because of her new tinsel string.

"Don't bring her in here!" said Ron, hurriedly snatching Scabbers from the depths of his bed and stowing him in his pajama pocket.

But Hermione wasn't listening. She dropped Crookshanks onto Seamus's empty bed and stared, open-mouthed, at the Firebolt. Jenna's eyes immediately fell on the Firebolt in Harry's hands and her heart leaped with joy.

"Oh, Harry! Who sent you that?" Hermione asked.

"No idea," said Harry, his grin wider than ever before. "There wasn't a card or anything with it."

But Hermione did not appear either excited or intrigued by the news. On the contrary, her face fell, and she bit her lip.

"What's the matter with you?" said Ron.

"I don't know," said Hermione slowly, "but it's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean, this is supposed to be quite a good broom, isn't it?"

     You bet your arse it is, Jenna thought to herself, watching Harry's face with glee.

Ron sighed exasperatedly. "It's the best broom there is, Hermione," he said.

"So it must've been really expensive..."

     Sirius's charming mother would agree, Jenna thought with amusement.

"Probably cost more than all the Slytherins' brooms put together," said Ron happily.

None of them would stand a chance, Jenna thought to herself proudly.

"Well... who'd send Harry something as expensive as that, and not even tell him they'd sent it?" said Hermione.

Jenna was growing slightly worried toward where this conversation was going.

"Who cares?" said Ron impatiently. "Listen, Harry, can I have a
go on it? Can I?"

"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet!" said Hermione shrilly.

Harry and Ron looked at her. Even Crookshanks had her yellow eyes fixed on her. Although just then, her eyes fell upon Pettigrew, and she found their distraction the perfect opportunity to pounce.

"What d'you think Harry's going to do with it — sweep the floor?" said Ron.

But before Hermione could answer, Crookshanks sprang from Seamus's bed, right at Ron's chest.

"GET — HER — OUT — OF — HERE!" Ron bellowed as Crookshanks's claws ripped his pajamas and Scabbers attempted a wild escape over his shoulder.

Ron seized Scabbers by the tail and aimed a misjudged kick at Crookshanks that hit the trunk at the end of Harry's bed, knocking it over and causing Ron to hop up and down, howling with pain.
Crookshanks's fur suddenly stood on end.

A shrill, tinny whistling was filling the room. The Pocket Sneakoscope had become dislodged from Uncle Vernon's old socks and was whirling and gleaming on the floor.

"I forgot about that!" Harry said, bending down and picking up the Sneakoscope. "I never wear those socks if I can help it..."

The Sneakoscope whirled and whistled in his palm. Crookshanks was hissing and spitting at it. Jenna wanted to tell them in some way that there was a traitor among them, but none of them seemed to care.

"You'd better take that cat out of here, Hermione!" Ron said furiously, sitting on Harry's bed nursing his toe. "Can't you shut that thing up?" he added to Harry as Hermione strode out of the room with Crookshanks in her arms, whose yellow eyes were still fixed maliciously on Ron.