Crookshanks | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 37

Jenna was glad to know that Remus was helping Harry with his dementor problem and teaching him how to produce a Patronus Charm. But she had stopped paying Remus her usual visits after what had happened between them a few nights back, fearing that things had now gotten rather awkward between them.

Although she had also stopped going after Sirius, both because she was afraid that he would still be angry with her since their fight in the Shrieking Shack, and also because she felt too guilty to face him, even though she had been drunk when the kiss had happened and though it had happened only for a split second.

So for now, Jenna had decided to do as she was told and try to get the Gryffindor password for him. It certainly didn't help that Sir Cadogan — the replacement for the Fat Lady's portrait — kept changing the passwords, sometimes even a few times a week.

It would've been easy if she could've waited for a student outside in the corridor in her cat form and listen to what the password was, but the trouble was that Hermione was still rather cautious and barely let Crookshanks out of her sight, locking her up in the dorm most of the times.

     As it turned out, Harry and Ron still weren't on speaking terms with her. Other than that, the girl had to cope with the responsibility of having a time-turner and trying to get to many classes, leaving her exhausted. But even with all that, she still tried to find time to help Hagrid with Buckbeak's upcoming trial.

     It was these things that Hermione did which reminded her of Lily; she too had been exceptionally kind and smart.

Although what finally managed to cheer Jenna up a bit was when Professor McGonagall finally gave Harry's Firebolt back to him, realizing that there was in fact nothing wrong with the broomstick and no one had jinxed it. The look of sheer happiness on his face was enough to warm her heart.

With his Firebolt back and their Quidditch practice starting again, Ravenclaw stood no chance against Gryffindor in the upcoming match. Jenna couldn't have been prouder of her nephew.

***

It was a few days before the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Hermione had gone down to visit Hagrid to help him with Buckbeak's case and Ron had accompanied Harry down to the Quidditch pitch to have a look at the Firebolt's speed.

Jenna knew that there was little chance for Scabbers to be in the boys' dormitory and that Ron had probably taken the rat with him again, but she decided to give it a try either way.

So sneaking up to the boys' dormitory, she became glad to see that they had left the door to their room half-open, and so she went inside easily on her fluffy ginger paws.

Jenna started sniffing through the room for any sign of the filthy rat. She wasn't sure if Pettigrew had recognized her or not until that point, but she feared the day that he would run off.

Jenna kept going all over the room, looking in every corner in hopes of catching him, but she came upon something much more interesting.

Right there, on Neville Longbottom's nightstand, laid a piece of paper in which all the week's passwords were written down. Every single one of them.

Jenna's stomach lurched at the sight of it. A part of her wanted to ignore it and get out of that room, scared that if Sirius got in here, he would get caught. But then again in her last visit to him, he seemed thoroughly demanding in wanting that password.

Jenna knew Sirius well enough to know that he wouldn't rest until he had killed Pettigrew, regardless of the consequences ahead.

So with that, she got the piece of parchment in between her teeth and ran out of the dormitory with it.

***

Crookshanks made her way out of the castle, strolling through the grounds for any sign of Sirius, because she had already searched the Shrieking Shack and he wasn't there.

But after around an hour of searching, Crookshanks suddenly turned around when she heard a quiet bark, seeing Padfoot walking toward her on his large black paws.

"I got the Gryffindor password," said Crookshanks after setting down the piece of parchment on the ground before them.

     But Sirius didn't seem to care much about that at the moment. There was something else on his mind that he had to tell her first.

"Look, Jenna... I'm sorry for snapping back at you like that," he said, his eyes filled with remorse as the dog looked down at her. "I've been thinking about it in these past few days, and... I shouldn't have treated you that way. I guess I was just mad at the Ministry and frustrated that Pettigrew was still running around freely."

"Forget about it," she said, avoiding his gaze. "Just... please be careful, Sirius. I can't lose you again."

Jenna hesitated for a moment. She wanted to tell him about what had happened between her and Remus. She wanted to explain that it was just for a split second, and that it meant nothing and both of them knew that it was a mistake.

     So she opened her mouth, but she closed it again when she saw Padfoot's ears sharpening when he heard footsteps approaching them.

"We should get out of here," said Padfoot in a quiet growl.

***

At the exact moment, Harry shouldered the Firebolt and he and Ron walked out of the shadowy stadium, discussing the Firebolt's superbly smooth action, its phenomenal acceleration, and its pinpoint turning.

They were halfway toward the castle when Harry, glancing to his left, saw something that made his heart turn over. It was a pair of eyes, gleaming out of the darkness in the woods.

Harry stopped dead, his heart banging against his ribs as he looked over.

"What's the matter?" said Ron.

Harry pointed at it and Ron pulled out his wand and muttered, "Lumos!" By that, a beam of light fell across the grass, hit the bottom of a tree, and illuminated its branches.

     There, crouching among the budding leaves, was Crookshanks.

"Get out of here!" Ron roared, and he stooped down and seized a stone lying on the grass, but before he could do anything else, Crookshanks had vanished with one swish of her long ginger tail.

"See?" Ron said furiously, chucking the stone down again. "Hermione's still letting her wander about wherever she wants!"

Harry didn't say anything. He took a deep breath of relief, even though he had been sure for a moment that those eyes had belonged to the Grim.