Crookshanks | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 51

Jenna felt a jolt of happiness in her heart the moment Harry read the letter out loud, knowing how much it had made him happy. That was all that mattered to her.

"That'll be good enough for Dumbledore!" said Harry cheerfully. He then looked back at Sirius's letter. "Hang on, there's a P.S..."

I thought your friend Ron might like to keep this owl, as it's my fault he no longer has a rat.

Ron's eyes widened at those words. "Keep him?" he said uncertainly.

He looked closely at the owl for a moment. And then, to Harry's and Hermione's great surprise, he held him out for Crookshanks to sniff.

"What do'you reckon?" Ron asked the cat. "Definitely an owl?"

Crookshanks purred.

"That's good enough for me," said Ron happily. "He's mine."

Harry read and reread the letter from Sirius all the way back into King's Cross station. It was still clutched tightly in his hand as he, Ron, and Hermione stepped back through the barrier of platform nine and three-quarters.

     Crookshanks remained in her basket that was now set on top of Hermione's trunks which she carried around on her trolley.

     But through the holes in the basket, Jenna suddenly felt the anger filling her up when she spotted the Dursleys from afar.

      Harry spotted Uncle Vernon at once. He was standing a good distance from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, eyeing them suspiciously, and when Mrs. Weasley hugged Harry in greeting, his worst suspicions about them seemed confirmed.

"I'll call about the World Cup!" Ron yelled after Harry as bid him and Hermione good-bye, then wheeled the trolley bearing his trunk and Hedwig's cage toward Uncle Vernon, who greeted him in his usual fashion.

     Hermione was looking around the crowded station, though Jenna had her full attention on Harry, as he approached the Dursleys.

"What's that?" Vernon snarled, staring at the envelope Harry was still clutching in his hand. "If it's another form for me to sign, you've got another —"

"It's not," said Harry cheerfully. "It's a letter from my godfather."

"Godfather?" sputtered Uncle Vernon. "You haven't got a godfather!"

"Yes, I have," said Harry brightly. "He was my mum and dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though... keep up with my news... check if I'm happy..."

And as she was listening, Jenna felt prouder of her nephew than ever.

Oh, he takes after James all right, she thought to herself cheerfully.

And, grinning broadly at the look of horror on Uncle Vernon's face, Harry set off toward the station exit, Hedwig rattling along in front of him, for what looked like a much better summer.

As Crookshanks laid in her basket, she watched outside through the holes, seeing how Hermione reunited with her parents. They seemed extremely kind and caring.

After walking out of the station and reaching their car, Mr. and Mrs. Granger helped Hermione put her trunk in the back and placed Crookshanks's basket in the back seat, next to Hermione.

"Did you have a nice year?" Mrs. Granger asked from the front seat as they drove away.

"Oh, yes. Very good," Hermione replied, suppressing a knowing smile. "Nothing stranger happened than the last two years, that's for sure."

Yes, considering the fact that in your first year Voldemort was stuck behind a guy's bald head, and in the second you were petrified, Jenna thought to herself sarcastically.

After spending a whole year napping in the common room and having nothing else to do than eavesdropping on the students' conversations and gossips, she was now well caught up with all that had happened in the past two years.

     Soon, Jenna felt the car slowly coming to a stop as they parked it and the Grangers got out. It was already dark and Jenna knew that her moment of escaping was near.

     "I'll get the trunks sweetheart, you get Crookshanks in," said her father kindly and so Hermione nodded, carrying the cat's basket inside.

     Once she got in the house, Hermione set the basket down and opened it up, so Crookshanks could get out. Sniffing around, Crookshanks hopped up on a couch and curled up in a corner, closing her eyes.

     Hermione then went back up and took a quick shower before coming back downstairs, so she and her family could dine in the kitchen and have some dinner.

     After an hour, Hermione's parents went back upstairs to get some sleep after a long and tiring day, bidding their daughter goodnight.

       Jenna had hoped that Hermione would go up to her room and leave her alone, so she could take her chance and transform back into human once everyone was asleep, escaping from the front door.

     But to her horror, Hermione came forward and picked her up. "C'mon, Crookshanks. Let's go to sleep."

     The cat struggled to get away, but Hermione carried her up to her bedroom and placed her down on the bed before closing the room's door.

     Grumpily, Crookshanks got down from the bed and went by the door, meowing and scratching at the door so Hermione would let her out, but she had no success in the matter.

      Jenna tried to tell herself to be patient, and so she waited for Hermione to fall asleep before making her move. She felt more impatient than ever to be reunited again with Sirius at the Potter Manor.

      Jenna knew that she couldn't use the door to the bedroom, because she was afraid of making too much noise and waking Hermione's parents up. So she decided to use the bedroom's window and climb down from it, before Disapparating.

     After waiting for a whole hour just to make sure that Hermione was fully asleep, Jenna took a deep breath and quietly transformed back to human form, her gaze fixed fearfully on the young girl.

      Jenna kept her eyes on Hermione where she slept soundlessly on her bed as she tiptoed toward the window. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest and Jenna held her breath, finally turning to face the window.

     She tried to pull up the window, but to her horror, it wouldn't budge. Jenna turned to glance once more at Hermione. She was still asleep.

      She let out a small breath, biting her lower lip. With that, she reached out once more, trying to pull up the window again, until it finally opened up with a snap.

      Jenna closed her eyes shut in fear of having woken up Hermione, but nothing happened and no other sound came. She then held her breath once more as she took a step closer to the window, ready to climb down.

     But her hair turned white from shock when she heard a scream behind her, and when she jerked around, she saw Hermione on the bed, staring at her in horror.