Crookshanks | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 80

The weather could not have been more different on the journey back to King's Cross than it had been on their way to Hogwarts the previous September. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky and the sun beamed its rays through the grounds of Hogwarts.

     With yet another apologetic look, Hermione had opened the cat basket for Crookshanks to get in earlier that day, before using the carriages to get back to the train along with the others.

      Harry, Ron, and Hermione had managed to get a whole compartment to themselves. Pigwidgeon was once again hidden under Ron's dress robes to stop him from hooting continually. Hedwig was dozing, her head under her wing, and Crookshanks was curled up in a spare seat like a large, furry ginger cushion.

      Harry, Ron, and Hermione talked more fully and freely than they had all week as the train sped them southward. They broke off their conversation about what action Dumbledore might be taking to stop Voldemort, and what he was up to this very moment.

     Jenna knew the answer to this question; Dumbledore was probably assembling the old members of Order of the Phoenix, having a task for each and every one of them.

      Jenna was startled to learn that Hermione had figured out Rita Skeeter's secret; the woman was yet another illegal and unregistered animagus, listening to everyone's conversations as a beetle.

      Jenna was impressed that the young girl had figured all these out on her own, although she became thoroughly surprised when Hermione took out a jar with a beetle inside it.
    
     "That's never — you're kidding —" Ron whispered, lifting the jar to his eyes.

      "No, I'm not," said Hermione, beaming. "I caught her on the windowsill in the hospital wing. Look very closely, and you'll notice the markings around her antennae are exactly like those foul glasses she wears."

     Jenna's yellow eyes were now on Hermione. She truly was the smartest witch of her age.

      "I've told her I'll let her out when we get back to London," said Hermione. "I've put an Unbreakable Charm on the jar, you see, so she can't transform. And I've told her she's to keep her quill to herself for a whole year. See if she can't break the habit of writing horrible lies about people."

      Smiling serenely, Hermione placed the beetle back inside her schoolbag. But right at that moment, the door of the compartment slid open.

      "Very clever, Granger," said Draco Malfoy.

     Crabbe and Goyle were standing behind him. All three of them looked more pleased with themselves, and way more arrogant than ever.

     "So," said Malfoy slowly, advancing slightly into the compartment and looking slowly around at them with a smirk on his lips. "Trying not to think about it, are we? Trying to pretend it hasn't happened?"

     "Get out," Harry snarled, hatred all over his face.

     Jenna tried to remain calm and keep her raging emotions under control. But if that boy kept talking, she wasn't sure how long she could hold herself back before turning into human and hexing him off. He reminded her too much of Lucius.

      "You've picked the losing side, Potter! I warned you! I told you not to hang around with riffraff like this!" He jerked his head at Ron and Hermione. "Too late now, Potter! They'll be the first to go, now the Dark Lord's back! Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first! Well — second — Diggory was the f —"

     But right at that moment, an explosion went off inside the compartment, as though someone had exploded a box of fireworks within the compartment. When Crookshanks got up on her seat to take a closer look in shock, she found Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle laying unconscious on the compartment's floor.