Ailouros Tails book 4: The Return

Chapter 7~ Lancelot

As I run through the hallways I avoid everyone. Eventually ducking into a dark room I changed into a cat. Just a typical alley cat. No one gives me a second glance as they keep searching with wands held at the ready. I know that if I mess up, make one mistake, they'll catch me. My thick dark grey fur has many scars underneath from my time with the clans. After Bastet found me she gave me the ability to change into a cat and left me with the clans. None of the clans really trusted me though they trusted Bast enough to keep me around and train me in each of the clans under the name Shadowedfire. The shadow part was my ability to blend in with the shadows because of my dark grey fur. The hallways are so bright I have to squint my eyes to see after leaving the darkened broom closet. Hearing a large group of people running in my direction, I duck into a nearby office.

Looking around, I recognize a picture with Fred and George in it with a bunch of other redheads. They all smile and wave at me. Curious I sat on the desk and looked at the picture. Focused on the moving image I don't notice one of the oldest Weezleys walking into the room and coming up behind me.

"Well hello, little fellow. Where did you come from?" He spoke suddenly, making me jump with a startled hiss."Calm down kitty. Do you belong to someone?" He gently pets me looking for a caller. "No caller? Well, you seem tame enough. Maybe Molly would like you. I'll give her a call. You stay right here," He turned to an old phone on his desk and dialed a number.

I stayed there and watched him make the call curious.

"Hi, honey. How would you feel about a cat? He just showed up on my desk. They are looking for some girl they found asleep in the treasury this morning. Nothing seems to be missing so I'm not sure what the big deal is." He paused listening. "No Moly, she's not an animegi. She's a first-year student at Hogwarts. That's advanced magic." He sighed and looked at me. "So what do I do with him if I don't take him home. Moly, he is thin and hungry... The workday is over. I can take him to the familiar's shop in the morning. I would do it tonight except they closed an hour ago. Okay. We'll be home soon. Love you." Hanging up the phone he smiled softly. "Let's get ready to go. Molly has been lonely since Ginny started school... I think your company is just what she needs, little guy."

I let him pick me up and carry me out. We didn't meet up with any trouble on the way out. In the car, he set me on the passenger seat. "Don't worry kitty."

It was a short ride once we were out of town. I'm not sure what town it was.

***

I woke up as the car slowed to a stop. My belly growled hungrily. Having spent the night in the cage I had missed, dinner, breakfast, and apparently lunch. I let Mr. Weasley carry me inside where the scent of dinner made my belly growl and my mouth water from hunger.

"Molly we're home."

"Put the cat in the kitchen. There is some old dog food that I got from our neighbors." Molly said.

He set me in front of the unappetizing pellets of dog food. I could smell something much tastier behind the door to a cupboard. Opening it with my paw, a mouse scurried out and ran at the woman called Molly. She shrieked, grabbing a broom. I was faster and pounced on the escaping prey. I killed it just before the broom whacked down on top of the freshly killed mouse. Dazed I just laid there.

"Oh, dear. Did I hurt him? Poor kitty... He needs a better name than just kitty." Molly picked me up leaving Arthur to pick up my dinner and put it in the trash. Mournfully I watched unable to stop him. I'm not going to stoop so low as to eat the dog food.

"What'll we name him then? Lancelot?" Arthur asked.

"That works... How do we know it's a he?" Molly asked skeptically.