Crookshanks

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Creature profile
Crookshanks
Species	half-Kneazle
Owner	Hermione Granger
Appearance	big, fluffy, bow-legged, with a flat face, long, ginger fur and yellow eyes
First appearance in canon	The Leaky Cauldron (PA)

Crookshanks is Hermione Granger's pet cat. He is big, fluffy and bow-legged with a flat face, long, ginger fur, a bottlebrush tail and yellow eyes (PA4, PA8). He is half Kneazle, which explains his keen intuition and infallible instincs (JKRW). For instance, Crookshanks distrusted Scabbers from the start (PA4) and quickly attached himself to Sirius Black, whom he recognized as a human even in his Animagus form (PA18). Ron Weasley disliked the cat at first because of his behaviour towards Scabbers (PA4), but he forgave him after the rat's true identity was revealed (PA22).

Scabbers and Sirius

Crookshanks lived in the Magical Menagerie on Diagon Alley, where nobody wanted to buy him for ages. The Trio met him there on August 31, 1993. The cat jumped from a cage, landed on Ron Weasley's head and flung himself at Ron's rat Scabbers, who scampered out of the door. While Ron and Harry followed Scabbers, Hermione bought Crookshanks. She thought he was gorgeous. Ron was immediately worried about Scabbers (PA4).

Arguments between Ron and Hermione about the cat occured repeatedly from now on (PA5, PA8, PA11). Crookshanks tried to attack Scabbers whenever he was in reach (he even tried to sneak into the boy's dormitory, PA9) and Ron claimed that there was something funny about the way the cat pursued his rat (PA8, PA11). On February 3, 1994, Scabbers disappeared and Ron found ginger cat hairs on the floor; he accused Crookshanks of having killed the rat (PA12). Hermione defended him and she and Ron had their worst fight yet; they did not speak to each other for weeks (PA13). In reality, Peter Pettigrew had staged his own death a second time to escape from Sirius (PA18).

Crookshanks became friends with Sirius whom he met on the Hogwarts grounds in his Animagus form. Harry saw them prowling the grounds together in the early morning hours of April 16 (PA15). Apparently, they were able to communicate in some way. Sirius gave the cat quite a bit of information after earning its trust, including how to freeze the Whomping Willow. When Sirius wanted to send Harry a Firebolt for Christmas, Crookshanks took the order to the Owl Office for him (PA22). He also aided Sirius in his pursuit of Scabbers. When he couldn't catch Scabbers himself, he stole the passwords for Gryffindor Tower from Neville Longbottom's bedside table on or shortly before February 3 and gave them to Sirius. He also informed him that Scabbers had faked his own death (PA18).

Attracted by Scabbers' shrieks, Crookshanks followed the Trio when they left Hagrid's hut before Buckbeak's execution in early June. Scabbers was mad with fear; he escaped from Ron's hands and ran away. Crookshanks followed him. Ron dashed after the rat and could catch Scabbers before the cat. Right then, Sirius grabbed Ron and carried him off into the Shrieking Shack. Crookshanks froze the Willow and led the way into the tunnel for Harry and Hermione. When Harry and Hermione entered the Shack, Crookshanks was lying on the bed and purring.

He defended Sirius against Harry when the boy attacked him and sank his claws into Harry's arm until he kicked him off. When Harry had overpowered Sirius and was ready to kill him, Crookshanks placed himself on Sirius' breast to protect him. He sank his claws into Sirius' clothes when the man tried to push him aside. Harry could not kill the cat and was still standing over Crookshanks and Sirius when Remus Lupin burst into the Shack. Still, Crookshanks did not leave his spot on Sirius' breast until Lupin pulled him up and the cat fell to the ground. He immediately jumped onto Sirius' lap when he sat down on the bed from where he hissed at Scabbers (PA17). Stroking the cat, Sirius explained how Crookshanks had helped him (PA18).

Crookshanks hissed and spit at Peter Pettigrew with the hair on his back standing up after the Animagus was forced to transform back (PA19). He led the procession out of the Shack and pressed the knot on the Whomping Willow for the others. When Lupin transformed into a werewolf he backed away, hair standing up. Peter, who had picked up Lupin's wand, shot curses at Ron and Crookshanks; both were rendered unconcious (PA20).

After Scabbers' exposure

On the Hogwarts Express back to London, Ron showed the owl Sirius gave him to Crookshanks and awaited the cat's approval before he accepted it (PA22).

Crookshanks accompanied Hermione to the Burrow in the summer of 1994. He liked to chase gnomes in the garden (GF4). He panicked a little during the taxi ride to King's Cross when a number of Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks from Fred's trunk exploded—he clawed his way up the driver's leg and scratched Harry, Ron and Hermione until they reached London (GF11).

After Scabbers was gone, Crookshanks spent his time peacefully at Hogwarts or wherever Hermione was during the holidays, where he was usually curled up on Hermione's or one of her friends' laps and purring or chasing things around (GF14, GF24, OP13, OP15, HBP5, DH6, among others). He was left at the Burrow when the Trio fled from Bill and Fleur's wedding (DH9).