{Paws: 99 + 1 for Crookshanks} - Sa13+
 

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i9...aMaxie/Cat.png
One Hundred for Crookshanks

For my Liisa
Eighteenth August, 2009. <3


{ To Do List }

1. Herbology
2. Muggle Studies
3. Transfiguration
4. Ancient Runes
5. Astronomy
6. Divination
7. Care of Magical Creatures
8. Potions
9. Defense Against the Dark Arts
10. Arithmancy
11. History of Magic
12. Charms
13. Quidditch
14. Hogwarts, A History
15. Room
16. Dragonhide gloves
17. Cauldron
18. Whomping Willow
19. Wand
20. Hogsmeade
21. Veela
22. Kneazle
23. Telescope
24. House elf
25. Sorting Hat
26. Quill
27. Owl
28. Timeturner
29. Pensieve
30. Feast
31. Dress robes
32. Common room
33. Classroom
34. Parseltongue
35. Pureblood
36. Muggle
37. Animagus
38. Patronus
39. Duel
40. Spell
41. Thestrals
42. Portraits
43. Headmaster
44. Ford Anglia
45. Torch
46. Dungeon
47. Portkey
48. Leprechaun
49. Yule Ball
50. Boggart
51. Act
52. Bore
53. Chase
54. Dare
55. Egg on
56. Fight
57. Gape
58. Hoot
59. Ignore
60. Joke
61. Kiss
62. Lope
63. Mooch
64. Nap
65. Ooze
66. Pace
67. Quell
68. Roar
69. Slap
70. Team
71. Untie
72. Vex
73. Warn
74. x-tinguish
75. Yodel
76. Zap
77. Cheerful
78. Author's choice
79. Author's Choice
80. Author's Choice
81. Depression
82. Careful
83. Fearful
84. Angry
85. Snappish
86. Daring
87. Plaid
88. Sweet Tooth
89. Past
90. Present
91. Future
92. Chocolate
93. Chicken
94. Allergic
95. Snowball
96. Socks
97. Dictionary
98. Pajamas
99. Newspaper
100. Homework

Pink = Done

______________________


Theme # 4: Ancient Runes


Uruz, Rune of Strength. Crookshanks sniffed, placing a paw on the top of the plastic rune stone, perhaps to check if it felt edible – it did not – before grabbing it between his teeth. It felt squishy, like soft polystyrene and, while the cat had no plans to eat it for lunch, Scabbers was missing and the rune stone would certainly make an amusing replacement.


Hermione Granger looked up from her tome, wondering what her favourite pet was up to. Just chewing on a rune stone. WAIT! A rune stone? Alarmed, she stood up. Had Crookshanks been visiting the Runes classroom?

Theme # 27: Owl


It was well past midnight, and the residents of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry lay, fast and peacefully asleep, in beds that seemed to snore with the weight of dreams and warmth. In the far distance, a solitary owl hooted by itself, and a single, yellow light flickered through a half open window in gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid’s rather interesting cabin.

Crookshanks was not in a great mood: Hermione had taken his plastic rune by force, and he had not had dinner in protest. The fur ball stretched his legs, his eyes gleaming in the gloom of the night.

Theme # 64: Nap


”Crookshanks, down boy, down –”

Hermione Granger's voice was shrill. Crookshanks let go of the thing between his teeth – which was, incidentally, Ronald Weasley's hand – but continued to growl at the red-haired man who was trying to protect Scabbers from the cat's furious grip.

“It’s a bad rat,” he tried to tell his brown-eyed owner. “It’s going to eat us all.” But Ron was shouting his head off, and Hermione was pink in the face. Not glad, Crookshanks rubbed his furry head against the latter’s leg, before curling up to fall asleep.

Theme # 1: Herbology


Herbology was not Crookshanks ’s favourite subject. Today, following an unsuspecting Hermione into the greenhouses, the fur-ball was not sure what he disliked more, the little potted plant that he knew was fond of screaming, or the giant vines that had what looked like dozens of tiny, white eyes.

Disgusting things.

He found himself a cosy spot at the back of the greenhouse as the glass doors slid shut, and Professor Sprout took charge. The cat was alert, on the lookout: Hopefully, the bad rat was not going to make the mistake of following the red-haired man here.

Theme # 28: Time-turner


"Coming, guys."

Hermione Granger's voice floated down the staircase and, moments later, Crookshanks could see her slender figure following the red-haired man and the green-eyes through the portrait hole.


Growwwwwwll.

The little time-turner would not budge. Crookshanks sniffed at it, sensed something mysterious, and growled again, his voice lower but more fierce, this time round. The time-turner continued to lie at his feet - it was his own fault the thing was there, in the first place - clearly unaffected by the noise.

Bad, inedible thing.

Crookshanks turned it over with a paw, then left it alone.

Theme # 02: Muggle Studies


Crookshanks sniffed. The classroom smelled of tanned leather, and the furball rubbed his head against a carboard box that lay, by the door. He liked this smell. It reminded him of his owner's new shoes, the red heels she had bought, this summer.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione scolded, as she stepped into the Muggle Studies classroom, and the orange cat walked over to her, a bit of a red jogger - the closest equivalent he could find to her red heels - between his teeth. "You shouldn't have touched those! God knows what they were here for and -"

Crookshanks continued to chew.

Theme # 03: Transfiguration


It was not a nice day. Crookshanks had crept out of the common room in search of some crunchy, nutritious bug in the wee hours of morn, but returned without one. He had barely gotten over the disappointment, when the sun broke through a stream of clouds, and the red-haired man had remembered he had not practiced the latest set of spells their year had been taught in the last Transfiguration lesson.

"Go away," Crookshanks had tried to tell the red-haired man. But the red-haired man was ruthless, and turned him into a small, silver pin, anyway.

Theme # 05: Astronomy


Hermione Granger picked up her Astronomy textbook, and heaved a sigh as she flipped it open. She was to take the exam tomorrow, and the practical the evening after, but she was far from pleased with her preparation, thorough though it was.


Crookshanks attempted to curl up at his owner's feet, but he was not satisfied. She paid him little attention, and did not even reach out to stroke him.In the end, he sat up, stretched, and headed out of the warm interiors of the Gryffindor common room in search of the red-haired man's squeaky rat.

Theme # 06: Divination


It was good to be able to jump. Crookshanks sank his teeth into the shoe of a Slytherin who had tried to kick him out of the way and, when the boy had scurried away, leaped into the Divination classroom. His owner was, of course, not present: Crookshanks was pretty sure she did not take this class anymore, because she had not come here for quite a while.

He found himself a little spot at the back, far from the fumes of the little fires. Ah yes, he liked this place - it guaranteed him several hours of undisturbed, peaceful sleep.

Theme # 07: Care of Magical Creatures


They had a class on kneazles, today. "Reckon this will be tough?" Ron asked and, with a grin, Hermione stuck her new quill behind her ear. She was pretty sure this would be easy - she did, after all, have a pet that was part-kneazle.


Crookshanks had eaten, and now he was bored. He arrived at the foot of a staircase, where he curled up and went to sleep, because he had nothing else of interest to do. He could have followed his owner to Care of Magical Creatures, he knew, but he did not want to meet any ... relatives.

Theme # 08: Potions


Crookshanks lifted his nose, and sniffed the air. It did not smell right, so he waited, paws at the ready -- but no threat of harm came and, at long last, the cat allowed himself to let his guard relax. Not let it down, of course - a wise cat was alert at the most peaceful of times.

The orange furball gave a little, unhappy wag of his tail, and forayed further into the depths of the potion-ingredients closet. There was a crash, as he stepped into something that stuck to his paws, and Crookshans jumped into the air.

Stupid closet.

Theme # 19: Wand


Crookshanks was a rather cross, orange cat, when he finally managed to squeeze his way out of the closet of potion-ingredients. They had wet his fur, the things inside that damp place, and it stuck up in many directions now, bristling with wet, dark blue liquid.

"Crookshanks!"

He looked up, and was pleased. It was Hermione, and she looked rather appalled at the state she had found him in. She siphoned the goo off with a flick of her wand, then picked him up and whisked him away, off the scene of the crime before Professor Snape could arrive.

Theme # 09: Defense Against the Dark Arts


BAH! Crookshanks would have grumbled, if he could. The cat attempted to stretch his legs, but it was not to be: the wickerwork basket that housed him, at the moment, was not spacious enough to meet his idea of fun.

"MEOOOWWW," he growled.

"Oh, Crookshanks," Hermione said, with a shake of her head. The basket lay at her feet, and her eyes were fixed on Professor Lupin, as the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts demonstrated a nifty spell. "You have to stay in there, for a while."

How could he let her know he did not want to?

Theme # 10: Arithmancy


Crookshanks flicked his tail as he jumped down the arm of the sofa, and into Hermione's lap. Parchment flew in all directions, and she gave a little yelp of surprise as the bottle of ink that rested on top of the notebook in her lap, toppled over. Fortunately for her, it was not unscrewed; she gave a shake of her head, then proceeded to scold him. In response, he stretched a bit.

"Crookshanks!" She chided, quite mortified by his ignorance. "What do you think you're -?"

He curled up on top of her Arithmancy textbook, and closed his eyes.

Theme # 11: History of Magic


Unlike the larger part of the student body at Hogwarts, Crookshanks possessed a happy collection of memories associated with the classes of that ghost, Professor Cuthbert Binns. He eased into the said teacher's lesson now, eyes bright and tummy quite satisfied.

"Harry, Ron, wake up!" Hermione said rather angrily, as she poked the boy closest to her, in the back. "I swear, I will NOT lend you my notes this term, or -"

Crookshanks blinked at his owner as he passed her. She gave him a surprised look, and then he had leapt into her lap for a good nap.

Theme # 12: Charms


It had been a rather boring day, until Crookshanks had spotted a niffler by the gamekeeper's cabin. He had tried to scare it away with a rather peculiar meow, but the niffler had refused to budge. It had, in fact, ignored him rather completely.

Crookshanks had not been pleased at this, and had followed the thing to its owner, who had made use of the creature to locate several, silver charms she had lost, the other day. The charms were pretty, but Crookshanks growled at them.

Why should a niffler be able to locate them, when he could not?

Theme # 13: Quidditch


Crookshanks did not understand the hype about Quidditch. It eluded him how sweating it out for a cup that you might not gets your hands on, after all, could please one.

He had to admit, though, that the snitch was rather shiny, and made him want to chase it to the end of the world. But even the little ball could not make him like the sport - could not make him like it because the red-haired man with the bad rat often played it, and Crookshanks did not like the red-haired man with the bad rat, one bit.

Theme # 14: Hogwarts, A History


It was well past curfew but one orange cat had, of course, the advantage of no such restrictions of time. Crookshanks stepped into the Gryffindor common room now, and his eyes were bright as they scanned its warm interiors. He spotted his owner in a comfortable sofa by the fireplace, and went over. She scratched him behind the ear, but paid him no further attention, because she had an exam the next day.

Crookshanks did not like that. So he gripped one end of Hogwarts, A History between his teeth, and tugged until she looked up, and heaved a sigh.

Theme # 15: Room


For the most part, Crookshanks hated the train ride to, and back from, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It meant a wickerwork basket, and he did not like the little room that provided him. He did not even like - had had a good bite out of - the little cushions his owner had brought along, this time round, for his convenience.

But the ride was still more bearable, this time. Not because of the cushions, but because his owner had placed a nifty charm on his basket: he had more room to stretch in, and more room to curl up.

Theme # 16: Dragonhide gloves


Oh, goodie! It was his owner's birthday, today. She was neck-deep in wrappings as she untied ribbons, and peeked into gift boxes, and Crookshanks was glad of that: it meant he could indulge in the chocolate fudge at the table without any disturbance - it was not meant for him, of course, but it still tasted quite nice.

Then Hermione squealed as she fished out a set of brand new dragonhide gloves, and Crookshanks meowed in surprise. She looked over at him, gave a little yelp of astonishment, and he knew at once that he was in trouble. Oops.

Theme # 17: Cauldron


... and what was this?

Crookshanks had taken a quick peek in the lounge. His owner had returned from Diagon Alley, and her arms had been full of new things before she had emptied these on to the table in the hall. He had sneaked up to it, sniffed at the stuff, and recognized the smell of fresh parchment and shoe-polish, when he saw a new cauldron.

Now why would she need that?

He climbed on to its brim and was about to take a good look inside, when he lost his balance and fell, bottom first, into it. OUCH!

Theme # 20: Hogsmeade


Brrr, it was cold. Crookshanks eyed his owner as she slipped into a short, red jacket, and wondered where he could get one for himself. Maybe he ought to rub his head against Hermione's feet... perhaps that would let her know he was cold?


Hermione pulled on her new dragonhide gloves, a happy sparkle in her brown eyes. She was excited for this trip. Hogsmeade was always such a fun place! She wrapped a scarf around her neck, and left the castle. Crookshanks followed her at a very close distance, his eyes on her jacket.

He wanted one, too.

Theme # 100: Homework


It was bright, summer-time weather, but Hermione Granger's mood was far from sunny: she knew very well that the one option she had at her disposal, right now, was to re-write the essay she had written last night - but how could she, when the class it was to be handed in in, was less than twenty minutes away?

Oh, how could she explain to Professor Snape that she had awoken this morning to find her essay on the properties and uses of moonstone, of good service, as night-time toy, to one orange, rather bandy-legged cat?

Theme # 99: Newspaper


Summer vacation; and a simple breakfast at the Granger residence. Mr. Granger picked the newspaper from the doormat, and sank into a chair at the dining table. Then he proceeded to relate the headline of the day to his wife, who was in conversation with her daughter.


Crookshanks sat in his owner's lap, curled up but very alert. He stretched, raised his head a bit to look at his owner's father, and tried to make a face because he felt rather ignored. When that did not work, he sprang on the table, and upset the jug of juice.

Theme # 98: Pyjamas


Crookshanks loved the smell of fresh laundry. He rubbed his head against Hermione's bare feet now, as she sat down on her bed, and began to fold a fresh stack of pyjamas.

She laughed as he sprang into her lap, and attempted to rub his head against a silk pyjama. This led him to purr - until his eye was caught by little sparkles. It was a pyjama that bore little ducks, and he bit into it quite happily.

Hermione tugged it away. "You silly cat! If it fits in your mouth, it doesn't mean you can eat it!"

Theme # 97: Dictionary


Hermione Granger heaved a sigh as she clambered through the portrait hole, her arms laden with her new, Runes dictionary. She had ordered it by mail last week, and it had arrived mere moments ago. Happy as she was that the tome had reached her in time, she was also aware that she would have to tackle it before the exams next month, take in each detail.


What a BIG book! Crookshanks sniffed it after his owner had left for her dormitory, and decided he did not like it. He would have to have some of it for dinner, yes.

Theme # 18: Whomping Willow


What did his owner think she was up to? Crookshanks growled a bit as he saw her trot up to the Whomping Willow. Lady Willow would EAT his owner, if she went too near -- and, as it was, the not-so-small, orange furball was not too pleased with this thought: he needed her to feed, pet and take care of him. He also needed her for the provision of a lap in which he could curl up.

... and - not often though he thought of this - he was pretty sure he also needed her because he was fond of her.

Theme # 21: Veela


If he could have raised an eyebrow, Crookshanks definitely would have. He had managed to capture a crunchy, little bug he had seen by the lake, but he came to a halt now, settling down into a niche in the wall to see what the red-haired man was up to. He had mustered up enough courage, the red-haired man, to talk to the pretty part-veela whose excessive use of perfume Crookshanks did not like much, and the cat was not impressed by this.

Did the red-haired man not understand that his owner would not like this?

Theme # 22: Kneazle


Grrr.

Crookshanks slowed to a halt, and glared at the relative in front of him. Relatives, he had to say, were not welcome in his vicinity. Not because he did not like them, but because he did not want to compete for any crunchy bugs.

A cat should have the right to eat his bug in peace.

"What do youuu want, big bad relative with green eyes?" He demanded and, when his kneazle-foe only looked at him in response, he poked out a paw. Yes, that should scare the big, bad relative away.

To his disappointment, it did not.

Theme # 23: Telescope


What a joy! It was his birthday, and Crookshanks was excited. Not, of course, his real birth day. No one in existence knew of that. But it was certainly the same day that it had been, exactly two years ago, when Hermione Granger had bought him.

Crookshanks pawed the rug in front of the fireside in the Granger residence, and wondered what his owner would give him as a birthday gift. She had given him a miniature, rubber telescope last time. He had loved it, because it smelled like peppermint -- and because he could chew it, anytime he wanted to.

Theme # 24: House-elf


Was that a ... disturbance? Crookshanks pricked up his ears, then stretched a leg and licked it a bit. Because he had taken one sleepy-eyed look around the interiors of the Gryffindor common room, and seen only a house-elf. Those were alright. They did not disturb him and, even when he was in the way of their work, they made use of their magic to lift him to a safe spot on the other side of the common room.

Of course, that woke him up, too. But it was still good to know he was not taken for granted.

Theme # 25: Sorting Hat


Crookshanks wagged his tail, as he poked his head into the chamber that was - though he did not know this - the Headmaster's office. He had followed Professor McGonagall into the place because he liked her new shoes, and now he was not happy.

Where was he, the cat wondered.

He peered closer, and scanned the interiors of this new place for a trace of something he knew, or a sign that he could recognize with ease. None came, so he took a tentative step in ... and saw a big, floppy hat.

Must go see if I can chew that.

Theme # 29: Pensieve


Crookshanks wagged his tail for the second time in the past five minutes - he knew well that no wise cat ventured into a place they could not identify, if they only wanted a safe meal - and then sneaked into the office with slow, careful, very cat-like steps.

"Ah, Professor McGonagall, it looks like we have a visitor," Ablus Dumbledore said, looking up from the pile of paperwork perched on his desk. He closed the doors that revealed, to the viewer's eye, the instrument that was his Pensieve, and gave a serene smile.

Crookshanks eyed the Hat, in response.

Theme # 26: Quill


"I need a new quill," a boy with red hair and a scatter of freckles on his nose, announced.

"Ron!" Hermione Granger snapped, in irritated response. "You need a new one, each day. Why can't you -"

"Guys," a bespectacled boy with startlingly green eyes interrupted in a tired voice.

Hermione paid him no attention. "- Why can't you take care of your belongings?" She plowed on. "Look at me, my stationary is always in perfect condi - CROOKSHANKS!"

She had walked into the Gryffindor common room. Crookshanks looked up from the sofa, a half-chewed quill dangling from his mouth.

Theme # 30: Feast


What a happy day! Hermione had fed him a full bowl of nuggets only half an hour ago, and now Crookshanks had managed to catch himself a crunchy, very nutritious bug. The bandy-legged ball of orange fur was rather happy, and it was no wonder that his eyes sparkled as he set off at a cat-like trot, in search of a corner of the vast grounds of Hogwarts that was not home to a disturbance of any sort -- a corner where he could indulge in this new bit of food, in peace.

Such a feast, such a feast!

Theme # 31: Dress robes


Ah, it was fun to be a cat. Crookshanks stifled a cat-yawn as he curled up by the fireplace, and looked at the warm interiors of the Gryffindor common room, with bright but very sleepy eyes. Oh, how glad he was that he was a cat, and not a human who would have to attend classes each day, put off the thought of shiny, chewy things for the sake of a set of complicated charts he did not want to study!


"These dress robes are a disaster!" Ronald Weasley muttered angrily. Crookshanks gave him a sleepy look, in response.

Theme # 32: Common room


"Here kitty, kitty! Here, kitty, kitty, kitty! Here, kitt -"

Crookshanks paused, and gave the girl with bright, blue eyes a most insolent look. Who did this girl think she was? Did she think, foolish little human, that he was some common cat, who would wag his tail like a pretty puppy and bound up to her to lick her hand, if she called to him in those sickly tones? No, he was not. He was Crookshanks, the awesome orange cat who -

"CROOKSHANKS!" Hermione called out from the other end of the common room.

He bounded up to her at once.

Theme # 33: Classroom


Crookshanks did not like this class. Arithmancy, he thought it was - but, of course, he could not be sure. The cat did not, after all, have much time to give to thoughts of study. That was for humans. For him? Life of another kind, a life perhaps not as in-depth, but certainly no less exciting.

He tore himself away from his thoughts, and licked his paw -- because he could, and because the little act lent him ... a certain amount of cuteness. Then he raised his head like the proper cat he was, and followed his owner into a classroom.

Theme # 34: Parseltongue


"Salazar Slytherin was a parseltongue," a boy read out loud from his big book of History of Magic. He was not in a good mood, this boy, because he had an exam - an OWL, to be more precise - tomorrow, and his preparation was far from thorough. In fact, he was sure that he would not manage to scrape by with even an A -- unless, of course, he did not sleep this night, and devoted those hours of gloom to study.


Crookshanks opened an eye, and gave the boy a look. Why study, when you could find a bug to chew?

Theme # 35: Pureblood


Crookshanks was not too pleased, today. He had overheard a group of humans in deep conversation over the subject of the status of blood and lineage, and he was one cat who did not support their views. Supremacy based on such forms of discrimination was, in his cat-mind, quite unfair. Where was the proof that every pure-blood would be superior, in abilities of magic and more, to one of mixed or non-magical lineage?

The bandy-legged cat slipped underneath a warm sofa, and decided he would bite the bad group, the very next time he saw it.

Theme # 36: Muggle


Part-kneazle he might be, but that did not mean Crookshanks did not like the quiet, muggle way of life. In fact, in his opinion, it was far more suited to a cat of his ... well, stature. Sure, magic was fine, but the real benefits it brought were for humans, and not awesome cats like him.

Yes, it was far more peaceful to chew his favourite toy in the calm of a simple living room, than to do so at the back of a classroom where there was the constant danger that something might explode over his head, any moment.

Theme # 37: Animagus


Things had been ... very different, lately. For several months now, Crookshanks had been rather used to the way of life that tied him with his owner, the boy with the round glasses, and the red-haired man - a way that included lots of classes, lots of laughter, lots of bickering and lots of good, healthy meals.

The big, black dog had changed it all.

It was not a dog, but a human, that Crookshanks's cat-senses could tell with plenty of ease. But whether to trust this animagus or not, to help him or deny assistance, was the question.

Theme # 38: Patronus


What a pretty, silver thing! Crookshanks wanted to clap, as the breathe of silver swooshed past him on its way to its disappearance into nothingness but, of course, he could not. But the cat was very pleased with his owner's work, with how well she had improved at this spell she had struggled to master, and he knew he had to let her know this.

He went up to her, and rubbed his furry head against her legs. She laughed, and bent down to stroke his head. Crookshanks liked that, so he rubbed his head against her legs again.

Theme # 39: Duel


Crookshanks was in a good mood, today. The slightly bandy-legged cat stifled a cat-yawn, and stretched himself as he leaped, quite lightly, from the arm of the sofa, on to the window-sill. From here he could see out into the open, take a good look at the vast, green grounds that stretched below.

It was a cold day, and Crookshanks did not usually like those but, today, he did not mind. Because today he had had a cat-duel, a little struggle to get his share of bug, and he had come out of it the clear winner.

Theme # 40: Spell


"How do you spell eh - eh - 'Mione, what's the Furstark rune whose name starts with an E-H?"

Hermione Granger looked up from her textbook, and raised an eyebrow. "There is," she said. "No such thing as a Furstark rune, Ron. The correct pronunciation is -"

"Oh joy, another lecture," Ron cut through, and he raised his hand to pretend to stem the beginnings of a yawn. "It wouldn't kill you if you skipped that and -"


Crookshanks looked up from his owner's feet. He had never liked the red-haired man, and liked him even less, right now.

Theme # 41: Thestrals


Crookshanks sniffed the air, then carefully placed a paw on the wet ground. It had rained, this morning - the floor of the Forbidden Forest still dripped from the downpour, and the air lay thick with the concentrated, very delicious scent of wet-through mud.

But that was not what had the attention of the cat, now. Sure, he loved the scent of dusty airs and mud after a cool shower of rain. But he was more interested, right now, in the skeletal creature who threw his head back at the sight of him.

They were friends, Crookshanks and the thestral.

Theme # 42: Potraits


Hermione Granger heaved a sigh, then placed a spellbook on top of her favourite twin portraits - portraits of her parents, which she had had developed over the previous summer. The trunk that housed these was, it might be mentioned, already filled to the brim, but there was little the fifteen year-old could do: a pile of books lay on the table by her bed, and she knew she could not carry all of them, on the train.


Crookshanks rose from his place under the bed, and stretched leisurely. How glad he was that he did not have to pack!

Theme # 43: Headmaster


Ooof! A bit of nugget flew out of Crookshank's mouth, and landed on the ground. The cat made an angry noise, but the boys who had rushed past paid no attention.

Bad, human boys.

The cat gave a rather annoyed flick of his tail, then eyed the bit of nugget that would have been in his tummy by now, had the bad boys not interrupted his nice meal. He wished he could do something about them, maybe complain to the Headmaster, but they had whipped out of sight, and he could not even sink his teeth into their shoes.

Theme # 44: Ford Anglia


It was no secret that Crookshanks did not like the red-haired man. The cat loathed the way he treated his owner, even though - clever creature that he was - he had an inkling of what ... lay beneath the rough exterior that the red-haired man put on for Hermione.

That did not mean, of course, that he was not glad to have an excuse to dislike the red-haired man. In fact, had he been with Hermione last year, he would have been happy at how angry the red-haired man's antics with a certain Ford Anglia made her!

Theme # 45: Torch


It was a windy night, the kind Crookshanks loved. The wind picked up in stormy ways, whistling down chimneys and knocking at the many windows of Hogwarts castle. The cat decided it was time to jump down from his warm bed in one of the sofas by the fire in the Gryffindor common room, and get a breath of fresh, cold air. It would, he was certain, do him good.

He leapt out of the sofa, and waited until the portrait hole opened so that he could trot outside. A torch burned in a bracket, and the corridor lay empty.

Theme # 46: Dungeon


Empty.

Crookshanks sniffed at the nearest wall. He was, one had to say, quite happy at the absolute abandon of the paths he loved best: company, Crookshanks loved, but solace, the cat could love better, especially in the kind of weather he loved, the kind of weather a cat needed to be able to enjoy in peace.

The kind of weather that it was, now.

He stepped into one of the corridors that led away from the dungeons, and shivered a bit. It was cold here, colder than he had expected. Perhaps he should not have left the common room?

Theme # 47: Portkey


What was thaaaat? Crookshanks raised a paw to turn the little can of pepsi over with his cat-foooot, then decided against it. He knew the scent of pepsi - it was like sour limes, and very cola-ish. But this, this can did not smell like that. There was, the cat was certain, something wrong with it.

Perhaps it belonged, or had belonged at some point in its life to the red-haired man?

He sniffed at it, then left it in peace. Clever cat! He might not have known the little tin was a portkey, but yes, clever cat!

Theme # 48: Leprechaun


Crookshanks was not pleased with how scarce the attention he had received from his owner, the start of this summer, was. He could easily tell that Hermione had other matters on her mind - such as the excitement of the first Quidditch World Cup of her life. Great, her knowledge of the sport might not be, but she was an enthusiastic fan, and was ready to cheer on the team of her choice.. and no, that team had not been picked at random.

The cat flicked his tail, and pawed at a bit of Leprechaun gold. He was far from happy.

Theme # 49: Yule Ball


Crookshanks did not understand why this night was of such importance. He had followed his owner to the library bookshelves earlier, and knew that she had the man with the beetle brows for a partner, but that did not explain the need for the fuss, the need to wear pretty dresses that sparkled in the light, and made him want to eat - or at least chew a bit of - them.

But he couldn't.

He COULDN'T.

The cat flicked his tail in disappointment, and curled up on Hermione's dress. That might make her angry, but he was upset.

Theme # 50: Boggart


Hermione Granger was a mess, today. She had had a whirlwind of a third year final, and her boggart had scared the living daylights out of her when it had let her know she had ... flunked.

She was pretty angry too, that she had to admit. How could she let herself go, forget that it was only a boggart, and not the real Professor McGonagall? The teen dabbed at her tears with a hanky.


Crookshanks did not like his owner sad, because that made him sad, too. The cat went up to her, and rubbed his head against her legs.

Theme # 51: Act


WHAT?

As he rose from his seat by the fireside, stretched leisurely, stepped out of the common room and turned round a corner, Crookshanks was not pleased. The scene that unfolded in front of him was no ode to Catkind, and he growled a bit as he saw a smallish kitten back into a corner, frightened of a large owl.

"Bad kitty," he scolded, as he glared daggers at the owl. "Bad kitty. Growwwll. GROWWWL."

That frightened the owl away but, when Crookshanks turned, he saw that the little kitty had acted on impulse, and made a quick escape, too.

Theme # 52: Bore


You did not have to be a genius to be able to tell that Crookshanks was one, very bored cat, today. He hated the transition from winter to spring, not because he did not like any of the seasons, but because it was ... rather strange. He could not play with snow, and he could not sniff at the pretty flowers and maybe eat them... and that was, of course, not fun in the least.

The orange cat curled up, and pretended to be asleep, but he was not. He just wanted spring to come really soon. Or winter to stay.

Theme # 53: Chase


Slow, sneaky, cat-like steps.

The leaves rustled, and the bug looked up. Then it gave a little squeal, and hopped away. But the cat, the orange cat, was hot on his heels.

THE CHASE had begun.


Crookshanks returned to the common room with a most satisfied tummy. He squeezed between two pairs of legs to make his way to a little corner, so he could eat a bit more in peace. Hermione saw him, and shook her head in something like wonder.

When would her cat realize that it was good to eat, but better to eat in moderation?

Theme # 54: Dare


Crookshanks was in a pretty smug mood. The orange cat leaped up lightly, and climbed on the window-sill of the Gryffindor common room. He could look down, into the grounds, from here, but that was not the point. The point was that this window, reminded him of another, the one he had curled up on, earlier today -- the one where another cat, some inferior sort it was clear, had had the cheek to dare him to jump!

He had not completed the dare, of course. He knew he was perfect, and no cat was allowed to question his judgement.

Theme # 55: Egg on


It was a Sunday, a pretty Sunday. Crookshanks opened his eyes, and glanced at the dining hall of the Granger residence. It was a neat place, and the cat rather like it, but that was not what had caught his interest, right now. What had caught his interest was the fact that the hall was not empty.

This meant food.

He raised himself, stretched as was his custom and, with a flick of his tail, headed for the dining hall. The door was wide-open, and his tummy grumbled as Mrs. Granger placed an egg on her daughter's plate.

Theme # 56: Fight


“Well, it’s not my fault!” Hermione Granger began heatedly, her eyes furious as she slammed a book on one of the desks in an unused classroom.

“If only that cat of yours would keeps its CLAWS off my –” Ron shouted back, slamming a fist into the nearest wall, in fury. The action had, of course, no good effect: he now had a severe ache to tackle.


Crookshanks looked up from his little spot behind the last desk. The fights were no new thing, but when would the red-haired man realize that his rat wanted to eat them all?

Theme # 57: Gape


Autumn had arrived in fiery reds, and the leaves were a vivid orange-crimson, pretty to look at. Good to sniff at, too, because they smelled of dust, a scent a certain cat liked.

Crookshanks stretched, lowered his head, and then curled up, by the lake. His eyes were half-closed, but it was no big secret that he was not asleep. In the distance, a smallish boy - a first year, it was clear - gaped at the green-eyed man with the scar. The said man was, in the meanwhile, in deep conversation with his owner.

Sleep would be welcome.

Theme # 58: Hoot


Some night.

Crookshanks found it rather hard to sleep. The cat had chosen this spot, by the fireside in the common room, because he had been pretty sure it would guarantee him a good night's sleep. The weather was cold, bitter-cold, and the flames ensured that his bed was reasonably hot.

But the fire had died down, and he was cold again. He tried to curl up again in an attempt to drive away the cold, but it was of little use. Somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted, and Crookshanks sat up.

Time to find another spot.

Theme # 59: Ignore


Crookshanks was not in a nice mood. The red-haired man was angry once more and, it must be mentioned, released some of this fury by sitting down on his favourite sofa by the fireside in his common room, and slamming his potions textbook, quite hard, on the table in front of him. The noise had woken up one orange cat, and now Crookshanks found it hard to go back to sleep.

He rose, and decided it was time to eat. Ron glared at him, but the cat ignored the red-haired man.

He had no time for trifles, Crookshanks.

Theme # 63: Mooch


Ah, springtime. It was no wonder his owner loved the weather so much: Hogwarts looked like a pretty picture out of a pretty book, and Crookshanks would have hummed under his breath a bit, if he could, as he skidded - yes, skidded- to a merry halt by a cluster of lovely, white flowers with long stalks. He had seen them yesterday, on his way to get some food, and they had ... attracted him. But he had had other matters - such as his tummy - on his mind then, and knew he could not be a silly moocher.

But today was different.

Theme # 60: Joke


Poor flower. It had had a pretty white head at one point in its life, but that was no longer: it dangled from Crookshanks's mouth now, and the cat chewed it a bit before he swallowed.

He did not usually eat flowers. They were nice, and did not try to compete with him for food. But right now, his stomach did not feel too well, and he felt the need to ... make it settle down.


A little girl saw the cat, and broke into laughter. Crookshanks glared at her. What did she think this was, some sort of joke?

Theme # 61: Kiss


Ewww. Crookshanks closed his eyes, for the scene was most inappropriate. He had skipped out into the courtyard to skid through a band of new flowers - the joys of springtime! - but that was not to be. For a couple stood in the middle of the carpet of pretty pink roses, and they held hands and - yes, this was the worst part - seemed pretty happy at the kiss they had shared, only five seconds ago.

Quite, quite mortified, Crookshanks retreated from the spot. The things these foolish humans did! At least the girl wore pretty, red heels. Those looked ... quite edible.

Theme # 62: Lope


His owner had had a new fight with the red-haired man. The subject had, once more, been one bad rat who planned, Crookshanks knew well, to eat them all, but the red-haired man in question was not ready to see the cat's point of view. He had slammed down his owner's copy of The New Lope, and his owner had, in turned, stormed out of the Gryffindor common room.

"This all your fault!" The red-haired man snapped at him.

Crookshanks gave him a look of superiority, and left with his head held high.

Foolish mortal.

Theme # 65: Ooze


Crookshanks had been on his way to the North Tower - he quite liked the place. It was excellent if you loved sleep and were, of course, a cat, an awesome, orange cat who answered to no authority except his pretty owner - when he was brought to a halt by a rather peculiar smell.

The cat paused, turned around. To his left, jutted a door that was wide-open, and one peek inside told him all was not well. A cauldron stood at the far end of the classroom, and sticky green liquid oozed out of a crack in its bottom.

Theme # 66: Pace


What a pretty, springtime day! Crookshanks awoke with a merry glint in his eye, and stretched a bit. Then he was off in search of some good food, maybe a crunchy, nutritious bug whom he could manage to catch unawares, because he did not feel like a chase, this early in the morning.

The cat skidded through a band of flowers, but then he slowed his pace, came to a quick halt. His owner was there, a toast wrapped in napkin in one of her hands. Why, Crookshanks could not help but wonder greatly, was his owner out, this early?

Theme # 67: Quell


"THIS IS ALL YOU -" the red-haired man thundered.

"YOU HAVE NO ID -" Hermione Granger cut through, very furiously. She looked so angry, Crookshanks was sure she would throw something at the red-haired man. But she did not, and the cat was most disappointed. He could not take any more of these fights, and the red-haired man's devotion to the bad rat displeased him.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY THAT -" Ron began, and then he yelped, because Crookshanks had stepped up to him, and sank his teeth into his shoes.

That should quell the boy's anger.

Theme # 68: Roar


Crookshanks knew he was no lion, could not roar like one, but he was very aware that he was no ordinary cat, either. He was a part-kneazle, one of those clever, little creatures who could tell when you lied to them, and he partook in no evil. No, he was not like the foolish red-haired man, and would never fall for the evil tricks of a common, BAD rat.

He trotted by the big, black dog's side now, and nodded in a cat-like way to show that he understood the dog. They were good friends, yes.

Theme # 69: Slap


"I can not believe you said that!" Hermione shouted at the top of her voice. Crookshanks looked up, in alarm. He was not surprised that the two were at it again, but he was definitely most unhappy. He did not want to see his owner upset - that did not suit her, and was certainly not good for her health.

THAT BAD RAT!

"Well, you should -" Ron began, and then he said something that aggravated his owner, really aggravated her, Crookshanks could tell by that made look in her eye, and then... well, THWAACCKKK.

She had slapped the red-haired man.

Theme # 70: Team


They had won! Gryffindor had won the Quidditch Cup, and the look in the green-eyed man's eyes was beyond words. Crookshanks perked his head and meowed a bit when he saw the green-eyed man with the scar raise the pretty cup with his Captain, because he knew this would make his owner happy, and his owner was one of the few humans he cared, really cared, for.

"Good job, team!" Oliver Wood gushed, too enthusiastic about this for words. Crookshanks went up to him, and rubbed his head against the Captain's legs.

Mmm, good day, today.

Theme # 71: Untie


It was two day's after the official start of his owner's fifth year at Hogwarts, and Crookshanks the cat lay by the fireside, the rug at the foot of which he occasionally pawed because it was so... soft. He looked up when there was a little rap at the window, though, and was not surprised to see an owl. That was, of course, a common occurrence.

He eyed the owl a bit as his owner went up to it, and untied a letter from its leg, but he knew he had to be on his best behavior, now.

Theme # 72: Vex


Oh, how the red-haired man had vexed him, at one point! But that was, Crookshanks knew, a thing of the past. Life was better now, and he could even curl up in the red-haired man's lap. The bad rat was gone, and Crookshanks was more than glad for this.

Good riddance. Bad rat, bad rat who wanted to eat us all.


"Hey, 'Mione, can you help me with this essay?" Ron said, scratching his head a bit because he was, once more, at a total loss.

Crookshanks meowed, and decided it was time to sleep some more.

Theme # 73: Warn


It was a brilliant day, and the sun was hot over his head. Crookshanks eyed it a bit, then trotted into the grounds. In the distance, the lake rippled in clear, blue waves, and students ate by its edge. The cat took a few, quick steps towards a bird that twittered not too far off - and the bird flew off. A little disappointed, Crookshanks curled up.

He was unhappy at how hasty he had acted. If only he had been slower, quieter -- then the pretty bird would not have been warned, and might have been in his tummy, right now.

Theme # 74: X-tinguish


Crookshanks was exhausted. It was a bitter cold day at the end of winter, and the cat felt like his bones were on some sort of fire. He was sleepy, could not find his owner, and had accidentally run into a wall. Something was wrong, pretty wrong.

Oh my, I think I might be sick.

He took two steps forward, but did not feel any better, so he huddled into a corner, right underneath a tall window. The lights in the corridor had long been extinguished, and the orange cat was really cold.

It would be a long, unhappy night.

Theme # 75: Yodel


In a corner of the common room, Crookshanks the cat wished he had hands that he could clap over his sensitive cat-ears, right now. A smallish, first year - a rather foolish one, by the looks of him - attempted to cheer a friend with a song, and his voice was terrible, really terrible.

"Sounds like Percy yodelling in the shower," Ron said, with a look in the firstie's direction. He was not the only one for whom the said boy's song was a source of disturbance: Crookshanks seconded Ron's comment, wished he could sink into the floor.

Theme # 76: Zap


"You will not get away with this, you foolish man!" a loud voice declared. "The forces of good will -"

"ZAP."

"Thwackthwack THWACK banggg."

Crookshanks raised his head, and opened an eyelid. He was huddled up on a cushion on one of the pretty, green sofas in the Grangers' lounge, and the television stood in front of him, blaring very loudly.

"Something shut that thing off," the cat mumbled. "I want to sleep some more."

No one paid him any attention, though. Even his owner only patted the top of his head, and continued to stare at the big, bad box.

Theme # 77: Cheerful


Crookshanks the cat was in a pretty cheerful mood, this day. He had been rather sick two nights before, and souped up on a diet of pretty flowers and leaf-food in an attempt to make himself well again, but that had been of no real use. But his owner was a nice owner, and she had noticed that he was sick. Which meant, of course, extra care. A bit of medicine, too. That was not nice, but the extra care certainly was.

... and now he was well, again. The cat stretched, and meowed happily. He wanted more, nice food!

Theme # 78: Author's Choice


"CROOKSHANKS!"

Crookshanks blinked, and opened his eyes. He had been in such a deep sleep, and it was pretty awful to have to wake up in response to such a loud shout. He did not like noise... and the person who had called him was not even his owner, but Mrs. Granger. He knew he could ignore that one - she was nice, but she had woken him up, and that was pretty bad.

"CROOKSHANKS!" Mrs. Granger called again. "Where are you, you cat?"

He curled up, and went back to sleep. She would find him, in her own good time.

Theme # 81: Depression


If you thought cats could not be upset, think again. Because one, orange cat was, was upset to the point of depression. Crookshanks raised his head, and stared at the yellow-orange flames that rose in the fireplace. He had liked them, at some point in his life. He was not sure he liked them, now.

Because things, things had changed a lot. Life had taken a total U-turn, and chaos had paved way for further chaos, chaos of an even worse kind. His owner had left him in hunt of God-knows-what, and he was alone.

Empty.

Theme # 79: Author's Choice


No owner.

Things had been so different, at one point. Even a month ago. Crookshanks pawed at the rug that lay in front of the fireside, and found that it had a little hole in the top left corner. That would not have interested him at one point, but now ... boring details were a part of his life, now. They interested him, because he knew he had to keep himself busy. Think of stuff that could not hurt him.

The cat fiddled with the tiny hole, but that did not make him any happier than he had been, last night.

Theme # 82: Careful


Oh. My. Gosh.

That was one JUICY bird. Crookshanks could imagine the poor, little thing - no, that was certainly not the way he thought of the pretty bird - dangling from his mouth now. How very crunchy, how very delicious!

But, delicious bird though it looked, it also looked like one realllyy wise creature. Crookshanks knew he had to be careful, or he would have to go find some small, bad bug for dinner. He didn't want that, of course. No amount of bug-food could replace the joy of a dinner that consisted of such a very juicy bird!

Theme # 83: Fearful


The snow swirled in the streets, little crystal points of moonlight slanting through the cracks in the boarded-up doors of abandoned houses. The neighbourhood lay empty and in ruins, and Crookshanks was quiet, very quiet, as he crept into a house.

He was not fearful of what lay ahead for him. He might have been a vain cat, but he had never been a coward. He was as brave as a big, orange cat could possibly be, and he was proud of it.

It was just that he missed his owner, and the fun times they had spent together.

Theme # 80: Author's Choice


"Go awayyyy."

"Nuuuu," the cat with the green eyes said. She had found herself a good dinner, and she was not about to back away for some orange cat who thought he was the best thing in the world, no way.

"GROWL!" Crookshanks said. The noise had worked wonders for him before, but it did not work with this cat with green eyes. She gave him a cool look, and turned the bird over with a paw.

Crookshanks glared at her. She was taking advantage of her gender, was she not? She KNEW he would not hurt a female cat.

Theme # 84: Angry


Crookshanks was not in a good mood. The orange cat stomped back to the common room - but found, to his utter anger - that he could not get inside. He had stayed out till late, and now the corridor lay in peaceful abandonment. Not a soul stirred and, of course, the portrait hole remained closed because of the total lack of password.

"Open up!" The cat growled, poking a paw at the Fat Lady. She mumbled something he could not figure out in her sleep, but did not wake. Crookshanks growled, and stomped off, once more. What a very rotten day!

Theme # 91: Future


Hermione Granger had a new top. She would not have bought it, the other day, if Ginny had not insisted upon it, and the reason was rather clear: it was a pretty prussian blue, tied at the front in this big, stylish knot that the likes of Hermione Granger would not be caught dead in. Or, at least, so she thought, at this moment - because what the future held, she had little idea.

Crookshanks loved the new top. He was pretty sure his owner would look splendid in it and, besides, he loved to paw the knot. It was... chewy.

Theme # 85: Snappish


*SNAP*

"Crookshanks!" Hermione Granger gave a little scream, and ran towards her orange pet. The cat, in question, had been seated on a sill, until a moment or two ago. His owner had told him not to, because the sill looked like it could snap into three any moment, but Crookshanks had not paid much attention to this - did his owner think he was FAT? What an outrage!

But the sill had snapped - or, at least, a part of it had broken away from the rest - and Crookshanks let out a growl as he leapt away.

"Bad snappish sill. BAD."

Theme # 86: Daring


Pig-wid-geee-on. What a difficult name! Crookshanks curled up, and eyed the little owl with a bit of an unhappy look. It was not that he did not like Pig-wid-geee-on - the owl was a delight, rather daring because Crookshanks's company did not scare him away ... of which, it might be mentioned, the cat in question was pretty glad. It was just that he did not understand the owl's complicated name.

Why could Pig-wid-geee-on's owner not have named him Popcorn, or Potato, or something else that was easy to pronounce?

Theme # 87: Plaid


It was that time of the year, once more. Crookshanks leapt up on Hermione's bed and snuck into the warm pile of clothes that she had heaped on it, but she did not shoo him away. Under normal circumstances, that would have been a huge surprise, but it was not so, now. Crookshanks knew the reasons well: she was sorting out stuff, placing aside what she did not need, or had outgrown.

He sniffed at a bit of checkered, plaid T-shirt, and decided he did not like the scent. It would not, not ever, make a good lunch.

Theme # 88: Sweet Tooth


"Gah, I can't take any more of this chocolate," Ron whined. Hermione rolled her eyes at him. He had eaten half a box of truffles, and that too on an upset tummy. She had, of course, tried to stop him, but when had Ron ever listened to her? She shook her head now, ignored him, and returned to her needle-work.

"'Mioonnnee," Ron groaned. "What are you going to do if my sweet tooth kills me, some dayyy?"


Crookshanks looked up from his seat in the corner. The chocolate seemed to have touched the red-haired man's brains.

Theme # 89: Past


"Ooooh, a kitty!" The voice was one Crookshanks had not heard before and, when he looked up, he saw that it was a first year he had seen at the start-of-term feast, the night before. "You're orange!" The girl gushed, with a clap of her hands. "That's so adorab -"

Silly human girl. Does she even know the importance of the cat in whose company she is, right now?

Crookshanks gave an annoyed flick of his tail, and swept past her like the regal cat he was, the picture of dignity he had always been.

Theme # 90: Present


Presents! Hermione Granger gave a little squeal of delight, and ran right into the arms of her husband and her very best friend. They had staged the little surprise party for her, and the decorations were as beautiful as the pretty gift-boxes.

"You two are the BEST!" she squealed, not letting go of them. Harry grinned over her head, at Ron, who grinned back. It was a happy day, and they were glad of their little effort.


Crookshanks gave a little cat-sigh, and nudged his owner with his head. Where was the food, people, where was the food?

Theme # 92: Chocolate


"CROOKSHANKS!"

It was a clear summer's day, and Crookshanks sat in the back garden of the Granger residence. The cat flicked his tail, annoyed at the interruption, and looked up. It was Mr. Granger, a roughly-folded newspaper tucked one arm, and a look of total mortification in his eyes.

"You bad cat!" He scolded. "The chocolate was not for you! I will have to talk to Hermione about this. Inside. Now, Crookshanks."

Crookshanks eyed him a bit, then returned to his bowl of melted Dairy Milk. It tasted of raisins and warm milk, and the experience was delicious.

Theme # 93: Chicken


Yummm! Crookshanks would have clapped his hands, if he could, at the sight of the steaming dish of roasted chicken that Mrs. Granger laid on the dining table. "Hermione," she called, as she wiped her hands on her apron. "Dinner's ready, sweetheart, time to come down."

BAH. Crookshanks flicked his tail, and made a face. Why did Mrs. Granger never call him to the table? It looked like he would have to wait, till his owner came down. She was the one who took the best care of him, and made sure he got his share of yummy chicken.

Theme # 94: Allergic


Crookshanks had been a rather jealous cat, lately. Mrs. Granger had taken in a smallish, stray kitten with big, blue eyes and something of an allergy to carpets, and she doted over it like a little mother. Not that Crookshanks did not like the small kitty. It was rather weak, and he played with her when she was in the mood.

It was just that he felt his owner spent less time with him, and more with the new addition to their household. How, just how, could he possibly bear such a thing?

His owner was NOT to be shared.

Theme # 95: Snowball


Eeep, snowwww! Crookshanks huddled in a little corner of the ground, as his owner lay on the ground, totally out-of-breath.

"Nooo, Ronn!" Hermione said, rolling over as the red-haired man thwacked a snowball at her. "I'm out of this, no fair!"

"FAIIIR!" Ron and Harry said together, as the latter bent down to scoop up a scrap of snow. Hermione sprang to her feet, and made a run for it, but she was laughing like the merry, little thing that she was.

Crookshanks, for his part, wondered where the crunchy, nutritious bugs hid, in winter.

Yumm.

Theme # 96: Socks


"Crookshanks."

The cat looked up, and ... and then he was silent. She ran to him, swept him in her arms, but he was silent. How could she come back now, his bad, bad owner, after she had abandoned him without a word, left him without a reason?

"Go away," he said. "Go away."

She hugged him harder, and Crookshanks could not take it longer. He rubbed his head against her, and snuck into her arms. Hermione wiped away the tears, and beamed at her pet. "You forgive me, don't you, Crookshanks?"

"If you get me new socks to chew."