Hermione couldn't believe it was already third year. Her parents were driving her to the Leaky Cauldron Inn, where she would spend the rest of her summer with the Weasley's, and Harry. She had barely gotten the chance to write to them over the summer because she didn't have her own owl, so she had to wait for Harry, or Ron to write to her first, before she could write back. She wrote to Harry about once or twice a month, but she had only written to Ron once, and that was when he invited her too the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione's parents had agreed to let her buy an owl in Diagon Alley.
When they finally arrived, she stepped inside the Leaky Cauldron which seemed quite deserted, and was led by a small, fat, grubby wizard to her pitifully small, and smelly room. It smelled of old women, and it was as dusty as a one hundred year old bookshelf. Hermione's parents almost wouldn't leave, until Mrs. Weasley arrived, reassuring them that she would take good care of their only daughter. Hermione unpacked her clothes, and went down to the pub, looking for Ron, and Harry. She sat down at a deserted table, and waited. She was digging through her pockets, and realized that she left her wand upstairs. Hermione sprinted up the stairs, and opened the unlocked door to her room. I should be more careful, she thought, grabbing her wand, and money for the owl. Hermione walked down the stairs with her head down, staring at the pattern in the stairs, when she crashed into somebody, almost tumbling down the stairs, but she slowly regained her balance.
"Sorry!" She said, looking up. It was Ron.
"Sorry, Hermione. I've been looking for you, Mum said you just arrived." Ron began to walk down the staircase.
Hermione followed him, eager with questions. He was holding Scabbers, who looked as filthy, and old as ever.
"How have you been?! You didn't write to me at all this summer! When did you arrive? Have you gotten your school books yet? I need to be fit for new robes. My parents gave me money for an owl too, so I expect to go get one today. Is there a library in this place? Where's Harry? Where is everyone? Oh! Before I forget, have-"
"Hermione, slow down!" Ron's looked slightly flustered. "I can barely hear a word your saying!" He said.
"Right, sorry." She replied, feeling foolish. "Where's Harry?" She asked.
"Mum said he'll be here tomorrow." Ron replied, grasping a squirming Scabbers around his mid section.
"Oh. Have you gotten your books yet?" She was watching Scabbers.
"No, I figured I'd wait for Harry." He said.
Hermione knew he didn't want to get his supplies yet. He would much rather be going into Honeydukes, and buying out all the chocolate frogs he could get.
"Yeah, I guess that's a good idea." She looked up at him.
His hair was still fiery red, and messy, and he was wearing a large Weasley sweater, with an R on the front.
"Well I was just going into Diagon Alley to buy myself an owl, my parents gave me some money, which I still have to trade in at Gringotts. Would you care to join me?" Hermione asked.
"I would, but unfortunately mum told me to stay here, and wait for Ginny, she wants everyone to stick together, but you can go." Ron sat down on one of the couches, surrounding himself in a cloud of dust.
"Alright, I'll see you then." Hermione walked to the entrance of Diagon Alley, quickly opening it, and entering the inside.
She saw rows, and rows of shops, like The Three Broomsticks, Ollivanders, and a wizard salon with no entrance. It must be hidden, she thought. Hermione quickly exchanged her muggle money for wizards, inside Gringotts. As she stepped out, she saw a small little owl shop on the corner. When she walked inside, there weren't just owls, there were frogs, toads, cats, kittens, rats, mice, and even ferrets. She walked around the owl section, seeing nothing that caught her eye. Hermione would occasionally have to duck, when a loose owl came fluttering over her head, screeching wildly. She looked in the toad section, wondering what she would ever use a toad for. She looked at the kittens, and cats who were mewing quietly, and playing together in one big room. Some had spells cast on them, making them soar through the air. Hermione laughed at the flying cats. She walked back to the owl section, realizing that there were only a select few that she could afford, but they all looked too young too be delivering letters.
As she walked through the store, she felt something brushing against her leg. She looked down, and saw a large, orange cat looking up at her with a smushed face, and a tongue that stuck out. The cat reminded her of Ron's hair, she giggled, bending down to pet the cat. Just then a tall, scrawny man jumped up from his chair, and kicked the cat against the wall, Hermione gasped, her eyes widening. The cat hissed, and ran away.
"You stay in your cage Crookshanks! Foul beast." The man muttered.
"What on earth was that for?!" Hermione was startled, tears were forming in her eyes, at how cruel the man was to the poor, innocent creature. "You can't kick cats!" Hermione raised her voice.
"Don't tell me what I can't do, little girl. Sharon! Sharon!" A plump woman popped her head out from behind the door, that the cat just ran through. "I want that cat gone! Put it out back, nobody wants him, he's an ugly thing, I tell you! Drop him off at Knockturn Alley, he'll be dead by morning." The man smiled slyly, and grumbled something.
"Oh Ralphy, don't do that, he's not bothering anyone." The woman seemed to care less though.
"I'll kill him myself if I have to! He's been driving away customers since we got him, and if we put him with the other cats, he breaks out!" The man's voice was scratchy.
"He's half kneazle Ralph! I'm sure if you made an effort to be nice to him, he might like you, and will stop causing such a racket." She sat down on a stool, examining a toad, that seemed to be dead.
Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"I'll take him!" Hermione said.
"You will?" The man looked taken back.
"Oh great! See Ralphy, I knew someone would want him." The woman said.
"The great brute." He mumbled. "I'll go retrieve him." He said with a smirk.
When the man came back, he was holding Crookshanks by the scruff of his neck, and the cat was trying desperately to squirm out of his arms.
"Here." The man dropped the cat on the counter, and Hermione picked him up gently, glaring at the man.
"That'll be two galleons and sixteen knuts." The man said holding out his hand.
"I won't be paying you anything, especially how you've been treating this poor creature! Last time I checked, you were going to throw him out." Hermione huffed.
"Yes dear, let her have the cat, its only been causing you trouble." The woman whispered.
"Fine." The man glared at Hermione, and walked into the back.
"Thank you." Hermione told the woman.
"Anytime dear." The woman smiled, she had no teeth. "Now I suggest you leave before Ralph changes his mind." She frowned, and Hermione left with Crookshanks in her arms.
As she walked back into the Leaky Cauldron, Ron was still on the couch, waiting for Ginny. She sat down in the armchair next to him, he seemed to not be paying attention, because he didn't notice her. Hermione sighed, and Ron heard her.
"So, did you get the owl?" He looked up, and nearly dropped Scabbers, when he saw the cat.
Hermione was gently petting Crookshanks, when Crookshanks leapt from her arms, and onto Ron's lap, swiping a paw at Scabbers, almost making contact, and hissing. Hermione went to grab him, and Ron yelled, and jumped up, holding Scabbers close to himself. Hermione picked up Crookshanks, who was wildly hissing, and scratching, at Scabbers. Hermione held Crookshanks.
It's alright Crookshanks, shhhh." She said, calming Crookshanks down.
"What the bloody hell is that, Hermione!?" Ron growled.
"He's gorgeous isn't he?" Hermione stroked Crookshanks' orange fur.
"He's a bloody monster! That thing nearly killed Scabbers!" Ron's face was red.
"Oh get over it Ron. He's a kneazle, so he's highly intelligent. I think he just got scared." Hermione replied calmly.
"Scared!? That thing is bloodthirsty Hermione! You get rid of it!" He said.
"I will not Ron!" Hermione yelled. "Nobody in the shop wanted him, and the owners were treating him horribly! I saved his life!" Hermione said.
"Yeah, well your endangering Scabbers' life! What an ugly brute! It looks like a pig with hair, if you ask me!" Ron yelled back.
"Well I didn't ask you, did I? He's beautiful, compared to that smelly, old shoebrush you call a pet!" Hermione snarled.
"Keep it away from me, or I swear I'll, I'll-"
"You'll what Ronald?!" Hermione asked.
"I'll give it what it deserves!" Ron glared.
"If you touch a hair on his head, I'll hex you into next week!" Hermione ran upstairs, with Crookshanks in her arms.
"Whatever." Ron huffed, and sat back down on the couch, glancing back at Hermione leaving.
"Ignore her." Ron said to Scabbers, leaning back into the couch, to wait for Ginny.