Chapter 22 Two Cats and A Rat

Care of Magical Creatures had, sadly, gotten boring.

With the scene Malfoy caused, and the Buckbeak situation, Hagrid had taken our class down in excitement. We were to be observing flobberworms and raising them. I was the most disappointed out of all the students but Hagrid wasn't treating me any differently.

"Why would anyone bother looking after them?" Ron asked as we shoved shredded lettuce down their throats.

"Herbologists." I answered promptly.

Ron rolled his eyes at me but finished up the lesson quietly muttering under his breath.

Harry and I were looking forward to the start of the Quidditch season. I was still considered a reserve player but there was a chance I could be playing more this year.

Depending on how my teammates are taking me being Black's kid.

Most of the school has gotten over the article that came out earlier that month. I had gotten hexed a couple of times, but Madam Pomfrey was amazing and took care of me. Each time she would mutter angrily under her breath and heal me right up.

Harry was kind enough to take me to the hospital and then back to class. It seemed that the hexes would happen when he wasn't around me.

Once October officially started, I was able to walk with George and Fred safely without fear of being hexed. I was still jumpy though.

I did notice that George was keeping his distance with me. He would still make the effort to hold my hand, but we didn't kiss. When I would go to do so, he would give me his cheek or just walk away before anything could happen. I was frowning at him one Thursday night when Oliver had called everyone in for a Quidditch meeting.

"This is our last chance - my last chance - to win the Quidditch Cup," Oliver was pacing in front of us in the locker rooms. "I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it."

"Gryffindor hasn't won for seven years now. Okay, so we've had the worst luck in the world - injuries - then the tournament getting called off last year…" Wood paused to swallow.

It sounded like the memory of last year brought a lump in his throat.

"But we also know we've got the best - ruddy - team - in - the - school," he punched a fist into his other hand, his old manic glint in his eye once again.

"We've got three superb chasers."

Wood pointed at Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell who glowed with pride.

"We've got two unbeatable Beaters."

He pointed to the twins.

"Stop it, Oliver, you're embarrassing us." The twins said together, pretending to blush at the compliment.

"And we've got a Seeker who has never failed to win us a match!" He turned to Harry with a rumbling pride.

"We also have the best reserve! Cassie can take over any position and accomplish that role perfectly!" Wood pointed at me.

"And me," Wood added when I pointed at him.

"We think you're very good too, Oliver," George piped up.

"Spanking good Keeper." Fred nodded in agreement.

"The point is," Wood resumed his speech and pacing. "The Quidditch Cup should have had our name on it these last two years. Every since Harry joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag. But we haven't got it, and this year's the last chance we'll get to finally see our name on the thing…"

He finished it sounding so dejected.

"Oliver, this year's our year." Fred spoke up.

"We'll do it, Oliver!" Angelina added.

"Definitely." Harry and I both nodded.

We started training three evenings a week. Oliver had me training more on the Keeper position. And so Angelina, Alicia and Katie made it their goal to get it passed me. They've succeeded a few times. But more often than not, I managed to block them.

One evening, Harry was feeling really pleased with how practice had gone for him. I was feeling more irate about it. George was acting weird still, and the chasers had managed to get past me several more times and I was feeling bad about it.

It didn't help when we got into the common room, it was buzzing with excitement and it didn't do anything to lighten up my mood.

"What's happened?" Harry asked when we joined our other two friends.

"First Hogsmeade weekend," Ron pointed to a notice on the bulletin board.

Hermione pulled out my star chart from her growing pile of homework.

"Thank you." I nodded to her.

"End of October. Halloween." Ron finished.

"Excellent!" Fred said behind us.

I jumped and gave a squeak of surprise. I didn't realize they were right behind us. Fred patted my shoulder apologetically while George laughed.

"I need to visit Zonko's. I'm nearly out of Stink Pellets." Fred finished.

Harry dropped into a chair next to Ron. I can tell his spirit started to fall with the talk of Hogsmeade.

George and Fred continued along the common room. I gave a huff when I sat on the ground at Hermione's feet.

"Harry, I'm sure you'll be able to go next time." Hermione said, also able to read Harry's emotions. "They're bound to catch Black soon. He's been sighted once already."

"Black's not fool enough to try anything in Hogsmeade." Ron added in, "Ask McGonagall if you can go this time, Harry. The next one might not be for ages -"

"Ron!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Harry's supposed to stay in school -"

"He can't be the only third year left behind." Ron also rolled his eyes.

"He won't be. I'll still be here." I piped up, waving my hand from my spot.

"Oh… Right." Ron said in disappointment.

"But Harry," I turned to my best friend.

He looked down at me.

"You can still ask McGonagall. It can't hurt to try." I added.

"Yeah," Harry nodded. "I think I will."

Crookshanks walked over, and surprisingly Ariel was following right next to him. Ariel climbed up on my back while Crookshanks jumped up into Hermione's lap.

"Does he have to eat that in front of us?" Ron asked in disgust.

I looked up to see Crookshanks had a particularly large dead spider in his mouth.

Ariel started to purr and I felt it on my back.

"Clever Crookshanks, did you catch that all by yourself?" Hermione praised her cat.

"Just keep him over there, that's all." Ron turned back to his star chart. "I've got Scabbers asleep in my bag."

I finished my star chart and slowly sat up. Ariel got off my back and waited patiently for me to sit comfortably to climb into my lap.

"You can copy mine, if you like," Ron shoved his star chart over to Harry.

Hermione looked annoyed at the copying but she didn't say anything.

Next thing I knew, Crookshanks had leapt off of Hermione and sank all of his claws into Ron's bag.

"OY!" Ron and I shouted.

"GET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!" Ron shouted.

"Ron, don't hurt him!" Hermione squealed, reaching for her cat.

Ron swung his bag around, Crookshanks hung on as he was spun. I was surprised to see Scabbers fly out of Ron's bag.

"Scabbers!" I shouted.

"CATCH THAT CAT!" Ron shouted, Crookshanks let the bag go and chased after the rat.

George made a lunge for the orange cat but he missed. Ariel had ran up the stairs from all the commotion. I felt the sting of her claws that had dug into my skin, but I wasn't focused on that. Scabbers had managed to wedge himself under a chest of drawers, and Crookshanks was swiping under it to reach the poor rat.

Ron and Hermione hurried over to their animals while I got up to my knees. Hermione grabbed Crookshanks and walked him over to me. Ron had a more difficult time getting Scabbers, but the rat was pulled out by his tail eventually.

"Look at him!" Ron dangled his rat in front of Hermione. "He's skin and bone! You keep that cat away from him!"

"Crookshanks doesn't understand it's wrong!" Hermione's voice was shaking. "All cats chase rats, Ron!"

"Ariel doesn't chase Scabbers!" Ron shouted back.

"Ariel was still a kitten!" Hermione defended my cat.

"There's something funny about that animal!" Ron struggled to get the wiggling Scabbers back into his pocket. "It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!"

"Oh that's rubbish," Hermione was starting to get impatient. "Crookshanks could smell him, Ron, how else d'you think-" Hermione didn't get to finish.

"That cat's got it in for Scabbers!" Ron was ignoring everyone who was starting to giggle at his predicament. "And Scabbers was here first, and he's ill!"

Ron marched through the giggling crowd and up into the boys' dormitories. Harry and I both looked at each other awkwardly before I rolled up my now dry star chart.

"I've got Hermione." I said as I stood up.

Harry nodded and bid me goodnight before going after Ron. I was gathering up what I could of Hermione's when she joined me.

She had angry tears in her eyes and was burrowing her face into a now purring Crookshanks.

"He is such a prat." She said.

My mouth dropped and I started to grin.

" 'Mione! I never!" I teased her.

She let out a watery giggle and we walked up to the girls' dormitory.

"Want to know what makes me feel better?" I asked when I found Ariel hiding under my bed with her ears laid back.

"Sure." Hermione put Crookshanks down on her bed.

"A hot both, with bubbles." I walked into the bathroom and started making up a bath for her.

"How does that help?" Hermione asked, following me in.

"I do a rose perfume bubble bath and the warmth helps." I answered.

She hummed behind me.

"Just give it a try. If you want a book, I'll bring you a book." I said as I walked out of the bathroom.

"Thank you, Cas." Hermione said just as I was about to close the door.

"You're welcome 'Mione." I closed the door completely.

Ariel had slunk out from under the bed and was looking like she was trying to jump up on it. But Crookshanks sensed what she was about to do and was looking down at her. Ariel had her ears back and started to growl.

"Easy kitty cat." I said to her as I changed into my pajamas.

I climbed into bed and started to read Hermione's Ancient Rune's book. I knew I wasn't taking the class but it was an interesting read.

Ron was still in a bad mood all day with Hermione, but he tolerated her presence. I asked her if she wanted to switch partners. Neville was still skittish around me and even though I tried to be gentle with him, I was starting to lose my patience with how he would scuttle around me.

"No it's okay." Hermione sniffed and went to her usual puffapod.

"Okay." I nodded and walked over to my puffapod with Neville.

"Hello Neville." I greeted him softly.

"H-h-hello." He greeted me back.

I quietly worked with him, removing the beans and adding them to the pail between us.

"I'm s-sorry." Neville finally said.

"For?" I looked up at him.

"B-being afraid of-of-of you." He stuttering was getting worse.

"It's okay. I get it. Kind of." I smiled kindly at him.

He looked relieved to hear that from me. And through the rest of class he would make more of an effort to tap my shoulder or talk more to me. And I would let him take his time and he will need more time anyways to completely get over his fear of me.

I had linked arms with Hermione behind the greenhouses and we walked to our next class together.

"It's so much easier having someone to help me lie about how I'm getting around." Hermione said.

"I'm glad I can help." I smiled at her when we joined Harry and Ron.

Ron sniffed when Hermione and I joined them and started to head into the castle. I rolled my eyes at Hermione who nodded sadly. The four of us didn't say anything when we joined the rest of our Transfiguration class.

"What's the matter, Lavender?" Hermione asked, sounding anxious.

I looked over and Lavender was in tears while Parvati had an arm around her.

"She got a letter from home this morning." Parvati whispered. "It's her rabbit, Binky. He's been killed by a fox."

"Oh, I'm so sorry Lavender." I said, patting her arm.

"I should have known!" Lavender wailed. "You know what day it is?"

"Uh -" Hermione and I looked at each other.

"The sixteenth of October! 'That thing you're dreading, it will happen on the sixteenth of October!' Remember? She was right, she was right!" Lavender wailed

Hermione and I both looked at each other.

"You - you were dreading Binky being killed by a fox?" Hermione asked.

"Well, not necessarily by a fox," Lavender looked at Hermione, her eyes were streaming with tears still. "But I was obviously dreading him dying , wasn't I?"

"Oh," Hermione paused and looked at me.

I gave my head the most subtle of shakes, but -

"Was Binky an old rabbit?" Hermione asked.

"N - no!" Lavender sobbed.

I gave a sigh.

"H - he was only a baby!"

"But them, why would you dread him dying?" Hermione asked.

Everyone turned to glare at Hermione.

"Well, look at it logically," Hermione turned to the rest of the group, unlinking arms with me.

I put my face in my hand and groaned.

"I mean, Binky didn't even die today, did he? Lavender just got the news today -" Lavender let out a wail - "and she can't have been dreading it, because it's come as a real shock -"

"Hermione, she had to leave her pet behind because rabbits aren't allowed in school," I spoke up.

Everyone turned to face me. Some with glares, others with look of shocks.

"Of course she was dreading her rabbit was going to die. And she wouldn't have gotten the news until a day or two after Binky died. It just so happened that she got the news today. The day Professor Trelawney said the thing she was dreading would happen, the news that her pet is dead." I defended Lavender.

"Don't mind Hermione, Lavender." Ron spoke up after Hermione opened her mouth again. "She doesn't think other people's pets matter very much."

McGonagall opened the door to her class at that moment so nothing more was said about the matter. I grabbed Hermione and walked her in. I sat her down next to me, Harry sat in front of me with Ron.

"Why did you defend Trelawney?" Hermione hissed at me.

"Because we know Trelawney is a loon. But you're not going to be able to change everyone's opinion on her. And you were coming off insensitive too." I hissed back.

Hermione humphed at me and pulled out her notes for Transfiguration. She didn't say much else to me after that and I was grateful for that. I didn't know what else to say to her about it.

The bell rang for the end of class, thankfully, and as we were packing up all of our things McGonagall spoke up.

"One moment, please!" McGonagall called. "As you're all in my house, you should hand Hogsmeade permission forms to be before Halloween. No form, no visiting the village, so don't forget!"

Neville tentatively raised his hand.

"Please, Professor, I - I think I've lost -"

"Your grandmother sent yours to me directly, Longbottom," McGonagall interrupted. "She seemed to think it was safer. Well, that's all, you may leave. Miss Zwart, if you would please stay behind just for a second."

Hermione and I looked at each other. I gave a shrug and walked over to McGonagall with Harry and Ron.

McGonagall looked up when she saw the three of us.

"Yes Potter?" She inquired with him first.

Harry took a deep breath, "Professor, my aunt and uncle - er - forgot to sign my form."

McGonagall looked over her square spectacles at Harry.

"So - er- d'you think it would be all right - I mean, will it be okay if I - if I go to Hogsmeade?"

McGonagall looked down and started to shuffle the papers on her desk, "I'm afraid not, Potter." She sighed. "You heard what I said. No form, no visiting the village. That's the rule."

"But - Professor, my aunt and uncle - you know, they're Muggles, they don't really understand about - about Hogwarts forms and stuff," Ron was nodding vigorously, encouraging Harry.

"If you said I could go -"

"But I don't say so," McGonagall stood up and put her papers into a drawer. "The form clearly states that the parent or guardian must give permission." She turned to Harry and there was a look of pity on her face.

"I'm sorry Potter, but that's my final word. You had better hurry, or you'll be late for your next class." McGonagall gestured to Harry and Ron to leave.

We waited until they had left the room before she turned me.

"Your guardian, Charlotte, sent your form to me." McGonagall told me.

I blinked for a second before opening my mouth, "Minnie, can we not tell anyone else?"

McGonagall blinked twice., "don't you want to go to Hogsmeade?"

"Of course I do. But as of right now, Harry doesn't think I can go too. And I don't want him to think that just because I have my form in I should go."

McGonagall raised an eyebrow.

"And I don't want anyone thinking that I'm trying to get into contact with Siri- Bla- my fa-." I didn't know what to call him.

"I understand." McGonagall nodded to me.

"I'm glad, and that's why I would just rather that be between us, please." I nodded to her.

"I will do that for you." She nodded back to me.

"Thank you, Minnie." I grinned at her and started to walk through her classroom to get to my next class.

"Miss Zwart?"

I turned around to look at my Head of House.

"Your - father -" She took a moment to think about what to call him, "used to call me Minnie too."

I felt my heart drop for a second.

"Do you want me to stop calling you that?" I asked.

"It would be the respectful thing to do." McGonagall nodded, but she had a twinkle in her eye.

I nodded to her and left the Transfiguration classroom.

Here we are. So just a heads up. The chapters have aligned perfectly with the month. You'll be getting an update on Thursday, the 31st! And it'll be the Halloween chapter! Yay! Oh and the reason why it got updated today rather than tomorrow is because Boyfriend and I are doing a lot of travelling between Small Hick Town and Small Town because once the snow hits, there is not going to be ANY driving.

Shout out to Pamela Hutchins for leaving a review!

Pamela Hutchins: You'll have to wait and see.

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