Crookshanks

> "*He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met.*"
> ― Sirius Black's acknowledgement of Crookshanks' advanced intelligence[source]
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**Crookshanks** was Hermione Granger's pet cat. He was half-Kneazle, as evidenced by his lion-like appearance, ability to solve problems on his own without aid or teaching, and clear dislike of and ability at recognising untrustworthy persons (even if they are transfigured).

In 1993 Crookshanks was purchased from Magical Menagerie by Hermione Granger. The saleswoman from whom she had purchased him stated that he had been in the shop for a long time as "nobody wanted him". Crookshanks played an important role in the events that took place on 6 June, 1994. During the height of the Second Wizarding War, Crookshanks stayed at the the Burrow. It is unknown what happened to him after the war, but it can be assumed that he was returned to Hermione.

## Biography

### Purchased by Hermione Granger

**Ron Weasley**: "*You bought that monster?*"
**Hermione Granger**: "*He's gorgeous, isn't he?*"
— Hermione's purchase of Crookshanks[src]

Crookshanks was purchased on 31 August 1993 by Hermione Granger from the Magical Menagerie, who had originally gone there seeking an owl. The proprietor informed Hermione that he had been there for quite some time, and that "nobody wanted him".

### Under Hermione Granger's ownership

#### Suspecting Peter Pettigrew

> "*There's something funny about that animal! It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!*"
> ― Ron after one of Crookshanks' failed attempts to catch Scabbers[source]
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Hermione took Crookshanks to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with her and he was present on the train when Dementors boarded in search of Sirius Black. Perhaps because he was half-Kneazle, the newly-adopted cat demonstrated the ability to detect frauds masquerading as animals, most notable of which being Animagi. Before the start of the 1993-1994 school year, Crookshanks attacked Peter Pettigrew in his Animagus form of Scabbers, Ron's beloved pet rat when Ron took him in as he was looking unwell after the Weasley family's trip to Egypt.
Afterwards, Crookshanks sought Scabbers out even attacking him in Ron's presence and causing the rat to seek hiding places.

Crookshanks would even try to sneak into the Gryffindor Boys' Dormitory to seek out Scabbers.Crookshanks got another chance at Scabbers during Christmas when Hermione brought him into the boys' dormitory. These constant attacks were cause for Ron and Hermione to argue. Early in second term, when Ron discovered blood on his bed sheet and Scabbers gone, he was convinced that Crookshanks had eaten him. This caused a row with Hermione until the rat was found at Hagrid's. But Crookshanks was not the only one after Scabbers. Sirius Black's attempts to enter Hogwarts Castle that year, after escaping from the wizard prison Azkaban, was to procure Pettigrew, who framed Sirius for the betrayal of Harry's parents James and Lily to Lord Voldemort and murder of twelve Muggles on a crowded London street during the first War.

At some point during the year, Crookshanks met Sirius Black in his Animagus form, the stray dog mistaken by Harry for the Grim. He immediately took a trusting of Sirius, meeting with him on the Hogwarts grounds several times and stealing the passwords to Gryffindor Tower from Neville Longbottom to help him get into the castle. Crookshanks helped Sirius lure Harry, Ron, and Hermione into the Shrieking Shack. During the scuffle between Harry and Sirius, Crookshanks attempted both to steal Harry's wand and attack Harry, and when both failed, set himself over Sirius' heart. The hesitation that Harry felt gave enough time for Professor Remus Lupin to arrive.

Crookshanks led the way back through the tunnels. However, when Lupin transformed into a werewolf, Pettigrew stole Lupin's wand and stunned both Ron and Crookshanks, escaping. After all this, Ron accepted Crookshanks as a remarkable animal companion, asking for his 'judgement' of the small owl that Sirius had offered to him as compensation for the loss of Scabbers to confirm that the owl wasn't another Animagus. Crookshanks did not react to the tiny owl, therefore it was decided that there was nothing wrong with it.

#### Eve of war

Crookshanks soon became more friendly to others; for example, he once curled up in Harry Potter's lap when Harry was waiting to hear from Sirius. However, he still remained unusually perceptive and disapproving of bad behaviour, judging by how he stared at Harry and Ron while they made up answers for their Divination homework. Ginny Weasley (who Ron claimed was a great lover of cats) seemed fond of Crookshanks; she enjoyed playing with him and was able to coax him out in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place during an Order of the Phoenix meeting, rolling butter beer corks for him to catch.

He had a fondness of chasing Wizard Chess pieces and had to occasionally be restrained in their presence. He was wary of fanged frisbees and hissed when one came near him. At a Gryffindor party, he took to following Ginny around, his yellow eyes fixed upon her new Pygmy Puff Arnold.

#### Second Wizarding War

During the height of the Second Wizarding War, Hermione and Crookshanks came to stay at the Burrow, but Hermione left with Harry and Ron after Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's wedding reception was interrupted by Death Eaters.

It is unknown what became of Crookshanks after Hermione was forced to abandon him during the attack at the Burrow in 1997. Hermione did not bring him along on the Horcrux Hunt. Most likely, Crookshanks stayed in the Burrow under the Weasleys' care until he could be reunited with Hermione after the war.

## Etymology

The name *Crookshanks* seems to refer to the cat's bandy legs, from *crook*, meaning "a bend", and *shank*, a term for the lower part of the legs. It is likely to be derived from the Scottish surname 'Cruikshanks', which is pronounced in exactly the same way. George Cruikshank was a well-known British illustrator in the 1800s and illustrated Charles Dickens' novel *Oliver Twist*, the first of the famous "orphan novels" that influenced J. K. Rowling as she came up with the character Harry Potter.