Crookshanks

From Hpwiki

Crookshanks is Hermione's pet cat. He is a bow-legged, squash-faced monster she acquired at a shop in Diagon Alley called the Magical Menagerie. Her friends Harry and Ron were shocked when she purchased this cat after it chased after Ron's rat, Scabbers --- they had expected her to purchase an owl.

Crookshanks is part-kneazle, a fact confirmed by JK Rowling herself in interviews. Though normally she is unusually bright, nothing to date in any of the Harry Potter books has indicated that Hermione is aware of the special nature of her pet.

Crookshanks's pedigree provides him with unusually keen abilities. He immediately recognizes Ron's rat Scabbers as actually being Peter Pettigrew. He befriends Sirius Black in his dog form and provides him with information to help him enter Hogwarts castle. Later, he prods the knot on the Whomping Willow to calm and protects Sirius, now in human form, when Harry tries to attack him.

Little of Crookshanks is seen in the films as compared with the books. Hermione is not seen purchasing him and he plays little active role in the story. He is not present during the scenes with Sirius Black and little focus is given to his attempts to go after Scabbers.

In fandom theories exist about Crookshanks really being an Animagus, namely Lily Potter (because of the red hair) or Mundungus Fletcher (because of being bow-legged). However, Rowling has confirmed that Crookshanks is not an Animagus, his being half-kneazle being the interesting fact about him.