Harry Potter and Hermione’s Crookshanks Theory, Explained

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The Harry Potter series is a timeless and incredibly popular fantasy, rivaled perhaps only by The Lord of the Rings, but it’s easy to overlook the deep sadness at its core. The entire story begins with a terrible tragedy: the senseless murder of a young family, which is the foundation of everything that follows.

It’s easy to get caught up in Harry’s journey and his fight against Voldemort, and sometimes I think people forget the huge sacrifice Lily and James made. But I recently came across this really powerful theory online that completely changed how I see the story. It made me think about what Harry’s life could have been like if Voldemort hadn’t gone after them – a normal, happy childhood, free from the Dursleys and all the pressure of being ‘the Chosen One’. It honestly hit me really hard to imagine that possibility.

An Unlikely Harry Potter Character Was Connected to Both Hermione and the Potter Family

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was noticeably more mature and serious than the first two books in the series. It dealt with heavier themes like death, introduced frightening creatures called Dementors, escaped prisoners, and showed the dangers of messing with magic. While the book featured many new characters, one in particular – a cat named Crookshanks – has become a favorite among Harry Potter fans.

When Hermione first visited the Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley, she’d planned to buy an owl, but she was immediately drawn to a ginger cat with a squashed face. This cat, Crookshanks, was likely part Kneazle, which meant most shoppers weren’t interested in him. He was a large cat with a mane that made him look a bit like a lion. Hermione bought him right away, and he quickly made an impression – first by jumping onto Ron’s head, and then by chasing Ron’s pet rat, Scabbers.

Ron didn’t like Crookshanks because the cat constantly chased Scabbers and seemed intent on harming the rat. Ron even joked that Crookshanks understood him when he mentioned Scabbers was in his bag. At the time, neither Ron, Harry, nor Hermione knew that Scabbers was actually Peter Pettigrew disguised as a rat. Later, after the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, a poignant detail about Lily, James, and Harry Potter came to light, sparking a new understanding of the situation.

While staying at 12 Grimmauld Place, Harry, Ron, and Hermione discovered a letter Lily Potter wrote to Sirius Black in 1981, shortly after Harry’s first birthday. In it, Lily thanked Sirius for a toy broom he’d given Harry, sharing that young Harry loved it so much he almost ran over the family cat while playing. This sweet detail revealed to fans that the Potters not only had a baby, but also a pet cat.

Okay, so here’s a detail that blew my mind! We always wondered what happened to the Potter family’s cat after Voldemort attacked – it was never mentioned again, and never found at the scene. Most of us figured it just ran off in the chaos. But a lot of fans now believe something way more interesting: that cat wasn’t just any cat, it was actually Crookshanks, Hermione’s famously clever feline, in disguise! It’s a really cool theory that adds another layer to the story.

It Makes Sense That Crookshanks Was the Potters’ House Cat

This idea is actually quite plausible. Severus Snape was incredibly intelligent, consistently looked out for Harry and Sirius, and acted as if he’d known James and Lily Potter previously. A key piece of evidence is Crookshanks’ ongoing feud with Scabbers – the half-Kneazle clearly sensed that Scabbers was secretly an Animagus.

Ron was fiercely protective of his pet rat, Scabbers, and often scolded Crookshanks the cat. However, looking back, Crookshanks was actually behaving perfectly. The cat clearly knew Sirius Black, and went to great lengths to safeguard him. When Sirius could transform into a dog, he and Crookshanks became friends, and the cat even shared Gryffindor Tower’s passwords with him.

When Sirius needed to get past the Whomping Willow, Crookshanks cleverly pressed a knot at the tree’s base, temporarily stopping its violent movements and allowing him to pass safely. Even more impressively, Crookshanks bravely stepped in front of Harry when Harry was about to attack Sirius, protecting him from harm.

These events have made people suspect Crookshanks was present the night Lord Voldemort attacked, explaining his unusual knowledge. Hermione’s cat somehow knew about Peter Pettigrew’s betrayal of James and Lily Potter, and that Sirius Black was innocent, right from the start. The shopkeeper at the Magical Menagerie even mentioned Crookshanks had been waiting for a home for a long time – possibly thirteen years, since he escaped Godric’s Hollow the night everything happened.

It’s not surprising that the Potters’ cat somehow found its way back to Harry, possibly through Hermione. Crookshanks even started to like Harry, sometimes cuddling with him at Hogwarts. While this connection seems far-fetched, it’s actually quite sad when you consider what it means.

Harry Potter Had Everything Taken Away From Him

It’s easy to overlook just how traumatic Harry Potter’s early life was. His parents were killed when he was very young, and then, as he began to build a new family with Sirius Black, tragedy struck again. They unfortunately put their trust in the wrong person. Peter Pettigrew’s betrayal not only led to the death of Harry’s parents, but also to Sirius being wrongly imprisoned and losing his freedom.

The Potters’ joyful life was tragically cut short through no fault of their own. Harry survived, which was incredibly fortunate, but he lost his parents and a normal childhood. He then spent eleven difficult years living with his aunt and uncle, who mistreated him both physically and emotionally, often neglecting or unfairly blaming him. While Harry found ways to cope with humor, it couldn’t lessen the deep pain of his experiences.

Before Voldemort came into their lives, James and Lily Potter lived a normal life, simply trying to help their son and pet cat get along at home. Reading Lily’s letter was touching, as she wrote about the cat she clearly loved. Harry likely had a connection with the cat as a baby, though it felt like a forgotten memory. It was as if he’d lived an entirely different life before, one he couldn’t recall.

Even though it’s never been officially stated, the idea that Crookshanks belonged to Harry’s parents adds a deeply emotional layer to the Harry Potter story. He represents a connection to Harry’s past, somehow finding his way back to him at the time he needed comfort the most.

During his third year at Hogwarts, he was tricked into thinking Sirius Black was a threat. However, Crookshanks, with his keen instincts, realized the truth and did everything he could to help Sirius.

Without confirmation from J.K. Rowling or a future Harry Potter series, we can’t be sure if the cat that escaped from Godric’s Hollow was the same one who became Hermione’s pet, Crookshanks. Since Kneazles live for a very long time, and Crookshanks was part Kneazle, it’s likely he lived a long life. If this is true, then Harry had a small connection to his parents through a beloved pet they once cared for.

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2026-01-19 05:39