Professor Lupin had not returned to the compartment since leaving, and no one knew where he had gone. He had left only his large, battered trunk behind.
Harry and the others did not give it much thought, though. After all, they did not need to handle their own luggage at Hogwarts. They were used to the house-elves taking it to their dormitories for them.
As for Ron, the sight of him lying on the floor, "flailing his arms and legs," had been rather frightening, making them want to find a professor. But after Crookshanks lay on his chest and "acted affectionate," he stopped convulsing.
If he was merely fast asleep, there seemed to be no need to find a professor. Once Ron woke up, perhaps asking him would tell them what had happened earlier.
As for Crookshanks's peculiar behavior, everyone except Harry was rather more interested in that. However, something even stranger happened afterward.
After Ron stopped shaking and convulsing and fell fast asleep, Crookshanks seemed to lose interest in him again. He hopped aside and found somewhere to lie down by himself, as though he had not been the one lying on Ron, meowing and acting affectionate earlier.
When Ginny and Hermione tried stroking him again, he was just as he had been before: neither resisting nor responding. He had the air of a lord declaring, "Pet me all you like. If I make a sound, you win."
This left both Ginny and Hermione very puzzled, with no idea what had caused the difference in his behavior.
Outside the train, the rain kept falling.
This was very common in the United Kingdom, but it was the first time Harry and the others had encountered it on the day school began. It remained pitch-black outside the window, making them feel