MRS NORRIS THE CAT
someone chases something they absolutely should not chase

Mrs. Norris padded quietly down the corridor, her large yellow eyes gleaming softly in the dim light of Hogwarts’ ancient hallways. The school felt more chaotic now with the heavy scent of pine and faint traces of sugar and cinnamon from the kitchens drifting through the air. Even the portraits were more annoyingly chit chatty as the holidays drew nearer.

Ignoring their gossip as she strut by―her tail flicking behind her, ears perked for any sign of trouble―she continued her evening patrol.

And it didn't take long before something caught her attention: a skittering sound, faint and rapid, like tiny feet dancing across the stone floor. But no mouse would make such a sound. This was something… strange. Something mischievous. Something suspicious.

Her ears twitched, the fur along her back rising slightly.

It was always something suspicious at this hour, or any hour, really. She sniffed the air, catching an odd scent: greasy, metallic, with a faint trace of firework ash. It was unmistakable.

The Weasley twins.

Filch had ranted about their creations enough to make her intimately familiar with their particular brand of chaos. Her whiskers bristled, and a small hiss escaped her as she moved deeper into the corridor, her paws light but quick. She would catch them. If anyone was going to put an end to whatever ridiculous contraption they'd set loose this time, it would be her.

Her claws clicked against the stone as she crept forward, her body coiling and ready to pounce, eyes narrowed, ears flicking with every shift of sound.

Then... there it was.

A small colorful object, round and blinking with flashing lights. It chirped a merry little tune as it darted along the floor in a zigzag pattern that made her tail twitch with irritation and yet she was utterly entranced by it.

Filch had warned her to stay away from their devices... but she wasn't about to let this little thing get away.

She darted forward, her claws outstretched. Missed. It zipped away, taunting her with another flash of color and another chirp. She growled, her fur bristling as her claws scrabbled against the cold stone floor. Faster. Faster. The blur of the device became a streak of light in her vision. She was getting closer... just a little bit closer... then—

The chirping stopped. Her paws froze midstride. Silence.

She blinked, eyes wide as she scanned the empty hallway, her whiskers twitching with growing frustration. The little nuisance had vanished, as if it had melted into thin air. Had the Weasley Twins managed to expand their Daydream contraptions to influence creatures as well?

A sudden crash from behind her broke the stillness, sending her bolting forward, heart racing.

But as she rounded the corner, her paws met something sticky and the world plunged into darkness. One moment, she was chasing her prey with fierce determination and the next she was stuck, unable to free her paws from the strangely spongy stone beneath her. A muffled thud echoed and she realized she had been tricked. Caught. Trapped.

Her claws flexed and she spat and hissed into the darkness.

She could hear Filch’s familiar footsteps in the distance, the sound of his shuffling gait growing louder as he muttered under his breath. She sighed. Even though Filch could be grumpy, she knew he wouldn’t leave her like this.

A moment later, the box (or whatever it was) was lifted, the dim light from the hallway blinding her for a moment. She squinted, waiting for her eyes to adjust, then let out a soft, almost embarrassed mewl as Filch’s scowling face appeared above her. His hands, usually so rough, reached down with surprising tenderness to lift her from the sticky trap.

"Mrs. Norris!" Filch’s voice was low and annoyed, though his eyes softened as he carefully pulled her up against his chest. "What have I told you about chasing those blasted contraptions?"

She wriggled in his arms, still perturbed, but it was hard to stay mad when his rough hand gently stroked her fur.

"You're lucky I found you, or you'd be stuck here all night, giving me even more work." Filch muttered, but there was a flicker of affection in his gruff tone. He set her down gently with a soft thud on the cold stone floor, giving her a quick, gruff pat. "What are you looking at me like that for, huh?"

She blinked up at him, the sharp edge of her demeanor softened as she relaxed, purring contentedly in the warmth of the moment. Filch, scratching behind her ears with a muttered grumble, shook his head. "Alright, alright. We’ll get them next time, Mrs. Norris. Next time."

And she couldn't help but think, as she nuzzled into his hand, that maybe... juuuuuuuust maybe... this wasn't such a bad way to spend the holiday season.