A Cat And His Wizard

A man approached the lakeshore, one in his thirties, short and slender, with olive skin, black curly hair and black eyes, in crimson robes and with an old brown leather trunk in one hand. On the man's shoulder was perched a little slim gold-red cat with leopard spots, large ears, tasseled tail and large green eyes.

'I'm the new Care of the Magical Creatures teacher,' the man said with a slight French accent. 'Would you care to escort me to the Headmaster?'

'Sure,' Harry said.

As they were walking to the castle, the man continued:

'My name's Blaise Zabini. I graduated from the Glomery Hall - you know, the wizard college in Cambridge - and then traveled a bit. I know your Headmaster very well, so he invited me to teach. I came here on my Cleansweep Five, the Old Reliable, from Ireland - I watched some very interesting kelpies there. And you are Harry Potter, I think?'

'Yes,' Harry said.

'I heard Gilderoy Lockhart was reading here?' Professor Zabini asked. 'I've met him, and wouldn't believe a single word of his books. He's a complete show-off. He'd faint if he ever met a Yeti, for example. And I think they're rather fascinating.'

'Yes, he is a fraud.' Harry grinned. 'What a beautiful cat you've got!'

'He's pure Kneazle,' Professor Zabini said. 'His name's Macavity, and he's very clever.'

'Yaow,' Macavity said in a high, melodious voice.

'Are you French, Professor?' Harry asked.

'Corsican,' Professor Zabini said. 'You know the island of Corsica? I was born in Ajaccio. But my parents moved to Britain when I was nine.'

'Oh, I see,' Harry said.

'I know you've been chosen one of the Champions of the Triwizard Tournament,' Professor Zabini said.

Harry nodded gloomily.

'My condolences,' Professor Zabini said. 'You're the youngest of the four Champions, aren't you?'

'Condolences is right.' Harry nodded.

'Rely on my help, just in case,' Professor Zabini said.

'Thank you, Professor,' Harry said.

'I see we arrived,' Professor Zabini said, and indeed, they reached the front door of the Hogwarts Castle. 'My old alma mater!'

They crossed the threshold and entered the hall with its moving suits of armor and portraits. Professor Zabini's eyes shone:

'The old walls!'

Harry escorted Professor Zabini up the main staircase in a corner of the antechamber, along a sequence of passages and towards a gargoyle on a wall.

'Sherbet lemon?' Professor Zabini asked the gargoyle. 'Sugarplum? Toffee? Praline?'

At the last word the gargoyle jumped aside, revealing a doorway.

'See you at the dinner, young Mr. Potter,' Professor Zabini said. 'Thank you.'

He entered. The gargoyle jumped back into its place. Harry smiled and went his way.

* * *

At the dinner, the Great Hall was full. The four Houses sat each at their table, candles floated magically overhead, ghosts hovered about the hall, the ancient portraits looked benevolently from the walls, and the ceiling looked just like the starry sky above. At the teachers' table Professor Zabini sat beside the tall, lean, white-haired Headmaster Dumbledore, the prim, spectacled Deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagall and the pale, hook-hosed, dark-haired and sinister Professor Snape, the Head of the Slytherin House. Macavity was perched on Blaise's shoulder as usually. Then the Headmaster rose and said:

'I have an announcement to make. Please welcome our new Care of the Magical Creatures teacher, Professor Blaise Zabini, who arrived just today.'

Blaise rose and bowed, Macavity still clawing his shoulder.

At the Gryffindor Table Harry said:

'I've met him. He asked to guide him to the Headmaster. He traveled a lot, saw Yetis and kelpies and such, and said he likes them.'

'Really?' Hermione said. 'And is that a Kneazle?'

'Yes, he said so,' Harry said.

'Potter,' Professor Snape said, scowling. 'I bet he's up to something again.'

'I think you're quite wrong, Severus,' Blaise said quietly. 'Young Mr. Potter is a fine lad.'

'You've met him, Blaise?' Professor Dumbledore asked.

'Yes, I did.' Blaise nodded.

Professor Dumbledore nodded too.

'And now let the feast begin!' he said.

The students tucked in eagerly, and Blaise wasn't at a loss either. Half of the tidbits passed to Macavity.

* * *

After the dinner Blaise rose and went along with Professor Dumbledore. The latter stopped to talk with Alastor Moody, the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, a retired Auror - a wary old man with many scars and an artificial eye.

As Professor Dumbledore was talking with Moody, Blaise suddenly noticed Macavity bristled up and laid his ears back. Blaise was very surprised and took note of that.

As Blaise took leave of Professor Dumbledore and Moody and went to seek his rooms, he asked Macavity:

'Surely it isn't Professor Dumbledore you are suspicious of? Professor Moody, then? But why? If only you could tell!'

'Yaow!' Macavity said.

* * *

After some wandering about the castle they found their rooms. Blaise began to unpack, and Macavity jumped out of the window and went to explore the Hogwarts grounds. Near the lake he met a fine tabby with dark rims around her eyes, as if she was wearing spectacles. She was lovely, but Macavity felt she wasn't a cat at all. He bristled up so he seemed double his size, laid his ears back, crouched and hissed:

'You're human, aren't you? WHO ARE YOU?'

The tabby blinked, her outlines blurred...and Macavity saw Professor McGonagall!

She turned back into a tabby and asked:

'Are you satisfied? You're Professor Zabini's familiar, are you? I see you are really smart.'

'Thank you.' Macavity purred. 'So you're an Animaga. I've heard you are a very smart witch, too.'

'Thanks,' McGonagall said. 'You're a Kneazle?'

'A pure Kneazle.' Macavity answered. 'And while we're speaking of it...I feel there's something wrong with this Professor Moody. He isn't who he seems.'

'Really?' McGonagall asked. 'I'll remember this.'

'Please do!' Macavity said. 'I think he's an impostor of some kind.'

'Interesting...' McGonagall said. 'Now, good night.'

'Good night.' Macavity purred and went towards the castle. It was a most interesting building, he thought....

When he returned to his rooms, Blaise was reading Useful Herbs in Your Garden Plot, with colorful illustrations and old recipes. Macavity curled up in an armchair and went to sleep, thinking of the lovely tabby.