A Cat And His Wizard

The day of the first task, Blaise opened the Book of Changes. The random paragraph he saw was reading:

'The man treads on a tiger's tail, but the tiger does not bite the man. Success.'

Oh well, Blaise thought. Face the danger bravely, and you will come out unscathed. At least bravery is what young Harry has in buckets.

Blaise looked around. A gentle pop sounded, and some velvety paws rested against Blaise's shoulder.

'Macavity.' Blaise smiled. 'Let's go and root for Harry!'

'Yaow!' Macavity said.

* * *

Blaise with Macavity went along with the crowd of spectators. It carried him to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where he saw a great enclosure and a tent. The spectators went to the enclosure; the tent was for the champions.

Poor boy! Blaise thought. He found in the crowd Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, and near them Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, Ron's brothers - the twins Fred and George, and Neville Longbottom with Luna Lovegood in tow.

Blaise elbowed his way to them and gently said, 'Hello.'

They greeted him too, except Ronald Weasley, who was sulky. Blaise shook his head and smiled to Hermione.

'Glad to see you, Miss Granger. It's nice to see Mr. Potter has so many friends.'

'I hope Harry wins,' Hermione said fervently.

'So do I.' Blaise smiled.

They went to the enclosure. It had a circle of stands, high seats for the judges and an oval arena with four dragons sitting on eggs, one golden in each batch. Neville gasped as he saw the creatures. Blaise smiled reassuringly to him. They went to the stands and sat down in a close knot with Blaise in the center. They all were taut, and Macavity flicked his tail anxiously. Blaise cast reassuring looks at his brood. Then the first champion entered the enclosure. It was Cedric Diggory. Blaise smiled. Cedric looked around, pointed his wand to a rock...and it turned into a Labrador! It trotted by Cedric's dragon. The dragon got interested in the dog, and Cedric sneaked past the dragon and seized the egg, but the dragon turned suddenly to him, and Cedric barely escaped. Neville blanched and held on to Luna.

'Not bad,' Blaise said.

The judges showed the marks. They were very high. Blaise frowned. Cedric left the enclosure. Then the next champion entered - Fleur Delacour from the Beauxbatons Academy, a blonde so stunning that Blaise believed she must be part Veela. All the males in the audience stared at her, and she looked steadily at her dragon. Blaise saw that the dragon blinked and began to nod off to sleep.

'A good move,' Blaise said with approval. 'She put her into a trance.'

Fleur stole to the dragon and took the egg, but the dragon suddenly woke up and exhaled flame. Fleur darted away, but the flame singed her skirts. Blaise shook his head.

The marks came up. Obviously, they were not very high.

Fleur left the enclosure, disgruntled, and up came the third champion - Viktor Krum from the Durmstrang Institute, thin and bandy-legged. Blaise looked closely at him. What Krum did was to hit his dragon in one eye with a curse. The dragon ran amok and trampled her own eggs, and Krum took the golden one,

Luna winced. Blaise made a face and said:

'Now, if this gets the lowest marks, it would be quite fair! This is cruelty!'

Krum did get the lowest mark. Blaise nodded with satisfaction.

'Serves him right. This was inept, really.'

Krum left the enclosure, surly. The stands went all quiet, and then Harry entered.

Harry stepped forward. All eyes were fixed on him. Harry took out his wand and said, 'Accio Firebolt!' The crowd froze. Then, something sleek and bright came whizzing to Harry's side - a superb racing broom. The crowd breathed with relief, and Harry mounted his broom and flew up to the dragon, a formidable Norwegian Ridgeback. Harry seized a golden egg from under the dragon's leg and flew away rapidly, escaping the dragon's wrath.

'Hurrah Harry!' Ron Weasley cried. Blaise smiled. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

'So this is what you were speaking of, Professor!' Neville said.

'Yes.' Blaise smiled. 'Professor Moody gave him the idea.'

'Moody?' Luna said. 'And I used to think there was something suspicious about him.'

'Mistakenly, it seems,' Blaise said.

'Yaow!' Macavity said fiercely.

The marks came up. Harry was tied up with Cedric.

'Bravo!' Blaise said. Harry left the enclosure, Ron and Hermione exited quickly after him. Blaise with his bevy followed them at distance.

As Harry returned to his friends, Ron began to speak at once how Harry was the best in this task. Harry smiled and answered him friendly. Blaise said gently:

'So it seems you've reconciled?'

'Yes.' Harry smiled broadly.

'Very well,' Blaise said. 'It's sad to see old friends quarrel about a mere misunderstanding.'

'That's right,' Hermione said in a clear voice.

'Professor Zabini cared so much about me.' Harry smiled.

'You've got a good name, Mr. Weasley, a fine Norse-Gaelic name,' Blaise said. 'Means possessing of discretion.'

Fred - or George - snorted. Ron went red.

'We all make mistakes,' Blaise said calmly. 'The thing is to rectify them.'

And speaking of mistakes...

* * *

Blaise found Professor McGonagall in the leaving crowd.

'Professor?'

'Yes?' McGonagall said.

'It seems Professor Moody was of great help to Harry,' Blaise said.

'Indeed?' McGonagall asked.

'Yes,' Blaise said. 'And so I think Macavity is mistaken for the first time in his life, and so am I.'

'Well, such things happen,' McGonagall said.

'Yes. To err is human,' Blaise said. 'So the case is closed.'

'YAOW!' Macavity said.

'Don't be so upset, Macavity,' Blaise said. 'Only he who does nothing at all doesn't make mistakes. Your hand, Professor McGonagall.'

McGonagall smiled and offered Blaise her hand, and they walked to the castle together.