Blaise Zabini and the Magical Cat

At this point the door opened and in came four people - a short, skinny boy with raven unruly hair, bright green eyes under a pair of spectacles, and a lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead, a tall, thin boy with red hair, brown eyes and freckles, a beautiful girl with long brown hair and brown eyes, and a short, lean boy with straw-colored hair, large gray eyes and a long nose on his long lean face. All four were wearing black robes and red and yellow scarves. The girl and the black-haired boy both had badges with a letter P on their robes' chests, like Blaise. The girl and the fair-haired boy held hands tenderly, as did the black-haired boy and the redhead. Blaise smiled when he saw them, stood up and said enthusiastically:

'Hello Harry, Ron, 'Mione, Mortie!'

'Hello Blaise,' the four Gryffindors said. Then they saw Balkis sitting on the table.

'What is this, Blaise?' the fair-haired boy said. 'A new cat? Have you adopted another stray?'

'In a manner of speaking,' Blaise smiled. ''This is Balkis, the Princess of the Eastern Gate, the grand-niece of Prester John, the Lord of Maracanda and the King of Central Asia. She is a witch from some other world. A force threw her here, right in the Gryffindor Common Room and I promised her to try to find a remedy, which will return her back. You see the pile of books I have here? I am already dong the research. Hope it's a potion and not a charm - you all know my record in the Charms class.'

'Indeed,' the fair-haired boy smiled.

'Balkis, these are my friends - Harry Potter, the Gryffindor prefect and a great Quidditch player, the Seeker of the Gryffindor team, Ronald Weasley, commonly called Ron, a great chess player and a Beater of the Gryffindor team, Hermione Granger, called by her friends 'Mione, the Gryffindor prefect and one of the most learned witches in all this school, and Mortimer Wimsey, the Viscount Saint George, called Mortie by his nearest and dearest, the only son to the Duke of Denver, the reserve Seeker of the Gryffindor team, and a very learned and witty wizard,' Blaise said.

'Glad to meet you,' Balkis said.

'Glad to meet you too,' the Gryffindors said, embarrassed. Blaise said:

'We agreed that till I find the remedy, Balkis will live with me as my cat. I call her Balkis, and she calls me Blaise. I think you should be on the first name basis with her as well.'

'I am agrree,' Balkis said.

'Harry, may I lend your Goshawk and Spore?' Blaise asked. 'There is very little hope the means can be found in them, but Balkis pointed that all possibilities must be tried. She is fit for Ravenclaw, I swear!'

'Of course, Blaise,' Harry answered.

'Thank you,' Blaise said. 'Well, how is Hagrid? How are the Flier in the Green and Alcy?'

'They are all very well,' Harry said.

'The Flier in the Green, Balkis, is the snake I told you of,' Blaise said. 'And Alcy is Alcyone, the bird I told you about, an alkonost. I told Balkis all about the castle, of portraits, suits of armor, and the staircases, you know, described you four and Hagrid to her, and warned her against the Forbidden Forest and the Slytherins. Also I told her of Hagrid's pets and of your pets, Mortie.'

'Yes, better not put your paw into the Luggage, Balkis,' Mortie said. 'It bites, you see. My trunk, y'know.'

'I know about that,' Balkis said.

'Very well,' Mortie said with relief.

'Do you often adopt sstrrayss, Blaise?' Balkis asked. Blaise laughed:

'Well, there is Evening Star. I found him when returning from Hagrid's. He had a wound on his head and was in great pain. I carried him to the Gryffindor Tower and administered a poultice of dittany to him. Dittany heals wounds, maybe you know.'

'I know,' Balkis said. 'Idrriss showed me all the healing herrbss. I like the name of yourr sschool, by the way. A Hogworrt is a lovely, light grreen fluffy herrb.'

'So you are versed in potions too!' Blaise said.

'Morre than in sspellss, I am afrraid, like you, Blaise,' Balkis said.

'My soul mate!' Blaise exclaimed.

'It is simply that only one stray came Blaise's way,' Mortie said. 'If there were more, our Blaise would've adopted them all.'

'This from an owner of THREE strays!' Blaise countered. Mortie laughed:

'Never EVER try to out-argue Blaise Zabini!'

'Tell me, what is Quidditch you sspoke of?' Balkis asked. 'Is it ssome ssorrt of game?'

'They don't play Quidditch in your world?' Ron said. 'What! It's a great game!'

'Quidditch is very exciting and requires great agility,' Blaise said. 'It is a ball game played on broomsticks in the air. There are six goals, four balls - Quaffle, a great red ball you score goals with, two Bludgers that are enchanted to hit the players, to make the game more difficult, and the Golden Snitch, a walnut-sized golden ball with wings that flies very fast and brings a team hundred and fifty points if caught, and there are seven players in each team - one Keeper, who is to prevent the rival team from scoring a goal, three Chasers, who are to score goals, two Beaters who beat the Bludgers off, and one Seeker who catches the Snitch. A Seeker has to be very adroit and small, just like Harry is. He is the youngest Seeker in a century. He got his own broom in his first year of school. The first year students aren't allowed to have brooms. Yes, and there are many Quidditch teams in the world, and each House at Hogwarts has its own team. The House teams compete for the School Cup. The first match of this season is this Saturday - Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Harry is the Gryffindor Seeker, as I said, Ron is one of the Beaters and Mortie is the reserve Seeker. I am not on my House team, as you may guess - I can't stand the crowd, and I am a fan - a supporter - of the Gryffindor team. I am a great fan of Quidditch.'

'It sounds an interressting game,' Balkis said. 'I will come to look at the match'.

'At-a-girl!' Ron said.

'It means 'fine girl,' Blaise explained.

'Thank you, Rron,' Balkis said.

'You can sit on my lap. Nobody will be surprised,' Blaise said. 'Many do so.'

'I thought of it mysself,' Balkis said.

'A true Ravenclaw!' Blaise said.

'I will be glad to ssee Harrrry and Rron play,' Balkis said. 'I shall wish you to win.'

At this point Maloney came in.

'Excuse me,' he said. 'But I heard your conversation. I didn't mean to, really.'

'I know, Mr. Maloney,' Blaise smiled.

'I understand this is a great secret,' Maloney said. 'I shouldn't be hearing that.'

'It's all right, Mr. Maloney,' Blaise said. 'If you give your word of honor as a Gryffindor that you won't tell about it to anyone else.'

'I give my word of honor as a Gryffindor that it won't go any further,' Maloney said.

'This is quite enough,' Blaise said. 'Please be welcome into our little company.'

'Thank you,' Maloney said.

'Take a seat, Maloney,' Harry asked.

'Thank you,' Maloney said.

'Balkis, this is Fergal Maloney, a second-year Gryffindor, and a good Gryffindor too,' Blaise said. 'To call Paris Crowley a supercilious Slytherin! You have to be brave.'

'Up to his name,' Mortie said. 'Fergal means 'brave.'

'And what did Crowley do?' Harry asked.

'Hexed poor Maloney, of course,' Blaise said. 'Cast the Teeth-Enlarging Spell on him.'

'You were there? And what did you do?' Harry asked.

'Fined Crowley fifty points,' Blaise said.

'Serves him right,' Harry said.

'Madam Pomfrey said so, too.' Blaise said.

'Mr. Maloney is definitely a true Gryffindor,' Harry said. Blaise answered:

'Yes, but I think we should call him Fergal. We call each other by our first names among us.'

'You're right, Blaise,' Harry said. 'Fergal it is.'

'Take a sseat, Ferrgal,' Balkis said.

Maloney blushed and heaved on a sofa.

'How old arre you, Ferrgal?' Balkis asked.

'Twelve,' Maloney said, going red.

'And you arre a ssecond yearr. It means one enterrs Hogwarrtss at eleven?' Balkis said.

'Yes, or more exactly the year one is eleven,' Blaise said. 'I am born in November, and I was ten when I entered Hogwarts. I turned eleven two months later. Hermione, too, entered Hogwarts when she was only ten -she was born on 17 September.'

'And how many yearrs does one learrn?' Balkis asked.

'Seven years,' Blaise answered. 'I'm a sixth-year, and so are Harry, Ron and 'Mione. Mortie is a second-year, like Fergal here. So, you see, I am a senior student and you can rely on me.'

'I rrely on you, Blaise,' Balkis said.

'If we can help somehow, we all are at your service,' Harry, Ron, Hermione and Mortie said.

'I am not a very good student, but if I can help you somehow, only ask me,' Maloney said.

'Thank you, my frriendss,' Balkis said.

'How is your progress, Blaise,' Harry said.

'Absolutely nothing yet,' Blaise said. 'What have you, such a potion wouldn't be in Jigger. Still, one has to try everything.'

'Just so,' Harry said. Blaise resumed his reading, Maloney his building of the house of cards, Hermione and Mortie sat by the fireplace to talk, and Harry sat to play wizard chess with Ron. Balkis gave a surprised cry when she saw the chess pieces moving by themselves:

'Marrvellouss games have you herre - polo on brroomsstickss and chessss with live pieccess!'

'It's wizard chess,' Ron explained, just as his knight broke Harry's castle to pieces. 'You have to command them, as a real army. They repair themselves when a game is ended. Why, do you play chess, Balkis?'

'Yess,' Balkis said. 'I like thiss game.'

'It's very good!' Ron said. Harry said:

'Beware, Balkis, Ron is a very good player.'

'I am too,' Balkis said. 'I play polo too, pity I can't play thiss Ssaturrday.'

'Sorry Balkis, but this is a school game,' Blaise said. 'You have to be a student of this school, and besides, Quidditch has its specialties.'

'I underrstand,' Balkis said. 'But I will like to see the game. I like polo too.'

'One Quidditch fan more!' Blaise said.

'But you can play chess,' Ron said. 'Will you play with me when I finish with Harry? In wizard chess, you don't have to handle the pieces'.

'Thank you, dearr Rron, I will,' Balkis said.

'Beware, Harry!' Ron grinned.

'Arre you Irrish, Ferrgal?' Balkis asked.

'Yes, I am an Irishman, from Armagh,' Maloney said. 'That's an old episcopal town in Ireland. There is Ireland in your world too?'

'Of courrsse,' Balkis said. 'Drruidss live there. They're wise prriesstss, my sssecond teacherr Lorrd Mantrrell met them.'

'Your second teacher, Lord Matthew Mantrell - you say he came from another world like this,' Blaise said. "How it came?'

'I underrsstand that he was a Massterr of Arrtss in his worrld and oncce deccipherred a parrchment no one elsse could rread, and then he found himsself in Merrovencce,' Balkis said. 'He met Prrinccess Alissande and helped her rregain herr lawful thrrone which was occupied by a prretenderr, and she made him herr Rroyal Wizarrd. As he helped herr, they fell in love with each otherr, and the day they won the final battle they became engaged. Thrree yearrss laterr they got marrrried and now have a ssson, Kaprrin, and a daughterr, Alice - they do not know how to play with a cat prroperrly yet. Kaprrin is ssix and Alice is thrree yearrs old.'

'Yes, indeed. Blaise smiled. 'Don't worry, we here know how to care about cats as well as other, more bizarre creatures.'

'I ssee it,' Balkis said.

'But how came this parchment carried your teacher to another world?' Hermione asked. 'Was it a portkey - a thing that is enchanted to carry you somewhere - or were the words on it a spell to do this? But he must have been a powerful wizard to do this without a magical wand.'

'He is,' Balkis said. 'He is the most powerrfull wizarrd in Eurrope. He defeated all the evil witchess and ssorrccerrerrss that rruled the kingdomss of Eurrope. That is why my firrsst teacherr ssent me to him.'

'An Allustrian woman called Idris, I do remember,' Blaise said. 'But if you are of Central Asia, how come your first teacher was an Allustrian woman?'

'When I was a baby, a nomad horde invaded my native land and sseized Marracanda. My mother, Prrinccessss Kanachai, knowing that the nomads werre coming, put me into an ivorry box and put the box in a river that rrrunss thrrough the Rrroyal Garrdenss, and commended me to the waterr ssprritess. They carrrried me into a wood, wherre drryadss ssaw me. They knew I had to rrun frrom that land, and they turned me into a cat and taught me to catch micce, sso that I could join ssome carravan and get away frrom the nomadss. I had to catch a mousse before the merrchantss' eyess, sso they could take me with them as a mouser. They carrrry sspicce and ssilk, you ssee, and micce gnaw thesse thingss.'

'Just so,' Blaise smiled. 'And then?'

'I did sso, came to a caravan and caught a mousse so that the merrchantss could ssee me, and they took me with them. At length they arrived in Zachssburg, a town in Allusstrria, and then I rran away frrom the merrchantss. The Allusstrrian drryadss took carre of me, and then they told me to come to a childlessss peasant couple's house, turrn into a baby again and ssay 'Mamma' to the peasant woman. I did sso, and thiss couple - Ludwig and Grreta - adopted me and carred of me as of their own daughterr. Then they died, and the village ladss began to annoy me. I went to the woodss, wherre I hearrd a witch lived. I found herr - it was Idrriss. I told herr all about mysself, and she took me as herr pupil. I was a pupil and a cat to herr at the ssame time. Then she ssent me to Lorrd Mantrrell, to Merrovencce. I came to him as a cat, he didn't know I am human till the nomadss began to encrroach the Caliph of Baghdad, and the Caliph ssentt to all the Chrrisstian kingss letterrss, requessting for help. Lorrd Mantrrell went to the Easst to gatherrr inforrmation, I felt sssome sstrrange but verry sstrrong desirre to go with him, and sso I got into hiss bag and followed him. Then he devined I am a human, and I had to come clean.'

'Definitely my soul mate!' Blaise said.

'We got to Marracanda in the courrse of thiss jourrney, and helped my grreat-uncle to rregain his thrrone. When my grreat-uncle hearrd my sstorry, he knew who I was, and he told me. Now I live at Marracanda, in the Rroyal Palacce, and it was frrom therre that thiss forrcce carrrried me herre. Thiss is my ssstorry,' Balkis said. 'I think it was ssome powerrful shaman of the nomadss thrrew me herre.'

'So you are an orphan?' Harry said with sympathy. 'So am I. My parents were killed by a very powerful Dark wizard, Lord Voldemort or Tom Marvolo Riddle really, when I was one year old. This scar is where his curse rebounded from me, I don't know why, and made him disembodied.'

'I thought it was verry unusual, thiss sscarr of yourrss,' Balkis said.

'I'm sssorrrry forr you.'

'Thank you,' Harry said. 'It's all right.'

'So you got into Europe by means of the Silk Road -so the way you followed is called. Well, you are definitely one of the greatest treasures Europe saw,' Blaise said.

'Thank you, dearr Blaise,' Balkis said.

Blaise blushed and said:

'So the dryads put a charm on you so you could transform yourself into a cat and back into a girl? That's interesting. You see, in our world to become an Animagus you have to do a complicated spell yourself. Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Head of the Gryffindor House, can turn herself into a tabby cat, and she is a very powerful witch. A student can learn it, but it takes many efforts. Harry's father, James, Harry's Godfather, Sirius Black, and a friend of theirs who turned Dark and betrayed James and his wife Lily to Voldemort, Peter Pettigrew, learned this charm when at Hogwarts, to be with their friend Remus in his wolf form. Sirius, as I said, turns himself into a big, black dog, Pettigrew into a rat, and James' Animagus form was a stag.'

'A sstag... How lovely,' Balkis said.

'Yes. They were great friends, and great mischief-makers,' Blaise said. 'Now Professor Lupin and Sirius are friends with Harry, as they were with James. But I never heard of a spell put on another person to make him or her an Animagus. That is dryad magic, I suppose.'

'It must be,' Hermione said.

'So, Professor Granger contends with me,' Blaise smiled. 'It is very encouraging.'

'What is thiss about Heads of the Housess?' Balkis asked. Blaise said:

'Each House is headed by a teacher, a former student of this House, who understands the students of his or her own kind. Of Professor McGonagall you know. The Head of the Slytherin House is Professor Severus Snape, the Potions Master. He knows his matter well, but he is too mordant and favors the Slytherins, most Slytherins, that is - he doesn't like me, for I am friends with Harry, and Snape was at daggers with James when they were students, and hates Harry. The Head of the Hufflepuff House is Professor Salvia Sprout, the Herbology teacher. Now with her I am friends, for I like Herbology. She is a good person. The Head of the Ravenclaw House is Professor Filius Flitwick, the Charms teacher. He is kind to me, though I am little good in his class, as I already said. It is not my favorite subject, you see, too routine, and I get impatient and dump it all. I know basic spells, of course, - 'Accio', the Summoning Charm, 'Lumos' - the Wand-Lighting Charm, 'Nox' - the Wand-Putting-Out Charm, 'Wingardium Leviosa' - the Levitating Charm, 'Incendio' - the Fire-Lighting Charm, and some other simple spells like these, but I am in no way brilliant at Charms.'

'Sso am I, as I ssaid,' Balkis comforted Blaise. 'You ssee, in my worrld it is rrhyme that has magic powerr, and I have a harrd time in finding the rright rrhymes.'

'Rhyme?' Blaise exclaimed. 'You mean in your world a wizard has to make rhymes to get the magic going?'

'Yess,' Balkis said. 'Lorrd Mantrrell makes verry good rrhymes, unlike me. It was a rrhyme that carrrried him to ourr worrld, by the way'.

'Amazing!' Blaise said. 'But it is good to know there is a place where poetry has such a great meaning. I like poetry, you see, and I know many verse by heart. You made me happier.'

'You know many verrse by hearrt?' Balkis asked. 'Can you rread me some of them?'

'Eagerly,' Blaise said. 'There is one poem, called 'O My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose' by Scottish poet Robert Burns.

'O my Love is like a red, red rose,

That's newly sprung in June,

O my Love is like a melody,

That's sweetly played in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonny lass,

So deep in love am I,

And I will love thee still, my dear,

Until the seas gang dry.

Until the seas gang dry, my dear,

And rocks melt with the sun,

And I will love thee still, my dear,

While the sands of time shall run.

But fare thee well, my only Love,

But fare thee well, for a while,

And I will come again, my Love,

Tho' it were ten thousand mile.'

'It is verry beautiful,' Balkis said, casting her eyes down. 'Thank you, Blaise.'

'It's a pleasure,' Blaise said.

'But I mustn't hinderr you,' Balkis said hastily. 'You have to rread.'

'Yes,' Blaise smiled and resumed reading.

'Checkmate!' Ron announced. Harry made a sad face and laughed.

'Sso it is my turrn now, isn't it, Rron?' Balkis said. She leapt from the table at which Blaise was reading, crossed the room and jumped on the sofa on which Ron put the chessboard. Harry moved aside to see the game. Balkis took her place opposite Ron, and they began to play. Harry soon noticed that Ron had a hard time of it.

'Merlin, you really know how to play!' Ron said with respect. Balkis said:

'Thank you, dearr Rron.'

Some time later Blaise went upstairs to retrieve Harry's Goshawk and Spore, and Balkis suddenly changed her form.

'Do you think I look good in this?' she asked. 'Blaise is taking me to Hogsmeade this Saturday.'

The Gryffindors raised their eyebrows and then assured her sincerely:

'You look stunning, Balkis. You shall outshine Blaise. What will he be wearing?'

'His crimson dress robes,' Balkis said.

'You will be a lovely pair,' Mortie said.

'You think so?' Balkis asked.

'Absolutely,' Mortie answered.

'Thank you,' Balkis said and changed back into a cat again. Blaise returned with two tomes under his arm, opened Spore and began to read. Some time later Balkis checkmated Ron.

'Oho!' Harry said. 'If you play polo as you play chess, it is pity that you are not a Gryffindor student.'

'Thank you, Harrrry,' Balkis said.

'I do not say that it is a pity that you are not a Slytherin,' Blaise said. 'That would be a bonus to this crowd, and I don't want it to happen. They are appalling, and I don't want their chances to win the Cup to be increased. And you won't want to be with them, either. There are seven hundred ways to commit a foul at Quidditch, and they all were used in the World Championship of 1475, but my housemates can accomplish this feat in one single game.'

'Yess, I would like to be a Grryffindorr,' Balkis said. 'It sseemss the Grryfindorrs arre nicce people, and thiss rroom is nicce, too.'

'Yes, I like it much more than the Slytherin Common Room - it is called a common room, the room where the students gather to do their lessons, to read, to talk and to play games in the evenings and on holidays,' Blaise said. 'The Slytherin Common Room is green and silver, with dark oak furniture.'

'I ssee yourr point,' Balkis said.

'And the dormitories are furnished in the same style as the common rooms,' Blaise said. 'No, Gryffindor is better in every aspect. It's pity you aren't in it.'

'But at leasst I can sstay in it,' Balkis said. 'I'm not going to Sslytherrin. I will ssleep here, in thiss prretty rroom.'

'You are welcome,' Harry smiled. 'They won't take points off you if you don't sleep in the Slytherin dormitories.'

'Forrtunately not,' Balkis said. 'To ssleep on thiss chairr nearr the firreplacce must be lovely, I think.'

'It is,' Mortie said. 'It happened to me once or twice. The fire is lulling.'

'If a white snake with four wings flies through the window, don't be afraid,' Blaise said. 'It's my Evening Star.'

'I won't be,' Balkis said.

After some time Blaise said:

'Helas, I have to leave. I cannot sleep in the Gryffindor dormitories. There isn't a place for me in there, it's in Slytherin. Good night, my friends, see you tomorrow.'

'Good night, Blaise,' the Gryffindors and Balkis said. Blaise closed the book, rose and walked to the door, opened it and went out. As he disappeared in the door, the Gryffindors rose too and bade Balkis good night.

'Good night, frriendss,' Balkis said. The Gryffindors went upstairs - Hermione up the staircase on the left, the boys up the spiral staircase on the right. Balkis leapt on the floor, went to the chair she was speaking of, jumped on it, curled in front of the fireplace, and went to sleep.