Blaise Zabini and the Magical Cat

When Balkis woke up next morning, the Gryffindor Common Room was deserted save Blaise, who was reading.

'Good morrning, Blaise,' she said.

'Good morning, sweetheart.' Blaise smiled, looking up from his book.

'That was a lovely ssong you ssang to uss lasst night,' Balkis said.

'I'm glad you liked it,' Blaise smiled. 'I really feel so, you know - "I'd give Versailles, Paris and Saint Denis, the towers of Notre-Dame and the bells of my parish, and my pretty dove to have my sweetheart."

'Sso do I, Blaise,' Balkis said.

'My love!' Blaise said. 'You see, the carnelian on my hand glows when I look at you. It means that my feeling is not a whim, which will pass, but true, genuine love.'

'I know,' Balkis said. 'I rread lapidarry bookss.'

'You would.' Blaise smiled.

'And wherre arre the otherrss?' Balkis asked.

'Some outside, some in the library, some in the Astronomy Tower trysting, some in the deserted classrooms for the same purpose, some serving detentions, some doing research, like me,' Blaise said. 'A few do research on holidays. I am one of them; I like to do research.'

'All the ssame, I thank you, Blaise,' Balkis said. 'And wherre arre Harrrry, Rron, 'Mione and Morrtie?'

'At Hagrid's.' Blaise smiled.

'I ssee,' Balkis said. She couldn't smile, of course - in cats, to show teeth is a sign of aggression, and the mouth of a happy cat is closed. That moment, Ginny came in.

'Oh,' Ginny said, for she heard Balkis speak. Balkis fell silent, but Blaise wasn't at loss even for a second. He said:

'Ginny, this is Balkis, the Princess of Eastern Gate, the grandniece of Prester John, the King of Central Asia. She's from another world and trapped here. I'm trying to find some means to return her home. Balkis, this is Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister.'

'I thought sso,' Balkis said. 'Good morrning, Ginny. You arre Neville Longbottom'ss ladylove? I am Blaise'ss.'

'Oh,' Ginny said again. ' Good morning. I must call you Your Highness, I think?'

'Jusst Balkiss,' Balkis said. 'Those who know about me call me by my Chrrisstian name - Blaise, Harrrry, 'Mione, Rrron, Morrtie and a ssecond-yearr, Ferrgal Maloney by name.'

'Fergal promised do not tell anyone else about Balkis,' Blaise said. 'You have to, too.'

'Oh, I promise,' Ginny said. 'Christian name, you said? So you are a Christian, like us?'

'Yess,' Balkis said. 'I am Nesstorrian.'

'The Nestorian Church is one of the Eastern churches,' Blaise explained.

'Oh, the Central Asia, I remember,' Ginny said. 'So where do you live back at home?'

'At Marracanda,' Balkis said.

'It is the old name for Samarkand,' Blaise said. 'It is the capital of her country, I think.'

'Yess,' Balkis confirmed.

'And what time is back there?' Ginny asked.

'The yearr of Ourr Lorrd twelve hundrred and fifty-eight,' Balkis answered.

'So you are a Tigress?' Blaise said.

'A Tigrressss?' Balkis asked.

'According to the Chinese calendar. Each year an animal, twelve of them, which repeat in twelve years,' Blaise said.

'Oh yess, I hearrd of them,' Balkis said.

'You would,' Blaise said. 'I'm a Monkey, dexterous, cunning and clever, you know. You are a Tigress - brave and resolute. Not a bad pair altogether, eh?'

'Yess, indeed,' Balkis said.

'And what day you were born?' Blaise asked.

'The fourrth of Novemberr,' Balkis said.

'A Scorpio like me! I knew it!' Blaise said. 'Now let your great-uncle try to part two Scorpios! He won't succeed.'

'Grreat-uncle John is not exactly an imperrious ssirre,' Balkis said.

'But he is a King,' Blaise said. 'You are a Princess, and I am only gentry.'

'Grreat-uncle John won't wish to parrt me with my love, when he knows I found him,' Balkis said. 'I was in love with Lorrd Mantrrell and thought it is pity he is marrrried, but he loves his wife, Queen Alissande, dearrly.'

'And now he will sigh with relief.' Blaise said. 'I took this burden from him.'

'Burrden, Blaise Zabini?' Balkis snarled.

'Only for him,' Blaise hastened to say. 'To me you are an undreamt-of treasure'.

'That ssoundss betterr," Balkis relaxed.

'Don't tease a tigress, Blaise!' Ginny laughed.

'I won't,' Blaise promised. 'You sounded like my mother, Balkis. It lacked only 'Alcide' between 'Blaise' and 'Zabini'.'

'Blaise Alcide Zabini?' Ginny asked.

'That's my middle name,' Blaise said. 'My middle name is a French form of Alcides, the true name of the Muggle Greek legendary hero Hercules. Hercules is an adopted name, means "the Glory of Hera", his stepmother. I was called Alcide after a Muggle paleontologist, Alcide D'Orbigny.'

'I see,' Ginny said.

'Yourr Neville is cute,' Balkis remarked.

'Oh yes, he is,' Ginny smiled. 'He is a bit absent-minded, but he is very good at Herbology. Blaise knows.'

'Yes,' Blaise smiled. 'I had many interesting conversations with him.'

'And you are so kind as to tutor him on other subjects,' Ginny said.

'Well, I'm his friend,' Blaise said. At this point Maloney came in.

'Hi Blaise, hi Ginny,' Maloney said.

'Hi Fergal,' Blaise and Balkis said.

'Hi Ferrgal,' Balkis said. 'Don't worrrry, Ginny knows. You can talk to me'.

'Hi Balkis,' Maloney said, relieved. 'How about a wizard chess game, Ginny?'

'Sure, Fergal,' Ginny answered, and they sat to play, and Blaise continued to read. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Mortie returned and sat to play cards. The time crawled, and the Gryffindor Common Room was quiet. Suddenly Blaise cried:

'Eureka! By Merlin's wand, I found it!'

Ginny, Maloney, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mortie and Balkis turned their heads to him.

'Listen,' Blaise said and read: 'To Crosse Time and Space: Take of Poudered Horne of Bicorne, two Ounces; of Dried Dill Leaues, two Ounces; of Poudered Thornappel Leaues, five Grains. Boile for an Hour, stirring... Deiseal? What on Earth this "Deiseal" means?'

'Sunwise,' Maloney said at once.

'Thank you, Fergal,' Blaise said, 'I never knew that. Is it Gaelic?'

'Yes,' Maloney said, flushing with pride. 'I said I'll do everything to help you.'

'And you helped me greatly,' Blaise said. 'I'm not a Gaelic scholar, you see, and never would guess what this "Deiseal" means. It makes sense all right. It is important to stir some potions sunwise, or they won't work.'

'That's right,' Hermione said.

'So now I can return home?' Balkis asked.

'Yes, when I brew the potion,' Blaise said. 'I have bicorn horn and thorn-apple, and Hagrid would have dill. Hagrid's hut is perfectly suitable to brew the thing. Nobody would hinder us there. Of course, we'll have to tell Hagrid about it, but he's a good sort, he'll be all right.'

'Yes,' Ron said. 'He's a sport.'

'I'll fetch the ingredients from my potion kit, then,' Blaise said, closing the book - "Moste Potente Potions", rose and went out. Some time later he returned with two vials, one full of a white powder, the other of black. Balkis leapt from the table to follow him. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mortie, Ginny and Maloney rose too, and they left for Hagrid's hut.