Blaise Zabini and the Magical Cat

They came to the door of Hagrid's hut and knocked soundly on the door.

'Wha's there?' Hagrid answered from behind the door.

'Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mortie, Blaise, Ginny, Maloney and Balkis,' Blaise said. The door opened, and Hagrid boomed, standing in the doorway:

'Come in, come in! Yeh are always welcome at my place.'

'Oh, thank you, Hagrid.' Blaise smiled and came in. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mortie, Ginny, Maloney and Balkis came in after Blaise.

'Well, came fer some tea wi' me?' Hagrid grinned.

'Tea, too,' Blaise said. 'But we have yet another reason for visiting you, Hagrid.'

'An' what migh' it be?' Hagrid asked. Blaise winked.

'Well, Balkis here has a surprise for you. Balkis?'

Balkis winked too and suddenly changed into her human form. Hagrid stared.

'What's this?' he exclaimed.

'Balkis, the Princess of the Eastern Gate, the grandniece of Prester John the ruler of Central Asia,' Blaise said. 'She was thrown into our world by some powerful magic, and all these days I was researching for a potion or a charm to send her back. Now I found a recipe of one such potion, and we only need some dill from your vegetable garden and your hut for me to brew the potion in and for Balkis to leave safely.'

'Well, that's one odd story!' Hagrid said. 'But I believe yeh. Yeh wouldn' be lying in such matters. Be at home, Blaise, an' yeh - Yer Highness, I reckon I am to call yeh now?'

'No,' Balkis smiled. 'No My Highnesses here. You are my friend, just as Blaise, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mortie and Fergal here. Call me Balkis.'

'Well, Balkis, then,' Hagrid said. 'Be at home, and yeh, Blaise, lad, take all the dill yeh need to.'

'Thank you, Hagrid,' Blaise said. 'Now, sit down, friends, while I'll be brewing the thing.'

'An' have tea,' Hagrid said.

'Sure,' the Gryffindors and Balkis said and settled on all available sitting places in Hagrid's house. Hagrid made some tea for them. Blaise put his cauldron on the table along with the ingredients for the potion and went out. Soon he returned with a pail of water, heaved the water into the cauldron, put the cauldron on the fire in Hagrid's fireplace, reached into his pocket fished out a bunch of dill and put on the table. Then he said:

'Now, please no interrupting me, or the potion may go wrong.'

His friends nodded like one. Blaise watched the cauldron attentively, and then he proceeded to add the herbs into the cauldron one by one, stirring the liquid constantly. The Gryffindors watched Blaise with awe. Blaise could be abysmal at Charms, but he was very good at Potions. They were doing their best not to move and even not to breathe too loudly, while Blaise was brewing. After what seemed a week Blaise took the cauldron from the fire and put it on the iron part of the floor around the fireplace. He gave out a loud sigh.

'Well, here it is,' Blaise said. 'If it came out right, I don't know, but I followed the recipe closely, and that ought to matter.'

'I hope,' Balkis said.

'So do I,' Blaise said. 'Well, I'll drink it first. I want to be sure you arrive to the right place. Then you drink it.'

'Oh, Blaise!' Balkis said. Blaise waited for some time, then he fished a glass out of Hagrid's cupboard, and poured some of the potion into the glass by means of the ladle he was stirring the potion with.

'Hey, Blaise?' Hagrid said.

'Yes, what is it, Hagrid?' Blaise asked. Hagrid said slowly:

'Blaise, I was thinking - don' you reckon a roc would be a good pet fer me?'

'A roc?' Blaise said. 'They aren't forbidden to keep, I know that. But are you sure you want such a large bird for your pet, Hagrid?'

'Nah, I think I can handle one,' Hagrid said. Blaise thought.

'Well, otherwise I see no reason for you not to have one,' Blaise said. 'Only where'd you get it?'

'I'll seek,' Hagrid said.

'Well, good luck,' Blaise said. 'Good morning, friends, I have to leave you for some time.'

Blaise took the glass with the potion and drank the liquid, thinking of the place where Balkis was from, and, as a result of the talk with Hagrid, of rocs. The potion had, like most potions, an awful taste, but Blaise closed his eyes and emptied the glass. Next he felt a strange tickling sensation, and one yet, as if he was falling. When the effects ceased, Blaise opened his eyes. He was lying on the back of one very large bird. A roc, in fact. Blaise was at loss what to do, and the bird was, naturally, not very pleased with Blaise's sudden appearance on its back. It turned its head, seized the edge of Blaise's robes and suspended him in the air, eyeing him attentively with its large gleaming eyes.

'WHO ARE YOU?' the roc demanded. 'WHAT BUSINESS YOU HAVE TO FALL ON MY BACK WHEN I'M FLYING, HUMAN?'

The roc shook him a couple of times.

'I beg your pardon,' Blaise said. 'I didn't want to land on your back, mighty roc.'

'THEN WHY YOU DID IT?' the roc asked, still very disgruntled.

'It was some magic gone wrong,' Blaise explained. ' Where I wanted to go to was Maracanda, but I was thinking also of rocs at the time, and I guess that did it.'

'MARACANDA?' the roc asked. 'WHY DO YOU WANT TO GET THERE?'

'I think you heard Balkis, the Princess of the Eastern Gate, disappeared some time ago?' Blaise ventured.

'I DID,' the roc said. 'WELL?'

'Well, where she landed was our school, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I'm one of the senior students. She asked me for help, and well, I managed to find a potion to return her to her home. I drank it first, to try it, and, well, now I'm here.' Blaise said. 'I hope hers worked right, and she's in Maracanda. I care of her a lot, if you understand what I mean. I hope she's all right.'

'DO YOU LOVE HER?' the roc asked.

'Yes, I do,' Blaise said firmly. 'Her uncle will probably forbid her to love me, but I don't care. I will have her all the same.'

'INDEED?' the roc asked. 'WHAT'S YOUR NAME, HUMAN?'

'Blaise Zabini,' Blaise said.

'YOU CAN CALL ME ROCY.'

'Rocy?' Blaise asked.

'A WIZARD CALLED MATTHEW MANTRELL GAVE ME THIS NAME,' Rocy said. 'WE MET WHEN HE WAS TRAVELLING TO MARACANDA.'

'Matthew Mantrell?' Blaise asked. 'Was there with him a cute Abyssinian tabby?'

'YES,' Rocy said.

'Balkis,' Blaise sighed. 'She is as pretty when she is a cat as when she is a girl.'

'YOU HAVE IT GREAT FOR HER, BLAISE ZABINI,' Rocy said.

'Just Blaise, please,' Blaise said.

'BLAISE,' Rocy said. 'WELL, I GUESS I'LL GIVE YOU A LIFT TO MARACANDA, THEN.'

'Thank you, Rocy,' Blaise said.

'OH, I FORGOT,' Rocy said and put Blaise back where he was.

'Thanks,' Blaise breathed out.

'DON'T MENTION IT,' Rocy said.

Blaise sat up on Rocy's back, clutching tightly to Rocy's giant feathers. He looked down, and saw a plateau with snow-covered summits, valleys and lakes - the Himalayas.

'The Himalayas?' Blaise asked.

'YES, SURE,' Rocy said. 'HOLD ON. IF SHE IS IN MARACANDA, YOU'LL SEE HER.'

'I hope,' Blaise sighed. 'After all, she knows exactly where's she going and wants to be there really strong. I mean, she told me of this place, and I wanted to see it, but it's not my home, you see?'

'SURE,' Rocy said. 'AND WHERE'S YOUR HOME? I DON'T THINK I HEARD OF SCHOOLS FOR WIZARDS. I MEET A STUDENT WIZARD FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND SO YOUNG TO THAT.'

'I'm sixteen!' Blaise protested.

'THAT'S WHAT I MEANT,' Rocy said. 'I KNOW OF NO SCHOOL OF MAGIC IN MEROVENCE OR LATRURIA, AND YOUR NAME SEEMS TO IMPLY ONE OF THEM.'

'Approximately,' Blaise said. 'My native country is like Merovence, but it's...You know where Lord Mantrell came from?'

'YES,' Rocy said.

'Well, I'm from the same place,' Blaise said. 'My native land is called France. But my family moved to another country, when I was nine, the country called Bretanglia in your world and Britain in ours. Hogwarts is the only school of magic in Britain and Ireland. There are other schools of magic in another countries - Beauxbatons in France, Durmstrang in the Eastern and Northern Europe, and so on, but Hogwarts is the best of them. One enters it when one is eleven, and goes there for seven years, so I'm to study there for one year yet. Hogwarts is a boarding school, meaning students live there and go home only for three summer months and for Christmas and Easter, of course, that's nine months at the school. To give the students a sort of home from home, the school is divided into four Houses, each House has its own dormitories and common room, you can get inside only if you know the password. The Houses are called Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, after the four Founders of our school, Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. They were great wizards and witches who lived more than a thousand years ago. They all thought differently what a student must be like, and so they picked the students for their Houses according to their liking, and then they enchanted a hat to sort the students into Houses. Each student entering Hogwarts tries it on, and it says what House he or she belongs in. The hat is called the Sorting Hat because of that, and it's never been wrong. You see, Helga Hufflepuff most valued the people who are hard-working, loyal and just, Godric Gryffindor most liked brave and chivalrous people, Rowena Ravenclaw was all set on clever and scholarly people, and Salazar Slytherin put the most in the cunning, ambitious, determined and resourceful people. Each House has its own coat of arms, and the arms of the school is the four coats of arms with the letter 'H' superimposed on them. The arms of Hufflepuff is a black badger in a yellow field, the arms of Gryffindor - a gold lion in a red field, the arms of Ravenclaw - a bronze eagle in a blue field, and the arms of Slytherin - a silver serpent in a green field. There is a motto too - 'Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus', 'Never tickle a sleeping dragon' in Latin. The school itself is in an enormous, beautiful ancient castle, on the shore of a large lovely lake. I like it very much there.'

'THAT'S AMAZING,' Rocy said. 'AND WHAT HOUSE YOU ARE IN?'

'Slytherin,' Blaise smiled.

'THAT MEANS YOU ARE CUNNING, AMBITIOUS, DETERMINED AND RESOURCEFUL?' Rocy said. 'BUT I SUPPOSE NOT IN A BAD WAY, OR YOU WOULDN'T OWN IT.'

'It's how you use them that matters,' Blaise nodded. 'Oh, how beautiful!'

They were flying over the magnificent, white-capped peaks of Kunlun, and the yellow, wavy, spreading Takla-Makan desert was seen in distance.

'YES,' Rocy said.

They were approaching what was surely Hotan, when they both saw a dragon flying towards them. The dragon was mighty and lithe, covered in shining green scales, with powerful claws, a strong barbed tail, two rows of large fangs in his long jaws, a pair of huge yellow eyes and wide leathery wings.

Blaise quickly took his wand out of his pocket and at the ready, just in case, as Professor Lupin taught. But Rocy was not at all worried.

'FRIEND STEGOMAN?' he exclaimed.

'Friend Rocy?' the dragon said. Blaise relaxed a bit but didn't let off of his old good wand.

'YES, IT'S ME,' Rocy said. 'WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE, STEGOMAN?'

'Matt - Lord Mantrell - sent me to seek a certain person,' Stegoman said. 'It's very important.'

He broke off as he looked at Blaise, and said slowly:

'Do you happen to be Blaise Zabini?'

'I do,' Blaise bowed pleasantly.

'Then my errand is fulfilled,' Stegoman said. 'I was sent to seek you, Blaise Zabini.'

'Balkis?' Blaise breathed out.

'Yes,' Stegoman said. 'She got to Maracanda safely and was very worried about you.'

'Oh Merlin,' Blaise breathed.

'And Lord Mantrell sent me to seek a diminutive, slender youth with dusky skin, black eyes and black curly hair, in black-colored wizard's robes,' Stegoman said.

'Yes, I'm not very tall,' Blaise smiled. 'It's the Latin race for you. It's not all it is, of course.'

'Indeed,' Stegoman said with a grin in his voice.

'Did Prester John say what he thinks of me?' Blaise asked.

'He approved of your learning and consideration,' Stegoman said.

'Well, that's something,' Blaise said.

'Then you will be glad to go to Maracanda, I think,' Stegoman said.

'Of course,' Blaise said. 'I was heading there.'

'And how you got here?' Stegoman asked.

'I was thinking of rocs when I was drinking the potion,' Blaise said.

'Why?' Stegoman said.

'A great friend of mine is very fond of rocs,' Blaise explained.

'OH, IS HE?' Rocy asked.

'Yes,' Blaise smiled. 'And animals in general. You'd like him. And he's very fond of dragons also, by the way.'

'Really?' Stegoman asked.

'Yes,' Blaise said. 'Rocy, you don't mind going to Maracanda with us? It isn't exactly convenient to change mounts in mid-air.'

'OF COURSE I DON'T MIND,' Rocy said. 'YOU ARE A PLEASANT COMPANION, BLAISE, AND STEGOMAN IS TOO.'

'Fine, then,' Blaise said.

Rocy and Stegoman flew alongside. Blaise looked straight in Stegoman's eyes and said in Parseltongue:

'You are a fine one. I'm very fond of dragons too, like my friend Hagrid.'

'Hagrid?' Stegoman asked.

'He's my favorite teacher. He teaches the Care of the Magical Creatures, and he's also the school forester. Our school has vast grounds.' Blaise said.

'Indeed?' Stegoman said. 'Wait a bit, you are speaking our language!'

'Yes,' Blaise smiled.

'I never met a human who could speak our language,' Stegoman said.

'Maybe in your world there aren't any humans who can,' Blaise said. 'Even in my world to be a Parselmouth is a very rare gift. For the thousand years of history of our school, there were only four, including me. The first of them was one of the founders of the school, the founder of my House, Salazar Slytherin. He was very fond of snakes, he even made a snake the emblem of his House. There were only three other Parselmouths after his time. One was a very powerful Dark wizard, another's a great hero, and I'm just a good student.'

'Hmm,' Stegoman said. 'It's very strange to hear a young human boy to speak our language, I must tell you, Blaise Zabini.'

'No surnames, please, Blaise begged. 'Just Blaise to you.'

'As you wish,' Stegoman said.

'It sort of comes to one,' Blaise said. 'One just knows what to say. One is born with it and doesn't even know one is, till some day one meets a snake and realizes one can speak with it, and it understands. Mine was a grass snake I kept as a little boy. His name was Emerald. He died long ago, alas, but it was so wonderful to speak with him!'

'Parselmouth, you say?' Stegoman said. 'No, I'm sure I never heard of such a thing. And I know history and legends very well. It's my passion.'

'Really?' Blaise exclaimed. 'It's mine as well. Seems our journey will be even more pleasant than I thought, friend Stegoman!'

'Indeed,' Stegoman said contently.

Blaise smiled, and they continued their flight.

'LOVEBIRDS,' Rocy said suddenly.

'Hey, we are just friends!' Blaise said in mock indignation.

'THAT'S WHAT THEY ALL SAY,' Rocy said.