Blaise Zabini and the Magical Cat

Blaise and Stegoman proceeded to share each other with the history and legends of their respective worlds. Stegoman told Blaise about the great Emperor Hardishane, and Blaise told Stegoman about Charlemagne, the Hardishane of his own world. Then Stegoman told about the Remuan Empire, that gained all its provinces by diplomacy, and its legendary founders, Remus and Romulus, brought up by a female lynx, and how Remus killed Romulus in a fight and the city they founded was thus named Reme after the winner.

'It's funny,' Blaise said. 'In my world the empire conquered all these lands, and the brothers were brought up by a female wolf, as the story says. And more, it was Romulus who won there, and the city's called Rome.'

'Rome?' Stegoman said. 'How odd.'

'To me, Reme sounds even more odd.' Blaise laughed. ' And the lynx too. You see, I have a teacher called Remus. His last name's Lupin, Remus Lupin, it instantly reminds one of the founders of the Eternal City. And it happens that he's a werewolf. He was bitten by a werewolf as a little boy, and is very sorry about this. He's one of the gentlest persons and best teachers I know. He's my second favorite teacher, in fact. He teaches the Defense against the Dark Arts. But he's not a warrior by nature, more of a scholar. Oh, he is brave, sure, but so are cats, I know them, and they are unlike dogs. I rather like dogs, but cats are more congenial to me. I keep one. He's terribly missing me now, I just can see him, but I couldn't possibly take him with me, though he would want me to, I am sure. He's awfully inquisitive, just like me, and has no fear of any thing living.'

'YEAOAOAOAOW!' it sounded suddenly, and the little, gold-red, graceful, spotted tom with lion-like tail, large ears, enormous bright green eyes and long whiskers appeared right on Rocy's back.

'Lupus in fabula.' Blaise smiled. 'I should have known better than to leave a Kneazle out of anything. Forgive me, Macavity cher ami!'

'Yeaow,' Macavity said demurely and rubbed himself against Blaise's knee.

'How he did it?' Stegoman asked.

'Apparated,' Blaise said. 'Like jinn and other creatures can. His kind have an amazing sense of direction, and this one can Apparate, which they usually cannot.'

'He looks strange,' Stegoman said.

'Yaaow!' Macavity said.

'He must have meant, 'No more strange than you!' Blaise smiled. 'He's a Kneazle, Steggs. They are a very ancient breed of cat. They're most loyal, intelligent and brave. Their sense of direction you just witnessed, and also they sense suspicious persons at once.'

'Interesting,' Stegoman said. He genially passed that 'Steggs' unnoticed.

'A CAT!?' Rocy said.

'Come on, Rocy, you're large enough to eat him,' Blaise said.

'THAT'S TRUE.' Rocy considered.

'All's well, then,' Blaise said.

They continued to fly, over the Pamir Mountains, with their caps of snow. Suddenly there appeared a great flock of huge ravens with iron-colored beaks. They attacked Blaise, Rocy, Stegoman and Macavity. Blaise instantly took out his wand and whispered,' Scutum!' Around him appeared an invisible shield the monstrous ravens bounced off. Rocy fought the monsters with his beak and claws, Stegoman bit and scratched them and burned them with his fire. Blaise threw defensive charms at them, and even Macavity used his natural weapons as well he could. The ravens screeched and aimed at the travelers with their beaks and claws. Rocy pecked half a dozen of the ravens, Stegoman burned and bit another dozen, Blaise Stunned a fair amount of the monsters. At last they overcame all the monster ravens, but Stegoman had a noticeable wound on his right forepaw.

'I insist we land, Steggs, and I look after you,' Blaise said firmly. 'I learned it at school, so don't worry.'

They landed in a narrow river valley among the mountains. Rocy and Stegoman folded their wings and enjoyed the bivouac, and Blaise climbed down Rocy's wing, Macavity following him.

'I'll go to find some herbs,' Blaise said and went off, Macavity at his heels. Some considerable time later Blaise returned with a bunch of nondescript, dark green leaves, shaped like a duck's feet, and put them on the grass.

'What's this?' Stegoman asked.

'It's a kind of goose-foot, called Atriplex patula,' Blaise said. 'It heals wounds very well.'

Stegoman looked at Blaise with respect. The weed looked very common, it would take learning to recognize it for an herb. Blaise meanwhile took out his wand and said, 'Aparecium bandage!' A considerable length of gauze appeared on the grass. Blaise looked at it, pointed his wand at one of its tails, said, 'Diffindo' and traced a line on the gauze with his wand. A neat slit appeared in the material. Blaise put his wand back in his pocket, took the herb and the gauze, went to Stegoman, put the leaves on the dragon's wound, topped them with the gauze, wrapped the gauze numerous times around Stegoman's forearm and tied the slit tails of the gauze around the dragon's paw.

'Here, now it will heal quicker,' Blaise said with satisfaction.

'And you said you were just a good student,' Stegoman said.

'So I am.' Blaise smiled. 'I just know my Herbology and Care of the Magical Creatures well.'

'You would make a good leech,' Stegoman said.

'I want to be one, when I graduate Hogwarts,' Blaise said.

'Then you chose well,' Stegoman said. 'A dragon's word for that.'

'Thank you very much, Steggs.' Blaise smiled.

'I wanted to ask you, why Steggs?' Stegoman asked.

'Well, that's the way the English talk.' Blaise smiled. 'They like funny pet names. Me, for example, my friends call Blay. It's tedious to call a friend Blaise Alcide Zabini all the time. In truth, some of them don't even know of the Alcide part. One shortens it to an "A" most of the time. Teachers call one Mr. Zabini or just Zabini, and friends - Blaise or Blay.'

'I see,' Stegoman said. 'You ARE like a blay - little and quick.'

'I know.' Blaise smiled. 'Now, let's continue our journey?'

'Yes, I think,' Stegoman said.

Blaise climbed on Rocy's back. Macavity followed him. Rocy soared into the air and Stegoman with him. The jolly four flew over the ranges, rivers and lakes of Pamir. Further to the west, the mountains became lower, and Blaise saw a large mountain river rushing in its deep gorge. Rocy followed the river. After some time Blaise saw that the river flowed down from the mountains into a green valley between two spurs of the mountains. On the bank of the river, among luxuriant groves, lay a great city, with mighty walls and towers, numerous blocks of houses, square with flat roofs and patios or rambling with fancy roofs and gardens, large squares, winding streets, Chinese temples, mosques with domes and minarets, domed churches, and in the middle of the city a Chinese-style palace, surrounded by vast gardens and encircled by a high wall.

'This is Maracanda, Blaise Zabini,' Stegoman announced.

'I thought so, too,' Blaise said.

Rocy began to descend, Stegoman followed him. Rocy descended right into the palace garden, to the shore of a large pale blue artificial lake, with an islet having an exquisite pavilion on it. On a lawn near the water waited three people - one a tall, graceful middle-aged man with dark skin, black hair and handsome black moustache and beard on a fine face a lot like Balkis's, a noble gold crown on his head, a black silk mantle, embroidered with small golden dragons, on his shoulders, a red silk shirt and blue silk breeches, another a younger man of middle height, well-built, with brown hair and warm brown eyes, in blue wizard's robes and pointed hat, embellished with stars, and third was Balkis. Her eyes shone with joy when she saw Blaise. Blaise smiled to her. Rocy landed, and Blaise nearly jumped off the roc's back and ran to Balkis. Balkis embraced and kissed him.

'Blaise!' she exclaimed.

'Balkis,' Blaise said tenderly.

'Where have you been?' Balkis asked anxiously.

'You see, Balkis, I was thinking of that talk with Hagrid when I was drinking the potion, and as a result I arrived to your world, but landed right on Rocy here. He was very disgruntled, and I don't blame him, but I explained myself, and Rocy agreed to carry me to Maracanda, and then we met Stegoman.' Blaise said.

Balkis laughed.

'Rocy!' the younger of Balkis's companions said. 'It seems to be your luck - to ran into wizards like this.'

'IT SEEMS SO, MATTHEW MANTRELL,' Rocy said calmly.

'Yaaow!' Macavity reminded of himself in his high-pitched voice. He sat on the grass at Blaise's feet.

'Macavity!' Blaise said. 'How could I forget about you!'

'Mraow,' Macavity said gently.

'This is my cat,' Blaise said. 'He followed me. He's magical.'

'What a fine one he is,' the middle-aged man said.

'Stegoman!' the other strange man said. 'Are you wounded?'

'Yes,' Stegoman said. 'But young Blaise here bandaged my wound very aptly.'

'What happened!?' Balkis asked.

'A host of iron-beaked ravens attacked us,' Blaise said. 'We defeated them, but old Steggs here was scratched a bit.'

'IRON-BEAKED RAVENS!?' the younger stranger said.

'Albaasty,' the middle-aged man said quietly.

'What?' Balkis asked, puzzled.

'Dark creatures,' the man explained.

'I bet the person who sent me away called them too,' Balkis said through clenched teeth.

'No doubt,' the middle-aged gentleman said and looked at Blaise. 'And you overcame them? That's impressive.'

'Well, not alone, of course - Rocy, Steggs and Macavity were with me,' Blaise said. 'But yes, I did.'

'You must be Blaise Zabini, then?' the middle-aged man said. Blaise nodded:

'And you are no doubt Prester John, the ruler of all Central Asia, Sire, and your companion is Lord Matthew Mantrell, the High Wizard of Merovence.'

'That's right,' Lord Mantrell said.

'So you love my grandniece,' Prester John said.

'I do, Sire, and I will no matter what,' Blaise said firmly.

'I never said I objected against it.' Prester John smiled. 'And you are a determined young man.'

'It's one of the traits of my House,' Blaise said.

'Another one being resourcefulness,' Balkis said.

'You know, you look too young to have a grandniece, Sire,' Blaise said.

'Thank you, Master Zabini,' Prester John smiled. 'The women of our land mature quicker.'

'YAOW!' Macavity said.

'Now, let's go to the palace,' Prester John said. 'It happens to be the Midfall Day, the Zhung-Qiu Feast. It was long got ready, of course, but then Balkis disappeared, and I was in a swivet, we all were. Then Balkis returned and said you disappeared. But now it's all over, thankfully.'

Blaise nodded. The Midfall Day was a great Chinese holiday, a harvest feast celebrating the Moon as the symbol of womanhood and fertility. It was the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, about September in European calendar. Blaise offered his hand to Balkis, and Balkis took it. Macavity rose and waved his tail in excitement. Lord Mantrell said:

'Now, Rocy, Stegoman, you may join us if you want, but that's as you will.'

'Thank you,' Stegoman said.

'WE WILL,' Rocy said.

Prester John, Lord Mantrell, Balkis, Blaise and Macavity went off. Prester John led them among quaint bamboo and pine groves, beds of flowers such as peonies, orchids, lilies and roses, by lakes with bridges and islets with pavilions, and rivulets connecting the lakes.

'What lovely gardens!' Blaise said. 'The true old Chinese style.'

'I'm glad you like them.' Prester John smiled. 'My ancestors arranged them, but I try to look after this wonder the best I can.'

'It shows,' Blaise said.

'I hope.' Prester John smiled.

'So you were Balkis's teacher, Lord Mantrell?' Blaise asked. 'I'm very glad to meet you.'

'I'm glad to meet you too.' Lord Mantrell smiled. 'And call me just Matt.'

'And you call me Blaise,' Blaise said. 'To think of it, you have an American accent. Where in US are you from?"

'New Jersey,' Matt smiled broadly.

'I'm from Britain,' Blaise said. 'That is, I live there. I was born in Ajaccio, but Britain is my new home.'

'How happened you came to Britain, Blaise?' Matt asked.

'My father moved there when I was nine,' Blaise said. 'He serves with the Gringotts Bank, and they sent him to Britain. Now I feel that Hogwarts is my home. You know, Balkis must have told you, it's a boarding school, one lives there nine months each year, and it's a very good place, Matt, a wonderful place. This place is beautiful too, but Hogwarts has its own special, Northern, Gothic charm.'

'It's truly lovely,' Balkis added.

Prester John brought his companions to a large meadow before the palace, surrounded by apple, cherry and plum trees. On the lush green grass of the meadow were spread colorful Oriental carpets, and many people in rich oriental robes, turbans, caps and veils were standing on the carpets, waiting. As Prester John appeared, there was a murmur in the crowd. Prester John declared loudly:

'Let the dishes be brought!'

Some of the men hurried to the palace; meanwhile Prester John led Matt, Balkis, Blaise and Macavity to the assembly. He announced:

'Here is Master Blaise Zabini, the prefect of the Slytherin House of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, my grandniece Balkis's rescuer!'

The nobles looked at Blaise with interest. Blaise bowed.

'I am most glad Princess Balkis returned safely through your efforts, Master Zabini,' said a handsome, tall man of Turkic type, in gold-colored turban embroidered with pearls and in a red silk robe embroidered with gold flowers, with alert look in his eyes.

'My first cousin once removed, Prince Altan-Khan,' Prester John introduced.

'Thank you, Your Highness,' Blaise said, but inwardly he definitely didn't like Prince Altan-Khan, there was something in him Blaise couldn't quite catch.

Meanwhile, young men brought to the meadow white china trays painted with blue patterns and full of delicacies and teacups matching the trays. They arranged the trays on the carpets. Prester John and all the company sat down, Balkis, Blaise, Matt and Macavity near Prester John. On Blaise's trays there were a cup of Central Asian tea, green, strong, with milk, butter and salt; a Moon spice-cake, large, round and white, with dragon and phoenix imprinted on it, the Zhung-Qiu specialty, made with flowers of the cinnamon tree, caramel, sesame and vegetables; pears in syrup, orange sherbet, sugared peaches, fried watermelon, honey peaches, apple segments in caramel, banana sticks, sugared meat toffees, apricot kernels jelly, mutton pies, Mongolian cheese roll, Chinese 'Silver Threads' roll and many Central Asian delicacies such as sanza and pishme biscuits, kulche and yatoza flat cakes, sambusa meat pies and kishmishli kuymon raisin fritters. Blaise knew in that land tea was served before soup and meat. Blaise partook of these delicately, and Macavity, who was constantly poking his nose into the plate, naturally got his share.

'What a wonderful cat!' said a pretty Chinese lady in a turquoise silk robe embroidered with silver cranes. 'I've never seen the like of him, and I like cats. What breed is he?'

'His breed is called the Kneazles,' Blaise smiled. 'They are very affectionate and clever, can easily find the way and detect suspicious persons at once. Much like Siamese, but even better.'

'How lovely!' the lady said. 'I have a Siamese cat. Her name is White Lotus. What's your cat called?'

'Macavity,' Blaise said. 'It's from a poem.'

Blaise and the Chinese lady, called Tao Yu-lan, went on with the talk about cats. Meanwhile, the soup was brought in. It was pumpkin soup with milk - shirukadu - in white china bowls painted with blue, like the dishes and teacups. Macavity tasted the soup too. Anything sweet or anything with milk or with meat was right for him.

As the company ate the soup up, the servants brought the dishes with the third course and shallow plates with salads. The dishes and plates were in the same style as the recent trays and teacups. The third course consisted of Arabian chickens, couscous, rice milk porridge with fruits, sour-sweet pork, pork "cherries", pork with coriander, veal with haws, ali-musamba pilau, djindja pilau, murg dili roast chicken, beldeme saddle of ram, mi-shuzhuk Kazakh home-made sausages, asyp sausages, fragrant pork, "crystal" ham, chicken with chestnuts, "The Three Rams", Imperial chicken, Guangdong chicken, fragrant duck; "Duck and Drake" fried egg halves topped with mince "egg halves" with ginger and soya sauce; "Phoenix" pork meat-balls with wine and eggs poured over them; "Dove Eggs" balls of chopped ham, eggs and flour; "Dragon and Phoenix" fried rice with chopped shrimps, yolks, raisins, chicken sticks, pork fat, onions, eggs and red wine; "Little Dragon" steamed patties, "Scarlet Peach" paotse, raisin pilau, sweet-sour mutton, Old Chinese-style pork and Kazakh rolls. The salads were sweet-sour cucumber salad, sour milk salad and "Naryn" salad. Chinese dishes had chopsticks lying near them. Blaise took some "Dragon and Phoenix" rice with a pair of chopsticks. He handled chopsticks so dexterously, that Prester John said:

'You know well how to use chopsticks, Master Zabini. I'm amazed.'

'I like Chinese food,' Blaise said.

'Yaaow?' Macavity said. Blaise gave him some of the delicious dish with his chopsticks. Macavity ate it up.

'Shall we introduce Macavity to White Lotus?' Lady Tao Yu-lan said.

'By all means,' Blaise said.

An orchestra of Chinese musicians with flutes zithers and lutes came and began to play a beautiful air. Blaise said:

'What a lovely melody!'

'Isn't it?' Prester John said. 'It's an ancient Chinese one, called The Cool Moonlight. They say a Chinese Emperor of ages past heard it from the fairy ladies of the Moon.'

'One can easily believe it,' Blaise said. 'It's marvelous.'

'Oh, it is,' Prester John said. 'And just think that I was so upset just recently by my dear Balkis's disappearance! Altan-Khan here repeated that he was ready to take her place if she wasn't found, so thoughtful a young man! He's the next in line after her, she's an orphan, you know.'

'Is he?' Blaise arched one eyebrow.

'Yes,' Prester John said. 'But it doesn't matter right now, does it? My Balkis is with me again, and it was you who brought her to me.'

'Everyone in my place would do so,' Blaise said. 'She was the cutest Abyssinian cat I have ever seen!'

Balkis blushed and said:

'I'm sure Macavity is far better than me.'

'A fine cat, isn't he?' Prince Altan-Khan said ingratiatingly and held out his hand to stroke Macavity, but the cat suddenly gave a loud, 'HSSS...YAAOW!' and jumped for Prince Altan-Khan's nape.

'You!' Blaise managed to hiss the word. 'So it was you who wanted to do away with Balkis...and me!'

He took out his wand and took aim at Prince Altan-Khan, pale from anger. Prince Altan-Khan was taken aback, demoralized by Macavity's attack and Blaise's determination. He blanched.

'Altan-Khan, how could you!' Prester John thundered. 'Take him away!'

The servants came running to Altan-Khan and walked him off. Macavity, who retired in time, sat down on the grass and licked his claws clean in disgust

'But what a scoundrel!' Prester John exclaimed. He couldn't collect himself in anger.

'Power is tempting, Sire,' Blaise said. 'As for me, I am contented with the power I have. I love your grandniece and not her future crown.'

'I could see that from the start.' Prester John smiled.

'Sire, I am not of age yet, but when I am, I promise I'll marry Balkis,' Blaise said.

'And did you ask me first?' Balkis teased.

'I thought you already agreed,' Blaise answered slyly.

'Does that remind me of something...' Matt said.

'Master Zabini, and what about my cat?' Lady Tao Yu-lan asked.

'Certainly,' Blaise smiled. 'Macavity, come with me to see a Siamese lady called White Lotus!'

'Yaow!' Macavity said and came up to Blaise. Lady Tao Yu-lan led Blaise and Macavity among pavilions and courtyards to a pavilion surrounded by pear trees. They came in. Blaise saw a room with silk tapestries and silk scrolls on the papered walls, the scrolls being landscapes, flowers and birds, fan-shaped windows, a moon-shaped door in the far wall, the ceiling in yellow reed work, a fine woolen pile carpet on the black polished flagstone floor, a low rosewood table, some rosewood stools and rosewood chairs with silk covers and cushions on them and a massive incised lacquer screen, the carpet, chair covers and cushions patterned. In one of the chairs on a cushion was curled up a little Siamese, with snow-white body and blue points, slender yet sinewy, with very long tail. Macavity said, 'Yaow?' The blue-point opened her eyes. They were bright blue.

'This is my White Lotus,' Lady Tao Yu-lan said.

'Yeow?' White Lotus said, washed herself and jumped to the floor. Macavity and White Lotus began to sniff at each other. Lady Tao Yu-lan said:

'Shall I make tea for you, Master Zabini, while they consort?'

'Certainly,' Blaise said.

She went out, and then White Lotus and Macavity slid into the garden. Then Lady Tao Yu-lan returned with green tea in two white, blue-painted china cups on a black lacquer tray and put it on the table. She sat down in one of the chairs. Blaise sat in another. Blaise tasted the tea and said:

'The tea is wonderful. And these cups too. They are made in that valley to the northeast, where the towns of Kokand, Margilan, Namangan and Andizhan are?'

'Yes, they are,' Lady Tao Yu-lan said.

'Your chamber is in excellent taste, too,' Blaise said. 'That landscape on the floor, the one with the waterfall and the pendent pine on the rock is Kao K'o-kun, isn't it?'

'That's right,' Lady Tao Yu-lan said. 'Tell me about your school, Master Zabini.'

Blaise began to tell her about Hogwarts. So time passed, and then Blaise called, 'Macavity!' Macavity came out from the garden, tail arched. He always answered to his name.

'Well, I have to take my leave, Lady Tao,' Blaise said.

'Good-bye, Master Zabini,' she said.

Blaise rose, bowed and said:

'Come with me, Macavity!'

'Yaaow,' Macavity said, and they retired. They came back to the palace gardens.

'I have to go home,' Blaise said. 'Good-bye, Sire, good-bye, Matt, good-bye, Balkis sweetheart.'

'Good-bye, Blaise,' Balkis said.

'Yaaow!' Macavity said.

'Good-bye, Macavity.' Balkis smiled.

Blaise focused and intoned:

'I saw the wonderful foreign clime,

And want to see my friends again.

The Hogwarts Castle is my desire,

That lies in a Scottish glen!'

In a jiffy Blaise was back in Hagrid's hut. Macavity was by his side, of course; he didn't need verse or potions to cross time and space.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mortie, Maloney and Hagrid exclaimed at seeing Blaise:

'Here you (yeh) are at last! We were starting to (ter) get worried!'

'Nothing to be worried about.' Blaise smiled. ' I'm back, am I?'

'How was it?' Ron asked. 'How's Balkis?'

'It's splendid there, and Balkis is safe at home,' Blaise said.

'And how you got back?' Ron asked.

'Well, you heard what Balkis said about poetry,' Blaise said. 'In her world that 'Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow...' thing would work, Ron.'

'Tell us about all this, Harry said.

'OK, I'll tell,' Blaise said. 'Listen...'