The Cat Who Could Deal With Numbers

There was a quiet 'pop' in the air, and on the place that was empty just now appeared a short, slender young man with olive skin, black curly hair and black eyes, in crimson silk robes, holding in his hands a little slender spotted gold-red tom cat with outsize ears, tasseled tail, large green eyes and long whiskers. The young man looked at the sign of the old pub before him. The sign depicted a cute red cat, squinting prettily.

'Our destination, Macavity,' the young man said. 'The Squinting Cat.'

'Yaoaow,' Macavity said.

'Yes, the only pub where a wizard or a witch is not allowed without their familiar. I fancy what a company we'll see inside! A place worth visiting indeed. I heard they also have a good cuisine there, and that it is a cozy place. Now, let's venture in,' the young man said, and stepped in bravely.

The Squinting Cat was really a cozy place - round tables and seats of polished wood, oak panels on the walls, beamed ceiling, and great blazing fireplace in one corner. And the company was really spectacular - people with thin, mournful, greenish-black Augurey birds, Crups - creatures like Jack Russell terriers, but with forked tails, Fire-Crabs - like tortoises with jeweled shells, African bright-colored Fwooper birds, creatures like overgrown ferrets, speaking in insults - Jarveys, tiny blue speckled Jobberknoll birds, hedgehog-like Knarls, small lizards, shrinking at will - the Mokes, black fluffy Nifflers, feathered, winged beautiful Occamy snakes, Salamanders - small orange lizards, playing in the fireplace, giant Streeler snails, changing color, custard-colored fur balls, purring cutely - Puffskeins, and of course common cats, ferrets, frogs, Kneazles, owls, rabbits, rats, ravens, snakes, spiders and toads. An animal lover's dream, Blaise thought. He also saw on some tables along the walls boards for wizard chess and Rithmomachia - ancient play with numbers as pieces, from which one must arrange in harmony to win.

'A nice place, is it, Macavity?' the young man said. 'Let's sit down at one of those tables with Rithmomachia boards. How nice of the innkeeper to provide them!'

'Yaaow,' Macavity said, and the young man went to a table with a Rithmomachia board, near the fireplace. There he sat down and began to move the pieces on the board, playing with himself. Macavity, who sat on the table near the board, watched the young man play attentively. Then at one moment he touched a piece with his right forepaw, moving it to another square. The young man looked at the board and said:

'That's a smart move, Macavity! Of course, I should expect this of you. Thank you, Macavity. Now, be my advisor, then.'

'Mrrow,' Macavity said.

The young man continued to play, and Macavity to help him. Then, after some time, the door of the pub opened, and in came a very tall, large man with long, wild-looking hair and beard, in an old green jacket and high boots. By his side was a large boarhound. The man looked around and spotted a familiar face immediately.

'BLAISE!' He shouted. 'NICE TER SEE YEH HERE!'

'Same here, Rubeus.' The young man in crimson robes smiled. 'Come and join Macavity and me.'

'O' course,' the giant said and went to Blaise's table. The boarhound followed his master. The giant sat down onto the free seat, and the boarhound curled up at his feet.

'Well met, Rubeus Hagrid.' Blaise smiled. 'Have you been here before?'

'Sure,' Hagrid said. 'S a good place.'

'Now, I am for the first time here and find it pleasant, too,' Blaise said. 'The furniture, all the animals, and these boards, too.'

'Ah, playin' the Rithmemachia, are you?' Hagrid asked.

'Yes, and Macavity is helping me,' Blaise said. 'Turns out he can play it very well.'

'No wonder, in sech a cat as he!' Hagrid said. 'I remember jus' how clever he is. All them mysteries unraveled!'

'Yes.' Blaise smiled. 'He certainly is a very intelligent one.'

'Sure,' Hagrid said. 'Now, I'll bring two butterbeers - fer both o' us, alright?'

'OK.' Blaise smiled, and Hagrid went to the bar to fetch the drinks, while Blaise continued his game with himself. Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was Blaise's good friend, from the time Blaise was a student in Hogwarts and now, when Blaise was the Care of the Magical Creatures teacher in this same school. Hagrid fitted perfectly for his job - he was fond of all creatures, even the most fearful ones. Blaise shared Hagrid's views - that's why Blaise was friends with Hagrid from Blaise's school years, and that's why Blaise was the Care of the Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts. Blaise smiled, as he watched Hagrid at the bar, and resumed playing Rithmomachia. Then Hagrid returned with two great tankards of the honey-colored light drink.

'Here yeh are,' Hagrid said and put the tankards onto the table.

'You drink, Rubeus, and I'll take a couple of sips between playing,' Blaise said.

'Suit yerself,' Hagrid said.

'I will, thank you.' Blaise smiled.

Hagrid sat down and sipped his butterbeer, while Blaise and Macavity returned to their pastime. Blaise looked from time to time to all the curious creatures around him, sipped his butterbeer occasionally, and thought his moves over. Macavity also looked around with curiosity, but didn't miss the opportunity to suggest moves to Blaise.

Blaise looked at the customers of the pub. A thin, melancholy old gentleman in black, with an Augurey on his shoulder, was talking with a flamboyant young man - red-haired, in ruby robes and an emerald cloak, with a Fire-Crab on his knees. A tall, slender lady in silvery silk robes was holding an Occamy over her hand and sipping mulled mead. A straw-haired boy in blue was petting a Puffskein and playing wizard chess with himself. A tiny old lady in dark blue was holding a Jobberknoll in her hand and talking to it. A large, ruddy young man was playing with a Crup. A very inquisitive-looking lean man was holding a gillywater and had a Niffler on his shoulder. A ruffled gentleman with a Knarl near his plate was vigorously arguing with a resolute-looking lady having an Fwooper on her shoulder. A scholarly-looking frail gentleman was sipping cherry water with ice and an umbrella and scribbling something on a piece of parchment, and a Streeler was crawling about his table in circles. A mischievous-looking auburn-haired lanky young man in red was drinking butterbeer and had a Jarvey on his shoulder. A red-faced man, sitting near the fireplace, was looking at a Salamander in the flames and talking with a mouse-like lady with a Moke in her hands. Blaise smiled.

Some time passed, and the auburn-haired youth sat down near the scholar and asked for a game of Rithmomachia. The scholar agreed, and they started playing. Blaise saw that the lad defeated the scholar very soon. The scholar congratulated him and went on writing. Blaise reverted to his own game.

Then Blaise saw the auburn-haired young man suggesting a game of Rithmomachia to the straw-haired boy, with the same result as it was to the scholar. Blaise shrugged his shoulders and continued.

The young man joined the lady with the Occamy, and defeated her too. Blaise thought that either the young man was lucky, or the lady was a bad player. Blaise resumed playing.

However, when the auburn-haired young man defeated everyone in the pub, Blaise was astonished. Then the young man joined Blaise and Hagrid at their table.

'Would you like a game of Rithmomachia with me?' He asked.

'Certainly, sir,' Blaise said. 'My friend doesn't play Rithmomachia, but I shall be glad to. My name is Blaise Zabini, and my friend is Rubeus Hagrid.'

'I am Robert Aubrey,' the young man said.

'Excellent,' Blaise said. 'Will you play Red or White?'

'I'd like Red,' Aubrey said.

Blaise turned the board to Aubrey. Aubrey smiled and extended his hand to stroke Macavity, The Kneazle at first hissed and bristled up, but then relaxed and held up his back for Aubrey to caress. Blaise wondered what Macavity's reaction meant, then shrugged his shoulders and began to play.

Some time later Blaise noticed something strange, He was losing the game, yet he was very good at Rithmomachia and was moving right even now. Blaise was trying hard to understand what was amiss, but he couldn't. And then Macavity sat down very upright and began to stare into Aubrey's eyes. Blaise started to gain his positions. Aubrey suddenly said:

'You won, sir. I surrender.'

Blaise looked at him and smiled.

Macavity rubbed himself against Aubrey's shoulder.

'What will you have?' Blaise asked.

'Butterbeer, please.' Aubrey smiled.

'Sure. I like mulled mead more, myself.' Blaise smiled and went to the bar. Hagrid looked confused.

Aubrey went on caressing Macavity, and the cat was purring.

Blaise returned with a tankard of butterbeer.

'Here you are. Can I call you Robert?'

'Of course,' Aubrey said.

Blaise smiled, put the tankard of butterbeer before Aubrey and sat down.

'Another game?' He asked. 'Only without confounding me this time.'

'Sure.' Aubrey smiled.