The Cat Who Knew a Dragon

Blaise was reading his students' essays, his cat Macavity curled comfortably in his lap, when he saw a flash of dazzling white light, and the next second he found himself in an unfamiliar room, one with a glass dome, a lot of bookcases and a sofa, on which a young man was sitting and reading a book. A little black dragon, not larger than Macavity, with gold-colored belly and golden feline eyes, was sitting on the doorstep. Blaise fell on his knees, and Macavity from his lap to the floor, but Blaise jumped to his feet at once, and Macavity strolled to the young man on the sofa, rubbed himself against his legs and purred. Blaise strode resolutely to the young man and stretched his right hand out.

'I am Professor Blaise Zabini, the Care of the Magical Creatures teacher at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and this is my familiar, Macavity. May I know your name, sir?'

The young man stood up and took Blaise's hand. He was very tall and thin, "lanky" as they say, with short fair hair, pale blue eyes and long nose. His clothes were a green tunic, green trousers and a long wide cloak of the same color. There were intelligence and humor in his eyes.

'Liam Rhenford, a scholar,' the young man introduced himself. 'And this is my familiar Fanuilh.'

'What a beautiful name!' Blaise said. 'How creative of you.'

'It wasn't me who gave him his name,' the young scholar smiled. 'It was his former master, who was far more learned than I.'

'Oh?' Blaise said. 'Glad to meet you, in any case.'

'Glad to meet you too, sir,' the scholar said. 'How can I help you?'

'Well, first please tell me, where am I?'

The young scholar was surprised, and it clearly showed on his frank face, but he said:

'A suburb of the city of Southwark, in the Duchy of Southern Tier belonging to the Kingdom of Taralon, sir.'

'Well, well,' Blaise said. 'It seems I wandered far from my home, then. You know of alternative universes, I think?'

'I certainly heard of them,' Liam said.

'Well, I come from one,' Blaise said. 'I was grading my students' essays peacefully, when I saw a white light and found myself here. And what is worse, I don't know if I can get back. Will you put up with my company for a while?'

'Make yourself at home, sir,' the young scholar said friendly.

'And may I call you Liam?' Blaise asked.

'If you will, Blaise,' Liam said.

Blaise turned to Fanuilh.

'Good morning, Fanuilh,' he said.

'Good morning, Master Zabini,' Fanuilh answered. Liam said:

'You can speak to Fanuilh?'

'Yes,' Blaise said. 'I can speak Parseltongue, the serpent language. It's a very rare inborn gift. In thousand years that our school exists, only four wizards at Hogwarts could speak Parseltongue. One was in my year.'

'Oh, I see,' Liam said. 'Will you have something, Blaise?'

'Thank you, I will,' Blaise said.

'Go with me, please,' Liam said.

Liam went out of the room, Blaise, Macavity and Fanuilh followed him. They went along a passage into a homely kitchen with a wooden table, some chairs and a tiled stove with cave-like mouth.

'Sit down, please,' Liam said.

Blaise sat down on one of the chairs, arranging his crimson robes carefully. Macavity jumped to his lap.

'You would like something Southern, I think?' Liam said. 'How about some bouillabaisse?'

'Oh, thank you, Liam,' Blaise said. Liam concentrated and some time later opened the stove and took out a full plate of fragrant bouillabaisse.

'The stove is magic?' Blaise asked. Liam nodded. Blaise started to savor the soup of fish, lobsters and shrimps with garlic, dried orange peels, fennel, saffron and toasts.

'You are a really good cook, Liam.' Blaise observed.

'Thank you, Blaise.' Liam blushed.

'Liam, is this lovely house your ancestral home, or did you buy it?' Blaise asked.

'Neither,' Liam said. 'I inherited it from a friend, a very powerful and very old wizard, called Tarquin Tanaquil. He was hundred and twenty when he died.'

'Our Headmaster is hundred and sixty and still sprightly,' Blaise said nonchalantly, dipped a toast in the soup and gave it to his cat.

'Really?' Liam said.

'I know a potion that can bring me back, but a potion requires time, a good cauldron and ingredients. Dill, hellebore and thorn-apple. I think there are apothecaries in Southwark who would have these herbs?'

'I think so,' Liam said.

'Well, we can go to town and buy the ingredients,' Blaise said.

'Yes, but I only have one horse,' Liam said.

'You don't happen to have an enchanted broomstick, do you?' Blaise asked.

'No,' Liam said in bewilderment.

'They are much in use where I am from. The easiest means of transportation,' Blaise said. 'Ah well, I think your horse can carry us both. I don't weigh much.'

'No,' Liam agreed, looking at the short, slender wizard with black curly hair, black eyes and olive-colored skin.

'That's settled, then,' Blaise said. 'You have a very good library, I see - philosophy, magic, travels, poetry, novellas...'

'Tarquin's,' Liam said. 'He was a very scholarly man.'

'And what you did before you inherited this house, Liam?' Blaise asked.

'Oh, many things,' Liam said. 'I was a public scribe, a soldier, a navigator, a mapmaker, even a captain.'

'Oh! You are a man of parts, Liam,' Blaise said.

Liam blushed again.

'I was forced to leave my homeland when I was only eighteen,' Liam said. 'I was born a lord, but I lost my patrimony in a petty war.'

'Don't worry,' Blaise said. 'The rank is but a guinea's stamp, the gowd is man for a' that. The poet Robert Burns.'

'Exactly,' Liam said.

'I like you, Liam,' Blaise said.

'Tell me about your school,' Liam asked, and Blaise began to tell him about Hogwarts.

'Very interesting,' Liam said.

'I'm glad you think so,' Blaise said. 'But let's go to town, will we, Liam?'

'You are right,' Liam said.

He pushed the empty plate back into the stove, but they left the kitchen. Another passage led to a parlor with French windows. Through the windows was seen an open yard with a breakwater to the sea. Blaise opened the door and went out. He saw the house was little, one-storied, white with red tiled roof. A nice beach started where the yard finished, and a path led to a rock wall behind the house and meandered up the rock wall.

'That's the road we have to go by?' Blaise asked, just a little concerned. 'Oh, well.'

'Well, the place is solitary,' Liam said. 'No crowds of people.'

'You know, this place reminds me of my homeland, the Isle of Corsica,' Blaise said. 'It's in the South, but now I live in a colder land.'

'How strange,' Liam said. 'With me it's the other way around.'

'I guessed,' Blaise said. 'You don't look a Southerner.'

'Indeed.' Liam smiled. 'You are much more like a native of this land, Blaise.'

'Well, at least I won't look too weird,' Blaise said.

'Too is the word.' Liam smiled.

Liam led Blaise to a little outhouse and led out a handsome roan with a blaze on his forehead.

'Diamond,' Liam said.

'You're a good boy, Diamond,' Blaise said and fished a piece of sugar out of one of his wide pockets and gave the sugar to the horse very gently. Diamond neighed and dug his warm nose into Blaise's hand.

'A fine creature,' Blaise said. Liam mounted Diamond, Fanuilh fluttered to Liam's shoulder. Blaise sat behind Liam, Macavity lying on his shoulders like a hood.

'Well, hold fast.' Liam smiled, and raced Diamond up the path in the rocks. It was a breathtaking ride, but at last they got to the top and saw fields and groves. They rode for about an hour, when Blaise saw a town with old houses all having pitched roofs.

'Southwark,' Liam said.

'I guessed this much.' Blaise smiled. 'Now I'll dismount, if you please.'

'Of course,' Liam said, stopped, and Blaise alighted and went by Diamond's brown smooth side.

'Nice town, your Southwark,' Blaise said, stepping gently on the cobbled street.

'Yes, it is.' Liam smiled.

'Rhenford! Thank gods!'

Blaise looked and saw a man his height but twice as strong, with wild black hair and beard, in an old coat.

'Coeccias?' Liam asked gently.

'You're just the man I need, Rhenford! Why, you aren't alone?'

'This is Master Blaise Zabini, a wizard, staying with me, and his familiar Macavity,' Liam said. 'Blaise, this is Aedile Coeccias, the chief magistrate of this town.'

'Charmed to meet you, Aedile Coeccias,' Blaise said smoothly.

'Glad to see you, Master Zabini,' Aedile Coeccias said.

'And why does the town's chief magistrate need my friend so bad?' Blaise asked.

'I need Quaestor Rhenford's help in one tricky case,' Coeccias said.

'Liam, you didn't tell me you were a Quaestor,' Blaise said.

'Rhenford here is far too modest for his own good,' Aedile Coeccias said.

'I noticed.' Blaise smiled. 'And I like him the more for it.'

'Coeccias, let's go into some pub and talk there?' Liam said, embarrassed.

'A good idea,' Blaise said.

'Better still, let's go to my place,' Coeccias said. 'Burrus will be glad to see you, Rhenford, I'm sure.'

'And I'll be glad to see him,' Liam said. 'Burrus is Coeccias' old servant, a very nice fellow.'

'Well, if you say so,' Blaise said.

And they headed in a direction known to Coeccias and Liam. They entered a nice house.

'Burrus, we have guests!' Coeccias shouted. 'Quaestor Rhenford and a wizard friend!'

An old man came forward. It was clear by his face he expected to see some acquaintance instead of Blaise.'

'Burrus thought you were Mage Grantaire Fauvel.' Coeccias laughed. 'She stayed with Rhenford once.'

'She?' Blaise raised one eyebrow.

Liam blushed. Coeccias said:

'This is Master Blaise Zabini, Burrus; it's true he stays with Quaestor Rhenford.'

'Master Zabini.' Burrus smiled.

'And this is my familiar Macavity,' Blaise said. 'He is nice if you treat him nice.'

'Bring us something warm, Burrus.' Coeccias commanded.

'You don't have that throat-burning ale, do you, Coeccias?' Liam asked.

'No, it's not Uris-tide now,' Coeccias said.

'Good. I don't like throat-burning drinks, thank you,' Blaise said.

'No, just normal ale today,' Coeccias said.

Coeccias led them to a parlor with a huge fireplace and several good armchairs. Coeccias, Liam and Blaise settled down by the fire. Burrus brought them three mugs with the gold liquor.

'Well, what's the matter, Coeccias?' Liam asked.

'I can be of some help, too.' Blaise suggested gently. 'I have some experience in investigating.'

Liam looked at him in surprise.

'Well, I do,' Blaise said. 'As an amateur, of course, not to be compared with the chief magistrate and his deputy.'

'Well!' Coeccias said.

'Three heads are better than two, you know,' Blaise said.

'True,' Liam said.

'Oh well, Rhenford, the matter is the Hierarch of Bellona's temple disappeared.' Coeccias blurted out.

'What!?' Liam said. 'Helastrus?'

'Him,' Coeccias said grimly.

'Bellona is a new goddess in this land, Blaise, she is a war goddess.' Liam explained. 'And Helastrus is her head priest, a very nice man.'

'I know the name Bellona,' Blaise said.

'One moment he was in his chamber, Rhenford, and the next moment he vanished,' Coeccias said. 'Nobody saw him go out, nobody knows where is he. The brethren are distraught.'

'Naturally.' Blaise nodded.

'Yes, but this disappearance is most unnatural,' Coeccias said.

'Well, I propose we go to the temple,' Blaise said. 'Maybe I'll notice something, or Macavity feels something. He's got a good sixth sense.'

'Agreed,' Coeccias said, cheered up visibly. 'Oh, and Master Blaise, you aren't in any trouble with the Mages' Guild, are you?'

'The Mages' Guild?' Blaise said. 'I don't belong to any Guilds. I am one of the masters in a wizard school very far away.'

'And what do you teach?' Coeccias asked.

'Care of the Magical Creatures,' Blaise said. 'I teach young wizards how to handle things like Sphinxes and Manticores, and less dangerous ones, like Macavity.'

Coeccias eyed Macavity. The cat looked certainly unusual - little, slender and gold-red, with leopard spots, large ears, long whiskers, enormous green eyes and tasseled tail.

'Macavity's a Kneazle,' Blaise said. 'They're a sort of magic cat, very intelligent, sensitive and loyal.'

'Mage Grantaire was in trouble with the Guild.' Liam explained. 'Not her fault, of course.'

'I see,' Blaise said. 'Thank you for your care, Coeccias.'

Coeccias didn't object to being addressed by his first name.

'Now let's go, gentlemen?' Blaise said.

They went by the narrow winding streets of Southwark, passed a large square with a massive building sporting a bell tower.

'The Ducal Court and Chancery.' Liam explained. 'The bell marks the time.'

Blaise nodded shortly.

'Oh, and are there apothecaries on the way?'

'Sure,' Coeccias said. 'Why?'

'I want to buy some herbs.' Blaise explained.

Coeccias nodded with understanding.

'There's one right around the corner,' he said.

'Thank you,' Blaise said courteously.

They turned the corner, and Blaise saw a sign with a bunch of herbs.

'I'll go inside,' he said. 'Wait a bit, gentlemen.'

Liam and Coeccias nodded. Blaise crossed the street and went inside. Some time later he emerged with a satisfied face.

'I have them all,' he said.

'Very good.' Liam smiled.

'Yes,' Blaise said. 'But let's proceed on our way.'

They reached their destination eventually - a street lined by majestic classical buildings.

'The Temple Street,' Liam said. Blaise nodded. They passed a formidable building of dark stone, and then Blaise saw a blind end with the temples all around it and a beautiful round fountain in the center. Coeccias and Liam headed firmly to one of the temples and entered. Blaise followed them.

A man in white toga looked at them.

'I brought with me Quaestor Rhenford and his friend, Master Blaise Zabini, a wizard,' Coeccias said.

'Please come in, Master Aedile, Quaestor Rhenford, Master Zabini,' the priest said.

Coeccias nodded, and the priest led them by some passages into a room with some fine wooden furniture and tapestries on the walls.

'You are sure nobody saw him go out?' Liam asked the priest.

'Absolutely sure,' the priest said. 'There were guards by his door; they never closed their eyes, Sir Liam.'

Blaise looked at Liam with interest.

'Later,' Liam said hastily.

'As you will,' Blaise said, squinting his eyes.

'Fanuilh, do you feel anything strange?' Liam asked. 'Fanuilh feels magic as we feel heat.'

Yes, master. There are traces of magic in this room, Fanuilh answered mentally.

'He says he feels magic,' Liam said.

'Macavity.' Blaise commanded.

Macavity appeared on the floor. Liam and Coeccias stared at the cat.

'Yes,' Blaise said. 'We call it Apparition.'

'A good name,' Coeccias said, shaking his head.

Macavity proceeded to circle around the room. At one spot he stood still and said emphatically, 'Yaow!'

Blaise marched to the spot, reached into his pocket, took out a long slender wand of white wood, pointed it at the spot and said, 'Detego magiam!'

The spot glowed with ominous red light.

'There was Dark Magic applied here.' Blaise resumed.

'Uh-oh,' Coeccias said.

'And what shall we do?' Liam asked.

'We must consider it,' Blaise said.

'Let's go to Helekin's,' Coeccias said.

'It's a tavern in the main square, across from the Court.' Liam clarified

'Okay,' Blaise said. 'It means all right.'

'Interesting,' Liam said.

They went back to the square. Blaise turned to Liam and said:

'It would seem you concealed something else from me, Liam.'

'I didn't,' Liam said. 'I have no right to this title. It's just the way the Southerners talk. I was never knighted.'

'Oh, I'm sorry, then,' Blaise said.

Coeccias watched this exchange with amusement.

They entered the tavern and took a table. A plump man in a white apron came up and said respectfully:

'Aedile Coeccias, Sir Liam! What will you have?'

'Three ales, Helekin,' Liam said. 'This is Master Blaise Zabini, my friend.'

Helekin looked at Blaise's robes and cat and bowed low.

'Well?' Coeccias said.

'First, are there...' Blaise started.

'Any wizards in the neighborhood?' Liam said. 'None except you. Southwark is in the middle of nowhere.'

'Curiouser and curiouser,' Blaise said. 'Well, it seems someone abducted Hierarch Helastrus and Disapparated. And if there are no wizards in the neighborhood except me and you, Liam, then this someone lives far away. Now why would some outside wizard wish Hierarch Helastrus harm?'

'No idea,' Coeccias said.

Liam shook his head.

Blaise sighed.

'Well, maybe we can find something in Tarquin's papers,' he said. 'I'll Apparate to your house at once, Liam.'

'Why didn't you Apparate here?' Liam asked.

'You have to know the destination, Liam,' Blaise said.

Liam nodded.

Blaise put his arm round Liam's shoulders, took Coeccias by his hand and concentrated. A moment later they were in Liam's library.

'Oho!' Coeccias said. Liam just smiled.

Blaise sat down to take rest.

'It takes much power to carry four beings and self.' He explained.

Liam and Coeccias nodded.

'Well, gentlemen, I'll do some research, and you do what you will,' Blaise said.

'We'll look if we can help you, Blaise,' Liam said.

'Yes, Master Blaise,' Coeccias said. 'I know I'm not much help when it comes to magic, but I'll try.'

'Thank you.' Blaise smiled.

He began to scavenge Tarquin's library. Liam and Coeccias helped him. Blaise whistled while he was searching:

'En jardin de mon pere

Les lilacs sont fleuris,

Tout les oiseaux du monde

Y viennent pour faire leur nids,

Tous les oiseaux du monde

Y viennent pour faire leur nids,

La caill', la tourterelle

Et la jolie perdrix,

La caill', la tourterelle

Et la jolie perdrix,

Et ma jolie colombe

Qui chante jour et nuit,

Et ma jolie colombe,

Qui chante jour et nuit,

Qui chante pour les filles

Qui n'ont pas un mari...'

'I don't annoy you, do I?' Blaise asked.

'No, no, it's a beautiful song,' Liam said.

'It's my favorite one.' Blaise explained. The search continued.

'Tiens!' Blaise said 'I think I have it.'

'What?' Coeccias asked.

'Here is a means to trace the doer of magic,' Blaise said. 'I believe I can accomplish this charm.'

'Oh, good,' Liam said.

Blaise rose resolutely.

'Let's return to town,' he said. 'We have to be on the spot to do it.'

'Fine,' Coeccias said.

They returned to Southwark. As they returned to the temple, Blaise asked:

'Macavity, where was the spot again?'

Macavity went and sat down on the spot.

'Now, hold fast on me, gentlemen.' Blaise ordered.

Liam and Coeccias obeyed. Blaise began to chant something in Latin under his breath. Then a flash of light appeared, and they suddenly were in a sumptuous room, large, with heavy, velvet crimson curtains, a burgundy and gold Oriental carpet on the floor, a couch with purple velvet drapes, a large fireplace and some hassocks of red velvet.

'Someone grand lives here.' Blaise remarked

'No matter,' Liam said. 'He abducted Helastrus, and we are the law.'

'You are, I am not,' Blaise said.

'Well then, I empower you.' Coeccias grinned. 'Quaestor Blaise, let's go.'

'Fine,' Blaise said and gripped his wand fast.

They moved on resolutely at full strength. Soon they were apprehended by a force of strong servitors in crimson and gold livery. Coeccias dealt blows all around, Blaise Stunned and Immobilized the men, Liam wrestled, Macavity bit and scratched the thugs, Fanuilh put them to sleep and made them itch and fall with laughter. At last the three men, the dragon and the Kneazle triumphed.

'Well, governor, let's find Helastrus and the person who spirited him away,' Blaise said.

'Exactly!' Coeccias grinned.

They moved along a suite of rooms and found no trace of Helastrus. They looked at each other, at a loss.

'Yaow!' Macavity said and began to run in circles around a place on the floor. Blaise looked at his familiar attentively, then pointed his wand at the spot and said, 'Alohomora!'

'That's not Latin,' Liam said.

'No. It's a very ancient charm,' Blaise said. 'It means roughly, 'Farewell, obstacle!'

'Farewell is right,' Coeccias said. 'Look at this!'

There now was a great hole in the floor, with steps leading downward. Coeccias stepped resolutely forward. Blaise whispered, 'Lumos!' The tip of his wand began to radiate light. Coeccias, Liam, Fanuilh, Blaise and Macavity descended the steps in line. When the steps came to end, they saw a small cell. A thin but round-faced man in a white toga and a breastplate sat in a corner.

'Hierarch Helastrus!' Liam said. 'We found you!'

'Quaestor Rhenford? Aedile Coeccias?'

'And Quaestor Blaise Zabini, my friend,' Liam smiled.

'How you found me?' Helastrus asked.

'Thanks to Quaestor Blaise here,' Coeccias said.

'I am staying with Liam,' Blaise said. 'I'm a wizard, as you can see.'

'Indeed,' Helastrus said, casting a look at Blaise's lit wand.

'Hierarch Helastrus, who is the master of this house?' Blaise asked.

'One Caradoc Dearborn,' Helastrus answered. 'A very powerful wizard. He wanted me to assist him.'

'What!' Blaise said.

'You know him, Blaise?' Liam asked.

'He is from my place,' Blaise said. 'He disappeared long time ago, was presumed to be killed by the Dark wizards. Now I know how I got here. Must have been a side effect of his spell.'

'But where is he now?' Liam asked.

'Absent,' Helastrus said. 'He didn't tell where.'

'I know where,' Blaise said. 'Not to worry, there are people who can deal with him.'

'Now let's return to Southwark, Helastrus,' Coeccias said. 'Your acolytes are very distressed by your disappearance.'

'Dear me!' Helastrus said.

They returned to the temple of Bellona. The priests surrounded Helastrus at once. Helastrus soothed them with gentle words.

'Coeccias, I think there are good large cauldrons in your household?' Blaise asked.

'Sure, Quaestor.' Coeccias grinned. 'Why?'

'I want to make a potion from the herbs I bought, and Liam here has no cauldrons, I think.'

'No.' Liam agreed.

'May I use one of yours, then, Coeccias?' Blaise asked.

'Of course,' Coeccias nodded.

They went to Coeccias' place.

'Burrus, bring a good cauldron!' Coeccias ordered. 'With water, of course.'

Burrus obeyed. Blaise put the cauldron on the fire and began to add the herbs to the water, stirring constantly. Liam and Coeccias watched him.

'Well, it is finished,' Blaise said. 'And I have to bide farewell to you, Liam, and to you, Coeccias.'

'What? Why?' Coeccias said.

'The potion I made was to return me to my land, Coeccias, the only means to do it,' Blaise said.

'Can't you stay?' Coeccias said. 'You were a great help to me.'

'No way.' Blaise smiled. 'I have a thousand students to attend.'

'I see,' Coeccias said.

'But I'll return,' Blaise said. 'I know the way now.'

'Do,' Coeccias said. 'And remember, you retain the power of Quaestor.'

'Thank you, Coeccias.' Blaise smiled. He scooped some of the potion with a mug and tasted it, thinking of his rooms at Hogwarts. The next moment he saw his table and the bunch of essays. Macavity was by his side - he didn't need any potions. Blaise whispered a password, a doorway appeared in one wall, and he went out, accompanied by Macavity. The first person he met was the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher.

'Blaise! Where were you!' the colleague said.

'It's a long story, Remus.' Blaise smiled. 'The matter is I'm back now. Let's go and tell Albus.'

'He was very worried,' Remus Lupin said.

'How very considerate of him.' Blaise smiled.