The Cat Who Liked Highlands

Blaise Zabini was sitting in an armchair in front of a roaring fireplace, his cat Macavity curled in his lap, when they heard a loud pop, and a young man appeared before them. He was tall and robust, with copper-red hair in a braid, amber eyes and large uneven white teeth, a plaid of red and yellow tartan pinned with a silver dragon-shaped badge to the left shoulder of his bright red robes.

'Why, Spanzedell!' Blaise said. 'How come?'

The young man was Angus MacFusty of Spanzedell, who preferred to be called Spanzedell after his patrimony, as many Scottish landowners do. Blaise met him on the Continent, when Angus helped to find the familiar of Blaise's friend Justin Finch-Fletchley, the white mouse Fonsie. Angus was likeable and friendly, and they got together very well.

'Ah seem tae remember ye like dragons, Blaize,' Angus said.

'So I do,' Blaise said. 'Well...?'

'Weel, an' Ah thocht ye wad like tae see my place,' Angus said. 'We hae dragons aroond there, an' th' Spanzedell Ha' is a bonny auld hame.'

'That would be excellent!' Blaise said.

'I thocht sae,' Angus said. 'An' Ah cam' fer ye. Pack yer things, an' Ah'll weelcom' ye in Spanzedell Ha' ony minute.'

'Agreed.' Blaise smiled. 'Macavity! We go to the lands of the Clan MacFusty!'

'Yaaow!' said excitedly the gold-red slim little tom Kneazle with leopard spots, large ears, tasseled tail, enormous emerald eyes and long whiskers.

'Yaaow is the word.' Blaise smiled. 'Now, Spanzedell, if you are so kind, wait a bit while we're packing.'

'Certes.' Angus smiled broadly.

Blaise went out of the parlor and proceeded to pack. When he put the necessaries into his capacious trunk and Macavity into a crate with Anti-Apparition wards on it, he appeared before Angus.

'Weel.' Angus smiled and put his hand on Blaise's shoulder. 'Hold fast!'

'I will.' Blaise smiled. He felt dizziness, and the next moment he was standing on a hill, in front of a three-storied L-shaped mansion with arched windows, gable roof and a turret in the angle, above the front door. Behind the mansion was a birch grove.

'Spanzedell Ha', my ancestral hame,' Angus said proudly.

'Yaow!' Macavity said.

'Quite, Macavity.' Blaise smiled.

'Let's gang ben, noo,' Angus said. Blaise nodded, and Angus led him to the front door, above which was a relief coat of arms - a white shield with a red saltire and four red roses, a helmet with a dragon-shaped crest mounting the shield.

'Your arms?' Blaise asked.

'Aye,' Angus said.

They entered the door, and Blaise saw they were now before a massive staircase, occupying all the shorter wing of the mansion, targes and claymores hanging on the walls, a suit of armor in a niche, and a door on the left, leading into a passage with several doors.

'Th' main staircase.' Angus explained.

'I gathered that much.' Blaise smiled.

'Tae the left are th' kitchen, th' wine cellar an' th' food cellar,' Angus said.

'I see,' Blaise nodded.

Blaise followed Angus up the stairs, and on the next floor, Blaise saw, the staircase ended. There were two doors in the walls - one leading into a large room, the other to a little winding staircase.

'That is the duir tae th' Great Ha', an' this - tae th' turret staircase,' Angus said.

Blaise looked at the little staircase with interest. Angus led him there, and indeed, Blaise saw that the staircase was inside the turret in the interior angle. They went up the little staircase, and Blaise saw the turret staircase ended on the next floor, and before them now were two doors. Angus opened the left door, and Blaise saw a large room with a great fireplace, a large four-poster with red velvet curtains, some red armchairs, a massive oak cupboard and a chest-of-drawers with fine copper basin and jug atop of it.

'Yer chamber,' Angus said. 'It's the largest ruim in th' hoose. It occupies almaist a' th' western wing.'

'Thank you, Spanzedell.' Blaise muttered.

'My chamber is tae th' left, i' th' tooer,' Angus said. 'Th' chamber i' th' angle is empty.'

'I see,' Blaise said.

'Noo, mak' yerself at hame, Blaize, unpack, an' then gang doon tae th' Great Ha',' Angus said.

'Thank you, Spanzedell, I will,' Blaise answered.

'See ye, then,' Angus said and retired. Blaise marshaled his things, but first he opened the crate, and his familiar with a triumphant yaow leapt out and began to explore the room.

Some time later Blaise arranged his belongings and said:

'Now, let's go downstairs, Macavity.'

'Yaow!' Macavity said, and they went downstairs.

The Great Hall was covered by beautiful old tapestries on all the walls, there were a Persian carpet on the floor, formidable beams on the ceiling, a huge fireplace at the far end, Gothic chairs along the walls and an ancient, very long table in the middle of the room.

'Weel, hoo d'ye like it?' Angus smiled.

'It's magnificent!' Blaise said.

'Aye, it's grand,' Angus said. 'Noo sit doon, we'll hae dinner!'

'Thanks.' Blaise smiled.

'Ye're weelcom,' Angus said. Blaise saw on the mantelpiece a pile of books: Zacharias Mumps on Quidditch, The Noble Sport of Warlocks by Quintius Umfraville and Quidditch Through The Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp.

'You like Quidditch?' Blaise asked.

'Certes.' Angus said, casting a look at the books.

'What position? Beater?'

'Aye.' Angus grinned.

'You seem just the type,' Blaise said. 'I play Seeker.'

'Ye hae th' build,' Angus said.

'Thank you.' Blaise smiled.

Angus clapped his hands. On the table appeared two sets of tableware and a large dish with collops of venison. Blaise and Angus proceeded to eat. Macavity hung around the table and got his share of the venison, naturally. Then flames in the fireplace shone green and parted. A man poked out of the fireplace, brown-haired and round-faced.

'Aye, Duncan?' Angus asked.

'Ye arena alane, Spanzedell?' Duncan asked.

'Blaize Zabini, the Hogwarts maister, stayin wi' me,' Angus said. 'Duncan Ross.'

Blaise inclined his head gracefully.

'Glad tae meet ye,' Duncan said.

'Spanzedell, we hae a game the morn,' Duncan said.

'A'richt,' Angus said. 'Duncan's oor Keiper an' Captain.'

'I'll come to look at the game,' Blaise said courteously.

'Ah wull be maist glad,' Duncan said. 'Guid forenicht, Spanzedell, guid forenicht, Professor.'

'Guid forenicht,' Angus said.

'Good evening,' Blaise said.

Duncan disappeared.

'What's the name of your team?' Blaise asked.

'Th' Sutherland Swuipers,' Angus said proudly. We play th' Cromarty Corbies.'

'Good,' Blaise said genially.

The Sutherland Swoopers and the Cromarty Corbies were both amateur teams, of course, Blaise haven't heard about either of them till this day. But the Swoopers had the spirit, it seemed, and that was what mattered.

'Yaaow!' Macavity said.

'And of course I shall take you with me.' Blaise smiled. 'I would like to see someone try to leave an Apparating Kneazle at home!'

'At hame, ye said?' Angus smiled.

'Yes, I do feel myself at home here,' Blaise said.

'We'll hae same aipple pudding then,' Angus said.

'Sure,' Blaise said.

And they had an apple pudding with tea.

'Remind me some day to make a real French Apple Pie for you, Spanzedell,' Blaise said. 'This excellent pudding calls one to mind.'

'Certes,' Angus said.

'You bake it with slices of apples, sugar, flour, lemon juice and cinnamon and sprinkle it with a mixture of butter, flour, milk and nutmeg,' Blaise said.

'Soonds bonny,' Angus said.

'Yaow!' Macavity said, reminding he wanted a portion too.

When the table was cleared, Blaise asked:

'Now for a game of chess, Spanzedell?'

'Aye.' Angus grinned, went upstairs and brought an antique ebony and ivory chessboard with finely carved pieces of ivory and redwood.

They played late into the night, when Duncan appeared in the fireplace again.

'Spanzedell, unchance! Keith Murray's doon i' bed with fuid poisonin'! He's better noo, but there is nae question o' him playin' the morn!'

'Darn it! Keith Murray's oor Seiker,' Angus said. 'Th' Corbies wull beat us clean withoot oor Seiker!'

'May I volunteer?' Blaise asked gently.

'Whit?' Duncan asked.

'I've played Seeker many times,' Blaise said. 'And they say I'm rather good. Not professional, of course, but this is an amateur game, so...'

'Och, this is a wonder!' Duncan said.

'I take it I'm accepted?' Blaise said.

'Certes!' Duncan said. 'Ye're oor hope!'

'Blaize, ye're a fine lad!' Angus said.

'Thank you, gentlemen,' Blaise said.

'Noo wull ye cam' wi' me tae humor Keith?' Duncan said. 'He's distressed, puir fellow.'

'Certes,' Angus said.

'Of course.' Blaise nodded.

'Tak' my hand, Blaize,' Angus said. Blaise obeyed, and they Apparated out of Spanzedell Hall. Macavity followed them on his own.

They found themselves in a cozy bedroom in brown shades. A diminutive tanned man was lying in the bed. Duncan was already there.

'Guid forenicht, Keith,' Angus said. 'Ah've heard ye're better.'

'Aye, Spanzedell, thank ye. Campbell ca'd on me too,' Keith said.

'This is Blaize Zabini o' the Hogwarts Schule, stayin' wi' me.' Angus introduced. 'He's the substitute Seiker.'

'I'll try to be as brilliant as you, Mr. Murray,' Blaise said.

'Thank Heavens, ye wullna hae tae play withoot th' Seiker!' Keith said.

'Mr. Murray, shall I make strong tea for you?' Blaise said. 'I make rather good tea.'

'Thank ye,' Keith said.

Blaise went to seek out Mr. Murray's kitchen. Macavity went with him as always. While Blaise was seeking the whereabouts of a tea box, Macavity leapt onto a table near a wall, covered with various articles as kitchens go, and began to play with the odds and ends. Then he dragged out a little paper bag.

'Macavity, what have you here?' Blaise asked. 'A tea bag?'

'Yaaow!' Macavity said.

Blaise looked a little closer at the bag and gave a low whistle.

'Verry interesting,' he said and slipped the bag into a pocket of his robes. Then he continued to search for the tea.

When they returned from Keith Murray's place, Blaise bade Angus good night and ascended the turret staircase to his bedroom, his wand lit in his right hand, Macavity's glowing green eyes by his side. Upstairs Blaise undressed and flopped down. Macavity curled up at his feet.

The next morning Blaise washed his face and hands and went downstairs, accompanied by Macavity. He came all the way down to the ground floor, walked around the mansion on the bedewed grass and descended into the ravine behind the mansion he saw through his bedroom windows. He followed a path that meandered between the birches into the ravine. Macavity chased flies all around the grove.

'Macavity, I think we shall learn soon whose bag it was, for it was certainly not Mr. Murray's,' Blaise said dreamily.

'Yaaow!' Macavity agreed.

Blaise came to the Great Hall for breakfast.

After a hearty breakfast Blaise looked expectantly at Angus.

'Weel,' Angus said. 'Time tae gang.'

'Excellent,' Blaise said.

They Apparated to a peat bog typical of Scotland. Duncan with four more people - one man and three women - waited for them already.

'Guid morn,' Duncan greeted them cheerfully. 'Professor Blaize Zabini - Lachlan Gowan, oor second Beater, Marge Thompson, Muirol Lynn and Jessica Lindsay, oor Chasers.'

'Glad to meet you,' Blaise said.

Then seven pops sounded, and there appeared seven other people.

'Th' Cromarty Corbies,' Duncan said.

A small, bald man stepped forward and bowed to them.

'Evan Campbell, th' Captain an' Seiker o' the Corbies,' Duncan said. 'This is Professor Blaize Zabini, oor substitute Seiker.'

'Good morning, Mr. Campbell,' Blaise said smoothly. 'What is your trade, I wonder?'

'Apothecary,' Campbell said.

'How curious!' Blaise said. 'I have some skill with potions myself.'

'Ah ken,' Campbell said. 'Noo let's begin?'

'Macavity, stay on the ground, please, dear,' Blaise said. 'I don't want you to be hurt.'

The balls were released from their box, brought by the referee, the referee gave the whistle, and the fourteen players soared into the sky.

Blaise avoided the Bludgers and collisions, looking for the Snitch, while the three lady Chasers handled the Quaffle aptly, Angus and Gowan declined the Bludgers with precise strikes, and Duncan hovered at the goalpost, stonewall. Blaise saw the three ladies bring some goals home, but he still couldn't see the Snitch in all the kerfuffle. Then something little shined gold far above. Thank Merlin I've got good eyesight! Blaise thought. He dashed for this gold flick. A Bludger flew his way, but he ducked and pursued the Golden Snitch. Campbell noticed the Snitch too, but Blaise gained speed. He went into a dive and caught the minute ball in his grasp. Then he swooped down, landed and held the Snitch high up in the air. The game ceased at once.

'Blaize!' said Angus and embraced the short, slender, dusky young man in red.

'I did my best,' Blaise said modestly.

'Aelfaudlie, Professor Zabini,' Campbell said insincerely.

'Thanks, Mr. Campbell,' Blaise said. 'Oh, and I think this little thing is yours. You visited Mr. Murray the other day, didn't you?'

He handed a little bag to Campbell.

Campbell took it absentmindedly and then blanched.

'Ladies and gentlemen, this bag I found in Mr. Murray's kitchen,' Blaise said. 'Any potion-maker will recognize the contents as powdered bloodroot. It isn't deadly, but it can cause food poisoning. And Mr. Campbell here is an apothecary by trade, so he would know its effect.'

'This is a lie!' Campbell said. 'It can be anything!'

'The authorities will decide that, Mr. Campbell,' Blaise said calmly. 'As to me, I shall witness in any court as to what it is. And I think they will believe me.'

'Yaaow!' Macavity asserted.

'Would you like the French Apple Pie as your victory feast, ladies and gentlemen?' Blaise asked.

'Certes!' the Sutherland Swoopers answered.