The Cat Who Looked Into A Crystal

Professor Blaise Zabini, the Care of the Magical Creatures teacher of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was sitting at the faculty table in the Great Hall of the Hogwarts School and having breakfast, when an unfamiliar tawny owl flew through one of the windows of the Great Hall and swooped down, leaving an envelope by Blaise's plate. Blaise opened the envelope and saw a letter. He read it. It ran:

'Dear Professor Zabini,

As you are the nearest male relative of the late Spiltin Fletcher of Ballafletcher, the parish of Braddan, the Isle of Man, you are now the owner of the estate of Ballafletcher. Please arrive to see your new property.

Constance Conybeare, the housekeeper.'

'Sweet Merlin!' Blaise exclaimed.

'What is it, Blaise?' Professor Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster, asked gently. Blaise explained:

'Well, it seems, Albus, that I have INHERITED an ESTATE in the Isle of Man, of all places! You see, Albus, my maternal grandmother, Lucy de Vigenere, was nee Fletcher, of the Fletchers of Man. I guess there was no relative nearer than me. Well, I must to go and see this Ballafletcher. I hope it is one of the quaint old houses, then I will not change a thing in it and will be coming there on the holidays.'

'Hopefully so,' Professor Dumbledore said. 'Certainly go and see it, Blaise. It's the Christmas break after all.'

'Indeed,' Blaise smiled. He finished his breakfast and went to his quarters to pack his things and to catch his cat, Macavity. After he has packed his trunk and with some effort put the red, lean spotted tom Kneazle with outsize ears, long whiskers and enormous green eyes, into a crate, he took from a box on the mantelpiece a pinch of green powder, threw it into the fireplace, said, 'Ballafletcher, the parish of Braddan, the Isle of Man!' and stepped into the fireplace, the trunk in one hand, the crate in another. After a swirling feeling, he found himself in a room with tapestries on the walls, a Persian carpet on the floor and fine carved wooden chairs and tables about the room.

'Well, Macavity, I rather like the first impression of our new home,' Blaise said. 'But where's Mrs. Conybeare?'

'Yow!' Macavity said.

'Certainly,' Blaise said and opened the crate. Macavity leapt out and began to explore the room.

A tiny, wizened, gray-haired witch in lavender robes with ruffles came forth and looked at the short, slender young man with olive-colored skin, black eyes and black curly hair, in crimson robes and with a trunk in one hand.

'Mrs. Conybeare?' Blaise asked.

'Professor Zabini?' Mrs. Conybeare asked.

'Yes.' Blaise bowed.

Macavity came to Mrs. Conybeare and rubbed himself against her legs, his tail up. Mrs. Conybeare said:

'What a cute cat, Professor!'

'Yes.' Blaise smiled. 'His name's Macavity. He likes you too, Mrs. Conybeare. And he judges a person very well, even for a Kneazle, and this is telling very much.'

'Mrrow,' Macavity said melodiously.

'What a beautiful voice he has!' Mrs. Conybeare said, moved.

'Yes.' Blaise smiled tenderly.

'I'll show the house to you, Professor,' Mrs. Conybeare said. 'Follow me.'

She went to the door. Blaise followed her, and Macavity went with him, tail up, running always in front of Blaise. Mrs. Conybeare showed Blaise the rooms, first the dining room with tapestries, finely carved wooden chairs, a large fine wooden table covered by a crimson velvet tablecloth, a fine wooden cupboard full of silverware and exquisite glass and ceiling with beams, as befits a Great Hall. Blaise noted especially one bell-shaped goblet, engraved with sprigs and lines. The goblet was definitely of rock crystal, and not of cut glass, and very ancient, if Blaise knew anything about it.

'This is the Cup of the Lhiannan Shee,' Mrs. Conybeare said, noting his interest. 'It is taken out of the cupboard only once a year, at Christmas, when the master of the house drinks the toast in the honor of the Lhiannan Shee, the fairy guardian of Ballafletcher. To break the cup would bring much more disaster than to break a mirror. It would be a great misfortune, Professor.'

'Lhiannan Shee?' Blaise repeated. 'Fairy sweetheart? Sounds like Gaelic.'

Yes, Professor, such is the meaning,' Mrs. Conybeare said. 'You know Gaelic?'

'I thought it would be interesting.' Blaise smiled. 'Don't worry, Mrs. Conybeare, I shall guard this cup like the pupil of my eye, and I shall honor the Lhiannan Shee as it is done. And this is a noble cup - genuine crystal, isn't it, Mrs. Conybeare?'

'Yes, Professor,' Mrs. Conybeare said, shining. She then led Blaise and Macavity to a sitting room, with paintings of old masters on the walls, comfortable old crimson velvet armchairs and sofas, little tables and a great carved fireplace. Then it was a large bedroom, with tapestries, a great four-poster with curtains and cover of crimson velvet, some fine carved chairs, a tall mirror, a fine old chest of drawers and a crimson velvet armchair. Blaise's eyes rested on a tapestry right across from the foot of the four-poster. It showed a young man introducing his bride to a king, then the king banishing the young man from his sight and trying to court the maid, then the maid in a dungeon and the young man taking the cowl, and then the young man in the black habit lying on the grass in a wood and weeping, and then him noticing a cleft in a hill across from him, then him entering the cleft and going by a subterfuge, then him looking through some bars at the king attempting to insult the maid, then the young man breaking the bars, entering the dungeon and slaying the king with the king's own sword, left lying by, and then the young man and the maid fleeing, entering a ship, and then the young man and the maid being wedded. Mrs. Conybeare explained:

'This is the legend of Ivar and Matilda, an old Manx legend. Knight Ivar and damsel Matilda loved each other from childhood and at last, they decided to marry each other. But when Ivar introduced his bride to his sovereign, King Reginald, the king banished Ivar and tried to gain Matilda's favor. He didn't succeed, and sent Matilda into an underground dungeon. Meanwhile Ivar entered the abbey of St Mary of Rushen as a novice. One day he was grieving in the woods, thinking of Matilda, when he saw a fissure in a nearby hill. He ventured into the fissure and found a subterfuge. He proceeded along it and in the end saw the dungeon, and King Reginald trying to take Matilda by force. Ivar broke into the dungeon and slew King Reginald with the sword that Reginald left lying near. Then Ivar and Matilda fled to Ireland, where they happily got married.'

'This is a beautiful legend,' Blaise said. 'I will think of it, looking at the tapestry.'

'I'm glad you say so,' Mrs. Conybeare said. 'This is the master bedroom.'

Other rooms were in the same style - tapestries, old paintings, fine carved wood and crimson velvet. There was a garden, with pear and apple trees, maze and flowerbeds. In the end of the tour Blaise said:

'I am not going to change a single thing here. This house is charming as it is, Mrs. Conybeare. I like it very much.'

'I'm glad to hear it, Professor,' Mrs. Conybeare said emphatically.

'Very well,' Blaise said. 'I'll unpack, then.'

'Very good,' Mrs. Conybeare said.

Blaise went back to the bedroom. Macavity went with him, tail up. Blaise put his trunk on the floor, opened it and began to unpack. When it came to unpacking Blaise's books, Macavity, naturally, carried one book aside and left it, opened, on the carpet. Blaise looked at it. It was The Birds of Great Britain, opened on the page that was about the quail.

'Want me to read you about quails, eh, Macavity?' Blaise said, picked the book and put it on the chest of drawers. 'Right-ho, I'll read it to you'.

Blaise finished unpacking and sat down on an armchair near the fireplace in the sitting room with his feet on a crimson velvet puffet, The Birds of Great Britain in his hands and Macavity in his lap. Blaise read to Macavity aloud from the book, and Macavity was listening to Blaise attentively, his emerald eyes shining.

'A nice house, eh, Macavity?' Blaise said to Macavity between the reading.

'Mrrow,' Macavity answered.

Flames on the fireplace leaped aside, and a handsome face of a young man with brown hair and blue eyes appeared.

'Good morning,' the young man said.

'Good morning,' Blaise said.

'Are you the new owner of Ballafletcher?' the young man asked.

'Yes,' Blaise said. 'Professor Blaise Zabini.'

'Oh,' the young man said. 'And I'm Mordred Quayle, from The Walnuts.'

'Glad to meet you,' Blaise said.

'Glad to meet you too,' Mr. Quayle said.

'How can I help you?' Blaise asked.

'May I call in for lunch?' Mr. Quayle asked. 'My brother Leonidas and me.'

'Certainly,' Blaise answered.

'Good morning, then,' Mr. Quayle said.

'Good morning,' Blaise said.

Mr. Quayle's face disappeared.

Blaise rang a bell near the fireplace. Mrs. Conybeare appeared and asked:

'What can I do for you, Professor?'

'Two gentlemen will come to lunch - a Mr. Mordred Quayle and a Mr. Leonidas Quayle, from The Walnuts,' Blaise said. 'Neighbors, I expect.'

'Yes, Professor,' Mrs. Conybeare said. 'A very old family. What will you have for lunch, Professor?'

'Bacon and eggs and tea - Earl Grey, please, and sandwiches,' Blaise said.

'Very good, Professor,' Mrs. Conybeare said and went out. Blaise resumed his reading to Macavity. The Kneazle listened to the Professor dreamily. Later Blaise and Macavity went for a stroll in the beautiful gardens of Ballafletcher. Blaise sighed:

'Just the house I needed, eh, Macavity?'

'Mrrow,' Macavity agreed.

They walked in the gardens for a while. Blaise was looking at the beautiful trees, shrubbery and flowers, leaning from time to time to feel the smell of a flower. Macavity was enjoying the greenery too, and chasing butterflies. Later Blaise and Macavity went into the wood near the garden. Macavity was sniffing everything around with abandon, and once he even flustered a bird. When it flew off, frightened, Blaise saw it was a quail. Then they returned into the house. Blaise said:

'I hope Messrs. Mordred and Leonidas Quayle won't be late, Macavity.'

'Mrrow,' Macavity said.

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

They weren't late. Just in time for lunch, they appeared from the sitting-room fireplace - a tall, well-built young man in blue robes, with blue eyes and brown hair, and a thin, tall young man with brown eyes and brown hair, in yellow robes.

'Good afternoon,' Blaise said. 'Welcome, Mr. Quayle. And this is your brother, Mr. Leonidas Quayle, I think?'

'Yes,' Mordred Quayle said.

'Blaise Zabini,' Blaise said.

'Glad to meet you,' Leonidas said.

'Glad to meet you,' Blaise said.

Macavity immediately rubbed himself all over Leonidas's legs.

'What a fine cat!' Leonidas said.

'His name's Macavity,' Blaise said.

Mordred didn't take much notice of Macavity, neither did Macavity of him.

'Let's go to the dining room, gentlemen,' Blaise said. Macavity, Mordred and Leonidas followed him.

'Ah, the Cup of the Lhiannan Shee,' Leonidas said, looking wistfully at the cup. 'A fine piece.'

'Yes,' Blaise said.

Blaise, Leonidas and Mordred sat down at the table. Mrs. Conybeare brought the meal, and they began to eat. Leonidas asked Blaise:

'What relation are you to poor Spiltin Fletcher, Professor Zabini?'

'A distant cousin,' Blaise said. 'My maternal grandmother, Lucy de Vigenere, was nee Fletcher, see.'

'Are you a descendant of the famous French alchemist, Blaise de Vigenere, then?' Leonidas asked.

'Yes, I am,' Blaise said. 'I was named Blaise after him, in fact.'

'How extraordinary!' Leonidas said.

'Yes,' Blaise said. 'Most people think I was named after Merlin's tutor. I'm proud I bear his name too.'

Macavity was walking near Blaise and Leonidas, purposefully avoiding Mordred. Mordred seemed to take no notice of it. Leonidas, seeing that Macavity was looking to the table, gave to the cat a bit of bacon from his own plate. Macavity ate it up and dug his nose into Leonidas's hand.

'He likes you,' Blaise said. 'It is a sign of great affection in cats.'

'I know.' Leonidas smiled. 'I like cats.'

At this point a great exploding noise sounded. The three wizards started.

'What was it?' Blaise asked.

'I don't know. Let's look,' Mordred said.

'That's a good idea,' Leonidas said.

They rose and went in different directions to see what it was. Blaise went to the garden and found nothing. When he returned to the dining room, he found Mordred and Leonidas in there.

'Did you see anything?' Blaise asked.

'Absolutely zero,' Leonidas said. Mordred nodded emphatically.

'Well, let's continue our lunch, then,' Blaise said, and so they did. Suddenly Blaise saw Macavity leap to the top of the cupboard, right from the floor. Leonidas said:

'Fancy that. How agile he is!'

'Yes,' Blaise said, and then he noticed that something was wrong. There was no Cup of the Lhiannan Shee in the cupboard! Blaise said:

'Gentlemen, the cup is missing!'

Leonidas and Mordred looked to the cupboard and exclaimed:

'By Jove, you are right!'

'But where could it be?' Blaise said. 'It's never taken out of the cupboard, except on the Christmas Day.'

'I know,' Leonidas said.

'I have to ask you to turn out your pockets, gentlemen,' Blaise said.

Mordred and Leonidas obeyed. But there was nothing in their pockets except small money, bits of paper and some trinkets.

'Nothing,' Blaise said. 'Wait...'

He sniffed the air, then looked the odds and ends over and took a little copper chain. He took his wand out of his pocket and touched the chain with it. The chain's outlines became blurred, and in a second, the chain became the Cup of the Lhiannan Shee.

'It was in your pocket, Mordred Quayle,' Blaise said sharply. 'And it was you who provided that exploding sound, wasn't it? There is a smell that lingers in the air after one had used an Exploding Charm. If one is skilled in magic enough, one can do it without a wand or speaking aloud.'

'Damn it!' Mordred Quayle said and made for the fireplace, but Macavity leaped gracefully from the cupboard to Mordred's shoulder and dug all his eighteen claws into it. Mordred screamed, seized Macavity and wanted to throw him away, but Blaise pointed his wand at Mordred and screamed, 'Petrificus Totalus!' Mordred froze in mid-movement, and Blaise came to him, gently took Macavity out of Mordred's hand and clasped the cat to his bosom.

'Are you all right, dear?' he asked.

'Mrrow,' Macavity answered.

'What a relief!' Blaise said.

'I apologize for my brother's behavior,' Leonidas said. 'I have never approved of his attitude.'

'It's all right.' Blaise smiled.

Macavity Apparated from his hands to the floor and rubbed himself against Blaise's and Leonidas's legs.

'My genius,' Blaise said tenderly. 'You know, he opened The Birds of Great Britain on the page about the quail, and when we were taking a stroll, he flustered a quail. And did you see how he avoided your brother? Macavity's a Kneazle, and even more intelligent than most Kneazles are. He has got a talent for detection, by Merlin!'

'Most extraordinary cat,' Leonidas said.

'Yes.' Blaise smiled. 'He's not to be cheated.'

'I'll lock Mordred up,' Leonidas said. 'He is very bad at Apparition.'

'Do,' Blaise said. 'And I'll call the Aurors.'

Leonidas waved his wand and said, 'Mobilicorpus!' Mordred was raised into the air. Leonidas went out, leading the immobilized Mordred with waves of his wand. Blaise threw a pinch of the Floo powder from a box on the mantelpiece, said, 'Chief Auror's Office!' and poked his head into the fireplace. After the whirling sensation, he saw the neat office, and the skinny man with raven untidy hair, bright green eyes under a pair of glasses and a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.

'Blaise?' the man said, surprised.

'Yes, Harry, myself and not a picture.' Blaise smiled. 'I have here a man who came as a guest to my newly inherited house and stole a valuable crystal cup. Don't worry, the cup is recovered, and the man is in Full Body-Bind and locked up securely.'

'Blaise, you are a permanent surprise!' Harry said. 'When you managed to inherit a house?'

'Today, from a distant cousin of the Isle of Man,' Blaise said. 'A very nice old house, too. This man is my neighbor, and tried to steal the cup when my back was turned, and nearly murdered my cat as he was trying to flee. Macavity's all right, thank Merlin! But what a git this Mordred Quayle is!'

'You have become an amateur sleuth, Blaise.' Harry smiled.

'Maybe.' Blaise smiled. 'But Macavity helped me a lot, believe me.'

'I do.' Harry smiled. 'Now, what is the address of this house of yours?'

'Ballafletcher, the parish of Braddan, the Isle of Man,' Blaise said.

'Okay, I'll send my men,' Harry said.

'Bye Harry.' Blaise smiled.

'Bye Blaise,' Harry said.

Blaise pulled his head out of the fireplace and saw that Leonidas was standing behind him, looking awed.

'Was that the Chief Auror, the Man Who Lived?' Leonidas asked.

'Yes, we are school friends, you know,' Blaise said. 'Aurors will be here soon, and meanwhile feel free. May I call you Leonidas?'

'Nobody calls me Leonidas.' the other wizard laughed. 'It's Leo.'

'Well, then, Leo,' Blaise said. 'And you can call me Blaise, of course.'

'Alright Blaise.' Leo smiled.

'Looks like Macavity felt a kindred soul in you, eh?' Blaise said.

Leo laughed at the joke. The cat in question rubbed against his legs.

'See?' Blaise said. 'It's true.'

The Aurors came, heard Blaise's and Leonidas's testimony and took Mordred Quayle with them.

Later, when Blaise was lying down in the magnificent bed in the master bedroom, book in his hands and Macavity on his legs, he looked at the tapestry with the story of Ivar and Matilda and said:

'We were a bit like Ivar and Matilda today, weren't we, Macavity?'

'Mrrow,' Macavity agreed sleepily.

On Christmas Day Blaise had the Cup of the Lhiannan Shee filled with fine Chateau d'Yquem from the cellars of Ballafletcher and drank the cup empty in the honor of the fairy guardian of the house.

Later that day, when Blaise was sitting in an armchair by the fire in the parlor, Macavity pricked his ears and raised his graceful head all at once.

'What is it, Macavity?' Blaise asked.

In answer to his question, a shape appeared before him - a tall, slender maid in flowing green silk robes, with golden hair and bright green eyes. She said:

'My greetings, Blaise Zabini.'

'The Lhiannan Shee?' Blaise asked.

'Yes, I am the Lhiannan Shee of Ballafletcher,' she said. 'Thank you for saving the Cup, Blaise Zabini. You are an excellent man, worthy of your ancestors who owned this place. I know, I've seen them all. And thank you too, the little cat.'

'Mrrow,' Macavity said.

'It was my duty,' Blaise answered.

'I know you feel it like this,' the Lhiannan Shee said. 'That is why I like you, Blaise Zabini. And I'm sure this house is safe as long as you own it. Fare you well!'

She stroked Macavity's back, kissed Blaise on the forehead, and then disappeared. Blaise said:

'She is a wonder, isn't she, Macavity?'

'Mrrow,' the cat agreed.

'Yes, she is,' Blaise said dreamily. 'S worth the care to have her thanks.'