The Great Regatta

Chapter Six

'Well, we are in Marseilles, and Avery is annoyed we aren't out of the race!' Blaise said. 'And on the way to Naples we shall pass the isle where I was born, I will show you my birthplace. Now let's go look at the city of Marseilles! It was around even before the Romans. They called it Massalia when they annexed it, and it prospered it the Roman times. Then it experienced decline, but prospered again in the times of the Crusades, as Marceilles was where the crusaders embarked from. And it's still a flourishing city, the second largest in France.'

Blaise led them to look at the Bourse at the start of La Canebiere, the main commercial street of Marseilles - the Bourse was one of the most imposing buildings in the city and housed the Chamber of Commerce and a maritime museum. Then they went to the Museum of Roman Warehouses near the City Hall at the edge of the port. Then it was the Old Port itself, the 'Vieux-Port', the oldest part of the city. They went to see the old cathedral of la Major in the Place de la Major, and the new cathedral built in 1852, the Old Charity Hospital built between 1660 and 1750, in its courtyard a chapel built by Pierre Puget, the most powerful French Baroque sculptor, the Hotel Dieu, the oldest hospital in Marseilles, built in the 16^th century, the center of Marseilles, the bell-tower of the vanished church of Accoules, a 14^th century spire mounted on a 12^th century tower, the square-towered, crenellated basilica of Saint-Victor, dating from the 11th to the 14th century, once attached to an abbey founded about 413 by St. John Cassian to commemorate a 3rd-century martyr and patron saint of sailors and millers. When Saint-Victor was built, the abbey was a temporal power of considerable extent, ruling properties in Spain, Sardinia, and the hinterlands of France. Then they went to see the famous Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde on a hill over the south side of the Old Port, a sanctuary honored from the 8^th century but the present structure built in 1853-64, the steeple, crowned by a 30-foot gilded statue of the Virgin, rising 150 feet over the hillside. Coming to the harbor, they saw two fortresses at both sides of the harbor, and another on one of the islands in the bay.

'One is the Fort Saint-Nicolas, and another is the Fort Saint-Jean, built in 13^th century as a command post of the Knights Hospitallers,' Blaise said.

'I have Hospitallers in my family tree,' Justin said with interest.

'So do I,' Blaise said. 'One of the towers was built by King Rene of Provence in the mid-15^th century, and most of the fortress dates from 17^th century. These islands in the bay are called the Frioul Islands, and that fortress in the harbor is the Chateau d'If.'

'The Chateau d'If?' Justin said. 'Where the Count of Monte Cristo was imprisoned?'

'Yes.' Blaise nodded.

Justin looked at the fortress in awe. Trevor just blinked.

'He is the main character in a novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas, a Muggle writer.' Blaise explained. 'He was falsely accused of a political crime and thrown into this fortress that no one managed to escape from - but he did, and took his revenge on the false friends who framed him. Reminds of someone I know.'

'Lookin' at the old Chateau, what?' a voice said. 'Impressive, eh?

They turned and saw a tall, thin gentleman with a long nose and a fine head of brown hair streaked with gray, in silvery robes, with a walking stick in one hand and an apricot-colored Pomeranian in another hand.

'Yes,' Blaise said. 'Thinking of the Count.'

'I thought so,' the gentleman in silvery robes said. 'English?'

'British,' Blaise said. 'Blaise Zabini, and these are Justin Finch-Fletchley and Trevor Entwhistle.'

'Of the Helga?' the gentleman in silvery robes exclaimed.

'Yes.' Justin smiled.

'Glad to meet you! I'm the Honorable Evelyn Ravenscroft, and this is Miranda.'

'Glad to meet you too, Mr. Ravenscroft,' Blaise said.

'I say, we must celebrate this meeting!' the Hon. Evelyn said. 'I know a nice place around here.'

'Excellent,' Blaise said.

As they were walking there, the Hon. Evelyn said:

'Avery was foamin' at the mouth, you know? He thought he had no competition now. Talked some rot about Mudbloods gettin' round him. He's an absolute idiot.'

'Yeah, the Secretary said he 'seemed very disappointed' when he knew,' Blaise said.

'That's the understatement of the century,' the Hon. Evelyn said. 'I cannot stand that Avery.'

'Nor do we,' Justin said.

They went to the place the Hon. Evelyn meant - a small cute café called Clair de Lune, and took a table. Miranda deposited herself in the Hon. Evelyn's lap and began to wash herself like a cat.

'She's a true Pomeranian, isn't she?' Blaise smiled.

'Yes,' the Hon. Evelyn said. 'By the way, I've read your book on Kneazles, it's very nice.'

'Thank you very much,' Blaise said.

'And where's Macavity?' the Hon. Evelyn asked.

'He decided to stay on board the ship.' Blaise clarified.

'I see,' the Hon. Evelyn said.

They had some bouillabaisse and talked about the places Helga visited.

'Now shall we take a stroll?' the Hon. Evelyn suggested.

'Sure, why not?' Justin asked.

The Hon. Evelyn took Miranda under his left arm, took the walking stick into his right arm, and they left the café.

As they were walking along La Canebiere, they heard an all-too-familiar voice.

'Ah, Ravenscroft! I just expected you to consort with some chaff like this!'

The Hon. Evelyn turned and saw Lord Avery.

'Avery?' he said. 'Please give time and place.'

Lord Avery was taken aback.

'S-sure, Ravenscroft, eight o' clock tonight, behind Le Tigre.'

'Fine,' the Hon. Evelyn nodded calmly. 'Mr. Zabini here shall be my second.'

'I'll bring someone,' Lord Avery said. 'Good evening, Ravenscroft.'

'Good evenin', Avery,' the Hon. Evelyn said.

'Evelyn...' Blaise said.

'He has to be taught a lesson,' the Hon. Evelyn said. 'And it's Eve.'

'Eve, I shall stand by you,' Blaise said.

'Thank you.' the Hon. Evelyn smiled. 'Now let's continue our promenade?'

'Sure,' Blaise said.

They walked and chatted, but the Hon. Evelyn looked at his pocket watch from time to time.

'It seems it's time, my friends,' he said then.

'You're so calm Eve!' Blaise said.

The Hon. Evelyn shrugged his shoulders.

'He can't AK me, and the rest I'll handle.'

'What is this Tiger, Eve?' Blaise asked.

'It's my inn,' the Hon. Evelyn said.

Blaise nodded.

The Hon. Evelyn led them to a secluded nook behind a little inn. They waited. Then Lord Avery appeared with a blond ferrety man in green.

'Well, well, Ravenscroft,' he said.

'Don't ask for another duel, Avery,' the Hon. Evelyn said.

'Whatever,' Lord Avery said. 'Well, these are...Professor Blaise Zabini, Trevor Entwhistle and Justin Finch-Fletchley. This is Mr. Draco Malfoy.'

'We know each other,' Blaise said stiffly.

'Same here,' Justin said, giving Malfoy a withering look.

'Indeed,' Malfoy drawled.

'Why I am not surprised?' the Hon. Evelyn said.

'Get to the matter, Ravenscroft,' Lord Avery said.

'Quite so,' the Hon. Evelyn said. 'Blaise, hold Miranda and my stick, please?'

'Yes Eve,' Blaise said and took the walking stick and the tiny dog.

The Hon. Evelyn and Lord Avery stood opposite each other; both held their wands at the ready.

'Your turn first, Avery,' the Hon. Evelyn said.

Lord Avery grinned and uttered, 'Stupefy!' But the Hon. Evelyn quickly spoke, 'Impedimenta!' His spell met Lord Avery's in midair and nullified it.

'Expelliarmus!' Lord Avery enunciated. But the Hon. Evelyn was swift enough to answer, 'Rictusempra!' Lord Avery burst out laughing. The Hon. Evelyn waited till Lord Avery mastered himself. Lord Avery was now seething.

'Tarantallegra!' he shouted, but the Hon. Evelyn said calmly, 'Petrificus Totalus!' Lord Avery fell to the ground, unconscious.

'Mr. Malfoy, bring Lord Avery to his senses, please, and let him know of the outcome of our duel,' the Hon. Evelyn said. Malfoy nodded stiffly.

The Hon. Evelyn, Blaise, Justin and Trevor left the place.

Blaise handed the walking stick and the dog to the Hon. Evelyn. The Hon. Evelyn took both and said:

'Here, my poppet, all is right.'

Miranda licked his hand.

'I am admired, Eve,' Blaise said.

The Hon. Evelyn shrugged his shoulders:

'I am only a man about town, but I'm a better duelist than Avery.'

'A delicate question, Eve - are you seasick?' Blaise asked.

'No,' the Hon. Evelyn said. 'Why?'

'Huzzah!' Blaise said.

The Hon. Evelyn looked puzzled.

'Will you be a passenger on our yacht, then?' Blaise asked.

'Oh, I see now,' the Hon. Evelyn said. 'With the greatest pleasure. You hear, Miranda? We are goin' yachtin'!'

'Wow!' Miranda said.

'I think I've seen your yacht, Justin,' the Hon. Evelyn said. 'A very graceful one, with yellow sail sportin' a badger?'

'Yes, that's her,' Justin said proudly.

'A smart little ship, let me say,' the Hon. Evelyn said.

'Thank you,' Justin blushed.

'Your next stop is Naples, if I'm not mistaken?' the Hon. Evelyn said.

'Yes,' Justin said. 'And then Dubrovnik, Athens, Cairo, Algiers and Edinburgh.'

'Splendid,' the Hon. Evelyn said. 'Some of the most beautiful cities of the world.'

'Quite so,' Blaise said.

They walked for some time yet. At nightfall Justin, Blaise and Trevor went on board their yacht and the Hon. Evelyn to his inn.

In the morning the Hon. Evelyn dutifully waited on the pier, with Miranda and a trunk. Justin welcomed him on board, and the yachts started.

They left Marseilles behind them quickly, and sailed across the Tyrrhenian Sea. Avery was abysmally behind. The Hon. Evelyn arranged his things in a free cabin and then went to the deck to admire the seascape with Miranda and his stick, as always.

They approached a mountainous, lush-green island. Blaise sighed deeply.

'This is my native land,' he said.

'Corsica?' the Hon. Evelyn asked.

'Yes. My family moved to Britain when I was nine,' Blaise explained.

They sailed along the shores of Corsica for some time, when a large old town came into view, with white red-roofed houses.

'And this is the town where I was born,' Blaise said. 'Ajaccio.'

'A nice place,' Justin said.

'Yes it is,' Blaise answered.

They navigated a narrow strait just beyond Ajaccio, and came into the open sea again.

'Hey Eve, the ship gained speed with you on board,' Justin said.

'That's because I sincerely wish you to win, I would think,' the Hon. Evelyn said. 'And I'm sure Miranda does too, don't you my darlin'?'

'You know something about navigation don't you Eve?' Justin asked.

'Something is right,' the Hon. Evelyn said.

They continued their journey. Once they saw a buxom, gold-haired girl swimming in the sea waves.

'What a beauty!' Justin said.

'Yes, but I'm afraid she's a mermaid, Justin,' Blaise said. 'No girl would swim in the open sea, so far from any coast.'

'Right,' Justin said, disappointed.

They sailed on. They passed a group of picturesque islands and entered a little bay a bit aside from a great city. Justin dropped anchor, and then a disappointed Lord Avery sailed into the bay.