The Test

Blaise Zabini called on the Diagon Alley to buy his schoolbooks and supplies before starting his fifth year at Hogwarts. He bought the black school robes at Madam Malkin's, the potion ingredients in an apothecary's shop, the Book of Spells, Grade Five, the Advanced Transfiguration and the Astronomy, Grade Five, and then he looked into Eyelop's Owl Emporium, as usually, to look at the animals and the books about pets. He looked friendly at the owls, cats, frogs, toads, mice, rats, ferrets, ravens, snakes and more exotic creatures, when he saw in a little house for cats the most beautiful kitten he has ever seen. It was slender and gold-red with little spots like a cheetah's, very large ears, enormous emerald-green eyes, exceptionally long whiskers and a tassel on the tail like a lion's. The cat was sitting in its house and washing itself. Suddenly it looked at Blaise with its lovely eyes and said, 'Yaaow!' Its voice was high, loud and melodious.

Blaise looked at it and said:

'D'you like me too? I promise I will take you with me, but first I need to get a license, for you are obviously Kneazle.'

The cat blinked its eyes and looked at him calmly.

'Good,' Blaise said and came to the saleswizard at the counter in one corner of the pet shop.

'Will you please hold up the Kneazle kitten for me? The red one, with green eyes? I want to buy it, but first I need to get a license, you know.'

'Certainly,' the blond, thin saleswizard said. 'Name?'

'Blaise Alcide Zabini, of The Chestnuts, Wrotham, Kent,' Blaise said.

The saleswizard took a quill and a sheet of paper and wrote it down.

'Here you are, sir.'

'Thank you,' Blaise said and left the shop.

A day later, Blaise was sitting in a hard chair near the door that was labeled 'Kneazle Licenses.' There was a queue of people before him, as usually in such places. Blaise was reading Culpeper's Complete Herbal and looking at the door nervously from time to time. What if he failed and while he'll be trying to get the license for another time, they'll sell the wonderful cat to someone else? Blaise shifted in the chair.

At last, it was his turn. Blaise rose, put the book in his robes' pocket, came to the door, opened it nervously and entered. He saw a wizard in gray robes sitting behind a polished oak desk with a bunch of papers, an inkpot and a quill, and a hard chair in front of the desk.

'Sit down, please,' the official said. Blaise sat down on the chair. The official took a sheet of paper and gave it to Blaise. Blaise put the paper before him and began to read it. It contained all sorts of questions on Kneazles, some easier, some harder. Blaise took the quill, dipped it into the inkpot and began to write answers, as best he could. At last he answered the hundredth question and handed the paper over to the official, breathing deeply. The official started to read the paper. Blaise held his breath. The official read the paper for what seemed an eternity, and then put it down. Blaise braced himself.

'Congratulations, sir,' the official smiled. 'Ninety out of hundred!'

Blaise let out a deep breath.

'Your name, please?' the official asked.

'Blaise Alcide Zabini,' Blaise said quickly.

The official took a form and began to write. Then he blew at the paper and handed it to Blaise.

'Good night,' Blaise said, rose and went out of the office quickly. In the corridor, he looked at the form. It read, 'Given to Blaise Alcide Zabini in that he passed the test on the behavior of Kneazles and thus may own a Kneazle.' A signature - Thomas McFarlane, the Licensing Office, and a seal.

Blaise clasped the license to his bosom, hid it into his breast pocket and went dancing away from the office along the corridor.

With sinking heart, Blaise Flooed to the Diagon Alley and entered Eyelop's. He looked around the shop tremblingly and...the cat was still there! Blaise gave a mental 'Whoopee!' and went to the counter.

'Good afternoon,' Blaise said. 'I want to buy the Kneazle kitten over there. It's been held up for me. Name's Blaise Alcide Zabini.'

The saleswitch looked at the books and said:

'License, sir?'

Blaise proudly took the license out of the breast pocket and showed it to the saleswitch. She looked at it and nodded.

'I'll bring you the cat, Mr. Zabini.'

She went to the cat house, took the cat out and carried it to the counter. Blaise counted off the required sum and put the money on the counter. And that very moment the cat disappeared from the saleswitch's hands and appeared in Blaise's. Blaise whistled and held the cat carefully.

'Good afternoon,' Blaise said and left Eyelop's.

In the street he examined the cat. Those things were set far from one another - it was a tom.

'Well, I'll call you...Macavity!' Blaise smiled. 'Like the one in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats!'

'Yaaow!' Macavity said and blinked.

'We'll teach Malfoy, won't we?' Blaise said.

'Yaaow,' Macavity agreed.

'Mr. McFarlane probably wouldn't give me the license if he knew you could Apparate, cher ami,' Blaise said. 'But I can handle you!'