Mortie Wimsey, Blaise Zabini and the Sorcerer of Egypt

Princess Zinat Apparated to a few rooms, invisible and unnoticeable, and didn't find what she sought. Then she Apparated to a cellar and saw the tall, slim young man with fiery red hair and milky-white skin covered with golden spots. He lay on the floor on a heap of rags. Princess Zinat became visible to him, smiled and asked him:

'Are you Bill Weasley?'

The young man stared at her and said:

'Why, I am. And...who are you?'

'I'm Princess Zinat of the Banu Maljid,' Princess Zinat said.

Bill's eyes grew wide. He knew the name.

'But...how you came to be here?'

'Well, it seems that two of the schoolmates of your brother Ron set me free after I was imprisoned by your gaoler's ancestor, Gamal Ibn Faris, into a sapphire guarded by a siren snake. They reserved their wishes for later, and now their Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin, was called to release you, and they came with him. They three and Professor Fasil, the Headmistress of Bayt al-Hikmah, are waiting for me outside the house,' Princess Zinat explained.

'And who are these schoolmates of Ronnie's?' Bill asked her.

'Blaise Zabini and Mortimer Wimsey,' Princess Zinat answered. Bill said:

'Oh, it sounds very like those two.'

'Does it?' Princess Zinat said. 'Well, I must go and tell them I found you.'

''Go,' Bill said. Princess Zinat disappeared, and Bill smiled to himself. Meanwhile Princess Zinat appeared outside the house walls, where Professor Lupin, Professor Fasil, Mortie and Blaise were waiting her.

'Well?' Professor Lupin asked.

'I saw him,' Princess Zinat said. 'He's in the cellar, I'll show the way.'

'Very well,' Professor Lupin said. 'Let's begin our assault, then.'

They came up to the solid wooden gate of the white stone house. Professor Lupin touched the gate. It was closed. Professor Lupin, Professor Fasil, Blaise and Mortie pointed their wands to the gate. Professor Lupin, Blaise and Mortie uttered: 'Alohomora!' and Professor Fasil said something like: 'Manftah!' Their spells hit the gate all at once, but no result ensued.

'Well, I thought there would be an Anti-Unlocking Charm on it,' Professor Lupin said. 'I'll try to undo it.'

'Wait a minute, Professor,' Blaise said. 'My lady Zinat, will you help us to get inside, please?'

'Certainly,' Princess Zinat smiled.

She grew in size so she became like a giantess, put Professor Lupin, Professor Fasil, Mortie and Blaise on her palm and flew over the high gate into the myrtle-shaded courtyard of al-Hardun's house. There she put them on the ground and went back to her normal size.

'That was ingenious, Mr. Zabini,' Professor Lupin said. Blaise said:

'Thank you very much, Professor.'

'Now, where is that cellar, my lady Zinat?' Professor Lupin asked.

'I'll show you,' Princess Zinat said.

She led the way confidently down little stairs at the foot of one wall. There was a locked door at the bottom of the stairs. Professor Lupin pointed his wand at it and said: 'Alohomora!' The door opened. They entered the dark, cold cellar, following Princess Zinat. She led them to where Bill was lying.

'Bill Weasley, I brought your friends to you!' she said. 'Rejoice!'

Bill saw Professor Lupin, Professor Fasil, Mortie and Blaise and said:

'Good morning, Professor Lupin. Good morning, Professor Fasil. You are Professor Fasil, I think? Hello Mortie, Blay. Glad to see you again.'

'Hello Bill,' Mortie and Blaise grinned.

'Good morning, Bill,' Professor Lupin said.

'Good morning, Mr. Weasley,' Professor Fasil said.

'Here, take my wand, Bill,' Blaise said. 'I have my own secret weapons.'

'Thank you, Blay,' Bill said and took the long white wand that Blaise proffered.

'Now let's get out of here,' Mortie said.

'Indeed,' Professor Fasil said.

They went to the stairs up to the courtyard. Professor Fasil observed:

'You seem to know each other well.'

'Blay and Mortie were guests at the Burrow, our house, with Harry and Hermione,' Bill said. 'And Professor Lupin's an old friend of our family, Professor Fasil.'

'I see,' Professor Fasil said. They reached the stairs and went up them. Just then a tall, dusky man in black robes and a qeffiyeh came out into the courtyard and saw them. He came up to them, saw that Blaise had no wand, whipped his own wand out and pointed it at Blaise. But Blaise whispered quickly in Parseltongue:

'Get at him, Asha! Bite him!'

A little flash of bronze flew through the air and bit in the Dark wizard's hand. He screamed. Mortie, seizing the chance, pointed his own, gold-colored, wand to al-Hardun and cast: 'Expelliarmus!' Al-Hardun's wand flew out of his hand, and he cried:

'A Slytherin and a Parselmouth helping this scum! You are a disgrace to the Slytherin House!'

Blaise hissed, managing to make English sound like Parseltongue:

'It's the wizards like you that give the Slytherin House and Parselmouths a bad name! You cast shadow on the decent ones there are!'

Al-Hardun did not have time to answer. Professor Lupin, Professor Fasil, Bill and Mortie pointed their wands at him, and all at once said, Professor Lupin, Bill and Mortie - 'Stupefy!' and Professor Fasil - 'Ikhbal!' Hit by four spells at once, al-Hardun sank to the grass. Asha crept fastidiously off his hand.

'Thank you, little one,' Blaise said.

'He is a nasty man,' Asha said.

'Yes,' Blaise said. 'Now you may go.'

'I don't want to,' Asha said. 'I want to go with you, to be your familiar.'

'Well, little one, I have two familiars already, a cat and a winged snake. But I'll tell them not to harm you. Also I live in a cold land and am absent during the mornings and the afternoons. And there are a lot of cats and owls where I live. If you aren't afraid of all this, you are welcome.'

'I am not afraid,' Asha said.

'Well, then,' Blaise said, picked Asha up from the grass and put her back in the breast of his robes.

'What, she won't go, Blay?' Mortie grinned, guessing what the talk was about.

'She won't,' Blaise smiled.

'At this rate, Blaise Zabini, you will soon have your own zoo!' Mortie said.

'Very possible,' Blaise smiled.

'Now, let's turn this...person to the authorities and go to Bayt al-Hikmah to have a cup of coffee,' Professor Fasil said. 'I invite you, Professor Lupin, Mr. Zabini, my lord, my lady Zinat and you, Mr. Weasley, too if you agree.'

'I do,' the five said at once.

'Only I'll retrieve my wand first,' Bill said, handing Blaise's wand back to its owner. 'Here's a good one.'

'Thank you, Bill,' Blaise smiled.

'Thank you, Blaise,' Bill said.

Blaise blushed. Bill turned and went to the house, to seek his wand. And meanwhile Professor Lupin pointed his wand at stunned al-Hardun and said: 'Mobilicorpus!' Al-Hardun floated up. Bill soon returned, carrying his own wand, and they went out. The gates were easy to unlock from inside.