Neville stares at Asato a long moment with something akin to wonder. "I'm not certain what you mean by "true cat". In my world, there's nothing like you, and regular animals don't speak. Some wizards have the ability to transfigure into animals, they're call animagi, but it's only a spell and they don't speak. Mug--," he cuts himself off. Because of Merlin, he tries not to use that term any longer - it doesn't seem to have a place here at the Mansion in any case.

He starts over. "Non-wizards have cats as pets - they don't speak though. They're cute little balls of fur, but I'm not sure they really think beyond their next meal or nap. Wizards have Kneazles, which look like large cats. They have the ability to sense suspicious people, and they make very good familiars for wizards."

Taking a deep breath, he smiles at Asato. "I've never encountered anyone like you. And of course I know you're not merely an animal. You have a heart and a conscious and you're one of the nicest -- persons I've met here. I'm just trying to understand what your world is like." It's practically a speech for Neville. "But I don't even understand what this place is, so I probably ask a lot of daft questions."