Draco jumped as the carriage turned off the main road and passed through the gates of Solvein. The sound of crunching white gravel sent shivers down his spine, and the shadows cast by the towering trees they passed brought back memories of hiding in Dagos. The dragon had no idea why he was so nervous. Travelling here for his exams had seemed simpler and far less stressful, yet on the first day of term he was acting as if he were sitting on pins and needles. It had been like that since the morning. It didn’t help at all that everyone, one after the other, was trying to reassure him that everything would be all right.
He also had no idea when he’d put on his school uniform instead of his own outfit, which had recently become his everyday attire. The fact that, apart from the colour, the cut was very similar might have had something to do with it. A white military coat with blue lapels and a coat of arms on the shoulder had suddenly appeared in his wardrobe, without any warning. Just like most of the other things there, for that matter. Oscar did, in fact, approach all his duties with great meticulousness.
His nervousness might also have stemmed from an unwanted comparison between the Dragon Academy and Solvein. Although Draco was perfectly aware that these two schools were entirely separate matters, his subconscious paid little heed to this. Suffice it to say that last night he’d been kept awake by a nightmare in which he had to flee from Pirce through the winding and treacherous corridors of the Academy of Magic. He’d woken up drenched in cold sweat and couldn’t get back to sleep.
Not even the reassuring presence of his master brought him any relief. Darius had offered to drive his pupil on this first day. It seemed the wizard was more concerned about the boy’s state of mind than the boy himself.
The carriage came to a halt, and one of the soldiers jumped down from the box to open the door.
