an infantry uniform, an ornate sword, medals and neatly arranged letters. Opposite the entrance stood a tidy desk on delicate legs and two hard chairs. Further back in the room stood racks displaying various types of weapons. Judging by their condition, they had all been regularly maintained, and some were used quite frequently.
The instructor sat upright behind the desk. His face was expressionless, a frozen, stony mask devoid of emotion. He glanced briefly at the dragon and cast a quick look at the sheet of paper lying on the desk.
‘Mr Ignis, I presume,’ said Hartmann in a more subdued tone. ‘You’re a bit early, but we can start sooner.’ He got up from his seat and reached under something placed on a small side table that Draco hadn’t noticed before. The instructor picked up a few sheets of paper and quickly flicked through them. He took four from the whole stack and left the rest. ‘First of all, I must congratulate you,’ the man said, returning to his seat. ‘Exams are never a simple matter, especially if you’ve never dealt with them before. You’re now beginning your studies at Solvein, and so I must mention a few important things.’ The instructor sat upright the whole time, looking directly at the dragon standing in the centre of the room. ‘You will no doubt familiarise yourself with all the rules in due time, but I must mention the three most important ones. First and foremost, fighting between cadets is not permitted outside of the relevant classes. The use of magic is subject to the same rule, regardless of the spell. Please bear this in mind.’ Hartmann glanced at the sheet of paper lying on the table. ‘Your application indicates that the sword you are carrying is a term’s symbol, so you may keep it with you and use it during exercises; however, bringing any other weapons with you is strictly forbidden.’ He kept his eyes fixed on the dragon, as it were, further emphasising the seriousness of the rules. ‘This is a formality, but I’m officially informing you that your
