The dragon stepped inside. The classroom was nothing out of the ordinary. He’d seen many like it. Bookshelves laden with books showing far too many signs of wear, yellowed maps adorning the walls, old engravings and a scratched blackboard. The cadets’ seats were divided into individual desks, designed to make writing easier. Everything was organised in a rather thoughtful manner.
However, what intrigued and frightened the dragon most were the other pupils. He could feel their eyes on him, and when he stood in the middle and looked at them, he had no idea what to do next. He found it hard to tell whether he could make out anything from the faces turned towards him. The only thing that caught his eye, or perhaps stuck in his memory, were a few distinctive faces.
The first person to catch the reptile’s attention was a very tall troll sitting at the very back of the hall. The lad had a pale-purple complexion, orange, slightly hazy pupils and greenish hair. An expression of boredom was etched on his elongated, triangular face, although his gaze remained fixed on the dragon. He was clearly too tall for the bench he was sitting on, which meant he was slouching slightly. His white uniform with grey lapels was unable to conceal his long, sinewy limbs and slender torso. If anything, it only emphasised this impression.
The second was a parthir sitting by the window, with shining, piercing, bright green eyes. The bony protrusions covering his head reminded Draco of large dragon scales. He seemed to be assessing the reptile’s every gesture, yet at the same time he kept glancing longingly out of the window. He was one of three people wearing colours on his uniform; his epaulettes were light brown. Although suspicion lurked in his gaze, he did not generally come across as unpleasant to be around, but rather as someone one could easily take a liking to.
Seated right behind him was a nervous goblin who was constantly jotting something down in a thick notebook. His rust-coloured eyes scarcely ever stayed still, which, in a
