𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: "Chapter Two"

Draco held fast to Lucius' hand as they wound through the street, avoiding a tall man carrying a very large cauldron, an old lady with several branches of some particularly pungent vegetation, and a group of children riding toy broomsticks (Draco watched them with some amusement as they hovered a foot or so off the ground, remembering with fondness the last time he'd been on a broomstick). They paused in front of a large building with a rich red brick façade and a rather imposing, heavy, and very plain door. The sign next to the door said "Mister Fudge, Select Seminary for Young Wizards".

Lucius reached over and rang the bell with his free hand, his other still being held captive by Draco, and it was still hand in hand that the two were ushered into the building by a tall gentleman in severe black robes, who bowed as he held the door open for them. Draco stared. He was used to being waited on, as he had been waited on all his life; he did not know the definition of the word 'rich', but he had heard it spoken before, in regard to his father, and assumed that being rich meant always having beautiful things and living in a fine house and having people to take care of everything for you. But he had never seen people behave quite so stiffly and so properly. His Ayah had been a motherly, very caring woman with a sweet smile and a soft and squishy hug, and his father's assistant had been a friendly gentleman who was never too busy to sit with Draco and tell stories from his younger days. But this man, who carried himself as if he had a poker rammed down his spine, seemed very cold and very detached, and looked at Draco with quite an expression of distaste, which struck Draco as very strange considering this was a school for boys.

Lucius and Draco looked around the drawing-room, which is where the gentleman had led them. Two hard, square chairs sat on one end of the room, flanking a hard, brown marble table. The floor was carpeted with a boringly patterned brown and black rug. A very large fireplace covered half of one wall, and a large portrait of a very imposing old gentleman hung above the brown mantle. As they moved closer, he fixed them with an intense blue stare.

"Malfoys, are you?" he asked, his voice resonant. Draco jumped. Lucius nodded. "Yes, sir," he replied, inclining his head slightly. "Lucius. And this is my son Draco."

Draco stepped forward timidly and swept a polite but elegant bow. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir," he said as steadily as he could manage.

The man stared at Draco for another moment, and then laughed. "Well, young Master Malfoy, you certainly do your family credit. You are quite as well-mannered as your ancestors."

"Thank you, Sir," Draco returned, feeling more and more perplexed.

The man in the portrait inclined his head slightly. "Godric Gryffindor," he introduced himself. "One of the founders of Hogwarts. I was fortunately rescued from that hapless building before it collapsed to the ground; unfortunately, many of the other portraits did not make it. Those that did were redistributed throughout the country, I have been informed. Such a shame, for they had been my companions these many centuries."

"I'm sorry to hear that, sir," Draco replied. He was beginning to get used to the idea of talking portraits now. He'd heard of them, of course, as they were fairly common in Wizarding society, but he'd never actually seen one, and it was a bit of a shock.

Gryffindor peered at him, his mouth curved into a slight frown. "Well," he harrumphed after a pause, "you certainly do not have the gall of your ancestors. You seem quite a pleasant young man." He smiled. "You are most welcome here, young master Draco."

"Thank you, Sir," Draco said again, feeling a warm glow steal up the back of his neck and spill over into his cheeks. Lucius laid a hand on Draco's shoulder proudly.