"Lucius is charming enough, but utterly vain," Narcissa confided to Pippa Prince, lounging carelessly in the best armchair by the fire. "Do you know he turned something to stone this last summer, because it was acting like it thought itself better than him?"

"Cissy, you don't mean it! Who?" Pippa sounded gratifyingly scandalised and Cissy giggled. "That's the even sillier thing. It wasn't a person at all."

"You're joking!"

"Pippa. I'm Narcissa Black. I never joke."

"But then what was it? It couldn't have been one of those dogs he adores, surely?"

"No," Cissy shook her head, leaning forward confidentially. "It was a peacock."