Chapter 5

Lucius was delighted to have a knowledgeable editor in Theodore Nott.

"It never occurred to me to approach your parents, Theodore" he said "I dared not talk to any other deatheaters about my realisation of what an idiot I had been; I didn't even tell Narcissa until Draco was threatened."

Theodore shrugged.

"I have no doubt they would have denounced you anyhow" he said "They were besotted; and it would have given them more standing with their precious dark lord – especially as you were more or less in disgrace for failing at the Department of Mysteries, as I understand happened."

"Yes; I set up the other deatheaters to be arrested" said Lucius "In the hopes that Tom Riddle would himself be seen by impeccable sources that could not be ridiculed. And his supposedly loyal daughter rescued me so I'd not be arrested so he had to rely on me more. Once I found out how he controlled, by planting compulsions in the mind, and had mine removed…."

"Compulsions in the mind?" Theodore's face flared with something like relief "Then it wasn't wholly my parents being stupid?"

"No; it was part brainwashing and part compulsion, each playing off against the other" said Lucius. "He brain-raped a couple of generations; but I'm afraid finding and destroying his horcruces and killing him sort of took precedence over freeing others."

"I understand that sir" said Theodore. "And you had your own son to look out for; family is important. But I don't have to feel so much that my parents let me down if they were under compulsion. I can forgive them – and grieve properly."

Lucius put a hand on his shoulder.

"Take all the time you need; and be welcome to be my guest too if you like" he said "And start the job when you're ready."

"I'll take over the weekend if I may sir" said Theodore "Then I'll look forward to it."

Severus also spent long talking to Theodore Nott; and helping him to search himself and find more about himself with directed legilimensy. He thought that the inability to relate to people was more a question of a habit of withdrawing than actual Aspergers; and said so. Theodore was disappointed that there was no quick fix; but was grateful for the talks and help that Severus said, regretfully, he should have had with his housemaster long ago. And he settled in to work happily, feeling that at last he was wanted not tolerated in a job that was challenging and stimulating – and important.

oOoOo

Lucius enjoyed having a house full of guests for the summer, be they the young friends of his own children camping in the further reaches of his grounds – and nowhere near his beautifully manicured topiary-surrounded rose gardens, fountains and parterres. Camping parties were discreetly overlooked by elves to make sure nothing too exciting and of the wrong kind happened to the children – half drowning in streams, cuts, abrasions and falling out of trees hardly being worth a mention let alone bothering about – and left to get on with it. House guests received more care and attention. There were the regular guests of course; Randolph Wright for one, and Storm and Zephyra; and what Lucius referred to as an ever-flowing tide of Snapes, Changs and other Marauders. And the odd tiger of course. As well as the regular guests were those like Theodore Nott who needed a place to cure bruising to the soul; and the three German girls, Magda, Biirta and Gauda. Biirta half scared her friends by her quick and willing repartee with the Malfoys; sparring in word games brought her alive and – Lucius thought – made her lovelier than the beautiful Magda for the light in her eyes.

"How you DARE!" said Magda after Biirta had managed a complex piece of bilingual pun play over breakfast.

"Mr Malfoy enjoys it too" said Biirta "Didn't he say 'good girl!' when I managed that last quip?"

"I worry that you will put his back up and not perhaps be invited again – if any of us are going to be" said Magda. "You came perilously close to flirting with him."

Biirta flushed.

"I did not mean to do that" she said.

She was a little quiet; and it was Finn who asked her bluntly what the matter was.

Biirta shrugged.

"Magda said she thought I seemed to be flirting with Mr Malfoy, Madam Malfoy" she said.

"Oh for goodness sake! Call me Finn; I'm hardly any older than you" said Finn. "About two or three years is all. And believe me you weren't flirting; or only in the most acceptable of ways. Heh, we've seen most Unacceptable flirting from the predatory kind; and we girls hint them off and if they don't take a hint, find other ways. Like poisoning them with alihotsy – courtesy of Gorbrin – or making little fish appear still alive and flapping in their cleavage; which was one of mine to one Morgana Fairchild."

"Poor fish!" laughed Biirta.

"True; but it was in a good cause" said Finn. "We girls all get on; it's in the rules. We all have to agree to Lucius having another wife; I didn't even realise that Lucius knew I was a girl and that the girls had discussed him marrying me too almost a year before he actually invited me to be one of the Madams Malfoy. I was dressed as a boy; it's a long story. I'll tell you some time; maybe next summer hols if there are less things going on. We all have our own stories about getting with Lucius; and each time the girls he already had agreed." She grinned. "Apparently they informed him he was marrying me; because he was busy trying not to be too fond of me. Lucius loves women; he loves all of us. If there's ever another he'll love her equally; and we all love each other."

"You are rather wonderful and loveable ladies; I can see why you're so close" said Biirta. Finn smiled to herself. Biirta was as yet unaware, she thought, just what her feelings might be; but Finn had a shrewd idea that she was more aware of Lucius than she realised. And Lucius certainly liked her. Well, what happened, happened; Biirta had two more years of schooling yet, unfair to interrupt that. Then? Then what would be, would be. And so long as she knew the ground rules well in advance, she would know how to fit in.

Narcissa had apparently noticed too.

"Well, Lucius, I presume our fifth member is to be treated with circumspection until she leaves school?" she said.

Lucius blinked.

"She's rather young; I was expecting her to forget all about any mild feelings she might be getting" he said, not bothering to deny that he had noticed Biirta. "I thought avuncular interest would be far more proper."

"Oh yes; and either she'll grow out of a crush or she won't" said Narcissa. "A couple of years is long enough to test that thoroughly. She fits in rather nicely; wicked tongue on her."

"I rather like the way you use yours too my darling" grinned Lucius. Narcissa gave a wicked gurgle of laughter and that conversation ground to a halt.

Biirta took Finn's tacit advice and did not stop enjoying verbal fencing; and it was not only Lucius who joined in anyway, but the whole family, and Randolph Wright too, who had fitted into the cheerful insouciance of the Malfoy household, only blushing to be introduced as 'the eminent artist, Randolph Wright'. Randolph did not mind that Erica and Ming were honeymooning somewhere quiet and anonymous; he was friends with all the family, not just the ones who were artists. He did however spend a lot of time with little Veronika, which meant he came into contact with Gauda who had known her in the orphanage; since any goblin was counted all goblin and Veronika was a half breed. And having been raised by a human mother must have found it terrifying to be thrust in with goblins. Gauda had been one of those girls seconded into childcare; and she was delighted to see Veronika so happy and settled and busy forgetting that there had been a time when she had not been a Malfoy. And Randolph chatted too to Gauda, Magda and Biirta about what it was like at Prince Peak; and they told him about Schloss Adler and the hard grind to learn enough just to pass the ZAP, the Zauberkunst Allgemein Prüfung, the equivalent to the English DOE; and how, having some ZP's, the equivalent to OWLs, they were to go on to ZH, beyond their wildest dreams a year ago.

"And I ride too and meet people I should never have dreamed of meeting; and through that here we are staying with the second most famous wizard in the world!" declared Magda.

"Isn't that notorious?" laughed Randolph. "Don't scowl at me girls; I love Lucius like a spare uncle and he's offered me a home with him whenever I want one. I only tease BECAUSE I love him so well."

"You are a very self confident young man, Herr Wright, to be able to speak of love without self consciousness" said Gauda.

Randolph shrugged.

"I guess it's because our headmaster is free with the word; because he believes in the power of love, any kind of love, as the oldest and most powerful form of magic" he said "Which it is; and I'm jolly glad you girls don't do prurient giggling and automatically assume all mention of love means the romantic kind. And I say, please don't call me Herr Wright; it makes me feel fat, bald and fifty and I'm only seventeen. Another year of school for me! Then I shall be a full time artist and photographer for a few years, and act as a part time artistic adviser and director for Wizarding Wireless Vision for Lucius and then I might teach for a while and if I do I shall have to be used to being a Herr Professor; but not until then!"

They laughed at his face of comic dismay!

The holidays drew to a close all too soon and various guests dissipated to their proper places.

oOoOo

The Malfoy Children, in care of Lucius – because he enjoyed it – went up to London to Diagon Alley on the Muggle train because it was more exciting. They were to stay overnight in Orme Court with Avice and Alienora and all go on the Hogwarts Express together. Penelope was reading the first issue of 'Sparkle'.

"HOW can you read that pap?" asked Drogo.

"Because I want to see how well Kordach handled the wedding in case dad has to lean on him; and because it sort of behoves us to keep abreast with what crap other people are writing in other mags" said Penelope calmly. "It IS a rag; but it's mostly harmless. It isn't illegal, immoral or fattening – unless you eat too many of the sausage rolls made to the traditional recipe handed down by the elves of the Malfoy family that Kordach wheedled out of Lala. And it has redeeming social value."

"Eh? Run that by me again" said Varjak.

"It's a useful organ of propaganda if dad needs it to be with Kordach's co-operation" said Penelope.

"Hmm, well it looks as though I have one offspring who'll be ready to take on control of one or more of my papers one day" said Lucius "Quite right, Penny. How DID he handle the wedding?"

"Very well actually" said Penny "Not too much blurb except a mention of the second most famous goblin in the world – Kinat is I guess the most famous – who, with his young bride and one of the other grooms will go on to Auror Training for which his eight 'O' grade NEWTs more than qualify him, scorning to live a life of ease and luxury as any Malfoy might do but following in the tradition set by his older brother of public service. He manages to make it sound uplifting without creeping; he's rather good actually, or his caption writers are. Nice photos. A lovely group pic of all us younger ones as bridesmaids; the little ones all look really cute. He had some fellow who knows muggle sleight of hand doing tricks for the little ones to keep their attention; it's why they look so solemn and delighted both at once. He knows his stuff."

"Apparently" said Lucius.

"I suppose it's a change from Penny reading nothing but 'Equusvolens' and 'Flying Horse and Rider'" said Drogo. "I am glad; I was afraid she was going to do Arithmancy by stamping her hooves the right number of times for the answer."

It was as well there were as yet no muggles in the carriage with the young people as Drogo had to return himself to his normal colour and remove the boils.

oOoOo

"I hope you're not going to embarrass us by carrying that magazine around when we're shopping" said Varjak disapprovingly.

"Oh I shall bin it" said Penelope, suiting deeds to words as they got off the train and passed through the station "I only bought it to see what was said about the wedding; not that Kordach was likely to be crass but, well, you know."

The young Malfoys swung along cheerfully, unaware that a young muggle girl looked enviously at them – and went to help herself to a magazine whose pictures she would have sworn were actually moving.

The family did rather turn heads; not for any conspicuous wizarding garb, but for the self confidence of all the children as well as the elegant looking man escorting them. Lucius always wore Armani suits in London when he was not going directly to Diagon Alley or the ministry; he just wore them with a cloak. In a pewter coloured brocade suit with black silk lapels he would turn heads at the best of times; the black velvet cloak that would have looked out of place on most people suited him so well it was hardly remarked upon.

The children wore at least some designer gear more or less as a matter of course; it often paid to buy quality, and most Snapes and Malfoys shopped at an eclectic mix of the Spiral, Armani, and Primark for play wear; the latter because kids grew out of clothes before they could wear it out and might as well have clothes they could get dirty in. The boys wore Armani jeans, Drogo in a Primark T-shirt with a dinosaur on it, and Varjak in a Spiral t-shirt declaring him to be a little devil. Penelope was in jodhpurs, boots and a Primark leopard print t-shirt. Somehow it worked.

And a small muggle girl was discovering that the pictures really DID move.

It was not too late to follow the children and their imposing looking father – if he was the father of all of them. One of the boys was smaller and slighter and somehow rather odd looking; he looked more like something you might find Brian Froud drawing with sharp features, a long nose and long hands and feet. Though he held himself like he was a king, like the others. Lucy Summerfield stuffed the magazine into her jeans' waistband – it would never go in her pocket – under her t-shirt where it would not be seen OR get lost. She was glad she had bought a week's season ticket to go about London; that way she would not have to worry about buying a ticket to keep up with them if they changed stations.

They were taking the circle line; and she heard the blonde boy say that they needed King's Cross to change for the Piccadilly line. Good, if she temporarily lost them that would help. The stations where multiple tube lines met could be labyrinthine and tortuous. They were nice words, labyrinthine AND tortuous. The three children were bickering as they waited for the tube but it seemed a friendly sort of argument; and now the man cuffed them with two fingers across the backs of their heads; not hard just to register his disapproval. How nice it must be to have a dad who did no more than that! Dad got so cross so easily! Why they laughed up at him, and the girl squeezed his arm! She looked jolly, if rather horsy; Lucy did not like animals much. She would not want anyone to hurt animals but her mum worked part time as a kennel maid and the smell on her could be offensive. Quickly she got on the train with her quarry; taking the carriage next to theirs. Really she could not say exactly WHY she was following them; save that people who had, and casually threw away, magazines which had pictures moving in them had to be interesting people. And they attracted her somehow. And going off following people just because was an adventure; and Lucy longed for adventures, and pretty soon her life would be full of the wrong sort of excitement when she started Dour Hill Comprehensive and would probably be bullied because she actually liked lessons. She had been bullied at primary school after all, though the last two years she had been big enough to avoid too much hassle, and had found that she could manage to give people an electric shock too just by willing it. Which was handy, and presumably something to do with living right on top of a substation.

She glanced round the carriage. There was a young couple necking in one corner and a businessman deep in the 'Guardian' and a young family barely under control of their parents; it was not a busy time of day, no commuters on a Saturday and most shoppers and sight seers not yet hit London. She sneaked her magazine out to have another look. It fell open fairly naturally at the central spread; which looked to be wedding photos, in odd sorts of clothes but somehow pleasing, all the brides in the same style. And a photo of bridesmaids, one of whom was the girl in Jodhpurs, looking very pretty in a dress or whatever you might call it. The caption was 'The Weddings of the Year; Mr Lucius Malfoy hosts this year's society weddings alongside his son Gorbrin's marriage to Meliandra Bulstrode and his daughter Erica's marriage to Mr Ming Chang. Also married, Mr Kordach's daughter Anastasia to Mr Jordan Christie (a scion of a cadet branch of the Black family) and Jazka gan Tokar to Mr Jardak gan Torlo, oldest son of Mr Torlo. The collective families managed a wide range of bridesmaids most of whom will doubtless be married in their turn out of Malfoy Manor. And Good Luck to Mr Gorbrin Malfoy-Tobak, Madam Gorbrin Malfoy-Tobak and Mr Christie in their training as Aurors."

It was a society magazine; the girl in jodhpurs had doubtless just picked it up to see their family pictures, which was why she had chucked it; she had the proper pictures at home. Mr Gorbrin Malfoy-Tobak looked like the smaller boy with the blonde man and children; long nose, arrogant look and those, well, goblinoid features. And he had a double-barrelled name; and the ones with odd looks had too odd names. So they were goblins? Perhaps Gorbrin was a stepson or adopted and so was this other kid. After all Gorbrin married a human woman, admittedly not as beautiful as the other two human women but striking. And a kid with lank black hair and coal-black eyes and rather a long nose herself could not really talk about beautiful. There was a picture of Mr Malfoy too; and he was the dad just travelling on the train with three kids as though he didn't have a beautiful house – there were pictures – with pearlescent peacocks wandering about the picture. He was in some sort of a robe too in the photo; but he looked rather splendid in it.

And then she was stuffing the magazine away because they were at King's Cross and had to change; and the goblin boy – if that was what he was – was saying,

"Just think, dad, we'll be coming back to this station – well the overground bit – to be off to school the day after tomorrow! I can hardly wait!"

So he was the boy's father – or at least the kid thought of him as such. Off to school? Lucy frowned. Would that be boarding school? They were certainly posh enough. She thrust back a lock of her curtain of hair and followed doggedly. They had not mentioned where they were supposed to get off. This time she got in the same carriage as them. The three children looked at her curiously. Lucy wondered if she dared say hello; but Mr Malfoy smiled austerely at her and spoke first.

"Hello youngster, you have a look of the Prince family; are you off to Diagon Alley too?" asked Mr Malfoy.

"Yes Mr Malfoy" said Lucy firmly.

"I'm surprised Severus never mentioned you; and that you don't have a Snape of some description as an escort" said Lucius. "My good kid, you haven't a clue who I'm talking about; though you know MY name. Which is an advantage you have over me."

"I'm Lucy Summerfield" said Lucy. She burned red "And I read your name in a magazine and I followed you" she added in a rush "Because I wanted an adventure"

"I say that IS enterprising" said Drogo "I'm Drogo, my brother Varjak and my sister Penny."

Lucius and offspring shook hands with Lucy.

"Please, are you a goblin and does that mean you're adopted?" she said to Varjak.

"I am and I'm dad's stepson" said Varjak. "Dad is greedy; he has four wives, which means we have four mums which is nice when you need cosseting and not so good when you're in hot water over something."

"Penny" said Lucius "You left your rag – er, mag – showing, didn't you?"

"Well it never occurred to me anyone would look close enough to filch it out of the bin; most muggles kind of pass over seeing the moving pictures" said Penny.

"I though they were wonderful!" said Lucy "And you look so pretty in that dress!"

"Oh fancy gowns are all right once in a while I suppose" said Penny. "ARE you a Prince?"

"No, I'm just a working class girl" said Lucy.

"It's a family name in….hold on" said Lucius "We'll go for a cup of tea when we get off; next stop."

oOoOo

Shortly thereafter in a Subway café they were sitting down with a pot of tea and milkshakes for the children and Lucius twisted the knob of his cane and withdrew….well Lucy had to say, it looked like a wand. He made a few complex passes and replaced it.

"We shan't be interrupted now; or even noticed" he said. "Prince is a family name in the wizarding world; Snape is a branch of it and Severus Snape is my oldest friend and one of the best. He's been tracking down the offspring of his obnoxious uncle Crassus; who scattered his seed far and wide. You resemble Severus very closely; I had to look twice to check you weren't Willow Prince Black."

"Black is another important family, isn't it?" asked Lucy "Or it wouldn't have been worth mentioning that Mr Jordan Christie was a whatever the word was that means part of it."

"I believe the word 'scion' was used; it's a little archaic, but we of the wizarding world are" said Lucius "It means a branch or offshoot; properly it is botanical in use but is also used in genealogy. You like words, don't you? I can see you drinking that up the way Sev used to when he was a junior."

Lucy nodded vigorously.

"I love words and lessons and I really don't want to go to Dour Hill because I so will get beaten up for being a swot" she said.

"But my dear child, if you can see goblins as goblins, you're not going to this er, Dour Hill" said Lucius "If you're not actually a witch, you're plainly interested in knowing more about our world and should go to Rowan House where the muggle relatives of muggleborn witches and wizards go. Because the, er, genes don't always express in every child in a family" he added. "And if you ARE a witch, then of course you'll go to Hogwarts with my children."

"I DID mention that I'm working class, Mr Malfoy" said Lucy with what she hoped was dignity, trying not to cry that something so wonderful was waved at her and must be snatched away "We aren't the sort that go to posh boarding schools; my dad is a brickie and my mum is a kennel maid."

"My dear child, nothing wrong with trying for a scholarship" said Lucius. "Besides, if you ARE of Prince blood there's family money to send you. Though I imagine you might end up in Rowan – where you could, if you live in London, go as a day pupil if you preferred, or a weekly boarder – because you haven't appeared on the registry of magically active."

"IS it magic that lets me electric shock bullies and not the electricity from living next to a substation then?" asked Lucy.

Lucius stared.

"Yes" he said "And the substation that blocked the magic so your parents have never been approached…..DAMN the ministry! The office of Electrical Interference has NEVER been so efficient since Severus stole Hermione to teach Arithmancy; I shall be delivering a metaphorical – and possibly actual – boot up someone's rear end! The whole POINT of an office of Electrical Interference is to check that children like you do NOT get missed and DO get the chance to try for scholarships! Excuse me; I do not draw wand on you to threaten but to check" and he got his wand out of the ebony cane again and muttered "specialis revellio" to himself. Coloured lines sprang from Lucy to the wand. "Ah, as I thought" said Lucius "A definite Prince; I'd say a half sibling to all of Crassus' other offspring; and didn't show up to Severus' findings because of the wretched sub-station. Unless your father looks like this, I suspect your mum might have had an affair" he added, drawing the flat of his hand down before her and leaving the image of a sallow, dark-haired man with a hooked nose hanging in the air.

"My dad doesn't look in the least like that" she said. "I – oh. Is that why he sometimes calls me a cuckoo when he beats me? Because cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds' nests, don't they? Not that I know what a cuckoo looks like but I've read it in books" she added.

"Ah" said Lucius "I very much fear that this may be so. I despise men who beat children; or women. Does he beat your mother too?"

"Yes, but she screeches back at him and threatens to throw his food out of the window or empty a kettle over him" said Lucy "It's why I like to spend the weekends out of the house, the ones mum isn't working at that horrid kennels."

"Why is it horrid?" asked Drogo.

"Because dogs stink" said Lucy.

"Not well cared for ones" said Drogo "Unless you think WE stink?"

"No!" said Lucy "Why, do you have a dog?"

"We have about a dozen" said Drogo. "Big huffy soft creatures; not horrid yappy little things. Dad would never have crups; they're horrid. But he does breed pure white nogtail-hunting hounds because the ministry likes there to be a wide genepool as they're so useful – nogtails are serious magical pests and only white hounds scare them so the ministry of magic likes to be able to lay its hands on white hounds when a nuisance is reported" he added.

"I also keep flying horses; but I don't get the impression that you're very horsy" said Lucius dryly.

"I'm not a huge animal lover" said Lucy "Sorry."

"Oh don't worry about it; you can pick to do Herbology as a compulsory core subject instead from this year" said Lucius "You'll do half a term taster with animals but you can drop that. Or not if you get a taste for it after all."

"I'll be dropping it" said Varjak "I like plants better"

"Well they don't have teeth" said Lucy. Varjak stared.

"Whatever gave you THAT idea?" he said "Fanged geraniums do, for starters! And Snargaluff are plain EVIL but they don't get to be on the curriculum until NEWTs – Nastily Exhausting WIzarding Tests you now."

"You would call them 'A' levels" said Lucius tranquilly. "Well according to your Malfoy lines – that's your heritance shown by the Revellaspell as described and quantified by my brother Vladimir – you have more than enough magic to qualify for Hogwarts as well as being eligible to a slice of the Prince money. Severus is almost as rich as me so he'll sort that out, and I'll extend a loan in the meantime to get you kitted out. If you want to be a witch?"

"WANT? Of COURSE I want to!" Lucy cried, her black eyes glittering. "Only will my parents let me?"

"Your mother's husband really has no say in it" said Lucius. "And I have no doubt I can arrange matters. How long will it be before they miss you?"

"Bed time I should think" shrugged Lucy "They were enjoying themselves throwing things at each other when I left; and actually I left a note because I was running away."

"Ah; easy to arrange" said Lucius. "You found your REAL father's people; they want you to go to the family school and are taking care of everything, which is true enough; Severus IS like a brother to me though I'd cheerfully wring your biological father's neck if I ever met him; he went rather into seclusion however since Severus jinxed him to stop him procreating willy-nilly. With luck he's died. Still, if you were running away I suspect that you won't mind not going back? Your parents don't sound like they actually want you or they'd have behaved a bit better."

"I don't think they do; my big sister – she's ten years older than me – gets their attention and they're all right to her; I suppose dad resents me being a cuckoo and mum resents me making things worse between them" said Lucy. "Sylvia's decent to me but she's so old. And I guess when she was still living at home it wasn't so bad; but she went to college full time three years ago and they've done nothing but quarrel since. Before that they just kind of ignored each other and dad mostly ignored me unless he was drunk, when he clouted me, but you learn to stay out of the way, don't you?"

"Fortunately for them, none of my children know about that" said Lucius "But Severus would sympathise; his father was violent and a bully. Well, we'll register you under the name of Lucy Prince; you might as well have the prestige of the old and respected name. There's almost as many Snapes and Princes as there are Malfoys, mind; your cousin Richard will also be in your year. You'll meet him tomorrow, don't worry; we're staying overnight with my brother Casimir, who lives in the Great Wen, next to the Snapes' English house. Severus is headmaster of a school in Austria; and if you're musical or artistic you might prefer to go there, it's a school for high flyers and talented. All the Snape brats qualify for that in spades, but Severus likes his children to be in a different school to the one he teaches. And they thrive regardless, even in a huge place like Hogwarts."

"I – I think I want to be with Drogo and Varjak and Penny" said Lucy "Though a big school IS scary."

"Yes; numbers are picking up now people started breeding again after old Voldy got Mouldy" said Drogo "We had a wizarding war" he added "I'll fill you in later. But there's supposed to be more than fifty in this year, which is why we're to be spilt in most of the classes and do half a term each of tasters and take sort of electives earlier than usual. Of course, that'll still be eleven subjects until we decide on real electives and not everyone's clever enough to take eleven OWLs – Ordinary Wizarding Levels that is – and most people take nine. Richard will take eleven if he doesn't take twelve; Snapes are like that."

"Forgetting that our Gorbrin left with eight NEWTs all at top grade, twice as many as most people manage" said Penny.

"Well Gorbrin's exceptional" said Drogo with a wave of the hand "Even Draco only took five in the end, enough to be an Auror and no more. Six and more – apart from our revered headmaster who WAS uncle Severus' ward anyway and so contaminated with excess academe – is the province of people who have the surname Snape or Chang or who go to Uncle Severus' school in the Alps for overly clever people, geniuses and oddalls."

"Brat" said Lucius "Have you forgotten that your sister and brother-in-law are teaching there from Monday?"

Drogo grinned.

"But Erica and Ming are too geniuses in their own way" he said. "Are we going shopping for kit now? We'll miss all the crowd if we hang around much longer and we know that Lucy's a witch and we're sort of kidnapping her a little it and it's in your capable hands so we can tell her histories and stuff later and Florian Fortescue's ice cream is waiting for us when we finish and soonest started soonest finished."

He came up for air.

Lucius rose.

"Well if we're all ready….don't worry Lucy; leave it in my hands" he said.

"All right Mr Malfoy" said Lucy.

"My dear child, if you're going to be a ward of the Snapes as a Prince, you had better call me Uncle Lucius" he said. "Especially if you are going to be friends with my reprobate brats, and spend half your holidays at Malfoy Manor jinxing my house guests and annoying the peacocks like half the other children who more or less live with us!" the smile meant he was not complaining; not really, and Lucy smiled shyly back.

"Thank you uncle Lucius" she said. If Hogwarts was considered a large school with a yearly intake of only fifty or so, then the wizarding world was very different; and it would not be in the least like a comprehensive school!