Clue stared back at those who stared first, his big grey eyes as cold as snow; but then Valenduris scattered his flock and off they went. It was quite rare for him to be giggled at, he found, because people tended to be more disturbed by him than anything else. But he knew from observation that it was quite normal to be giggled at by girls. How odd it was... to feel... briefly... quite normal.

The entrance rooms of the house were quite as magnificent as the exterior; nowhere near as ancient and quirky as Hogwarts, but certainly as palatial. Indeed, Clue had only been in the house for three minutes and he already found it more intimidating than any area of Hogwarts castle.

At the plan to talk "housekeeping" in Valenduris's office, Clue simply nodded obediently. But he was a little concerned. He didn't even know whether to call a lady of the house "madam" or "m'lady"... could he really be expected to know how to behave in a household like this one?