The young wizards watched him from thrones of all shapes and sizes. Though they were all thrones, most resembled those used by European royalty.
Almost all were armchairs, differing only in their shapes and ornamentation. Penelope's, for instance, looked a little like the Swedish royal family's Silver Throne.
It gleamed brightly, with two witches holding wands perched atop its back.
Miles from Slytherin had a white, emerald-studded high-backed chair, with silver snakes coiled around its armrests.
Cedric's chair was much plainer. Apart from a badger embroidered on its rounded back, there was nothing particularly extravagant about it.
No matter how Zhang Xiao looked at Percy's chair, it reminded him of Fudge's seat in a publicity photograph the Daily Prophet had once printed, captioned "The Minister for Magic at work."
Two roaring lions with open jaws adorned the ends of its armrests, and the Gryffindor lion appeared on its scarlet back.
Zhang Xiao tapped the small table beside him with his wand. As it twisted rapidly, a huge golden chair appeared behind him.
The chair was nearly two meters wide, its base inlaid with gemstones of every color.
Its back and armrests were formed from intertwined golden dragons. Their heads were intricately carved, and their surfaces bore ornate textures and patterns, depicting the dragons of ancient Chinese mythology.
Zhang Xiao shook his head. His skill wasn't that impressive either. He was better than Hermione, but still far from proficient. The chair looked decent at a glance, but its details were lacking. It was still a long way from a real dragon throne.
He sat down on the enormous chair, and his expression immediately changed. I miscalculated. It looks impressive, sure, but without a cushion, it's digging into my backside!
Shifting in his seat, Zhang Xiao looked up and found everyone gazing