Avis Blackthorn: Is Not an Evil Wizard! (19 page)

Sitting in the Healer’s room was good. I had
to pull myself away at times for the sensation was overwhelmingly
comfortable. Thoughts seemed to solidify and make sense, whereas
before they were a muddled mess. The mysterious green sun seemed to
suck the bad things out of you, replacing it with serenity and
goodness.

A week later I was sitting, quietly watching
Tina, when a thought flashed through my mind.
Use the revealing
Spell on the key
!

I ran back to the clock tower, knocking for
Robin on the way. He was in the Condors’ dorm doing his homework
with the others. Our lessons were being covered by a ghost, who
kept setting more and more homework. Some of the Condors looked
away when I poked my head in, but Robin saw my worried face and
raced out.

“What’s going on?” he said.

“Revealing Spell… on the… key!” I just about
managed to say. We climbed through the roof hatch into the clock
tower. I pulled the key out and put it on the dusty wood floor.

“Sit down,” I said, raising my hands just
above it and catching my breath. “What’s the Spell?” I said, my
mind had gone blank.

“Er… Kerka-something…” said Robin.

“I remember!” I raised my hands again.
“
Kerkalculevreo
!” The key lit up orange, and my head flew
back as a dream like vision danced across our eyes…

Ernie Partington looked very alive as he
crept along the corridors. Every so often he would dart inside an
alcove, or behind a suit of armour. Some way along the corridor was
Malakai, drifting silently along. Then, in a flash he vanished
inside a door and was gone. Ernie, with deep bags under his eyes,
straightened and went over to inspect the door. Gently, he rubbed
the lock, golden light fizzed around his hands, but he grew
frustrated - the door wouldn’t open. He stepped back and drew a wad
of parchment from his back pocket and made notes. He sighed and
turned back with a swish of his long, grey robes.

Then, with a whizz of white light, we zapped
forwards. Ernie was on the floating island with friends, they all
had silly haircuts, and some had beards. Ernie checked his watch,
made an excuse to leave and walked back along the drawbridge. He
was popular, people waved and cooed to him as he passed. As he
approached the main hall, he scanned behind him to make sure no one
was around, then screwing up his face he began rubbing his head
viciously with his hands. A new face, body and clothes began to
appear in place of him. Now a small man stood with a pudgy pock
marked face, black robes and a Magisteer’s crest. Quickly he began
to walk toward the Dungeons. The small man walked through the
hallways unnoticed, obviously not an important man. Yet, one boy,
who was leaning over the banister rail above, saw him and set
towards him calling out.

“Sir… Sir!” called the boy, running down the
stairway.

“Yes?” called Ernie in a squeaky voice that
he wasn’t used to, then coughed. “Yes, what is it?”

“It’s me Sir, Arnold? Just wondering Sir,
about the homework, what is it? I thought I could do it now.”

Ernie, as the little man kept walking and
Arnold kept pace. “You will know the same time as everyone
else.”

“Oh right…” Arnold frowned. “But you said
earlier I must find you and ask.”

“Yes,” said Ernie, stopping and scratching
his head, this was an unwanted distraction. “What were we studying
earlier?” he said, as if trying to remember.

“The transformation of Biglobears and
Faradays into Yerpold creatures.”

“Ah yes,” said Ernie. “Well, do me two
passages on other Yerpold creatures and why it’s important that we
know.”

Arnold frowned again. “Only two passages
sir?” this was obviously not what he was used to and he smelt
something fishy.

Sweat beads appeared on Ernie’s forehead, he
scanned the hallway where a dozen or so people were milling around.
Slyly, Ernie raised his hand at Arnold and muttered something under
his breath.

“I
see
Sir,” said Arnold, who promptly
ran off looking happy. Ernie smiled and carried on in the direction
of the dungeons. That was close.

“But, no one has requested that key in years,
I’m not sure I even have it. If I do, it will be rusted over…”

Ernie looked down at the man who was shorter
even than he, whom had bags and bags of keys on chains around his
waist. “I was assured you would have it by the Lily himself, but if
you want me to go and tell him why you can’t do your job then…”

“No! No… I can find it, all I mean is… are
you sure it’s
that
door he wants the key for?” the small,
dirty man looked sideways at Ernie with yellowing eyes. The dungeon
was dank, mouldy and echoed with the sound of scuttling creatures,
Ernie didn’t feel altogether comfortable. The man reached down and
slid a key off a chain, and handed it to Ernie, who nodded and
turned back.

The next flash and Ernie was alone at a desk.
Dim orange embers glowed throughout the room. There was snoring
behind him, as the other boys in the room slept. Ernie had his head
in his hands, pouring over notes. He collected the sheets together,
set a note down and wrote
Tina,
on the top, folded it,
tapped it three times and with a poof of smoke, it vanished. Then
he did the same with a thick bundle of notes.

Finally, he pulled out a key and a book. With
his head bowed over the page and right hand poised over they key,
he recited the instructions. Fiery green light outlined the
contours of another key next to the existing one. He placed the
original inside a small green box with red ribbon. He sealed the
box and began to read another passage. The box jolted and span on
his desk, then shrank and popped, disappearing altogether. Ernie
sat back in his chair and sighed, brushing his long hair back. He
took the copied key, which was loosely transparent.

“Haven’t got long…” he muttered, twisting it
round in his hands. Then, putting his grey robes on, looked around
the room as if for the last time. With a swish, he left. Ernie
walked purposefully, grey robe flapping behind, not making much
attempts at quieting his footsteps. He took the key out of his
pocket and unlocked the door with a loud clunk and stood back. The
door creaked. Ernie brushed his hair back, and steeled himself,
before stepping into darkness.

Ernie crept down through darkness. The next
second he stood, facing a large man dressed all in black, face long
and skeletal with blue glowing eyes that came to rest on Ernie, who
raised his hands quickly. Red, green and gold flashes scorched the
air. Malakai flapped and the light burst in a shard of sparks. The
two foes faced each other. With a long skeletal hand Malakai pinned
Ernie to the floor. A very large book with a brown cover, older
than time itself, stood on a gold mantle.

“How dare you! Coming here and interfering in
my
business!” Malakai cried.

Ernie looked charged, he whispered something
and vanished, like a mirage. The next moment he was behind Malakai.
“
Flutteryout
!” he cried.

Malakai flew into the opposite wall. Ernie
grabbed the book, which fizzed and made horrible cracking noises.
Malakai roared.

“Give that back! Don’t you dare!” A whistling
lit the air. Ernie stood terrified, unable to move. The next moment
he was bound by thick red snaking, chains. Malakai took the book
and placed it back on the mantle carefully. Ernie struggled against
the expanding chains.

“You will never get away with what you’re
doing. I will make sure of it! I know your plans. I won’t stop
until your gone!” said Ernie before a red chain bound his
mouth.

Malachi chuckled. “Oh please… I’ve heard it
all before.”

Another flash of white light and Ernie stood
motionless, bound in red chains, at the top of the tallest tower in
the school. High pitched wind whistled around the open top. Malakai
came to stand and look down at the drop into abyss. “Any last
words?”

The chain around Ernie’s mouth disappeared.
Ernie’s eyes were large, but he didn’t look like a man about to
die.

“You know nothing! There are thousands of
other people ready to take my place. The plans I have this year are
already making their way to the right people. I followed you the
whole year and you haven’t spotted me. You think you’re powerful,
you think your special, you think your power gives you a right to
rule! It doesn’t. You’re weak, your lust for power comes from a
loss of love. And I pity you.”

Malakai’s blue eyes dimmed, and his head
tilted to the side. With a lazy flick of his finger, the red chains
fell off. “Maybe, but you’re the one whose about to die…”

“I’m not afraid…” Ernie smiled as wind
whipped his hair and clothes.

Malakai huffed and swiped the air. Ernie slid
across the floor. He didn’t struggle. He just kept his gaze with
Malakai and in silence, slid off the tower.

The vision stopped in a flash of white light,
my head jolting. I blinked and sat up straight, my head spinning.
Robin blinked at me. Neither of us said anything. As I sat there, I
wondered about the pointlessness of Ernie’s attempts at taking the
Book Of Names. He seemed to submit too easily, as if it was all
just a game. The way he fell, smiling, keeping his gaze with
Malakai. Whatever his plans were, I didn’t understand them. Even
Malakai seemed deterred by Ernie’s unusual behaviour.

The key, in the box I’d got for Christmas,
was from Ernie. Did it flow through time and only arrive here in
time for Christmas? Or did he plan for it to arrive just at that
moment?

“I don’t understand how he sent me the box
with a key in it,” I said. “I mean, when was he at school?”

Robin looked very disturbed by everything
he’d seen. “It’s a very powerful Spell. I’m sure I’ve read about it
somewhere in one of the old Library books… or was it Straker who
was talking about it? It’s something about committing an item to
fate, or destiny or something. And leaving it up to Magic to decide
who the next owner should be.”

“Right…” I said. “I suppose the next thing to
do then is find Tina’s notes.”

Robin left soon after. I continued to sit
cross-legged on my bed starring at the darkening sky. I’d been
Tina’s friend for ages and I didn’t even know where her dorm was.
Some investigation was needed.

The next day after lessons, we walked around
the school choosing some of the more unoccupied corridors. “You do
realise what would happen if we get caught in a girls dorm?” said
Robin beady eyes flickering.

“I think that is the least of our problems,”
I said. “What form is she in?”

“I don’t know… Oh, yes I do, or at least I
know a way we can find out… the Riptide wall,” he was right, the
Riptide wall was where all the forms in the school were listed, so
you can see when your games are scheduled.

Me and Robin marched to the hall where the
Riptide wall was. There were a few people around, but most were
taking a stroll outside. It was a lovely sunny day and the light
streamed in long rays through small windows onto a high wall,
filled from top to bottom with sheets and information. Each form
had their form name, flag and colours with the people in their form
listed below. Robin began scanning the large tapestry for the names
in teams. It took flipping ages. Some of the names were so high up
I couldn’t see them. But after a while Robin said:

“Aha! Found it! She’s in the
Hubris
form. Ergh, they wear pink.”

“Don’t matter about that. Where’s their dorm
room?”

“Erm… let me see…” said Robin, who was on tip
toes, running his finger down the sheet. “Girls… dorm room number…
is… 314c!”

“At last!” I said. Then, I stopped before the
stairs. “Where is room 314c?” Robin shrugged.

We must have searched for hours, we even
missed dinner. Starting on the first floor, there were lots of
300s, but no 314’s. The room numbers were not obviously placed,
something I’ve noticed before, but it made it tremendously tricky
to try and find a room using
logic
. Eventually, down a light
and bright corridor lined with pictures of famous witches, we found
it. Doors on one side read 698, 635 and 612e and the doors on the
other side were 313, 377a and 314c!

“At flipping last!” I said.

“Hey,” said Robin. “They are all at dinner
arn’t they? If not, we should come back another time.”

“No, we go now. If there is anyone in there
we make excuses.” I didn’t know what excuses these will be -
“
sorry I was just looking for Tina’s dead brother’s notes on how
to end Malakai”
- but I was sure we could come up with
something. What mattered now was being as quick as possible. Like
Robin had said, April was barely a week away.

I took the handle slowly and went inside. The
room was just like ours, same layout, same fireplace, but different
curtains, different bedspreads and different carpet.

“Now which one is Tina’s?” We scanned around,
and hunted for clues. There was no guessing what we would find
here.

“This girl has more books out than you’re
allowed,” said Robin standing over a nearby bed. I walked around
the room, which was a lot tidier than the Condor girls room.

“And the bed is really messy! She’s got all
her homework sticking out of her sheets.”

I smiled. “Let me have a look at that,” this
bed was closest to the window, the sheets were the same as all the
other girl’s, if not a little less cared for. And, looked like they
hadn’t been slept in for a while. Robin was right, there were
sheets of parchment sticking from beneath bedsheets. More stuck out
from the edges of a locked desk.

“This
must
be hers…” I scanned the
books that lay in piles next to her bed. There were too many to
list, but read things like:
‘Characteristics of Black Magic
’
and ‘
Things You Didn’t Know About Magic
’, amongst others. I
pulled the parchment out of her bed and collected them into a pile.
Robin whispered a Spell, unlocking the desk and pulled the other
sheets out collecting them into a large pile. They were most
definitely Tina’s, I recognised her handwriting. Some of the notes
listed Counter Spells and possible hidden places in the school. As
I quickly flicked through the papers, I noticed some of them were
older than the others, and the handwriting different.