Avis Blackthorn: Is Not an Evil Wizard! (29 page)

After a long mauling of claps on the back,
hair ruffling and teary apologies, I retook my seat. Tina and Ernie
joined me and Robin on our table and we had a long, blissful
afternoon drinking Mango Perry, nibbling scrumptious food and
talking. Towards the end of the afternoon, the Magisteers all stood
up as one. The next moment, a bonanza of trumpets blared out across
the room from nowhere. The tables and chairs expelling us from
their seats and slid to the sides of the room with a scraping
noise.

“Seventh years!” called the Lily. “You’ve
completed your time with us. I, the Magisteers, and your fellow
pupils who have shared in your time here, will forever remember
you.” Sniffs and welling of eyes soon began as the Lily walked
solemnly through the middle of the Chamber.

“When things get tough, or difficult out
there, always remember you belong to the growing Hailing Hall
family. Now go and be great Wizards!”

Ghosts floated into the Chamber in one mass
of white and blue glowing light as suits of armour around the side
of the Chamber began blowing on wind instruments that appeared out
of nowhere. We all applauded as loud as we could, as the seventh
years, through lots of tears and hugging, slowly began to make
their way out of Hailing Hall, as, surprisingly, the ghosts began
singing!

We thank you for you time with us,

We hope you’ve learned your fill,

It’s your time now to enter the world,

And make it a better place, still.

Take all that you’ve learned here and turn
it into good,

Make people’s lives and all their strives
properly understood.

Go forth now all equal,

We give you our thanks,

Now you are a part of the schools
sequel,

Go join your new ranks.

For all that you taught this place,

We thank you,

Forever learn and live with grace,

We hope you’ve learned your fill,

It’s your time now to enter your the
world

And make it a better place still…

It was an emotional experience. The seventh
years looked so sad to be leaving what was their home for the last
seven years. And yet there was an excitement at entering the Seven
Kingdoms as fully trained, Professional Working Wizards. I shook
and wished warmly as many people as I could. Some smiled when I
shook their hands, ruffling my hair and wishing me well. Robin too
was grilled by one or two about what he did. He remained as vague
as possible, before someone else would shake his hand and ask him
the same.

I spotted Ross who wasn’t shaking anyones
hand. He was looking down at the ground and made his way out of the
double doors alone. We all followed the seventh years and the
Magisteers out of the Chamber and into the courtyard. Carriages
were lined up in neat rows, ready for the seventh years to go home,
or indeed, wherever they were off to next. I knew of several,
Kellie Kirkyard, Timothy Howard, Ahmed Omran and Helen Ulysses who
were going travelling around the Seven Magical Kingdoms and the
Outside, I overheard them in the Chamber talking about where they
would meet. How exciting, what an adventure!

The Magisteers stood as one, with their arms
in the air. A pool of white light lit the sky and, at its full
height burst. A gigantic rainbow split the sky, arching across the
school. It was so bright it cast a technicolor glow across the
grass courtyard. Then, carriages began launching into the air, as
seventh years waved their scarves out of windows and soaring off
into the rainbow and away to start their new lives.

Me, Tina and Robin collected our luggage from
the hall and stood together as Ernie joined us (he didn’t have any
luggage). No one said anything, we just stood in silence. This was
the end. We all hugged and I heard Tina start sobbing.

“I’m staying here with Dad,” said Ernie.
“Gonna help him pack.” He sighed deeply and looked around at the
sunny, green fields. “It will be nice to see home again, I’m sick
of this place,” he laughed.

“I’ll wait with you,” said Tina.

Me and Robin said our goodbyes to the Condor
form who stood nearby. “Hunter…” I said shaking his hand. “Take
care, see you next year…” he pulled me into a hug.

“You will Avis…”

I repeated the same to Jess, Simon, Graham,
Ellen, Jake, and all the others. I shook their hands, hopefully
next year I would get to know them a lot more. Fireworks erupted
into the air all around us as the Magisteers stood at the foot of
the hall and waved their goodbyes and hugging some teary eyed first
years.

Partington was standing and waving at us as
hard as he could. “SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!” he bellowed as the Lily
tapped him to quieten down. We all laughed.

A big black carriage suddenly soared through
the air, dropped and pulled up next to me. The door opened.

“Blimey,” I said, recognising my parents best
black carriage. “It’s my parents best carriage!?” I looked around
for Ross, perhaps it had mistaken me for him. But, he had already
gone.

Tina wiped her eyes then hugged me so tightly
I thought my ribs might crack.

I swallowed, trying to suppress the thought
that I wouldn’t see her face for the next couple of months. “I’ll
hopefully see you before the start of next year… all of you.”

“Please do!” said Tina. “Or we’ll come
looking for you!” she said, tears streaming down her golden face.
Robin kept blinking and cleaning his glasses. “Oh!” called Tina.
“If we meet up, we can go shopping, get you some better
clothes!”

“Erm… ok?” I said.

I shook Robin and Ernie by the hand once more
and got into the carriage. Partington whistled from the hallway
entrance and waved again. I looked around at the place that had
become my home, before taking my seat in the most luxurious
carriage my parents owned. It didn’t even require moody horses, it
drove itself. I lay my suitcases down and wound the window down.
All across the courtyard were tearful goodbyes, hugs and carriages
shooting into the air. I saw the boys of the Eagles form all saying
their goodbyes to Straker, who mellowly bowed to each of them.

Hunter seemed to be deep in conversation with
both Jess and Florence, while Gret and Jake got into the most
gothic carriage I’ve ever seen, adorned with Golandrian drapes, gas
lamps and mean, black horses.

Then, my carriage shot into the air so fast I
thought I might have left my stomach on the school grounds. I leant
out the window and waved to my friends. My best friends. Tall,
clever, be-speckled Robin. The taller, handsome, charismatic Ernie.
And of course, the teary, mad, beautiful Tina. Maybe someone up
there does like me, before I started school, I wished more than
anything to make a friend. And, well, I’d made three of the best
friends I could have ever wished for.

In a few seconds they turned into mere specs.
We hit the rainbow and multi coloured glitter filled the carriage.
The sky was full of carriages like a flock of black birds dancing
above a fountain of exploding Magical fireworks.

Hailing Hall looked even more amazing from
above. The clock tower, my home for those long, cold, solitary
months, started to ring out. I smiled and waved goodbye to it. In a
way, I would really miss that clock tower.

The trees, all having uprooted themselves
were now waving their gigantic branches at us. In a carriage
opposite me, David Starlight glanced across and caught my eye. For
a moment, I thought he might smile. But then, he just ignored me
and closed the blinds. Charming.

The box the Lily had given me sat on top of
my bag. I took it and sat back. A little confused, I opened the
curious box. I pulled out… the pair of Seven League Shoes!

How on earth could he have possibly
known?

I sat back and relaxed. I had no idea what I
was going home to. My parents sending me their best carriage was a
good sign, but who knows with the Blackthorns? I put the Seven
League Shoes on, just in case, and closed my eyes.

To be continued…

Just click here to get your FREE copy of the Prequel
to Book 1…

jacksimmondsbooks.com

The second book in the series: “
Avis Blackthorn and the Magical Multicolour Jumper
”
is
OUT NOW!

From the blurb:
Avis Blackthorn
is a good wizard — unlike his family, who are the most evil family
in all of the Seven Magical Kingdoms. He is in his second year at
“
Hailing Hall School for Wizards,
”. Little does he know that
this year will be as eventful and stressful as the first. Strange
things are brewing… and Avis is determined to get to the bottom of
it.

His trusty friend Robin joins Avis through thick and
thin — as they start new lessons with the Magisteers, rebuild a
Stadium and go to the Happendance Carnival. But when he buys an old
incense holder with a strange mark on, he soon realises that it
contains a Djinn, one that will grant him
a wish…

That’s where mystery after mystery —
humorous,
haunting and chilling
— starts to unfold…

It knits Avis a very special, magical, multicolour
jumper that does very special things, suddenly Avis is the most
popular person in school, everybody loves him! But every wish has a
bite in the tail...

Avis’ very place at school is in jeopardy — facing
expulsion, he must do all he can to uncover the truth and save his
place at school. He must not only cope with something trying to
kill him, with a family member teaching in the school and his best
friend Tina ignoring him but also with a furious jealousy that
could threaten to ruin everything he holds dear…

On top of that, the newspapers are reporting that
Malakai, the most evil Sorcerer in all the Seven Magical Kingdoms
is back! And he will be out for revenge — Avis knows the first
person he’ll come back for — him!

Read now to discover Jack Simmonds’ funny,
enhancing, spell-binding adventure — Avis Blackthorn and the
Magical Multicolour Jumper…

Read the first chapter for FREE:

  
CHAPTER
ONE  

The Return of the Brothers

Hello. My name is Avis Blackthorn and I am
thirteen years old. I belong to what is, the most evil family in
all of the Seven Magical Kingdoms and even, perhaps, in all of your
kingdoms too. We call your world the
Outside
. My best friend
Robin is from there, a place called
Yorkshire
? He goes to
the same school as me — Hailing Hall School for Wizards — I started
last year and it was my sanctuary. A sanctuary from my evil family
with whom I play a constant battle, because I am not like them. Not
at all. My parents and nine siblings are all very evil and work for
Malakai — the most powerful, evil Sorcerer ever known — well, they
did, until I defeated him at the end of last year.

My family hate me because I am not evil. I am
treated like the runt, kept away at parties in case I embarrass
them in front of all the other Malakai supporters. Some would
disagree when I say
I am not evil —
only because of what
happened in first year — I was set up. Framed for the attack of one
of my friends by no lesser than the most evil and high lord of
darkness (or whatever it was he called himself), Malakai.
Fortunately, and with a great deal of luck and bluffing, I, yes me,
managed to defeat him! In the process I saved Tina Partington and
her brother Ernie Partington, who was a ghost for ten years and is
thankfully, now a human again. It was my best friend Robin who
saved the day, he raised Ernie and me back to our bodies! No mean
feat, let me tell you.

Right now, I am scrubbing the floor high up
in one of the twelve turrets. It’s absolutely filthy! I mean black
with dirt. I doubt it’s ever been cleaned. This is not a voluntary
decision either, I am being held at spell-point, practically, by my
parents who need the castle to be in ship shape ready for a
thousand or so guests to turn up for the wedding of the bloody
year. My sister Marianne and her poor deluded Prince finance are
getting married in the grounds of our castle
Darkhampton
.
She has him under a love spell I just know it. My parents encourage
them who to marry — usually rich and influential families to
increase their own reach and power. I heard that the family of the
prince are really angry, they want nothing to do with us, knowing
its a scam.

So far over the past week I’ve scrubbed
floors, dusted every wooden surface within a four mile radius,
whacked every drape to within an inch of its life, then dusted
again as centuries of dust and muck came spewing out everywhere… I
mean it really is the dirtiest castle ever! I finished each day
without a thanks and looking like a Slackerdown Yeti (black, dirty,
and very, very moody.) And I did all this cleaning without magic!
My parents don’t trust me, and… I don’t have a bloody channeller do
I! If you don’t know, a channeller is a thing that allows you to do
magic, as per the name, you channel magic through it. If you don’t
you could blow yourself up. I had one at the start of last year
from the schools lost property. Which turned out to be the young
Malakai’s! That’s how I worked out how to defeat him, he had his
True Name written on it in hidden ink. I used his True Name to
defeat him — the most evil Sorcerer ever, in all of history! And
now I’m scrubbing floors. Mind you, if my parents ever find out
what I did I would be in for a fate worse than death. They
absolutely love him, and would do anything he asks. I wondered if
they knew he had even been defeated? To be fair, they were rushing
round the castle every minute of the day making beds up for guests,
decorating, organising the chefs and all stuff like that.