Magical Mayhem Page 6

  ‘No, I certainly haven’t,’ replied the other man. ‘An oak tree! Well, blimey, that’s front page news. Stop the press; there’s an oak tree growing in the countryside!’

  ‘What do you . . .’ The first man’s voice trailed off. ‘Martha, the windows are gone!’ he burst out.

  ‘But it was different before!’ gasped the woman. ‘Honestly, Mr Taylor! It – it had little windows, and doors, and –’

  ‘And a polished floor! Something lived in there!’ babbled the man.

  ‘Uh-huh,’ said Mr Taylor drily. ‘What a waste of time – you’re both nutters!’ His footsteps stomped off back down the hill.

  There was a long silence.

  ‘Martha, I – I don’t feel very well,’ said the man finally. ‘Let’s go home, and have a nice cup of tea.’

  ‘Yes, and I want extra sugar in mine,’ mumbled the woman. ‘I think I’m having a funny turn, Frank.’

  Teena drooped with relief as the couple staggered off. At her side, Sal swished his tail joyfully. A moment later they heard the car doors bang shut again, and then the vehicle roared off.

  The circle of fairies jumped into life. ‘Hurrah, we did it!’ shouted Twink. She and Bimi hugged tightly, bouncing up and down. ‘They’ve gone, they’ve really gone!’

  ‘Oh, well done, everyone!’ breathed Mrs Lightwing. ‘I’ll go and tell the other teachers, so that we can get the students back into school where they belong!’ She sped off towards the darkening wood, with Miss Twilight following after her.

  ‘Yes, well done, girls,’ said Miss Shimmery warmly to Twink and Bimi. ‘However, if I’m not very much mistaken, we had a bit of help with that spell. Teena, do you want to tell us something?’

  Teena felt her cheeks catch fire as Twink and Bimi looked at her in surprise. ‘I – I made another wish,’ she confessed, rubbing her wings together. ‘Summer told me about another piece of human magic – wishing on stars. So – so I sort of did.’

  Miss Shimmery looked grim. ‘Teena, human magic is extremely unpredictable! Nobody knows much about it – least of all humans themselves. It is not something for fairies to be meddling in, do you understand? Anything might have happened!’

  ‘Yes, Miss Shimmery,’ mumbled Teena, staring down at her pixie boots. She looked quickly up again as she heard a soft chuckle. Why – Miss Shimmery was laughing!

  ‘Having said that, I’m rather glad that you did decide to meddle with it again, just this once,’ admitted the HeadFairy with a wry smile. ‘That extra starlight gave us just the boost we needed for the spell to work. What was your wish?’

  Teena told her, and Miss Shimmery nodded in approval. ‘A much more exact and carefully thought-out wish than your first one. I take it that you see now how foolish it was to wish for “something exciting” to happen, without specifying what?’ She straightened her sparkle specs, gazing sternly at Teena.

  Teena squirmed. ‘Yes,’ she said in a small voice. ‘Yes, I really do, Miss Shimmery. I – I know that this whole thing was my fault.’

  ‘Not entirely,’ corrected the HeadFairy. ‘The snowstorm was the direct result of your wish – but like all things, it had consequences, and the poor young dragon got caught up in them. That’s why it’s so very foolish to cast a spell without knowing exactly what you want the outcome to be.’

  ‘I understand,’ whispered Teena. She couldn’t bear to look at her sister, or Bimi. How disappointed they must be in her! She took a deep breath. ‘Will – will I be expelled?’

  ‘Expelled?’ Miss Shimmery sounded surprised. ‘Your only crime was to be very foolish, Teena. If I started expelling my first-year students for that, I’d soon not have any! But you should have told us the moment you realised what had happened. You really have caused us all a great deal of trouble and worry, you know.’

  Teena hung her head in shame. Miss Shimmery’s quiet words seared through her.

  ‘Miss Shimmery, wait,’ burst out Twink. ‘I – I think I’m to blame as well.’ Teena looked up in surprise.

  ‘Oh?’ said Miss Shimmery, raising an eyebrow.

  Twink nodded guiltily. ‘You see, I was so wrapped up in my Weather Magic project over the hols that I ignored Teena. I was going to spend more time with her this term, but – well, I put it off.’ Twink’s cheeks reddened. ‘Anyway, I’m sure that she wouldn’t have made such a silly wish if she hadn’t been feeling cross with me.’

  ‘But Twink, it wasn’t your fault!’ exclaimed Teena. ‘I mean – well, it’s true that I was a bit cross with you, but . . .’ She shook her head, not sure what she wanted to say.

  ‘Consequences again,’ pointed out Miss Shimmery softly. ‘But Twink, Teena is right – it’s not your fault that she made her wish. She has to take responsibility for her own actions.’

  Turning back to Teena, Miss Shimmery went on, ‘As punishment, you will lose your free time for the next four weeks. You’ll also write me an essay on the importance of always casting precise spells – and avoiding human magic!’ Miss Shimmery paused as her words hung in the air. ‘And Teena, I think it would be wise to keep your part in this episode quiet from the rest of the school.’

  Teena let out a breath. ‘Oh Miss Shimmery, thank you!’ she burst out. ‘I’ll write you a brilliant essay, I promise! And Zuzu and Summer won’t tell anyone, if I ask them not to.’

  ‘Good,’ said Miss Shimmery, patting Teena’s shoulder. ‘And now, I think we’ve all had enough drama for one day. Let’s join the rest of the school, and go inside.’

  Once the teachers had cast the complicated spell that protected Glitterwings and its surroundings, the students joyfully flew back to the school in long, colourful streams, chatting and laughing in the moonlight.

  ‘Here, ah – I’ll take Sal,’ said Mr Woodleaf to Twink, picking up the salamander’s lead. ‘And well done for going after him, you two. I’m, ah – proud of you,’ he mumbled.

  Twink and Bimi exchanged a smile as Mr Woodleaf flew off towards the Creature Kindness log, with Sal trotting along below. Good old Mr Woodleaf! thought Twink. It made her feel warm inside to know that he was pleased with her.

  She and Bimi started off. It was fully dark now, with thousands of stars twinkling in the sky.

  ‘Isn’t it beautiful!’ said Bimi, tipping her head back. She had been reunited with Chirpy, and held his cage gently under one arm. ‘I’m so glad that things are really back to normal now.’

  ‘Not as glad as I am!’ said Teena, fluttering up alongside them. Moonlight glinted on her lavender wings. ‘Twink, thanks for sticking up for me,’ she added. ‘But it really wasn’t your fault, you know!’

  ‘No, I suppose not,’ said Twink ruefully. ‘But I’m sorry anyway, Teena. I don’t blame you for feeling fed up when you made your wish – I was a real moss brain over the hols!’

  ‘Just don’t dabble in wishes again, Teena, no matter how fed up you get,’ put in Bimi with a smile. ‘Unless you’re trying to rival Sooze’s record for getting into trouble!’

  ‘Don’t worry!’ groaned Teena, linking her arm through Twink’s. ‘I’ve had enough excitement now to last me all year.’

  The tree beckoned them forward, its windows gleaming with golden light. Suddenly Bimi giggled. ‘You know what, Twink – we’re going to have to do our Weather Magic project all over again. I don’t think magical snowstorms really count!’

  Twink slapped her forehead with a laugh. ‘Oh no, you’re right! Teena, would you like to help me with Sal?’ she added eagerly.

  Teena grinned and shook her head. ‘I’d love to – but I’ve got an essay to write, remember?’

  ‘Well, we’ll do something else together soon,’ said Twink, squeezing Teena’s arm. ‘That’s a promise!’

  The three fairies fluttered through the open front doors. Glitterwings towered above them, safe and warm. Students swooped i
n and out of its branches, delighted to be back where they belonged.

  A second-year girl started to sing. Soon the whole school was taking up the song, their voices ringing through the winter night:

  .

  Oh, Glitterwings, dear Glitterwings,

  Beloved oak tree scho-ool.

  Good fairy fun for everyone,

  That is our fairy ru-ule.

  Our teachers wise,

  Their magic strong,

  With all our friends,

  We can’t go wrong.

  Oh, Glitterwings, dear Glitterwings,

  Beloved oak tree scho-ool!

  Twink sighed happily as the song finished. With her best friend and sister, she flew towards the Great Branch. Their long-overdue dinner was awaiting them, along with all their friends.

  Another term at Glitterwings had begun – and with any luck, thought Twink, it wouldn’t be exciting at all!

  .

  Bloomsbury Publishing, London, Berlin, New York and Sydney

  First published in Great Britain in 2009 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

  36 Soho Square, London, W1D 3QY

  Text copyright © Lee Weatherly 2009

  Illustrations copyright © Smiljana Coh 2009

  The moral right of the author has been asserted

  This electronic edition published in September 2010 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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  A CIP catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

  ISBN 978 1 4088 1354 6

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