Avis Blackthorn and the Magical Multicolour Jumper (The Wizard Magic School Series, Book 2) (14 page)

***

Snow
continued to fall for the next week, newer flakes falling on top of hardened icy ground. Snowballing wasn't fun anymore, it hurt. Lessons resumed as usual, but obviously I wasn't allowed in Yearlove’s lessons. Didn't want to go anyway, didn't want to be anywhere near that git Jasper. I had to find out who he really was. There was no way he was the same age as us, he knew too much — his eyes, when he was staring at me in the gloom of the corridor were… evil. I was sure of it. He was either Malakai, or a Malakai supporter, out for revenge. And he was using Tina to get at me.

“Only a week until Christmas!” Dennis cried at the dinner table, wrapping the wood with his knuckles excitedly. “Oh I can’t wait. Going to have a lovely big Dandy bird, and lots of presents!”

“What the hec’s a dandy bird?” said Graham looking perplexed.

Dennis scoffed. “You don't know? It’s the most delicious bird ever, all Wizard’s eat dandy's on Christmas day.”

“Except vegetarians,” said Joanna sharply, who was an ardent vegetarian.

Hunter was nodding at Graham and Dennis with a bit of bacon hanging out of his mouth. “We have—” GULP. “We have turkey don’t we Graham. Outsiders always have Turkey.”

“What on earth is a turkey?” Simon sneered. “Some sort of potato thing? Outsiders eat lots of potatoes. Their diet is almost exclusively potato.”

Hunter scoffed. “No, it’s not a potato thing. A turkey is a bird.”

“And is it as delicious as a Dandy?” said Simon.

“Doubt it,” Graham muttered. “Who’s coming to the Hubris girls party tonight?” the majority of the table nodded, except me.

“What party?” I said.

Jake looked at me quizzically. “I thought out of everyone you would know. Tina Partington’s party?”

“Oh yeah that,
pfft
, forgot didn't I?” I said clapping a hand to my head. Jake passed me a small purple leaflet to ‘
jog my memory,’
I looked at it hard without seeing it for a minute, as I let my red face pass.

You are invited to a small gathering in room 32z, floor four on the 18
th
of December to have fun and party and celebrate my 13
th
.

Just turn up at 8ish. Not robes allowed.

Tina Partington

Why hadn't she told me about this? Or how had I not known about this? Robin was inspecting his toast very closely. “Did you know about this?” I said flashing the leaflet at him. He looked up from the toast, pretending to draw a blank, shaking his head dreamily.

“Noooo— not sure… maybe…”

“You did didn't you?”

“Yes,” he nodded sullenly.

“Why didn't she tell me?”

Robin shrugged. “I honestly have no idea.”

“Must have forgotten,” I said, hopefully.

***

I was a bit nervous because I knew Jasper would be there. I put on my tartan shirt and nice jeans, keeping my Seven League Shoes on for good measure. Robin had put on his best denim jacket. The other guys were walking just ahead of us nervously, Hunter in a big shirt and drape that was actually the curtain from our room, he said he wanted to go as
a prince
. We tried to remind him that it wasn't fancy dress, but he wouldn't listen.

Music drummed outside room 32z as Jake wrapped on the door. A second later Jessie opened it, squealing with excitement as if she didn't think anyone would turn up. We piled into the big room, it was the size of our bedroom, without any beds but the entire place was filled with decorations and banners. The fireplace was lit, but the fire was crackling multicolour fire, spinning dancing rainbow lights around the room. I could hear him before I saw him, Tina under his arm by the fireplace. Jasper was explaining to some third years how he had created the fire and the decorations.

“Easy really, when you know how,” he yawned. “A simple bridge spell.”

“Wow, you’re so clever,” said the third year. “I don't even know any of this stuff yet.”

The party was actually quite good. One boy, Hayden Carmichael was in the corner of the room, doing the music behind a couple of large speakers:
The Orc Triad
,
Yearning for Slackerdown
and
Gnippoh Culture
were followed by the Happendance folk band
Leprechaun Landing
.

Food popped onto the tables around the sides of the room where me and Robin lingered, hot nibbles on silver platters and sweet smelling pastries drew me in. Hunter smiled happily as if this was heaven and dived in. Then, the girls from our form made their way in slowly. Jess and Florence looked amazing as usual attracting a lot of attention from the boys. Dawn hung at the back in a big flowery dress, with Ellen and Joanna, none of whom looked remotely comfortable.

There were a lot of people in here now, of all different years. Then as yet more people arrived, it became quite cramped. “Hold on,” cried Jasper jumping forwards. “Let me enlarge the room.” Then, with a big puff of his cheeks, the room extended — the walls made a crunching sound as they slid further away, the corners of the room moving outwards a couple of feet.

“Woah!” went a chorus of people, before a huge round of applause. I didn't clap. Show off.

Another knock at the door, and Ernie entered. Girls all around us crooned silently. He was very dashing, dressed in a long silver robe, with his long curly hair combed back.

“Ernie!” cried Tina, relinquishing her hold of Jasper and hugging Ernie tightly. Just behind him were the Snare form, who came in tentatively waving at Tina who beamed wide and hugged them all. Zara, the white haired girl made my heart start to flutter uncontrollably. She wore a causal black dress with lace arms. It contrasted well with the long white hair. While Robin had his eyes glued to a patch of third year girls.

Ernie grinned at me conspiratorially. “So Avis, Robin, have you… you know, found out anything
new
about Riptide?” We looked at each other, before quietly telling him about getting caught in the Library. “Yeah, that takes me back. The amount of times I was caught,” he chuckled shaking his head.

“I want to go back at night, but Robin isn't convinced are you?”

Robin looked sheepish, rolling his head from side to side. Ernie’s blue eyes gazed up at the ceiling as he seemed to search for the right words. “You have to take risks if you want to be great. That’s all I’ll say,” he nodded. Robin’s eyes blinked rapidly behind his spectacles. Thank you Ernie.

After a long chat with Ernie who told us about settling back into school life, he suddenly looked around. “32z? This rooms bigger than it should be?”

“Yeah Jasper enlarged it,” Robin said pointing at him in the middle of the room.

“Did he? I thought he was a second year?” said Ernie.

“He is.”

Ernie raised his eyebrows in surprise and turned to look at Jasper. “That’s impressive.”

“I can’t stand him,” I said, unable to help myself. I wanted Ernie to hate him too, but he just looked at me sympathetically.

The night sky darkened to a puce purple, the full moon beaming luminescent over the walking trees below. They were huddling together now as they went to sleep — they didn’t have leaves anymore, so they must be cold.

“Come on!” said Florence dragging Robin and I forcefully onto the dance floor, where I nodded along self consciously to the The Mad Hatters song
Spelling Alive.
After a while however I got quite into it, the mango perry helping a touch. Then, I saw Jasper staring at me though the crowd of people, looking livid. I turned away ignoring him and saw Zara dancing with her form. A mad torrent of weird feelings tore around inside me. She was so beautiful, but then I looked at Tina and the same thing happened but mixed with horrible gurgling regret and jealousy.

“Her name is Zara Faraday,” said Robin loudly in my ear. “Want me to go and—
hiccup
—say hello to her for you?”

“What? No!” I cried over the music. “Please don't.”

“You
like
her…” he sang pointing at me madly, as he flailed around attempting to dance. I smiled, before Robin saw the third year girl making her way over to the food stand and followed her. I stood alone on the dance floor mimicking Simon’s awful dance moves without him realising.

Then I felt something wet go right down my front. “
Whoops
…” said a voice. Jasper! I looked down. He’d poured an entire glass of blood orange juice down my front. “That’s what happens to those who aren’t invited,” he spat. I quickly looked around, no one saw, everyone was dancing. “Nice shirt,” he smiled.

“How dare you do that to me!” I cried, fury boiling over. Without thinking, I pushed him as hard as I could. He sprawled across the floor falling backwards into some fourth years who dropped their drinks everywhere.

“
WOAH
!” they cried as Jasper jumped up and lunged at me, pushing me to the floor.

I clenched my fist and quickly said: “
Pasanthedine
!” Jasper shot into the air away from me, as I jumped up quickly. Then he smiled, raising his hands, a black shot of smoke punched me hard in the gut.

“Ahh!” I toppled forwards into dancing feet, hugging my stomach. Anger and frustration boiled up inside me. I stood quickly, raising my right hand at his throat and yelled: “
Aperchino
!” red wind burst out of my arm like fire. A satisfied glow lit up inside me, as my skin tingled. I felt myself fall back into the ground with the force as the red wind zapped towards his face. A silvery shield spell erupted in front of him. The red wind bounced off. There was a sudden and colossal
BANG
! As it hit the huge mirror above the fireplace, shattering it into a million pieces. A chorus of screams echoed deafeningly. A white layer of mist shot across the heads of all — Ernie’s hands outstretched, as the shards of sharp mirror bobbed up and down above the white mist, just over the top of everyone’s heads. Hayden stopped the music. Silence fell as eyes moved around to Jasper and I, standing with our arms out at each other.

“WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?” Jasper called. “I know you don’t like me, but there’s no reason to do that!”

“
Whaat
?” I said as people started to look round at me with horror struck faces. “You started it!”

Tina stormed forwards through the crowd, then grimaced, pained as she saw me lying soaking wet on the ground. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“He poured drink all over me, then—” I said, but she just closed her eyes, too angry to even look at me.

“You tried to ruin
my
party, and I NEVER EVEN INVITED YOU!” there was a horrible silence.

I swallowed. “But… why not?” I managed in a small voice.

“Because I knew what would happen. Because of how nasty you’ve been to Jasper lately. Because you are jealous of him!”

Ernie stepped forwards. “Tina,” he said soothingly. “Come on it’s fine.” I could sense apprehension in his voice. He was trying to say more than he let on, communicating the fact that we had all taken a pact after I saved both of their lives last year.

“No Erns, I don't want him here…” she said flatly. Her words cut through my heart like a knife. She looked down at me with utter disdain. Whatever love she had for me last year was gone, dead.

Jasper marched forwards, picked me up by the scruff of the collar and pushed me out of the room. “Don't mess with people who are too clever for you,” he spat in my ear. “I always win!”

“I’m gonna get you back for this!”

“What you gonna do? Set your brother on me?” he cackled before slamming the door in my face.

Blood curdled hot inside my veins I thought I might melt. But I wasn't just furious, I was sad, and frustrated. I had been made to look like a complete idiot. And Zara had seen it too. Everyone had seen it. I sighed, my nice shirt was sticky and stank of orange and my hands were trembling. I had been on the end of Tina’s anger before, but not like this. She had looked at me like I was some disappointment, something nasty to be avoided. She had nothing left for me. I trudged off, back towards the bathroom to get washed. Then the music restarted, echoing along the corridor, as if nothing had happened.

Click
. The door opened again. “Wait for me!” it was Robin, he lummoxed towards me like something on stilts. “I just told them how out of order they were. Don’t think they were listening. I didn't see what happened exactly, but I believe you.”

I told Robin what Jasper had done, he sighed shaking his head. “How did it go with that girl,” I said.

“Pah, I er… I never actually spoke to her. Too nervous,” he said.

“Oh for goodness sake,” I laughed and we trudged along back to the dorm. “You didn't need to leave with me you know.”

“I know, but I wanted to. Anyway, I needed to talk to you when we both wouldn't be overheard. I did look into how we could get past the Occulus and I think I might have found a way…”