Avis Blackthorn and the Magical Multicolour Jumper (The Wizard Magic School Series, Book 2) Read Free Page B

small metallic shard of indistinguishable shape, which slowly came towards me on the end of the cane. “Take it,” he said gruffly, I reached forwards and took it. There was a short rumble like thunder, before a flash of blue light lit up the room, temporarily blinding me.
    “Ahh!” I cried, shielding my eyes. “What on earth was that?” The pendant was spinning in my hand now and Granddad, who didn’t look like he was shocked at all, nodded happily to himself. The metallic shape on the end was a thin metal, but sturdy and a worn golden colour. In the very middle was a clear, black mark — I didn’t know what it was, but had an inkling that it was a rune.
    “It’s a channeller,” said Granddad, putting his cane back to his side. “A very old one.”
    “Forgive me Granddad, but this is strange… I mean, you’re a Blackthorn… you’re not supposed to be on my side. They all hate me…” I said, pointing down at the floor. “No one in this family has helped me before.”
    Granddad sighed. “You realise this as you get older — not everything is black and white, or good and bad. There is a lot of grey too,” he gruffed. “You must tailor your vision to read the grey. Oh, and take this before you go,” He handed out a small, red velvet drawstring bag.
    “What is it?” I said, then realising as it touched down in my palm, it was a bag of gold! I couldn’t help but gasp. “But, but, I…”
    “It’s embarrassing having a Blackthorn that walks around looking like a corpse… get yourself some smart clothes.”
    I couldn't help the grin that grew across my jaw. “Thank you, thank you so much!” Granddad didn’t say anything, he just sat and stared at the fire.
    “Take care,” he barked, then with a wave I was dismissed. I stood, carrying my bag of gold and new channeller, unsure if I was dreaming or not, or whether these shoes were in fact casting a strange illusion of my dead Granddad being nice to me. But as I walked back out of the hazy darkness, I found myself high up in the castle, nowhere near the turrets… how strange.
    I put the pendant channeller round my neck and tucked it beneath my robes. Then, put the bag of gold down the back of my trousers, into a secret compartment that I had installed in the shop when my Mother wasn’t looking. No one would be stealing this bag of gold from me. I raced back to the cleaning cupboard to get another mop and bucket before I received another thunder clap to the butt.
     
    Over the proceeding week, many unsavoury characters arrived. Slowly but steadily each room filled. Now that I had a channeller again I could do magic, but I had to make sure Mother and Father didn’t see me otherwise I would be in for it. They would start questioning me about where I got it, and I’m a rubbish liar. But, I did have a few mop and buckets scrubbing the floors by themselves on the second and forth floors. And I casted the Riptide chameleon spell Goaternut, over myself at the top of the stairs while hiding behind a statue, so I could watch Father greeting the Hennessy Warlock Clan, who trod mud all the way up the stairs.
    Then I saw Nasty Luke make his way in with his similarly nasty, pasty faced family. Followed by some wicked witches, twelve piggy bankers, who oinked all the way around the Hall, valuing the goods. Then came the Chelsee family. The wicked head of the family was old Marge Chelsee, a particularly foul woman — with her six, very ugly, daughters in huge ridiculous dresses, waddling behind her. As they chatted away to each other, I had trouble making out the difference between the piggy’s oinks and the inane gigglish chatter.
    I sat watching for a good few hours, it was better than cleaning, and noticed many important people. King’s and Queens, Princes and Princesses, Head’s of Kingdoms and Prime Ginisters (or whatever they’re called on the Outside). Anyone who was anyone was here, it was crazy. If someone dropped a bomb and took this place out,