Emma's Glittering Spell

by Vivian French

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  For my very special Stargirls,

  Elise, Kezia, Dorothy and Amina

  TEAM STARLIGHT

  TEAM TWINSTAR

  Dear Stargirl,

  Welcome to Stargirl Academy!

  My name is Fairy Mary McBee, and I’m delighted you’re here. All my Stargirls are very special, and I can tell that you are wonderful too.

  We’ll be learning how to use magic safely and efficiently to help anyone who is in trouble, but before we go any further I have a request. The Academy MUST be kept secret. This is VERY important…

  So may I ask you to join our other Stargirls in making The Promise? Read it – say it out loud if you wish – then sign your name on the bottom line.

  Thank you so much … and well done!

  Fairy Mary

  The Promise

  I will never speak of Stargirl Academy to others outside these cloudy walls, whatever they ask and whatever they offer. This I solemnly promise, for now, always and for ever.

  The Book of

  Spells

  by

  Fairy Mary McBee

  Head Teacher at

  The Fairy Mary McBee

  Academy for Stargirls

  A complete list of Spells can be obtained from the Academy. Only the fully qualified need apply. Other applications will be refused.

  Glittering Spells

  Glittering spells are for the more advanced student. Careful preparation is required, and it should be noted that each spell may only be used once unless a fully qualified Fairy Godmother is present and has given permission.

  Important information:

  The only Glittering Spell available to students at the Fairy Mary McBee Academy for Stargirls is the Forgetting Spell

  Other Glittering Spells, such as Transformation, or Serious Addiction Sleep, will not be taught in this Academy

  Hello!

  My name’s Emma! Actually my full name is Emma Jane Susan Piefold.

  I think my parents looked up the most boring names in the whole wide world and said, “Give us three of those. Any three – they’ll do.” My grandma told me that my mum and dad REALLY wanted a boy but they got me instead – and then they found out it was always going to be me on my own. Sometimes I wonder if they’d have given me a different name if they’d known I was going to be an only child. I’d love to be called Madison or Ava or Olivia or Sophie or Lily like my very special Stargirl friends. Melody and Jackson are Stargirls too, but they aren’t in our team. They think they’re way better than we are. They aren’t, though. Our team – Team Starlight – is the best EVER!

  My mum doesn’t think Emma is a boring name. She says it’s pretty, and her most favourite book in the whole wide world is called Emma, and I should be very proud of having such a special name.

  My mum knows a lot of things, and so does my dad. They’re both teachers. But they don’t know everything. They don’t know how to stop Mr Appleby next door talking – not at all! I do. I just say, “Sorry, Mr Appleby – I’ve got to run!” And then I dash away at ninety miles an hour because once he starts he goes on and on and on for hours and hours and hours, and I can hear Mum saying, “Well…” and “I’m sure…” and “I really MUST go…” But she never gets away unless I go and ring the front doorbell or Dad calls her from indoors. So you can see that I’d never describe Mr Appleby as my most favourite person … but the weirdest things can happen when you’re a Stargirl!

  Love Emma XXX

  Chapter One

  Mr Appleby’s our next-door neighbour and he has the most perfect garden – you’d think he polishes it every morning and every evening. The lawn has the neatest stripes, as if he’s painted it rather than mown it, but he still has loads of time to lean over the fence and chat. His latest thing is complaining about the new family that’s just moved in to the house next to his. Apparently the little boys play football indoors, and the baby keeps on crying.

  Mum says Mr A talks a lot because he’s lonely, but I think it’s the other way round and he’s lonely because everyone knows how much he talks, and so (like me) they run away when they see him coming.

  Anyway, last Saturday Mum was being talked at in the garden and I was picking up windfall apples under the tree when I got the most ENORMOUS Tingle in my elbow. Do you know what that means? It means it’s time to go to Stargirl Academy, which is the most exciting thing EVER to happen to me. We go to the Academy and learn SPELLS!

  By the way, you have to absolutely promise never to tell anyone about the Academy because the head teacher Fairy Mary McBee told us it was the most enormous secret. Is that OK? I’m sure it is.

  So I had this huge Tingle – my elbow positively HURT – and I thought, Hurrah!

  I told Mum I was taking the apples inside and I ran into the house through the back door, only instead of ending up in the messy back room where we keep the washing machine, guess what? I found myself in the corridor of Stargirl Academy!

  Lily and Madison and some of the others say it gets misty before they find the Academy front door, but I’ve never had that happen to me. Well, only a few little wisps of fog. In a way it’s strange that I DON’T see any mist, because the Academy rests on the top of an enormous cloud and floats around … in fact, a long time ago it was called Cloudy Towers. That was when it was an academy for training Fairy Godmothers, but now it’s been brought up to date and Fairy Mary McBee is training us to be Stargirls instead. I’m so very glad she decided on the change. Sometimes I look at the secret glowing star on the tip of my littlest left hand finger, and I feel as if I’m glowing myself – glowing with happiness! We were given our secret stars on our very first visit, and we use our star fingers when we’re casting a spell – isn’t that amazing?

  It’s a VERY exciting life being a Stargirl. One minute I was in our garden, and the next minute – woweee! – I was on my way to meet up with the three Fairy Godmothers who teach us magic. I still had the bag of apples in my hand as I went into the workroom where we meet and have our lessons.

  Fairy Fifibelle Lee and Miss Scritch were both there when I walked in. Miss Scritch is the deputy head, and Fairy Fifibelle is a teacher. I like Fairy Fifibelle loads because she doesn’t always get things right, and that makes me feel much better because I don’t either, although I always try my best. I’m a little bit afraid of Miss Scritch. She can be scary and she doesn’t like it when I talk too much, which I do sometimes. Our head teacher, Fairy Mary McBee, is LOVELY! But she wasn’t there, and neither were any of my friends.

  “Oh!” I said. “Am I the first?”

  Miss Scritch nodded. “Unless someone is hiding under the table, Emma, you are undoubtedly the first Stargirl to arrive today.”

  I wasn’t sure if I was meant to laugh or not, so I made a sort of agreeing noise. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell if Miss Scritch is joking or being sarcastic.

  Fairy Fifibelle Lee beamed at me. “It’s wonderful to see you, dearest Emma. Are you ready for a special day today?”

  I smiled back. “I hope so! Why is it special?”

  “Fairy Mary McBee will tell you when she comes in,” Fairy Fifibelle promised. “Why don’t we go and wait in the sitting-room? I’m sure the others won’t be long.”

  I was pleased, because I adore the sitting-room. The workroom is very interesting with all its bulging cupboards full of magical bits and pieces, and its shelves of bottles and jars, but i
t isn’t a place to sit in and relax. The sitting-room is completely different. The walls are covered in the funniest pictures, mostly of the Fairy Godmothers who were trained here years ago. Sometimes they wave at us, and there’s one who often gives me a little wink in a friendly kind of way. There’s always a roaring fire, and the sofas and chairs are incredibly comfortable. It’s the kind of room that makes you feel comfy inside yourself as well as outside, if you know what I mean.

  I snuggled down on the biggest sofa, and Fairy Fifibelle sat down opposite me. “Tell me, dearest, how are you getting on?” she said. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

  “I LOVE it here!” I told her. “I love everything about being a Stargirl – I love having a star finger and my friends and I love learning magic and spells—Oh, and I totally love my necklace!”

  Our necklaces are very special indeed. Fairy Mary McBee gave us one each when we first came to the Academy, and they’re truly magical. If we tap them, we turn invisible! Well, we can just about see each other, and our Fairy Godmothers can always see us, but we’re invisible to ordinary people. And the necklaces aren’t just magical. They’re very pretty too. I never get tired of looking at the Academy crest on the pendant with its two crossed wands and six little twinkling stars.

  Even though the sitting-room wasn’t brightly lit, four out of the six stars twinkled back at me as I gave my pendant a little polish, and I sighed happily.

  “I can’t believe I’ll be a fully qualified Stargirl soon,” I said. “Only two more stars.” A sudden doubt came into my mind, and I gave Fairy Fifibelle an anxious smile. “That is right, isn’t it?”

  Fairy Fifibelle Lee nodded. “Of course, my precious petal. ‘For every good deed done, a star will shine.’ That’s the Stargirl Academy rule.”

  “Everyone in Team Starlight has four stars now,” I told her, and then I hesitated. Had Melody and Jackson got four stars? I wasn’t sure. They weren’t part of our team; when they first came to the Academy, they’d announced they were going to be a team of two, and they always behave as if they’re MUCH better than we are … but I don’t think they are. Not really, even though they’re very good at magic.

  Fairy Fifibelle gave me another of her beaming smiles. “Fairy Mary and Miss Scritch and I are delighted with the way you work together to help people, and we’re sure you’ll graduate very soon. When all six of your stars are shining, there’ll be a party to celebrate, and Fairy Mary McBee will give you your certificates!”

  I love parties, and I was sure a party at Stargirl Academy would be brilliant fun, but before I could say anything there was the sound of laughter and Fairy Fifibelle looked up. “That sounds like the other Stargirls,” she said. “Shall we go and join them?”

  Chapter Two

  Fairy Fifibelle was right. The others had arrived, and so had Fairy Mary McBee – and there was a stranger in the workroom. A very small round man with snow-white hair, bristly eyebrows and bright blue eyes was sitting at the end of the table. He was chatting to Miss Scritch, and for once she was smiling – and I was surprised to see she looked quite pretty. As Fairy Fifibelle and I walked in, she actually laughed at something the little man said!

  “Emma!” Fairy Mary gave a welcoming wave. “This is Professor Moth. He’s come to show you how to cast a Forgetting Spell.”

  Melody was leaning against the wall, and she raised her eyebrows the way she does when she wants to look grown-up and cool. “A Forgetting Spell?” she drawled. “Won’t we forget it as soon as we’ve learnt it?”

  The professor chuckled, and wiggled his fingers at her. “All will be revealed, little Miss Melody! Be patient, and together we will learn a splendid new skill!”

  I wanted to laugh because Melody’s face was such a mixture of astonishment and fury. I don’t suppose anybody had called her “little miss” for years. I didn’t laugh, though, because I knew that would make her even more furious, and she’s scary when she’s angry.

  The professor wasn’t scared in the least. “Good morning, all young ladies. Excuse me one little moment, whilst we get to know each other.” He sat back in his chair and looked carefully at each of us in turn, and when it was my turn I was quite certain he could see right inside my head. It was the strangest feeling! It must have showed on my face – or maybe he read it in my thoughts – because he said, “Aha! Miss Emma! There is no need to worry. Your head is oh so very full of wonderful words. You like to talk, I think. I am right, yes?”

  All my friends laughed, and so did Fairy Mary and Fairy Fifibelle, and even Miss Scritch smiled. I tried not to blush, but it was difficult. “I do try not to talk too much,” I said, “but it just kind of comes out before I can stop myself and once I’ve started I find it really difficult to stop – but I’m not as bad as Mr Appleby next door. He really DOES go on and on and—” I stopped, because I realised I was sounding EXACTLY like Mr Appleby. “Ooops!” I said. “Sorry…”

  “Talking is not bad always,” the professor said, “and your heart is most truthful.” He raised one of his hands. “Fairy Mary McBee, do I have your most gracious permission? I wish to ask these girls to show me the spells already learned.”

  Fairy Mary nodded. “Of course, Professor. Would you like a cup of tea before you begin?”

  Professor Moth’s blue eyes brightened. “What I would like more than anything, dear Fairy Mary, is a mug of your excellent hot chocolate. The Stargirl Academy is famous for the hot chocolate. And a biscuit, perhaps, if such a thing you have?”

  “I’m sure we can do better than a biscuit,” Fairy Mary told him. “Miss Scritch, could you see what we have in the kitchen cupboard? And we’ll all have hot chocolate. It’ll make a nice start to the day.”

  Miss Scritch, who had been gazing at the professor as if he was the most amazing person she’d ever seen, jumped. “Yes, Fairy Mary. I’ll see to it at once. I’ll just run and fetch my wand.”

  She hurried out of the workroom, and Madison dug her elbow into my side. “I think Miss Scritch likes him!” she whispered.

  “I do too,” I whispered back, and then realised the professor was looking straight at us.

  “Miss Madison and Miss Emma,” he said, “perhaps you would now put your very interesting observations to one side. I wish to see a fine example of the Floating Spell.”

  Madison and I both went scarlet, and looked hastily around for something to float. Jackson had put her pencil case on the table, and I pointed my star finger at it.

  As I did so, I thought of all the floatiest things I could – feathers and clouds and birds and butterflies. At once, the case floated upwards, but a moment later it turned upside down and all the pencils fell out.

  Luckily, Madison, her eyes screwed up behind her glasses in concentration, was already pointing at the pencils. They stopped half a centimetre away from the table top, hesitated, then floated back up to hover beside the case.

  “Wonderful!” Professor Moth clapped loudly. “This is well done, well done indeed.”

  “That’s EASY,” Jackson said. “Watch this!” She pointed her star finger, and the pencils popped back inside the case – and the zip closed in a series of tiny jerks. Jackson reached out, caught the pencil case and put it back on the table in front of her.

  “WOW!” Sophie was wide-eyed. “How did you make the zip do that?”

  Jackson shrugged. “Natural genius. Some of us have it, and some of us don’t.”

  I thought the professor would be impressed, but he didn’t seem to have noticed. He turned to Sophie and Lily, and asked them to demonstrate the Solidifying Spell. Sophie pulled a ribbon out of her pocket, and she and Lily pointed their star fingers at it. We each tried to pick it up in turn, but they’d done really well. The ribbon was so heavy that none of us could get it to move at all, until Melody tried. She managed to lift it a few centimetres before she dropped it again with a loud BANG!

  Jackson grinned at her. “Clever Melody!”

  “See?” Melody was pleased with herself. “They didn
’t do it that well!”

  The professor raised one of his bristly eyebrows. “It is not so clever, I think, if someone makes weaker the original spell. It is not so clever if someone—” he looked straight at Melody— “casts a tiny, tiny Floating Spell to make the Solidifying Spell not so strong.”

  “I didn’t do any such thing,” Melody protested.

  I didn’t entirely believe her. And I’m not sure the professor did either, but he was interrupted by Miss Scritch.

  “Snack time!” she announced. She sat down beside Professor Moth and waved her wand. At once trays of cake and sandwiches and biscuits covered the table, together with bowls of trifle and jelly and at least seven different flavours of ice cream. Mugs of steaming hot chocolate came twirling out of the air and settled between the trays, and a heap of marshmallows poured into an empty bowl until it was overflowing.

  “Wonderful! Such wonderful magic!” The professor beamed at Miss Scritch, and she looked modestly down at her wand.

  “It’s nothing,” she said. “Do please help yourself.”

  Chapter Three

  I found myself wishing Professor Moth came to the Academy every day. Miss Scritch had really gone to town – we’d never had such an amazing amount of food before, and everything tasted completely delicious. Normally our deputy head doesn’t approve of too many treats, but it was obvious that she was trying to impress our visitor. She was fluttering round him and smiling from ear to ear. I thought it was really sweet to see her like that – she’s usually so stern and sour-looking – but I saw Melody rolling her eyes at Jackson, and Jackson made a horrible face back. Luckily Miss Scritch was too busy giving the professor double helpings of everything on the table to notice.