The Catchers

by Stuart J. Kent

  “What?” said Marty, glancing up at them, innocently.

  “Oh yeah, bye! Good luck with that!” he then added casually, but they all just stared back at him.

  “Oh no, you want me to come with you and face the danger as well,” he sighed glumly.

  The others all nodded in agreement.

  “Really?” he asked again, hoping they would change their minds.

  To which they all nodded again.

  “Fine!” he sighed before dropping the treasure and strolling sulkily towards them. “Although, I’d just like to point out, for the record, how stupid an idea this is, plus I’m the only one who’s not allowed to do magic here, which is not exactly fair as we are about to go into battle against a dark wizard!” he then complained bitterly.

  “Right then, let’s go stop a bad wizard!” Colin said before he held up his hand and then clicked his fingers. The group immediately magic-jumped from the secret room, down to the stone path just outside of the ministry building. And once again, Jamie lost control of his breakfast as it came back up for an encore.

  “I’m sure you will get used to it one day, old chap!” Colin chuckled, patting his back in sympathy.

  “I hope so!” Jamie muttered with a grimace, before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. They were now just a few feet away from the main crowd of excited carnival-goers, who were all busy watching the last few magical floats arrive at the back of the pedestrian area, before the grand ceremony started.

  “Right, it can’t be more than just a few minutes till the ceremony begins,” said Colin, gathering everyone into a huddle.

  “Now, we do have a small problem, Lord Teathorpe knows who I am so I can’t get too close to the stage, so Trixie and Jamie, you will have to make your way through the crowd and get as close as you can to the front of the stage, ready to create a diversion.”

  “Okay,” they both replied eagerly.

  “Then Henry, you cover this side of the stage nearest to the high council.”

  “But Lord Teathorpe knows me as well, I’m just as recognisable as you,” replied Henry, concerned.

  “Ah, that’s why I brought this!” Colin said before giving a whistle.

  Then, from above, or more precisely from Spot, dropped a big cloth sack, filled with something familiar.

  “The whale costume!” Henry groaned as he watched Colin pull it out of the sack.

  “Sorry, old bean, but it’s the only way you will be able to get close enough to help us cover all the sides of the stage, and while you are on this side, Marty and I will cover the far side.”

  “Then what?” asked Trixie eagerly.

  “Well, Lord Teathorpe will have to sit in the throne to be crowned. As soon as he sits down, create a distraction to interrupt the ceremony, then hit him with a binding spell, and then I will take him into wizard custody,” replied Colin triumphantly.

  “Cool!” Jamie and Trixie said together, excited that they would get to stop Lord Teathorpe.

  “And if it doesn’t go to plan, Henry or I will stop him if he tries to flee,” added Colin.

  “I like it! It’s simple, it’s easy, and its risk-free, and most importantly I don’t have to do anything!” grinned Marty from Colin’s top pocket.

  “Okay good luck, everyone,” Colin then said before the group separated and they went about their important tasks.

  Jamie, Trixie and Colin began making their way through the large, dense crowd, as Henry reluctantly started to put on the foam rubber suit.

  “Blooming stupid Whale blubber,” he muttered, very annoyed he had to put that costume on.

  “Blooming foam fat hot sticky suit!”

  Meanwhile, up on the stage, the high council and other dignitaries were just taking their seats as the ceremony began.

  “Is everything in place?” asked Lord Teathorpe inquisitively as he stood at the back of the stage in his finest red parade uniform jacket with shiny medals and black pressed trousers and shiny shoes.

  “Yes, my lord, just as you planned it,” replied Darren Farrenden, who was stood next to him in a very nice black tuxedo.

  “Good! I want this ceremony to be really spectacular!” Lord Teathorpe grinned.

  “Oh, I’m sure it will be, sir,” replied Darren, smiling. “Just out of interest, sir, what are the medals for?”

  “Oh, these old things,” Lord Teathorpe replied innocently. “Five years’ high council service, ten years’ high council service and best in show at last year’s Crufts,” replied Lord Teathorpe, pointing to each one proudly.

  “Oh, I didn’t know your dog won Crufts last year?” said Darren, surprised to hear it.

  “He didn’t, I did,” grinned Lord Teathorpe smugly, before walking off to his designated seat, leaving Darren looking very confused.

  Trixie and Jamie had now managed to force their way through nearly half of the crowd, but they were still a good distance from the actual front of the stage, and running out of time.

  “Can you see him yet?” asked Trixie, trying to squeeze between two large wizards.

  “No, I can only just make out the stage,” replied Jamie, jumping on the spot trying to see over the people in front of him.

  “Keep moving forward, then,” Trixie ordered before she popped out from between the two overly large wizards and then staggered into the back of Jamie.

  “All right! All right, no need to push!” Jamie said, slightly annoyed she was shoving him.

  “I wasn’t, I tripped,” Trixie protested as she squashed up behind him, before getting an elbow in the ear.

  Jamie then ducked down and moved under the waving arm of the next wizard in front of him, and Trixie quickly followed him.

  “Phew!” she cringed, covering her nose as a bad smell wafted her way.

  “That wasn’t me!” Jamie said, quickly protesting his innocence.

  “I know it wasn’t, it’s this wizard’s armpit,” she replied, pointing up to a hairy, sweaty crevice hanging just above her head.

  “Urrgh!” Jamie groaned in disgust on seeing it.

  “Just keep moving!” Trixie urged him, before giving him a little push again.

  Across the far side of the crowd, Colin and Marty had just emerged from the mass of bodies and were now gingerly approaching the stage, when a large wizard police officer in his dark blue uniform stopped them from proceeding any further.

  “I’m sorry, sir, authorised personnel only beyond this point, I’m going to have to ask you to move back to the public viewing area,” said the officer, gesturing him back a few feet.

  “Oh I understand, officer, I was just hoping I could stand here because I can’t see very well, my old eyes aren’t what they use to be and the crowd, you see, it’s very large, and it’s affecting my asthma, so if I could just watch the ceremony from here it would mean so much to an old, frail wizard like me,” replied Colin, trying to sound very innocent.

  “Well…” replied the officer, considering Colin’s request.

  “Oh officer, your shoe’s untied,” Colin suddenly said, glancing down.

  “Really?” the officer said, bending down to take a look.

  “No, not really,” Colin replied before quickly tapping him on the head with his wand and stunning him unconscious in a heap.

  “Old and frail indeed!” muttered Colin, rather annoyed that the wizard police officer actually believed he was.

  “Brilliant!” exclaimed Marty, peering out from Colin’s top pocket.

  “Yes, maybe, but don’t tell Trixie, I don’t want her thinking this is how you should treat officers of the wizard police, this was just an emergency,” Colin replied, quickly stepping over the sleeping policeman.

  Up on the stage, a line of wizards dressed in red robes and pointy red hats began to blow on their s
hiny brass trumpets, and as their horns bellowed out, a young handsome wizard dressed in a white tuxedo stepped out onto the stage holding a short black wand like a microphone.

  “Welcome, one and all, to the four-hundred-and-thirty-first Magictasium end of carnival crowning ceremony!” he called out enthusiastically.

  The crowd roared excitedly and then clapped and cheered, and as they did, Jamie and Trixie finally arrived within a few feet of the stage.

  “I can see Lord Teathorpe,” Jamie said excitedly, looking to his left where the council members were sitting.

  “Where?” Trixie asked, appearing next to him.

  “There!” Jamie replied, pointing to the well-dressed wizard sitting at the front of the group.

  “Why is he in the military uniform?” asked Jamie curiously, noticing the dashing red and black suit he was wearing.

  “He owns a chain of ice cream shops, that’s their uniform,” replied Trixie pointing up to a giant ice-cream-shaped balloon that was floating high above the stage, with Lord Teathorpe’s image on it.

  “Oh, okay,” Jamie shrugged.

  Back on the stage the ceremony host was still waffling on.

  “And so, after a great day of fantastic magical floats, entertainers and bands, we get to the finale of the day, The CROWNING CEREMONY!” he screamed out making everyone cheer again. “Who will it be? Who has given their all? Who has shown the greatest spirt? Who will be this year’s king or queen of the carnival?”

  The crowd roared excitedly again before the host continued with his speech.

  “Okay, wizards and witches, we have four nominees for this year’s choice, and the first is…” he then paused for dramatic effect as a drum roll began in the background.

  “Mildred Thistle, of the Wounded in the Pursuit of Knowledge, Wizard and Witches New Spells High College!”

  The crowd went wild as a middle-aged witch in a cheerleader’s outfit, who unfortunately happened to be missing one arm, took to the stage and stood grinning happily while waving the one arm she still had.

  “The next nominee is…” he paused again for the drum roll.

  “Douglas T Janavic, of the Old Wizards and Witches Terminally Forgetful Society!” continued the host. The crowd cheered again before a young witch dressed in a smart blue suit ran onto the stage and whispered something into his ear and then left the stage again.

  “Oh dear, well unfortunately it appears that poor old Douglas forgot to turn up today,” said the host, making everyone chuckle. “So never mind let’s move on to the next nominee…”

  Colin was now huddled at the end of the stage, peering across it at Lord Teathorpe, who was just casually sitting, enjoying the ceremony with all the other high council members.

  “Okay, Marty, I want you to stay calm, but there’s something I haven’t told you,” he said, hesitating.

  “What?” Marty asked, suspiciously.

  “You’re the back-up plan,” replied Colin, smiling awkwardly.

  “What?” cried Marty, before being hushed by the nearest witches and wizards.

  “You’re the back-up plan Marty,” Colin then whispered. “If all else fails, and we can’t stop him in time, then you’re the only one small enough to get close to him without being noticed, so it will all come down to you.”

  “No! No, no, I’m not the back-up plan, I’m not a hero, I can’t even do any magic!” replied Marty anxiously. “How am I meant to stop him without magic?”

  “Good question, Marty, and I have faith you’ll figure it out, but there’s no other way and no more time to plan anything else,” Colin replied before pulling Marty out of his pocket.

  “Hey, put me down! This is an infringement of my civil rights! You’ve got the wrong man!” Marty cried, protesting angrily as Colin placed him on the stage. “I told you, I’m not a hero, I don’t even like saving water, I run the tap deliberately longer than I need to, just for fun.”

  “Well, that explains my large water bill,” grumbled Colin. “But it doesn’t matter, because innocent people need you, and it’s time to stand up and fight for what you believe in.”

  “But I don’t believe in anything,” replied Marty despairingly. “Unless it’s food or gold and I don’t see either of them in danger right now.”

  “Just get to that throne and be ready to help,” replied Colin shooing him away as Marty began reluctantly to walk across the stage. “And remember, keep out of sight until you need to spring into action,” whispered Colin.

  “Spring! You never said anything about springing into action,” muttered Marty, annoyed he now had the most dangerous task of all. “Great, now I’ve got to be a springing hero!”

  Back in the ceremony, the third nominee had now taken to the stage, a rather large wizard in a Canadian Mounties’ uniform who was waving madly to the crowd.

  “And the final nominee…” the host said, pausing for silence as the drum roll began for the final time. “The final nominee is…”

  “This is it, get ready!” said Trixie pointing her wand towards the stage in anticipation as Jamie copied her.

  “Darren Farrenden of the High Council Secretaries Department and Organising Committee,” announced the host.

  “What?” exclaimed both Jamie and Trixie in shock and confusion, as the crowd went wild around them.

  “But what about Lord Teathorpe?” asked Jamie, really confused.

  “I don’t know, I don’t understand what’s going on,” replied Trixie, looking just as confused.

  Darren then got up from his seat and moved to the front of the stage with the other hopeful nominees.

  “What do we do?” asked Jamie, panicking.

  “I’m not sure,” Trixie replied with a helpless shrug as the ceremony host continued talking again.

  “Now folks, we have our three nominees, and it’s almost time to vote, but before that, there is one more thing we need to do, let’s bring out the throne!” the host said excitedly before the big red curtain behind him pulled back and the large golden throne slowly slid forwards into view on a cloud of smoke.

  “Okay, stay hidden,” muttered Marty to himself as he scampered swiftly behind one of the legs of the throne without being noticed. “Stay safe, and look sad when it’s all over and everyone else is dead!”

  Once the throne had stopped close to the front of the stage, the host then began explain the voting system.

  “So, it’s time to cast your votes,” the host said, pointing to three large crystal balls that sat on three tall podiums, being pushed into view by three young, glamorous assistant witches, all in glittery red dresses. The crystal balls were positioned in front of each nominee and then the young glamourous witches left the stage.

  “Okay, if you would like to see Mildred Thistle crowned queen of the carnival, vote now!” he then said, pointing to the first crystal ball.

  The crowd quickly pulled their wands out, pointed them at the crystal ball and with a little flick began to cast their votes.

  The crystal ball filled with a blue magical glow, and as the voting finished it began to gently pulse.

  “Okay then, the next nominee is Craig Huskie in his lovely Mountie uniform, please cast your votes now,” continued the host, pointing to the next crystal ball.

  Again, the crowd pointed their wands and began to vote, and slowly the second ball filled with a green magical glow.

  “There’s only one person left to vote for,” Jamie said, watching intently at what was happening in front of him.

  “I know, I know,” replied Trixie despairingly, still not sure what to do.

  “It must be him, it must be Darren Farrenden,” she said finally.

  “Are you sure?” asked Jamie, not as convinced.

  “No, but I just can’t see how it could be anyone else,” replied Trixie. />
  The second voting then finished and the crystal ball glowed a little brighter than the first one, then the host moved to the last crystal ball, Darren’s ball.

  “Okay, so the last nominee, the Ministry’s very own Darren Farrenden, doesn’t he look handsome?” grinned the host, making the crowd chuckle again. “So, please one more time cast your votes,” he then said pointing to the final crystal ball.

  The crowd once more flicked their wands and began voting, and slowly the ball began to fill with a red magical glow, which grew brighter and brighter until finally it clearly out-glowed the first two balls.

  “Wow! I think it’s safe to say, WE HAVE A WINNER!” cried the host, shielding his eyes from the glow as the crowd cheered and clapped again.

  “Witches and wizards of Magictasium, our king of the carnival this year is… Darren Farrenden!” the host cried excitedly before some small fireworks exploded around the stage and the trumpets began to play again.

  “This is it!” Trixie said nervously as she watched Darren approach the throne.

  “Are you sure?” Jamie asked, just as nervously.

  At the end of the stage, Colin now stared in disbelief, just like his niece.

  “It can’t be, but it must be, it must be him!” he muttered to himself as he came to the same conclusion as Trixie.

  “That deceitful young delinquent, oh, I’m so cross!” muttered Henry on the other side of the stage, as he too began to realise the truth of who the dark wizard must be.

  “A nice big piece of Victoria sponge cake and a cup of tea, that’s what I’ll have first, then I’ll knock Colin’s room into Trixie’s and put in a hot tub,” muttered Marty, as he leant against the leg of the throne, oblivious to everything that was now happening.

  Darren stood for a moment by the large golden throne, with its plump red cushions and large decorative gold arms, and stared out at the cheering crowd with a big smile on his face enjoying every moment of his victory. Then he gently sat upon the big red cushion and waited excitedly as two young witches in white glittery dresses walked across the stage carrying a big blue cushion that had the large golden carnival crown upon it.