“I… I…” was all I could manage. He knew, of course he did, that I used the shoes to get an advantage — he was the one who gave them to me.
“I am afraid that is the least of your problems… I don’t think I need to remind you what we spoke about before?” he raised his eyebrows.
“Er… what’s that Sir?”
“But I am surprised you’ve forgotten,” he chuckled. “The fact that if you did not vanquish the Djinn then I would be forced to exspell you from Hailing Hall.”
An ominous feeling slipped into my stomach. “And it has gone Sir…”
“Yes, gone. Not vanquished.”
He was still going to exspell me? “No Sir, you can’t exspell me… I mean, the Djinn has gone, that’s what you were worried about?”
“No! I am worried that there is Djinn out there that has a connection to you as it’s life giver, and with you in the school, that could pose a security issue for the pupils that are in my care,” he said voice rising.
“But Sir… you can’t exspell me because… this is my home… I can’t leave. I’ll have nowhere. And magic, I’ll…” tears began to fall from my eyes, I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t believe that I was being exspelled! What on earth would I do? Go home? No, that was not an option… I wouldn’t be able to learn magic fully and I wouldn’t be able to get a job without my P.W.W’s!
The Lily watched me coldly. “You know the rules, you agreed to my demands of vanquishing it.”
I held my hands to my face as hot tears streamed uncontrollably. “But… I cannot just exspell you instantly — I have to satisfy the School Councillors, by providing them with the evidence, it shouldn’t be a problem — releasing a Djinn is a criminal offence. You have until the end of the year to prove that it was Malakai who set the accidents on you, and not the Djinn. If you can prove it, with evidence, then you will be allowed to stay. We’re not barbarians — innocent until proven guilty. Currently you are guilty and due to be officially exspelled in just under three weeks.”
I swallowed and took a deep breath. “Yes Sir…”
The Lily stood. “I’m off for an emergency assembly. I’ve just told you the contents of it, so it’s not required for you to come… wait for the doors to unlock before going to the Healer’s room to get checked over. We don’t want you bumping into anyone in the corridors as they make their way to the assembly.”
My head was pounding. I stood in the middle of the Lily’s office utterly dumfounded. If I didn’t find evidence for it being Malakai that set the accidents on me, then I would be exspelled!
I felt weak, my knees shaking together so violently I though I might collapse. It was like my worst nightmare. I’d have to go home and be treated like a scivvy (a magical-less servant). I stood and listened as crowds of people made their way down to the Chamber.
I stood alone in the Lily’s office. It was completely white; the walls, the door, even the window frame and curtains. It was strange to see so much white in one place, it kind of dazzles the eyes — like standing in Slackerdown or the Arctic or something. All the things that usually stood in this room — storage units, tables of magical items, bookcases and such had vanished when the Lily left he room. They sunk downwards into the ground — obviously he didn’t trust me to be around them alone. The only thing that remained was the Lily’s desk. I suppressed the urge to smash it up, for it was the least he deserved. He was being completely out of order.
Click, went the door, opening wide. I walked slowly, the doors clunking shut behind me as I made my way towards the Healer’s room. I hadn’t been harmed at all by the Djinn, all I did have was a horrible headache which felt like my brain was caving inwards. Perhaps it was the stress.
As I walked the empty, silent hallway a thought occurred to me. A terrifying thought… what if the Lily was right? What if the Djinn had tricked me? What if it had completely fooled me and implanted memories of it being nice and telling me all about being in the Heptagon Society just to keep me on it’s side? To make me impotent against vanquishing it — if I even could anyway. My mind was a mess, it hurt to think.
Approaching the large double doors to the Healer’s room I heard a familiar voice from inside — one I had learned to hate… Jasper’s. I tip-toed closer to the door and pressed my ear to it.
“Ouch, that still stings a bit,” he said.
“It will do,” said the Healer in her soft, wonderful voice.
Jasper cleared his throat. “It’s all that Avis Blackthorn’s fault… he saved me, now they all think he’s a hero — but don’t they see? It’s his fault anyway! He’s the one who set the Djinn free…”
“Ok dear, calm down and stop talking so much. It will help.” I pulled away from the door, the stupid git was talking about me — I’d saved his life and he was still moaning. “There,” said the Healer. “Keep that held onto there and that should heal in a few minutes or so.”
“Thanks,” said Jasper. “Oh, there is one more thing, before you go…” Jasper paused, I could sense he was nervous about something. “It’s just, well, I was wondering if you know anything about… blackouts?” his voice cracked.
“Blackouts?”
“Yeah, well it’s silly, probably nothing. Forget I said it actually.”
“If you wish,” said the Healer. “Your cut looks healed over now, you are ready to leave.”
I jumped out of the way of the door and tip-toed down the corridor, slipping into an alcove. The double doors opened slowly as Jasper gave his thanks — I peeked round the corner. He was still in his white Riptide kit. It was muddy and torn in several places. He marched away up the opposite corridor, muttering to himself. I moved out of the alcove and quietly slipped into the Healer’s room.
I didn’t go back to the my dorm room straight away, making a pit stop for the same place I always go when things get tough — the clock tower. I don’t know what it was about it, apart from the fact that I basically lived up there for half a year. Maybe it was the dusty floor, the clanging bell, the bird mess, or the damp smell. Still, I found myself climbing up the thin, spindly ladder and opening the roof hatch.
Pacing the floor, I kicked at the rotting beams — I was just so annoyed and frustrated, tears welled up in my eyes. I preyed for this to just be a horrible dream, and I’ll wake up in a few hours with everything back to normal. I sat down and stared out of the clock face across the rain battered grounds of Hailing Hall — I couldn’t let this be my last memory of this place. If I left, my life would be over… I’d never see Robin, or Tina, or Hunter, or Partington ever again.
A horrible image flashed before my eyes — me turning up to their seventh year graduation to congratulate them, only… they didn’t recognise me. I shuddered — currently, in three weeks I would no longer be a student of Hailing Hall.
I didn’t know how long I was up there. It could have been minutes, or hours — I should have been able to tell seeing as I was in the clock tower, but I had a dreamy daze wash over me. Making my way out of the clock tower to the darkening sky outside, I stumbled and tripped back to my dorm. Pushing open the door, all eyes turned to me.
“Where have you been?” Robin cried, charging over to me.
“Yeah,” said Jake. “We ‘ave been worried sick.”
All the boys were sitting on their beds looking worriedly at me. With light blazing in the brackets, all the boys looked freshly washed, I suddenly realised that I was still caked in mud and dressed in my Riptide shirt.
“Just been… thinking,” I muttered, stumbling inside and crashing down on my bed.
“We watched the demon kidnap you,” said Hunter. “Everyone thought it killed you.”
“The girls were terrified for you,” said Graham. “Someone should go and tell them your okay.”
Dennis jumped up off his bed. “I’ll go…”
“Well?” said Robin. “What happened?”
I sat up a little in the bed as flakes of mud fell everywhere. I didn’t care. “I have no idea,” I sa
id. “I was unconscious. Didn’t see the Djinn.”
Simon recoiled. “Who said it was a Djinn?” he said suspiciously. Bummer.
I squirmed. “Hunter did, just then…”
“No,” Simon pointed. “Hunter said demon, not Djinn.”
“Same difference,” I said waving my hands.
Simon huffed snootily. “They most certainly are not the same!” he called. “You must have had some recollection to know that it was a Djinn and not a demon? Anyway, why would it save you?”
“We ‘ave all been wondering,” said Jake sitting on the end of his bed. “It iz’ a little strange ‘dat the Lily says the Djinn that you released collapsed the stadium, but why would it collapse the stadium on you — but then save you?”
“Exactly!” clapped Simon.
“We kind of put it together Avis,” said Graham. “The jumper that you just got from nowhere… it did weird things to people… that was from the Djinn wasn’t it?”
My eyes felt heavy and I was tiring, my headache returning as I strained to think of the right thing to say. “Look, it’s been a long day… I just want to get some sleep—”
“Yeah but…” said Simon. “You haven’t heard the best bit! We had an assembly earlier, the Lily told the whole school that someone in our form cheated.”
“He didn’t say cheated,” said Robin. “He said used an illegal spell.”
“Same thing… anyway, it means that he’s awarded the place in the final to the Swillows! Which means it’s your fault that we are out!” Simon cried — the other boys scoffed at him.
“How do you come to that conclusion?” said Graham.
“Yeah!” Hunter bellowed. “We wouldn’t be anywhere near the final if it wasn’t for Avis.”
I sighed. “I already knew. The Lily told me earlier, in his office. He’s angry with me that I wouldn’t tell… I mean, that I couldn’t remember anything about the Djinn. So he’s told me that I’m going to be exspelled in three weeks…”
“WHAAAAT?”
I slept like a log. Can you blame me? It was the most eventful, stressful, adrenaline fuelled day I’ve ever had at Hailing Hall. I didn’t even bother taking off my Riptide shirt, nor did I care about them all watching me as I drifted into sweet unconsciousness.
Strange dreams flew around my head for what felt like years — Caretaker Ingralo burst through the bedroom door. CRASH! “Where is he?” he called.
Everyone jumped. “Who? Who?” Hunter cried, pulling his sheets up to his chin.
“Avis BLACKTOOOOORN!”
“Over there!” said Simon pointing at me. Ingralo charged forwards and grabbed fistfuls of bed cover and leg.
“What are you doing!” I cried. “Get off me!”
“Yeah get off him!” said Robin.
“YOU’RE EXSPELLED! OUT! OUT! OUT!” Ingralo got a purchase on my ankle and dragged me hard. BANG! Went my head as it caught the floor.
“Not yet!” I cried. “NOT YEEEET!” I put my hands up at him. “Pasanthedine! Nouchous!” A whoosh of wind and fire shot at Ingralo but did nothing!
Then, Ingralo dropped me outside the dorm… looking down at me was the Lily, he began to chuckle softly — the fire in brackets dancing white in their holders and flashing on and off. When the light went black — he turned into Malakai! The Lily — Malakai — the Lily — Malakai… I cried out for Robin, anyone, to help me.
“I’ll take it from here,” said Jasper rising tall behind the Lily.
Suddenly, we were in the Hall. The Lily and Jasper standing over me — the big double doors swung open, rain and wind filled the Hall as lines of pupils around the Hall chanting: “OUT! OUT! OUT!” Robin appeared behind me and pulled me up until I was standing.
“Robin! You gotta help me…” Robin looked down at the floor.
“Probably best if you just go,” he said, pointing at the door. The outline of two tall figures stood in the doorway, silhouette casting a long shadow into the Hall. I cowered as my parents moved into the light.
“Come along Avis,” said Mother. “We could do with another scivvy!” she cackled.
“Indeed,” said Father. “Kilkenny!” Our Irish butler appeared by their side in a flash, mop and bucket in hand.
“I think these are yours now…” he exploded with devilish laughter.
“NOOO! … Ahhh!”
I woke with a start, covered in sweat. “Please… huh?” I was in bed. The curtains were still drawn, but there was light outside. Sitting up, I saw empty beds. Suddenly I was so immensely grateful that I was here — the dream felt so real. I looked up the clock, but I had to wait a minute for my foggy eye sight to adjust — 11am? I’d slept for almost twelve hours? Jeez.
I opened the curtains with a flick of my hand. As I got out of bed crusty mud fell everywhere, but that wasn’t all. A small note fell to the floor. I picked it up: Avis, you were dreaming pretty hard. We left you to sleep in. (Talk later?) Robin. I put the note down and grabbed my towel — I needed a shower.
When I returned, I dressed slowly watching the rain out side the window. The Riptide Stadium stuck out like the imperfect crack on the Lily’s floor — against the backdrop of the perfect grounds. Then I took a seat on the sofa and lay down — running everything through my head.
“Hey Avis? Avis?” Someone was shaking me slowly.
“Huh? What?” I sat up, shaking the sleep away — I’d fallen asleep again? Robin was standing over me, looking concerned. “What time is it?” I said.
“Its dinner. I told the guys to go on without me. You and me need to talk.” It was already dinner time? I was starving. The sun was setting over the horizon.
I sat up, my neck ached. Robin took the sofa opposite me, for a long moment he didn’t say anything — he just stared. “Is it true? You’re really being exspelled?” I nodded slowly. “Oh god!” he said collapsing backwards into the sofa, deflating like a balloon. “What happened?”
I told him everything, right from when the Djinn took me to the Heptagon room, it taking my blood and all that Chambers and the Djinn told me.
“So you have… three weeks?” said Robin incredulous. “To find evidence of it being Malakai? That’s impossible! How on earth are you supposed to do that?!” I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I just shook my head. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say the Lily doesn’t really want you here anymore. Mind you, when we saw the Djinn fly away with you up into the sky, I thought… well, we all thought, that you were as good as dead.”
“I bet,” I sighed. “It’s all my fault.”
Robin’s beady eyes flickered behind their glassy frames. “What is?”
“I should have realised sooner. I mean it’s obvious now isn’t it? I read something last year about true names — and I’d forgotten it, until now. There was some guy called Tyreko and he went bad. This woman, I can’t remember her name, used love magic to seduce Tyreko and get his true name. Then she defeated him. He reduced in size to a small… stubby… creature in rags.” I said, but Robin was still staring at me expectantly. “I defeated Malakai using his true name. And now he too is a small, stubby, creature in rags. The thing that’s been trying to kill me all year was Malakai. It couldn’t have been the Djinn, like everyone was saying, because the accidents started way before I even released the Djinn. So that’s why it’s all my fault…” I cried, I couldn’t help it. I felt so useless, so stupid. “This whole year I’ve been an… idiot. Concentrating more on trying to be popular than realising what was trying to kill me, putting my friends in danger.”
“Don’t get down about it. It’s easy to look back with hindsight. Anyway, I want to know what you mean about the Djinn saying you are the seventh member of the Heptagon Society?”
I nodded. “Yes. But, the Lily reckons the Djinn implanted the memory, or that the Djinn was lying to me.”
Robin looked to the ceiling. “Could be, but I don’t think the Djinn was lying — not about the Heptagon Society anyway.”
“What? You’v
e heard of it?”
Robin tapped his chin. “I’ve read about it somewhere yeah. And you are a seventh son, so it’s plausible right?” Robin clicked his fingers, two cups of steaming tea popped into existence on the arm of the chair. With another click of his fingers, some parchments and a pen fell into his lap.
“What you doing?” I said confused.
Robin began scratching on the paper. “We’ve got to find a way of finding the evidence to stop you being exspelled…”
Stress continually bubbled away under the surface of my mind. I felt hot under the collar, my tie was too tight. Lessons were uncomfortable — I tried my very best to concentrate, to absorb my last remains of magical teachings. But, I just couldn’t, it passed me by in a daze. Someone made a joke in Wasp’s lesson and I snapped at them to be quiet — I didn’t even mean to, it was like someone else had taken over me — my gaze drifting to the floor as wave after wave of sorrow engulfed me.
All I got was sorry glances from all that had heard the news — my form were quieter than usual and kept glancing up at me with sorry grimaces. Word of mouth slowly spread and I walked the corridors to stares and mutters. They had put it together — the Lily announces in assembly that the person responsible for unleashing the discarnate being will be expelled, I had a magical jumper that was most suspicious, and then the Riptide Stadium collapses and I am carried off by a flying spirit.
— “It must be,” said the barely concealed whispers. “It all makes sense doesn’t it. He released the…”
— “Genie! And he wished for that jumper… I wonder why?”
— “To get Tina Partington to fall in love with him, that’s what I heard.”
— “Pffft,” scoffed another. “You can’t wish for love. Everyone knows that.”
— “You can too!”
— “Anyway, it’s not called a Genie, it’s called a Djinn…”
— “Whatever.”
Avis Blackthorn and the Magical Multicolour Jumper (The Wizard Magic School Series, Book 2) Page 31
