Zak Turner - A Twist In Time Page 9

  The Leo first years were all cheering, including Shaul, who seemed to have got carried away with something other than his own arrogant self for once. There was a pause while Aldo and his two assistant referees went round all the players casting spells and charms to fix up their injuries, cuts, and bruises.

  As they waited, one of the Aquila players jumped back on his broom, flew over to the Moncero first years, and stopped right in front of Zak and Tallion in the stand. They grinned in surprise to see Cygnus Proudfoot smiling at them.

  “How are you enjoying your first day boys?” he asked.

  “It’s great Cygnus, everything I hoped it would be and more!” answered Zak.

  “I didn’t know you played Balayage, Cygnus!” called out Tallion. “You need to come up to the castle and help us train Bjarne, he’s mad about it!”

  “I will, no problem. I wasn’t in the first team until this year, but a couple of other sixth years decided they didn’t want to play so I got a chance! Don’t think Dad will be too impressed though, he says it’s ‘way too dangerous’! Are you staying a bit longer? Aquila is attacking next, so you’ll see me trying to get into the pit!”

  “Dunno, we still have to go to the forest, the boathouse, and the greenhouses, but I think we might be here for a bit longer yet.”

  Just then Aldo Flight blew his whistle and Cygnus flew back to join his team-mates. After another minute, the whistle blew again, and instantly Aquila attacked, trying to get past the defending Leo and Moncero players.

  Cygnus was number one and had to get his Pelott into the pit first. He’d decided to try and catch the defenders off guard by flying with the Pelott right through them rather than trying to throw it past them. He headed straight for a Leo defender who stood his ground defiantly, and at the last second Cygnus dived and rolled so that he flew underneath the defender, rolling upright again just as his head would have hit the low wall round the pit. There were gasps and cheers as he threw his Pelott straight into the pit and soared vertically upwards to help his team-mates. The Aquila number then two lobbed his Pelott straight at Cygnus who was still directly above the pit. The long blond curls of the Yorkshire wizard flashed in the sunlight as he batted the Pelott hard, straight down to join his number one Pelott at the bottom of the pit.

  The defenders were momentarily thrown off guard by the swiftness of the Aquila attack, and too many of them turned to chase Cygnus away from the pit to stop him getting anymore Pelotts in from above. Ready for it, the number three Aquila spotted a gap in the wall of defenders and hurled his Pelott straight through it, achieving a perfect trajectory, and landing it fair and square with the previous two at the bottom of the pit.

  The number four defenders had realised what was happening and charged the number four Aquila, trying to make him drop his Pelott, but he simply lobbed it to Cygnus who was already flying overhead. However, the defenders closed in round Cygnus too, and he had to pass back rather than taking a shot.

  The momentum of the initial attack fizzled out, and Aquila now found it very difficult to get their fourth Pelott in. Eventually, their number two player tried to barge his way through the defenders, carrying the number five Pelott, and when the defenders crowded him, the number four player threw his Pelott over the top, trying a sneaky lob-shot. A Leo player managed a breath-taking upside-down tail swipe to send the Pelott soaring through the air to the boundary.

  With just two minutes to go, the Aquila players charged the defenders to try and get themselves into the pit before the whistle blew, and one by one they scrambled in. Their number five player though found himself completely blocked by about five defenders, and he soared off to the boundary before flying back at full speed towards the pit. The defenders stood their ground, and the Aquila player hit them hard, just as the whistle blew, knocking three of them clean off their brooms. He fell headlong into the pit, where he landed just as the whistle stopped blowing.

  The first year Aquilas danced about cheering wildly, the Balayage was certainly living up to expectations even though this was just a practise match! The injuries from the last challenge, however, were substantial. A dislocated shoulder, a broken jaw, eight broken ribs, a broken leg, a broken arm, a broken wrist, two broken noses, and rather a lot of blood!

  Zak began to realise what Tallion had meant about the game being dangerous, and understood why so many parents were reluctant for their children to get involved.

  “That was a bit extreme though, Zak,” said his friend as they walked off into the forest with the other excited first years. “That’s the sort of move you’d normally see in a cup match, not a school practise match! I bet Aldo Flight tells him off about it! You’re not supposed to do things like that in a practise!”

  “No-one will mess with him next time though,” grinned Zak, who could see the tactical advantage of the move. It might have hurt, but that Aquila player would have a reputation as being prepared to do anything in future!

  The walk round the forest seemed quite tame compared to the Balayage, and the students were all still chattering about the game by the time they got back to the greenhouses forty minutes later, having seen nothing except birds and squirrels. For some reason they seemed to have skipped the boathouse and the lake, but no-one was complaining.

  Professor Pruner nodded to Zak and Tallion as she greeted the class, and then launched off on a whistle-stop tour of her six greenhouses pointing out different plants that they’d be studying during their first year. Last lesson on Wednesday afternoons was first year Herbology anyway, so there were no other students having a lesson as the enthusiastic witch showed her new first years some of the rather more exotic plants, including a Trugstork tree!

  “Tallion, you’ve had an encounter with a Trugstork tree, can you tell everyone what they do?”

  Tallion frowned sharply at the Herbology professor, but found her smiling mischievously at him.

  “If you get too close to one it’ll grab you and crush you to death,” he said quietly, and then glancing at Zak he added, “unless your best friend manages to stop it.”

  “Thank you Tallion, spot on. Whatever you do, all of you, do not stand close to this tree with your back to it. Once it’s got you, there’s no escape, and if Zak’s not around, then it’s probably lights out! Right, let’s go and have a look at the talking water melons.”

  The first years looked nervously over their shoulders at the tree, which now had a lethal reputation. Quite a few of them also looked at Zak and Tallion with awed expressions, understanding correctly that a Trugstork had grabbed Tallion and that Zak had somehow saved his life! There were a lot of muttered conversations as they moved along to the water melons.

  * * *

  Their tour of the greenhouse ended about three thirty, and the prefects took their charges back to their own houses where they had free time until dinner at five thirty. As David and Sasha shooed the Moncero first years up to their dorms to freshen up, Zak and Tallion hung back.

  “David, can we have a word?” asked Tallion as he approached the seventh year.

  “Of course. Sam told me what happened last night on the way back from the infirmary, is that what you want to talk about?”

  “Well, not exactly. Umm, did Professor McCathie or the headmaster tell you anything about us?”

  “Not really no, why?”

  Tallion took a deep breath and after glancing at Zak launched into an explanation.

  “Well, we’re not going to be doing much studying here at Mhonarr Castle, we’re mostly going to be studying at Lofthouse Castle in Yorkshire. We’re registered as ‘associate students’, part of the school, but not living and studying here very often. We’re going back to Yorkshire tonight, right after dinner.”

  David couldn’t stop his eyebrows disappearing into his hairline, but his face ended up wearing a smile.

  “I don’t know why you’re doing that, but in view of what happened last night, it sounds like a smart move. That’s not why you’re leaving though is it?” he ask
ed, suddenly serious.

  “No. It would take more than a threat from Sargas Malchus to make me run away. I’d love to face him down right here in the castle! Studying in Yorkshire has always been the plan. My future role there means that I need to grow up in a non-magical environment as much as possible. It seems a bit mad I know, but we’re both going to the local non-magical academy to study during the week, and then learning magic at the weekends and during the holidays. We’re going to be attending two schools!”

  David managed to simultaneously look both surprised and sceptical at that bit of news, and then he blew out his cheeks.

  “Two schools? And non-magical school? Blimey, you are mad!”

  “You’re not the only one who thinks that. Anyway, we need everyone here in Moncero to understand why we’ll not be here after dinner. We’ll tell our room-mates, but we can’t tell everyone…”

  “No problem Tallion, we’ll handle that. Do you want me to tell people after you’ve gone? It might be better to tell everyone before you go. When will you be back again?”

  “Well, we’ll certainly be here during the last week in October, that’s half term week at Netherdale Academy, but we might get chance to come some weekends in-between too.”

  “Okay. I think we should tell everyone before you leave though. I can announce it right after dinner, here in the common room before everyone starts their homework and stuff. When do you start at Netherdale?”

  “Tomorrow morning,” said Tallion looking at Zak a little bit worriedly.

  We’ll be fine, don’t worry. Steven and Sam will be with us, and we’ll adjust back no problem, said Zak telepathically to his friend, and gave him a smile.

  David remembered that he wanted to ask them about this ability, and now while they were alone seemed like a good opportunity.

  “Guys, were you just talking telepathically to each other?”

  Both eleven-year-olds suddenly looked worried.

  “Umm, yeah. Was it that obvious?” asked Zak with a frown.

  “Yes!”

  “Oh. We were hoping to keep it hidden.

  “Well, your secret’s safe with me gents, but don’t look at each other while you do it okay? That’s what gives it away.”

  “Okay. Thanks David.”

  “No problem. Right, scoot off and get ready for dinner and remember to tell Alfie and Harry why you’re going. They’re going to feel a bit weird by themselves again so soon.”

  * * *

  When Zak told their room-mates that they were leaving after dinner, they looked genuinely sad. They’d only been together for less than twenty four hours, but already felt like good friends. After a bit of explaining, Tallion told them that they would try and come back at weekends if possible, and that they’d definitely be back in October for a whole week.

  Harry then asked if they could come up to Yorkshire for the weekends.

  “Well, we’d like that” he said after a lightning quick thought conversation with Zak, “but I’m not sure whether the headmaster will want you out of school! Also we’re supposed to be studying magic at the weekends, but you can always join in our lessons if you want!”

  The four boys sniggered. Alfie and Harry didn’t look too happy at the prospect of extra weekend study, but they did agree to ask Professor McCathie, their head-of-house, about visiting when they got chance.

  Time marched relentlessly onwards, as it always does when something you don’t want to happen is approaching, and dinner had been and gone almost before the boys had chance to notice! As they made their way back to the tower, David scooted past Tallion with a wink.

  “I need to get back first!” he said quietly, and vanished through a nearby wall.”

  Zak and Tallion exchanged a quick glance, which clearly said ‘…that must be the entrance to another secret passage or shortcut…’

  They both memorised the spot on the wall for future investigation.

  Fifteen minutes later, virtually the whole of Moncero House was in the main common room in the tower, having been asked to wait there for a few minutes by David. He stood on a chair and said that he had a quick announcement to make, and then he told them about Zak and Tallion being associate students, and that they were leaving in a few minutes to go and do most of their studying in Yorkshire, but that they’d be back as often as they could.

  He wished them a safe trip, and then jumped down off the chair with a grin and shook their hands. The boys were surprised how many other students came up and did the same thing, and when Professor McCathie arrived ten minutes later to take them to the portal room, it was quite an emotional moment. The two young wizards really did feel as though they were leaving their family behind!

  * * *

  The journey back to Yorkshire was much less stressful than the journey in the other direction. Sir Philip was waiting for them in the reconstructed cellar at Kirkstall Abbey, and after a quick hug, which surprised them both, he held out his hand to port them back to Lofthouse.

  “I’m very glad you’re safely back boys, but there’s no time for talking here, we need to get you to The Copse and into bed ready for tomorrow. I’m sure Netherdale Academy will be far less exciting than Mhonarr Castle, but it’s just as important!”

  There was a whoosh as the three wizards disappeared into thin air, materialising a few seconds later in the deserted estate office thirty five miles away in Lower Nettleton. Sir Philip quickly led them outside to the Range Rover and drove them round to the Turner’s house in The Copse.

  “Zak, no-one’s told your parents about what happened yesterday. I’m not telling you to keep it secret, that decision is yours to make, but my suggestion is to try and avoid it if possible as it will only worry them badly. Okay, you’re at home number one. Quite how you’re going to cope with attending two schools, living in two houses, leading two separate lives, with two sets of parents is a bit of a mystery to me! It’s certainly going to be a very full life! See you on Friday evening at the castle.”

  John Turner was standing at the door as the boys jumped out of the Range Rover, and he exchanged a wave with Sir Philip as the baronet drove away again. Zak and Tallion stepped wearily into the house and collapsed onto one of the sofas.

  “Hi Mum, is everything ready for tomorrow?”

  “Yes love, for both of you. Bags packed and uniforms laid out in your rooms. You just need to get up and go in the morning. Dad’s going to take you in the car this week, although from next week you’ll be catching the bus from the village, okay?”

  “Right, no problem. Thanks.”

  “So, do you have enough energy left to tell us anything about Mhonarr Castle then?”

  Zak smiled at Tallion. They’d both guessed they would be asked that question within five minutes of getting home! They spent the next hour describing their day, but missed out what happened at Kirkstall Abbey and their time in the infirmary. They talked about Alfie and Harry, and their suggestion about coming to Yorkshire at the weekends, and of course the Turners were more than willing to look after them, knowing that the decision about whether they could come was not theirs to make.

  The two boys headed for bed at nine o’clock, exhausted, but looking forward to joining their second school in the morning.

  6. Netherdale Academy

  Seven o’clock came round far too soon at The Copse, and the insistent alarm clock penetrated both Zak and Tallion’s dreams relentlessly, until Zak’s flapping hand managed to land on top of it on the bedside table, and shut it up.

  He then became aware that even though he’d started the night alone in his own bed, Tallion was now there with him, and the two of them had once again woken up with their legs all tangled together.

  “I know I’ve said it before, but how on earth we sleep like this is a complete mystery to me!”

  Tallion just grinned. “It’s very nice though, kind of addictive really. And we do sleep extremely deeply when we’re together, I’m sure it’s something to do with this magical bond between us.”
<
br />   “Well, according to that Orb, we’re soul mates. We still need to work out what that means too!”

  “We’ll find out at the weekend. Okay, who’s going first in the shower?”

  “You!” they both said together, and tried to push each other off the bed.

  “Okay, okay, I’ll go!” said Tallion after Zak started tickling him.

  * * *

  The boys were just finishing their non-magical breakfast when the doorbell rang.

  “That’ll be Steven,” said Jenny quickly. “I forgot that we’re giving him a lift to school this week too! Sophie, be a dear and let him in will you? He can wait in the sitting room.”

  Jenny hardly needed to ask, as the ever-helpful Sophie was already halfway across the breakfast room heading for the door.

  There was a quick conversation in the hall, and then Steven stuck his head round the door with a smirk on his face, which turned to surprise when he saw Tallion.

  “A bet you two ‘ave just fell outa bed ain’t yeh? Well I’ve been up since six feedin’ t’ animals, so ye’ll get no sympathy from me!”

  Zak gave his long time school friend his famous smile. It just felt so good to be back with him again! Magic school was one thing, but he still loved life here in the dale with all his non-magical friends.

  “We’ll only be a minute mate. Have yeh got everything yeh need?”

  “’Course, am not daft!”

  Steven smiled and withdrew to the sitting room while Zak and Tallion gobbled down their last few mouthfuls of breakfast.

  “Five minutes, Zak,” said his dad, and the two boys nodded.

  The moment they were finished they dashed out of the breakfast room and back upstairs to put on their ties and new school blazers. Then they grabbed their bags and joined Steven in the sitting room.

  Steven looked up with a quizzical look on his face.

  “Did you stay ‘ere then last night Tal?”

  “Er, yes.”