to the door and switched off the central light, leaving the room lit only by flickering firelight and the glow of a table lamp. “Well,” she said with a sigh of relief, “obviously no one is watching us. We’ll keep it this way until we learn the rhyme, shall we?”
Clara spread it out on the coffee table and they took it in turns to memorize the riddle. It wasn’t long, nor was it difficult to remember.
“It doesn’t really tell us very much, though, does it?” Neil said after five minutes. “Apart from the obvious, that is,” he added, looking pointedly at the fireplace.
“Come on,” Clara said, folding the paper briskly. “Let’s have a look and see if we can see anything strange about it.” The fireplace, however, seemed perfectly normal. It was big, admittedly, but there didn’t seem to be any loose bricks.
Neil, ignoring the heat, twisted his head and tried to peer up the chimney itself but his father drew him back. “The riddle says ‘by the firelight’, Neil,” he pointed out. “It doesn’t mention the chimney. Anyway, we had the chimney sweep in last week and I was here all the time, watching. There were no secretpackages tucked away up the chimney, I assure you!”
“It certainly doesn’t look as though this is the fireplace we’re looking for,” Mrs MacLean agreed.
“Actually, it could be
any
fireplace,
anywhere,”
John MacLean mused. “Possibly at Netherfield,” he added, his expression brightening. “There’s a huge fireplace in the big hall.”
Mrs MacLean looked at Clara apprehensively. “You didn’t see any witches while you were there, did you?” she asked.
Clara shook her head. “I didn’t have the chance,” she admitted. “Jewellery’s against the rules so I couldn’t wear my firestone. Neither could Neil.”
“Mind you, we
could
wear them under our uniforms,” Neil pointed out. “No one would ever know.”
“That’s true,” Clara agreed, “as long as we don’t have P.E. or anything.”
They pondered the riddle for some time but in the end gave up.
“I can’t make it out at all,” Neil said exasperatedly, pushing the paper to one side. “As far as I can see, it doesn’t give us any clue as to where the fireplace actually is!”
It was later that night when they were going upstairs to their bedrooms that Neil had a bright idea. “You know, Clara,” he whispered, “we could have a good look at the fireplace in the school hall when everyone’s asleep. I mean, nobody would be about at night, would they?”
Clara nodded in agreement. “What about meeting at midnight in the entrance hall, then? The witching hour!” she grinned.
10. Ill-met by Moonlight
Clara almost knocked her bedside lamp over as she grabbed for her alarm as it went off in a jangle of noise that set her pulses racing. Convinced that she must have woken at least half of the school, she switched it off hastily and sat up straight in bed, listening frantically. Nothing, however, stirred and she released her breath in a sigh of relief as she looked round the room. It was becoming more familiar now and the posters she’d stuck up on the walls looked really cool.
She slipped quickly into some dark trousers and pulled on a top, before twisting her long hair back into a ponytail so that it didn’t flop over her face.
It was then that she took a grey, dull-looking ring from the third finger of her right hand and transferred it to the ring finger of her left hand. She looked at her reflection in the long mirror fastened to the back of her bedroom door. It showed her room and nothing else. She was invisible. She smiled softly as she switched it back again. The magic rings were for emergencies only and really, there was no need for them at this time of night. No one would be around to see them and they’d be as quiet as mice.
Excitement thrilled through her as she thought of the adventure to come. Would they find the talisman in the hall fireplace? She hoped they would for
Clara spread it out on the coffee table and they took it in turns to memorize the riddle. It wasn’t long, nor was it difficult to remember.
“It doesn’t really tell us very much, though, does it?” Neil said after five minutes. “Apart from the obvious, that is,” he added, looking pointedly at the fireplace.
“Come on,” Clara said, folding the paper briskly. “Let’s have a look and see if we can see anything strange about it.” The fireplace, however, seemed perfectly normal. It was big, admittedly, but there didn’t seem to be any loose bricks.
Neil, ignoring the heat, twisted his head and tried to peer up the chimney itself but his father drew him back. “The riddle says ‘by the firelight’, Neil,” he pointed out. “It doesn’t mention the chimney. Anyway, we had the chimney sweep in last week and I was here all the time, watching. There were no secretpackages tucked away up the chimney, I assure you!”
“It certainly doesn’t look as though this is the fireplace we’re looking for,” Mrs MacLean agreed.
“Actually, it could be
any
fireplace,
anywhere,”
John MacLean mused. “Possibly at Netherfield,” he added, his expression brightening. “There’s a huge fireplace in the big hall.”
Mrs MacLean looked at Clara apprehensively. “You didn’t see any witches while you were there, did you?” she asked.
Clara shook her head. “I didn’t have the chance,” she admitted. “Jewellery’s against the rules so I couldn’t wear my firestone. Neither could Neil.”
“Mind you, we
could
wear them under our uniforms,” Neil pointed out. “No one would ever know.”
“That’s true,” Clara agreed, “as long as we don’t have P.E. or anything.”
They pondered the riddle for some time but in the end gave up.
“I can’t make it out at all,” Neil said exasperatedly, pushing the paper to one side. “As far as I can see, it doesn’t give us any clue as to where the fireplace actually is!”
It was later that night when they were going upstairs to their bedrooms that Neil had a bright idea. “You know, Clara,” he whispered, “we could have a good look at the fireplace in the school hall when everyone’s asleep. I mean, nobody would be about at night, would they?”
Clara nodded in agreement. “What about meeting at midnight in the entrance hall, then? The witching hour!” she grinned.
10. Ill-met by Moonlight
Clara almost knocked her bedside lamp over as she grabbed for her alarm as it went off in a jangle of noise that set her pulses racing. Convinced that she must have woken at least half of the school, she switched it off hastily and sat up straight in bed, listening frantically. Nothing, however, stirred and she released her breath in a sigh of relief as she looked round the room. It was becoming more familiar now and the posters she’d stuck up on the walls looked really cool.
She slipped quickly into some dark trousers and pulled on a top, before twisting her long hair back into a ponytail so that it didn’t flop over her face.
It was then that she took a grey, dull-looking ring from the third finger of her right hand and transferred it to the ring finger of her left hand. She looked at her reflection in the long mirror fastened to the back of her bedroom door. It showed her room and nothing else. She was invisible. She smiled softly as she switched it back again. The magic rings were for emergencies only and really, there was no need for them at this time of night. No one would be around to see them and they’d be as quiet as mice.
Excitement thrilled through her as she thought of the adventure to come. Would they find the talisman in the hall fireplace? She hoped they would for
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