Edwina Pilkington's Computer School of Magic (6 page)

Edwina picked up Thirty-four and walked over to stand close to Aunt Ada. ‘Let's go home. After all that has happened today, I just remembered it's your birthday tomorrow, Edwina,' Aunt Ada said. She waved her hand and they all disappeared in a puff of smoke, back to Stone Castle.

'H
appy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Edwina, happy birthday to you. Blow out the candles, Edwina,' Gabriella said, ‘and make a wish.'

Edwina took a deep breath and blew out her ten birthday candles and made a wish.

‘Open my present first !'

Edwina opened Gabriella's present. ‘Wow!
Professor Frogsley's First Year Book of Computer Magic
. Thank you, Gabriella, I love it.'

Thirty-four brought Edwina over a turnip and dropped it in her lap.

‘Thank you, Thirty-four. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with a turnip.'

Gabriella giggled. ‘Maybe you can use it in your next potion.

‘This present is from your father and I hope you like it.'

Edwina quickly untied the ribbon from around the present. ‘Look, Gabriella, my own witches diary. Thanks, Mum and Dad. I can't wait to start writing all my secret spells in the diary.'

‘Let's cut the cake,' Gabriella said.

Suddenly, the loud thunder and the lightning started flashing across the room.

‘I know it's not about to rain,' Gabriella said.

‘It's Aunt Ada coming,' Edwina giggled.

‘Happy birthday, Edwina.'

‘Thanks, Aunt Ada.'

‘I have a special letter, for a Miss Edwina Pilkington, all the way from Professor Frogsley's School of Computer Magic.'

Aunt Ada handed the letter to Edwina. Edwina quickly opened the letter and began to read it out loud.

Miss Edwina Pilkington has been accepted into Professor Frogsley's School of Computer Magic. Your first school term begins in the summer. Please contact the Head Witch, Professor Goodspell, for further details.

A special congratulations from the Witches Council for defeating Gorum and his evil gargoyles.

Signed

The Witches Council

Edwina screamed with excitement, ‘I've done it! I'm actually going to Professor Frogsley's School of Computer Magic!'

‘I'm going to miss you, Edwina. I will have no one to walk to school with.'

‘Don't be silly, Gabriella, it's during summer vacation.'

‘That's okay, then. I can look after Thirty-four for you.'

Thirty-four oinked –
that sounded
like fun
.

‘Let's cut the birthday cake and then we can have some ice-cream,' Lady Lilly Arna said, ‘but before we do, I have a letter for Gabriella. It's from the Old Potter's Law Firm in Rainbow City. Would you like me to open it for you, Gabriella?'

Gabriella nodded .

Gabriella didn't want to hear from the Old Potter's Law Firm, so she held onto Edwina's hand really tight. It would mean that they would want to send her away to another foster home. Why did this always happen to her? Since the accidental death of her parents, nobody wanted Gabriella. This was her first real home. Gabriella loved Stone Castle and all the weird things that went on inside it, so why couldn't the Old Potter's Law Firm just leave her alone? A small tear fell down onto Gabriella's cheek.

Dear Gabriella,

The Old Potter's Law Firm is pleased to inform you of the successful application for adoption made by: Mr & Mrs Pilkington of Stone Castle.

You are now their legally adopted daughter. You will now be known as: Miss Gabriella Pilkington of Stone Castle.

Signed

The Old Potter's Law Firm

‘Yippee! I never ever want to leave Stone Castle,' Gabriella said. She cuddled Edwina with excitement as the tears ran down both the girls' cheeks.

It was time for celebrations all round, so they cut the birthday cake. Suddenly, another unexpected guest flew in. It was Elka. Elka whinnied a ‘happy birthday' to Edwina and everybody joined in with the singing. They could even be heard down in Rainbow City.

It was definitely celebrations in Stone Castle. Edwina had finally got her wish to go to Professor Frogsley's School of Computer Magic for the summer. Gabriella had finally found a new family and Thirty-four was busy eating birthday cake.

And what happened to Gorum and his gargoyles? Well, they were back where they belonged on the Planet Darktess with the Keeper of the Blue Stones watching over them.

'T
he pilot of Hum Bug Helicopters, Mr Fumblefingers, which is not a good name for a pilot, opened the door, ready for Edwina. ‘Bye everybody,' Edwina said, ‘take care of Thirty-four for me, Gabriella, and I promise to write every day for the next three weeks.'

‘It's time to leave, Edwina,' Mr Fumblefingers said. ‘Climb aboard and fasten your seatbelt. We have one more passenger to pick up on our way to Professor Frogsley's School of Computer Magic.'

Edwina took one last look back as the helicopter flew further and further away from Stone Castle.

‘How long will it take us to arrive at the Computer School Of Magic, Mr Fumblefingers?'

‘We should be there in about four hours.'

Edwina sat back and started writing in her witches diary.

Two hours into the trip, Mr Fumblefingers said, ‘Looks like our next passenger is waiting. We had better go down and pick the young lad up.'

After stopping and picking up the young lad, Mr Fumblefingers flew the Hum Bug Helicopter (that looked like a big, black bug) high above the snow white clouds towards Professor Frogsley's School of Computer Magic.

‘Hi,' said a nervous little boy with oversized, black glasses that sat right on the end of his short nose. Edwina looked up from writing in her little black book and smiled at the boy with the bright orange hair and lots of freckles.

‘My name is Zackary Ernest Hemmingway the Third, but you can call me Zack.'

‘Why are you going to Professor Frogsley's school when it's only for witches?'

‘My magic comes in the way of a computer disk,' Zack said as he held his disks up with pride. ‘I'm known as a computer whiz.'

‘You kids all right back there?' Mr Fumblefingers asked.

‘We sure are, Mr Fumblefingers,' Zack said.

Mr Fumblefingers nodded his head in reply and placed his headphones on so he could listen to the weather report.

‘Would you like a piece of my purple bubble gum?' Zack asked Edwina.

‘No thanks,' replied Edwina as she looked up at him. Zack began to blow some small bubbles with his gum. He then started to blow harder and harder, trying to make the bubbles larger. Suddenly, the bubble gum popped out of his mouth and stuck firmly to the window of the helicopter. He tried to pull it off the window, only to have it stick to his thumb. Then his glasses started slipping. He tried placing his thumb on his nose to push his glasses back, only the gum stuck to his nose. This was becoming a little bit embarrassing. Edwina could not stop giggling.

‘We are approaching the Isle of No-Where-Else,' Mr Fumblefingers said, ‘so make sure your seatbelts are fastened, ready for landing; it could get a little rough on the way down.'

Professor Goodspell looked up as she heard the humming of the Hum Bug Helicopter. She tucked her long, black, curly hair firmly under her black hat and as she did, her gold star on her forehead began to shine. This gold star is granted only to the head professor of Professor Frogsley's School of Computer Magic.

Professor Goodspell was glad this was the last of the students to arrive as she remembered back to when the witches would arrive by broomstick – thank goodness for modern-day transport.

The Hum Bug Helicopter blades stopped and Professor Goodspell walked over to the helicopter where she opened the door. ‘You are the last two on my students list, so you must be Edwina Pilkington, the famous little girl who defeated the Gargoyles of Darkness; and you, my red-headed little friend, must be Zackary Ernest Hemmingway the Third, the new computer whiz. I am pleased to have you both here at Professor Frogsley's school ,' Professor Goodspell said as she held out her hand to greet them. ‘Now, come along. You both must be very tired after such a long journey.'

Edwina and Zack looked up and saw an old Egyptian temple surrounded by lots of sand and a pathway lined with palm trees. Professor Goodspell took Edwina and Zack along the pathway to a massive , cave-like entrance guarded by two wolf-like dogs.

Through the cave-like entrance went Professor Goodspell, Edwina and Zack towards some narrow, winding stone steps that were well lit with hundreds of candles. Step by step took them deeper and deeper under the old temple.

‘This is the centre of the witches world of computers where you will both spend the next three weeks learning the witches computer system,' Professor Goodspell said. ‘On your left, you will see a large stone clock which keeps the correct witchery time, so there is no excuse for being late for class.'

Edwina and Zack could not take their eyes off the unusual old stone clock, for it was in the shape of a large pyramid with a strange looking black cat who just happened to have two tails and, to top it all off, he was sitting right in the middle of the clock. The cat was using his two tails as hands.