Zak Turner - A Twist In Time (10 page)

“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.”

“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.” 

He glanced quickly at Zak and then back at Steven as he made his decision to tell him about their living arrangements.

“I’m staying at the Turner’s during the week as it makes it easier to do school.”

Steven wasn’t so easily fooled, and raise a sceptical eyebrow first at Tallion and then at Zak.

“Easier?”

Zak frowned.  He hated keeping things secret from Steven, especially as he was part magical himself.  The only reason he didn’t want to tell him everything was that knowing it all would make his life much more difficult!

“Steven, you know we’ll tell you everything we can mate, but…  It’s to do with us being wizards…”

“Then yer best say now’t fer now Zak.  Yeh can explain another time.  So, are yer all set fer t’ academy then?”

“Aye,” answered Zak with relief, dropping easily back into the local dialect of Netherdale.  “Will yer be able to come round on Sunday, we’ve loads to ter tell yer about what’s been goin’ on this week!”

Steven grinned, this was more like his old friend.  “Sure.  Here or at t‘ farm?”

“How about at
my
house Steven?” asked Tallion with a grin, “an’ best make it Saturday afternoon.”  He suddenly wanted to share everything with their friend.

Steven’s eyes went wide, “Truth?  Blimey, yer on!”

Are you sure father won’t mind Tallion?

No, but I’m sure Steven’s going to see the entrance archway behind the post office anyway, and we’re not going to be able to stop him riding his bike up the driveway…

Zak grinned at his blond-haired friend.  Where had this mischievous Tallion come from?  That was more like the sort of thing Zak would say or do!  Then he understood.  It
was
Zak speaking, or rather it was his personality inside Tallion!  He knew
he
was becoming more cautious, but he could now see that Tallion was becoming more laid back!  Their personalities really were merging together, maybe this was what being soul mates meant?

* * *

The front entrance to Netherdale Academy was crowded with school buses and parents dropping off their children.  John Turner wisely stopped a little way down the road to let out the three new first years, and after agreeing to meet them at the same place at the end of the day, drove away to his building site leaving them to walk the last hundred yards back up the road to school.

“I suppose we just go to our form room then, like Miss Hamilton told us?”

“Aye.  I were hopin’ ter see Sam before we went in though, but he ain’t hangin’ around anywhere.  Shall we wait fer a minute?”

The three boys stood near the school entrance, but after a couple more minutes there was still no sign of Sam, so they made their way over to the first year block and went inside.  There were lots of nervous first years milling about, just like at Mhonarr Castle, and Zak and Tallion both got a sense of déjà vu!

Sam was already outside their form room when the three arrived, and he looked very relieved as his three friends walked towards him grinning.  They quickly started chattering about where they’d all been during the holidays, and then what the two farmer’s sons had been up to on their farms.  The magical world of Mhonarr Castle faded further and further into the background for both Tallion and Zak as the realities of dales life took once again took centre stage.

* * *

Class B1 crowded into their form room for registration, and were then dispatched to their first lesson, which was French.  For their first year, they would stay together as a class for each subject, only splitting up into different ability levels from second year onwards. 

Alice Entwistle, headmistress of Lower Nettleton Primary School, had tried her best to get some French into her student’s heads, and with most of them it had worked, after a fashion!  Tallion had paid the most attention, and therefore had a better vocabulary then the others, but it was still only words with no grammar. 

The French teacher at the academy, Mrs Diggle, had been teaching French to Yorkshire farmer’s children for more years than she cared to remember.  Her no-nonsense approach started with a textbook plonked on every desk, a program of vocabulary learning, and some tried and tested learning by rote.

It was a bit old fashioned, but it still managed to achieve better results in the exams than most other methods, especially regarding pronunciation.  Yorkshire farmers and French didn’t mix very well, and for most of her students, there were a whole load of new
sounds
to be mastered, let alone new words and grammar!

Sixty minutes later, the bell rang and the new first years had survived their first lesson in secondary school,
and
picked up their first batch of homework!  Ten words to master in terms of meaning, spelling, and pronunciation before their next lesson.  As that wasn’t until the following Tuesday though, there seemed to be no rush to try and get it done.

* * *

As the boys tumbled out of the classroom, Tallion dug around in his schoolbag for his timetable.

“Library next, that’ll be easy.”

There was no animated map on the back of their Netherdale Academy timetables though, so they had to remember where it was.  Luckily, they only had to follow the rest of their class, one of whom seemed to know where she was going.  So, pied-piper style they all trailed along behind.

The library was dead quiet, at least it
was
dead quiet until class B1 arrived, and that might have been something to do with the fact that no-one else had been there except the librarian up until that point.  As B1 clattered through the door though, Mrs Rigg looked daggers at the noisy newcomers.

“Pile your bags on the tables by the door please, and then gather round my desk here.”

B1 tried to be quiet, but the process of dumping thirty schoolbags and coats on three desks was inevitably going to create some noise!

“Right, some rules first,” announced the stern faced librarian to the group of eleven-year-olds who were crowding round her. 

“Silence, that’s the first rule, and if you break it you’ll be out of that door and standing outside the staffroom for the rest of the period.  Tidiness is the second rule.  Put the books back where you found them, in
order
!  If you don’t then you’ll spend a lunchtime learning how by putting books back on the shelves that have been returned by other students.  Third, no food and drink.  That includes chewing gum.  Anyone breaking
that
rule will also find themselves outside the staffroom for the rest of the period.”

“Fourth, no damage.  Anyone who wilfully, or neglectfully, damages a book will get a bill for a replacement.  If a genuine accident happens, then you must report the damage to me when you return the book.  Fifth, no borrowing a book without signing it out.  You’ll all get swipe cards next week, and to borrow a book you simply swipe the card through this reader and then scan the barcode on the back of the book.  It very easy these days.”

“The sixth rule, maximum three books on loan at any time, and maximum one week loan before you return it.  Seventh, if I want to make up any more rules I will.”

The librarian finally smiled as she finished her last sentence, and although it was a bit of a ferocious smile, it was genuine.

“Right, now that the awkward stuff is out of the way, does anyone know how a library numbering system works?  No?  I expected as much.  Ok, follow me and I’ll show you, it’s all very easy.”

The next fifteen minutes were spent watching Mrs Rigg demonstrate the different card indexes, and then explain how the books were numbered and arranged round the room.  It
was
all very easy too!

“Okay, I’m sure half of you couldn’t see what I was doing, so when you’re stuck next time you visit just come and ask, I really do like to help, even if it doesn’t always sound like it.  Now, last thing, I’m always on the lookout for assistant librarians who want to earn extra house points and who are interested in books.  As well as helping to keep the place ship shape, you’ll learn all about books, how they’re made, how to look after them, how to repair them etc.  You also get certain privileges within the library.  Anyone who would like to have a go just let me know before the end of next week!”

Mrs Rigg then shooed her students away. 

“Go and find a book to read for the next half hour, and remember the rules!”

Class B1 spread themselves out around the library looking for books, and then settling down at tables to read.  Steven and Sam both ended up with books about farming, which was hardly a surprise.  Half the library seemed to be about agriculture of one type or another, which was understandable considering the location of the school!

Zak found a book about football, and Tallion finally settled on a history book about Netherdale.

“What on earth do you want to read
that
for?” whispered Steven in amazement.

“I’m interested in finding out how things used to be organised round here, I enjoy finding out about the past.”

Steven looked a bit sceptical and was about to answer when Mrs Rigg appeared round the end of the shelves peering over the top of her half-moon glasses at the four of them.

They all buried their noses in their books.

* * *

Chemistry held lots of promise as the excited B1 class lined up outside the lab after break.  They all had visions of lab coats, goggles, Bunsen burners, and test tubes.  However, they were destined to be somewhat disappointed!

Mr Greenwood, the rather young chemistry teacher, had a well-defined curriculum to follow, and the first stage was all about lab safety.  After they’d learned how to avoid getting injured, poisoned and blown up, which took up half of the lesson, they then had to copy down the rules into the front of their exercise books.  Next, a textbook landed on each desk, which looked from the cover to be rather more interesting.  However, the first three modules were all theory with no experiments at all!

As they made their way to the main hall for lunch, Zak and Tallion exchanged glances.

Not quite like potions was it?

Nothing like!  Can you imagine Mr Greenwood deliberately giving us an experiment that would blow-up in our faces like Barty did?