Chapter 1: Never Go Into Your Big Sister’s Room While She’s Not There

Sam and Beth were not enthusiastic about their big sister going off to Matilda’s Magic School. It meant that she would have less time to amuse them on boring rainy days like this one. And she would no longer accompany them on their adventures outside the family castle. This winter they would have to go skiing on King Pine’s royal slopes without her. It wouldn’t be the same if they couldn’t wave at her on the fairy-lifts or laugh at her when she fell down, somersaulting over the over-sized dragon scale that was strapped to her feet. Yes, not having Emily around would make things a lot different.

The two children rearranged their lazy positions on the big beige couch. Rain pattered down the windows, and blurred the children’s view of Mark the sea monster who was prowling among the water lilies by the wet bank of the castle moat below. Beth looked up with a glare as Smoog, Emily’s personal slave, emerged from the hall with a pile of fat books.

“Where are you going?” Beth said with an annoyed twinge to her voice.

“Delivering these important books to Miss Emily,” Smoog said proudly.

“Would you bring my book on the crusades to me on your way back?” Sam asked. He was always trying to get Smoog to do things for him. Smoog just paddled out of the room with her long crooked nose in the air.

Emily had adopted Smoog just this summer by very peculiar means. She had asked Herman the herald to announce a request for a personal slave on his daily trip to the village of Wolfetown. She hadn’t expected anyone to apply, but it just so happened that a young goblin girl was looking for a home in the area. Goblin children are too wild or hungry for most of their parents to handle, so are often sent to human villages to work ‘til they are grown.

For some unexplainable reason, Beth never liked Smoog, and always got grouchy when she stole attention from her sister Emily.

“I wonder what those books were.” Beth said to Sam.

“I don’t know. They didn’t look like they came from the library.” Sam checked the window to see if Mark was ferociously gobbling any innocent fish before he suggested to Beth that they go check it out.

“Can we go see if there’s anything good to eat in the kitchen first?”

“Sure.” Sam and Beth thundered down the stone steps and down several halls to the kitchen. Something terrible reeked through the thick wooden door, and hit Sam and Beth like a thick rotten smog.

“What is that?!” Beth asked. Sam just let out a disgusted groan.

“Don’t come in!” They heard their big sister yell. “I’m practicing a special kind of potion for school. It might make you sick.” Sam and Beth stepped back down the hall before they allowed themselves to breathe again. After several pants, Sam made a suggestion.

“We could still go see what those books were.” Beth, who didn't stop to think that Emily might mind them scrounging around her room while she wasn’t there, nodded enthusiastically.

Sam and Beth ran down the hallway, their bare feet snapping loudly against the cold stone floor. When they got to the door of Emily’s room, they paused.

“What if Smoog is there?” Sam asked with a hesitant voice. He suddenly remembered that Emily wouldn’t approve of their un-chaperoned visit to her room. Beth, encouraged by Sam’s remark about Smoog, pushed open the heavy wooden door, and entered Emily’s room.

Sunshine shone down on the clean bare floor, and glinted off the wings of the many fairies that flitted gracefully near the white ceiling. Emily’s room was shockingly clean. This must be some new side-affect of preparing for school.

Beth hopped over to Emily’s desk where the suspicious pile of books stood neatly in a slightly precarious stack. Sam, knowing that Beth was likely to get in trouble without him, followed her to the curious pile.

“Powerful Spells for a Beginning Wizard” Sam read in an awed voice. “Make All Your Wishes Come True in Less Than 5 Minutes, Potions That Can Kill… and Mathamatics for Magicians.” Sam was less excited about this last title. “These must be her new textbooks!”

“Oooo!” Beth replied and stroked the cover of ‘Powerful Spells’.” Sam reached over and opened the cover.

“Chapter 1: Conjuring a Dragon?!” He leaped up and down and yelled, “Beth, we have to try this out!”