how could I face my father if I was sent home?
“Please give me another chance!” I blurted out. “I really will try harder.”
The Spook stared at me without blinking. Eventually he gave a long, deep sigh. “Look, lad, I’ll give you one final chance. There’s some serious boggart trouble at Coate Farm, near Burnley. I was going to take you with me, but I think it’s best if I go alone and give you a chance to put things right. You can stay here and do two things. First, put in some practice with that chain. You need to show me some significant improvement when I return. Second, get your notes up to date. Accomplish both those tasks, and I’ll keep you on. Otherwise, you go back home. Understand?”
“Yes. Thank you,” I said. “I’ll do my best.”
“Then let’s hope that your best is good enough, lad. I’ll be away for about a week. If there’s any spook’s business, just keep a record of what and where the problem is. That’s all you need to do. Don’t go anywhere near it yourself.”
I was only too happy to comply with the Spook’s orders. I’d been his apprentice for just over a year, and I’d seen some pretty scary things: a boggart with six arms that threw rocks, a ghost with its skull split wide open so that you could see its brains (which were filled with wriggling maggots), and the inside of a witch’s cottage. Fortunately, the witch herself had already left the County, but the cellar was full of human bones and the kitchen sink was filled to the brim with blood. So far I hadn’t faced a witch, and I certainly didn’t want to do so alone.
I nodded, and within the hour the Spook was on his way to Burnley, carrying his bag and staff himself, for a change. As he was dealing with boggarts, he wouldn’t need his silver chain. He’d left it behind for me to practice with. Silver chains were very costly, and a young apprentice sometimes had to save up for years before he could buy one of his own. I had to take great care of it.
As soon as he’d gone, I put my feet up in front of the kitchen fire, closed my eyes, and drifted off to sleep. I was always tired. Each morning we got up really early, and I was keen to take the chance to grab forty winks. There would be plenty of time to work tomorrow. . . .
While my master was away, the weather continued to be bitterly cold and wet. It was much nicer to sit indoors by the fire than to be out in the rain practicing with the Spook’s silver chain. I wasn’t completely idle, though, and started to work through the list of reading assignments that I was set each month—passages from books in the Spook’s library. This was an easier task than writing things up in my notebook.
However, at breakfast on the third day, I was suddenly forced to change my attitude.
My master had made a long-term pact with a cat boggart that guarded the house and garden. After challenging intruders, it was permitted to slay them and drink their blood. As well as protecting the house, the creature also made breakfast every day—but you had to be down in the kitchen at the right time; put in an appearance either too early or too late, and it got very angry.
That morning I was on time, but as I began to tuck into my bacon and eggs I heard the creature give an angry growl, followed by a hiss that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Then the boggart briefly appeared on the hearth rug, swishing its tail; it looked as if it was preparing to attack me. I was so scared that my heart almost stopped beating.
I tried to recall what my master had told me about the boggart. I suddenly remembered why it knew so much about what went on in the house: It apparently listened to every instruction the Spook issued, whoever it was aimed at. Then I knew what was wrong. The boggart was aware of my master’s orders and was warning me that I should follow them and not spend my time lounging about!
With another angry growl the boggart disappeared, but I knew that it was
“Please give me another chance!” I blurted out. “I really will try harder.”
The Spook stared at me without blinking. Eventually he gave a long, deep sigh. “Look, lad, I’ll give you one final chance. There’s some serious boggart trouble at Coate Farm, near Burnley. I was going to take you with me, but I think it’s best if I go alone and give you a chance to put things right. You can stay here and do two things. First, put in some practice with that chain. You need to show me some significant improvement when I return. Second, get your notes up to date. Accomplish both those tasks, and I’ll keep you on. Otherwise, you go back home. Understand?”
“Yes. Thank you,” I said. “I’ll do my best.”
“Then let’s hope that your best is good enough, lad. I’ll be away for about a week. If there’s any spook’s business, just keep a record of what and where the problem is. That’s all you need to do. Don’t go anywhere near it yourself.”
I was only too happy to comply with the Spook’s orders. I’d been his apprentice for just over a year, and I’d seen some pretty scary things: a boggart with six arms that threw rocks, a ghost with its skull split wide open so that you could see its brains (which were filled with wriggling maggots), and the inside of a witch’s cottage. Fortunately, the witch herself had already left the County, but the cellar was full of human bones and the kitchen sink was filled to the brim with blood. So far I hadn’t faced a witch, and I certainly didn’t want to do so alone.
I nodded, and within the hour the Spook was on his way to Burnley, carrying his bag and staff himself, for a change. As he was dealing with boggarts, he wouldn’t need his silver chain. He’d left it behind for me to practice with. Silver chains were very costly, and a young apprentice sometimes had to save up for years before he could buy one of his own. I had to take great care of it.
As soon as he’d gone, I put my feet up in front of the kitchen fire, closed my eyes, and drifted off to sleep. I was always tired. Each morning we got up really early, and I was keen to take the chance to grab forty winks. There would be plenty of time to work tomorrow. . . .
While my master was away, the weather continued to be bitterly cold and wet. It was much nicer to sit indoors by the fire than to be out in the rain practicing with the Spook’s silver chain. I wasn’t completely idle, though, and started to work through the list of reading assignments that I was set each month—passages from books in the Spook’s library. This was an easier task than writing things up in my notebook.
However, at breakfast on the third day, I was suddenly forced to change my attitude.
My master had made a long-term pact with a cat boggart that guarded the house and garden. After challenging intruders, it was permitted to slay them and drink their blood. As well as protecting the house, the creature also made breakfast every day—but you had to be down in the kitchen at the right time; put in an appearance either too early or too late, and it got very angry.
That morning I was on time, but as I began to tuck into my bacon and eggs I heard the creature give an angry growl, followed by a hiss that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Then the boggart briefly appeared on the hearth rug, swishing its tail; it looked as if it was preparing to attack me. I was so scared that my heart almost stopped beating.
I tried to recall what my master had told me about the boggart. I suddenly remembered why it knew so much about what went on in the house: It apparently listened to every instruction the Spook issued, whoever it was aimed at. Then I knew what was wrong. The boggart was aware of my master’s orders and was warning me that I should follow them and not spend my time lounging about!
With another angry growl the boggart disappeared, but I knew that it was
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