Dad puts his arm around her. ‘No, she’s fine,’ he says, squeezing her. ‘You go and get your bag and I’ll take you to school now. Is Jake ready?’

‘Yes,’ I say. ‘He messaged six times already.’

I turn into the hallway and take my bag off the banister. I know Mum and Dad are only trying to help, and I’m glad Jake and Rebecca are going, but the person I most want to be there is Granddad.

Last night he said he wouldn’t wave me off because he wanted me to focus on the last move he taught me – the Yugoslav Attack. Like all the other moves, it was complicated, but I went over and over it in my head before I went to sleep last night. And I memorized Granddad’s last words: ‘You are ready.’

I hear the jangle of Dad’s car keys.

‘Ready, champ?’ he says.

I open the front door and walk out onto the path. The sun shines brightly on the square and the houses. Everything is quiet and still, like everyone is still in bed. I look past our tree at Granddad’s house. Samson is sitting by the front door and all of the house’s curtains are closed. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Jake running, cutting across the grass. I focus on Granddad’s house again.

‘You are ready,’ he says in my head.

I nod slowly.

Yes, Granddad. I think I am.

Final

‘Felix,’ Jake whispers. ‘It’s like Hogwarts.’

‘I know.’

‘And some of them have got beards!’

‘I know, Jake. You don’t have to keep on.’

‘And briefcases!’

‘Jake!’ snaps Rebecca. ‘You’re not helping.’

I puff out my cheeks and look up. As usual, Jake is exaggerating. This place isn’t as big or as spooky as Hogwarts, but it does have huge pictures on the walls and a chandelier hanging from the ceilings, and it has big wooden doors that lead into the main hall.

I puff my cheeks again, as voices echo all around me. ‘There are hundreds of them,’ I say under my breath.

‘What were you expecting?’ asks Rebecca.

‘I don’t know,’ I say. ‘Just not this. It’s like . . .’

‘I told you, Hogwarts,’ says Jake.

Me and Rebecca exchange looks, like for once Jake is right.