“No doubt the books you want are in the more esoteric wing, in Special Collections,” Orwell had said. “Fourth basement floor and turn left, according to rumor. And then down the spiral staircase. But I am not taking responsibility for anything that happens to you, including death. On your own heads be it.”

Effie was finding it difficult to get frightened in the University Library. After experiencing the Great Library—which, due to existing in another dimension, is always on the verge of ripping its browsers out of the familiar fabric of space and time—no other library was ever going to scare Effie. But this one was, objectively, to a normal person, quite chilling.

There were no electric lights of any sort down here. Instead, each child carried a candle-lamp. The flames danced on the stone walls like apparitions at a ghostly disco. There were cobwebs everywhere. Some of these were so old and so large that they hung from the ceiling in great mushroomy folds, like old velvet curtains.

“Are you sure this is the right way?” said Lexy, pulling a large piece of cobweb out of her hair.

“Nope,” said Raven.

“One more floor,” said Maximilian. “And then we turn left.”

“And why are we here exactly?” said Lexy.

“To read forbidden books,” said Maximilian, happily.

“Why do we want to read forbidden books?” said Lexy unenthusiastically.

“Have you not been paying attention?” said Maximilian. “Um, maybe because we’re magical and we need more knowledge? Or because we want to hone our skills so we can defeat evil? Or . . .” Some unseen glitter went up his nose at that point and he sneezed.

“Are you all right?” Raven asked Lexy. “You seem a bit grumpy.”

“I’m just tired,” said Lexy.

Effie could tell it was more than just that.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yes!” snapped Lexy. “I wish everyone would just leave me alone.”

“All right,” said Effie. “Keep your hair on.”

More than anything, Lexy wished she could tell her friends what had happened with JP. But she didn’t know how she would start. And anyway, it was just like with her parents: It would either be impossible to explain (“What, he just wanted to arm wrestle you? What’s the harm in that?”) or she’d describe the creepiness of it so well that they’d insist that something should be done about it. And then Hazel wouldn’t win her prize and the whole of the Midwinter vacation would be ruined. Lexy had decided to just put up with whatever happened in the next week for her mum’s sake. After all, how bad could it get? But for some reason this decision was making her moody and grumpy. She just had to try to remember not to take it out on her friends.