Thank you, I will.

‘Wait – if there’s anything else I need to know, can I just wish for you to come back?’

You do not need to summon me. If you wish to know something, I will answer.

‘OK,’ I said. ‘Well . . . Bye, then.’

The next instant, there was nothing on the bathroom shelf except a pot full of toothbrushes, Dad’s razor and can of shaving foam, Mum’s aloe vera shower gel and about a hundred little jars and tubes of stuff that Maeve rubbed in or squirted on to various parts of her body.

Walking to school with Evan. It was a mild morning, warm and bright. The trees still had all their leaves but they were just beginning to be tinged with yellow. I felt happier and more alive than I’d ever felt in my life.

I could turn the sky green if I wanted, I thought. I could make the lamp posts dance.

‘What we gonna do?’ said Evan. ‘About Scorpus.’

‘Don’t worry, I’ll sort him out.’

‘What? How are you gonna do that?’

‘I haven’t decided yet.’

‘Oh, that’s great!’ said Evan. ‘He hasn’t decided yet! Well, let me know when you come up with a plan, won’t you? It is, you know, like slightly kind of urgent.’

‘Don’t worry.’ And then I started whistling, which must’ve been kind of annoying, I know, especially as I can’t really whistle.

Evan’s like, ‘Stop that horrible noise.’

He had a point. It was a bit tuneless and breathy, and I couldn’t hit the high notes properly. Or the low ones either, really. So I said, ‘I wish I could whistle really well,’ and the next second a beautiful, rich melody came flowing out of me as if I was a blackbird or something. It was the same tune the mini orchestra had played. Dunno what it was, but it was nice.

Evan stared at me. ‘You’re weird this morning.’

‘Am I? I tell you what, Evan, do you wish your uniform fitted you better?’

‘Look, don’t start—’

‘’Cause I do. I wish it fitted you perfectly.’

Evan’s uniform moved on his body like it was a live thing. The sleeves flowed down to his wrists, the trouser-legs flowed down to his ankles and the jacket widened just the right amount.

Evan’s mouth widened too. It looked like the Blackwall Tunnel.

‘How – how did . . .?’

‘Magic.’

‘No, but really – how?’

‘Magic.’

‘But what did you do?’

‘Magic.’

That was all I’d answer, all the rest of the way to school. I guess it must have been kind of annoying.

Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE