Chapter 4

Chapter FOUR I felt my heart start to race. 'Wilbur?' I called. 'Wilbur! Where are you?' There was no reply. I looked down at my hands which still had traces of amethyst dust all over them and started to shake. Could my flame spell have somehow made my brother disappear?

I hadn't meant to throw it on the floor! I hadn't even really meant what I'd said about him disappearing. Well, I had sort of meant it in that one tiny moment. But not really. I had just been so angry! 'WILBUR!' I called out one last time. 'This is not the time to be playing silly tricks on me!' Nothing. Just silence and the wailing of the wind. The house felt so much spookier without Wilbur there. 'Oh no!' I whispered into the gloom. My heart was beating so hard that it felt

like it might burst out of my chest. What had I done?! I had made my brother vanish into thin air! Was there a way to bring him back? I had no idea! I didn't even know how I had managed to cast the spell in the first place, so how was I supposed to know which spell to use to make it right again?! This was a disaster! What would Mum and Dad say? Maybe Wilbur was gone forever! And it was all my fault! I sat down on the floor in despair, hugging my knees tightly to my chest, rocking backwards and forwards with panic.

'Oh help!' I squeaked. 'Oh help! Oh help!' 'Hello?' came a voice. I looked up, feeling hopeful for just a split-second. 'Wilbur?' I said. But it didn't sound like Wilbur's voice.

There must be someone else in the house! I stood up, my knees quivering, reaching out for my potion kit in case I should need it. 'Hello?' said the voice again, and

suddenly a little white shape came puffing out of the wardrobe. I breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a ghost! A small sweet one with a big flouncy bow tied in her silvery hair.