Free Danger! Wizard at Work! by Kate McMullan Page A

going!”
    “Yes, Uncle,” said Angus. “Right after breakfast. It’s bacon and eggs this morning.”
    “I don’t care what you eat!” cried Mordred. “Just go! Just—” The DSA headmaster paused. “Blazing King Ken’s britches!” he cried, his oversized violet eyes widening in horror. “Frypot is feeding the lads my eggs and bacon! They’re mine!”
    Mordred ran out of his office, his red cape billowing out behind him. “Oh, if that cook is feeding my eggs and bacon to students, I’ll put him in thumbscrews!” Mordred turned, and glared at Wiglaf, Angus, and Erica, who were standing at his office door. “What are you waiting for?” he growled at them. “Get me that Jiffy-Gold! I want it here tomorrow, or I’ll put you all in thumbscrews! Go, go, GO!”
    The three took off running down the hallway.
    “I’m soooo hungry!” Angus said when they reached the Class I dorm.
    “There’s always your stash,” Wiglaf pointed out.
    Angus shot Wiglaf a look. Angus was famous at DSA for the amazing goodie boxes his mother sent him. He hardly ever shared. But now he filled a large bag with gummy worms, jelly beans, chocolate spiders, and marshmallows.
    The three packed what little else they needed for the trip. From inside Mordred’s office, they heard the headmaster sobbing, “Oh, my eggs and bacon—wasted on boys!”
    Before they left the castle yard, the boys made a quick trip to the library. Wiglaf wanted to be sure Worm had enough food. He told the young dragon to be good while they were away. Then he stopped at the henhouse to say good-bye to his pet pig.
    When Daisy heard that they were going into the Dark Forest, she said, “E-bay areful-cay!”
    “We shall be careful, Daisy,” Wiglaf promised.
    All morning, the three friends trudged on. They kept Swamp River on their right. Even in the daytime, the Dark Forest was dark. Owls hooted. Bats screeched. Then, under the other forest sounds, Wiglaf heard a low growl.
    It grew louder.
    “Do you hear something?” Wiglaf asked.
    “I-I think so,” said Erica. She did not sound like her usual brave self.
    Now the growler let rip with a terrible, blood-chilling roar.
    Wiglaf, Angus, and Erica shrieked. They clung together in a frozen clump.
    “A wild animal!” cried Angus. “We’re doomed! We’re doomed!”

Chapter 2
    T oads and toadstools!” shouted a voice.
    Wiglaf knew that voice. “Zelnoc?” he called. “Is that you?”
    A white-bearded face topped by a pointed hat appeared high in the branches of a gnarly tree.
    “Could be,” he said. “Who wants to know?”
    “Wiglaf,” said Wiglaf.
    “You again!” cried Zelnoc. The wizard floated down toward the DSA students. His star-speckled robe fluttered in the breeze. “How was my roar?”
    “Loud,” said Erica.
    “Scary,” said Angus.
    “Ah, good.” Zelnoc smiled. “Roaring is wonderful for a wizard’s soul. Makes us feel powerful.” His face fell. “And I could use some extra power. I’m in a bit of a pickle.” He skidded to a halt in front of them, pinwheeling his arms to keep from losing his balance.
    The wizard didn’t look so good. Wiglaf saw that he had dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept in weeks.
    “Zelnoc, what’s wrong?” asked Wiglaf.
    Zelnoc sighed. “Oh, a little spell went wrong. Nothing I can’t undo, given time. And a really, really powerful spell-reversal spell.”
    “What spell went wrong, wizard?” asked Erica.
    “The Young Again spell,” said Zelnoc. “Zizmor’s been working on it for ages. I happened to see his notes lying around his tower the other night. I started messing around, making improvements. When Ziz came in, okay, maybe I shouldn’t have tried it out on him. But I wanted to impress him. He is my boss.” Zelnoc shook his head. “Now I’ve got to do a spell-reversal spell. That’s the trickiest kind! But if I don’t do it—and soon!-the Wizards’ Committee will take away my wand!”
    Wiglaf’s heart went out to