Free Zak Turner - A Twist In Time by Noel Pogson Page A

read minds or something!
    Zak made sure Harry was okay, and then broke the handshake and grinned at him as he caught his breath.
    “So,” said Alfie confidently, in his rather posh Home Counties accent, “how come you two already know each other?”
    Zak glanced at Tallion before he answered.
    “We live about two miles away from each other in Netherdale in Yorkshire, and we’ve also spent the last seven years going to the same primary school in the village.  We only became really close friends in May though, after I sort of discovered by accident that Tallion was a wizard.”
    “Woh!  That’s spookily similar to us!  Are you a first generation wizard then like me?  Harry’s family are all magical.  His sister’s in fourth year here.  He had to keep it secret of course, but eventually he realised that I was a wizard when he came round to our house for the village fete in May, and saw strange things happening.”
    “My parents weren’t too happy at first, but they realised that there was nothing they could do about it.  I was supposed to be going off to some private boarding school somewhere but I ended up here instead.”
    It was very clear that Alfie was one of those children who simply never felt out of place or nervous.  He wasn’t exactly pushy, and certainly wasn’t unpleasant, but he just had an air of being comfortable.  No wonder he’s in Moncero, thought both Zak and Tallion to each other as they listened to him.
    Harry seemed quite happy playing second fiddle to his friend too, and it certainly gave him chance to keep out of the limelight!  It was a bit odd that someone who seemed so shy on the surface had ended up in Moncero though, but no doubt the reason would become clear eventually.
    The boys carried on chatting and swapping information as they unpacked, and Zak and Tallion both started to feel sorry that they were leaving the following day.  Life here would definitely have been good fun! 
    “Zak,” asked Harry, his voice full of curiosity, “umm, I don’t want to be nosey, but what happened when the Orb was speaking to you?  You stood there with your hands on it for ages!”
    Zak was caught off-guard, and rapidly cast about for something to say without telling either a lie or the truth.
    “Umm, well, I lost track of time a bit, but it only made up its mind where to put me right at the end.”
    “Was it talking to you all the time?!  I mean, it spoke to me all the time, but I was done in less than a minute.”
    “Yeah, I think so, although it seemed to speak quite slowly.  Err, it was sort of telling me what I would have to do in my life.”
    Harry nodded, “Yeah, that’s the sort of thing it said to me too.  I was quite surprised about what it expected me to do with my life!”
    The boys had all stopped what they were doing and were looking at each other, but neither Harry nor Zak volunteered any more information, both feeling like it was a private thing.  Soon the unpacking restarted, and a few minutes later they were done.
    I think we need to tell them we’re not staying Tallion, it doesn’t seem fair to just vanish tomorrow.
    I agree, but we’ll tell them tomorrow, when we’ve got to know them a bit better.
    Okay.  Can you hear their thoughts?  I can, but not clearly enough to follow them.  I don’t like it very much; it feels like I’m eavesdropping on them.
    I can’t really hear anything Zak, our bond isn’t that close yet, but I’m sure I will soon if it’s that clear to you.
     
    * * *
    The evening in Moncero tower passed quickly, and about nine thirty, a couple of scrolls flew out of the common room fireplace and presented themselves to Zak and Tallion!
    Zak’s read:
     
    Please come to the infirmary before you turn in for the night so that I can check you over and give you a potion to allow you to recover properly while you sleep.
     
    Nurse Salvae
    The two boys looked at each other in surprise.
    “We might as well go straight away, Zak.  My