Jane Fizzle and the Philosophers Stone

Chapter 15

    Isabella, however, must be braver than they thought. In the weeks that follow, she does seem to be getting paler and thinner, but it doesn't look as though she's cracked yet.

    Every time they pass the third-floor corridor, Jane, Scarlett, and Gavin would press their ears to the door to check that Dandelion is still growling inside. Randolph is sweeping about in his usual bad temper, which surely means that the Stone is still safe. Whenever Jane passes Isabella these days, she gives her an encouraging sort of smile, and Scarlett has started telling people off for laughing at Isabella's stutter.

    Gavin, however, has more on his mind than the Philosopher's Stone. He starts drawing up study schedules and color coding all his notes. Jane and Scarlett don't mind, but he keeps nagging them to do the same.

    "Gavin, the exams are ages away."

    "Ten weeks," Gavin snaps. "That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel. And I need to pass these exams, my parents are expecting me to get the top grades, I'm expecting to get the top grade!"

    "But we're not six hundred years old," Scarlett reminds him. "Anyway, what are you studying for, you already know it's an A."

    "What am I studying for? Are you crazy? You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's gotten into me..."

    Unfortunately, the teachers seem to be thinking along the same lines as Gavin. They pile so much homework on them, that the Easter holidays aren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones. It's hard to relax with William reading the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements right in front of them. Not on purpose though. Moaning and yawning, Scarlett and Jane spend most of their free time in the library with Gavin, trying to get through all their extra work.

    "I'll never remember this," Scarlett bursts out one afternoon, throwing down her quill and looking longingly out of the library window. It is the first really fine day they've had in months. The sky is a clear, forget-me-not blue, and there is a feeling in the air of summer coming.

    Jane, who is looking up "Dittany" in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, doesn't look up until she hears Scarlett say, "Robin! What are you doing in the library?"

    Robin shuffles into view, hiding something behind his back. He looks very out of place in his moleskin overcoat. "Just looking," he says in a shifty voice that gets their interest at once. "And what're you lot up to?" He looks suddenly suspicious. "Ya not still looking for Nicolas Flamel, are ya?"

    "Oh, we found out who he is ages ago," Scarlett says impressively. "And we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Philosopher's St—"

    "Shhhh!" Robin looks around quickly to see if anyone is listening. "Don't go shouting about it, what's the matter with ya?"

    "There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," Jane says, "about what's guarding the Stone apart from Dandelion —"

    "SHHHH!" Ronin shushes again, but louder. "Listen — come and see me later, I'm not promising I'll tell ya anything, mind, but don't go rabbiting about it here, students aren't supposed to know. They'll think I've told ya —"

    "See you later, then," Jane says, looking back in the book about herbs and fungi. Robin nods and shuffles off.

    "What was he hiding behind his back?" Gavin asks thoughtfully.

    "Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?"

    "I'm going to see what section he was in," Scarlett says, who's had enough of working. She comes back a minute later with a pile of books in her arms and slams them down on the table. "Dragons!" she whispers. "Robin was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these: Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide."