Back in the kitchen at Crag Road, I slumped in my chair and watched Aunty Grizz scrape burnt toast into the sink.

‘Mary’s still sound asleep upstairs,’ said Aunty Wormella, bustling in.

Grizz slapped the toast on a plate in front of me.

‘I still don’t understand, Anna,’ she said. ‘You and Mrs Winkle defeated those horrible witches – but what’s happened to Charlie?’

I laid my head on my arms. Once again, tears welled up in my eyes and rolled down my face. This happened every time I thought about poor, brave Charlie.

‘We had to get Mary out safely,’ I said. ‘By the time we finished off Verbena and her gang, Mary had been a toad for ages – and when I turned her human again, she looked really weird and out of it.’

‘So you had to get Mary back as quickly as possible …?’ said Aunty Wormella, sitting beside me.

‘Yes,’ I whispered. ‘And I left Charlie behind!’

I threw myself into Wormella’s arms and burst into sobs.

‘There, there, dear,’ she said, stroking the top of my head. ‘He may still be all right. Cats have nine lives, you know.’

‘But he wasn’t even moving or breathing!’ I cried. ‘He was … he was dead!’

I wiped my nose on my sleeve.

‘I have to go to him,’ I said. ‘I have to go to him NOW!’

I got up from the table, but my head went dizzy and I sat down again with a thump.

‘You’re not going anywhere,’ said Aunty Grizz, placing orange juice in front of me. ‘Not until you’ve had your breakfast and a rest.’

‘But Aunty!’ I said, ‘We have to at least give him a decent burial. He was so brave!’

‘Yes, of course he was, my dear,’ said Wormella. ‘And Aunty Grizz and I will come and help you …’

She was interrupted by a sharp rap on the front door.

‘What now?’ said Grizz.

‘I’ll get it,’ said Wormella.

She trotted out and I laid my head on the table again. I heard some muffled voices, and steps coming up the hallway. I opened my eyes and sat up.

Mrs Winkle was standing in front of me – and in her arms she was carrying something in a blanket. As I stared at the blanket, out poked a black, furry head.

I leapt out of my chair so fast it toppled over.

‘Charlie?’ I shouted. ‘Charlie, boy! Is it really you? Are you all right?’

‘Here you are, Anna,’ said Mrs Winkle, handing him to me. ‘Take good care of him. That’s a very special cat you have there.’

I gathered Charlie into my arms and tickled his ears. Even though there was a white bandage wrapped around his middle, he was purring like an engine.

‘But how did he survive, Mrs Winkle?’ I whispered. ‘You didn’t … you didn’t bring him back from the dead or something …’

‘Don’t be silly!’ said Mrs Winkle. ‘First aid, Anna, first aid – better than any magic sometimes. You can go on a first-aid course next term, if you like. That is, if you promise to return the book you stole from my office …’

She peered at me over her glasses and I went red. Grizz tutted and crossed her arms, while Wormella shook her head sadly.

‘Sorry about that,’ I said in a small voice.

And please promise me,’ said Mrs Winkle, ‘That you’ll start taking your studies a lot more seriously in future. You got away with it this time – just about. But your magic was most unreliable! I expect to see you at the Witches’ Workshop next month, and every month after that!’

I smiled.

‘Anything you say, Miss!’ I said.

I laid Charlie gently down on the table and stroked his head. He gazed at me with bright, golden eyes and licked my fingers.

‘You’ve been such a brave boy!’ I whispered to him. ‘It’s the least I can do!’

Whos a brave boy?’ said a sleepy voice from the doorway.

It was Mary, standing in her pyjamas and rubbing her eyes.

‘Oh, right, the cat,’ she said. ‘Listen, never mind about him. Can anyone tell me why my feet are all muddy?’

I glanced at her feet and burst out laughing. They were filthy up to her ankles and they had leaves and grass stuck all over them.

‘Anna!’ said Mary, starting to giggle. ‘Is this another one of your practical jokes? I’m so going to get you back!’

She plonked herself down at the table.

‘But first,’ she said, ‘I’ve just got to tell you about this amazing dream I had last night!’

‘Was it about witches, by any chance?’ I said.

Mary’s eyes opened wider.

‘How did you know?’ she said.

‘Just a hunch,’ I said, smiling and cuddling Charlie.

And we all sat around the table, as Mary told us about the witch in the woods.