Chapter Eleven

‘I almost feel like shutting up the shop for the day,’ Harri’s mum sighed, as she threaded a new roll of till receipt paper into the cash register. ‘That was such a busy weekend.’

‘I can look after the shop for you.’ Imelda smiled. ‘You deserve a day off.’

‘Really?’ Harri’s mum thought of all the things she could be doing other than restocking the shelves and waiting for customers. There never were that many customers on a Monday.

She could be having a day out in the sunshine shopping! Ever since they had been selling Imelda’s magical potions, the shop had been making real money. Maybe she could treat herself to some new shoes? Maybe she could get a present for Imelda to say thank you?

Imelda almost pushed her out of the door. ‘Off you go!’ she insisted. ‘You spend far too long cooped up in this shop. Go and have a few hours to yourself.’

Harri’s mum felt she was being really naughty, like she was sneaking off school, but it was wonderful to be out in the sunshine, free, with nothing to do but go and look around the shops. She could call it research! See if she could pick up any new ideas from other shops — why, that was almost like work! That made her feel much better.

Imelda closed the door and pottered around the shop, tidying and filling up the empty shelves. It was wonderful to be useful and wanted.

* * *

In the library across the road, Ryan’s dad chose a computer magazine. He got himself a cup of coffee and sat down in the window seat.

He hadn’t been to the library for a long time. He read everything on his Kindle these days and if he needed to know anything, well, you just look it up on the internet, don’t you?

They’d smartened up the library, though. And you didn’t used to be able to get coffee. He might come again. They had a good collection of magazines and they were lending ebooks now. He’d have to ask and see how to do that.

But what was more important was the view outside the window. Across the street was the dry cleaners, next to that was the charity shop, and next to that was Merlin’s Cave.

The row of shops was over a hundred years old and the red brickwork was a bit crumbly in places. Merlin’s Cave had once been a chemist’s shop. The large windows were decorated with a border of smaller panes of coloured glass.

It was very old fashioned, but somehow it seemed suitable for a shop selling magic. He was beginning to believe in magic. How could he not? He had the evidence of his own eyes. That dragon was real!

Harri’s mum was just coming out of the shop as he sat down. She wore a big smile as she turned her face up to the sun. She slipped up a side alley and soon reappeared, driving her car.

Good! Ryan’s dad smirked. He watched her pull out and drive off towards the big shops on the edge of town. She’ll be on her own now!

He finished his coffee and put the magazine back in the rack.

As he left the library, he picked up a leaflet in the foyer.

‘Download library books to your Kindle or tablet,’ it read.

He folded it carefully and slipped it into his back pocket as he crossed the road to Merlin’s Cave.