100% Hero (20 page)

Light shone out from the small cottage. Freddy
and Batty raced up and found a way in through the
unlatched back door. The unfortunate sitter was
lying on the sofa and snoring heavily – thanks to
the sleeping draught Cripp had snuck into her hot
chocolate. Freddy could hear a small voice reading
aloud happily from another room.

The eyes and muzzles of the two animals peeped
in through the door, followed by their bodies. The
little girl looked up in fright and then her face creased
into a big grin when she saw the wolf's poodley tail
wagging.

'Doggie!' she laughed.

Although Flasheart agreed with Freddy that the
prophecy may not have been fulfilled after all, he
insisted that Freddy was still the Second Greatest
Werewolf Hero Ever. And really, when he thought
about his recent great feats, Freddy couldn't argue
with him.

Cripp had been found by the police snoring and
unconscious in Milford High Street. When he awoke,
he was babbling constantly about werewolves. He was
soon on his way back to Dreamy Daze Hospital and
soft crayons.

The marksman had dumped Cripp in town and
then quietly disappeared. Chester Puceley seemed to
have vanished, along with his promises of money, so
the marksman thought it best to scarper too – he didn't
want to be in town when the police asked questions
about innocent men being shot in the bum with darts.
He was last seen hunting endangered white rhinos
in Africa.

Rumours of wolves in Milford remained for some
time, but gradually the interest died.
World's Most
Wanted Wildlife
moved its cameras far away to Tibet,
in search of the Yeti. Quite soon everyone had forgotten
about the Great Beast of Milford and the wild
wolf-boy.

Chester and Hotspur never did learn the true
nature of the Treasure of Bane. Very soon, the mirror
was repaired, the silver goblet replaced and the secret
entrances re-sealed. Flasheart returned his crystal
bottle of Blavendoch juice to its hiding place and
peace returned to the Hidden Halls of Bane.

Chester and Hotspur then faced the cold wrath of
the Fang Council. Freddy was allowed to hear their
judgement.

'For breaking the Pact of the Fangen and placing
werefolk in danger, you are both sentenced to
banishment. Hotspur, you will return to Dundaggard,
and Puceley, your neighbour the Arch-Fangen
of Transylvania is awaiting you,' Sir Hightail had
decreed.

'And Freddy Lupin,' the old man whispered quietly
when they were alone, 'the Guardians of Bane salute
you – for protecting our most sacred of secrets.'

Freddy's mouth dropped open as Hightail praised
him.

'Who else knows, sir?' he asked.

'None but myself, your father and Mrs Mutton, who
has served Sir Rathbone for more than three centuries
– and now you, Frederick, Guardian of Bane.'

Freddy felt his heart would burst with pride. He
turned and looked up at the moonbeams, feeling ever
so slightly special.

Far away in the north, Lady McDaggard had finally
managed to find Priscilla and the twins and rescue
them from boot camp. Priscilla was more than a little
distraught to learn that she would not be returning
to her expensive private school in America, but that
she would be earning her keep in the kitchens of the
Arch-Fangen of Transylvania.

'But I'm supposed to be a princess!' She stamped
her foot in fury. Poor perfect Priscilla. As she feels so
sorry for herself, there is no need for anyone else to.

Ginger, however, now leaping across the Inverness
stage as Cinderella, did not feel in the least bit sorry
for herself. As Vinny expertly caught her and placed
the shoe on her tiny foot, she laughed as prettily as
any princess ever did. Of course, they won the prize
and Vinny beamed as much as Ginger.

I would like to tell you that Madam Tarot got her
comeuppance too, but alas, not all baddies do. She is
still there, in Scotland, picking on the clump-cloppers
and feeding innocent children spinach and lentils.
And Dougal still protects the moors from his darling
bloodsucking, screeching witch-fairy of a wife.

The end of the summer holidays arrived too soon.
On the last day before school resumed, Freddy and
Batty lay on the lawn, looking at the clouds. Freddy's
tail was a little itchy. Once the effect of the second
dose of Blavendoch had eased and he and his father
had returned to human form, the poodle tail, alas, had
remained. It was gradually shrinking as the last traces
of the magic faded, but Freddy was very concerned
that it wouldn't be gone before he had to return to
school. Heroes, as far as he knew, did not generally
have puffy tails. Still, in the games of the future, when
the coolest kid got to play the role of Freddy, they
could just ignore that part.

'Do you remember how I, the black wolf, saved
the day again?' Freddy sighed, reliving the great
moment.

Batty groaned and covered her eyes with her
paws. She could always tell when Freddy was
showing off.

They were disturbed by voices behind them. The
boy sat up lazily and yawned. It was Sugar, walking
down the steps and – Freddy frowned, not sure he
was seeing clearly – she was holding hands with his
father. Worse than this, Flasheart had put on a new tie
and was grinning cheesily, like a total charlie. He was
the Black Wolf of Milford, the Grand Growler – what
was he thinking of?

'Have you come to say goodbye?' Freddy asked
hopefully.

Sugar was due to join her crew in Tibet.

'Well, that's why I came, only . . .' She smiled and
blushed.

'There's been a change of plan, Pinky.' Flasheart
smiled, his sharp fangs shining. 'Sugar's not leaving
just yet. She's going to visit with us for a while – a
holiday while her shoulder heals, you know.'

'
Visit
with us?' Freddy scowled suspiciously. 'She's
not having my tower room, is she?'

'I think we have spare bedrooms enough in the
castle, Pinky.' His father laughed. 'And the great news
is that you'll have a new playmate too. And here she
is – little Googie!'

'Who? What? Where? Oh no!' Freddy groaned as
the little girl ran towards him.

'Doggie!' she cried and whacked him on the head
with her plastic hammer.

'Ow!' Freddy yelped, as the grown-ups smiled
indulgently.

'What an angel she is,' Flasheart observed.

'No-oooo!' Freddy wailed as the hammer crashed
onto his head again.

Deep below Farfang, Sir Rathbone lay in his magical
chamber, waiting for the signal that the day had come
for his return. But for now, thanks to Freddy Lupin,
Hero, and Guardian of Bane, he slept on as peacefully
as ever.

Jayne Lyons has worked as a geologist/geophysicist
for seventeen years. One day in 2004, while living
in Aberdeen, Scotland, she became very bored and
applied for a job in Perth, Western Australia. Four
months later she was there, and she has been living
in Australia ever since. Jayne writes every day: on the
bus, at lunchtime, in the evening and at weekends.
She likes writing funny, irreverent stories for children,
and especially having a very free hand with language.
There is nothing she likes more than inventing new
words. Jayne is married and a full-time working
mother, with one twelve-year-old daughter.