Anthony Horowitz

Return to Groosham Grange

Originally published as The Unholy Grail, Walker Books, 1999. Reprinted in Groosham Grange. Walker Books, 2004.

He glanced behind him. Although the pavement had been empty before, there was now a single figure, staggering about as if drunk...He was beginning to feel uneasy but he still didn't know why. The path he was following crossed a main road and then continued over a humpback bridge. Suddenly he was out of the hubbub of London. The darkness and emptiness of Regent's Park was all around him, enclosing him in its ancient arms

David has stolen a statuette from the British Museum, following the clues in a competition set by the masters at Groosham Grange School. The 'drunk' who is following him turns out to be a waxwork of Adolf Hitler, leading a posse of fellow escapees from the Chamber of Horrors. David realizes that the other contestant in the competition, Vincent, must have followed him from the museum 'and conjured up the spell as he walked past Madame Tussaud's. Of course, he had cheated. Vincent had broken the single rule of the contest - not to use magic.'

The field was dotted with trees and he made for the nearest one, grateful at least that it was a dark night. But even as he ran, the clouds parted and a huge moon broke through like a searchlight...In the white, ghostly light, the whole park had changed. It was like something out of a bad dream. Everything was black, white and grey....Another half dozen waxworks had somehow found their way to the park and were spreading out, searching...David crouched behind a tree, trying to lose himself in it. He was surrounded and knew that it was only a matter of time before he was found

The coup de grace is delivered by a handbag wielded by a waxwork Duchess of York, which knocks him to the ground. 'David wrenched the statuette out of his pocket and tried to stand up. The park was spinning round him, moving faster and faster'.