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The Ravenwing House Tower
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You and your new friend Daniel Colliers-Wood join the line of Ravenwing students flocking out of the dining hall. The older Ravenwings lead the way which is just as well as the route is so complicated you would have never found it on your own.

Down winding stone staircases that never seem to end. Over sloping flagstones that spiral upward for miles. Across innumerable stone courtyards where your steps echo from the walls.

You pass by magical stained-glass windows in which the colours change over time, making images of dragons breathing flames, or towering magicians leap over tree tops. You walk through dark stone tunnels which are only illuminated by occasional flickering torches.

At last your heart lifts as your weary feet take you to a stone archway framed in the Ravenwing colours of blue and copper.

"We've arrived everyone," announces a sixth year student from the front of the line. "First years, welcome to your home away from home for the next six years. Everyone else, welcome back! And remember - it is Wingers only who are allowed in here. The tree won't allow anybody else in."

"What tree?" you whisper to Daniel. "Is there a tree blocking the way?"

Daniel just shrugs his shoulders, his eyes wide.

Together with the other students you walk under the archway and you notice that the stone is carved in the shape of two intertwined wings. At the top of the arch is a carved-stone raven's head, beak open and pointing downwards.

On the other side of the arch is a stone staircase which you begin to climb.

As you climb you notice something strange: the air smells different, warmer somehow. And the stone steps themselves seem to be becoming softer, their edges smoother.

After a few more turns of the spiral stone staircase you realise that somehow the stone is morphing into a staircase made out of a single piece of wood. But it doesn't seem to be carved wood. Instead it is wood that has grown into this shape.

You keep walking upwards until your legs feel too tired to take another step, when at last you emerge into... a vast timber... room? But this enormous space is made of the same strange flowing, growing wood as the staircase. Then you realise where you are and your jaw drops open.

You and the other Ravenwing students have emerged into the inside of an impossibly giant living tree.

The hollow inside space - the tree trunk - where you are standing soars up seemingly forever. Living wooden ramps and stairs crisscross the space above your head, and you can see doorways scattered in the trunk at different levels. And lining the inside of the tree trunk for as far as you can see are what must be miles and miles of bookshelves, covered in books of every shape and colour imaginable.

"Arthur", says Daniel, "look at all those books!"

"That's right youngsters," says a kindly looking student a couple of years older than you. "This is the heart of the Ravenwing House Tower and the heart of the tree: the library. This is the largest library in the world. The largest in the magical and non-magical world," he adds proudly. "Every book that has ever been written and every book that will ever be written is somewhere on these shelves."

"But how do you find the one you want among so many?" you ask.

"Easy!" says the boy. "Just watch!"

Shaping a small hole with his lips, he lets out a warbling musical whistle. From high up in the trunk there is an answering warble, and you realise that perched up there is a whole flock of emerald green parrots. One of them flies down to your new companion and lands on his shoulder with a gentle squawk.

"What's your name first year?" the boy asks you with a smile.

"Arthur Otley."

"Ok. Polybius, bring me a book by Arthur Otley." The parrot launches himself into the air and flies up into the tree trunk.

You realise that Polybius must be the name of the parrot but you don't understand why the boy is asking for a book written by you. "But I haven't written any books," you explain.

"You mean you haven't written any books yet!" replies the boy. "Remember that this library contains all books including those that will be written in the future."

With that Polybius the parrot swoops down through the air, and drops a book from his claws into your hands. You look at the cover, which reads: "Adventures with Dragons, by Arthur Otley."

A huge smile appears on your face. "You mean I will write this?" you ask the boy.

"Of course you will, and if you are not sure what to write, you can just read it to find out."

As your head spins with possibilities, Daniel tugs on your sleeve. "Hey Arthur, let's go and find our bedrooms."

You allow Daniel to lead you off up one of the spiralling wooden ramps to a doorway high above the tree trunk floor. Above the doorway is a sign saying "BEDROOMS".

The doorway leads to a wide wooden corridor which you realise must be the inside of a branch of this great tree. Every now and again to the left and right are doorways with the names of students written above them. After a short while you come across a doorway that says "ARTHUR OTLEY" above it, next to one with "DANIEL COLLIERS-WOOD" above it.

You go in and find yourself in a beautiful cosy little living room with some flow-wood armchairs and a sofa, leading to a spacious bathroom and a bedroom. As you go into the bedroom you can see the sun sinking below the horizon through an open window: the grounds of Hogsnorts School are far below you. At the centre of the bedroom is a luxurious circular bed. On top of the pillow is a foil-wrapped mint chocolate and a little raven cuddly toy.

You take off your shoes, throw yourself backwards on the bed and munch on the mint chocolate. Yes I think I can be happy here, you say to yourself, as you drift off to sleep with a smile on your face.