Royal Institute of Magic: The Shadowseeker (Book 2) by Victor Kloss

wrote,” Ben said, looking at his handbook with concern. His face lit up hopefully. “Could I compare my answers with yours?”
    “Absolutely not,” Charlie said. “I'm sure you did fine.”
    Ben knew better than to argue the point. There were some rules Charlie would never break.
    With a little sigh, Ben knocked on the door.
    “Come in, come in. By that I mean both of you.”
    Ben exchanged a surprised look with Charlie.
    “How did he know there are two of us?” Charlie asked.
    “I don't know, but I have a feeling this could be interesting.”
    Ben opened the door into a small office, dominated by one big desk in the middle. On the left side of the desk was a basket, piled halfway to the ceiling with Institute Handbooks. On the right was another basket with a smaller collection of handbooks. In the middle was a man, for lack of a better word, sitting on a chair. He was so small the table came up to his chin and his legs were too short to dangle off the chair. He had a long grey beard, which trailed down to the floor, tied together by a bunch of colourful elastic bands. His face was wrinkled and his arched eyebrows were accented by the bald head. In his long bony fingers was an expensive-looking pen. Three white diamonds hovered above his right shoulder.
    Ben and Charlie stopped a respectable distance from the desk and watched with curiosity.
    “Just a moment, please,” the man said. He mumbled something to himself, then shut the book and threw it with a flick of the wrist, sending it spinning upwards. It landed perfectly on top of the smaller pile of books.
    He finally looked up, and Ben realised then that he definitely wasn't human. He had a long chin and a nose that would have rivalled your stereotypical witch.
    “Ah, new blood! My name is Professor Rafakat. You can call me Professor, Rafakat, Professor Rafakat, Raf, or even Prof. I've been called them all and have no preference. What are your names?”
    His voice was high-pitched and croaky, unsurprising given he was probably less than three feet tall.
    “Greenwood, eh?” Rafakat said, after they had introduced themselves. He gave his beard a stroke. “An interesting family, with considerable history.” Rafakat turned to Charlie. “Hornberger? First generation to the Institute. Good luck to you.”
    “You know about my family?” Ben asked.
    “I know many people,” Rafakat said. When he smiled he revealed a set of yellow teeth. “I was friends with your parents. Your mum I especially liked. A fine-looking woman. Fantastic legs.”
    Charlie made a choking noise and even Ben struggled to keep a straight face. His mum's legs were bigger than Rafakat's entire body.
    “I'd love you to stay and chat, but as you can see, I'm snowed under for a change,” Rafakat said, nodding towards the huge pile of books. “Leave your books on my desk. They will be marked by tomorrow morning.”
    Ben wanted to ask more about his parents, but knew it might not be a good idea to press the matter, especially if he wanted to pick the professor's brains at a later date. He and Charlie placed their handbooks on the desk. Rafakat took them and threw them into the air. The left pile must have been ten feet tall, but the books flew up and landed at the top with such deftness that Ben suspected magic was involved. Rafakat then pulled the bottom handbook from the pile with such speed that the remaining ones didn't even sway when they dropped down.
    Ben and Charlie left the room, feeling in awe of the little man.
    The Institute wasn't as busy as in the morning, but there were still plenty of people coming up and down the spiral staircase, creating an energetic atmosphere that Ben warmed to.
    “There she is,” Charlie said, waving vigorously.
    The three of them left the Institute and stepped out into the courtyard, which was bathed in pleasant sunshine.
    “I know a great little café not far from here,” Natalie said. “For an extra five pounds they give you a silencer spell, so