A New Kind of Magic

Scotty peered into the Magic Cauldron, his brow furrowed in a way that made his fluffy ears droop just a tad. He’d followed the recipe for a Triple Chocolate Fudge Delight cake to the letter, or at least, as much to the letter as a puppy witch could. He’d added the moonbeam sugar, the dragon’s breath vanilla, and even a pinch of stardust. Yet, instead of a rich, dark batter, the cauldron was currently bubbling with a substance that looked suspiciously like purple, fizzy lemonade. And it was humming a jaunty, off-key tune.

“Oh, come on!” Scotty yipped, his tail giving a frustrated thump against the stone floor. “Lemonade? Sparky doesn’t want lemonade-cake! He wants *cake*-cake!” He’d been so sure this time. He’d whispered the incantation for ‘Perfectly Plump Pastry’ with all his might, picturing Sparky’s happy tail wags and delighted little woofs. But the cauldron, as usual, had other plans.

Beside him, Sparky, who had been happily chasing his own tail just moments before, let out a curious sniff. His usually black nose twitched, then began to glow a faint, ethereal blue. “Woof?” he questioned, tilting his head. The blue glow pulsed, and suddenly, with a delighted bark, Sparky zipped across the room, leaving a faint trail of shimmering blue pixie dust in his wake. He skidded to a halt at the fireplace, his paws suddenly able to grip the stone as if they were magnetised. He looked back at Scotty, his tail wagging furiously, the blue glow on his nose fading.