Emily Veal’s life has always been a little strange. Even as a baby, she was found in a hatbox in a London airport. But what awaited her in the future is hard to imagine! One day, Emily meets a very unusual old lady, Miss String, and her cat Nopessa—who, it turns out, can talk and wears a hat and a coat. It turns out that Emily’s new friends are real wizards! They opened up a whole world of wonders for her. But then, one day, something terrible happens to Miss String! Nopessa is sure it wasn’t without magic. Someone is planning something terrible against the world of wizards. So who is it, and how do you stop them? Sally Gardner is a world-famous children’s writer, the winner of the Carnegie Medal and other prestigious literary awards. Her books have been translated into 22 languages and sell in million-copy runs.