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Hey Koala Kids, welcome back to Koala Shine.
I'm your host Kelly, and I've got a spellbinding daytime story ready just for you.
Let me ask you guys something.
If you went to school with the Jupiter Twins, what spell would you cast?
A spell that makes your bed?
A spell that turns broccoli into chocolate?
Or maybe even a spell that does your homework for you?
Hmm, sounds amazing, right?
Well, today's story shows that magic doesn't always exactly go to plan.
Expect sneaky spells and one very unforgettable case of double trouble.
So get ready, because we're heading back to the Leora Academy right now.
Away we go!
For the seventh time that lesson, Lily Jupiter tried to cast a spell on her brother.
One meant to wipe his memory clean, like a cloth across a blackboard.
She stared into his eyes, extending her magical senses as she sifted through his mind, searching for the thought she wanted gone.
Then, under her breath, she muttered the charm.
All right, she said, frowning at him.
Can you remember what I just said to you?
Yup, said jake.
You said i was uglier than a toad who'd been run over by a herd of stampeding unicorns and then dropped into a bog full of dragon poop.
Lily sighed yes, she admitted i did say that.
To be honest, said jake, i wish i'd forgotten.
Lily dropped the useless spell book onto the desk.
Of this forgetting spell, she grumbled.
Usually lily was excellent at magic.
She wasn't used to not being able to get her head around a spell.
Oh, the thing is i can do the first half of the incantation perfectly, but the second half always trips me up.
Oh oh, it's all right, lily.
Her brother comforted her.
I'm sure you'll crack it one day.
Luckily, just then a ghost flew through the classroom wall ringing the bell to announce that the lesson was over.
Jake and Lily gathered up their belongings.
They headed out into the corridor passing one student whose forgetting spell had obviously caused him to forget that rubbers go in pencil cases, since he kept trying to stick it up his nose.
Nothing cheered Lily up more than a bowl of cereal in the afternoon afternoon.
So she went straight to the dining hall.
As she sat there making her way through her bowl of sunshine loops, which glowed with a brilliant light and sent beams dancing around the hall, an equally sunny smile appeared on her face.
Spoken too soon, because just then a girl with long blonde pigtails approached their table and she looked pretty mad.
Take Jupiter, she said sternly.
Give me back my chocolate bunny rabbit, right this instance.
Jake gawped at her.
Chocolate bunny rabbit, he repeated.
I don't know what you're talking about.
I don't know what that is.
I don't even know who you are.
Oh, don't try and fool me, Jake, the girl said.
I saw you take it right off my desk and run out the room.
But now I found you, so give it back.
Jake sat there with his mouth open. utterly lost for words.
But luckily his sister was there to intercede.
I promise you, she said, smiling as kindly as she could.
I've been with him all day.
I haven't seen him take anything.
But now the girl only glared at Lily.
Well, you would say that, wouldn't you?
You're his sister.
Siblings are always covering for each other.
I bet you've eaten it already and you're trying to cover your tracks.
Well, let me just tell you this.
It isn't right, and it isn't fair.
And with these words, the blonde girl stomped away.
The Jupiter twins exchanged a wide-eyed glance, placed their bowls into the enchanted sinks that wash dishes all by themselves and hurried from the dining hall.
The fact was, this wasn't the first time someone had accused them of doing something they hadn't done.
Lately,
Yesterday one boy came up to them convinced that Lily had copied his curse-breaking homework, even though Lily wasn't even taking curse-breaking that term.
And a few days before that a girl had come up to them rather upset because apparently they had transfigured her pet mouse into a turkey and she wanted her mouse back.
Something pretty fishy is going on around here, Jake muttered out of the corner of his mouth as they climbed the stairs towards their dormitories.
Yeah, you're right about that, Jake, Lily agreed.
How can we possibly be in two places at once?
That would be impossible.
Then she suddenly grabbed Jake's wrist.
Look, she whispered.
She pointed down the corridor at two students at the far end who were just turning around the corner.
Two students who looked extremely familiar.
Jake gasped.
It's us!
He rubbed his eyes, quite unable to believe them, and then squinted down the corridor.
But it seemed his eyes had not deceived him.
There they were, Lily and Jake himself, hurrying down the other end of the corridor.
But how is that even possible?
He patted his chest, pinched the back of his own hand.
How could he be over there if he was right here?
Quick, said Lily, who had recovered from the uncanny surprise more quickly than him.
We've got to catch them.
They sprinted down the corridor.
But when they swung around the bend, the corridor was empty.
The students had disappeared.
Oh no, Jake said, breathing heavily.
We've lost them.
But who are they?
And how come they look exactly like us?
What kind of magic could this be?
Lines appeared on Lily's forehead, a sure sign that she was thinking very hard.
Then suddenly, her eyes brightened.
She'd had an idea.
Follow me, she said.
Lily turned around and, instead of traveling back towards their dormitory, she led her brother in the opposite direction.
They wound through the labyrinth corridors of the Leora Academy until at last they appeared in front of the tall glass doors of the library.
Jake shook his head.
It's always the library with you, Lily, he laughed.
Well, there are very few answers you can't find in books, Lily replied.
You'll see.
They stepped into the quiet, muffled chambers of the library, where the only sound was the scratching of quills on parchment paper or an occasional noise like wings flapping, as a book decided it had grown bored of its shelf and flew across the library to find another one.
Lily led Jake into the section of the library that contained all the books about potions and other magical brews.
She scanned the shelves, her eyes quickly taking in the glittering names embossed on the rows and rows of leather spines.
Aha, she said at last, and reached up to pluck down a large brown book from a shelf near the top.
She opened it to a certain page and handed it to Jake.
The impersonation portion, he read out loud, then looked at her sharply.
You think some people are drinking a potion to make themselves look like us and then causing all sorts of mayhem around the school, knowing that we'll be the ones to get in trouble for it?
Lily nodded.
That's exactly what I think is happening, she said.
What other explanation can there be?
Jake furried his brow.
She smiled.
I believe that answer can also be found in the book.
She took the potions manual back off Jake and flicked to the very front page where a long list of names written on a piece of parchment showed who had taken the book on loan from the library and when.
She traced a finger down the list of.
He couldn't believe it.
Felix and Felicia were a brother and sister from another year.
And though the Jupiter Twins prided themselves on trying their hardest to see the good in everyone and loving every creature, human beast or other, if they were forced at one point to name someone they frankly could not stand, they'd definitely name Felix and Felicia Foxglove.
They were snotty-nosed and smarmy and rude.
They were set on competing with the Jupiter Twins at everything.
And they played dirty.
Felicia had practically knocked Jake off his broom to beat him on the field a few weeks ago.
And Lily knew Felix cheated to beat her in the charm off last year.
She'd seen him.
And now, to top it all off, it seemed as though they were running around pretending to be them and getting them in all sorts of trouble.
To be honest, said Lily, I'm not one bit surprised it's the foxgloves behind this.
The only question is, what do we do about it?
Jake snapped shut the potions book and hugged it to his chest.
Then he gave his sister a kiss.
What is it?
Lily asked.
Well, Lily, have you ever heard the phrase, if you can't beat them, join them?
The impersonation potion wasn't easy to make, but luckily Lily and Jake were dab hands at brewing.
They had most of the ingredients in their student's potion-making briefcase, but for a few others, like ground-up wolf's tooth, arctic pixie dust and old man's toenail, they had to go and smell extremely sweetly at their potion-brewing teacher, Professor Bubbles.
And what do you need these ingredients for, Jupiter Twins?
Professor Bubbles asked, scratching a shock of bright pink hair, want to practice making the potion for curing cults?
Professor lily said, smiling her most sugary smile, so we can do extra well in class.
Well well, how hard working of you both.
Professor bubble squeaked.
How could i say no to such a request?
And so, in a pewter cauldron, in the dark of their dormitory, the Jupiter twins spent the night brewing the impersonation potion.
They stewed dragon's horn, they chopped toenails, and they sprinkled pixie dust.
The potion turned purple and blue and green.
By the time the next day began for lessons, the next morning the twins stood in their dormitory two empty beakers in their hands.
Oh, that potion was disgusting, said Lily.
Jake looked at his sister and jumped.
She didn't look like Lily at all.
Ow, you look terrible.
Yeah, you don't look much better, she replied.
They went to look in the mirror and staring back at them were not their own faces, but the mean faces of the foxgloves.
Jake sighed.
Oh, I already miss being me.
Tell me about it, said Lily in the voice of Felicia.
But come on, it's time to go.
The Jupiter Twins went out and joined the throngs of students running through the Leora Academy, all making their way to their lessons.
This is so weird, Jake murmured, when one kid spotted them and turned white as a ghost.
Everyone looks scared of us.
Remember, it's not us, Lily said as Felicia.
It's the foxgloves.
A minute later, when the girl walking ahead of them dropped her crystal ball, Lily bent down to pick it up.
Oh, I'll say thank you, Felicia, the girl said.
Then she clamped her hand over her mouth, as though, in just saying the name, she had brought some awful curse upon herself.
And like a bolt of lightning, she shot off in the other direction.
Oh, jeepers, said Lily.
These foxgloves sure have a reign of terror over this school.
Yeah, they do, agreed Jake.
And to be fair, it gives me a fright every time I look at you.
But how are we going to get back at them?
But Lily didn't have any time to think about that question.
Because just then, there was a sound of a great commotion.
And it was coming from the dining hall.
Lily hurried across the school entrance and into the dining hall, where they screeched to a sudden halt.
Lily gasped.
Are those… Squishy Puffballs?
They were Squishy Puffballs, the adorable and cuddly creatures who traveled in flocks around the Leora Academy Gardens and often acted as pillows for dozing students because they were so soft and friendly.
But these puffballs had been transfigured so that instead of arms and legs they had bouncy springs, and now they were boinging chaotically around the dining hall, bopping students on the head and smashing into plates.
Professor bubbles, the potion brewing teacher, ducked out of the way of a ricocheting puffball and shouted Jupiter Twins.
You clear up this mess right this instant!
She was shouting at two students at the front of the hall and when Lily looked she felt a peculiar and dizzying feeling going through her, because she found herself looking directly at well herself.
She and Jake were standing at the front of the dining hall laughing at the chaos they'd just caused.
Except it wasn't her and Jake, was it?
It was the foxgloves.
Poor Jake, though.
It seemed he'd momentarily forgotten that he looked like Felix Foxglove.
When Professor Bubbles shouted his name, he must have thought she was shouting at him, because the next moment he had muttered a spell under his breath and turned a puffball back into its original fluffy self.
The fluffy puffball rolled cutely across the floor, looking relieved it was no longer bouncing.
Why, thank you, Mr. Foxglove, Professor Bubbles said with a smile.
At least we have one outstanding student in this school.
No, Jake, Lily hissed.
We're not meant to be being good.
We're meant to be being bad.
And without stopping to think about it, Lily muttered a spell that changed the piece of flooring beneath Professor Bubbles into a giant banana skin.
Professor Bubbles cried as she slipped and fell on her bum.
Oh, Lily thought to herself.
It was horrible being naughty, even if no one knew it was you.
It just wasn't in her nature.
Across the other side of the hall, the boy who looked like Jake was staring at her with his eyes wide in shock.
Felicia, he said.
Look, it's us.
But how?
And then the girl who looked just like Lily narrowed her eyes.
And speaking in Lily's voice said, I think I know, she said.
It's those Jupiter twins.
And then, suddenly, they were locked into a battle of who could be the naughtiest.
The foxgloves cast a spell so that the breakfast food, which was laid out on neat platters, flew through the air.
Bits of toast shot out the windows.
Tomatoes went splat against the wall.
The imposter Jupiter twins turned all of the furniture into the room minuscule, so that only a creature the size of a mouse could sit on it.
Felix Foxglove, who was really Jake, pointed a finger at a student a few years below.
The student flew up into the air until he dangled from the candelabra by his underpants.
Jake, the student whined.
Let me down.
I thought we were friends.
The real Jake, who couldn't believe that Felix would damage his reputation like that, shot a spell at the magical self-cleaning sink.
The sink erupted, sending fountains of water and slippery soap suds shooting across the dining hall.
Felicia Foxglove glared at him in Lily's form.
She opened her mouth to cast another spell, and that's when Professor Bubbles, who had got herself back on her feet, barked a single word of magic and everything in the room just froze.
Pastries hovered in the air.
The bouncing puffball paused precariously close to a stained glass window and Felicia Foxglove's spell got stuck in her tongue.
The Foxgloves and the Jupiter Twins, Professor Bubbles bellowed.
Well, this is double trouble.
She snapped her fingers and the dining hall turned back to normal.
The tables were human-sized.
The walls were clean of food.
The flock of squishy fluffballs rolled merrily around on the floor.
The poor student had been released from the candelabra and was now safely back on the floor.
And the floods of water had disappeared.
Professor Bubbles glared at them all.
In spite of her bright pink hair, she looked very stern.
You all follow me right now, she said.
We're going to see the head teacher.
She walked out of the dining hall and through the school.
The Jupiter Twins and the Fox Gloves walked behind her.
Just seemed like a couple of students, much like her and Jake, who had let things go a little bit too far.
This is your fault.
Lily whispered as Felicia, so that only Felicia Foxglove, who was walking beside her, could hear.
You're the ones who started this.
Yeah, but you're the ones who took it to the next level, Felicia whispered back.
You made Professor Bubble slip over a banana skin.
That's where it all went totally wrong.
Well, Lily couldn't argue with that.
Oh, Lily sighed.
Oh, I wish we could just all forget the whole thing.
Me too, Felicia said softly.
If only I could do that forgetting spell.
The problem is I can only ever get half of the incantation right.
Lily almost stopped in her tracks.
Her heart started beating just a tiny bit faster.
Which half?
She asked slowly.
Felicia frowned.
Why does it matter?
Just tell me, Lily whispered as Felicia.
The second half, Felicia said.
Oh, what a funny coincidence, Lily told her.
Because I can only ever get the first half right.
The two girls, once sworn enemies, now unlikely allies, looked at each other.
Their eyes twinkled.
Tentative smiles began to spread across their faces.
They both glanced at the back of Professor Bubble's pink-haired head.
"'Could we?'
Felicia asked.
"'We could,' Lily replied.
Felicia shot her a quick scowl.
"'But if we do this and we work together, that doesn't mean we're friends.'
Oh, no way, Lily agreed.
But if we do do this, then you have to promise me one thing.
What's that? asked Felicia.
You have to stop impersonating us.
Felicia considered Lily's words as they turned a corner onto the corridor where the head teacher's office was located.
They could see the wooden door getting closer and closer.
They didn't have much more time to lose.
Quick, Lily hissed.
Fine, Felicia replied.
You've got a deal.
She put her hand out to the side.
Enemies?
Lily took Felicia's hand in hers.
The doorknob of the head teacher's office door glinted.
Enemies.
She agreed and they shook hands and then they began to speak together.
Lily went first before felicia took over.
Together they whispered the words of the forgetting spell in front of them.
Professor bubbles stopped in her tracks.
She turned her head first one way and then another.
She turned around and looked at the jupiter twins and the fox gloves.
What are you four doing here?
She asked sweetly.
Lessons are started.
Off you go.
None of them needed telling twice.
With a sigh of relief, they hurried off down the corridor.
And though the Jupiter Twins and the Foxgloves remained enemies, just as Lily and Felicia agreed, a grudging kind of respect arose between them.
The kind of respect that forms when you meet a worthy adversary.
For although Professor Bubbles might not remember it one bit, none of them would ever forget the day when they got themselves into a spot of double trouble and then got themselves out of it again.
Well, that was one magical mix-up.
Lily and Jake's day at Leora Academy was packed with spells, surprises and a whole lot of double trouble.
Certainly a day they won't forget in a hurry.
Before we go, let's end today's show with a brilliant joke sent in by one of our listeners.
We absolutely love hearing your jokes and fun facts, so please keep sending them in.
You can leave them in the comments.
Are you ready?
What did the hammer say when it won the race?
I nailed it!
Well, that's it for today, Koala Kids.
Thanks so much for joining me on Koala Shine and don't forget to come back for another magical story soon.
Until next time, keep on shining!
PoliShine.
