Cat heard a muffled tapping. At first he thought it was coming from the window, but when he sat up and listened, he knew the noise was coming from inside his room. He snapped the light on. Sure enough, the big mauve-speckled egg was rocking gently.

Spells always have consequences, so even the best-intentioned witch or warlock needs guidance from time to time–and it’s Chrestomanci’s job to make sure everything is safely under control. Even so, in the village around Chrestomanci Castle, all sorts of secret magical misuse is going on!

When Cat Chant finds the egg in the attic, he knows he has to have it. Marianne Pinhoe isn’t sure what Gammer will think about that, but she lets him take it anyway. Rumour has it it’s an elephant egg, but Cat’s convinced it’s a dragon’s egg. Within the safety of Chrestomanci Castle, the egg eventually hatches–and chaos breaks out in the surrounding village. Can Cat and Marianne get to the root of the problem, and can Cat’s new charge help?