Lord Grave is hosting a special ball at Grave Hall, and Lucy Goodly can’t wait to see powerful magicians from all over the world gathered in one place. But alarming events in Grave Village threaten to overshadow the glittering occasion. Who are the strange children attacking Lucy’s friends? What do they want? And why are his lordship, Vonk the butler and even little Violet, the scullery maid, behaving so oddly? Could it be to do with the same dark forces that were overthrown exactly a hundred years ago? It’s up to Lucy to solve the mysteries before magicians everywhere are put in mortal peril.