Kathleen stared around at the happy scene. Wizards and witches were crowded into every square centimetre of carnival grounds. Loud noises whizzed and exploded. Bright lights popped and flashed. Images flashed past so fast Kathleen's brain couldn't process it all quickly enough.
If she had been claustrophobic, it would have been hell. As she wasn't, it was heaven.
"Theo, look at this!" she said excitedly, groping next to her. Her fingers met thin air. Kathleen whirled around, panic rising like bile in her throat. "Theo? Theo!"
Her little brother was nowhere to be seen.
Kathleen wriggled through the crowds, looking for Theo's bright red haystack of hair. The images were no longer pleasurable. The lights blinded her from seeing anything. The noises seemed to disguise any possible shouts from Theo.
"Help!" screamed Kathleen desperately. "I'm trying to find my brother! HAVE YOU SEEN MY BROTHER?!"