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In the dimly lit downstairs hallway at night, Ashton stands barefoot on the bottom step while The Wizard, wearing a bright blue hat, smiles beside a softly glowing floor lamp.
Ashton crept downstairs after hearing a funny noise. There stood a wizard in a bright blue hat. "Are you Ashton?" the wizard asked, smiling. Ashton nodded, wide-eyed. The wizard winked, "Would you like to learn magic?" Ashton replied, "Yes, please!"
Inside the cozy living room at dawn, The Wizard settles an oversized floppy hat onto Ashton’s head; the brim droops past Ashton’s eyes as he lifts it with both hands, giggling in warm sunrise light.
The wizard handed Ashton a floppy wizard hat. It slipped over Ashton's eyes, making him giggle. "You'll grow into it," chuckled the wizard. Ashton lifted the hat, peeking out. "Ready for your first lesson?" asked the wizard. Ashton grinned and said, "I'm ready!"
In a bright study filled with books, Ashton waves a wooden spoon like a pretend wand and shouts “Zippa-zappa-zoo!” while The Wizard conjures a small puff of rainbow glitter from his sleeve under midday sunlight.
The wizard taught Ashton some silly magic words. "Zippa-zappa-zoo!" Ashton repeated and waved a pretend wand. A puff of glitter appeared from the wizard's sleeve. Ashton laughed, "Did I do that?" The wizard winked, "Magic sometimes surprises us!" They both clapped with joy.
At the kitchen table in afternoon light, an apple rests near The Wizard while Ashton stands opposite, eyes squeezed shut; the apple wobbles off the edge, captured mid-roll on the wooden floor.
For their next lesson, the wizard placed an apple on the table. "Use your mind and heart," he said kindly. Ashton squeezed his eyes shut and wished. The apple wobbled, then rolled off the table with a plop! "Close!" cheered the wizard. Ashton giggled, "That was fun!"
Inside a high-ceilinged study lit by golden lanterns, Ashton clings to a gently floating broom circling above scattered scrolls while The Wizard stands below, laughing and steadying the broom’s tail.
The wizard whispered to a broom, and it started to wiggle. "Would you like a ride?" he asked Ashton. Ashton climbed on, holding tight. The broom swooshed gently around the room. Ashton squealed, "I'm flying!" The wizard laughed, "That's the spirit, apprentice!"
In the cluttered potion workshop under warm lamplight, colorful bottles surround Ashton as he carefully stirs a steaming cauldron; bubbles burst into shimmering giggles while The Wizard beams at the fizzing concoction.
The wizard showed Ashton some colorful bottles. "Let's make a giggle potion!" he said. Ashton poured and stirred, tongue between his teeth. Suddenly, bubbles popped and both started to laugh. "See?" grinned the wizard, "You made magic happen!" Ashton beamed with pride.
The sunlit kitchen glows rainbow-bright; purple pancakes stick to the ceiling as Ashton points upward, holding a dripping spatula, while The Wizard chuckles beside a sink overflowing with multicolored suds.
One lesson turned the kitchen rainbow-bright. "Oops!" Ashton said, spotting purple pancakes on the ceiling. The wizard shrugged, "Sometimes magic is messy!" They cleaned up, laughing together. "I like making messes with you," Ashton giggled. The wizard ruffled his hair, "Me too, apprentice."
Afternoon light filters across the tidy study; Ashton kneels on the rug, triumphantly pulling his floppy hat from under a wooden chair while The Wizard crouches nearby, smiling proudly at the recovered treasure.
Ashton lost his floppy hat. He looked everywhere, feeling sad. The wizard knelt beside him, "Magicians never give up." Ashton took a deep breath and looked again. He found the hat hiding under a chair! Ashton smiled, "I did it with your magic advice!"
On a grassy backyard under starry night, Ashton and The Wizard sit side by side on a blanket, faces lit by starlight as a bright shooting star streaks overhead.
The wizard sat with Ashton under the stars. "The greatest magic is being kind and curious," he said. Ashton nodded, thinking hard. "So, I make magic when I try my best?" Ashton asked. The wizard hugged him, "Exactly, little apprentice." They watched shooting stars together.
Inside the warmly lit study, The Wizard hands Ashton a tiny wand; Ashton waves it with a confident grin as silver glitter bursts around them, sparkling against towering bookshelves.
Ashton's adventures had only just begun. The wizard handed him a tiny wand. "Remember, the magic is inside you," he said. Ashton waved the wand and whispered, "Zippa-zappa-zoo!" Glitter sparkled everywhere. Ashton laughed, feeling like a real wizard at heart.
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