[[quoteright:305:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/271060.jpg]]
''Wizard's Hall'' is a children's fantasy novel written by Creator/JaneYolen. It's noted for bearing a marked resemblance to the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series (''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets Chamber of Secrets]]'', in particular), but predating ''Potter'' by about 6 years.

[[TheHero Henry]] is a boy without many exceptional talents, or so he believes. However, his mother thinks he might have a talent for magic, so she ships him off to the [[WizardingSchool Wizard's Hall]] to learn the ways of sorcery. There, he is given the name Thornmallow--[[MeaningfulName "prickly on the outside, squishy within"]]--and dumped into magical classes. Thornmallow proves to be as lacking in magical abilities as he is in other things--except for one odd excluded incident in which he causes an avalanche of snow in his classroom, with a single rose growing vibrantly in the center.

But Thornmallow ''does'' have a (smudgy) nose for trouble, and he's smart enough to notice that not all is right at Wizard's Hall. The Magisters seem to be frightened. The supposedly lush gardens of the Hall are dead as doornails. He and his friends--good-natured Willoweed, energetic Tansy, and impish Gorse--start to do research into the matter, and discover a prophecy: The evil wizard Nettle, and his horrible Quilted Beast, are coming to claim Wizard's Hall, and only the 113th student can stop him. Thornmallow ''is'' that student. But he's a terrible wizard! What will become of Wizard's Hall?
----
!!This book contains examples of:
* AccidentalMisnaming: ''Nobody'' can seem to get Thornmallow's name right.
* ArcNumber: 113.
* BigBad: Nettle.
* BittersweetEnding: Thornmallow will never be a great wizard, and just ''being'' around wizards [[spoiler:will cause him pain for a long time, because of Nettle's stings]]. But [[IChooseToStay He Chooses To Stay]] anyway, because he wants to be with his friends and do what he can anyway.
* CursedWithAwesome: Thornmallow turns out to be [[spoiler:an enhancer - that is, he can amplify someone else's magic terrifically.]] It doesn't particularly help him cast spells on his own though.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Thornmallow is corrected that the "black arts" are not evil, the term being from the fact that, like the bottom of a lake, they are deep and dangerous.
* DisappearedDad: Thornmallow's father is only mentioned once, and never seen. It's unclear if he's even alive or not.
* DreadfulMusician: Thornmallow is tone-deaf, which is a serious handicap in a setting where magic spells are sung.
* EccentricMentor: Really, eccentricity seems to be required to be a magister. Or maybe it's the magic itself that's eccentric and the magisters have to become eccentric themselves to master it.
* FisherKing: In a variant, even though Nettle isn't actually in ''charge'' of Wizard's Hall, as long as he's out there, [[spoiler: no plants grow in the Hall's garden.]]
* ForcedTransformation: Dr. Mo, a rodent-looking thing in a cage that can only say "Squark!" turns out to be [[spoiler:Magister Dr. Morning Glory, shrunken and cursed by The Master]].
* ForeignQueasine: Wizards eat Lizard Soup for dinner. It tastes like mud. Learning to transform it into something that's actually good to eat is part of the Wizard's Hall curriculum. Unfortunately for Thornmallow, First Years can only change the appearance, not the taste.
* IChooseToStay: Thornmallow has the opportunity to leave Wizard's Hall at the end, but decides to stay anyway.
* TheMainCharactersDoEverything: Averted. A girl who wasn't anything besides a face in the crowd plays a significant and important part in one of the final scenes.
* MeaningfulName: All wizards get them. They're usually plant-related. Thornmallow's real name is Henry, but the Magisters say it's just a bunch of nonsense syllables. They pick Thornmallow because he's 'prickly on the outside, squishy on the inside.'
* MysticalWhiteHair: Thornmallow has hair "as white as dandelion fluff".
* NothingIsScarier: Discussed. "Which is worse--seeing or not seeing?"
* RunningGag: None of the Magisters can get Thornmallow's name right.
* ShipTease: Between [[spoiler:Tansy]] and Thornmallow. They [[HoldingHands hold hands]] a couple times, and Thorny finds her comforting.
* {{Tomboy}}: Gorse takes great pride in her prickly name and boyish attitude. She also likes grossing people out.
* TheUnintelligible: Dr. Mo, who can't say anything besides "Squark!"
* WizardingSchool: Wizard's Hall is a school where children go to learn wizardry. Those with no magical aptitude are either turned away at the gate or unable to make it in the first place due to the enchanted road leading to it.
* WordsCanBreakMyBones: And blind you, and deafen you, and make you wracked with endless pain... Even kill you.
----