History Literature / WizardsHall

''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.

''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, but predating ''Potter'' by about 6 years.

* BalefulPolymorph: 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]].

* BalefulPolymorph: 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.

* 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.]]

* BalefulPolymorph: 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]].

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Thornmallow will never be a great wizard, and just ''being'' around wizards 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:a channeler - that is, he can amplify someone else's magic terrifically.]] It doesn't particularly help him cast spells on his own though.

%%* EccentricMentor

* [[spoiler: IChooseToStay: Thornmallow has the opportunity to leave Wizard's Hall at the end, but decides to stay anyway.]]
* MeaningfulName: All wizards get them. They're usually plant-related.

* NonActionGuy: Thornmallow.

%%* TheUnintelligible: Dr. Mo. "Squark!"
%%* WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld
%%* WizardingSchool

** [[spoiler: IChooseToStay: Thornmallow has the opportunity to leave Wizard's Hall at the end, but decides to stay anyway.]]

* DreadfulMusician: Thornmallow is tone-deaf, which is a serious handcap in a setting where magic spells are sung.
* EccentricMentor

* TheUnintelligible: Dr. Mo. "Squark!"
* WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld
* WizardingSchool

* ShipTease: Between [[spoiler:Tansy]] and Thornmallow. They [[HoldingHands hold hands]] a couple times, and Thorny finds her comforting.]]

* WordsCanBreakMyBones: And blind you, and deafen you, and make you wracked with endless pain... Even kill you.]]

* ShipTease: [[spoiler: Between Tansy and Thornmallow. They [[HoldingHands hold hands]] a couple times, and Thorny finds her comforting.]]

* WordsCanBreakMyBones: [[spoiler: And blind you, and make you deaf, and make you wracked with endless pain... Even kill you.]]

''Wizard's Hall'' is a children's fantasy novel written by Jane Yolen, who also wrote ''The Literature/PitDragonChronicles,'' ''Literature/TheDevilsArithmetic'', and... well, a ton of other things, really. ''Wizard's Hall'' remains one of her better-known works. It's noted for bearing a marked resemblance to the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series, 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.

* MysticalWhiteHair: Thornmallow has hair "as white as dandelion fluff,"

* WordsCanBreakMyBones: [[spoiler: And blind you, and make you deaf, and make you wracked with endless pain...]]

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 Patchwork 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?

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 Willow, energetic Tansy, and impish Gorse--start to do research into the matter, and discover a prophecy: The evil wizard Nettle, and his horrible Patchwork 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?

''Wizard's Hall'' is a children's fantasy novel written by Jane Yolen, who also wrote ''The Literature/PitDragonChronicles,'' ''[[TheDevilsArithmetic The Devil's Arithmetic]]'', and... well, a ton of other things, really. ''Wizard's Hall'' remains one of her better-known works. It's noted for bearing a marked resemblance to the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series, but predating ''Potter'' by about 6 years.

* FiveManBand:
** TheHero[=/=]TheChick (yes, both at once): Thornmallow
** TheLancer: Willow
** [[TheBigGuy The Big Gal]]: Gorse
** TheSmartGuy: Tansy
* [[spoiler: HoistByHisOwnPetard: Nettle is eventually defeated because, even though Thornmallow is not a great mage, he can enhance a wizard's own magic and amplify it by insane amounts--so Thornmallow kills Nettle with ''Nettle's own magic.'']]

* WhiteHairedPrettyBoy: Thornmallow has hair "as white as dandelion fluff," but he's a good-guy example. (He's also not that pretty... well, on the most common cover. He was downright {{Bishonen}} on one Apple cover.)

* MyNameIsNotDurwood: ''Nobody'' can seem to get Thornmallow's name right.

''Wizard's Hall'' is a children's fantasy novel written by Jane Yolen, who also wrote ''The Literature/PitDragonChronicles,'' ''[[TheDevilsArithmetic The Devil's Arithmetic]]'', and... well, a ton of other things, really. ''Wizard's Hall'' remains one of her better-known works, particularly for its resemblance to the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series. However, it predates ''Potter'' by about 6 years.

'''This book contains examples of:'''

''Wizard's Hall'' is a children's fantasy novel written by Jane Yolen, who also wrote ''The PitDragonChronicles,'' ''[[TheDevilsArithmetic The Devil's Arithmetic]]'', and... well, a ton of other things, really. ''Wizard's Hall'' remains one of her better-known works, particularly for its resemblance to the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series. However, it predates ''Potter'' by about 6 years.