“By the bones!" said Shay. "He has all seven!""All seven what?""The Potter biographies! The College of Spires only had five of the volumes... four now, since I stole one.""What's so special about these books?" She picked up one of the fat tomes and flipped it open."Potter was a member of a race of wizards who lived in the last days of the human age," said Shay.Jandra frowned as she flipped through the pages. "Are you certain this isn't fiction?" She asked.”

“He sat the silver disk between Poocher's shoulder blades. The pig turned around in a circle, as if he were trying to see the disk on his back, which his fat neck wouldn't allow. After his third revolution, he closed his eyes and scrunched up his snout. His wings unfolded. He floated off the ground, looking smug.Everyone in the room knew there was something that needed to be said. But not even Hex, who'd never shown any fear of an obvious joke, dared say it.”

“I'm not shooting for happy. I'm aiming for comfortable and fat.”

“You put a spell on the dog," I said as we left the house."Just a small one," said Nightingale."So magic is real," I said. "Which makes you a...what?""A wizard.""Like Harry Potter?"Nightingale sighed. "No," he said. "Not like Harry Potter.""In what way?""I'm not a fictional character," said Nightingale.”

“Now I am more nearly a grown member of the human race..she thought she had never before had a chance to realize the strength human beings have, to endure;she loved and revered all those who had ever suffered, even those who had failed to endure”

“...I could now look down at ghostly fingers, wraith-like toes, and a phantom wang.”

“I decided long ago that life's absurd. If you don't develop a sense of humor, it will drive you mad.”