Mobbed and beaten by his classmates, victimized by his Headmaster, 12 year old Thomas Fumpkins is caught in a vicious circle of terror unprecedented at Lord Bankes School. But when a new boy with a sinister background is admitted to Lord Bankes, violence gets out of hand ... As Fumpkins' 13th birthday approaches, his tormentors stage one more prank ... unaware that the ancient building harbours more than just one lethal heritage.