After studying the painting, Gaby and Mog went to look at some old maps of Monsterville.
Ben went back downstairs with the permission form.
He floated around, looking for Winnie and Waldo.
"Being on two different teams is exhausting," he thought.
"I hope somebody finds this treasure soon."
"Ben!" Winnie called to him from the front entrance.
"Did you get the approval? We found Pedro's compass!"
"Cool," Ben said. "And yes, you have permission to take it."
"Great!" Winnie said. "Let's go!"
The three of them dashed outside—and the sky instantly flashed with weird green light.
"Yikes!" Ben stopped in his tracks. "What's going on?"
"I think it's our spell," Waldo replied.
"We cast a magnet spell—it makes the compass attracted to Pedro's treasure."
Winnie held the compass in front of her as they hurried along Buzzard Place.
The compass needle seemed to be pointing at the Monsterville clock tower.
"Why didn't the first spell lead you right to the treasure?" Ben asked.
Waldo shrugged. "We don't know," he admitted.
"Although we did make a few mistakes with the potion, and I still have this dumb cold."
"Plus, I'm pretty new to spell casting," Winnie said.
They turned left at the clock tower, and the needle pointed them toward Swampside Lane.
By now the sky had grown dark.
A full moon hung over the bubbling green swamp as they raced along.
"Ah-choo!" Waldo sneezed a few times and had to slow down to catch his breath.
Ben was panting too.
"Why are you guys trying so hard to win?" he asked.
"It's only a friendly bet.
I mean, you're going to use the treasure to help fix the school, no matter who wins. Right?"
Waldo nodded. "Yeah . . ."
"So don't you think it's kind of dumb to try to prove that magic is better than detective work?" Ben went on.
"I mean, what's the point of arguing about it?"
Winnie burst out laughing. "It is kind of dumb," she admitted.
"But it sounded fun to me—like a scavenger hunt, as Mog said."
"Yeah," Waldo added with a grin.
"Besides, a wizard has to defend his magical powers.
Ah-ah-ah-choo!" He sneezed loudly, and the three of them turned green.
Winnie moaned. "Not again."
"Hey!" Waldo said. "I know! I'll cast a spell to fix my cold."
"No!" Winnie said sharply.
"No more spells for now. Let's just keep searching for the treasure."
Soon the compass was pulling the three of them up Cemetery Hill.
At the top they paused so that Winnie could reverse Waldo's green spell.
"Phew, that's better," Winnie said. "I didn't like being green."
Ben was staring down at all the lights below.
To the left he could see lights twinkling in People Place.
To the right Monsterville was lit up too.
"It's a nice view from up here."
"My parents hike up the hill sometimes," Waldo said.
"Enough small talk, guys." Winnie was staring at the compass.
"We're almost at the burial site." She pointed below.
"The compass is pointing down the hill, past that huge tree, and right at . . ."
Ben's eyes went wide as he realized where, exactly, the compass was pointing. "Monster Academy!"
Waldo gasped. "The treasure must be buried under our school!"
"Yep." Winnie took another look at the compass.
Sure enough, its needle pointed right at the school.
"Could it be wrong?" Ben asked.
"I don't think so," Waldo replied.
"I guess we'll find out," Winnie said.
Her voice shook. "I wonder what we'll find—piles of gold?"
Ben remembered the huge chest he'd seen in the painting of Pedro, but he didn't say anything.
That clue belonged to Gaby and Mog.
"Yes!" Waldo said.
"We're going to find tons of gold.
Maybe some other valuable stuff too, like pearls and jewelry.
Pirates stole all kinds of loot."
"Let's go," Ben said eagerly.
The three of them rushed down the hill and wound through the streets toward Monster Academy.
Even though school had ended hours ago, a few lights were on inside the school building.
"Someone's working late," Ben said.
"Maybe Mr. Bog is still mopping up all those puddles."
"Or trying to fix the heat again," Winnie said.
Just then Ben spotted some figures near the big tree close to the front of the building.
One of the figures was very tall.
"It's Gaby and Mog!" he said.
"Looks like they tracked the treasure here too!"