SOLVED. Witch in Training with non magical brother [s]

[Kody]

I never finished this book, so I apologize for the lack of details. I read it in late middle school around 2004 and cannot remember all of the details. No idea when it was published. I think it was being told in limited 3rd person from the brother's perspective.

A girl starts developing magical powers. She and her brother are sent to live with a woman who can teach the girl to control them. The girl starts doing some dark magic like resurrecting a skeleton for a prank. I remember something along the lines of bones "remembering who they were in life" and how inconvenient it was for the girl. The skeleton got depressed and didn't play along. The little brother had no magical talent. At one point he tried to hide being left handed as he had done his whole life. The teacher scolded him for hiding it and made him use his dominant hand. I think there may have been an orange cat on the cover.

That's all I can remember.
Any help is appreciated.

[Kokomomomo]

That's Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones. The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume 1 combines two volumes of the Chrestomanci books and has an orange cat on the cover, so that was probably your edition.

Edit: The scene with the skeleton is definitely in there and Cat is hiding that he's left-handed. He and his sister go to live with a witch before they get to Chrestomanci castle; adding that because it's not clear from the book description. :)

[Kody]

Verena wrote: "That's Charmed LifeCharmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones. The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume 1 combines two volumes of the Chrestomanci books and has an..."

That's it. Thank you very much. I had forgotten about living with the witch before going to the castle. Just got the ebook from the library and I'm going to finish what I started 11 years ago.

Thank you.

[Kokomomomo]

Whoops, added two editions by accident. Oh well, one can never have enough Diana Wynne Jones books! Have fun reading. :)