(309 words, 7 sentences)
My actual entry for inknalcohol's Mischiefy Mischief Mini Contest! A decent mix of tension and portent and actual mischief...I may have fudged a bit with the title, but it fits, so there! 
For anyone who's bored, my first and second rejected ideas: The Sorcerer's Hat, The Sorcerer's Hat. They're not horrible but I do think this one is the best.