A young boy is sent to his grandmother's for Christmas, only to find there's more there than he expected.
Tolly is invited by his great-grandmother to spend Christmas at her remote and mysterious house in the country.
Tolly tries desperately to find the other children that he knows are in the house somewhere.
Tolly meets the other children at last and learns from them about the 'demon tree'.
Tolly is very nearly another victim of the Oldknow curse.