Tom is the story’s other protagonist. He has an adventurous spirit and an unwavering moral compass. From the opening pages, Tom is characterized by his love of digging and his search for “earth treasure,” an activity that directly leads to the discovery of the buried boat and the portal to the past. Unlike his sister, Tom immediately embraces his new surroundings in London, finding joy and mystery in the garden’s molehills and the eccentricities of his neighbors. His natural curiosity and impulsive nature serve as the primary catalyst for the plot. He is the one who first unearths the boat and who enthusiastically follows Harry the dog, pushing the narrative forward where Stella’s caution might have stalled it. His reaction to time travel is one of pure excitement, immediately accepting the unbelievable reality and eager to explore.

Tom’s journey through the past is marked by a childlike innocence and a straightforward sense of justice. He struggles with the deception required to survive in the Edwardian era, nearly revealing their secret multiple times. His desire to see his own bedroom in the Gladstone house is a simple, relatable impulse that leads the children into a moment of extreme peril inside the chimney. This act highlights his lack of foresight but also his deep connection to his home, a sentiment that bridges the hundred-year gap. While in the chimney, he impulsively carves his initial into a brick, a physical manifestation of his presence that underscores the theme of The Interconnectedness of Past and Present. This act, born of a child’s desire to make a mark, becomes a tangible link between his experience and the history of the house.

Tom’s defining moment, and the culmination of his character arc, is his decision to return to the past to rescue Jack. While Stella hesitates, Tom is driven by a powerful and unshakable conviction. His cry, “JACK RISKED HIS LIFE FOR US, STELL, AND I’M NOT GOING TO LEAVE HIM THERE TO DIE!” (54), is not just an emotional outburst but a declaration of his core values. He understands that friendship and loyalty are more important than personal safety. This act of bravery, stemming from empathy for Jack and his father, shows Tom to be a dynamic character. He transforms him from a boy seeking adventure into a young hero acting on moral principle. He becomes the story’s conscience, demonstrating that true courage lies in fighting for what is right, regardless of the danger.

Jack is a deuteragonist who serves as the central figure of the Edwardian-era conflict. He is a round and static character; while the reader’s perception of him changes, his own honorable nature remains constant. He is introduced under the false pretense of being a “boy thief,” a ruffian feared by the wealthy Gladstone family. This initial depiction is quickly dispelled, revealing him to be a victim of a profound injustice. His real motivation is loyalty to his father. He risked his life and freedom to sneak into the Gladstone house not to steal but to retrieve his father Jacob’s work tools, believing that they’re the only hope to save his father from despair after being wrongly imprisoned. Jack’s plight introduces a stark social commentary, highlighting the vulnerability of the working class in the face of accusations from the powerful.

Despite his dire circumstances, Jack embodies loyalty and resilience. He is protective of his newfound friends, Tom and Stella, creating a diversion that leads to his own capture so that Stella can escape. This self-sacrificing act solidifies his heroic nature and forges a powerful bond between the children, illustrating the themes of Friendship Across Time and Social Divides and Courage as an Act of Empathy. Jack also functions as a repository of the garden’s folklore, explaining the magical nature of the moles based on stories from his father. In this role, he acts as a bridge between the mundane world and the magical time tunnel, helping Tom and Stella understand the forces they have encountered. His immediate trust in the siblings, despite their strange clothes and story, shows an open heart that contrasts sharply with the prejudice he faces from others in his time.

Emma, who the reader later discovers is the elderly Mrs. Moon, is a pivotal deuteragonist who physically embodies the novel’s central theme, The Interconnectedness of Past and Present. As a young girl in the Edwardian era, Emma is presented as a foil to her rigid older sister, Sophie. She is kind, inquisitive, and open-minded, immediately befriending Tom and Stella despite their unusual appearance. She is a courageous person who bravely stands up to her formidable father and accuses the menacing Crawley of being the real thief, providing the key evidence that Harry dug up for her. This act of defiance against the adult world and its injustices aligns her with the story’s other heroes and demonstrates a moral fortitude that belies her age.

In the present day, she is known as Mrs. Moon. She’s initially characterized as a slightly eccentric old woman with memory issues, whose primary function in the narrative seems to be worrying about her perpetually disappearing dog, Harry. This persona serves as a clever misdirection, concealing her true identity and her profound connection to the children’s adventure. Harry, her link between the two time periods, is a living symbol of her connection to the past and enduring loyalty. The eventual revelation that she is Emma provides the story’s emotional climax, resolving the narrative’s greatest mystery and confirming that the children’s journey was real. As Mrs. Moon, she becomes the wise elder, the keeper of the secret of the time tunnel who can finally share her story and give context to the children’s experience, explaining how the adventure shaped her entire life.

Ultimately, Emma’s character arc spans over a century, making her the most profoundly dynamic character in the story. She is the constant that links the two timelines; her life is a testament to the idea that the past is never truly gone. From the brave young girl who aids her friends to the wise old woman who guides them, she is the heart of the narrative. Her final confession, “I am Emma Gladstone, the same young Emma you met when you travelled down the time tunnel” (94), is a powerful moment that collapses the distance between the two eras, making history feel immediate and deeply personal.

Charlie is a supporting character who functions initially as a red herring and later as a secret guardian. At the story’s outset, he is presented as a stereotypical grumpy gardener, an antagonistic figure whom Tom believes has “had it in for him” (1). His repeated warnings to Tom to stop digging seem to position him as an obstacle to the children’s discovery. However, his gruff exterior conceals his true role. As the narrative progresses, it is revealed that Charlie is not only aware of the time tunnel but also actively protecting its secret at the behest of Mrs. Moon. His concern over the molehills is not about maintaining the garden’s appearance but about safeguarding the magical creatures that open the portal.

Charlie’s character provides one of the novel’s final and most touching revelations: He is the descendant of Jack. This connection cements the theme of The Interconnectedness of Past and Present, showing how family legacies and the garden’s secrets are passed down through generations. He facilitates Harry’s journeys through time, helping Mrs. Moon maintain her connection to her younger self. He is a static character, as his protective nature is constant, but the reader’s understanding of him changes as the story goes on. He evolves from a minor source of conflict into a symbol of quiet loyalty and historical continuity.

Crawley, a greedy, cruel, and dishonest servant in the Gladstone household, is the story’s primary antagonist. He has abused his position of trust to steal from the family, framing the honest Jacob and later his son, Jack, for his crimes. His motivations are simple and villainous; there is no nuance to his flat and static character. He is physically threatening, treating Jack with brutality and snarling at Stella as he captures her. His downfall comes when his confession is captured by Stella’s iPhone, a moment symbolizing the power of truth, aided by modern technology, to expose historical injustice. Crawley serves as a necessary dark force in the narrative, creating the moral conflict that the child heroes must unite to resolve. His lack of complexity allows the story to focus on the bravery and integrity of its protagonists.

Sophie is a minor character who serves as a direct foil to her younger sister, Emma. As the older sibling, Sophie is haughty and judgmental and strictly adheres to the social hierarchies of her time. She is immediately dismissive of Tom and Stella, ridiculing their modern clothing and Tom’s questions. Her behavior contrasts sharply with Emma’s open and friendly demeanor, highlighting Emma’s exceptional character. Sophie represents the rigid and unforgiving social structure that the children’s friendship challenges. Her final act in the story is one of betrayal, as she alerts the adults to the children’s presence in the house by screaming, “Crawley! Papa! I’ve caught them!” (64). As a flat and static character, she remains an obstacle to the protagonists and an embodiment of the era’s social prejudices.

Lucy is a minor but pivotal supporting character who acts as a crucial ally to the protagonists. As Emma’s best friend, she is privy to the secrets of the moles, though she’s initially skeptical of their magical powers. She appears at a critical moment in the narrative, emerging in the garden to confirm that Jack is trapped in the cellar. Without her intervention, Tom and Stella would not have known where to find him. Lucy is brave and decisive, immediately joining the rescue mission and even providing the knife needed to cut Jack’s bonds. Though her appearance is brief, she is instrumental in the success of the rescue. She is a flat, static character who represents the power of friendship and timely assistance in an adventure.

Mr. Gladstone is a minor character who represents the patriarchal authority of the Edwardian era. Initially, he is an antagonistic force, having wrongly condemned Jack’s father, Jacob, and showing a similar lack of trust toward Jack. He is portrayed as stern and easily angered. However, he is not a true villain like Crawley. When presented with undeniable proof of Crawley’s guilt, in the form of both the recovered silver and the recording on Stella’s iPhone, he demonstrates a capacity for reason and remorse. He accepts his mistake and vows to make amends, stating, “I’ll make this up to Jacob…if it’s the last thing I do” (70). This change of heart is essential for the just resolution of the conflict in the past.