Book about a boy who becomes a sorcerer

Question

I'm desperately looking for a book series about a boy he, I think, becomes a sorcerer. He goes to a Christmas party with his family and finds a man waiting for him, again I think. His father is absent but has something to do with this. Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper? It's the second book in a five book series, but honestly most people only read that one.

Will Stanton begins to have strange and magical experiences on his 11th birthday, which is at the winter solstice – a few days before Christmas. He discovers he is one of a group of an ancient magical people called the Old Ones, who are guardians and warriors for "the Light" (i.e. good), who are waging a centuries-long battle against the forces of "the Dark" (i.e. evil), whose evil power is rising. To fight back the Dark, the Old Ones need to find and reclaim four magical talismans (called "Things of Power") for the Light. The first of these is the "Circle of Signs" (a set of magical objects in the form of circles divided into four sections by a cross). Will is quested to collect all the Signs, so that the completed Circle can be used to ward off the forces of the Dark.

From this plot summary:

On Christmas Eve, Will goes caroling with his family. They finish at Huntercombe Manor to visit the lady who lives there, Miss Greythorne. Miss Greythorne’s usual butler is gone, and Merriman has taken his place. As Will is singing with his family, Merriman stops time and transports Will back 100 years to a party at the Manor, where Will learns where the Sign of wood is hidden.