The House with a Clock in the Wall by John Bellars (1973) Puffin Books

An intriguing gothic mystery set around a little boy, Lewis, who is orphaned and taken-in by his Uncle Jonathan.  Jonathan is a warlock and lives in a mansion that was once owned by his friend, then enemy, before that man’s death.  Mrs. Zimmerman, who lives next door to Jonathan, has a degree in magic from a university.  The most disturbing thing about the new house is that it is full of clocks.  Sometimes at night, Jonathan goes around and silences all of them.  But the ticking remains in the walls of the house.

Lewis, who never seems to have any friends because he is overweight, is befriended by the local school hero, because his arm is broken and therefore he can’t participate in any of his favorite sports.  He teaches Lewis to throw a ball, to hit the ball with a bat.  Lewis tells him about magic and takes him home to prove it.  But the boy does not believe Lewis.  So upon finding a ritual in Jonathan’s library about raising the dead, Lewis and his friend go to the graveyard to raise a fearsome witch from the dead.

In the movie, there are more dramatic changes and the man in the passageway is the man who owned the mansion.  He plays a significantly more prominent role, but the outcome is the same.