A New Future Comes
After setting her paperwork down, Amelia Cackle stood up from the table, turned around and looked at the arrival of her charges. It always pleased her to watch her pupils fly into the courtyard to begin the task of learning more about Witchcraft, and so she stood for just over half an hour as the girls came in and stood around talking for a moment before heading inside. The small door in the heavy wooden doors by Walker's Gate opened, and Cackle saw the most confusing of all the witches-in-training she had ever taught walk through and close it again.
"Ah, Mildred" she whispered to herself. Mildred Hubble had started here as a girl with no known magical background, though she must have had it sometime in her family history – the magic in the girl proved that. Cackle had only found out about the girl when a friend told her about the girl with a few 'problems' and that she was unable to find out anything to help her. Being curious in nature, Miss Cackle had written to the family explaining who she was, what the school did and asked Mildred to come to the school during the summer for an entrance examination. Normally this was a formality as most of the girls knew magic for years, and, in most cases, had grown up with at least one magical parent. Mildred Hubble had actually failed most of the exam as she didn't know half of what was required, and her deputy, Constance Hardbroom, had suggested they not admit her. Cackle had almost agreed with the suggestion when she had come upon the last piece of the paper. It involved you using up the remaining exam time to come up with some kind of creativity without using magic – just words. The result had been a story about a giant, two headed dog that argued with itself constantly. The very idea was simply astounding! It was for that reason, and that reason alone, that she had offered the girl a place at the school. When she read through the letters of acceptance, Cackle was therefore surprised to find a reply turning down the place. So much puzzled by this, the Headmistress had gone round to speak to the family – and found the reason why.
"We're very grateful you offered Mildred a place, Miss Cackle" Mildred's mother had said. "We can not, however, afford the fees to send Mildred to your academy. After my husband divorced me, leaving myself and Mildred with very little, I have been forced to work two jobs in order to feed and clothe her. How could I send her to your school?" she added. "I'm sorry, Miss Cackle. You must think me awfully rude to have made you come all this way to hear our misfortunes and our refusal"
"Not at all, Mrs Hubble" Cackle had said with a smile. Looking around the small living room in the small house, she could see signs of financial hardship for the Hubbles. "And as for Mildred here, all you would have to buy is the uniform and broomstick. We provide the potion ingredients, provide them with a room and feed them. We also give each girl most of her own books, though you will have to buy some yourself"
"But how?" Mildred had asked. "I only have a tiny amount in my piggy bank"
"Cackle's offers one witch per entry a scholarship" Cackle had told them. "It was set up many years ago, before I took over the running of the academy. It helps the most deserving witch's family to provide them with the uniform, broom, books and other items"
"I won't accept charity, Miss Cackle" Mildred's mother had said. "We have not sunk that low"
"I understand why you think it is charity, but I can assure you that it is no such thing. As you know, many non magical schools have the same thing to help pupils who could otherwise not attend the school, and this is nothing but the same thing. Nobody would know about it except for ourselves and my staff"
"Would that mean Mildred could go to your school?"
"It would, yes"
"Where would we go for everything?" Mildred's mother had asked.
"I will send a member of staff to help you with these things" Cackle had said to them.
"If it is alright with you, Miss" Mildred had said, "I would like to go to your school"
"Oh, Mildred…" Cackle smiled at the memories. If there was one thing in the world she enjoyed, it would be helping to teach young girls in the arts of Witchcraft. Despite getting into many different accidents and scrapes, the girl had always found the courage to do the right thing at the right time. Cackle was also amazed and stunned by the times she had saved the school from terrible ruin – often with the help of her friends. Mildred had, Cackle ran through the list in her mind, saved the school from Cackle's wicked twin Agatha twice, saved herself and the entire year from the Dragon Lord, saved the school from closing down, helped Hardbroom to discover the real fake Lucy Fairweather and saved, despite being officially expelled from the Academy, the entire school from being killed at the hands of the Uninvited. It was only because of a little bit of magic from Hardbroom that Mildred had returned for her forth and fifth years. When questioned about why the Foster's Effect had not produced bad results, Hardbroom had said that her use of magic was to prevent something terrible from happening – something she herself had caused to be.
"I see you are watching the girls come back" the voice of her PE teacher shook her mind out of the thoughts. Imogen Drill poured herself a cup of tea and sat in one of the comfortable armchairs.
"Yes, Imogen. I find it never ceases to amaze me at the start of each new term" Cackle said. "Have you seen Constance anywhere? I have not seen her all day" but Drill shook her head.
"I saw her last night making some kind of potion" the other woman said. "I would say that it was one of those damned Wide Awake things. She keeps the effects something of a secret, though I know it keeps her awake for some time more than normal"
"Constance wouldn't be Constance without her secrets" Cackle said.
"You have known her longer then I have, Amelia. Do you have any idea what makes her so… odd?"
"I know all about them" Cackle admitted, turning away from the window. "However, I can not speak of them without Constance's permission. It is something that she would rather remain a secret"
"I sometimes think that it would take away half of the fun guessing if she told us" admitted Drill. "Speaking of guessing, I wonder how our new Head Girl will do this year" she said to Cackle.
"The same way she does everything else, I would expect –make mistakes and learn from them" Cackle accepted a cup of tea from her PE teacher and sat down to sip at it.
"I wouldn't like to be in Ethel Hallow's shoes this term" Drill said.
"Neither would I, Imogen. She takes a smaller size then I do"
"I meant with Mildred as Head Girl"
"I do not think Mildred will abuse her powers, Imogen" said Cackle. "Oh, alright…" she added with a slight smile, "Ethel has been rather nasty towards Mildred for a long time. Still, I do not believe that Mildred will take advantage of her position"
#
Mildred Hubble, Head Girl of Cackle's Academy for Witches, placed her belongings into her room and sat down on the edge of her bed to take a moment from her flight. During the summer break, she had practiced her flying ability in the woods near her home. So long as she kept everything steady, she turned out to be a decent flyer. The only terrible thing that had happened during her summer holiday was the loss of her beloved cat, Tabby. The poor creature had wondered off from the garden and been set upon by stray dogs. Mildred had found him, took him to the vets where he was checked over – but the news was sad. The injuries were too bad to give Tabby a good life, and the kindest thing was to have him put to sleep. She wrapped him in his favourite blanket and buried him at the bottom of the garden – crying all the time as she did so. She supposed that she would need another cat, but the memory of Tabby dying in her arms was too recent for her.
"I thought I would find you here, Mildred Hubble" Hardbroom said a moment before she actually appeared.
"Yes, Miss?" Mildred said.
"Would mind escorting the new girls to the hall for the introductory talk from Miss Cackle?" and Mildred nodded.
"Yes, Miss Hardbroom" the girl said. Hardbroom hesitated before going away, and she said one more thing to Mildred.
"Your cat… I am sorry to hear of his death. If it helps in any way, you did the right thing in having him put to sleep" the Deputy said.
"It doesn't help to bring Tabby back, Miss, but thank you" Mildred said.
"I owed that cat my life, Mildred. If there is a cat that you wish to have, I would be more then willing to purchase him or her for you"
"Not just now, Miss Hardbroom. It is still a little too soon"
"Well… if there is anything I can do for you…"
"Could you expel Ethel Hallow from the school?" Mildred asked lightly. The corners of Hardbroom's mouth twitched into a half smile.
"Trust you to find another meaning in my words, Mildred Hubble. You had better go and get the new starters in a moment. Please try not to scare them with too many gory details about me"
"Would I do a thing like that, Miss?" Mildred asked – her face one of complete innocence.
"Yes" and Hardbroom vanished.
"Sometimes I don't think she is so bad" Mildred echoed her own words from her first year. Taking off her cloak and straightening her Head Girl badge, she left her room to collect and deliver the first year girls.
"Comparing me to Mistress Broomhead, Mildred?" a ghostly voice said from the air.
"No, Miss" and Mildred gulped and hurried away down the corridor.
# # # # #
They all had the traditional supper of cold liver and onions – except for Enid. It turned out that she had developed allergies to the onions Mrs Tapioca used, so she had a cheese sandwich instead until they could get some different onions for her.
"I can't believe we're the oldest students here" said Ruby.
"For two years!" Enid said. "I miss Fenny and Griz already"
"I wonder how they are doing at college" said Maud.
"Getting up to mischief as normal no doubt" Jadu said.
"Look at Hubble Bubble" Ethel's voice drifted from the next table along. "Showing off her badge… Everyone knows she only got it for saving the school from one old hag. I should have got it for all my hard work over the years" she sneered.
"One hundred and ninety nine lines of 'I will not insult the Head Girl or imply she unfairly got her position'. Give them to Miss Hardbroom in the morning" Mildred told her.
"How dare you give me lines…" Ethel fumed.
"Would you care to make it more, Ethel Hallow?" Jadu asked, but Ethel kept her mouth closed. She had fumed all the summer about how she should have been given the Head Girl position, but Drusilla had said that it was a fair and free vote that elected Mildred as Head Girl.
"Trouble, girls?" Miss Drill came over to them.
"No, Miss Drill" said Mildred. "Ethel insulted me by saying I won the badge by cheating, or at least implied it"
"She gave me lines" Ethel protested.
"How many?"
"A hundred and ninety nine"
"That sounds about fair to me, Ethel. Do the lines as you have been told to do"
"But-"
"Ethel, shut up!" Drusilla nudged her in the ribs. "You don't want any more do you…?" and Ethel glared at her but ate in silence.
#
The Witch looked at the school from a point high in the air.
It would only be a few more months until she got what she wanted…