Just been watching "Alarms and Diversions" and Sybil seems to have caught my attention. This is set during Sybil's fourth year, after Mildred and company have left. Enjoy!
I don't own the characters, but they're rented out at a reasonable price.
There's a lot of pressure, being a Hallow. Especially a Hallow with a sister like Ethel to follow. All through her first year at Cackle's, letters full of triumph and class reports singing her praises came flooding home, and Sybil eventually grew to dread the post coming, because with Ethel's letters would inevitably come her father's reminder that she would have to keep up the family name next year. It had been said to her even when she went to junior school, where Mona was now. At six years old, she seemed to be very like Ethel, in terms of talent, confidence and ability and now at ten, the resemblance was stronger than ever, except she wasn't quite as mean. Nearly all of Sybil's reports had mentioned her lack of confidence.
It was the same during her first term at Cackle's – she hadn't even wanted to go. She had been desperate to go to Pentangle's Academy, where she wouldn't be "Ethel Hallow's Little Sister", but Sybil Hallow, a person in her own right. Sadly, her father had been somewhat insistent.
It was no wonder, she thought, that she kept crying during her first weeks at Cackle's. Starting a new school was stressful enough without Ethel's bewildering makeover but being frightened out of her wits by the stories about Mildred Hubble put a lid on it all – stories that turned out to be (for the most part) untrue. Yes, Mildred was apt to do bewildering things (Sybil would never forget the time that she flew out of a window and dropped a bucket on Miss Hardbroom's head) but she was also incredibly kind and brave – if it wasn't for her, Sybil would have been killed by the magical tornado.
As she passed through the years, though, Ethel and her father kept putting the pressure on, especially at the end of her third year, when head girl elections took place. She didn't want the post, and had never done but they were insistent that she get the post that Ethel did not and it was during a PE class when the pressure finally got to her. Upon failing to jump the vaulting horse for the sixth time she had burst into tears – the first time she had done so for many years. At lunchtime, she had gone to Miss Cackle and asked to not be chosen.
She wasn't chosen, and when Ethel left, she absolutely blossomed, causing a couple of looks amongst the staff, and a few remarks about how strange it was that quiet little Sybil Hallow seemed to be doing so well now that Ethel was at Weirdsister.
Just when she thought she had escaped it, family pressure forced her to apply for Weirdsister when she achieved all As in her Witches' Higher Certificate, with a distinction in music. To her dismay she was accepted.
And now, it's the week before she starts at Weirdsister College and once again, she's following in Ethel's footsteps. It's at moments like these that she wonders if she'll ever escape Ethel's shadow.
That seemed like a good idea but was crap to read when finished. Oh well. Just a couple of notes:
a) In "All At Sea", Ethel mentions her junior school, so I figured the other two would have gone there.
b) I have no idea how old Mona is at the start of New Worst Witch but I guessed about twelve, making her about seven years younger than Ethel and six younger than Sybil.
The always awesome bucket scene deserves a mentions.
Go on, review. You know you want to ;)