AN: Hey Everybody!

I'm baaaack! (Believe me I'm just as surprised as you are.)

This is the sequel to A Dangerous Combination and I would strongly advise going and reading that before embarking on this one, some of it may not make any sense otherwise.

Enjoy!


Ethel Hallow was fed up, tired, and seething. She was currently scrubbing the steps leading down to the dungeons and had been for the last 2 hours. In fact, she had been scrubbing various floors or walls throughout the castle for the last 2 months now. The worst of it was she only had herself to blame and that annoyed Ethel more than if she was being punished unjustly. Hallows did not get punished and they certainly did not scrub floors.

The Headmistress' door in front of her swung open as she raised her shaky hand to knock on it. "Ah Ethel, please come in and shut the door," Miss Cackle commanded.

Ethel made the mistake of glancing at her Headmistress sitting at her desk and the deputy headmistress standing beside her. Miss Cackle looked so stern she almost represented her twin sister, Miss Hardbroom looked downright murderous.

Crossing to the chair before the desk, Ethel sat down keeping her eyes firmly fixed on the floor. She had been dreading this moment for nearly a week and half now. A long time to await an inevitable lecture and punishment. She had already spent the last week on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor of the Great Hall and some of the classrooms but knew that would not be the end of it.

"You know why you are here?" The Headmistress even sounded as stern as Agatha. Ethel nodded, her eyes never leaving the crack in the flagstone in front of her chair.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Miss Hardbroom questioned, in tone of pure ice.

"I-I-I'm sorry."

"I am afraid sorry will not even begin to cover your crime Ethel Hallow. You broke the Witches Code never mind the disastrous consequences of your actions. Look at me girl!" Ethel was physically shaking now. She had never heard HB sound this angry, even when Mildred had dropped that fire bucket on her head. She forced herself to draw her eyes up towards the formidable woman, requiring every ounce of courage she possessed.

"Ethel you need to realise what has happened here." Miss Cackle began, "by cursing Mildred you placed both her and Miss Hardbroom in mortal danger." Ethel's eyes flicked to her Headmistress questioningly. "Yes, as Miss Hardbroom informed me once she had recovered sufficiently, the illness that they suffered from had potential to be fatal." Ethel was in shock, she had nearly killed her classmate and teacher.

"I-I-I-I..." Ethel eyes began to tear up. She raised her hand up to her mouth to stifle a sob that was threatening.

"More than that Ethel, had Miss Hardbroom not been so quick as to realise what was wrong and enforce quarantine upon herself and Mildred the whole school would have been in danger of becoming infected." Ethel's eyes were back on the floor. She was desperately fighting the tears and rising panic. What had she nearly done?

"Why did you curse Mildred in the first place Ethel?" Miss Hardbroom demanded.

Ethel could not contain the sobs affecting her voice now, "I-I-I, we argued, and I, well, I meant to make her late for flying practice..."

"And so get her into trouble with myself," Miss Hardbroom finished. Ethel nodded.

"That was very cruel Ethel," Miss Cackle commented. Ethel merely continued to stare at the floor and attempt to control her sobbing. "To curse another when unprovoked is against the Witches Code, even if the outcome had not been as dire as it turned out to be. Do you understand the seriousness of your actions?" Ethel forced herself to look up towards Miss Cackle.

"Y-yes,"she turned towards her form mistress, "I truly am sorry Miss Hardbroom, I didn't mean to harm anybody..."

"But you did Ethel," Miss Hardbroom cut her off, "you meant to harm Mildred, even if you had merely stunned her she would likely still have injured herself as she fell unconscious, she would still have been disoriented upon awakening and you still meant to get her into trouble with myself. That in my mind, is harm."

Ethel had no words left. Nothing she could say would make up for what she had done.

"Now as I understand it you have have been scrubbing floors as punishment on Miss Cackle's orders?" Ethel nodded, a sob escaping. "Very well, you shall continue with this until Miss Cackle and I decide otherwise understood?" Ethel nodded again, still unable to look directly at the woman she had harmed.

"A record of this incident shall be placed on you permanent school record and also for the next month you shall assist Mrs Tapioca in serving lunch and dinner." Miss Cackle added.

"And you will formally apologise to Mildred," Miss Hardbroom finished.

"Alright you may go now Ethel, count yourself lucky you are still a pupil at this school," Miss Cackle closed. Ethel stood and stumbled towards the door hurrying to get out as quickly as possible. Her previously muffled sobs audible from the other side of the door.

"Were we too harsh Constance?"

"I don't believe so Headmistress. She committed a serious crime, serious crimes have serious repercussions." Constance moved round the desk and sat in the chair Ethel had previously occupied. She leaned back and subconsciously moved her hand across her chest in an attempt to relieve the pressure.

"I really do think you should have another day off Constance, you are still..."

"I am perfectly fine Amelia, I am more than capable of teaching my classes today," Constance replied, in a tone that made it clear that was the final say on the matter."

"Very well," Amelia conceded with a sigh, "you will keep an eye on Mildred won't you? I'm not convinced she's ready to be back either."

"Of course I will. I am not even allowing her on her broom for flying practice this week."

Yes, Ethel only had herself to blame for her current predicament. She had carried out her punishments without outwardly complaining. But she was so tired now, when she wasn't cleaning she was trying to get all her homework done and keep up with classwork. She leaned back to relieve the ache in her back and sighed.


AN: Well Ethel got her comeuppance eh?

I just wanted to say I am a tad nervous about putting up this story, some of the material has likely been covered by other authors but I am hoping my version has a sufficiently different enough backstory to not cause upset, particularly with where I would like the final part of the trilogy to go. If anyone does get upset with anything too close to their own work let me know and I will take it down. Particularly with the final story of the trilogy (which I haven't even began to write yet.) I have had the ideas since watching the show and reading the books as a child which many authors have probably done.

Also see that lovely box below, the one for reviews? Please write something in it, they really do help keep the confidence up and every one is cherished.

Next chapter shall be with you soon!

ConstanceScully xx