Ethel Hallow was feeling bored and second-best. Her older sister Esmerelda was just back from Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches for the summer, which meant zero attention for Ethel. Sybil, Ethel's younger sister, had just won a scholarship to some posh girl's school.
"Although, of course, you'll only need it for a few years," Ethel's mother had told Sybil proudly. "Then you'll be off to Miss Cackle's like Esmerelda."
"Me too, Mother," Ethel had interrupted. Her mother had blinked, as if remembering who Ethel was, and then nodded.
"Ethel too." she had corrected quickly.
Ethel shook her head at the memory. Still, after the summer holidays she's be starting at Miss Cackle's too, which hopefully meant more attention for her. She just needed to be top of class in everything and Head of Year, then she'd be the favourite. It was a mystery to Ethel on why smarty-pants Esmerelda was the favourite, anyway.
She heard a small bang from the living room, then clapping from Sybil and her mother. Ethel sighed and walked into the living room. She saw Esmerelda standing there, beaming proudly, in front of a bright pink wall. It was brown a minute ago.
"What's going on?" Ethel asked.
"Esmee turned our wall pink!" yelled Sybil excitedly.
"But you hate pink." Ethel frowned at her mother.
"Well, darling, opinions change." said her mother, absent-mindedly. "Aren't you going to congratulate Esmerelda?"
"I can turn walls pink." Ethel said proudly, turning to the other brown wall. It was true – she'd been studying, hoping to impress her family. She raised her arms and began to mutter a spell.
"No!" her mother yelled. "Ethel, no!"
"Why not?" Ethel asked.
"Because – you've had no instruction, darling, it's more than likely to go wrong, knowing you." her mother replied bluntly, laughing. Sybil joined in, although Esmerelda threw Ethel a sympathetic look.
Those words hurt Ethel, but not as badly as the last two words. Knowing you. Ethel felt fury rise through her.
"But you don't, do you?" Ethel said in fury. "You don't know me. You haven't bothered. I'm just one of three; the middle child. I'm not as cute as Sybil and you think I'm not as clever as Esmerelda. But I am – I'm cleverer than her. If you'd just give me a chance to prove it then you'd see!"
With that, Ethel raised her arms and continued her spell, quicker and louder this time.
"Ethel, wait!" her mother cried, but Ethel just shut her eyes and continued.
"She's nearly finished the spell!" Esmerelda yelled in a panicked voice.
"Just trust me!" Ethel yelled, then shut her eyes and continued her spell yet again.
"Esmerelda, stop her!" shrieked her mother.
Esmerelda stepped forward and grabbed Ethel's hands and pulled.
"Turn this–––graaaahhhhhhhhhhh!" Ethel yelled. She tried to continue her spell, but her mother put a hand over her mouth. All Ethel's words became muffled and as she finished the spell, she panicked. Her words had come out wrong and who knew what spell she'd just made?
However, Ethel tried to tug free of her mother and was knocked off-balance. She opened her eyes and threw her arms out to stop herself falling – accidentally pointing at Esmerelda.
"NO!" Esmerelda screamed, as the yellow lightening struck her and she fell to the ground.
"You hit her with your spell!" Sybil yelled, goggle-eyed.
"Ethel!" her mother screamed. "What have you done?!"
Ethel just stared as her sister began to moan and shape-shift.