Hecate Hardbroom glowered in the early morning light, while standing at the entrance of Cackle's Academy, watching the new witches arrive by broomstick. Some glided in on their brooms with ease, showing no signs of struggle when they hopped off and landed safely on the grounds of the school. Others came tumbling out of the sky almost breaking their broomsticks as they landed.
Pathetic, Hecate thought as she saw a first year fall off her broom and rip the lining of her school uniform.
"Ah, Hecate, I knew I'd find you out here." Hecate turned around to see Ada Cackle walking up to her with a glowing smile on her face. She always loved the first day of the new school term, and especially loved to see the arrivals of the first-year witches.
"Well met, Ada," Hecate greeted the Headmistress in the traditional greeting, with one hand resting on her forehead as she bowed slightly.
"Well met, Hecate," Miss Cackle followed suit with the traditional greeting. "How was your summer?"
"Busy," Hecate said stiffly. "And yours?"
"It was lovely. Happy to be back though," Miss Cackle smiled again as she gazed up at the sky, watching as the new witches flew in on their broomsticks.
"You needed me for something, Headmistress?"
"Yes, I was wondering if you had seen Mildred Hubble fly in yet?"
Hecate cringed at the name – Mildred Hubble. Last year had been her first year at Cackle's Academy and it had been an insufferable one. Nothing had gone right while Mildred Hubble was involved. Between blowing up the cauldron's lab and turning Ethel Hallow into a pig, there was always something bad happening at the academy since she enrolled.
The only small credit that could have been given to Mildred was that she had begun to mend the friendship between Pippa Pentangle and herself. A feud that had been going on for years, with no sign of giving way to becoming friends again. The two witches were far too stubborn for one of them to apologize, let alone talk about what happened between them. Still, Mildred had somehow brought them together just long enough for the two to share how much they had missed one another.
Hecate couldn't help but smile at the memory. She had missed Pippa greatly, and although their friendship was still a work in progress, at least it had shown some growth.
"Miss Hardbroom?"
"No, Headmistress," Hecate snapped out of her thought process and turned towards Miss Cackle. "I haven't seen Mildred Hubble yet."
"LOOK OUT!" A voice screeched from overhead.
"Ah, I believe I found the pupil you are looking for," Hecate said as she looked up, just in time to watch Mildred Hubble crash land on her broom into nearby bushes.
"Thank you, Hecate," Miss Cackle said as she walked over to where Mildred was struggling to stand up due to a branch tugging on her uniform dress.
Hecate sighed and followed Miss Cackle, unable to keep her curiosity contained as to why Miss Cackle needed Mildred.
"Well met, Miss Cackle. Well met, Miss Hardbroom," Mildred said as she bowed slightly in front of them, causing the tear in her uniform to grow from the branch that was still holding onto her.
"Well met, Mildred," Miss Cackle said. "I see you have a slight problem there with your uniform."
Mildred looked down at her the large tear in her uniform and made a face. "Oh no."
"No need to worry dear. I'll get that sorted for you," Miss Cackle said as she waved her hand and then snapped her fingers, and just like that, Mildred's uniform dress was sewn back together.
"Thank you, Miss Cackle," Mildred smiled.
"You're very welcome, Mildred. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like a word with you."
"With me?"
"Meet me in my office, in let's say, ten minutes?"
"Okay, Miss Cackle."
"Brilliant," Miss Cackle then snapped her fingers and, poof, she was gone.
Hecate frowned. She had wanted to hear what Miss Cackle was going to say to Mildred. However, Hecate trusted the Headmistress, and knew that if she needed to know what was going on, then Ada would tell her.
"Are you alright Miss Hardbroom?" Mildred asked as she stepped out from the bushes.
Hecate turned towards Mildred and tried her hardest not to glare at her. What kind of question is that? Of course, she was okay.
"Miss Hardbroom?"
"I'm fine," Hecate hissed before she too snapped her fingers and vanished into thin air. She focused on her office in the main building and found herself standing behind her desk moments later. Light from the morning sun was peeking through the windows behind her desk and enveloping the room in warm sunlight. She felt the rays of sun on her back, and the could hear the sounds of students happily arriving on campus as they found their friends that they haven't seen all summer. Happiness seemed to be spilling and seeping into every classroom, every corridor, and every bedroom within the school. It was all around her, and yet she couldn't feel what they were all feeling.
Hecate had arrived the previous night, like all the teacher's do at the start of term, and did not feel the same as she usually did when she returned to Cackle's Academy. She sat through the late-night staff meeting as Ada welcomed the staff back for the start of a new term, and could only feel sorrow coursing through her. Why was she feeling like this suddenly? What had changed without her knowledge?
She didn't know what was different at the start of this term, but it wasn't going to stop her from making sure that all the students were well taught and well educated by the end of the school year. If there was one thing that wouldn't be different about this year, it was that Hecate would be harsh on her students, so that they could become the best witches there ever was.
