A very rude plotbunny wouldn't go away re the upcoming Miss Softbroom episode. Check the word count, I've never wrote so much in such a short space of time. Don't get me wrong I'm 100% excited to see the episode RC's acting but I'm worried about and then that tumblr post about Agatha didn't help. Also, Drill sounds furious as F on the 'next week peek'.
I own nothing. Thanks to Princess Sammi for the title suggestion. When I say all the teachers I mean our squad, HB gave all the random background adults are having the night off. Also I borrowed a line from meridelclarke on that post too.
"A Personality CHANGING Potion."
The plan had been 'Go to staff room, Tell a singular teacher, Leave and Let them sort it out'.
Not Go to go to staff room, 'Tell a singular teacher, Said teacher repeats what you said very loudly in disbelief thus making all the other teachers stop what they are doing and Turn to look at you. Also in disbelief'.
Said teacher also started shouting. "You gave Miss HARDBROOM a PERSONALITY CHANGING POTION!"
Sybil flinched. She thought Miss Drill had been a bit scary last week when she'd been shouted at Sybil for launching a broomstick at Miss Cackle. But this was so much worse.
"They've done what!?"
"You're the reason HB has been acting so odd!?"
It was also worse because now everyone was on their feet and rushing over, the three first years being centre of attention as the adults realised just what exactly had been wrong with their esteemed deputy slash stand-in-headmistress.
They were in the staffroom. 'They' being teachers obviously. Bar Miss Cackle who was yet to return from the Council hearing and HB herself. And in addition, Sybil, scared, Clarice, concerned and Bea.
A Bea who still believed she hadn't done anything wrong as such. So didn't quite see why the other two had frog marched her to the staff room and staged this intervention.
"We didn't give her much!" She said trying to wriggle free from her friend's grip.
"We?!"
"It wasn't us, it was you!"
"Beatrice Twig, are you responsible for this?" Drill asked hands on hips. Bea squirmed shrugged shook her head and nodded all at the same time. "When? When did you do it?"
"In potions class." Sybil said. "Bea made the wrong potion! And then Miss Hardbroom tried Bea's spell for her and then started acting weird."
Any chance of perhaps skimming over the fact it hadn't been just an accident however, was ruined with both Bea and Clarice putting their feet in it. Simultaneously.
"I didn't make the right potion wrong I made the wrong potion right!"
"She made it wrong on purpose! For a prank!"
"I wouldn't have given it to her if it looked wrong wrong-!"
"HOW COULD YOU!?"
The tinys jumped. Mr Rowan-Webb looked like an angry toad, more now than he ever had a frog. Sybil couldn't remember a time he'd ever bellowed like that. Not even at Ethel after the nasty little family tree prank had come to light. Miss Mould was gaping and floundering like a fish, Miss Drill was almost vibrating in anger, and Miss Bat really ort to sit down.
"You mean it's been on all day?"
"Does HB know? If she knows then-!"
"Oh! I accused of her being on the brew!" Miss Bat cried. Although it was hard to hear with her hands clapped over her mouth. "I thought she'd lost her senses. I thought it was stress. I told her to go lie down!"
"How long have you two known about this potion?" Miss Drill thundered at Claire and Sybil.
"Just now. Well I mean we knew something was wrong. But didn't think it was a potion till Bea's book got mixed up with mine." Sybil vouched in a squeak, handing over the book, the bookmark sticking out. "She didn't mean it to be so out of hand-!"
But if the school had felt off kilter without its head mistress at its heart, it just wrong now it's back bone had been snapped with Miss Hardbroom going all soft. Miss Bat took the book. She skimmed over the marked passage then snapped the book shut in annoyance.
"It only describes a personality spell. It doesn't says what sort she made or what spell she used! Beatrice, what exactly did you enchant Miss Hardbroom with?"
"It was only a little one!"
"Bea stop saying that!" Clarice interjected before the adults could.
"But it was!"
"Big or small Personality Potions are on the Henbane List! You made a really really bad potion on purpose!"
(The Henbane List where a very big collection of potions and charms. Written up by then Supreme Witch Lady Henbane in 1873, they although not illegal or deadly, were defiantly not a good idea to use with out good reason. Love potions, control potions, obedience potions, memory loss potions and the like. Any spell really that had sneaky side effects or would likely lead to more trouble than good. and any potion you could describe it's drinker as 'intended' or a 'victim'. or Both.)
"HB barred them! Miss Cackle doesn't like them! The Council don't like them! The Great Wizard doesn't like them. The Grand High Witch HATES them all of them regardless the size!"
"Clairce-! You're okay. It's okay just it calm down for me." Miss Drill tried with no luck. Clarice was not normally one to work herself up into a state. But today was no normal day. Her hands curled into fists, frustrated one of her very best friend's practical jokes had led them here.
"Stuff like that's dangerous! That's why they're all worried. That's why it was a bad idea to give it to HB! That's what I've been trying to tell you but You Never Listen!"
At that last sentence, there was nasty shudder of raw magic. Bea yelped. Clarice pressed her hands too hard against her temples. And the adults snapped into action.
"Never Listen! You don't- !"
"Hey, hey Easy, easy there Carice, Look at me. Look up that's it. Can you take a Deep breath in for me dear? and out. Good girl…" Miss Mould instructed; before Clarice had a full blown meltdown, magical or otherwise.
She prized Bea and Clarice's tangled arms apart. Then guided Clarice to sit down in one of the big squish armchairs on the otherside of the room; talking to her all the while and took the lead giving quiet instructions to the others. Miss Bat set too with a complicated series of waves with her wand, dispelling the extra magic, along with an anti-overstimulation charm. Mr Rowen Webb fetched a glass of water and sent a note to the students various after school clubs would be prosponed. Miss Drill crouched down in front of Clarice pulling a puzzle book and a box of tissues from thin air talking to her gently too. Clarice relaxed fractionally over the fractions, her breath coming in big gulps.
It was very scary. Not Clarice's outburst, that was only a little bit scary. (Sybil tried to keep a stiff upper lip but Bea's hand was gripping hers ever so hard now). But it was scarier to the dizzy-seeming wild out of her depth art Witch suddenly take charge of the situation. Everyone was so quiet and cross and serious, for a moment Sybil wondered if Bea had dosed the entire facility with the Changing Potion. Especially when Mould turned back to Bea and spoke gravely.
"Beatrice, what Clarice said is true. It counts as impairing another witch's judgment. You deceived Miss Hardbroom. You've turned someone's magic without consent."
"It- it was only to soften Miss Hardbroom up. Just for the lesson." Bea said, a bit dazed.
"Don't give me excuses. This is very serious." Drill warned aside quietly as she and Mould helped calm the head of year down.
"But –but-!"
"Be quiet Beatrice. I'm in two minds to mirroring your parents and suspending all three of you." Miss Bat said sinking into a seat herself.
"You can't!" the Girls said.
"We can!" Rowan-Webb shot gruffly back. Then brightened and muttered to the other teachers. "We could actually. Or at least just the ringing bit. Mrs Hallow's on the council. Could we distract her and get Ada off the hook for a bit, maybe?"
"No! Alge, if the council find out we've potentially another wicked witch in the school they'll send and squad and has us shut down." Drill said sternly getting up and giving Clarice space. Miss Bat agreed.
"Dimity's right, dear. We need to sort this before anyone gets wind of it or something goes wrong."
"And Mother wouldn't answer a mirror or a maglet call if she's in a meeting! It'll divert to father. And I think he's the one who made the complaint." Sybil said. Then thought.
And then slowly turning back to Miss Drill asked: "What do you mean a 'wicked witch' in the school?"
There was an uncomfortable exchanging of looks about between the adults.
"You meant HB? But –no. No! Miss Hardbroom's not wicked!" Sybil squeaked. "She helped Mildred. She tried to help Esme!"
"I said potentially... Well you see a Personality Changing Potion. It does what it says on the jar." Miss Drill said. Not very helpfully. "And you've given one to Miss Hardbroom. So, if you change her personality she might-? It's only the worst-case scenario. very worst! Forget I said it Sybil."
"You think she's bad now? You think she's a wicked witch now! Have you seen her?! She let all the ingredients loose!"
"Don't rude Sybil. But once upon a time those potions were used it on bad witches, force them to become good." Miss Bat sighed. "But they're unpredictable. And if it can do that to a bad witch, what will it do to a good one?"
"She might not have gone bad!" Miss Mould said with a smile. Sybil wasn't sure if she was trying to convince them or herself. "Like Miss Bat said, those potions are unpredictable. Sometimes they change a few little things. Rather than someone's whole alignment to the code. She could still be a very good witch, just… different." That smile faltered. "Very different. And not herself."
"But HB's even better then herself. She doesn't shout and she's all happy." Bea insisted. "The potion made didn't make her bad. We made her fun! We made HB nice!"
"We?!" Clarice muttered from her seat.
"Nice is not the same as good!" Miss Drill barked. And sighed, "Or the same as kind, and fun is not the same as making sure you're safe, girls. Happy isn't fair …You can't just decide how someone else should be! "
"Miss Hardbroom's got a lot more heart than any of you- any of us for that matter give her credit for." Mr Rowan-Webb said. "HB was fine just the way she was."
"And yet now," Miss Bat continued giving his hand a squeeze. "She's been reckless, impulsive, apathetic. Thoughtless even! When normally she cares very deeply about you girls, lessons, our reputation, Miss Cackle and what happen here."
Mr Rowan-Webb suddenly paled behind his beard.
"I'm going to go lock Miss Cackle's office. Now. Just in case." He said and vanished. Leaving six confused witches behind.
"Oh no. She wouldn't… would she?" Miss Drill asked Miss Bat.
"Wouldn't what?" Miss Mould asked.
"Do Something Hecate would never ever do." Miss Bat realising what Drill meant. Sybil was as lost as Mould. "But We don't know! We don't know Miss Hardbroom anymore. We don't know what's changed, what's the same, what's simply been under the surface and brought to the fount."
"I'm Sorry!" Beatrice blurted out suddenly. Everyone blinked, the older witches staring at them as if realising the girls were still there. "I didn't think! And it was really bad thing to do, even as a joke. And now HB is bad! I'm so sorry."
Sybil squeezed her arm and Bea half hugged hers back. Clarice got up and took Bea's free hand in solidarity, passing the tissues as Bea started to sniffle. Miss Drill sighed again and rubbed her hand across her freckled face.
"Joke or not, we need to take that enchantment off before it sticks. Or goes any further." she decided. "Beatrice, do you remember the exact spell you used? Or where you got it?"
"Yes was there any part that said when it would wear off? Or force its breaking?"
"A a book in the library I think- I can't remember!"
"Yes, you can." Clarice pushed. And pushed her luck.
And much her own surprise Bea suddenly twittered out very fast: "A Change of Hearts: A helpful guide to Potions for The Soul in Need. by Mistress Theodora Skullinton. Red cover, silver leaf with cracked spine. Found in Bookcase Case eight, third shelf down and six books to the left. Chapter six: Personality altering. Pages two hundred and thirty two to two hundred and thirty eight. Version Aii To soften the heart of a stern mind OWCH! Hey! That was my head!"
"Clarice Twig!"
"She remembered. Sybil wrote the information down for you." Clarice said flatly. Sybil ripped out a page in her note book she'd scribbled on and gave it to Miss Mould; Carice very very narrowly avoiding a verbal dress down for misuse of magic. "And the potion might still be there the lab too. Miss Hardbroom becomes so lack she might not have tidied up."
"We might be able to make an antidote straight from that then!" Miss Mould brightened. Clarice did that thing where she wasn't rolling her eyes but conveyed the same thing with a glance to her friends. Adults meant well but could be so slow sometimes.
"Right." Miss Bat, baton wand back in hand as though warming up an orchestra. "Plan of action: First things first Dimity be dear and check the lab. get that potion or a sample if possible."
"On it. See if you can't work a location spell on Miss Hardbroom too." Miss Drill suggested.
"Good idea. Marigold, get that book. If anyone finds Hecate, keep her distracted!"
Both younger teachers nodded. And then they were gone.
"What can we do?" Sybil asked the first years huddled about Miss Bat's chair. She wanted to be useful, and knew Bea would want to do almost anything to make up for her miscalculation. No luck there though.
"You can go and wait in your own rooms till we know what to do with you properly. Beatrice Bunch, no witch ball for a month and I also want a four-page essay on- something, we'll find a topic later." Miss Bat said, distractedly. "Now, are you the only students who know about this?"
"Yes Miss. I didn't tell anyone. Only these two know."
Miss Bat nodded.
"And you need to keep it that way girls. It's very important we don't less Miss Hardbroom know she is under this influence. Being told you are and realising for yourself are very different things, and it can cause all sorts of damage. The last thing we need is an Identity Crisis on top of a Potion Crisis. So, keep what you've told us to yourselves till we sort it out. Is that clear? Not a word to anyone." She instructed. The girls agreed.
"Good. To your rooms then. And no tuck boxes for a week. Off you go."
The three of them were suddenly zipped outside in to the corridor. The staff room door snapped shut behind them.
"Oh, my hat." Sybil breathed.
"I Second that."
"Third it…Well done Beatrice."
"I didn't know she'd be bad! It was only supposed to be for that lesson." Bea said. She was very sorry now. Or at least she sounded it until she muttered, "I knew I should have it used it on-!"
"Don't you DARE say Ethel!" Sybil snapped. And stormed off. "Don't you dare!"
"Syb! Wait I was joking-!" Bea said chasing after her
"Well don't! look where that got you so far. Anyway, how can you be so calm?!" Sybil complained. "You could be expelled for this! We all could be. Even though me and Carice- Wait. Clarice?"
Somewhere between the staff room and the half-length corridor, they'd lost her. Sort of. When Sybil turned around Clarice hadn't moved. And wasn't wasting time with sentimentality either. She was sat in the Staffroom door way; and had her ear pressed to the closed door, a listening charm active.
"Clarice! What Are you doing!?" Sybil hissed, as she and Bea tiptoed back to her.
"Shh! What does it look like?" She hissed back at them. "Adults never solve anything by themselves! They'll end up hexed by HB or something! We have to help."
"I started it so I need to fix this. So, we need to know what's happening. And Mildred's not here to help the teachers." Bea reasoned. She knelt opposite Clarice and started eavesdropping. Sybil, begrudgingly had to admit they had a point.
"What did we miss?" She asked.
"Miss Mould's found that book, just searching for the spell and a counter." Clarice said. "Ms Bat's crafting that tracking spell."
"Oh there. That's the drill back. I wonder if she found my potion?" Bea grinned. Sybil checked the coast was clear then stood behind Bea, (being the tiniest of the tinys had some advantages) and joined with the listening project.
Listening charms helped you listen through multiple very thick walls or floors and hear a conversation as if you were stood in the same room. If you were good at them, one could even get an impression of things like feeling or looks on faces. Clarice was probably seeing the room as clear as a film or a drama show. Sybil concentrated on just hearing through the door. She could hear the word's but not always who was saying them.
"There! I think."
"What do you mean you think?" Miss Bat asked. "Oh, blast. I can't pin-point Hecate, her magic's too all over the place."
"The lab's a wreck. But this was the only pink potion and the only one didn't look like the growth potion. The cauldron was only this full though. I just hope no one else has got it. "
There was another shift of Magic and Mr Rowan Webb returned.
"Done. And I put an anti-transference spell on it too. But she might be able to break that." He said. "But I warn you, someone's been in there."
"HB?"
"One of the girls?"
"The Great Wizard?"
"I don't know but desk is in a mess." He said.
"And Agatha?" Miss Bat asked. Although it was very hard to pick up.
"Still in the picture." He reassured her. There was a sigh of relief. and another when he said, "So is Good old Gullet."
"What picture?" Miss Mould asked.
Clarice and Bea were just as puzzled.
"The painting?" Clarice suggested.
"No. Our Miss Cackle was trapped in that. They mean that horrible picture on the other wall by the desk." Sybil told them. "Agatha's stuck in it. With another bad witch and Esme's magic."
They'd missed whatever the teachers had told Miss Mould about Agatha if they told her anything. But what the girls tuned back to was even scarier.
"-would strip Hecate of her magic?"
"I don't know. She is powerful though and if they think she's gone, you know-"
"Surely they'd listen to reason!"
"No. they'll hear 'Good witch given personality potion', and hunt HB down before you can say Pendragon!"
Clarice's face went slack. Sybil felt her insides twist. Bea whimpered.
"Ah ha here!"
There was a scuffle of pages, a comparing the two books; and Miss Mould read out the potions, the effects and the counter measures towards the reversal. It sounded an awful lot to Sybil's understanding. And a wee bit impossible.
Especially the bit Mistress Skullinton had written about making the intended "in the words of the bard: "This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Or any witch for that matter."
But Miss Mould sounded positive. "We've the clear majority of that in the lab and in the grounds, haven't we? Miss Bat can easy manage the chant. And if we make the original potion into an antidote as well, one of them is bound to work. Or at least help HB break it on her own."
"Let's get done quick then. Get it set up here, the lab's not safe." There were a clunk of jars and equipment. A crackle of the fire being stoked up in the grate. Miss Drill and Rowanwebb talked a lot as they worked. Sometimes Miss Bat too. Sybil really had to concentrate to pick up the words.
"Agreed. There's no time to lose."
"We can't give the council any more fuel then they already have."
"Oh don't be silly I'm sure they won't-!"
"The Hallows have been gunning for us to be closed down after Esme lost her magic. I don't know why they just didn't send the girls to Pentangles!"
"Doesn't help the ol' greating wizard's been dying to get something on Hecate since the balloon incident."
"But he let that slide! We all know Gullet gave her no choice!"
"Pardoned her, yes. But you know his egoness doesn't forget to easily."
"Algie!" Miss Bat scolded. "Look we just need Hecate back to her old self before the end of this inspection. Once she's OUR Hecate again, we can explain this disarray and everything will go back to normal."
There were more hums of magic and the crafting of the potions. And for a half a moment no one spoke or agued.
"I do wish Ada were here."
"Hmm. Hecate would listen to her personality shift or not, I'm sure of it."
"Right and how do you suppose we get her here? How can we call her back for an emergency without making her look worse in front of the council?"
"I don't know! It was just a thought."
"We could try mirroring Mrs Cackle? Or Miss Pentangle? Maybe one of them will know how to break it? Or could at least handle Hecate better then we can?"
"Do you think Miss Hardbroom even knows what's she's doing?" It was the first-time Miss Mould had spoken since reading from the book.
"…Pardon?"
"Does she know what's she's doing? Is Miss Hardbroom still in there, seeing herself? Can we appeal to her? Or is this whole just a blur for now? Like a night out. And a hangover when it's all going to come back to her once we fix it?"
"If she remembers it." Miss Drill sighed.
"If we fix it." Mr Rowen-Webb said.
Miss Bat swore, cursing the whole situation.
And not just "oh my hat" sort of swear or anything dainty. A proper very big bad short Saxon swearword, that made the tinyies outside gasp.
"Wow." Bea said slowly in wide-eyed awe.
"Oh this is rubbish," Clarice sighed pulling away from the door. "I don't think we can do anything without those books."
"Do we need to do anything? They seem to be managing."
"One contour spell, One chant. And a flu-stlye antidote potion." Sybil counted in a whisper. "It sounds a lot already. But…then again."
"But HB has to do half the work herself. Without being told to." Clarice agreed. "It might not be enough."
"What if we made another?" Bea hissed back. "We could steal the books back. Or convince the adults to let us take half their potion and make it six attempts? It sounds like she's not supposed to know she's taken it."
"Too risky." Sybil said. "Maybe we could help just by keeping an eye on her?"
"Boo."
The three of them jumped and whipped around, listening spells audibly shattering.
"Miss Hardbroom!" Oh cauldrons.
"The very same. And Whose 'her' anyway the cat's mother?" Miss Hardbroom added. Then giggled as they scrambled to thier feet.
How much had she heard? Sybil thought. How much trouble are we in? She couldn't hear anything from the staff room without the spell, had they heard them?
"You faces! My my my what have we got here." HB laughed, looking like Mortisca Addams. Well if Mrs Addams had a wild mass of hair, wore a flower behind her ear and pink lippy, walking around with the collar of her dress undone.
"What's wrong little kittens, did I scare you?"
"A bit miss." Bea admitted, pretended to laugh along and elbowing the others to do the same.
Miss Hardbroom cocked her head, then sharply bet at the waist down to their eye level and asked nicely, "what are you up too my cherbian? Outside the staff room door again. Dear dear are you in trouble?"
"No! We're. I mean. We were playing a game!" Clarice said.
"A game. A game that involves spying on us teachers?" HB quipped. Normally this wit would have been followed up with a big detention. Instead she grinned again and said. "Naughty witches. But did you find out anything juicy? Isn't eavesdropping fun sometimes?"
"Fun?" Sybil squeaked. Ethel and Felicity had got in serious trouble for earwigging even after being slimed! And now HB thought it was fun?!
"We- we can't say what it is." Bea added.
"Oh. Is it a secret? I love secrets, you can tell me? I won't tell." Miss Hardbroom whispered sweetly with a wink.
And suddenly Sybil remembered all the times Ethel had acted sweet to her. Ethel who was normally so rubbish at being kind suddenly being nice and Sybil thinking her the best witch. Before Ethel went running to tell tales to Mother or blab her secrets to Esme or doing something rotten.
Miss Hardbroom was like that now; voice so soft, so high, so sugary. So much so. Too much so.
Now Sybil knew what it was causing this transformation the happy go lucky Hardbroom felt so alien. Her jaw must hurt from unnatural smiling. In fact she was smiling the wrong way; an Cheshire cat grin rather than her normal little twitch of lips. It seemed to crack her face it rather than brightening it. Even that cheek dimpled differently. And then there was that constant tinkering of bells laugh that jingled every word.
Nice is not the same as good.
"Well, you see-!" Bea started.
"Are you a good witch or bad?" Sybil blurted out. She had to know but it was a wrong thing to blurt out. Miss Hardbroom laughed as she straightened up but she was clearly insulted.
"I hate that story." She shrugged, taking hold of Sybil's chin up and tipping it up to get a good look at her. Sybil froze, both with the surprise and the feel of those very sharp nails so close to her neck. "Do I look green? Am I wearing a ball gown? You know it's me, silly little things."
"Yes it's you miss." Clarice lied seeing as a familiar had got Sybil's tongue.
"Not green. No ball gown. At all." Bea agreed.
"No ball gown…" HB echoed letting Sybil go and flicked her hand. "But-!"
With that, the first years were wearing some the prettiest of witchy princess dresses that even Sybil had ever seen! Black of Corse with long puffy skirts. But with ribbons and delicate lace; of orange for Bea, and red for Clarice, and lilac for Sybil. Plus, shiny tiaras, ballet pumps, and tiny diamonds in their hair.
"Oh My!"
"Woah!"
"Huh. Impressive."
"There, now you look like proper princesses!" HB laughed, and went to open the staff room door. "Come along. Shall we have a ball girls? Or at least some tea and cakes?"
"Wait!"
"Stop!"
If the other teachers hadn't heard Miss Hardbroom in the corridor and cleared out, then Miss Hardbroom would have walked in she would see the potions and the spell books. And she might learn or workout the wrong way she'd been dosed with a potion. And then Sybil didn't know what would happen but it wouldn't happen they had to make sure of it. The three of them would make sure of it. They'd promised Miss Bat after all.
"You can't go in!" Clarice and Bea said putting their arms up. Miss Hardbroom seemed bemused.
"Why not? Is this part of your game?"
"You're not allowed."
"You are silly! I can go where ever I want." But Sybil pushed past her and physically blocked the way. "Sybil?"
"You can't go in! I'm sorry Miss but you can't." Unfortunately telling someone they could not something was like waving a red flag to a bull. Or at least it would be if bulls weren't colour blind. Personality potion or not this was would have happened anyway.
Only, the 'Real' Miss Hardbroom would have transferred inside the room if told not to. Or been cunning and done so invisibly to pretended she'd never been in there at all.
This Hardbroom saw there was a door. And her doorway was being blocked. She didn't seem to think outside the box in logical puzzle solving way. Only in the ridiculous sort of way.
"I can go where ever I want." HB repeated with a chuckle, trailing her finger in the air drawing a line away from the door. Sybil felt her feet move of their own accord. "And I want to go in the staffroom. There's a good little Hallow! Now if you'll excuse me-"
"SHAN'T!" Sybil flung herself back, and gripped the door frame either side, wedging herself there. "You can't go in, you can't!"
Nice is not the same as good. Sweet is not the same as kind.
Miss Hardbroom stepped back a hand to her chest.
There should have been an explosion of rage at Sybil's deliberately disobeying a teacher. Sneering. Punishments. Smoke coming out of HB's ears. But she laughed again quietly. In disbelief, maybe. But it was as if Sybil had challenged her to a game of chess rather challenged her authority.
"Don't be a brat my little one. It doesn't suit you." Miss Hardbroom hummed wagging a finger. "That's more your big sister's style isn't it."
Sybil gasped. And not just because her feet were being pulled again, harder this time.
"Don't speak to them like that!"
The door had opened behind Sybil and Miss Drill had come out the staff room. It worked as a good distraction. Sybil sagged with relief and might have fall on her bottom, had her friends not grabbed her arms and hoiked her up.
"Dimity!" HB greeted clapping her hands, delighted to see the gym mistress. "Our star in the sky, well met and hello!"
"Hey. Well met." Miss Drill on the other hand wearily moving to Put herself between the girls slightly. "What's going on here with you HB? Miss Bat's been trying to find you."
"Was she? I've been everywhere! I was so bored!" HB grinned, swaying a little. In fact Sybil noted, this Miss Hardbroom never stopped moving. Always Pattering back and forth unable to stand on one spot. Dancing or shimmying. Or flinging her arms about far to wildly, and speaking with her hands. No straight back or tension on her shoulders. None of the brisk or Calculated strides. None of deliberate slow movements or unnatural stillness. Instead she kept moving fluidly to a rhythm no one else could hear. No wonder Miss Bat had thought her on the brew!
"And I mean everywhere! I went about the castle to see where everyone was and how fast I could go. and here I am. In fact, was just reminding the shrimps I can go anywhere."
Sybil frowned. Bea frowned same frown back. Clarice who was nearly always frowning also frowned. but it had less impact. Shrimp you see was one of the many rather nasty little pet names that older girls had for first years. Teachers had been trying to stamp it out since forever.
Sybil herself had never minded it before. Ethel and Esme had called her it for years in teasing affection. It sounded almost ridiculous coming from HB.
"They're being very silly and wouldn't let me past. But look at them. Don't they look sweet!"
Bea was suddenly span in a twirl. "No wait, Miss! I'll get dizzy!"
"They do. The bats. Lovely work there Hecate." Miss Drill agreed humouring HB. She took Bea firmly by the shoulders and held her still. Then said with a thinly veiled warning and a question as she addressed the girls over her shoulder. "Even though they aren't supposed to be here."
Miss Hardbroom rolled her eyes.
"Oh relax a little, Dimity you are dull. They were playing a game. Dull dull dull Dimity Dull!"
HB looked all most herself again for a moment. But then winked at Sybil. There was a pop, and Hey from Miss Drill. HB be had given her a magical make over like she had the girls. Drill's hair spun loose as HBs, and her black sporty clothes were swapped for robes covered in dazzling blue sequins. "But not anymore. There now isn't that much brighter? Oh Drilly smile, don't be cross." Miss Hardbroom laughed and gave Miss Drill gobsmacked face pinch on the cheek. A hard pinch, enough for Miss Drill to wince and hiss. And bumping back into the door, knocking it back open a touch.
And you see HB remembering she'd been going in the staffroom. And realising the three girls were still blocking it, along with Miss Drill now.
"What are you up to in there?" she asked leaning to peer in past them.
Bea snapped the door shut. Clarice would say later she caught a peep of the other teachers huddled around the one cauldron they normally brewed tea in, and the mixing something into same red-pink Personality Changing Potion in the other cauldron. All looked Terrified at being caught. She wasn't sure if HB had seen it too though.
"That's very rude of you." HB said with a tiny pout folding her arms. The pout shift to a smirk. "What are you up to in there, Dee-dee?"
"Nothing!" Miss Drill said. A tad too quick. "Nothing you should be worrying about. Just. Teacher stuff. Boring bits. Paper work. It's all in hand. Not your sort ofFFTF!"
Instead of that last word was a muffled shriek. Miss Drill's mouth had been stuck shut! She tugged vainly at it tring to undo it, then gestured at HB to take it off.
Miss Hardbroom looked amused; in a horrible way. And wagged her finger again
"Babble babble babble. I was put in charge. And I decide if this is not my thing. Are you leaving me off the guest list for another exclusive party?" There was no mistaking the sourness mixed in with that sweetness, like salt in a sugar jar, like a broken bone. And her smile didn't meet her eyes at all. "Like we all did on night's out with Miss –!"
"It's a surprise!" Sybil interrupted. Surprising herself. Both adults turned to look at her.
"What?" Miss Hardbroom said.
"What?" Bea and Clarice said.
Miss Drill made a noise too that Sybil assumed to also to be a what.
"A surprise- It's a surprise party. Well I mean it was going to be. You could say it's a surprise party planning committee at the moment. For Miss Cackle! When she gets back." Sybil said on the hop, fibbing her heart out.
"A party?" HB's face cheered up again and she squealed, actually squealed, in delight. "Oh I love parties! I love surprises! Let's get on with it then!"
"You can't!" Clarice insisted.
"No you can't." Sybil agreed. HB was normally so sharp so maybe now she might be easier to trick? "because-! because it's a party for you too. To say thank you for being you and looking after the school so well. It's for Miss Cackle mostly but for you as well. With cake and jelly and games. That's why we were here in the front of the door! Cee, Bea and Me were on look out and to make sure you didn't hear what was going on in there."
"It's not a very clever plan. You just told me." HB pointed out.
Oh cauldrons.
"Oh. Right. now you know." Sybil said thinking fast. "Sooo you have to be pretend to be surprised! Because the others are working really hard to make it really good for both you and Miss Cackle."
Miss Drill nodded furiously in back up, her curls bouncing with the movement. HB still didn't seem convinced.
"I could help plan things!"
"But won't it be more fun if you didn't Miss? And if you didn't have to do any work?" Sybil said. "You know about a party but not what we're going to do. It will be extra fun. Because you know it's happening, but you are keeping it a secret. And you get a surprise too."
HB was seriously taken with the idea. "That does sound nice."
"that's settled then. So, we're going to plan it and then throw it, you MUST pretend not to know anything about it. It'll be fun, promise. Pinkie swear even."
HB paused. then bent at the waist again and took Sybil's offered pinkie in hers.
"But you have to promise no coming to spy on us or the other teachers!" Sybil reminded.
"Spoilsport! Oh alright littlest Miss Hallow, you have my word." HB sighed shaking their little fingers.
"And no trying to figure out any of our plans."
"What plans?" HB said, finger on her lips with a wink and a smile. Sybil replied to it in same. So, did Bea and Clarice. And then behind HB's back Sybil's friends both gave her a double thumbs up. Drill looked like her own broom had hit her in the face and made a motion with her hands at them to stop them. To right too as HB's straitened up and nearly caught them.
"But are you sure I can't help?" she asked. "I could still be surprised! Or act surprised. I know lots of thing that would make it the best party ever!"
"No Miss it's fine, you can relax and find something much much more interesting to do?" Sybil tried again to convince her. Why does she have make things so complicated?
"But it's so grim about here! I can't get in the office, and lessons are canned. There's nothing to do." HB complained, with a laugh. And no irony that it had been her who cancelled lessons.
"Okay you can help Miss! but only somewhere away from the staffroom." Sybil said, far more forceful then she'd ever been.
"Doing what? What about a funfair or a bouncy castle?"
Sybil finally floundered. They sound brilliant but with HB like this none of these ideas sounded safe.
"You can come to the kitchens with us Miss."
Bea had on her most dazzling smile and continued. "Me, Sybil and Clarice wanted to make cookies and biscuits for everyone's tuck boxes."
"We did?" Clarice asked. Bea's elbow jabbed out again "Ow, yes. Yes, we did."
"To cheer everyone up while Miss Cackles away. And to give to the inspector." Sybil added. "Now we don't have to guard the door, we can make biscuits!"
"Yes. But we need adult supervision." Clarice focused on a point somewhere above HB's shoulder as she spoke slowly. "For the ovens. Because we're making them a hundred percent by hand non-magically."
"we are?"
"Why would you do a silly thing like that?" Miss Hardbroom asked then got told of Miss Drill's mimed muffeled warnings. "Oh Dimity do stop that before I make you. But why do them non-magically they'll take forever!"
"Wild experimentation?" Clarice tried.
"She means fun." Bea translated. "And that we can eat the dough and talk and we'll learning so we're making learning fun too."
"But we need an adult. And Mrs Tapioca or any kitchen staff can't help. Not at all. Too busy."
"Please Miss Hardbroom. We could even make your favourite ones."
"Well, I can't refuse an offer like that, now can I? Lead on!" HB said almost giddy.
Sybil tried to contain her own grin. Even as HB offered out both hands. Clarice's eyes were wide and Bea gulped, but both bravely nodded. They were going to the kitchens, hand in hand with the terrifying fun-mistress. They were getting HB away and keeping her distracted so the other adults could reverse the curse. It would be alright. It might have been laid on thick but it had worked!
Or it least, it would have worked…if Miss Mould and the others hadn't appeared. She shot out the staffroom, Bat and Rowen Webb behind her, with a spell-
("Back to fount this witch has been, come back to what you've always been!")
And a old fashioned spray bottle raised up.
The girls leapt back covered their mouths and noses. Miss Hardbroom turned to the noise and got a face full of whatever it was Miss Mould had spritzed at her! She gasped in surprise, accidently taking in the fumes. Which Sybil could only describe whatever it was as a wet gold and green mist of something that stank to high heavens of rosemary. Then it faded.
No one dared to move.
It was as if time stood as still as they all did. The anticipation of it had worked, and the horror at how HB would react, thickened the air. Sybil watched it through her fingers, holding her breath. It was like the fire drill and Mildred's bucket of water all over again! Only now it was Miss Mould stood trembling in front of the deputy, the potion bottle still up and aimed at HB. Miss Hardbroom herself mouth open slightly, face scrunched up. Her eyes were closed but flickering, as if experiencing a very vivid dream.
Then finally Miss Hardbroom's eyes blinked open body still stiff and twitching. When she spoke, it was low and in a dangerous tone.
"And what, may I ask, Miss Mould was that was for…?"
"Just. Because." Mould said stowing the bottle behind her back.
For a wonderful moment, Miss Hardbroom was there, all her normalself in that straightened up poise, in that look as she glaaaaared at Miss Mould with unguarded mistrust and anger…
But then Miss Hardbroom spluttered and giggled. A ripple of disappointment passed though the other staff. Miss Mould wilted like her flowery name. Drill looked gutted while Miss Bat and Rowan Webb take comfort from one another. Just as Bea and Clarice clung to each other, Sybil edging nearer.
"Alright you got me Mouldy! I've get you back. Good joke." HB laughed running a hand though her now damp hair. "But look at you all! Lighten up. Look at your long faces!"
"Stop it." It came as a murmur. Then Miss Mould squared her shoulders. And took a step closer to Miss Hardbroom, invading her personal space. "It wasn't a joke, it was a spell. This is serious Miss Hardbroom."
"Marigold hush!" Rowan-webb warned but went unheard.
"A spell? What for? Why did you spell me? Is it another game?"
Miss Mould whispered something, a long something. And reached out to take Miss Hardbroom's arm in one hand. Even stood very close to them, Sybil missed what Miss Mould said. HB's face became horribly smiley but her eyes went wide. She drew back sharply at the touch. Or the truth, one or the other.
"Why would I want to do that?!"
"Because it's what you do!" Miss Mould pushed.
Miss Hardbroom just laughed in her face.
"You are so…" she said trying to find the words. Then decided on "Bizarre! You're a bizarre silly creature! Bizarre bizarre bizarre!"
And Miss Hardbroom grinned at Miss Mould.
"Oh no." was all Sybil got out in time. There was a puff of smoke and the spray bottle smashed to the floor. Mr Rowan Webb yelped. Bea shrieked. A furious Drill shot forward almost but Bat held her back.
As the smoke cleared the others saw amongst the glass, a clutter of pencils and Miss Marigold's pinny, was an Armadillo. A really teeny armadillo, even smaller then a cat. A really teeny weeny armadillo who was stuck wriggling about on its back with its little legs in the air and a tiny little head band, askew.
"There!" HB said sweetly crouching down to loom over the little animal. (Sybil averted her eyes with the slit in her skirt, you could see stockings!)
"Now you really are the Most bizarre creature I could think of. You'll be much less annoying this way. And if you're not a pest we might get along better like everyone insist we ort to."
"Hecate Hardbroom!" Miss Bat scolded, making everyone, even HB flinch. "Miss Hardbroom you'll reverse that this instant!"
Miss Hardbroom looked her. Sybil thought she was about to do something just as awful to Miss Bat. But HB left the old witch alone. Instead like one of her own stroppy forth years Miss Hardbroom rolled her eyes, but miraculously doing as she was told, however begrudgingly. She went back to Mould and poked the creature. The armadillo squeaked and wobbled on its shell. The smile faltered and Miss Hardbroom was frowning.
"Hecate, you will change Marigold back right now." Miss Bat insisted.
"I am doing it!" HB scowled and gave the armadillo another little poke, this time on it's snout. Then gave up and pushed Miss Mould right way over on to her four little feet. "Rune it. Ms Marigold Mould is an ArrrrTIST." She sulked, standing up and giving the animal an almost gentle nudge with her foot.
Ms Mould snapped into a ball and rolled off out of HB's way. Sybil scooped her up. Then scuttled back unnoticed to the safety of behind Miss Drill; while Miss Hardbroom continued, "She can take a critic. Come on girls. To the kitchens and let's make those treats."
Again "Oh no." was all Sybil got out in time. But too late. Bea and Clarice were gone. HB spirited them away with her to the kitchens. And leaving Sybil behind!
"Well-!" Bat was the first to speak. "There was no need for any that!"
"Has she gone?" Mr Rowan Webb asked. "For real."
"yes sir," Sybil said setting the armoured little ball of Miss Mould on the floor. "but she left me -she's got Bea and Clarice! And look what she did to Miss Mould! And Miss Drill."
"None of that sir nonsense Hallow, I work for a living."
"Algie! Not now."
"Just a joke my dearest! Now Sybil, your friends will be fine." He said then turned to the sports witch and critter. "Mrs Tapioca's down there but we'll go recue them in a tick. Let's see if we can't get you two sorted first. Oh!"
There was a ripping sound. And a painful yelp.
"Merlin's y-fronts that hurt!" Miss Drill complained as her lips unzipped. Her clothes were fading back to normal too, sequins littering the floor. There was a POP as the armadillo uncurled with a little jump. Another pop and Ms Mould was on her hands and knees in its place. Then flopped on to her back with a groan.
"An armadillo! I admire the creativity but goddess above. Give me a lump of peaceful stone any day!" She said.
"That was close. Who reversed us?"
"I didn't do anything." Rowan Webb said as he and Drill helped Miss Mould up. "Did you, love? Sybil?"
Sybil shook her head.
"Nor I. Those spells just came away at the seams." Miss Bat insisted. "How odd though. Hecate's spells are normally so much stronger than that."
"She's not putting any effort into her craft!" Sybil realised. She ran her hand over her own princess dress. The magic brushed off like lint, revealing a stripe of her uniform under the glamour. "The spells! They're wearing off when she leaves."
"Hmm. Well any way," Miss Drill breathed, working her stiff jaw. "Well done, Sybil."
"Thanks. I can't believe she believed me." Sybil said, still in shock.
"Me neither you're a rotten liar." Rowan-Webb agreed.
"Thank goodness HB had said something about a party!" Sybil sighed. Not realising why Miss Marigold and Drill were both blushing. "But Miss Hardbroom! She's getting worse! Before you came out she was calling us pet names like my dears and telling us listening in was fun but she can't stand eavesdropping."
"You shouldn't have been eavesdropping anyway." Miss Bat said not even bothering to scold. "But I suppose it's a good thing you were."
"But she's WORSE! You saw her! She's like Ethel but so weird! And happy! HB even pinched Miss Drill's cheek!"
"She did. I'm more concerned how bad Hecate's flouting the code or pushing her transference limits. She even nearly mentioned, you know…" Miss Drill said. Then looked at Sybil then changed tack. "We need to keep Miss Hardbroom distracted. I give it half an hour before she gets bored of baking, if that."
"We could get the second years on it." Miss Mould suggested. "They seem very central to that sort of thing. Speaking of which witches actually I was three short in class, before HB cancelled everything."
"Which three?" Rowen-Webb asked. Then realised. "Ah. Silly question."
"Now you mention it I haven't heard hide nor hair of her the whole day either." Miss Bat thought aloud. "Or the young misses Nightshade and Spellbody come to that matter."
"…That's because …Mildred, Enid and Maud aren't here?" Sybil said with a wince.
"Since when?! Sybil how long have you-?" Drill started. And huffed to the other teachers. "What are the chances they've gone to 'help' at Miss Cackle's enquiry?"
"I'd say a very good chance."
"But Mildred being there, might it spell disaster for Ada?"
"Should we get them back?"
"Fifty -fifty chance she might save the day though." Rowen-Webb pointed out. "You know what Mildred's scrapes are like."
"Hmm. Speaking of scrapes if Miss Hardbroom's magic is also being muddled about the school's RE will all need checking." Miss Bat decided.
"Regular enchantments," Rowen-Webb whispered to a confused first year.
"Maybe we better put some more protection chants in place too." Miss Mould suggested. Miss Bat agreed.
"Marigold, with me, we'll do that then. You two, would you work on that potion?"
"Check on the kitchens while you're at it, my love." Rowan-Webb said.
"We will. They'll be protected." They being the first years. And with that they were gone. Leaving Sybil Hallow and Miss Drill and Mr Rowan-Webb in the corridor.
"You better come in Sybil. Might as well stay where we can keep an eye on you." Rowen-Webb said. He held the staffroom door open for them, and tidied up the corridor while he was at it, vanishing the glass and glitter and gathered up all Miss Mould's things. She'd looked very different without the pencils stuck in her hair, Sybil realised; as he put them in a pot on a notice board where lots of thank you cards form past students were pinned.
Miss Drill sat her down in the same sofa seat Clarice had been sat earlier. A fat large black cat now took up the other seat next to her. It opened one eye at her, then rolled over and butted her hand. Sybil petted it, her mind a fog. Whoever's familiar it was, this staffroom cat was an affectionate lump and seemed happy to receive affection from anyone.
Nice is not the same as good.
"Sybil?"
"Pardon?" Sybil realised she'd tuned out to what was being said. "Sorry Miss."
"I asked how you were feeling. Are you alright?" The gym mistress asked kindly, even setting a juice carton and an Aligned with Mars bar in fount of Sybil. Mr Rowan Webb was busy at the pot. "It's okay if you're not. Today's been very weird even by Cackle standards."
Sybil thanked her grateful but insisted she was okay.
"That's one spell down anyway." Mr Rowen-Webb said. "Did it look like it took much effect to you?"
"I'm not sure." Drill said. "It did something, but then… She glared at least."
"She looked funny for a moment." Sybil agreed, fumbling with the straw of her drink. Her legs swung a little not tall enough to touch the floor. "not funny ha-ha. then Almost like she normally does. And then turn miss Mould in to an armadillo."
"I wondered what she was even what meant to do." Rowen-Webb hummed, stirring the brew as Miss Drill joined him at the fireplace. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder. Sybil pretended to be more interested in the cat. The cat that was now half across her lap and shedding cat hair on her almost back to normal uniform.
"Was it just me or is HB deliberately casting with no permanence?" He muttered to Drill. "The spell I saw was showy but there's no grip on any of them."
"You might be reading too much into things Alge. Maybe Hec's just a more style over substance witch now." Drill sighed. She frowned a little. "But it did seem like she didn't know how to undo them? I thought when she was trying with Marigold…Maybe she just lost interest."
"Oh well." The wizard sighed, "Let's not get too down about it. Least we now we know she'll listen to Miss Bat still. And we've still another potion and a chant up our robe sleeves."
"Can you save HB without Mildred and Miss Cackle?" Sybil asked. Miss Drill whipped around fast but Mr Rowen-Webb just Accepted the fact Sybil had heard everything. "Are the potions and chants going to be enough?"
The adults shared a look and sighed. Miss Drill sat down next to her, perched in space the cat wasn't taking up. The cat gave a lazy push with its back paw but otherwise ignored the intrusion on it's space.
"They'll help. But we can't break it entirely. Miss Hardbroom has to save herself ultimately. She has to see herself for what she really is." Miss Drill explained quietly. "But we're helping with the potions and chants. They'll help her realise something not right. Just like we can. Just Like Mildred and Miss Cackle probably will when they get back if she'd still. I think we defiantly got through to her somehow back there, even just for a minute."
"She might not be bad." Sybil said frowning. "But she broke the code! Miss Mould-"
"Miss Mould isn't going to start acting like an armadillo. Trust the expert on this, she will be fine." Rowan-Webb reassured her. "And you're right, Miss Hardbroom might still be a good witch. Maybe just lax about the code and a little misguided at the moment, perhaps."
Ethel's face swam before Sybil's wet eyes a moment. As did Miss Hardbroom's normally very rare but very soft smile.
"But good or bad or morally grey even," He continued. "Right now, she's uninhibited reckless, impulsive, thoughtless, and to be blossom, not our HB at all. She might get herself hurt at this rate. And we can't let Hecate do something she'll later regret. She deserves that much from us at least."
"We need our Miss Hardbroom back. For Miss Cackle's sake if nothing else." Drill added a hand on Sybil's shoulder. "I know she's hard on you girls sometimes Sybil but she has to be, magic and potions can be dangerous if misused. HB just wants what's best for you all students. she's one of us. More than that she's our friend... And not to mention the best potions teacher this side of the Pennines."
Sybil understood, the cat now more or less pulled in a big much needed cuddle. Something pinged. The thank you cards shifted, and the Message board became an actual message board. The note scrawled itself across the cork surface, signed with a little doodle of a flower and a bat.
"Kitchen's a mess. Tapioca's fuming but joined in baking too. Bea and Clarice are fine, having fun! HB also fine but not talking to us. Checking spells now. Chant ready but try antidote first?" Rowen-Webb read aloud. "I guess we better crack on then! We've only to finish letting it simmer and the last few ingredients."
"If we can finish brewing that last one quick enough, we could take down to the kitchen." Drill suggested. "If I distract her, maybe the girls could slip it in a drink for her or in the biscuit dough. Are you up for that Sybil?"
"It's alright if not, we'll manage." Rowen-Webb added.
Facing this nice fun Miss Hardbroom again? That sounded very scary. But Miss Hardbroom hadn't noticed her earlier when she'd snuck about catching Miss Mould. And she'd believed Sybil's fibs more than Miss Drills. Plus they'd promised Miss Bat to keep it to themselves…
What would HB have done if it had been Sybil who'd been spelled?
Anything, within reason probably. Sybil thought.
Nice is not the same as good. Sweet is not the same as kind or caring. Fun is not the same as safe.
"No I'll help. Bea and Clarice might be help. And I'll be good too." Sybil promised. "I want just our Miss Hardbroom back too. I think I like her much better the way she's supposed to be…"
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING I AM OFF TO SLEEP TILL SOFTBROOM