I don't own The Worst Witch in anyway shape or form.

Jekyll and Hyde.

The Amulet.

" My name is Maud Moonshine, and this is the story of how my best friend, Mildred Hubble turned evil..."

" Mildred Hubble. Pray tell what you are doing at this time in the evening?"

Mildred, now in her fourth and final year at Cackles, and Head girl to boot, froze as the dreaded voice of Miss Hardbroom washed over, colder than a bucket of icy water. It seemed even when Mildred had been elected Head Girl, even when her work had drastically improved and her abilities as a witch at the academy, HB would always look over her shoulder. Life had become so serious for the former Worst Witch that trouble no longer seemed to stalk her like an irritating shadow. Mildred was delighted that potions class wasn't the game of Russian Roulette where one ingredient wouldn't literally blow up in her face. Even HB seemed pleased, but she was still looking over Mildred's shoulder. Millie was hoping, praying that it wasn't so then HB would find fault with her - again - and was only doing it because she was concerned.

Mildred had spent her entire summer building up her confidence, but no matter what she did she always froze when HB was nearby, looking at her with that expression that the potions mistress thought you were a bug, and she was just wondering if it would be worth the time to step on her.

Mildred forced herself to respond, and not to stutter. If there was one thing Miss Hardbroom hated, it was stuttering. " I was just taking this card," she held it up to show it authenticity to the teacher, " and put it in Miss Cackles office."

Miss Hardbroom held out her hand and the card disappeared from Mildred's grasp and reappeared in her own. Mildred wasn't surprised by the action; HB was paranoid about disobedience, for the Head girl to be out of bed at this time outside curfew was disobedience in HBs book.

Hardbroom checked the card, spelling the envelope open. Opening the card, she was greeted by the names of every student in the Academy, it even had a few teachers names in it. With Miss Cackle's birthday only two days away, it was logical why the card was even made. Amelia wanted a quiet day to celebrate this year, and she wanted to do something special rather than make the girls chant the school song this year. Miss Drill had suggested they take a day out, but Hardbroom had been against it. Witch schools didn't take days off just to celebrate the head teachers birthday, but Miss Cackle wasn't a traditionalist like Miss Hardbroom.

Hardbroom's eyes swept through the card, it was beautifully illustrated with the names of everyone in the school, bar herself, written on it. She checked it with her magic, double checking for any hint of a spell designed to prank or harm Miss Cackle. It came back negative.

" Very well," She said somewhat reluctantly, even now, even with all of Mildred's achievements to date, Miss Hardbroom still had troubles with Mildred.

" But I'll come with you." Privately HB thought that if it was a prank then she would be a witness to any mischief the new Head girl was upto.

Mildred had expected that. It would be just like HB. Together the two witches went inside the Headmistresses office, and Mildred dropped it on the desk with the deputy headmistress watching her like a hawk. The envelope had a note saying not to open it until her birthday.

The two witches left without saying word.

On her way back to her room, Mildred thought about her fourth and final year at Cackle's academy for witches. When she'd been younger, she'd have been surprised to make it through the next day, never mind the last year. On top of that, Mildred was now Head girl of the school with Jadu as deputy head girl. Mildred was still taken aback by her new role in the school, she still expected to wake up and think it had all been a dream. It wasn't. Mildred frowned at the way she'd become head girl.

That business with the paper, the punishment Miss Cackle, and the barely restrained excitement of Miss Hardbroom, of expulsion had hit Mildred and Jadu hard, and it was all down to Ethel Hallow. Ethel and Miss Hardbroom had come so close to having the biggest thorn in their collective sides removed, only to be kissed - literally - by a handsome prince to break the evil spell of Sleeping Beauty's evil enemy. Maud had stood up afterwards in front of everyone in the Great hall, and announced she didn't want to be head girl, and that Mildred should become the new head girl.

The new job had done wonders for Mildred's confidence, but it had given her a few problems as well, although Miss Hardbroom was now much stricter with her now because of it, another unintentional error on Maud's part. Mildred had remembered Miss Hardbroom telling her when she'd been on the verge of resigning her job that she always wandered around in a dream. Miss Hardbroom was sure to give her grief, if the new head girl couldn't live up to her new role she shouldn't be head girl. Mildred no longer day dreamed in class, potions or otherwise, and worked hard. Now, her standard of work had become closer to Ethel's, and Mildred now had more things on her plate than meet her old adversary Trouble again, which seemed to fancy her for no apparent reason.

There were advantages and disadvantages to being Head girl - her advantages were that she now had a say in the running of the school, already she and Jadu had collected plenty of rational and well thought out ideas to help improve the quality of Cackle's and still keep the teachers happy. Jadu and Millie had spent most of their summer working on their new plans; after the fiasco with the paper the last thing the two girls wanted was to bring Cackle and Hardbroom down on them both, but that of course brought out the disadvantages. Cackle's was a traditionally run witchcraft school, and Cackle wasn't the sort of person to change anything, not even HB would change the Headmistress's decision once it was made up. One of those ideas was changing the menu, something every Head girl and deputy had tried to change over the years. And failed because of the die hard traditionalism of the staff.

Another advantage was, of course, Mildred's work, and the work of her friends. As fourth years, Mildred and her gang were expected to present an image to the rest of the school. Mildred's head girl duties meant she couldn't mess around like before.

Mildred's magical abilities had changed as well, where before she'd tripped over the many hurdles the other girls passed through with ease, Mildred had now joined them. Mildred wasn't a typical schoolgirl, she preferred practicing magic away from the classroom, and they worked everytime. When Mildred and the teachers, and the girls, had discovered her artistic talents her other abilities came out fast. Mildred had overheard HB and Cackle talk about her new progress last year, and whilst she was irritated that they were talking about her in a corridor where anyone could hear her, even Ethel who'd make her life a living hell, she was delighted that for once, instead of being at her throat, the teachers were actually proud of her.

Mildred had also demonstrated that she was capable of appearing from no where, just like Miss Hardbroom. She done this when Ethel had mouthed off at her when Ethel had believed she wasn't there. Ethel had almost had a heart attack when she'd appeared from no where, her face furious, it was bad enough the stupid girl had done it at the start of the year. It should've been expected; Ethel was still jealous about her becoming Head girl. Mildred's sudden appearance, furious with righteous anger at the insults the ignorant girl had hurled at her and her and family, terrified the other students beyond belief, including her own friends, especially when Mildred's hand glowed and a ball of dark red magic started forming. Mildred hadn't noticed, but she heard about it later. She'd been surprised by that, but she just chalked it down to her growing magical powers. Since then Ethel hadn't bothered her, she was too scared to boast to anyone about how she was going to put 'that upstart Mildred Hubble into her place.'

Miss Hardbroom had quickly intervened after shaking off her shock at seeing the worst witch effortlessly imitating one of her most powerful talents; Mildred had seen her listening to Ethel's petty insults with a look of shock. Mildred had wondered, even hoped, that now, right before they were a year away from leaving Cackle's and making their way in the world, that HB would finally see the kind of person Ethel Hallow really was. HB hadn't told anyone what Ethel's punishment was, but it was still felt to this day.

Time for the disadvantages. One, Ethel. The obvious one. Ethel had been very quiet recently, but Mildred knew she was planning something. Mildred had learnt her lesson from that horrible Halloween 3 years ago when Ethel had cursed her own broomstick to crash straight into the Grand Wizard. Mildred had been humiliated, and on the point of running away from school. The meeting with Agatha Cackle and foiling her attempt to take over the school had redeemed her somewhat in the eyes of her peers. She'd even gotten an apology from everyone, for which she was eternally grateful.

Then Ethel broke a rule all sneaks are supposed to know off by heart; NEVER TELL ANYONE ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!

Ethel had blabbed about it, to make matters worse HB was listening. Mildred hadn't heard the full details, but she was sure the punishment Ethel had received had been terrible, but the girl hadn't learned anything from that experience. Mildred was certain her school yard nemesis was up to something, something big; it was quite childish and vindictive that Ethel wasn't letting go of her grudges a year before they left school, Drusilla had grown up luckily although she was still Ethel's friend. Mildred had taken Jadu aside one day and informed her friend and fellow Head girl that Ethel was planning something.

Next, Miss Hardbroom. The deputy headmistress seemed to have two split personalities; a benevolent woman who respected Mildred, this persona was the one presented in the Head girl's meetings with the rest of the staff. The second persona was the same arrogant and inflexible one that characterised HB in the years Mildred had known her. It was strange, at times the woman could be tolerant and nice, but she was continuously looking for ways to put Mildred and her friends down. As already mentioned HB was stricter with her, but Mildred liked to think that the potions teacher was only trying to make Mildred maintain her work standard so far.

Miss Cackle's birthday passed without the traditional fanfare; no new song just a nice recital for the school song. Mildred hated chanting, it was still one of her worst subjects even with the bubbly and calmer Miss Crotchet. As the birthday cake slices were passed around the room, Mildred thought back to that time she and Enid had gotten locked in the stationary cupboard off the Great Hall thanks to Ethel, again. Looking at the smirk on Enid's innocent face, which happened to be there each time Miss Cackle's birthday came up, Millie and the rest knew she was thinking about it too.

Jadu glanced around at the laughing students as they ate their cakes. " Are we really going to go out for the day Mille?"

Mildred swallowed the piece in her mouth, " I'm not sure. Miss Cackle wont say. I think she'll tell us soon though."

Ruby sighed, " I hope she does decide to take us outside. Did you tell her that the students get bored of the birthday celebrations?" Ruby whispered the last part, fortunately HB was deep in conversation with the headmistress so she didn't notice.

Mildred frowned, " You kidding? HB will have my head!"

Fortunately Miss Cackle had a mind of her own, and it wasn't going to be swayed by her deputy. If Amelia was honest with herself, she grew bored of being locked continuously inside the school just as much as the girls did. That was why Amelia went to Mrs Cosie's tearooms for a break, and she knew that some of the girls knew it too. Amelia had grown tired of the same birthday celebrations, now all she wanted was a change. She knew Miss Hardbroom would protest, but Amelia didn't care. She had a mind of her own.

" Everyone!" Amelia stood up getting everyone's attention. The girls fell silent, listening intently. For the last week or so there had been rumours that Cackle would let them get out of the school, but with it all being highly unlikely no one truly believed or expected it.

Amelia smiled around the hall, " First of all, let me thank you for the card that I found on my desk." She smiled at the delighted faces at the praise they'd just received. Thank god, she liked it, Mildred thought to herself. It was a thought shared by everyone who'd signed it.

" I know that usually my birthday requires you to sing and entertain an old lady, but that's not the case anymore. For many years I have been tempted to stop the celebrations and go for a more private one myself, but I haven't because I enjoy the company of my students. In my eyes, you're family. My staff," Amelia gestured at the teachers who sat up when they were included and mentioned, " my staff and I have overheard various rumours that you wish we didn't spend today locked in this castle. Believe me, I know precisely how you feel," Miss Cackle said, flashing a benevolent smile across the hall.

Maud nodded towards HB, " Hardbroom doesn't look too happy, does she?"

Miss Hardbroom's face looked like she'd sniffed a wasp up her nose by mistake, and she was trying desperately hard not to shake her head lest she be stung. Mildred and the rest of the girls knew the basic reasons for HB's displeasure; Hardbroom was a very...by the book teacher, very traditional. Fun simply wasn't in her vocabulary. Praying HB didn't spoil it for the rest of them, Mildred and the rest of the hall waited.

" I've decided to spend a day at the Magical Fairground that is in the local area of the academy," Cackle carried on, letting the excited chatter of the girls filter around the hall, before she held up her hands for silence. " Enough chatter girls, I haven't been to a fairground in years." With a wistful expression on her face, Amelia recounted the experiences of when she'd been 10 years old.

Miss Hardbroom noisily cleared her throat when it was apparent the Headmistress was preoccupied, " Yes, erm, of course Miss Hardbroom. Thank you." Amelia smiled unabashedly at the slight snickers from the first years. Miss Hardbroom grunted, her expression making her look like she'd just been force fed poison.

Magical fairgrounds and mundane fairgrounds were similar in name and idea, but they were different. Both had rides, both had a variety of acts and creatures. The similarities ended there. Mildred gaped when she saw the acts; there was a man, obviously a wizard, shapeshifting into a variety of animals with a skill Algernon Rowan Webb himself would envy for a lifetime; Mildred frowned, remembering only too well it was shapeshifting that got Algernon trapped into the form of a frog in the first place, and Mildred was determined never to study the art if she could help it. She had memories of being turned into a frog, and later a statue when Ethel tried to cheat at the art competition in Third year. Shapeshifting had never been something Mildred was too fond of. Shaking her head out of the depressing memories, Mildred focused on the fair. Another act showed a grinning woman in red flying on a broomstick. The same woman made the crowd gasp when she apparently lost her head. Literally. Then her arms, then legs. The body parts fell to the ground, with a hilarious amount of the arms whacking the torso and carrying the head over to the body and putting them all back together again, not in the right places, resulting in more repeated whacking. Maud, Millie, Jadu, Enid and Ruby walked around the fair, enjoying themselves and taking part in some of the acts.

Mildred herself drank a sparkling drink with Maud and Ruby, and laughing, the three of them floated to the top of the tent that was more secure than the others.

The witch in charge laughed cheerily like a little girl, " Burp, you've gotta let out the gas!" she cried.

Mildred, who'd floated high enough to hit the ceiling of the tent, let out a raucous burp. She'd felt that her stomach and her intestines had become inflated with gas, like someone had spent hours using an air pump shoved down her throat. When she burped, she drifted back down to the ground. Maud and Ruby followed suit.

" What's in this?" Maud asked curiously, holding up the sparkling liquid.

The woman smiled at the question, " It's a special magic drink that creates a gas in a person's body. The formula's secret," she added playfully putting a finger conspiratorially to her lips.

The girls left with a grin.

Mildred sat in front of the camera nervously. Her friends were at the side, and they were watching as their friend had her soul picture taken. Magical kind had long since known and understood the existence of the soul, it was possible to store the soul and study it before letting it pass on. Some people had their souls photographed and it showed them whether they were good or evil.

Mildred was understandably nervous, she'd never believed in violence and hatred. She'd always believed that life should be good and peaceful. It was a pity that other members of the Human race were selfish and immoral.

The man who took the photograph took out the picture and looked at her with a smile, " Well, my dear, it seems that you have a wonderful soul without a trace of ill will. Now it's time for your friends."

The other girls had their own pictures taken, and Mildred saw that all of them had the same goodness in them. Maud was certainly a good person with only the basic insecurities, which made her slightly put out. Enid was the same, only her soul had the thirst for mischief and adventure, that was certainly true. It was the same with Jadu and Ruby, only the latter had a soul that was logical, clever and brilliant.

Mildred smirked when she said, " Hey, maybe Ethel should get her picture taken,"

Knowing what Ethel's soul would be like made the other girls laugh loudly, this had the effect of bringing HB down on them. Luckily she didn't just appear out of thin air. Mildred could see Cackle and Crotchet magically throwing hoops not far from where they were.

" And what, may I ask is so funny?" HB asked in a voice dripping with malice, forgetting they were in a fairground and not a school. Mildred knew her teacher well enough to know how much in control HB loved to have, and knew she was trying to exert it here where it was meaningless.

" Just a joke, Miss," Jadu replied making sure that she didn't stutter. Jadu hadn't forgotten the malicious way this woman had come so close to having her and Millie expelled.

Hardbroom narrowed her eyes," You're up to something," She declared like someone who was sure something was going on but couldn't prove it. Privately Mildred wondered what HB's soul would be like to photograph.

" We were just having our souls photographed," Mildred explained with a small smile.

Hardbroom face didn't change its expression, but her eyes told them what she thought of the practice. " I see."

Enid got daring at that moment, " Miss, what's your soul like?" She asked in a voice that melted butter.

Hardbroom's face became ugly as her expression morphed into a visage the girls recognised; HB was angry. They stepped away from her, but fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, the potion's mistress's ire was turned to Enid. When she spoke, everyone felt their insides freeze.

" Enid Nightshade, you will write 400 lines in detention with me tonight. I will not make inappropriate suggestions to my potions mistress under any circumstances," When Enid looked like she would protest, HB added in a voice dripping with venom, " Would you like that to be 1000 lines, Enid?"

" No, Miss Hardbroom," Enid said clearly, but sullenly.

" Good, now be off with you," HB said briskly.

" Yes, Miss Hardbroom," The girls chanted, walking away quickly before HB could find another excuse to get them into even more trouble. Once they were out of earshot, Enid moaned, " That's so unfair!"

" Well, you did ask for it, Enid," Maud said reasonably, " You did cheek her, what did you expect?"

Enid didn't come up with a good answer.

Aside from that little episode, the fairground was a marvelous idea, and the girls, and the teachers with the obvious exception of Miss Hardbroom, of course, came away with a hundred souvenirs from their day of fun.

It was two days later, however, that IT arrived. Miss Drill was out jogging, taking deep breaths, and heading back to the school when she saw the postman riding up on his bicycle.

" I'll take that, I'm a teacher." She gasped. Heavens, she thought, I'm getting old. It was getting harder and harder for her to do her exercises.

The postman nodded, and turned away, delighted to be off. Miss Drill looked at the post in her hands. There were a few letters for various members of staff, then she looked at a parcel, reading the name.

Mildred Hubble.

Miss Drill didn't recognise the handwriting, since she didn't handle the post, but decided it was harmless. She had no idea that she'd regret this and blame herself for what happened later...

" Mildred?" Miss Drill knocked on the door to Mildred's room. It wasn't long before breakfast, and as Head girl Mildred had dozens of responsibilities before breakfast, but she hoped to catch the student before she left the room for the day. She was in luck, the door opened and Mildred stepped out but kept the door open, looking more and more a professional woman and not the messy haired first year she'd been a few years ago.

" Yes, Miss Drill?" Mildred asked.

Miss Drill took a moment to look at Mildred, and noted the changes between this girl and the girl that had struggled to fly her broomstick when she'd first arrived at the school nearly four years before. Mildred had easily been one of the tallest girls back then, but now her height was closer to Miss Hardbroom's. Her hair was brushed neatly, and tied in her traditional pigtails, making her look like an innocent little girl. MIldred was naturally beautiful, Drill observed with slight envy, and unlike other teenage girls, she wasn't concerned about making her face artificially beautiful.

She shook her head slightly to get to why she was there; Mildred's reputation for punctuality was now well known and Miss Drill didn't want her to slip because of her.

Miss Drill handed her the package, " I just received this from the postman."

Mildred took it and looked at the address, not recognising the handwriting. She tore it open, and a little jewelry box fell out with a letter. Mildred picked it up and read it.

" It's from Algernon, he says he's on a trip and found this and thought of me." She said reading the letter.

" What is it?"

Mildred opened the box, and gasped. Inside was a beautiful purple amulet on a chain. Miss Drill was also transfixed by the beauty of the piece of jewelry, " It's beautiful," she gasped.

Mildred read the letter again, " There's more. Algernon says the Amulet also protects the wearer from harm, and also relaxes them when they're stressed." She looked up with a smirk, " Considering my job nowadays, I need all the stress relief I can get."

Mildred put on the amulet, feeling the magic in her body. She left the room with her head held high like she normally did. Miss Drill watched Mildred go, and now she couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy, but she didn't know why.