Thanks once again for the amazing reviews and encouragement :) I re-read all of your comments all the time when I get stuck and they just help push past the writers block. Speaking of writers block I got a little of that on this chapter because it is kind of the pen-ultimate part of the fic and I wanted to do it justice.
I'd like to thank Restless Seas for their beta-reading of this fic and I hope you enjoy this chapter and that it was worth the wait.
Chapter 7 – Non-Witch No More
Davina Bat thought she had beaten back everything Cackle's Academy threw her way. She had seen hundreds of students graduate, aided her headmistress during times of distress, and created multiple remedies and medicinal potions to heal wounds and aid recovery. She had felt intense pride in each student for trying their best, giving everything their all and, most importantly, awoke each morning with a renewed hope that today would be even more wonderful than the last.
Though, as she awoke that morning with a less that happy demeanour, Davina understood that today would probably pose the greatest threat in the Academy's history. She thought they had done enough but obviously this woman's thirst for perfection was much larger than they anticipated. Perhaps Constance was right, that there was truly nothing they could do to stop her. That very thought made Davina realise that today would not be more wonderful than yesterday and that perhaps, in all her years of teaching service, it would be the worst she had to endure.
The last thing that Davina or any other staff member wanted to see was Castle Overblow become nothing more than an abandoned Castle, left to rot and wilt like a rose left in the sun on a hot day. No, the castle meant too much to them for that. They would fight for it, like the kings and queens, wizards and witches that fought for its possession before them, they would fight to keep the academy the way it was and hoped they would succeed.
Imogen Drill felt the same way as she stood in the walkway watching Miss Bat's class. It became obvious that the spell Miss Hardbroom had cast was slowly wearing off and, from the odd shaking of Davina's hands or the mistake she played on the piano, that she was feeling the looming decision on her shoulders.
Although Imogen knew the feeling it was the question burrowing deep into her mind that drew her attention. How did Constance meet these impossible-to-achieve standards by herself? Did she meet them at all? And if she didn't then what hope did they really have of meeting them themselves? Though, deep down inside, Imogen knew that the answers to the most important questions like these would always remain hidden.
Constance Hardbroom was the kind of person who only let you see one particular side of her story, keeping the rest hidden from view like a brick wall that surrounded her soul. She supposed that very few people in her life had ever made it past her defences enough to see the true her and those who were fortunate enough to earn that trust, she suspected, were never granted it more than once.
Keeping part of your life hidden from other people was something that Imogen, sadly, had become accustomed to. Every term break she made the long journey home to visit her parents and every time they asked her how her students were doing, what the other teachers were like and how she dealt with the stress of living inside what they deemed 'a rusty and cold old castle that should have been demolished to build a proper school years ago'.
Even though she loved her parents Imogen kept the truth concealed from them. She answered questions with an 'it's good' response or talked about her other staff members as 'committed, kind, caring, energetic and traditional people who she admired' which wasn't stretching the truth too far. She didn't tell them her students were witches, that the deputy headmistress taught potions or the headmistress taught spells, that she was the only non-witch inside the school grounds and the schools chanting teacher drank fermented yaks milk from Mongolia for breakfast. She supposed that they would strap her in a jacket and have her carted off to the local mental asylum for seeing hallucinations if she ever did tell them the truth.
It was then she realised that just like she was protecting her image from her parents Constance was protecting her own in the school. Maybe Constance's past was that dark, that distressing that it was better they not know the truth. Maybe she was protecting them from something more. Maybe she and the formidable potion mistress weren't that different after all.
Suddenly Miss Bat's head appeared through the door, her baton tucked tightly behind her ear as the sounds of girls talking invaded the previously silent corridor. "Have you heard anything yet?" She asked but Imogen shook her head. "No I..." She stopped, suddenly stumbling backwards before steadying herself against the castle wall with her left hand, as if hit with a dizzy spell from standing too quickly. Davina hastened outside and helped to steady her non-witch friend whose eyes grew vacant. "Imogen? What's wrong?
Miss Drill's right hand shook as it pressed against her head to try and stop the spinning. "Imogen?"
"I...d-don't...know," she answered before her eyes closed and her body straightened. Davina's head tilted slightly to her right as she inspected her colleague's strange behaviour. She looked like she was asleep on her feet. Her face relaxed, eyes heavy, feet glued to the floor like a statue. Miss Bat's own eyes opened wider when a black veil of mist surrounded her friend's body. She took a step backwards, trying to say something but her voice was caught in her throat. "I-I-Imogen?"
A sudden surge of magic exploded from Imogen's body hitting the Chanting Teacher in the chest and sending her flying through the wooden door and to the other side of her classroom. "Miss Bat!" Mildred called as she and Maud rushed out of their seats to help the teacher to her feet. "Are you alright, Miss?" They asked but Davina did not answer. Carefully she moved in front of the group of girls who were now looking at Miss Drill with uncertain expressions. The PE teacher's eyes were nothing but a black abyss. No iris, no eye ball, nothing.
Imogen's hands slowly began to rise, pointing her fingers towards the group of terrified students standing before her. But then, something happened, her hands began to quiver and shake as her eyes returned to their original form. "Davina, get Const..." She begged before the darkness returned and her body disappeared.
"Miss?" Maud asked making Davina release a held breath and snap to attention.
"Yes, yes I'm fine girls. But I need you all to stay here and lock yourselves in. I will be right back."
"But Miss Bat," Mildred dared to reply before Miss Bat took a hold of her shoulders in her hands and looked at her dead in the eye. Mildred looked back to the frightened witch whose eyes had seen so many things. "This is dangerous. I need you do what I ask. Please girls." Mildred and the others agreed before she ran briskly out the door and heard it lock behind her. Yes, Davina knew that today would not be as wonderful as the last because it could be the most dangerous of them all.
"What did you do?" Demanded Miss Cackle, her eyes burrowing deep into Mistress Broomhead's. But, unlike the students who would turn away from the headmistresses penetrating gaze she just smiled. "Don't you know that witches are supposed to see all?" She questioned while Miss Hardbroom fought back the urge to punch the woman square in the face. "Goodbye Miss Cackle, Constance, I hope to never see you again," and with that she crossed her arms and disappeared.
Constance walked to the fireplace and held herself upright using her spell casting fingers. She faced away from Miss Cackle and refused to look the older woman in the eyes for the simple reason that she needed time to replace her mask. She looked to the ceiling to conceal the tears that threatened to fall when she heard Amelia's shoes shuffle on the floor and felt her eyes waiting for a response.
"Constance," Amelia began softly, turning to face her Deputy's back. "What was the spell?" Miss Hardbroom turned around her eyes holding unshed tears. Amelia opened her mouth to say something she closed it just as quickly. Constance blinked twice to remove the last fragments of her watery gaze before she released a slow breath. "It's most likely a possession spell."
"Possession spell?" Amelia sighed, her eye brows furrowing together. "But who..."
"Miss Cackle!" Davina hollered as she smashed through the office door and almost landed on the Headmistress. "It's Imogen she...I... we"
"For goodness sake Miss Bat spit it out!" Constance screeched.
"Imogen's eyes turned black and then she attacked me with magic she was about to attack the girls too but..."
"But what, Davina?"
"Her eyes, they went from black back to normal, she told me to get Constance and then she just disappeared." Amelia looked to Constance again for guidance, even though she internally punished herself for relying on her deputy when she already was overburdened. "Mistress Broomhead must have used an activation spell. She must have cast a possession spell on Imogen but then made it lie dormant inside her body until the activation took effect."
"What do we do?" Asked Miss Bat, looking to her supply closet haven with distant eyes. Now was definitely not the time to hide in a wooden closet with stationary supplies when Imogen and the rest of the school was in danger.
"I need you to evacuate the girls, Miss Bat. Take them outside the castles front doors and shut the gate. Bring Mr Blossom and Ms Tapioca with you. Meanwhile, Miss Hardbroom and I will try and fix this."
"Okay," Miss Bat exhaled before she began running through the school corridors again. Ignoring any rule that Constance had lectured her about the days earlier. Now was not the time for walking through the corridors.
"Constance is there another spell we could use to negate the effects of possession?" Miss Cackle questioned but Constance shook her head. She started to explain that there was only one way to remove a possession spell when she felt something penetrate from her side and force her to the stone cold floor.
Amelia turned to see the floating figure that had just entered her office whose black eyes penetrated into the very depth of her soul. "Mistress Broomhead," Amelia addressed sincerely as possible even though she wanted to spit the name from her lips like a curse word her students should never utter.
Imogen's feet landed on the floor and she smiled. "So... Constance figured it out." Her eyes wandered to the Deputy Headmistress who was trying to make her eyes focus. Amelia tried to rush to her aid but another magical attack sent her flying to the back of the room. Constance's head snapped up and before she was on her feet Imogen sent another attack to the deputy. Constance fell, this time hitting her back against the stone archway of the small fireplace. "Come on Constance, I thought you would do better than this!"
"The feelings mutual," Constance replied, standing to her feet and staring the formidable Mistress down like a bullet waiting to be fired. Her spell casting fingers shook as the smirk wiped clean from Imogen's face. "You know what I'm talking about... hiding behind the body of an innocent non-witch? Is that what your standards have been reduced to?" Constance asked, stepping just two meters in front of opponent. "And you say I am incapable of protecting myself. At least I can do it unaided."
"We will see!" A sudden beam of dark magic flew towards Amelia making Constance conjure a shield of purple mist half stride to protect her friend. Once her second foot joined the first, she checked that Amelia was alright by flicking her eyes in that direction. A stifled groan was enough to suffice for now. They both had bigger things to worry about. "Purple, huh." Broomhead muttered, making Constance's eyes snap back to Imogen Drill's lifeless ones. The sudden muttering about color gave Broomhead enough time to release one hand from casting the dark beam and taking it to her back out of sight. "Wasn't purple your mother's favourite colour?"
"Don't you dare talk about her!" Constance snapped. "You have no right!"
"Oh but I do Constance," Imogen's lips curled into a smile once more as her right hand lifted itself slightly into the air, causing one of the chairs to the potion teachers left to levitate silently. "Or have you forgotten that you answer to me?"
"I answer to no one-" the chair smacked straight into Constance's side making her land on the floor in a heap, her shield evaporating into vapour and Imogen stopped her attack and stepped forwards. She knelt down to the shaking Deputy and held her hand ready to administer the final blow.
Amelia tried to move but the pain that struck her lower back from the ungraceful landing earlier prevented it. Constance turned her head to look into Imogen's eyes when suddenly they closed and upon re-opening had become their normal colour. "Constance, help me!" Imogen begged, "I can't stop her for long!"
"She's used a possession spell on your mind. I need you to keep on fighting against it."
"I can't Constance," Imogen admitted before Constance knelt forwards on her knees and took the PE teacher by the shoulders. Imogen's normally confident green shade had completely faded. Her confidence was gone and it was nothing but pure fear that replaced it. "You can," Constance spoke. "I am going to break you out of this but I need you to try and get back control of your mind."
"Okay, I'll..." Imogen stopped, clutching her hands to her head again as her eyes closed. Constance stood to her feet watching as her eyes opened and Broomhead regained control once more. She stood to her full height, staring Hardbroom in the unflinching eyes before she disappeared.
"I wonder what happened to Miss Drill," Mildred mused making the others question the same thing. Even Ethel had no response which was unsual for the girl who always pulled a sly remark at any given opportunity.
"Whatever it is it's not good," Maud responded seriously, adjusting her glasses. "I've never seen eyes like that before." The others agreed silently.
Although their time on this earth was limited to how young they were the girls never thought, in all their wildest imaginings, that such dark magic existed. All girls knew that magic was not to be used for selfish or trivial ends. Maud repeated it frequently enough when they were stepping out of line. But, if such dark magic could exist in the universe and they had no means of protecting themselves against it, then what was the purpose of their lessons in the first place? Hundreds of books told stories about good versus evil and most ended with a happy ending. Though, as Miss Bat burst through the door, her hands shaking on the door handle and her hair in its abundance of strangled curls, the girls realised that not every story ended with 'happily ever after'.
"Girls quickly follow me!" Davina ordered as the girls stood from the floor, wiping down their uniforms. "We have to evacuate the school." Her outstretched hand ushered the girls to the door where they exited with haste. Enid doubled back to pick up the white feather Constance had given her making Miss Bat call for her to hurry. "I'm coming Miss Bat," she replied before rushing out the doors with the others.
The small congregation followed down the corridors until they reached the library where Miss Bat stopped and rushed inside. "Girls! Everyone we are calling an emergency evacuation of the school now. Leave your belongings here and go to the outer courtyard beyond the school gates!" Girls dropped their books and followed Miss Bat's orders as the chanting teacher took a deep breath and closed the door.
Sybil Hallow and Clarice Crow had decided to use the spare time inside Miss Cackle's abandoned spell room while the others practiced inside the library. One of the reasons was because there were so many students the girls felt cramped, the other was Sybil was afraid of failing in front of so many students. A tear welling in her eye made Clarice suggest the room which seemed like a good idea at the time but that was until they saw what appeared to be Miss Drill without eyes at the end of the corridor. "Miss Drill?" Clarice spoke though the figures menacing smile made her shiver.
"Girls what are you doing here?" Davina asked when she too saw Imogen Drill standing at the end of the corridor. "Girls get to the outer courtyard with the others."
"But what about..."
"Just go!" She snapped, making Clarice drag a now unsettled Sybil through the doors behind them.
"Mistress Broomhead you must stop this," she spoke confidently, keeping her feet as still as she could inside her boots and her eyes focused on the figure before her.
"And who are you to tell me what I must and mustn't do?" Miss Bat had always been passive when it came to conflict. She hated arguing with other people and the only one whom she truly had confrontations with was Constance Hardbroom. Perhaps it was their personalities clashing. Davina's being so carefree and easy while Constance's was so restrictive and difficult. But this time Miss Bat was not going to retreat to her cupboard and hide from this torturous woman. Not only because there was no cupboard for her to use but because she couldn't stand it anymore.
"I am Imogen Drill's best friend at the Academy that's who!" A dark ball of magic flew her way but Davina managed to stop the attack before it reached her. "And I will not let you use her as a-a shield for your own p-personal gain anymore."
"Is that so Miss Bat," Broomhead spoke, almost spitting the last word, before commanding her puppet to shoot several attacks towards the defenceless Chanting teacher. Davina managed to stop the first three but the final two landed a blow, causing her to fly through the air once more and rest against the Potion Laboratory doors. "Well you look like nothing but a scared little witch to me," Imogen knelt before her friend, Broomhead's voice echoing in her ears. "And a true Witch should never be scared."
"Leave Miss Bat alone!" A voice shouted, filling Miss Bat with pride and fear. Imogen Drill stood to her full height, looking to the student with a smile on her lips. "Ah, yes, Mildred Hubble. Finally I get a chance to remove the worst witch in existence myself."
"You need to stop this Miss Drill!"
"Miss Drill isn't here anymore. She is trapped in her own mind and has succumbed to the dark magic that courses through her veins."
"Then who are you?"
"You didn't score highly on comprehension did you," she scoffed making Mildred's eyes open at the realization.
"Mistress Broomhead," she sighed. "You're the one who's taken over her mind? But you aren't allowed to use magic for personal or trivial purposes."
"And you are not supposed to talk to a senior witch about questioning the code." Mildred didn't know what made her re-enter the castle. The others had told her not to, that it was too dangerous but she didn't listen. Now she was about to pay the price. Miss Drill's right hand rose high into the air as the black mist surrounding it pooled in the centre ready to be released. "You have been given too many chances by Miss Cackle and her staff. It will be my pleasure to wipe your burden from their shoulders."
"Mildred! Run!" She screamed but it was too late. The black magic shot from her hand before Davina could even get to her feet or before Mildred could make a run for it, eclipsing the hallway in absolute darkness.
The dark mist overshadowed the area making it impossible to see the hallway itself much less the student targeted for attack. Then, all of a sudden, a breeze flew through the hallway carrying the mist with it revealing Miss Hardbroom standing before Mildred with her spell casting fingers forward and arms outstretched. "Miss Hardbroom, I've never been so happy to see you before," Mildred beamed, resisting the urge to hug her teacher until she couldn't breathe anymore.
"And I thought that when we said 'evacuation' you would actually follow instructions for once." Hardbroom replied, returning her arms to her sides while Miss Cackle knelt next to Davina near the door. "Are you alright, Davina?"
"I'm fine Miss Cackle," she sighing a breath of relief. Amelia straightened her back and eyed Mistress Broomhead who was now between both herself and Constance. "Mistress Broomhead!" She hollered making Imogen's soulless body turn to face her. "You must stop this now; let Imogen regain control over herself immediately."
"Another one trying to be noble," Hecketty smirked with a shrug of her shoulders. "When are you all going to realise that you will never be in a position to..." Miss Drill fell to the ground with an almighty smash. Amelia and Constance chanted words that Mildred had never heard as a small cage, reinforced with magic, appeared to contain the now unconscious PE teacher.
"Is it over?" Mildred asked, stepping closer to look through the bars.
"No," Constance began, turning to the group that had now congregated around the iron cage. "Because Mistress Broomhead's spell was cast on a non-witch then Miss Drill has to internal magic to combat against Mistress Broomhead's. The only thing she has is her will but even that won't be strong enough."
"Then what do we do?" Asked Davina.
"I need you to accompany Mildred back to the others," Constance explained making the chanting teacher stand next to the girl. "Miss Cackle, you must stay here and continue using magic on the cage's bars to make sure she doesn't wreak any more havoc. The only way to free the magical bond over her is to defeat Mistress Broomhead."
"But Constance..." Amelia interjected, trying to convince her deputy to be reasonable. "There must be another way."
"There isn't," Miss Hardbroom lied. There was another way to remove the spell from Imogen but it involved the death of her body, making Broomhead have no other option but to remove her control. But there was no guarantee that after the PE teacher died that she could be resuscitated back to life.
So this was the only option. Constance Hardbroom had to face the woman that killed her innocence as a child and forced her into a life she did not want to live. And although all of the people before her were offering their magical abilities to help in her plight she could not take them. This was a challenge that she needed to face alone, not only to protect the school but every student that lived within its walls. If she was to be defeated then she would rather it be her and her alone. Living with the guilt of another human beings demise wasn't something she coped well with, and the thought of it being anyone in the academy made it worse.
"I will summon her to the great hall, we will have our confrontation and when I succeed Miss Drill will return to her normal state."
"But what if you lose?" Miss Bat's voice quivered.
"Get the girls to a safe place away from the school." Constance turned on her heel, Amelia following her closely. "Constance..." she stopped and turned once more to face her kind-hearted employer. "Please be careful."
"I thank you for your concern Amelia, though it is not necessary." And with that she hastened down the corridor and out of sight.
AN: So the ultimate face-off between Hecketty and Constance is up next! Thanks for reading.