Chapter Eleven

It was a typical day. Constance was teaching the first years who observed her making the potion for today's lesson before it was time for them to have a go at making it themselves. The only sound in the room was the sound of the bubbling cauldrons as the girls concentrated on making their potion correctly.

Constance was keeping an eye on the girls making sure there was no messing around when suddenly Miss Bat knocked on the door. Miss Bat had a free period from teaching and it was quite unlike her to interrupt Miss Hardbroom because she knew Miss Hardbroom would tell her off later so when Constance saw her standing there she was curious.

"M...Miss Hardbroom sorry to disturb your class but there is some people here to see you"

Constance looked around annoyed. Only Davina would disturb her class for this. The girls looked up from what they were doing as it was not everyday their potions class was interrupted.

"Can't it wait Miss Bat...in case you haven't noticed I am busy right now" she said trying not to show she was angry.

"Not really...they keep shouting at me and they said if I don't get you they will come to your class themselves" Davina replied.

"Why don't you get Miss Cackle to talk to them?"

"They want you...only you"

She nodded and stood up, she didn't want whoever was here to disturb her class. So she turned to face the class.

"Alright class Miss Bat will be keeping an eye on you, no messing around" she said as she walked out of the door not seeing Mildred's worried face.


Constance walked the short distance down the corridor her heels the only sound in the quiet hall. Reaching the office she remembered that Miss Cackle was teaching right at that moment so was not in her office so she didn't have to knock. She turned the handle and opened the door. The people she found herself face to face with were the last people in the world she would ever of expected to be standing there.

She stood there for a few minutes just staring at the people stood there. She seemed to have lost her will to speak.

"M...mother...F...Father.." she said as her parents who had been standing together talking looked up.

"Ahh Constance there you are" her mother said. Despite the fact there had been no contact for years no hugs or kisses were exchanged.

"W...what are you doing here?" Constance said

"Oh that's a nice hello" her father said

She closed the door and swallowed trying to get over her shock.

"How long has it been, ten years or longer?" her mother asked

"Twelve..." she replied not even having to think about it.

"I suppose we will cut to the point, we are here Constance because we know...we know you are in contact with the child" her father started saying the last words quietly as if he was scared someone would hear him.

So that's why they were here. She had not even thought about them turning up not after how many years had passed.

"Well...yes she is a pupil here" Constance replied not seeing any point in hiding it.

"You think because you are now an adult it makes up for it? When people find out about...that...we will be disgraced" her mother said

"Well what did you want me to do? Get her expelled and send to Pentangles?"

"No, you should have kept it a secret, she shouldn't know" her father stated

Constance was angry. She hadn't seen her parents in years and now they were back and still trying to control her life.

"How dare you! She said looking at them both "This is my place of work you cannot just come here and start threatening me and shouting at my colleagues" she said angrily as she remembered Davina saying they had been yelling had her.

"The secret can't get out Constance" her mother replied.

"What secret? No one will care about a baby born to a teenager over ten years ago, its history"

"You have to break of contact with ...them, or we will do it for you" her father looked at her with a serious expression.

Constance felt her answer rise even more at the way they spoke about Mildred, like she was such a bad thing they couldn't even say 'she'.

"THEM? THEM HAS A NAME...IT IS MILDRED" she shouted

"Don't rise your voice to me girl!" her father said

"I am not seventeen any more father, you can't tell me what to do, I never wanted to give her up you made me all because I was a little young"

"How would you have raised it? No job, no money, no home? Where would you have lived?" her mother cut in.

"College. It has crèches you know, there are loads of girls who live in the college and have babies, I am not the only teenager to ever of had a baby you know"

Her father stepped forward getting close to her daughter. Her mother was bad and had never made things easy for her only child but her father was the worse. Constance had always feared him in her younger days.

"Do the girl a favour, break it off now, you are selfish" her father replied.

"No I am not, I love her, and I always did even when I was a teenager"

"You have always being the same, selfish, always only thinking about yourself and what you wanted, you never loved anyone"

"Shows how much you know me father, at least I am not a liar, you told me she would be adopted"

"Maybe so but the way I see it the kid is lucky I mean a foster home is better than ending up with you for a mother, selfish, thoughtless" he started shouting at this point.

She felt a few tears run down her face at his words and suddenly she felt seventeen all over again. She couldn't defend herself against them especially her father.

"DON'T CRY IT'S PATHETIC, YOU BROUGHT THIS ON YOU THIS IS YOUR FAULT" her said as her mother just stood there looking at the floor not wanting to get involved in their fighting.


Mildred had asked if she could be excused because she wasn't feeling well. She had a feeling Miss Bat knew she was lying but the teacher had agreed. Mildred was worried about her mother. Who would be here to see her? As she got closer to the office she heard voices.

"YOU CAN'T EVEN LOOK AT ME IN THE EYE" an man's voice said. Mildred was confused what was a man doing at Cackles Academy? It wasn't The Grand wizard's voice or that of Mr Hallow. To her it was foreign.

"We didn't come here to upset you dear" said another voice this time an women's. Mildred had never heard it before. There was another sound too she couldn't quite make it out through the wooden door at first but then the shouting stopped and she heard it. Crying.

Mildred had had enough she pushed open the door and saw her mother been shouted at by a man. She was crying quietly but he wasn't stopping.

"OI LEAVE HER ALONE" Mildred shouted

"Who the hell are you?" the man said rudely

She looked at them. Dark hair, dark eyes, the woman looked like her mother. She knew the only people they could be.

"I am your granddaughter and that is my mother you are yelling at"

The man just stared at her as she spoke. Mildred had one thing her mother didn't have. She wasn't scared of anything or anyone.

"I suggest you leave or I will go get Miss Cackle, or I could cast a spell and turn you into a pig but let me warn you my spells rarely go right so who knows what you will end up as"

He continued to look at her as if he was shocked someone was talking to him like that.

"Well go on then what you waiting for your beard to grow?"

He looked at her waiting for her to back down but then he realised she wasn't going to. His wife and him walked towards the door. They turned back in the doorway.

"This isn't over" he said before he left

As soon as he had gone Mildred ran to her mother. She was really worried about her she could feel her body shaking as she put her arm around her. She had stopped crying but she was staring ahead of herself clearly in shock.

"Its all right they are gone, are you alright?"

Constance looked at her daughter slowly. The shock still evident on her face.

"Yes...I am fine thank you Mildred, thank you for that" she said forcing a small smile but her voice didn't sound right at all and she rarely called her Mildred now.

"Are you sure? I can skive of PE if you want me to" she said with a small smile as she knew her mother never approved of skiving.

"No ...you go...I have some work to do...excuse me" she said as she started walking away from the office. Mildred was worried about her mother but she knew she was upset and she hated anyone especially Mildred knowing that. That is why she decided to give her time...