She materializes in the potions lab, and surveys the scene before her. Her most advanced fifth year pupils stand behind their cauldrons awaiting her instruction. Each one of them expect an austere tone to command them to task. Her stoic face shifts, and her lips curl into a smile. The young faces in the room begin to meet her with concern. Until her eyes fall upon Mildred Hubble who offers a smile in return. In that instant she is reminded that she is tasked with shaping the best witches, not perfect ones.
Ethel clears her throat, "What page should we begin with?"
Hecate Hardbroom closes her book, and moves towards the center of the room.
"Close your textbooks. We will not require them for today's assignment."
Maud's eyebrow arches, "Since when do you go off script?"
"Today the task I am giving you is to go find the potion for joy."
Ethel scoffs, "There is not potion for joy."
Mildred meets her glance with a sparkle in her eye. HB subtly nods.
"Miss Hardbroom, I know where to find it. May I be dismissed please?"
"You may be dismissed."
The other pupils stare at each other in utter confusion as Mildred excitedly stuffs her belongings into her bag, and transfers from the potions lab.
"The rest of you are dismissed as well. You are required to leave the potion lab and find the appropriate combination of ingredients that produce joy. I expect a detailed report on your efforts tomorrow when we reconvene."
"That is an impossible task," Ethel growls.
Felicity elbows her, "Pipe down, before she changes her mind."
The lot of them vacate the potions lab one by one. Ethel hesitantly stomps from the classroom. Ada appears in the doorway Ethel exits. She steps aside so the pupil may leave the room. Hecate turns in her direction.
"I was in my office when I heard the most wretched tap-dancing above my head. I considered that Felicity was cutting class."
"I dismissed them for the period."
"With an assignment?"
"To find the potion for joy."
Ada furrows her brow, "There is no potion for joy."
"Which is why I assigned the task to our fifth year pupils, not the first."
"It is quite a brilliant assignment, Hecate. Go join them. In fact I think you should take the rest of the day off. I'll cover you classes for you."
"Are you permanently dismissing me?" She responds suddenly feeling panicked.
"Not at all. I am simply giving you permission to take the day. Hecate I succeed in my efforts because of the dynamic that the two of us offer."
Hours later Hecate Hardbroom is sitting in a booth at an ice cream parlor. She watches as a girl of about eight plops down at the adjacent table. Her legs swing wildly as she waits impatiently for her ice cream to arrive. The girl with long dark hair secured in a braid turns in her direction, and offers a grin. Her front tooth is notable missing. Hecate winks at her.
"I am not supposed to talk to strangers," she announces.
"Understood," Hecate nods.
"You don't seem like a stranger though. Do I know you?" Her hazel eyes sparkle.
"We've never met."
"My dad brought me here. He always lets me have extra sprinkles. My name is Joy."
Her father arrives at the table at that very instant. He is tall, and clad in a suit. His dark hair is secured with a healthy dose of pomade, and greying around the temples. He wears a wedding band, and offers his daughter a disapproving look as she hangs over the back of her chair talking to a stranger, as her chin rests on her palms.
"Joy, I've told you not to talk to strangers," he warns as he squats next to her seat to meet her at her eye level.
"Daddy, I don't think she's a stranger."
He offers the ice cream cone to his daughter, and turns towards Hecate's booth. He offers a polite smile.
"I apologize, if my daughter was bothering you."
"Quite the opposite, actually, Jasper. I was preparing to introduce myself."
He furrows his brow, and freezes as he scrutinizes her face. After several seconds he is able to string together intelligible syllables.
"No one has called me Jasper since boyhood. I go by Jase."
Joy rises vacates her seat, and situates herself across the table from Hecate. Between licks a spark of incorrigibility strikes.
"I believe you were about to introduce yourself before my dad so rudely interrupted."
Hecate smiles, "Well-met Joy. My name is also Joy, though no one calls me that anymore. As an adult I go by Hecate."
The eight year old's eyes glow with delight as she lets out a shriek, "I knew you weren't a stranger! How could you be? You're my dad's sister! This is the best day ever!" She claps.
Jasper eyes her suspiciously, "You should have called."
"I find that every time I attempt to pick up the phone it weighs ten thousand pounds."
"You always have known how to make an entrance," he smirks.
"Some things do not transform with time."
He nudges Joy, "Do you think there is room here for a third?"
The eight year old climbs under the table, and takes a seat next to Hecate. Jase takes a seat across the table from them.
"I promise I won't get ice cream on you. I know it looks like I'm sort of a hot mess, but I am quite meticulous with this ice cream. I don't want to waste any of it."
"Joy I am an instructor at a boarding school full of girls. Your dripping ice cream cone does not scare me."
"That sounds fabulous, tell me everything."
Hecate shifts her glance to her brother, "Perhaps another day. I do not have a precise barometer about what your father has told you about… me."
Joy nods understandingly, "I know some conversations are not appropriate for public. I have lots of private conversations with the parental units, because I get into mischief from time to time."
"No truer words have ever been spoken. Hecate what brings you here after all this time?"
"I have wasted enough energy with my sights focused on the past. To be more precise, the future is what brings me here."