Chapter 14

Miss Fairwind and Constance made their way to the refectory for the evening meal together. Constance couldn't quite calm the churning worry that had settled in her stomach but she had to admit the twenty minutes in Miss Fairwind's office had been soothing. They hadn't said or done anything out of the ordinary, just sat and talked about books, broomstick flying, Miss Fairwind's love of the local beach and any number of other things that entered their heads. Constance couldn't remember the last time she'd had a conversation where Mistress Broomhead's name hadn't come up. It felt strangely freeing.

They were just crossing the flagged stone floor of the entrance hall outside the refectory when Constance felt a sudden vice like grip on her upper arm. She turned her head in alarm to find herself face to face with Mistress Broomhead's steely glare. Her tutor had appeared so silently beside her that Constance had been given no warning of her presence.

"I had assumed Constance Hardbroom" Mistress Broomhead began in a low, dangerous voice "that you would on your way to apologise for your intolerable behaviour in my potions class. Rather than simply strolling into the refectory as if you hadn't a care in the world"

"I-" Constance began

"I don't want to hear your weak excuses Constance" Mistress Broomhead interrupted her, using her hard grip on Constance's arm to shake her slightly.

"Please Mistress Broomhead, she made a mistake" Miss Fairwind stepped forward

"When I want your opinion, Miss Fairwind. I shall ask for it" said Mistress Broomhead, waving her hand in a quick ripple of magic which caused Miss Fairwind to stagger backwards slightly before turning her attention back to Constance. "You will come with me to my classroom Constance, and we…"

Mistress Broomhead's glance was drawn over Constance's right shoulder and she quickly dropped her grip on her pupil's arm as the voice of the dean rang out across the entrance hall.

"Ah, Mistress Broomhead. There you are!" she said, striding towards them. "I've something I need to discuss with you; perhaps you would join me for dinner?"

"Yes of course" Mistress Broomhead replied tersely

The dean's gaze fell on Constance "Are you quite well Constance, you look very pale?"

"Constance left something behind in my classroom" Mistress Broomhead replied before Constance could speak "she was just on her way to remove it"

"Ah yes" the dean replied "well hurry along then Constance, you don't want to miss your evening meal"

Constance nodded and took a few steps backwards, out of Mistress Broomhead's reach.

"I will see you in my office at 8pm sharp, Constance" Mistress Broomhead ordered as she followed the dean into the refectory

Constance nodded again before retreating towards the staircase that led to the potions labs.

"Miss Fairwind" Mistress Broomhead turned sharply to look at the young tutor who had quietly turned to follow Constance up the staircase. "Are you not joining us for dinner?"

Miss Fairwind gave an audible gasp and her hand moved quickly to the silver band around her wrist.

"Yes, yes of course" she replied shakily, following Mistress Broomhead and the dean into the refectory.

Constance could hear the bats before she saw them. Mistress Broomhead had succeeded in encasing them in a net which was draped across the top corner of the room near the potions store. The bats were clearly agitated, flapping wildly about their net prison and chattering loudly. Constance approached them quietly; sending gentle waves of what she hoped was calming magic towards them as she did. By the time she had reached them, they had settled to roost in the corner of the classroom where the stone walls met the beamed ceiling.

Constance took stock for a moment, trying to settle on the best spell to return the bats to the ugly plant they'd first been. But as she did so, she found Miss Fairwind's words echoing in her head. She couldn't turn them back into a plant, these bats had been the first bit of spontaneous magic she had done in months and Mistress Broomhead was unable to turn them back, only Constance could do that. Constance felt a small thrill of the thought of the bats staying here at the college. Unknown to Mistress Broomhead, they would fly out into the sky above her as she slept and spending the days roosting up in the tower as she taught. Constance resolved at once to keep the bats here at the college and, taking a final glance over her shoulder to check she was alone, she made her way to the small potions store.

Crouched on the ground in the tightly packed store room, she found what she was looking for on the floor tucked beneath the bottom shelf. Roberta had produced an over-zealous fire glow potion a few weeks ago which had caused one of the cauldron's to crack. Constance had been tasked with unpacking the replacement and disposing of the spoiled cauldron. She had tucked it away in the potions store in the new delivery's box intending to ask one of the caretakers to take it away but had never gotten round to it. Constance lifted the ruined cauldron from the box and tucked it back away under the shelf out of sight before taking the box back out into the classroom. She dragged a stool out from behind one of the benches and over to the corner. Then, balancing precariously on the stool which jolted on the uneven flagstones, she raised the box up towards the roosting bats. A quick wave of her hand saw the net vanish away and, balancing the box in the crook of her harm, she lifted it as tight into the corner as she could and used her free hand to gently coax the bats into the box. She sealed the box magically, adding in some air holes, before tentatively lowering herself down from the stool and onto the flagstone floor.

She hastily returned the classroom to its original state, tidying away the stool and sealing up the potions store. She then made her way over to the table beneath the window were the hideous black flowers were lined up, their berries glinting almost menacingly in the evening light. Concentrating deeply, Constance folded her arms and inwardly recited the incantation need for a duplication spell. She sighed with relief when another identical plant appeared alongside the others. Constance glanced at the classroom clock as the minute hand jerked into the five to eight position. She gathered the large box and, exiting the classroom, made her way to a small cleaner's cupboard a few doors down. She tucked the box out of sight behind a jumble of mops and buckets and closed the door behind her.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Constance folded her arms and disappeared. She reappeared outside Mistress Broomhead's office just as the clock inside chimed eight. Raising her hand she knocked once on the oak panelled door.

"Enter, Constance" came the grim reply from inside.