Neutral Magic
Disclaimer: I do not own the Worst Witch or Weirdsister College series or any characters associated with them. No money is being made from this story.
Chapter 1: The Letter
The dim gleams of moonlight that managed to filter through the wooden shutters were all that illuminated the small room. Like all the rooms at Cackles Academy it was very Spartan, but this room was austere even by Cackles standards. A bed and night stand, a dressing table, a small desk and chair; these were the only furnishings.
A slender dark haired woman lay in the narrow bed, tossing restlessly, caught between wakefulness and slumber. In her half aware state the room seemed full of moving shadowy figures, vague but menacing.
"Constance!" The voice was barely audible, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere. "Constance!"
Constance Hardbroom sat up abruptly, clutching at her heart. With a flick of her fingers she lit the lamp on her nightstand and looked around her wildly. The small room was unoccupied apart from herself; everything was as it should be.
Slowly, Constance Hardbroom clambered out of the narrow bed, steeling herself against the pain that was now her constant companion. She wiped her face on the sleeve of her nightgown to remove the moisture from her sweat soaked brow. The few hours of sleep she had managed had brought no respite; in fact she felt wearier than ever.
Constance sat down in front of her desk, taking up writing paper and a pen. She hesitated, staring at the blank page. This was a letter she had no desire to write, in fact something she had been considering but putting off for weeks. But she knew there was now no choice. It simply would not be possible to conceal her condition from the girls and the other teachers for much longer. She was sure Miss Cackle already suspected something was wrong.
Resolutely she started writing, choosing her words slowly and carefully. After about fifteen minutes she signed the letter and addressed and sealed the envelope. Constance Hardbroom stared at the address, her lips twisting into a wry smile.
Doctor Mildred Hubble
Weirdsister College
Cambridge
She had never expected to have any contact with Mildred again, although she was well aware of her former pupil's accomplishments. It was not really surprising she had done well after leaving Cackles; despite her clumsiness and tendency to be easily distracted there had never been any doubt about the girl's great talent and power. But even Constance had not expected her to fly so high, so fast. At the young age of twenty four she was not only a lecturer at one of the world's foremost magical colleges but also one of the pioneering figures of modern witchcraft, a leading researcher whose work had been published in prestigious journals such as Pentagram Letters and Thaumaturgical Transactions. Constance had read several of her papers and they had convinced her that Mildred was probably the only person in the world who could help her. It was a rather bitter irony; the girl who had been the bane of her existence a mere eight years ago was now perhaps her only hope of survival.
The Potions teacher murmured a spell and the letter vanished in a flash of blue light, transported instantly to the post box in the village. It should be collected in the morning and delivered the next day. Of course the next day was a Saturday and it was possible Mildred did not go into the college much at the weekend when there were no lectures or tutorials. But she ought to receive it by Monday at the latest.
Constance Hardbroom stiffened, her face contorting into a grimace as the pain suddenly intensified. She coughed violently, grabbing a handkerchief to cover her mouth. When the spasms had passed she removed the handkerchief and regarded it grimly, unsurprised by the crimson stain spreading across the white linen.
Rising to her feet, Constance walked painfully over to her dressing table. Picking up a small potion bottle she poured the bright yellow liquid into a plastic measuring cup and swallowed it down quickly, grimacing at the taste. Almost instantly the pain started to fade. But it did not vanish entirely.
Unflinchingly, Constance made herself face the reality of her situation. The dose she had just taken was the maximum safe one, and three times what had been necessary a few months ago. This potion was the most powerful general healing remedy known to magical science and the only thing keeping her alive. But it was now clear it would eventually lose its effectiveness entirely.
She could only hope now that Mildred would respond to her letter quickly.