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 9: A Visitor in the Night
Even as Mildred and her friends were discussing Miss Hardbroom in Cambridge, miles away at Cackle's Academy the woman in question was moving restlessly in her bed, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in.
No one had said anything to her but Constance was sure she had lost considerable weight over the last week or so. She had always been slender but now felt she was becoming increasingly emaciated, with her bones sticking out painfully. Even sitting in a normal chair was starting to become uncomfortable and trying to sleep in a bed was actually torturous. Although the mattress was fairly new and quite supportive she could feel the springs pressing against her bones.
There was no doubt that her physical condition had deteriorated further since Mildred's visit, and the drain on her physical energy was starting to affect her magic. Constance was finding increasingly difficult to transport herself magically and had noticed that casting some of the more advanced and complicated spells that she frequently used tired her more than normal.
The Potions teacher wondered how far Mildred had progressed with her analysis of the curse. It had been nearly a week now and she had heard nothing from her former pupil.
Momentarily she found herself questioning if it had been wise to place so much reliance on Mildred. Her relationship with the girl had never been an easy one. Even in Mildred's last year at Cackle's, when she had been Head Girl, they had hardly seen eye to eye. In fact that year Mildred had been more a thorn in her flesh than ever, using her new position to press for changes that had often horrified her traditionalist Potions teacher.
But no sooner had the doubt occurred than Constance quickly dismissed it. Mildred had just been doing her job, which was to represent the interests and concerns of the girls, not make life easy for the teachers. She had actually been an outstanding Head Girl, certainly far better in the role than Ethel Hallow would have been. With the benefit of hindsight Constance rather guiltily acknowledged that Ethel would have abused the authority of the position and used it to bully the other girls.
And Constance knew that Mildred had never really let her down in the past, not when it was truly important. Of course there had been that regrettable incident at the Halloween display when she had crashed into the Grand Wizard, but that had actually been Ethel's fault.
As she remembered all the incidents that had made up the chequered career of the Worst Witch at Cackles Academy Constance gradually began drifting off to sleep, the discomfort becoming less prominent as her mind concentrated on other things.
"Constance!" The soft whisper echoed through the small room. "Constance!"
Constance Hardbroom sat up abruptly in her bed, startled into wakefulness. The whisper had been faint, barely audible, but she was certain it was not her imagination. The shutters were closed and her bedside lamp has been extinguished but as her eyes adjusted she realised the room was not completely dark. The walls of her room were glowing faintly, dim rivulets of light running through them in strange patterns.
"Who's there?" The Potions teacher demanded hoarsely. "Show yourself!"
The weird patterns of luminescence seemed to respond to her command, gathering and concentrating into one place. As Constance watched in growing alarm, a figure suddenly appeared; rapidly becoming more solid and then it suddenly stepped out of the wall and was standing in the room. It was a about her height and wearing a white robe with a cowl that covered the head, leaving the face in shadow.
Constance painfully scrambled out of bed and lit her bedside lamp with a flick of her fingers. As she did so the intruder pulled back the cowl, revealing the face.
He appeared to be a fairly young man, perhaps in his mid thirties, with dark curly hair and deep penetrating eyes. In fact he looked as if he had stepped straight out of a Botticelli painting, the classical perfection of his features marred only by a faint scar running down his left cheek.
"Who are you?" Constance whispered.
"A friend."
"I've certainly never met you before," Constance declared, then backed away in alarm as the intruder began advancing towards her. "Keep back!"
The man ignored her and continued to advance. The potions teacher pointed at him, launching a stunning spell but to her astonishment no red bolt issued from her hand. Instead the man glowed briefly with a dull red light.
The intruder laughed mockingly. "Your magic will not work against me!"
As the man continued to advance towards her Constance retreated until she was backed up against the wall. With her magic ineffective she felt incredibly vulnerable, more vulnerable than she had ever felt since early adolescence.
"Who are you?" She demanded again. "What do you want from me?"
"I want to help you, Constance," the man declared. "I know you are suffering from the effects of a curse. I can help you with that. And I can help you gain revenge on that little trollop Mildred Hubble for all the trouble she's caused you over the years."
"Why should I want revenge on Mildred?" The Potions teacher demanded, looking bewildered by the idea. "And why are you calling her a trollop?"
"Because that's what she is." The man scowled fiercely. "I was on the verge of supreme power before that little hussy seduced my servant from me with her feminine wiles."
At that point everything suddenly fell into place and Constance realised exactly who she was confronting.
"Guy de Malfesance!"
The man looked surprised. "You know me?"
Constance nodded grimly. Like most people in the magical community she had heard of the events at the end of Mildred's first year at Weirdsister. How a first year student's meddling with negative magic had released an immortal wizard who had been imprisoned for centuries in the walls of the College. The College authorities had tried to hush everything up but to no avail. She knew Mildred had been involved somehow in the wizard's eventual defeat but only knew a few of the details. However that had been seven years ago.
"Why now?" She demanded. "Why have you waited so long to return?
The wizard regarded her thoughtfully. "I have bided my time. Our mutual friend Mildred has uncovered a great secret, on that offers the promise of ultimate power, power you will help me wrest from her Constance."
Miss Hardbroom shook her head. "I think not!"
"Why should you refuse?" he asked sardonically. He reached out to caress her cheek and Constance flinched away from him, feeling she had just been touched by something diseased "You cannot pretend you and that girl have ever been on good terms."
"My relationship with Mildred has not always been an easy one," Constance admitted. "But that does not mean I would ever betray her. You'll get no help from me!"
"But you have helped me, Constance." The immortal wizard said mockingly. "Already Mildred is planning to use her discovery in an attempt to save you."
"It was you!" The Potions teacher hissed. "You're the one who cursed me!"
"How perceptive of you to realise it." He laughed and the sound chilled Constance Hardbroom to the bone. "But it does not have to be that way Constance, I am not a Master without compassion. If you agree to help me I will remove the curse now and end your suffering, and together we will easily outwit that foolish girl."
"No!" Constance shook her head again, looking resolute. "I will never betray Mildred."
"A pity." The wizard shrugged, looking unconcerned by her refusal. "Your cooperation would have made things easier but it will make no difference in the end."
"It will certainly make a difference when I inform Mildred of your little scheme," Miss Hardbroom said defiantly.
"You will tell her nothing!"
His hand shot out, his fingers seizing the Potion teacher's forehead, a strange light flickering about them. Miss Hardbroom froze, her expression going blank.
"Forget!" The immortal wizard commanded. "Sleep!"
Heedless of the fact that there was a stranger standing in her room, Constance clambered back into bed and instantly fell into a deep sleep.
A/N Only a short update this time, but the next chapter will be much longer. Merry Christmas!