20th chapter oh boy! I did not realise it would take so long to get to this point in the story!

Soon though it wasn't just the deck of cards that had been exhausted. The temporary extra cushions had faded with the spell. The candles were burnt low, the bats had flown, the castle was quieter and somewhere a clock chimed nine.

"I thought it'd be later than that."

"Hmm. Maybe we better get some rest before assembly?" Maud said sensibly, pushing up her glasses to rub her eyes.

"I'm not tired!" Ruby protested with a yawn. And it was contagious.

"Yeah sure you aren't. We've still got a few hours to get some sleep in." Jadu stretched out her front legs and slunk off the cushions, not bothering to walk upright. She bundled her things into her pillow case and dragged it along in her mouth. "Nhibt Mal."

"Night gals." Ruby said following her out, her steps even more stiff and clumpy.

"See you at midnight Mildred." Maud nodded as she left, yawned again exposing her canine teeth. Something an owl screeched outside making them all jump. "I hope."

"So do I." Mildred said, and wished them goodnight. Then went to sleep.

Or tried too.

It wasn't that far off Mildred's normal bed time. But she slept fitfully those few hours, the day had left her exhausted and lumpy bed in a strange place making for some real crazy dreams of fangs and sweets, of bins filled with bubble bath and newts…

In fact, Mildred was half convinced she'd wake up at home in her bed and this whole thing would all be some crazy dream. Instead she woke to Clanging of bells.

The rising bell, her brain supplied as she stumbled out of bed to get dressed again. The candle had either been blown out by a breeze or it had burnt itself at some point and she had to relight it. Even then it was a struggle to see and dig around in her unpacked bag for the extra uniform.

Had her door really opened in the night? and had she seen the silhouette of Miss Hardbroom standing in the door way? or if it had been a nervous nightmare?

"Come Mildred, you'll be late." Maud said she chivvied Mil to get a move on. The corridors were lit now, not that deep shadows the lanterns caused helped to see anything.

And how come everyone was already awake and dressed so quickly? So unfair, Mildred thought. She was still half asleep when Ethel elbowed her out of the way in the queue for the bathroom. Which wouldn't have been so bad if Mildred's laces hadn't been undone causing her to trip into the rest of the queue.

Ruby didn't seem to have hadn't learnt her lesson yesterday, and came out her room with a blue pair of ear phones jammed in her ears, booping her head to music.

"How many sets of those did she bring?" Mildred asked.

"I don't know. I hope she brought enough ears to go along with them." Jadu said. "I'll make sure she turns them off for assembly."

Fenny and Gris checked on Mildred as promised at least, and accompanied them downstairs. They told her and her new first year friends where to wait. They'd also got a thick roll of spellotape for her with instructions on where to leave it after wards.

"Food's not always a great as it will be tonight. It's rather basic after this. And colder. And you'll have to tidy up after yourself tomorrow." They warned before everyone filed into the hall. "And teachers only eat with us on special occasions. Human's never on the menu though, don't worry. School Policy."

School policy also included a school song and being packed like sardines into the rows of wooden seats. The headmistress smiled as they sat down, the first years at the front.

"Good morning everybody!"

"Good morning Miss Cackle." The school droned roared and screeched back.

"And a good midnight too. My, it doesn't like two minutes since the last term ended yet here we are again. And I am so glad to see you all here today and your eager faces new and familiar..."

Mildred was fairly sure she might have slept during Miss Cackle's thankfully short speech. She knew it had been about welcome and settling in and how the fourth and fifth years would have to share a bathroom because of a blocked sink. nothing important. Maud still gave her an elbow as her head started to droop forwards, and HB glared at their direction.

"Now that aside." Miss Cackle said. "Time for the most important part of this assembly. Cackle's annual Welcome Midnight feast!"

Thanks for reading see you on the 29th!