The library probably is the most impressive room in the school. The walls are stacked with books, a big fireplace spending a warm light and heat, students sitting on desks reading the old books, gathering information, or just enjoying a good story. Hecate pulls out a book on sleeping potions, trying to concentrate. Her legs still feel a bit weak, but she's focused on her paper. Two feet of paper on the potion, they had to brew today. It's a relatively easy topic, she had heard about all of the ingredients before, often collecting most of them, if she got the chance to. "If dosed wrong a sleeping potion may induce a deep coma, only to be lifted by a time snail. Those can be find at midnight, in a moment when time stands still." She writes down, finishing her essay. When she looks up, almost all students have gone to bed, the fire has burned down, and behind the round glass stained window lies the dark blue of a night sky. "I better get going." She slips outside, finding her way er room after a few missed turns, she had forgotten to pack her map. Her room lies dark, and even the lamp can't fill all the corners, Hecate shivers. Minerva greets her, sitting up and looking at her curiously. "This day was horrible.", she starts to stroke her cat. Curling up on her bed, Hecate tells her familiar about the girls, the cat responding with soft purrs. But even now that it's warm, sleep does not come easy. The room feels to cold, to general. "I'm going to ask the headmistress if I may change a few things in here." Hecate whispers to herself, finally closing her eyes. She dreams about the fire in the library, just sitting there and watching it.
The next morning she wakes up with Minerva petting her hair with her paws. "No, Minerva, don't. ", she shakes the sleep of, getting out of bed, changing into her uniform, just like the day before, doing her hair, washing up and leaving her dark unfamiliar room. Her breakfast is quiet and she has brought a book, so she reads a few pages before leaving for class. Just like yesterday she has charms, which she enjoys, but doesn't participate in. Listening to Mrs Sanders, ignoring the giggling group behind her completely. She doesn't even look at them, when they enter (to late again), if she did, Hecate would have seen the blond girl smiling at her, slightly, while the three others were watching her with a disgusted look on her face. After that it's potions again. After a few questions from the dark professor, that Felicity answers correctly, she raises her hand. "Actually, even though it is true.", her voice is raspy, but steady, " you can use a tulips stem, which is more effective and works faster." Hecate can hear the gasp escaping Felicity's mouth. "Yes, Mrs Hardbroom. Correct. Very good." A feeling of victory washes over Hecates body, tucking at her lips. It's very satisfying, so she decides to speak up more often, when she knows she is right. On her way out, her teacher calls her back. "Mrs Hardbroom. Here are a few extra topics, I have a feeling you are a bit to advanced for this class." She takes the books, stumbling to her next class. Potions and Charms are daily classes, but her next class is a weekly thing. Chanting. She had hoped she could skip singing for this year.
Singing seems to be something irrelevant. It's useless, like art. What counts in life is the rational, hard side of working, not letting go. That's what you get when you are a Hardbroom. So she stands behind all the other girls, in the last row, quiet. The other girls chant happily, while she listens. "Miss Hardbroom.", her teacher called her out and her heart starts to race. "You new here right?, come here, I need to hear you sing, so I know where to put you." Hecate gets shoved to the front by a few hands and they start singing again. Her voice is raspy and dark, not bad but, barely noticeable. "Will you sing louder dear?", her teacher touches her arm. "I.." Hecate could never. "She's not able to sing louder.", Felicity cuts in. "She's just not good enough." and because she does not want to make a scene, Hecate just stays quiet and steps to the altos, now standing in the front. Pippa watches her and her eyes burn into Hecates eyes. Quickly the fair witch looks away. She can't stand to be mocked now. But her eyes wander back, soon, as they start to sing again, Pippas voice standing out of the mass, light like an angel. Pippa does not mind looking at her again though, after being elbowed in the side by felicity, recalling the conversation they had after yesterday's incident. "I won't be your friend if you talk to her, Pippa." Felicity had said. "And you want to be my friend, right? You are nothing without me, don't you forget that." And Pippa had nodded and hair blonde hair had fallen over her face.
After the class Hecate sprints outside, trying to find the Headmistress.
She opens the heavy door.
"Oh, Miss Hardbroom! What can I do for you.", nervously she sits down in front of the large desk. "I wanted to ask you something.", she looks up, hopefully. "I wanted to change a few things in my room, just minor little changes..." her voice dies down. "Oh what a lovely idea. As long as you don't burn down the house I don't see what speaks against that! Go ahead! Get creative!" The headmistress claps her hands and dismisses her. "But," Hecate turns around looking at her, "don't tell the others or they may want to change a lot around here. This is just for you, understood?" Hecate smiles and leaves. She stays awake the whole night, working on her little project. When the sun comes up, she finishes the last little touches and looks at her masterpiece.