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Chapter Twelve
Esmerelda was so thrilled that her plan had worked that she was still on a high even as she got changed and made her way downstairs for PE, she couldn't even bring herself to moan like the others as Miss Drill said they were doing cross country. Gretel and the others were not in the lesson so clearly they were still with Miss Cackle, Esmerelda thought to herself as she stretched with Miss Drill's lead. But her smile dropped as she saw Miss Hardbroom walk over, she had a bad feeling as soon as she saw the strict woman.
"Esmerelda, Miss Cackle wants to see you" Miss Drill said and Esmie smiled slightly trying not to look worried, she knew the girls would of figured out it was her but she had no time to think of an excuse as HB was transferring them to the office.
"Ahh Esmerelda" Miss Cackle said looking annoyed. Esmerelda knew to get out of this she had to act dumb.
"Why did you want to see me Miss?" Esmerelda asked pulling an expression she hoped looked confused.
"About what happened at lunchtime with Gretel, Millicent, Delilah and Wendy" Miss Cackle said. Esmerelda looked over then and saw the girls were back in their uniforms sitting in a corner of the room, looking embarrassed, angry and annoyed.
"I don't understand Miss Cackle" Esmerelda said turning back to look at the short haired woman.
"The four girls said you put a spell on them and I want to know the truth, did you do anything to them?" Miss Cackle asked lookng at the girl angrily.
Esmerelda was an awful liar. She might be a Hallow but she was so bad at it, Ethel was brilliant at it and she cursed herself for not asking her to teach her a few tricks, luckily though it was Miss Cackle she would be lying to and she couldn't get someone more gullible if she tried.
"What no!" Esmerelda replied changing her expression to shocked and angry.
"STOP LYING" Millicent shouted and Esmerelda turned to look at them, trying to refrain from laughing about what she had done.
"Why would I do something like that?" Esmerelda asked turning back to look at her teachers.
"Well we have had both you and Gretel in here for fighting, you are not keen on each other" Miss Hardbroom replied not sure what to believe.
"That was ages ago" Esmerelda replied "Plus it is three days until my punishment is up, you know how much I have wanted to mirror my sisters over this month, why would I decide now to do something to ruin that?" Esmerelda asked.
She saw the teachers look at each other and knew she was making them believe her, yes just a little longer and she would be home free. If she was found out again she might never be able to talk to Ethel and Sybil again, she had to make sure that didn't happen.
"You four, do you have any actual evidence Esmerelda did anything to you?" Miss Cackle asked just wanting to find out the truth so she had to get all sides of the story.
"Yes, she came into the hall a few minutes before it happened" Wendy replied as if that was evidence that she had done something.
"I am afraid we can't say that proves anything, people walk in and out of the hall all the time, did you actually see her casting a spell at you?" Miss Cackle then asked.
"No...but she made it happen...she blocked our exit!" Delilah said glaring at the blonde girl long and hard.
"I didn't mean to" Esmerelda replied "I happened to be walking out at the same time as them and because only one of the door's was open they couldn't get out" Esmerelda replied thinking of an excuse to explain that.
"She is lying!" I want something done!" Gretel said looking at Esmie like she wanted to kill her.
"Calm yourself Gretel" Miss Cackle said and the girl fell silent before the woman kept talking "The prank that was pulled was cruel, why on earth would Esmerelda do it?" Miss Cackle asked looking at the girls again for clarification.
"Because she obviously found out we used that curse on her to make her wet the bed!" Wendy said before covering her mouth as she realised what she had just said. Her friends touched their heads in debelief.
"You did what?" Miss Hardbroom said looking disgusted, Esmerelda was getting better at this and forced her eyes to become tearful as she looked at them.
"That was you!? I thought it was because I keep having that nightmare, I thought I had a problem" Esmerelda told them letting some tears fall, pretending she had no idea what they were talking about so Miss Cackle would not have a reason to think she did it.
"GIRLS" Ada shouted appalled and digested about that "Not only was the thing you did vile and cruel but clearly you have no pride in yourselves, you are witches you should be ashamed" Miss Cackle told them shaking her head.
"I expect this behaviour from five year olds but you are young ladies now, you should know not to use your magic in an evil way anymore, it is time you all grew up!" Miss Hardbroom shouted at the four girls.
"But Miss she.." Delilah tried to say but was interrupted
"NO" Miss Cackle shouted "I do not want to hear another word of you trying to defend your actions, I am ashamed to call any of you my pupils" Miss Cackle told them as Esmerelda wiped her eyes still playing along.
"At this school we want to teach witches, girls who know what it means to be a witch, not little children who play childish practical jokes, I will be writing to each of your family tonight and you will have detention every night for the next month" Miss Cackle told them dishing out a harsh punishment. She was so angry at them they were lucky it wasn't expulsion.
"But Miss!" Millicent said, not happy with the punishment.
"No buts, you are lucky that is all you are recieving, now I want you to apologise to Esmerelda" Miss Hardbroom told them.
"No way, after what she did to us!?" Gretel replied amazed.
"Unless you want to pack your things you will apologise this instant!" Miss Cackle told them frustrated.
The girls looked at each other, as much as they wanted to say they didn't care they did. Their parents would kill them if they got expelled from Cackles so they knew they had to apologise.
"Sorry" the girls all said one at a time sounding like they wanted to say anything but that word and they didn't mean it. Neither teacher seemed to pick up on that though.
"Good, I don't want any of you four in here again, I will not accept bullying or pranks in my school, do I make myself clear?" Miss Cackle asked.
"Yes Miss Cackle" they chimed
"Good, now leave and get to class" Miss Cackle told them flicking her hand and opening the door.
"But everyone will laugh at us!" Wendy told her as she looked at the door in a terrified way, knowing everyone will mock them for messing themselves.
"Then next time don't make enemies by playing silly pranks and maybe then you wouldn't get cursed, now go" Miss Cackle told them and the four girls walked quietly out the room. Once they were gone the woman softened her tone and turned to her head of year.
"Esmerelda, I am sorry I had no idea" the woman said making Esmerelda feel bad now as she was acting sympathetic.
"It is okay Miss Cackle, I am just relieved it was a prank" Esmerelda admitted.
"Well I will do the counter spell and it won't happen again" she told her as she cast a spell at Esmie. Obviously Esmerelda had done it already but it wouldn't hurt if someone did it again. It wouldn't all of a sudden make her cursed again, that was not how magic worked.
"Thank you Miss Cackle" Esmerelda said as she smiled
"Esmerelda if you ever need to talk about anything, my door is open" she told the girl who nodded but somehow she thought the woman would forget that promise. She walked to the door HB had opened before thanking them again and leaving.
She laughed once she was outside, she had got away with it and hopefully the gang of bullies had learned she didn't like being messed with. She knew the prank had been extreme but hopefully they had learned to leave her alone. Only time would tell.