A/N: I know Miss Gullett is not in the series anymore but this takes place before she was fired or the events with Agatha as Esmerelda is still only a second year, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Forty-Two

The Hallow family and Miss Cackle and Miss Hardbroom all made their way to the headteacher's office. Esmerelda hugged her sisters happily, glad their parents had brought them and not left them at home with the servants.

"Can you make this quick? We have to be getting to work soon" Trition announced as he entered the office with his wife. Miss Cackle nodded, knowning it shouldn't take to long to find out what happened, she still wondered why her parents had brought her sisters though, they normally wouldn't bother.

"And we need to get the younger two home, they overheard us talking to Miss Drill on the mirror and ran over just as we were transferring" Ursula replied and Esmerelda looked over at her sisters and smirked, that explained why they had ended up coming, but Esmie was glad she had missed them so much.

"That is okay, Esmerelda do you want to explain to us what happened?" Miss Hardbroom asked looking at the eldest daughter as if waiting for an explanation.

"It was Lily, I thought she was my friend but she wasn't. For the last week she has being blackmailed and I was trying to find out who it was and what they were blackmailing her about, I found out it was about a spell, a curse spell she had used on me, that was when I found out she was the leader of that gang who had bullied me last year and she had pretended to be my friend to get close to me and seek revenge" Esmerelda explained to everyone in the room and Ethel and Sybil looked at her sadly, they had not known that the girl had being bullied, she had tried to keep her awful first year a secret, knowing it would hurt the younger two to know she was suffering.

"What did she want revenge for?" Miss Cackle asked, trying to keep her talking now they had a bit of information.

"Not being head of year, her family has always being head of year or something so she was annoyed I beat her score at selection day" Esmerelda replied sadly, holding her sisters as she spoke.

"That was how I subtained my injuries, she beat me up with magic and then put make-up on my face, I got away because I managed to break the robes and I will admit I then pushed her and she fell over but then I kept running so I didn't know she was missing" Esmerelda went on, admitting to everything that had happened. Ethel and Sybil started to cry as Esmerelda spoke about being tortured, but Esmie started to cry more.

"She mirror called my sisters and then cursed then, I didn't know if they were injured or not because of it, that was why I was so distraught" Esmerelda told the people in the room, no-one had interrupted at that point, just listening to her story.

"But Esmie she didn't call us" Sybil said and Esmerelda looked at her confused, she didn't understand.

"Yes she did, you were both thrown backwards by a curse and then she ended the call" Esmerelda told them but Ethel shook her head.

"No-one called us, we would remember Esmie" Ethel replied and Esmerelda realised then that it must have being a trick, she had being putting up the illusion she had called them. Esmerelda realised then she should not have being so hazy with getting angry about it.

"She tricked me…." Esmerelda replied with a sigh, she had thought it was so real, but her father started talking sending her out of her thoughts.

"This brat beat up my daughter, what will you do about it?" Triton asked, wanting the girl punished for the way she had treated a Hallow, Miss Hardbroom was the one to reply.

"Right now Mr Hallow nothing, we can't find the girl, we can't punish someone who is not here" Miss Hardbroom went on, stating the obvious.

"Well you better find her soon because I want something done about this" Ursula replied, wanting action to be taken which surprised Esmerelda, she didn't think they would feel so strongly about it.

"Rest assured we will be punishing the girl severely" Miss Cackle told them, not wanting them to be panicking about what would be done, if anything.

"It better be, I will not allow this to make our family name any less worthy, the girl has to learn she cannot mess with Hallows, we have a reputation to uphold" Trition said, talking again and making Esmerelda sigh in frustration.

She should have known this was not about her at all, this was about embarrassing the family and making a laughing stock of them, it didn't matter about her, this was all about their reputation.

"That won't happen Mr Hallow, as soon as Lily is found, we will make sure she is severely punished" Miss Hardbroom said just as there was a knock on the door.

Miss Gullet walked in looking annoyed as she entered the room, there was someone behind her and she spoke before anyone could ask anything.

"We found the girl trying to escape through the woods, she didn't get very far though when we found her" Miss Gullet said as she pushed Lily to the front of her and the girl looked up at the teacher, anger clear on her face. Esmerelda grabbed hold of her sisters tighter, not trusting Lily.

"Thank you Miss Gullet" Ada said as the ginger haired woman left. Ada tuned her attention to Lily looking anything other than happy.

"We have being told everything, this behaviour is unacceptable" Ada said, looking at the girl with a look of pure anger.

"She pushed me!" Lily shouted as she rolled up her sleeve, showing a nasty bruise on her arm.

"I was defending myself, she tied me up and beat me, I had to do something!" Esmerelda retaliated, not wanting the girl to turn this on her.

"Esmerelda already admitted to pushing you, but clearly it is Esmerelda who has the worst of the injuries" HB replied, knowing Lily was the one who had come of lightly compared to Esmerelda.

"When you have a fight someone always gets the worst of it, not my fault she is weak and can't fight!" Lily replied, looking over at Esmerelda and smirking evilly.

"Them injuries were done by magic, the nurse looked her over and could see that, please do not lie to me Lily, we know what happened" Miss Cackle went on and Lily smiled and nodded.

"Alright fine, if you want the truth I did it, I beat her up, she deserved it though for beating me out of what was rightfully mine" Lily replied, glaring at the teachers as if she hated them for liking Esmerelda's potion better at Selection Day than hers.

"Esmerelda made the best potion, that isn't her fault" Ethel butt in, sticking up for her sister.

"No one asked you for your opinion you brat!" Lily shouted and Ethel looked away, falling quiet but Esmerelda started talking.

"Don't you talk to my sister like that!" she said standing up, prepared to beat Lily up, not caring if her parents and teachers were watching.

"Oh why not what will you do?" Lily asked but HB transferred between them before talking.

"Sit down Miss Hallow right now!" she said and Esmerelda took a seat, hugging her sisters again, she could sense her parents eyes on her but she didn't care in that moment.

"Thank you, now I don't know what you were thinking Lily but I will not have that behaviour that my school, please pack your things, you are expelled" Miss Cackle told her and Lily snorted, uncaring.

"Whatever it is crap here anyway, good riddance" Lily said spitting on the floor before leaving the room. She slammed the door for good measure.

"Thank you Miss Cackle" Esmerelda said but by the way her parents were looking at her she knew that her arguments today were not over and they would be having a go at her.

"You are lucky I am not punishing you for fighting back, but I think after circumstances that won't be fair, you may go, but try not to get into anything else like this" Miss Cackle told the girl who stood up, smiling slightly and leaving with her arms around her sisters.