finally I finished the next chapter! thanks to those who reviewed, the encouragement really helped!
so, I think that there is less happening in this chapter... its not as suspenseful as the last...I think. You'll have to review and tell me *nudge nudge* :P
so anyway, I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 4
To Mildred's surprise, she woke up on time the next morning. The excitement of the previous night had sent her into a deep sleep the moment her head had hit the pillow. She woke refreshed, feeling for once that she had actually had enough sleep.
She dressed slowly, her mind on the events of last night, on her rescue, on Hope and on Miss Hardbroom's unexpected breakdown. She knew that she would never see the formidable form mistress the same way again. Her mind drifted to the scars on Hope's back. She'd dreamt about them. In her dream, the scars had been words, telling of a life full of pain and anguish and loneliness. The moment she had woken up, she had vowed out loud that she would be a good friend to Hope. Before today I never had any reason to laugh. She shuddered.
She had also promised herself that no matter how hard it seemed, she would make an extra effort to excel in her studies, especially potions, and that she would make as little trouble as possible. Miss Hardbroom had obviously had enough hardship in her life without Mildred making it any more difficult. She knew now why HB never wore anything but the black dresses that concealed her skin. She wondered whether the scars were just on the deputy's back, or whether the covered her arms as well. She remembered the time down at Rowenwebb's riverside retreat, how shocked they had been, how Enid had jokingly said, 'She's got legs!'
It was only when she was sitting on her bed, having just finished plaiting her hair, when she wondered about Hope. Was she meant to wake her? Or would Miss Hardbroom? If she did try to wake her, there was a good chance her friends would see her, and Hope wasn't meant to be at the school yet, much less actually know Mildred.
She chewed her plait thoughtfully for a moment, wondering what to do. Then she remembered what Hope had said about being psychic, how she could hear other people's thoughts, and how she could speak to them in their minds. So, logically, if Mildred projected her thoughts, then Hope should hear her. The only problem was that Mildred had no idea how to project her thoughts.
Perhaps if she imagined that she was somewhere else, if she pictured Hope in front of her, maybe then she could talk to her. Mildred closed her eyes, concentrated, and pictured herself on a barren wasteland. She imagined that Hope was standing on the other side, that a million miles separated them. In her imagination, she shouted Hope's name, and the wind carried her voice over the cracked ground and up into the sky. She opened her eyes and sat still, waiting to see if it had worked. Almost immediately, she heard Hope's voice. 'There really is no need to shout Mildred; I would have heard you perfectly well'. Hope sounded amused rather than irritated.
Mildred had to take a moment to gather her thoughts before she spoke again. It was an odd feeling, having someone else in your mind. When Hope spoke, it was as if a thought had just popped up in her mind, it just didn't sound like her voice. Not only that, but Mildred suddenly found that she could also feel some of Hope's emotions. She could feel that Hope was exhausted, and had the impression that she had actually been up for a while. 'You don't need to say anything, Mildred. Stop trying so hard. Relax. Think what you want to say'.
Mildred nodded, though she knew that Hope could not see her, and allowed herself to relax. Then she said, 'sorry. Did I wake you?' it was easier than she had imagined, as long as she didn't think about it. Thinking about the way it worked gave her a slight headache.
She heard Hope laugh. 'Mildred, I woke up hours ago. I'm used to waking far earlier than you. Hecketty…' there was a distinct pause. 'Never mind about Hecketty. What was it you wanted?'
That was the other strange thing about this way of communicating. Though Hope had not actually said what Hecketty had said or done, Mildred felt a flash of what she had intended to say. She had the impression of exhaustion, fear about sleeping in, and saw a brief flash of a dark room, just before dawn. Mildred shoved this to the back of her mind to think about later. 'I was just wondering whether you needed to be woken up or something'.
'Constance – Miss Hardbroom, said that she was going to come and fetch me when she was going to introduce me to the class. I don't know your friends, do you think they'll suspect something?'
'It depends really. They'll probably be a bit distracted; Miss Cackle is planning to tell everyone about Agatha and Hecketty at assembly this morning. Whether or not they join the dots…' Mildred was about to continue when there was a knock on her door. 'Millie! Are you up yet?' it was Maud. Mildred suddenly realised how hard this day was going to be, trying to hide what had happened the night before from her friends.
Before she could say anything, Hope spoke. 'You had better go. I'll see you in class. And remember, if you need to contact me, just talk. The yelling is not necessary'. The strange connection she had had with Hope abruptly severed, leaving Mildred feeling strangely empty.
She didn't have time to dwell on the strange feeling however, because the door abruptly burst open. Maud and Enid stood in the door way, smiling, and looking very sleepy. 'You're up early Millie!' said Maud, seeing with some surprise that Mildred was fully dressed. Even her hair was done.
Mildred stood, mentally preparing herself for the day, and smiled at her friends. 'I actually slept well'.
Enid gave Mildred an apprising look. It was true; Mildred actually looked like she had had a decent night's sleep, which was a little odd considering that gale that had kept the entire school up. Enid shrugged, putting the minor fact out of her mind. 'Come on, I'm starved!'
Though Constance hated to admit it, even to herself, she was very, very tired. After updating Amelia with the current situation, albeit leaving out a few details, she'd spent the remainder of the night erecting wards around the school. She had of course kept in mind that they were expecting this doctor around 12 o'clock, so she made sure the wards could be removed at any moment. The only people who could pass in and out of the wards were she and the other teachers. She had put a lot of effort into it, and had subsequently found her strength, both physical and magical, had depleted greatly. She hadn't slept either, fearing that the events of the night would trigger memories that she had no wish to revisit.
She stood straight and impassive as the girls sang the school song, her mind drifting and fuzzy. Today, Amelia was going to inform the school of the impending danger. Some of the students would probably appreciate the danger, if they remembered how close the school had come to falling under Agatha's control. Ironically, many of the students would probably believe that most of the danger came from Agatha. Very few had any idea what Hecketty was really like.
Her body moved robotically as the school song ended, taking her to the chair she usually sat in. Today was going to be one of those days. One of those days where she could barely keep her temper at the tiniest mistake made by one of her students. One of those days where her exhaustion turned her students against her.
Constance barely registered it when Amelia started to talk to the students. Miss Cackle stood at the front of the wooden platform, gazing down at her girls with a mixture of affection and seriousness. The girls, seeing the seriousness on their headmistresses face, immediately struggled to focus more intently on what she was saying. '…I am afraid that the school is once more the focus of plot engineered by my sister Agatha'.
A ripple of whispers ran through the student body. When they quietened down, Amelia continued. 'This time however, the school faces a double threat; Hecketty Broomhead, who some of you may remember, has teamed up with my sister to bring down the school'.
There was a much louder murmur this time. Those of the students who could remember Mistress Broomhead stared at Miss Cackle, fear clearly written on their faces. Constance observed Mildred doing her best to look shocked, though the fear on her face was probably completely honest. Miss Cackle continued once more. 'Miss Hardbroom has placed some very powerful wards around the school. However, security must be tightened around the school from now on, at least until the danger has passed. There will be no more herb picking, no more out of school trips and no more trips to Cosy's. What you must all understand is that this is a very real danger we are all in, therefore I will ask all of you to be extra careful and responsible. What we tell you to do must be done without any argument or hesitation…I do not wish to scare you, but your very lives may depend on you listening to what we say'.
At the conclusion of the assembly, Constance watched the girls leave the hall. Their emotions assaulted her senses; fear, unease, disbelief. Many clearly believed that the teachers were over reacting. She tightened the defences around her mind and the voices died down to a faint hum. She sighed heavily; it was as good as she could have expected. She would just have to keep an eye on them, and hope that they were smart enough to head Amelia's warning.
Maud couldn't help but stare at the girl standing at the front of the class. It had come as something of a surprise when they had entered the classroom to find Miss Hardbroom standing at the front of the room, accompanied by a girl none of them had ever seen before, and announced that the class would now be joined by a new member. When Enid had joined the class, the class had at least had some warning. To add to that, she had joined at the start of the term, not half way through it.
Despite her desire to not make the girl feel uncomfortable, it was nearly impossible not to stare. Looking at her, Maud was struck by two things simultaneously. The first was her size. She was very tall, though not gigantic. Then again, she was probably no taller than Mildred. The difference was the way they stood. While Mildred slouched over, unconsciously playing down her height, the girl stood completely straight, as if her spine had been replaced by an iron rod. Her height was also emphasised by how thin she was – she looked a little malnourished in Maud's opinion.
The second thing she noticed was that the girl was very beautiful, if a little too pale, as if she didn't get out much. She had high, prominent cheek bones, a slightly pointed nose, and a fine jaw line. Her bright blue eyes were further accented by long dark lashes. She had full red lips and a long, swan-like neck. Her dark brown hair was braided loosely, falling down to her ribs. She was the kind of person of whom it would be very easy to be jealous.
Enid, sitting next to Maud, observed all of this as well, though she was more interested in the girl's demeanour. She understood what it felt like to be a new girl, to have every eye in the class fixed on you. While Enid had stood with her head slightly bowed, gazing sullenly at the floor to express her distaste with being at a new school, the girl stood completely straight, her head held high and her eyes fixed on a point at the back of the class room. Her expression was blank, unreadable, and Enid was usually very good at reading people. The other thing that interested her was the girl's immaculate appearance. Though her uniform was obviously second hand, it was extremely neat, and her hair, though braided loosely so that it didn't pull on her scalp, had not a hair out of place. She couldn't help wondering how long the girl had spent on her appearance, or whether she had used some sort of spell.
'Class', Miss Hardbroom's stern voice drew the two friends back to the present, 'this is Hope. She will be joining you in your classes from now on, and I expect you to make her feel welcome'. Constance turned her gaze to Mildred, praying that the girl was a suitably good actress. 'Mildred, Miss Cackle has decided that you are to show Hope around the school. She expects you to take care of her'.
Mildred did her best to look surprised, though she had the feeling that she looked more nervous than anything. 'Ruby, if you wouldn't mind moving next to Jadu, Hope can sit next to Mildred'.
Ruby gathered her things and slid into place next to her friend, raising her eyebrows at her to express her surprise. This all seemed a little… sudden. And, though Mildred did look nervous, she had only seemed mildly surprised. There was something fishy going on.
For the first time during the proceedings, Hope's eyes moved from their place on the wall. Though Ruby herself didn't notice, Maud and Enid witnessed the girl's eyes move to land on Ruby. Her expression remained unreadable however, and a moment later the girl was looking at HB instead. Constance handed Hope a copy of the Witches Code and then nodded at the spare seat beside Mildred. Followed by every eye in the room, Hope crossed to her seat with an almost unnatural grace, sliding into the chair without meeting Mildred's eye.
Mildred had to admit that Hope was a very good actress. If she wasn't in a privileged position to know, she would never have suspected that Hope already knew her. 'Now class, the Witches Code…'
The class turned their attention back to Miss Hardbroom, preparing themselves for an extremely boring lesson. Once everyone was looking at Constance, Hope tilted her head slightly to the side. Mildred caught her eye. With a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, Hope dropped her eyelid in a casual wink. Mildred had to force herself not to smirk.
As the class made their way to the potions classroom, Mildred took the opportunity to introduce Hope to her two best friends. Maud and Enid had exited that class room first, and were waiting outside the door. In the short time they had before Mildred and Hope joined them, they had both agreed that they would not let jealousy stop them from being Mildred's friend. Enid was very aware that she had driven Mildred and Maud apart when she had first arrived, and had no wish to do it again. Maud was in agreement, as she still felt pretty bad about how she had shunned Millie.
So, with this in mind, they both made an effort to smile at the new girl as she followed Mildred out of the room. Mildred immediately led her over and quickly introduced them. 'Hope, this is Maud and Enid'.
Hope shook their extended hands, returning their smiles. Like Mildred had first been, the two friends were astonished at the transformation. Maud spoke first, trying to hide her surprise. 'What do you think of Cackle's so far?'
Hope looked around and shrugged slightly. 'It's definitely old. It's bigger than I'm used to as well'.
Enid raised her eyebrows. 'Bigger? Cackle's is a pretty small school'.
Hope's lips quirked slightly. 'Home schooled'. Understanding showed on their faces. The two friends had made up their minds to like the new girl as best they could, yet they were unsure what to think of her yet. There was something very familiar about her, about the way she held herself. There was another odd thing about her; while most people struggled to not show their emotions, Hope seemed to struggle to show them at all.
Hope's eyes followed her other class mates as they made their way down the corridor. 'What do we have next?'
Before anyone could answer, they were interrupted by someone they had hoped to avoid for a while. Ethel and Drusilla stood in front of them, arms folded, almost identical sneers of disdain on their faces. Drusilla also looked very smug. Mildred, thoroughly annoyed, was distracted when she felt Hope stiffen beside her. Glancing at her out of the corner of her eyes, she saw with some surprise that Hope was staring at Ethel with something like horror, as if she had just seen a ghost.
Ethel's attention was entirely fixed on Mildred however, so she didn't notice. 'You know, I'm surprised that Miss Cackle even thought about intrusting you with another new girl'. She looked at Enid disdainfully. 'I mean, look at how well the last one turned out'.
Enid snorted scornfully. 'And how many times did you rehearse that little speech Ethel?'
Ethel looked annoyed. She turned to Hope, her voice very patronising, 'let me give you a bit of advice, Hope. Mildred has a reputation as being the worst witch in the school, and her friends spend all of their spare time making trouble. If I was you, I wouldn't get too mixed up with them'.
Hope had by this time masked her strange reaction to first seeing Ethel. She was now looking at the other girl with an expression of intense dislike. 'I'll take my chances, thanks'. Hope fixed Ethel with an analysing look, making the other girl feel like she was looking straight into her very soul. 'Oh… you're a Hallow, aren't you?'
Ethel, though beginning to feel extremely uncomfortable under Hope's piercing gaze, managed to look very proud. 'That's right'.
Hope smiled thinly. 'Right. Well, let me just say that, first impressions aside, I'm sure that you're a nice person. However, I think that someone ought to tell you that just because you have a long line of powerful witches for your ancestors, that does not make you better than anyone else. Neither does it give you the right to walk around belittling other people. Not everything comes down to lineage'. Hope's blue eyes were as hard as ice. 'Think about that the next time you decide to call Mildred the worst witch in the school'.
There was a small, surprised silence. Mildred was trying to keep herself from grinning widely. Hope had just put Ethel in her place, and Mildred couldn't be more grateful. There was something nagging at her though. In that moment, standing tall and strong, glaring down at Ethel, Hope had looked strikingly similar to Miss Hardbroom, and it had nothing to do with her posture.
Ethel was, for once, completely lost for words. Unable to think of a suitable response, she turned and flounced away, her cheeks burning in shame. No one had ever talked to her like that, certainly not a friend of Mildred Hubble. She wasn't sure whether she felt more shocked or angry.
When she was gone, Enid turned to Hope and said in a very serious voice. 'You've probably just made yourself a very unpleasant enemy in this school'. Enid smiled mischievously. 'But I definitely like you'.
Maud giggled. 'Did you see her face?'
The trio, now a quartet, walked down the corridor towards the potions lab, each with a spring in their step. It was certainly a better start to the day than they had had in a while. And Mildred, knowing Maud and Enid, knew that Hope had just made two firm friends. It made her feel all warm inside.
Hope couldn't shake the nagging feeling that she had just gone too far. Though she hid it well, her temper had been dangerously thin all morning. Dreams, both of her past and her future, had kept her awake all night. She'd been extremely irritated when one or two of her new class mates had noticed that something odd was going on, probably more than necessary. When she had realised exactly what Ethel was saying, she hadn't been able to help herself. The fact that both Drusilla and Ethel had spent every day at Cackle's belittling and ridiculing Mildred grated on her nerves. It was too similar to Hecketty's actions for her liking. It was childish and, well mean, and it infuriated her. Both of them were already greatly liked by the teachers, both of them had good grades and had a relatively easy life. They have no idea how lucky they are, she thought bitterly. That was why it had struck such a nerve; because they already had things that some people would die for. They had freedom, and they chose to spend their days making life difficult for other people.
Once she calmed down a bit, she realised that perhaps she had been a little unfair. After all, they were still technically children and they'd known very little hardship in their lives, beyond a disaster at the school at least. Shock had contributed to her reaction possibly just as much as outrage. She had not been expecting to meet the girl with the haughty nose straight away. Perhaps what had surprised her most about the encounter was the lack of pure hatred in her eyes. While Ethel might say that she hated Mildred, Hope knew that it was a childish hate, a hate born of disagreements, resentment and school girl feuds. That meant that whatever had caused Ethel to look like she had in Hope's dream had not happened yet.
Hope pursed her lips as she hurried down the corridor. She was really going to have to be careful; otherwise her new friends were going to notice that she was definitely not as ignorant as a new girl should be, no matter how much Mildred tried to help. She remembered what Constance had said to her when she had come to fetch her that morning. You're going to have to be careful. Practising is one thing, but it's easier to slip up around so many people. Even if you do shield your mind, you do inevitably hear people's thoughts, you begin to understand their actions and the meaning behind their words. And because you're so immersed in all of that, you can let slip the smallest detail that could place you in a very difficult situation. Trust me, I should know. Hope couldn't help but wonder exactly how Constance had slipped up, and whether she still did.
Constance stood under the sheltered stone arch that lead to the castles ancient wooden gate. She leaned against the worn stone, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. She was grateful for the shelter, for it had not stopped raining since the night before, the night where all their lives had taken a dramatic turn. It was because of the rain that she allowed herself to drop her stern façade just for a moment, knowing that the rest of the school had decided to stay inside for lunch. She pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to elevate some of the pressure that was causing her head to pound. Her headache had doubled over the last hour, and no amount of minor spells or potions had made it any better. Her temper had worn dangerously thin as the minutes went by and her students, sensing that the terrifying potions mistress was not in the best of moods, had stayed surprisingly quiet.
Trying to ignore the throbbing in her temples, Constance closed her eyes and concentrated on the area around her, preparing to remove the wards around the school the moment the doctor neared them. The wards she had placed around the school served two purposes. They prevented any sort of psychic or magical attack and they also prevented anyone from physically entering the school without her notice. If someone did enter or leave the school without the wards being removed, they would be immediately hit with a powerful immobilising charm. Constance had not actually told Amelia, but removing and replacing the wards required a lot of strength. To add to that, if someone did cross the wards, the immobilising charm would come straight from her. That was why she had impressed the importance of not leaving the school grounds to each of her students. If enough students disobeyed orders, there was a good chance that the cost would render her too weak to do anything. It was a risk, but she could see no other way to protect the school.
At precisely 12 o'clock, Constance felt a presence pop into existence directly outside the gates. After briefly checking the person's identity, Constance gathered her magic and lowered the wards. A wave of dizziness washed over her. Leaning against the wall with one hand for support, Constance breathed deeply through her nose. Steading herself, Constance straightened and schooled her features into a blank mask once more. It would do no good for a complete stranger to see that she was feeling weak, especially a doctor. She could just imagine what would happen if he mentioned it to Amelia.
Constance opened the door, wincing as it grated on rusty hinges. The man standing on the other side of the gate started slightly; obviously surprised that she'd known he was there. She looked him up and down, automatically gauging as much from his appearance as she could about his character. He was very tall, tall enough that he would have been able to look down on her had he been standing close enough. He had a strong, open, intelligent face, bright sea-green eyes, and short light brown hair. There was a thin pale scar marring his right temple. He was wearing dark pants and a black, well-cut trench coat that hugged his lean frame. He was holding a large umbrella in one hand, and the felt collar of his coat was turned up to his ears. Her mask slipped. There was something…familiar about him. She had the strangest feeling that she had seen him before somewhere. It wasn't even really that; she knew for a fact that she hadn't met him before. It was one of the things, she couldn't really call it a benefit, about being psychic – you never forgot anything. She felt more as if she should know who he was. Suddenly becoming aware that her surprise was showing, she hastily schooled her features again. Keeping her voice carefully neutral, Constance inquired, 'Dr Jason Sage, I presume?'
Dr Jason smiled pleasantly. 'Hello'. He gave her a questioning look.
Constance blinked, trying to remember her manners. Her headache was really throwing her off balance. 'Constance Hardbroom, I'm the deputy headmistress'.
The doctor extended his hand. 'Pleased to meet you, Constance. Please call me Jason'.
Constance was too tired and too distracted to tell him not to call her by her first name. Instead she accepted his hand and shook it. As she did, a lance of white hot pain shot through her head. It was so intense that for a moment she worried that she hadn't been able to prevent it from showing on her face. Sparks danced in front of her eyes and she screamed mentally. The pain faded after a moment, leaving a dull ache in its place. Her vision cleared, revealing that the doctor was frowning at her. 'Are you alright?'
Wincing, she nodded slightly. 'I'm fine. Just a headache'. She kept her voice expressionless. What was wrong with her? She couldn't seem to keep anything from anyone anymore.
Jason had not released her hand. He was still frowning at her, but it was more perplexed than concerned. His bright eyes flicked over her face. Realising that he had been caught staring he said quickly, 'Sorry, its just…have we met before?'
She pulled her hand away and folded her arms protectively over her chest, wondering what the hell was wrong with her head. She hadn't had a headache this bad in years. 'I don't think so, no'. Constance abruptly changed the subject. 'I'll take you to Miss Cackle now'. She stepped aside to allow him in.
He stepped into the shadow of the arch, keeping his umbrella up. Wisely to, seeing as they still had to cross the court yard. They walked to the entrance of the castle in silence. Jason kept his head down, stepping over the puddles that had formed in the uneven paving stones. He held his umbrella out, letting the wide brim cover both of them. He had grown up among wizards, and had had very little contact with witches or female teachers, but he did remember that the older wizards had spent hours instructing them to be courteous to women. Though Constance had changed the subject rather abruptly, he saw no reason to be rude to her. Besides, old habits die hard.
Constance barely noticed. She had allowed the barriers around the school to fall back into place the moment she shut the gate. Now, she was concentrating on not showing the dramatic drop in her strength. And she was trying to ignore that strange feeling that she should know who this man was.
Enid burst into Mildred's room. 'You'll never guess what I just saw!'
Mildred, who had become somewhat used to surprises from the night before, barely jumped at the sudden sound. She did flinch, her hand tightening briefly in Tabby's fur. Maud, peering out of Mildred's window, jumped a foot into the air, her hand flying to her heart. 'Gosh Enid! You nearly gave me a heart attack!'
Hope was sitting at the head of Mildred's bed, stockinged feet crossed under her. She was gazing down at an old leather bound book in her lap, and she barely seemed to notice Enid's entry.
Enid grinned apologetically at Maud and shut the door behind her. 'Sorry! But really, you'll never guess!'
Mildred smiled at her excited friend. 'Well, are you going to tell us or not?'
Enid sat down on the bed, squeezing in between Mildred and Hope, who still hadn't looked up from the book in her lap. Maud sat down on a chair close to Mildred's wardrobe. Enid paused to add suspense. Mildred and Maud leaned forward, humouring her. 'There's a man in the school! A man!'
Maud raised her eyebrows. 'They let one in? For all they talk about it, you'd think that they didn't know they existed!'
Enid laughed. 'And that's not the best of it. I saw him walking to Miss Cackle's office. And guess who was showing him the way?' Enid flourished her hands dramatically. 'HB!'
Maud slapped her hands over her mouth, an expression of mock shock on her face. 'No! What is this world coming to?!'
Mildred squirmed uncomfortably. After last night, she couldn't really join her friends making fun of the strict form mistress. She settled with saying, 'seriously though? I mean, what is a man doing in this school?'
Enid shrugged, sensing that Mildred was a little uncomfortable. Their friend had never really made a habit of joining in when her friends decided to tease the teachers. 'Yeah, I definitely didn't imagine it. I don't think he was a father though, I haven't seen him around and he doesn't even faintly resemble anyone here'.
'What did he look like?' Hope had finally looked up from her book, her face displaying a look of intense interest.
Slightly startled by Hope's penetrating gaze, Enid paused. Then she said slowly, 'umm…. He was tall, taller than HB, which is saying something, and he was very good looking'. She narrowed her eyes, trying to remember exactly what the man had looked like. 'He had green eyes and…oh, he had a scar on his temple'.
The buzz of conversation blurred into a distant hum as Hope zoned out of the present, leaving her just aware enough that she would know if someone asked her a question. Her eyes travelled back down to the notebook in her lap. The image she had drawn, the one she had seen the night before, matched the description that Enid had just given her. She gnawed on her lip thoughtfully. Where does he come in? Who is he? What connection does he have to all of this? His presence here is more than just a coincidence, what I saw proved that. Why is he here? The many possible scenarios swirled around in her head. She had learned long ago that there was no such thing as coincidence. Everything thing happened for a reason, at least in her opinion. She'd spent her entire life under Hecketty's thumb, and yet the moment she found a way to escape, she learned of a plot to kill the only other woman who had ever escaped Hecketty's grasp. That was not coincidence.
Her dream had revealed very little about him, other that he was a doctor. So she just had to pray that he was not involved with Hecketty.
Amelia had spent the morning sorting through a number of papers on her desk. After a spells class with the third years, she had sat back to wait for the doctor. She'd spent a while mulling his visit over in her mind, wondering what on earth he wanted. What 'urgent and delicate matter' concerned a student of hers? Whatever it was, it did not sound like good news. She would have gone to fetch him herself, but Constance had explained that she needed to remove the wards around the school first.
She looked up as the door opened. Constance entered first, followed by a tall, handsome man probably somewhere in his mid-thirties. She looked him up and down. He didn't look like much of a doctor, but he looked nice enough. Then again, her experience of doctors was usually of older men in white coats, and they had always seemed to have a stethoscope around their neck.
Amelia stood and extended her hand as the doctor reached the desk. 'Dr Jason Sage? I'm Amelia Cackle, headmistress of Cackle's academy'.
The doctor took her hand and gave her a charming smile. He saw an older woman, with a knowing expression and bright kind eyes. 'Pleased to meet you, Miss Cackle. Please call me Jason'.
Constance, now standing behind the desk to Amelia's left, raised her eyebrows slightly at the insistence in his tone. It had been the same when he had requested the same from her. Perhaps he was one of those people that disliked their last name.
Amelia smiled and indicated the chair in front of the desk. 'Very well, Jason, now what was it you wanted to talk to us about?'
Jason shifted in the stiff backed wooden chair, suddenly feeling like he was a student again. He had gone to a school for wizards obviously, but the chair in front of the headmaster's desk had been very similar to this one. He hesitated, unsure where to begin. It was not the easiest story he had ever told, not be a long shot. 'I don't really know where to begin…it's a complicated situation'.
Amelia folded her hands in her lap and smiled; the uncomfortable I-don't-want-to-be-here expression on Jason's face reminded her of her students. It was amazing what the effect of sitting in front of the headmistress's desk could do to her students. 'Perhaps you should start at the beginning?'
Jason hesitated. 'Well that's just it; I don't really know how this began'. He took a deep breath. 'I'll start with what I know. I work in a hospital for witches and wizards, though we take care of mortals from time to time'.
Amelia nodded her approval. She'd heard terrible stories of critically ill witches and wizards being turned away from ordinary hospitals, and vice versa.
The doctor continued, his gaze unfocused. 'I usually travel a great deal, visiting smaller towns, remote places, that sort of thing. Until about four years ago. I moved back to the hospital and took care of some of the more permanently ill patients. There was one patient, a wizard, who was in a coma. He'd been found up in the Scottish Highlands, unconscious and badly injured. He was taken to the hospital, treated, and placed in a privet ward. The coma was magically induced, and none of the doctors, even the most skilled ones, could find a way to wake him up. He was there for about fourteen years'.
'Was?' Constance interjected. As of yet, she couldn't see how this coma patient had anything to do with them, but she was willing to be patient, no matter how hard her headache was making that.
Jason rubbed a hand over his face tiredly. 'He died. About three days ago. That's why I'm here. After he died, we ran his magical signature through an identification machine, just to check if anything had come up. This had been done when he first arrived, but we'd been unsuccessful in finding a match'.
'And you found one?' asked Amelia.
'In a way. We still don't know who he was, but his magical signature identified with that of a young girl who had visited the hospital about five years previously. What you have to understand about magical signatures is that everyone has their own unique identity, but there will be similarities between theirs and someone they're related to, for instance. This man was the girl's father'. He paused. 'Do you see what I mean about this being a delicate matter? This man was never identified, no one ever came looking for him and there were no missing persons reports filed. And yet, he had a daughter'.
'Yes, I see what you mean…presumably either the child's mother thought he was dead or…' Miss Cackle trailed off, not really wanting to voice the alternatives. Either the mother could also have been dead, or she might not have cared whether he was. There were other alternatives as well, but they were hardly pleasant.
Jason nodded. 'The girl would be about fifteen now. We err…tracked her down so to speak, to this school'.
Constance closed her eyes. So that was why he was here. She'd guessed that about half-way through his story, but it didn't make it any more pleasant. One of her students had lost their father, a father they had never even known. How would they react to that news? As far as she knew, none of the students had fathers who had gone missing or died suspiciously. One or two had divorced or single parents, but nothing matching this description. She opened her eyes and met the doctor's gaze. He looked nervous and worried, and, to her slight surprise, a little guilty. 'Do you know who the girl is?'
The doctor nodded. 'Her name is Mildred'.
so, what do you think? Do you like Jason so far? What do you think of the little confrontation between Ethel and Hope? And what did you think of what happened at the end of this chapter?
please tell me all your thoughts! Please review!
