AN: This one's just a short chapter that unlike the original, reveals the mysterious spell caster, next time will be her actual frog experiences.
Chapter 2
After making her lonely way back through the castle Mildred finally reached her only sanctuary, her room. She had gone straight there, pausing only to listen to Fenny and Gris chanting with Miss Bat; the eccentric witch's antics doing little to improve her terrible sadness. Slipping the cloak from her shoulders she hung it on the back of the door from a small metal hook.
"oh Tabby, you do make life hard for me," she told the cat lovingly, not wishing for even a moment that she had any other feline for a friend, just for this one to be more obedient.
The wind whistled through the open window as she perched, cross- legged on her icy iron bed, Tabby purring as she stroked his neck and ears.
She yawned widely, the pillow suddenly looking very attractive to the tired witch, then still clutching Tabby, she lay down on the lumpy mattress and let the sound of Blinky and Nod chattering lull her to sleep.
The bell rang for the end of the lesson and most of the class filed back into the draughty castle, far from pleased by the prospect of potions next, having hastily left their brooms in the broom shed.
Mildred however carried on with her slumber, blissfully and completely unaware of the chaotic world around her, a little smile twitching the corners of her mouth as she dreamt.
Quite unexpectedly her door opened, making its familiar complaining creak as it swung inwards, causing the ivy in the pane less window to rustle in the through draft.
A robed figure drew level with the sideboard and looked at the figure of Mildred as she slept peacefully. A few loose strands of ebony hair rose and fell rhythmically with her breathing, proving that not only had she been that way for some time, but that her hair was as untidy and rebellious as ever. No matter how hard she tried, it never remained in place as perfectly as Miss Hardbroom's did, regardless of cajoling and even daresay, magic.
Clutched between the index finger and thumb of the figure's left had was a few fairly fresh strands of pond weed that were slimy and cool to the touch. They lifted the plant from their side to their face and smiled, pleased with themselves for coming up with such a brilliant idea.
Drusilla hastily stuck her head through the door and whispered hurriedly, "hurry up Ethel, we'll be late for potions, and you know what HB's like," she implored Ethel with her voice to come quickly. Ethel didn't even bother to turn round,
"You go on ahead then Drusilla if you're that afraid of HB, I'll be there in a minute," she shooed Drusilla with a cold tone that could rival Miss Hardbroom's. Drusilla ignored the remark as she was often forced to do with her only friend, and hurried away down to the labs, leaving Ethel alone.
Turning back to Mildred she stuck her nose up in the air, despite the obvious lack of an audience, and spoke in a dry, frosty voice, "Looks like you're the one who's a weed Mildred Hubble, no one insults my family and gets away with it. I'll wipe that silly smile off your face, just you wait and see."
She placed the weeds on Mildred's pillow with a slight flourish, just as the girl murmured in her sleep. Ethel froze. When she was confident that Mildred was definitely still sleeping she began to chant, annunciating the words carefully and slowly so as not to make a mistake.
She kept her voice down so as not to wake her prey; it wouldn't do to have Mildred running to Miss Hardbroom now would it, 'not that' thought Ethel with relish, 'she would probably believe her anyway,' It was a well known fact after all that HB hardly ever believed Mildred.
Circling her hands over Mildred's sleeping form she finished the incantation with an overriding feeling of immense satisfaction.
Now Mildred was going to pay.
'