Hello all! I've had a very hectic week but managed to wake up early this morning and so felt like writing! Anyway, this is another dark little chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you to all the amazing people that reviewed the last chapter, it's great to know I've still got some support for this story despite its long hiatus. I will get this written, I promise :)

Lots of love.

Chapter 6

"Sit," Heckitty's sharp voice commanded as Mildred felt herself pulled into another memory. After the initial dizziness had left her, she found that she was in a large, oak-panelled office with a large desk and a majestic, leather chair at one end. There were three people in the room - Constance, Mistress Broomhead and a balding middle-aged man in a suit that Mildred didn't recognise. The teenaged Miss Hardbroom was standing by the door, she had obviously been summoned to the room and her darting eyes looked extremely worried. She graciously took the hard wooden seat that Mistress Broomhead had been gesturing at.

The balding man cleared his throat nervously, "Ahem, you are Constance Anne Hardbroom?" He asked the girl.

"Yes, yes, she is," Heckitty cut in impatiently, she had taken her seat in the leather chair.

"I'm Mr Hastings, your family's solicitor .I'm afraid Constance, that I have some rather bad news for you. I am sorry to tell you.." the man began, wiping the sweat from his large forehead.

"Your father is dead!" Mistress Broomhead explained sharply, without even a hint of remorse. Mildred saw Constance's face turn from shock to despair as she processed her headmistress's words. The pain seemed to affect the girl physically as she hunched over on her seat as if she had been stabbed in the heart. Mildred own heart ached for her form-mistress as she saw the tears collect in her dark eyes.

"Dddead?" She whispered.

"I'm so sorry Constance," Mr Hastings murmured.

"How?" Constance croaked, tears now streaming down her neck.

"It was a heart attack," Mr Hastings explained. "There was nothing anyone could do, I know this is no conciliation for your loss, but he didn't suffer."

"Wwhattss gggoing t-to hhappen to m-me?" Constance chocked out.

Mildred waited with baited breath, hoping that there was some lovely relative desperate to take her in. She saw the sinister look appear on Mistress Broomhead's face and her heart sank.

"The Witch's Guild has decided that you are to finish your education here, under the direct care of Mistress Broomhead, until you reach the age of eighteen. Your headmistress has kindly assured us that you will be looked after, and we are satisfied that this is the best course of action under the circumstances," Mr Hastings announced.

Heckitty put her claw-like hands on Constance's young shoulders, in some faux show of affection, "Oh it is, Mr Hastings, Constance will be just fine here. Won't you my dear?" She simpered, nails digging deeper into the girl's skin.

"Y-y-yes," Constance whispered her agreement to the life sentence.

Mildred blinked back the tears which threatened to leave her eye as she felt the void take her again.

Xxx

She arrived in a small, spartan bedroom with an iron bedframe, a bookshelf full of academic-looking books and a small, plain chest of drawers. The only hint that this room belonged to a sixteen- year old girl was the girl herself, sitting on the edge of her bed, nose in an aging textbook.

A familiar sound made Mildred's teeth set on edge, the sound of heeled footsteps and jangling keys. Whereas this sound often made Mildred apprehensive, for it announced to her her form-mistress's arrival, this time Mildred felt downright afraid.

Constance sprang to her feet and checked her already immaculate appearance in the square mirror next to the wardrobe. She let out a long, deep breath just as her door opened.

"Your essay," Heckitty demanded, hand outstretched. Constance hurried to her desk and passed her elder the pages of elegantly written script lying there. "This had better be an improvement on the last load of codswallop you handed in, or there will be severe consequences my girl!" Heckitty threatened.

"Yes Mistress Broomhead," Constance replied.

"Have you been revising?" Heckitty questioned dangerously.

"Yes Ma'am," the young girl answered solemnly.

"What are the five potions a rat's spleen is used in?" Heckitty fired the question at her charge.

Constance answered unblinkingly. "An invisibility potion, An aging potion, A babbling beverage, A calming draught and a dreamless sleep potion, Ma'am."

Mildred saw that Heckitty was impressed, but this expression was gone within a microsecond. She asked more questions, to which Constance answered perfectly. Instead of being happy about this, Heckitty was starting to look more and more annoyed. She waved her hand and magically summoned a vial of some colourless liquid, to which she handed to the girl.

"Identify it," she commanded.

Constance stared at the liquid before her, bringing it to her nose. Mildred could tell from the confusion in her eyes that she did not recognise it. Heckitty smirked, "Well?" she asked impatiently.

"B-but Ma'am, I don't think we've covered this potion before," Constance stuttered.

"T-t-that's because we h-h-haven't," Heckitty mocked, "A scholarship girl must be ahead of the game Miss Hardbroom. Do you give up?" her eyes glinted maliciously.

Constance nodded apprehensively, knowing there would be consequences for her lack of knowledge.

"Drink it," Heckitty directed.

"B-b-but," Constance began to protest.

"DRINK IT," Heckitty ignored the girl's objections.

Mildred watched as Constance took the vial to her lips and emptied it. As soon as she was done she let out a whimpered of pain and doubled over, grabbing her iron bed-frame for support. She looked at Heckitty, her eyes forming the unsaid plea to stop the pain which seemed to be eating her up.

"It was a Drink of Despair potion, which as you are now aware, gives the drinker an uncomfortable burning sensation," Heckitty raised her eyebrow, she turned to leave. "Don't worry Constance, my dear, the effects only last an hour or so." She smiled evilly as her banged the girl's door shut.

xx

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