Luna Nova Auditorium

Oh, how she wished she could cast a spell on herself to become 17 years old again...

Doctor Bernadette Cavendish found herself envying all the students of Luna Nova for their youth and energy. She missed the old days of being a student of Luna Nova and having that same energy herself.

But alas, she is now in her 50s and is also the head of the World Health Organization as well as the House of Cavendish, one of the most powerful aristocratic family in wizarding Britain. She has to have all the responsibilities that entails, especially regarding her twin sister, Daryl's, irresponsible way of life.

If it wasn't for Bernadette's hard works, Daryl alone could've driven the House of Cavendish into financial ruin.

Speaking of Daryl, Bernadette spotted her sister at a distance, seemingly looking proud as she held a conversation with Senator Paul Hanbridge.

Bernadette still has trouble believing that Paul Hanbridge, the dorky Tom Holland lookalike she met during the 10th Luna Nova-Appleton Friendship Ball (not that Tom Holland existed in the 1960s) would eventually become a no-nonsense government official of the UK.

Then again, practically everyone from her student days, herself included, have grown up to become entirely different people. Back then, she was the irresponsible problem student and Daryl the queen bee. Now she is the most well-respected witch in the UK if not the whole world, while Daryl has become a spendthrift who wastes her money irresponsibly.

Bernadette now wondered what kind of people the current generation of Luna Nova and Appleton students will grow up to become in the future...

Speaking of the current generation, Bernadette is suddenly reminded of her daughter, Diana. She wanted to know how Diana was doing in Luna Nova, and how she was handling her respiratory illness.

The doctor has no trouble finding Diana from among the crowd, no thanks to the distinctive green striped platinum blonde hair that all women of the House of Cavendish has.

And so, Bernadette walked across the auditorium in order to come face-to-face with her daughter.

"It is so great to see you again, Diana..."

For Bernadette, looking at Diana's face is like looking into a mirror, as her daughter looked exactly like herself when she was this age.

Diana, however, doesn't seem too thrilled to see her mother, as she quickly turned and walked the opposite direction.

"Not a single word for your dear mother?" Bernadette, using her natural Scottish accent, asked in a teasing manner as she followed Diana.

Diana kept walking and walking, away from her mother until she arrived at the table with the chocolate fountain.

"At least say something to me, Diana." Bernadette said as she caught up with her daughter.

"Why. Are. You. Here?" Diana, with the posh English accent that she forced upon herself, asked, sounding as if she was gritting her teeth.

"Why would I not be here?" Bernadette responded like a doting mother would. "I once studied in this academy too, so it is only reasonable that I attend as an alumni." She said. "Also, I wanted to see how you are doing."

Diana made no response, as she remained facing away from her mother.

"I can't help but notice, Diana, that your waist looked so unnaturally thin I honestly found it creepy." Bernadette then pointed out to Diana. "Tell me, my dear daughter... why would you wear a corset, knowing that it could make your breathing difficulties worse?"

That seems to have hit a sensitive spot in Diana, as she then placed her left hand on her chest and hitched a breath. Her mother was right. She really is wearing a corset under her dress right now, and it is also laced tightly enough to make breathing a bit more difficult for her, despite the respiratory illness that she is already suffering from.

"This is none of your business." Diana responded rudely.

"Of course it is my business, Cabbage. I am your mum, after all." Bernadette kindly pointed out.

Diana didn't respond immediately. Instead, anger seems to be building up in the ace student.

"Has he ever been your business?" Diana told her mother through repressed anger.

Bernadette let out a silent but obviously shocked gasp at that statement. "Oh, I'm so sorry about him, Cabbage..." She quickly recovered and responded apologetically.

"Don't you dare call me that." Diana, looking even angrier than before, said.

"I didn't mean for it to happen that way..." Bernadette said sadly. "But, please at least face me when I apologize to you, Cabbage..."

Diana could not repress her anger any further. With a rage-fueled screaming, she turned in an instant with a hand swung toward her mother...

...

The entire auditorium went silent in an instant at the sight and sound of Diana Cavendish screaming and then backhanding her own mother, Doctor Bernadette Cavendish, across the cheek.

Mary-Ann Lait stopped in the middle of taking notes about the Banquet for her next Nightfall book as she turned toward the commotion with the Cavendishes.

Nelson and her fellow American graduates ceased their bragging about their respective greatest achievements in the US Military to glance at the WHO director and her daughter.

Frank and his Appleton classmates stopped their hitting on Luna Nova girls (with one of the boys in the midst of getting rejected by Chloe) to see what the scream was about.

Even Sucy, who was in the midst of pouring a bottle of laxatives into a punch bowl (in spite of Lotte trying to stop her), is so surprised at such an uncharacteristic behavior from Diana that she got distracted and ended up pouring the laxatives onto the tablecloth instead.

Akko, who was just munching on her umeboshi, looked on toward Diana with surprise that the ace student would backhand her own mother with so much rage. If Akko were to guess, she'd say that Diana is radiating much more rage right now than when the Shiny Rod rejected her.

Meanwhile, Bernadette, placing a hand on the cheek that started to redden from Diana's backhanding, stared at her daughter with shock and utter disbelief on her face.

"Why, Cabbage...?" The WHO director asked her daughter with shock.

"YOU DON'T AND CANNOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL ME THAT!" Diana, slipping back into her native Scottish accent, screamed back at her mother with tear-stricken rage. "ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU WERE NEVER WITH FATHER WHEN HE NEEDED YOU!"

"Diana..." Bernadette reeled back in the face of her daughter's rage.

"YOU DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE DECENCY TO BE BY HIS SIDE AT HIS FINAL MOMENTS!" Diana continued screaming at her mother. "AND YET YOU HAVE THE DECENCY TO SHOW UP RIGHT NOW?! YEARS AFTER HE DIED?!"

Bernadette reeled back even further, saying nothing and with a very horrified expression on her face.

Having just finished screaming at her mother, Diana took her inhaler out to take a puff from it in order to stabilize her breathing, then put it away once her breathing has stabilized (where she will be putting it, given that her dress has no pockets, is a mystery).

"Don't ever think about talking to me, ever again... Bernadette" Diana, once again putting up the posh English accent that she usually uses, then told her mother angrily, before turning around and storming off.

Everyone else in the auditorium, including the professors of both Luna Nova and Appleton as well as Senator Hanbridge and even former Defense Minister Blackwell, stared speechlessly at Doctor Bernadette Cavendish as she stood there by herself, mouth hanging open in shock at what her own daughter just said to her.

"I warned you that this will happen, Detta..." Daryl slowly approached her twin sister and informed her. "That Diana is never going to forgive you for Arthur's death."

"I just... I just..."

...

The Red Coven (and Mary-Ann Lait) watched as Diana stormed out of the auditorium after angrily yelling at her mother.

"Wow." Sucy uttered as she corked the bottle of laxative that was wasted getting poured onto the tablecloth. "I knew Little Miss Perfect Cabbage has mommy issues, but it was so much worse than I thought..."

"I don't even know if I should use this moment as inspiration for my next book..." Mary-Ann Lait said.

"Maybe you shouldn't..." Lotte told the author. "Edgar's daddy issues from Issue #66 of the Nightfall graphic novels is already bad enough..."

Mary-Ann nodded in response to the Finn.

Akko, as her limited intellect would suggest, is confused by the moment between Diana and her mother. "Diana... hates her mother?"

Bernadette being revealed to be still alive in this story is one thing. But the reveal that Diana in this story hates her mother is another thing altogether. All those scenes of Diana reacting negatively to the mentions of the WHO director-general in the previous chapter turned out to be foreshadowing her extreme mommy issues...

Diana wearing a corset that she laces very tightly is a headcanon of mine, which came about when I noticed how unusually thin she looked in the anime. I have even written a short story about it months ago. That short story is called Of Corset It Makes Sense (only available on AO3 though), and you can check it out if you want. Don't worry, Diana isn't sexualized in any way.

On another note, 2021 is about to come to an end, and even more shit has happened in it than in 2020, especially with the continued worsening of COVID-19. The fact that Omicron turned up during the Christmas season isn't making things any easier for humanity at all. Stay safe, everyone, and have a happy holiday (if it's possible at all)!

"Just remember: a believing heart is your magic..."

Afterword ends here.