Chapter 3 – Ethel Is Scared

"Do we bring her in and talk to her or give her some time?" Miss Cackle asked Miss Hardbroom. They were both in Miss Cackle's very cosy two storey office.

"Give her a little more time would be my recommendation, the girl is still slightly traumatised from what she did last year".

"So, what do we call her Ethel or She who shall not be named?" Miss Cackled asked whilst giggling, though she knew it was a serious thing for Ethel. The only thing that made it funny was the way Ethel had said it.

"Ethel" Miss Hardbroom stated for she did not find it the least bit funny. She was concerned about Ethels mental state. "I will keep an eye on her though I am sure most of the staff will, I don't think she's a threat anymore, I just want to make sure she is ok".

Miss Hardbroom was teaching, first, third and then sixth years before she ended up with fifth year. She watched how Ethel let the others pick their cauldron's first before watching Ethel walk towards the Cauldron at the back of the classroom almost hidden in the shadows. Strange Ethel normally goes on the front row in the middle on the left.

Ethel was rather happy that the remaining cauldron was the one in the shadows as she didn't want to be seen as much. Up here in the corner I'm not centre of attention, maybe they will all forget I'm here.

Mildred had also seen her without making it obvious unlike Miss Hardbroom who literally watched the girl walk up to her cauldron with puzzled expression upon her face.

The class had gone rather smoothly until everyone was nearly finished with their potions before a loud bang occurred. The whole class looked around. Miss Hardbroom was shocked she was so used to only Mildred's blowing up or going wrong, sometimes it was the other students. However, it was never Ethels, she was shocked, but with a student like Ethel so close to tears, she only felt sympathy not frustration.

"I'm so sorry, it was an accident" Ethel said whilst so close to tears and her head hung low. She waited for a reprimanding which never came. She ran out of Potions, too embarrassed to stay in class, "I'll apologise to Miss Hardbroom later".

The class was in shock.

"At least it wasn't me this time, I almost thought it was mine for a second then" Mildred stated from the other side of the room, she saw the other students look at her "Miss Hardbroom, mine is finished do you want me to go find her and see if she's ok, it's never fun when your cauldron blows up?"

"No, I'll see her later. There is no need for anyone to tell her".

Ethel had ended up in her room, she had thrown herself on her bed face down and bawled her eyes out for a good twenty minutes, she felt humiliated. The cauldron had blown up due to her not paying attention to what she was doing, she hadn't meant for it to happen, it was just one of those things. This must be how Mildred had felt when I was causing her potions to explode or rise over her cauldron to spill everywhere. This is embarrassing. I deserve this, Khama.

Her thoughts ran wild for a long time, before her maglet made a noise, she got up and approached it.

Miss Cackle

Come to my office please, Ethel.

There was nothing else written on it no inclination what she wanted to talk to her about. Ethel felt sick to the stomach. "It must be because I ran out of potions earlier" she muttered to herself. She didn't go to the headmistress's office, she got to her bedroom door and before she could open it, she fell to her knees.

Twenty minutes had gone past, and she was still on the floor too upset to move, she couldn't stop herself from crying.

"Ethel Hallow"

Miss Hardbroom appeared just as Ethel had stopped crying as she didn't want to see her teacher see her cry, she had managed just in time to whisper a spell to remove the redness from her eyes.

"You are supposed to be in Miss Cackle's office" Miss Hardbroom stated with impatience. Which nearly set Ethel of, though she managed to stop a new wave of tears from starting.

Ethel got into bed fully dressed in her uniform and turned away from Miss Hardbroom "I'm not feeling well, I am sorry I ran out of your class earlier, I take it I have a detention?" Ethel's voice was almost a whisper.

"Do you need to talk Ethel?" Miss Hardbroom's voice was one of concern.

"No, I just have a headache and I'm really tired" Ethel answered.

"OK, well myself and the other teachers are here if you need to talk, Ethel" Miss Hardbroom stated whilst not buying into Ethels reasoning. She transferred herself back to Miss Cackle's office.

Ethel was scared of the other students, and she didn't believe that any teacher would listen to her. She was the Ethel Hallow, who had almost caused Miss Cackles death, sent all the staff and students apart from Mildred, Maud, herself, Miss Hardbroom and Agatha who was Miss Cackle's evil twin sister to vanishment. Luckily the others made it out of vanishment just in time but as the clock had struck twelve the only person left in vanishment was Julie Hubble, Mildred's Mother. Only as the clock struck midnight had the headmistress managed to get her out of vanishment. Once midnight on the last day of term strikes everything in vanishment is recycled, Julie got a lucky escape and Agatha had been caught and wouldn't go back into a portrait so sent herself to vanishment whilst it was still recycling. Ethel alone had blindly followed Agatha's plan, she alone made that decision.

"They won't understand, to them I'm a monster, I'm evil. I'll stay here where I am alone" Ethel whispered to herself. They can't get to me if they can't get through my door "wood of the tree, thick and strong, make this door lock till sunrise" the door had locked, she had broken a school rule, but Ethel didn't care she was scared and didn't know what to do. At least she didn't get a detention.

Some time had passed and there was a knock on the door.

"Ethel, can we talk?" Mildred asked, she was concerned about Ethel.

"I'm not feeling well" Ethel had responded just loud enough for Mildred to hear.

"I get it, I really do, I do know bottling it up won't help. It's teatime and the food definitely won't cheer you up, but you can sit with me if you like?" Mildred said with patience.

"Thank you for the offer but I just need to be alone" was all Ethel could respond with, she really wanted to join the trio, but she knew she wouldn't be welcomed by Maud and Enid. I just want to go home.

Mildred left her alone and made a mental note to try again tomorrow. Ethel broke down again she didn't think she deserved Mildred's kindness.