Chapter 6 – Time To Fly

The month flew by, and the staff would be choosing the students to represent the school in the upcoming trial in the next couple of weeks.

Pippa was in her office. She was sat at her desk in her favourite knee length magenta pink dress with its matching short witch's hat. Aiden was sat at his desk with a three-piece black suit on, his hair had fallen over his face slightly. He was leaning over his student's homework of which he was marking and he was making a few slight irritated noises. It was only when he growled that Pippa got curious.

"May I ask what the growling is for?"

"I am just getting more frustrated every time I mark the first-year homework" he replied with a huff.

"Care to explain?"

"Well, remember when Hecate said Mildred was a disaster and would likely never make a fully fledged witch?" He asked as he looked at Pippa.

"I do?"

Aiden passed her Mildred's homework and she saw Mildred's rather neat handwriting. As she was reading through the homework. There was a knock at the door. Aiden opened it with a flick of his wrist. Stephanie Quickstep had walked in.

"I am just as confused as you, do you reckon someone had been blowing her potions up then in class?" Pippa asked Aiden.

"I believe so, I doubt it would be Hecate as she seemed very frustrated with her. I reckon it might have been another student in her class, likely to be one that she doesn't get along with". He stated through gritted teeth.

"Seriously? Who are you two talking about?" Stephanie asked.

Pippa had been so focused on Mildred's homework that she hadn't acknowledged the room. "I didn't realise you were here" she stated with a sorry tone to her voice. She looked at Stephanie who was in a cobalt blue Jogging set with a pale blue t-shirt on underneath. Her long black hair was in a tight plait down her back.

"It's fine" Stephanie replied.

"We were discussing Mildred" Aiden answered Stephanies question.

"You think someone sabotaged her at Cackle's?" Stephanie asked.

"We do" Pippa answered. "Was there something you wanted one of us for?"

"I actually wanted to speak to both of you, do you know when Mildred will start flying?" Stephanie asked with enthusiasm.

"Good question" Aiden stated as he turned to look at Pippa.

"Soon" Pippa replied.

"How long are you going to hold it off and why?" Aiden asked Pippa.

"Come on, she is beyond behind now, it's not fair to let her get behind too much" Stephanie pressed.

"She doesn't like it" Pippa simply responded.

"Since when, did you ever take that as an excuse?" Stephanie was getting impatient.

"The time just isn't right" Pippa sighed.

"I would like a legit excuse that doesn't include she doesn't like it and the time isn't right, or I am having her for one to one this evening". Stephanie stated with a warning tone. Pippa looked at her and went to argue but Stephanie carried on speaking. "She will not pass first year if her flying isn't to standard, we all know this, or is that your plan which isn't like you?"

Pippa thought about what her staff had said and replied as best she could. "You are right, she does need to be flying, I wanted her confidence up first within all her subjects, so it wasn't too much to ask at once of her. Though judging by her homework, she has improved drastically. I was going to teach her myself as to put Cackle's to shame. Though now thinking about it, that's your jurisdiction".

"I assume you was going to try and wipe the smile off of Hardbroom's face yourself?" Stephanie chuckled.

"First off, that is very bold of you to assume she smiles, as that woman doesn't smile" Aiden stated with a serious tone before smiling.

"If it's fine with you, I would like to teach her myself. It is to get back at Hecate to a degree but also because she's not had a great start with it".

"I want her in class at least once a week" Stephanie stated.

"Done, though she will need to start at the very, very beginning". Pippa replied.

Although Pippa was the headmistress, she took her staffs opinions and feelings into consideration when making decisions, this meant she allowed her staff to let her know when they weren't happy with some decisions, there was a line though of which all the staff were aware of. She had always valued her staff as she had a very good team that she could rely on. The staff very rarely got on the wrong side of Pippa, and they respected her for they felt valued and respected. They knew that any issues they had with anything they could go to her with.

Stephanie cast a locating charm and left to find Mildred, who was in her room hunched over her desk colouring in her drawing of Tabby who was asleep on her bed. Tabby hadn't left her side since they were reunited. There was a knock at the door. It still amazed Mildred to this day that the staff never barged in or transferred in unannounced. She opened the door to a member of staff she hadn't spoken to yet and let her in her room and closed the door after her.

"We haven't officially met, I am Miss Quickstep, the flying teacher".

"Sapphire did mention you at one point I think?" Mildred was dreading what she was about to say.

"I would like to see you in class this evening, come in your gym wear. I will sort you a broom out".

Mildred's face was the look of dread, and she went a touch paler.

"You don't look too happy about it" Miss Quickstep stated with a soothing tone to her voice.

"I don't feel well enough to fly today".

"You look fine to me other than scared" Miss Quickstep sat on Mildred's chair and signalled for Mildred to sit on her bed of which Mildred did.

"I will not have you go any higher than a metre off the ground until I believe you to be safe enough to go higher. We have had many students over the years that were scared of heights, some have fallen off before and were too scared to get back on, some just don't like it. It's OK to be scared, It is nothing to be ashamed of, though that fear will never leave until you face it, and no-one is ever truly ready to face their fears".

Mildred had looked her teacher in the eye as she spoke, and she knew by her relaxed facial expression and kind eyes that her teacher wouldn't push her too far.

"I can't, I'm not scared of heights. I just don't like it. I'm useless and not good enough. Everyone will just laugh at me". Mildred said in a quiet voice.

"You more than likely weren't started off with the basics, I would like to see you in class this afternoon with the others, no-one is allowed to laugh at anyone in my class" Quickstep said to her.

Mildred nodded and Quickstep left her room.

Mildred was due in Herbology in ten minutes, and she made her way to class, the thought of flying made her feel physically sick, she hadn't wanted to admit it, but she was terrified at the thought of getting on a broom again. She took her seat in class and the entire lesson she had sat in silence. Her friends had tried to speak with her however they couldn't get a response from her. They had exchanged looks and aloud her to sit in silence.

After class she headed to her room to get changed into her gym wear. She was shaking as she entered her room and struggled to get changed as she was violently shaking. Miss Pentangle had been right, it wasn't the time, she had read Mildred well.

Mildred walked onto the field where the class was about to take place and she was still shaking, Miss Quickstep wasn't alone she was stood next to Miss Pentangle. The entire class was shocked to see her. They knew she had a bad experience at Cackle's as most of them were friends with Mildred. Everyone had noticed the fear in Mildreds eyes and the shaking as well as her pale complexion.

"I have a broom for you" Miss Quickstep said kindly as she held out a broom for her. Though Mildred backed away from it. "It's ok, confidence takes time, I've spoken to the class and were all going to help you. Take it easy".

Mildred took the broom "I don't want to" she said in a quiet voice with a bubble in her throat.

"We will go no higher than a metre" Miss Quickstep assured her. Mildred nodded. "Everyone, hover your brooms". The whole class did so. "Now sit". Everyone other than Mildred did so.

Mildred's hands were getting sweaty and the more she thought about it the worse the fear got. Pippa trusted her staff, though knowing what Mildred had been subjected to at Cackle's and the sight of Mildred now, broke her heart.

Miss Pentangle walked up to Mildred's broom and held it steady for her. "I will be here the whole time, it's ok, all we want you to do today is hover, nothing more".

Mildred sat on her broom, and she gripped the broom so tight her veins could be seen a lot clearer. She was so close to tears. Zack flew to hover next her.

"OK Mildred, I am not going to keep you for long as I can see the fear, so all I want you to do is sit back a little more on your broom". Mildred did with difficulty. "Good girl, now I would like you to bring your left hand to the back of your broom so you're not leaning at all. Think of it as your sitting on a wall". Mildred moved her hand to the other side of the broom. Miss Pentangle was stood behind her, and true to her word she had hold of Mildred's broom at the tip and at the brush end to ensure that no matter what, the broom would stay in one spot.

"You're doing really well, try and breathe" Miss Pentangle reassured her.

Zack had moved his hand just as Mildred did.

"Ok Mildred, I want you to look at Zack and look at his posture on his broom. See if you can mimic it for me" Miss Quickstep asked. "Thank you, Zack, for taking the same position as her".

Mildred tried and after a few minutes she had managed to mimic his position and she realised that she felt more stable, though still terrified.

"Well done, that's much more stable, now breathe" Pippa whispered to her.

"You're doing really well Millie" Sapphire called.

"Better seat than mine, I need a Zack" Jasper called, this made Zack blush.

"Not bad Millie, it's ok, look down, it's not that far" Zack told her. She did so and realised he was right it wasn't that far and there was no way Miss Pentangle was going to let her fall.

"I am proud that you got on, you may jump off if you want to or you can stay on for a bit longer" Miss Pentangle said to her.

"I would like to get off" Mildred said with relief and Miss Pentangle lowered her broom so she could get of without any problems.

Mildred broke down in tears and Zack also dismounted and gave her a hug.

Mildred's fear was deep rooted, the cutting words from Miss Hardbroom, Ethel, and a few others that were in her class at Cackles always went round her head when she was flying. She came off her broom many times and she had hoped she would get out of flying. Mildred wasn't aware though that Pippa had set up a maglet which was a witching tablet to record the lesson and she had set it up prior to Mildred's arrival. Hecate had asked to see Mildred's first flying lesson and she would be sure to be devastated at the damage she had caused to the girl's confidence. Pippa took her back to her room to talk to her. Miss Quickstep had stopped the recording and had picked up the maglet, she then had the class practice their turns and she made some rings appear for them to fly through, that would disappear once they had gone through them. The idea was to get through as many as possible without missing any as they would just appear. The class thoroughly enjoyed their lesson. Though Mildred's reaction to flying had been stuck in most of their minds.