Chapter 2 – A fresh Start
Mildred had gone to tea that evening and was in a fairly good mood, her bags had been packed and she was waiting to hear from Miss Pentangle. She had walked past Ethel and her friends. As per usual Ethel was about to say something nasty to her but changed her mind when she saw the beaming smile on Mildreds face.
Ethel was a fairly pretty girl with long blonde hair which was always in a high ponytail and a bow and a pale complexion, Ethel was rather taken aback by the smile on Mildreds face, and she didn't like it. She watched Mildred sit with her friends and then something bizarre happened. Miss Hardbroom had walked up to Mildred and there was a look on the teachers face which looked like disappointment, she almost looked upset.
Miss Hardbroom walked up to Mildred she tried to narrow her eyes and seem hateful, yet she couldn't for some reason. "All packed?" she asked.
"Yep, I mirrored Miss Pentangle and she's coming for me either tonight or tomorrow morning. Why are you looking at me like that? I thought you would have been thrilled at the thought of me gone". Mildred stated for as she was leaving, she could be a little cocky seen as tonight would be her teachers last chance at giving her a detention. Strangely enough and out of character for Miss Hardbroom she walked off, no reprimanding no final words, nothing.
"Well, that was strange" Enid stated who was Mildred's dark-skinned friend.
"Just a tad, thought she would have been having an internal party, at least we know Ethel will" Maud mused who was a chubby girl with two short brunette pigtails.
Ethel heard her name and walked over to the trio "What are you saying about me" she stated rather loudly for everyone to hear. Even the staff had stopped talking to listen in.
Mildred's voice took on a mind of its own and it sounded rather silky, "Well I was just saying that you're annoying and that you're so boring that you don't have a personality, as your too concerned with ripping others down. Life must be hard to be so insecure and you could do with some solitude which might cure your need for attention".
All the staff including Miss Hardbroom was very shocked at what Mildred had just said and her friends looked just as shocked. Miss Cackle had covered her smirk with her mug, Miss Drill had stared at the floor and Miss Bat nearly fell off her chair. Mildred had opened her mouth and nothing that anyone would have expected had come out. The hall was silent, and Ethel stormed out. Some of the older students then stood up and clapped as some had hoped at some point that Mildred would stand up for herself.
Mildred was on cloud nine that evening, she was leaving Cackle's Academy and she would be far away from both Miss Hardbroom and Ethel. She had left the hall to go to her room, she laid on her bed and it wasn't long before Miss Hardbroom knocked on her door. Mildred stood up and opened the door.
"Miss Pentangle has mirrored; she will be coming for you tomorrow around eleven" Miss Hardbroom stated.
"Why are you acting weird?" Mildred asked.
"I am not acting weird".
"OK?" Mildred's tone of voice made it clear that she didn't believe her teacher.
Miss Hardbroom walked into Mildred's room. "This was my room when I was a student here" Miss Hardbroom unnecessarily stated.
"How interesting, you can have it back now. Thank you for letting me know she's coming for me tomorrow; now can I go to bed?" Mildred asked.
"I wanted to ask. Why did you take up a place here?" Miss Hardbroom wondered.
"You wouldn't understand, you look down on those like me, just like Ethel does".
Miss Hardbroom hated the idea of being compared to Ethel, yet Mildred wasn't wrong. She could not come up with a response for she had asked Mildred the question as she was intrigued, she knew the answer yet for a witch who took everything seriously she wouldn't fully understand. This she needed to be told. A minute later she responded, "I asked a question, I would like it answered".
Mildred responded through gritted teeth "Fine, I took up a place here because I found out I could do magic, something I didn't know I could do. It was an amazing feeling until I met you and Ethel properly. I always tried my best and it was never good enough, never. So yes, I stopped trying, what's the point when everyone just sees the worst in you. Miss Pentangle came a few days ago and she has been nothing but nice to me. She wasn't bothered that her school didn't win she just wanted to see everyone do their best, she never tried to make me feel small or useless. Not like you and Ethel do. Is there anything else you would like to know?" Mildred had noticed as she had finally stated what she had been feeling since she came to the school that her teacher looked rather uncomfortable.
"That sums it up" Miss Hardbroom awkwardly stated.
"Since when do you knock? You always either transfer yourself in or just open the door without a care for anyone's privacy" Mildred asked with confusion. Mildred did not get a response as Miss Hardbroom had walked out.
Mildred decided to have a lie in considering she was leaving that morning and so she wasn't due in any lessons. Pippa Pentangle turned up that morning at just gone eleven to collect Mildred, there was a man with her. He had a gentleness about him a pleasant auror. He had short, tidy brunette hair and a relaxed square jaw line and ocean blue eyes.
Pippa and her accomplice walked to Miss Cackle's office.
"This way" Pippa laughed at her accomplice as she turned right. He was trying to find his way around himself with some hints from Pippa. Unfortunately for him he had never set foot in Cackle's Academy and Pippa was rather entertained.
"Ah Ha, it's this way" he stated with importance as he spun round as he had gone left and walked past Pippa with a silly grin on his face.
"Wrong way" she shouted to him, he stopped and looked confused. "Try the stairs" she laughed at him.
Miss Hardbroom had heard Pippa's voice and transferred herself to the corridor they were in.
"Why are you shouting?" she asked Pippa.
"The stairs" Pippa grinned at her accomplice.
Hecate turned around "Who is that?"
"Aiden Gordon Spellman, where are you going?" Pippa asked as Aiden clearly didn't want to go up the stairs for some reason.
"Who is Aiden, Pippa?" Hecate asked again.
"He is my deputy head" Pippa simply brushed the question off.
"So, who is currently running Pentangle's?" Hecate asked with shock.
"Miss Quickstep is, there will probably be no lessons today. They will all more than likely be mattress surfing once the stairs have been turned into slides".
Miss Hardbroom looked very confused and was lost for words, though she was trying to find some.
Aiden had come across a girl with two long brunette plaits, who was rather tall for her age. He had overheard a blonde girl being nasty to her.
"Didn't turn up to potions earlier because you know your useless, just go home, no-one wants you here Mil-dred. You're an embarrassment" This was Ethel whom Aiden has been clued up on before he arrived.
"That wasn't very nice was it, all your doing is embarrassing yourself and letting everyone know you're not very nice and not worth hanging around with". Aiden told Ethel he then turned towards Mildred "I don't allow this behaviour at Pentangle's; I can assure you that this type of behaviour is nipped in the bud. I am Aiden Spellman, I teach potions. You must be Mildred". Mildred nodded in response "Pleased to meet you, we will be leaving in an hour or so please be ready by then, Sapphire and Zack are thrilled your joining us and have volunteered to help you settle in".
"Your leaving?" Ethel laughed. "About time, really".
"She is leaving to join us because we see talent, untapped magic and something special in her" Aiden stated with a beaming smile and a wink to Mildred. "She can't improve very well when she's around those like you Ethel, can she now? you must be so insecure". Aiden's words had put Ethel in her place and wiped the smirk off her face.
Both Pippa and Hecate had stood with mouths open at the conversation between Aiden and the girls. Pippa spoke first "He has a severe dislike for bullies as you can tell".
"Not his place to tell my students off" Hecate growled.
"Seen as Mildred is now our student; I think you will find it is" Pippa gave her a knowing smile.
Pippa, Hecate, and Aiden went to Miss Cackle's office to discuss Mildred and to sign the transfer paperwork.
Ethel had been shellshocked, not just by Mr Spellman's words but also by how handsome he is. His words had hit her, and she had indeed been embarrassed by his truthfulness. She gave Mildred a strange glare and stormed off with her two friends in toe.
"Think you might just be ok at Pentangle's; we will miss you though" Enid told Mildred.
"Make sure you write to us every week or at least mirror us" Maud said, whilst Enid nodded.
"I will if I can, Pippa said something about extra classes on weekends for flying and other stuff" Mildred explained.
An hour later Pippa and Aiden found Mildred with her stuff in one of the courtyards and transferred the three of them to Pentangle's Academy. The Academy was also a castle with 5 turrets and many courtyards, it was huge, however it looked very welcoming. They went inside and there were many students, laughing, screaming with delight and having a blast whilst mattress surfing. The stairs had been turned into slides as Pippa had predicted. Mildred had never seen anything like it apart from the scene in Princess Diaries two.
"Millie" Sapphire and Zack shouted from the top of the closest slides. They both went down the slides at the same time on their mattresses to greet her properly. Some of the other students turned around and noticed Mildred. The head girl walked over to introduce herself and welcome her in.
"Hello, I'm Martha, Welcome to Pentangle's. I can take her from here if you would like?" Martha asked the two teachers.
"Go ahead" Mr Spellman smiled.
Mildred looked at Martha who like Enid was dark skinned though she had an afro. Mildred was apprehensive as she was in a new school with only a few she knew though barely.
Martha smiled at Mildred "we are pleased to have you, it's very big here, follow me and I'll show to the room that your stuff has gone to".
"Yay, you're here" Sapphire said with an air of excitement, whilst Zack just stood there looking a little shy.
"You two can join if you want though Barbie might stop the mattress surfing soon" Martha told Sapphire and Zack. Mildred however did laugh as she had remembered the joke, which made Martha smile. "As we walk down the corridors, you'll notice like this sign that the staff don't like people getting lost". She pointed to a painted green arrow labelled Herbology. We aren't Hogwarts; however the study of plants is important for many reasons so Mr Spellman and Barbie decided to make it a subject of its own. To be fair it does help tremendously with potions". Martha led them to Mildred's room which was stunning, the room had a purple starry ceiling and dark brown furniture in it. The two windows had windowpanes and shut properly unlike the ones at Cackle's, the ceiling clearly didn't leek and the room felt warm. She walked up to her bed and noticed her uniform.
"I don't have to wear a dress or skirts?" Mildred asked as she spun round, she was thrilled.
"Nope, it's your choice if you don't want the skirts or trousers give them to Barbie. Our school is modern, and the staff are aware that everyone is different, and that people work best when they are comfortable.
"Is Zack not coming in?"
"Zack isn't allowed, boys and girls aren't allowed in each other's bedrooms for obvious reasons. It's one of the main rules, we hope your experience here will be better than the one you have had at Cackle's, we will let you get changed and then hopefully you can have a go at mattress surfing, it's soo much fun".
Mildred put on a pair of trousers which surprisingly fit considering she wasn't asked what her size was. She then pulled on her white shirt and her purple sleeveless cardigan with Pentangle's logo on. She noticed a Pentangles pointy hat and left it on the bed along with her cloak as she was told she wouldn't need those. She went back downstairs with the others and was encouraged to have a go at mattress surfing which Mildred though apprehensive thoroughly enjoyed.