This originally was like three fun-size chapters but I couldn't find the right breaks. so you get a nice big kit-kat chunky chapter instead.

October came towards its end. Cackle's Academy celebrations went this year far more smoothly then last. and without a hitch. Or wicked witch. Everyone slept in as customary. Then after a big (greasy) breakfast, term took its break. Of course not without mountains of homework for the girls. Plus, a last-minute rush to get cats and familiars into their baskets.

And despite HB's threats; broom flights, drives and train rides to Mildred's, (and Pick-ups home for the day after,) were Arranged. Snacks and drinks and young teen suitable scary films were saved for later, but first? The annual Boogie Bash at the rec centre, followed by trick or treating. Which meant: Outfits…

The girls all Screamed, then laughed as Enid barrelled in from the bathroom with fake wings, a shower of sparks and a "Boo!"

"No magical entrances! That's cheating!" Mildred giggled. Enid laughed evilly back and waved a large blood painted rubber clever in her face.

"What are you supposed to be?" Mr Hubble asked, bemused.

"A scary fairy!" Enid muffled, pointing at the wings. "I was going to be a flower fairy but Common folk's ideas about the fae are so boring! Oh- sorry Mr Hubble."

Mr Hubble didn't take offence. He did however confiscate the plastic cleaver.

"There's a rule about fake weapons in the hall." He said, "No slasher films. Sorry kid."

"Ah alright." Enid took off a hockey mask too. Revealing an even worse face underneath with a familiar upturned nose and beautiful hair in a ponytail. It wasn't one of Enid's usual faces either. It would have been pretty if it wasn't so smug.

"Why are you dressed as Ethel?" Ruby asked.

"She's mean enough for a scary fairy. Without a mask!" Enid grinned.

But the cheeky witch wiped the smug look off her face again after a very stern look from Mrs Hubble. Well, Enid tried too. It glitched a little mirroring Mrs Hubble face for a split second, then to one of Enid's more regularly used faces, with a slight algorithm of Mrs Hubble.

"I will not get used to that." Mr Hubble cringed.

"It takes some getting used to." Jadu assured him sagely. While trying to remain very still.

"Hey!"

"Last day of term you made yourself look like a miniature version of Mildred." Maud reminded Enid. "Don't complain when you're deliberately being off putting."

"That was accidental!" Enid said. "…partly."

"It was pretty inspiring though." Fenny put in. "A mini-Millie was a great way to end the term."

Griz agreed. And in her Miss Cackle drone added, "I particur loved seeing the teachers' reactions to two Mildred's."

"speak for yourselves" Mildred complained. "It was very weird speaking to another me. I think if HB had seen it we'd both been bitten!"

"And to think they call us double trouble, Fen!"

"I think a second set of us would definitely give Cackles a headache."

"I thought the whole idea was you dressed as yourselves?" Mr Hubble frowned, turning back to Enid. "Not your classmates?"

"Enid is a fairy too, Dad." Mildred told him. "Just not a flying sort like Ethel or the Hallows."

"Yeah. I'm a glitch witch. Or a changeling. So, me and Ethel are both fae or fairies. Sort of. So I'm still dressed as a human stereotype if I keep the wings." Enid explained.

Mr Hubble nodded. "Ah. Fair-y enough."

"Daaaaad!"

But Enid liked the bad joke.

"Can I at least still be a scary-ish fairy? rather than a soppy baby one?" she pleaded. "Please? No weapons. I could be a goth fairy?"

"Go on then." Maud nodded. "We'll let you off."

Enid beamed and her face flickered again. Only now it was with white and black makeup.

"Wish I could do that in the mornings." Mrs Hubble said."Good grief, are those real?!"

Because as well as makeup Enid suddenly had many many fake piercings. (At school Enid often had her pointy ears hidden by her hair. So, it was nice to see those out too.) She even made her eyes different colours; one as black as it would go. The other so pale the iris was almost lost in the white of her eye.

"That's so creepy!"

"Oh cool!"

"Extreme!"

"I love it! You might need real makeup too?" Mildred frowned. "Just in case you accidentally shift or glitch. There's a lot of people there?"

Enid agreed that might be a good idea. Crowds were hard work for the little big shapeshifter.

"Just a base of white should do. Get in line, Enid I'm nearly finished with Jadu." Mrs Hubble grinned as she finished with the eye liner pencil and handed Jadu a mirror. "there you go. that's your face done!"

"Purr-fect!"

"oh no. not another dad joker."

Jadu had cat nose and whiskers drawn on. and fake Cat ears on her head; Her real ones hidden by her long hair she wore down. and her wing tufts disguised by a beautifully wide collar around her neck that Mildred had fashioned her out of cardboard and lovingly painted. There were also several layers of paper rags, black tights and elastics over her tail to exaggerate its scorpion shape. As well as cork her real sting.

"Now what about your teeth?" Mildred's mum asked, "And Enid's."

"What's wrong with them?" Mr Hubble asked. Jadu leaned back and smiled properly at him for the first time, revealing the three rows of pointy fangs. So did Enid, with her own sharp little baby teeth. "Christ on a bike-!"

"I love doing that to dentists."

"ENID!"

"I don't know how we can make them look like pretend teeth." Mildred said, looking up from her own face painting client.

"I can change mine a bit." Enid shrugged. "Got any fake vampire fangs? Jadu could wear those?"

"Mum, do we have any fake fangs?"

"No, I didn't pick any up, sorry. "

"I haff."

"Pardon Maud?"

"I said, I have?" Maud said, taking hers out.

"gross."

"But then how will you hide your teeth?" Jadu pointed out.

"Oh. I didn't think of that.."

"I can cast disguise self on you, Jay? But it'll only last an hour. And if there's Uv light there it'll show up under it." Ruby said, and turned to the third year's, "unless you two can cast it better?"

"Not really. If we do it together with you Ruby, by the power of three. Then we could make it last the night?" Griz hummed. Fenny disagreed.

"But it'll still look odd? Colour changing charms and Enid's magic will be alright, but any photos or disco light pointed at her, and Jadu's teeth will BE the disco. "

"Or I'll just keep my mouth closed? and pretend I'm shy?" Jadu suggested. She even ducked her head inside her collar. which everyone agreed was the most sensible thing to do.

"Have you got all your coats and things ready for trick or treating?" Mrs Hubble asked. "and sorted out who's walking down with me or getting in the car? There's some bits for the buffet to load up in the boot as well."

"Once I'm finished here with Rubes, I'll give you a hand." Mildred said.

"Thank you, love."

"Remind me again why I need makeup?" Ruby said. "Wont body glitter be enough?"

"No. Save the body glitter till last; we have to make your skin green!" Mildred told her.

"It's already green. Ish." Ruby huffed.

"Greener then. It has to look fake or it won't look like a real costume." Maud insisted, as Mildred carefully drew more stitches on her friend's existing real scars and dusted Ruby's temples and cheeks with liquid eye shadow. Not enough to cover her face, just to bring the green tones of her animated flesh.

Ruby had on a white fluffy blouse underneath a long white summer dress and bandages from the first aid kit up her arms. Mildred personally felt Ruby's school boots looked fine with the outfit. but Ruby had insisted on the light up trainers she'd brought with her. Her hair as high and rectangle as she could shape it, with more white hairspray in to emphasise her white streak. Mildred's dad had even gotten a pair of wooden curtain pole ends, chopped down into a hexagon shape and painted a dull silver. and he sat at the table as they'd been getting ready, whittled the holes in them so that they would hopefully fit over Ruby's real neck bolts.

Maud was in her mum's ripped pottery class t-shirt. topped with a checked shirt that Mildred had cut up in very neat diamond edges along the hem. and the scruffiest pair of jeans Maud could find – well could steal- from one of her many many Many cousins. Ones made for were-cubs, with a hole stitched in the waistband so that her tail stuck out. her fur was fluffed up and hair backcombed and pulled back. Her feet, trainers and all, were stuffed into big brown bear foot slippers. And a smudge of face paint to make her nose look more drawn on then a 'real' muzzle. As well as the fake rubber teeth that stuck out of her mouth over her real canines.

Once they'd finished on Maud's nose, Fenny and Gris smeared the circulating body glitter on their cheeks. And drew spiders and stitches on each other's off blue skin with Mildred's felt tips. The dicephalic parapagus two headed chimaera had also opted for a sparkly wig each one red and one blue. and a set of three legged trousers with different coloured legs. They'd then gotten the biggest ugliest jumper they could find in the charity shop. and having ripped the seams all the way along the shoulders open, Fenny and Gris had sewn it, (deliberately in the thickest most noticeable stitches) to fit around each of their necks.

Mildred eyed them over critically.

"It needs something…Oh how about?" Mildred tied a very bright and noticeable silk scarf around their middle leg. And swapped their shoes around to put their middle foot in one of her dad's size eight welly boots. "Is that comfortable?"

"Ah to make it look like we've tied two legs together? Genius!" Fenny declared.

"It might be a bit hard to dance in?" Mildred frowned.

"No worse than Cackle's customised doc martens are." Gris assured her. "We've three left feet anyway. Very clever, Mills."

"You girls have done fantastic." Mr Hubble agreed as he wheeled away from the table, and handed Ruby her fake bolts. "Here, try these for size?"

She slipped them over her real ones and showed them off. "Fake real enough?"

"Perfect!"

"Oh, they look like rubber!"

"How'd you do that?"

"A spell?"

"Nope! PVA glue over the top." Mildred grinned.

"Oh cool!"

"Talk about practical effects!"

"I think you need to start teaching 'how to blend in' lessons, Hubble." Fenny said. Griz nodded,

"You could definitely show the craft and arts department a thing or two!"

Mildred blushed.

"Definitely crafty is our Mildred." Mr Hubble agreed, then addressed Fennella and Griselda.

"The corridors and toilets in the centre aren't very wide or accommodating I'm afraid. I can only just get my chair down, so you two might find it a squeeze to get around. if you're struggling, come and find one of us and I can let you in the easy access loo."

"Thanks Mr Hubble." They said in unison.

"Not a problem. Same goes for any of you, actually."

"Thanks dad." Mildred grinned, glad someone thought about these things.

"Well, I think we're nearly sorted." Mrs Hubble agreed. Then noticed her daughter wasn't dressed up yet. "Mildred love. Go and get your costume on then?"

Mildred suddenly froze, still holding the face paint brush.

"Millie?" Maud frowned. "…What are you going as, by the way?"

"Oh." Mildred realised. "I …don't know."

"MILDRED?!"