Chapter 2 – A Cause of Concern

Pippa was pacing in her office the week before the new school year was due to start. She had met most of her new first years the week prior, during the school's opening week. Unlike the other witching schools Pippa took on all students with magic. She wasn't prejudice though she did refuse anyone from dark families and those with questionable pasts. The school currently taught those from witching families, non-witching families and those from dormant lines. She also accepted those with Tourette's, Down Syndrome and Autism, in fact she had an entire house dedicated for them. This year most of the coming students that she had taken on were from non-witching families and this would be great news for most of her staff as they were the easiest to shape and teach.

The reason she was pacing was due to the school committee's ludicrous idea to have a school swop, this would entail that the staff amongst the schools would swop schools. Some would stay and some would end up in another school with different principles and different students as well as head teachers. Luckily the head teachers were to remain though she half wished it was the headteachers that were swopping. She didn't have a good feeling about this year coming, as prejudice amongst the witching community was very high and she took on students from all walks of life.

Pippa had been told which staff she was losing, and she was gutted yet stressed at who would be taking their spot. It was well known that unless Pippa approached someone that getting a job at Pentangle's Academy was exceedingly difficult, most would not bother to attempt as she made them jump through some almost impossible hoops. The staff she currently had, worked incredibly well as a team and not one was prejudice, she had many types of witchcraft amongst her staff, and she prided the school on it.

Aiden, Stephanie, Victoria, Eric, Domonic, Kiara and Quin walked into her office with looks of anger on their faces.

Pippa stopped pacing and addressed her staff.

"I know it's not the news we wanted, though I have the schools the committee assigned you."

"Sorry to tell you Pippa, with all do respect we refuse". Aiden told her.

"If you want to take it up with the school committee then that is at your discretion, however, I do have to go through this with you all. The grounds staff that are also on school swop had this discussion yesterday."

"My poor greenhouse". Victoria stated with anger.

"I will ensure the plants are well taken care of -" Pippa started before she got interrupted.

"- do you realise how many of those plants are endangered and how many are seldom seen these days? some need expert handling. Pippa." Victoria pressed. "I dread to think who takes my place and by the way some of those plants you won't source again".

Pippa took in what Victoria was telling her, and she sat at her desk and thought hard before she flicked her wrist. The school committee had been listening in the whole time.

"Steph?"

Stephanie was fuming and she had to count to twenty before speaking. "As we all know, we have students from all walks of life, including and not limited to those from non-witching and dormant lines we have seen what Mildred Hubble and Zack Hawthorn have been subjected to. Our school has a brilliant reputation as it stands, I would hate to see that reputation fall and to see parents pull any students from the school. Might I also remind everyone that any changes we make needs to be done strategically as we do have fifty students with Down Syndrome, thirty with Tourette's and forty-five with Autism. We also have at least seventy students with trauma, including but not limited to Zack Hawthorn, Cobain Lockwood and Verity Lightfeather. I strongly feel that our school taking its hat out of the ring would be the best call for all involved."

The school committee took in what Stephanie stated and there were some unsure faces amongst them. They knew there would be issues with Pentangle's due to the types of students they took in, they were however a very respected school because of it. There were no entrance exams, no expectations. The students only had to prove they had magic in them.

An older woman spoke first from the school committee.

"I understand the concerns and those concerns are being taken on board. Though we can not show favouritism amongst the schools, see how it goes for the first month",

"Do you have any idea how much damage could be caused in a month?". Aiden asked them.

"Any issues Pippa let me know, we will allow Miss fountain to remain due to the herbology concerns. Some of those plants do need protecting and handled correctly, in her place Miss Trinket who I believe teaches chanting will go." The committee's mirror call ended.

"Ludicrous." Stephanie shouted as she left the room before Pippa told them where they were heading to.

"Aiden Spellman you are heading to Weatherley's. Eric Light- Ray you are heading to Amulets. Domonic Rowan you are heading to Amethyst's. Kiara Rein you are heading to Cackle's. Quinn Upton you are heading to Wolfram." Pippa read out to them she didn't need to look up as she could feel the anger in the atmosphere. That evening she found Miss Trinket and let her know the news and that she would be heading to Moonridge High, though she had no idea what she would be teaching there.

The following day she watched as her staff mounted their brooms and flew off to their assigned schools for the following year. She felt a sense of dread as she watched them leave. The staff was like a huge family they looked out for each other, and she hoped it would go smoothly for them though some of the staff that had left could be live wires and a force to be reckoned with.

The day after the staff that were allocated her school arrived, they had been shown to the staff room by Victoria, and even she didn't like the way some of them acted. Pippa walked into the staffroom once all the new staff had arrived. She walked in and she wasn't happy at all. Some of them had applied to the school over the years and she had declined them for good reasons, others she did not know.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to Pentangle's Academy. Before I take you for a tour of the school, I will go through our school rules as I do expect all my staff to be on the same page. We have a zero bullying tolerance here, that goes for staff and students. I will not tolerate strict, hostile and harsh staff. Firm yes, strict no, we like our students to be able to breathe here. We do have students from all walks of life that all staff are expected to respect. You have all taken the spots of irreplaceable staff that have treated the students like their own, all I ask is you do your jobs without issues." Pippa looked around her, she was currently the picture of confidence though her feelings could not be described the same way.

One of the new teachers spoke first. "If the students aren't in line, then I will do as necessary". She haughtily stated.

Pippa looked at this woman who she had refused to even look at her resume, this one was well known. She was looking at Miss Darkside who was her name to a T. she was tall and wore her hair in a tight bun. Her voice was harsh and like a whipcrack.

"Is that a threat, Darkside?" Pippa stated in a warning tone.

"No". Miss Darkside stated rather quietly after realising what she had said.

"I will tell you now my students are not out of line, they are not robots. They are all different with different personalities, likes, dislikes, talents, backgrounds. They all get along or they are civilised. My head girl Martha was chosen for a reason, she isn't afraid to come to me with any issues or to stand up to staff where she deems necessary. Martha is a fantastic head girl, and she will express her opinions which comes in handy as we are no longer students in schools, so we see things from the adult perspective, she being a student sees things from their perspective.

Pippa stood up and signalled for them to follow her, as she explained how big the school was, she also explained the need for the subject signs.

"Ridiculous." Darkside scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

"Is it now?". Pippa smiled as she removed the signs from sight. "Take us to disguise for me." She knew she would never find the classroom that was hidden in the basement behind the large portrait.

"How am I supposed to know where it is?" Darkside asked her with a look of confusion.

"How are the first years supposed to know, if you don't?" Pippa asked her. This question shut Miss Darkside up. "For the record, Disguise is this way". She showed them to the classroom and Miss Darkside's smirk vanished. "Mr Light-Ray and Miss Rein insisted they wanted a classroom to go with their subject and this seemed fitting."

The tour of the school took roughly three hours, and the new staff soon realised why the signs were a necessity.

She took them all back to the staff room and went round the room asking their names, which schools they have come from and what subject they teach. Unfortunately, none taught potions. This was a concern to Pippa. Though she had a wild idea that she would have never done, but this situation called for desperate measures.

Pippa had a feeling that she would end up Firing Darkside, this woman didn't seem to be approachable in the slightest and she would make sure that certain students were not in her classroom. The schools were allowed to fire staff, which would mean they would end up heading back to their original schools.