Lovesick Witches

Back To The Past

It had been about a week since Miss Hardbroom had told me about Miss Gullet being her step-sister. I was still surprised by it but I had made sure to keep Miss Hardbroom's promise and not tell anyone. I'd had quite a few extra study sessions with HB that week which I really enjoyed. I liked spending time with her. She was always so kind to me and made me feel so happy and joyous whenever I was around her. 

Today was no different. After all my lessons had finished, I went to the potions lab and did some revision with HB. I was studying the history of witchcraft. I didn't need her help or for her to teach me anything, but she said that I could go and revise in her lab if I wanted to. I think she liked the company. 

"I'm so sick of these mists," I told Miss Hardbroom as I peered out of the window. "They've been here for over a week now. We haven't been outside in over a week! I miss the outdoors. I miss the fresh air! I wish the mists were gone so I could just go outside and climb some trees or something. Don't you, Miss Hardbroom?" I looked at Miss Hardbroom and she looked back at me. 

"No, not really," she said. 

"Oh," I paused for a second. "You don't like the outdoors?" 

"No. It's cold and windy. And the wet ground makes my boots muddy." 

I didn't really know how to reply to that so I just left it and continued writing out flashcards for my revision. Although, the flashcards weren't the most readable things in the world as my arm still hadn't healed, so I had to write left-handed. Miss Hardbroom offered to write them for me but I said I would do them to try and get used to writing with my left hand as I had to do that in other lessons. 

I had been working really hard since Miss Hardbroom first offered to help me with my studying. I still felt so touched and grateful that HB was helping me out of her free will so I really wanted to make her proud. HB was sort of my motivation to keep going and try my best and I was so incredibly thankful for her. Besides, my exams were so important to me. I wanted nothing more than to pass my final exams with really good grades and there was no way that that would be possible if Miss Hardbroom wasn't helping me. I needed her if I was going to pass my exams. 

As I sat at the desk at the front of the classroom, revising, I looked over to Miss Hardbroom and smiled at her, appreciating her warming presence. She smiled back at me giving me a great sense of peace. 

I still really liked Miss Hardbroom. I still had a crush on her. No matter how hard I tried to stop liking her in that way, I just couldn't seem to stop. In fact, I liked her more each and every time I saw her. Her raven black hair, tall figure and the way she always used transfer spells instead of walking was just so cool to me. I loved the way she was so strict and confident, yet opened up to me and allowed me to see her emotions, weaknesses and flaws. She walked with sass and had a fierce and raging temper, yet she also smiled so sweetly and showed empathy and care towards people. Everything about her was just perfect and being around her gave me so much joy. 

I truly longed that we could be more than just friends but whenever I came to think about it, I was given so much sadness. Sadness because she could never like me back. I was sure it was impossible for her to ever have feelings for me like I did for her. I had to try and accept the truth, no matter how hard it was for me to do. I just kept thinking about what could have been if she did have feelings for me. But I knew that wouldn't happen. 

After my study session with HB, I went up to my room and lay on my bed. It was still pretty early in the evening but I was feeling so tired. I got up to get ready for bed but as I walked past my window, I noticed something quite strange through the mists. 

It was hard to make out what it was that I was seeing as the white mists were so dense, but as I looked closer I managed to make out two dark figures through the fog. I couldn't see who they were, but I began to listen and I could hear vague muffles of a spell that they were chanting. I listened closer and could just about make out the words that the two mysterious figures were chanting. 

"Bricks and stone, beams and slate, all must fall, annihilate." 

It was an annihilation spell! Whoever these people were, they were about to destroy the school! I had to stop them! 

If I ran to Miss Hardbroom now, they would have completed the spell before I could get to her. I had to distract them first to buy me time to get to Miss Hardbroom. 

I stood still for a minute to try and work out how to escape the academy. Due to the lockdown, all the doors and windows had been sealed. There was only one way I could get out. HB would be so angry and upset with me if she realised I'd left the school after she'd told me not to. But if I didn't, the whole school would have collapsed. I had to save the school. 

"Window, break. Like a knife will slash. Glass into pieces. Window, smash," I said whilst focusing my energy and intention on smashing the window. Luckily, my spell worked and I managed to squeeze through the hole on my broomstick. 

I flew out into the windy mists and felt my heart racing in my chest. I directed my focus to the two figures who were still chanting the annihilation spell, yet to notice me flying above them. 

I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry HB," I whispered to myself. 

I flew down towards the sound of the chanting and the two dark figures grew bigger the closer I got to them. I couldn't see anything through the white mists surrounding me. I could hear the intense sound of the wind roaring in my ears as I felt the sharp blow against my skin. My heart rate increased some more. I got closer and closer to the two figures and then landed on the ground in front of them, stopping their chant. Despite my fear, I breathed a sigh of relief that I had saved the school from being destroyed. 

I slowly walked towards the two figures standing in front of me until they finally came into sight.  

The figure on the right was a woman. She looked exactly the same as... 

Oh no. 

Agatha. 

Miss Cackle's evil twin sister. 

I looked to the other figure. This woman looked younger. She had ginger hair and intense looking eyes. The intensity in her eyes sort of reminded me of... 

Oh shit. 

Miss Gullet. 

She had the same fierce look as Miss Hardbroom. Although not blood related, the resemblance was still very much apparent. 

"Who do we have here?" Miss Gullet scowled as she looked me up and down. 

"Trying to stop us from destroying your pathetic little school, are we?" said Agatha as her narrowed eyes glared into mine. 

"I can't let you destroy the academy, Agatha," I said, not really knowing what else to say. 

"Ah, she knows my name! How sweet," said Agatha as she turned to look at Miss Gullet. The two laughed, wickedly. 

"Quite daring of you to come out into these mists, isn't it," said Miss Gullet, sourly. 

I didn't answer. 

If I ran back inside, I would be able to run to Miss Hardbroom and tell her what was going on before Agatha and Miss Gullet had time to re-do the spell. If I ran now, I could save everyone. 

So, I abruptly turned away from the two witches and ran as fast as my legs would carry me into the school, dropping my broomstick by accident. The doors were sealed from the inside, but luckily I could get in from the outside. 

I didn't know whether Miss Gullet and Agatha were following me or not as I was running so fast to get to Miss Hardbroom that I wasn't paying attention to what was happening behind me. 

Through the mists, I managed to use my memory of the school grounds to navigate the front of the academy. I reached the front door of the school, forced it open and bursted through it. 

I ran through the school, to the potions lab. But when I opened the door to the laboratory, there was no sign of Miss Hardbroom. No. Instead, there were a group of students and a teacher inside the classroom. 

Only thing is, they weren't the students and teacher that I knew. And the students, well. They weren't wearing the Cackle's uniform that I knew either. 

Crap. I was no longer in the present. I was in the past. Back where Mildred ended up in her first year here at Cackle's. 

HB did say there would be consequences to going out into the mists.