The Worst Wish

Chapter 3- The Book of Forbidden Spells

* A/N: I want to try and make the chapters longer with more material but some might still be kind of short, about a thousand words, but I'm striving to pack more content into my chapters so they might be longer reads! I know Miss Cackle is a nice character, but towards the end of season 3 it was apparent she was getting frustrated with Mildred, especially when Indigo showed up, so I wanted to play off of that.

Mildred was so angry. She knew that Miss Hardbroom had resented her... but why did she feel the need to torture her so? It had only been a day ago that Miss Hardbroom confessed that she turned an ordinary girl magical when she was about Mildred's age- so she'd hoped maybe Miss Hardbroom would lighten up towards her at least slightly. Still- she couldn't bear being in that classroom for one second longer. Not when Miss Hardbroom didn't even react to Ethel's comments about her mother. It's clear she didn't mean she would help me. She was just saying that. I really am alone.

Mildred wasn't the best at transportation, but luckily had known it just well enough that she could transfer to her room. She figured Maud and Enid wouldn't be permitted to look for her until the school day's end- and she planned to be long gone by then. Mildred looked at her statue of her mum and sighed. "I really am sorry, mum." She began saying. "I shouldn't have gone to this school in the first place. They were right. I'll never belong." She walked over to the bed where Tabby was curled up in a ball. Starr was laying beneath the bed, wagging his tail.
"Now, listen, Tabby," Mildred instructed, scooping the cat up- "I want you to stay here and look after mum, okay? Just in case she comes back." The cat meowed in response. Mildred set him back down, opening her cabinet to retrieve her hat and cloak. She grabbed them, as well as her backpack. She didn't need much for what she had planned- just some ingredients. The problem was, the potions lab was completely full of students still being taught by Miss Hardbroom. Mildred looked into her cauldron sadly. She still hadn't cleaned out the potion from the day before, secretly hoping it would start glowing a brilliant blue and her mum would return to herself to hug Mildred tightly. They would go back to their flat and this would all be over.
Mildred poured the remnants into an empty potions bottle- corking the lid. She decided to put that into her backpack. She scanned her collection of personal potion ingredients, hoping for a way out.
That's it! Mildred sighed with relief. She had just the correct ingredients for an invisibility potion. She made just enough for one bottle's worth, careful to leave no trace behind or anyone who searched for her would know that  she wasn't visible. I doubt anyone will search for me, anyways. Once invisible, Mildred gave Tabby one last kiss on the forehead before walking out of her room- calling Starr after her. "Goodbye, Tabby," she said quietly.
She then made her way towards the library which had been mostly empty. Miss Bat had been sitting in there, but had fallen asleep. Mildred flipped through the books quickly, desperately hoping they had what she wanted. Of course not. They wouldn't put it in plain sight. She quietly approached a small, locked closet in the library. She turned to look at the sleeping Miss Bat. Mildred approached her quietly, opening the drawer to the desk she sat at. The key was there alright- on a big silver ring. Mildred shut the drawer louder than she had intended, waking up Miss Bat who was startled to see that nobody was there. She stood up abruptly, shouting down the halls for her fiancée, Mr. Rowan Webb.
Mildred quickly opened the closet, searching the dust covered boxes until she'd found exactly what she wanted- The Book of Forbidden Spells.
"Spells only to be cast in the most dire of circumstances," Mildred read the cover aloud. This is definitely a dire circumstance. She took the book and left the school quickly, observing Maud, Enid and Ethel sitting outside of Miss Cackle's office together. I bet Enid and Maud got into an argument with Ethel about me, Mildred giggled. They won't have to deal with that anymore.
She left the school then, fetching her broom from the shed. She allowed Starr to climb on behind her, as she quickly flew into the woods, not stopping until she reached the exact spot Miss Hardbroom had taken her to the day before. Indigo's spot. Mildred could see Cackles in the distance, as she looked at it fondly.
"It'll be better without me, really," she said to Starr. "Maud and Enid will probably do better, too."
Starr just barked.
"Hello, Indigo." Mildred approached the stone. "Mind if I join you?"
After a moment of silence, Mildred sat down on the grass, opening up the book of forbidden spells. Aha. There was one! A spell to turn to stone! But not a stone like the one Ethel had turned her into momentarily while she was looking at the Founding Stone. A permanent stone statue, just like Indigo and her mum. For a forbidden spell, it didn't require too many ingredients. Mildred assumed the spell must be for real emergencies where you don't have a whole potions lab. She needed Grimly Grass, a crow feather, snail shell, and, the last ingredient- the most unusual- a desperate plea. "Mix these ingredients, speak your plea- and a safe stone you'll be".
Mildred reminisced as she collected her ingredients, occasionally glancing over at Cackles.
"This is what's best for them," she said.
Once she had collected everything, she knelt down beside Starr. "Starr- I have a very important mission for you, okay?" He barked. "I want you to go back to Cackles when I'm done, okay? If my mum is somehow fixed, I want you to get Miss Cackle here. See if she can save me with my potion. But only if my mum comes back, you hear me?" Starr barked twice as he understood. "Good boy."
She wrapped her arms around the dog, letting a few tears escape. "Take care of Maud and Enid," she insisted, as Starr began running back towards Cackles.
Mildred began mixing the potion in a small puddle she'd created, carefully tucking her fix- it potion into a divot in the ground, covering it with grass. She wanted to be hard to restore.
"Grimly Grass, check, Crow feathers, check, shell of snail, check." As Mildred began mixing, the spell began glowing orange, illuminating the sky around her. Only a desperate plea left.
"I've made too many mistakes, I've caused too much pain- I wish to live as a stone for the rest of my days." Mildred expressed, a tear falling from her eye, hitting the mixture. As it did so, it turned a bright red, bubbling up as she took a sip, quickly standing so she was close to Indigo.
Within moments, Mildred Hubble was gone, replaced by a lifeless statue.

Hecate wasn't entirely right about her suspicions- about not being able to feel at all while stone. Mildred couldn't think, not really- but she was aware she was alive somehow. She knew she wasn't meant to be a stone- a feeling she hoped would pass over time. Her memory was kind of fuzzy- but she knew she wasn't really a statue. She couldn't move, though- or see or hear. Her existence was bleak and depressing- as Mildred stood there, feeling only two emotions- regret and longing. She had been desperate to punish herself, to get rid of herself altogether in a way nobody would have to see her or revive her- but this, she figured, was the worst. She'd probably have felt bad for her mum, too, if she could remember. But Mildred just felt off.

Hecate hadn't put much effort into trying to find Mildred, not after she was unsuccessful before. She had gone to visit Miss Cackle after her failure in finding the girl to confirm what the children had told her.
"Oh, Ethel had quite the tale," Ada explained with a chuckle. "She seemed rather insistent in the fact that you humiliated Mildred and that she was only trying to help."
"I must admit that there is some truth to what Ethel told you," Hecate admitted, "however Ethel only made the situation worse."
"Oh?" Ada furrowed her brows, showing some disinterest in the conversation as she nibbled on a biscuit.
"Ada, I- I forgot to check my lesson plans and began teaching them about restoration potions. Ethel took the opportunity to taunt Mildred about the state of her mother."
"Yes, Hecate, that's what Enid and Maud told me- except Maud had a few choice words about you." Ada was not grasping the reality of the situation- instead, a smile formed on her rosy cheeks.
"Ada, Mildred is now missing," Hecate expressed, as she blinked away a tear that threatened to fall. She knew she couldn't cry in front of Ada, but the guilt was driving her mad. "I have searched everywhere, but the girl is nowhere to be found."
"Now, now, Hecate," Ada replied quickly. "I'm sure Mildred just doesn't want to be found. She'll turn up. After all, she hasn't really got anywhere else to go, does she?"
"Ada!" Hecate then cried out, shocked by the headmistress's harsh words. "How can you speak if her in such a way? You know just as well as I have Mildred has saved this school dozens of times."
"Yes, she's also put us in grave danger dozens of times, Hecate. Honestly, I thought you'd be happy to have her gone."
"She's still a child, Ada- I- I was foolish at her age. I learned. As will she- but Ada, we can't-"
"Our doors are open to Mildred," Ada reminded her. "I have not expelled her. I'm sure she will come back."
"Dare I ask what consequences Ethel faced?" Hecate then asked, knowing they would be tame.
"Ethel is taken care of." Ada sighed, sipping tea. "Rest assured, Hecate, everything will be fine."
Hecate had no choice but to agree, heading back to her small corner of the office. She knew Mildred had been in the wrong- but had the best of intentions. Julie Hubble was supposed to be a witch, after all. That's always how it was with Mildred- mistakes with the best of intentions, unlike Ethel- mistakes with the worst of intentions. Hecate was beginning to realize just how unfair they had always been, how cruel she was. She always had a particular habit of being especially cruel to Mildred, resenting her for not coming from a witching family and not knowing what they did. Perhaps her real fault was always having faith in witching families like Ethel's.

The silence was filled by Miss Drill barging in, obviously out of breath.
"I do expect you have a reasonable explanation for your interruption!" Hecate scolded the gym teacher, jumping up from her seat.
"I'm sorry, Miss Cackle, Miss Hardbroom, but we have a rather pressing matter."
Both teachers raised their brows in curiosity.
"When Miss Bat had her freak out in the library, the storage closet was found open. Something was stolen, something-"
"What was it, Dimity?" Ada asked calmly.
"The book of forbidden spells is gone." Dimity took a long sigh, expecting a furious reaction from the both of them.
"Mildred!" Hecate gasped, beginning to run from the classroom.
"What is it now, Hecate?" Ada called after her, annoyed.
"Mildred is gone, Ada, so is the book- I'm sure Mildred took the book with some intentions of restoring her mother."
"Oh dear." Ada chided. "That is bound to end in disaster. I suggest we lock down the school, put up a magical field of protection."
"That is not necessary, Ada," Hecate snapped. "Mildred Hubble is not dangerous. We need to find her."
Ada merely nodded as Miss Drill listened intently. Hecate then transferred herself to Maud's room.
"Miss Hardbroom, I-" Maud began to say nervously, but Hecate cut her off.
"I need your help, Maud. We believe that Mildred Hubble has stolen the book of forbidden spells. I think she plans to use it to restore her mother. We need to find her urgently."
"Yes, Miss Hardbroom," Maud agreed quietly. "How should I help?"
"Seeing as I am not her favorite person, Maud, you and Enid might have more success in finding her. I do not believe she is anywhere in the school. We will go into the woods and look for her." Maud nodded.
A few moments later, the three of them were outside, desperately calling out Mildred's name.