The Spell Called Love - Empires SMP S2 AU: Nature Wives

Chapter 1: Good Riddance (Shelby)

Shelby charged through the grand halls of the Witch Academy at break neck speed, her witch hat gripped in one hand and an abnormally large notebook clutched against her chest.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Yelled one of Shelby's classmates as she accidentally ran into them.

"Sorry!" She called, not stopping to adjust her wonky hat, she had to make it in time to the Council of Witches otherwise she would be late!

Shebly hurtled down the last corridor and came to a sudden stop in front of two large oak doors. Shelby paused for a brief second to right her hat and adjust her robe before rapping on the doors.

The doors magically creaked open, allowing her to enter the room of the Council of Witches. Shelby hurried into the room and along a long stretch of deep purple carpet until she came to a high table.

Shelby stopped a few metres in front of the desk and looked up expectantly at the legendary Council of Witches.

6 witches were sat at the table, each looking down at her from their seats.

Shelby clutched at her notebook and gulped, looking up at her superiors as they looked down at her with pity in their eyes. Shelby refused to be put down by these looks and put on a smile.

"Lesser Witch Shelby," began the hooked-nosed eldest witch, "Your scores - in your vital exams - have been bought to our attention."

Shelby's smile wavered.

"You have achieved at a conatant fail since this academic year began." Continued the hooked-nosed witch, before passing onto her colleague next to her - a plump witch with a toadstall hat.

"Fail in potion brewing. Fail in History of Witches. Fail in Herbology. Fail in Spellcasting..."

Shelby was starting to panic under her smiling mask, she couldn't be expelled. She couldn't.

The hooked-nosed witch nodded her thanks to her colleague and bore down on Shelby with a hawk-like gaze, "We have come to the conclusion that - under the lack of progress - you shall be expelled from this Academy."

Shelby goggled at the superior witch in bewilderment, "But... my grades... I can boost them! Just give me one more chance, please!"

"LESSER WITCH SHELBY!" interrupted the witch, "We have allowed you plenty a chance to up your grades," she glanced at the youngest witch on the council that was sat on the end of the table, "Now we shall expel you, for lack of achievement. Hand over your hat and wand."

Shelby lifted a hand to her head and tightened her grip on her beloved hat as anger surged through her veigns. They had no right to strip her from her identity as a witch. So what if she failed a bunch of exams. She was a witch by blood. It isn't something you can just take away from someone.

With one look back at the panel of witches, Shelby bolted for the open door, running from the council.

Shelby ignored their angry calls and with her head down, she hurried to the broom shed through the winding halls of the Witch Academy.

"LESSER WITCH SHELBY IS NOW OFFICIALLY EXPELLED. ANY ATTEMPT TO CAST MAGIC OR USE MAGICAL OBJECT WILL BE SEEN AS ILLEGAL AND WILL RESULT IN SEVERE CONSEQUENCES!"

Shelby groaned as she charged out onto the lawn of the broomstick ground, she made for the shed as members of the Elite Witch Guard started to tail her.

Shelby gulped and busted down the door to the shed, grabbing the nearest broomstick before charging out onto the primly strimmed lawn. She took a running leap onto her broom and asked it as politely as she could if the broom would kindly take her far away and as fast as it could from the Academy.

Shelby was unsure whether the broom was obliging or not, but she took her quick ascent into the air as an 'of course'.

Shelby refused to look down at the angry guards and focused on steering the broom left and right to avoid the incoming spells from the Elite Witches on the ground.

With a bit of skill, Shelby was soon out of the range of their spells and she deemed it safe to glance back at the towering school which she had called home since she could walk. Witches where gathering to watch her speed off into the distance.

Shelby thought about all those years she had spent not fitting in. She thought about how her class mates wouldn't speak to her because her grandmother was one of the witches from the Council of Witches. Shelby allowed herself to kick those memories into the air, she was free now.

No one to tell her what to do.

Shelby turned back from the Witches Academy, which was growing smaller and smaller as she travelled into the distance and focused on getting far, far away.

Shelby allowed herself to relax when she couldn't see the familiar mountainous terrain behind her anymore.

She gripped the broom with her legs, freeing her hands which she threw in the air with a laugh and shouted:

"GOOD RIDDANCE!"

The broom didn't take too kindly to the sudden loud noise and jerked upwards, shutting Shelby up mid-celebration.

Shelby gave a terrified yelp and wrapped her arms back round the broom, "Okay! OK! I'm quiet now!"

Temporarily pleased, the broom resumed its flight path with a dominative air about it and left Shelby wandering why she had to choose the fussiest broom in the shed.