The elements of school

Chapter 16 the mysterious Mr Shroom

Alice watched intently as Mr Shroom cast a rather peculiar spell over the land he stood on. She hovered behind the turret just enough to hide herself.

"Reveal what has been seen, show what has been done to Aya Hornworth" the ground began to sparkle with gold dust until the dust transfigured into figures and Alice watched in slight horror as she saw Aya trying to use her powers but it spitting and splattering like a malfunctioning plug socket.

Mr Shroom watched in great horror
"It's Greta all over again"

"How did you know Greta" Alice whispered to herself. Alice didn't notice and Shroom look up at her but he called out to her "Hey, you there. What business have you to be watching me"

"Sorry sir I just uh um-"

"Come down I can't be bothered to shout"
Alice fearfully did as she was told, the man stayed where he sat. Alice landed but held her broomstick firm.

"Girl, why would you watch me?"

"Greta Oakweep, how did you know her"

"I don't think that's of your concern"

"Sir my friend is missing and she went missing in much the same way Greta did, I think if you know something I'm owed that"

"Your friend? You must care a great deal"

"Half the school believes me responsible, it was a coincidence nothing more"

"So your trying to prove your innocence"

"More trying to find my friend is the most important people know I'm innocent"

"Oh your little detective friends?"

"Not really Sir" Alice laughed

"Well why don't you and your friends meet me in the herbology classroom before dinner and I'll tell you what I can?"

"Sir, excuse me for saying but, how can we trust you"

"I could ask you the same" he thought on it "Your friend Harry, she is good with potions?"

"Yes sir, very good indeed"

"Have her make up a truth elixir, I'll give you both next lesson to do so, would that be enough?"

"Yes indeed" Alice smiled relived

"Well the lesson has half an hour left, you best be off. Your friends went to the forest, I'm sure you'll catch them up"

Alice picked up the broom and levitated upward a little unsteady ; she still wasn't altogether good at flying. She sped off down past the grassy hills now warm and comforting in the summer sun. Alice arrived down at the forest and found Felicity and another girl Mary making daisy chains.

"Oh hello Alice" they both smiled

"Have you seen Harry or Iggy or any of that lot?"

"Oh yeah, just down by the marsh collecting pondweed. Exciting" Mary said sarcastically

"Right-" Alice said going to leave

"Alice I'm so glad your okay, I was worried about you, you know after the whole halfed thing" Felicity said

"I've heard" Alice said flying off lower to the ground. She glided slowly past the mushrooms and trees in the soft, golden light. The wind blew past her red hair and Alice felt happy in the beauty of nature.

Soon enough she found her friends Iggy, Harry, Emily and Coral were all down collecting pondweed. Every now and again Hugo would take some and eat it only to find it would make his hair a bit more golden but the effects were short lived. The rest of them were making daisy chains in the air or making note clouds - a misty cloud ingrained with a note usually in red - which would quickly blow away.

"Do you think Lewis is-" Emily stared before seeing Alice "oh hey!"

"Hi!" Lia said happy to see her friend

"Harry can we go to herbology next lesson Mr Shroom needs us to make up something for uh um a, a demo"

"Yes sure" Harry accepted

Then Alice laid her broom to lay beside a tree and would make pond weed float int the air before flicking it back into the lake. She'd do this over and over before she gave up and lay on the bank. Lia looked at her while she lay on the shining, yellow grass. Alice couldn't help but smile, she stared at her in the eyes, Lia staring back. It stayed that way for a few minutes, just staring at each other. It wasn't long before the bell rang out for the end of lesson.

"Oh damn forgot the ponkybells!" Iggy said
"Oh yeah, shall we go get them" Emily said
"But, our brooms?" Harry pointed out
"It's fine I'll look after them" Alice offered
"I'll stay to" Lia said
"You don't have to" Alice pressed
"No it's fine, your barely up on your feet"
"Okay then" Billy said before the rest of them hopped onto Billy, Iggy and Hugo's brooms and raced off toward the northern part of the forest to find said berries.

Alice sat up from the bank and walked over to where Lia sat.
"You okay now?" Lia asked
"What do you mean?" Alice asked confused
"I never really asked about being halfed and all that"
Alice though about it the memories all flooding back like a cracked damn. She recalled feeling like she was being made to remember everything, her father, Greta, Aya, Harry words, arriving even things she didn't remember like being given to her aunt and her mother dying. It was a strange sensation, Lia must have been able to tell.
"It's okay if you know you, you don't want to talk about it"
"I-I do really, just not yet" Alice admitted
"I'll wait". Alice smiled she couldn't help but want to feel close to Lia in this moment so leaned on her shoulder. The pair didn't say anything they just sat in silence, it was nice.

Later on Alice and Harry arrived in the herbology class. They both put down there satchels, put on there respective brown leather aprons and got to work.
"Why would Mr Shroom want a truth potion, that doesn't come under the demonstrations I've ever had to prepare for"
"It's not for a demo" Alice muttered but Harry heard
"What then?"
"Oh fine I was going to tell you later but Mr Shroom wants it to help prove his innocence to us and to help us solve the case, we all take one we all tell the truth, simple"
"He is smart"
"Yeah sure"