The Worst Witch- The Witching Competition

Chapter 5- Tabby the Talented

The next few days Mildred was rather happy and proud of her cat as he leaped through the ring gracefully and landed with all four paws.

' Great job, Tabby! ' Mildred praised happily, clapping. ' We'll surely win this competition! '

Tabby meowed, tremendously proud of the stunts he had pulled. Mildred felt a whole surge of energy and excitement flow through her as she picked up Tabby and rushed back into the castle.

Miss Drill had also been very proud. So was Miss Cackle, and the three friends Clarice Twigg, Beatrice Bunch and Sybil Hallow. Maud and Enid were also excited and proud, but they were also a bit nervous if someone were to find out what they had done.

' You think anyone would find out? ' Maud asked nervously as she turned to Enid one day during Potions.

' She'll be fine, don't worry. ' Enid said, smiling at Mildred, who sat in front of Maud, happily brewing her potion. 

On the day of the day of the competition, everyone gathered and sat down on the seats outside the castle, waiting excitedly for the event to begin. The other two schools, Pentangle's and Amulet's have arrived and the three competitors were at the corner getting their Familiars ready. The two's cats, of course, were black. Mildred had tried to expect a different coat, but she knew it wouldn't work. 

Then all of a sudden, the Great Wizard transported into the school and ended up right in front of Miss Cackle. The three schools erupted with loud cheers and overlapping applauds. The Great Wizard waved as he turned to the three Heads of the schools.

' The competitors must be very talented. '

' Oh yes, I'm sure Mildred Hubble will impress you, Your Greatness. Her Familiar will surely impress you. ' Miss Cackle smiled. The Great Wizard scoffed.

' We'll see what her cat can do. ' he said simply and turned to signal the competitors. Mildred and the two other competitors marched out, carrying their Familiars with great care.

' Let us begin. ' The Great Wizard boomed and sat down on the right of the three Heads, right next to Miss Cackle. 

' You can do it, Tabby! ' Mildred said, scratching Tabby's spiky hair on the top of his head. Tabby meowed a reply, he seemed ready, too. Mildred chuckled and placed him down carefully. 

' The First Task: Familiar bonding. ' The Great Wizard announced.

' Ocean, stand on two legs! ' the first competitor ordered. The black cat stood up on its two hind legs with ease, balancing perfectly. Mildred gasped at the talented cat. The second competitor did something quite inspiring, too. Mildred sighed, her anxiety from a few days ago rushing back towards her. She lifted the hoop she had with her into the air.

Mildred exhaled sharply.

' Tabby, leap through this hoop! ' she ordered. Tabby leaped, looking as though it could fly, right through the hoop and landed. Mildred raised the hoop and the higher it went, the higher Tabby jumped.

' Seems Tabby and Mildred are doing quite well, I told you the Talent Potion would work. ' Enid said, giving an I- told- you smile at Maud. Maud sighed, smiling back.

' Yeah, ' she said, ' I guess you're right. '

The hoop had gotten to its highest point, as high as the trees in the woods. The crowd gasped, excited for the moment. And Tabby gave it to them. Applause form the audience exploded from the crowd like a volcano that had erupted abruptly. Mildred smiled proudly, stroking Tabby as she passed her proudness on to him. Tabby swayed his tail from left to right, his proudness as high as Mildred's. 

' The Second Task: Familiar's Relationship. ' The Great Wizard bellowed.

Mildred picked up a whole stack of cones and placed them side by side. She then put a ball at the end. She looked over at the two competitors. The first competitor had broomsticks hanging in the air like a ladder. The second competitor had a pattern of balls and cups hanging in the air in a row, she then placed a box that had the word " CUPS " on it and another box on the other side that had the word " BALLS " on it.

' Begin. ' The Great Wizard said.

' Ocean, climb the broomsticks! ' the first competitor ordered. Her cat, Ocean, leaped up one by one, and cautiously but successfully, paw by paw, made it to the top. The audience clapped.The second competitor turned to her cat and said, ' Echo, het those cups and balls, and put them in the correct box! '

Her cat, Echo, leaped up and caught a ball, which had already impressed the crowd, and the cups, placing them all in the correct box, with no mistakes. Mildred immediately knew hers wasn't going to beat the those two amazing stunts. She gulped.

' Uh, uhh... Tabby, go around these cones and roll that ball back, around the cones. ' she said awkwardly. Fortunately, Tabby understood. He proudly walked around the cones and stopped by the ball, he then rolled it back around, left, right, back to Mildred. Mildred sighed in relief to hear applause and not a " boo ". 

' The Final Task! ' the Great Wizard bellowed again after Mildred and the competitors had cleared whatever they had used. ' Flying. '

Mildred sighed nervously as she picked up her broom. Tabby immediately leaped on. She gasped at him, amazed. During training before the competition, Mildred had to call Tabby a few times before urging him on the broom, but now, he knew exactly what to do.

The three competitors flew off. The first competitor flew in one circle, upside down. The crowd cheered. The second competitor made her cat stand on the broom. The crowd cheered. It was Mildred's turn. She looked to see if Tabby was okay, and Tabby sat on the end just like how he always sat on the chair back in Mildred's room whenever Mildred was doing her homework. She smiled.

Exhaling sharply, again, she turned sideways and into a spin. The crowd gasped as they watched Mildred show her talents— and Tabby's. 

' Hmm... guess this... Mildred Hubble... isn't so bad after all. She seems even to have improved the last time I saw her. ' the Great Wizard said. Miss Cackle smiled, immensely proud of Mildred.

' Yes, she has indeed! ' she said.

Mildred flew one circle like the first competitor, still spinning, and when she landed, Tabby didn't even fall off, his head spinning, neither did he leaped off. He just sat there as if noting happened. That moment, the crowd roared as they clapped. The three Heads of the school stood up, clapping along, especially Miss Cackle.

' Whoo! Yes! Mildred! ' Enid called. ' Whoo! '

Maud laughed.

' Unbelievable. ' she said, clapping proudly for her friend. Mildred had her excitement coming back. She smiled at the crowd.