Part-1

The eyeballs in a jar were staring at her. She just knew they were. It was making it hard to concentrate.

"Pst, Pheobe. Your potion is boiling over." The urgent whisper came from Charlie, the red-haired golden child sitting at the desk beside Pheobes'.

"Oh shivers!" Pheobe looked around in a panic. The items on her desk all seemed to blur together, nothing looked at all useful. A black streak darted across Pheobes' peripheral vision and up onto her desk.

Eldon, her cat, helpfully jumped up on the table with a wooden spoon held in his jaws. Pheobe grabbed the spoon with a grateful nod to Eldon and started stirring the potion as she turned down the flames under her cauldron. That was way too close.

"Pheobe Mansen." The stern voice of the teacher, Miss Heelia, from the front of the classroom had Pheobe snapping to attention.

"You know the rules. No familiars on the desks. He either sits on your shoulders or stays on the floor."

Eldon took a moment to glare at the teacher before jumping down to the floor by Pheobes' feet.

"Sorry, miss." Pheobe mumbled her apology.

"And do try to keep your potion under control. We do not need a repeat of your previous explosive incident."

This comment encouraged a few snickers from other students in the room, but they quickly died down after a stern glare from Miss Heelia.

Pheobe ducked her head and tried to focus on her potion, something that became increasingly difficult with Eldon pacing back and forth over her feet.

"Would you stop that." Pheobe hissed at him.

"Oh, I do apologize." He hissed back sarcastically. "I would never want to distract you from the incredibly delicate potion that you are completely butchering."

"I'm doing my best." Pheobe stated in an attempt to end the conversation before she got in trouble for talking.