Scars

"Miss Hardbroom, my colour changing potion is ready," Beatrice Bunch piped up, shooting her arm into the air. 

The strict teacher walked over and bent down slightly to taste the potion. She held out her hand examining it. No colour change.

"Nothing appears to be happening," she sighed looking at her student raising her eyebrow slightly.

"Yes Beatrice, nothing seems to be happening," Clarice leaned over her desk almost laughing.

Sybil looked over worried. She was already in trouble for messing up her potion in the beginning of the lesson. What happened if this potion didn't work either. She'd definitely be getting in more trouble as she helped. Then she'd be ruining her sister's reputation even more and be a complete failure. She subconsciously dug her nails into her wrist trying to stay calm like her friends were.

"Tell you what, Miss Hardbroom. Why don't we forget about Potions class for today and do something fun instead?" Beatrice asked testing to see if the potion worked.

Miss Hardbroom pursed her lips, a look of shock washed over her. She'd never had a pupil ask her such question!

"What did you say?" She snarled leaning forward and looking eye to eye with Beatrice.

"I said, um...," Beatrice stuttered looking at her feet and back up at the teacher 

"F...un? She growled which slowly turned into a giggle, then a chuckle, and then a full on laugh.

She walked to the front of the class undoing her hair and started dancing.

A moment later Ethel and Felicity walked in and tried speaking to the teacher but she was completely out of it and just made jokes to them instead. Beatrice and Clarice smiled and laughed and even Sybil smiled seeing their once strict teacher being nice. She was still panicking about getting into trouble though. She knew if HB realised or remembered anything after this she was going to be in heaps of trouble. They all were.

Miss Hardbroom rolled up her sleeves and started orchestrating a choir with the other first years and the frogs. 

That's when she saw it. Only a glance at first so she wasn't sure but as Sybil kept on staring she knew she wasn't wrong. Scars. Just like the ones she had. Mostly faded though on her teacher but she spotted a couple that looked pretty fresh. She couldn't believe that Miss Hardbroom was struggling just like her. She has to tell someone about it. She may not always like Miss Hardbroom and she could be really cruel but she always looked out for them. She knew she cared. 

None of the other girls seemed to notice these scars. They were far to preoccupied chatting or singing in this make-shift choir. 

"Miss Hardbroom," Beatrice piped up again; standing up, "Can class be dismissed early for once?" She asked knowing that this new fun version of HB would say yes.

"Yes. Why not? Good idea!," the older women said clicking her tongue and smiling at her pupil. 

They all started exiting the classroom and Miss Hardbroom immediately bumped into one of her colleagues. It was Miss Drill who looked rather panicked. Clarice, Beatrice and Sybil stood behind watching. Sybil digging her nails into her skin again. She knew they'd be in trouble now and her sister was there and she was bound to yell at her.

Miss Hardbroom started going on a tangent about roses before transferring herself who knows where.

"Something's happened to Miss Hardbroom!" Ethel stated," And I know who's to blame," she said walking towards the three girls.

"What have you three done to Miss Hardbroom?" She inquired raising her voice slightly.

"Why do you think we've done anything?" Beatrice asked trying to sound confident but failing miserably.

"Tell me now. The future of the entire school depends on it!" Miss Drill spoke firmly looking angry.

Sybil hid slightly behind Clarice digging her nails even harder into her skin. This was exactly why she didn't want to make that potion. She knew she'd get into trouble.

Just then Miss Mould hurriedly walked down the corridor announcing that the inspector was here. Miss Drill sent Ethel to try and stall her and give her a tour of the grounds while she tried to fix whatever this mess was and get HB back to normal.

"Alright, you three spill,' she said walking even closer and looking even angrier. 

They told her what they'd done and she sent them into the potions lab to find an antidote while she searched for Miss Hardbroom who had materialized and disappeared again. 

After some time they'd finally managed to usher HB into the potions lab and the three girls had almost finished the antidote. Miss Drill helped finish it off but just before they could give it to the other teacher, Ethel burst through the door and told them that the inspector was on her way.

Clarice took the antidote and tried to give it her teacher but she was having none of it and started climbing over the desks trying to get away from the girl and the antidote. 

Miss Drill and Ethel were desperately trying to clean up as fast as they could. They knew the inspector would be here any second. If they had any chance in keeping Cackle's open they needed to sort this out right now. 

Clarice and Beatrice kept chasing HB around the potions lab but she was adamant she wouldn't drink the concoction.

Just as Miss Hardbroom had crawled to the centre of the potions lab and grabbed the original potion, the inspector Miss Doomstone walked in.

"Well met, Miss Doomstone," HB greeted the inspector putting on a fake scary voice and wobble as she said the other woman's name. 

Just as the inspector started getting angry she tripped and fell face first into a bucket of frog gloop.

There was a massive commotion and Sybil wasn't really sure what happened but somehow they managed to get HB back to normal and she didn't remember a thing. Miss Doomstone, on the other hand, accidentally drank the original personality changing potion. Luckily that made the rest of the inspection a breeze and they passed. 

Just as the inspector left she decided to go and talk about what she saw earlier on HBs wrists with Miss Drill. She wasn't sure if she should but she knew what it was like to be in that much distress and pain that she felt the need to hurt herself. She didn't want her teacher to suffer alone even though she was herself.

"Miss, Miss Drill," Sybil stuttered 

"Yes Sybil?" She asked looking at her pupil.

"Can I talk to you? It's kind of important," she said shaking slightly. She hated talking to teachers especially about something like this but she knew she needed to.

"If it's about getting out of detention for this..,"

"No! Um no it's not. Please can I just speak to you in private," Sybil interrupted her.

"Of course, let's go to my office," Miss Drill said walking down the corridor. Sybil followed wringing her hands together. She had no idea how to tell her teacher this. 

"Have a seat," Miss Drill said gesturing to a chair as she sat opposite, "What did you want to talk about?"

"It was something I saw when Miss Hardbroom was... well you know not herself. I don't think anyone else saw but when she rolled up her sleeves to orchestrate the choir I saw loads of scars on her wrists and arm. Most of them looked old but some were definitely new,"

Miss Drill's eyes widened. How had Hecate got hurt? Maybe it was when she was collecting potion ingredients. The new ones might have been from the rose thorns today but surely HB knew to be more careful and to wear gloves. Something wasn't adding up.

Sybil continued, "I don't know for certain but they seem like the type of scars you'd get from um... self inflicted wounds. I don't know though but I just wanted to let you know so you could help her. I don't want Miss Hardbroom to be upset with me for telling you though,"

Miss Drill's eyes widened. She never thought Miss Hardbroom would be one to hurt herself she always seemed so level headed and unphased by anything.

"Thank you for telling me Sybil. She won't get mad at you don't worry, you've done the right thing," Miss Drill assured her.