Chapter 5
"This is what I get for trying to sneak into the Potions Lab to nick some of HB's ingredients." I let out a sigh. "Give it here. You three shouldn't be messing with this. You'll get into big trouble."
"We didn't steal it," Sybil said before she handed me the Founding Stone. She explained what had happened. I sent them all back to bed.
"I'll get it put back. I promise." The three of them left and I transferred myself and the Founding Stone to the Potions Lab, grabbed the ingredients I needed for my secret project and transferred myself, the ingredients and the Founding Stone back to my room. I got out my Diction Quill and had it scribble a note for me. I quickly got out the stuff from last year's secret project. I brewed the Potion correctly and waved my hands over the cauldron.
"Conceal my Magic, The consequences otherwise tragic, Hide my Magical residue, Or I'll be blue. Hide my Magic's trace, Or they'll be on my case, Hide every part of me, Or I'll cease to be." The Trace Hiding Potion glowed dark blue and I poured it onto the Founding Stone and the paper the Diction Quill had written on. They both glowed blue for a few seconds before the Trace Hiding Potion disappeared. Good. That means it worked.
I quickly transferred them to the stand the Founding Stone had been on. The Trace Hiding Potion will keep the Magical traces I had already made from being detected and any new Magical traces I make on them in the next hour. Thankfully, it's lights out already so, by morning, any Magical traces I put on them from now on will be detected. No possible way to lead back to me apart from Sybil, Clarice and Bea and they're the ones that actually took it so they won't tell anyone. It was only an accident after all. The fire alarm started going off. Oh, girls, what have you done now? I grabbed the project I'd been working on over the summer and left my room. Everyone was running outside and I ran towards the girls' room. I bumped into Clarice and we fell over. I saw Bea run over to us. "Where's Sybil?"
"She's in our room. There's fire everywhere. We were just trying to cause a distraction so you could put the Founding Stone back. She won't leave," Bea said. Oh, no.
"The Founding Stone was already back!"
"Oh," Clarice said.
"You two go outside. If anyone asks, you made the Wildfire Spell as a kind of nightlight because Sybil was scared. I'll get Sybil." They didn't move. "NOW!" They ran off and I went to the girls' room. "Sybil! Sybil!" I started coughing because of the smoke. "Sybil!"
"Over here!" She was stuck in the room and surrounded by fire.
"Sybil!"
"Ethel, Mildred, go outside. I'll get Sybil."
"She's my sister," Ethel said.
"Yes, but you two are stuck together. You'll be more of a hindrance in getting Sybil out than a help. I'll get her out. I promise. Now go." They looked at each other and reluctantly left. The fire spread to cover to the door and Sybil shrieked. I looked at the small bottle I had in my hand. Just enough for two swallows. I swallowed once and stared at the flames. Now's the time to test if my Fireproof Potion works. I stuck my hand in the fire and felt nothing. Oh, thank God. I ran into the room.
"Sybil. This is a Fireproof Potion I created. Did you see how I walked through the flames?" She nodded her head. "You need to swallow the rest of this Potion, okay? When we get outside, if anyone asks, you were scared so Clarice and Bea decided to do a Wildfire Spell to make you feel better, okay?" She nodded and swallowed the last bit of the Potion. "Give me your hand." She passed me her hand and I put it near the flames. "They won't hurt you, okay?" She put her hand in the flames and winced slightly before relaxing.
"I can't feel it!"
"We need to get out of here before the Fireproof Potion wears off, Sybil. Please." She nodded and we ran through the flames and away from the room. We were coughing a lot from the smoke and then Sybil passed out. Great. I picked her up (the girl is kinda heavy. She is only a year younger than me) and carried her down the stairs and out of the castle. I put her down before laying down on the grass. Damn, that was too much exercise!
"Miss Black!" HB yelled.
"I ran into Bea and Clarice on my way out and they told me that Sybil was refusing to get out of her room, Miss Hardbroom. There was fire everywhere. I had to help her. We got out fine but on our way out of the castle, she passed out because of the smoke." I coughed. "Luckily, the moment the Fire Alarm went off, I grabbed my Fireproof Potion for protection. I figured since we had a Fire Drill earlier today, it wasn't a Drill this time."
"Fireproof Potion?" Ethel asked. "There's no such thing."
"I did tell you last year I was working on a new secret project." I failed to mention that it wasn't my secret project from last year. I don't want them asking what my secret project from last year is after what just happened with the Founding Stone. It's too easy to lead back to me.
"You created a Fireproof Potion?" HB asked.
"Yes, Miss Hardbroom. Luckily, I had just enough for both me and Sybil. It's probably worn off by now, though."
"You wouldn't mind sharing this Fireproof Potion with Miss Hardbroom once this unpleasantness is sorted out. Would you, Miss Black?" Miss Cackle asked.
"I'd be happy to, Miss Cackle."
...
"Miss Cackle! Miss Cackle!" I ran over to her and Maud and Mildred walked off. "Ethel did something and now there's two of her but one is a huge prankster and stole the Founding Stone from me! I don't know what she's planning on doing with it but it can't be good."
"Miss Black! You stole the Founding Stone?" HB asked with disbelief and disappointment in her eyes. No, no, no!
"No, I didn't, Miss Hardbroom. I... I was skipping class. I had an idea about Sybil and figured if she had her own mirror and could talk to her mom whenever she wanted she might feel a little better. I know it's against school rules. I'm sorry. But I remembered that there was a cool-looking, old mirror in one of the old storage rooms I found when I was exploring the castle out of boredom last year so I immediately went there and found the mirror but there was an orange glow coming from a shoebox and the Founding Stone was in there. I remember thinking it was weird because I didn't know it was missing, Miss Cackle." Well, I didn't know it was missing again.
"We didn't want to worry the students when we hadn't know what had happened."
"Then, I quickly hid the shoebox with the Founding Stone still in it when I heard someone coming. I thought they might've been the one to take it because no one ever goes in there but it was Miss Mould. She asked what I was doing but I figured just because it was a teacher doesn't mean I should discount my theory so I only told her about why I was there and not that I'd found the Founding Stone in the shoebox. She helped me with taking the mirror to Sybil's room and I put the Founding Stone in my bag and was immediately on my way here but Ethel bumped into me and the Founding Stone came out of my bag. She grabbed it and ran off with it but two seconds later Ethel came without the Founding Stone from the opposite direction to the one she'd run off and I could still see her going around the corner at the same time."
"She must've done a Cloning Spell wrong so the Ethel she created, the one with the Founding Stone, looks the same but has the opposite personality of Ethel," HB said. At least, she doesn't look disappointed in me anymore. "I knew there was something odd about Miss Mould."
"You did the right thing coming to us, Miss Black," Miss Cackle said. "Unfortunately, despite the coincidence, we cannot prove Miss Mould did anything to the Founding Stone."
"So she just gets away with it?"
"Innocent until proven guilty, Miss Black."
...
Wizards chanting and Mildred Hubble with a Wizard Staff. What is this world coming to? "Hey, Cassie!" Right. I also have Esme following me now. Everywhere I go. It's like how Drusilla was with Ethel last year. Sybil's also been acting weird with me. According to Esme, she owes me a Magical Debt and Sybil owes me a Life Debt because I saved her from the fire. The two Hallow girls won't leave me alone. And, wherever Sybil goes, Bea and Clarice tend to follow. Now, I have to work on my projects in my room and after lights out. It's annoying. I can work on it outside my room, like in the library, but only if I don't mind Bea and Sybil asking a load of questions. Which, most of the time, I don't want.
...
I got the first-place medal in Broomstick Hurdles and Witch Ball during the Second Year's Sports Day. It was funny to hear Ethel insult Maud's appearance before tripping on a broomstick and Maud celebrating that she wasn't last (Ethel was last). I couldn't help but laugh at Ethel. I can't believe Maud turned herself purple to get out of it and Ethel convinced Mildred that Mr Rowan-Webb is her grandfather.
...
"Hey, Enid!"
"Yeah?"
"Is it true you're the reason for Careers Day being cancelled and we're having an Assessment Day instead?"
"Yeah, what of it?"
"Thanks!"
"Hey, I'm being punished more than- Wait, what?"
"Did you just thank Miss Nightshade for getting everyone a day of assessments, Miss Black?" HB asked as she walked over and Enid quickly left.
"Yes! A random Assessment Day with no time to revise beforehand ensures that the steady revision I do every day is making me retain long-term knowledge and not just the quick cramming I do before our usual assessments retaining short-term knowledge to pass the exam. Sure, my dad isn't coming now but I can see my dad over the holidays. This is better than Careers Day!"
...
I can't believe Ethel is now dragging Felicity into her problems with Mildred. Seeing Ethel and Felicity covered in slime after using Pitiful Performance Potion on Enid was funny, though. Clarice has more of a sense of humour than she gives herself credit for. Naturally, I got top in my exams again. Miss Mould was particularly impressed by Enid's castle painting and my painting of the forest and its wildlife. I heard Mildred had turned herself into a bat. It must've been bat-Mildred that attacked Ethel in our Physics in Flying class.
...
"Let them stay, Miss Mould. They'll get lost and they're scared. I'll go. I've been to Hollow Wood before. It's not that scary if you know what to do and where to go," I said.
"You've been in Hollow Wood?" Ethel asked in disbelief.
"Yes. There are a lot of good Potion ingredients in Hollow Wood and I'm not so much of a wimp that I refuse to go in there. And I've needed Raven Feathers for a Potion before. Hollow Wood is the only place nearby that has Ravens."
"I am not a wimp!" Ethel insisted.
"If you say so, Ethel," Mildred said.
"I can't allow you to go by yourself, Cassie," Miss Mould said. "Okay, two of you can stay..."