Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Rain could be heard pouring down the windows outside of the academy. It had been raining tremendously the past two days, which the teacher of Pysical Education, miss Darcy Drill, didn't find a good enough excuse to cancel the lessons. So, all the first years were running around the courtyard in laps as they got drenched in the rain.

"Come on girls! Just twenty more laps and than you can all take a break!" Miss Drill shouted from under the entrance door with an encouraging smile. All the girls groaned in unison. A break wouldn't matter much. Everyone was already completely soaked so if they'd take a break they'd only get cold. A young blonde haired girl ran in the front. She seemed to be doing her best, unlike the rest.

"Good busy Pippa!" Miss Drill shouted. "Take an example from Pippa Pentangle, everyone!" The rest of the girls groaned in unison once more. Pippa looked behind her and waved her arm to her fellow first years.

"Come on everyone! The harder you run the warmer you get!" She gave everyone a bright smile, and it seemed like the girls did try and close the gap between her and them. Pippa was very popular amongst her peers. She didn't really know why, but everyone liked her. It probably had something to do with the fact that she was nice to everyone, and very beautiful. She had gold blonde hair and brownish eyes that almost seemed pink when in the sunlight. She had a very kind smile and she had a natural charisma that made people just seem to be nice her. That, and her father was one of the richest wizards in the country, but she refused to believe that kids sucked up to her because of that. She looked at miss Drill for a moment, and was surprised to see miss Marbles, the potions teacher, talking with her. Marlene Marbles was odd, to day the least. In the past and first few weeks of school, the first years had all experienced miss Marbles... Interesting lessons enough to know she was... unique. She had ginger hair that was so curly it looked as tho it had exploded during a potion experiment. She wore loose brown robes that swished around with every movement she made, always nearly swooping cauldrons off the tables when she'd turn around dramatically. Miss Drill nodded a couple times as miss Marbles mumbled something inaudible before making a twirl and walking away. The P.E teacher turned towards the running first years.

"Girls, change of plans! Get inside and to the potions lab!" Everyone immediately started running to the entrance door, much harder than they had initially been running. Not much later all first year girls were in the potions laboratory. Still soaking wet.

"What do you suppose they brought us here for?" A dark brown haired girl with her long hair loose over her shoulders, called Circe Crow, asked Pippa, who was sitting in front of her.

"Dunno." She simply replied. She really had no idea.

"I heard that there's an evil troll down in the castle's basement and they're going to choose someone to slay it!" The girl next to Circe said.

"I heard they were going to announce that school would be canceled until the rain stops." Another girl close by joined in.

"You wish. I heard that someone turned Miss Oracle's hair neon pink, and that she's going to make the girl who did that scrub every cauldron every day the rest of the year." Peppa chuckled at the thought of the deputy headmistress of miss Cackle, Raven Oracle, with neon pink hair instead of her long, way white hair. Now That, would be a prank.

"Well, I heard they were going to introduce a new girl." Circe said wittily, as tho she was smarter than everyone else. Pippa shrugged as the conversation died down when miss Oracle walked in.

"Quiet, eveyone." Miss Oracle folded her hands in front of her, waiting for everyone to quiet down. Peppa, along with most girls at Cackles, had quite some respect for miss Oracle. She had white hair, as well as white eyebrows and eyelashes. She had a dark red lipstick on and wore a black long dress, with black see through sleeves and a slightly flowey skirt. She also wore a black corset, and some witchy boots. The reason why most girls had so much respect for her, was because she belonged to one of the greatest wizarding families to have Ever lived in the world. At least the first years had that respect. The older they got, the more familiar they became with miss Oracle, and the more normal she became. But all first years were still very much intimidated by her status.

"Good morning, girls." Miss Oracle said. "As you possibly already know, we've gathered you all here to introduce a new girl." Circe looked around proudly for being correct. "I want everyone to help her settle in, and welcome her with open arms." While miss Oracle said that, she turned around as miss Cackle and a girl walked into the potions lab. It was completely silent as miss Cackle looked around before giving the girl an encouraging smile.

"Why does she look like she got her clothes from the dumpster?" Pippa heard Circe break the silence behind her. Luckily, she got a stern glare from miss Oracle, which shut her up quickly. Miss Cackle continued to smile. When no words came out of the girl's mouth tho, clutching onto her broomstick tightly, Miss Oracle took the word.

"This is Hecate Hardbroom, she'll be your classmate from now on."

Pippa looked at Hecate Hardbroom. She had jet-black hair, braided into two loose ponytails. She had equally black eyes that looked rather nervous. And altho she didn't agree with how Circe had put it, Hecate did seem to be wearing a uniform that had been worn a lot before. They didn't seem to fit her very well either as they were slightly too big for her tall and lanky figure.

"Circe Crow you will be in charge of showing Hecate around." Miss Oracle broke the silence. Circe immediately scoffed.

"I'm sorry miss Oracle, but I... I need to study for some important things. I can't show her around." It was obvious that she was lying, but it seemed that miss Oracle wasn't going to waste energy on that today and simply raised her eyebrows before nodding in Pippa's direction. "Alright, than you will show her around, Pippa Pentangle." Pippa gave a nod and waved Hecate over with a smile. She always liked meeting new witches. Hecate initially didn't really move, until she got a gentle nudge in her back from miss Cackle, who took her broom from her as she walked up to the tables. She awkwardly sat down next to Pippa, avoiding eye contact. Miss Cackle looked at miss Oracle before saying "Alright, that is that. I believe their next lesson is about to begin." The two soon made their leave.

"Ew, it even smells like garbage, where did they find you." Circe waved her hand in front of her nose as if the smell was unbearable.

"Uhm, Circe, I believe that is us all, we're the ones wearing soaked clothes." Pippa replied. Circe rolled her eyes and leaned on her table.

"Hecate is your name right?" she asked innocently. Hecate didn't reply tho, which seemed to irritate her. "Are you deaf? I asked you something, Twig."

Pippa looked at Hecate for a second before looking back at Circe. She was friends with her and knew that she could sometimes be a bit blunt or even mean, but Pippa was starting to get tired of it.

"Couldn't your parents afford proper clothes?" Circe's concern sounded dramatically fake.

"Oh just stop it Circe. Leave her be." Pippa looked at her friend with a frown. Circe frowned back, a bit surprised.

"Why are you taking her side? We are friends, you barely know that girl." Pippa crossed her arms and stood up, looking up at Circe.

"Because you're not being very nice. Yes we're friends but that doesn't mean I will let you tease the new girl. Miss Oracle said be welcoming, remember?" Pippa knew that everyone took what miss Oracle said, very seriously. Nobody, including Circe, wanted to get on her bad side. She didn't often get furious but they all heard enough stories to not want to even try. When Pippa didn't get a reaction anymore she rolled her eyes and sat back down. She gave Hecate a smile, before focussing on the start of the lesson as miss Marbles strutted into the potions lab.

Chapter Text

If Hecate had thought she would've been able to disappear between the busy students after her introduction, to be forgotten by everyone and just be silent and not stand out, she was solely mistaken. If not for her head sticking out above all other students, miss Marbles had certainly decided to dedicate this entire potion's class to testing the girl's knowledge.
On most of her questions, the black haired girl had to mumble that she didn't know. And it seemed that miss Marbles was completely oblivious to the growing laughter as she kept firing questions at Hecate during the lesson.

"On page 6 you shall find all necessary ingredients for today's invisibility potion. However you should add 4 frog's eyes instead of 3.. Oh, and new girl.... He.. catie? Katie? You." She pointed a ladle at the girl. "What's the one ingredient you shouldn't add?" Hecate just wanted to disappear. She'd only arrived here an hour ago and already she was the laughing stock. It was just like home.. Home being.. well, not really a home in the sense of a place one would call home. Just a place where she lived for a long time.
"Dun..no.." she mumbled.
Miss Marbles' fiery red eyebrows knitted together as she took one step towards where Hecate was standing next to Pippa. She nearly knocked off a cauldron from a nearby table with her excessively swishy clothes. However it didn't seem to bother her.
"Thats the tenth time you 'dunno'. Are you sure you are a witch?" She sounded genuinely concerned. But than she chuckled and snapped her fingers. On everyone's book the third ingredient was crossed through. "Maybe that makes it clearer. Perhaps now you can guess right, Katie."
Circe chuckled and raised her hand. Miss Marbles turned around to walk back to her desk. When Hecate failed to answer her, she turned around yet again, her robes narrowly missing a pot filled with slug slime. She than saw Circe's hand.
"Hmyes miss Crow?"
"I don't think it's fair you're asking her all the questions miss." She started. Pippa frowned at her. See? If her friend was given some time she'd turn around and be nice to the new girl. The blonde girl smiled.
"I mean, she's new here. And if I had to guess by the state of her uniform and her lack of verbal.. capability, I don't think she knows how to read. Or speak come to think of it." The smile on Pippa's face faltered at Circe's words. It was true that Hecate's uniform did appear to not fit her entirely well, and it looked old, like a hand me down. But that wasn't a reason to assume she couldn't read or write! She gave Circe a slightly irritated, and puzzled look. Why was she acting so nasty? With any regular teacher, these words surely wouldnt've been accepted. Unfortunately, miss Marbles wasn't a very regular teacher. She was but predictable, and today she apparently decided to humor Circe. She thought for a moment, before she twirled around again and walked back to her desk, grabbing her quill. The class was dead silent as they all awaited what the potion's teacher would do about Circe, or about the new girl's inability to answer.
After scribbling something in her notebook, she spoke.
"What a pitty." She said solemnly. "Well, who Can answer my question?" Multiple hands went up into the air. "Ah yes, I myself of course! Wolfsbane! Your potion books are all wrong, wolfsbane should Never go into an invisibility potion. Now, get to work!" She clapped her hands and after a moment, all first years quickly went about making the potion.

When potion's class was over, Pippa walked out, following Circe as the blackhaired girl walked out swiftly. "Circe, wait up! Why are you walking so fast!" Circe turned around and looked behind Pippa. The latter frowned and looked back as well, watching how Hecate, the new girl, put her books back in her old leather bag.
"To get away from that thing." She said smugly.
"You mean Hecate." Pippa replied sharply. "What you said in there was totally unnessesary, Circe. She's probably just nervous. I know I would be, when certain witches are so unwelcoming." She gave her friend a glare. Circe huffed.
"I didn't realize wayward half baked witches collected from the trash were more important than the first friend you made at Cackles." She said as she turned and stomped away.
Pippa ran a hand through her hair as she sighed in frustration. Than, she turned to Hecate, who'd just walked out and was about to turn into an empty corridor, to hopefully hide and not be missed by anyone. However, Pippa caught her by the arm and yanked her with, her arm locked in hers.
"Come on. Don't mind what the others say. You're in my charge and I won't let the others walk over you. And, I've got to show you around the school." She said and gave Hecate a kind smile. Hecate yelped when she was yanked back. She stared at the blond haired girl. Her name was Pippa, she remembered. She gave her an unsure smile back. It seemed that she somehow made a friend..? She'd seen her talk with that mean girl and her green sash around the waist. She herself had a dull, old, red one, and Pippa was wearing a bright purple one. She wondered what the colours meant, neither miss Cackle nor miss Oracle had informed her about that. She'd arrived rather late and after being introduced to the headmistress and her intimidating depute, she'd been almost immediately sent down to meet her new classmates.. She'd almost mustered up the courage to ask her new friend about it, when Pippa pulled her through a door, beginning to explain about the dining hall.

"..And this here is the library." Pippa concluded the tour throughout the whole of the school. "Tips are much appreciated." She chuckled at her own joke. Hecate frowned, feeling into her pockets for any spare money, clearly not picking up on the joke part. When the blonde girl realized, she quickly put her hands on Hecate's and smiled brightly at her. "Oh no no, it was a joke. I don't need anything." When she how Hecate continued to search for anything to give: "Honest, I swear on the witches code. It was fun to show you around." Hecate seemed to relax. "Any questions?" Pippa asked, holding her head slightly angled, curious if Hecate would finally speak. She hadn't said a word since she arrived, apart from the mumbling when being questioned by miss Marbles. Pippa didn't want to give Circe any credit but she had started to wonder if the girl really couldn't speak.
After a minute of waiting awkwardly, Hecate spoke. Her voice was soft, more like a whisper.
"What..." She cleared her throat and continued her question, the words stumbling out of her mouth like they'd all tripped and came out mixed. She fiddled with the sash around her waist.
"Whatre sshes fr. Th... uhm, the clour. I mn. n' whres the sleepn ll?" Pippa leaned in closer to be able to hear the girl speak, and frowned.
"Sorry, come again?" She asked, unsure of what Hecate had said.

Instantly, Hecate turned bright red. God she hated this! She'd always been nervous to talk. Especially when most of the things out of her mouth sounded awkward or forced, or somehow different than she'd imagined. She'd realized quickly that it was better to just talk as little as possible. And when she did talk it was softer and softer until people couldn't understand her, and than she was made to repeat herself like now and oh God it was just a giant spiral downward! Hecate promptly turned around and marched out, her brisk walk being stopped abruptly when she bumped into none other than Circe Crow. Both witches fell to the ground, the book Circe was holding, falling to the ground. The same thing happened with Hecate's bag. She scrambled up as quick as she could, stood there for a moment, as tho wanting to say something to the appalled girl on the ground, before thinking better of it and promptly running off. Pippa came running out of the library. "Hecate!! Wait! Come back!" She stopped next to Circe, who'd just gotten up and dusted off her neat uniform. She watched Hecate turn a corner and disappear out of sight.
"Ugh, what an idiot." she said, looking at Pippa. "You're much too nice to her, Pips. Come on, now that she is gone, you don't need to force yourself to spend time with such poor garbage, lets go to lunch." She yanked Pippa with her. The blonde girl let herself be dragged along, tho her expression was everything but cheerful. She gave Circe a look that made it clear she was about done with the name calling. However, she didn't pull away or go after Hecate. Despite how mean Circe was to the girl, one thing that she'd said today was true. Pippa and Circe had been friends since the start of term, about a month now. Whilst she only knew Hecate for about an hour or two. It felt unfair to just abandon her friend for a new girl.
She would take some food when lunch was over and look for Hecate if she didn't show up in the dining hall.