Chapter Text
Ethel Hallow,
a tall, talented, sharp‑faced blond girl with a perfectly neat ponytail. Defined by her cold perfection, most would describe her as an arrogant person who will do everything to reach what she wants. Ethel is very ambitious, but at the same time insecure. She is a Hallow after all, and to prove she is worthy of the name she feels she must do everything as perfectly as possible. That pressure often leads her to choices she regrets later.
But after all, once a Hallow, always a Hallow, right?
She has two sisters, Esmeralda and Sybil, whom she loves very much, even if she does not always show it in the right way. Esme is going into her fifth and final year at Cackle's, while Sybil is starting her first. Ethel has waited all summer break for this moment, the three of them together in the same place for the rest of the year, without a mother who compares them all day long or moments where Ethel feels she is never quite enough. This was her third year and it is going to be perfect, she could feel it.
She looks up to her older sister, wanting to become just like her: head girl, top of her classes. Not necessarily because she wants to, but because she feels the pressure that she has to. Her parents, well mostly her mother, say she should do just as well as Esmeralda, which annoys her because she is good, just different. She is not the same person, but that never seems to reach Miss Hallow's mind.
God, she hated her own thoughts sometimes. (Most of the time.)
Her alarm went off at 5:47 AM, sharp and shrill in the quiet room. Ethel stared at her dark room for a moment before she pushed herself upright to open the curtains. Outside she saw metal fences and grass that had seen better days. The blonde splashed cold water on her face, feeling the icy sting wake her fully. She dressed neatly, tied her hair into her usual ponytail, and grabbed the suitcase she had prepared the night before. She carried it downstairs, her footsteps quiet on the wooden steps.
The kitchen was empty. Good. She made herself breakfast, ate in silence, then went upstairs to brush her teeth. She checked her uniform one last time, straightened her collar, and walked toward the front door.
"You girls ready?" Esmerelda called from the hallway.
Ethel didn't answer. She simply opened the door and stepped outside without saying goodbye to her parents. She never did. It was easier that way.
She grabbed her broom, and together with Sybil and Esmerelda the three sisters flew toward Cackle's Academy. After a while they arrived. Ethel landed flawlessly but didn't even have the chance to get Nightstar off her broom before something, or rather someone, crashed into her back.
She turned around, furious. Who would bump into her on the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL? She spun fully and sighed loudly when she saw the face.
Ugh. Of course the person who crashed into her was...
Mildred Hubble,
a clumsy, warm‑hearted girl with soft brown eyes and chestnut hair that she braided each morning even though the strands never quite behaved. Her pigtails were usually uneven, her red ribbon sat crooked no matter how often she fixed it, and her smile appeared quickly whenever she grew excited or nervous. Mildred had a round, open face that made her emotions easy to read, and she moved with a hurried bounce as if she was always slightly behind schedule. She tried her best in everything she did, but her best often came with ink stains on her sleeves. She meant well, always, but good intentions rarely saved her from disaster.
She was woken by her alarm and opened her eyes to see a golden glow wash over the windows. She stretched, yawned, and pushed herself upright. She braided her hair into her usual pigtails, though one side ended up slightly thicker than the other. She got dressed in her uniform while, looked into the mirror, adjusted her red ribbon, adjusted it again, and then gave up when it still sat crooked.
When she was ready, she looked out of the window to see birds nesting in the trees and the familiar castle behind them. Her third year at Cackle's was about to begin. Who would have ever thought that?
This year she had a simple goal: do not cause trouble and do not mess things up. It sounded easy, but for a Hubble it was nearly impossible. Everything that can go wrong will go wrong, especially when it comes to Mildred Hubble. Organization was not one of her strengths either...
She walked into the living room where Tabby was waiting to be petted.
"Morning!" Mildred said. "Good morning, sweetheart. I made yoghurt with berries, do you want some?" her mom asked. "No thanks, Mom, I'll eat at school." "Okay then. Mildred, do you have everything packed yet?" Julie asked. "Yes, I have my books, clothes, homework, ingredients and... WAIT, where is my spellbook?! I cannot forget this, Miss Hardbroom will do something to me if I do and the first day hasn't even started yet!" Mildred said.
She checked her bag, panicked when she thought she had lost the book, sprinted through the apartment until she found it, and then returned breathless and relieved.
Mildred grabbed her broomstick, realizing she was already running a little late, and called a quick goodbye to her mom before rushing out the door.
"Love you, Mom!" "Love you too, sweetie, have a safe flight!"
"I will! ...try!"
She flew in a hurry, and it went surprisingly well. But what goes well will go wrong, and that is exactly what happened when Mildred tried to land.
"Tabby, stay calm, we are almost there. TABBY!" The cat moved, the broom dipped downward, and Mildred lost control. She crashed with a loud thud into someone.
"Oh! I am so sorry, are you alright?" Mildred asked, scrambling to her feet.
The other girl turned around, and Mildred's heart dropped when she saw who she had bumped into.
Ethel Hallow. Of course. How could she be so stupid?
"Mildred Hubble," Ethel said sharply, "seriously? Couldn't you wait a little longer before crashing into me?"
"I didn't mean to!" Mildred blurted. "Tabby moved and the broom dipped and I tried to fix it but then it just... didn't fix."
"That much is obvious," Ethel muttered. "Honestly, Hubble, it is the first day. The first day. Is it truly that difficult not to cause chaos for a single morning?"
Mildred flushed. "I said I was sorry."
"And I heard you," Ethel replied coolly, "but apologies do not magically repair my spine."
"Your spine is fine."
"You don't know that."
"You're standing perfectly straight."
"I always stand perfectly straight."
"Well... yes. That's true."
Ethel glared at her, and Mildred immediately regretted speaking.
God, how Ethel couldn't stand her. She was always... something. her shoes weren't tied properly. Her ribbon was crooked. Her braid was uneven. Hell, even her socks weren't even the same length. How could someone like her exist and annoy her so much?
And yet Ethel had this strange feeling every time Mildred was around. It burned when she thought about it.
Ethel had a few goals for this year, written carefully during the summer holiday while she was at home, each one noted in her neat, precise handwriting:
1. Become top of her class.
2. Avoid unnecessary trouble.
3. Prove to her mother she is capable in her own way.
4. Keep her sisters safe.
And as last:
5. Do NOT think about Mildred Hubble.
But... will she succeed?
The year had only just begun.