The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star (9 page)

iss Hardbroom decided that each class should come up with ideas for the competition and select the best one with the aid of their form mistresses – the chosen act to be handed in to the staffroom. Miss Hardbroom and Miss Cackle would then consider all the suggestions carefully and post the winner on the downstairs noticeboard at the end of the week.

Miss Drill’s class was bursting with ideas and Enid’s dance troupe was very popular with her classmates, but totally
un
popular with Miss Drill, who knew that it wouldn’t get past Miss Hardbroom’s disapproving eye. In the end, Form Four voted for Ethel’s chanting choir when Miss Drill said that perhaps they could incorporate a
small
amount of tap-dancing at the same time.

‘I just
know
they’ll choose my idea,’ gloated Ethel, passing Mildred in the corridor as they both started out on their nightly round of lantern-lighting.

‘The Grand Wizard’s mad about choral singing so
that’s
a start and I’ve got
such
a superb voice – my singing tutor told me that I’m impossible to teach because I’m already at such a high standard – have you got something else in your bag, Mildred? It looks absolutely stuffed.’

‘Nope,’ said Mildred briskly, hastening away down the shadowy corridor before Ethel could investigate further. ‘Better get on, or it’ll be dark before we’ve finished.’

‘It’s not fair!’ yelled Ethel, stomping into the classroom the next morning after breakfast. ‘They didn’t choose my idea, I can’t believe it!’

Form Four were busy gathering up their gym kit, ready to set off for a training session, and everyone looked up surprised.

‘How do you know, Ethel?’ asked Drusilla.

‘I’ve just seen it on the noticeboard,’ snarled Ethel. ‘They’ve chosen Form Five to do a broomstick ballet, called “The Joy of Flying” – huh! What a stupid idea; it’s not exactly
original
anyway.’

Despite Ethel’s endless sneeriness towards her, Mildred couldn’t help feeling quite sorry for Ethel. It was so terribly important to her, being first and best at all costs, and Mildred could see how upset she was not to have the chance to win such an important competition.

Miss Drill strode into the classroom, wearing yet another vibrant outfit. This one was a dress composed of green-lace cobwebs, with a short black and green striped jacket, purple starry stockings and pointed cowboy boots.

‘What’s the matter, Ethel?’ she asked sternly. ‘I could hear your voice halfway down the corridor.’

‘I’m sorry, Miss Drill,’ said Ethel, trying to sound humble. ‘I was just disappointed that our class hasn’t been chosen.’

‘We’re
all
disappointed, Ethel,’ said Miss Drill reprovingly. ‘Aren’t we, girls? But you mustn’t be a bad loser, Ethel – everyone knows that losing graciously is just as important as winning in
any
competition! There
are
some excellent dancers in Form Five – and that particular class also has some of the best fliers – yes, Ethel, I
know
you are one of the best in
this
class but it’s been decided, and you’ll just have to accept that Form Five simply came up with the best idea of all.

‘Now then, girls, gather up your kit and hurry down to the cloakroom to change and you can do a spot of broomstick gymnastics to take your minds off your little disappointment. Think of it
this
way, girls: at least you can get on with your usual studies and tasks while Form Five does all the hard work, then all you have to do is cheer them on with the rest of the school and hope they win! Sounds rather
good
news if you ask
me
!’

t sounded
brilliant
news to Mildred, who was now free to concentrate on her routine of lantern-lighting and dousing, plus sneaking Star in and out, and working extra hard at her lessons so that she didn’t draw any attention to herself. Everything was going so smoothly that she began to wonder if the wishing star had also been a
lucky
star, making things start to go right all the time – even Tabby had calmed down gradually as the days passed. It wasn’t long before he realized that Star was no threat at all and one day, when Mildred came up to her room after lessons, she found them both asleep in the holdall under her bed.

The playground was often so misty first thing that you couldn’t see the gates until you were a few feet away, which made the early dog-walk much easier. One morning when the mist was so thick that it provided perfect cover, Mildred took Star a little further into the pine forest and started to teach him a few tricks on the broomstick. He was a natural: unafraid, trusting and desperate to please his rescuer, and Mildred found that he would – and could – do anything she asked.

‘Wow,’ thought Mildred as she slalomed in and out of the trees with Star leaning into the corners like a pillion rider on a motorbike. ‘If only we could have dogs on our brooms, I’d be the school champion! Even the best cats can’t do anything much except sit there!’

Every time it was misty, which was most mornings at that time of year, Mildred taught Star some more tricks. He also came up with a few himself, such as standing on his head and doing a back-flip in mid-air that took him above the broom and over the side, with Mildred zooming underneath to catch him.

Mildred invented a new trick where Star did the usual back-flip with Mildred zooming underneath him. However, this time they started thirty feet up and did several back-flip catches, descending very fast, so that it looked quite graceful, like a tumbling waterfall. Mildred had never had so much fun on a broomstick before.

After a few weeks of morning Star-training, Mildred became so enthusiastic that she began helping him to practise some of the more complicated routines in her room. At first she was a little worried that Tabby would be jealous, but he didn’t mind at all. He absolutely hated broomstick flying and couldn’t care less about Mildred training anyone else, as long as he still had his place on her pillow at night and lots of cuddles when she was sitting in bed reading.

Star tactfully slept at the end of the bed on Mildred’s feet or curled into the back of her knees and Tabby often sneaked under the covers into Mildred’s arms, so that she sometimes woke up almost wearing the two of them. On cold nights, Mildred slept better than she had ever done, wrapped in her pets like a furry dressing gown. She had even got used to the clunking bat flap, just as Maud had said she would.

Mildred hardly saw Maud and Enid at all during the first few weeks. They often called for her, but she was usually off lantern-lighting in the evening when they all had a spare moment, and by the time she was back from dousing the candles in the morning they only had a few minutes for a quick hello before they all dashed off to breakfast.

One morning Mildred had just zipped Star into the holdall when there was a knock at the door. ‘Who is it?’ asked Mildred nervously.

The door burst open and there stood Maud and Enid, dressed and ready for the day, holding their broomsticks. ‘Surprise!’ said Maud. ‘We’re coming with you to help, so we can all have half an hour together.’

‘Gosh, Mil,’ said Enid, who was holding a large jug and a pair of kitchen scissors. ‘How on earth do you do this every morning and stay so cheerful?’

‘I’ve sort of got used to it,’ said Mildred, glancing at the bag. ‘Look, don’t worry about me, I’ll just nip round on my own. I’ll be back in a tick and we can catch up over breakfast.’

‘Don’t you like us any more, Mil?’ asked Maud, sounding really hurt. ‘You never ask us into your room these days. Have we
done
something to upset you?’

‘Maud’s right,’ said Enid. ‘It feels as if you’re avoiding both of us. We haven’t had a proper conversation with you since the first day of term.’

Mildred looked desperately at her two friends, longing to tell them but knowing that they would be horrified. She had been having such fun with Star and it had all been so easy, taking him out on lantern duty and hiding him under the bed. She thought of his sweet scruffy face gazing at her and his warmth during the long freezing nights and didn’t want to risk losing him.

‘Don’t be daft!’ said Mildred. ‘Of
course
I’m not avoiding either of you – I’ve just been busy, but I really
will
be quicker on my own and –’

‘Well, we’re coming with you, whether you like it or not,’ said Maud. ‘Enid’s got to get some foliage for her duty as Flower Monitor, haven’t you, Enid?’

‘That’s right,’ said Enid. ‘So let’s go.’

Mildred trailed miserably down the corridors, expertly flipping open the lantern flaps and putting out the candles, followed along by her broomstick and her two friends, and soon they had reached the school gates.

‘You really
are
good at this, Millie,’ said Maud as Mildred hovered expertly up and over the gateposts, deftly extinguishing the last two lanterns on the way.

They all hovered down and landed on the grass. Mildred led everyone out of sight along the outside of the wall and into the edge of the forest.

‘Gosh, Mildred,’ said Enid. ‘What on
earth
have you got in the bag?’

Star, who was looking forward to his morning runabout and broomstick fun, was wagging his tail and bustling, making the bag and broomstick jerk about madly.

Maud and Enid stared at the bag in amazement.

‘This is going to surprise you both,’ said Mildred. ‘But it really
isn’t
as bad as it looks.’

She unzipped the holdall and Star leapt out like a Jack-in-the-box. He was delighted to meet Mildred’s friends, jumping up to lick their faces, then setting off in mad circles through the trees, overjoyed to be out after his long night in Mildred’s room. Maud and Enid stood with their mouths open, stunned.