WITCH SCHOOL - Book 1 (Books for Girls - WITCH SCHOOL)

by Katrina Kahler

  ‘Come on, this is enough,’ the warrior known as Lancelot said.

  ‘Spoilsport,’ the first warrior said.

  ‘Come on, you know if he doesn’t get his way he will go on and on and on and on about it,’ the fourth warrior said.

  ‘Yes, you’re right.’ The first warrior sighed. ‘Very well, go on.’

  ‘We’ve been expecting you.’ the fourth warrior laughed, which caused the others to laugh too.

  ‘Ignore those fools,’ a squeaky voice said. Charlotte looked up to see several bats flying above her head. ‘Follow us,’ the bats squeaked.

  By this stage, she didn’t even question the fact that the bats were talking. She simply followed them, eager and grateful to escape the stone warriors.

  ‘Follow us, follow us.’ They squeaked, as they flew straight through the solid stone wall beside the warriors’ platform.

  Charlotte abruptly stopped and stared in disbelief, not understanding how they traveled through the wall. She thought that only ghosts could travel through walls, not witches. She wondered if the bats were tricking her and if perhaps, they were ghosts instead. She didn’t want to bash into the wall and then be laughed at.

  ‘Hurry up and follow us.’ The bats squeaked out as they flew back out of the wall and then flew back through it again.

  Taking a deep breath, she took a few steps forwards before she paused in front of the mass of concrete and stared up at it, hoping that a door would appear and make things simpler.

  ‘I can do this,’ she said under her breath, before taking another step forward so that she was almost touching the solid looking surface. She was about to reach out and touch it when one of the bats flew back out and flapped its wings beside her.

  ‘No, you have to walk through it.’ Its squeak was decisive. ‘Hurry, hurry, you have to come now.’

  Charlotte took one last look around her. She knew that she had to do it then or not at all, so she stepped through the wall.

  Chapter Three

  Pink Persian carpets covered the central part of the marble floors that were under Charlotte’s feet as she stood in the large, high ceilinged entrance hall.

  She stopped by her bags that were there waiting for her and looked at the various spiral staircases that were in front of her, the banisters gold. Huge portraits of women in witches’ hats and holding broomsticks were hanging on the grand looking walls, and there was an overwhelming smell of rose petals.

  Charlotte had never been anywhere as impressive as this before, and she found herself staring at it open-mouthed.

  ‘Follow us, follow us,’ the bats squeaked before they flew down and picked up her bags with their feet and flew them up one of the staircases.

  Charlotte wondered how they were strong enough to carry her bags, but then again, they could talk, so being extraordinarily strong seemed minor in comparison. She followed them up the staircase and past a large gold bust that was standing by the wall.

  They led her through a gilded golden door and into a room that was about four times the size of her bedroom at home. There were four large, bronze-framed beds in the rooms, each with an array of pillows in creams and golds and an ivory blanket folded at the end of the light grey colored duvet.

  The bats placed her bags down in front of the bed furthest from the door, before they fluttered out of the room, closing the door behind them.

  An owl appeared and perched on the windowsill by the open window, and it watched Charlotte intently as she looked around the room.

  Apart from the beds, the only other items in the room were an intricately carved ornate gold mirror and an enormous wooden wardrobe.

  ‘Don’t open the wardrobe,’ the owl hooted.

  ‘Why not?’ she asked, wondering why the wardrobe had been put there if she couldn’t use it.

  ‘Don’t open the wardrobe,’ the owl repeated before it flew off outside.

  Charlotte sat down on her bed and wondered what she was supposed to do next. The castle was so massive and daunting; she decided that she’d just wait there until someone told her what she should do. She certainly did not want to try exploring and risk getting lost.

  The door opened, and the bats flew in carrying bags, followed by a girl in a creamy white dress, with chin length, wavy dark-blonde hair. The bats flew over to the bed by the window and put the bags down in front of it.

  ‘Hi, I’m Stef.’ She smiled, as she studied the room.

  ‘Charlotte. Pleased to meet you Stef.’

  ‘So, we’re going to need rules for this bedroom gig to work. No sitting on other beds or touching each other’s stuff!’

  The door opened, and again the bats flew in carrying bags, this time followed by a smiling girl, with curly blond hair.

  ‘Hi, I’m Gerty.,’ She looked around excitedly. ‘This place is so cool! I’ve never seen a castle this big before. And the bats actually talk.’

  ‘How old are you?’ Stef put her hands on her waist as she looked questioningly at the young girl.

  ‘They don’t normally accept students until they’re eleven, but they let me in a year early because I’m good at magic,’ she said without pausing for breath.

  ‘That’s cool,’ Charlotte said.

  ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea for a ten-year-old to be here, from what I hear the lessons are challenging and a ten-year-old doesn’t have the same maturity as an eleven-year-old.’ Stef commented with a smug expression.

  ‘It’s only a year’s difference,’ Charlotte said.

  ‘I’m so excited,’ Gerty continued, ignoring Stef’s comment. ‘I’ve not been able to sleep properly in days. I wonder what lesson we’ll have first?’ Gerty fell back onto her bed and began to pull her body up with her hands as she bounced on the firm surface.

  ‘Do you think anyone else will come and take that bed?’ Stef asked curiously, as she gestured to the spare bed.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Charlotte replied.

  ‘Hopefully, it’s just us because it’ll give us more space.’ Stef walked over to the wardrobe. ‘At least we have this to put our clothes in.’

  ‘I wouldn’t open that, there was an owl here and it said not to open it.’

  ‘Whatever.’ Stef rolled her eyes before pulling open the doors.

  A black hole of intense force sucked Stef forwards, she grabbed onto the inner side of the wardrobe and clung on tightly as her body was turned horizontal. Charlotte and Gerty both rushed over to her, and each grabbed one of Stef’s arms, pulling as hard as they could.

  A pretty girl with long blond hair tied into a high ponytail and wearing a knee-length satin black skirt and a fitted white blouse that emphasized her slim waist, stepped into the room, a long silver wand in hand.

  ‘Newbies,’ she tutted before she waved her wand in the girls’ direction. ‘Entario.’

  Stef was thrown back into the room, and she landed on the floor with a loud thump, her hair a mess and her dress blown up around her waist so that her old knickers with a hole by the waistband were on show. She immediately jumped up onto her feet; her cheeks flushed as she flattened down her dress and then tried to smooth down her hair.

  Charlotte and Gerty both giggled, and Stef stared at them sternly, which caused them both to fall silent.

  ‘I am Molly McDonald, the head prefect.’ She tapped the small silver triangular pin on her blouse, the words ‘head prefect’ written on it in italic black font. ‘I am here to welcome you all to Miss Moffat’s Academy, we are renown for being one of the most successful schools for witches in the world, and you’re all very lucky to be here. Don’t squander this opportunity that you’ve been given. Also, it is of the utmost importance that you always follow the rules and instructions that have been given to you.’ She glanced towards Stef who was looking embarrassed.

  ‘Oh, there’s still one more girl to come to this room.’ She turned and said after she’d reached the door. ‘Alice Smithers.’

  ‘What’s she like?’ Gerty asked.

  ‘You�
��ll have to wait and see.’ She shrugged, a smirk on her face, as she left the room.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Charlotte asked Stef.

  ‘Yeah, fine,’ she said defensively.

  ‘Wasn’t Molly so pretty? I want to be that pretty. Do you think I’ll be able to cast a spell to make myself look like her?’ Gerty asked.

  ‘I think it’ll be awhile before you learn powerful spells, I mean you are only ten,’ Stef replied.

  ‘You’re already pretty, Gerty, you don’t need to look like Molly,’ Charlotte said.

  ‘Thanks, I think you’re both really pretty too, and I love your hair,’ she replied, which caused Charlotte to instinctively pat down her hair.

  ‘Yeah, I suppose you look okay.’ Stef shrugged.

  ‘You guys are so nice. I hope Alice is nice too.’

  ‘Yeah, me too,’ Charlotte said, not wanting to be stuck in a room with someone she didn’t like. Gerty was giggly and excitable, and Stef was confident and blunt, but Charlotte liked them both and hoped that the other girl would fit in as well.

  A loud bell rang out which startled Charlotte as she looked at the other girls. Just then the owl swooped into the room.

  ‘Follow me to the meeting room,’ the owl hooted, and the girls nodded before following it out of the room.

  They were led down the spiral staircase and along the wide hallway until they got to an arched doorway. As they walked closer, the doors opened inwards, and the owl flew off. They stepped into the meeting room that was full of rows of chairs, most of which had students sitting on them. The room was alive with excited voices, and Charlotte and Gerty followed Stef over to some free seats in one of the middle rows.

  There was a raised platform in front of them with an impressive burgundy and gold armchair. The chair had an oval backrest that had massive dragon’s wings attached to the sides.

  ‘I’ve never seen this many witches before,’ Gerty said, as she peered over her shoulder. ‘It’s so exciting.’

  ‘How long do you think we’ll have to sit here for?’ Stef asked, as she restlessly tapped her fingers against the frame of her seat.

  ‘It shouldn’t be long,’ Charlotte replied, looking up at the grey-bricked walls that had a row of colored shields displayed on them.

  This whole experience was a new one for Charlotte, and she wondered what was going to happen next. She was curious to find out what it would be but really hoped that she wouldn’t have to solve any more riddles.

  Chapter Four

  The doors into the room opened, and the room fell silent as dozens of bats flew up the aisle in-between the seats. Behind the bats flew a beautiful woman who was on a black handled broomstick with flickers of gold flashing vividly along its length. She hovered by the armchair and elegantly stepped off her broom, before making it float beside her.

  Her long chestnut colored hair sat in cone-shaped funnels at the sides of her head, and her pale skin was clear of any blemishes. She stared towards the girls with eyes as dark as black sapphires, clutching authoritatively to her fur-trimmed luxurious looking cloak.

  Then, with a welcoming smile, she sat down on the chair and placed her arms elegantly on the rests.

  ‘Hello students, new and old, I am Miss Moffat, the head-witchress and founder of this academy. I established it over four-hundred-years ago, and I regard it as my greatest achievement. Many well-renown witches have attended here, including Ivy Glossington who developed the famous chant to ward off trolls and Fiona Fitzgerald who wrote the best-selling Witches Of The World books.

  This school is notorious for being one of the best of its kind, so for all the new students here today you should feel very privileged to have been offered a place here. I advise you all to make the most of this wonderful opportunity and not waste it. Each one of you now represents this school and what we stand for. Knowledge is what this school feeds on and from it can come greatness…but don’t be fooled into thinking this can be achieved without hard work and one-hundred-percent effort. Many longed for a place here and didn’t succeed. They’re now forced to attend Witchery College, most-famous for its long line of witches who dabble in the dark arts, something that is thoroughly frowned upon at this academy.

  When you have finished your education, you will graduate with the finest moral upstanding and most advanced skills in the magical community, skills which are considered-‘

  The doors creaked open, followed by footsteps. Miss Moffat was scowling, so everyone else turned to see what had happened. Standing there in a green and yellow sequined dress and with her mousy brown hair under a witch’s hat, was a young girl.

  ‘Good afternoon, sorry I’m a tad late. My bags are outside, could you ask the servants to collect them for me.’ Her voice was confident and assured, and she was clearly unfazed by all the eyes on her. Everyone stared open-mouthed, amazed at her rudeness.

  ‘And who, are you?’ Miss Moffat asked.

  ‘I am Alice, Alice Smithers. I presumed you would have known that.’

  ‘You presumed wrong,’ Miss Moffat replied.

  Alice was about to say something else when Molly rushed over to her and led her over to Charlotte and the others.

  ‘These are your roommates,’ Molly said.

  ‘Oh, I’ll be wanting my own room.’

  ‘You have to share, everyone else your age shares a room,’ Molly said, before she walked back over to her seat, leaving Alice standing there looking begrudgingly at the girls.

  The only empty seat was next to Stef, and that meant Alice would have to squeeze past Gerty and Charlotte to get to it, but it was clear that she wasn’t willing to do this. Aware that everyone was staring, Charlotte gently nudged Stef’s arm and motioned for her to move along. At first, Stef shook her head and folded her arms, but Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows with insistence. Stef let out an exaggerated sigh before she moved onto the next seat. Charlotte and Gerty both shuffled along as well which meant that Alice could sit down at the end of the row.

  ‘As I was saying, it is at this Academy where you shall learn skills which are considered greatly valuable in the magical society. Your final goal for your education at this esteemed Academy is for all of you, even those of you who are rude enough to interrupt me is to develop your powers in order to become refined young witches and learn to use your powers for the good of everybody, including ordinaries.

  ‘There is a strict code of conduct at this Academy that you must follow,’ Miss Moffat continued in a strict tone.

  Dozens of scrolls flew in the door and floated in the air before the students.

  Miss Moffat went through each point.

  ‘You must all treat each other and the members of staff with respect.’ Her eyes focused on Alice as she made this statement.

  ‘No dark or black magic will be tolerated in this Academy.’

  ‘The Academy’s reputation as a school for refined young witches is to be upheld at all times.’

  ‘It’d be easier if she just laid down the rules, you know like lights out at 9 pm and no running in the hall,’ Gerty whispered to Charlotte, which caused her to giggle before putting her finger to her lips to signal for her to be quiet. It was then that Alice stuck her arm into the air but didn’t wait to be asked to speak.

  ‘Excuse me miss; those rules are fairly general, do you have any more specific ones?’ she blurted out what everyone else was thinking, but that no one else dared to ask.

  ‘This is not a day nursery for babies; you need to live by this code of conduct and make wise choices in the things you do and how you conduct yourself while at this Academy. There will be consequences for anyone who disobeys these rules. I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to point this out today, but it appears that it may be necessary.

  1st offense-a wart will appear on your face.

  2nd-Your nose will grow, by how much is determined by the severity of your misadventure.

  3rd-Your laugh shall change to that of a witch’s cackle.

  4th-Your skin shall turn gr
een.

  5th-Your eyes shall turn bright red and bloodshot.

  6th-The final warning. The word naughty shall appear on your forehead and will remain there for an entire month.

  The severity and timing of these punishments will depend on the code of conduct violation. In other words, the naughtier you are, the worse the consequence.’

  Alice once again lifted up her hand.

  ‘Yes, Miss Smithers?’ Miss Moffat said in a sarcastic tone.

  ‘What happens if you are naughty after the sixth consequence?’

  ‘Then you shall be expelled from this Academy and shall have to attend the lowly rated public-school Witchery College, headed by Mistress Ravenshawk.’ She shuddered.

  The girls all looked around at each other and exchanged knowing glances. It was clear that no one wanted to mess up, especially if it meant the consequence that Miss Moffat had threatened. Charlotte noticed that even Alice had gone quiet and lowered her gaze at the mention of Witchery College.

  Charlotte found herself wondering how many students had been expelled and if Mistress Ravenshawk was as terrifying as she sounded, although she hoped that she’d never end up as a student at her school to find out.

  ‘Go back to your room and unpack and get ready for dinner. If you’re new here and unsure of the way back to your rooms then call for a bat, and one will promptly arrive to guide you,’ Miss Moffat stood up and got onto her broomstick. All the girls watched as she flew towards the now opened doors and left the room.

  The hall instantly erupted into noise as all the girls began talking to each other.

  ‘I know the way to the room,’ Stef said, as she stood up and pushed her way past the others to get to the end of the row.

  ‘Mind where you’re treading with your big feet, these shoes are one-of-a-kind,’ Alice demanded.

  Stef ignored Alice’s comment. ‘Come on guys.’

  They all stood and joined Stef, following the crowd of girls out of the hall, excited at the prospect of their futures in this school.