Happy Valley 1/8

With the whole of the Bell family aboard, the lugger Misty Magic sailed out of the transport fog and headed for the Witches’ Home quayside.

Dave was going to ask Abigail if she could think of a spell to help him lift Sir George’s old grindstone.

Jennifer Jane was there to ask if she could learn the new spell for herself, while Mary had come along to enjoy the sail and have a chat with the witches.

Abigail had seen them coming and walked down the lawn to the river. Jennifer Jane put fenders over the side of the boat to prevent the lugger’s hull being damaged by the piling, then hopped out onto the lawn and made fast to the bollards that were provided for mooring large boats. Dave and Mary stowed the sails and stepped onto the lawn in their turn.

Abigail grinned at Dave, “Everything’s ready for you. Now if you’d like to come into the front office, I think you'll all be pleasantly surprised."

They trooped after her and found lots of other witches already sitting in rows facing a large table. Behind the table were three senior witches dressed in their formal robes and pointed hats. Abigail asked Dave and Mary to sit in the front row and then led Jennifer Jane up to the table.

The middle witch of the three stood up. “Human apprentice Jennifer Jane, in recognition of your progress in elementary witchcraft, we take pleasure in awarding you your ceremonial robes and badges of competence.”

She came round from behind the table and hung a cloak round Jennifer Jane’s shoulders. Next she placed a pointed hat squarely on her head and then passed over two boxes.

“Your badge of the Grand Order of Wizardry, bronze class, and also your first year apprentice stripe and flight insignia. Congratulations my dear.”

Jennifer Jane didn’t know what to say. Her father was sitting there with a huge grin on his face. He had one arm round Mary, who was crying with emotion at this recognition of her daughter’s achievements. “I told you I’d fixed up a surprise for her didn’t I? She so obviously wanted a badge like Eve’s, that I thought she ought to have the real thing.”

All the witches were applauding heartily, while Jennifer Jane just stood still, looking bewildered. One after the other, everyone came over to her and offered their congratulations.

Abigail hung back until they’d all gone. “It’s no more than you deserve, though I’m afraid you won’t be allowed to take any of it home. You’ll be given a locker in the apprentices’ room, where you can keep everything until it’s needed for special occasions.”

Jennifer Jane stood still in her cloak and hat, while Mary pinned on her badges. “I thought we were only coming here to ask you to make Sir George’s old grindstone lighter, so that we could carry it home. This is such a smashing surprise!”

“Well now, you and Dave can come down to my spell room and I’ll teach you both the spell you want. I’ve already had a word with the seniors and they agree it’s OK. I’m sure Dave would like to learn a spell for himself, it’ll compensate to some extent for Mary being able to make cherry cake.”