Chapter 6: The Mischievous Broom
It was a bright morning at the Witch Academy, where Evanora had promised Everett a tour of the grounds. As they walked through the gates, the air buzzed with energy, filled with the sounds of students practicing spells, broomsticks zooming by, and the occasional explosion of a potion gone wrong. Everett was excited to see what magical wonders awaited them today, but he was also a little wary, knowing Evanora’s track record with her broomstick.
"I’m telling you, today’s going to be different," Evanora said confidently as they walked.
"I’ve been practicing. No more crashes!"
Everett raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure about that? Last time we were at the marketplace, you nearly took out an entire fruit stand."
Evanora blushed, brushing off the memory. "Okay, okay, but that was last week! I’m getting better."
Before Everett could respond, Evanora’s broomstick, which had been leaning innocently against a nearby wall, suddenly jolted upright as if it had heard the conversation. It wobbled for a moment, then shot into the air, spinning wildly.
Evanora’s eyes widened.
"Oh no! Not again!"
The broomstick whizzed past them, zooming through the academy courtyard like a wild animal let loose. It narrowly missed a group of witches practicing levitation spells, sending them scattering in all directions.
Everett watched in disbelief as the broomstick looped around a fountain, then sped toward a tower.
"Uh, is it supposed to do that?" he asked, his voice a mix of concern and amusement.
Evanora sighed, exasperated.
"No, it’s definitely not! It’s like it has a mind of its own sometimes."
"Sometimes?" Everett repeated, watching as the broomstick zipped back toward them. "Evanora, that thing is out of control!"
"I know! We need to catch it before it destroys something," Evanora said, already sprinting after the rogue broomstick.
Everett followed, trying to keep up with her. "Any idea how we’re supposed to stop it?"
Evanora bit her lip as they ran.
"Well, I usually just wait until it tires itself out, but I don’t think we have time for that. There are too many people around."
Just as she said that, the broomstick dove toward a group of first-year students practicing transformation spells. They shrieked and scattered, one of them accidentally turning her wand into a rubber chicken in the panic.
"Sorry!" Evanora called out as she raced past, clearly mortified.
Everett grinned despite the chaos.
"I thought you said no more crashes!"
"This is *not* my fault!" Evanora shot back, glaring at the broomstick as it swerved toward the potions lab.
"Watch out!" Everett yelled as the broomstick headed straight for a stack of cauldrons.
With a loud *clang*, the broomstick knocked over the stack, sending the cauldrons rolling across the courtyard. Witches and wizards jumped out of the way, some casting hasty shield spells to protect themselves.
"Okay, we really need to stop this thing!" Evanora said, her frustration growing.
As they chased the broomstick through the academy, Everett’s mind raced. How could they catch something that was moving so fast and unpredictably?
"Evanora," he said between breaths, "can’t you just use a spell to stop it?"
Evanora huffed. "I’ve tried that before. It didn’t work. The broomstick just dodges everything!"
"Great," Everett muttered. "So we’re supposed to just chase it until it decides to behave?"
"Unless you have a better idea!" Evanora replied.
Everett glanced around the courtyard, thinking fast. Then he spotted a group of witches practicing a binding spell on a training dummy. The dummy was wrapped in glowing ropes of magical energy, completely immobilized.
"That’s it!" Everett said, grabbing Evanora’s arm. "We can use a binding spell! If we can trap the broomstick, it won’t be able to fly away."
Evanora’s eyes lit up. "That could work! But we’ll need to corner it first."
They both turned to see the broomstick zooming in erratic circles near the potions lab, narrowly avoiding an explosion as a cauldron overflowed with a bright green potion.
"Right," Everett said. "Let’s go."
The two of them split up, trying to box in the broomstick as it whizzed around the courtyard. Evanora positioned herself near the entrance to the potions lab, while Everett moved to block its path from the opposite direction.
"Evanora!" Everett called out, "Get ready to cast the spell!"
Evanora nodded, raising her wand as she prepared the binding spell. Her hands shook a little, but she took a deep breath and steadied herself. "Come on, come on," she muttered, watching the broomstick’s erratic flight.
The broomstick swerved toward Everett, who waved his arms wildly to get its attention. "Hey! Over here!" he yelled.
The broomstick wobbled in midair, seemingly confused, before darting straight toward Everett. He dodged out of the way just in time, and the broomstick zoomed past him, heading straight for Evanora.
"Now!" Everett shouted.
Evanora flicked her wand, and glowing ropes of magic shot out, wrapping around the broomstick like a lasso. The broomstick wriggled and twisted in the air, trying to break free, but the magical bindings held it tight.
"I got it!" Evanora said, her face lighting up with relief.
The broomstick thrashed for a few more moments before finally giving up, hovering in the air, completely immobilized by the binding spell.
Everett let out a long breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Well, that was… something."
Evanora laughed, though she looked a little embarrassed. "Thanks for helping. I don’t know what’s gotten into it. It’s never been this wild before."
Everett raised an eyebrow. "Never? Are you sure about that?"
Evanora flushed. "Okay, maybe it’s been a little wild. But this was extreme!"
Everett shook his head, still grinning. "I think that broomstick of yours has a personality all its own."
As they walked back toward the courtyard, broomstick in hand, they were met with a mixture of stares, giggles, and a few glares from the other students.
"Well, at least we didn’t destroy anything major," Evanora said, though she didn’t sound completely convinced.
"Yeah, but we did cause a bit of a scene," Everett replied, glancing at the overturned cauldrons and scattered potion ingredients across the courtyard.
Evanora sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I just wanted to show you the academy without any disasters. I guess that didn’t go as planned."
Everett smiled and shook his head. "Hey, I had fun. Besides, it wouldn’t be a day with you if there wasn’t a little chaos involved."
Evanora looked up at him, surprised. "You really don’t mind?"
"Of course not," Everett said, nudging her with his elbow. "It keeps things interesting."
Evanora chuckled softly, her mood lifting. "I guess you're right. I just wish I could control my broom like the other witches."
"You will," Everett said, his voice reassuring. "You’re getting better every day."
Evanora smiled, grateful for his support. "Thanks, Everett. I don’t know what I’d do without you."
"Probably crash into a lot more things," Everett teased, earning a playful shove from Evanora.
As they continued walking, a faint rustling sound caught their attention. They turned to see a group of witches from earlier—the ones who had scattered when the broomstick had gone rogue—approaching them. Their expressions ranged from curious to amused.
"So, you finally caught the broom, huh?" one of them said, smirking.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Evanora said sheepishly. "It’s got a mind of its own."
The witch who spoke, a tall girl with bright green hair, raised an eyebrow. "You know, most witches don’t have that kind of trouble with their broomsticks."
"Yeah, well, most broomsticks aren’t as stubborn as mine," Evanora replied, crossing her arms defensively.
The green-haired witch snorted. "Maybe you’re just not cut out for it."
Before Evanora could respond, Everett stepped forward, his tone firm. "Actually, she’s doing great. She caught it, didn’t she?"
The witch blinked, clearly taken aback by Everett’s sudden defense. "Uh, yeah, I guess so."
Everett gave her a pointed look. "So maybe instead of mocking her, you could give her a little credit."
The group of witches exchanged awkward glances before shrugging and walking away. Evanora stared after them, her eyes wide.
"Did you just… defend me?" she asked, incredulous.
Everett shrugged casually. "What can I say? Someone’s got to keep those broomstick bullies in check."
Evanora laughed, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. "Thanks, Everett."
"Anytime," Everett replied, flashing her a grin.
With the mischievous broomstick finally under control, and the academy grounds settling back to their usual bustle, Evanora and Everett continued their tour, ready for whatever other magical mishaps the day had in store.