WITCH DETECTIVES

Sunny and I run across campus like nothing’s going to stop us.

Our shoes thwap across the tile floors in the library. Everything sounds so loud in this quiet sanctuary.

A few people look up at us. I feel bad for making a ruckus in the library, but Sunny and I simply must learn the truth as quickly as possible.

We race to the circulation desk. Ms. Fernandez sees us coming. She and Ms. Egli run the library, and they’re both witches.

We lean on the counter to catch our breath. We sound like a couple of dogs panting.

I can’t help but notice that Ms. Fernandez has on the cutest library-book dress. The entire print has bookshelves with books standing, leaning, and stacked. You can even read some of the famous titles on the spines.

Ms. Fernandez tucks a lock of her shiny black hair behind her ear.

“Hi, Heidi. Hi, Sunny,” she says. “How may I help you today?”

I launch right in with my burning question. “Hi, Ms. Fernandez. How long have you worked at Broomsfield Academy?”

Ms. Fernandez takes off her glasses.

“Twenty years!” Then she looks at us suspiciously, like, why on earth would we need to know that?

Sunny counters with another question. She sounds like a real detective. “So, would you say you were here three years ago?”

“I was indeed,” Ms. Fernandez replies. “What are you two up to?”

We both lean in closer.

“Do you have any information about what happened three years ago on Friends and Family Weekend?” I ask.

Ms. Fernandez raises an eyebrow. “Why would you girls want to know about that?”

“Well, we overheard Mrs. Kettledrum and Natalie Nguyen mention something that happened at the Friends and Family Weekend three years ago,” I begin, “but then they left the room and we didn’t catch any details.

“Will you fill us in, Ms. Fernandez? We promise not to say anything.”

Ms. Fernandez is quiet for a moment, like she is thinking of what to reveal, but then she begins to speak. “Well, I’m not sure I should be the one to tell you, but I can’t stop you from looking it up. You can do a search on the history of Broomsfield Academy, Friends and Family Weekends,” she tells us.

Sunny and I hurry to a computer cubby and pull up an extra chair. I type the info into the search bar. A bunch of Friends and Family Weekend headlines pop up. We scroll until we find an article from three years ago in the Broomsfield Academy Gazette.

YES! We dive right in.

THE BROOMSFIELD ACADEMY GAZETTE

Friends and Family Weekend Disaster!

By Student Reporter Penelope Broomsweeper

A harrowing incident has left the students and faculty of Broomsfield Academy scratching their heads. The story begins on the annual Friends and Family Weekend.

Each year parents, other family members, and friends come to visit the students for a weekend of fun activities. And this year began no differently. Trucks rolled in the day before with bouncy castles, slides, and obstacle courses. Carnival tents were set up on the soccer field with games, prizes, and cotton candy machines, and a petting zoo for the little ones. The campus was decorated inside and out, and everything was going as planned until… disaster struck.

On Saturday afternoon a huge storm moved in over the Broomsfield Academy campus. Meteorologists called it a sudden supercell thunderstorm. Forked lightning sizzled across the sky, damaging winds raged, and driving rain pounded students, faculty, and guests.

But the most astounding thing was that the storm was only on campus. Everywhere else in the town of Broomsfield, it was a beautiful autumn day. Some bystanders reported seeing witches on broomsticks soaring through the dark clouds. How’s that for Broomsfield lore? While we know some townspeople are given to flights of fancy, this reporter cannot confirm that actual witches were sighted, but she can confirm that it was a chaotic scene for the entire student body and its guests. No one can explain what caused this violent storm, or why it hovered over the school and nowhere else.

Those I interviewed at the scene said that prior to the storm, tempers flared among those in attendance. What caused all this hostility? Like the storm that seemed to come out of nowhere, no one knows for sure. One can only wonder, could an angry crowd cause a massive storm to brew? Do angry emotions equal angry weather? The atmosphere was undeniably tempestuous, but meteorologists say science doesn’t support this theory. Fortunately, everyone was able to get to safety. Including me, though I can’t quite understand my sudden urge to return to my dorm.

By Saturday evening the storm had passed, and it seemed like everything was back to normal. Now it was all smiles and goodwill. The mess from the storm had been cleaned up, and it was as if there had never even been one. When questioned, students, faculty, friends, and families acted as if nothing had happened. It was almost like they didn’t remember anything out of the ordinary. Peace had been restored. Visitors were given sparkly bracelets with the school’s name as a parting gift.

One parent showed off her bracelet. “Normally jewelry isn’t my thing, but I found this bracelet irresistible, so I put it on immediately. Well, the moment I put it on, I couldn’t remember what on earth I had been so upset about the day before. It was as if all the negativity had magically disappeared!”

Other guests reported similar stories. It proves that there’s nothing like a goody bag when you leave a party. It leaves everyone feeling good. And that’s exactly the feeling visitors left with on that fateful weekend at Broomsfield Academy. The Friends and Family Weekend was a hit—with a record number of visitors at the event.

THE BROOMSFIELD ACADEMY GAZETTE

When I finish reading, I turn to Sunny. “Well, now we know why Natalie was so worried about having an even bigger turnout this year. With so many guests, something could go wrong again.”

Before Sunny can respond, Ms. Fernandez comes to the cubby. “Did you get the scoop?” she asks.

“We did,” I confirm.

Ms. Fernandez looks at us over the top of her glasses. “Good. There’s nothing for you two to worry about. Just make sure your guests wear their visitor bracelets this weekend, and all will be well. We haven’t had a problem in three years, and in that time my colleagues and I in the School of Magic have added even more protections to make sure the Friends and Family Weekend goes smoothly.”

Sunny and I thank her and head to the Barn for dinner.

“We need to tell Annabelle everything,” Sunny says as we walk across campus. “Let’s have a dinner meeting in the Loft.”

The Loft is a hidden place in the Barn that I discovered by accident. I showed it to Sunny and Annabelle, and the three of us meet there whenever we have something supersecret to discuss.

“Totally agree,” I say.

We find Annabelle and take our food to go.

When we get to the vending machine, I make extra sure the hallway is clear.

Looking good.

I pull the secret lever, and the vending machine slides to one side. We clomp up the worn stairs. I love our secret hayloft, and I want to keep it a secret.

Sunny shares details from the article we read in the old Broomsfield Academy Gazette. Weirdly Annabelle seems unfazed about this.

“What happened three years ago is no big deal,” she says. “The visitor bracelets have already solved that problem. And honestly, why would the school keep holding this event if they were that worried about it?”

I’m sort of surprised that Annabelle isn’t the least bit concerned.

“So, you’re not at all concerned?” I ask. “Even though Natalie told Mrs. Kettledrum, the crowd is going to be even bigger than it was three years ago?”

Annabelle shakes her head. “Nope! I’m not bothered at all. Why should I be? We have the best witches and wizards in the world at Broomsfield Academy. There’s zero to worry about.”

I look to Sunny for support, but she just shrugs. I guess she’s lost all concern about this weekend.

“Annabelle’s right, Heidi—the school has it covered,” Sunny says. “It’ll be the best weekend ever, you’ll see. Try not to worry!”

I huff.

I’m glad that Sunny and Annabelle aren’t stressed, but I’m not convinced. From now on I’ll just keep my concerns to myself.

I feel like a washing machine midcycle.

One word: agitated.