It was a warm summer morning and the smooth stony tiles of the road were glistening in the sun as Velvet was walking to school on her usual path through the town. Her attire was all but usual though. In addition to her standard white blouse and brown leather shorts that went a little over her knees, a pointy hat was shielding her from the morning sun. It seemed to be stitched together from many different pieces of leather, varying in color and size. Over her shoulders and down her back, a purple cloth that seemed a bit worn out hung lazily, engulfing the small girl almost entirely. So she walked, staff in hand and with a smile as bright as day. People were glancing her way every so often and every time young Velvet noticed it, she would happily wave them good morning and proudly march on.

"What do we have here!" A jolly man with a big nose and an even bigger belly laughed from the side of a fruit stand. "I have to say that's quite the look, Velvet!"

"Good morning, Mister Bigmin!" she greeted him with a big smile and stopped for a moment.

Mister Bigmin has been selling fruits in their town for as long as she remembered and often her father would give her some money to stop and buy herself an apple or pear to eat during a break in school. It's fair to say that she was more closely acquainted with him than anyone else on the main street.

"I see you've finally become a witch like you always wanted, congratulations! Now don't go casting any funny spells around here or you will drive away my customers, ho ho ho!" The man laughed heartily, winking at her.

"Not really," Velvet said as her eyes trailed to the ground for a second. "But I do get to wear this to school today because it's the last week and we are doing fun things!" she said, beaming and looking back up at the man.

"Fun things you say? What sort of fun things, if I may ask?" he inquired.

"We are talking about our dreams and what we want to become in the future."

"Ah, I see. It's only natural then for you to talk about becoming a great wizard like...what was his name again?" The man scratched his head, trying to remember.

"Thoracc!" she exclaimed happily. "But, to tell you the truth, I am a bit nervous," she added, her smile waning.

"Nervous? Why so? What would the great Velvet Crow have to be nervous about?" he chuckled.

"I am afraid the others will make fun of me," she said with a hint of concern in her eyes. "But it doesn't matter even if they do! I'm going to do it anyway!" she quickly added, regaining her composure and clenching the fist of her free right hand.

"That's the spirit! I never doubted you for a second!" As he said this, the man reached over to his stall and picked out the largest apple out of the bunch that were on display. He handed it to a surprised Velvet. "I'll tell you what, this one is on the house! Consider it a good luck charm for today."

"Wow, thank you so much Mister Bigmin! It's so big!" Velvet was examining the apple from all sides with amazement.

"Aye, they've grown well last year. And fast too! Must be that new fertilizer I used. Sometimes I surprise even myself!"

"Your fruit always tastes the best!" she added, inflating the man's ego even further. Just then the bell in the church rang a quarter to eight, which meant school would be starting shortly.

"Oh no, I'm running late!" the girl suddenly jumped up in panic. "I have to go! Thank you again for the apple Mister Bigmin!" she waved back at him, apple in-hand, while bolting off further down the street, her pointy hat jumping up and down and her cloak fluttering behind her as she ran.

"Don't mention it! See you after school!" he yelled after her as she disappeared from his view.

She ran past shops and stalls, over the main square and past old Betty's guesthouse, where the regulars were already sitting down for their morning cup of coffee. The large hat was slipping down over her eyes constantly and she had to keep pushing it back up to see where she was going. A few times she almost ran into an innocent passerby, who looked at her with bewilderment or snarled "Watch where you're going!" after her. By the time the school came into her view in the distance, she was completely out of breath already and barely able to keep pushing forward.

I can't be late today of all days! she thought as she forced herself to continue running, despite her small body protesting against it.