Mildred along with Star on a lead to Miss Cackle's office for what they had done. Maud and Enid then explain about Star's tricks on the broom. Miss Cackle accepts the replacing talent and the next day the competition took place with the schools showing their talents. When it's Mildred's turn she amazes the judges with Star's tricks and wins the competition and the swimming-pool. When the pupils go back to their school Miss Cackle allows Mildred to keep Star as her broomstick companion as a special privilege. Mildred later explains to Miss Hardbroom that she wished for Star on the shooting star at the beginning of term which doesn't annoy her as she wished on the star for them to win the competition. The story concludes with the teachers celebrating their victory and at the same time Miss Hardbroom's birthday. First Prize for the Worst Witch First Prize for the Worst Witch () was published in 2018. The book is set in the summer term of 4th year, where Mildred is competing with Ethel for who will be Head Girl in 5th year. Its writing was delayed when Murphy underwent cancer treatment. Setting The stories mainly take place within the walls of Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, a girls-only boarding magic school that is described in the books as a stone castle on top of a mountain, surrounded by pine forest. The school year is divided into two terms: the Winter term (September–January) and the Summer term (March–July), with a month's holiday between them. Students starts at Cackle's at the age of 12, and finish at the age of 17, for a total of five school years. The students arrive at the start of the term by flying broomsticks, except for the new first years, who walk through walker's gate as they can't fly yet. Halfway through the first term, the first years are each presented with a black kitten – Mildred receives a grey-and-black tabby cat as they apparently ran out of purely black cats – which they teach to ride the broomstick. The first book postulates that the cats weren't for any practical purpose except to keep tradition going, and in Wishing Star, a group of elder witches note that there is no restriction on what animal a witch must have as her flight companion, with cats only being traditional as they are discreet and easy to