- ‘‘ The Storian must write ‘The End’ to seal your wish. And at the moment, it is unable. ’’
- —Clarissa Dovey[src]
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This article refers to the book character. For the movie character, see Hester (Netflix).
Hester of Ravenswood is a major character in the The School for Good and Evil book series. She is a former student of The School for Evil and The School for Girl, with a quest assigned by Dean Dovey to find a new School Master.
Early Life[]
Hester's mother, The Candy Witch died when Hester was a young girl. Hester is seen to care and admire her mother, as she has a picture of her outside the gingerbread house can be seen by Hester's bedside table. Before Sophie's arrival, we can assume that Hester was betting on being the top student and Class Captain, even standing up at the opening ceremony to ask how to become one. Her mother gave her her old potions kit, the one she uses to brew the love potion for Sophie.
Appearance[]
Hester is a Nevergirl with pale skin, long, black hair streaked red, black eyes, black lipstick, a ring in her nose and a terrifying tattoo of a buck-horned, red-skulled demon around her neck. She is also tall. Hester is said to resemble her mother. When the demon disconnects from her, it appears about the size of a shoebox with brick-red skin and long, curved horns.
Because of Sophie's spell at the No Ball, Hester temporarily became 'beautiful': her hair thickened, her face became more full and her tattoo became more red.
After the battle against the Snake, Dovey forces her to wear a pastel-coloured dress and curl and primp her hair.
Personality[]
Hester is claimed to be cool, charismatic and mature and has an aura of a leader. Throughout the series, Hester is seen full of a villain's knowledge, kind and protective.
She seems the ideal Villain student, but she can support Good if the cause arose.
Despite her deep teenage personality, she is also trustworthy, honest and caring, although she definitely did not show it, but reveals it later on (depends on the situation, whether or not she is supposed to be). She does not make it clear to the people she cares about how much she cares about them very often but is willing to go as far as to risk her life for people.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Hester was born to the witch from the tale of Hansel and Gretel using dark magic that allowed the witch to have a child at an old age. While she was still a baby, Hansel and Gretel ate through the roof of her house and killed her mother, leaving her orphaned and alone. Ever since then, she smells candy when she senses a story gone wrong.
The School For Good And Evil[]
Hester lived in Malice Tower, Room 66 with Anadil, Dot, and Sophie. Initially, Hester thought that the place of Class Captain was as good as hers. Then Sophie came along, and Hester hated her so much, she tried to attack Sophie with her demon during Special Talents.
Once the School Master gave Sophie the riddle, the coven tried to help her solve it, even asking Lady Lesso. Eventually, Sophie and Agatha solve the riddle.
According to Sophie, the goal is now to get Tedros to kiss her, as the answer to the riddle is love. She asks Hester to search for love spells. Originally, Hester rejects the idea, but Sophie threatens to put flowers in every room as Class Captain. Eventually, Sophie finds a love spell, but when she tries it on Tedros, it richochets, and she is punished by Yuba. Hester basically tells her, "I told you so."
Hester represents Forest Group 6 in the Trial by Tale. She goes in the Trial last, along with Tedros. She tries to kill Sophie and Tedros by splitting her demon into 5 pieces, each mobile and armed. Tedros pins her surrender cloth to the ground, and she, along with her demon, disappears, all but one piece. The arm left behind nearly stabs Tedros, but Agatha morgrifies from bush back to human, grabs Tedros' shield, and smashes the arm.
This damage to her demon, including her successful attempt to split the demon into pieces, deeply injures Hester, Anadil having to feed her broth. Sophie comes back to Room 66, all uglified, Hester and Anadil kick Dot out, Sophie taking Dot's place in the coven. At Sophie's request, they help attack the Evers every night, after Tedros refuses to acknowledge his promise. But after a while, Hester and Anadil are reluctant to keep going, saying it felt like thuggery. When they find that all the attacks are so Sophie can go to a Ball, they tell her that she's on her own.
Along with Anadil, Hester thinks that Tedros is her Nemesis, so they try to get Tedros and Sophie back together, before war breaks out. They try to attack the Evers with Anadil's rats, telling Sophie to save Tedros just before the rats kills him, so he thinks she saved him. Agatha finds the coven, and objects to the plan. Hester tackles Agatha, and tells her that Tedros is Sophie's Nemesis. Apparently, Hester and Anadil think that they are saving his life by getting them back together.
When Sophie gets back to Room 66, Hester and Anadil are terrified to find a black wart on her chin, a symptom of having a Nemesis. Still thinking that Tedros is her Nemesis, when they see him at the Circus of Talents, they discover he is not, as when a witch weakens, their Nemesis grows stronger. Tedros still looks weak and defeated in his seat. But then Agatha comes in, beautiful in a midnight blue gown. They go white with understanding. When Hester goes to the stage, her demon only manages a sooty firebolt before collapsing back into her neck.
Hester, Anadil, and Dot try to thwart Sophie's plan to kill Agatha, locking her in Room 66. But they find the No Ball invitation, and just go to Evil Hall. The hall is beautiful, with a banner: The 1st Annual Villain's 'No Ball.' When Agatha barges in, Hester welcomes her as a guest, but when the Ever army charges in, she helps free Sophie, and freezes Agatha in an ice coffin.
While Agatha is climbing up the School Master's tower, though, she helps by stunning Grimm, who was trying to kill her.
A World Without Princes[]
fter the schools became separate girls' and boys' schools, Hester and the coven were forced to live in the girls' school, which upset her and Anandil a lot, although Dot enjoyed the new school a lot.
The Last Ever After[]
In the third book Hester pretends to be happy for Sophie and that there are two schools of evil, however secretly she and the coven are actually Merlin's spies. They secretly sneak out of the School of the New Evil to tell Tedros and Agatha about Sophie's routine.
The Ever Never Handbook[]
The Ever Never Handbook itself is a handbook that Hester edited and added pages and notes to.
Because of that, Hester is mentioned repeatedly in the handbook.
Hester adds an introduction to the handbook, warning the readers to not believe everything they read and telling them as a surviving student herself, she believes it is her duty to guide future students through their school years safely.
Hester's first note is her Secret Supply List. She includes items such as Insta-gruel (for midnight snacks), Voice-Loss Lozenges (for avoiding oral examinations in class), and Crog-bone wind chimes ('to hang on your door to thwart murderous intruders').
Her next note is a hand-drawn, labelled diagram comparison of a man-wolf vs. werewolf. She then includes five helpful tips to help you survive the Doom Room if a teacher sends you there.
Another note gives you six tips surrounded by cartoon illustrations on How To Prank Evers.
Hester also comments on the Ever's Weekly Menu saying "No wonders Evers walk around looking like they sucked on lemons. Give me a pail of gruel any day."
She also adds a note featured with Takeout Menus, after the highly-restricting and healthy diet plan Dean Sophie has for Nevers is featured. Three pamphlets are pictured: The Dungeon Deli, The Pizzeria of Punishment and Dumpy's Derelict Dumpling House. Hester's top tip for getting the Delivery Gnome in is bribing the wolves with the greasiest side dish.
Near the end of the book, letters to Hester are stuffed in the handbook with ones from Anadil, Sophie and Agatha.
In the Graduating Class, she is photographed, tracked as a leader with a top secret quest, and her yearbook quote is from Lady Lesso
In the superlatives section, Hester is voted Most Villainous by her graduating class and also edits her classmates' superlatives with quite harsh, but funny statements (e.g 'Most likely to throw away her life for a blond ninny: Agatha, Most villainous (and don't you forget it): Hester and etc).
At the end of the book, she discusses quests and other topics with some of her fellow classmates at a Round Table of their own. Various spoilers are released, apart from the enjoyably funny dialogue.
The book ends with the wedding invitation of Agatha and Tedros addressed to Hester.
Quests For Glory[]
Prior to the events of this book, Hester, Anadil and Dot travel around the Woods for six months in search of a new School Master, with Hester's demon gaining a perpetual frown, until their search brings them to Kingdom Kyrgios. While there, they interview the Grand Vizier for the position of School Master. They are unimpressed with him, and move on. They settle for lunch in Eternal Springs for their check-in with Professor Dovey. Hester makes a quick lunch out of avocados and custard-apples. They begin to discuss all of the candidates they have heard from so far, coming to the conclusion that the Grand Vizier was at least the best one yet. They then begin to muse about the poor state of Camelot before Hester notices from the Gillikin newspaper they're sitting on that all of their classmates' quests are failing, but doesn't mention it to her friends. Instead, she expresses her worry that they're doing a bad job. The others reassure her that they're all doing the best they can. Just then, Dovey calls them. The three remark on how rough she looks, but Dovey brushes them off and informs them that their quest is temporarily over and they have to come back to school. The witches protest, until Dovey tells them that it's because she needs them for another urgent matter.
They arrive at school in the midst of Sophie's Dean's Dance, remarking how awful it is to each other. They move outside and tell Sophie how everyone's Quests are actually going. Dovey then reveals to them all that Chaddick has died and tells them that they will be going with Sophie on a quest to find out what is causing the failures of every single fourth-year. The coven initially object to this due to their dislike of Sophie, but Dovey persuades them by using the fact that they are also failing their quests as motivation. Shortly, Agatha arrives on the Igraine and, to everyone's surprise, the Storian begins writing again.
They go up to the tower to see what it's writing about. It is painting a picture of a dead Chaddick. Hester wonders what they're missing and tries to flip back a page, but the Storian stabs at her finger, revealing it to actually be the first page of the storybook. The Storian then writes about a Snake and a Lion, which confuses the coven. Agatha tells them that it's actually a metaphor. Just then, the Storian begins writing about the coven and the others, stating that they would embark on their quest to find the Snake.
Hester, Anadil, Dot and Sophie fetch Nicola from her room and set sail. They come across treacherous waters, and the witches help by siphoning water off the deck with their fingerglows. When a sail breaks loose, Hester's demon flies off her neck and hoists it up. Later, after Nicola sorts out the ship, Hester asks if Nicola even knows what a fourth-year quest is. Nicola tells her that it's because Boobeshwar the mongoose told her. After breakfast, the witches wash dishes with their fingerglows.
After they arrive in Avalon, the witches follow Agatha to the castle. After walking for a long while in the cold, her lips turning blue and her cheeks freezing, Hester concedes and pushes under Sophie's fur coat with Sophie, Agatha, Anadil and Dot. She is complaining to Agatha that they are lost when Ajubaju the beaver appears. Hester remarks on its similarity to Dot, but is promptly humbled by Dot herself. They find Chaddick's horse and Hester snipes at Dot for pointing out this obvious fact. The group arrives at the castle, and begin talking about the Lady of the Lake. Hester and Anadil berate Dot for wanting to recruit the Lady as a potential School Master.
While in the castle, the group gets trapped in a room full of snakes, hanging from the ceiling. Hester explains to Sophie and Agatha that the Snake is behind the attacks on all of the kingdoms. Soon, Anadil begins to slip. Hester tells Dot to turn the ceiling into chocolate or something else that Anadil can hold, but Dot reminds her that magic doesn't work there. Luckily, Princess Uma calls the group and summons them some mongooses, who kill the asps. After climbing down from the ceiling, Hester and Anadil notice pirate gold on the floor. Hester comes to the conclusion that the Snake must be paying the pirates that are currently attacking Jaunt Jolie. Later, everyone takes a private moment to pay their respects to Chaddick. When the Lady doesn't open her waters for the group to bury him, the witches wade into the Lake, trying to find her. They spot a figure further out into the waters.
When they arrive in Jaunt Jolie, they are attacked by pirates. Hester's demon flings them overboard, but Agatha is held hostage and calls for her to stand down, causing the group to be captured by pirates and marched along in chains, with even Hester's demon being bound.
They are taken to Castle Jolie, where the pirates kick the witches, Hort, Willam and Bodgen. They continue through the castle until Hester notices the library and coughs in surprise, staggering the chain. After this, they are taken through the royal gardens to the Four Point.
Dot tells Hort off for worrying about Sophie instead of using his strength to try and free them, to which Anadil comments that she thought Sophie and Hort were old news. Hester adds that he left 'new news' (Nicola) crying and covered in thorns. Hort questions why they're being taken to the Four Point, to which Hester responds that it is most likely to lure Tedros and emphasises their need to escape. Dot proposes that they look to Nicola for guidance because of her track record of saving their lives, looking to Hester for the final decision. Hester begrudgingly agrees. Nicola says that she'll only help them if Hort treats her better, and after they convince her, Hester questions how so many of them are supposed to work as one unit. She goes unanswered, though, because the pirates begin to grow suspicious. They reach the Four Point and Hester notices the Royal Family of Jaunt Jolie in nooses, waiting to be executed, and notes the cruel irony of reporting Queen Jacinda dead then publicly killing her. She then infers from how well the walls are holding that the charm the Lady of the Lake put on the waterfalls hasn't yet broken. Suddenly, the witches hear the screams of Kiko and Ravan, also set up in nooses. Hester affirms that they aren't going to leave their friends down there and Anadil asks her how they're going to get down there if they're chained up, before the nooses magically lurch for their necks and pull them down into the Four Point.
Sophie and Agatha appear and Hester urges them to free her and the others, but when it becomes clear that their magic isn't working, Hester panics and shouts at them to hurry. They run out of time and the Snake begins dropping trapdoors. With Hort about to die, the crew of the Igraine hold him up with their legs. Beatrix, Reena and Millicent appear and save the group from death, with Agatha and Sophie cutting them loose from their bonds. The girls wonder how they're going to get over the ice walls, and Hester tells them to leave it to her. The demon on her neck swells out of its chains, turns three-dimensional, and begins ferrying the Snake's captives over the walls. Agatha tells her to move faster as the stage is beginning to burn up and Hester tells her that she's going as fast as she can. The demon rescues everyone on the stage apart from Sophie, Agatha and the witches. It tries to rescue Sophie, but she tells it to save the witches first so they can go and help Hort. The witches listen to her and are ferried over the walls by Hester's demon. The demon then begins to attack Thiago with red firebolts. The witches ride on the backs of Anadil's rats, shooting spells with their fingerglows until a pirate catches Hester with a dagger to her neck and she is forced to stall her demon.
After the battle, Hester and Anadil tend to the injured questers. Kiko tells Sophie that if she kisses too many boys, she'll turn into a snail and Hester agrees with her.
The Igraine lands in Nottingham and Hester wonders why it's so quiet. The witches follow Dot in the centre of town to search for the Snake, heading for her house. Dot and Anadil begin to talk about the Sheriff, causing Hester to tune out of the conversation and take notice of the seemingly-abandoned town. When Dot calls it 'sleepy', Hester contradicts that it's so sleepy it's 'zombie'. Suddenly, a villager runs past, screaming at the witches to get inside and away from the 'eely things.' Hester realises that this is why the streets are empty. Anadil points out that, if the eels have been poking around Nottingham since before Tedros left his castle, they have to be looking for someone else. Hester wonders if it's someone he wants to kill, while Anadil wonders if it's someone he needs. Dot tells them both that they're seriously overestimating the significance of Nottingham. Hester spots a headline in the window of a nearby shop claiming Lady Gremlaine had been spotted in Nottingham. Hester finds this suspicious, but is then distracted by a plethora of other newspaper headlines claiming Dot was the real hero of the Four Point. Hester asks her about this, and Dot changes the subject. Further on, Hester notices a book in a bookstore window about Dot and asks her what exactly happened between her and Robin Hood. Dot snaps at her, but they are interrupted by Anadil yelling at them because she saw a scim. The witches chase it around a corner and crash into Sophie and Agatha, who tell them to take the west lanes while they take the east. Hester kicks aside a bicycle in search. Dot looks inside mailboxes and Hester mocks her for it, but proved wrong when it flies out of the next mailbox Dot checks. Hester and Anadil chase after it as it flies into a cottage, shooting their glows into the air to alert the others. By the time Dot reaches the house, the witches are plastered to the wall, one end of the scim pointed at them. Anadil tells Hester to use her demon, but Hester reminds her that if the demon dies, so does she, and she doesn't want to take any chances. However, when the Sheriff, enraged at Dot's lies, moves to hit her, Hester's demon attacks him, getting speared through the claw and pinned to the ceiling by a scim in the process. Hester collapses in pain, but ignores Agatha asking if she's okay to threaten the Sheriff. Tedros appears and all of the scims are immediately diverted to him, and Hester urges Sophie to find the Lion. The Snake appears and Dot uses the Sheriff's sack to trap him, remembering that it was enchanted by the School Master. Anadil wonders why it worked if spells don't work on the Snake and Hester decides that Rafal's spells must have been different to ordinary spells. She begins moving towards the Sheriff and takes the keys from his belt, handing them to Dot. She, Anadil and Dot begin dragging the Snake to Nottingham Prison.
Later that night, Hester and Anadil sit in the Forest by a fire, toasting marshmallows.
In the morning, they find out that Dot was tricked into giving away her keys. Despite Tedros telling them that it wasn't her fault, Hester and Anadil still grumble that she isn't forgiven. Hester, Anadil and Dot are all assigned to Rhian's team for the day's tasks. They follow him off the boat in Camelot.
In Camelot Park, Rhian instructs the group to begin the loyalty tests. Hester and Anadil test the line of Nevers with Sophie. It is a difficult task because of people's support of the Lion but disdain for Tedros. Sophie goes to the toilet for a minute and comes back to find the witches arguing, with Dot claiming Anadil and Hester let in a pirate. Hester disagrees. Suddenly, the Snake's message appears in the sky. After that, the witches work faster. Tedros arrives and starts giving orders, with Hester and Anadil muttering about him 'finally' deciding to be a king. Hester dismisses the crowds with a magical 'GO HOME' message in the sky and heads to the Town Hall to listen to Tedros addressing the troops. That night, the teams dine in the Blue Tower. For the battle against the Snake, the witches are put on patrol on the rope bridge. The Snake's forces appear quickly and suddenly, sending the witches running back across the bridge. They hide in the courtyard as scims efficiently kill dozens of soldiers. Hester and Anadil come up with a plan to kill the rest of the scims: Anadil's rats douse the scims in oil and Hester's demon ignites them with firebolts. Hester and Anadil then run to save Kiko from a surviving scim. The Snake appears and Tedros challenges him to a one-on-one, calling on the witches to mark the ring. Anadil's rats circle it with oil and Hester's demon sets the ring aflame. Eventually, Tedros and Rhian kill the Snake. After the battle, Dovey forces them to dress like Evers as a condition for going back to their quest to find a new School Master. As the address continues, Hester expresses how much she can't wait to go back to her Quest. Dot wonders why they can't just hire Rhian as School Master, as he seems to be a positive influence on Sophie. Anadil agrees, appealing to Hester. Hester agrees, then confirms Nicola's question that all of them will be at Tedros and Agatha's wedding.
A Crystal of Time[]
Following the events of Quests for Glory, the witches are trapped in the castle jail. After a small period of silence, Hester remarks that it could be worse. Beatrix asks her how, and Hester says that Tedros could be in there too, causing Anadil and Dot to laugh. Dovey reprimands her and Hester takes her frustration out on the Dean, claiming that she's in denial that Evil has actually won for once. Beatrix tells them all off for being disrespectful to the best friend of the woman that saved their lives, rendering the witches silent. Dot whispers how far Beatrix has come since first year and Hester tells her to shut up. Dovey regains some of her authority from Beatrix's speech and tells Hester that Rhian must be lying about his claim to the throne. Hester argues that his ability to pull Excalibur from the stone must make him either King Arthur's son or a powerful sorcerer. Dovey tells her that, since he has not been trained at the School for Good and Evil, he is no match for them. Dovey tells Hester to have her demon chip at a hole in the wall to give them a clear view of the stage. It flies off her neck and starts moving towards the hole, but then spots a scim flying past. She disregards this because the Snake must be dead. The demon continues on, creating a coin-sized hole. Dovey urges it to keep digging and Hester, in pain, asks her why. Dovey ignores her. The witches witness another group of three witches being let out of a cell and Hester asks Dovey who they are. Dovey tells her that they are the Mistral Sisters, Arthur's old advisers. Next, the Snake comes down the stairs, holding one of Anadil's rats. To Anadil's despair, he stabs it through the heart. She only stops wailing when Hester touches her. Anadil is devastated as she knows her rat was scared at the end. Hester reassures her that the rat was a faithful henchman to the end. Hester tells the group about the scim outside, then remarks on how much the Snake sounded like Rhian. As they speak, Hester's demon opens the hole a little further and collapses back onto Hester's neck. Dovey instructs Hester to do a mirrorspell charm through the hole and Hester obliges. The spell offers a magnified view of the Blue Tower balcony, as Hester explains to Beatrix. She then points out Rhian holding Sophie at the point of Excalibur.
To communicate with Tedros, Hester speaks through her demon. Through the demon, Dovey and the others communicate with Tedros. Hort and Tedros begin to argue about Sophie, and Hester shouts at them, reminding them that Anadil's rat is dead, the Snake is alive, and they're trapped in a dungeon. She tells them that their lives depend on how Tedros answers the next few questions and threatens the group with murder if they interrupt her again. She explains to Tedros the existence of Japeth and tells him that they need to work out how they could possibly have the blood of Arthur, calling specifically on Tedros to think. Tedros steadfastly denies that Rhian and Japeth are his brothers and suggests that Rhian simply got lucky because of all the work he did dislodging it in the months prior. Hester groans at his stupidity and tells him to stop being foolish and recognise that they're trying to help him. Finally, he admits that Rhian and Japeth could be the sons of Arthur and Lady Gremlaine and Hester tells him that, if it's true, he has to either kill his brothers or be killed by them. Soon after, the Snake appears and Hester's demon scrambles to hide behind the Snake, in his shadow.
After being broken out of the dungeons, she rides into the Blessing on the back of a stymph and kills Rhian's messenger doves with her demon. Anadil falls off the stymph and Hester's demon races to save her, but is too late. Luckily, Bodhi and Laithan catch her before she hits the ground.
She makes it back to school with the others.
After Rhian's men break through the shield, Hester helps Professor Anemone lead a group of first-years to Valour Tower. She makes it across to the School Master's Tower shortly before Agatha does and, when Agatha arrives, she asks her where they could possibly hide when the whole Woods is on Rhian's side. Hester tells Agatha that the decision falls to her as rightful Queen of Camelot, and assures her that she trusts her.
The group discovers Tedros' impending execution and Hester reminds Ravan that if one of them is caught leaving, the rest of them die. She then points out the magical script on the Storian glowing. Agatha asks Hester to do a mirrorspell on the inscription and they notice two black boxes in the carving where swans should be. A figure appears on Sophie's Way and Hester reminds the group that it's just one man against an entire school. Hester and Anadil dive out of the window and tackle the figure, but Dot halts everyone when she sees the man's face: her father, the Sheriff of Nottingham. Hester and Anadil sheepishly help him up.
She and the rest of the group arrive in Camelot just before the Execution. She sets her demon on Rhian immediately, before Tedros rips it off and starts attacking Rhian himself. The coven then dispatch a pirate together: Hester levitates him into the air, Anadil levitates the chopping block, and they magically smash the two together, with Dot turning his weapon to chocolate. They then turn on Rhian, but are dispatched by the Ice Giant of Frostplains, who targets Hester's demon and freezes them into blocks of ice. They are then freed by a falling piece of wood and go plummeting down the slope. Dovey uses a Transmutation spell to turn everyone on the battlefield into a lookalike of Tedros and the witches, remembering how long the spell lasts, go running for the drawbridge.
The witches hide out in Gnomeland with the others. Hester greets Agatha, confessing that she prayed she was still alive and was thankful Dovey heard her wish.
King Teapea gives them a mission to go to the Caves of Contempo in Borna Coric and rescue Merlin.
One True King[]
The book begins with Hester running through a dark forest, thinking about how her mother died and how she can sense that there is something wrong with Lionsmane's message in the sky. Anadil tells Hester that they should turn back because Lionsmane's message says that Sophie has betrayed them, but she ignores her. Dot agrees, highlighting the impossibility of them even getting into the Caves of Contempo and suggesting a Flowerground train from Ravenbow to get them back to Camelot to stop the wedding. Hester shoots her down, reminding them of their promise to Reaper to fulfil their mission and rescue Merlin. Anadil tells her that their promise is pointless if Rhian becomes the One True King and that the fact that the wedding is so soon must mean he has already burned all of the rings. Hester retorts that he couldn't have burned all of the rings because the Sheriff is still in possession of Nottingham's ring and he would never burn it and, even if he were to die, his ring would go to Dot. Anadil says that Sophie must have betrayed them and Hester tells her that Sophie would never do that after what Rhian did to her. Dot argues that it must be true because it's written in the sky and Hester confesses that she senses something fishy with the message and they're sticking with the plan until she figures out what it is, also reassuring the others of Sophie's proficiency and greater talent as a witch. Anadil tells her that the sun will shortly set and Hester tells her that that's all the more reason to find Merlin quickly. Anadil explains to Dot that wizards all have one wish, which is commonly used to choose when and where they die and Hester tells her that Merlin would never use his Wish while his allies are in danger. Anadil reminds her that the Caves of Contempo are time traps and Merlin having been in there for weeks could have seriously altered his age and Hester dares her to go back without her, before stopping short at the entrance to Borna Coric. Anadil tells Hester that they're going to be easily spotted because they're the only ones the right way up and how the poisonous sea surrounding the Caves of Contempo is nowhere to be seen, and Hester says the Caves must be behind the city so they have to try and slip through unnoticed. Anadil remains devil's advocate, saying that they still have to cross a poisonous sea and trespass into cursed caves and Hester calls her a 'ball and chain' because she doesn't have her rats to scout. Anadil marvels at the upside-down kingdom, wondering why they decided to be upside-down when the world is already upside-down enough and Hester suggests that maybe they see things clearer that way. Anadil rebuffs this, pointing out a full audience watching a spellcast of Rhian's coronation and Hester wonders if watching the coronation again and again is what the people of Borna Coric do for entertainment. Hester notices Dot turning vine leaves to chocolate with her fingerglow and eating them and tells her off for using her glow. Dot confesses that she's upset because, if her father dies, Nottingham's ring won't go to her as her father changed his will after she freed Robin Hood. She worries that Rhian already has the ring and blames herself for it, as well as the additional worry that, if it's true, her father is dead. Hester reassures her that she doesn't blame her and tells her to focus on how much she's helped them, like bribing the wolves with chocolate snow, and the fact that they're still alive and almost to Merlin. She reminds Dot that her father loves her enough to join forces with Robin Hood to keep her safe and that he would want her to finish the mission. Dot takes this in, before telling Hester that she disagrees with what she was saying earlier and thinks Sophie went back to Rhian because she spent too much time around Agatha and Tedros and got jealous, just like when she went back to Rafal. Hester jokes that it could be worse and Sophie could be in love with the Snake instead, causing Dot to laugh. Just then, Hester senses the sea is close. Upon watching the earlier spellcast, Hester senses that they're missing something important: Japeth is masquerading as Rhian. Anadil and Dot ask her what she means and she alludes back to how upside-down the world is.
Dot reads the riddle on one of the fallen scrolls, asking what it means. Hester surmises that the answer probably has to do with Merlin and ushers her coven forwards. Dot notices that the scrolls say to find 'wizard trees', not 'wizards' and Hester tells her that Merlin will surely know where the trees are, heckling Dot for making them stop for food. Dot protests that she needed to eat to calm her nerves and Hester says that at least they know Tedros and Agatha are alive, reminding her coven of their mission. Dot notes that Merlin may not even be in the caves because Dovey could have been wrong, or he could have died in the caves because of their ageing properties and Hester ignores her, telling her to follow the smell of the sea. Hester overhears a pair of Borna Corican ministers discussing 'Rhian's' task in Putsi and becomes lost in thought. Anadil saves her as she nearly falls off a cliff, threatening her against dying and leaving her with Dot. Anadil looks over the cliff, wondering how they lost the sea, before slipping and being caught by Hester. Hester tells Anadil, "You catch me, I catch you," and Anadil mocks her for quoting Tedros at her. Dot tells them that she recognised the man who burned Nottingham's ring as Bertie, which must mean that her father is dead and Hester, knowing the pain of losing a parent, indulges her hope that her father could possibly still be alive. Dot tells her friends that they're her real family, despite the way they treat her, because a coven has to be three. Anadil and Hester begin to cry from this, and tell Dot that they love her. Dot then notices the Savage Sea above their heads and Hester wonders how they'll get up there. Dot turns the fog to chocolate and they begin to climb up towards the sea. As they climb, Anadil wonders how they'll get into the sea because it's upside down, and jumping in may result in them falling out and dying. The sun begins to rise and people begin to notice the chocolate wall, so Hester urges the others to climb faster. Guards reach the wall and begin to climb after them and Dot wonders how they're climbing so fast. Hester tells her that they live on beanstalks and spend their whole lives climbing and the witches continue until they're an arm's length from the sea. Anadil wonders why Dot's hand is fine if the sea around the caves is poisonous and Hester puts it down to not being close enough to the caves, noting that the guards are getting closer. Hester and Anadil follow Dot into the water, Anadil catching Hester because of her fear. The witches then destroy the wall of chocolate, sending the guards falling to their deaths. They continue through the upside-down water until they reach a waterfall that leads to a right-way-up ocean. In the middle of the ocean, they spot the Caves of Contempo. They try to come up with a plan to get to the caves with the poisonous sea and the crogs in the way, until a boat appears. In the boat are Anadil's rats, and Anadil translates that the rats have found Merlin. The coven gets in the boat and plunges over the waterfall. They sail on until they reach the island and they begin to climb. A fly accosts Dot and she bats at it, only for Hester to stop her. The fly turns out to be Tinkerbell, who gives them a message from Agatha: 'Merlin's Beard - Bloodbrook Inn'. Hester works out that Merlin's beard must be the answer to the riddle and that Bloodbrook Inn must be the chosen meeting place because it's halfway between Camelot and Borna Coric. She tells Tinkerbell that she knows about Japeth having taken Rhian's place, and Tinkerbell confirms her suspicions. They continue to climb as Dot tells them the tale of the Ill-Timed Queen. Hester's demon flies the girls up the last stretch of the cliff and they marvel at the beauty of the caves. The rats lead them deeper into the caves, before stopping at a fork in the tunnel and arguing about which way to go next. Hester tells Dot and Anadil to go right while she herself goes left. Hester follows the rat through the tunnel, being careful not to touch the walls. She reaches a dead end and finds Merlin on the floor, concealed under his cape. She removes the cape and the magical glitter with her fingerglow, only to recoil in horror at the sight of the wizard transformed into a baby. At that moment, Anadil comes running, also in shock at the sight of a middle-aged Dot. They reach Bloodbrook at nightfall, and show the others baby Merlin and old Dot.
Hester explains to Agatha that the Caves of Contempo aged Merlin in reverse. Haunts appear and Hester explains to Agatha that they can only move as fast as you do, and tells her to get baby Merlin slowly. Tedros tells the witches to go back to school to find an ageing spell to fix Merlin and Dot. The witches bicker over the significance of trees in the riddle, before Guinevere assures them that wizard trees aren't real and they begin planning their journey from Bloodbrook to the school. The witches then leave, along with Nicola and Guinevere.
While at school, they get the teachers to send a team of stymphs to pick up Tedros and Agatha. They also find an Age Defyer to use on Merlin and Dot. Hester explains to Agatha that, in a few days, Merlin will be capable of coherent sentences and, in a few weeks, he will have full access to his wizard powers again.
Later on, a squirrely nut from Queen Jacinda arrives, summoning the witches to Jaunt Jolie. Hester points out that it's Ever territory and tells Tedros that Ever queens aren't their problem. Tedros eventually convinces the witches to go, adding that they should stop at Glass Mountain to pick up Maid Marian.
When the witches reach Jaunt Jolie, they are seized by the palace guards, who don't believe that the queen sent for them. As a last attempt, Hester tells the guards that they're friends of Princess Bettina, but they are again denied entry because of the ban on Nevers in the castle. Hester berates the man for judging people by their appearances and tells him that such arrogance is what caused the Snake to target Jaunt Jolie. Eventually, they cave and let the witches in. Dot asks Hester why they didn't just tell the guards that Bettina had been killed and Hester explains that it would make them seem more suspicious as it would like they were the ones responsible for her death. Anadil worries that her rats can't pick up the scents of Nicola or Guinevere, like they couldn't pick up the scent of Marian back on Glass Mountain and Hester assures her that it's because of the strong smells of both Glass Mountain and Castle Jolie. Hester tells the coven to leave negotiations with the queen to her and Dot worries that the message could have been a trap. Hester tells her not to be daft, but secretly harbours her own suspicions. Anadil then wonders if they searched Glass Mountain thoroughly enough, but Hester rebuffs that the only 'sanctuary' on Glass Mountain is the orchard, and Marian wasn't there. Finally, a Knight of the Eleven approaches them and tells them that the queen is ready to see them. They enter the queen's room, and are given suits of armour and hailed as the new Knights of the Eleven. The other knights, who turn out to be their friends and allies, explain to the witches how they came to be the queen's knights. Hester presses Nicola on what the letter from Aric to Japeth said. She then tells the others that Rhian's refusal to forgive Aric was his fatal mistake, as it caused the rift between him and his brother, then reveals that Japeth wants to become the One True King so he can bring Aric back to life. After a speech from Queen Jacinda, Hester realises that the only thing that could make Japeth abandon the tournament is the person that he's doing it for: Aric. She explains that, if they could convince Japeth that Aric doesn't want to be resurrected, it could possibly make Japeth forfeit the crown.
They travel with the other knights to Pasha Dunes, and they meet Agatha's team in the Mirage. Hester hugs Sophie. Over dinner, Dot complains to Hester that Marian, her only link to her late father, is avoiding her like she always has. Hester reminds her that, despite her and Anadil's attempts to avoid her, she always corners them, and tells her to try that with Marian.
Later that night, the Knights of the Eleven flank Tedros as he stands outside the Cave of Wonders.
Queen Jacinda orders them into position as Japeth's forces approach. Hester reminds her fellow knights that their primary objective is to protect Agatha, and the knights unsheathe their swords. Before the fighting can begin, however, Merlin transport them all into the Celestium. Kiko joins Anadil and Dot, and compares Anadil's rats to her 'budding romance' with the younger brother of Tristan. She leaves them at the same time as Hester sits down, and Anadil asks her friend if they should tell her what Sophie told them. Hester asks her if she means both Willam and Tristan's lack of interest in girls, and tells her no. Hester then goes off to sit with Beatrix on another cloud. Hester and Anadil then join Marian and Dot and show Marian Hester's tattoo. Hester then goes on a ride around the Celestium on Nightwind with Beatrix, Kiko, and Nicola.
Suddenly, Japeth appears in the Celestium, causing Agatha to fall from her cloud into oblivion. Hester catches her with her demon and tells Agatha to stay behind her, because her death would cause everyone else's. Hester then sends her demon to fetch Merlin. Agatha tells Hester that she has to make a run for the gap in the Celestium, but Hester tells her that she'll be dead in a second. Agatha disregards her and goes jumping for the next cloud, only to prove Hester right by being forced back down onto the cloud by a pack of scims. More scims approach and Agatha shoves Hester aside. Merlin then puppets the clouds so the remaining Knights of the Eleven surround Japeth. Finally, they run out of air and are forced back out of the Celestium. The steeds of the armies of Shazabah and Camelot rebel against them and the group escape to the south.
After this, Hester sends her demon out to look for Agatha, Tedros, and Merlin.
Hester and Anadil ride to Foxwood with Agatha, Tedros, and Merlin on the back of Anadil's rats. Hester comments that teenagers like Merlin are the reason she doesn't like boys. Hester then tells Agatha how she found her after Shazabah, with Anadil commenting that she was against Hester's plan. Hester retorts that it still worked, and asks Agatha if she's sure the real Excalibur is at Chaddick's house. Agatha tells the witches the secret of Chaddick's lineage and Anadil remarks in disbelief. Hester surmises that it's because Chaddick was never meant to be king and that the Storian has a way of making things right when the way of doing it feels wrong. Tedros assures the witches that Anadil's rats are just as fast as Japeth's horses, but Hester interjects that they have problems other than Japeth himself: the thousands of soldiers pledged to protect him would also be waiting in Foxwood for them. Tedros asks the witches where Dot is and Hester tells him that her mother took her to a witch doctor in Sherwood Forest to try and de-age her more quickly. Merlin snaps at Hester for using such a slow-working ageing potion, and Hester retorts that it's the recipe her famous witch mother used, and the teachers at school didn't have anything better either. He continues, calling the potion so worthless he couldn't even remember his own spells to make a better one and Hester calls him ungrateful. The teenage wizard calls them insufferable as they have no interest besides each other's loyalty, and Hester trumps that it's what a good girlfriend does. Anadil reacts with surprise at this new label and Hester says that she meant 'girl friend', not 'girlfriend', but Anadil remains sceptical. Hester asks her if she wants her to declare her love like an Everboy. When they reach Foxwood, they camouflage in bushes. On a count of three, Hester and Merlin burst out of the bushes at the same time and shoot down a pair of Akgul soldiers. Hester knocks her guard out, but Merlin's magic acts up and he turns the man's sword into a ferret, which Hester then releases into the wild. The witches and Merlin then move through the citizen's checkpoint, where they are assessed by Matchers and allowed to pass. Sophie arrives, disguised as the Sugar Queen, and Hester commends her on her good planning. Dot greets her friends, a teenager once more, remarking that she wants to become a witch doctor when she grows up. Hester grumbles that she was getting used to 'hausfrau' Dot. Dot hugs and kisses Hester and Anadil, who squirm and gag but do nothing to free themselves. Hester asks her if Marian is still with her and Dot tells her that Marian and Nicola went to help Queen Jacinda in Jaunt Jolie stand up to an attempted coup from the former Knights of the Eleven. She also adds on that she's worked out Marian's true identity as her mother, causing Hester and Agatha to react with shock. She also recognises that this makes her half-Ever and less than an ideal witch, but Hester tells her that it's fine, and 'nobody's perfect'. The witches then go upstairs with Willam and Bogden to watch for the Snake.
Soon after, however, Tedros surrenders himself and his allies to the Snake and they are cuffed into a prisoners' parade. The soldiers put an iron collar around Hester's neck to hem her demon.
At Agatha and Tedros' wedding, the witches help with decorations. Hester's demon whittles an ice sculpture of Agatha in a fierce warrior pose. Anadil's rats chisel an ice statue caricature of Tedros and Hester notes its resemblance to an overeager dwarf. Dot turns Hester and Anadil's statues of Agatha and Tedros to chocolate and heckles her friends for wearing black to a wedding. Hester insults Dot's dignity. Sophie and Agatha come over and Hester tells her that the coven are thinking about their plans for after the wedding. Dot adds that many of their classmates are going back to their quests, while Beatrix, Reena, and Kiko are planning to sail the Igraine across the Savage Sea to chart the unmapped realms, to which Hester says that the witches have no such plans. Sophie suggests they should take her place as Deans of Evil, and the witches all stare at her. Hester politely turns her down, claiming that she and her coven mates aren't meant for office jobs and that Manley has a very tight grip on the position now anyway. Agatha asks Dot if she's still thinking of being a witch doctor, to which Dot tells her that the coven are thinking of taking the place of the late Sheriff of Nottingham and being the new law and order of the Woods. Hester adds that they'll be searching for villains that don't play by the rules and bringing them to justice their own way. Agatha tells the witches that Tedros will provide them with whatever resources they need, but Hester declines, telling her friend that they are independent witches that operate from the shadows on the behalf of no one but themselves.
Abilities[]
Summoning Demon Tattoo[]
Hester has a demon tattoo on her neck, which can be summoned whenever and wherever she wants to. This demon can detach itself from Hester and attack people at her command. The demon is able to conjure bolts of fire, and, during the Trial by Tale against Tedros, can summon daggers.
There were a few signs that the demon is somehow a part of Hester's body. Sophie once, unintentionally, summoned evil creatures on Hester's demon, which caused her to feel pain just as her demon did. Another is during the Trial by Tale when Hester attacked Tedros with her demon near the end, it appeared as if detaching the demon's body parts caused her agony. The reason is probably because the demon is also a tattoo (other than being a demon itself), and they are permanent.
In the full version of the Ever Never Roundtable, however, Hester mentioned her demon was not on her neck anymore, joining in the No Ball. This can also mean that Hester cannot control her demon full-time, or probably because she was just having too much fun (she said her 3rd-year/4th-year No Ball was pretty intense).
Any harm done to the demon (eg. Sophie's swarm of insects violently attacking it) is also reflected onto Hester herself. This means that if her demon dies, she will die too.
In Quests for Glory, at the battle of Four Point, Hester uses her demon to carry people outside to safety. This means that it's at least strong enough to carry two to three full grown humans.
In A Crystal Of Time, Hester and the others in the Camelot dungeons use the Demon to take a message to Tedros, speaking through it. It can also manifest even though the dungeons are immune to magic.
Standard Evil Spells[]
Hester once admitted that Sophie is just too strong to beat her, so they (Hester and Anadil) are willing to help her with anything she'd like to do. Hester even tried making a love spell for Sophie in order for her to achieve what she wanted.
Academics[]
Studies[]
Hester shows a satisfying academic result in her studies, with her brilliant talents and villainy knowledge. She was usually ranked "1", but she can also get a "2" (caused by Sophie) .
Events[]
Just like her studies, Hester is one step behind from Sophie in each event. The Trial by Tale was Sophie's when she "cheated" to win (claimed by Tedros), everyone admired her for this, including Hester.
Track[]
Hester took the Leader track as she was ranked top five in her group. She was never seen having a mid-range or below 13 ranks, as she ended up a leader.
Quest[]
Hester's original quest was to renovate her mother's old gingerbread house. However, this was changed by Dean Dovey to finding a new schoolmaster, alongside Anadil and Dot.
Relationships[]
Family[]
Gertrude of Ravenbow[]
Hester barely mentions her mother since (according to Hester herself) her mother was naive when she used an oven to cook children instead of a grill, which would have avoided any complications. Then in the third book, Hester expresses more of her thoughts on her mother's death, after she, Agatha, Tedros, Anadil, Dot, and Hort, met old fairy tale characters, including Hansel and Gretel. When Hansel and Gretel shared how they managed to survive in the Woods alone, Agatha remembers that Hester's mother was the witch. She is surprised when Hester did not defend her mother as Hansel and Gretel insulted the witch. Hester told Agatha that Hansel and Gretel were two hungry kids in the Woods and her mother decided to kill them, only to make a fatal mistake and that revenge is the worst thing a villain can do. Her ability to not get caught up on revenge makes the rest of the coven and Agatha gain more respect for her.
Partners[]
Anadil and Hester maintain a good friendship together. As roommates, they looked out for each other, maintaining a close relationship. However, in The Last Ever After it is said that Anadil sometimes does not want to be only known as Hester's sidekick or henchman. Throughout the series, it is suggested that Anadil and Hester may be love interests.In One True King where it is heavily implied that they are romantic partners, but have yet to put any labels on their relationships.
Friends[]
Dot[]
Dot and Hester have a good friendship but are not the same as Hester and Anadil. The first book stated that Hester and Anadil kicked Dot out of her dorm room (that they shared), leaving her roomless and having to take sanctuary in the Everboy's bathroom. They become friends again at the end of Book One. In the third and fourth books, Hester actually stood up for Dot showing that she cares about Dot, even if she does not show it.
Agatha[]
Hester takes an immediate liking to Agatha in Book 1, preferring her company over Sophie's. Although she often lashes out at her, she and Agatha grow to be close friends throughout the series even to the point of Hester risking her life for Agatha multiple times. In Books 2 and 3, Hester mentions how she (and Anadil) wanted Agatha in their coven, instead of Sophie or Dot. In the handbook, Hester is invited to Agatha and Tedros's wedding. They sent letters to each other when Agatha was in Camelot, including one where Hester listed all the possible ways she could kill Agatha if she didn't respond.
Ravan[]
Hester danced with Ravan at the No Ball.
Allies[]
Sophie[]
Hester hates Sophie, but there are still moments when she shows sympathy towards her and they do end up working as a team for some parts in the series. At the start of the first book, Hester initially resents Sophie because she kept on getting the highest rank in classes. In the first Special Talents class, she lets her demon out on Sophie. Sophie then summons a flock of animals that swarm the demon, harming Hester as well. In the Trial by Tale, Hester tries to kill Sophie again but fails. She is weakened by the spell she used and was ill for a while afterwards. She says to Dot and Anadil that 'she never should have tried' and that 'Sophie was twice the witch she was.' After a while, they kick Dot out of The Coven and their room to replace her with Sophie. They then frequently 'prank' the School for Good, often ending in chaos. She later seems to be drifting from Sophie. She helps Sophie after she has her Nemesis Dreams more frequently. They do not interact much in A World Without Princes. In the Last Ever After, when The Coven is caught working for Good, Sophie chooses them to be sentenced to death. Hester later says that winning class captain after Sophie leaves school would mean nothing because Sophie was 'the greatest witch of them all.' When Sophie is later revealed to be Evil's new Dean, she retracts her statement. In The Ever Never Handbook, Hester gets a letter from Agatha, and it has evidence that Hester has had a rant about the way Sophie acts as Dean, which is supported by her later dissertation that Sophie is the 'bossiest loudmouth' of their graduating class. She clearly states in Book 4 (Quests for Glory) that she and Sophie are not friends, so it is possible she still dislikes Sophie, but it is also possible that with Hester's personality, she just doesn't like saying "mushroom" things.
Tedros[]
Although they aren't totally friends, Hester warms up to Tedros in the third book despite saying he smells like a spoiled prince. She is even invited to his wedding with Agatha. This doesn't stop her from frequently insulting him, however. In The Ever Never Handbook, she called him a dunce, ogre bait and in need of a beating.
Clarissa Dovey[]
Although Hester hates princesses, princes, and fairy godmothers (she basically hates everything good is about), and she does make comments about how Dovey is 'past her prime' and 'an old prune', she clearly does think Dovey knows what she is doing, because she obeys her in Book 4 when she tells her to return to school, even though she would much rather continue on with her quest along with Anadil and Dot. Basically, she doesn't like Dovey, but she does respect her a bit.
Leonora Lesso[]
It can be seen in ”A World Without Princes” that Lady Lesso claimed Hester and Anadil to be ‘more than capable allies’, proving that she trusted Hester’s abilities to help Agatha and Sophie in the trial.
Beatrix[]
Hester sees Beatrix as empty-headed.
Reena[]
Hester thinks Reena as likely to get eaten by woodland creatures.
Hort[]
Hester thinks Hort is a mouth-breather.
Kiko[]
Hester thinks Kiko is likely to fall down a well.
Trivia []
- The Ever Never Handbook reveals some secrets and guides to survive, and most of them are by Hester, which means that she is good at survival and knows many of the school's secrets.
- In book 4, "Quest for Glory", Anadil interestingly points out that she thinks Hester has no limits to bodily pain as she was stabbed by Aric and "didn't even cry".
- She, along with Anadil and Dot, has a "top secret" quest given by Dean Clarissa Dovey, the School for Good's current Dean. Their quest is to find a new School Master in order to protect the Storian, as they know that Dean Sophie will freak out and complain about their secret quest.
- Lady Leonora Lesso, former Dean of Evil, left a quote that will always be in everyone's hearts (particularly Hester and Sophie): "True Evil means accepting Good as your equal."
- Readers commented that Hester is cool, sporty, and awesome. She is rather offensive, but her looks and her true personality made her popular among the fans. Some may disagree as they witnesses her cold attitude, but most fans agree that Hester is well-known.
- The name Hester means star.
Quotes[]
"When terrible things happened, my mother always said 'Find what's good in it,'"[1]
References[]
- ↑ The School for Good and Evil (book); p. 440
| Fairy Tale Characters | |
| Evers: | Aladdin | Cinderella | Peter Pan | Briar Rose | Snow White | Jack | Hansel and Gretel | Arthur | Sir Kay | Lancelot | Guinevere | Anya | Kaveen | Merlin | Red Riding Hood |
| Nevers: | Captain Hook | Gertrude | Estra | Bluebeard | Cinderella's Stepmother | Cinderella's Stepsisters | George Scourie | Catherine | Rabid Bear Rex |
| Others | |
| Creatures: | Mogrif | Wish Fish | Genie | Man-Wolf | Crogs | Crypt Keeper | Fairy | Nymphs | Golden Goose Spiricks | Stymph | The Beast | Mermaid |
| Magical Terminology: | The Storian | Lionsmane | Excalibur | Readers |
| Related Content: | Soman Chainani | Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales | EverNever TV |