Had this idea once where, in order to complete/graduate from witch-hunting school, every student must capture a witch alive and bring them back to the academy for a trial. The graduating class's valedictorian is given the benefit of choosing her own targets. Choosing targets, however, doesn't mean that it'll be easy, but it does expand the potential (I think) on what kind of witches she encounters. Instead of being trapped within her own continent, the school is willing to pay for her expense to go on and travel wherever she pleases, from a neighboring country to another continent. What I aimed to do in this story is the use of other depictions of witches throughout different cultures. For example, since I planned the protagonist to be a Pseudo-Germans (or from a nation that mimics the Germans), then a very Hansel and Gretel witch could be included, such as a witch that lives in a house made out of candy. The twist in the story is that the school doesn't really teach their students relevant skills to their occupation and even their brightest students falls into the trap that the witch and hijinks ensue from there, as the protagonist needs to use her wits to escape. Right now, I'm trying t̶o̶ ̶f̶i̶n̶d̶ ̶m̶o̶t̶i̶v̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶o̶ write a 'crash course story, experimental to see if people would like it. Said trial story would involve the school and an army of novice witch hunters sailing to the North Pole in order to capture the Dutch Demon known as Santa Claus. Unfortunately, they are too unprepared, and the protagonist is captured by the true mastermind behind the North Pole operations. Mrs. Claus. Before she escapes, Mrs. Claus however, lets her elf minions use our protagonist as she's bound and captured. I'm still not sure of where to go afterward unfortunately.
I mean... I'm not sure where to go afterwards either, but I do love this idea. Hmm... Maybe after she's used by the elves, she gets free and has to try and escape or find the other novices or something while avoiding being recaptured?
