Bagsy Beetlehorn and the Thorned Gauntlet (The Bagsy Chronicles 1)

Hufflepuff vs Ravenclaw

Mezrielda didn't recover her memories of the thorned gauntlet the next day, or the day after that, and Bagsy's stomach was in constant knots of worry. She'd already sent a letter off to her sister begging for her to send the instructions for the curing potion, what she'd called the draught of silver cleanse. Mezrielda had to remember the gauntlet. Bagsy couldn't find it alone.

It was only when Bontie's reply letter arrived and Bagsy, realising it was written in code, figured out the instructions to the potion did she pause. Mezrielda had forgotten all about the gauntlet but Bagsy still had all the information.

Bagsy took out her note book and read the two riddles aloud. 'Don't go looking unless you must, where water moves and makes rust. Words shall guide you to the steps, then bring the gauntlet and pass the test.' That was the gauntlet riddle, a clue to where the gauntlet the wishing fairy had trapped the girl in was, that she now knew the full version of thanks to Tod's revelation. If Bagsy could figure out the riddle she could find the gauntlet. Mezrielda had already decided that 'where water moves and makes rust' must have been in the toilet, but what steps were the riddle referring to? Bagsy read the second riddle. 'My doors will open if you grieve, laugh with me and you may leave. Bring me what seems ordinary, to transform it back to glory.' She sat and scrunched up her face, thinking. She couldn't draw any new conclusions, so instead she added to her notebook what information she'd heard Tod say, the same information that Mezrielda had been forced to forget.

Tod thought the gauntlet was in the Owlery, and also believed the endless staircase was the place spoken of in the riddle. Bagsy frowned again, but her features slowly relaxed as she realised how much sense it all made. Tod had been trying to take bricks out of the wall while he was in the Owlery, the place he'd believed the gauntlet was. Perhaps the gauntlet was hidden in the walls, then. If Bagsy wanted to get the gauntlet she'd have to visit the Owlery and find it there. Tod also thought the endless staircase was spoken of in one of the riddles. This one was easy to see – 'the steps' in the gauntlet riddle must be referring to the endless staircase. Bagsy concluded she needed to take the gauntlet from the Owlery to the endless staircase, pass a test, transform something ordinary back to glory, and get her hands on the gauntlet. A simple, four-step plan.

At this conclusion she paused again, wondering if she could complete the task on her own. Was she seriously considering taking the gauntlet for herself? Aside from being impossible, like Bagsy could pass a test or transform anything, it was a horrid thing to do. Mezrielda had known about the gauntlet before her. She'd been searching longer and had found the myth of the gauntlet by using her family's library, Bagsy had been lucky enough for Mezrielda to share her knowledge with her.

Could Bagsy really do this?

She hadn't reached an answer, but her feet were taking her to the Owlery without her realising. She wrapped herself in her warm cloak and huddled inside it against the harsh, cold wind, the weather seeming to fight her every step – even the skies didn't want her to betray Mezrielda.

Bagsy entered the Owlery, the floor filled with large piles of straw. The owl droppings, remains of mice and voles had only grown in number since her last visit. She poked about, crouching down and peering at the bricks, standing on tip toes and peeping into the hollows along the walls, Owls hooting indignantly as she disturbed them. Despite her efforts, she couldn't find any mystical gauntlet.

Bagsy heard steps.

Someone was approaching the Owlery.

Bagsy looked around quickly – if the person approaching was Tod her search for the gauntlet could end right here, her memories sucked away. She found a particularly large pile of hay, a mixture of straw, droppings and bones, and stood still, listening to the steps getting closer. If Tod made her forget the gauntlet, would Bagsy forget all the time she'd spent searching for it with Mezrielda, too? Her heart stalled in horror at the thought.