Bagsy Beetlehorn and the Corvid Trials (The Bagsy Chronicles 2)

The Book of Beasts

Timetables were given out on Monday morning when Bagsy was sitting at the breakfast table, eating some cereal, with Neve and Teresa sitting opposite. She'd found it difficult to move back into her private room and had slept, once more, in the girl's dormitory. At least this time her stomach hadn't been keeping them all awake.

Greenda hadn't spoken to Bagsy since Emmeline and Kat had teased her for being friends with younger years at the welcome feast except to tell her, in a kind but miserable tone, that Bagsy should forget about her and focus on making friends her own age. Now, Bagsy glanced down the table at Greenda, who was sitting alone, but she didn't return her look, instead stirring her porridge with a dejected expression.

'This is ridiculous!' Teresa was fuming. 'Double Charms first thing on a Monday again! Wasn't last year enough?'

Bagsy snapped to attention. 'What!?' she squeaked. Teresa tapped the timetable that Eldritch had dropped in front of her earlier and Bagsy peered at it, finally paying it notice. Sure enough, the first two periods on a Monday were Charms with Professor Starrett and the Slytherins. Bagsy shivered in dread. Last year Starrett had made Bagsy's Charms lessons a misery to behold and had assigned her remedial Charms where the torment had continued. At least this year only the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins would see her humiliation – last year all the first years got to witness her torment every Monday. Bagsy reckoned it had become very entertaining for quite a few of them.

'Starrett really has it in for you, Bagsy,' Neve commented quietly. 'Did you do something mean to her last year?'

'No,' Bagsy said glumly, thumbing her timetable. She didn't know why Professor Starrett hated her so much.

'I've heard Starrett's only going to be worse this year,' said Teresa. 'Ministry's been watching her all summer. Gave her a curfew and everything.'

'Really?' Neve asked curiously.

Bagsy looked at Teresa quizzically. 'Why did they do that?'

'Trying to find the missing magical beings, I expect,' Teresa explained, peeling an orange.

'Magical beings?' Bagsy frowned.

Teresa's face was very still for a moment. 'Magical creatures,' she forced out in annoyance. 'The ones rescued from the Ministry.'

'Why would Professor Starrett have them?' Bagsy furrowed her brow even further. Starrett seemed like the last person who'd break into the Ministry and steal magical creatures, as had been done last year during Bagsy's first week at Hogwarts.

Teresa glanced around to check no one was listening in. 'Because her sister tried to get them out of the Ministry before,' she whispered and Bagsy's eyes widened.

Neve looked shocked, too. 'What?'

Teresa nodded importantly. 'Oh, yes. Zotova told me all about it. Some years ago Starrett's sister tried to break out the magical bei– creatures inside. She was caught and sent to Azkaban for a very long time.'

Bagsy shivered. Her sister, Bontie, had told her about Azkaban before, and how horrible criminals were sent there.

Teresa continued. 'They reckon Professor Starrett was an accomplice to the rescue– to the theft last year. They have no proof, but they've been watching her like a hawk, searching for anything to implicate her.'

Neve bit her lip, thinking. 'I remember my brother mentioning something about Starrett. Isn't she meant to be one of the strongest spellcasters?'

Teresa mulled that over. 'It wouldn't surprise me. She seems frightfully good with charms. If she really is one of the best witches of our time, it's no wonder the Ministry wants to keep tabs on her. The muggle government do the same with powerful people in the muggle world, too. People with power can easily misuse it. Or...' She trailed off, leaning forward with a conspiratorial quirk of an eyebrow. 'They use their power to expose secrets of a corrupt government. If that's the case, the government would have to keep a close eye on her.'