Bagsy Beetlehorn and the Inferno Conscription (The Bagsy Chronicles 3)

Mandatory Inspection

Bontie and her boyfriend, Griffin, were to see Bagsy off to Hogwarts this year. It had been a good few weeks since the incident with the supposed kidnapping, and Florentchia and Himble had failed to set Bagsy any punishments or talk to her about the event in any way. Bontie, however, had understood Bagsy's want to disappear off to Mezrielda's and enjoy her summer for once.

After the incident, Griffin and Bontie had spent more time back at One Aesher Common instead of at Griffin's. Griffin urged Bagsy on with her broom modifications, and Bontie was trying her best to school Bagsy on spell casting.

'Have you ever thought about modifying your wand?' Bontie had asked one day as Bagsy was tweaking her Fleet Footed Fox. Bagsy tilted her head. In truth, she hadn't. 'Maybe you should,' Bontie suggested. 'It might make your... lack-luster spell casting more manageable.'

Bagsy had spent the rest of the summer developing her own version of a wand training wheel. She didn't want them to be too obvious, less she be teased, but she also didn't want to blow anything up, and breaking from the standard blueprint she'd found in Building for Beginners was a sure-fire way to do so.

On days where she didn't feel like modifying her broom, or tweaking her wand training wheel, or practising quidditch with Griffin, or remaking her broken spell-sponge gloves, she worked her way through the third-year potions textbook.

'Look, Bill,' Bagsy said, holding a vial tinged ice blue by the liquid inside to her curious rat. Eldritch, who was perched on her wardrobe, looked down as well. 'Fire quell – if you take a fire breathing potion by mistake this will supress the flames and keep you, and everyone around you, safe,' Bagsy explained. Bill tried to nibble the glass, then made a face and scuttled off when she found she couldn't eat it. Bagsy chuckled.

When she turned back to her work a barn owl was standing on the wood, tilting its head and blinking its large, black eyes as it examined her. Bagsy recognised Greenda's owl. It had been entirely silent in its arrival, so to Bagsy it seemed as though it had teleported there.

Last year, Greenda had spent most of her time ignoring Bagsy and refusing to respond to her letters over the holidays. Though they'd become friends again Bagsy hadn't managed to bring herself to write Greenda a letter – she was terrified of the possibility she wouldn't get a response.

Greenda had sent a letter, though, and was asking how Bagsy was doing. The message was an olive branch and Bagsy gladly answered it, outlining the passing of Jill and the incident at Vespite manor in her response. It was as if the flood gates had opened, and Greenda and Bagsy were writing to each other almost every day after that. It helped pass the time and before Bagsy knew what was happening, it was time to return to Hogwarts.

'Remember what I told you,' Griffin said eagerly as Bontie pushed the trolley with the luggage.

'Don't just look at the person with the ball – look at who they're going to pass too,' Bagsy repeated Griffin's advice.

Griffin nodded enthusiastically, smiling his warm smile. 'Yes! Yes! Nice one, kiddo.' He ruffled Bagsy's already messy hair. Bagsy ducked her head and yelped in protest but found herself laughing all the same.

'Would you two behave?' Bontie asked tiredly.

'Nope.' Griffin smirked.

Bontie rolled her eyes. 'I shouldn't be surprised. No one ever does what I say. You two are little terrors, let me tell you.'

Once they'd passed through the barrier onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters Bagsy was instantly scanning the crowd, looking for sleek black hair and contempt-filled features. She was briefly distracted by a gaggle of Ministry officials waiting at the very end of the platform, looking like they were wanting to board the train.