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

The Animagus Plot

The first weekend before the start of term was always a mad one, but it was made only worse for the third years because they had to choose two new subjects for the year.

'Can you believe they used to make students chose in second year before they'd received their exam results?' Itsuki asked in disbelief, his mohawk lovingly restored by the dancing cacti as he spoke. 'Thank goodness for the scheduling. I'd have chosen Care of Magical Creatures if I hadn't of know the abysmal Defence Against the Dark Arts mark I was going to get.'

'What does that have to do with magical creatures?' Jon asked. He, Itsuki, Teresa and Neve were sitting around one of the coffee tables that dotted the cosy Hufflepuff common room.

Teresa scoffed.

'Here we go...' Jon groaned.

'Obviously,' Teresa began, 'the better you are at defending yourself from dangerous creatures the better you'll be at controlling them. It's not a one-to-one correlation, but if you can't protect yourself from a Hippogriff or a Jobberknoll you're better to stay far away from them and leave the zoo keeping to other spellcasters.'

'Too right,' Itsuki nodded, giving his head a shake and feeling his mohawk happily.

'And,' Teresa added, 'if you're not particularly good at duelling, you should leave other important battles relating to magical beings to others, too.'

Jon furrowed his brow in confusion. 'What's that supposed to mean?'

Teresa shrugged cryptically. 'Only that people who don't have the spine to do what needs to be done should step aside so others can.'

Jon and Itsuki shared a puzzled expression but neither they nor Neve pushed their questions any further.

Bagsy had left her room and seen the group of friends sitting and chatting. Now she stood awkwardly nearby, wondering if it was appropriate to join them. She didn't want to stay too long – she had yet to have breakfast and she wasn't too keen on being around so many people at once – but she did want to say hello to them given she hadn't seen them all summer. Neve pointed silently where Bagsy was standing and the other three turned towards her. Bagsy gulped and looked away self-consciously.

'Well, well, well,' Teresa tutted in amusement.

'It's the missing Hufflepuff,' Neve added in her small voice.

'Hi,' Bagsy murmured.

'Don't just stand there,' Teresa encouraged Bagsy, moving along the sofa to make room. 'Come sit.' Bagsy ducked her head gratefully and sat down next to Teresa, who continued ranting about how care for magical creatures was an underappreciated subject.

'Teresa, it's one of the most chosen electives,' Jon reminded her.

Teresa laughed mockingly. 'It should be mandatory!' Jon didn't look convinced. Bagsy wanted to ask what they were all choosing, but she couldn't seem to find a moment in the racing conversation. She managed to pick up which electives each was selecting as they passed around a scrap of paper with the subjects written on them.

'Care of Magical Creatures. Duh,' Teresa snickered, filling out a form on her lap. Neve gently poked Teresa's shoulder. 'Yeah?' Teresa asked kindly.

'Will you do a subject with me?' Neve asked.

'Aren't you doing Care of Magical Creatures?'

Neve shook her head, averting her eyes. 'The monsters are creepy... I think I'm better off in a safe, warm classroom.'

'They're not monsters, that's an unfair characterisation,' Teresa protested, before biting tip of her quill in thought, ink smudging on her lip. 'Okay, so what electives are you taking?'