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

The Warpdoor

Bagsy had spent her free period in the familiar nook of the library, drawing up a plan for a grow-into-shape key, and noting to herself that she needed to get better at naming her inventions. Then again, so long as it got her into the greenhouses, she supposed it didn't matter what it was called.

When Mezrielda, having had Defence Against the Dark Arts last thing on a Thursday, finished her classes and came to join her, she looked at the blueprint sceptically. 'What is this about?' she asked, sitting down demurely and neatly organising her homework in front of herself. Bagsy knew Mezrielda would spend the evening looking at the work in annoyance and rushing through the questions, as she always did. Bagsy had previously wondered how Mezrielda could find studying so boring and put so little effort into it and yet do so well in class. Having seen the paces her parents put her through during summer, Bagsy now understood.

'The greenhouses,' Bagsy explained, looking up at her. 'I tried to sneak into them last night during Astronomy. They were locked.'

'Ah. I see.' Mezrielda winced. 'I'm guessing the unlocking charm didn't work?'

Bagsy looked down at her sketch sulkily. 'No.' Of course, what Mezrielda had meant was that Bagsy hadn't been able to cast the unlocking charm.

'What does that have to do with this?' Mezrielda asked, tapping what Bagsy was working on. Currently, it was a collection of doodles of different potions ingredients that, if combined correctly, should make some form of slime. This slime would be poured into a needle that could inject the substance into a keyhole, stopping it from expanding and solidifying until it was already in the key hole and could expand into the correct key shape. The needle contraption was sketched in detail next to the ingredients.

'It's going to be a grow-into-shape key maker,' Bagsy explained.

Mezrielda arched an eyebrow. 'Where you pluck these names from I have not the foggiest idea,' she murmured. 'Don't you have enough on your plate already? What with the broom upgrades for Hufflepuff and whatever favour it is Tod has you running about doing?'

Bagsy shrugged. 'I suppose. But you're not really one to talk – doing your Animagus favour is taking up a third of my time.'

Mezrielda had the good grace to look sheepish at that. 'True.' She sighed. 'Bagsy, give me the spider slippers and gloves. I'll sneak to the greenhouses, unlock the door with my magic, and retrieve the mandrake leaves.'

'No,' Bagsy found herself snapping harshly. 'Sorry. It's just that if you get it wrong, mandrake screams can be fatal.'

'Fatal?' her friend asked, looking shocked. 'But they're plants.'

'Plants can be dangerous,' Bagsy retorted in amusement. 'I guess you don't know everything, after all.'

Mezrielda glared but then broke into a smirk. 'I suppose you're correct. Besides one tiny fact about one rare plant, I do know everything.'

'A fact that if you don't know it could get you killed,' Bagsy pointed out, enjoying the scowl that took hold of Mezrielda's face as she glowered at her.

'I have plenty of knowledge of Herbology and its dangers. If I stretch my mind, I do recall Professor Wattleseed saying something about man-eating fly-traps in our first year.'

Bagsy gave a small mock bow. 'My, my, I'm impressed,' she teased, delighting in the reveal that yes, Mezrielda's scowl could grow fiercer. 'My point is, while you're better at everything else, when it comes to dangerous plants, I know what mandrakes look like, and why they're dangerous, and you don't. If you go in there alone you'll be in danger – and I don't have two sets of spider gloves and slippers.'