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

The Spell is Cast

Mezrielda had told Bagsy to wait until midnight once again. This time, as Bagsy awoke, she was surrounded by the brown wood, green vegetation and yellow decorations of the girl's dormitory. When her bed squeaked as she slowly slid off it she couldn't help but freeze and cringe. She glanced over at Primrose's bed. The girl had slept with Bagsy's spell-sponge gloves and spider slippers clutched to her chest. There had been a wild hope, in Bagsy's heart, that Primrose would return them to her and apologise for her behaviour. Failing that naïve wish, Bagsy had reckoned there was a good chance she'd leave the gloves and slippers on her make-up swamped vanity so she could steal them back, but no such luck had come her way.

She knew she couldn't swipe the items from Primrose without waking her and she'd rather lack her spider items than risk alerting Primrose to her rule-breaking. Instead, fitting her feet with her regular school shoes, and pulling her large, many pocketed robe on, Bagsy slowly crept out of the room. Before she'd gone to bed, she had deliberately left the dormitory door ajar so she wouldn't have to turn the noisy handle to get out.

It was with surprise that Bagsy heard the clatter of a glass bottle overturn and spin onto the ground. Looking down dumbly, Bagsy widened her eyes in the darkness to see an empty glass bottle lying on its side. For some reason, it had been placed in front of the door. She couldn't help feeling anger at whoever had left their litter in such an odd place. Either way, none of her fellow dorm-mates seemed to have awoken at the noise and Bagsy slipped through the open door and into the common room.

She quickly popped into her private room and retrieved the potion she and Mezrielda had assembled the previous night, finding herself grinning inexplicably at the thought. Perhaps she did somewhat enjoy being a rebel and breaking the rules.

Excitement pushing her onwards, Bagsy rushed out of the Hufflepuff common room, through the barrel opening, and down the corridor. She passed the still-life painting that led to the kitchens then the double doors that led to the great hall and skirted her way around corners and up and down stairs. Her eyes guided her in the near pitch blackness. She couldn't cast lumos, and though she'd brought her muggle torch with her she hadn't bothered to turn it on – the flashing light would only act as a signal to patrolling professors that someone was out of bed. Plus, she didn't want to wake the paintings.

She nearly let out a loud cry when a rug tripped her feet. Instead, she turned in the air and landed on her side, cradling the potion from damage, the substance inside barely moving as she used her arms to cushion the impact. Hoping that wouldn't count as the potion being disturbed she got back up to continue on her way, muttering angrily to herself.

Before she took another step, though, she paused. Standing still in the darkness of Hogwarts she couldn't help but let her mind slip back to the other Hogwarts. In the veil of shadows, it was difficult to tell the difference – did the other Hogwarts feel like this at night? Empty and cold and ominous? The settling groans of the building, the gothic windows and spires, and the stretching corridors were identical.

Taking a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding, she smelt old wood, moth eaten curtains and carpets, and the fresh smell of night time grass. Relieved, she moved her feet once more. The other Hogwarts smelt and felt of nothing, she reminded herself, and you didn't feel like you were being watched in the other Hogwarts because you felt like nothing was there at all.

Bagsy stopped again, realising she did feel as though she was being watched. Once more she stood still and looked behind her, but no one was there. At least, no one she could see in the dim light of night. Deciding she needed to stop dawdling, Bagsy forced herself onwards and finally reached the exit by the greenhouses.

'Finally,' Mezrielda murmured, stepping out from behind an old cabinet where she'd been hiding. Bagsy jumped in surprise. 'It's me! Don't punch!' Mezrielda assured her hurriedly. Bagsy let out a breath, her heart racing and adrenaline flooding her system at the sudden surprise. 'Come one,' Mezrielda continued. 'We better hurry while there's still moonlight.' Setting a brisk pace, Mezrielda went first, heading towards the forbidden forest.