Bagsy Beetlehorn and the Vampire Affairs (The Bagsy Chronicles 4)

Training

Come double Charms Mezrielda was hit with an overdue detention when she refused to cast the growth charm.

Professor Starrett had said angrily, 'You'll either participate or you won't be in my class at all.'

Mezrielda had shrugged. 'Fine.' She'd left the room, Starrett staring wide-eyed after her. Bagsy had seen students who'd previously thought Mezrielda was cool shake their heads in bewilderment. Primrose, however, had followed Mezrielda's movements with her one snake-like eye and one blue eye like a predator preparing to pounce on its prey.

In Bagsy's next Artifisiary lesson she barely endured it. As she dodged gold paint whilst balancing books on her head, she also worried about Mezrielda and how she was managing the loss of her spells. Or, that is, how she was not managing it.

Suddenly, the books on top of her head fell to the side and a splat of gold paint hit her square in the face. Wiping it off, Bagsy collapsed to the floor and sat cross legged, hunching in exhaustion. Her muscles ached and her head hurt.

'You're not focussing,' snapped Starrett, approaching her with her click-clacking heels.

'Sorry,' Bagsy mumbled grumpily.

'This is why I despise you,' said Starret abruptly.

Bagsy started, suddenly very awake, and looked up at Starrett in confusion. She knew Starrett hated her, but she'd never in a million years have expected the professor to say it.

'You don't deign my lessons worth your effort and act like a helpless fool. You expect everyone to accept this pitiful act, hoping no one will notice the so-called unnoteworthy student. On the rare occasions you bother to show the talent we both know you have, you do so in an unsafe manner, rushing in for results you want without caring to put the effort in required to achieve them.' Starrett shook her head. 'Deep down, you're choosing to let everyone think your weak, aren't you? You're choosing to be like this so you can float by without anyone noticing you. But I've seen exactly your kind before, and I know the real schemes you must be working on in the background. Every year, whilst you convince everyone that you're nothing to be concerned about, you slowly build towards a catastrophe. I don't know what your goal is, or what dreadful plans you have, but I won't let you get what you want.'

Bagsy shuffled back and away from Starrett, who was starting to scare her. 'That's not true. It's not an act and I'm not planning anything bad – I've never planned anything bad. Bad things just... happen!'

Starrett snorted. 'Don't play dumb with me. We both know why a supposedly lazy, deceitful, good-for-nothing student like yourself is here. It's not to learn. It's to watch and report, isn't it? To act on the real master mind's orders.'

'What do you mean? I have no clue what you're talking about!'

With a wave of her wand, Starrett made the doors open. 'Our lesson is finished. Get out. If you don't start trying in Artifisiary I promise you I'll do everything in my power to get you kicked out of this school before you lead it to destruction.'

Bagsy did as she was told and fled. Once she was a safe distance from the classroom she leant against a wall and dragged in panicked breaths. What on earth had Starrett been talking about? Why else would she come to Hogwarts, if not to learn? And how did Starrett expect her to do well in her lessons if she refused to give her any instruction? And how could Bagsy hope to do anything when she still couldn't cast a single spell?

'Hey!' the painting Bagsy had accidently brushed her shoulder with complained. She'd left gold pain all over the wall and on parts of the painting's frame.

'Sorry,' she said, before hurrying for the baths so she could clean herself up.

When she sat down for breakfast the next day, and Mezrielda joined her, they were both in equally foul moods.