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

Holiday Arrangements

As the students settled for a meal of broccoli casserole, crispy corn fritters and stuffed courgette boats, decorations were raised around them. Glittering tinsel that pulsed different colours were pinned up columns and hung like spider webs between the floating candles. Looking up felt like viewing lake waves from below. It was a welcome distraction not just for Bagsy, but for all the students who might otherwise have been bothering her.

Overnight, the castle had transformed. Mammoth trees had appeared, decorated with bulbous baubles, animated toad ornaments and glinting orbs of yellow light that waned peacefully in and out of existence. Mezrielda hated it, as usual, and found the nook in the library as much a refuge from the décor as Bagsy found it a refuge from other students.

The final feast was approaching when Mezrielda received a letter from her parents. Paranoid, she spent a few hours seeing if there were any hidden codes before deciding it was a genuine letter.

'What does it say?' asked Bagsy for the tenth time. Up until then, Mezrielda had shooed her away, claiming she was doing important detective work.

'Mother and father say they expect me home for Christmas,' said Mezrielda. 'Which I'm not surprised by, given the Ministry have stopped sticking their nose in their business, so they feel more comfortable having me in the manor.' She shook her head bitterly. 'They did anticipate, however that I would want to invite you over for the holidays. They've told me that, as much as they adore you, and want to pass on their best wishes, they are too nervous about having you over after what happened last time.'

Bagsy looked guiltily down at her notebook, where she was pencilling ideas for a new invention: message-sending chalkboards. The last time she'd stayed at Vespite Manor Mr and Mrs Glint had been accused of kidnapping her. 'Of course. I completely understand.'

Mezrielda angrily folded the letter. 'I also understand, but that does not mean I have to like it.'

'I guess I'll be at Hogwarts alone, then,' Bagsy realised, sadly. There was no way she was going home if she could help it.

'No, that just won't do,' Mezrielda muttered, thinking. A look of frustrated resignation came over her face as an answer clearly occurred to her.

'What?' Bagsy prodded, but Mezrielda refused to reveal her plan.

Bagsy would find out at the final dinner before students were scheduled to leave. Tomorrow morning, all the students who stared and gossiped and bothered Bagsy would be gone. So, too, would Mezrielda, and everyone else whose company Bagsy had grown accustomed too. She'd miss Greenda filling her in on the latest quidditch tactics or explaining seventh-year healing principles to her.

It was a bitter pill to swallow, spending Christmas alone.

The hall was adorned with glimmering specs of light from the candles and the enchanted snow falling above their heads. It vanished before landed on their eyelashes or tongues, to some students' disappointment. Some older students seemed relieved. Apparently, half a decade ago, the enchanted snow had led to a particularly vicious snowball fight.

As Bagsy was enjoying the earthy taste of a nut-roast and cranberries, and laughing at Mezrielda who refused to eat the bread sauce as it was 'below her', another Slytherin approached the Hufflepuff table.

Mezrielda gave a curt nod at Tod Alden before, to Bagsy's surprise, shifting over to offer him her seat.

Tod shot them each a crooked smile and a salute. 'How are we doing over here at the worst table in the hall?'

Bagsy lightly shoved Tod. 'Watch it, or the 'worst' students will kick you back to Slytherin.'

'If you insist. I'm here because I've been informed of two things. First, that the article didn't go down well.'