Bagsy Beetlehorn and the Corvid Trials (The Bagsy Chronicles 2)

The Duel

'And I didn't cast an exhaustion jinx on her yesterday, either,' Primrose growled, hands on her hips. 'But I still got a detention for it, didn't I?' Bagsy opened her mouth to say something, like how really Primrose was being punished for what she'd done to her in Diagon Alley, but her words didn't want to speak. She knew, deep down, it hadn't been the best or kindest idea to lie and say Primrose had jinxed her and Tod. 'Cat got your tongue? Maybe I'll get my cat to get one of your rats, while I'm at it.'

Bagsy didn't know when she'd drawn her wand, but suddenly she was pointing it at her.

Primrose looked at Bagsy in surprise, then a smirk spread across her pretty face. With a toss of her perfect blonde curls Primrose drew her own wand, holding it lazily at her side. 'Go on,' Primrose encouraged Bagsy. 'Or was I right? Are you really just a squib?'

A crowd was beginning to form.

'I'll bet you three wheezing toffees Bagsy throws a punch,' Bagsy heard Winifred say off to the side.

'You're on,' Robin responded eagerly.

Bagsy felt as if she had been hit by an exhaustion charm. Her arm lowered and she looked at Primrose's feet glumly. She was right – what was she going to do? Say words until Primrose was intimidated enough to leave? She couldn't beat Primrose in a duel. As if Bagsy could cast a spell that would do anything but make her look more magically incapable.

'I think you need a reminder of what you are,' Primrose snarled, taking a step towards her. 'It seemed last time I didn't leave a deep enough scar. If you're going to report me to teachers anyway, I may as well do what you're snitching on me for. Rebekah, Logan, keep an eye out for professors, will you?'

The boy, Logan, looked uncertain, but Rebekah elbowed him sharply before he could speak. Cowed, the boy glanced around warily, whilst Rebekah craned her neck to lookout for adults. Plenty of students were looking at the trio with disapproving glares but Bagsy noted none of them were stepping forward.

'First, the exhaustion charm you claimed I'd cast on you,' Primrose said, a bright light shooting towards Bagsy. In an instant, Bagsy's muscles felt as if they'd been hollowed out, and she swayed from side to side, unsure she could stay standing she felt so deliriously tired. Primrose's wand snapped up to point at Bagsy's face. 'Flagrate!' she hissed with malice. Sparks of fire shot towards Bagsy's forehead and she stood, frozen to the spot, unable to move.

'Colliquify,' someone cast. The sparks of fire hit Bagsy's face, but when they did they were cold and wet. Bagsy gasped as freezing water splashed off of her forehead. The crowd that had grown to quite a size now let out a collective ooohh. 'Anguis!' Mezrielda stepped forward, standing at Bagsy's side. Her long, white wand shot a thin line of green at Primrose's hands, who shrieked as her fingers grew scales, forked tongues and lidless eyes. Her wand dropped from her wriggling, snake fingered hands, and Primrose screamed again.

Winifred and Robin were doubled over laughing.

'Implexio.' Mezrielda sounded almost bored at this point. A small ball of yellow light shot to Primrose's hair which turned into a mass of blonde knots and tangles. Primrose looked terrified.

Rebekah drew her own wand. 'Locomotor Mortis!' she hissed, sending the leg-locking jinx in Mezrielda's direction.

Bagsy stepped in the way. 'No!' she hissed, anger fuelling her words as she swished her hornbeam wand to counter the jinx. There was a sensation in her chest, like a balloon squashing down and forcing itself through the veins of her arm, her exhausted muscles finding themselves squeezed harshly as whatever it was tried to shove its way out. For a moment, it was excruciatingly painful, but whatever the feeling had been, it vanished back up her arm and into the recesses of her ribcage, with only a light tingling sensation at her fingertips.