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

Tunnel Vision

Ducking low, hoping she could hide behind the other players, Bagsy found herself standing in the middle of the pitch. The Hufflepuffs faced the Ravenclaw team. Last year the Ravenclaws had won, the Hufflepuff team only having managed to score one goal before the Ravenclaw seeker had caught the snitch. Bagsy peered out from behind Teresa, who she was using to hide, to spot that the seeker who'd played last year wasn't standing among the Ravenclaws' numbers.

Winifred, who was there instead, smirked at Bagsy and waved. 'Hey, Baaaagzzz, I got a bet for some salty sugar sticks that Ravenclaw win. Think you can make that happen for me?'

Bagsy shook her head timidly and disappeared behind Teresa again, her apprehension about the match growing.

Professor Kim did her rounds, checking the brooms were all flight worthy and legal, before briefly reminding them of the rules. 'I know we get competitive here at Hogwarts, and believe me, nothing is as electrifying as riding a broom, but please put safety first, alright?' Kim cautioned. The teams nodded. 'Right. Captains shake hands.'

A squat boy with pale skin and broad shoulders strode forward from the Ravenclaw side. Ford, who was equally broad shouldered with dark skin and dark hair, towered over the smaller boy. They shook hands in a not unpleasant fashion before mounting their brooms. Bagsy, heart hammering in her head, saw the other Hufflepuffs around her mounting their own. She gulped, looking down at her broom and forgetting how exactly one flew it.

'Stay calm,' Bagsy heard Mezrielda's voice mutter in her ear. Bagsy's head snapped up and she looked around, but she couldn't spot Mezrielda in the crowd. Nodding her head in understanding, Bagsy swung her leg over her broom and let her modified Fleet Footed Fox hover.

'And...' Kim held a whistle close to her lips, her foot coming to rest on a trunk by her feet. 'Begin!' She blew the whistle and kicked the trunk open. A quaffle was launched into the air, which a Ravenclaw chaser quickly snapped up. The two bludgers shot up too, the sunlight gleaming off their black, metal forms.

Teresa, bat swinging at her side, shot after one of them and hit it straight towards the chaser.

'Another Hufflepuff vs Ravenclaw match,' Bagsy heard the commentator, Magnus Alden, Tod's older brother, say. 'Last time it was a complete stomp and Hufflepuff was torn apart by Ravenclaw's superior skills.' Bagsy, who'd taken off with a deep breath, glanced over at Magnus. Professor Blythurst, head of Hufflepuff house, was sitting in a large, fold-out chair next to him. Bagsy didn't think Blythurst would bother to tell Magnus to be civil in his commentary; he looked half-asleep.

'Bagsy, focus!' Mezrielda hissed in Bagsy's ear. Bagsy looked away from Magnus ('Oh, and Ravenclaw score, but no one's really surprised, are they?') and at the players.

Ravenclaw had scored ten points already, and one of their chasers was making a loop for another shot. Bagsy, directing herself swiftly over to the nearest bludger, whacked it down towards the chaser. With swift precision, the chaser dodged and threw the quaffle she was holding at Emmeline, who reached out to grab it, but it slipped through her fingers and into the goal.

'Another ten points for Ravenclaw!' Magnus called. 'Emmeline Wirth really botched that save, what a Wirth-less keeper, and that bludger attempt from Beetlehorn was very lack-luster. Beetle-horn certainly wasn't Beater-born.' A collective groan sounded throughout the crowd. Bagsy nearly fell off her broom she was so embarrassed. Oddly, Emmeline seemed highly amused at Magnus' insulting puns.

'One more rude comment, Magnus. See what happens,' Blythurst's croaky voice growled.

'S-sorry,' Magnus stammered, sounding more shocked that the statue of a man had spoken than scared.