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

The Spell is Cast

Bagsy had to correct her direction a few times, steering them towards the clostra boab patch. Even in the dark it wasn't had to find, given she went there every Friday, and that she spent those lessons focussing on everything else but the boy she was partnered with and who made her feel very awkward indeed. 'Here,' Bagsy said at last, once they reached the patch of trees. They had begun sprouting and, in the darkness, it was easy to make out the small blobs of brown wood slowly growing out of the ground like pumpkins.

'Let me guess,' Mezrielda mused, walking up and down the rows of Australian trees, stopping at the largest, healthiest looking one. She pointed confidently down at it. 'This one is yours, I take it?' Bagsy nodded sheepishly. 'Impressive,' she complimented her, and Bagsy was glad it was dark so that she could hide her self-conscious blush.

Mezrielda walked back over to her. 'Last chance, Bagsy,' she said. 'If you don't wish to go in there we won't.' She pointed a finger behind her at the dark tree line. If the rest of Hogwarts was black in the thick of night, then the forbidden forest was a void of oblivion with only cobwebs, gnarled trees and ghastly whispers on the wind to keep you from losing all sense of existence. Bagsy gulped, a shiver of fear taking hold. 'You don't want to,' Mezrielda realised, saying it more to herself than Bagsy. 'Let's leave it.'

'No.' Bagsy clenched her fists, pushing past Mezrielda. Before she knew what her body was doing, she'd hopped over the wooden fence Wattleseed had erected at the start of the year. She stood on its other side, firmly at the treeline, her back to the yawning unknown and her face turned to Mezrielda. 'We're doing this. I made you a promise.' Mezrielda looked at her silently before nodded and following suit. She paused once she went over the fence, looking back at the castle with a concerned expression. 'What?' Bagsy asked, wondering briefly if Mezrielda had really meant that she didn't want to do this when she'd asked earlier.

'I thought...' Mezrielda trailed off, her eyes scanning the open field. 'Hmm.' Her lips were pursed in worry. 'Let's go, we better be quick. It's now or never Bagsy.'

'Right.' Bagsy looked at the deepness of the forbidden forest and nervously gestured ahead of her. 'A-after you...'

Mezrielda smirked at her then went towards the weeping weeds, which were glowing a faint blue in the darkness. The moonlight seemed to suck into them and release itself, giving off a soft glow; a respite in the oppressive dark. They reached the weeping weeds and, unlike last time when Bagsy had been uncontrollably afraid and alone, this time Bagsy was only uncontrollably afraid. She looked around herself, taking in the clearing and the circle of threatening trees that loomed high over their heads.

'This is perfect,' Mezrielda murmured. 'Cover so the weather machine won't be seen, and enough space for whatever my transformation may be. Bagsy.' Mezrielda snapped her head to look at her. Bagsy returned her intense stare. 'Activate the machine.'

Sensing Mezrielda had deeply enjoyed saying that line, and suspecting she may have practised it in her head beforehand, Bagsy felt her nerves ease up with amusement. Pulling the bronze cube from her robe, Bagsy laid it down on the floor and spoke the words to open it. It unfolded, and the weather machine stood before her. Allowing herself some of her own dramatism, Bagsy gave a little bow to Mezrielda before spinning the weather machine elaborately to the electrical storm jar. She fastened her hand onto the largest crank, steeling herself against the oncoming force, and pulled. With a sudden sucking, then booming gushing noise, dark clouds and bright, thundering crackles of electricity sprung like freed spirits from the machine and up, into the sky. The trees around them shook at the force, their barren branches shuddering, and some even snapping. Sparks of light sparked every few seconds, like amplified flashes of Bagsy's muggle torch, lighting up the world in blinding ferocity and thundering booms.