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

Looking Forward To A Gloomy Summer

'I'm sorry-'

'What would I have done if you'd died?' Bontie cut over her sharply. Bagsy didn't say anything. 'You're lucky Winifred is so reckless. I found her and Robin first and took them to the magical beings for protection. Winifred didn't listen, though, and ran off to find you. It was only thanks to her light-show I arrived before anything worse could happen. You may have stunned the Nuckelavee temporarily, but-'

'It's still alive?' Bagsy asked, half-horrified, half-relieved.

Her hackles lowering, Bontie sat back down, crossing one leg over the other. 'Yes. Listen, Bagsy, I'm very unhappy with you. Your life is more important than you could ever imagine, and certainly more important than you keep treating it. Plus, I'm your big sister – I'm meant to protect you, but if you don't listen to what I tell you to do I can't keep you safe.'

'You did keep me safe,' Bagsy insisted lamely.

'Luck kept you safe,' Bontie snapped. 'Don't mislead yourself. You could have died a number of different ways last night. It's by the grace of chance, of fate, that you're here before me.' She pinched the bridge of her nose. 'Thankfully, I'm not the only one who's infuriated by your behaviour. Professor Starrett was besides herself. For once, we agree on something; you should be suspended.'

Bagsy stared at her sister in disbelief. 'Suspen...' she gasped out, unable to finish the word. 'That's not fair!'

'You provided untested potions to Winifred and Robin to hide their abilities,' Bontie countered. 'Last night, they told me what you were doing for them – the faculty hadn't realised phoenix borne's couldn't withhold their power if they so willed. Now it's evident that, had you not been providing them with potentially dangerous potions, they would have been discovered far sooner.'

'Exactly,' Bagsy fumed. 'I was doing what I had to.'

'What if your potion had killed them?' Bontie shot back angrily. Bagsy didn't have a response, thinking only of Primrose's scaled face. 'Unfortunately, Professor Fitzsimmons thinks more like you do, and took a lenient approach.'

Relief draped itself around Bagsy like a warm blanket. 'Mezrielda had nothing to do with it,' Bagsy rushed out quickly as a worry hit her. 'It was all my idea, I forced her to come along with me.'

Bontie arched an eyebrow. 'So, you're willing to take the fall alone?'

Bagsy nodded. 'Absolutely.'

Bontie folded her arms. 'Good. Fitzsimmons predicted as much. They're aware of Mezrielda's situation – she won't have any punishments on the record. Her place with her family won't be affected by the events of last night.'

Her eyes moving to Mezrielda, Bagsy internally disagreed. If Mezrielda didn't get her memories of her magic back, the events of last night could destroy her family.

Bontie followed Bagsy's gaze, seeming to guess her thoughts. 'Nurse Jones has inspected her mind,' she added slowly. 'There's... nothing that can be done to recover her memories. Mr Mortem's obliviation spells are second to none.' Bagsy gripped the duvet tightly, her eyes narrowing in sadness. 'The exams Mezrielda has already taken will be marked as usual, and she'll been given grades based on her current working ones for the exams she hadn't yet taken,' Bontie explained gesturing at Mezrielda. 'So she won't have to complete her school exams this year. Your punishment,' Bontie grit out, as if it agonised her to say it, 'is to complete the school exams, that you would have had to do anyway, but now with a free pass to next year regardless of if you succeed in them.'

'Oh,' Bagsy murmured.

'Yes,' Bontie seethed. 'When you get home, believe you me, you'll get something far worse.'