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

Training

'I don't think anything more tedious exists than cleaning the trophy cabinet,' Mezrielda complained, stabbing the fruit in her bowl angrily.

'I'd take that over Starrett any day.'

'That's fair.' Then, looking off into the distance, Mezrielda frowned deeply. 'What on earth are they wearing?'

Bagsy looked and saw Greenda, as well as a handful of people around her, were wearing robes that looked like they were covered in mud. She blinked at the scene, perplexed. 'I don't know,' she said. 'But it looks awful. Hey! Greenda!'

Greenda, who wasn't too far away, looked over. 'Yeah?'

'What are you wearing?'

'Oh, this? It's the latest designer robes from Fate's Thread. Their clothes are said to bring good luck. Cool, aren't they? The brown patches are a new fashion style that's just come in.'

Another seventh year Hufflepuff, who had been chatting with Greenda, looked down at Bagsy. 'We were lucky enough to be selected as some of the elite spellcasters who get to wear them while they test the garments out.'

Bagsy's mouth hung open. Greenda, seeming to think the conversation was over, turned back to the other students.

'See you,' the same boy said again, this time just to Greenda, 'we can chat another time.'

'Don't you want to talk about work?' asked Greenda hopefully. 'The project you were working on sounds interesting. I'd love to hear about it?'

'Nah, I'm good,' said the boy. 'I only want to chat about interesting stuff. See you.' He nodded at his friends who, in unison, stood from the table and left. Greenda stared longingly after them.

'You can come sit with us,' Bagsy offered, but Greenda waved her off and indicated her empty bowl.

'I've got to get going, anyway,' she admitted. 'I have about a thousand and one things to do. Sorry.' With a friendly pat on the back before departing, Greenda left, keeping her head turned down and her eyes out of view. Bagsy swore she heard her sniff as she walked quickly from the hall.

Bagsy turned back to her toast, deep in thought.

'What is it?' asked Mezrielda.

Bagsy glanced up at her friend. 'It's just... at the weekend, I said that muddy robes were a fashion trend, didn't I?'

'You did, yes. It was an... attempt at covering for the state of our robes. Where are you going with this?'

'I also said Primrose should choke on a tomato, and then it happened.'

Mezrielda looked up at the ceiling as if asking the stars to give her strength.

Bagsy pressed on, 'And in Herbology I predicted there were ten shears in a bag – and there were!'

Mezrielda levelled her with a hard look. 'You don't have the sight.'

'But I can see things people can't. Like the Ministry airship, or the Thaumathletics track, and I keep getting visions of things that have happened.' Suddenly, with a horrified gasp, Bagsy sat straight upright. 'What if that vision I had of the children wasn't a memory at all, Mezrielda? What if it was a premonition? What if Fitzsimmons is going to become a second blood eyed beast?'

Mezrielda scoured Bagsy's face with her eyes. 'You have to trust me on this. You don't have the sight, and that vision was of the past, not the future.' She suppressed a shudder. 'And don't even suggest the idea of a second beast. Perish the thought... the day two blood eyed beasts walk the earth is the day we all die.'