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

A Dynasty of Sacrifice

Bagsy raised an eyebrow, glancing at the empty space and then at Tod. 'What?'

Walking back to the door and peeking back out into the corridor, checking both ways, and then muttering disapprovingly to himself, Tod returned his attention to Bagsy. 'This stays between us. Promise me.'

'I promise,' Bagsy said, crossing her heart.

'Mezrielda can't know.'

Bagsy crossed her arms at that. 'Why can't Mezrielda know?'

Tod put his hands up. 'Fine. I won't tell you.

'Alright, alright, I won't tell Mezrielda.'

With a mistrusting look, Tod moved towards the empty space and pointed at it. 'When I was younger, before I'd gone to Hogwarts, documents from this room were stolen.'

Bagsy's eyes widened. 'Stolen?'

'Yes. I don't know everything that was in them, but I do know they had something to do with the blood eyed beast.'

Taking a step away from Tod, Bagsy felt as if something cold and sharp was piercing her chest. 'The... the creature?' Tod nodded. 'The one we saw in our first and second years? That blood eyed beast?'

'What else could I be talking about.'

'What did it say?'

'I don't know the full story, but I was told bits of it growing up. Magnus, bless him, he'd give his life for this family in a heartbeat, brave as anything, but a bit dull. Sure, he can be witty, but when it comes to thinking about things?' Tod shook his head. 'Just. No.'

Seeing a stool in the corner, Bagsy sat down, her legs feeling a little weak.

'My parents knew that so they chose to share a very important chore with me instead of with Magnus.'

'What chore?'

Tod looked directly at Bagsy with a pair of eyes that could cut metal. 'The thorned gauntlet.'

Bagsy let out a breath. 'Those documents had the riddles?'

Tod inclined his head in confirmation, putting his hand on a stack of documents next to the missing ones. 'The riddles were passed down in the family, recited from memory, but the rest of the information was lost when it was stolen. I didn't get to see it. I wasn't allowed. My parents said it contained the very essence of the future for the Alden family, for the next steps to be taken in the wizarding world. They said the information was my birth right, but only once I'd grown into a mature adult.'

'And whatever was in those documents...'

'Is gone. Stolen. We only had one copy, kept here, for safe keeping. No one should have known about its existence, no one should have even known we have this room and these papers. And yet when I was three they were taken, long before I would have been allowed to see them and know what they contained. It was only because we had the riddles memorised that I was able to hear those.'

'Why are you telling me this?'

Shrugging, Tod walked out of the room, indicating Bagsy follow as he collected the plates from the console table. 'You're dedicating a lot of time to help me solve one crime, it would be rude for me not to share another. Perhaps, one day, we'll catch both culprits. I trust you'll keep it to yourself, of course.'

'I will,' Bagsy responded firmly.

The sandwiches may have looked dreadful, but they tasted worse, and soon they gave up on eating them.

'Why don't we get takeaway?' Bagsy suggested. 'I know a great place me and my sis– I've often had in the past. It's called Dumplings and Dollops.'