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

A Missing Mole-Man

'What if someone else tried to teach you?'

Mezrielda shook her head. 'I don't want that, either. I doubt the identity of the teacher matters when the student simply can't do it.'

'You did it before, why do you think you can't do it again?'

Mezrielda threw her arms angrily into the air. 'Because when I try it doesn't work!'

'If you kept trying, maybe it would!'

'Not everyone is like you, Bagsy,' Mezrielda growled back. 'I don't like the feeling of banging my head against a wall over and over until I break through with a bleeding scalp and a debilitating headache.'

'That's mean.'

Mezrielda took a moment, her nostrils flaring as she breathed out quickly. 'I mean to say, not everyone is as good at–' She paused, looking for the right word. 'Not everyone is as good at trying as you are.'

'Have it your way,' Bagsy relented. 'At least let me brew that potion for you.'

Mezrielda cast her a sideways look, folding her arms and digging her fingers into the fabric of her robes. 'Fine.' Then, with some difficulty, 'Thank you.'

'You're welcome.'

The next week the castle was filled with energy. Not only was winter starting to recede, and warmer days peeking out from behind the rain and snow, but the final weeks of term had many things in store. For one, there were three quidditch matches lined up in succession; Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor that weekend, Hufflepuff versus Slytherin the following, and Slytherin versus Ravenclaw to finish off the term. Only adding to the excitement, the coming weekend was both the visit to Hogsmeade and the date the second episode of Vampire Affairs was to be performed.

Bagsy was reminded of this when, on Tuesday morning, Eldritch perched on her shoulder and handed her a letter. Stroking the teddy-bear like owl and ignoring the adoring coos other students let out at the sight of the fat little fluff ball, she opened the letter. Philip had written to her on behalf of the acting troupe, requesting her presence on Friday evening for the dress rehearsal.

Mezrielda shook her head. 'Still only one rehearsal before a live show? Something is really not right with them.'

'I already agreed to play the part of Rose,' Bagsy reasoned. 'It wouldn't be very nice of me to pull out a week before the second episode.'

'Then you should have pulled out earlier!'

'I forgot,' said Bagsy meekly. It was true. A lot had been going on. 'Plus, if the breathing blight is with the acting troupe, I'll need to do more investigation to figure out which person he is.'

Still shaking her head, Mezrielda went to sip her pumpkin juice. 'All I'll say is they were involved with Perdita who disappeared from both this world and everyone's memories. They're not a safe group to be involved with.'

'I can take care of myself. If they really are dangerous the worst thing I could do would be to piss them off. Quitting right before episode two is a sure-fire way of doing that.'

'Then quit as soon as this episode is done, as you should have done after the first episode.'

Bagsy didn't respond to that.

Mezrielda's words stuck with her like a plague throughout the day. As they worked on their garden in herbology, she couldn't help shaking the idea that she, too, might vanish.

'Hey,' Nevis called from the entrance to their grand plot of plants and foliage. His eyes were wide as he took in the fairy tale appearance of the place. 'It's only, um, some of us were wondering if you'd be willing to help with our gardens?'