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

Preparations for the Dance

This new development was concerning, especially given how ruthless Starrett had been to her in the past. Bagsy had no doubt in her mind she would, if not this lesson then the next, let Starrett down. Swallowing a lump of dread and hoping to merlin this concern for living up to Starrett's expectations would go away, she pushed the door open.

'It's a miracle,' Starrett said flatly. 'You're on time.'

'Are we practising spells today? Or Artifisiary?'

During the last few weeks, Starrett had swapped between working towards Bagsy being able to cast the protego charm and teaching her how to use her inventions, observations, and reactions to complete difficult tasks.

Slowly, those lessons had grown more and more fun. They changed from being pelted by golden paint or bowled over by a yapping bench, to Bagsy darting around like a rabbit, dodging jets of light and chairs trying to trip her. All the while she would frantically combine ingredients to make a brew with such a potent stench it would make the chairs faint, or tie a cloth drenched in flammable potion around her mag-net ball so that she could hit a flaming object at the floor boards that rose up like a horde of zombies to overcome her.

Most times she'd ended up losing, but she was beginning to understand how to best handle an opponent. Observe, utilise what you had to respond, and think about how your enemy would counter your attacks.

It was with a little disappointment, then, that Bagsy saw Starrett produce her wand.

'We're practising spells today.'

Bagsy said, 'It's only, I invented something and was wondering if I could show it to you.'

'Later,' Starrett snapped. 'Now pay attention.'

It wasn't nice thoughts that went through Bagsy's head. She'd hoped to spend the lesson showing the uses of her new invention. If muggle things can be insulated from magic, it would open a lot of opportunities to use non-magical offensive and defensive tactics. Instead, she was going to try casting the protego charm more and, as had been with the previous lessons, be able to do nothing while her magic drained away from her like a dying hose pipe.

She doubted she'd get to show Starrett her new invention – whenever Himble, Florentchia, or any adult told her later what they'd really meant was never.

Starrett didn't seem to notice her apprehension or, if she did, she chose to ignore it. 'Remember, it's a precise, swift motion and a confident push of magic, focussing on guiding the power from your heart to your wand. Now, begin running.'

Bagsy set off, running up and down the steps of the tiered benches of the Charms classroom.

'Stop,' Starrett instructed after a few runs. 'Now block.' Starrett cast a jet of red light at Bagsy,

'Protego!' A pitiful spark of blue spluttering at the tip of her wand. The red light hit her on the shoulder and she took a staggered step back.

Bagsy set off running again, repeating the exercise over and over.

After too many tries to count, Bagsy tried casting the charm again, only to find nothing at all happen in response. She didn't feel even a twitch of magic moving within her. When Starrett asked her to run again, Bagsy found she couldn't.

'I gave you an order,' Starrett said, but Bagsy was too busy looking, watery eyed, at her walnut wand.

Was that it? Was her magic gone, again? She'd been foolish to hope this could have worked, to hope that she would be able to cast spells.

She pointed her wand at one of the locked drawers in Starrett's desk. 'Alohomora!' she cast.

Starrett turning to look at the drawer in confusion.