The next Hufflepuff quidditch match was against Slytherin and took place the second weekend after the Easter Term had begun. Bagsy, putting the sneering comments from Professor Starrett, the increasing sharpness of Professor Hilkins, and the growing feeling of inadequacy in her stomach from her mind, practised as hard as she could. She'd sent Bontie a few letters since returning to Hogwarts, mostly about the Eagle club and her failure to cast any spells, and found Bontie telling her to take her time and keep trying frustrating. Bagsy wished someone could offer her something more than just 'keep trying'. 'Keep trying' hadn't worked so far. Bontie had, however, given Bagsy Griffin's address so she could write to him about quidditch practise. Without Greenda spouting her usual quidditch knowledge and insights, Bagsy realised she'd missed receiving a regular flow of tips and tricks for the sport. Griffin filled the spot amazingly.
Each of his letters outlined different training exercises she could do on her own to improve her broom control and accuracy. As for Bagsy's fear of speed, which she'd only confided in Griffin because she was desperate to get over it, he'd advised her to fly on her broom at speeds slightly faster than she was comfortable with consistently. He said that, with enough time, she'd get used to the feeling and her fear would ebb away.
At quidditch practise, Bagsy tried to put all of his advice into use. She leant with her broom to encourage it's turning, adding a little more grip to the stirrups in her spare time to make her feel safe when doing so, and started paying attention to how the wind was working. Was it with her, or against her? Or coming at her from the side? Was it strong, or weak? Thinking over all it all whilst trying to hit bludgers towards players was very difficult and Bagsy saw a long road of 'keep trying' ahead of her. Unlike with her spell casting, though, this road was a constant progression of improvement so that, if anything, she felt excited to follow it.
On the day of the match, Bagsy sitting at the Hufflepuff table, Mezrielda shot her good luck messages with her long-distance enchantment to help with her nerves. What wasn't helping was Emmeline and Greenda.
Emmeline, when Ford wasn't paying attention, hummed the tune of the Greenda chant.
Greenda, Greenda, what shall we do? Bagsy unwillingly thought the words in her head as Emmeline began to whistle the tune.
Greenda put her knife and fork back onto her plate with a clatter, a furious expression on her face. 'Nothing will ever be enough, will it, Emmeline?' she hissed. Emmeline startled and looked at her. Bagsy was stunned, too. 'I say sorry and I grovel, and I ignore your horrible behaviour, but it's never enough. Never enough for forgiveness. Never enough for us to become friends again. I never even did anything wrong in the first place! It was all a misunderstanding!'
'As if you cared about our friendship,' Emmeline spat ruefully, 'as if you care about any friendship. All it takes is one mocking song and you start avoiding Bagsy like the plague. Some friend you are.'
Ford, having caught on, looked from one girl to the other anxiously. 'Can we have this conversation after the match?'
'No!' Greenda hissed. The people sitting around them hushed their conversations to listen in. 'We cannot have this conversation later because Emmeline feels now is the perfect time to continue her bullying! If that's what Emmeline wants, then now has to be the time I tell her I've had enough because guess what, I have.'
Something shifted in Emmeline's face. She was no longer teasing, now, she was as furious as Greenda was. Kat, sitting next to her, put a hand on her arm in the hope of calming her.
Emmeline shook her off and fixed blazing blue eyes on Greenda. 'You don't ask for forgiveness, Greenda, you expect it. What's worse is you expect it even when you continue to lie and act like you did nothing wrong, as if it had all been some big mistake. You're saying sorry, but for the wrong thing. That's the problem. I'll never forgive what you did if you never own up to it.' Emmeline slammed her plate onto the table and stood up abruptly. With a swift turn, she stalked out of the hall, her pretty blonde curls whipping behind her. Kat, with an awkward look at her food, stood up and followed her.
Greenda looked like she'd either cry or scream – or both.
Bagsy sat silently, wishing the ground would swallow her up, or the wax from the dripping candles would pour over her and hide her from sight.
Greenda sniffed and returned to her food without a word.
'Greenda-?'
'Please, not now, Bagsy,' Greenda said weakly, shoving a mouthful of jam and bread into her mouth and chewing it miserably.
'You owe her an apology,' a voice behind Bagsy said harshly. Greenda snapped around to look at Mezrielda who stood, hands on her hips, glaring at her.
'I have apologized,' Greenda said. 'Who even are you?'
'I wasn't talking about Emmeline,' Mezrielda grit out. Greenda stalled, her eyes sliding in the direction of Bagsy. 'I don't care what's going on between you and Emmeline. I care about how horrid you're being to one of the few people whose been nothing but nice to you since she got here. Emmeline is right – you're not a very good friend if one song makes you avoid her.' Bagsy felt a rush of different emotions. Sadness because Greenda had been ignoring her, but also a flush of gratitude. She'd only mentioned what was going on with Greenda in brief passing to Mezrielda right at the start of the year, yet here she was, having noticed it all in its entirety and deciding to stand up for her.
Greenda seemed to fold in on herself like one of Neve's papers. She didn't seem to know what to say.
'Repeat after me,' Mezrielda growled, leaning down to be eye level with Greenda, 'I'm sorry.'
'I haven't been avoiding her,' Greenda defended herself meekly. 'I just don't want to smother her, it's important she makes friends with people her own age. I know I'm annoying and talk too much so I just... I don't know...'
Mezrielda looked about ready to bite Greenda's head off.
'Mezrielda, it's fine,' Bagsy assured her hurriedly. Mezrielda paused, but eventually nodded at Bagsy, backing off, to her relief.
'Hey! It's her!' Teresa hissed, marching over to where they were with Neve and Itsuki on her heels. 'What did we say about coming to the Hufflepuff table?' Teresa spat at Mezrielda, who was already turning to leave.
Greenda shot to her feet, her prefect badge glinting importantly on her chest. 'You do not treat your fellow students that way,' she snapped. Bagsy looked at Greenda, stunned. Mezrielda seemed just as surprised, casting her brown eyes to Bagsy in a does she normally do that? way.
'She destroyed my worm farm-'
'People make mistakes,' Greenda cut over her, 'let it go and leave her be.'
'Look, you must have heard what happened, I told everyone! She's in the wrong, not me.'
'You shouldn't go spreading hurtful information like that,' Greenda snapped angrily. 'It's your and Mezrielda's business – no one else's. You'd do well to remember that.'
'But she was being rude to you, we all saw how so she was talking just then-'
'She was helping me realise something I should have realised a while ago,' Greenda cut across Teresa again. Now Bagsy was really stunned. 'Now eat your breakfast away from us or it'll be ten points from Hufflepuff. Each.'
Looking murderous, Teresa stormed to the other end of the table.
'Hi, Bagsy,' Neve sad quietly, as if Teresa and Greenda's row hadn't just happened.
'Hi Neve,' Bagsy responded, equally quietly, before Neve and the rest left for their own seats.
Ford shifted uncomfortably in his spot. 'We should get to the pitch.'
'Yeah,' Greenda agreed, finished her drink and leaving the hall, tapping Teresa on the shoulder and telling her to head down to the pitch when she'd finished. Teresa grudgingly nodded her head, shooting a rude gesture after Greenda as she left, to an admonition from Neve.
Ford, Jon, Bagsy and Mezrielda stood and headed towards the pitch.
Ford looked back at Mezrielda suspiciously. 'Not here to make one of our brooms malfunction?'
Mezrielda scowled. 'That wasn't me.'
Ford looked uncertain.
'It wasn't!' Bagsy agreed. With a glance in her direction, Ford seemed to reluctantly accept the claim. Bagsy reckoned it was a good thing Emmeline wasn't there to protest.
Jon narrowed his eyes. 'Not here to spy on us?'
'Negative,' Mezrielda assured him. 'I want Hufflepuff to win.'
'But you're a Slytherin-' Ford began in confusion, only to see Mezrielda change the colours of her robe from green and black to yellow and black with a spell. Ford raised his eyebrows but said nothing else. Bagsy held back a smile, imagining for a second what it would be like if Mezrielda had been sorted into Hufflepuff with her.
By the time they were gathering in the team tent Mezrielda had been forced to leave them. Ford had told Mezrielda that, spy or not, she wasn't on the team and couldn't enter the tent whilst they were having a team meeting, and that Emmeline would kick her out anyway. Now, as the Hufflepuff team prepared before the match, the noise of countless students eagerly awaiting the game sounded outside. Bagsy gulped.
'Same deal as last time,' Ford told them. 'We're playing the long game. We're learning. We're improving. Most likely we won't win this year – but we can win next year if we try our hardest.' Ford shot Emmeline, Greenda and finally Teresa hard looks. 'And we are a team. Before we go out there, each of you are to shake hands.'
'In what order?' Emmeline asked. 'Or all at once? I only have two hands, you know.' Kat snickered then covered her mouth. Ford scowled and Emmeline, with a roll of her eyes, extended her hand to Greenda.
Greenda strode out of the tent without a look at Emmeline, who's hand lowered slowly to her side. Greenda paused and looked over her shoulder at Bagsy. 'You did really well fending off the Ravenclaw seeker last match,' she said. Bagsy stood very still. 'Do the same this match. I will catch that snitch.' She shoved the tent flaps aside and strode out to cheers from the students. Ford, breaking free from his bamboozlement, hurried after her, swearing under his breath. The rest of the team followed suit.
The Slytherins stood assembled opposite them. Bagsy recognized the captain, who was walking to meet Ford instantly.
Twice, once last year and once this year, he'd answered when Bagsy had gone to the Slytherin common room looking for Mezrielda. He was tall. Very tall. At least three heads above Bagsy – maybe four. He had sharp green eyes and a distinctive saunter that oozed with arrogance. From how he was built to the features on his face Bagsy reckoned, with a sinking feeling, that he was in his seventh year – the final year of Hogwarts. That would make him either seventeen or eighteen, though he looked twenty, and was most likely highly experienced.
Quinton, Bagsy remembered his name, smiled devilishly at Ford and held out his hand. Ford, with a cautious look at the opponent's captain, shook his hand. Quinton's handshake was very sloppy and quick, as if he didn't take Ford seriously at all. Professor Kim, boot on the trunk with the quidditch balls, ran them through the usual warnings before blowing the whistle and kicking the trunk open.
Quinton rushed forward – but didn't grab the quaffle as it ascended. Instead, he ducked below it and towards the Hufflepuffs, before soaring up on the other side of the quaffle and blocking their path. His broom, Bagsy saw, was the Dragon Wing – Obsidian Edition. Envy burned in her vision, matching the green of the Slytherin team's gear.
Ford and Kat, who'd been racing towards the quaffle, had to pull to the side to avoid a collision with Quinton, who sneered menacingly. One of the Slytherin chasers zoomed forwards and took possession, racing towards the goal posts.
Emmeline, settling into position, braced herself. The chaser ducked to the side at the last second and shot the quaffle past her easily. Emmeline's fingers weren't even close to grasping the ball.
'Ten points to Slytherin!' Bagsy heard the now familiar voice of Magnus Alden. This time, Professor Starrett was standing next to him, her arms folded and her foot tapping impatiently, as if she was disappointed the Slytherins hadn't already won. 'Odds for a Hufflepuff win?' Magnus asked Starrett.
Starrett laughed thinly. 'That's funny, Mr Alden. As if Hufflepuff could win.'
Bagsy gripped her broom very tightly, puffing out her cheeks in anger.
'Focus,' Mezrielda's voice reached Bagsy, who hadn't moved since the match had started.
Glancing nervously around herself at the large crowd, Bagsy rose up higher, her eyes scanning for a bludger. She was distracted by the sight of a Slytherin beater hitting a bludger towards Ford – who'd finally managed to gain possession of the ball.
Bagsy leant forward – as Griffin had told her she should do – and sped towards him.
'Hey, what are you-?' Ford said in surprise, moments before Bagsy would have collided with him. Instead, she ducked below him, pressing down as much as she could to the broom, and sprung up on the other side, bat raised above her head, to ping the bludger away. Teresa, who'd been paying attention from the start, whistled into the bludgers path and hit it at a Slytherin chaser blocking Ford's way. The chaser, who clearly hadn't expected to be tag-teamed by the Hufflepuff beaters, took the hit to the back and spun out of control.
Bagsy shot down after him and grabbed a hold of his robe, steadying him. 'Are you okay?' she checked. The Slytherin nodded, looking dizzy. Bagsy, sure he was fine, sped off.
'It seems Hufflepuff are more interested in making friends than goals,' Magnus joked, to laughter from the crowd and a snide sneer from Starrett. Bagsy looked down at her hands in embarrassment, the noise from the crowd overwhelming her. Where they all laughing at her? It felt like it.
'Keep it together,' Bagsy heard someone say. It wasn't Mezrielda. Greenda put her hand on Bagsy's back comfortingly. 'Come on, ignore the commentator, you can do this, Bagsy. Keep on that seeker for me.' Greenda pointed at Quinton, who was circling above them scouring the ground below, looking for the snitch. Bagsy nodded and got her head back in the game.
Ford had managed to get the quaffle to the goal, but the keeper had blocked his attempt. Now, the Slytherin chaser who'd spun out of control earlier was rocketing down the pitch towards Emmeline and her goals.
Bagsy didn't need to race to the next bludger – Teresa was already there. With a whip of her long limb, Teresa thwacked the bludger forwards. The chaser, having learnt his lesson, ducked out of the way and made it to Emmeline. Bagsy, however, had looped around to his other side, where she'd predicted the bludger would end up, and had her bat pulled back for a hit.
The chaser threw the quaffle at the goals. Emmeline surged forward to grab it. It slipped between her arms and towards the post...
With a bam Bagsy's bludger collided with the quaffle, knocking it off course and making it miss the goal. Bagsy stared blankly, bat hanging at her side, not sure if she'd actually pulled that off or if she'd imagined it.
'WHAT A SAVE!' Magnus cried in disbelief. The crowd was roaring, now, and the noise seemed to vibrate Bagsy's brain inside her skull. She winced and took her hands of her broom, dropping her bat, and covering her ears and closing her eyes. There were too many people, too much noise.
There was a sudden sucking in the air to her left and something hard impacted with her left shoulder. Bagsy felt a pop within her joints and the scar the beast had left on it seared with hot pain. Quinton had barged past her at what seemed like the speed of sound.
The air sucked at Bagsy and before she could react and grab something, she found herself pulled from her broom and falling, too stunned to scream. Someone caught a hold of her robes and she was hanging mid-air. Bagsy looked up to see the Slytherin chaser she'd helped earlier just managing to keep a grip on her.
More players were rushing over. Greenda got below Bagsy, grabbing her legs. Ford held her under her arms. A Slytherin beater grabbed Bagsy's broom and brought it over so she could sit back on it.
'And that's two more goals to Slytherin whilst that mess is sorted,' Magnus added. 'Honestly, what was that Hufflepuff beater doing?'
'That's Miss Beetlehorn,' Starrett said, drearily. 'She's talented in faking uselessness in Charms and, evidently, in Quidditch, too.'
Boos from the Hufflepuff stands were drowned by laughter from Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, and outright cheering of agreement from Slytherin.
Bagsy felt faint.
'Time-out!' Ford called.
Greenda didn't let Bagsy go until they were on the ground.
'What happened?' Ford asked, a mixture of concern and frustration in his eyes. Bagsy couldn't speak – there was too much going on around her. Starrett was right – she was terrible at Quidditch. Why did she even bother trying out?
Mezrielda, disguised in her Hufflepuff robes, ran onto the pitch. She took out her wand and pointed it at Bagsy.
'Woah, woah, woah!' Teresa hissed, moving to step in the way and block the spell with her body. She was too slow.
'Teporiem,' Mezrielda cast. Bagsy felt a sweet warmth spread down her back like a hot shower. A relaxed breath escaped her, and she started to feel rather foolish for her outburst of panic.
'Sorry,' Bagsy mumbled. Teresa looked from Mezrielda to Bagsy sceptically but backed off.
'What happened?' Ford repeated.
'Let's just play.' Bagsy really didn't want to talk about it.
'Greenda!' Emmeline yelled, flying down and descending amongst them, having headed over from the goals. 'What are you doing? Catch the snitch already! Do whatever it takes just get that golden piece of garbage in your hand!'
'You're one to talk, anyone would think you didn't have hands you've let so many goals through!' Greenda yelled back.
Ford put his face in his hands.
Magnus's voice sounded. 'Hufflepuff are as bad as usual, but at least now they have entertaining drama.' More laughter. Bagsy cringed.
Teresa looked like she'd had enough. 'Both of you shut up!' she roared. Emmeline and Greenda looked at each other, seething silently but saying no more. 'Focus! This is a game, we are in front of the whole school. Please, save your lover's quarrel for after.'
Greenda and Emmeline started, blinking at Teresa as if she'd slapped them both with a wat towel. Teresa mounted her broom and took off without another word.
'We're not-' Emmeline stuttered.
'No way.' Greenda crinkled her nose in disgust. Bagsy didn't know if Teresa had believed what she'd said or not – but seeing how quickly the accusation of being an item had stifled the confrontation, she couldn't help but admire the tactic.
The match continued and Bagsy tried her best to block out the noise of all those pairs of eyes watching her. She tried to protect her chasers from bludgers and sent bludgers towards the opposing chasers when the chance arose.
Quinton's first move for the snitch had been halted when Ford had called a time-out. Quinton's second move happened a few minutes after play restarted. The seeker set his broom at a fast pace down the other end of the pitch, towards the Hufflepuff goal posts and, sure enough, Bagsy could see the glint of gold there. There were no bludgers near her to hit.
'Teresa!' Bagsy called desperately, pointing at Quinton. Greenda was now a few feet behind Quinton, but her broom couldn't beat his.
Teresa, who had a bludger begging to be hit near her, thudded her bat into it. It soared inaccurately to the left of Quinton, missing him entirely. Bagsy felt hopeless. All she could do was look on as Quinton pounced towards the snitch, grasping his hand towards it.
Emmeline, abandoning her goal post, shot down towards Quinton. At the last second, his fingers brushing the snitch, Quinton saw Emmeline streaking towards him at a furious pace. Instinctually, his turned his broom away, Emmeline shooting through the space he'd just been in.
'Go, Greenda!' Emmeline yelled. 'I know you can fly faster!'
Emmeline seemed to be right. As Quinton tried to get back on track, Greenda let out a growl of anger and shot past him. Bagsy had never seen the her so fast, she felt dizzy just watching.
With an impressive dive off of her broom, Greenda reached forward towards the snitch, before hitting the sand and rolling over and over with sickening thuds, her sudden speed coming to a stop far too abruptly. Clouds of sand rose into the air around her. Greenda didn't move from where her body came to a stop.
Bagsy's mind blanked at the sight, a deep cold spreading through her bones, dispelling the teporiem cast on her before.
Quinton, not skipping a beat, rushed over. He'd seen something in the air above where Greenda had landed; the snitch.
Greenda had missed.
Quinton shot over where Greenda was lying on the ground and grabbed the snitch securely in his hands.
'Is she okay?' Bagsy heard Magnus ask from the stand, not caring to announce the Slytherin victory, which the Slytherin's had been furiously cheering, before the realisation that the Hufflepuff seeker was hurt had settled in and somewhat muted their calls. Professor Kim and Professor Starrett were rushing over.
Emmeline landed next to Greenda before anyone else got close, her face pale. 'Greenda?' Emmeline said as Bagsy flew towards them. Greenda didn't move.
'Fetch Nurse Jones,' Starrett ordered one of the Slytherin players, who shot off the pitch.
Kim knelt next to Greenda, dismissing the players crowding around her.
'Is she okay?' Bagsy asked in a small voice that couldn't be heard over the other Hufflepuffs' much louder questions.
Greenda was lying on her front. Her shoulder looked oddly shaped, as did one of her legs, and she wasn't moving.
'Get back! I need space,' Professor Kim instructed above the clamour, her voice wavered uncertainly, and the students didn't seem to listen.
Emmeline, surprisingly, was the most difficult to get to move away from Greenda.
'Emmeline, you need to step back,' Ford insisted, trying to pull her away.
'I told her to fly faster...' Emmeline breathed, resisting him, her eyes not leaving Greenda, her legs refusing to be moved.
Kim had moved Greenda onto her side, ensuring her airway was clear and she hadn't swallowed her tongue, so that when the hunched, muttering Nurse Jones arrived all he had to do was summon a hovering stretcher and levitate Greenda Particularis up to the castle.