Roast vegetable skewers, corn on the cob and stuffed aubergine were piled on Bagsy's plate as she settled in for their last barbeque dinner of the trip. Tomorrow, they'd be leaving Australia and heading back to England. Principle Diggles hadn't joined them, to Bagsy's relief, so she ate her food in happy silence. She felt better after her shower, but she was still creeped out by Philip and the acting troupe, and the red tent was visible in the distance on another plateau far away to their right. Taking a second to thank Quolldron college for being so large that the acting troupe could be there but also be nowhere near her, Bagsy finished her meal.
Wattleseed, Kim and Stery were standing next to the fires of the barbeque, talking in low voices to each other. Meanwhile, Mezrielda was fidgeting in her seat, seemingly annoyed.
'What's wrong?' Bagsy asked her.
Mezrielda glanced at Bagsy, then returned her gaze to the three professors. 'I wish I could hear what they were saying. It looks important.'
'And you say I'm the nosy one.'
Mezrielda rolled her eyes. 'If it weren't for Mr Mortem, I'd remember how to cast a spell to eavesdrop on them. I did once before, when Rebekah was snitching on you to Professor Starrett. Now, I wouldn't even know what the incantation was, let alone the wand movement.'
Bagsy looked curiously over at the teachers. Admittedly, she also wanted to know what they were saying. 'You don't need magic to eavesdrop.' Bagsy flipped her legs over the bench and stood up. She raised her voice dramatically. 'Ooh, I'm sooo hungry. I better go and get a refill.'
Mezrielda followed Bagsy back to the barbeque stations. 'You were certainly correct,' she whispered in a low voice to her. 'You really can't act.'
Bagsy stifled a laugh as she opened one of the barbeque stations and feigned indecision over some grilled potatoes and roasting tomato-covered bread. 'What to choose, what to choose,' she mumbled for effect, while Mezrielda tilted her head and placed a hand to her chin in deep consideration, only adding to the act.
The professors' voices were in hearing range.
'I'm not sure,' Stery was muttering. 'I've never lived anywhere but Australia.'
'It'd be great!' Kim piped up. 'You'd be paid more, you'd work fewer hours, you'd have a far more supportive and friendlier cohort, and don't even get me started on the students. They're all lovely!'
Wattleseed nodded. 'You'd get to teach Bagsy, as well.' He lowered his voice further, clearly hoping Bagsy wouldn't overhear. 'She's great at potions. Blythurst says she's a joy to teach. He reckons he would've had to retire already if it weren't for her helping out in class.'
Bagsy's cheeks flushed, and she turned her head away, hoping the professors wouldn't notice.
Mezrielda was shooting her a look, wriggling her eyebrows up and down jokingly. 'Someone's a teacher's pet.'
Bagsy elbowed her, trying to force down a smile. 'Shut up.'
Stery tapped one of his feet on the floor.
'The papers are already sorted,' Wattleseed pressed on. 'Fitzsimmons would love to have you at Hogwarts, as would Blythurst. Fitzsimmons is also a lot more...' he glancing around, 'respectful than your principal.'
'Alright,' Stery relented. 'I won't lie, I've been looking to leave Quolldron college. Diggles is insufferable and I am over worked.'
'As a part-time potions professor you'll definitely have more time to dedicate to your own studies,' Kim said.
'Mate, you've already convinced me. You can stop it with the pros and cons, alright?'
'Alright,' Kim chuckled. 'Fair enough.'
Wattleseed reached into his pocket and handed something to Stery. 'Fitzsimmons thought you'd come around. We have a ticket for you – you can return with us tomorrow morning, if you'd like?'
Stery took the WhiskWay ticket, excitement glinting in his clay-grey eyes. He tucked the ticket into his robe. 'That sounds great. Thank you. If you'll excuse me, I believe I have an urgent meeting with Principle Diggles to arrange.'
Stery turned and headed towards the conservaterrarium. Bagsy guessed he was aiming for the platform that carried you up to the top of Quolldron college.
Putting her plate down Bagsy hurried after him.
'She never decided what she wanted from the barbeque?' Kim puzzled.
Wattleseed added a confused grunt in agreement.
'Bagsy?' Mezrielda hissed questioningly, having followed after her.
'I just have a question for him,' Bagsy said, leaving Mezrielda behind as she increased her pace to match Stery's.
Stery was stepping onto the platform when Bagsy reached him. Looking down at her with his completely grey eyes, he arched an eyebrow. 'Can I help you?'
'Um, yes, it's only... I couldn't help but overhear that you're going to work as a part time potions professor at Hogwarts.'
'Overheard, hm? While you were spending an hour choosing what to eat, you mean?'
'Uh, yeah...' Bagsy trailed off. 'I just wanted to ask... is Professor Blythurst okay? Each year he seems worse. I'm worried about him. If he needs another potions professor to help him, then, I guess... I'm asking if he's doing alright?'
Stery considered her, fiddling with the jewels on the end of his beard. 'Fitzsimmons contacted me earlier this year about this job. When they wrote to me they informed me Blythurst's health was not ideal. Since then, I imagine it's only become worse.'
'Oh,' Bagsy murmured sadly. 'I see.'
Stery pursed his lips sympathetically. 'I'm sure there are many talented healers doing all they can to help him and now that I'll be assisting with his teaching, he'll have more time for recovery.'
'Thank you.' Thinking that was it, Bagsy turned to leave.
'Hold on.'
Bagsy looked back.
'I'm sorry to probe, but you've already been nosy to me, so I feel I get to be nosy back.'
Bagsy stared at Stery, not sure what he could want.
'I just wanted to ask...' The tone of Stery's voice changed and it sent a chill up Bagsy's spine. 'How on earth did you end up in Britain?'
Whatever Bagsy was expecting, it hadn't been that. 'What do you mean?'
Stery leaned towards her, widening his eyes and pointing at their grey colour. 'Haven't you noticed these?'
Backing away, feeling a little scared, Bagsy held her hands up. 'I don't know what you're talking about. I better go.' Unsettled, Bagsy fled the cazza as quickly as she could.
'Oh merlin,' Stery breathed as she left. 'Doesn't she know...?'
Feeling queasy at Stery's odd behaviour, Bagsy hurried back to her room, trying to push the interaction from her mind.
That night she lay awake, staring at the ceiling, her hands clasped over her chest. The sounds and sights of the blue mountains were unfamiliar – cawing of strange birds, buzzing of foreign insects, and the blue light of the moon washed into the room.
'You're not sleeping either?' Mezrielda asked from her bed. Her voice was soft with sleep.
'Too many weird things happened today.'
There was the rustling of sheets as Mezrielda lay on her side to face her. Bagsy knew she was waiting for her to ask why she was awake.
'You don't have to tell me,' Bagsy told her. Mezrielda let out a breath, seeming relieved.
Mezrielda's voice was a low murmur in the darkness. 'You've spent half of your time at Hogwarts skipping sleep. What do you do instead to pass the time?'
'I get caught up in my work. Once I'm in the middle of a project I like to finish it more than I like to close my eyes and rest.'
Mezrielda gave out a rueful laugh. 'I wish that was the case for me.'
'Yeah,' Bagsy teased. 'You're terrible at sticking to stuff.'
'That wasn't an invitation to insult me,' Mezrielda shot back, not sounding too upset.
'Sorry,' Bagsy snickered, not sounding too sorry.
'If we're just going to brood about life we may as well do something productive.' There were more rustlings as Mezrielda got out of her bed and lit a candle. She sat down on the floor, placing the candle in front of her, and waited expectantly for Bagsy to join her. Within a few moments, Bagsy was sitting down as well.
'So, uh, what are we doing, then?'
Mezrielda narrowed her eyes. 'I was hoping you would know. You're the ideas person.'
'It was your idea to sit down here and do something productive.'
'Exactly. I've contributed. It's your turn.'
Bagsy pulled her face into a scowl, but she was already thinking about something they could do. 'I packed traitor?'
Mezrielda considered it. 'Yes. That would be fun.'
Going through her bag, as Bagsy had already packed her stuff for their early departure tomorrow, she fished out the card game.
They played a few rounds. Sunlight was beginning to stream into the room by the time they gave up on their game and catch a few hours of sleep before they had to leave. When they finally awoke, at what felt like five but was actually eleven, they were both very tired.
Bagsy stifled a yawn as she dressed and checked over her packing. 'I think I might sleep on the ship. I'm so tired I don't think I have the energy to fear heights right now.'
Mezrielda grunted her agreement, too tired to form words.
In their exhausted daze they waved goodbye to Wayne, who was seeing them off, and an angry looking Principle Diggles.
'Thank you for visiting,' he said stiffly to Bagsy and Mezrielda. The look he gave Wattleseed and Kim was scathing, but nothing compared to the glare he aimed at Stery. 'After all the opportunities I gave you. All the help I offered that you didn't deserve. This is how you repay me? You're almost as stupid as you are lazy.'
Stery's nostrils flared and fury flashed on his face, but he refused to respond. Diggles tutted and turned, his bulky frame stalking away with loud thuds.
Stery let out a breath. 'That was awkward. Let's get going.'
Wayne rushed forward suddenly, and wrapped Stery in a hug. Stery looked as surprised as everyone else.
'Thank you,' Wayne said, letting go of Stery. 'You've been a great teacher, even if strict. Everyone's gonna really miss you.'
Stery stared at Wayne for a second, then wiped his clay-grey eyes. 'Thank you, Wayne. That's very kind of you to say.'
Their goodbyes said, Stery, Kim, Wattleseed, Mezrielda and Bagsy walked over the river with the crocodiles and down the steps to the puddle that would transport them back to Sydney.
Soon, they were walking over the side of a pier on the Parramatta river and standing on its underside.
The same captain as before awaited them, looking just as bored, and gestured to the plank leading to the vessel.
This time, as Kim offered to help Bagsy on board, she found she wasn't as scared. She couldn't help thinking about those floating platforms and how confident she'd felt jumping from one to the other. As she walked onto the ship, she simply focussed her eyes, feeling sure in her movements, and her fear melted away.
They were earlier for boarding than they had been last time, so Mezrielda and Bagsy headed below decks, securing two seats next to a window. Before Bagsy knew it, there was blue water beyond the window as they sailed down to the underlake on their way home.
'Mezrielda,' Bagsy said at one point, spotting the large, scaled creature she'd seen on the way in and wanting her friend to see it to. She was positive, having seen them up close, that it was a giant crocodile. 'Mez?' Bagsy repeated, turning to look at her friend.
Mezrielda was leaning towards her, head hanging to the side and mouth parted as she slept. Bagsy paused, wondering if she was drooling slightly, but then realising that it was Mezrielda. She didn't seem like the kind of person to drool. Still, Bagsy thought, holding back a laugh, the evidence was right in front of her. She'd be sure to mock her friend once she woke up.
When Mezrielda's head fell a bit further to rest on Bagsy's shoulder, she stiffened, then settled into the familiar warmth.
With rushing speeds, ascension and descensions through clouds, and a sharp turn upside-down as they docked, they'd arrived back in England. The WhiskWay station was as crowded and vibrant as when they'd arrived, but this time Bagsy was too tired to take it all in. She followed sluggishly behind the professors as they exited the station and arrived on Brighton pier.
Her tiredness evaporated at who she saw waiting on the pier for her.
'Bontie Beetlehorn!' Wattleseed said happily. 'What a nice surprise! I assume you're here to take your sister home?'
Bontie, thin lipped, looked at Bagsy and then Mezrielda. 'And her friend, too.'
Bagsy turned sulkily to the professors. 'Thank you so much for the trip,' she said, glancing warily at her sister who was tapping her foot impatiently on the floor. 'I had a great time.'
'Of course.' Wattleseed smiled down at her.
Kim gave her a pat on the back. 'I'll be seeing you soon enough in Thaumathletics. We're moving onto treadmilling this year. It's going to be a blast.'
Sensing her sister wouldn't allow her the time to ask what treadmilling was, Bagsy said her goodbyes, hoisted her bag over her shoulder and walked glumly to her sister's side. Mezrielda followed, similarly quiet.
Bontie walked with them through Brighton and back to the sea-side village of Boorping. It was just as windy as it had been the last time they'd walked here, only this time Bontie subtly flicked her wand, casting a shield of anti-blustering around them as they moved. Bagsy's anxiety grew as Bontie continued to be silent. It felt as if her stomach had sunk all the way to Australia she was weighed down with so much dread.
As they stepped into a boat moored at Boorping, Bagsy noted the one they'd taken there was gone, and hoped it had been returned to the Glints.
Bontie still wasn't speaking. Bagsy didn't dare speak herself, for fear of unleashing the rage evident within her, so she didn't ask what had happened to the Glints' boat.
Bontie led the boat into the underlake and then, after a time, up to Vespite Cliff. She unceremoniously chucked Mezrielda's bag onto the quay and waited for her to leave. With a pinch of relief, Bagsy saw the boat had indeed been returned to the Glints.
Mezrielda hovered for a second. 'Bagsy, I'll see you-'
'Leave,' Bontie cut over her sharply, without looking at her.
Glancing coldly at Bontie, Mezrielda stepped off the boat. Bagsy watched as the shape of her friend was morphed and vanished by the darkening water of the ocean as Bontie led the boat back to the underlake.
They travelled in more silence. After what felt like an age, Bagsy began to wonder how they were going to get home, before something very strange happened.
The boat rose upwards into a dark space. It was no bigger than Bagsy's private room in Hogwarts, and as dim as it was drab. Water dripped from the roof onto the deep pool that occupied half of the room, and mould spread over the stone walls that were black with age.
Bontie tied the boat to the side and stepped onto the concrete floor, before carefully helping Bagsy, and her luggage, onto dry land.
There was a heavy metal door with multiple locks. Bontie fished out a horde of keys and methodically worked through them. Finally, after an assortment of clicks and clunks, she laid her wand against the door. It glowed in response and swung open onto grey stairs leading up.
'Bontie, what–?' Bagsy was silenced by a harsh look from her older sister.
They ascended the steps and stopped at a trapdoor. Bontie cast a spell, opened the trapdoor and exited the stairwell.
Bagsy followed and stepped into her own living room at One Aesher Common. 'How...?' She looked around, checking she was where she thought she was. She'd never known there was a hidden room below her house that connected to the underlakes.
Bontie rounded on her. 'Obliviate.'
Bagsy's heart leapt into her throat, and she instinctually raised her hands, but she wasn't wearing her spell-sponge gloves, and the green beam hit her full force.
The next moment, she recalled how they'd taken the underlake to a nearby river in Aesher Common and walked to their house, and how nothing unexpected had occurred. There certainly hadn't been an odd room below the living space that had looked a bit like a prison cell.
'Eat,' Bontie said simply, pulling a portion of ink toast from the ice cube and putting it on the kitchen island. Then she walked up the stairs and away without saying a word.
'Bontie?'
'What?!' She whirled around the look at her. 'What do you want me to say?'
Bagsy sniffed, tears forming in her eyes. 'Anything...'
Bontie softened, if only a miniscule amount, and walked back down. With a deliberate scrape, she pulled one of the breakfast bar stools out and sat on it, placing her hands neatly on the counter.
She said, 'I was going to wait for you to settle back in before we spoke about what happened to give you some time to cool off.'
Bagsy nodded, though she felt it wasn't she that needed the time to cool off.
'But if you must know I've decided, for your own safety and educational interests, you will no longer attend Hogwarts. You will be home-schooled.'
Bagsy stared in disbelief.
'You heard correctly,' said Bontie.
'B-but... N-no, you can't! I n-need to go to Hogwarts!' Bagsy hated how stilted her own words got whenever the rug was pulled from underneath her.
Bontie pinched her nose. 'This is why I wanted to give you time to cool off. You'd be more receptive to this news with a good night's rest.'
'The Hogwarts express leaves tomorrow! If I'd taken time to cool off I would've missed it.'
'I was intending to let you sleep in and explain the situation in the morning,' Bontie explained, as if there was nothing wrong with that at all. As far as Bagsy could tell, her sister had intended to hide her plans from her until after it was too late to disagree with them.
Bagsy reeled as if she'd been hit. 'That's not fair! You can't control me like that! You're my sister, not my mum!'
Bontie frowned at her, the corners of her mouth downturned. 'If you can get our parents to come down here and disagree, I'll let you return.'
Something horrid snapped in Bagsy's chest at that, as if someone had sucker-punched the breath from her. Bontie knew how much Himble and Florentchia's absence stung, and now she was using it as a taunt. 'How can you say that?'
Bontie stared at her, expression unflinching.
Bagsy clenched her jaw, pushing her nails into the palms of her hands where the nearly faded scars Core Foncée had left on them were.
Her decision made, she turned and threw open one of the kitchen cupboards. She reached in and with a decisive swipe, pushed a stack of plates to the floor.
Bontie jumped in her chair, clearly shocked by the sudden shattering of crockery across the tiles.
Bagsy wasn't done. She grabbed glasses, bowls, tea-cups, china spoons, vases, she even took a moment to pull minimalistic art from the walls and throw it down.
Composed now the initial surprise had worn off, Bontie watched silently as Bagsy destroyed the living room.
However, both startled at the sound of two sets of feet rushing down the stairs.
'Mum? Dad?' Bontie murmured in confusion.
'Himble? Florentchia?' Bagsy said at the same time, not quite believing her desperate plan had worked.
Mr and Mrs Beetlehorn appeared in the living room, looking stressed and concerned.
'Bagsyllia!' Himble said. 'What in merlin's name are you doing?'
Bagsy could only stare, mouth agape, at them.
Bontie stood up from the stool. 'How did you know what was happening?'
Florentchia pointed up at the ceiling. 'I created a security system after the incidents with that muggle boy a few years back.'
Bagsy recovered from her shock. 'For the past two years you've been able to see and hear what's been going on outside your rooms?'
Himble and Florentchia exchanged a look.
Himble, who was wearing a woolly sweater that was covered in smudges of grease, wrung his hands together. 'Not really. It only alerts us when necessary.'
'I was banging on your doors asking for you and it didn't trigger,' said Bagsy.
'Enough about that,' Florentchia cut in, gesturing at the mess she'd made. 'What do you have to say for yourself, Bagsyllia?'
'Bontie's banned me from going to Hogwarts!' She pointed accusingly at her sister.
'Bagsy snuck away to Australia for a week, despite being house-bound.'
'Bontie locked me indoors all summer.'
'Only because you were foolish enough to–'
'That's enough!' Florentchia held her hands up, silencing both of them. Bontie relented instantly. Bagsy was still fuming but managed to hold her tongue. 'I don't care what happened or who started it, I'm finishing it. Bagsyllia, you break all our possessions because something doesn't go your way. Rebontil, you can't ban your sister from attending Hogwarts.'
Bontie folded her arms at that. Something Florentchia had said seemed to have ruffled her feathers. Bagsy watched as a silent conversation passed back and forth between the two.
Bagsy asked hesitantly, 'Does that mean that I can go back to Hogwarts?'
Florentchia looked her up and down. 'If you're going to break things I'd rather it be in Scotland than my home.'
That seemed to be a final straw for Bontie. 'Absolutely not. Bagsy hasn't learnt her lesson. She needs to understand the importance of respecting adults, and staying out of trouble, for her own and other's sakes. If she goes back there's a good chance she'll die–'
Florentchia snapped, 'It seems like Bagsy's not the one who needs to respect adults.' Bontie's nostrils flared at that. Florentchia carried on airily. 'I'm sorry, Rebontil, dearest, but it's not your decision to make. You're just her sister – you can't control if she goes or not.'
'I can and you know exactly why.'
The silent conversation returned.
'Oh,' said Florentchia, voice a whisper. Bagsy strained her ears to hear. 'You want her to know, then? Shall we tell her, even after all these years, just so you can make one petty demand?'
'It's anything but petty.' Bontie looked from her Florentchia to Bagsy and back again. It was a minute movement, but it caught in Bagsy's mind like a thorn. 'We don't have to tell her. You just have to back my authority,' Bontie said, just as quietly. When Florentchia didn't budge, Bontie cast a pleading look at Himble.
He said, 'Florentchia's right. Bagsyllia can't stay here if she's going to mess everything up.'
'Do you care more about your furniture than Bagsy?' Bontie shot back. 'She needs to grow up to be a responsible person, she needs to be safe, and that's not going to happen if you send her back to Hogwarts!' Bontie paused, looking back over at Bagsy, who had moved away and was now sitting stiff as a statue on one of the sofas, hands in her lap and staring into space. 'Bagsy?'
Bagsy looked down at her hands, clasping them slowly together so that the knuckles turned white. Sharply, she looked directly at Bontie. 'What is it you don't want me to know?'
The silence in the room was as heavy as the miles of ocean the WhiskWay ship had travelled below. It hung as the adults assessed how screwed they were.
Florentchia was the first to take a step on the ice. 'What do you mean?' she asked with a vacant smile.
Bagsy shifted her glare from Bontie to Florentchia. 'You asked Bontie if she wanted me to know something even after all these years. Something that would give her authority to keep me at home. What is it? What do I not know?'
The ice was cracking.
Himble tried next. 'It was nothing important.'
Bagsy was having none of it. 'It sounded important.'
Bontie looked at her, thinking. Bagsy's gaze didn't leave Bontie's. It was they who were having the silent conversation now.
Bontie's head tilt was a question: have you figured it out?
Bagsy pursed lips were a confirmation: I have.
The moment Bontie realised the ice had shattered long ago, her shoulders sagged in defeat.
Shakily, Bontie sat back down on the bar stool. 'You're not their child.'
'Rebontil!' Florentchia gasped, horrified.
Himble's eyes were bug wide and concerned. 'What she meant to say was–'
'It's too late. She knows.'
Florentchia looked at Bagsy as if examining a failed invention. The shock had been swiftly replaced with an open hostility that was no surprise at all. 'You were a mistake. It's only by our generosity you're here at all.'
Bagsy stood and walked to the stairs, her mind hearing the words but making as much sense of them as she did of spellcasting.
Bontie put her face in her hands. She didn't speak as Bagsy, with a strange calm overcoming her, walked past Himble and Florentchia and up the stairs.
She'd refused to call them mum and dad for a while now because they'd never done anything to warrant the titles. Now, it turned out, they weren't her parents in any sense at all.
'I will go back to Hogwarts,' Bagsy threw over her shoulder before she was on the next floor, and out of their sight.
When she made it to her room she collapsed onto her bed. The numbness receded, and she found herself crying into her pillow, wishing she had two furry rat friends to comfort her. Eldritch, at least, sensed her sadness and perched on the back of the bed by her head. It wasn't enough, though.
Bagsy had to return to Hogwarts. She needed to talk to someone about this. She needed Mezrielda to tell her how horrible her family was in words that Bagsy barely understood.
After a few minutes, wiping her tears clean, Bagsy sorted through her things, packing for her journey to Hogwarts.
She'd be damned if she'd let what she'd just realised stop her returning to one of the few places she felt happy.
If she'd understood what had happened right, Bontie wasn't her sister.
She was her mother.