Bagsy woke with an uncomfortable jolt on Monday. She'd been having a bad dream, but she couldn't remember what about. She reckoned the cold rain from yesterday had contributed to her nightmare. She often slept worse when she was ill and, right then, with all her sniffing and coughing, she guessed that she very much was.
Walking in a haze to breakfast, she almost forgot the deal she'd made with Primrose, but forgetting such a deal was a difficult task when a scaled face and toothy grin were what welcomed her into the great hall.
'Are you ready?' Primrose asked.
'Not really,' said Bagsy, her voice sounding strange from her nose blockage.
'Ew.' Primrose cringed. 'Don't get too near. Cold-blooded folk don't like catching bugs.'
'You're cold blooded?' Bagsy asked as they made their way to the table.
Primrose shrugged. 'Never checked. Wouldn't surprise me, I feel much better after bathing in sunlight. What would surprise me, though, is if you'd shut up about pointless stuff and do what you said you'd do.' She flashed her claws at Bagsy. 'Or do I need to give you more incentive?'
Bagsy looked at Primrose's claws and gulped, sitting down at the table. 'No, no, it's fine, I'll do it–'
'Bagsy!' a small voice called eagerly. Bagsy turned to see Elijah and Howe, both third years now, waving enthusiastically at her. Elijah was the one speaking. 'You were amazing last night!' he said before he hurried to the Ravenclaw table where Howe was finding them seats.
For a brief moment, Bagsy thought that would be that, then she found people shoving textbooks in her face asking for autographs. She could see Mezrielda at the edge of the crowd, shoving at people who were standing between her and Bagsy, but still not being able to get to her.
Brazenly, Primrose stood on the Hufflepuff table, kicking plates out of her way. 'Listen up!' she hissed, swiping a hand threateningly at the gathered crowd.
The crowd paused gawked at Primrose baring her teeth and flicking her forked tongue at them.
'Bagsy here is going to be taking a very important test...' Primrose held a box above her head. Do you have the sight? If you do, you won't need this! was written on the front. 'A test to see if our resident celebrity can see into the future! Now, if you'll all kindly back the hell up, you can watch to find out what happens.'
'Maybe that's why her acting is so good,' Bagsy heard someone murmur. 'She looks into the future to see how she should act and then copies herself!'
'That's a paradox, though,' someone else responded.
'Shush! I'm trying to listen.'
Primrose jumped down from the table. With a sinister grin, she slammed the box in front of Bagsy. Rebekah and Logan had managed to find seats nearby but they, too, were struggling to get through the crowd. Bagsy wanted to combust and turn into a pile of ash – she was burning from all the people around her.
Primrose opened the box and hooked her claws beneath the paper. 'There are three stages. The card test, the object test, and the verbal test.' Loudly, Primrose slammed a stack of seven cards in front of Bagsy, who let out a yelp to a spattering of laughs from the on watchers.
Without a care, Primrose hopped back onto the table then dropped down opposite Bagsy, making space for herself with a sweep of her clawed hand. She put a screen on the table so Bagsy couldn't see what she was looking at. 'I have one card behind this screen,' Primrose explained, holding up a black card-shaped pouch. 'I've randomly selected a card that matches one of those over there. Using her sight, Bagsy needs to look into the future and figure out which card it is. Go on, then, Bagsy,' Primrose encouraged in a way that made Bagsy feel she was being told to jump into a pit of spikes.
Gulping, Bagsy spread the cards out on the table. She did genuinely wonder if she had the sight, so she figured there was no harm in taking this test seriously. Closing her eyes, she tried to see if she felt anything special or any kind of visions leading her in a specific direction. When she opened her eyes again she randomly picked a card with a blue cat on it. She thought it looked cute.
Primrose let out a breath of amazement, revealing the card in the pouch to also be a blue cat. The crowd let out gasps, some of them lightly clapping.
'Next round,' Primrose said theatrically, revealing she was holding another black bag and pushing a selection of objects in Bagsy's direction. 'Same deal, Bagsy. Can you figure it out or are you so dumb you need me to repeat?'
'No.' Bagsy's voice small in the presence of such a big group of people. She looked at the objects. A fork, a picture frame, a bow, and other strange ornaments looked back. Not sure exactly what she was meant to do, she selected the fork. Primrose raised her eyebrows and pulled an object from the bag to reveal an identical fork. Even more gasps and clapping followed.
'Finally,' said Primrose. 'The verbal round. This one's trickier. I'll drink this,' Primrose held up a vial of black liquid, 'which will make the word I say take form in writing in the air. I'll speak the word quietly into this bag,' she held up a final black pouch, 'and once Bagsy has guessed what the word is I'll open this to prove if she got it correct or not. If she has, the only explanation is that she has the sight!'
Ooooh's of anticipation sounded. To Bagsy, it was like the terrifying wailing of a siren.
Primrose grimaced. 'Alright Bagsy, let's see if you can do it.' Primrose downed the black liquid and whispered something into the bag.
Feeling hopeless, Bagsy thought long and hard. She figured she'd been lucky so far. If she had the sight, wouldn't a vision be telling her what to say? Deciding to get this over with, she forced out the first word that came to her. 'Snake.'
Primrose's face fell and she looked at Bagsy blankly. 'Snake?' Her eyes narrowed. 'Are you sure? Snake? That's your answer? You don't want to change it?'
'Uhh...' Bagsy stumbled.
Primrose cut over her, 'Actually, it's too late. You made your choice. Fine. Snake it is.' Holding the pouch above her head, Primrose pulled it open and let five black letters slither into the air.
The word snake sat smugly above them.
Bagsy felt as if she'd been slapped. She couldn't think of any other explanation – she had to have the sight. It was too much of a coincidence.
The crowd erupted with elated cheers.
'She's an amazing actor and she can tell the future?' someone gasped.
Bagsy put her hands over her ears, just wanting all the noise to stop.
'Finally,' Mezrielda's familiar voice breathed next to her. 'I had to bulldoze my way here. Come on, I doubt you like being at the centre of this.' Then, with guiding confidence, Bagsy felt Mezrielda's hands help her away from the table and out of the crowd, pushing through the other bodies to make a path.
Primrose watched them go, a dark grin on her face.
Once they were out of the hall and had some distance between them and the raucous noise, Bagsy fell against a wall and slid down to the floor, her arms and hands held out in front of her as they shook, and her head falling to face the floor from insurmountable tiredness.
Mezrielda sat down next to her quietly. 'Sorry I didn't get to you sooner. Those gremlins refused to budge and I'm sure you're aware I'm not as capable of bending people to my will as I have been in the past.'
'Still, thank you,' Bagsy said shakily.
'Of course.'
With Hufflepuff's match against Ravenclaw that weekend, and word of Bagsy having the sight spreading like wild fire, as well as the excitement about Vampire Affairs, Bagsy Beetlehorn was in hot demand.
She couldn't walk a anywhere without someone asking her a question. Either they wanted to know something about their future, something about the behind the scenes of Vampire Affairs, or they were a Ravenclaw trying to psyche her out about the match.
In the end, Bagsy locked herself away in her foldable forge where no one could bother her. Well. Almost no one.
'Who's using the forge to hide, now?' Mezrielda jibed, climbing into the comfortable space. 'Also, what on earth are you doing?'
Bagsy looked up. She'd been sitting cross-legged on the floor staring at a large assortment of different kinds of wood. 'I'm trying to decide what to use for Primrose's broom.'
'How grim. You have to make her a broom?'
'If I want her playing in the match on Saturday then, sadly, yes.'
'In that case, make her a broom made of concrete and spikes.'
'I'm tempted,' Bagsy murmured, resting her head in her hand as she eyed the different timbers.
'What's this?' Mezrielda gently kicked one of the slabs of wood. 'It has a note attached.'
'Ironwood trees have the hardest possible wood,' said Bagsy. 'Wayne kindly sent me some.'
Mezrielda nodded appreciatively. 'That is kind of him.'
'Got to love Wayne,' said Bagsy. 'He's cool.'
'Yes. Got to love Wayne,' Mezrielda echoed. 'If Wayne sent it, why not just use the ironwood?'
'Because,' Bagsy whined, falling backwards onto her back and throwing her arms angrily onto the floor. 'I don't want to give Primrose all my best stuff. What if I want to make my own broom from it?'
'Is your fleet footed fox broken?'
'Well, no, but–'
'Then if you need more I'm sure you could always nicely ask Wayne. Use this one – if it'll appease Primrose and keep her off our backs I'm very in favour of it. She doesn't deserve a good broom, but since you took her down a peg in that fight she's been immeasurably more tolerable. If giving her a good broom increases the duration of this peaceful period, you'd be rather foolish not to do so.'
Bagsy pouted. 'I only think I've heard you be so passionate about one other thing,' she grumbled, referencing the Vampire Affairs.
'I really detest Primrose, that's why.'
'Alright. You make a good argument. I just need a source of magical energy and a piece of metal to attach to the broom...' Bagsy fished the flight modulators and other necessary parts from her infinite toolbox. 'Oh,' she said as she realised she couldn't ask Mezrielda to cast a spell to combine the items and finish the broom.
'What is it?'
Bagsy breathed sadly. 'It's just, the last time I made a broom completely from scratch – rather than just modifying one - I cast a spell myself to do it.'
'After you'd beaten the corvid trials, right?'
'Once the corvid queen was... Once Cora died,' she forced out, feeling a wealth of misery despite the woman's betrayal, 'all that power left me. I can't cast that spell again, even though I've tried.'
'In short you have no way to make this broom.'
'Not really. Primrose demanded hers be from scratch, not modified, so it's impossible.' An idea hit Bagsy. 'Unless I ask a competent spell-caster who has good experience with brooms to do it for me.'
Mezrielda looked at Bagsy expectantly. 'This is the part where you tell me who you're thinking of. It sure isn't me.'
'Greenda,' Bagsy clarified, quickly shaping the wood correctly, tying the bristles on and securing them with a small portion of sealable substance, and placing the flight modulators into the hidden compartment before replacing the wooden panel. 'Come on, let's see if we can get to her without being swarmed.'
'Little miss popular now, aren't you?'
'Jealous?'
'Given that I'm the one who actually wants to be popular and you're the one who doesn't, I am a little envious, yes. It's a childish emotion but it can't be helped and, to be frank, admitting I have it is very mature.'
'Oh, is it, now?' Bagsy shot back mockingly as she scaled the ladder.
Mezrielda rolled her eyes fondly as she followed.
They didn't have to go far. Greenda was in the library and, to Bagsy's surprise, she was sitting next to Tod and Hamley, talking in hushed tones.
'Greenda,' Bagsy greeted, also shooting a wave at Tod. 'Can I ask you a favour?'
Tod, who'd been scribbling with a quill on a scroll, sharply rolled the paper up.
'Sure,' said Greenda. 'What do you need?'
'I was wondering if you could help me finish this broom off,' Bagsy explained, showing her the deep brown broom with glittering bristles and a pink bow. Primrose had insisted on some very girlish design ideas. Bagsy wasn't against the girlish additions – they were cute even if they weren't her style – but she detested having to make anything of quality for Primrose.
Greenda frowned. 'How?'
'Any spell to make them mould together or combine will do the trick.' Most of the work was done before the final spell. It was like Bagsy putting all the ingredients into a bowl in the perfect measurements and correct order but needing someone else to give it a few stirs.
'Ah! Got it.' Greenda pointed her wand at the broom and gave it a flick. A sparkle of blue light flitted across the surface before vanishing.
Bagsy popped off the panel and looked at the flight modulators. Everything looked ready to go. 'Amazing. Thank you Greenda!'
Tod coughed purposefully. 'We were actually in the middle of something. If you want to be helpful you can use your fame to promote Witchment Enrichment once more – our readership is only about twenty-five percent of the school at the minute. I want at least sixty before the term is done.'
Bagsy nodded. 'Sure thing. Your paper is really good, by the way! I loved the piece you did on Teresa and her morning feeding routine. She has so many pets!'
Tod puffed out his chest proudly. 'You'll love the next issue even more. Greenda here knows a lot of stuff, and her story's going to show–'
'Ssh!' Greenda said quickly to Tod. 'It's a surprise,' she explained, looking at Bagsy in excitement.
Mezrielda folded her arms, looking sceptical. 'What sort of surprise?'
Greenda said, 'If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise, now, would it?'
Mezrielda looked annoyed.
On Saturday, the day of Hufflepuff's quidditch match against Ravenclaw, Greenda's surprise was impossible to miss, mainly because Greenda rushed over to Bagsy and shoved that week's issue of Witchment Enrichment towards her. 'Read it!' she said excitedly.
Because she'd only just woken up after staying awake until four in the morning practising spells and doing homework, Bagsy blearily read the words.
Bagsy Beetlehorn: More than Just a Star
By Tod Alden
We all know Bagsy B. Beetlehorn as our resident celebrity, playing the coveted part of Rose Deprive in the brand-new Vampire Affairs show. What is less known is how she was already a star, even before her starring debut.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with our head girl, Gren 'Greenda' Particularis, to hear how Bagsy has always had a can-do attitude and time for those in need.
'I remember meeting her on her first day,' Greenda explained. 'She seemed nervous at first, but once we started talking she was so polite and kind. She was able to put up with my rambling and showed genuine interest the whole time. Anyone who knows me knows what a feat that is.'
'And it's not only that. We've all heard the rumours. Few of us may know what's really happened these past few years at Hogwarts, but it's clear that Bagsy is a brave individual who stands up for what she believes in, even at great personal cost. I'm just overwhelmingly glad the whole school is starting to realise just what a wonderful person she is.'
Bagsy nearly tore a hole in the paper she was gripping it so tightly. She looked up from the paper and around the dining hall. Where before only a handful of people could be seen perusing Witchment Enrichment, now it seemed everyone had a copy, or was squishing themselves against their friends as they tried to share one between three or more people. Bagsy glanced back at the article; it seemed to go on and on, talking about all sorts of things. Bagsy's potion making, her inventions, her quidditch playing and broom making, and even how she'd tried to remedy the feud between Greenda and Emmeline.
Bagsy ran from the hall.
'Bagsy?' Greenda murmured in confusion but she was already gone.
Finding the nearest toilet Bagsy locked herself in one of the cubicles and, with shaking hands and teary eyes, read the article in full. It only got worse the more she went over what was printed on the page. Sure, it only sang her praises, and knowing Greenda thought so highly of her was lovely, but it was the fact that every student was reading these words that felt so downright awful. They all had something solid they could keep forever and re-read at their leisure. Anytime they wanted to take a look into Bagsy's life, whether she wanted them to or not, they'd only need to take back out their copy of Witchment Enrichment issue three.
Angrily, Bagsy flushed the newspaper down the toilet and left, deciding she'd lock herself back in the foldable forge, stationed in the back corner of the library nook, until the match was due to start.
She was expecting the knock that came on the trapdoor. What she wasn't expecting was to find herself looking up not just at Mezrielda's face, but Emmeline's, too.
Mezrielda reached down and helped a sniffing Bagsy clamber out of the forge and into the comfy window seat looking over the lake. Carefully, Mezrielda shut the trapdoor and folded the forge back into a bronze cube that she handed to her.
'I saw the article,' said Mezrielda, pointing to a stack of what looked like a thousand newspapers she'd brought to the nook.
Bagsy hiccoughed miserably and wiped her eyes, feeling rather pathetic. 'How come you have so many?'
Emmeline looked like she was ready to burst out laughing and Mezrielda shot her a glare.
'I was trying to get as many papers back as possible,' Mezrielda explained.
Now, Emmeline did burst out laughing. 'You should have seen her,' she said. 'She was so red in the face and scary, storming from one group to another and snatching their papers away, and screaming bloody murder at anyone who so much as opened their mouths in protest.'
'That's why it took me so long to come here,' said Mezrielda. 'I didn't read it, by the way. Once I realised what it was I figured you'd rather I ignore it.'
Bagsy felt her eyes filling with tears again.
Mezrielda murmured, 'What did I say wrong?'
Emmeline shrugged, equally confused.
'I'm just so grateful,' Bagsy explained, voice thick. She wanted to hug Mezrielda and never let go, but also, she still didn't have hugging exactly down, so she stayed where she was.
Emmeline added, 'I'm here for a few reasons myself.' She looked meaningfully down at Mezrielda, who rolled her eyes.
'One minute,' Mezrielda said harshly. 'And if you make her cry any more than she already has I'll kick you out that window,' she added. Then, in a huff, Mezrielda walked off.
Emmeline sat down next to Bagsy. 'I'm here because I'm trying to be a better big sister. I feel like this is something a good big sister would do. Obviously, you're not my little sister, so think of this as practise for me.'
Bagsy looked at her uncertainly.
'I'm here to talk to you about Greenda. I've known her a while. Sure, we haven't always got along, and we certainly aren't on great terms right now, but, I know you and her are close, and I wanted to let you know that Greenda wouldn't have realised you didn't want this. She can be a bit of an idiot like that, even if she's a genius at other things. With all the attention you've been having recently, she probably thought you were enjoying it. Obviously,' Emmeline looked Bagsy up and down with a judging raised eyebrow, 'you haven't been.'
Bagsy shook her head, feeling almost ashamed. Many people would love to be in her position, but they weren't. It seemed unfair Bagsy was getting all of this fame and not appreciating it.
'Just... don't be too upset with Greenda. She did this because you're her friend and because she cares about you. She should have asked you first, sure, but at least her intentions were in the right place.'
Bagsy said quietly, 'For someone who seems to hate Greenda you have forgiven her awfully quickly.'
Emmeline flared her nostrils. 'If you thought Mezrielda was a sight to see in the hall, you should have heard me yelling at Greenda before I came here. But that's fine. Our friendship was ruined a long time ago. I just don't see why yours has to be, as well.'
'Well, uh, thanks.'
'So, how could I improve?' Emmeline asked. 'Did I console you alright? Was it sisterly?'
'Uhh... yes? Super sisterly.' Bagsy wondered bitterly if she could even claim she knew what it was like to have a sister anymore, given Bontie's deception.
'Great. See you at the match. You'll be fine.' Emmeline ruffled Bagsy's head like she was convinced that was what a sisterly thing to do was. Bagsy would be lying if she said she didn't feel a little bit better. 'Alright, ice queen,' Emmeline said to Mezrielda as she left. 'Your turn.'
Mezrielda pointed at the newspapers and held up a candle. 'Want to burn them?'
'Oh, merlin, yes.' Bagsy grabbed the stacks and rushed outside.
It was cold and the wind was harsh, but the clearing with the mossy rocks blocked it enough to allowed them to turn the papers to ash. The warmth was almost as nice as one of Mezrielda's temporiem spells that Bagsy so sorely missed.
Without knowing how they got onto the topic, they were talking about Vampire Affairs. Or, at least, harshly mocking it.
'Oh no,' Mezrielda overacted dramatically, putting a hand to her forehead as if she would feint. 'I'm just the world's most evilest vampire with so many sharp teeth and a hunger for human flesh, yet my soulmate is a human! How can I hunger for her blood and her heart all at once? It's too much!' Letting out a pitiful sigh, Mezrielda pretended to collapse to the floor, the scene only made more dramatic by the flickering of the dying fire.
'Oh no!' Bagsy tried to act, but was giggling most of it. She knelt down next to Mezrielda, clasping her hands together. 'My dearest–' Bagsy began to fall about laughing, 'my dearest... Bites–' she couldn't get past the vampire's name, tears forming in her eyes. Mezrielda also seemed beyond the ability to speak, and Bagsy was blessed with perhaps the second occasion in which she got to see Mezrielda's true laugh. It was glorious, and only spurred her on more.
So distracted were they by their ongoing joke that Bagsy nearly missed the sight of the Hufflepuffs walking towards the pitch. In a mad dash, she pulled on her quidditch gear while Mezrielda, brooms in her arms, followed.
They arrived just in time.
Primrose said, 'I thought your cowardice had made you exit from existence. What a shame.'
Bagsy thrust Primrose's broom at her with a glare, before checking over her own.
'Don't be rude,' Emmeline said firmly to Primrose.
'Whatever, cowbird,' Primrose shot back angrily.
'Bagsy,' Greenda rushed out, walking over to her. 'I'm so sorry. I thought you'd love–'
'It's fine,' Bagsy cut over her, looking away. She didn't blame Greenda, but she also couldn't push away the sting of hurt in her chest. How had Greenda thought the article was a good idea?
Teresa heaved a sigh. 'Why is everyone on this team so sensitive?'
Jon nodded a rueful agreement. 'So dysfunctional. If I'd been made captain–'
'All of you!' Kat snapped. 'Focus. If you can't say nice things to each other, say nothing at all.'
The team stood in silence.
'Let's get going,' said Kat. 'Just like in training. Nothing fancy, just good, solid passes and confident defence. Everyone ready?' They all nodded. 'Good. Let's go.'
Bagsy waved Mezrielda goodbye, who shot her a tentative thumbs up.
The game began more quickly than Bagsy was ready for, and she found herself incredibly rusty. She hadn't managed to dedicate much time to practise and it felt like she was missing every shot, whilst letting bludger after bludger slip by her and hit their chasers. Kat and Jon would spiral from the impact, dropping the quaffle and letting the Ravenclaws take possession.
Somehow, though, Ravenclaw weren't doing very well. It took Bagsy a second to realise it was because their two strongest players, Winifred and Robin, were gone. A feeling of unfairness settled uncomfortably in her skull, and she suddenly didn't feel so bad about how rusty she was.
'Neither team seems to be doing that well,' Magnus Alden, the commentator, called out. 'It's like watching two walruses beating each other up, only both are coated in margarine and have corks placed over their tusks.'
Bagsy heard Emmeline laugh.
Primrose, for the first part of the match, hovered on her broom inspecting her nails or checking her bun was still in place. She even shot a few waves at the crowd, or funny faces at where Rebekah and Logan were sitting, who were finding the entire ordeal hilarious. Bagsy attempted to block a bludger that was sent Primrose's way, and definitely not on purpose, she utterly missed it.
'I'm not sure Beetlehorn's even trying anymore,' Magnus theorized.
With a reverberating clang, the bludger bounced off the scaled side of Primrose's face, who blinked in surprise and lightly touched the scales that had been impacted. An angry grimace spread on her features, her fanged teeth and forked tongue on display. 'Who hit that?' she hissed, Bagsy wincing as Primrose's claws dug small dents into the broom she'd crafted. Internally, she thanked Mezrielda for convincing her to use the iron wood. She wasn't sure any other wood would withstand those sharp claws.
With more speed than Bagsy was expecting, Primrose shot forward and barged into the Ravenclaw holding the quaffle, easily snatching it from him with her sharpened fingers. Roaring in anger, Primrose rocketed towards the Ravenclaw's side of the pitch. She didn't pull up or away from the keeper, but shot straight forwards, teeth bared, and crashed into them. The keeper let out a yelp of surprise but Primrose, steeled against the impact, let out a war cry before physically pushing the quaffle through the goal hoop before letting it go.
As Magnus announced the goal, the Hufflepuff team stared at Primrose with blank expressions.
'Did she just–?' Greenda murmured.
'A goal?' Kat let out.
Jon's surprise turned to annoyance. 'I could've scored that.'
Primrose hissed at the keeper and flew back to where she'd been, looking like a toad puffing its chest angrily, ready to let out its most intimidating croak.
The game was on again and this time Primrose didn't need a shock from a bludger to act.
The poor Ravenclaws were scared of taking possession, as it was a sure-fire method to summon the angry wrath of Primrose. At one point, a Ravenclaw simply lifted her hands up, refusing the catch the ball, as Primrose barrelled towards it. For a moment, Bagsy was actually relieved Winifred wasn't here. Knowing the fiery phoenix borne, she wouldn't stand for Primrose's aggression, and nor would Primrose stand for someone standing up to her. It would end up a scaly, flaming mess. At least the Ravenclaws on the team were timid enough to let Primrose brute force her way to the ball with little resistance.
The main issue was even the Hufflepuff team had to be wary when they caught the ball, as Primrose did not discriminate and would happily rage towards them as well.
'Hey!' Jon had angrily cried as Primrose sent him into a spiral as she grabbed for the quaffle. 'We're on the same team!'
Soon, Hufflepuff were miles ahead in terms of scores, with one hundred and forty points to Ravenclaw's thirty. Most of the points had been scored by Primrose, including all of the Ravenclaw's given how fond she was of scoring home-goals.
'This Primrose Vinski doesn't know whether she wants to win-ski,' Magnus joked, to groans from the crowd but a hearty laugh from Emmeline, right before Primrose practically tackled her off her broom before kicking the quaffle through their own goals once more.
'Merlin's sake!' Teresa complained as Emmeline fell to the floor while Primrose managed to get back on her broom.
Professor Kim, who looked like she didn't know what to do or how to step in regarding Primrose, looked almost relieved to have a problem she could fix. Casting the slowing charm on Emmeline, Kim safely allowed her to land on the sandy floor. Emmeline, however, looked pale-faced and horrified. She hadn't seemed keen on falling since her broom had malfunctioned at the start of Bagsy's second year, and Emmeline wasn't the same for the rest of the match.
Eventually, the Ravenclaw seeker, wanting to end the game to get away from Primrose's terrifying onslaughts, caught the snitch despite Hufflepuff being more than one hundred and fifty points ahead.
'Hufflepuff win!' Magnus announced. 'I think that was the most strange and confusing game I've ever seen.'
The crowd let out murmurs of agreement.
As students progressed back to the castle, most of them were scratching their heads or grimacing in confusion. Primrose was an odd player, to say the least, but she was certainly entertaining to watch, and horrifying to be on the pitch with.
Bagsy hoped and prayed that Primrose would stick to her original proclamation, and only play in this one match. Unfortunately, from the overjoyed toothy grin on her face as she walked back to the castle, hissing at anyone who came near her and laughing at their reactions, Bagsy had a sinking feeling that wouldn't be the case.
'Give the devil an inch and she'll take a mile,' Greenda sighed, falling into step next to Bagsy, carrying her quidditch gear in a bag slung over her shoulder.
'Or publish an article on your whole life without your permission,' Bagsy said quietly, quickening her pace. She'd told Greenda it was fine, but she'd realised maybe she didn't feel like it was fine.
'I...' Greenda looked around herself as if checking the coast was clear, before speeding up to Bagsy's pace. 'Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?'
Bagsy looked up at her, a feeling of indignant righteousness rising within her. 'Given you told the whole school about my life I feel it's only fair you tell me about yours.'
Greenda frowned. 'Huh?'
'Meet me in the nook after lunch,' Bagsy instructed, trying to keep her voice calm. The sting of betrayal was one she particularly hated feeling.
'Sure,' Greenda agreed, slowing down and watching sadly as Bagsy hurried away from her.