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

Blood-Mouth

Bagsy's shoes tapped on the stone floor as she headed to that evenings Artifisiary lesson. Her robe was loaded with inventions; her spell-sponge spider gloves, her mag-net bat and ball, her muggle torch and a jar filled with upgraded sealable substance.

The fight with Primrose had made her realise something. Starrett had asked her to stop her, but she'd never specified it had to be with a wand. In the real world, that Starrett loved to refer to, she could use whatever she pleased.

She had her gloves, and her bat, but there wasn't much else she had, so she'd spent the weekend preparing. The only idea she'd finished was an improvement on the sealable solution that had been a failed invention from last year to try and unlock locks.

Feeling more keener for a lesson with Starrett than ever before, she threw open the door to the Charms classroom.

Starrett sat at her desk reading a book. She looked up and arched an eyebrow. 'How strange. You're on time for once.'

Bagsy clenched her fists and stood firmly. At her full height she was slightly taller than Starrett, who was a small woman despite the fountain of maleficence that could come from her.

Starrett put her book down neatly and got to her feet. 'Let's begin then.' Raising her wand, she unleashed her magic.

Bagsy tried to dodge, but she'd been taken by surprise, and gold paint hit her shoulder.

Starrett tutted. 'No better, I see. And here I thought I saw determination in those eyes.'

The next jet of light hurtled at Bagsy, but she held up her palm.

The spell dissipated into steam drifting off her fingertips like smoke.

It was only half a second, but Starrett was stunned, her wand motionless and her eyes ever so slightly wider.

Then her onslaught was greater than before.

With her eyes predicting the spells' trajectory, Bagsy caught every single one. But her gloves were beginning to heat up. She'd seen what happened to them when they over-loaded with magic – it was expelled in a damaging beam. She didn't want to destroy the Charms classroom. She was sure that wouldn't please Starrett.

Bagsy changed tactics, pulling a glass jar from her robe as she sidestepped more spells, one whooshing by her head. She'd filled the glass with the liquid form of sealable substance, the glass a special kind that melted on impact.

Years of quidditch training guiding her muscles, Bagsy threw the jar.

It shattered against the protective shield Starrett summoned. As it broke apart, the sealable substance burst out like an exploding snow ball except, instead of falling to the ground in soft snowflakes, it solidified. A spiked, star-like substance sat on the floor, the size of an armchair.

Starrett didn't pause this time, but her eyes widened just that little bit more.

Bagsy had four more of jars left. Her options were running out. Desperately, she pulled her mag-net bat out of her robe and prepared for a hit.

Her body suddenly felt heavy. She toppled like a statue.

Had Starrett hit her with a body bind curse? No, she could still move her fingers, though it felt like a thousand chains were pulling them to the floor.

With smug click-clacks, Starrett walked over to her. 'Good,' she said. 'We'll leave it there for tonight.' With a wave of her wand, Starrett removed the weigh-down charm and allowed Bagsy to sit up.

'Good?' Bagsy breathed laboriously. 'What was good? You still got me. I didn't stop you.'

'No, but at least this time you tried. You're giving up on your act of helplessness. Now, do I need to repeat myself?' She looked at her silently, like a panther presented with meat after months without food. 'Get out of my class,' she snapped, marching back to her desk and her book.