Harriet Jinjur vs. the Academy

Chapter 3: The Black Market

Staying after class as punishment lasted a lot longer than Harriet thought.

She had to sit in a small room on the third floor until dusk with the other troublemakers she had no interest on talking to (not like she had a choice to do so,) grab whatever slim pickings were left for dinner in The Great Hall, and since she was prohibited in eating cafeteria food in her room, Harriet had to eat her creamed potatoes and charred green beans away from whatever few remained.

Until finally, after the electric candlelight began shining the dark off the stone walls and crimson carpets, was when Harriet finally returned to her room and cranked up the Foo Fighters from her radio.

"Detention!" she cried once she threw open the door and kicked it shut. "And with nothing to come from it! Now, I'll never get out of this hellhole!"

"It could've be'n worse. Yew would've be'n sen' ta yewr room wif no sup'er."

Her eyes went towards Bert, currently in the process of dusting her closed laptop with a comically-large feather duster.

"You again?" grumbled Harriet.

"Yes, me again," Bert smiled. "Yew have quite de amazin' gizmo."

"Don't touch my computer!" Harriet took a step forward before stopping with a sudden thought. "Hold up...I thought you clean windows."

"Indee' I do!" the Mockney turned to face Harriet, his feather duster sticking out by his hip. "I clean windows, dus' doodads, sometimes I make etchins' on de castle grounds! Yew might call me a Jack ov all trades!"

"Then, can I trade you for some peace and quiet?"

Bert chuckles as he lifts Harriet's laptop off the desk, "Yew won't get rid ov me dat easily! So, I take it yew 'ad a 'ard time on yewr firs' day?"

"Is it too much to hope you also happen to be an escape artist?" asked Harriet.

"Nope! All I do is peer int' wot's going on," said Bert. "Yew might say I'm built wif de place." He then jiggles the lock hatch on the laptop's side and opens it, "So, I 'ear yew started a tell-all. Yew min' givin' me a peek ov it?"

Harriet charged at Bert and snatched the laptop off his hands, cradling it in her chest. He nevertheless continued to grin uncomfortably, "I...I take it it's not re'dy yet?"

"Bert..." she sighed. "Remember when you said I should give this place a chance?"

"I belief it's still fresh in me nog'in," Bert knocks on his forehead with his hand with effect.

"Sure..." Harriet then grumpily sits on her bed. "Well, to answer your question, Blue-Eyes gave me a hard time teaching a lesson for 'assuming the Dragonbord title without any merit.'" She quoted that with pompous disgust.

"Oh, my!" exclaimed Bert. "Altho'gh dat should be e'pected, I 'eard the Spinks are quite proud fel'ows."

"And me without a propah wan' too," Harriet continued. "So, I swept him off his feet and pinned him to the ground." She then slammed her laptop on the mattress next to her, "You can probably guess how Miss Hazelnut felt about that."

"I mos' certainly do!" Bert's grin then transformed into disappointment. "Miss Jinjur, it's forbid'en ta fight non-magic agains' magic!"

"It's not like I wanted to slam him down..." Harriet then turned around to face Bert. "...but Al thought he can take me on defenseless! Then, Hazelnut told me she doesn't really call the shots here either!"

"Well, it's wif good re'shin," said Bert, calming down a little. "She 'as be'n teachin' 'ere fo' an awful long time."

"Didn't think she was that important."