Christmas was a few days away. Bagsy's dad, Himble, had already told her she could visit Diagon Alley and buy whatever she wanted as her Christmas present from him and her mum. He'd interrupted Bagsy, who'd been about to tell him that she wanted to have a proper family meal for her present, and her request had died on her tongue.

Bagsy's mum was locked in her room, as usual, and Bagsy hadn't seen her since she'd returned home. Bontie was working at the Ministry for longer hours than she had been before and her late returns had led her straight to her bedroom without a word in greeting.

Bagsy hadn't used to mind. She had been happy in isolation, working on her latest ideas of potions and inventions, colouring, drawing, or generally making a mess of her room. If anything, interaction used to annoy her, but now she'd grown used to a little company here and there, the murmur of tired conversation at breakfast and the clamour of her peers at dinner had all become a pleasant background noise to her day. It was difficult to focus on work when she couldn't hear Greenda rifling through books on leadership as she snuggled into an armchair next to the fire place or sketch out an idea for some lofty invention without the occasional huffs from Mezrielda as she glared in frustration at her homework. The shuffle of books floating back into their places in the library, or the gentle clatter of cutlery, or even the murmur of ghosts and animated paintings, were a warm background ambience that felt so starkly missing at One Aesher Common. Her home was like a plunge pool – her head abruptly ducking below freezing waters, away from the heat she'd been used to. Most of all, she missed the conversations she'd have with her sort-of friends. Greenda's chatter about Quidditch, healing or her lessons, Mezrielda's snappy brooding, or even Tod's infuriating confidence was better than this new loneliness.

Bagsy had written to Mezrielda. She hadn't sent the letter, of course, she didn't know where to send it, and she didn't know if a name was enough for an owl to work with so, instead, the letter was sitting in a drawer, collecting dust. As was the book Fitzsimmons had gifted her; it felt like a Christmas present and Bagsy wanted to save it for Christmas day, even if that meant waiting to find out what it contained. At least then she'd get to open one gift that someone had bought for her.

Bagsy's living stampelia and her two pet rats, Bill and Jill, had been her only company since she'd returned, which was perhaps why she'd found herself creeping downstairs at midnight when she heard her sister return home.

The many wooden steps were kind and, for once, didn't creak below her feet, so she easily made it to the kitchen unheard. Bontie was poking her head in the cupboard with the ice slab, probably scrounging up some food she could call dinner, and hadn't turned the main lights on, leaving the blue ice slab to cast a cold light on her exhausted features. When Bontie's stomach let out a loud growl Bagsy couldn't hold back a snigger, and Bontie shut the cupboard suddenly, the blue glow ending with a snap as she pointed her long, crooked wand at Bagsy, the tip glowing a deep red.

Bagsy's heart sped up in fear and she instinctively raised her hands in surrender. Bontie lowered her wand, let out a breath, and dismissed the red glow at its tip. They stood in darkness.

'Don't do that, Bagsy,' Bontie said tiredly, opening the cupboard again. With a flick of her wand the main lights shone dimly onto them.

'Sorry,' Bagsy said, lifting herself with effort onto one of the bar stools. They were just that bit too high for her and it scraped along the floor.

'Shh!' Bontie hissed, pulling some left over take-away from the fridge. It was from Dumplings and Dollops and was one of Bontie's favourite dishes – steamed cacti spines with syrup and rice. Bagsy wasn't keen.

Bontie slurped up the mystically cooked cacti spines like they were spaghetti and looked at Bagsy with a mix or curiosity and annoyance. 'What do you want? I'm not in the mood for conversation,' she managed to say around her mouthful of cacti spines.

Bagsy grimaced at both the food filled mouth and the thought of eating such a thing. 'I just wanted to say hello.'

Bontie raised her eyebrows in genuine surprise. 'Oh.' She paused, then continued eating whilst Bagsy fidgeted in her chair. 'Listen, you're just annoying me, go to bed or play with your toys or something. I'm too tired to put up with – I'm just very tired, okay?'

'Why?'

Bontie paused her eating. 'Why what?'

'Why are you tired?' Bagsy clarified.

Bontie sighed, put down her food, and leant on the breakfast bar. 'You're not going to leave me alone, are you?' she said in resignation. 'Why doesn't anyone do what I say…'

Bagsy ducked her head apologetically. 'Never mind,' she murmured, sliding of her stool and making her way back to her room.

'Wait,' Bontie called after her and Bagsy halted, one foot on the staircase, before walking back to her sister. Bontie awkwardly placed her hand on Bagsy's head in what she guessed was meant to be affection. 'There was an incident at the Ministry,' Bontie explained. 'You might have read about it if you ever read anything.' Bagsy opened her mouth in protest. 'Text books don't count. Everyone should read those things cover to cover. I mean newspapers, you know? Stuff about what people are doing.' Bontie nodded towards the sofas. 'Let's sit down, if I stand up any longer my legs will turn to water.'

They walked to where the sofas stood in the middle of the large open plan floor. They weren't very comfy, Bagsy thought. Unlike the couches in the Hufflepuff common room, the backs on these sofas were low and too far back to lean against, and they didn't have arm rests, fluffy cushions or furry throws. They were plain, grey, and solid like concrete.

Bontie collapsed happily onto one all the same, letting out a long sigh and putting her feet on a glass coffee table whilst Bagsy wondered if anything in the house had any colour at all.

Bontie's eyes closed lazily.

'Rebontil?' Bagsy said.

Bontie's eyes opened. 'Don't call me that, Bagsyllia,' she snapped, but there was no energy behind it.

'The incident?'

'Yes, the incident. A while ago – just after you'd left for Hogwarts – some…' She hesitated, looking at Bagsy as if carefully weighing the ingredients of a volatile potion. 'Some idiots thought it would be a good idea to break into the DRMC and release all the creatures inside.' Bontie flinched as if she'd stepped on a pin. 'Stole. Not release. Some idiots stole all the magical creatures.' Her sister grumbled and rubbed a hand over her face. 'I hope it goes without saying you're not to speak to your friends about this?' Bagsy nodded, wide eyed. Bontie laughed, sounding hysterical. 'I shouldn't worry, it's not like you have any.'

'You're one to talk,' Bagsy shot back.

Bontie laughed again. 'True. Though I do have one.' Bagsy narrowed her eyes sceptically. 'Promise, I do,' Bontie insisted.

'What's the DRMC?' Bagsy asked.

'Oh, of course, you wouldn't know. It stands for the Department for the Rehabilitation of Magical Creatures.' With a flick of her wand the left overs on the breakfast bar floated through the air and into Bontie's hand.

'Who stole them?'

There was a pause as Bontie ate. She seemed to be taking longer than needed, as if using the food as an excuse to stay silent, but eventually swallowed her mouthful. 'We don't know. That's what's been giving everyone a headache for so long. We have all these creatures that have just… vanished… and no idea who took them. Well…' Bontie hesitated, that pensive look of calculation back on her face as she stared unnervingly at Bagsy. She gave her head a small shake. 'No. Never mind.'

'What?' Bagsy asked eagerly, sitting on the edge of the sofa.

'I really can't tell you, Bagsy, my job is on the line and I've told you plenty already.' Bagsy opened her mouth to protest but Bontie pushed on. 'You mentioned you spoke with an Alden boy in your letters?'

Bagsy blinked in surprise. 'Y-yes?' she responded in confusion.

Bontie placed her food on the glass coffee table and reached into her fancy work robes and Bagsy glimpsed a plethora of different pockets and compartments and was surprised with how quickly her sister pulled what she'd been looking for from one of them. Bagsy reckoned she could get lost in her sister's work robes, but she also reckoned it'd be pretty cool to have that many pockets herself, the idea lodging itself in the back of her mind.

Bontie held out a small vial of pink coloured liquid to Bagsy. 'I've been meaning to give this to you but, ironically, kept forgetting.'

'Ironically…?' Bagsy took the vial, not understanding what was ironic about it. 'What is it?'

'Take it with some toad bean coffee tomorrow at breakfast,' Bontie said, getting up and taking her food with her. 'I'm going to sleep.'

Bagsy got up to follow Bontie. 'But-'

'I'm going to sleep! Merlin, just leave me be…' her sister muttered to herself as she walked up the stairs ahead of her, eating cacti spines as she went. Bagsy watched her ascend the stairs and disappear onto the next floor before looking down at the vial in her hands in confusion.

Back in her room, she placed the vial on her work bench before flopping down on her double bed, feeling as though the mattress was swallowing her whole it was so plush. On her first few nights back, she found herself sleeping on the floor to get away from it. Now she'd just about acclimatised to its softness.

Bagsy's eyes opened, and she realised she'd fallen asleep. The sun had woken her, pouring in buckets through the large window overlooking the house's mammoth garden. She felt a longing to go out and fly, but she'd traded her broom with her sister before she'd started Hogwarts, and she didn't fancy her chances of getting it back. At least while she'd been at home she hadn't, so far, experienced any of the disconcerting dreams she was slowly growing used to at Hogwarts.

When she heard a noise downstairs – someone in the kitchen – she decided to go and say hello. Slipping on a pair of grey slippers Bagsy shuffled her way down the many wooden stairs to the ground floor where she found Bontie, in freshly pressed work robes with her hair tied in a neat bun, making some coffee.

Bontie looked at Bagsy in surprise. 'You're awake early,' she commented.

Bagsy nodded, holding back a yawn. She'd probably head back to bed soon. 'Bontie, can I have my broom back?'

Bontie snorted. 'In your dreams. Speaking of which, go back to bed, Bagsy, you're on holiday,' her sister pointed out, swirling her wand above her mug to heat the coffee.

Bagsy watched the magic with thinly veiled envy. 'Why can't I have my broom back?'

'I gave it to someone else,' Bontie admitted.

'What?' Bagsy gasped. 'You gave my broom away!'

'It wasn't your broom once you gave it to me. You're bothering me now, Bagsy,' Bontie added tensely.

Bagsy shrugged. 'Nothing beyond the usual, then.'

'No, I suppose not.' Bontie sipped her coffee.

'Can I have some?' Bagsy asked. Bontie grumbled something about Bagsy making her own but handed her the steaming mug anyway, and Bagsy took a deep drink before realising it tasted awful.

'Yuck!' Bagsy spat, handing the mug back in regret.

Bontie laughed. 'Why did you ask for some if you don't like it?'

'I didn't know I didn't like it!' Bagsy protested, resisting the urge to stamp her foot like a child. She wasn't seven anymore. 'I wanted to drink the stuff in that vial you gave me, and you said to have it with coffee.'

Bontie nodded. 'Well done – you remembered something for once. Though it's more to counter the taste than really being necessary. Go on, then, drink it.' She looked expectantly at Bagsy.

'I left it upstairs…' Bagsy trailed off.

Bontie rolled her eyes and snorted in amusement. 'Accio Draught of Silver Cleanse.' A sharp noise like a distant whip cracked in Bagsy's ears followed by a gentle whooshing. A moment later the vial that had been in her bedroom zipped into the palm of Bontie's other hand. Bagsy looked down at her feet, hiding her angry expression. Why was it everyone but Bagsy could do magic?

'Here,' Bontie said gently. Bagsy looked up and snatched the vial from Bontie before downing the contents, swallowing the pink liquid which tasted of salty toothpaste, in a most unpleasant way, and then opening her mouth to show she'd drunk it all. 'Good,' Bontie said, satisfied.

'What is it for?' Bagsy asked.

Bontie grabbed a triangular auburn bag with black star patterns off the breakfast bar and walked towards the large fireplace that stood in the middle of the room. 'I have to get to work,' was all she said in reply.

'Bontie!' Bagsy complained, this time giving a light stamp of frustration with her foot.

Bontie stopped, her shoulders sagging, and turned around. Bagsy only now noticed the deep bags below her eyes. 'It's for the Alden boy you've been talking to, Bagsy. He's a silver tongue.'

'He's a what?'

Bontie's face paled. 'Nothing. I didn't say anything,' she hissed, her hand twitching to her wand. She stood there silently and Bagsy wondered why she looked seconds away from casting a spell at her. When Bontie shook her head and disappeared in a gout of flame in the fire place Bagsy reasoned she must have imagined it.

Bagsy didn't manage to go back to sleep because something very odd happened instead. She was walking up the stairs, their familiar creak below her feet, when something clicked in her mind. She remembered reading about how muggle electricity worked, and how unless a circuit is complete, electricity wouldn't be able to flow through it. Bagsy now felt as if a circuit in her head had suddenly completed, and her thoughts were finally able to travel down new territory.

Sitting down on the step she was on, memories played through her mind. She saw Tod Alden crouched on the floor of the Owlery, looking very suspicious, as if he were trying to pry the bricks out of the wall. She saw him talk to her about the message Mezrielda and Bagsy had found in the toilet. She blinked and then she was on the endless staircase she'd found herself trapped inside of on her first day at Hogwarts. Tod had been there, too.

Bagsy stood up, her whole body felt stiff like a scarecrow, unable to move. How had she forgotten? How had she been so stupid? Tod was clearly after the gauntlet, too. Mezrielda had been saying how it felt like she only had half of the information, and now Bagsy had an idea of where to get the other.

She raced to her room and scrambled through her drawers, throwing tools and toys aside, and pulled out some ink and parchment, readying her quill. She got to 'Dear Mezrielda' before she stopped. She didn't know how to send a letter to Mezrielda and she wasn't sure Mezrielda wanted her to contact her anyways so, with a grumble, Bagsy sat down, feeling defeated, and very lonely.

Bill and Jill scampered onto her lap, Jill managing to clamber onto her shoulder whilst Bill lazily opted for snoozing where she was, and Bagsy gave them a little stroke, thinking quietly to herself.

She couldn't wait for the Christmas holidays to be over. At Hogwarts she could make things right with Mezrielda, and she could talk to Greenda about all sorts of things, or just listen. At Hogwarts there was a massive library for her to search through and read from, and flying lessons on Thursdays, and Potions on Fridays.

At home Bagsy felt like there wasn't anything at all.