'Do we want Ravenclaw or Slytherin to win?' Mezrielda checked, as the Slytherin seeker sped towards the snitch. Winifred was close behind. Bagsy and Mezrielda were sitting in the Hufflepuff stand, watching the match intently.

'Ravenclaw,' Bagsy explained, barely paying her friend attention as she sat on the edge of her seat. 'Slytherin are ahead in points – the less they score the more possible it becomes for us to steal first place from them in our match against them next term. Then again, if Ravenclaw win now, they won't overtake Slytherin in points, but it will make taking second place from them harder.'

'If only they could both lose,' Mezrielda pondered, Bagsy humming her agreement.

'Still,' she continued, 'we want Ravenclaw to win, because we're aiming for first place.'

The Slytherin seeker's broom jittered as its rider lost confidence. Winifred took her chance and charged past him, banging against his shoulder as her hand sealed confidently around the golden ball.

'Ravenclaw wins!' Magnus Alden announced to cheers from the Ravenclaws.

'Yes!' Bagsy cried. Mezrielda gave polite applause. 'We may have a chance now,' Bagsy breathed. 'Well, we'll still have to score way more points than them, but still…'

With begrudging acceptance that their excuses to not revise were dwindling, Bagsy and Mezrielda trudged to the library after the match. There was only a week of school left before the Easter holidays, and the exams would fall upon them soon after that.

Lessons had been a flurry of revision more intense than the previous year. Starrett had taken to glowering at Bagsy almost constantly, as if she was annoyed that she'd finally get the chance to expel her if she failed this year, but she'd continued to leave her alone.

The culprits of Bagsy's troubles were the usual suspects; Charms, Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts. She knew all the spells by heart, as well as the wand movements, but could she cast as single one of them? Nope. Her other subjects, at least, were going well. Even Herbology was coming along nicely, which was a surprise as, after the incident regarding the visit to Hogsmeade, Arice had refused to speak to Bagsy or work on their clostra boabs, leaving all the heavy lifting to her whilst he stood off to the side and crossed his arms, proclaiming himself as on 'strike'. Despite this, the boab tree Bagsy had been working on had grown very large and sturdy. Bagsy liked to think it would make a suitable prison, whilst hoping it never actually would.

Bagsy's electives were also going very well – she had intended to drop one but, honestly, she didn't feel the need to. She knew she was lucky, not many people could sit for hours reading and memorising and practising facts without getting bored like she could. It may take her ages to keep everything she needed to know in her head but, unlike some other students, she was very willing to commit to the work until she was confident in her abilities. Care of Magical Creatures, Muggle studies and Thaumathletics were all fact-based courses. The latter of the three had surprised Bagsy; in third year it lacked any physical examination, and only asked for students to memorise and demonstrate their understanding of how thaumaturgy worked. Given their teacher, Professor Kim, was its inventor, Bagsy wasn't finding it hard to gain such knowledge.

It was because of this that, as usual, the fear, frustration and panic rising in Bagsy was solely originating from her wand, and her desperate attempts to get it to work. When she practised with her walnut wand it made no difference, despite the brief success she'd found with it at the end of her second year, thanks to the power boost from the now destroyed power of the corvid family. Even Mezrielda was beginning to look less convinced when she'd tell her she'd get the hang of it eventually.

When Bagsy found her stress too much, and felt miserable there wasn't a rat she could cuddle to soothe her feelings, they'd pause their revision and play a game. For Christmas, Mezrielda had gifted Bagsy a modified version of a card game they'd found down the back of one of the library shelves, that Mezrielda had titled traitor. They placed three cards on the table that had their own minds and motivations, and drew one card each, and then tried to figure out who was lying, and who was telling the truth.

Bagsy found she wasn't very good at it. At one point, she chose to trust in the card called Lady Red and her promise that, because she believes in justice, she wouldn't lie about being the traitor. As she lost, Mezrielda smugly informed her that obviously Lady Red had been lying, because for the rest of the game she'd only cared about money. Her sudden commitment to justice was only to trick Bagsy into trusting her. Feeling foolish, Bagsy promised herself she wouldn't fall victim to Lady Red's trick in the next round.

After a few games of traitor it would be back to work, but it would never be long before Mezrielda would grow tired of working and throw open one of the windows overlooking the lake. The first time she'd jumped out Bagsy had been horrified, only to see her friend swiftly shift into a magpie and soar into the sky. She'd return a few moments later with a collection of small, glinting trinkets clutched in her talons. By the end of each day, there would be a handsome pile of glittering objects in Mezrielda's bag, testimony to how little she could motivate herself to study.

One day, just after lunch, they were continuing their studying in their nook in the library. Bagsy was concentrating so deeply on turning Mezrielda's hair into wire, who was entirely relaxed in her confidence of Bagsy's failure, that she didn't notice Tod walk right up behind her and say hello.

'Erm, Bagsy?' Tod tried again, his first greeting left unanswered.

Bagsy jumped and spun around to look at him. 'Tod! Hi!'

'Hello.' He smiled crookedly at her. Mezrielda spared him a glower before returning to her book on Arithmancy. She was also taking three electives and didn't have time to spare, least of all for people she disliked, Bagsy reasoned.

'What's up?' Bagsy asked. It had been a while since she'd spoken to him.

'Not my grades,' he answered moodily. 'I'm struggling to focus. You two have a pretty nice space here in the library you've marked as your own – it's quiet and has a nice view of the grounds. Plus, I usually study with Hamley but he's home for the holiday, so I was hoping I could join you?'

Bagsy looked back at Mezrielda questioningly.

She'd finally put her work down and turned her full, scathing attention to Tod Alden. 'What a glowing report,' she drawled. 'You want any form of company so you can focus, we have a nice spot you want to invade, and the person you'd rather be studying with isn't here. Truly the most flattering proposal I've ever encountered.' Tod narrowed his eyes at her. 'Tell me, why should we let you join us? What can you offer in return?'

Bagsy cut in quickly, then. 'He doesn't have to offer anything,' she reasoned. 'This isn't a transaction. He's my friend.'

Mezrielda scowled. 'Well, he isn't mine, and I don't want him here. I study alone.'

'You study with Bagsy,' Tod pointed out.

Mezrielda bristled. 'That's different.'

Bagsy put her hands on her hips. 'Right. That's it. I need answers now.' She looked harshly at Mezrielda, like a parent scolding their daughter. Mezrielda looked back like a petulant child, jutting her chin out and crossing her arms. 'I know he made your hair all tangled in first year,' Bagsy said, 'but surely that isn't all it takes for you to hate someone? He's saved us multiple times and put himself at risk to help us.'

Mezrielda turned her nose up at that. 'It's not like we haven't done the same for him – this doesn't necessitate the status of friendship.' Tod rolled his eyes. Mezrielda angrily gestured at him. 'He has an attitude, as well.'

'So do you,' Bagsy countered. Mezrielda puffed out her cheeks angrily but didn't have a response to that, simply looking at Bagsy, who glared back.

Tod asked after a pause, 'Are you two having a staring contest?'

'No,' Bagsy answered.

'Yes,' Mezrielda said at the same time. 'I'm winning.'

'No, you're not!' Bagsy insisted, widening her eyes.

'I thought we weren't having a staring contest?' said Mezrielda, widening her own.

'Stop changing the subject,' Bagsy said, blinking and conceding victory. Mezrielda swished her hair over her shoulder triumphantly. 'Why don't you like Tod?'

Mezrielda considered Bagsy, then turned her icy brown eyes onto Tod. 'This is our area,' she said simply. 'I don't want Tod taking it from us.'

Realisation suddenly spread on Tod's face. 'Is this about the chair thing in first year?'

Mezrielda averted her gaze, shrugging in forced nonchalance. 'Maybe. You did also ruin my wonderful hair once.'

'What chair thing?' Bagsy asked, now confused.

Tod let out a heavy breath. 'There's this really nice chair in the Slytherin common room,' he explained. 'It's the only comfy chair in the whole place, and it's right next to the fireplace, and has a great view of the lake.'

'And I sat in it first,' Mezrielda added tersely. 'It was my chair at the start of first year, and everyone in the Slytherin common room knew it, or learnt quickly,' she explained darkly. Bagsy didn't ask what lesson Mezrielda had taught those who'd tried to take her coveted chair from her.

'Well, actually, it was my chair,' Tod argued.

'No,' Mezrielda said through gritted teeth. 'You started sitting in it without my permission.' Suddenly, Mezrielda's face paled and she gasped. 'Of course!' she cried, followed closely by a distant sshh! from the young librarian. Mezrielda lowered her voice, hissing angrily. 'I hadn't thought about it for a while. I didn't make sense to me at the time, but now I see exactly what happened.'

'Ah.' Tod winced. 'Ah, yes, you would understand now, wouldn't you.'

'Understand what?' Bagsy asked, still not following.

Tod smiled awkwardly, guilt flashing in his eyes. 'I may have, um, erased the Slytherins' memories of the chair being Mezrielda's.'

'You fiend!' Mezrielda growled, clenching her hands.

'I started with Maisy,' Tod continued, starting to sound proud. 'And no one believed her, so then I shifted a couple other recollections and soon everyone just accepted the new truth I'd created.'

'He took the chair I'd claimed!' Mezrielda finished.

'You can't claim a chair,' Bagsy said, looking between Tod and Mezrielda. 'It's a chair-' her words cut off when she felt a sudden push of cold around her. Quickly, she regarded Tod's concentrating expression. Then, a moment later, his expression slipped as he noticed Bagsy looking, and the push of cold around them receded. Checking, Bagsy found she couldn't feel any memory modification in her mind, though she was sure Tod had been seriously considering it.

'I'm sorry,' Tod said after a pause. 'I shouldn't have meddled with their memories to steal the chair.' A pause. 'I should have just taken it.'

Mezrielda scoffed. 'As if you would have been able to.'

Tod, back in his stride, smiled crookedly and took a seat at the table. Mezrielda scowled darkly at him, even going so far as to sneer.

Tod said, 'I'll give you your chair rights back if you let me study with you two. That's what I have to offer.'

Mezrielda considered him, then nodded reluctantly. 'Alright. You have my agreement.'

'Brilliant.' Tod smiled, satisfied, and took his books out of his bag.

Accepting the new status quo, Bagsy got back to her own practising, bewildered at the turn of events.

Later that day, when Mezrielda was growing tired of memorizing why pugwugs were an invasive species in the Midlands but not Scotland, she loudly slammed her book shut and threw open one of the windows, placing one of her feet onto the windowsill as if to jump straight out.

Tod perked up in alarm. 'What are you doing!?' he asked, wide-eyed.

Mezrielda froze, looking at the horizon with a statue-rigid expression. Clearly, she'd been about to jump out and shift into a magpie. Bagsy reckoned her expression was identical to a chef who'd accidentally poured an entire vat of salt into his carefully crafted soup. '…I am…' she ground out slowly, '…stretching.' Adding traction to her claim, she leant over and reached her hand towards her toe, stretching out her muscles. 'Isometric exercise.'

Tod frowned, looking her up and down disapprovingly, before returning to his work with a shake of his head. Bagsy couldn't help but note that, hidden behind his Herbology textbook, Tod was actually reading a small book. With a second glance she saw it was the third in the Vampire Affairs series, titled 'Stolen Sister', and decided it was best not to voice this out loud in Mezrielda's presence. One person should only dislike another so much, she decided.

Mezrielda was deeply relieved when the Easter Holidays ended, and Tod left them to revise with his Slytherin buddy, Hamley Newk, instead.

'Thanks for letting me study with you,' Tod had said to them. 'I know I'm a cool presence to have around, so I'm sure it wasn't all bad for you, either,' he added as he confidently strolled away.

Mezrielda broke the quill she was holding in her hand, she gripped it so tightly. 'Armchair thief,' she spat after him quietly. 'What is his problem?' she grumbled, staring daggers at his back.

Bagsy patted Mezrielda on the back sympathetically. 'He's too similar to you,' she explained cheekily, her life flashing before her eyes when Mezrielda turned her scythe-sharp-sharp glare onto her.

Besides revision, Bagsy was now focussing heavily on quidditch practise. She would practise their equalizer move with Greenda and Emmeline, who were managing to remain amicably quiet with each other, abiding by Bagsy's first rule; that they weren't to speak to each other during practise, or use Bagsy as an owl to do it for them. They were about to be facing the best fielded team in the school; the Slytherin team. They didn't have time to argue, they only had time to practise, practise, and practise some more.

Bagsy continued her own private practise. Mezrielda helped her, hovering a quaffle in the air and moving it around slowly while Bagsy tried to hit the moving target with a ball. The hardest exercise, that Bagsy still didn't have quite down, was to rebound the ball off another surface and have it hit the quaffle from a different angle. If she could get the move down she could help Emmeline keep quaffles from going through the hoops, but it took so much prediction, and involved so much uncertainty, that Bagsy didn't know she'd be able to pull it off consistently.

'You're very good at this,' Mezrielda observed as the ball came within a foot of the quaffle for the third time in a row.

'Not really,' Bagsy sulked. 'I haven't managed to hit it yet.'

'Bagsy, you're hitting a ball at a pole so that it bounces off and hits another ball the size of my hand. Almost every time you do it you're at least within a quarter of a metre of it – that's not luck, that's skill.'

Bagsy scuffed a foot across the floor in embarrassment. 'I don't know. I'm only envisioning the ball's path and how everything will move and where it will be in a few moments time.'

Mezrielda stared at her. 'Exactly. I don't know anyone else who can do that the way you do.'

'You don't?'

'Not a soul.'

Mezrielda's words stuck with Bagsy. She knew she'd practised a lot at controlling where she was hitting a bludger, but it had never occurred to her that her level of calculation of motion was something abnormal. Ford had been impressed by it when he'd noticed, sure, but Bagsy figured he was just being kind.

All thoughts of abnormalities were far from Bagsy's mind as she sat in the Hufflepuff team tent, hearing the pulsing chatter of the crowd beyond.

Magnus' voice boomed through the pitch and into the tent, filling the space. 'And here we are, folks! The final match of the season! Hufflepuff versus Slytherin!' A wave of noise greeted his announcement. Jon was gripping his broom tightly, his jaw clenched. Ford smiled down at his younger brother, reaching down and ruffling his strikingly blonde hair.

Jon cringed away, swatting in annoyance at his brother's arm. 'I'm fine,' he insisted.

'It's okay to be nervous,' Ford murmured softly to him. Jon cast an embarrassed glance around the tent. Bagsy was the closest to them and had the good sense to avert her eyes and pretend she hadn't heard. 'You think I'm not nervous?'

'You don't look nervous,' Jon complained with a bitter grimace. 'You do everything perfectly.'

'You do everything just as well,' Ford assured him.

'Nah, I do it better,' Jon shot back, as if Ford had deeply insulted him.

Ford only laughed. 'Absolutely you do,' he said kindly, before he turned to address the rest of the team, who'd finished strapping on their boots, goggles and protective gear. 'Right, team,' he said gravely. 'We've worked long and hard to get here. Victory is within our grasp, but it's going to be a tough fight, so I need everyone to be focussed and work together. We can do this.' Teresa nodded, her fists clenched as if she was about to go to battle. Emmeline was leaning on her broom, smirking confidently as if she already knew they'd win, whilst Kat looked far more nervous as she worried the end of her sleeves. 'We're currently third in the rankings, but if we score one hundred points we'll overtake Ravenclaw and take second place. In other words, if we catch the snitch we're second in the cup at the very least.'

'I will catch it,' Greenda affirmed defiantly, challenging someone to counter her claim. Emmeline rolled her eyes, but she did pause, think, and then give an optimistic shrug.

Ford said, 'However, if we want to come first, the road ahead is far trickier. Slytherin have a lot of points.'

'An abundant lot,' Bagsy piped up, with a wink in Emmeline and Greenda's direction. The two smiled back at her in amusement, before glancing at each other as if mildly offended they, too, had found the joke humorous.

'Yes,' Ford agreed. 'To give a number to our task; we need to win by two hundred and fifty points to come first. That means Greenda-' he pointed at her, '-don't catch that snitch until we're at least a hundred points ahead.'

'Got it.'

'And here come the Slytherin team!' Magnus voice called to cheers from the stands.

Ford straightened up, cracking his neck and stretching out his arms. 'We got this, team.' He beamed. 'Let's do this for Hufflepuff, and for all the hard work we've put in!'

'Hufflepuff!' the rest of the team chorused, before they formed a procession and exited their team tent.

Bagsy looked straight ahead, schooling her breathing into slow, rhythmic patterns. Even Teresa briefly walked alongside her and motioned her hand slowly up and down to help her find a slow and calm breathing rhythm. Bagsy told herself that the crowd didn't exist, that they weren't there, that it was just her team, Professor Kim and the Slytherins. Nothing more.

'Bag-zee-B! Bag-zee-B!'

Bagsy heard a chant from the crowd. She startled and looked, wide-eyed, at the Ravenclaw stands. Winifred and Robin were standing at the front and conducting a large assembly of Ravenclaws, some she recognised from the Eagle club, who were holding up banners depicting badgers and brooms and a girl with messy brown hair in a bob. Bagsy winced at the sight, even if she did appreciate the thought.

Thankfully, after a few moments, the Ravenclaws flipped the banner and swapped their signs for different ones, starting to cheer for Jon next. Bagsy wondered how many different things they'd prepared. Some of them had painted their faces like badgers, and others were madly waving yellow flags. Not even the Hufflepuff stand looked half as enthusiastic.

'Hufflepuff! Hufflepuff! Huffle-truffle-puffle-puff! They-will-beat-you-sure-enough! Huffle-buffle-duffle-puff!' they cried out.

The rest of the Ravenclaws didn't look too keen – they were facing third place if Hufflepuff won. Some outright glared at Winifred and Robin.

Now that Winifred's group weren't cheering directly for her, but for her teammates and the team as a whole, Bagsy couldn't help but feel elated. Was Winifred a friend of hers now, Bagsy wondered? She guessed, in some ways, she was. She couldn't let their cheering go to waste, she decided. She'd have to make sure they won.

Magnus was listing off the stakes for the match; how third, second and first place were all up for grabs depending on the results. Meanwhile, Professor Kim reminded the captains, and the players, to behave during the game.

Before Bagsy new it, Kim had kicked open the chest releasing the bludgers, and had thrown the quaffle into the air.

The Hufflepuffs wasted no time – they wanted to get ahead before the Slytherins could pick up momentum. Ford scored an impressive goal, faking a throw to Kat before dodging around a player and throwing the quaffle through a hoop. Kat followed up with her own manoeuvre – throwing the ball into the air, ducking below a Slytherin chaser, and then catching it again on the other side before practically dunking it through the central hoop.

Bagsy watched, astounded, at the sight before her. Slytherin were fighting hard, but Hufflepuff were slowly, but surely, getting ahead. Jon, especially, was pushing himself to fly faster and better than ever before, and each goal by Ford spurred him on more. He grunted in anger and charged recklessly into the opponents. Whenever the Ravenclaws cheered Ford's name, Jon would shoot forward and demand to be passed the quaffle, intent on scoring a goal to outdo his sibling.

Bagsy kept an eye on the score as she sent bludgers left, right and centre. She was determined to keep Hufflepuff in possession of the quaffle. Unfortunately, at the moment Jon was meant to pass back to Kat to allow her a surprise attack, he instead opted to keep the ball to himself, despite two Slytherins marking him, and attempt a goal.

'Johnathan!' Ford warned, but there wasn't time to stop him. One of the Slytherins easily took possession from an infuriated Jon, who spun his broom around too quickly and had to take a second to recover or risk falling off.

Emmeline stiffened nervously. Bagsy knew Emmeline wasn't the world's best keeper, she let most goals through, and decided she'd try and lend a hand. Glancing around she spotted a bludger not too far away and soared towards it. By the time she reached it the Slytherin chaser was bearing down on Emmeline, about to throw the ball.

Desperate, Bagsy ran the spatial calculations in her mind and hit the bludger towards the post. As she did, the Slytherin let loose the quaffle, easily throwing it past Emmeline, who made a valiant but futile effort to stop it.

Bagsy's bludger bounded off the goal post and towards the quaffle. It missed it by two feet, flying uselessly by as the quaffle went through the goal hoop. Bagsy let out a hiss of frustration as Magnus announced the score.

The game continued for what felt like far too long but, eventually, Ford threw the quaffle through the goal hoops to the announcement from Magnus that they now had one hundred and fifty points to Slytherin's forty.

Bagsy couldn't help but feel optimistic – somehow, the Slytherin team weren't playing as well as they had in their other matches, and Hufflepuff were easily surging ahead. The Slytherins were making easy mistakes, letting the ball slip from their hands, or missing easy interceptions. Bagsy guessed luck was on their side, and that their practise had been paying off.

Then, with a start, Bagsy realised just what Magnus had said; they were a hundred and ten points ahead of Slytherin, more than enough for the equalizer. 'Greenda, Emmeline!' she called urgently. Emmeline nodded, and Greenda called back her acknowledgement. It only took her a few minutes to locate the snitch and shoot towards it.

'Now!' Greenda called, her hair buffeted by the wind as she raced after the small golden object.

On command, Teresa hit a bludger to Emmeline, who caught it and flew swiftly over to Bagsy. With practised precision, she gently threw the bludger towards her. Bagsy had already begun figuring out exactly how to hit the snitch with the bludger from the distance, speed and wind condition she was currently in. However, just as she was working it out, she heard a surprised cry from behind her. She didn't have time to look, so she hit the bludger with all her might towards the snitch.

Her job done, Bagsy bared the smallest of glances behind. She saw one of the Slytherin chasers, with a thousand times more speed and agility than they'd been displaying so far, take the quaffle off Jon who had positioned incorrectly in his arrogance. Like a darting green fish, the Slytherin was at the unguarded Hufflepuff goals. Emmeline hadn't noticed, she was watching Greenda with wide eyes.

Bagsy turned back towards Greenda and saw the bludger she'd sent moments before miss. Not only did it miss, instead of hitting the snitch, it bounced painfully off Greenda's shoulder. Greenda spun around from the impact, ending up hanging onto her broom upside down, but racing after the snitch all the same. Hovering next to Bagsy, Emmeline let out an angry cry of defeat, having looked behind her and realised what was happening, the unguarded goal posts under attack.

'I've got this!' Greenda cried from far below them as she descended swiftly after the snitch, still upside down, clutching the shoulder Bagsy had accidentally hit.

Emmeline sucked in a breath, her eyebrows high and her mouth hanging open. Then, she squeezed her features together. 'I know you do!' she called back loudly.

Sound seemed to fizzle out of existence as Bagsy observed Greenda slowly gaining on the snitch, her face pulled back by the force of the wind hitting it, her hand gripping her shoulder tightly, the other taking a vice tight grip on her broom. She was spiralling now, her control on her broom's direction slowly loosening, but the speed maintaining a dangerous pace. Bagsy gulped.

Greenda reached out, her finger barely brushing the edge of the snitch. It was just out of reach, and now the Slytherin seeker had taken notice and was surging forward. Throwing caution to the wind, Greenda place both of her hands on her rocketing broom and kicked her legs around and in front of herself, their reach much longer than her arms. She extended her body as far as she could and grabbed the snitch between her two shoes. A few moments later she was slowing her broom, landing, and retrieving the victorious object from the floor, where her feet were keeping it trapped. She stood up, grinning at the rest of the Hufflepuff team, holding the golden snitch aloft.

Emmeline whooped in joy, Teresa let out a howl of victory and Ford did at least three loop-de-loops he was so filled with elation.

Bagsy stared, slack jawed, before smiling softly, a feeling of warm pride bubbling up inside of her.

'Hufflepuff win!' Magnus announced. The Hufflepuff stand erupted into cheers, the Ravenclaws around Winifred joining in with them.

Bagsy glanced over her shoulder and at the score board. The Slytherins had been prepared for them and had predicted their equalizer. Whilst Emmeline had been away from the goal post, two chasers had easily passed the quaffle back and forth, scoring thirty more points before the snitch had been caught. Hufflepuff had won, but not by enough.

Which meant Hufflepuff had come second.

Bagsy gulped, looking guiltily at Ford.

Ford, however, was glowing with joy. 'Second place!' he screeched as if a demon was breaking free from him, but as far as Bagsy could tell, it was a mad-happiness, not anger, that possessed him. 'Second place!' He grabbed Kat by the shoulders and spun her around before moving onto Emmeline and pulling the same move. 'Second place!' he repeated, as if he couldn't believe it, buzzing gleefully like an erratically flying bee.

Bagsy laughed as the Hufflepuff team gathered on the floor, hugging and hive-fiving each other. Ford was squeezing Jon tightly, and lifting him up into the air, much to his protest. Teresa and Kat were watching, laughing in amusement. They didn't notice Emmeline and Greenda awkwardly approaching each other but Bagsy did. She couldn't hear from the distance, but she could see that Emmeline said something to Greenda, and Greenda said something back. Then, as if they were in an alternate universe, Emmeline held her hand up and allowed Greenda to tentatively high-five it. That was another favour Bagsy had fulfilled, she decided, looking up at Ford happily.

Ford wiped a tear from his eye as he put his brother down. 'Second place!' he breathed. 'I'm so happy. I'm so gosh darn happy right now. I thought we'd come last again…'

'Those Slytherins are sneaky!' Teresa said. 'I think they were pretending to be bad. They knew we'd try the equalizer again. They only needed to score a couple goals when Emmeline abandoned her post to avoid our move being fatal and us stealing first place.'

Kat nodded her agreement. 'Yeah. They were playing awfully poorly, and then the second Emmeline left her goals it was like suddenly we were playing against a completely different team! They were so much faster than before, and way more aggressive.'

Emmeline, who'd walked over to the main group, listened in, making a serious expression. 'That's Slytherins for you.'

Bagsy glanced over at the celebrating Slytherin team and tutted to herself. How dumb could she be? Of course, Hufflepuff hadn't just been lucky during the match. Slytherin were a great team – she should have realised what they'd been planning.

'Who cares!' Ford burst out loudly, throwing his arms into the air. 'We came second!' As if he couldn't contain himself, Ford began doing a little dance. 'Second place! Second place! Second place!'

'Wait,' Teresa asked sarcastically with a smirk. 'Where did we place in the cup again? I think I forgot.'

Emmeline nodded. 'Yeah, me too. Was it fourth? Third?'

Jon shrugged as giggles bubbled amongst the team. 'No idea. Who can say.'

It was with a surprised yelp that, upon joining the rest of the team, Greenda found herself hauled into the air and carried like a trophy back to the castle. Even Emmeline helped, taking Greenda's legs. The students from the stands were filtering down to join them. Bagsy had expected Mezrielda to join her, but when she glanced around she saw her friend talking with a severe expression to Arice. Before Bagsy could think much on it, though, something else caught her attention.

'Greenda, Greenda, what shall we do?' Emmeline started as they walked over the grass, Greenda still held aloft above them. Greenda stiffened at the familiar tune. 'We'll leave the snitch-catching up to you! Greenda, Greenda, what can we say? When we need it the most you make the play!' The new chant established, Emmeline began to repeat it, and soon a chorus of the rehashed Greenda, Greenda was echoing through the Hogwarts halls as the players and the crowd dispersed back to their rooms. Bagsy was about to retreat to her private room when Ford pulled her aside.

'Thank you,' he said, his cheeks wet from his happy crying. 'This has been the best year of my life. I never thought I'd see Hufflepuff come second, or,' and he gestured back at Emmeline and Greenda, who were daring to sit within two metres of each other without declaring blood-feuds, 'I never thought I'd see those two reconcile. You're a miracle worker, Bagsy.'

Bagsy averted her eyes shyly. 'It's nothing,' she muttered. 'If anything, my equalizer lost us first place,' she added. 'Plus, I didn't really make them reconcile… it just kind of… happened.' But Ford was having none of it, insisting strongly that they wouldn't have made even second place without everyone working as hard as they had – Bagsy included – and that Greenda and Emmeline wouldn't be tolerating each other if Bagsy hadn't interfered. 'And, listen, I wanted to dedicate this win to Bill, if that's alright with you. I think your pet rat would be mighty proud of you if she were around right now.'

Bagsy couldn't speak, because she knew she'd start crying, so she just nodded and gave Ford a tight hug. Silently, she dedicated the match to both Bill and Jill.

Feeling overwhelmed by all the praise and noise, she excused herself. Once she was secluded safely in her private room, she enjoyed the soft buzz of celebration that wafted into the space from the common-room, allowing herself to revel in their achievement of second place.

Now all she had to face were the exams.