Bagsy managed to make it through Monday once the weekend was done, and was glad she did, because double Herbology the following evening turned out to be the best lesson she'd had all year.

They were half-way through the second half of the lesson and Bagsy and Winifred were carefully adding beetles and midnight-picked carrots to their living stampelia with their bubble masks over their heads, when a bright yellow light shone from within the plant.

'Professor Wattleseed!' Winifred called out in excitement as a hush fell over the other students who tried to shove past each other to get a good view. Jon and Itsuki both shot Bagsy a look of awe, who flushed self-consciously, not feeling too keen on all the attention but excited all the same.

'Everyone be very quiet,' Wattleseed instructed and the crowd hushed. As they watched a thin branch sprouted out of the muddy flesh of the living stampelia and grew upwards and, as it grew, the muddy flesh of the living stampelia shrunk, feeding the small sprouting branch. Soon the branch had grown into a Y shaped tree that had a large, flat base without any roots. It was small – about the length of Bagsy's forearm – and leaves instantly sprouted up and down the plant to gasps from the students. Bagsy had never seen a plant grow so quickly.

Once the plant stilled, Wattleseed picked it up, no sign of the muddy, star shaped thing the plant had once been remained.

'This is a fully matured stampelia,' Wattleseed explained, 'and I must say I'm very, very, impressed you two managed to pull this off.' He held the matured stampelia out to Bagsy and Winifred, something about it beautiful to Bagsy. If she hadn't thought it was a stupid thing to say, she would have said the plant was friend shaped. 'I was expecting one or two of you to produce a half-matured stampelia, but a fully matured one?' Wattleseed let out a low whistle. 'Truly amazing stuff, students.'

'What does it do?' Winifred asked, her eyes hungrily taking the plant in.

'A half-matured stampelia has many medicinal uses. A fully matured stampelia has none,' Wattleseed said and Winifred deflated, but Bagsy's eyes stayed transfixed on the plant. She felt proud – like she was a parent and the plant her child who'd been made head girl. She didn't care much if the stampelia had no uses because it was her friend. 'A matured stampelia is much cooler. It can help you locate lost items.' Wattleseed gave the plant a gentle shake. 'But it only matures when it really likes how it has been cared for, right? So, getting it to this stage. I mean… wow, right? You two should be proud.'

Winifred beamed as if she'd done even a quarter of the work to complete the project. Bagsy, however, was silent. A matured stampelia could locate lost items. Her heart quickened at the thought. Could a matured stampelia locate items she owned and had lost, or any item that she was struggling to find?

'Of course, I promised you both a reward from me.' Wattleseed grinned. 'Each of you will get thirty points for your house.'

Bagsy's mouth hung open. She wasn't sure she had won Hufflepuff a single point yet that year.

Wattleseed continued, 'The matured stampelia will only be linked with one of you, I'm afraid, so whoever it is gets to keep it.' He held the plant closer to them. Winifred, who stood on its right, was faced with leaves that shrivelled up, looking ready to die. Bagsy, who stood on its left, saw leaves reach towards her, turning a gentle green and orange. 'Well, that's pretty clear, isn't it?' Wattleseed laughed, handing Bagsy the matured stampelia, who hugged it to her chest. Winifred didn't look impressed, in fact, she looked so mad Bagsy thought she might burst into flames.

After the lesson Bagsy hurried to the Hufflepuff common room, Winifred on her tail.

'Bagsy! You owe me,' Winifred called after her. 'I gave you that talk-a-lot powder, remember?'

Bagsy ignored her. She was half terrified, and half protective. She'd taken care of this plant, not Winifred, and the plant clearly wanted to be with her, not Winifred. Who was she to deny the plant what it wanted?

Students watched in surprise, bemusement and curiosity as she hurried past them, an angry Winifred following at a distance. Bagsy broke into a run when she passed the still life on her way to the Hufflepuff common room.

'I mean it, Bagsy, stop right now!' Winifred called. Bagsy tapped out the rhythm to Helga Hufflepuff and ducked into the barrel, scurrying towards safety. 'Hey! Let me in!' Bagsy heard Winifred bang her fist on the barrel door as it closed behind her. 'Ah!' She heard a scream and crinkled her nose at a horrid smell. 'Is that… vinegar?' Winifred gasped, her voice fading as Bagsy progressed down the passage into the common room. She pursed her lips against a giggle, knowing she'd pay for this later.

Bagsy stowed the matured stampelia on one of the window shelves high in her private room, so high she had to stand on her work bench to reach it. If the matured stampelia could find lost items, then Bagsy had to take it to the owlery. Maybe it would show her where in the owlery the gauntlet was. Bagsy could only hope. Yet, by the time she had pulled on a cloak and written a letter to send to her sister as a cover for her visit, she stalled.

She put her cloak away and decided that she could wait a little longer before going to the owlery to find the gauntlet because, if she waited, she could postpone the decision she didn't want to make.

Sitting on her bed, she looked at the pink liquid of the draught of silver cleanse staring back at her accusingly. Deep down she knew that her choice was either the gauntlet, or Mezrielda, and her guilt must have gotten to her, as her dreams were slowly growing worse with each day she procrastinated the dilemma.

Bagsy spent the following morning glancing over at Mezrielda. They were in Astronomy class, and Bagsy's performance had finally become good enough again for Professor Jones to let her off homework, but she was worried she'd become so preoccupied with looking guiltily at Mezrielda that her performance would slip again. With the Easter holidays and the following exams fast approaching, Bagsy didn't like the thought of that.

It was a similar story in the following lesson, Defence Against the Dark Arts. Bagsy was bad at the subject anyway but feeling rotten about her possible betrayal of Mezrielda was making it worse. But then, feeling bad about her spell casting only made her want the gauntlet more, so her emotions flip-flopped every few minutes. For once, she stopped paying attention.

Fitzsimmons was giving a demonstration of how trip-vine snakes hid themselves amongst foliage and what signs to look for when avoiding them. They had arranged a set of half-plant half-snakes at the front of the class but Bagsy couldn't care less. She put her head in her hand and imagined what it would be like to cast spells the way Mezrielda could. She wouldn't have to worry about spotting trip-vine snakes if she could magic them off of her.

When the lesson ended and Bagsy was desiring the gauntlet for herself more than ever, Fitzsimmons called her to stay behind. Her heart sank – had they noticed her not paying attention?

'Bagsyllia,' Fitzsimmons said, their large dark eyes fixing on her once the other students had left. 'I believe we should pick up our lessons again.'

Bagsy was shocked. 'But, professor, I haven't improved in any of my studies! I haven't even-' She couldn't complete the sentence. Admitting to never having cast a spell was still too hard to say out loud.

Professor Fitzsimmons crouched in front of Bagsy, who wasn't sure which eye to look at they were so large and close. 'I can tell you're trying,' Fitzsimmons said softly, 'and that is what I care about.' Bagsy looked at her feet. She had focussed less on her studies when she and Mezrielda had been searching for the gauntlet, and when she'd been working on the brooms for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Now that she wasn't doing either, she had been using her time for school work. 'Before we begin our lesson, I want you to tell me what you did to pass my dream test last term. I believe we may need to re-evaluate the way you are taught in these lessons if they are to continue.'

'Weren't you watching?' Bagsy asked in confusion. 'During the test, I mean?'

'Yes, and no. I have a rough idea of what you survived, and how long each section took you, but the specifics are foggy. I prefer not to poke around in students' heads. Further, I was casting the spell on multiple students at once, and even my attention is limited.' Fitzsimmons' eyes sparked mischievously. 'As I'm sure you found out in the lesson I just taught, sometimes even the most attentive individuals can become distracted.' Bagsy shuffled her feet guiltily. 'Don't feel too bad, you're not the first student to daydream in my class, nor will you be the last. Now,' Fitzsimmons clasped their hands together gently. 'Tell me about what you did in my test.'

'Well…' Bagsy recounted what she could remember. How she'd fallen and then, as if her imagination had created it, how she'd been holding a portal-grappling hook. How she had run to a tree and, using the branch and her spare wand, turned it into a make-shift broom. Bagsy finished with how she escaped a strange beast with many arms, sharp teeth and red coloured eyes, using the magic absorbing vines she'd been trapped in to protect her.

'Wait,' Fitzsimmons cut over Bagsy at that point in the story. They walked over to a window in the corner of the classroom, their posture stiff. 'Tell me what this creature looked like once more. Be very precise, Bagsyllia, this is important.'

Bagsy, with a sinking feeling in her stomach, did just that. 'It had at least ten arms,' she began, 'but some had more than five fingers, or less. The beast itself was white… but not like it had white skin or white fur… it was like there was nothing but brightness where the creature was, like it was a gap in the air.' Fitzsimmons was quiet but Bagsy could see their jaw clenching. 'And it had these red eyes made of sludge, and they were dripping this deep red substance. And then it had this mouth that was large and round and filled with teeth. I think…' Bagsy gulped. 'I think it could have swallowed me whole if it had wanted.'

'Bagsyllia,' Fitzsimmons said after an age of quiet. Their voice was very soft, as if Bagsy was a deer who'd startle. 'I must be honest with you.' Bagsy nodded, her hands shaking. 'I did not put that beast in the test.'

Bagsy sat very still. 'What do you mean?' she asked at last, her voice working in an odd way.

Fitzsimmons moved away from the window and back to Bagsy, placing a hand on her shoulder. 'Perhaps your imagination mixed with the dream. Either way, I shall look into the matter. You needn't wouldn't worry about it. Now, tell me, have you been reading the book I gave you?' Bagsy nodded. 'Good.' Fitzsimmons took their hand off Bagsy's shoulder. 'It will come in handy during our lessons.'

Fitzsimmons began teaching Bagsy as they had last term. They instructed her on how to stand correctly, and how to move her wand for each incantation. Bagsy didn't cast a single spell or make the tiniest of glows at the tip of her wand, but Fitzsimmons didn't show any frustration. If anything, there was fear in their big eyes.

Bagsy was starting to feel frightened, too.