Bagsy felt large, strong arms lift her from the ground, then there was darkness and she was falling, then she was swaying gently from side to side as someone carried her, then long, white arms and hands were surrounding her, drawing her closer to an open mouth.
'Nurse Jones,' Bagsy heard a deep voice with a Russian accent speak, 'she needs your attention, now. Dantes is on their way, as is Theophos.' Bagsy guessed those were the names of some of the professors at Hogwarts. Which professors, she had no clue.
The next thing Bagsy knew she was on a soft bed, which was a small relief to the pain shooting around her body. Her leg and left shoulder were burning hot like fire and her head was spinning. Then there was darkness again, but this was the darkness of sleep, and she welcomed it.
When she awoke her body felt like it was made of cement and she dared not move. As far as Bagsy could tell, she was alone. It was early in the morning, and sunlight streamed in through large, glass windows onto her. Besides a student sleeping in the bed next to her, wrapped in a warm looking duvet, and Nurse Jones scuttling about the infirmary, Bagsy couldn't see anyone else.
'Hello?' Bagsy called out. Her voice felt a lot stronger than it had before but was weak from a lack of use. She wondered how long she'd been asleep.
Nurse Jones, hunched and fumbling with a tangle of different coloured wires, hurried over to her. He pressed the ends of the wires to her arms, legs and face in turn, frowning each time. She lay still, ignoring the prickles of pain at even the lightest of touch from the wires, before Nurse Jones hurried off, muttering repetitively to himself, and Bagsy found herself looking at the ceiling. Her mind couldn't ignore how close to death she'd been, and she felt a shiver creep up her back.
It took her a second to notice she was wearing a necklace she couldn't remember owning. It was a thin silver chain with a small white bead like a tiny pearl at the end, and she moved it between her fore finger and thumb, frowning in confusion.
'Bagsyllia,' a familiar voice said gently. Bagsy looked and saw Professor Fitzsimmons walking towards her.
'Professor,' Bagsy greeted them politely.
Fitzsimmons summoned a plush stool next to Bagsy's bed and sat down. 'How are you feeling?' they asked.
Bagsy blinked, thinking. 'Not good,' she said.
'I can imagine.' They sat in an awkward silence. 'I came to apologise,' Fitzsimmons said, and Bagsy tilted her head in confusion. 'You may have heard that there was an incident at the Ministry at the start of the school year.'
'Yes. My sister told me about it.'
Fitzsimmons blinked, furrowing their brow. 'How much did she tell you?'
Bagsy hesitated. 'Only that there had been an incident,' she lied. She could tell Fitzsimmons didn't believe her, but they didn't seem to mind, either.
'Some magical beings escaped from the Department for the Rehabilitation of Magical Creatures. All of them harmless. Or so I was informed.' Fitzsimmons sighed. 'Unbeknownst to me an ancient, and evil, creature was released from the Ministry as well, the one you saw in the Defence Against the Dark Arts test and the one that attacked you in the staircase a month ago.'
'A whole month?' Bagsy squeaked.
Fitzsimmons nodded seriously. 'You were badly injured, Bagsyllia, and by dark magic, too. Nurse Jones has been keeping you resting until you seemed fit to wake. This morning, it was decided you could return to the waking world.' Bagsy opened her mouth, questions bubbling on her lips, but Fitzsimmons held up their hand to silence her. 'I have organised for notes to be taken for the lessons you have missed, and I have spoken with your teachers. You will still take your first-year exams, but they will not decide if you proceed to your second year.'
'Am I being kicked out?' she asked in a small voice.
Fitzsimmons smiled softly. 'No, Bagsyllia. I am sorry for the confusion. I mean to say, you will progress to the next year regardless of your performance in your exams.' They narrowed their large eyes. 'I trust you won't take advantage of this and try your best, anyway.'
'Of course.' Bagsy nodded, but her neck sparked with pain and she winced, letting out a hiss at the stinging sensation.
'I must apologise to you, Bagsyllia, because I made a grave oversight. You told me you witnessed the creature in your test and, from your description, I guessed what it might be. That creature has many unexplained powers, entering minds and dreams being one of them. When you saw that creature in my test, it wasn't just a dream. That was the creature reaching in and trying to harm you.'
Bagsy took in a sharp breath at the memory, then looked out one of the windows. 'Dreams…?' she echoed, thinking on all the strange dreams she'd been experiencing, now knowing those had been the beast watching her. She shuddered at the thought of the giant monstrosity fixing its horrid, red eyes on her, always just out of sight. She wanted to ask Fitzsimmons why the beast had targeted her but Bagsy felt she already knew the answer. Bagsy was a weak, vulnerable little girl, who'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The creature must have known she was an easy target. There couldn't be anything more to it, Bagsy decided; there was nothing special about her worth targeting beyond being unlucky.
'Fortunately, you escaped it,' Fitzsimmons continued, Bagsy thinking the term fortunate very ironic. 'I can only imagine what other ways that creature tried to reach into this world to harm you, but clearly none of them were working. You see, after you spoke to me about that creature, I erected new protections around Hogwarts to keep it from reaching in so that there was no chance of it entering your mind, but what I couldn't figure out was where this creature was reaching in from. Unfortunately, your and Mezrielda's quest for a very powerful item led you straight to where it was hiding, and where it could reach beyond the barriers that had been put in place.'
Bagsy bit her lip. The creature had been trying to get to her the entire time? How had she not noticed? 'That item, the gauntlet, it rushed away from us,' Bagsy said. 'The steps were all collapsing, and I thought I was going to…' She couldn't finish the sentence, the emotions she'd been feeling during the horrific event washing over her again.
'It rushed away from you?' Fitzsimmons checked pensively. 'I would suppose the item you were looking for was enchanted to never leave the staircase. When it was collapsing perhaps it triggered a defence charm that moved it away from the crumbling end of the stairs. That would be my guess, anyway.'
Something occurred to Bagsy, thinking on how Fitzsimmons had claimed the beast had been trying to get to her all year. 'Professor…' she said uncertainly. Fitzsimmons blinked at her, waiting in interest. 'Earlier this year I was… threatened…I think… by some suits of armour. They surrounded me and… they didn't harm me, but they didn't feel friendly, either, and I've been having these strange dreams and…' She had no other explanation for the events, so perhaps it had all been the beast, after all.
Fitzsimmons expression was grave. 'I see. Bagsyllia, the creature you encountered may not be able to physically reach into our world, trapped as it is, but it can exert mental force. I suspect something within those suits of armour was exploited by it. I'll see psychic blockers are placed on them to ensure they cannot be controlled from beyond the barriers again. The barriers around Hogwarts should prevent any further dream meddling.'
Bagsy let out a breath of relief. 'Thanks,' she murmured.
'It feels hollow to tell you now,' Fitzsimmons continued, 'but after the incident I was able to investigate the magic you, Mezrielda and Tod revealed on the spiral staircase. As far as I can tell, the creature was trapped in an alternate version of the school, unable to pass into this world. The staircase seemed to be a gateway between the locations. Of course, that staircase is now sealed. It cannot return to us through there, but it is my fault that I did not realise it was hiding there and seal the staircase sooner. For that negligence, I must apologise.'
'Thank you…' Bagsy said uncertainly. She didn't like having a professor apologise to her. It didn't feel right.
'You'll find you're wearing a necklace.' Fitzsimmons pointed at the thin silver chain around Bagsy's neck. 'Tap the bead and it will turn invisible.'
Bagsy did so, seeing the pearl shimmer and vanish from view. 'How does it do that?'
'It's not an illusion,' Fitzsimmons said. 'The bead is very rare and transfigures into perfectly transparent material when activated.'
Bagsy peered closely at where the necklace had been, just managing to make out its faint outline. It was very transparent, indeed, like the cleanest glass she'd ever seen. 'What is it for, professor?'
'It is to protect you,' Fitzsimmons explained. 'The staircase has been sealed off and the creature cannot physically harm you thanks to the protections I erected when you first mentioned seeing it in your dreams.' Bagsy thought on that, thinking that must be why an invisible wall had stopped it from getting her, Mezrielda and Tod. 'But as you know, the beast has other ways of reaching you. Previously, I believed the extra protections around Hogwarts would be enough to keep you safe. I will not make that mistake again. I will not take for granted that the magical wards around Hogwarts are a failproof method of blocking its mental powers.' They gestured at Bagsy's neck. 'That necklace blocks those mental powers as well. It cannot find you, nor can it worm its way into your mind or your dreams, so long as you wear it. You needn't worry about it breaking – only magic of a power rarely seen in this world could scratch it. Think of it as an extra safeguard on top of those already in place. Naturally, I require you to keep that necklace on at all times.'
Bagsy nodded seriously, fear prickling her fingertips.
'I assure you, I am doing everything possible to ensure your safety. You have nothing to fear, Bagsy. Now, you may return to classes at your own pace. I've also requested Ford Krinkle not saddle you with any extra quidditch projects for the remainder of the year, if possible.'
'How did you know about-?' Bagsy began to ask.
Fitzsimmons waved their hand again. 'Gren Particularis has been very informative and helpful this past month. When you see her be sure to give her your thanks.'
'Oh,' Bagsy murmured.
'You should also pay your thanks to Tod Alden and Mezrielda Glint,' Fitzsimmons added. 'No doubt they were part of what dragged you into trouble to begin with, but they are also the ones who dragged you back out.'
Bagsy glared. 'Mezrielda didn't save me. She didn't care if I died so long as she got what she wanted.'
'Is that so?' Fitzsimmons asked, an amused expression on their face. Bagsy was about to tell her how Mezrielda had let her fall so that she could grab the gauntlet and get her wish, when the person in the bed next to them stirred and rolled over, and she was met with Mezrielda's sleeping face.
'What's she doing here?' Bagsy asked in barely veiled disgust.
'She asked for permission to use this as her room until you recovered. She's been keeping an eye on you.' Fitzsimmons raised an eyebrow. 'And a good thing too. Some students tried to pull some rather mean pranks a week ago. If she hadn't been here doing her homework they would have gotten away with it. Instead… well. You'll see what they got for their efforts.'
Bagsy wasn't convinced. Mezrielda was putting on an act, she was sure. She'd let Bagsy fall. That was all that mattered.
Fitzsimmons pursed their lips in deep consideration, as if they weren't entirely confident in what they were about to say. They looked from Bagsy to Mezrielda, and then let out a small sigh. 'I suppose you're wondering what Mezrielda wished for?' Fitzsimmons asked at last, resigned to say whatever it was they were so nervous about saying.
Bagsy shook her head. It made the walls spin around her, so she stopped, closing her eyes. 'I already know.' Her voice was sour. She imagined Mezrielda in gleaming Ministry robes, like Bontie, standing proud as Minister for Magic. Bagsy had valued Mezrielda over having a wish but, clearly, Mezrielda hadn't returned the feeling.
'She wished that you'd survive, Bagsy.' Fitzsimmons slowly stood up, looking over to Mezrielda, as Bagsy felt a tide of emotions swarm within her.
'What?' she asked in disbelief, opening her eyes wide. Fitzsimmons inclined their head and Bagsy thought back to how she'd survived such a long fall, and to the invisible rope that had pulled her out by the back of her neck, carring her out of the other Hogwarts and away from the blood eyed beast. Had that been Mezrielda's wish in action?
Bagsy looked over at Mezrielda, a warm feeling spreading in her chest.
'I suggest you rest a bit more and, when you feel ready, return to your dormitory. You broke your leg, Bagsyllia, so take your time, please. I don't want to see you back here anytime soon.'
'Professor?'
'Yes?'
'Are you familiar with the myth of the wishing fairy and the girl trapped in a gauntlet?' Bagsy asked.
Fitzsimmons frowned and was silent for a minute. 'Unfortunately, I am.'
'What did it all mean?' Bagsy furrowed her brow. 'I didn't see any girl – no one was trapped in that gauntlet, Professor Fitzsimmons. Where was she? Was that myth ever related to the gauntlet?'
Fitzsimmons looked to their left, a grim expression on their face. 'The thorned gauntlet,' they uttered quietly, an expression equally confused and frustrated briefly showing on their face, as if an unfathomably riddle was bearing down on them, before they shook it away. 'I'm afraid I have a sense that you did meet her,' they said at last.
'The trapped girl? But how? You don't mean…?' Bagsy trailed off horribly. The blood eyed beast was rushing towards her in her mind. The idea of that thing havingonce been a girl made Bagsy's stomach churn.
'The myth of the girl and the wishing fairy makes one thing clear; greed, Bagsyllia, is a terrible thing. If there is a link between the myth and the creature, it is that the creature's greed authored its monstrous appearance.' Fitzsimmons turned back to Bagsy. 'But don't think on that. You are safe now.'
'Thank you, professor,' Bagsy said politely. Fitzsimmons nodded, turned into a moth and fluttered out of the room.
Bagsy glanced at Mezrielda, before letting herself fall back to sleep. When she woke up again it must have been midday, and the bed Mezrielda had been in was empty. She saw Mezrielda's books, notes and a few items of clothing neatly organised beneath the bed and there was even an owl perch at the end of the bed that Bagsy presumed was for Mezrielda's familiar. She hadn't known Mezrielda had an owl, but she couldn't see any other owl perches in the room, so it made the most sense to her.
Bagsy cautiously got out of bed and saw her bed side table had a card from Greenda telling her to get well soon on it. Bagsy read it happily, seeing it had been signed by quite a few people, Itsuki, Neve and Teresa's names all on it. Bagsy couldn't fully remember who Teresa or Itsuki were, but she was touched all the same. It was also signed by Jon, who'd scrawled his name right over where his brother, Ford, had written his. Even Emmeline and Kat had put their signatures at the bottom. How Greenda had managed to swing that, Bagsy had no clue.
There was a small bar of dark chocolate from Tod that Bagsy eagerly ate with a little note that she looked over. At first it said, in neat writing, 'enjoy, from Tod' but as she read the words they swirled and changed, saying 'I'm trusting you.' Pausing her chewing to stare at the note and poke around her own memories, Bagsy realised she could still remember Tod was a silver tongue, and she couldn't sense any mental blocks hiding information from her, and concluded Tod hadn't used his power to make her forget something.
Bagsy found twinges of pain shooting up and down her leg as she moved to where her robes lay but it was her left shoulder that puzzled her the most. It felt warm to the touch. When Bagsy changed she saw white hot marks like claw scratches just below her shoulder, three of them running along the side of her arm. They were deep indents in her skin, like three crevices, and when Bagsy touched them they felt sore. Putting on her robes, Bagsy wondered if the scars would heal.
As she walked her leg hurt less and less, and by the time she was approaching the great hall Bagsy almost didn't notice that her leg had broken a month ago.
When she sat down for lunch, piling her plate with roast vegetables and gravy, she was flocked by other students. She was numbly aware of people asking her questions but she was too busy wanting to disappear to pay them much attention.
'Give her some space,' Greenda's voice called authoritatively as she pushed through the crowd.
'Oh, shove off, Greenda,' Bagsy heard someone respond, a chant picking up.
'Greenda, Greenda, what shall we do?' it began. 'You're boring us, which is nothing new.'
'Enough of that,' Greenda snapped. 'I'm a prefect and I will take points away from my own house if I see fit. Take your seats and eat your lunch or leave the hall.' The group of students were silent, then dispersed with angry mutters and glares. Once they'd gone Greenda rushed over to Bagsy and wrapped her in a hug. Bagsy let out a squeak of surprise and then a light laugh. The hug was jarring and hurt a bit but Bagsy welcomed it all the same. Greenda pulled back. 'You had me so worried, Bagsy, what were you thinking!' She cuffed Bagsy round the head.
'Ow!'
'It'll hurt a lot worse if you pull something like that again!' Greenda hissed, looking angry. Then she broke back into a smile and hugged Bagsy again, who felt very confused.
When Greenda finally released her, Bagsy had only one question. 'Quidditch?' she looked at Greenda hopefully.
Greenda sighed and shook her head. 'We played against Slytherin whilst you were recovering. We lost. Badly. The Slytherin captain is vicious.'
Bagsy nodded understandingly. 'So, we came last, then?' Greenda pursed her lips and nodded. 'There's always next year,' Bagsy offered, but it felt hollow.
'You could play for us next year?' Greenda added, raising her eyebrows.
Bagsy laughed. 'Do I look athletic to you?'
'You could be, if you practised.' Greenda nudged Bagsy's shoulder encouragingly. 'Come on, it'd be really fun, and we're losing two of our really good players next year, anyway.'
Bagsy shrugged. 'I'll think about it,' she said, which seemed to placate Greenda.
As Bagsy ate her lunch she noticed Primrose, the Emmeline-look-a-like, whom she guessed was Emmeline's younger sister, was wearing a head of hair tangled in a mess of blonde curls. She held back a snort of laughter – it looked even bushier than her own hair and, unlike Bagsy or Greenda, Primrose did not suit bushy hair.
'What happened to her?' Bagsy whispered.
Greenda smirked. 'Ask Mezrielda,' she responded. 'That Slytherin friend of yours knows how to throw a jinx. She didn't hold back when those first years tried to play a prank on you while you were still unconscious.' Greenda paused. 'Speak of the devil.'
'Bagsy?' Mezrielda's voice sounded from behind her. Bagsy had never heard her sound so unsure, and she turned to look up at her silently. 'How are you?' Mezrielda asked. Bagsy, with some effort, rose to her feet to face Mezrielda, who looked at her as if there was a fifty percent chance Bagsy would explode and mercilessly end her existence. The next second, words were rushing out of Mezrielda, quiet so only she would hear. 'Bagsy, I swear I didn't wish what you thought I did. I wished for you to live Bagsy, I promise. You have to believe me. I'd never let you die just so I could-'
Bagsy wrapped Mezrielda in a hug. 'You saved me,' she murmured, and Mezrielda went rigid in her arms. She seemed to like hugs even less than Bagsy, who awkwardly let go of her. 'Thank you. You're a good friend.' Mezrielda was still, staring at her as if she'd been turned to a wax statue. 'Mezrielda?' Bagsy prompted, which seemed to restart her brain.
Mezrielda scoffed casually, her previous floundering hidden below arrogance. 'Of course, I'm a good friend. I'm good at whatever I do.'
Bagsy laughed, realising how much she'd missed Mezrielda all that time she'd spent postponing her decision. Stiffly, she sat back down, indicating a seat next to her for her friend to take. 'It's good to be back,' Bagsy murmured, looking down at her food. Mezrielda sat down next to her silently, grabbing a biscuit to gingerly nibble on.
Bagsy finished her meal and, despite Mezrielda's insistence that she deserved a break, went straight to their nook in the library to catch up on all the lessons she'd missed. Mezrielda spent the time trying to talk to her and generally getting on her nerves and Bagsy couldn't have enjoyed it more. When it came time to return to her dormitory and go to sleep, she had to say goodbye to the familiar presence of Mezrielda. Lying in bed, waiting to drift off, she found she couldn't. She tapped the necklace around her neck so it was visible again, and clasped the tiny pearl bead in her trembling hands. She didn't want to go to sleep. She felt too scared.
