Page 208 of Plug and Drain

“Did she?” Susie's heart lightened, and she sat down at her usual desk in front of Harry’s. They were early, and Marmala hadn’t arrived yet.

“Yep. Bit annoying, really. Oh, also…she makes excellent cookies. Don’t tell Sarah I said that.”

“I won’t.”

Harry blinked and cleared his throat, obviously searching for another change in topic that wasn’t related to Sarah. “Hope Molly passes her initiation all right today.”

Susie stilled. “Initiation?”

Harry shrugged. “For Zott’s class. Hers is today, apparently. Think she was a bit surprised, no one thought to tell her, and I guess she doesn’t check the bulletin board—” He cut off as Susie dropped her books on the ground. “Whoa. Are you all right—?”

“What do you mean?” she whispered, staring at him wide-eyed. “Zott’s class has been cancelled.”

“Just suspended. But he’s continued teaching in private in one-on-one classes. I guess he finally realised Molly’s been skipping his classes. So, he’s doing her initiation today.”

Susie’s blood froze.

Molly would never pass Zott’s initiation class. Not when many of the exercises required morphing into a wolf.

Zott will realise something ’s wrong.

Susie had had a letter from her parents, the doctors, and a specialist, all explaining her ‘condition’.

But Molly probably had very little in the way of identity papers. Would they hold up under scrutiny?

And how would Molly cope with Zott’s most basic instructions after all she’d been through this year?

Harry had his hands on her shoulders and was peering at her with concern. “Hey, relax. Molly will be fine. Zott will probably just put her through her paces, so to speak. It’s all voluntary, anyway. I was half-considering signing up for his after-school remedial sessions, if y’know what I mean—”

“Do you think Molly is there voluntarily?” she hissed.

Harry gaped at her. “I mean, I suppose not, now that you mention it. But listen—”

Susie bolted from the classroom without waiting for him to finish. She didn’t have time for Harry's misguided attraction to the professor.

Molly was in trouble. An illegal witch at Volmasque, in the heart of Henrikk’s kingdom, alone and unprotected with very little magic to help her. And now she was at Zott’s mercy.

And I’m the only one who knows what she is.

Susie sprinted down the corridor, her heart thundering like a drum. She reached the tower steps and bolted up them, fear gnawing at her with each step. There were times when she was sure she could hear screaming over the blood pounding in her ears. By the time she reached the top landing, her breath was coming in ragged gasps, the air in her lungs burning as if she were inhaling the very essence of terror itself.

She flung the door open and burst into Zott’s classroom.

At first, she thought there was no one there. The desks to her left were all empty, as was the cleared space in the centre of the room.

“Excuse me, but this is a private session,” said Zott calmly.

Susie whipped her head to the right, where Zott was sitting at his desk, leaning on his chair, and sitting above him…astride him…rocking above him...was…

Nausea twisted Susie’s stomach as she recognised Molly’s mousy hair. The witch began to turn, and Susie got a brief glimpse of her tear-streaked face before Zott fisted her hair and forced her to look back at him. “Continue,” he growled.

Susie’s knees weakened at the sound of Molly’s answering whimper.

“What’s going on?” Susie demanded, striding towards the desk.

Zott was frowning past Molly at her. Recognition dawned. “Ahh. Susanna. Excellent timing.” He pointed a fat finger at the black-painted wall lined with accessories. “Hand me that gag, will you? This one’s a screamer, aren’t you, darling?”

“Stop that,” Susie said, feeling sickened as Molly was forced to ride Zott. “Let her stop.”