Starry skies and Gardenias

Chapter 10

Isabella stopped drawing attention to herself in class. Only a few days ago she seemed to like it so much. Now it was simply draining.

October rushed in, and Hagrid was working harder than ever on the pumpkin patch behind his hut. 

Isabella found herself leaving the castle grounds often. She preferred staying outside in the cold. She had found a useful spell that conjured Cold flames, they were little bluebell flames that could be caught in a jar and they gave off heat.

She'd place them beside her and draw away, listening to Hagrid talking about the different kinds of dragons.

"I want to see one someday," Isabella said wistfully. She looked up at the pumpkin patch for reference and went back to her drawing.

"Hagrid," she said. "Have you ever seen a giant three-headed dog? Like Cerberus?"

"Who's Cerberus?" Hagrid asked.

"It is a giant three-headed dog that guards the underworld in Greek mythology," Isabella explained. "He belongs to Hades, the god of the underworld,"

Hagrid shrugged. "Makes sense. I've heard there are three-headed dogs in Greece,"

"You should get one," Isabella said absentmindedly. "You can take care of it. I know you can. And I bet the dog would love to know you too,"

Hagrid chuckled and prodded the thick pumpkin vine away properly.

On Halloween morning she woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. 

Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly. At this, an excited chatter broke out in the class which Flitwick shushed quickly.

Levitation was fairly easy for Isabella. She could do it without her wand and without saying the words out loud.

"Now, don't forget the wand movement," Flitwick was saying. "Swish and flick,"

Isabella pointed her wand at the feather she was supposed to be practising on and said softly, "Wingardium Leviosa,"

The feather rose into the air, but she grabbed it and put it back onto the desk before anyone saw it. 

Oh, well. She could do the spell even when she said it out loud so that was fine. 

She stared at her book, as cries of the incantation filled the room with first years trying to get their feathers to fly.

For the first time, Isabella found herself dreading Halloween. There was supposed to be a feast and she didn't exactly want to attend. But Hagrid had told her about how amazing Hogwarts looked and she couldn't stand not seeing it for herself. 

So, Isabella plucked up the courage to make her way down to the feast on the fated day.

The Great Hall did look incredible. Live bats hung from the ceilings and the candles glimmered eerily from inside the carved pumpkins. All sorts of sweets were piled up on the five long tables. 

But Isabella lasted only for half the feast. After that, she just didn't have any energy to stay there any longer.

She left the Gryffindor table quietly and went straight to the common room. 

She like the quiet common room. But it was a bit boring. . .

It took her a lot of time to come to the decision, but she finally heaved herself off the armchair and snuck out of the common room.