It was the next day and the girls and Albert were in the Great Hall for breakfast. Isabell spotted Mocha’s bright yellow eyes between the dull orange, brown and yellow ones. Isabell clicked to Mocha to show that she was there.

‘Did you order the Daily Prophet?’ asked Amelia, taking a bite from her cheese sandwich. 

‘No…’ Isabell replied through a mouthful of cereal. 

Mocha crash-landed on Albert’s head, her claws scraping his scalp, who yelled in surprise, but also pain. He shooed her away, making her screech and peck him on the arms.

‘Mocha, enough!’ Isabell snapped as Mocha kept screeching at Albert.

Mocha gave one last glare at Albert then glided over to Isabell. She held out her leg and Isabell extracted the envelope. Isabell took out the letter and began reading it aloud:

Dear Isabell, 

I’ve been thinking about something. Don’t read this in front of-

‘Why’d you stop?’ Olivia asked with raised eyebrows.

‘I-I think this is private-’

Olivia and Amelia looked at each other then at Isabell, who had already rushed away. She walked to a corner and continued reading the letter.

Don’t read this in front of Amelia, Olivia and that other boy. I know I said that Amelia hasn’t got to do with that evil wizard everyone’s talking about, but I’ve been thinking about it and… what if she is? I suggest you stay away from her. What if she is working with that wizard like your first year? I noticed that she stayed in her room a lot when you came over for New Years. Your father told me times are dark, Isabell. About Olivia, however. There is 100% something going on with that girl. Whether she is working with the wizard like her parents or not, you must stay away from her. From both of them. I promise that I’m doing this for your safety. I will know if you hang out with them, I will know if you talk to them, I will know everything you do with them. Someone has an eye on you. 

Lots of love,

Emma Bluesky.

Isabell looked at Olivia, Amelia and Albert. They were huddled closely together, apparently talking about her as they were glancing at her every now and then. Isabell thought about the Olivia and Amelia part of the letter.

Could they really be working with Voldemort…?

She was snapped out of her thoughts when the bell rang so it was time for lessons. They had potions with Snape first thing in the morning. 

Olivia and Amelia, as well as Albert, were surprised by the way Isabell had acted.

‘What just happened?’ Albert said.

‘It’s like first year, when Amelia was practice joining-’ began Olivia, then gasped. ‘What if that happened again? What if Isabell is-’

She stopped talking, for Isabell was glaring at them from the other corner of the Potions classroom. Snape was doing his usual marching between desks, his hooked nose sniffing potions and his dull eyes scanning them. Snape hovered over to Amelia, Olivia and Albert’s desk and carefully examined their potions. 

‘Not enough Abraxan hair, Ms. Clearwater. The board crealy states to add seven hairs, not six. I highly suggest you get yourself some glasses,’ Snape criticised, his thin lips slowly curling. 

He went over to Albert’s potion, though didn’t say anything. He went to Olivia’s, and did the same action as Albert: nothing. 

‘Ms. Bluesky, what is this?’ they heard Snape say.

They jerked their heads to Isabell’s desk, and black goo was emerging from her cauldron. The goo was eating through the wooden desk. Snape, with a single flick of his wand, made the goo disappear and mended the desk. Isabell looked down, face flushing red with embarrassment. Olivia and Amelia looked sympathetically at her. 

‘Homework, produce a thirty inch essay about the uses of Abraxan hair and write examples of potions it is used in,’ he said coldly as he approached his desk, his black eyes locking on each student for a fraction of a second. ‘And as for Bluesky… you will explain to me why you have been distracted in my Potions class in a twenty inch essay, as well as the homework I’ve given you. Class dismissed.’

Students’ chairs harshly scraped the black floor of the Potions classroom, with Isabell the first to run out. Amelia and Olivia tried to follow her, but in front of them was a whole crowd of exiting students.

‘I-Isabell, wait!’ Amelia yelled, but their tanned friend was no longer to be seen. 

Isabell made sure she’d avoid Albert, Amelia and Olivia. Though she wondered…

Who is keeping an eye on me?

It had to be someone who always stood near her… 

Isabell’s greenish-brown eyes turned in all directions, trying to find one student who was closely watching her. The disadvantage was… everyone was acting perfectly normal-

She saw a girl with golden-blonde hair and worried blue eyes walking around, as her small nose tried to sniff Isabell’s scent. Amelia frantically looked around, but Isabell blended in with a crowd. 

‘Why… is… she… ignoring… us?’ a frustrated Amelia said in the Common Room. 

They were completing their essay for Snape, with Olivia already done. 

‘Can you help with the conclusion?’ Albert asked, scratching his head with his white quill. 

‘Abraxan hair is very rare to find, the animal, basically. Though they are found in Wales, in a dark place that nobody goes in because of a rumour. So-’

‘Did you even hear what I said?’ Amelia frowned.

‘Yes, Amelia. I have ears. And I told you the reason was because now she thinks we are now somehow Voldemort’s followers. Well, her mother convinced her. And someone is watching over her so she can never talk to us or anything,’ Olivia replied as she corrected a word for Albert, who muttered a thanks. 

‘How’d you know-’

A cat mewled at Amelia. Twilight, with orange fur and soft purple streaks, came sashaying towards them, expecting Olivia to give her acknowledgement. Olivia pointed at Twilight, who purred and sat in a gorgeous posture in front of them. 

‘Isabell is in the same dormitory as us, you know. So, Twilight here might have borrowed Isabell’s letter and handed it to me. But I put it back, I promise.’

Amelia and Albert arched their brows in unison. Olivia merely shrugged and scratched behind Twilight’s ears. Charm, Albert’s cat, came towards them and hissed angrily at Twilight, who ignored him. 

‘What’s with Charm whenever he sees your cat?’ Albert asked. 

‘Dunno.’

Albert and Amelia’s quills scratched their parchments, quickling scribbling down their long essay. Isabell was in the dormitory, eyes wide open and looking at the blue ceiling. Isabell sighed. 

But… what if they weren’t with him… What if they’re good-?

She sighed again. When there was loneliness surrounding Isabell, there was one person to go… Or one creature. Isabell silently wore a black cloak and opened the door of the dormitory, and descended the stairs. She saw Amelia, Albert and Olivia huddled close to each other from the corner of her eyes as she headed to the Common Room door. She opened it and closed it behind her. She went down the stairs and almost confronted Umbridge, who was walking around the fifth floor, humming a horrible tune as her blue bulging eyes looked around. Isabell silently prayed that the gates would be open. Isabell went towards the gates… 

Filch had forgotten to close them. 

Isabell sneaked out of the castle and started jogging towards the Forbidden Forest, large trees almost blocking the moonlight that was slashing through their thick leaves. Isabell squashed the grass on the floor as the smell of damp moss and rainwater entered her lungs. Isabell inhaled the natural smell and exhaled, a few feet away from the trees. She entered the wilderness, greeted by eerie shrieks and squawks. Isabell heard quiet strange neighing. Isabell went towards the source of the quiet voice, stepping on fallen brown leaves as her feet made quiet footsteps. She continued to walk… walk… walk… until she felt hair caress her cold cheek. Isabell swivelled around to see a majestic alicorn, with large feathery wings that flapped elegantly, and frost blue eyes that glimmered from the moonlight above. The alicorn’s skin was ghostly white like heaven’s smaller eye above it, and its flowing blue mane and tail shone as though it were the rippling waves of water. The alicorn looked at Isabell, a strange smile slowly forming as its nostrils flared, though happily. 

‘Isabell,’ the alicorn neighed, bowing its head.

‘Sublimis,’ Isabell said, gently placing her head on the alicorn and feeling the smoothness of Sublimis’ skin. 

Their heads departed from each other. 

‘What brings you here?’ Sublimis cooed. 

‘My mum told me to avoid my best friends ‘cause she thinks they’re working for You-Know-Who… and… I’m just lonely and wanted to stay with you for a while. It’s fine… right?’

Sublimis nodded her head lightly. 

‘There is nothing to do here in this enchanting forest anymore, mostly because the centaurs are dominating a very crucial part of it. I heard them say once: “If you see the one we banished set a hoof in these woods, kill him.”’

‘Ah, Firenze. They banished him from the forest because he didn't manifest his loyalty to the herd.’ 

Sublimis neighed in understanding and sat on the damp forest floor, gazing at the silver orb and its neighbourly stars. Isabell gingerly sat next to her magical creature friend and looked at the moon. Isabell was enchanted by the beauty of the night sky, the dark blue sky dotted with glittering stars, and the moon a small ghostly white orb as it shone like a gleeful round face. Isabell felt Sublimis looking at her, and the greenish-brown eyes locked with the frost blue ones. 

‘Sometimes the moon reminds me of you,’ Sublimis said, her eyes never leaving Isabell’s. ‘Bright, appealing. But sometimes, that moon dims… just like when you become lonely and miserable…’ 

Isabell looked at the bright moon. A small smile formed on her brightened face. Sublimis slowly clung to Isabell with her wing, as though Isabell was under a white feathery tent. Magical creature and person huddled together, their pairs of eyes peering at the moon above them. 

‘I have to go…’ Isabell said after a while. ‘I really wish I could stay, but I would get into trouble if I stay outside for a long time.’

Sublimis nodded sadly. 

‘You helped me, really,’ Isabell added, a sad smile on her face. ‘I’ll see you soon, Sublimis.’ 

Sublimis nodded her head again as Isabell got up. Sublimis removed her wing as Isabell wore the black cloak. Sublimis watched her human friend run away, until all Sublimis saw were high trees and an empty black void. 

‘Stay bright like the moon,’ she cooed quietly as the moonlight struck her like a bright spotlight.