Starry skies and Gardenias

Chapter 59

The euphoria at winning the Quidditch Cup, again, lasted at least a week and not one Gryffindor seemed put off by the fact that the smallest reasons called for a mini-party these days. Even the weather seemed to be celebrating; as June approached, the days became cloudless and sultry, and all anybody felt like doing was strolling onto the grounds and flopping down on the grass with several pints of iced pumpkin juice, perhaps playing a casual game of Gobstones or watching the giant squid propel itself dreamily across the surface of the lake.

But they couldn't. Exams were nearly upon them, and instead of lazing around outside, the students were forced to remain inside the castle, trying to bully their brains into concentrating while enticing wafts of summer air drifted in through the windows. 

Isabella's exam schedule sure was complicated.

Monday9 o'clock, Defence Against the Dark Arts9 o'clock, TransfigurationLunch1 o'clock, Charms1 o'clock, Ancient Runes

Well, pros and cons of having a time-turner, she supposed. She'd obviously have to give up her piece of mind for something as a time-turner.
She couldn't afford to flunk even a single subject. She had insisted, even after McGonagall had warned her repeatedly to not take all of them. But Isabella had been stubborn and she was going to stay so until the end. She said she would do all of them, and she meant it. 

Besides, her dreams were mostly about her in Vauxhall street, going after that box. She's always wake up panting and then would be unable to go back to sleep. 

However, this also meant that her dreams about the future were being limited 

The last dream she had seen ended with Professor Trelawney making a prediction. . .or a prophecy about the Dark Lord's servant returning to him and helping him rise to power. 

And Sirius had broken out of Azkaban after twelve years and would most likely go back to Voldemort. . .Did he think that killing Harry Potter would bring Voldemort back? That was rather stupid. . .

What Isabella knew for sure was that she had to learn more. Which, in turn, meant she needed to go back to sleep to continue her dream before it was past. 

The problem came with the timing. She had her exams right up in a half an hour, and she wouldn't even be able to fall asleep at that time.

. . .Should she try that again? 

Well, she wasn't left with too many options. 

Isabella got up from her seat in the Great Hall and shouldered her bag, before making her way to the classrooms. 

Before she went into the class, she hid behind a tapestry and gave a couple of spins on the time-turner. 

Her surroundings blurred into a mess of colour and deformed shapes before she found herself in the empty corridor. 

Now, she had to go to Madam Pomfrey.

"Headmaster," she nodded in acknowledgement when she saw Dumbledore, with his robes of purple walking down the corridor, next to the hospital wing. 

"Good morning,"

"Ah, Good Morning, Miss Jefferson," Dumbledore said brightly. "I was out for a stroll. And you are supposed to have exams in a couple hours, am I right?"

"Yes, sir," Isabella said, falling in step with Dumbledore. "I just wanted to meet Madam Pomfrey before.

"Why, is something ailing you?" Dumbledore said concernedly.