ISABELLA TOPIN and the ANIMAGUS ASSOCIATION

Chapter Twelve - The Great Lake

"Oh, hello, Profesor! got back this morning." Professor Marchknee said as she leaped up.

"Amandla, you are not a student of mine. You can call me Minerva. We are a staff. " McGonagall said, placing her hand on Professor Marchknee's shoulder.

The two women sat on the dock, their feet dangling over the edge. "How was your holiday?" Minerva asked.

"Not bad, I stayed home with mum and the dog." Amandla grinned.

Phoenix watched from afar. His muscle memory still kept throwing the rock and bringing it back.

"And how was Hogwarts while I was away?" She asked.

"Well, the skeleton on the ceiling got a bit dusty, but Filius offered to clean it." Minerva smiled.

"I'll remember to thank him." Amandla responded.

The rock flew at Phoenix, but he missed it and it knocked him in the head. "Oof-" he shouted as he fell back.

"Hello?" Amandla suddenly shouted, Standing.

"Hi..." Phoenix smiled, rubbing his bruising cheek.

"Hello, Mr. Omva." Minerva warmly greeted him. Phoenix walked over.

"Good afternoon, Headmistress." Phoenix started.

"Oh pfft, Professor will do." McGonagall chuckled. The three sat down skipping rocks together, laughing when Professor McGonagall couldn't skip it.

Tatum jogged out to the training grounds to collect her broom, which she had left there when she stopped in shock.
There in front of her was a tall black horse with a white brush on its belly.
Wavy black hair, darker than the coat of the horse, blew in the wind as it stood still looking at Tatum.

Tatum stopped and slowly took one step forward towards her broom, right in the middle of the two.
She took another step and the horse stepped back, Tatum came to a halt, waiting until the horse did something... which it didn't. The horse looked at the field behind it and ran away.

Tatum jogged forwards towards the edge of the training grounds and watched the horse gallop away into the forest. As she started walking away, she saw a shimmer of light and looked up, and a yellow glowing owl swooped above her. She watched the owl and followed it as it swooped down, crashing into the side of the great hall, and she walked over and saw three figures at the boat house.
She walked down and saw Phoenix with McGonagall and Marchknee. She watched from the long, wonky stairs leading down to the boat house and watched them laugh together. "What the—" Tatum grunted but shut up quickly.

"Lily, bedtime, waking up early tomorrow." Mrs. Topin said, knocking on her daughter's door. "Issy you too." She continued.

Isabella sat on her bed with a small lamp beside her. "Toothbrush... winter coat... pyjamas... I think that's it...? " she closed up her suitcase and slid it down beside her bed.

Isabella rested her head on her pillow and closed her eyes.
She would be delighted to see her friends again and be back at school! She had been practising her flying so she could try out for the Ravenclaw quidditch team in her later year, maybe, if she got better.
Isabella wondered if perhaps time didn't stop and maybe she was asleep that whole time. Maybe she read it wrong, after all, 6:60 doesn't exist, she thought. Whatever, Isabella decided to not think too much about that night and try to get a good night's sleep.
And the voice.
What did she hear?
Someone said something about war?

"So, you and the Professor? What were you guys talking about? " Tatum asked, filling her mouth full of food. Across the table,

Phoenix looked up from his dinner. "What do you mean?" he asked.