The classroom descended into chaos, but fortunately for most of the students, the bell signaling the end of the lesson rang, prompting them to flee the room at once. Only a few remained, those who had become the main targets of the pixies, or, like Neville, who had been left dangling from the chandelier.
Seeing that the situation had spiraled completely out of his control and that the class had ended, Lockhart attempted to hide and, when he saw his chance, bolted toward his office.
"Silence!"
A cold, imperious command rang through the room. The voice was not loud, yet it reached every corner, stifling the chaos and halting all movement.
Several heads peeked out from beneath desks, cautiously scanning their surroundings before daring to emerge.
The pixies, as if struck by lightning, froze in place.
Lockhart stopped as well; turning, he observed the scene with a hint of unease. Even with his limited experience, he could tell the pixies' reaction was not caused by a spell, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Excellent, Mr. Enoch. I must say, I could have done it far better myself, but well, there was a minor mishap. On the other hand, you have not done badly at all—ten points to Ravenclaw. Now then, those who remain may leave, and do not forget to help Mr. Longbottom down from there."
Without wasting another moment on words, he hurried off to his office.
The remaining students exchanged bewildered, speechless glances. Slowly, they began gathering their things and leaving.
Among those who stayed, aside from Hermione and Extimum, who had remained safe behind the barrier, were also Harry and Ron, who had attempted to fight the pixies with partial success, and Steve, who had failed to take advantage of the initial chaos to escape.
Ron: "Can you believe that?"
Hermione: "Perhaps he wanted us to gain practical experience?"
Harry: "Hermione, he didn't have the faintest idea what he was doing."
A small argument broke out as they packed their belongings.
Not far away, meanwhile:
Bloom (###): "Come on, all of you, into the cage."
Standing upright like a general, she brandished a branch she had procured from somewhere, directing the pixies into the cage while speaking in an ancient tongue.
The incomprehensible words leaving her mouth went unnoticed by the others, as they could not understand them.
The pixies obeyed, filing into the cage in an orderly manner under the weight of Bloom's gaze and the branch in her hands. When the last of them had entered, one of the pixies shut the cage door behind them, casting a fearful glance toward Extimum as it did so.
With the cage secured, Extimum averted his gaze. He had applied a small trick he had learned from Leonardo: Suppression.
Any powerful creature or one with an ancient lineage could do it to dominate lesser beings; all it required was to infuse one's lineage essence along with intent—and the trick was done.
Now that he tried it, it reminded him somewhat of what had happened in the greenhouse with the mandrakes, though it had been slightly different.
Steve: "*Sigh* Glad that's over. Ah, that really took it out of me… by the way, you were brilliant, Extimum!"
Ron: "Yeah, it was like: 'Silence! Your emperor commands you!' Hahaha!"
Extimum: "...What matters is that it worked. Let's get out of here."
Neville: " H-Hey… don't forget about me".
Steve: "Oh, right. Don't worry, I'll show you my magic."
Rolling up the sleeves of his robes, he pulled his wand from his pocket, acting every bit the expert.
"Wingardium Leviosa."
Steve pointed his wand at Neville's robes, the very ones he was hanging from, and gently levitated him down until he was close to the ground.
Neville: "Thanks… *sigh*. I don't know why these things always happen to me."
After helping Neville down, they all left and headed toward their respective common rooms.
.-.
--Hermione's POV--.
After leaving Defence Against the Dark Arts, Hermione made her way to the Gryffindor common room. It was around 3:30 p.m., and she had no more classes for the day, so she wanted to rest for a while.
Upon entering her dormitory, she stored her things in her trunk and then threw herself onto her bed, burying her face in the pillow.
The dormitory was spacious, with four four-poster beds, trunks at their feet, wardrobes, a large rug in the centre, and a fireplace for the cold winter nights. Between each bed was a window with curtains overlooking the grounds. Most of the furniture was decorated in Gryffindor's colours: red and gold.
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** sigh **
She shifted against the cool sheets and pillows, releasing the fatigue of the day. Once she felt satisfied, she turned onto her back, gazing up at the canopy of her bed, and slowly drifted into her thoughts.
Things over the past few days had been confusing for her.
First, there had been her conflict with Extimum; judging by the facts, it was now clear that his annoyance toward her stemmed from her fascination with Lockhart.
Lockhart was, in many ways, a celebrity. Handsome, charismatic, and surrounded by stories of incredible feats in the magical world, stories she herself had read of battling dangerous creatures and always emerging victorious. His charming smile and the way he carried himself only reinforced that image, and now, as a professor at Hogwarts, his figure had only grown even larger in her mind.
However, part of that fascination had been shaken after the bite on the train. It had been… overwhelming, pleasurable, yet ultimately aggressive and frightening. It had conveyed clear sensations and emotions within that whirlwind: indignation and discomfort.
It had been entirely different from before, when, after the sharp act, there had been a hypnotic gentleness and softness.
After they separated, the effects had not disappeare. They had merely settled, dulling her awareness, or what little of it remained, for an unknown span of time. When she came back to herself, she still felt dazed, with thousands of thoughts racing through her mind only to fall silent at the memory. Without realising it, she drifted off to sleep in her contemplation.
She woke again a few hours later, far more lucid, though she still felt somewhat detached.
With a clearer mind, she carefully considered everything that had happened, trying to decipher what had led things to unfold this way.
Since they had become friends, she could not say they had ever had a real argument, beyond the usual disagreements between friends. They spent a great deal of time together: studying for classes or personal research, walking through the castle, or simply listening whenever she needed to vent about something.
Especially since Ron constantly tested her patience, and her relationship with the other Gryffindor girls was not always the best.
She truly appreciated him, and, as far as she knew, the feeling was mutual.
Perhaps because she had already grown accustomed to his eccentricity, his bite had not bothered her; it had only, as before, raised more questions, but… the emotions it conveyed, and the clear distance it implied, unsettled her.
She had thought about it for the rest of the journey, and even with a book in her hands, her mind had not registered a single word she read. She only snapped out of that state when the commotion at the Gryffindor table reached her awareness.
Harry and Ron.
Only then had she realised it; even after getting off the train, she had not run into them.
"They crashed a car into the Whomping Willow."
The news startled her, and she hurried to ask for details, concern taking shape within her, followed by anger at the foolishness of what they had done once she was told they had been with the Headmaster.
'Couldn't they have simply informed Ron's parents? Or sent a letter to a professor?'
'They could have actually died because of their recklessness.'
In the time that followed, she went to see them to check how they were and, of course, to give them their share of scolding for the worry they had caused.
With the new day, she met Extimum again at lunch and later in Defence Against the Dark Arts, where they sat together. She wanted to speak with him, but the professor began the lesson immediately.
Gilderoy Lockhart.
At the sight of him, her eyes lit up with anticipation.
He entered with that elegant, charismatic bearing, accentuated by his broad smile. It still amazed her that such an illustrious figure had chosen to teach at Hogwarts; it was as if a superstar had decided to become a teacher at an ordinary school. Only Hogwarts was anything but ordinary, and it already had a towering figure like Dumbledore.
As she looked at him, she felt a flicker of excitement, but her thoughts were abruptly interrupted.
'Ah!'
A faint discomfort, like a prick at her neck, made her flinch. When she rubbed the spot, there was nothing there, yet it reminded her of the bite on the train. She glanced sideways at Extimum, but he remained perfectly composed in his seat.
Recalling the bite, she could not help but think of what she had experienced, leaving her scattered in her thoughts. By the time she realised it, the time had run out, and she had done nothing on the test.
Reluctantly, she handed in a blank sheet with only her name when it was collected. She took comfort only in remembering that it would not be graded.
"...I do hope you make a habit of reading a little more."
But the professor's sharp words made her feel offended.
She read quite a lot, thank you very much. In fact, she had made the effort to read Lockhart's entire collection in record time and had even ignored that, despite being instructional books, there was very little of true educational value in them.
Though irritated, she said nothing; after all, she had not answered a single question on the test and could only resign herself with a sigh.
Afterward, the incident with the pixies occurred, and then she returned here, to the present.
Frankly, she did not fully understand it. She had some ideas, but she did not know the real reason why Extimum behaved this way toward her, taking it more as simply how he was.
Though she found him attractive and pleasant, he was also disconcerting and somewhat mysterious. She could not tell whether his approaches toward her were due to his slightly flirtatious and playful personality with women, perhaps part of his upbringing or if he was sincere.
Moreover, setting aside the fact that she did not fully understand him, he hid secrets, one of which she had experienced firsthand.
She was no longer forming wild theories about it as before, but she still had her doubts. With all of this, perhaps the last thing that had crossed her mind was something like love.
Even toward Lockhart, like probably all the others, what she felt was only fascination, but more toward an idol than toward a person.
Though perhaps, within that fascination, another crack had begun to form because of today's events. She refused to believe Lockhart was a fraud. After all, he had become a professor at Hogwarts; it was not possible they would simply let anyone in… was it?
--End POV--.
.-.
The following days were fairly normal; in Herbology, they studied safer plants.
Professor Flitwick taught them the Cleaning Charm and the Dancing Feet Spell.
Professor McGonagall attempted to teach them how to turn a rock into wood, an elemental transfiguration.
Professor Snape assigned them more homework; he fought boredom in History of Magic and improved their patience with classes that were 97% useless with Lockhart.
Perhaps the most interesting subject was Astronomy; it was fascinating to learn that wizards seemed to know quite a lot about the different planets and stars of the solar system, even though there was no record of any wizard ever having travelled through space.
As Extimum understood it, the information had been obtained through magical telescopes that granted an extraordinary level of vision, as though one were observing from the location itself, along with numerous studies of constellations carried out by ancient wizards.
They might even know more about space than Muggles themselves, and yet no wizard had ever set foot in it. Of course, there were stories of wizards who had attempted to fly to the moon or other planets, but since there were no books or records, it seemed they had either found nothing of interest or died for obvious reasons.
However, Extimum filed that matter away for future investigation; he did not believe that, after so many centuries, no wizard had managed to achieve it. It would be strange if there had been no interest, considering that astronomy was quite important for certain branches of magic.
Hermione, for her part, seemed to have set aside her one-sided fanaticism and begun to view things with a touch more judgment, more like her usual self; the seed of doubt Lockhart had planted in the first class had been far more significant for her due to Extimum's presence.
.
Great Hall.
While enjoying his breakfast, Extimum began reading his first book on healing spells.
Over the past few days, he had read up on and familiarised himself with all the relevant knowledge that an apprentice Healer ought to know.
He was planning to visit Madam Pomfrey to ask whether she might guide him; it would make things easier, though it likely would not be so simple to convince her, considering she had to tend to the students of the school and one would be surprised by how often someone ended up there.
Students injured during practice or Quidditch matches, side effects from poorly brewed potions or victims of them, students affected by minor transfiguration mishaps, injuries from spell practice, and, of course, those suffering from common illnesses or, in rarer cases, even magical ones.
There were even… on occasion, older girls who came in for potions to prevent pregnancy, whether for themselves or for their friends.
Extimum had already noticed certain… encounters in some places.
It wasn't so strange, if one thought about it; Hogwarts was a boarding school where students spent a large part of their lives, and then there were hormones and youthful excitement.
And when one considered a more medieval-leaning culture, where some students were even already betrothed, along with the fact that witches and wizards, especially those from noble families, were quite pleasing to the eye… though that last point was rather subjective.
Magic could enhance, but it could also worsen. The effects of certain enchantments or practices had led some to possess rather unpleasant and unkempt appearances.
All that said, Extimum had heard and even seen some scenes while searching for places to practise magic; some at least had the decency to cast Silencing Charms, but others were not so considerate, and Filch, along with Mrs Norris, were quite pleased to catch them and assign detention.
Extimum suspected that Steve used to spy around those places.
…
Trudor: "Oi, Steve, got any new gossip? We've been here a few days now, there's no way nothing interesting's happened, aside from that flying car crashing into the Whomping Willow."
When you lived in a school full of restless wizards brimming with youthful energy, something was almost always happening, so Trudor's question was quite in line with reality.
Steve: "Mm, not really much. Oh—actually, I just remembered something I heard, but I wouldn't call it gossip since I don't have much information yet."
Trudor: "Come on, just say it already."
Steve: "I heard from some fifth-years that there might be someone or something wandering the corridors at night, but I haven't checked it out; they might've just seen things, or it could've been Filch."
Trudor: "Eh, I'm not keen on going out to look for something that may or may not exist. If it really were Filch, it wouldn't end well for me."
Mitchell: "I've got something else to share, *ahem*. Tomorrow I'll be trying out for the Quidditch team again. I failed last year, but this year not only is it fully allowed, I've also practised a lot at home."
Extimum: "Good. If you make it, I'll buy you a Nimbus 2001 as compensation for not writing to you over the holidays. But if you don't… heh…"
Mitchell: "Ugh, you're giving me chills. But… you'd really give it to me? It's not cheap, you know? Heh, but if you say so, I doubt you'd go back on your word."
Steve: "Heh, don't count on it just yet. You're not the only Ravenclaw trying out this year. If I were you, I'd start preparing to be Extimum's experimental subject."
Extimum: "You exaggerate. I haven't failed to brew a potion in a long time. I've even improved the taste, that alone is quite considerate. Besides, this time it's for practising some harmless spells, not potions."
Trudor: "The problem isn't the taste. In fact, I'll admit your chocolate or mint-flavoured potions are quite good compared to the others, but… ugh, your potions are very strange. I've got nothing to say about the results, but they always come with unsettling side effects.
I remember that potion you asked me to drink at the end of the year to improve memory. I felt like I'd fallen into another world through a well and come back years later."
Steve: "That's right. The elixir you gave me to boost stamina… *cough* made me lose five kilos, can you believe it? Five kilos in a single day." Steve's face looked both astonished and slightly frightened as he said it.
Extimum: "Oh, but that was intentional. I thought you wanted to lose weight, and I found a way to help you with that as well."
Mitchell: "And what about the night vision potion? My eyes glowed like lamps for three days after the effect wore off."
Extimum: "And now you have permanent night vision. You lot are too lazy. I admit some side effects were odd, but they weren't anything too serious and were only temporary. Besides, I haven't seen anyone selling potions with effects as good as mine."
Since Extimum already had knowledge of the first three years, he grew bored in some classes that offered little beyond what he had already learned from books, so he used that time to devise other things, such as modifying potions with the theory he knew in the middle of a Potions lesson.
Naturally, he only did this with basic potions, but the side effects of his experimentation had startled his friends far too much, even though he had only done it about five times before focusing on studying runes for the rest of the year and stopping his "torture."
Padma: "Can you make elixirs to improve skin?"
Extimum: "I know one, but I haven't tried improving it yet." As Extimum considered it, Steve and Mitchell gestured to Padma to drop the idea before it was too late.
Extimum: "When I have time, I'll make one especially for you."
Padma: "Alright."
Steve: "Another poor victim". Steve muttered under his breath.
Extimum: "You know, Steve, I think girls nowadays prefer slimmer boys. I might slip a weight-loss elixir into your food later."
Steve: "Wait, wait, I didn't say anything. Why are you doing this to me...?" Steve said nervously, protesting dramatically.
Extimum simply stood up and left. They had no classes that morning, so it was free time, except for those who played Quidditch.
.
Extimum devoted his entire morning to physical training, returning before lunch to take a shower and then heading to the Great Hall for lunch.
Over the past few days, he had spent most of his time with Steve, Trudor, Mitchell, and Padma, along with occasional moments with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He had even made time to help Hannah and Susan with some homework.
However, he had barely spent any time with Draco and the others, so he decided to head to their table that day.
Daphne: "About time you decided to show up, wasn't it?"
The moment he sat down, Daphne's usual cold voice could be heard.
Extimum: "It's been a busy few days, and it's not as if I've ignored you, have I? Wasn't I with you in Potions yesterday? I was also with Pansy in Herbology and helped her with those tricky hopping mushrooms, and also..."
Daphne: "Alright, alright, I get it. What I mean is that aside from classes, you don't spend time with us. You're always with the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws."
Draco: "That's right. In fact, I even did you a favour today. That… protégée of yours is quite sharp with her words. I'll tell you now, Extimum, if you don't keep her in check, I can't guarantee I'll always have the patience for her, being a… Ugh, forget it."
Draco seemed somewhat conflicted when mentioning Hermione. It was clear he didn't like her, but at the same time he was aware of the attention Extimum gave her and tried to remain patient or ignore her most of the time to avoid trouble.
Pansy: "Yes, Granger still hasn't learned her place in this school."
Tracey: "I don't think she's that terrible. It's true she can be quite rigid and annoying at times, but I think that, after Extimum, there's no one better than her academically."
Daphne: "Let's drop the subject."
Draco: "Right. I don't think you know yet, Extimum, but I've officially made the Quidditch team."
Extimum: "Oh, I can imagine."
Draco: "We had practice this morning, and oh, you should've seen the Gryffindor team's faces when they saw the new brooms my father donated to Slytherin."
Pansy: "Wood looked furious when we took the pitch, hehe."
…
They continued talking for much of lunch. Now that they had time, they spoke about what they had done over the holidays and about Professor Lockhart, of whom Tracey seemed quite the fan, prompting everyone else to roll their eyes. One thing they all had in common was that they did not have a good opinion of Lockhart.
Coming mostly from prominent families, they knew a bit more and had more suspicions about his supposed "achievements," especially after his "splendid" performance in class.
Among other things, Pansy no longer looked at Neville in such a strange way, though Extimum still noticed something in her gaze.
Tracey, for her part, was simply Tracey. She recounted everything she had done during the holidays in great detail and nearly let slip a few indiscretions about Daphne, but Daphne covered her mouth before she could speak. Tracey remained silent for the rest of lunch, like a scolded puppy after receiving Daphne's sharp glare.
As lunch came to an end, nearly everyone left to prepare for their next classes, leaving only Daphne and Extimum at the table. Extimum had noticed that she wanted to speak in private, so he waited until the others had gone.
Daphne: "So… did you meet anyone interesting in China?" Daphne began the conversation in a casual tone.
Extimum: "Yes, quite interesting people… and pleasant as well. I think I have some photos, I'll show them to you later. By the way, I saw your sister at the Sorting."
Daphne: "Yes… we didn't want to deny her the chance to go to Hogwarts and make friends. Fortunately, her body still hasn't shown clear signs of decline, but she no longer has the same energy for physical activities."
Daphne: "I've been researching, but I still haven't found anything useful…" Her voice grew slightly quieter.
Extimum: "We're only in our second year, don't push yourself too hard. Even if you put on makeup, I think anyone can notice the dark circles under your eyes. At this rate, you'll wear yourself down. I… have also been researching. I don't have anything concrete yet, but if you could give me a vial of your sister's blood, I might be able to try a few things."
He hesitated slightly before saying it. Asking a wizard for blood was a delicate matter, and he was not even close to making any real progress yet.
Daphne: "I'll give it to you in a few days. Astoria doesn't like blood very much." She only considered it for a moment before agreeing without hesitation.
Extimum: "Good. If I have her blood, I might be able to discover something. But I must insist, you should get more rest, or you might make mistakes like yesterday."
He had avoided mentioning it in front of the others, but Daphne's fatigue was not only evident on her face, but also in her actions. Just yesterday, during Potions, while they were watching the cauldron, she had dozed off for a few seconds, dropping some ingredients from her hand too early.
If he had not been paying attention and quickly caught them, the cauldron could have exploded due to a violent reaction.
At the mention of it, Daphne lowered her head slightly, guilt and embarrassment evident. Although Extimum had not reproached her before, she was deeply ashamed of having made such a mistake.
Extimum: "Just relax a bit. Otherwise, I'll be forced to put a spell on you."
Daphne: "And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Though her voice sounded as usual, Extimum perceived a faintly challenging undertone… and something else.
Extimum: "Hmm, I could give you something to drink."
Daphne: "I always inspect what I consume. It's a family habit."
Extimum: "I could simply cast a spell on you with my wand."
Daphne: "I can defend myself quite well."
Extimum: "So you're going to make it difficult. I could always kidnap you when you're not paying attention. You'll find I'm rather difficult to track when I don't wish to be seen. Right, I'll see you later."
Extimum said this as he vanished in front of Daphne, reinforcing his point, and made his way toward the exit of the Great Hall, drawing a few surprised looks from those who still remained.
Daphne: "Then I'll be waiting". she murmured to herself, though Extimum could still hear her.
Her feelings and intentions seemed to suggest that, on the contrary, she would not mind if Extimum actually did it, and that she held a certain interest in him. Which was not so strange for someone like her; the perspective of those raised in great families tended to be different. Moreover, with her Occlumency and her constant worries about her younger sister, it would not be surprising if she had matured more quickly.
'I suppose I can consider it.'
.
Library.
Seated quietly at one of the tables, Extimum was focused on his reading.
Classes had already ended for the afternoon, and he had gone there to reread the books related to space.
After reading the books on space from his family's library, his perspective and understanding of the subject had broadened, so he wanted to better consolidate that knowledge. Of course, he still remembered everything the books said thanks to his memory, but he found it more comfortable to simply think calmly in a good environment like the library while turning the pages.
…
As he immersed himself in his reading, time passed quickly, and soon it was time to clear out of the library; Madam Pince was already ushering them out.
Extimum had not gone to the Great Hall for dinner; he had secretly brought food into the library and had spent the entire afternoon and part of the evening reading. It had not been difficult to hide the food or the moment he consumed it.
Stretching after sitting for so long, he stood up and returned the books to their places. Then he made his way toward the Ravenclaw common room.
On the way, however, he paused for a moment when he heard a dark, rumbling voice.
"Come… come to me… Let me tear you apart… Let me rip you to pieces… Let me kill you…"
The voice spoke in a slow, hissing manner.
Bloom: 'Parsel? I didn't know they had magical snakes here. And from the sound of it, it seems to be a very large one.'
Extimum: 'Something similar… yes, but we won't get involved in that.'
He paid it no further attention and continued on his way. What had truly surprised him was, in fact, that he could understand it. He had not paid much attention to magical snakes when he looked around the pet shop, so he had not realised it before; however, he knew he did not speak Parseltongue. That ability was not part of the Shadowless lineage.
It was not as though they needed it, either, as they possessed other abilities: some were empaths, others could communicate naturally with magical creatures, some were natural Legilimens, or were particularly gifted in the art.
On the other hand, if the need arose, there were books containing many languages used by different races, though they were far from easy to learn.
After considering it for a moment, he assumed that his ability to understand it came from his celestial fox lineage, as his empathy would only allow him to understand the basilisk if he were nearby.
.
The following day, after the afternoon classes, he headed to the Hospital Wing to speak with Madam Pomfrey.
Upon arriving, it seemed he had chosen a good time to go, as the place was empty; it would have been difficult for her to pay him any attention if she had patients to attend to.
His arrival was noticed by Pomfrey, who had been sitting at her desk resting, and she quickly stood upon seeing him.
Extimum: "Good afternoon, Madam Pomfrey."
Pomfrey: "You're… Shadowless, aren't you? What brings you here? You're not hurt, are you?"
Extimum: "No, I'm quite well, thank you for your concern. In fact, I came to ask whether it would be possible for me to assist you in the Hospital Wing in tending to some students, under your supervision, of course."
Pomfrey: "Oh, are you interested in healing magic? That's excellent, and I could indeed use some help, especially next month. I'm certain this place will be filled with students and teachers with the flu. However, in order to practise as a Healer, one must earn the right by obtaining certification.
So I cannot allow you to treat patients, but I believe you can assist me with other tasks, and I will let you observe while I work. And who knows, if you show a certain aptitude, I may allow you to handle some minor matters."
Extimum: "Thank you very much."
Pomfrey: "Good. Whether I allow you to remain here will depend on your ability. Take these three books; you will need them if you wish to be of any use. Come back in a few days once you've read them."
Extimum thanked her once more and took the books. She had given him three: the first was about common illnesses and how to treat them; the second, magical anatomy; the third was somewhat more complex, containing several commonly used spells and potions for trainee Healers.
He already had a foundation in these subjects and had even read the second book, so it would not take him long to return.
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