A few days later, it was Easter break.
Ravenclaw common room.
Three boys sat together on one of the sofas scattered about the room.
Steve: "How can this be? I'm already anxious enough with just the subjects we have now, and now they're telling me I have to pick even more?"
Mitchell: "Why are you making such a fuss? It's not as if you didn't know this was coming from the start."
Steve: "Yeah... but I didn't expect to have to start worrying about it so soon."
Trudor: "Isn't it just a matter of making sure you're in the same class as Extimum, so you're guaranteed to pass all your subjects?"
Steve: "Trudor, you're a genius! Why didn't I think of that? What's the matter with you, Mitchell? Why the constipated look?"
Extimum: "Oh? I didn't know you had that sort of opinion of me."
Trudor and Steve went suddenly rigid at the sound of Extimum's voice behind them.
Given the way they'd been sitting, they hadn't seen Extimum approaching along with Luna and Padma.
Only Mitchell, sitting opposite them, had noticed him. He'd happened to glance behind them and seen Extimum approaching, so he'd wisely decided not to comment on what they were saying.
Extimum: "Since that's how it is, I suppose I ought to open myself up to working with other people. I trust that, through your own efforts, you'll do perfectly well without me."
Padma: "Yes, you could work with me."
Steve: "Wait, Extimum, it's not like that. You heard it yourself — that was Trudor's idea. I was only entertaining it for a moment, and I was about to scold him for it. How could we ever try to take advantage of you? Hmph, I've always thought you a magnanimous, handsome man. Surely you wouldn't abandon your friends in their hour of need, would you?"
** hahaha **
Hearing Steve's shameless words, Mitchell and Trudor couldn't help but grimace, while Padma and Luna burst out laughing.
Padma: "Goodness, Steve. Who taught you to talk like that? Have you always been this shameless?"
Steve: "Hmph, what would you know? I've always been an upright, sincere man, and every word I speak is only the truth I hold in my heart." Steve laid a hand over his chest and spoke with an expression of dignified sincerity.
Luna: "Ah, I thought it had something to do with that book you were reading earlier. I read it once too, and saw something similar."
Luna's words caught everyone's attention.
Lazy Steve — reading?
Even the previously sincere Steve couldn't quite keep his expression from cracking a little at Luna's words.
Steve: "Ahem, that was nothing important. I just saw something that made me curious and gave it a passing look before putting it down."
Luna: "Hmm? But you really did seem quite absorbed at the time—"
Steve: "Ah, Luna, that reminds me. I didn't mention it before, but I heard Hagrid's brought in a new magical creature, and according to the third years, it's really lovely. Don't you want to go see it?"
Luna: "But I'm not very familiar with Hagr—"
Steve: "Don't worry about it. Don't you know who I am? I'm the great Steve. Come on, let's go. I'm sure Hagrid will take a liking to you."
Steve wasted no time, and as he spoke he took Luna's hand and practically dragged her out of the common room.
Luna could only cast a look somewhere between expectant and bewildered at Steve's swift movements as he swept her away. He hadn't even given her the chance to refuse.
Padma: "My, what sort of book could it be? He whisked Luna off the moment it was mentioned."
Trudor: "Hmm, I've never once seen Steve read anything unless a professor forced him to."
Mitchell: "Knowing Steve, it wouldn't be... you know...?"
Trudor shook his head quickly. "Impossible. If it were, that would mean Luna's read something like that too."
Extimum: "Mm, I think I know which book it was."
Padma: "Oh, which one?"
Extimum: "The Roswell Goblin."
Trudor: "What? Steve reads something like that? No, more importantly — Luna reads something like that?"
Padma: "What's so special about that book?"
Mitchell: "You honestly don't know?"
Padma: "No... what's it about? Is it some sort of dark book?"
Extimum: "It's nothing like that. It's... mm, to put it kindly, a diary recounting the great exploits of the goblin Roswell. But to put it plainly, it actually represents a tremendous embarrassment to the magical community of several countries, so it's not exactly something you'd bring up in polite conversation, and you wouldn't be looked on kindly if someone caught you reading it either."
Padma: "Goodness, I had no idea something like that existed. What exactly did he do?" Padma asked, with genuine curiosity.
Her family had come from India and moved to England only a few years earlier, after her father found a job opportunity there, so she wasn't familiar with much of what was popular in that part of the world and had never heard of the goblin Roswell.
Trudor: "Mm, not much, really. He simply caused the largest embezzlement and fraud the wizarding families have ever suffered, on top of managing to deceive at least two Ministries of Magic."
Padma: "What? And you call that 'not much'?"
Bloom: What an understatement.'
Mitchell: "It's true. They say the amount he stole runs into the hundreds of millions of Galleons. Do you know what that even means? Can you imagine everything you could do with that kind of money?"
Padma: "But how did he manage all that? Is it even possible to deceive the Ministry of Magic? Given how much power they hold, it seems awfully hard to believe anyone could pull it off. But wait, we're getting off topic — what does any of this have to do with what Luna said?"
Trudor: "Err... well, in that book, Roswell was rather... thorough about his methods and his schemes. Reading it is almost as good as having met the goblin Roswell in person."
Mitchell: "Yeah, honestly it's a bit unsettling when you read the book, but there's no denying the man was a genius in his own way. Steve was probably afraid Luna would talk about it openly and everyone would find out he was reading it. After all, there are quite likely members of the affected families around here, and he'd earn their enmity, on top of whatever reputation he'd get from it."
Padma: "But if the book is so despised by the magical community, then why is it still in circulation? Shouldn't it have been destroyed?"
Extimum: "That's because it isn't so simple. Roswell made sure it wouldn't be easy to destroy the record of his exploits, and those who actually could destroy it don't necessarily want to."
Padma: "Why wouldn't they want to destroy it, if it's such an embarrassment?"
Trudor: "For the knowledge."
Padma: "Knowledge?"
Trudor: "Yes. There's a lot you can learn from reading that book, which is why it's something of an open secret that every witch and wizard reads it at least once in their life. Even so, there are still people who want to destroy the copies the moment they see them, and since the book explicitly names a great many families, it's practically taboo for anyone to be seen reading it."
Padma: "Goodness, I never imagined something like that existed. Now I'm a bit curious about the book, but given the situation, I don't suppose it'd be easy to get hold of. But what happened to the goblin Roswell in the end?"
Extimum: "He died."
Padma: "He died? I thought, if he was as incredible as you say, he might have gotten off scot-free."
Extimum: "Heh, Roswell truly was incredible, but he was also far too greedy, and in the end he bit off more than he could chew and was killed." His voice carried an unusually detached tone.
Padma: "And who killed him?"
Trudor: "Callum Izorim."
Trudor's eyes flickered with a strange expression as he said the name, and he shot a furtive glance toward Extimum.
His look was anything but subtle to the others, and it wasn't hard for Padma to infer something from the surname and the glance Trudor had thrown Extimum's way.
Extimum: "Setting that aside — I'm planning to sign up for nearly every elective, so none of you need go out of your way trying to pick a subject just because I'm in it, except perhaps Muggle Studies. But if you choose that one, I doubt you'd need much help from me anyway, and I'm not even sure I'd be the right person to ask."
Mitchell: "Is it even possible to enrol in almost every subject?"
Padma: "Mm, it should be, if the schedules don't clash, but I imagine it'd still be terribly difficult."
Trudor: "No. In fact, you normally take at most three electives, with two being the most common, so taking more than that would be practically impossible — the timetables would definitely overlap, and you wouldn't be able to attend them all."
Extimum: "There is a way, but the requirements are rather harsh. You have to have shown excellent academic performance over your first two years, and, on top of that, want to take more than three electives.
That only makes you eligible to apply. After that, you have to commit to maintaining that level and secure a recommendation from your Head of House.
Professor Flitwick mentioned it to me not long ago, and, seeing my interest, said he'd try to help me next year. If all goes well, I might be given a special timetable."
Mitchell: "Blimey, I had no idea something like that existed. But wouldn't it be an absolute headache, having to keep yourself near the top of the year for every year after this? Would you even have time to enjoy yourself?"
Padma: "True, keeping up a level like that for every single year would be terribly hard, since unforeseen things can always happen that drag your marks down."
Trudor: "It really would be dreadfully stressful, though I'd never heard of such a thing at Hogwarts." He couldn't help speaking with a mix of doubt and suspicion.
Though he wasn't at Extimum's level, he too ranked near the top of his year — and yet he'd never heard of anything of the sort.
In fact, Trudor's suspicion was well-founded, because the method Extimum was alluding to was neither simple nor widely known.
It was nothing less than... a Time-Turner.
Even so, such an object was rarely entrusted to a student. Even among those who met the academic requirements, few were willing to take on such a burden and maintain outstanding performance across every core subject. After all, they were still young people who wanted to enjoy their time at Hogwarts too.
Still, there were always exceptions. In those cases, if the Headmaster approved the request, the student would receive a Time-Turner under strict conditions.
And yet, even Extimum hadn't shown any interest at first.
He already had more than enough on his plate without adding further weight to it, and so he'd decided simply to choose whichever subjects interested him most. But while he was weighing his options, Professor Flitwick had approached him to ask whether he'd be willing to take more than three electives.
Extimum, of course, was fully aware of his own situation and his limited time, but his thirst for knowledge was great, and he wanted to learn a great deal more...
Bah! Sheer nonsense! He could always teach himself, if it ever came to that.
And yet...
How could he possibly resist the temptation to study and experiment with a Time-Turner?
This was, after all, one of the very few inventions — perhaps the only one — connected to the magic of time itself.
If spatial magic was already rare enough and limited in its applications, there was little more to be said about temporal magic.
Even the Ministry kept a "secret" division within the Department of Mysteries devoted solely to its study, and everything related to it was held under the strictest confidence. Such was the level of secrecy that, if it ever came to it, the information stored there would sooner be destroyed than allowed to fall into anyone's hands.
And so, he'd "reluctantly" accepted Professor Flitwick's proposal, though not without a certain wariness.
How to put it...
While his relationship with the professor was fairly good, it wasn't so good that he could believe the conversation had come up by mere chance. What's more, the final decision rested with Dumbledore, and he couldn't help wondering whether all of this wasn't simply another subtle way of drawing him into yet another conspiracy.
Extimum had no intention whatsoever of ending up as cannon fodder for anyone's plans.
But then again, the Time-Turner was simply too tempting. Even if it turned out to be a trap, he was willing to walk into it, at least this once.
That said, Professor Flitwick had never once mentioned the Time-Turner directly. It was entirely Extimum's own deduction, unable as he was to find any other way to attend so many different classes.
Unless, of course, some form of cloning magic existed — though that possibility struck him as even less likely.
Extimum: "Right, you lot shouldn't dwell on it too much. As for your choice of subjects, just pick whichever ones you feel best suit your goals, or whichever interest you most. I'll go for a walk."
He turned and made to leave.
Mitchell: "Extimum, wait... erm, You won't leave us on our own with our studies, will you?"
Bloom: 'Goodness, they really must think you're some sort of petty villain'
Extimum stopped at Mitchell's words. Still, Bloom's remark made him arch an eyebrow slightly before he spoke his thought aloud.
Extimum: "Am I really that petty?"
Mitchell: "Er... maybe? Ah!"
Trudor: "Shh, Mitchell, shut it." Trudor, standing beside him, quickly pinched him to make him hush.
Bloom: 'Oh, ha ha, didn't see that one coming.'
Padma: "I don't think so. It's just that your tone is usually rather flat, so it's hard to tell whether you're joking or being serious when you say something. Either way, once you get to know you and learn to read you, it's easy enough to understand — though I suppose there might still be a few slow ones who can't manage it."
Extimum: "Ah, perhaps that's it, then..."
Suddenly, a strange, barely perceptible sound rang out for an instant, and then—
"#Don't you worry, I'll still help you all whenever you need it#."
** aaaahh! **
For a moment, everyone's expressions twisted into a mixture of shock and terror as they stared at Extimum with their eyes thrown wide open.
That was because the voice, and the expression that had come with it, were exactly the same as Steve's.
Though his appearance hadn't changed at all, anyone would have sworn, for that one instant, that Steve had possessed him — creating a contrast as strange as it was unsettling.
Even Bloom couldn't help but give a little start from the comfortable spot she'd been resting in, and quickly checked to make sure she really was still perched beside Extimum. Had it not been for the bond between them, she'd have very nearly been frightened half to death.
Mitchell: "You... what did you do?"
Extimum: "Hm? Why do you all look so terrified?" 'I really think that was my best performance yet. Quite realistic, and expressive too...'
He felt somewhat taken aback by their exaggerated reaction. It shouldn't have been that frightening... should it?
Padma: "Don't ever do something like that again. Ever. That was chilling."
Trudor said nothing, but nodded gravely.
Bloom: 'Yes, that really was chilling. Is it some new magic? I've never seen you do anything like that before.'
Extimum: "All right, my mistake. I think I caught them rather too off guard. Anyway, whenever I've got the time, feel free to keep coming to me for help as usual. I'll be off now."
'It's not that it's anything new, or anything of the sort — it's part of my Metamorphmagus ability. It's just an application I don't often use, and I usually practise it with other things, which is why you hadn't noticed. I didn't think it would startle them quite so badly...'
Bloom: 'Startled is putting it mildly. I honestly thought my heart was going to stop right then and there...'
Extimum: 'Did you say something?'
Bloom: 'No, nothing.'
After Extimum left the common room, Padma, Mitchell, and Trudor gradually recovered their composure.
Mitchell: "I think I'm going to have nightmares after this..."
.
Somewhere by the Black Lake.
Extimum sat on the grass, gazing out at the scenery along the lakeshore.
That spot had become, in a way, his own private corner. It lay well apart from the castle, partly hidden behind a large boulder and a tall tree that Extimum liked to lean back against.
Bloom: "What are you thinking about?"
Extimum: "Nothing in particular. Just letting my mind wander over a few things."
Bloom: "But you look pleased about something, so it must be good."
Extimum: "Well, strange as it sounds, when I saw everyone's terrified faces a little while ago, it gave me an idea that might help me finish the amulet's outer runic circuit. The more I think about it, the more workable it seems."
He hadn't been idle these past few days.
After surviving two experimental explosions, filling his room with runic papers, and getting the Runes professor to answer one of his questions hypothetically while he posed as another student, he'd managed to complete the outermost circle of runes on the amulet.
Even so, he still had a single point left to resolve before the amulet would work again. He hadn't found the answer until quite recently, when a fleeting thought, entirely unrelated to the problem, seemed to hand it to him. Though he hadn't yet put it to the test, he was convinced it would work.
Besides studying runes, he'd also been experimenting with his purple energy, making some progress in mastering it.
Extimum: "Still, there's something else I'd like to try now."
Bloom: "Oh, tell me, what is it—?"
Extimum picked Bloom up from where she'd been resting on his shoulder and set her on his lap. Then, before she could finish voicing her question, a nearly translucent purple energy shot from his hand and struck her directly.
For the first few seconds nothing seemed to happen, and once Bloom had checked herself over and found no change, she was about to complain about the sudden prank when—
It happened.
The change was as quick and as sudden as Extimum's attack had been.
Extimum blinked and leaned back slightly to get a better look at the scene before him.
'Oh... so it was possible after all.'
Now, seated on his lap, was still Bloom. Only now her body was even taller than Extimum's own. She'd regained her original size.
Before him sat a stunned Bloom, staring down at her own body in astonishment.
Her long hair, a blend of orange and reddish tones like fire itself, fell down her back, while her great wings spread out behind her, tracing her figure with a faint, iridescent glow.
Then there was her slender yet well-developed figure, capable of stirring improper thoughts even in the most indifferent of onlookers.
Looking up, Extimum met Bloom's spellbinding blue eyes. They were a lovely sky blue that seemed to conceal an immense reserve of magical power.
Extimum studied her closely. His eyes betrayed not the slightest change as he committed the new image to memory.
It was the first time he'd truly felt the weight of Bloom sitting on him.
The soft floral fragrance beginning to spread from her, and the warmth radiating from her body, made this closeness feel entirely different from any they'd shared before — though he'd have struggled to say exactly why.
Watching her, Extimum's expression remained unreadable. And yet his hand moved slowly to cup Bloom's face, drawing her gaze to him.
The gesture seemed to plunge them both into a brief moment of silence.
It didn't last long, though.
Bloom's cheeks began to flush a faint shade of red, and in the next instant she shifted back into her tiny fairy form and flew off to hide inside the folds of Extimum's robes.
Extimum: "Why are you hiding now?"
He showed no particular surprise at her sudden flight and only smiled faintly as he lowered his hand from the empty air.
His movement had appeared entirely natural, but had anyone been watching them at that moment, they might have noticed that Extimum's little finger had dug into the palm of his own hand. The thin trickle of blood beginning to slip between his fingers was the only evidence of it.
Bloom: "Why did you do that?"
She didn't answer his question — instead, she answered with one of her own.
Extimum: "Hm? Why not? I read not long ago that, in ancient times, fairies weren't so very different from humans in size. But out of convenience, or simple preference, they took to adopting a smaller form. Now answer my question — why are you hiding?"
Bloom: "It's just... it was too sudden. It's been a long while since I last returned to my original form, so I still feel a bit uneasy about it. Just give me a little more time..."
She emerged slowly from her hiding place as she spoke, her tone calm.
She felt a touch embarrassed. She was well aware that she'd been able to reclaim her original form for quite some time now, and yet she'd deliberately kept it from Extimum, even knowing that he'd wanted to see her that way.
But she had her own reasons.
The ice that had once trapped her had been no ordinary thing, and it had left deep scars that still lingered. She'd feared that reclaiming her original form too soon might bring certain problems... at least, until now.
Though, deep down, that had never truly been what worried her most. She knew that, once she reclaimed her original form for good, things would never quite go back to how they'd been.
Extimum: "Why are they so different? At a glance, one might say the only difference is size, but I get the impression that isn't quite it."
As he spoke, he discreetly wiped away the blood still staining his palm. The wound had already vanished; and yet the calm of his movements contrasted with the faint frown hidden behind his impassive expression.
Bloom: "I didn't expect you to notice with just a glance. But you're right. The small form generally compresses, or pushes into the background, certain traits of the original form — some because they aren't needed, and others simply because they get overshadowed naturally."
Extimum: "I see. Then I suppose I'll just have to be patient until you feel comfortable returning to that form. That aside, I've always been curious... are there male fairies?"
Bloom: "Yes, but they're very rare. Generally, when one is born, he has the chance to become the King of the Fairies."
Extimum: "Is there anything special about them?"
Bloom: "I haven't known many, and I never had a particularly close relationship with any of them. But if there was one thing they all shared, it was a monstrous talent for magic. And whether through that affinity or simply their own nature, their lifespan also tended to run far longer than that of an ordinary fairy."
Extimum: "Interesting. Well, we've been out here quite a while now. Shall we head back?"
He rose from the ground and gave his robes a light shake as he spoke.
It was nearly lunchtime, and given the distance, it was better to start back with time to spare.
Bloom: "All right. Oh, now that I think of it — why don't we swing by Hagrid's cabin on the way to the castle? I want to see just what sort of creature Steve was hoping to fool Luna with."
Extimum: "Hagrid?... Mm, now that you mention it, it's nearly time for me to act."
Bloom: "Was there something you wanted to do with Hagrid?"
Bloom couldn't help but feel curious. She spent practically all her time by Extimum's side, and although one could say the two of them were on decent terms with Hagrid, aside from the odd occasion when they'd gone along with Harry and the others, he'd never really been particularly close to him. So what could account for this sudden interest?
Extimum: "Ah, I was only thinking aloud. It's something like... a wish, perhaps? Mm, or maybe... doing a good turn? Honestly, even I'm not entirely sure myself. I just feel I ought to do something."
Bloom: "Something to do with what?"
Extimum: "With the corruption in the wizarding world. I'm no crusader for justice, but helping out an acquaintance still falls within acceptable bounds. For now, though, don't think too much about it. It's something I happened to learn of by chance, and it hasn't happened yet."
Bloom: "Oh, I see."
Bloom decided not to press the matter any further. Though the sudden shift in Extimum's words had caught her attention, she felt there was little point in prying into something that hadn't happened yet and that, for the time being, didn't seem to concern either of them.
Of course, from Bloom's point of view, Extimum's words about having learned of something that would happen didn't actually carry the meaning she'd assumed they did.
Extimum: "Right, then let's go see what sort of creature it is."
Bloom: "Yes."
After that, the two of them made their way toward Hagrid's cabin. Along the way, Extimum cast a quick glance at his palm to make sure everything was in order, and that Bloom hadn't noticed a thing.
.
Back at the castle.
Bloom: "I don't think Luna was fooled for nothing. It really was cute and fluffy. Though, if it hadn't tried to eat me, it would've been even cuter. I suppose it got what it deserved anyway, what with that sudden stomach ache and the shivers, don't you think?"
Bloom flew along cheerfully through the corridors, trailing after Extimum on their way back to the Ravenclaw common room.
Extimum: "Yes... A rather coincidental bit of retribution. Karma, perhaps?"
The magical creature they'd seen had been rather adorable.
It was a small ball of pale pink fur, with large purple eyes and a tiny black nose. It would have been easy to mistake for a stuffed toy... at least until it caught sight of Bloom. Then its little mouth had stretched open to an absurd size, plenty large enough to swallow two Blooms in a single bite.
Of course, by a curious twist of fate, the creature had suffered a sudden stomach ache that left it writhing on the floor, shivering. A genuine coincidence, no doubt.
Hagrid apologised repeatedly for what had happened and immediately set about tending to the creature, which recovered shortly after Extimum and Bloom left the cabin.
As it happened, since the creature was only in Hagrid's care temporarily and would soon be returning to its rightful owner, the "retribution" had ended up rather mild.
Bloom: "I don't think Ghost Ice Cream is that bad. It probably was just hungry, and thought I was some sort of bird or other."
Extimum: "'Ghost ice cream'? You've already given it a name? And why that one, of all things?"
Bloom: "Yes. It smelled and looked a lot like the ghost ice cream I ate back in Ghost City, so I decided to call it that. Don't you think it's a good name?"
Extimum: "Yes... no, actually, not really. It sounds as though you fancy eating it too. Though... perhaps that wouldn't be such a bad idea."
Bloom: "Ah, don't say things like that! I only thought the name suited it. It never once crossed my mind to eat it."
Extimum: "Tch... I suppose there'll be another chance, then."
Extimum murmured almost to himself as he turned the corner down the corridor when—
** Crash! **
The moment he turned the corner to the right, he collided head-on with a girl running in the opposite direction.
The impact caught Extimum completely off guard — enough to throw him off balance.
Still, he managed to catch himself, as his tails shot out just in time and held him up, leaving him in an odd position, leaning back and about to touch the ground.
???: "Ow — my head."
Bloom: 'Ah, are you all right, Extimum?'
Extimum: 'Yes...'
Extimum quickly regained his balance, straightened his robes, and turned his gaze toward the girl now sitting on the floor, clutching her head with both hands.
Extimum: "Sorry about that. I must have been lost in thought and didn't see you. Are you all right, Ginny?"
As he spoke, he held out a hand to help her up.
Ginny: "Ah, yes, I'm fine, thanks. It should be me apologising. I was running and wasn't watching where I was going."
Ginny took his hand and used it to pull herself up, gathering a few of the books that had scattered during the collision.
Ginny: "Are you carrying something under your robes? It felt like I'd run into something really hard."
She asked, rubbing her forehead. The bump no longer hurt so much, though she still felt a little dazed.
Extimum: "I'm not carrying anything. Perhaps my bones are just a bit sturdier than most. Well, that, and you were running rather fast."
Ginny: "Ah! That was thoughtless of me. You ran into me too — are you really all right?"
Embarrassed at having entirely forgotten about him, Ginny looked him over quickly for any visible injury.
After all, one never knew whether a collision like that might send someone toppling badly, or knock them against something.
Extimum: "I'm fine. It just caught me by surprise."
As he answered, his eyes swept discreetly over both Ginny and the things she was carrying.
He wasn't merely being polite.
He was genuinely surprised that he'd collided with someone at all.
His senses hadn't given him the slightest warning that anyone was approaching so close to him.
It was then that his gaze fell suddenly on an old black diary resting among Ginny's books.
A flicker of understanding crossed his eyes.
Extimum: "That's a lovely diary you've got there. It looks like an antique. You don't see many in that style nowadays."
Ginny: "Diary?... Ah..."
Following the direction of Extimum's gaze, Ginny spotted the book he meant and gave a start as she suddenly remembered why she'd been running in the first place.
"I-it's nothing special. Just an old book my parents picked up second-hand."
She tried to seem calm, but the flicker of panic she'd shown at first was enough to give her away. She quickly tucked the old black diary in among her things and tried to change the subject.
Bloom: 'What's so interesting about that diary? It just looks like a fairly ordinary old book. If anything, I'd say it's well kept.'
Bloom fluttered around Ginny without the slightest discretion, inspecting the diary from every angle.
Extimum: 'Its appearance is common enough, yes. What's valuable is what's inside it.'
Bloom: 'Oh, I understand now. Is it by some important author? Or about some famous figure?'
Extimum: 'Yes...'
Seeing that Bloom had thoroughly misunderstood him, he couldn't quite keep a slight awkwardness out of his reply. Even so, he decided not to correct her for the time being.
'He must be a very famous author indeed. So famous that some people shudder at the mere sound of his name.'
Bloom: 'Goodness, I never imagined anyone could be so celebrated and impressive. His name alone excites people? You simply must get me one of his books. Now I'm ever so curious to read something of his.'
Bloom's eyes shone with excitement as she pictured the contents of the books of such an extraordinary figure.
Though she'd never been much of a reader, Extimum's influence had gradually managed to stir that interest in her.
Not that she had many other options, either. Magical civilisation preserved precious few forms of entertainment beyond the most traditional ones, and until they could get back to a non-magical city, finding anything different would be difficult.
Extimum: 'Mm... it'll be difficult. I can't promise anything.'
Bloom: 'Can't you just borrow one from Ginny? Besides, if even she managed to get hold of a second-hand copy, how is it that you can't?'
She asked suspiciously. It was hard for her to believe that getting a copy of a book could be so complicated.
Extimum: 'Never mind. Even if she offered to lend it to me right now, I'm afraid I wouldn't dare accept it. Not at the moment, at least.'
In truth, Extimum genuinely didn't dare. Had it been some time earlier, he might have considered taking the diary to study it. But by now, Riddle had likely already drained a considerable amount of Ginny's vitality and recovered a fair share of his power.
He wasn't especially eager to go looking for unnecessary trouble without knowing whether he'd have the same luck as Harry.
Ginny: "Ah, you're here too, Bloom. You seem very cheerful. Extimum, sorry again for running into you. I'm a bit pressed for time, so I'll be off."
Ginny's eyes lit up at the sight of Bloom. Still, ever since Extimum had noticed the diary, she no longer felt comfortable staying there. After apologising once more, she took her leave in a hurry and dashed off again.
She was genuinely worried that Extimum might recognise the book she was carrying. After all, she knew he was close to Harry, and there was a chance he might have seen it before — all the more so after the uproar caused while she'd been searching for the diary. Sooner or later, Extimum was bound to find out what had happened.
Even so, some part of her was reluctant to leave. She didn't always get the chance to be near Bloom.
Bloom had become something of a small pet — or even a little idol — to a good number of Hogwarts students, especially among the girls, though a fair few boys too. More than one envied Extimum for having won over such a lovely, clever fairy.
Still, though Bloom was never distant, she wasn't easy to approach either. She stayed by Extimum's side almost without exception, and many students felt too shy to speak to her without good reason.
Besides, technically, students weren't permitted to keep pets other than those approved at the start of their first year. And yet an exception seemed to exist in Extimum's case.
Curiously enough, Hagrid had been one of the chief reasons Hogwarts had tightened its rules on which creatures students could bring along with them. And yet, since Bloom didn't belong to any species considered dangerous, and Extimum could draw on a degree of family influence, getting the necessary permission hadn't proven especially difficult.
It also helped that Extimum had never had a magical companion before, and that Bloom's conduct had been exemplary, so no one found any convincing reason to object to her presence.
Bloom: "She really must have been in an awful hurry. Even after taking a tumble, she went right back to running just as fast."
Extimum: "Yes... she certainly seemed in quite a 'hurry.' Wait... did you see her coming?"
Bloom: "Yes. Since I was a little ahead of you, I saw her approaching. What I didn't expect was for the two of you to actually collide — especially you. I don't think I've ever seen you run into anyone before. With your senses, I would've thought you'd dodge her even if she came at you completely distracted."
Extimum: "It was simply a stack of coincidences. Come on."
.
.-.
Gryffindor common room.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat together on one of the sofas in the common room, discussing which electives they'd choose for the following year.
In truth, Harry was still the only one weighing his options. Hermione had already decided to enrol in nearly every subject, just like Extimum, while Ron planned to follow the recommendations his family had been giving him for ages.
So, for the moment, the two of them simply busied themselves with their own things while they waited for Harry to make up his mind.
Ron: "Say, Hermione. Has anything been going on with you lately?"
He asked with apparent unconcern, mid-way through a game of wizard's chess.
Hermione: "No... why do you ask?"
She answered without looking up from the book in her hands.
Ron: "Mm... well, I didn't want to be the one to say it, but you've been a bit off lately. And Parvati mentioned you'd been... having trouble sleeping. I just wanted to know if something was bothering you."
Hermione didn't lift her eyes from the book. And yet, for some strange reason, a faint flush began to colour her cheeks.
Hermione: "Cough... nothing's the matter with me. I've just had a lot on my mind. By the way... did Parvati say anything else?"
Ron: "No. And you shouldn't be cross with her. She was only worried about you, and mentioned it so we could ask after you."
Ron had assumed Hermione might be annoyed with Parvati for having talked about her, so he hurried to clear that up.
Hermione: "No, it's fine. I understand. I'm not angry with Parvati. I only wanted to know if she'd said anything more."
She answered, considerably more at ease now, relieved to hear Parvati hadn't mentioned anything further.
Ron: "No. She only said you'd had trouble sleeping lately. Has it got anything to do with Extimum?"
Seeing that she wasn't upset, he pressed on.
Hermione: "Extimum?... W-why would you think he'd have anything to do with it?"
Hermione set the book aside and looked up at Ron.
Entirely oblivious to her reaction, Ron carried on speaking with the same easy manner.
Ron: "I don't know. I was only asking out of curiosity. Apart from Harry and me, he's the one you spend the most time with. Now that I think of it, I've always wondered... is there something going on between you two?"
At that question, Hermione, who'd been about to look back down at her book, froze completely still. Her body tensed slightly as an inexplicable wave of nervousness washed over her.
At the same moment, Harry, who'd been finishing up his elective-subject form, also paused at Ron's question.
Hermione: "No!... E-er, I mean... we're only friends."
The answer came out with more force than she'd intended. Realising it, she tried to compose herself at once, though her tone still sounded unsteady.
Hermione's reaction threw Ron off. He looked up from the chessboard and turned to face her with a mildly irritated expression.
Ron: "Isn't that obvious? I meant, have the two of you been up to something in secret without telling me or Harry. If you don't want to talk about it, fine, but there was no need to shout."
Hermione: "Ah... is that what you meant?... No. Well... we just study together in the library sometimes, and..."
Ron: "Aha, so there was something after all."
He cut in with a satisfied grin.
"Never mind, you don't have to explain. I only wanted to check whether my detective instincts were right."
Ron never once considered the other meaning his question might have carried.
Harry, on the other hand, understood it perfectly.
Harry: 'Could it be that Extimum's finally making some progress?'
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