54 Aftermath, End of school year

The next morning, Extimum woke up feeling strange…again. It wasn't surprising anymore and by this point he had gotten used to such a feeling, especially since it was always too small a change, just enough to feel something wasn't quite right, but so insignificant as to find himself unable to lay a finger on it.

Maybe it was even common now, though he wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

Putting the strange feeling aside, his concentration quickly shifted from the state of his body, to a certain unfamiliar heaviness on his abdomen.

Blinking rapidly to clear his vision, a messy blonde hair came into his vision, resting on his bare abdomen, as he became aware of a pair of arms hugging him tightly around his waist area.

Extimum: 'Luna? Wasn't she gone? No, wait, what time is it?'

Feeling out of place, he reached for his nightstand by his bed and grabbed his pocket watch that he had left there before he went to sleep.

'8:07 a.m.? That's not possible, I got here around that time… I slept for a whole day?! '—Extimum lowered his gaze to look at his chest where he felt another weight and familiar warmth—'Bloom is already here, so, did I really spend a whole day?'

Moving Luna gently so as not to wake her, he moved one of the pillows to his side and put it under her head, then picked Bloom up and laid her down on his own pillow, before finally being able to get out of bed. Luckily Luna hadn't been too insistent in her hug or it would have been a pain in the ass to take it off without waking her up.

With Hermione he had already learned that girls were too clingy, especially when they were asleep.

Even when they had demarcated the bed during the time she was living in his room, on some nights she still moved to catch him in a strong embrace that could only be released the next morning when she realized her actions with shame.

Not that Extimum complained much.

While he wasn't entirely used to too much contact, it wasn't like he actively shunned it, it was just that he felt uncomfortable at times.

Casting a quick bathing spell on himself, Extimum shed his pants and quickly put on his uniform.

'If a whole day has already passed, then several things must have happened. With the return of Ginny and I, plus the news of the death of the basilisk, the main problems were solved, besides… I think I missed the celebration party? Maybe I wasn't in much of a mood to attend'— Turning his gaze towards the bed—' Even so, it would be nice to find someone to ask what happened'.

'As for them, there is no eagerness to wake them up. Even if classes were restored, today there are no morning classes for first and second years.'

Approaching his nightstand, Extimum took his pocket watch and put it away before taking his jade pendant.

'Hmm? Did the color of the pendant change? I'm sure its color was much paler before and with my memory it's almost impossible for me to be wrong, but why did it change? Is it an effect for its partial repair? I don't think… Magical artifacts aren't usually altered that easily… I'll have to check it out later.'

Putting it in his pocket, Extimum walked out of his room.

…

The Ravenclaw common room was abuzz with activity at this time of the morning, especially after yesterday's good news and the lifting of curfew restrictions.

In fact, it was already a bit late to get up since breakfast time was almost over and there were already many students sitting comfortably in the armchairs, either reading a book or playing a board game.

'It seems that the restriction has already been lifted'

Mitchell: "Extimum! You finally show up, didn't you say you were just going to rest? Where have you been? You missed the big celebration party yesterday."

Extimum: "Yeah, sorry about that, I was more tired than I thought and I didn't even notice the passing of time."

Mitchell: "Wait, you don't mean that all this time you…"

Steve: "Extimum! It's about time, I've been looking for you, Hmp, it's just that you become a celebrity and you don't even bother to tell your friends where you are anymore. *Sigh* well, I'll let it go since you're my friend and patron-*ouch* Padma, why are you hitting me?"

Padma: "Tsk, stop talking nonsense Steve, Extimum is not like that, besides, why would he miss the celebration party yesterday? Clearly he was just very tired."

Steve: "Tch, I was just kidding... But you hit me too hard." Rubbing his head where he'd been hit, Steve said in annoyance.

Mitchell: "Heh, who's the whiner now."

Steve gave Mitchell a dirty look, but didn't say anything.

Extimum: "That being said, I didn't expect to sleep that long myself, I guess I was more tired than I thought, why don't you tell me what happened while I was away?"

Steve: "Alright, I, your loyal speaker and informant, will tell you the latest news, but only because it's you; if it were someone else, they'd have to pay for my services."

Mitchell: "Yeah, yeah, enough with the nonsense, just start telling."

Steve: "*Tch*."

Padma: "By the way, where's Trudor? I can't see him anywhere, he should be here by now."

Mitchell: "Uhh, he left very early. I think he said he had something to do today so he'd see us later. I'm not entirely sure because I was only half awake when I saw him leave and he told me."

Extimum: "Anyway, we'll see later. Have you guys had breakfast yet?"

"No"x3

Steve: "Actually, yesterday's party was very lively and almost everyone was up very late, so most of the students are just getting up and going to breakfast."

Mitchell: "Yes, those who have already had breakfast at this point are either because they are bitter or because they are habitual to getting up early."

Extimum: "In that case, let's hurry up, I don't know if they'll extend breakfast hours, but if not, it's better to be on time."

…

On the way to the great dining room, Extimum finally found out about everything that had happened yesterday. First, as expected, the closure of the school was cancelled.

With the threat resolved and no major incident since the students involved had returned safely, there was no need to close the school now.

Classes would resume as normal from today, but there would be some changes since most of the teachers finished the compendium of topics and activities, in addition to the fact that some classes had already been lost due to the latest events, however, it was nothing that affected Extimum too much.

On the other hand, the final exams had been canceled this year since so many things had happened in a row that the teachers themselves hadn't had time to prepare for them and furthermore, the students had already been under a lot of stress.

Among other things, the Defense Against the Dark Arts class was temporarily suspended due to Professor Lockhart being transferred to St. Mungo's Hospital, the details of which were not released to the public.

Another big piece of news was, of course, Dumbledore's return to his post as Headmaster.

The events were nothing too surprising and most were within Extimum's expectations.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing to hear was that due to events that weren't entirely clear to the public to begin with, Gryffindor house had received 400 points to its current 257 points.

'400… that is, 657 points…'

Extimum: "What a bother."

Steve: "Yeah… now even with the time left it is practically impossible for our house to be first this year, there is a difference of almost 200 points…".

Mitchell: "Dude, I guess I'm starting to think there's some kind of bias here. I mean, I don't have anything against Harry and Ron, but it was the same last year. We were leading and all of a sudden Gryffindor was given points like crazy, almost knocking us out of first place."

Extimum: "Well, though, they did contribute to the Basilisk hunt after all, so it's not entirely unwarranted, but Dumbledore gave way too many points as usual…"

Extimum was also somewhat annoyed even if he didn't express it clearly in his tone of voice or face, after all, even if he didn't care much about the house cup, but who wouldn't want to win?

It had to be taken into account that if someone had outstanding performance in a class, they could at most earn 5 or 10 points depending on the teacher's mood or the extent of the student's achievement. Moreover, it was quite easy to lose points if a student broke the rules or had bad luck, which actually happened quite often...

So increasing the house score was actually more difficult than it seemed.

Padma: "Wait, what? They contributed?"

Extimum: "Yes, to a certain extent, but they better tell you, anyway, look, here they come."

Extimum didn't want to say much about it.

From what he remembered from the movies, although Harry's feats weren't hidden, they were somehow blurred, either to avoid causing too much commotion or because Harry wanted it that way, or perhaps for other reasons. Anyway, it wasn't his place to comment on it, and if they wanted to conceal it, then it was better to let the involved person decide how much to reveal.

Following Extimum's gaze, everyone immediately took notice of the figures of Ron, Harry and Hermione coming into the large dining room.

Just as Steve had said, even though it was a bit late to come for breakfast, there were still a fair amount of students who were just arriving since they got up late.

The teachers had quietly allowed the students to go to bed a little later than usual, with the exception of the freshmen in order to relax.

Ron: "See, I told you we wouldn't be late."

Hermione: "Of course we're late, it's just that almost everyone else was also late, but we hardly have any time left to have breakfast in peace."

Harry: "The important thing is that we've already arrived, and there's still some time."

Hermione: "*sigh*"

Extimum: "Good morning, Harry, Ron, Hermione"

Harry: "Good morning, Extimum. You look much better, it seems that you have recovered." Harry seemed quite lively, probably because he had been able to rest and all danger had passed.

Still, some minor wounds were still visible on him, like his lower lip that was split. In some way, it seemed that the tears of the phoenix hadn't fully healed him, probably because it was more of a minor and superficial injury. That or he had done it this morning.

Ron: "True, yesterday Madam Pomfrey had you wrapped up like a mummy, but today it's as if nothing happened to you. I don't know whether to be jealous or scared." Ron seemed just like always, if we ignored the purple marks around his neck, slightly concealed by some cream or makeup.

As they greeted each other, the trio took a seat at the Gryffindor table not far from Extimum and the others.

At the very moment when the three of them took their seats, Steve, Mitchell, and Padma got up and surrounded them, questioning with keen interest and enthusiasm.

Steve: "Hey, is it true what Extimum said?"

Mitchell: "What does the basilisk look like?"

"…"

Extimum ignored all their fuss as he continued to enjoy his breakfast. He wanted to go over to check on Hermione, but seeing how they were being bothered by Steve and the others, he decided to wait a bit, anyway, Hermione looked pretty good and her emotions didn't seem chaotic like yesterday in the infirmary.

While he was waiting, someone sat across from him.

Still not stopping his hands from cutting off a piece of sausage and putting it in his mouth, he looked up at the person who had sat across from him.

The sight brought a rare, but slight smile to his face.

Extimum: "Good morning."

Luna: "Good morning. Why didn't you wake me up?"

Extimum: "You looked quite comfortable, so I didn't want to bother you. These last few days have had everyone under quite a bit of pressure, so I thought it was good that you rest a little more, on the other hand, I was also thinking if you were still asleep and you missed breakfast I could take the opportunity to show you the kitchens of the castle.

You haven't been here long, so I'm sure you haven't met them yet. There are certain benefits to going there to eat, although it tends to be later and more secluded than just coming to the great dining room at times."

'Good morning, Bloom.'

Sitting on Luna's shoulder, Bloom was already fully dressed up and giving her a mischievous look from her place.

Luna: "I see, thanks for the consideration, yesterday… I think I was really tired. Although the kitchen thing sounds interesting, I had guessed it, but I didn't know where they were or if I could go there to order food, on the other hand, It's always better to eat in company, right? You told me so yourself."

Bloom: 'Hmp, good morning. It seems that you are used to leaving me behind.'

Extimum: "Eh, that's right, I told you that. You're not wrong, but there's no need to force it either. By the way… "— Pausing briefly in his movements to eat, Extimum looked at her carefully— "Is there perhaps something what bothers you or do you want to say?".

'Don't you always like to sleep? What is the problem now? Also, I didn't leave you behind or alone; I left you with Luna. Don't you do the same thing quite often? And I usually don't say anything even when you leave me alone to go have fun.'

Luna: "Hmm? Why do you say that?" Surprised, Luna looked up from her plate where she had already piled some things for her breakfast and looked Extimum in the eye.

Bloom: 'Hmp, fine, then let's say we're even. But enough of that, you've had me waiting all day; tell me now about everything that happened.

How did just leaving you in Luna's room end up in so much... chaos... *sigh* Hermione regained the missing memories yesterday with the help of the medi-wizard, along with what Harry then assisted her in completing. I have a somewhat clearer picture of everything now, but... I'm not quite sure where you fit into all of this.

What I do know, is that Harry mentioned that while all those dangerous things were happening, a creature appeared and somehow saved him by fighting the basilisk in a fierce fight and said creature... it looked like a fox, but strangely it had nine tails… Which is curious because I don't think I've heard of anyone else besides you. So tell me, what happened?'

Extimum: "Although you occasionally get distracted by other things, it's the first time I've seen you play with your food, also, I see this aura of recurrence or indecision in you, so I can only think that there is something on your mind in this moment".

While speaking, Extimum glanced at the cloudy gray with pinkish hues surrounding Luna's head. They weren't very typical colors to see around Luna given her more open and straightforward personality, and even without that, the emotions that were reaching him were already a sufficient indication.

'So Hermione got her memory back? That's good news, but what exactly did the medi-wizard say?'

Realizing herself, Luna stopped her hand that was holding the fork and playing with a potato on her plate, leaving the cutlery on the table.

Luna: "I didn't know you were so observant"— With a smile of her own, Luna commented, before returning to the subject in question—"I think I did it unconsciously. But it's nothing important, they're just, you know, questions that go through your head sometimes...".

Bloom: 'The half-wizard, ah! stop, stop talking to Luna and me at the same time, listening to conversations here and there and totally different topics is confusing me'.

Extimum: "I see…". Averting his gaze from Luna, he returned to concentrating on his food, while the previous smile disappeared from his face when he noticed the change in color in the cloud around Luna.

Luna lowered her gaze a bit as if she felt Extimum's disappointment, finally concentrating on eating her food.

At the same time, a brief silence remained between the two.

Even within those who have dabbled in occlumency, protecting their minds, guarding their thoughts and secrets, and erasing all instinctive reaction to stimuli, the hardest thing to hide has always been the emotions.

Only the masters of the art are truly capable of hiding them.

You can hide your pain and fear under a mask, erase every trace of nefarious thought that complicates your reasoning, and change your natural reaction, but ultimately you still feel.

All emotion, as if it were a signal, is unconsciously emitted by the body, like drifting waves, perceptible only to a few, generally beasts or creatures that rely on less intelligible factors to analyze their environment, with a single exception to the rule, empathic beings.

They do not perceive, they see, feel, experience firsthand what is foreign as their own.

Even if they want to, most cannot escape that fate, that curse, or perhaps that gift.

They are the closest thing to vampires in the broad range of species, sucking up every drop of free emotion available to their surroundings left behind by their ignorant issuers.

Very few have been able to hide the truth from Extimum and even fewer have been able to grant him silence, yet even if what he hears and feels is different, he would never deign to highlight such facts.

Let the private remain in the shadows of the hidden, while man displays their light. A wizard unravels the mysteries of magic, not of people.

Or at least that's what he likes to tell himself whenever he receives unwanted emotional feedback.

Extimum: 'It's not that difficult. Once you organize everything there in your head with occlumency, doing something like splitting your thoughts becomes quite easy. As long as it's not more than two things at a time, it doesn't take a concentrated effort to do it, you should try it, I still have the book on the shelf in the room.'

Bloom: 'Forget it, reading that book is headache-inducing, unnecessarily complicated and has too many weird formulas. Also, I think there were other simpler methods to strengthen and organize the mind, obtaining the same results without so much effort'.

Extimum: 'Although they are not that good...'.

Bloom: 'Anyway, the medi-wizard said it was lucky the memory spell didn't touch anything delicate, although it was also due to the caster's focus, but at least there was no damage to her immediate memory, still, he mention that we should be aware of any possible sequels, but hey, don't change the subject, tell me what happened after I left you in Luna's bedroom.'

Steve: "Oh Luna, when did you get here?"

Luna: "A few moments ago."

Mitchell: "*Tsk* Luna's ability to blend in is on another level, though speaking of which, where did you go yesterday? Outside of in the morning when we received Extimum, I didn't see you again, not even at dinner ".

Padma: "Those are not things to ask a lady, Mitchell."

Mitchell: "What? Why not? We're friends, besides, I'm just curious, after all, after she greeted Extimum and entered his room, we didn't see her again all day…"

"Eh…"

Padma: "What?"

Mitchell: "Well, we didn't see Luna all day...and we didn't see Extimum all day either, so..."

Extimum: "*sigh* Who knew how much being together with Steve would affect you so much, Mitchell. Now you even jump to questionable and hasty conclusions." Without disturbing his food, Extimum commented sideways while trying to convey a clearly disappointed tone.

Steve: "Hey!" Lifting his face from his plate, Steve commented feeling offended.

Mitchell: "Oh no! You're right Extimum, it's terrible. How come I didn't realize it? What have I become?" Mitchell showed an expression of horror and panic as he held his cheeks.

Padma: "Don't worry Mitchell, I'll help you. I won't let you fall into the wrong way too." Padma gently patted Mitchell on the shoulder and said with a sympathetic aura.

Steve: "Oi oi, why do you make it sound like it's such a terrible thing? I'm not that bad…"

"Hahaha"x2

Extimum: "Well, nonsense aside. Be more careful, you know how misunderstandings are created here."

Hogwarts wasn't a place where you could let your mouth run wild. Gossips and stories were one of the main dishes of both students and teachers' entertainment.

And frankly, constantly dealing with rumors was pretty exhausting.

Steve: "No, but wait, Extimum, what Mitchell says isn't wrong and it's not completely unreasonable. After all, the last time we saw Luna you were dragging her to your room, besides…"— Sneaking his gaze around them, Steve continued quietly, "There's no one else paying attention to us, so it doesn't matter much what he says."

Luna: "And why would that be something important? I was just tired yesterday and I fell asleep."

Padma: "All day…?"

Luna: "Of course not, I was reading for a while in the morning and doing other things in the afternoon, then if I fell asleep…".

Extimum: "Stop overthinking things, better start eating at once, breakfast time is almost over and you haven't even touched what you served."

Mitchell: "Oh, that's right!"

Steve: "Heh, you're going to stay hungry for the rest of the morning for going around saying so much nonsense."

With Mitchell's exclamation, everyone rushed to eat. There were only 15 minutes left.

Meal times were quite strict at Hogwarts in general, with only a few festive or unforeseen exceptions.

As the appointed hour arrived, dishes in the dining hall would either appear or vanish from the tables, only delayed if the headmaster or a professor had an announcement to make. This was because the Great Hall was also used for other purposes, like an open area for evening study or as a venue for certain activities.

So, if students hadn't finished their meal by the time the clock struck the hour, they would be left without food unless they held their plates in their hands, although the dishes would still disappear if they were placed back on the tables.

Of course, this wasn't too troublesome, but not all students simply piled a messy heap of food onto their plates. Most, especially those with some manners, would only serve onto their plates what they desired and would only add more after finishing what they had already served themselves.

…

Bloom: 'You say you heard something and then you just freaked out?'

Extimum: 'Yes... at least for the first 5 minutes or so, you could say that happened.'

Bloom: 'And where did the voice come from? Did it sound familiar to you? Though more importantly, what did it tell you?'.

Extimum: '…The voice came…came from me…'

Bloom: 'You?' Genuinely confused, Bloom asked.

Extimum: 'Yes, it's... somewhat complicated or rather strange to explain. The voice didn't have a tone in itself, or well, though it might sound redundant, the voice didn't have a voice. If I had to compare it to something, it would be like hearing my own mental voice talking to me, just something different.

Although such a tonality is normally nothing more than an illusion of our brain of how we think it is heard and not a real sound, but that's how it felt.

It was like me, but I know it wasn't me, but knowing it didn't change the confusing and unsettling feeling it was to hear it.

As for what it said... It's not important, the problem wasn't so much what it said, but what each word generated in me.

Every word I heard was like shaking my mind. Every word I heard was like stirring my calm emotions. Every word... was like disturbing my very ability to think and shaking the pillars of my sanity'.

Bloom: 'Wait, wait, how come what it said isn't important? Even if it was more the negative effect that the voice generates in itself, what it said cannot be dismissed since it could be related.'

Extimum: '…'

It was true, Extimum knew it, how couldn't he? Such understanding of the psyche wasn't too complicated. The voice had a magical effect, no doubt, but if there weren't a crack, how would the rain find its way?

That said, he wasn't comfortable with directly saying everything the voice had told him, just thinking about it seemed like some kind of evil mantra clouding his thinking.

Extimum: 'Later…I'll share the memory with you. Let's leave that matter for later, the important thing here is that the voice managed to disturb me greatly to a point that I did not think imaginable.

It's hard to say whether it was because it struck me at a time when I couldn't afford to lose focus or even reject the ideas that came to me, or if perhaps the voice was actually that powerful.

The only sure thing is that the chaos it caused me, made me lose my mind and exploit the hidden power of my heavenly fox bloodline, causing me to somehow take full form.

It was more of a bluff though, as even though I got bigger and more threatening and was even able to feel certain things I didn't know I could do before, but I didn't feel like the increase in strength was actually very substantial.'

'Then there's what you heard, I fought the basilisk. I'm not even entirely sure how it had gotten there. The state I was in at that moment had made me ignore everything around me. The truth is, when I opened my eyes, it was the first thing I had in sight, so I lunged at it.

All that anger, outrage, and madness that had been overwhelming me from unfamiliar places, discharged onto the nearest thing.

Albeit very quickly, being consumed with anger and venting emotions went further into the background.

There was no time or even thought, it was just… act or submit and die, though even when I say that, somehow there were still things that could go through my mind for those few minutes where I lost track of myself. Fight, win, dominate.

The thought of losing could not even be conceived.

It was like…playing…. Within the very steel of the maddened fight, there was pleasure and amusement in every clash.

My mind, like water thrown into a river, flowed non-stop, up and down in an uncontrolled rhythm, plunging me into savagery. The desire... was overwhelming, addictive, as if a thirst had been born in me... maddening, no matter how I acted, how much I attacked or even if I tore off a piece of meat, it felt insufficient, suffocating and desperate.

Any self-control or composure were nothing more than a simple guide to what I really felt bubbling under my skin….......

Until I got hit by Tom Riddle's spell.'

A sudden silence descended on the table section, as everyone paused in their chatter and looked at Extimum.

Extimum: 'Hmm?' "What's wrong? Why was everyone staring at me all of a sudden?"

Mitchell: "*Gulp* A-are you alright? ". With a slightly pale face, Mitchell asked.

Extimum: "Why wouldn't I be?" Extimum responded with a question of his own, confused by the silence and the strange vibe around him.

Bloom: 'Extimum, are you okay? You were emitting a dark and terrifying aura.' Concern was evident in Bloom's tone.

The conversation seemed to have simply veered off track at some point, and Extimum's aura had become strange. As their mental narrative delved deeper into recounting their madness, the aura around them grew darker and colder.

It was to the point that his mind seemed deaf to the questions she was asking when she noticed his sudden change. At least until he woke up in the story itself and in reality.

Extimum: 'Why didn't you tell me anything?'

Bloom: 'I did, but you just weren't listening; your mind seemed to be somewhere else.'

Extimum:"...".

Seeing that Extimum didn't say more, Bloom also remained silent letting him think.

Still, as she looked at him, Bloom bit her thumbnail with some annoyance. Once again, the feeling that she had sensed that dark aura coming from Extimum earlier struck her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recall where, making her feel as if she had an unbearable itch that she couldn't scratch.

Steve: "*Ahem* It's nothing, though, were you thinking of anything in particular?" Trying to lighten the atmosphere that had suddenly gone quiet, Steve asked casually.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Extimum replied calmly.

Extimum: "Thinking of something? I was just remembering what happened in the chamber of secrets."

Steve, Mitchell, Padma, and Luna shared a quick look at each other, before pretending nothing had happened and finishing eating.

Extimum's words left them somewhat puzzled and thoughtful. They couldn't entirely grasp how what was supposed to be a terrifying experience at worst or simply high adrenaline and danger at best could lead a person to have such a dark and unusual emotional reaction, completely divergent from the expected outcomes.

That is, if they assumed he was truly thinking about what he said.

Because what they had felt a few moments ago had been such a dark and chilling emotion that it was almost palpable even when they weren't paying him any attention, forcing them to pause what they were doing and look at him.

They had heard from Harry and Ron about what happened in the Chamber of Secrets, and they also knew that Extimum had been found in a not-so-good state, but that didn't make everything clear.

After all, Harry didn't clearly recount Extimum's experience. For one thing, he couldn't, as he didn't know it. Extimum had only shared some general ideas of everything at that moment; after all, he was tired, and the situation hadn't fully concluded.

And even when they got out of there, there wasn't much time to delve into the topic. So, aside from Luna and Christelle, to whom Extimum had already shared a version of the story with certain adaptations and decided as the truth, no one else knew the details of the matter in great detail.

Padma: "Extimum, could you tell us what happened when you were abducted by the basilisk? Oh, but if it makes you uncomfortable, it's okay; I'm just curious."

Padma: "Extimum, could you tell me what happened when you were kidnapped by the basilisk? Ah, but if it bothers you that's fine, I'm just curious."

Extimum: "Okay, there's nothing wrong with telling you. Now it's just one more story. Let's start with when I got caught by the basilisk…".

Outwardly impassive, Extimum perked up a bit and began to tell the others what he had experienced, once again mixing truths with small lies, similar to what he had told Luna, but with fewer details.

He didn't like to lie very much, but there were things he couldn't or didn't want to share at this moment, besides, he tried hard so that the story was again almost the truth and simply changed the meaning of things.

Saying that, he was inwardly frowning.

Once again, things were happening around him of which he was completely unaware. He hadn't felt any of what Bloom emphasized to him, and the worst part was that upon recalling his own words, he realized his train of thought had indeed veered terribly, and at the exact moment, he hadn't realized anything was amiss, as if it were all natural.

He believed that if it weren't for the peculiarity of his own experience and what he himself will admit to being emotional atrophy, feeling terrified would not be enough to express the worry that bubbled like an undercurrent through his entire being.

Even so, he could only take it easy to prevent others from worrying, plus he knew that worry alone wouldn't get him out of trouble.

Unnoticeable to him, as he spoke, his close Ravenclaw friends weren't the only ones watching and paying attention. Not far away, Hermione was also watching him from the Gryffindor table.

For some reason, she had been the only one at her table who had also felt the sudden chilling sensation that Extimum released, so there was also some alarm and concern in her gaze as she looked at Extimum.

In fact, she had already been looking at him for a while. After all, yesterday, under Madam Pomfrey's extreme care, Extimum had appeared in front of her like a mummy and although he had mentioned that he was fine, it was hard to believe at first glance.

So she had also been somewhat worried about his condition, but she felt somewhat relieved after seeing him apparently well and without any discomfort after a day of not seeing him.

Of course, the absence of all those bandages also played an important role.

Ron: "Hey, Hermione, what are you distracting yourself with? Breakfast time is almost over, hurry up or you'll be hungry until lunch." Ron commented seeing Hermione distracted and not eating.

Returning her attention, Hermione turned her gaze to Ron, only to see him unpolitely stuff himself with food, bringing a look of disgust to her face.

Hermione: "Okay, I like to have a light breakfast anyway, and I've had enough."

Ron: "*chew* You're missing out."

…

.

Extimum: "Hermione, wait for me."

Quickening his steps a bit, Extimum easily caught up with a small group of students who were coming up the stairs.

Breakfast had already ended, so everyone was dispersing to go about their own things. After finishing telling his friends the story he had already decided as the truth, Extimum hurried to catch up with Hermione, who had bid her farewells in advance.

With all the talking and the little time left at breakfast, he hadn't had time to go over to talk to Hermione and he almost lost it when he noticed her already leaving the great hall.

Giving a glance to Extimum who was walking beside her, Hermione commented.

Hermione: "You're a bit strange, you know that?"

Extimum: "In what sense?".

Hermione: "Hmm, well, how sometimes you can be completely uninterested in something, but surreptitiously you're doing something completely different. I've seen you do it on several occasions, I even think some of our friends have noticed it too."

Extimum: "That's an interesting way to put it, hmm, and perhaps not entirely incorrect. There's just a lot on my mind, more than there should be. Having said that, I think you're actually implying something else with your words, aren't you? I wonder if I'm mistaken. Let me guess, are you upset because I didn't approach you at breakfast?"

Hermione: "No, well, yes, a bit. Yesterday you told me you would tell me what happened, but you didn't show up all day." Hermione had thought that Extimum would come back to visit her in the afternoon since he had said he would be back later, but even when she waited all afternoon and even part of the night, she couldn't see a trace of him.

Being in the infirmary under observation was very boring and although she had Bloom next to her to chat through a journal and Harry and Ron visited her later to keep her company, it still didn't bring much relief.

Having a confused mind, being worried about perhaps forgetting something important, and at the same time having piqued curiosity about the events, wasn't exactly a very good combination, and definitely not a very healthy one for a patient in mental recovery.

She had not even been able to concentrate on reading a book to study or entertain herself.

Extimum: "I apologize for yesterday. After going to my room and cleaning up, I fell unconscious almost immediately until this morning." Extimum tilted his head slightly in apology, with a hint of embarrassment. After all, he truly felt like he had broken his own word, even if it wasn't something very significant.

Though it might seem insignificant, it was the attention to these small details that held great importance in his education. After all, how can one be called trustworthy and reliable if they can't even follow through on small things?

Hermione felt a little embarrassed to hear him say that and hastened to interrupt him.

Hermione: "Ah, ah, sorry, you don't have to apologize for that. I know you were tired yesterday and you had been through a lot too, I was only saying that because you didn't show up yesterday and Bloom refused to tell me about what happened."

Extimum: "No, it's alright. Besides, I did break my word back then, and since I didn't even approach you at breakfast earlier, I can understand if you're upset or angry. After all, friends are supposed to care for each other, and in a way, it might seem like I was being thoughtless and unreliable."

Hermione: "*sigh* If you apologize like that and considering everything that has happened, it's almost as if I'm the bad one. Honestly, I can't be upset or angry. I don't even think I have the right to be. On the contrary, I'm just relieved that it's all over and everyone is okay."

Letting go of her facade, Hermione gave a look that was somewhere between worried and relieved. She was still young and though she strove to be brave and maintain a strong front, the past few events had been even more dangerous than last year.

It was her caring personality that actually made her ignore her rationality and dare to act as rashly as she had, hiding her fear by entering a dark place and where she was aware a monster was hiding.

If it wasn't for the fact that she had Harry and Ron and to a certain extent Lockhart at the time, she wouldn't have found the strength to jump down the slide.

And yet, she had ended up being hexed and losing her memory before it had even started, becoming completely unaware of the danger her friends were in until it was all over and even though it was all over and she had even regained her memories with little apparent aftermath, she couldn't say the same for the others.

Although Harry seemed fine on the surface, he had fleetingly noticed that he had various scratches and bruises all over his body that were only hidden under his robes. Ron had purple marks on his neck area that were difficult to hide and had only been made less noticeable to everyone by putting on a cream Madam Pomfrey had given him.

As for Extimum… She wasn't entirely sure, although he had seemed in worse shape than everyone initially, seeing him today she couldn't find any trace of any injuries and he seemed like his usual self, that being said, she knew it couldn't be that simple.

Since he, just like Ginny, had experienced who knows what in the Chamber of Secrets before they went in, and besides, Harry had mentioned that if it weren't for an antidote carried by Extimum's aunt, it was hard to say if he could be on his feet so quickly.

So now, she could only be relieved that everyone was alive and that it was all over.

Extimum: "Yeah, it's good that everyone is safe. Besides, I'm glad everything is fine in your head, I wouldn't want you to forget me, although maybe starting over isn't so bad…Wow, hey." Narrowly dodging a punch from Hermione, Extimum exclaimed.

Hermione: "Don't say such terrible things with such a flat tone, you make me wonder if you really think it's good or bad." Hermione pouted and said something annoyed.

Extimum: "I wonder too…". Looking somewhat distracted for the moment, Extimum commented almost in a whisper.

Hermione: "You…Even-" A serious look momentarily settled on Hermione's face, but before she could say more, she was interrupted.

Extimum: "Although you're right, sometimes I get careless and forget to denote emotions in my voice. It's something I still have to improve on, just as you should leave that bossy tone that you sometimes use."

Hermione: "What? But I hardly use it anymore."

Extimum: "Aha, there it is, almost there, but you still do it on occasion."

Hermione: "But I'm getting better…" Hermione said almost in a whisper though it was still clearly audible to Extimum.

Extimum: "Anyway, let's set aside those not-so-cheerful topics. Instead, I have something interesting in mind, something I'm pretty sure you've never seen. Give me your hand." Extending his own hand, Extimum gave Hermione an expectant look.

Hermione narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at Extimum's outstretched hand, even so, she still extended her hand slowly.

Extimum: "Why are you hesitating so much? I won't bite it…"— Taking Hermione's hand gently, Extimum commented with some mockery before continuing—"There are better places for it."

Hermione's hand trembled and for a moment she almost decided to withdraw her hand, but finally didn't.

Briefly closing his eyes, Extimum concentrated, then recited something under his breath that Hermione couldn't hear, before waving his wand.

Extimum: "Ready, now tell me, what do you see?"

Hermione: "What are you talking about? Is everything the same?" Hermione looked everywhere, but everything seemed the same, she didn't even feel that anything was affecting her.

Extimum: "Stop looking around. Focus instead on looking at one of the people walking in front of us."

Focusing her gaze, Hermione looked closely at the people in front of her as they came up the stairs.

Hermione: "I don't see anything…" Hermione retorted, but stopped midway through her speech.

By focusing long enough on someone, she began to notice how a kind of translucent cloud of different colors appeared around the heads of the people.

Hermione: "Wait, I think I can see something now. Is it like mist? Though in colors. What is that?"

Extimum: "You finally notice it. I don't know if it has a specific name, but I like to call it the emotional spectrum, everyone has it."

Hermione: "Emotional spectrum? You mean that cloud of colors is that person's emotions?"

Extimum: "Well, 5 points to Gryffindor."

Hermione: Hmp, very funny, but how do you know what each color means?

Extimum: "Why don't you try…focus on one of the colors? Like you want to touch it, but…remember, just one color, ignore the overall amalgamation."

Hermione: "Okay." Although taken aback by the warning, Hermione still followed the instructions obediently and concentrated on a single color.

Of all the colors she saw on the person she had noticed, the one that caught her attention the most was a purplish red, so she concentrated on just that color.

The moment she concentrated on it, it was as if the color blurred and flew at her at full speed, and then her vision felt somewhat blinded as random ideas, emotions, and fragments of scenes flashed through her mind.

Hermione's body tensed slightly and she stopped walking, stopping on the spot. Extimum also stopped next to her and waited for her to finish processing.

Within a few seconds, Hermione finally recovered.

Hermione: "I…" A deep blush appeared on her cheeks and her gaze turned somewhat dreamy at the same time.

**snap**

Extimum: "Wake up, don't get sucked into it"

Hermione: "E-huh? What? What happened?" Hermione shook herself back to normal as beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Extimum: "By concentrating on the emotion, you could feel it, but you got too immersed in it and almost finished absorbing it. It's not too dangerous, but the effects are not very good."

Hermione: "What? What is all this? How can I see it?" Feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the recent influx of emotions, Hermione asked with a hint of excitement in her voice.

Extimum: "Hmm? Was it really that strong? Being a single color, it shouldn't be that shocking, especially since it was only from one person…" Extimum commented somewhat confused, as he looked at Hermione who was quickly recovering her calm after realizing that she had gotten a little worked up.

The feeling that washed over Hermione was overwhelming, but the second Extimum snapped his fingers, it all vanished, leaving her a little confused by the complete and abrupt change.

"In fact, what should normally look something like this"

Somewhat thoughtfully, Extimum drew back a bit, letting go of Hermione's hand and waved his wand again.

Hermione was confused by his words and his lack of response, but before she had time to say anything, she stopped.

The moment Extimum finished waving his wand, her sight changed.

As if her field of vision had suddenly expanded, as if her whole life had been with her eyes closed and she was finally opening them.

Everything seemed so much clearer, more detailed, deeper. Noticing things she had never seen before. She almost felt dizzy as her sense of depth and distance became distorted and she looked at things far away as if they were actually close.

Extimum caught her slightly when he felt her sway a bit, but Hermione quickly recovered.

When Hermione's vision finally steadied and she looked back at the students in front, the view was different.

It was like seeing a rainbow.

Each time she focused on a person, translucent clouds of colors appeared above their heads, swiftly forming a dreamlike scene in reality. Towards the end, it was perhaps more her intention than her actions, as the colors appeared over the heads of all the people walking ahead.

The colors came and went, with some lingering or reappearing repeatedly, but the intensity varied.

Extimum watched her from the side, watching as Hermione's eyes seemed to get brighter and brighter in a literal sense, the longer she looked. He had taken advantage of the one-sided bond with Hermione to share with her through legilimancy what his own eyes perceived to a certain extent.

Although it was more his sensitive capacity, since everything was still reflected in Hermione's own eyes.

Of course, he could only do that because his bond with her made the process easier and he had her right by his side.

Meanwhile, Hermione continued to be mesmerized by the sight for a few more seconds, watching the dim and ephemeral rainbow, but the wonder of the sight didn't last long.

The colored mist that made up such clouds began to blur in their direction as if they were pulled by a magnet or had sensed something irresistible, rushing in their direction like an avalanche.

Before she could even react, she was swallowed.

Her mind saw and experienced for milliseconds hundreds of emotions, ideas and fragments of scenes, before everything suddenly cut out and disappeared, leaving her blinking and feeling her vision return to normal.

Beads of cold sweat ran down Hermione's back as she imagined what would happen to her if she were overwhelmed by all those emotions.

Extimum: "Now you see, that really is the full view. As for the reason you were able to see it, it's because I shared my sight and senses with you, especially my senses. The view itself doesn't matter much, except for the fact that it looks good." 'Actually, I don't even know why I can see it…'.

Although he had some guesses, Extimum didn't know why he saw those colored clouds. In the records he had read about other empaths, he did not say that anyone else saw what he sees, although it did detail that it presented differently in all people.

Hermione: "But why can you see? No, why can you feel something like that?"

Extimum: "Because I'm an empath. It's not something very common, in fact it's even rarer than being a metamorphmagus. Although on the other hand, it's not limited to just magicians. It presents itself differently for everyone, but in essence it fulfills the same function for everyone and that is, to allow them to understand the emotions of those around us through... feeling that emotion for ourselves".

Hermione: "Wait, so do you see all of that all the time or is it only when you want to?"

Extimum: "All the time, of course. What did you think it was? Some kind of ability that just turned off and on?"

Hermione: "No…" Hermione looked away, in fact, if she had thought so.

Extimum: "Hahaha"—Seeing her expression, Extimum couldn't help but tease her a bit —"Okay, just kidding. Although it's really not something you can turn off, but over time you learn to control it to some extent."

Hermione stared, she felt somewhat annoyed at being mocked, but since it was rare for Extimum to laugh, she didn't say anything, however, she quickly frowned as she resumed her walking action.

Hermione: "But why did they pounce on me when you shared all the sense with me?"

Extimum: "That's how it usually behaves. Since I only shared a small fraction with you at first, then the effect was greatly reduced. Normally you can't just decide whether or not you want to feel other people's emotions, they just…come."

"What you can do is learn to redirect or ignore the emotions that come in. Since I learned some occlumency I usually just redirect all of it to a separate space in my mind which then empties all of it out."

Hermione: "So, all this time?"

Extimum: "Yes, although it's not perfect, but unless you are very skilled magicians in the arts of the mind, able to control the natural emission of your emotions, I can always feel your emotions."

Hermione: "No, not that, all this time, no, all the time, you... are you seeing, receiving such a deluge of information?"

Extimum: "Oh…yeah? I don't think that's that important."

Hermione: "No, how can you stay calm with all that?"

Extimum: "Well, it's always been like that for me. After you get used to it, it's not so bad, although sometimes it's a bit annoying to adjust when I go to places with a lot of people. Also, in a way, I-".

«What you can only see and feel through others, while you yourself are incapable of» «You want to feel it, don't you?»

Hermione: "What's wrong?"

Extimum: "Hmm, it's nothing. You don't have to worry about it anyway. I've lived with it for almost as long as I can remember. I'm used to it, I just wanted to show you since I'm sure it's not something everyone can see."

Hermione: "Okay, if you say so."

They both remained silent for a few seconds as they continued walking, but they had already strayed from the original path towards the destination Hermione was initially walking to for some time.

Hermione: "By the way. I covered for you yesterday, but rather than you telling me what happened, what I'm really interested in knowing is how did I end up in the infirmary? From what Harry and Ron told me, plus Bloom's reluctance to Telling me something makes it obvious that you're hiding something…so what really happened?"

Extimum I consider for a moment.

He couldn't just say that he had never really been kidnapped by the basilisk and that all this time he was actually hiding recovering from the poison, that would probably make her angry since his disappearance caused chaos and concern to his friends and everyone at school.

Besides, outside of Bloom who he had already told, he wouldn't admit to anyone that he was the "monster" that was chased by the whole school, that would be a somewhat embarrassing fact and he didn't plan on telling anyone else in the near future.

Extimum: "…Okay, I'll tell you what happened, but not here, follow me."

Having thought it through, Extimum took Hermione's hand and pulled her through some corridors until they reached a secluded spot.

Extimum didn't trust the privacy of the castle much, not when all the cadres here had eyes and ears and were even gossipier than the students themselves.

Extimum: "Here it will be fine. Now, did Harry mention that he had seen another magical creature in the Chamber of Secrets?"

Hermione: "Yes. Harry mentioned that after successfully evading the basilisk with Ron, they had gone back to face Riddle, when suddenly one of the walls of the chamber collapsed with the basilisk being thrown from there. Not long after, another magical creature even bigger than the basilisk appeared from the hole that had been created."

"Harry said the creature resembled a silver fox, but on a very large scale, with nine tails with purple fire escaping from each one, among other details. Why…?"

Hermione's voice trailed off as she saw nine silver tails, intricately detailed with purple accents, emerging from Extimum's back.

Hermione: "Nine tails…" Hermione commented looking at him, when suddenly a ridiculous thought crossed her mind and her eyes widened.

Extimum: "Don't make that expression, in fact, that magical creature that appeared and fought against the basilisk, it was me." While emphasizing it, they hid their tails under an illusion again.

Hermione: "What? But you…can you transform too? No, now that I think about it, it's not that surprising. When you told me the first time I didn't give it much importance because of the rest of the things that were happening and since I didn't I found nothing about celestial foxes or the like in the books, I hadn't given much thought to what that would mean."

"I hadn't even thought to associate the fact that Harry mentioned that the creature looked like a fox with you."

Extimum: "Well, that's only natural, since I didn't tell you or show you what I could do either. Anyway, now you understand, right?"

Hermione: "Yeah, so that's why you were so hurt. Ah, but what about the poison? Even if you were able to deal with it in terms of strength, what about the poison? I've heard that basilisk venom is one of the most lethal, in addition to being fast-acting. How are you okay?

Though she still found it all quite unbelievable and more than a little ridiculous, Hermione forced herself to believe, she had known ever since she entered the wizarding world that she couldn't be swayed by normal people's common sense, yet she still found it something difficult to accept.

She had read the description and studied data on the basilisk when she found out that this was the creature that lurked in the castle, so she had at least a general idea of how strong and dangerous said creature was.

So even if she didn't experience it herself, believing that such a creature could actually be suppressed and finally defeated by the person in front of her was hard to believe.

Extimum: "It really was kind of hard, the basilisk was quite strong, the poison was only bearable merely due to the fact that I was in a special state, plus my natural regeneration is pretty decent, even so, it was a little more than that. Added to a bit of luck as I was found by my aunt who was carrying an antidote when I was close to fainting."

"But back to your initial question about how you ended up in the infirmary. A while before the fight I had managed to escape from the chamber of secrets, so I was looking for a way out of the cave. While looking for a way out I saw a strange construction and when I went closer to investigate, I saw you. Hidden in what looked like a stone hut."

"I didn't know what happened to you at the time, but your condition didn't seem very good and you weren't waking up either, so I took you with me and left you with Bloom who had been looking for me. Then I went back to the Chamber of Secrets to help Harry and Ron. Of course, I couldn't let the others know about my transformation so I hid it."

Hermione: "I see, so this is how it happened."

Extimum: "Yes, but you must keep it a secret."

Hermione: "Of course."

Extimum: "Good."

Hermione: "By the way, how did you share what you could see with me a second time when you weren't holding my hand anymore?"

Extimum: "When did I say I needed to hold your hand?"

Hermione blinked owlishly for a moment, as she stared at Extimum.

Smiling slightly amused by her expression, Extimum continued .

Extimum: "I just wanted to hold your hand and it worked."

Hermione: "You… Now you'll see."

Hermione got a little angry realizing that she had been played, so she tried to hit Extimum, who quickly dodged her and ran off.

Hermione chased after him, though she couldn't catch up. Extimum kept up his speed so that Hermione would stay close, but couldn't catch up.

…

.

Later that day, Outside the castle.

Christelle: "So you really were here."

Extimum: "Aunt." Somewhat surprised, Extimum exclaimed when he noticed that Christelle had arrived in front of him. Normally he wasn't bothered by anyone here and it was hard to feel Christelle's presence if you weren't being specifically careful.

Christelle: "It's good to see you've recovered, perhaps even faster than expected. You really must have some inherited physical talent." Swinging her staff, she easily transfigured a nearby root to transform into a bench where she took a seat near Extimum.

Extimum: "Yes." Extimum replied flatly.

He knew the reason for his quick recovery, but in fact, it's not like he didn't actually have inherited talents since his metamorphmagus ability definitely had nothing to do with his special lineage and he had some doubts about his empathy.

Christelle: "Oh? So you had a fairy,I had not seen her with you before, hmm?" Christelle's gaze narrowed as she stared at Bloom who was perched on Extimum's shoulder.

Bloom stiffened a bit, but she wasn't shy either, returning Christelle's gaze.

Christelle: "Oh ho, how interesting. You know nephew, every time I find you and the things around you are more interesting."

Extimum: "Thanks? Although I'd appreciate it if you didn't give such intense glances. You're kind of intimidating my companion. By the way, how did you know I'd be here?"

Being cautious with his words, Extimum responded, making sure not to show any favoritism. Although he had grown somewhat closer to his aunt, he still couldn't feel entirely uninhibited like he did with Mei, Rou, Leonardo, and Lin Hua.

Perhaps it had to do with them being from a different branch of the family, where things were done differently. On the other hand, in his own immediate family, it almost always felt like a battlefield, where he had to be constantly vigilant and careful with his actions.

Christelle: "I asked around and coincidentally ran into one of your friends. They told me that you occasionally come here and sit under the tree." Withdrawing her gaze from Bloom after observing her a little longer, Christelle commented while casting a glance around before refocusing on Extimum.

Although Christelle hadn't noticed anything, she had sensed that the fairy on Extimum's shoulder was not normal, there was something different, although she couldn't be sure, but she trusted her instincts enough to believe that it was. It was especially so because the fairy had stared back at her.

Although it might seem normal and even insignificant, Christelle knew the kind of effect it could have on people. If in her opinion Extimum had been born with a special inherited physical talent, then she too had been born with such a talent, however, hers was something more special and particular.

Enough to make few people able to maintain their composure properly in front of her if she didn't actively allow it, especially when she spoke.

Christelle: "I must say it's a good place. It's quiet and the tree is big enough to give a good shade in sunny season."

Extimum: "Yeah, it's a good place to come for some relaxation. Have you come to say goodbye? I suppose now that everything's over, you'll be leaving today."

Christelle: "Yes, I still have Ministry business to take care of and there's nothing else I need to do here. However, that can still wait until tonight, in the meantime, I think we can continue discussing spell creation. You have some interesting insights, but from what you shared last time I can assume that you're not just curious, but you've actually done something yourself, right?"

Extimum blinked briefly, he didn't expect to be seen through, perhaps he had gotten too excited in the discussion so he ended up saying too much, even so, it wasn't something he was specifically trying to hide so he hadn't been so careful.

Weighing it briefly, he finally chose to tell the truth; in the worst case, they would simply forbid him, and aside from not believing they could control what he did all the time, he could still do many things.

In fact, he almost had a to-do list that he organized based on certain priorities or events.

Extimum: "Yes, I've tried developing my own spells, but while the results aren't bad, they're not too good either."

Christelle: "As I expected, after all, you've said many things that someone who's merely curious shouldn't know. Needless to say, it's an incredibly reckless act. Most wizards who've dared to even consider creating their own spells have at least completed half of their studies; you, on the other hand, are only in your second year and claim to have made some progress already..."

Extimum: "...". Extimum kept silent, he already expected a reaction like that. After all, spell creation had taken the lives of multiple accomplished wizards and comparatively speaking, he was far inferior.

Christelle: "Magnificent! Worthy of a Shadowless. Many would label it as a daring, foolish, and excessive act by not acknowledging one's own capabilities, but I see it differently. Spell creation is the foundation of magic, what defines us as true wizards. How can someone truly call themselves a wizard when all they do is rigidly follow the work of others? Jujuju, what's an artist who can't create their own authentic art? However, that doesn't diminish how dangerous it is."

Extimum blinked a bit, he didn't expect that kind of response.

"I must say, you're quite bold for your age. Even my brother, your uncle Rhys, wasn't as audacious at your age, and he wasn't as composed back then as he is now. Putting that aside, you should know there's a perfectly sensible reason why spell creation isn't actually taught until the later years of studies or in specialized courses."

"For spell creation, while knowledge is undoubtedly one of the most important foundations, what a wizard truly needs is understanding, and that's not something acquired quickly. Understanding magic requires concentrated study or a lot of talent. If you lack either of those, then all that awaits you is death, hehehe."

"But well, enough of all this talk. The reason I'm willing to accept it and even encourage it is because not only do I see your great interest, but you don't actually seem completely ignorant. Furthermore, I have a good feeling about it. Besides, it doesn't seem like you'll change your mind easily, and knowing the character of a Shadowless, it would be a hassle to try to control you to make you stop.

So, I'll lend you a hand. If you're going to do something, you'd better do it right, even if you don't get very far. We wouldn't want you to become the latest news in the Daily Prophet; that would be too embarrassing for the family."

Extimum: 'Was she so talkative?' Extimum wondered, until now he had thought that she was more like him, but that didn't seem to be the case, not that it bothered him though, after all, underneath all the gossip there was something quite clear.

His aunt was actually worrying about him. At first glance, it might not seem like it given the not a small number of derogatory phrases or that highlighted the family above all else, however, as someone who grew up in a noble family like the Shadowless and above all, under the "care" of his unaffective mother, it was easy to glimpse certain things without even needing to resort to feeling her emotions.

Extimum felt lost for a second, a part of him was actually somewhat happy since he hadn't felt such care from his close family. The closest would have been the sincere kindness of his Uncle Rhys when he had visited him once, but that had been several years ago.

On the other hand, he also consider that it was just his imagination misinterpreting the facts, after all, he couldn't feel Christelle's emotions no matter how expressive she was. So a part of him didn't really want to get his hopes up too much.

But perhaps what made him pause in his thoughts the most was his perspective from his previous life. He generally didn't interfere with it much, as much of it was quite fragmented, contributing little to his current personality. However, in this specific moment, he felt as if it were telling him that the whole situation was somewhat ridiculous.

While his life wasn't bad and he didn't have much to complain about, his early childhood couldn't be considered normal by any means. Growing up and living in such an environment had actually made his current perspective very unusual, to the point where a child like him, only 13 years old, could read people in such a way.

He was pretty sure that in his previous life whatever he was, he hadn't been an intriguing person, much less someone who could sense so much from people who kept perfect masks that hid their emotions and intentions.

Because even though he was picking up on one thing, the tone and sentiment conveyed in Christelle's voice were as cold as his or his mother's.

From what he had seen, even among the other noble and ancient families, his case seemed quite atypical.

After saying all that, Christelle shared with Extimum more of her experience in spell making as well as advanced knowledge in spell making from theory to preventative measures when testing new spells.

That being said, most of the things she said to him were too complicated for Extimum to understand, after all, even if he had mastered the study material for the first three years and part of the fourth, it still wasn't enough for him to be a full-fledged magician.

Even so, thanks to his memory, even if he didn't understand everything, he made sure to remember it.

…

.

The days went by fast after that.

Somehow, after having survived such dangerous situations, the rest of what was left of the student year was quite peaceful and perhaps boring, but it couldn't be helped, there had been too much excitement this year.

Perhaps too much for the freshmen, but it was just another day in the wizarding world.

Due to the fact that the teachers had already finished making the subject compendiums, some classes from there were simpler since the teachers could simply let the students follow the guides and dedicate themselves only to solving doubts or guiding the strays .

The prepared compendia were handed out to all students, being especially useful for seniors who had to dedicate themselves to studying for their OWLS.

Though of course, the early years only saw the overly thick book as a nuisance, with a few rare exceptions.

Also, as expected, Gryffindor won the house cup.

Extimum and the other Ravenclaw students had tried their best, but there was still a huge difference of 60 points that they couldn't separate.

Among other things, Lucius Malfoy had been kicked out of the school board, which Extimum was a little sorry for since he hadn't had a chance yet to meet with him to suggest that Hogwarts should add at least one elective class in medical magic or magical first aid. .

Even so, he didn't get too depressed since he was already learning something from it anyway and besides, there were still other ways to get it.

.

Evening, Great dining room.

The tables of the large dining room were full of excited and rowdy students. Today was the last day of the school year and everyone would be leaving on the train after lunch was over.

Sitting among a group of Slytherin students was Extimum. Like everyone else, the people at this table were also in a bit of an uproar as they were finally going home.

Tracy: "Finally, I've been waiting for this day for so long. I don't even want to wait for lunch, I'd rather go back right now." Tracy's bubbly voice stood out from the group of snobbish and cold Slytherins as she barely contained her excitement in her seat.

Daphne: "Calm down, Tracy, you're acting embarrassing. Besides, there's no point in being excited, we'll be arriving at night anyway, so your parents won't take you to see the new seasonal witch fashion collection…" .

Tracy: "It doesn't matter, even if I can't see all the dresses, I'll make sure my parents at least take me in front of the store to see the most prominent ones through the display. It doesn't matter if it's this afternoon, I have to see them so I can sleep peacefully."

Daphne: "*sigh*"

Goyle: "Well, at least you have a reason to be excited about going back. Crabbe and I aren't so lucky. Our parents weren't too happy with our grades this year, so they're planning to send us to a camp for the entire vacation..."

Tracy: "Oh , which camp?"

Crabble: "Camp Dragontail..."

Tracey: "Oh..."

Pansy: "Wow..."

Goyle: "Yeah..."

Daphne: "Well, cheer up, maybe it's not so bad, I mean, at least it's said that after coming back from there, people really improve their studies." Daphne tried to cheer them up a bit, but since her voice was cold and unemotional, it didn't help much.

Draco: "Tch, it's just a waste of time going to places like that, on the other hand, there's no other way, you two really neglected yourself this year. And I had good plans to do this vacation, now I'll have to do it without you".

Extimum: "I don't think saying that would help much."

Draco: "There's no other way, that's the way it is."

The Dragon Tail Camp wasn't a very famous place, in fact, it could be said that it wasn't well-known at all. However, at least almost all the children from noble families had heard of it, as it was an intensive study camp for the children of noble families who were struggling with their academic studies.

If it were just that, it would be fine; the problem is that it was known that the place used quite harsh methods to ensure that every person who left could meet the expectations. Despite its somewhat dark reputation, most parents from noble families turned a blind eye to it since it could straighten out their wayward children quite effectively.

After all, the performance of children and heirs also represented the prestige of families.

So it was something like the worst place they could send you, a threat to keep the children of noble or distinguished families from slacking off in their studies. Still, it wasn't very common for someone to actually be sent there.

Extimum: "Anyway, as I promised you before, this vacation I'll make sure to take time to visit you, so I hope you can receive me."

Draco: "Of course, just send me a letter a little in advance and I'll have everything ready for you when you get there."

Mcgonagall: "Okay everyone, you can start heading to the station now."

Tracy: "There it is, the signal, go, go."

.