48 Consequences II

Meanwhile, on the same day of Extimum's disappearance.

Gryffindor Common Room.

Unlike the Ravenclaw common room where the students were still trying to maintain a good attitude as they remained largely ignorant of the situation, the atmosphere in the Gryffindor common room was quiet and depressed.

They were so silent that it was possible that if students from other houses saw them at this moment, they would be shocked at the sight and doubt that they were really Gryffindors.

And while there was also the feeling of unease in the air, it was more a feeling of sadness and grief that actually surrounded the students.

And that was because the news that the basilisk had taken Ginny and Extimum had managed to spread among all the students, causing them to fall into a depressed mood.

In fact, McGonagall herself had not wanted to discuss it so openly and instead had also wished to keep the matter as discreet as possible between the principals concerned for as long as possible.

Unfortunately, the Weasleys weren't exactly the spitting image of the word discretion, so in the end, they had ended up spilling the news as soon as they found out.

On the other hand, it wasn't that McGonagall wanted to keep the students in the dark, but she had wanted to at least keep the matter as discreet as possible until the students boarded the train.

She was fully aware that news like this could not be kept secret and, in fact, had already informed the Weasley parents, however, when it came to how to deal with Extimum's disappearance, the situation became much more complicated.

-Pov McGonagall-.

In a large office, filled with finely organized books and scrolls, a figure could be seen moving about in a disorderly fashion.

His steps, unsteady and hesitant, stopped and continued at an indeterminate pace, reflecting the chaos in their owner's mind.

At times, the gaze of that figure would pause, staring at some point in space, for one, two or even three seconds, before gently shaking their head and moving their gaze in another direction.

Although, something remarkable, no doubt, was also the fact that among all their walking and contemplation, the gaze of that figure would still return, without fail, for a few short moments, to the parchments on their desk.

This scene was repeated for a while, before finally, the figure got tired and walked to the back of their desk and plopped down on their seat.

An action performed almost simultaneously with that of their hand, which reached out to rub the area of their forehead and temples.

**Sigh**.

And with that, a faint, but audible sigh was heard in the lonely office.

Minerva Mcgonagall was a woman of strong and intelligent character and there was nothing to say about her abilities. Being a teacher at one of the most renowned magical schools in the magical world, she also had a long history of experience and there were few situations that really managed to unbalance her.

However, regarding the current situation, she was really in a very bad situation. She had chosen the best course of action and also maintained her composure in front of the other teachers and students.

It managed to calm possible chaos and stabilize everyone's restless hearts.

And it was only in these moments, when she was able to retreat to the privacy of her office, that she was finally able to let out the emotional mess she was experiencing.

There was sadness, worry, hatred, anger, helplessness and some dashes of despair.

However, all those emotions were mostly dissipated thanks to her good mentality and occlumency skill, she would not allow such emotions to cloud her correct judgment and divert her from her priorities.

With that said, the situation at the school worried her, more so the fate of her students and she had to admit that, without Dumbledore to hold down the fort, things were much more difficult.

There was a great responsibility she carried on her shoulders.

As if that were not enough, now the problems were not only for the students, but also for their guardians.

And when it came to the goers, at least the Weasleys could be said to be reasonable people, but as for the Shadowless...Ugh. A big headache was coming and there wasn't much she could do about it.

It was just that, of all the families in the magical world, of all the students who could be victims, why just one of them had to be a member of that family, and none other than its heir.

It was a common fact in the magical world that magical families tended to get a bit messy when it came to the livelihood of their lineages, so when it came to the direct heir, the situation was destined not to end simply.

Because of this, even at this time, she had not yet sent the letter on her desk to the Shadowless family and if possible, she would prefer to do so when the students left on the train.

Though of course, she knew that such an act was futile at best, because news like this would soon reach her ears.

She wasn't just any witch after all and she knew what the Shadowless family was really capable of.

On the other hand, it's not as if she didn't attach enough importance to the matter or didn't care about Extimum's safety and fate, but in her long years at Hogwarts, she had been lucky or perhaps unlucky enough to have met the leading members of the Shadowless family.

They had all been her students at one time or another.

On one side were Callum, Rhys and Christelle, who made up the central core of the family at the time, followed by the two sisters, Ava and Lauren.

They were all good kids until they grew up and began to find their place in the world.

Under her perspective as a teacher she may not have known them completely in depth, however, at least it was not easy for outside factors such as rumors or fame to color her judgment or opinion of them.

Yet, even if such a family and its members always raised high the banner of light and basked in it, her years as a teacher allowed her to see the budding darkness they hid.

Perhaps only the twin sisters Ava and Lauren were an exception to that opinion, on the other hand, they had not been native to the region or branch of the family and had only joined the Shadowless family when Callum was in his fourth year.

Callum, the eldest of his three brothers and although he was generally quite polite and approachable, he always gave a sense of distance and falseness in his intentions.

Rhys, the most innocent in her opinion, was just a little pretentious, as well as a womanizer, but other than that, he was pretty normal.

However, the one who always caused a frown and secretly disturbed McGonagall was the youngest of the three siblings, Christelle.

She was a strange girl... her existence was as if nature had managed to bring together in a single body two completely opposite poles and the result was as fascinating as it was chilling.

At first, she had been somewhat popular as she belonged to the Shadowless family, in addition to her good looks, however, after people managed to get close to her, they would move away as if she were the plague.

Not because of the way she acted and much less because of her performance as a student, it was simply because the moment she opened her mouth and spoke, she caused people to feel shivers, an indescribable discomfort.

Even some teachers were no strangers to feeling slightly affected at times.

With all that, it was difficult for people to really want to stay close to her.

Comparatively, Ava and Lauren were fairly common among their group.

However, over the years, everyone had changed and even Lauren, one of her favorite students, had passed away.

An event that greatly affected the Shadowless family, especially her twin sister, who has never been the same since.

But all that aside, what worried McGonagall was that although Callum was a difficult, domineering, and on top of it all, quite influential man, it was not him she would most likely have to deal with, but the youngest of the three siblings, Christelle.

For it was certain that the Shadowless family would not stand still for long and when they started to act, she would undoubtedly be the one to come.

For nothing more than the simple fact that this was exactly the role she played in her family.

A fact that over the years had been established, as she was the one who appeared in each and every situation that went beyond the political or else... formal and... friendly.

Added to the fact that she possessed a record as a former auror and current ineffable of the department of mysteries, she had not only the ability, but also the attitude and experience for such a role. Which made things much more complicated.

And it had to be said that despite having been one of her students, McGonagall would be glad not to have to meet such a woman if possible.

Because she was simply a difficult woman to deal with, with a somewhat tyrannical personality and unorthodox with traditions despite her background, yet somehow she managed to never step out of line despite always treading on the edge harshly.

Her appearance alone could already evoke the fine reference image for what one would assume was a dark wizard.

--End Pov--.

.

Located in one of the corners of the Gryffindor common room, Hermione, Ron and Harry were sitting silently on the mat as they let their minds fly in reflection and lamentation.

Not far behind them were also Fred and George, who were not feeling much better.

On the one hand, the Weasleys were facing the terrible news that their younger sister had been taken by the basilisk and by estimation, was probably dead at this point.

On top of that, Extimum, a close friend to the trio and a somewhat distant one to the twins, had also disappeared within the same hours, leaving as the last evidence his personal bag where he kept his things.

With both pieces of news, naturally, it was difficult for the mood to be anything but depressing.

So, while each processed their own emotions and thoughts, they kept only silence, while letting the presence and lamentation of the others slightly comfort their heavy moods.

At some point, even Fred and George did not want to remain in that environment any longer and retired to their rooms.

Ron: "Harry, do you think there's any chance that she and Extimum aren't...? You know...".

Harry didn't respond, as like everyone else, he didn't want to accept that they had really died.

The facts were so sudden and unbelievable to him that his mind was not yet prepared to accept such bleak possibilities.

Finally, unable to bear his situation any longer, Ron rose from his place on the floor and said.

Ron: "You know what, I can't go on like this, I think I'll go crazy if I'm still here thinking about it. Why don't we go see Lockhart and tell him what we know? He's going to try to get into the chamber. We can tell him where we suspect the entrance is. Every second counts."

Hermione: "Wait... do you know where the entrance is?".

Hearing his words, Hermione also snapped out of her thoughts and asked in surprise.

Ron: "Huh...Yeah?". A little unsure of himself, Ron replied.

Hermione: "What, why didn't they tell me?". With his confirmation, Hermione's spirits improved and she asked a little angrily that they were hiding things from her.

Ron: "Well, we...". Ron felt a little cornered by her fierce reaction to his statement and internally could only complain that they hadn't even had the chance.

Harry: "Calm down, Hermione, it's not that we didn't want to tell you, it's just that we hadn't had time. You only recovered a day ago and with all the revelations and classes, there just wasn't a chance."

Hermione: "Huh...". At Harry's words, she remembered that in fact, she was only supposed to have recovered today.

"Well, later you can tell me how you found out, for now, let's follow Ron's idea and go to Professor Lockhart. Since he will be confronting the basilisk, we could save him time looking for the chamber and thus increase the chances of Ginny and Extimum being saved."

The fact that Lockhart would venture to confront the basilisk was no secret, in fact, although the professors themselves had little confidence in him, but they had still let the information out.

Mainly to try to calm the students' restlessness until at least all the students left the castle and could start planning how to deal with the beast properly.

Still, there were also some teachers who actually spread such news with not-so-pure motives. Because everyone quite liked Lockhart, didn't they?

As for Lockhart himself, he had ended up agreeing very reluctantly and had had to maintain that premise all day, because the teachers had been trying to "support" him in his preparation under McGonagall's order due to the tense situation.

Ron and Harry pulled themselves together and left the common room with Hermione. Motivated with the idea of being able to save their friends and family.

Although, even so, oddly enough, it was Hermione who seemed to take the lead and lead the way out and into Professor Lockhart's office.

No one stopped them, or said anything to them when they saw them leave the common room, partly because they could understand that as those closest to the victims, they would probably want space and partly because they didn't think the basilisk would attack again.

Besides, at this time, Professor McGonagall who was their Head of House, was too busy acting as Head of School to be around and most teachers were either keeping an eye on other areas of the castle or simply preparing each year's study compendiums.

They did not believe that with the recent situation there were still students who dared to go out.

After a while of walking, they finally reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and approached the professor's quarters.

As they approached, a faint sound of various things moving came from the other side of the door.

The three of them stopped in front of the door and after exchanging a glance at each other, in the end it was Hermione who stepped forward and knocked on the door.

**Knock knock**

With the sound of their knocking on the door, it seemed that all sound on the other side suddenly stopped, leaving the place silent for a few seconds, as the trio gave each other dubious and questioning looks.

Finally, the door opened slightly and Professor Lockhart poked his head in.

Lockhart: "Ah...! Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger.... "—he said, opening the door a little wider—"I'm very busy at the moment. If you'll hurry...".

The three of them could tell that Lockhart looked a little uncomfortable and rushed, however, they didn't think much of it and Harry hurried to speak.

Harry:" Professor, we have information that we think might help you".

Lockhart: "Ah... well... it's not nee- It's okay, come in." Lockhart struggled a bit and was on the verge of turning them away, but in the end decided to let them pass, he would just have to listen to them and then resume his preparation.

The office was almost completely empty. On the floor were two large open trunks. One contained jade green, lilac, and midnight blue robes, hastily folded; the other, books jumbled together haphazardly.

The photographs that had covered the walls earlier were now stored in boxes on the table.

Harry: "Are you going somewhere?". Harry couldn't help but ask dubiously as he looked at the situation inside.

Lockhart: "This... well, yes... "— Lockhart admitted, tearing off a life-size poster of himself and beginning to roll it up —"An urgent... unavoidable... call.... So I have to get going...".

Hermione: "What?" Hermione opened her eyes wide and showed an 'I can't believe it' expression on her face, while, in her gaze, however, there seemed to be a glimmer of disappointment, at the same time as a final layer of reluctance in her thoughts cracked even further.

Ron: "What about my sister and Extimum?" He asked in a halting voice and with not much less surprise than Hermione despite his thoughts of Lockhart.

Lockhart: "Well, as for that... it's certainly regrettable"— He said avoiding looking them in the eyes as he picked up a drawer and started emptying the contents into a bag—" No one regrets it more than I do...".

Harry: "You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! You can't leave now with all the dark things going on!". Harry said in a tone of voice several levels higher than usual.

Lockhart: "Well, I have to say that... when I took the job... there was nothing in the contract about doing something like this.... And I didn't expect...". Lockhart continued to put his things away as he spoke.

Hermione:" Are you going to run away?"- She asked more to herself than to the others, as she said faintly - "Why?! aren't you a great wizard who has survived multiple situations, proclaimed almost as a hero? Even your books emphasize it..."

Hermione found it inconceivable, but at the same time, it seemed as if deep inside she understood it and just didn't want to accept it. The implications of Extimum, the suspicious points and the current situation?

Lockhart: "I..."— Lockhart was a bit affected by the faint sentiment in Hermione's words and hesitated a bit in his actions—"Books can be misinterpreted...".

However, although he felt affected, that did not last long, when he again strengthened his resolve. He would not have made it this far in his life, if he did not have at least that little ability, so he still responded firmly and only slightly lowered the tone of his voice.

Still, it was just those few words that managed to finally break that last shred of hope and blind faith in Hermione, making her fall silent and digest her realization.

Harry: "How can you say that? Even if they were misinterpreted, the facts shouldn't be too far removed from reality, after all, you wrote those books yourself".

Lockhart: "Boy, use common sense. I wouldn't have sold my books half as well if people hadn't believed I did all those things.

No one is interested in the story of an ugly old Armenian magician, even though he will rid a village of werewolves. It would have looked horrible on the cover.

He had no taste in clothing. And the witch who cast the banshee that portended death had a harelip. I mean... come on, what...".

Harry: "So you've been taking the glory for what the others have been doing?" Harry asked incredulously, simply not daring to believe his ears.

Ron was also taken aback, although he had never believed Lockhart's words too much and found him very annoying to look at, however, at least he thought his exploits were real, even if they were sugarcoated.

After all, it wasn't easy to simply deceive so many people and raise a reputation as big as his in the magical world with lies alone, even allowing him to become a professor at Hogwarts.

Or at least that's what he thought....

Hermione, however, seemed the calmest of the three now, already getting a sense of the reality of the situation when Lockhart answered her.

Lockhart: "Harry, Harry"— Lockhart shook his head weakly—"It's not that simple. I had to do a great deal of work. I had to find those people, ask them how exactly they had done it, and enchant them with the dememorizing spell so they couldn't remember anything. If there's one thing I'm proud of, it's my dememorizing spells.

Ah..., it's taken a lot of effort, Harry. It's not all about book signings and publicity photos. If you want to be famous, you have to be willing to work hard."

Hermione's hand trembled faintly at his words, as she unconsciously clutched her wand, she faintly felt a familiar yet unfamiliar premonition.

Lockhart on the other hand, seemed not to care much for their reactions, as he finally finished putting everything away and locked his trunks.

Lockhart: "Let's see. I think that's it. Ah, yes. There's just one detail left." As Lockhart spoke with his back to them, he slowly moved his hand to his wand in his pocket and turned around.

"I am deeply sorry, boys, but now I have to cast one of my dememorizing spells on you. I cannot allow you to reveal my secrets to the whole world. I would never sell a single book again....". Having grabbed his wand, Lockhart turned around.

But just at that moment...

"Expulso"

"Expelliarmus."

Two lights flashed past and Lockhart was thrown backwards, crashing into one of the trunks that held his luggage. The wand he was holding flew through the air and Ron took the opportunity to grab it and throw it out the window.

The whole event happened in mere seconds and it almost seemed as if it had been planned in advance given the great synchronization with which the trio had performed their actions.

However, like Lockhart, the three were also a bit surprised by the unfolding events.

Especially Harry and Ron.

Harry had reflexively attacked upon reading the situation and because of his past experiences and Ron on the other hand, had been attentive enough to jump aside and grab the wand, showing his good reflexes and decisiveness in throwing the wand.

However, Hermione's performance, on the other hand, had been quite surprising considering her performance in the dueling classes, as well as her quick understanding of the situation and, above all, her decisiveness in attacking.

It had to be known that her attack had come a few moments before Harry's.

Even Hermione herself was surprised by her sudden reaction, although she had done it consciously, it felt more like she was guided by the strange perception she had felt.

Only by relying on it had he employed one of the spells she learned from the untitled book Extimum had given her.

However, they did not dwell too much on useless thoughts and all only focused their attention and wands in Lockhart's direction.

Harry: "I shouldn't have allowed Professor Snape to teach us dueling techniques." Harry said weakly as he held back the great anger inside him.

It didn't take Lockhart long to come to, finding himself on the floor, wandless and with three other wands pointed in his face.

Lockhart: "And what do you want me to do? I don't know where the Chamber of Secrets is. I can't do anything." He replied weakly.

Harry: "You're lucky, I think we know where it is. Come on." Harry said as he waved his wand at him to get up.

.

Extimum's mind went blank for a moment, as his eyes remained fixed on the sight in front of him.

A smooth white back greeted his eyes for a moment before that image moved to two small white rabbits like hills in a snowfall.

Luna's hands were gentle as she slowly and casually removed the clothes on her and arranged them at the side of her bed.

Just as Luna's hands went to her pants, Extimum came to with a little start and quickly turned towards the curtain to try to get out of bed.

Luna: "Where are you going? Didn't you agree to stay and rest?". Luna noticed his intention and paused in her actions, as she asked in bewilderment.

Her question made Extimum pause in place. He had certainly agreed to stay, however, he hadn't expected Luna to simply start undressing, certainly not when she was already wearing her pajamas.

Extimum hesitated a bit, he was not one to go back on his words or for that matter, his commitment, however, the current situation....

He hesitated for a few brief seconds, but finally did not get out of bed, however, neither did he turn to look at Luna, remaining with his back to her.

Luna found the scene somewhat curious, but continued to remove the rest of her clothes.

Luna: "Normally I like to sleep without clothes on, however, since I came to Hogwarts I can't do that, because if I happened to sleepwalk out like this, it wouldn't be a very good thing... but today I have a feeling I won't be sleepwalking."

Extimum: 'What kind of feeling is that?'

Extimum was actually curious about what kind of sensation could give him such security as to sleep naked even when she knows of her sleepwalking problem, however, thinking that he himself could feel things that did not necessarily have a common sense or form, he put aside the strangeness.

Only after hearing Luna reaching under the quilt did Extimum finally relax and turn his gaze back to her.

He had no thoughts about Luna, nor did he see her that way, however, even when he had the pendant, he didn't feel too safe, especially when whatever it was that was inside him had no qualms about anything or was finicky when it managed to get out of control.

As those thoughts ran through his mind, he felt two hands grab him from his abdomen and then he was tucked under the quilt until he fell into someone's arms.

'Damn, I shouldn't get so lost in my thoughts, I was careless.'

Extimum stiffened, not only from his strangeness at being picked up like that and hugged, but also from the faint mounds he was feeling directly beneath him.

Luna: "You don't have to stay so far away. You're better off here, so you won't get cold." As she spoke, Luna hugged Extimum a little tighter.

Extimum really wanted to debate that she shouldn't be so trusting of a magical creature she barely knew and that his body had enough hair on it that he wouldn't be cold even in a snowfall, so he didn't need to cower.

But since he was currently a nine-tailed fox, he could only keep those comments to himself.

Luna just smiled, as she watched the fox peek its head out from under the quilt and rest its head on her chest.

She herself did not know why even though she had not met the nine-tailed fox more than once, she felt an inexplicable feeling of closeness and even trust, it was as if she knew he would not hurt her.

While she enjoyed the softness, Extimum on the other hand, was not as mentally comfortable with his current situation under the covers, but he didn't find it entirely bothersome either, in fact, beyond his strangeness and considerations, the situation was actually...quite pleasant.

The sensation of being hugged like this by someone was not at all bothersome, once he relaxed a bit.

Luna: "hey, little- *ahem* what should I call you then?".

Luna was about to call the nine-tailed fox as little foxie, when she stopped immediately as she sensed a clear annoyance and animosity from the bright purple eyes under her quilt.

Extimum: 'Are you really expecting me to answer?' He wondered, but seeing the attention and expectation in Luna's eyes, he was somehow convinced that it was.

'But I don't have any name in mind for this particular form, not that I was thinking of employing it as an identity, so... a name... a name. Something simple, just for this occasion...'.

'Mum'

Luna: "Mum?" Luna blinked in surprise, she hadn't expected an answer, but as she continued to stare into those bright purple eyes, such a word came unconsciously out of her own mouth.

"That's a good name. Mum, like Moon, meaning moon, similar to me"— She said cheerfully, but soon after, her enthusiasm waned— "*Sigh* Tell me, Mum, do you know how Extimum is?".

Extimum turned his head to the side when he heard her question, he didn't know how exactly to answer that question or if he should even answer it.

His action of uncertainty, however, had a different effect in the eyes of Luna who watched him as Mum turned his head and gave a thoughtful look totally out of character for a mere magical creature.

Luna: 'Cute'.

As soon as those words passed through his mind, Mum changed his thoughtful gaze and stared at her, narrowing his eyes.

Luna: 'Will he be able to read my thoughts?' Luna opened her eyes in surprise as that idea fell into her train of thought.

But before her mind got too far, a 'No', mysteriously appeared in her mind just as before.

'He's fine, you'll see him soon.'

Extimum wasn't really reading her thoughts, but he felt instinctively insulted and gave Luna a suspicious look, other than that, he could subconsciously understand what she was thinking from her expression and the emotions he saw around her.

Luna: "It's good to know he's okay. I was really worried when Professor Flitwick told us that it was very likely that he had been taken by the basilisk or even worse, been...eaten directly." Luna expressed with great relief, even though Bloom had confirmed the same thing to her before, she still couldn't feel reassured.

To begin with, the idea or expectation that the people attacked by the basilisk were still alive was already quite idealistic, since for what reason would a magical creature attack the students to kidnap them? It wasn't as if the basilisk was among the list of creatures with high levels of intelligence and therefore thought beyond instinct. Wouldn't it make more sense for it to attack to eat them? Perhaps the only thing fueling such an outlandish thought was that the basilisk was being controlled by Slytherin's heir.

But when she heard the same thing from Mum, she felt that it really was so and her mind unconsciously released a great heaviness.

Luna: "I really don't know what I would have done if he really had...". Luna didn't continue her words, but a great heaviness along with a somber feeling unlike her usual self settled around her for a moment.

Making her lose herself in her thoughts.

Extimum blinked his big eyes in surprise, he had never thought he had such a special place in Luna's heart or that he even weighed that much to her.

He himself would admit that he really liked Luna a lot and she was even one of the people who managed to become very close to him in a very short time, almost coming to consider her as a younger sister in his heart.

However, symbolizing something as heavy and deep, as the emotions he could see and feel at this moment, gave a completely different meaning to the appreciation he felt for her.

He almost felt that he had actually been quite shallow, because such depth of feeling had only slightly developed between Bloom and him.

And he didn't feel that he had actually done anything important enough to earn such feelings.

He couldn't help but feel a little moved.

He no longer wanted to see her sad.

Luna continued to be lost in thought for a moment, when she was suddenly interrupted, "What are you D-? Pfff Hahahahahahahahahaha, AH, w-wait, de-stop, it's too much tickling, Hahahahahahahaha, I'll die if you keep this up, Hahahahahahaha."

Luna could barely see straight, as she rolled slightly and her eyes blurred with tears of laughter.

She could vaguely see Mum's head moving back and forth on her chest and something velvety tickling her armpits.

Luna: "St-stop, Hahaha, I-I can't take it anymore. Mmm~".

Extimum was having a bit of fun watching her roll around like that from the tickling, however, when that last sound entered his ears, he suddenly stopped as if struck by lightning.

He had forgotten... that under the quilt, Luna was actually wearing nothing and the place where he was tickling the fur on his head was actually Luna's chest.

Luna: "*gasp gasp* *sigh*." Luna on the other hand, seemed completely unaware of the strange connotation of that last sound that had escaped her mouth.

"Thanks, Mum, I really needed that. *Bostezo* It's getting a little late now, let's go to sleep."

Luna settled a little on the bed and, still hugging Mum, closed her eyes to sleep.

Though unlike her, Extimum could not be said to be as calm inwardly, feeling that his previous actions had been a bit inappropriate even for him.

But seeing that Luna hadn't noticed and even felt comfortable and cheerful enough to sleep, he slowly put the situation aside.

Before long, he could hear the sound of Luna's breathing becoming more even and the emotional spectrum around her fading for the most part, symbolizing that she had finally entered the world of dreams.

Extimum remained alone like that for a while, silent, watching her sleep as he remained in the shelter of her arms, with different thoughts running through his head.

Almost succumbing to the temptation to just relax all his thoughts and sleep there next to her, but after a few minutes, he quickly shook off that idea.

'I still have to think of a good way to excuse my disappearance, besides... '— Thinking in a more grumpy tone —'Where did that little fairy go? She played me not just once, but twice in a single day. All she had to do was leave me in my room, but not only did she involve Luna but she also put me through all this trouble'.

He was no longer angry, much of his bad mood disappeared after staying with Luna for a while, however, he still felt annoyed.

As he thought about it, his body moved strangely, as he reduced the size of some parts of his body and made them softer and more flexible, slipping gently and slowly from the sweet embrace he was in.

Finally, after a few seconds, his body returned to normal and he stood up on the bed, took one last look at Luna and finally, jumped through the canopy of the bed that separated him from the outside.

Landing on the floor, he scanned his surroundings, but saw no sign of Bloom in room, so he left and headed for his own room.

He was in no hurry to use the connection he had with her to find her and preferred to search for her normally.

The corridor outside was silent and only an occasional murmur could be heard escaping from under the doors that still had the lights on.

It didn't take long to reach the end of the corridor and the staircase down to the common room.

The main lights were already out and the room was lit only by the light from the fireplace and a few candles scattered on the nearby reading tables.

There were still a few students in the common room who had not gone to sleep, but with the general darkness, it was no problem for Extimum to slip out all the way without being seen even if he did not use an illusion cloak.

Extimum: 'Hmm?'

As he walked down the steps and approached the wall that would lead him to his private room, Extimum began to notice that something was wrong, something didn't feel quite right....

Extimum: 'Why does everything seem so small...No, things don't get any smaller, actually, Shit!'.

Things were not suddenly getting smaller, but his body was getting bigger and bigger every few seconds without interruption.

And with its growth, a great shadow began to be cast across the room under the favor of the flames in the thick of the darkness.

???: "H-hey What's that?"

???: "What the-? Ahhh!"

**Ahhh!**

A loud scream echoed throughout the common room, startling all those who had not yet fallen asleep and awakening those who were light sleepers.

.-.

**drip**

In a large, dark subway dungeon with water flooding the surroundings.

s~*Cah in ush ch su hash xan esh *~s

???:"¡! What did you say? Couldn't you finish him off?"

s~*shs*~s

"So he disappeared eh... Interesting, not a simple thing if he can get around the castle restriction, unless Dumbledore... no, he wouldn't give such freedom to a student. You said he was a pureblood?"

s~*shs*~s

"Alright, it's good that he were able to escape then, maybe he can join us and be useful to me in the future. Still, it's not so easy just trying to ruin my plans and hoping to get away unscathed. Did you use the element I gave you in case he was a pureblood?"

s~*shs*~s

"Well, with that he'll learn that there are people he shouldn't mess with, if he survives that is."

.-.

The night outside the castle was quite serene, the full moon hung high in the sky brightly illuminating this night, the atmosphere was a bit chilly, but there was still a residue of warmth in the occasional breeze, making the night especially pleasant.

The faint sound of crickets and cicadas subtly adorned the atmosphere to make the night even quieter.

**Wind Whistling**

An indistinct sound was heard in the distance, brought to the ear by the coming wind.

**Step**

And with the wind, another almost indistinct sound was heard, at first almost inaudible, but as time went on, it became clearer and clearer, at the same time it seemed as if all the other sounds of the night were being silenced to give it more prominence.

**Step**

The warm breeze coming from the distance was rapidly getting colder, the more audible the sound became, as if the night had entered its deepest stages.

**Step**

Dark, subtle clouds gathered around the moon, dulling its splendor more and more, until nothing but temporary darkness was left over the land.

And the once soft whistling sound now seemed sinister and creaky.

Flitwick: "She has arrived."

McGonagall: "Yes... I can see that."

Standing quietly at the entrance to the castle were the now headmistress of the school, Minerva Mcgonagall and Professor Fillius Flitwick.

Both kept their gazes on the nearby horizon, where an indistinct shadow was rapidly approaching.

The shadow moved like a blink of an eye, one second it was in one place and the next second it was in a totally different place closer to its destination.

McGonagall: "*sigh* Thank you for coming to join me, Professor Flitwick." Letting out a tired sigh, she comment.

Flitwick: "Don't mention it, it is also my duty to be present here as the head of Ravenclaw house, besides, it is also partly my fault and I share the responsibility in allowing one of my students to face such an unknown fate." He said in a subdued tone devoid of his usual joviality and enthusiasm.

Finally, after waiting a few seconds, the dark figure coming in the distance arrived in front of them.

The figure belonged to a young woman, about 29 years old, with a tall and slender figure. She was wearing a tight black dress that emphasized the charm and proportions of her body, with some areas of her shoulders, neck and hips uncovered, as well as a long, dark cape like the night.

In one of her hands was a long staff of polished dark wood.

Her face was covered by a cloth mask connected to her cloak. The mask had some faint, intricate markings on it and only highlighted the eye area.

Her gait was smooth and relaxed, giving the feeling of someone strolling leisurely through a park, quite in contrast to the cold and unsettling aura around her.

With their arrival, the surrounding air seemed to become heavier creating an oppressive and suffocating feeling, however, Minerva McGonagall and Fillius Flitwick, were by no means weak and inexperienced wizards and quickly dismissed that feeling.

**Hahhh**

A long, heavy breath escaped from the person in front of them the moment she stopped, sending up a faint cloud of smoke from her mask.

???: "Professor McGongall, long time no see. Oh, that's right, you're a principal now, aren't you?"

A soft, gentle voice escaped from the shadowy figure, creating a stark contrast, yet as pleasant to the ear as it sounded, such a sweet, soft voice caused faint shivers to run through the bodies of its listeners, making their hair stand on end, as if it provoked an instinctive fear in people.

McGonagall: "It certainly has been a while, however, I'm sure you haven't come here just to brush up on old times and have a cup of tea, have you Christelle?"

Mcgonagall commented with a slight tinge of distaste as she looked at the revealing and unconservative robes worn by the witch in front of her.

Christelle: "Straight to the point, eh... That's not as much as you, Headmistress, but I prefer it that way. It saves both of us time"—Switching to a more cheerful tone, the voice continued—" Ah, Professor Flitwick! Don't think I've forgotten about you, you are certainly a difficult figure to ignore and even more nostalgic than Headmistress McGonagall, I'm pleased to see you brimming with health."

Flitwcik: "Yes-". Flitwick's look was a bit complicated as he looked at Christelle.

Christelle: "But let's leave the pleasantries aside, there will be time to share about our lives when we are done. So tell me, any news about my nephew yet?".

Flitwick's face became a little uncomfortable at having been cut off before he had a chance to express himself, but he did not pursue the matter further and decided to wait for McGonagall to address the main issue at hand.

McGonagall: "I'm afraid not yet-".

**Tumb**

McGonagall's words were not yet finished, when the staff in Christelle's hand rose slightly and tapped downward, making a dull sound.

Following the sound, an illusionary wave spread from its point of impact towards the surroundings, until it collided with the castle's door and finally dissipated.

Christelle: "Oh? The school's defenses are better than I remembered. It seems the legacy of several generations of principals has not been in vain". Christelle's voice came out with a certain tone of surprise and playfulness contrary to her disposition.

However, it was really hard to tell what kind of emotions were playing in her heart and face, as she kept herself hidden.

"Well, Principal McGonagall, I hope you can give me the pleasure of a tour of the school, after all, there is a large snake to find and eliminate, plus of course, finding my nephew."

McGonagall was beginning to lose a little patience with Christelle's disrespect towards her and Professor Flitwick, however, she quickly calmed down and took a deep breath, before asking instead somewhat curiously.

"Do you have such confidence in young Extimum's safety?"

Christelle: "Hmm? I don't know, actually, let's just say it's just a feeling of mine that he's doing well."

McGonagall: 'Feeling? Hmp, It must just be some family magic checking on the status of the familiars'. Mcgonagall thought teasingly, unaware of how her thoughts seemed to become more emotional in front of Christelle.

Without wasting any more words, Mcgonagall and Flitwick led Christelle inside the castle for a tour.

Since Christelle was a former student, it was more of a courteous tour to be aware of the changes and begin a light investigation.

Although the relationship between the three of them did not seem very amicable, they managed to discuss everything as professionally as possible, leaving aside each other's personal feelings.

In fact, the two teachers fervently wished that Christelle could really find something with their skills and experience in such cases, because they really cared about the safety of their students.

What puzzled them, on the other hand, was that Christelle actually asked a lot of questions about Extimum, from the everyday, to the research-relevant.

However, the strange thing was that based on the questions, they seemed as if... she herself did not know Extimum, going so far as to ask about his current appearance.

In fact, little did they know that their strange assumption was not at all far from the truth. Christelle was genuinely curious about this nephew of hers that she had never met, beyond in a baby picture and the knowledge of his name.

Of course, as the three of them toured the castle, Christelle's staff never paused in its now lighter tapping of the ground.

.-.

"T-The monster went that way."

"Warn the teachers."

"N-no, a-help, it's coming my way."

A cacophony of screams of terror, alarm and more cries for help spread from the Ravenclaw common room to the hallway leading to their entrance on the seventh floor.

The common room was a mess, with furniture overturned and books thrown everywhere, plus an occasional student huddled in a dark corner trembling with fear.

The surprise had been too much for the youngest among them.

There hadn't been many people to begin with in the common room, however, when the screams of a few drew the attention of those not yet asleep and even some who were, people soon came and witnessed it.

A huge figure at least three or four meters high, with an indiscernible shape completely covered by a purplish mist with scarce and almost imperceptible greenish hues.

The figure generated an ominous and terrifying sensation just by looking at it, as if the very sight of it provoked the deepest fears and nightmares in the hearts of each one of them. Those who did not faint, ran back to their rooms or remained frozen, barely trying to raise their wands.

With the current situation, no one hesitated to immediately associate it with the basilisk.

Before they had a chance, however, the snake-like figure slithered quickly out of the Ravenclaw tower, even though its size suggested that it should not have been able to exit through such a small entrance.

-

**Boom**

"Bombarda"

"Filipendo"

Extimum ran as fast as he could through the corridors of the castle, trying to find an exit or a place to hide.

Things had gotten out of control too quickly, he could not return to his true form, his magic was not responding to him and his body, now of large proportions, was covered with what looked like a hallucinogenic cloud that caused terror in all those who saw him.

With all the chaos, he could only rely on the abilities this form allowed him to try to find a place to hide while whatever was affecting him passed or find a way to eliminate it from himself.

The problem was... The castle itself was already in a state of emergency and surveillance due to the latest attacks. So there were blocked roads and patrols of seniors and teachers in the main corridors.

And if the above wasn't enough, either they all had a great deal of hatred and anger built up and it grew courageous or if the enveloping fog was affecting them in some way.

But as soon as they spotted him, they did not hesitate to run towards him with their wands and attack with all kinds of spells.

Although without a doubt, what frustrated him the most was when he overheard the conversation of some of the students as he fled from their attacks.

"Raimond, wait, don't you think it's dangerous? It's a basilisk after all, we should wait for the teachers, do you even want to die?"

"Dylan, we can't hesitate at this point, now that we are all gathered here, we can beat them, besides, here, just wear the magic glasses that Extimum created, with this at least we won't die."

"You're right, we will avenge Extimum and all the students who were attacked."

**Struendo**.

"Hey look, it looks like our attacks are finally affecting the basilisk."

"It must be that we have at last broken through their magical defense, comrades, follow me for revenge."

Extimum:' Damn it, I'm not dead, okay, don't just use my inventions as a reason to recklessly carry what you think is a basilisk, do you trust me that much?'

If it were anyone else they would have already spat blood upon hearing that conversation, it was fine if they just wanted to pursue him, but now it seemed that one of the reasons that gave them enough courage to do so was his own invention that he had sold as a protection measure and worst of all many were charging in screaming vengeance on their behalf.

Extimum:'Come on, come on, my illusion magic, you just have to help me a little.' He had already tried to mobilize all kinds of spells and his own illusion magic, but his link to his magic seemed as if it had sunk into dense mud, he could feel it, but not move it and the little illusion magic he managed to move was like sand slipping through his hands.

There really wasn't much he could do, his appearance in front of everyone seemed to have provoked and inverted all those fearful negative feelings, for ones of hatred and rage that drove the bravest to go out and chase him.

The only bright side is that it forced the few teachers who had left to try to stop them from having accidents, otherwise they would not have had such an easy escape route until now.

.-.

Mcgonagall: "This is the place where the heir of Slytherin left his message and subsequently, students began to be attacked. Mr. Filch had to make a great effort to erase the blood stains from the wall and even so, there are still some more discreet marks due to magic."

Christelle: "This heir apparent certainly has very particular tastes."

Flitwick: "What do you mean?".

Christelle: "Well, it's just that, while the first words were written with the blood of the cat they found that time, these last ones were written with-".

"Quick, quick! It went that way."

"Don't let it slip away! and don't forget to wear your glasses."

"Stop! Stop right now, it's too dangerous. All students are to return to their common rooms. We teachers will deal with the creature."

Christelle's words were interrupted by the sound of shouting, arguing and the disorderly footsteps of students and a few teachers.

Under the mask, delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly at being interrupted, so she couldn't help but ask hesitantly.

Christelle: "Do they still do activities this late at night and with the current situation?".

"Uh..." Flitwick was speechless, the answer was of course, No, but the situation he saw a few corridors ahead made him hesitate for a moment if there was something he hadn't heard about.

Making him unconsciously cast a questioning glance at McGonagall.

His innuendo went unanswered, however, because Mcgonagall was just as surprised as the two of them.

Mcgonagall: 'What's going on?'

The castle had been very quiet and still a while back when she went out to wait for the uninvited visitor with Professor Flitwick when she sensed someone crossing the barriers of Hogwarts.

The students had clearly been in their common rooms and in somber moods, most had even gone to bed early, so the scene in front of her was no less disconcerting.

Without hesitation, she quickly crossed a few corridors, until she reached the part where the crowd of students was passing by.

It didn't take long to notice one of the teachers in the crowd, who was currently detaining some students and trying to stop some others from getting through.

Even so, their efforts did not prove too fruitful, as many had made it through their net.

Mcgonagall: "Professor Sinistra, can you tell me what is going on here?".

Sinistra: "Pr-Principal McGonagall.*gasp* The monster, the basilisk, appeared and-".

Before Professor Sinistra could finish her words, a shadow rushed past her and pushed its way through the group of detained students, soon merging with the crowd running not far behind.

Sinistra: "Uh...who was she?".

Mcgonagall: "She is the guardian or representative of the Shadowless family. Please continue the explanation." Mcgonagall did not wish to leave Christelle alone, but first she had to properly understand the situation and then try to quickly organize the plan of action.

After all, she was now not just another teacher at the school, she now had other responsibilities as principal.

Sinistra: "It's okay. The basilisk showed up and this time it's not hiding like before, it's wandering around the school. It was first spotted in the Ravenclaw common room and given the location, the news didn't take long to reach the Gryffindor common room."

Flitwick: "What?, how could it have appeared there?, what about the students?, how are they doing?, are you really sure it's the basilisk?, did you see it?". Flitwick almost jumped when he heard where the basilisk had appeared and quickly rushed to inquire about the situation.

Sinistra: "Uh... Actually, I didn't see it clearly with my own eyes. I was finishing the compendium of papers for the juniors when I heard the commotion outside and when I came out, I only saw the crowd of students running and a large indistinct shadow spinning down a hallway."

Flitwick frowned at her words, "You didn't see it clearly? Then how do you know it's the basilisk? And how are the students?"

Sinistra: "Although I didn't see it clearly, but all the students running around claimed to have seen the basilisk, moreover, I could hear a faint hissing sound, accompanied by a very faint trace of corrosiveness in the air, like basilisk venom."

Sinistra frowned slightly in annoyance, she wasn't liking this interrogation at all, but McGonagall was present and besides, she could understand Flitwick's concern.

Hearing her say the words "basilisk poison," the color drained from the full face of both Mcgonagall and Flitwick, however, noticing their condition, Sinistra hastened to explain.

"But it was too weak to affect anything or anyone and only strong enough to be felt if you had knowledge of it. I could only identify it because I had come into contact with it on one occasion when I went to look at ingredients for potions.

As for the students, there are some who were partially petrified when they encountered him and have already been taken by Madame Pomfrey to the infirmary, however, nothing too serious has happened yet.

Apparently, all the students who ran to confront him had on them special goggles. Upon asking around, I learned that they were a magical contraption sold by Extimum, which was supposed to and would allow one to survive the basilisk's gaze, though of course, it does not inhibit from the effects of petrification."

Mcgonagall: "Okay, I understand the situation. Please continue to restrain the students, I will go meet with the other teachers and then we will figure out a way to deal with the basilisk. Professor Flitwick, will you come with me?".

Flitwick: "Of course."

.-.